Time has been limited for me, but I \will try to stay on top of providing information since this has been a help to me. I'd like to take the time to look at what's been going on to make me laugh or doesn't drive me insane.
The Smurfs still drive me up the wall at times. We (the whole family) have been home together for 11 days. That's 11 days of crying, whining, running, jumping, breaking, Christmas, toys, and relatives. It's rough when 1 and 2 are together because they're at the age where they've learned how to work together to do the things they're not supposed to do. They've figured out how to operate the car keys to open the doors; combine that with being able to reach the locks on the front door and move like ninjas when they want, and i've got two kids that need bells around their necks when near the front door. To me it's funny because the rest of the time that they're awake it's hard to not know where they are. Both of them are so loud when together that i'm always pre-planning trips into the store with them. I do the classic "If you do this then you will feel the WRATH OF DAD" speech, which occasionally works. Add Smurf 3 into it, who is becoming more vocal and wanting more stimulation, and it turns into a "fun" outing at the grocery store. We're at the point where I have to keep telling them that I will not be buying any toys at the store; they can look but nothing goes home with us. They have so many toys (and with Christmas recently behind us) that I can't take anything else coming into the house. It is nice to see them playing with each other's toys and creating some colorful stories. My son will sit there with the strawberry shortcake house with the girls riding hotwheels cars while my daughter has one of the castles or the firehouse having cinderella slide down the pole to ride a motorcycle.
Scooby-Doo has become a recent mainstay on the t.v., and I actually like the older shows of it (I watched them all as a kid). Once I was able to explain that the "ghosts" are people in costumes, they love watching the episodes. The new version appears to be scarier, so we avoid those. However, it's to the point where Smurf 3 will watch the t.v. when it's on, and then he gets mad if we stop it before it ends.
What I am enjoying/loathing is that my kids are not indoor kids. Even though they have their t.v. shows they like to watch, it's not something they spend all day doing. They begged and pleaded to go outside to swing, play in the leaves, dig up stuff, climb trees, go to parks and playgrounds, and take walks. Even Smurf 3 preferred to be outside rather than inside. I just wish I could find more places with climbable trees at parks so they could have more fun. I've wanted to take them to practice putting since they like it, but it's hard to do with Smurf 3 because he gets bored easily now and the wife doesn't like golf. They all seem to be into collecting rocks, finding nests, etc.
I get to be a stay-at-home dad for another month, then I have to switch jobs and spend time in an office. Smurf 3 will have to go to daycare at that time, and to be honest i'm dreading it. We were able to eliminate 2 of his meds and reduce the ones remaining but he's still small and delayed. However it seems that the more stimulation he receives the faster he's developing, but it's hard to keep up with him in what he wants to see or do. I've been able to get him to roll over from his stomach to his back, but not the other way around. He's definitely trying though, and will get mad if he can't turn the way he wants. He does like watching his siblings, even when they are in his face and become too rough with him. Right now i've got him in a swing and the others watching Scooby-Doo, but they're also playing with a castle and Strawberry Shortcake House/figurines. Smurf 3 is asleep in the swing, giving my wife time to rest from the craziness of us all. Happy Holidays.
Showing posts with label Smurf 1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Smurf 1. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Thursday, September 20, 2012
A Month of Stuff, aka "When Life Gives you Lemons..."
I've been wanting to post something over the past month, but have not had the time due to a variety of things. There have been several ups and downs, all the while my stress levels have not seen a decrease. So, here's a brief summation:
Up - Smurf 3 finally came home! He is on several medications but we're able to maintain them and keep track of what's needed at what times. He is more alert and active than he was in the hospital, and his siblings are CONSTANTLY checking on him. When I say checking, I mean they: talk to him, hug him, kiss him, want to hold him, read to him, rub his head, give him his bottle/pacifier, etc. It's a little overwhelming at time, and we have to continue reminding Smurf 1 and 2 to give him some space.
Down - I've noticed that since he's been home it's been hard for my wife to get into a rhythm with the other two Smurfs. She spends most of her time with Smurf 3 (which is expected), so i'm monitoring the others. This means I do most of the homework, cooking, cleaning, laundry, bathing, and bedtime with them. So of course if she reprimands them or gives directions, they ask me if they can do it (which bugs both of us). I'm trying to keep them to a routine and integrate Smurf 3 into it, but because he hadn't been home long we have to worry about his health and safety. ugh.
Down - the hospital we were at sucked. Well, the hospital itself was okay, but the nursing staff in the NICU sucked. If you ever have a young child that needs to go to a hospital, DO NOT take them to a teaching hospital. I don't care what kind of experts they have, the day-to-day pains of dealing with ignorant, crappy, and uncaring nurses is not worth it. They get rotated each shift, so it was rare to have the same nurse two days in a row. That sucked because they wouldn't know Smurf 3 and would try things that, if they had been there before, would know did not work with him. Or they were lazy and didn't care (or at least gave that appearance). There was one nurse who was so lazy that she spent the entire time on the computer doing a wedding registry. Luckily my wife was able to sit there all day with him, so she was able to advocate for Smurf 3 and call the nurses out on what they were doing. If it wasn't for her, they would not have moved as fast or informed us of what was going on. The staff there (doctors and nurses) would try to talk around or over my wife regarding care and progress instead of with her, and so she started speaking up and dictating what they would and would not do. If she hadn't, he would have had several unnecessary procedures and probably would still be sitting there. If possible I do not ever want to go there again.
Up - No jealousy from the siblings. As I mentioned earlier, they are constantly checking on him and want to help take care of him. I haven't seen any signs of jealousy; it makes me proud. However...
Down - they do worry about him. Each day I pick up the Smurfs from school they ask if he's still at home or the hospital. If he coughs or make a noise, both immediately stop whatever they are doing to check on him. They are diligent that he gets his medications as well (remember, they are only 3 & 4). It makes me sad that they worry about him because of the lengthy hospital stay, and at their age they should be having more fun than worries. This leads into the next thing...
Down - Today we had to take Smurf 3 to the ER. He was having some fast breathing for the past two days, and this morning while drinking a bottle he started crying again. He then turned purple and had trouble breathing. I tried to clear his airway and give pats on the back, but they didn't work. My wife did rescue breaths while I called 911, which seemed to work immediately. At the hospital every test is turning up negative (which is no surprise given his history), lungs were clear, heart was strong, etc. They suspect an upper respiratory infection because he did have some mucus and required oxygen for saturation and reduce his respiration rate. So right now he's in PICU at the hospital with my wife. I'm at home with the other two Smurfs and had to explain to them why he was in the hospital. I told them he got sick and the doctors wanted to check him and let him stay for a few days to make sure he was no longer sick.
Up and Down - Vising the hospital was fine for the Smurfs. They actually took it in stride and asked a few questions; otherwise they did not act bothered. After the visit, however, Smurf 1 told me he was nervous about going because he thought Smurf 3 was going to look bad. Smurf 2 just processed the situation by talking out loud to me and her brother was asking for reassurance. That really broke my heart to hear the both of them, but I reassured them that everything is okay.
Up - My wife is holding up better than I am. She was freaking out when he turned blue, but working together helped her out. She said she's now just hanging out there with him, watching t.v. and waiting. Also, the doctors at the hospital (which is the one we prefer) have been upfront with everything, asked questions, gave information, and have been receptive to feedback. Right now it's a waiting game until he is well enough to go home. Me, i'm a basketcase because i'm not there. However, it's easier for me to be with the other two Smurfs because we have a routine that works for us. If I was at the hospital I would annoy the hell out of everyone with constant questions. Plus, I cannot sit still for any length of period unless i've got busy work.
Up and Down - no idea what i'm going to do for work. As is, with doctor appointments, Smurf 3 coming home, and keeping up the home (which still looks awful) I'm not doing as much work as I should to bring in money. Since my job ends soon, I need to figure out what i'm going to do to at least have some income. However, I've gotten to the point where I just don't care and have decided not to stress about it. If i work, I work; if not, then "oh well."
I've been reciting a hilarious rant in my head to keep me sane over the past month. It works some of the times, but I should probably replace it. It's Cave Johnson from Portal 2. It's a rant about life giving you lemons and what to do with them. I'm going to keep trying to keep my head above water and not go crazy on someone (although I did come close today). Wish me luck.
Up - Smurf 3 finally came home! He is on several medications but we're able to maintain them and keep track of what's needed at what times. He is more alert and active than he was in the hospital, and his siblings are CONSTANTLY checking on him. When I say checking, I mean they: talk to him, hug him, kiss him, want to hold him, read to him, rub his head, give him his bottle/pacifier, etc. It's a little overwhelming at time, and we have to continue reminding Smurf 1 and 2 to give him some space.
