Holy Hobby Lobby!

We escaped our house the other night and left the girls behind with Aunt Justy to do their usual: hot dogs, (nasty) boxed mac n' cheese, and Disney movie watching.
 
Graham came along with us while we ran errands in Fort Dodge.
He still isn't taking a bottle well.
We have been trying for weeks. I think we have tried 4 different bottles and nipples - including ones made for breastfed babies that are refusing the bottle. The only way he actually drinks even an ounce from the bottle is if I end up doing it - defeating the whole purpose.

I liked when Jared and I used to be able to load up and spend a whole afternoon and actually go to every store we wanted.

Ahh...those were the days...

Now it is more pick-and-choose what is most important. And where we go to eat depends on whether or not the restaurant has a booth where I can {somewhat} comfortably nurse the baby.

One of our stops was Hobby Lobby.
It happens every time I enter the store.
I go in for one or two items and come out $100 poorer. But we always end up finding things for house projects and little decorations for the kids' rooms, which are still a work in progress.

We are working on decorating Graham's room. Avery still occupies the room, but we are going to start to move her into her big-girl bed in Bailey's room soon. So far, we haven't hung a single thing. We didn't decorate before because we wanted to do it gender-specific and we didn't plan to find out the sex (Whoopsies...) ahead of time. So it is a blank canvas.

We bought some large wood letters to spell out his name just like we did in the girls' room.

{A blog coming in the near-future to show the finished product.}

We also found some cute pictures to hang on the wall and items for the bookcase.

 

We bought a bunch of other things to work on, but we only completed two yesterday.

 

 

Large Hanging Initial

 

We bought a large wooden letter S {which was 50% off - just like half of Hobby Lobby always is}, two paint colors, one crackle paint, and some ribbon.

 

 

We painted down the dark brown color. It took a couple coats because the wood really soaked it up. Then painted on the crackle paint. After that we had to wait about half an hour for it be "tacky" enough to paint on the blue. After the blue was painted on, it had the crackle look.

We finished up by painting the side of the S the same blue color.

All that was left to do was attach the ribbon and hang it up.

 

It's currently hanging near the front door in our breezeway, which is a good spot for it because this space needs all the help it can get!

 



Kitchen Chalkboard

 

We have this really weird area of clear blocks in our kitchen. They overlook the stairway going to the basement and serve no purpose. I am not sure why the original owners put them in when they did the addition. They are just awkward.

I thought that hanging a chalkboard over it might be a nice solution.

 

Weird, right?

 

 

So we bought a large chalkboard for $12.99 at Hobby Lobby.

{Or it might have been half that. I can't remember.}

 

Jared taped around it and painted the edges white.

 

 

 

We mounted it on the wall and put some decorative ribbon on it, and we were good to go.

 

Much better, right?

 

We thought about buying some spray that makes the surface magnetic; then the girls would be able to use their magnetic letters and numbers on it, but we left it as is for now.

We still need to do some further decorating, but this is a pretty good start in my book.

 

 

Also while out and about, we stopped at Target and spent more money than we anticipated there, too. I found cute lamps for both kids' rooms AND a lamp for the sofa table in our living room. So three lamps... Random.

We also picked up other things (aka the things we were actually supposed to be shopping for) like gifts for our soon-to-be born niece, due to arrive in less than a week now. (Just to clarify: Jared's sister, not mine.)

 

So that is all the crafting/decorating I have for now. I will post more of our projects as we get them completed.

 



So God Made a Farmer...

Watching the Super Bowl last night, I thought this was hands-down

 the best commercial.

Immediately it grabbed my attention.
Jared stopped what he was doing and looked up from his Ipad.
We sat there in complete silence for the full two minutes, just watching and listening.

So God Made a Farmer

Paul Harvey

Dodge Ram commercial

 



I am probably a bit biased. I do have a few farmers in my life.
 

Love you Dad.  Thanks for all you do.

Paid off

This month of February is the last month that I will be sending in a check to pay for our car.

Horray!

We finally have our Honda Pilot paid off!

It was the first vehicle Jared and I picked out together. It's been my favorite vehicle.
(And if you know my dad, you know that I have driven A LOT of vehicles! I think I had 4 different cars by the time I was 16.) Anyway, I digress...
After 36 months, we officially own our vehicle outright. I don't like having debt, so this excites me!

And our other vehicle - my super cool Pontiac Grand Am from the year 2000 - it is still kicking.

**Knock on wood**

It seems every other month or so it gives us cause for concern.
Something goes wrong and we think, "This is it. We are going to have to buy another car."
But it's just a false alarm. The old girl just keeps on a-kickin'.