Down - I've noticed that since he's been home it's been hard for my wife to get into a rhythm with the other two Smurfs. She spends most of her time with Smurf 3 (which is expected), so i'm monitoring the others. This means I do most of the homework, cooking, cleaning, laundry, bathing, and bedtime with them. So of course if she reprimands them or gives directions, they ask me if they can do it (which bugs both of us). I'm trying to keep them to a routine and integrate Smurf 3 into it, but because he hadn't been home long we have to worry about his health and safety. ugh.
Down - the hospital we were at sucked. Well, the hospital itself was okay, but the nursing staff in the NICU sucked. If you ever have a young child that needs to go to a hospital, DO NOT take them to a teaching hospital. I don't care what kind of experts they have, the day-to-day pains of dealing with ignorant, crappy, and uncaring nurses is not worth it. They get rotated each shift, so it was rare to have the same nurse two days in a row. That sucked because they wouldn't know Smurf 3 and would try things that, if they had been there before, would know did not work with him. Or they were lazy and didn't care (or at least gave that appearance). There was one nurse who was so lazy that she spent the entire time on the computer doing a wedding registry. Luckily my wife was able to sit there all day with him, so she was able to advocate for Smurf 3 and call the nurses out on what they were doing. If it wasn't for her, they would not have moved as fast or informed us of what was going on. The staff there (doctors and nurses) would try to talk around or over my wife regarding care and progress instead of with her, and so she started speaking up and dictating what they would and would not do. If she hadn't, he would have had several unnecessary procedures and probably would still be sitting there. If possible I do not ever want to go there again.
Up - No jealousy from the siblings. As I mentioned earlier, they are constantly checking on him and want to help take care of him. I haven't seen any signs of jealousy; it makes me proud. However...
Down - they do worry about him. Each day I pick up the Smurfs from school they ask if he's still at home or the hospital. If he coughs or make a noise, both immediately stop whatever they are doing to check on him. They are diligent that he gets his medications as well (remember, they are only 3 & 4). It makes me sad that they worry about him because of the lengthy hospital stay, and at their age they should be having more fun than worries. This leads into the next thing...
Down - Today we had to take Smurf 3 to the ER. He was having some fast breathing for the past two days, and this morning while drinking a bottle he started crying again. He then turned purple and had trouble breathing. I tried to clear his airway and give pats on the back, but they didn't work. My wife did rescue breaths while I called 911, which seemed to work immediately. At the hospital every test is turning up negative (which is no surprise given his history), lungs were clear, heart was strong, etc. They suspect an upper respiratory infection because he did have some mucus and required oxygen for saturation and reduce his respiration rate. So right now he's in PICU at the hospital with my wife. I'm at home with the other two Smurfs and had to explain to them why he was in the hospital. I told them he got sick and the doctors wanted to check him and let him stay for a few days to make sure he was no longer sick.
Up and Down - Vising the hospital was fine for the Smurfs. They actually took it in stride and asked a few questions; otherwise they did not act bothered. After the visit, however, Smurf 1 told me he was nervous about going because he thought Smurf 3 was going to look bad. Smurf 2 just processed the situation by talking out loud to me and her brother was asking for reassurance. That really broke my heart to hear the both of them, but I reassured them that everything is okay.
Up - My wife is holding up better than I am. She was freaking out when he turned blue, but working together helped her out. She said she's now just hanging out there with him, watching t.v. and waiting. Also, the doctors at the hospital (which is the one we prefer) have been upfront with everything, asked questions, gave information, and have been receptive to feedback. Right now it's a waiting game until he is well enough to go home. Me, i'm a basketcase because i'm not there. However, it's easier for me to be with the other two Smurfs because we have a routine that works for us. If I was at the hospital I would annoy the hell out of everyone with constant questions. Plus, I cannot sit still for any length of period unless i've got busy work.
Up and Down - no idea what i'm going to do for work. As is, with doctor appointments, Smurf 3 coming home, and keeping up the home (which still looks awful) I'm not doing as much work as I should to bring in money. Since my job ends soon, I need to figure out what i'm going to do to at least have some income. However, I've gotten to the point where I just don't care and have decided not to stress about it. If i work, I work; if not, then "oh well."
I've been reciting a hilarious rant in my head to keep me sane over the past month. It works some of the times, but I should probably replace it. It's Cave Johnson from Portal 2. It's a rant about life giving you lemons and what to do with them. I'm going to keep trying to keep my head above water and not go crazy on someone (although I did come close today). Wish me luck.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Loud and Proud, aka "Kids Say the Weirdest Things"
The Smurfs have been able to visit Smurf 1 in the hospital since Friday, which has been the highlight of their day each time. It's quite a pain at times because they are either too aggressive or passive when visiting. Smurf 1 just cannot stand still and wants to push on him and grab his head. Smurf 2 acts as if Smurf 3 has the plague and is tentative about going near him. However, after we have left she talks about him as if she was taking care of him and had a great time. So on the first day they got to visit, both were understandably excited. They were asking a bunch of questions, looking at stuff, saying how cute Smurf 3 was, etc. Well, his diaper needed to be changed, and surprisingly Smurf 1 wanted to watch (Smurf 2 has backed away several steps because she's just timid in this situation). When his diaper comes off, Smurf 1 notices that Smurf 3 has an inflated belly button. He has a small hernia that makes his belly button inflate, but it's supposed to correct itself. Anyway, he looks at it and declares (quite loudly):
"Look! He has a belly penis!"
A couple of the nurses tried their hardest not to laugh, but it couldn't be helped. I laughed so hard I started coughing. It's not a misspoken word or phrase, but i'm counting it as one.
"Look! He has a belly penis!"
A couple of the nurses tried their hardest not to laugh, but it couldn't be helped. I laughed so hard I started coughing. It's not a misspoken word or phrase, but i'm counting it as one.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Making it Work, aka "Keep on Rollin'"
It's funny how I have less time now to do things than I did while my wife was in the hospital. Granted, my stress level has decreased but what needs to be done has increased. For starters, she's trying to do WAY too much right now, and she gets tired very quickly. She keeps apologizing and telling me how guilty she feels because i'm still doing a lot of things, but I have to remind her that I don't mind, i'm happy she's home, and it's not a lot of effort on my part. I've been trying to leave her alone in regards of the things she wants to get done, but I know she can't finish them without help. Her big goal of the week was to get the house spotless and dust-free by Sunday afternoon, but so far she has only gotten a little bit of work done. Most of her free time is spent with Smurf 3, which is preferable, but then she gets upset because she hasn't been able to clean. I've stopped waiting and just started cleaning over the weekend, and i've already figured out when I could get stuff done around everyone's schedule. But I'm going to continue to support her efforts to do things at home, but I'm pushing for her to slow down and take breaks so she's not too worn out by dinner and can't do anything.
Smurf 3 is doing very well. He's up to 3 lbs., 1 oz and hasn't started bottle feeding yet. It looks good for him to gain weight quickly once he does start. I've been debating on whether to post pictures/videos of him, and I decided against it simply for privacy reasons.
I took Smurfs 1 and 2 to the pool today while their mom visited Smurf 3 at the hospital. Smurf 2 won't put her head underwater, and Smurf 1 won't stop jumping in from the side of the pool. If he could swim, he'd go off the diving board!! I thought it would be harder to keep track of both of them, but they did well following directions and staying near me so that I could help them if needed. It definitely wore them out to be at the pool for almost 2 hours. We'll probably do it again on Sunday morning.
Work is a pain as usual.
Sleep has been... elusive. Since I only can visit Smurf 3 after Smurfs 1 and 2 have gone to sleep and I've done some housework, I often don't see him until midnight. I get back home around 1:45, then i'm up until 3 or 4 doing stuff. I get back up around 8 or 9 and start my day. I feel like i'm getting less sleep, but apparently it's the same amount just at different times. However, I am feeling it around dinner time.
I realize how much more time I need to spend playing with my Smurfs. I spent 30 minutes last night wrestling with Smurf 1 and 2 hours in the pool with the both of them. They enjoyed it and wanted to do more stuff, which makes me feel as if I'm not giving them enough play time with me. I know I don't have much extra time to give, but I might increase the level of activity we do so that they can get out all that excess energy and I can feel as if they had quality time with me. One thing we did today was to vacuum out the car. For most kids this is boring, but I turn it into a treasure hunt (removing all toys and non-garbage stuff), then I give them a hand-held vacuum and direct them where to go. Afterwards, they get to beat up/shake out the floor mats, and then they sit in the car playing with the newly discovered old toys while I finish up all the extra cleaning. They seem to be willing to do whatever chore I need to get done, so I guess i'll have them help me weed out some areas tomorrow after swimming; they'll need to take a bath anyway so I might as well get some free labor!
Smurf 3 is doing very well. He's up to 3 lbs., 1 oz and hasn't started bottle feeding yet. It looks good for him to gain weight quickly once he does start. I've been debating on whether to post pictures/videos of him, and I decided against it simply for privacy reasons.
I took Smurfs 1 and 2 to the pool today while their mom visited Smurf 3 at the hospital. Smurf 2 won't put her head underwater, and Smurf 1 won't stop jumping in from the side of the pool. If he could swim, he'd go off the diving board!! I thought it would be harder to keep track of both of them, but they did well following directions and staying near me so that I could help them if needed. It definitely wore them out to be at the pool for almost 2 hours. We'll probably do it again on Sunday morning.
Work is a pain as usual.
Sleep has been... elusive. Since I only can visit Smurf 3 after Smurfs 1 and 2 have gone to sleep and I've done some housework, I often don't see him until midnight. I get back home around 1:45, then i'm up until 3 or 4 doing stuff. I get back up around 8 or 9 and start my day. I feel like i'm getting less sleep, but apparently it's the same amount just at different times. However, I am feeling it around dinner time.
I realize how much more time I need to spend playing with my Smurfs. I spent 30 minutes last night wrestling with Smurf 1 and 2 hours in the pool with the both of them. They enjoyed it and wanted to do more stuff, which makes me feel as if I'm not giving them enough play time with me. I know I don't have much extra time to give, but I might increase the level of activity we do so that they can get out all that excess energy and I can feel as if they had quality time with me. One thing we did today was to vacuum out the car. For most kids this is boring, but I turn it into a treasure hunt (removing all toys and non-garbage stuff), then I give them a hand-held vacuum and direct them where to go. Afterwards, they get to beat up/shake out the floor mats, and then they sit in the car playing with the newly discovered old toys while I finish up all the extra cleaning. They seem to be willing to do whatever chore I need to get done, so I guess i'll have them help me weed out some areas tomorrow after swimming; they'll need to take a bath anyway so I might as well get some free labor!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
She's Home! aka "Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back!"
Yay! The wife came home on Friday. Although it doesn't change the level of burden I have, it's such a relief to just have her around. Since she's still recovering I am still doing everything around the house (having to force her to sit still and stop trying to be superwoman) and with the kids. She finally recognizes that she has to go slowly, so I'm running with the Smurfs, doing baths, household chores, etc. However, it helps that she can take them for rides and join us to help watch them while they play.
Smurf 3 is doing very well for being premature. He's now doing more oral intake of breast milk and will probably be started on a bottle by the end of the week. His bloodwork is great and he's responding to our voices. My wife spends more time with him because it's easier for her to visit him and me stay with the other two Smurfs, which works out well because i'm afraid to hold him at this time. He's small enough that I worry about applying too much pressure to his body, so i've decided to wait until he's able to bottlefeed to hold him. That way he should be bigger and stronger. I'll get to see him every evening, which will be nice. Hopefully he'll be home in 4 weeks or less.
Smurf 2 is just... Smurf 2. She's so into wearing dresses and having her hair put up in certain styles. What happened to my truck-playing, pants-wearing, daredevil little girl? And she's only 3! At least she's into spicy foods and has almost no qualms about trying new foods. It's funny to watch her eat chips and hot salsa at a restaurant. Her artwork is pretty good, and the patience she puts into her work is amazing. I like the stories that go along with her pictures, and she often will redraw a picture several times in order to make it perfect to her.
Smurf 1 is such a hyperactive kid. I think his mind works a lot like mine and he has a hard time dealing with his brain moving faster than his body. I've been showing him various coping methods for kids that seem to work. He's showing emerging reading skills because I was able to get him to sound out several short words. He was quite happy to be able to read a few words (dog, stop, bus, cat, school, exit, and camp), and he can definitely write any word we spell to him. His math skills are pretty good too, but could be better. He can add and subtract up to +2 in his head but cannot do it on paper.
So today while my wife visits Smurf 3, I will have the kids outside playing on a sprinkle mat similar to this. Also, i've got some water balloons, guns, and bubbles. I'm hoping to wear them out enough to take an early nap (early for them being before 4 p.m.). I need to finish some outdoor work, laundry, dishes, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. I've got to work it out with my wife on how to divide the chores again because i've learned that I can't sit still now and just relax; I see everything that needs to be done and get the urge to just go at it. If I sit still I start to fall asleep due to boredom, so it's back to taking care of things for me.
Misspoken Words of the Day
ratberry/rasblueberry.
Smurf 3 is doing very well for being premature. He's now doing more oral intake of breast milk and will probably be started on a bottle by the end of the week. His bloodwork is great and he's responding to our voices. My wife spends more time with him because it's easier for her to visit him and me stay with the other two Smurfs, which works out well because i'm afraid to hold him at this time. He's small enough that I worry about applying too much pressure to his body, so i've decided to wait until he's able to bottlefeed to hold him. That way he should be bigger and stronger. I'll get to see him every evening, which will be nice. Hopefully he'll be home in 4 weeks or less.
Smurf 2 is just... Smurf 2. She's so into wearing dresses and having her hair put up in certain styles. What happened to my truck-playing, pants-wearing, daredevil little girl? And she's only 3! At least she's into spicy foods and has almost no qualms about trying new foods. It's funny to watch her eat chips and hot salsa at a restaurant. Her artwork is pretty good, and the patience she puts into her work is amazing. I like the stories that go along with her pictures, and she often will redraw a picture several times in order to make it perfect to her.
Smurf 1 is such a hyperactive kid. I think his mind works a lot like mine and he has a hard time dealing with his brain moving faster than his body. I've been showing him various coping methods for kids that seem to work. He's showing emerging reading skills because I was able to get him to sound out several short words. He was quite happy to be able to read a few words (dog, stop, bus, cat, school, exit, and camp), and he can definitely write any word we spell to him. His math skills are pretty good too, but could be better. He can add and subtract up to +2 in his head but cannot do it on paper.
So today while my wife visits Smurf 3, I will have the kids outside playing on a sprinkle mat similar to this. Also, i've got some water balloons, guns, and bubbles. I'm hoping to wear them out enough to take an early nap (early for them being before 4 p.m.). I need to finish some outdoor work, laundry, dishes, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. I've got to work it out with my wife on how to divide the chores again because i've learned that I can't sit still now and just relax; I see everything that needs to be done and get the urge to just go at it. If I sit still I start to fall asleep due to boredom, so it's back to taking care of things for me.
Misspoken Words of the Day
ratberry/rasblueberry.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Ramblings, aka "Another Day, Another Way to Stress"
So Smurf 3 is doing well. There were some concerns about his liver functioning and potential brain bleeding, but all scans come back positive. He still bruises and bleeds easier than he should, but it's getting better. His platelet count has stabilized and is improving, so he should not bleed as much. It appears the same issues that my wife had are showing up in him, but they are definitely getting much better. His suck reflex is very strong, so even though they have a nasal feeding tube in him they are giving him drops on his lips and in his mouth along with a pacifier to get him used to the coordination of eating and breathing. And he is not on any breathing machines and such, so things are going really well for him. However, I can't bring himself to visit him for long in the NICU. It's a combination of the hospital (this hospital is great; I just hate hospitals), wanting him out of NICU, him being fragile so i'm afraid of accidentally hurting him (I have a hard time judging my strength), and then having to watch over the other Smurfs. They cannot visit him because of their ages, so they stay with Momma Smurf in her room. However, she cannot handle them as easily right now, so I try to limit myself so that she is not having increased difficulties. Last time I left them, when I returned both Smurfs were in the hallway and had been trying to follow me when I left. I know there are more serious things that could be happening and so i'm trying not to stress out my wife and the kids. But I am going to have to find some time to shower.
At times my Smurfs irritate the hell out of me, and others they are cute. I had a bit of both yesterday, but i'm not going to get into them. I do like the fact that I can now explain things to them, wait about 20 minutes, and then check to see if they understand. Granted, I still do a lot of misdirection or distract from questions which are difficult to answer, but overall I'm finding that by talking to them I get to increase their vocabulary and problem solving/critical thinking skills.
I hate eating out. I used to like it, but I just don't like most fast foods anymore, and I don't like going to restaurants (although my Smurfs are very entertaining when they're not whining). If I had a new grill at home I don't think I would ever eat out again. However, my wife likes to eat at certain places and the kids like to entertain other people, so I put up with it. It just sucks that I can't order a true medium rare steak with the blood and juices coming out; I miss that.