Sexy, isn't she?

 

Jared hates this car. Hates it.

I am not exactly sure why.
Maybe it's because it isn't the manliest of vehicles. (Or even close.)
Or because it's an annoying two-door.
Or because you feel like you are riding about one foot above the pavement.
Or because the radio plays approximately 3 stations. 4 on a good day.
Or because the heat or air only works while on the high setting.
Or because if you drive over 70 65 60 mph it starts to shake. Just a little bit...

Me, I don't mind it so much.
My parents bought me this car back in 2004 after my first year of college. I got zero say in the matter, but it was better than what I had been driving before, so I was happy.  And all the annoying things wrong with it don't really bother me. It's like an old friend (or husband) with quirks; you just get used to them. It has done well by me. I made many a trip from Kansas and back in this baby and it never left me down.
And the number one reason why I like it:
it's 100% paid for. (And bonus points because I wasn't the one who paid for it in the first place!)

So I am praying the old girl keeps on keepin' on.
It's only got about 128,000 miles. It's still got a lot of good life left! (Plus that whole paid for thing...)
I know in a few years - as I am hoping to put it off as long as possible - we'll have to get a mini van.

{Yes, Jared, a mini-van. Start getting your mind wrapped around the idea now.}

 

Right now we only have one vehicle that can haul all the kids and the three carseats that come along with them. Eventually one kid will have to go one place, while another goes somewhere else. That is where the mini-van comes in. Our tiny two-door Grand Am just isn't practical. But for right now, it's working.
Plus I would like to enjoy the feeling of no longer having a car loan for a while.

Now if those student loans would just disappear...
I know, I know. Wishful thinking.



Playing Together

We're on the mend here in the Solko household.
Everyone had some form of the flu this week - with the exception of Graham.
And I have done so many loads of laundry, I lost count.

While Jared and I are back to normal, the girls are still taking it easy. Multiple bouts of diarrhea have plagued Bailey and Avery is only eating a few bites of food here and there. (This is the girl who has eaten 3 large pieces of pizza in one sitting before.)

This week we have just been in survival mode.

Clothes only get changed when they get puked/pooped on. (Which has been several times a day sadly.) And typically we have just been rockin' the pj's.

We have watched a large variety of Disney movies - much to the girls' disappointment. All they want is Simba 24/7. 

Food has consisted largely of crackers, toast and soup. And juice.

In short, I feel pretty lazy.
And truthfully, with a new(er) baby at home, we have been in survival mode a lot of days. Most days I feel a sense of accomplishment if everyone is fed, gets a nap, and takes a bath.

I see posts from Facebook friends and read blogs online about all the cool, fun learning activities other moms are doing with their preschool-age kids. And I will admit it: I feel a bit guilty. I have two toddlers that could be benefiting from finger painting and homemade crafts... I should be doing that too, right?

I want to be a good mom that spends her days teaching her kids new skills and playing educational games, but lately, between talking them into eating their lunch and breaking up fights over toys (and feeding a 2 month-old every 2-3 hours) I have very little motivation left.  Throw in the flu and I am done for. And in all honesty, the thought of the clean-up after fingerpainting is way too much for me.

My patience has been really tried lately. Bailey's attitude and defiance at every turn is enough to make me want to tear my hair out some days. It's so very hard to be patient and let her do things her own way (ie: takes forever), especially when Graham is downstairs crying or I just want to go have a few minutes of peace. I need to try harder.

Bailey has been very into playing together lately. Sometimes she asks at a bad time - when I am feeding Graham or Jared's preparing supper - but I try to say yes when I can.

This morning she asked: We play together? 
So we went shopping.

Little Sister already knows how to swipe the plastic.

 

 

 

Rolling up with a cart full of veggies.

 

 

Brother observed from his swing.

{Doesn't he sort of look like George Costanza here? Maybe it's just me...}

 



Flu? Yep. Definitely.

It hit us hard yesterday.

Everything was fine until about 7 o'clock. We had finished the nightly routine of supper and baths for the girls and were hanging out in the living room. I was sitting near Avery as she started to cough. And then she got a weird look on her face and I knew it was coming. The only thing I had available was my hand. So yes, I caught her vomit in my hand. At least the first bout anyway. Jared grabbed a baby blanket off the floor and caught the rest of it. The poor girl was covered.
Bath #2.

We put Bailey to bed a short while later, but were afraid Avery still might be sick, so we set her up on the couch just like I did Bailey the day before. Like clockwork she vomited multiple more times, but we were prepared with a garbage.