At times my Smurfs irritate the hell out of me, and others they are cute. I had a bit of both yesterday, but i'm not going to get into them. I do like the fact that I can now explain things to them, wait about 20 minutes, and then check to see if they understand. Granted, I still do a lot of misdirection or distract from questions which are difficult to answer, but overall I'm finding that by talking to them I get to increase their vocabulary and problem solving/critical thinking skills.
I hate eating out. I used to like it, but I just don't like most fast foods anymore, and I don't like going to restaurants (although my Smurfs are very entertaining when they're not whining). If I had a new grill at home I don't think I would ever eat out again. However, my wife likes to eat at certain places and the kids like to entertain other people, so I put up with it. It just sucks that I can't order a true medium rare steak with the blood and juices coming out; I miss that.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Smurf 3 is Here! aka "Tonight's Da Night"
So my third child is here as of 5:50 p.m. He was 15 inches long and 2 lbs, 14 oz. at 32 weeks. I'm told that this was a good weight for him since to weeks ago he was estimated at 2 lbs. 2 oz. The reason he was delivered today was because my wife's liver functioning changed quickly, so the doctors didn't want to waste any time. He seems fine and has no physical issues; now it's a matter of time to see if there are any cognitive ones.
As I watched him in the NICU, I began to think about all the things we will need to do at home. We had already talked and agreed upon everything, but i've realized that a lot of it will fall on me because my wife will still be recovering when she returns home, and Smurf 3 will still be in the hospital. Also, Smurf 1 and Smurf 2 are asking a lot of questions, especially about being able to see and touch Smurf 3. So i'm having to deal with the sad, disappointed looks and mini-tantrums when they're told they cannot touch or visit him yet.
We've only told my family because they will not come here to bother us; they actually understand that they need to wait until he is able to come home and get used to us. Her family? They would ALL drive here tonight, set up camp, and try to spend about a week in town just to sit and stare at us.
When I started writing this I had the idea that this would help me sort out my thoughts and be able to just write as much as I want without worrying about someone reading or critiquing this; therefore I wouldn't have to follow any format and just stream out sentences based on my thoughts at the moment. However, after today I see that I will most likely continue to write because I will have to stay at home with Smurf 3 for almost six months because we can't afford daycare for all three of them at the moment. Right now I have the flexibility to work in the afternoons and evenings, which means that once Smurf 3 gets home I can arrange to stay with him during the day until we get our finances straight. However I will be out of a job (unless i find another one) at the end of the year and may become a permanent stay-at-home dad at the time. And right now I have to work since i'm the only one bringing in any money, but my wife also expects me to be at the hospital most of the days this week. I've got a ton of paperwork to finish and to reschedule/schedule appointments, plus ensure that the other two smurfs make it to daycare in time to stay all day this week. I definitely need to go out and exercise this week.
Speaking of exercise, I went on a walk/run with the Smurfs last night. I put them in their wagon and walked up and down the hills in the neighborhood for 30 minutes. I even ran down a few of the hills; when I was done, I was covered in sweat. Of course they were fine, sipping on water and enjoying the breeze of being towed. Normally on our walks we went slow because my wife could not walk as fast as I could. I think I will definitely do this again tomorrow night when the sun is almost down so I don't pass out from a heat stroke.
As I watched him in the NICU, I began to think about all the things we will need to do at home. We had already talked and agreed upon everything, but i've realized that a lot of it will fall on me because my wife will still be recovering when she returns home, and Smurf 3 will still be in the hospital. Also, Smurf 1 and Smurf 2 are asking a lot of questions, especially about being able to see and touch Smurf 3. So i'm having to deal with the sad, disappointed looks and mini-tantrums when they're told they cannot touch or visit him yet.
We've only told my family because they will not come here to bother us; they actually understand that they need to wait until he is able to come home and get used to us. Her family? They would ALL drive here tonight, set up camp, and try to spend about a week in town just to sit and stare at us.
When I started writing this I had the idea that this would help me sort out my thoughts and be able to just write as much as I want without worrying about someone reading or critiquing this; therefore I wouldn't have to follow any format and just stream out sentences based on my thoughts at the moment. However, after today I see that I will most likely continue to write because I will have to stay at home with Smurf 3 for almost six months because we can't afford daycare for all three of them at the moment. Right now I have the flexibility to work in the afternoons and evenings, which means that once Smurf 3 gets home I can arrange to stay with him during the day until we get our finances straight. However I will be out of a job (unless i find another one) at the end of the year and may become a permanent stay-at-home dad at the time. And right now I have to work since i'm the only one bringing in any money, but my wife also expects me to be at the hospital most of the days this week. I've got a ton of paperwork to finish and to reschedule/schedule appointments, plus ensure that the other two smurfs make it to daycare in time to stay all day this week. I definitely need to go out and exercise this week.
Speaking of exercise, I went on a walk/run with the Smurfs last night. I put them in their wagon and walked up and down the hills in the neighborhood for 30 minutes. I even ran down a few of the hills; when I was done, I was covered in sweat. Of course they were fine, sipping on water and enjoying the breeze of being towed. Normally on our walks we went slow because my wife could not walk as fast as I could. I think I will definitely do this again tomorrow night when the sun is almost down so I don't pass out from a heat stroke.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Misunderstandings, aka "Kids Say the Darndest Things"
Today I shall tell of two stories involving the Smurfs and some misunderstanding on my part. I preface by saying that kids will say things innocently, but some of those things can be easily misinterpreted and can make you wonder about your own thoughts and feelings.
Story 1: When we visit my wife, one of our routines is to take a lap around the ground and 1st floors. During one trip the hallway was empty except for an orderly/nurse/tech/hospital employee person wearing gray scrubs and of Middle Eastern origin. The hallway is quiet, and as we get close to him Smurf 1 says rather loudly "What is that gray thing?" Trying not to overreact, I ask him "what do you mean?" He then points in the direction of the guy and repeats the phrase. Now I'm torn between avoiding eye contact, looking at the guy and giving the "kids are crazy" shoulder shrug, or standing up straight (since I could tell I was bigger than him) and give him the "I dare you to say something to my kid" look. Instead, my wife opted for the smart option and asked him for more clarity. He points again, but this time he says "That gray thing there. The thing with the words. What does it say?" My heart finally started to slow down and we read the sign to him (loud enough for the guy to hear) and kept on going.
Story 2: As we're walking through a hallway to get to the elevators to visit my wife, Smurf 1 says loudly (I think he only has one volume level) "What happened to the man?"I look up and down the hallway to find out what person he has identified, but I don't see any guy except a \really fat guy walking (like take-up-half-the-hallway fat). There happened to be two women walking behind us, and I heard one of them go "ohmygawd!" and the other one started giggling. Remembering what happened in Story 1, I asked him to point and describe who he is talking about. He then pointed to the hallway (away from the fat guy) and said that there was a statue there that was now covered up. I told him that the hospital was probably fixing something and he would be back later.
So what have I learned? That I need to make sure my Smurfs clarify anything that may be embarrassing, although there will be that day where my fears will be confirmed.
On a good note, my wife came home for 6 hours today again, which was a huge relief again. We did almost nothing and it was glorious. Also, the in-laws did not stop by (yay!). I still have to do some laundry, dishes, and bathe the kids (they did not take a nap until 6!), but i'm still happy about today. Tomorrow will be a different story.
Smurf 2 likes to chirp like a bird. Well, she likes to make all kinds of sounds and noises as part of her acting/singing/dancing repertoire, and one of her favorite things is to chirp like a bird. It's annoying, constant, and cute at the same time. She will go from sounding like Donald Duck to chirping to doing penguin noises. It's a weird skill she's developed but it suits her personality.
Story 1: When we visit my wife, one of our routines is to take a lap around the ground and 1st floors. During one trip the hallway was empty except for an orderly/nurse/tech/hospital employee person wearing gray scrubs and of Middle Eastern origin. The hallway is quiet, and as we get close to him Smurf 1 says rather loudly "What is that gray thing?" Trying not to overreact, I ask him "what do you mean?" He then points in the direction of the guy and repeats the phrase. Now I'm torn between avoiding eye contact, looking at the guy and giving the "kids are crazy" shoulder shrug, or standing up straight (since I could tell I was bigger than him) and give him the "I dare you to say something to my kid" look. Instead, my wife opted for the smart option and asked him for more clarity. He points again, but this time he says "That gray thing there. The thing with the words. What does it say?" My heart finally started to slow down and we read the sign to him (loud enough for the guy to hear) and kept on going.
Story 2: As we're walking through a hallway to get to the elevators to visit my wife, Smurf 1 says loudly (I think he only has one volume level) "What happened to the man?"I look up and down the hallway to find out what person he has identified, but I don't see any guy except a \really fat guy walking (like take-up-half-the-hallway fat). There happened to be two women walking behind us, and I heard one of them go "ohmygawd!" and the other one started giggling. Remembering what happened in Story 1, I asked him to point and describe who he is talking about. He then pointed to the hallway (away from the fat guy) and said that there was a statue there that was now covered up. I told him that the hospital was probably fixing something and he would be back later.
So what have I learned? That I need to make sure my Smurfs clarify anything that may be embarrassing, although there will be that day where my fears will be confirmed.
On a good note, my wife came home for 6 hours today again, which was a huge relief again. We did almost nothing and it was glorious. Also, the in-laws did not stop by (yay!). I still have to do some laundry, dishes, and bathe the kids (they did not take a nap until 6!), but i'm still happy about today. Tomorrow will be a different story.
Smurf 2 likes to chirp like a bird. Well, she likes to make all kinds of sounds and noises as part of her acting/singing/dancing repertoire, and one of her favorite things is to chirp like a bird. It's annoying, constant, and cute at the same time. She will go from sounding like Donald Duck to chirping to doing penguin noises. It's a weird skill she's developed but it suits her personality.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Daily Anecdotes, aka "The Good, The Bad, The In-Laws"
So today was stressful work-wise but i got through it with minimal psychological damage. The in-laws weren't as bad as they could have been, but it still makes me flirt with the idea of smoking again. So today's highlights:
Spent almost two hours explaining to an 18 y.o. why he has to lose some of his SSI when he makes more than a certain amount per month from working. He kept saying that it was b.s. and wasn't fair. I finally got to the point where I told him "yeah it sucks, but that's life. You learn to deal with it or make enough money so you don't rely on it." I still know he's not going to grasp it and will only try to remember parts of the conversation.
5 members of my in-laws visited (two sisters, parents, and a niece). Two more are supposed to be in the area tomorrow. I know they are trying to be helpful, but they aren't. I appreciate their offers of assistance, but after all these years i'm surprised they don't know what I would and would not accept. I would not accept someone else cleaning our house unless we are moving. I would not accept them cooking at our house to feed the kids (I'm slightly insulted by that one). I would not accept them taking the Smurfs away while I "relaxed" because they I don't agree with their discipline style (none at all) and I wouldn't relax because I would be worried about them. They could take a cue from my neighbor who borrowed my lawnmower; he mowed the rest of my backyard and didn't even mention it afterwards. That's classy to me because he didn't brag about it afterwards or make a point multiple times of saying that he wanted to help me. He just did it and then left it alone. That man deserves a thank-you card!
Mother in-law brought a lot of useless crap as usual. I think she's one of those bag ladies in the store that just pick up random stuff and gives it away when she realizes that she has picked up crappy things. This is the dress she brought for Smurf 2 (who is only 3) and thought that it's something she would like. Smurf 2 has her own sense of clothing style and will often match her colors, creating pretty decent outfits. She looked at that dress, then her grandmother, and just walked away (had to stifle a laugh).
Why would you offer to give a hyperactive, adrenaline-driven 4 year old a toothpick? That's just an ER trip waiting to happen.
I know I am overweight and need to exercise to be in better shape. However, after watching my in-laws have difficulty keeping up with my Smurfs I felt much better about my fitness level. Also makes me realize how easily I can exploit/utilize my children as exercise equipment.
We made chocolate chip cookies. Well, Tollhouse made the cookies and I heated them up. Anyway, while eating them I noticed Smurf 1 rubbing his ear with his shirt and moving as if his ear hurt. I checked it out, and he had chocolate in his ear. Apparently he stuck a chocolate chip covered finger in his ear and left part of it there. I got it out without freaking out, but I almost called the wife about it. See, I don't do well with minor medical issues such as fevers, headaches, stomachaches, etc. IF it's something major like a broken bone, severe fever, strep (happened once), viral meningitis, etc. then I don't have problems with them because i'm used to helping with those types of situations due to my job. I think dealing with the worst has me prepared for worse-case scenarios, but then whenever something minor happens I wonder if it's going to blow into something more. Just part of my anxiety issues I guess.
31 weeks and counting now. In two weeks we do another growth check, and if Smurf 3 hasn't progressed enough in growth then they're going to deliver him. If he has, then they'll let him stay until 36 weeks. We shall see what happens.
Spent almost two hours explaining to an 18 y.o. why he has to lose some of his SSI when he makes more than a certain amount per month from working. He kept saying that it was b.s. and wasn't fair. I finally got to the point where I told him "yeah it sucks, but that's life. You learn to deal with it or make enough money so you don't rely on it." I still know he's not going to grasp it and will only try to remember parts of the conversation.
5 members of my in-laws visited (two sisters, parents, and a niece). Two more are supposed to be in the area tomorrow. I know they are trying to be helpful, but they aren't. I appreciate their offers of assistance, but after all these years i'm surprised they don't know what I would and would not accept. I would not accept someone else cleaning our house unless we are moving. I would not accept them cooking at our house to feed the kids (I'm slightly insulted by that one). I would not accept them taking the Smurfs away while I "relaxed" because they I don't agree with their discipline style (none at all) and I wouldn't relax because I would be worried about them. They could take a cue from my neighbor who borrowed my lawnmower; he mowed the rest of my backyard and didn't even mention it afterwards. That's classy to me because he didn't brag about it afterwards or make a point multiple times of saying that he wanted to help me. He just did it and then left it alone. That man deserves a thank-you card!
Mother in-law brought a lot of useless crap as usual. I think she's one of those bag ladies in the store that just pick up random stuff and gives it away when she realizes that she has picked up crappy things. This is the dress she brought for Smurf 2 (who is only 3) and thought that it's something she would like. Smurf 2 has her own sense of clothing style and will often match her colors, creating pretty decent outfits. She looked at that dress, then her grandmother, and just walked away (had to stifle a laugh).
Why would you offer to give a hyperactive, adrenaline-driven 4 year old a toothpick? That's just an ER trip waiting to happen.
I know I am overweight and need to exercise to be in better shape. However, after watching my in-laws have difficulty keeping up with my Smurfs I felt much better about my fitness level. Also makes me realize how easily I can exploit/utilize my children as exercise equipment.
We made chocolate chip cookies. Well, Tollhouse made the cookies and I heated them up. Anyway, while eating them I noticed Smurf 1 rubbing his ear with his shirt and moving as if his ear hurt. I checked it out, and he had chocolate in his ear. Apparently he stuck a chocolate chip covered finger in his ear and left part of it there. I got it out without freaking out, but I almost called the wife about it. See, I don't do well with minor medical issues such as fevers, headaches, stomachaches, etc. IF it's something major like a broken bone, severe fever, strep (happened once), viral meningitis, etc. then I don't have problems with them because i'm used to helping with those types of situations due to my job. I think dealing with the worst has me prepared for worse-case scenarios, but then whenever something minor happens I wonder if it's going to blow into something more. Just part of my anxiety issues I guess.
31 weeks and counting now. In two weeks we do another growth check, and if Smurf 3 hasn't progressed enough in growth then they're going to deliver him. If he has, then they'll let him stay until 36 weeks. We shall see what happens.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
A Long Day, aka "My Blood Pressure Keeps Rising"
Don't think I can take any more surprises today. My wife was supposed to come out on a 6 hour visit today but couldn't because during a NST the heart rate of Smurf 3 went WAAAAAY down. It went back up, but the doctor freaked out and moved her to labor and delivery. I thought they were going to deliver any moment, which had me freaked out because when I was told I was in the middle of being with a client and his mom at the hospital, I still had to turn in paperwork so I could get paid, I had to contact several people for paperwork so other people got paid, I had to clean up the rest of the house because in-laws were around (oy vey), and I had in-laws visiting.
Luckily, everything has worked out. She was on monitoring for 4 hours and had no changes or issues, so she was returned back to her room. However, she might not get another pass to get out and that flat out sucks. I was able to get one person discharged from the hospital, but then remembered I have to send information to another hospital for someone else. I also need to follow up about an assault claim and Adult Protective Service call. I got in my paperwork but not all of it (but I will still get paid so that's good). The house is clean, the in-laws are bothersome (and will be back on Friday and Saturday), and I'm ready for it to be Sunday. However, the Smurfs are still fun so everything will be okay. I think I can keep my blood pressure in check long enough for my wife to get back home.
I think it's funny that my daughter, Smurf 2, will allow me to wash and comb her hair in the tub but would never allow my wife to do it. Smurf 2's hair is exactly like my wife's hair (very curly and thick), and I sometimes have a harder time with it. However, she did not (and still doesn't) like for my wife to do her hair. She even prefers if I'm the one putting on her headband, doing a ponytail, or whatever hairstyle she likes at the moment. I also need to buy a few more dresses for her since she keeps asking to wear one every day; she currently has 4 that she likes.