About this time I got a call from Justy. She has been staying at our parent's house a couple nights a week while they are gone on their vacation. She was calling from their bathroom floor. She couldn't stop dry-heaving and was so sick and weak she couldn't get off the floor. Jared went to pick her up and bring her to our house so she wouldn't have to be alone.

I was sitting in the recliner feeding Graham. Not five minutes after Jared left, Avery started making the face. But with a baby on my lap, I couldn't get there in time. It was everywhere.
Bath #3.

Jared got back with Justy and she set up shop in one of the bathrooms for a good long time. By the time I put Graham down to sleep at 9, I was already feeling sick. By 10:30 I was vomiting too. Afterward I felt immediately better. I slept for 30 minutes and woke back up feeling sick. I vomited again. Back to sleep. Repeat, repeat, repeat... all night long. My body felt like it had been run over by a truck. Actually, it still does.

Thankfully Graham chose last night to sleep for 9 hours.

9 hours straight!

Hallelujah! He couldn't have picked a better night. Although I did check on him every half hour when I got up - just to make sure he was okay. {The last couple days he has woken up every 3 hours, so I needed to make sure he was indeed still breathing.}

 

So far today, we have barely moved. I have consumed about 8 crackers total so far. Jared has so far not come down with it, so he has been refilling the girls' sippies with Powerade and distributing crackers around the living room. We have watched more movies in one day than I can ever remember doing.

 

I am hoping for a peaceful, uneventful night tonight. My aching body could really use some good rest.

Flu?

I awoke before 7 AM yesterday because Bailey was crying. Well, actually Jared jabbed me in the ribs repeatedly, but hey - I did get up.

I went to her room to tell her to get back in bed, it wasn't time to wake up yet. She continued to whimper. I told her again with a bit more mommy attitude to get back in bed. I was longing to climb back into bed, but instead I jumped the baby gate to go lay by her. That is when I discovered both the bed and Bailey covered in vomit.

Happy Monday!

I stripped both Bailey and the bed and we made our way downstairs.

Load of laundry #1.

 

Bailey seemed to be feeling just fine. She was begging for milk so I gave her a small amount of juice. We settled in and she watched some Sesame Street. She made it about a half hour before having her second round of vomiting. All over the couch, carpet, and herself. Thankfully it was just juice.

Load of laundry #2.

I had other clothes to throw in anyway, so why not?

 

This time I wizened up and covered the love seat and floor in front of it with an old twin bed sheet set. But not 15 minutes later...Session #3. This time it was contained to one large blanket and her pants.

Load of laundry #3.

The rest of the morning went pretty smoothly. We watched both The Lion King and Lady & The Tramp. Thankfully Graham was content and Avery slept in until 10 AM. I begged a favor of Justy and she brought over some 7Up for Bailey to drink. The thrill of drinking pop lasted for a good hour before Bailey was again begging for milk. You couldn't tell she was sick. She was dancing to the songs on her Disney movies and fighting with her sister.

She ate some crackers for lunch and then it was nap time. She actually napped pretty well. When she woke up crying, Jared went to get her. She was covered in diarrhea. So was her bed. And the down comforter she laid on top of...

Load of laundry #4.

 

She had a piece of toast for supper and seemed to do okay. She got a thorough bath and went to bed more easily than she has in weeks. I didn't hear a peep out of her all night, but this morning I discovered she had again covered her bed in vomit and relocated overnight to Avery's future bed in the same room.

Load of Laundry #5.

 

So far today, she has eaten half a chicken nugget and three crackers. The stubborn thing won't try anything else. But so far, so good. No new pukes. Hopefully that's the end of it. I hate seeing Bailey hurt. And I do not want to change that damn daybed one more time!

 



Cleft Book

Recently I was asked to submit Bailey's story for a new book called  

I Wish I'd Known, How Much I'd Love You.

 

I submitted a short essay about our experience, along with Bailey's information, and before and after pictures.

It's going to be a compilation of stories from parents of cleft-affected children.
The goal is for the book to be a reference for parents going through the same ordeal.
All proceeds from the sale of the book and related items will go to cleft charities like Smile Train. 

(Which is an amazing charity by the way!

An entire cleft repair surgery is only $250. amazing!)

I think it is a great idea.

Finding out about your child's cleft when you are pregnant gives you time to prepare.
But it also gives you a TON of time to worry, too.
You worry about the most ridiculous things.
And the not-so-ridiculous things: like surgeries, feeding problems, and more surgeries.
The title for this book is so true; there are so many things I wish I'd known.

For me, there were a few things I knew without a doubt.

I knew Bailey would have great medical care.
I knew our families would love her no matter what she looked like - they already did.
And above all, I knew we would love her no matter what.

But there were so many other things I didn't know...