Smurf 1 is going to eat us out of house and home. I swear that boy eats almost as much as a teenager. On the regular he eats anywhere between 2 to 3 helpings of dinner along with 2 snacks and possibly a third. Luckily he prefers to drink a lot of water (puts me to shame) and will drink 1/2 cup of juice or a juice box per day. Smurf 2 will drink water but only if she's very hot or nothing else is available. Otherwise, she's got a juicebox or cup of juice in her hand. Or strawberry milk.
So now we are on the way back to the hospital to get a good dinner to my wife. They wouldn't let her eat while monitoring her, and she's hankering for some Outback food.
Misspoken Word of the Day:
*Preface - I try to use words that my kids should know with minimal euphemisms. Today I was speaking with Smurf 2 about using the bathroom, and that's where today's word comes from.
Browse Moose. "That's a lot of Yuck daddy." "It's called a poop or bowel movement." "Ok. That's a lot of Browse Moose."
Luckily, everything has worked out. She was on monitoring for 4 hours and had no changes or issues, so she was returned back to her room. However, she might not get another pass to get out and that flat out sucks. I was able to get one person discharged from the hospital, but then remembered I have to send information to another hospital for someone else. I also need to follow up about an assault claim and Adult Protective Service call. I got in my paperwork but not all of it (but I will still get paid so that's good). The house is clean, the in-laws are bothersome (and will be back on Friday and Saturday), and I'm ready for it to be Sunday. However, the Smurfs are still fun so everything will be okay. I think I can keep my blood pressure in check long enough for my wife to get back home.
I think it's funny that my daughter, Smurf 2, will allow me to wash and comb her hair in the tub but would never allow my wife to do it. Smurf 2's hair is exactly like my wife's hair (very curly and thick), and I sometimes have a harder time with it. However, she did not (and still doesn't) like for my wife to do her hair. She even prefers if I'm the one putting on her headband, doing a ponytail, or whatever hairstyle she likes at the moment. I also need to buy a few more dresses for her since she keeps asking to wear one every day; she currently has 4 that she likes.
Smurf 1 is going to eat us out of house and home. I swear that boy eats almost as much as a teenager. On the regular he eats anywhere between 2 to 3 helpings of dinner along with 2 snacks and possibly a third. Luckily he prefers to drink a lot of water (puts me to shame) and will drink 1/2 cup of juice or a juice box per day. Smurf 2 will drink water but only if she's very hot or nothing else is available. Otherwise, she's got a juicebox or cup of juice in her hand. Or strawberry milk.
So now we are on the way back to the hospital to get a good dinner to my wife. They wouldn't let her eat while monitoring her, and she's hankering for some Outback food.
Misspoken Word of the Day:
*Preface - I try to use words that my kids should know with minimal euphemisms. Today I was speaking with Smurf 2 about using the bathroom, and that's where today's word comes from.
Browse Moose. "That's a lot of Yuck daddy." "It's called a poop or bowel movement." "Ok. That's a lot of Browse Moose."
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Cuteness of my Kids, aka "That Makes Me Smile Every Time"
One of the things I do to relieve stress is sing songs with my kids. Not the stuff that's on the radio or even oldies (although they do like a few oldies I'll list out later), but stuff that appears on Micky Mouse Clubhouse, Sesame Street, Team Umizoomi, etc. I've also gotten to the point where I will interact with my kids in public as if other people aren't around, so many of the things that we end up doing may be embarrassing under normal circumstances. Today, as we're leaving the hospital, the Smurfs started singing a song from Team Umizoomi. Not one to be outdone, I started singing Elmo's Ducks with them. Now, when we normally do it I sing Elmo's part and they do the duck noises/acting. So imagine a grown man walking with two kids doing an Elmo voice while they're quacking like ducks. We did this 3 times in a row while walking past visitors, doctors, nurses, volunteers, security, etc. Although I was aware of people staring (and potentially commenting), I couldn't have cared less because they were happy and so was I. We've also done public performances of We Make Music and Sing After Me, one time drawing applause from someone we walked by. I like doing stuff like that because it reminds me that no matter how much stress i'm under, having fun with the Smurfs is a priority.
As I've noted before (and if you can't tell) I refer to my kids as The Smurfs. It's now more of reflex to say it randomly, and they respond accordingly. They have never seen the cartoon and have only seen Smurfs through a McDonald's Happy Meal promotion. However, Smurf 2 likes to constantly ask when in the car "Are we there yet?" Now she knows where we are going most often and when we will get there, but she likes to do it because I pretend it's irritating. So whenever she asks I always go "Not yet my little Smurf" until after the 5th time I will go "NOOOOOOO!!!!!" in a goofy voice. My inspiration? Here.
Misspoken Words of the Moment:
Taskifier. - "He has a Taskifier in his mouth."
Nipple. "I have two Nipples dad. Do you have any Nipples? Here [Smurf 2], you can have one of my Nipples so you can buy something at the store."
As I've noted before (and if you can't tell) I refer to my kids as The Smurfs. It's now more of reflex to say it randomly, and they respond accordingly. They have never seen the cartoon and have only seen Smurfs through a McDonald's Happy Meal promotion. However, Smurf 2 likes to constantly ask when in the car "Are we there yet?" Now she knows where we are going most often and when we will get there, but she likes to do it because I pretend it's irritating. So whenever she asks I always go "Not yet my little Smurf" until after the 5th time I will go "NOOOOOOO!!!!!" in a goofy voice. My inspiration? Here.
Misspoken Words of the Moment:
Taskifier. - "He has a Taskifier in his mouth."
Nipple. "I have two Nipples dad. Do you have any Nipples? Here [Smurf 2], you can have one of my Nipples so you can buy something at the store."
Another Day, aka, "I Worry Too Much"
So yesterday was a mostly good day. My wife got to leave the hospital for 6 hours, so we (family) spent a lot of good time together. I mean, we do it each day that we visit but it's so much more better being away from the hospital. Today they checked the growth rate of the baby and he's still behind. However, the tech said the baby is growing symmetrically, which means that his body is growing proportionally. That's better than asymmetrically, which would indicate potential medical and cognitive issues after birth. It still sucks that he's behind in growth, but it appears that Smurf 3 would be a smaller person regardless. When I say smaller, I mean smaller than us. I'm only 5'11", my wife 5'9". Both kids are pretty tall for their age, especially when I compare them to other kids their age.
Work is still a pain and I would really like to have some stability right now. I like the fact that I can be flexible with it, but because I have limited time during the day because of the kids I spend most of the night playing catch up. I think right now my average time to go to sleep is about 3 a.m., and I wake up between 7 and 8 a.m.
So i'm pretty mopey right now, but I try to keep things in perspective. I follow a blog of a guy named Rob (lostandtired.com), and he is in a much more difficult situation than I am. I feel I have no place to bitch and moan about laundry, cleaning, cooking, and taking care of things because things are still relatively good for me and the Smurfs.
Misspoken Word of the Day:
Anglish. "That's not Spanish, that's in Anglish."
Work is still a pain and I would really like to have some stability right now. I like the fact that I can be flexible with it, but because I have limited time during the day because of the kids I spend most of the night playing catch up. I think right now my average time to go to sleep is about 3 a.m., and I wake up between 7 and 8 a.m.
So i'm pretty mopey right now, but I try to keep things in perspective. I follow a blog of a guy named Rob (lostandtired.com), and he is in a much more difficult situation than I am. I feel I have no place to bitch and moan about laundry, cleaning, cooking, and taking care of things because things are still relatively good for me and the Smurfs.
Misspoken Word of the Day:
Anglish. "That's not Spanish, that's in Anglish."
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Cooking for This Dummy, aka "Where's the Pepto?"
When I was in college I used to cook only for myself. This meant that whatever I made did not look like what it was supposed to; I didn't care as long as it tasted okay. Luckily I met, fell in love, and married a woman who has excellent cooking skills. Over the years I have tried to learn how to do some basic things so that I can understand what she does, but frankly I still need to read the box of things while she can just pull it from memory. Now that I am tasked with the cooking, I find myself trying to remember how things are done, double-checking every recipe, and calling my wife to make sure i'm doing things right. I try to stick to her normal formula of a main dish, vegetable, preferred food, and a fruit of some kind.