Would her cleft be big?
(Yes, it was pretty big for being just on one side.)

Would her cleft "bother" me?
(No.)

Would I notice it all the time?

(Again, no.)

 

Would people make mean comments?
(No, except from a lab tech who said to a week-old Bailey, "You'll be beautiful someday!" I feel lucky that that is the worst we ever got.)

 

Would we get weird looks from strangers?

(Nope, not really. If anything people came up to us and complimented Bailey while telling me stories of someone with a cleft in their families.)

 

Would she be able to eat okay?

(She ate like a champ from every type of special bottle we tried.)
 



How would surgeries go?

(Bailey always did awesome and was back to normal within a day or two. And while she has quite a few more to go, we are taking it one at a time.)

 

Will she get made fun of?

(We haven't crossed this bridge yet. And I am sure the answer will be yes. Every kid has some weakness that gets pointed out eventually. Hers is just worn in an easy-to-spot place.)

Every parent wants to know that their child is going to be okay and have a normal life. I hope this book helps calm some of the worries that cleft parents face.

I will share more info when the book is published later this year. :)



2 months

The 2 month stats

 

Height:  24.25 inches    (above 95th percentile)

 

Weight:  12 lbs  13 oz        (50-70th percentile)

 

 

Our little guy sure is growing.
He has gained exactly half a pound every week since his last appointment - right as he was getting over RSV.

Sleep is going pretty well too.
He sleeps in his pack-n-play for stretches of 6-7 hours most nights. It had been from about 10 PM until 5 AM, but now he keeps trying to drift off at 8:00. I much preferred 10... 

No complaints here though. 

I don't mind getting up once during the night. We cuddle up with a warm blanket and I catch up on my trashy tv while he eats/uses my boob for a pillow. {And for those of you who know me, it is most definitely not a large, plush pillow, but he does seem to enjoy it...}

wrapped in his swaddle and asleep for the night

 

I get decent sleep most nights, especially since I can come back to bed and sleep until 8 or 9 AM - depending on how well the girls play in their rooms once they wake up.

We are getting lots of big smiles these days,

along with some cute little baby coos and ah-goos.

 

 

He rolls up on his side as soon as we put him on his back. One of these days I am going to find him completely rolled over.

 

ahh.... I can't believe how fast our little baby is growing!

this week without words

We haven't done much of note this past week, so I will let the pictures do the talking.

 

 

 

{Okay, I had to break in. Don't you just love all that hair?!

I want to put a cute little pink bow in it so badly!}

 

 

He melts my heart.

Gotta love that little grin...

 

Jail break!

Yesterday I escaped!
Because yes, it does feel like a prison break-out when you get to finally leave the house (and the kids) for a few hours.
It was the longest I have been away from the kids in oh... 7 weeks exactly.

I went with Justy to see Les Miserables in the theater.

Just seeing a movie in the theater is a real feat these days.

I thought it was good.
There were times I was thinking, Really? You need to sing this line?  but not too many.

Per usual we snuck in cans of pop in our purses and purchased a popcorn to share.

Blame my dad, but I just really hate paying four bucks for a small-sized pop.

It was really quiet in the theater, so we waited for a loud part to open the can. And we planned a cough along with it. {Keepin' it classy.} Then when it was time, we totally misjudged and the loud crack! came just as it got quiet again {oops, my bad} which made us both laugh really hard. I am sure our fellow movie-goers' eyes about rolled out of their heads.

After the movie we headed to Walmart so Justy could get some "much-needed groceries." She proceeds to pick up two cans of tuna, whole wheat pasta, and one other item I can't even remember. Wow - no wonder this girl stays so skinny if that is her entire grocery list. My blood sugar dropped to a super low number while we were in the store, which basically makes me feel drunk and sometimes I act inappropriately.  Like laughing when I shouldn't and saying things I probably shouldn't. Also having just seen a movie with lots of music in it didn't help. Turns out it's extra fun to sing every word you say. 
Fortunately Justy is a good sport.

One thing I always love about riding in a car with any one of my sisters - we know all the same old songs. We put on old CDs we made back in high school or look up a song that is really obscure - one only we seem to know all the words to. Then we sing really loud. And with some songs, there are hand gestures and actions.

Yep, we are that cool.

Justy didn't disappoint and we listened to some good oldies, along with new songs she forced me to listen to to try and keep me somewhat with the times. (Spoiler alert- it doesn't really work.)

So while it was nice, it was good to get back home.
(Even if it was only because my boobs were about to burst.)

Yesterday was a win-win for both Jared and me:

I got to see the movie and he never ever has to.

You're welcome, Jared.