Right now the Smurfs are happily eating a dinner of mac & cheese, tater tots, hot dogs (Smurf 2 only), apple sauce and mixed fruit cup, and shredded cheese (they like cheese!). No one wanted the turkey burgers that I had to call my wife about twice to be reassured that I wasn't going to kill them with it. Did it matter that I ate one? Nah, I can tolerate half-cooked food because that's what I used to make. Both seemed to like everything else because their plates are almost empty. However, I think my son may be taking after me because he just poured the juice from his fruit cup into his milk and drank it. Although I think that's something to try, my wife surely would have had a fit. Plus he likes to mix his food to try out a variety of tastes. He once mixed a bite of turkey burger, applesauce, and milk; he took several more bites after I told him it was okay as long as he wanted to eat it.
Fortunately this was not my first successful daddy-only meal. The first real meal I cooked in the past few weeks was pancakes. I was able to get them very close to the way my wife makes them, and the kids ate them all. Of course Smurf 1 complained of a stomach ache a little bit later, which had me worried that he was sick from undercooked batter or something (he had to go to the bathroom). I did do a crockpot dinner the second night alone with them of turkey chops, cream of mushroom, peas, corn, rice, and fruit. They actually ate it without complaints and I was proud to have done it. I will try meatloaf at some point, but I've got to make sure I have a backup meal in case it doesn't turn out well.
Misspoken Word of the Day
Violent. "Look at the pretty rainbow! I see orange, green, violent, yellow, red, and blue!"
"Are They Twins?" Count of the Day
I've had 2 of them today, and 4 of "they're so cute!". The short response still works.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Misspoken Words, aka "What Did You Say?"
I want to start something like this because, to me, my kids are funny. See if you can guess the actual word. The quotes are real. By the way, I always provide them with the correct word, and they usually repeat it so that they can get it right.
1. kinoculars. As in "daddy, I can see you through my kinoculars. You look so close!"
2. Crunch. As in "I wiped my crunch with toilet paper."
3. Samami. "The very hungry caterpillar ate cake, ice cream, samami, ..."
4. Simanem. "Dad, I like to have simanem in my pancakes."
5. Praying Magnet. "What does a Praying Magnet eat? What is it a Praying Magnet?"
1. kinoculars. As in "daddy, I can see you through my kinoculars. You look so close!"
2. Crunch. As in "I wiped my crunch with toilet paper."
3. Samami. "The very hungry caterpillar ate cake, ice cream, samami, ..."
4. Simanem. "Dad, I like to have simanem in my pancakes."
5. Praying Magnet. "What does a Praying Magnet eat? What is it a Praying Magnet?"
Meeting New People, Aka "Are They Twins?"
I am not a sociable person. Rather, I prefer not to socialize with a lot of people. Aside from my wife I don't have any true friends. I have people I associate with, joke with, and even talk about some personal things with, but overall I wouldn't consider any of them close. Case in point, those who could be considered my "close friends" don't know that I write this blog and don't know my wife is in the hospital. Hell, I think only one person knows that she's even pregnant, and that person isn't someone I normally associate with. My wife is the same way and didn't tell her family she was pregnant until she went to hospital at 27 weeks; her family has visited at least once a month and never said a thing (although several claim they suspected).
I say all this because I am forced to be more sociable than normal because of the Smurfs. I used to only be alone with them one day a week, and most of the time we did our own thing and ignored other people. Now that we're together almost all the time, I end up taking them to many social activities and places (I don't want them to become fat, lazy, tv watching schlubs like some kids I know). So now on a daily basis, whenever we're in public, I brace myself for uninvited conversation starters from others. To be fair, the Smurfs are cute and even more so when I'm talking with them while walking or having them hold my hands or each others. *
Anyway, the most common thing I am asked is if they are twins. I used to answer "No, they are a little more than 11 months apart in age" but have stopped because that usually provokes additional questions such as who is older (how the hell can't you tell? One is bigger than the other), do they get along well, do they look like their mother, do they get their hair from their mother, are you going to grow their hair like yours (I have dreadlocks), etc. Therefore I have modified my answer to "nope. 11 months." It's not that I want to be rude, it's just that I don't want to talk to people. Only the most die-hard of people will try to continue a line of questioning, so I continue to shorten my answers even more until I'm just looking at the Smurfs and saying something like "You guys ready to go?" which is my BIG hint that I am not going to answer any more questions. And heaven help the people who just make comments; all they get is a grunt in recognition from me, and then I ignore them. Luckily I have taught my kids better social skills than I show.
I say all this because I am forced to be more sociable than normal because of the Smurfs. I used to only be alone with them one day a week, and most of the time we did our own thing and ignored other people. Now that we're together almost all the time, I end up taking them to many social activities and places (I don't want them to become fat, lazy, tv watching schlubs like some kids I know). So now on a daily basis, whenever we're in public, I brace myself for uninvited conversation starters from others. To be fair, the Smurfs are cute and even more so when I'm talking with them while walking or having them hold my hands or each others. *
*A side rant here: when I talk to my Smurfs, I speak to them as if they're intelligent enough to understand proper English. I have never used baby speak with them or said anything in a sing-song voice (which one of my sisters-in-law does all the time). If they don't understand what i'm saying, both will readily ask me "what does ---- mean" since both have been speaking in complete sentences since they were two. So when we're walking and talking, they may sound smarter than kids who are still using one or two-word phrases at the same age.*
Anyway, the most common thing I am asked is if they are twins. I used to answer "No, they are a little more than 11 months apart in age" but have stopped because that usually provokes additional questions such as who is older (how the hell can't you tell? One is bigger than the other), do they get along well, do they look like their mother, do they get their hair from their mother, are you going to grow their hair like yours (I have dreadlocks), etc. Therefore I have modified my answer to "nope. 11 months." It's not that I want to be rude, it's just that I don't want to talk to people. Only the most die-hard of people will try to continue a line of questioning, so I continue to shorten my answers even more until I'm just looking at the Smurfs and saying something like "You guys ready to go?" which is my BIG hint that I am not going to answer any more questions. And heaven help the people who just make comments; all they get is a grunt in recognition from me, and then I ignore them. Luckily I have taught my kids better social skills than I show.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Fun Times, aka My Kids are So Cute!
Even though I'm stressed on a daily basis, my kids do things that makes me forget everything for a little while. There aren't any grand gestures or amazing things that they do; it's the ordinary stuff that make me smile. For example, whenever they're walking (and getting along), sometimes they will hold hands and walk together and talk about making sure each one is okay. Smurf 1 will also help Smurf 2 out of her carseat if I ask, and they always hug afterwards (I can just see the sugar oozing out of their heads!). One of the best things is when we go visit my wife (now known as Mommy Smurf or MS), they like to hide things behind their backs and give to her as a surprise. It could be anything (toys, socks, food, the newspaper, maps, etc.), but the look of joy on their faces to give Mommy Smurf a present sends a smile to my face and makes me forget about all my concerns.
Something else we have been doing since they were young; we name parks and playgrounds by what is there so they can easily identify things and tell us what they like. There's the bus park (there's a play bus there), the drum park, the train park, the airplane park (because it's near an airport), the sand park, the castle park, Julian's park (near a school friend's home where they had a birthday party), and the inside park (which they don't really like because, well, it's inside). We also do the same thing with the malls ("play store" and "bookstore" are two of them) and museums ("play museum", "bone museum" and "earth museum").
So now they plan out fun things they want to do; I'm only told about it right before we're supposed to go. Apparently Smurf 1 and Smurf 2 discussed it, decided where to go, and i'm only told when I'm needed to provide transportation. So there have been some heated discussions (as heated as you can get with a 3 & 4 year old) about what will and will not happen. I'm trying to teach them how to plan ahead, although I know at times that can be a hard concept to grasp (especially for Smurf 2). So right now as it stands we are going to several places tomorrow and Saturday, but not Sunday (according to Smurf 2). Why? "Sunday we are supposed to rest."
Something else we have been doing since they were young; we name parks and playgrounds by what is there so they can easily identify things and tell us what they like. There's the bus park (there's a play bus there), the drum park, the train park, the airplane park (because it's near an airport), the sand park, the castle park, Julian's park (near a school friend's home where they had a birthday party), and the inside park (which they don't really like because, well, it's inside). We also do the same thing with the malls ("play store" and "bookstore" are two of them) and museums ("play museum", "bone museum" and "earth museum").
So now they plan out fun things they want to do; I'm only told about it right before we're supposed to go. Apparently Smurf 1 and Smurf 2 discussed it, decided where to go, and i'm only told when I'm needed to provide transportation. So there have been some heated discussions (as heated as you can get with a 3 & 4 year old) about what will and will not happen. I'm trying to teach them how to plan ahead, although I know at times that can be a hard concept to grasp (especially for Smurf 2). So right now as it stands we are going to several places tomorrow and Saturday, but not Sunday (according to Smurf 2). Why? "Sunday we are supposed to rest."
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
6 Hours of Fun, aka Jailbreak! aka Smurf 1's birthday
I'm doing better with handling my wife being in the hospital. Yesterday she was able to come home for 6 hours (I called it her temporary release from prison!) because of Smurf 1's birthday, which was fun. We did a cake at his day care and his sister got to attend it. Afterwards we went home to relax, out to eat, and then to the store for presents. It was odd to have my wife home knowing that she could not stay, but I didn't say anything about it. I could tell she wanted to stay as well but wasn't going to cry in front of the kids.
Anyway, they had fun eating out and were doing a LOT of talking. I mean non-stop chatterboxes on everything and anything. Smurf 1 kept talking about his birthday, asking other people about their birthday (strangers can be so nice to cute children!), when was my birthday, and when he would turn 5. Apparently he has all sorts of plans when he turns 5, which include:
- Going to kindergarten
- Sending his babies to school (y'know, the 100 babies he has living in the clouds)
- Being able to read
- Riding a train (still not sure why that was there)
Smurf 2 was a little jealous and kept saying that she needed a birthday present and a birthday card. I showed her what she got when it was her birthday, but she wasn't satisfied. At first I thought it was a problem with understanding since she's 3, but after listening to her talk and actually restate in her own words what I told her, I knew she understood but didn't like it. So, like a ninja of the night, she cajoled her way into getting some stickers (not a big deal although I know they'll end up as a decoration on our floors).
While dropping off my wife at the hospital, the Smurfs were playing on the couch in the room. This couch is one of those that will open up to a bed (very uncomfortable) and was a hideous dark blue color when pulled out; However, when paired with a rocking recliner with the wheels locked it becomes a perfect setting for a pretend ocean. They jumped off the chair/dove off the beach on the deep blue bed/ocean. They then swam around, pretended to spit out water, and rescued each other from sharks, trains (again with the trains!), bugs, pirates, and other things. It was quite cute and I wish I had taken a video of it.
Things do appear to be getting better, and my wife will speak with the doctor about trying to do these trips twice a week until the delivery. 5 1/2 weeks left to go.
Anyway, they had fun eating out and were doing a LOT of talking. I mean non-stop chatterboxes on everything and anything. Smurf 1 kept talking about his birthday, asking other people about their birthday (strangers can be so nice to cute children!), when was my birthday, and when he would turn 5. Apparently he has all sorts of plans when he turns 5, which include:
- Going to kindergarten
- Sending his babies to school (y'know, the 100 babies he has living in the clouds)
- Being able to read
- Riding a train (still not sure why that was there)
Smurf 2 was a little jealous and kept saying that she needed a birthday present and a birthday card. I showed her what she got when it was her birthday, but she wasn't satisfied. At first I thought it was a problem with understanding since she's 3, but after listening to her talk and actually restate in her own words what I told her, I knew she understood but didn't like it. So, like a ninja of the night, she cajoled her way into getting some stickers (not a big deal although I know they'll end up as a decoration on our floors).
While dropping off my wife at the hospital, the Smurfs were playing on the couch in the room. This couch is one of those that will open up to a bed (very uncomfortable) and was a hideous dark blue color when pulled out; However, when paired with a rocking recliner with the wheels locked it becomes a perfect setting for a pretend ocean. They jumped off the chair/dove off the beach on the deep blue bed/ocean. They then swam around, pretended to spit out water, and rescued each other from sharks, trains (again with the trains!), bugs, pirates, and other things. It was quite cute and I wish I had taken a video of it.
Things do appear to be getting better, and my wife will speak with the doctor about trying to do these trips twice a week until the delivery. 5 1/2 weeks left to go.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Smurf 1, Aka Hyper Smurf
At some point I started calling my kids Smurf 1 and Smurf 2, and they have taken to those nicknames. What's funny is if I call their names, they may ignore me but if I say "Smurf 1 and Smurf 2!" they both respond immediately!
Anyway, Smurf 1 is VERY hyper; he reminds me of myself a lot of times. This boy will run back and forth in the house when he gets to the point where he has too much energy. He likes to jump off things, and so has accumulated a variety of scars and bruises on his legs and hands. At times I wonder if he has a sensory issue because of the way he tenses his body and wrings his hands when overstimulated (anxiety, happiness, excited, etc.). I originally thought of Autism or Asperger's but he doesn't show any other sign except for the body tensing. He definitely has an active imagination because he tells us a variety of stories based on things he's been read or he's seen. His current play story is that he has 100 babies that live in the clouds. Their names? Baby 1, 2, 3, etc. He gives them lemonade and oatmeal to eat, takes them to school, and goes on adventures with them.
He's mainly interested in boy-type stuff: wrestling, fighting, playing, jumping, looking at pictures. He's not a fan of coloring, writing, or arts and crafts. However, he does show the emerging reading skills for his age and knows all the beginning sounds of words. Plus, he likes to make jokes and will even try to make his own euphemisms. At some point I will have to list them because they can be quite funny.
And that's Smurf 1. Up next, Smurf 2.
Anyway, Smurf 1 is VERY hyper; he reminds me of myself a lot of times. This boy will run back and forth in the house when he gets to the point where he has too much energy. He likes to jump off things, and so has accumulated a variety of scars and bruises on his legs and hands. At times I wonder if he has a sensory issue because of the way he tenses his body and wrings his hands when overstimulated (anxiety, happiness, excited, etc.). I originally thought of Autism or Asperger's but he doesn't show any other sign except for the body tensing. He definitely has an active imagination because he tells us a variety of stories based on things he's been read or he's seen. His current play story is that he has 100 babies that live in the clouds. Their names? Baby 1, 2, 3, etc. He gives them lemonade and oatmeal to eat, takes them to school, and goes on adventures with them.
He's mainly interested in boy-type stuff: wrestling, fighting, playing, jumping, looking at pictures. He's not a fan of coloring, writing, or arts and crafts. However, he does show the emerging reading skills for his age and knows all the beginning sounds of words. Plus, he likes to make jokes and will even try to make his own euphemisms. At some point I will have to list them because they can be quite funny.
And that's Smurf 1. Up next, Smurf 2.
The Twilight Zone aka "Me, Myself, and I"
So with my wife potentially in the hospital for the next 5 weeks due to severe preeclampsia, I have become the part-time stay-at-home dad. So far she has been there for almost 2 weeks now and is trying to convince them to allow her to leave for a few days just to break the monotony. My kids, Smurf 1 and Smurf 2, have adjusted a lot better than I have. Smurf 1, who will be 4 tomorrow, had a harder time at first because he hates hospitals and doctors (like me!). Smurf 2, who just turned 3 last month, doesn't seem to worry about it as much (or at least doesn't show it). Once we told them she was having a baby and was not sick, then they both seemed to be happier about not having their mom at home. Here are some of the questions I've been asked since they found out:
- Why is she having a baby at the hospital?
- Did she eat a baby? Is that how it got in her stomach?
- If she didn't eat it, how did the baby get in her stomach?
- What's the baby's name?
- How is it going to get out?
- What's his name?
- Does he eat food?
- Can you open your mouth so I see him? (asked while he's looking in my wife's mouth)
- Can I play with him? (asked while tapping on my wife's stomach)
So now i've taken over her jobs at home, which is quite a lot. We had everything split as far as chores, responsibilities and such. But now i'm taking care of everything, and since I organize things like my thoughts, things can be chaotic at home. Plus i've still got to work 30 - 40 hours a week (somehow) while taking them to daycare 4 days a week while cleaning, cooking, shopping, planning meals, dealing with in-laws (oy vey!), and dealing with crisis situations (so far 3 days of scrapes and bruises). I stress but i handle it okay because I also know that my wife is struggling as well because she has to be away from us and is not relaxing at home. Oh well, time to make breakfast and get everyone ready for school.
- Why is she having a baby at the hospital?
- Did she eat a baby? Is that how it got in her stomach?
- If she didn't eat it, how did the baby get in her stomach?
- What's the baby's name?
- How is it going to get out?
- What's his name?
- Does he eat food?
- Can you open your mouth so I see him? (asked while he's looking in my wife's mouth)
- Can I play with him? (asked while tapping on my wife's stomach)
So now i've taken over her jobs at home, which is quite a lot. We had everything split as far as chores, responsibilities and such. But now i'm taking care of everything, and since I organize things like my thoughts, things can be chaotic at home. Plus i've still got to work 30 - 40 hours a week (somehow) while taking them to daycare 4 days a week while cleaning, cooking, shopping, planning meals, dealing with in-laws (oy vey!), and dealing with crisis situations (so far 3 days of scrapes and bruises). I stress but i handle it okay because I also know that my wife is struggling as well because she has to be away from us and is not relaxing at home. Oh well, time to make breakfast and get everyone ready for school.
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