The dreaded tubes

Yes we finally got tubes today. Brayden has been getting ear infections constantly for the last year. After doing three rounds of antibiotic shots enough was enough. (If your child has ever had the shots you know how painful it is. He cried every time he got them.) So today we woke up bright and early and traveled down to the surgery center. We were in and out in about an hour and a half. It took ten minutes to do the tubes. Doc said that in one ear he had snot looking gunk behind his membrane. Brayden was a slight beast after the procedure. He screamed the whole time in recovery but as soon as we started heading out he calmed down.

When we got home He promptly starting jumping up and down on our bed. :)

The crazy days

We all have them and if you say you don't you have to be lying. There are days when it seems everything goes wrong. The kids are grumpy. I can't get anything started, even breakfast. The kids end up eating snacks all day long because the effort to make chicken nuggets just makes them have break downs. The floor ends up a total mess because they kids refuse to sit during lunch so we just roam around. Everything piles up and you know what, It will be okay. We have had many days like the one above and we have survived. I have sat in the hallway with my children and cried with them. I have laid on the floor and let them crawl all over because they just want momma. I have wiped so much snot that I never wanted to see snot again, changed so many stinky diapers that I couldn't even smell it anymore.

Those are the days that I look back and laugh at. Those are the days where I bonded with my kids. Those are the days that they will remember momma taking care of them.


Now to go change yet another stinky booty.

Play Dough fun!

Today was way too icky to go outside so I looked in my book for fun things to do. Decided today was play dough day.

I mixed two cups of flour
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons alum
1 package of koolaid (or you can just put in food coloring)

I heated 2 cups water and added 1/2 cup salt and let the salt melt in the water

Then you get a big bowl mix the water and all of the other ingredients together and knead. Now it is going to be hot so I suggest you wait awhile for the water to cool before mixing.


Fun times:)
We used cars, teething rings, a play phone and an animal to do imprints in the play dough.

Behavior

In the past two years I have watched my now five year old boy turn from being a good listener to a not so good listener. Nothing works. We have taken toys, games, tv, you name it away. It does not phase him. The more I think about it the more I think maybe I need to change (and hubby too if I can get him on board.) I try to praise my kiddo but lately he has done the bare minimum to be praised. I do realize that the things he isn't listening too are not that bad. But telling him to put up his clothes five times or take your napkin off of the table and throw it away gets old really fast, especially when it is the same thing every night.  So here I go and embark on more positive thinking and positive reinforcement.


Starting with a chore chart. I have one I bought when he was two and half in the hopes to use it one day. Tomorrow is the day.

Fun time

 A few weeks ago at MMO we played with corn starch. Best thing ever! We did it today at home.
Really easy to make:
 Corn starch
 Water
You pour corn starch in to a bowl and add water till it is slightly thick. Meaning you can pick it up with your hands and is melts out of them.


 Twins totally loved it! Here are the pics to prove it!

Of course they tried to eat it but that is okay. It wont' hurt them! We love fun activities like these. Clean up was easy too. I took them outside to run through the sprinkler. 

As a parent

As a parent we have to make so many decisions. We have to research and decide what is best for each of our children. One thing for one child might not be the best for another child. We all, as parents, stress these decisions. So, why do you we feel the need to judge other parents? I try not to be judgmental. Is it hard, yes. I know I get judged. People are never afraid to give you their opinion. It could be on anything, how long you should breastfeed, disciplining your kids, the list could go on and on. We just need to realize what works for one person might not work for another. But, if we have children in our care who's parents do something differently we need to respect that parent way of  doing it, not ignore them. Who knows, we could learn a thing or two about something that might work better for our kids.

Operation feed yourself

I have to admit that I have been a slacker mom on letting the twins use spoons and forks. I'm not into having to clean up a big mess or having to wash them twice a day. Today, after making some avocado and peach in the blender, I decided to chance it. Here are the results:

 AddieGrace seems to think using you hand and spoon works out for the best.

 Brayden wanted to add extra. Nothing like a blueberry waffle in your peaches and avocado!

All in all it wasn't the huge mess I was expecting. We had some on the floor courtesy of AddieGrace slinging it off of her hands and the swing. Operation feed yourself was a success!

Emma Kate's birth journey

I think it is finally time to right this.  
 During the beginning of my pregnancy I requested a VBA2C with the OB office I went too. They just kept saying okay and moving on. It was no issue at all till I was nearing my due date. I went it for a normal check up and when asked if I had scheduled my section I told them no, I am having a vaginal delivery. The doctor I saw pressured me into scheduling the section. He told me that it was not safe for me to deliver vaginally, even though I had already looked up the research and I knew that it was.  He told me my decision was stupid and that I needed to be alive for my other children. (All of this in front of three of my kids!) I went to my car bawling. I did not want to have surgery again when I felt it was not needed. My next appointment was with another doctor in the practice. She went over my file with me and told me I was a good candidate for a VBA2C. After cancelling my scheduled section I got a call the next day saying that she spoke with the other doctors and they would not let me VBA2C. Once again I was crushed. Why would they keep doing this, yes you can, no you can't. Fast forward to the next appointment, where I was told that if I decided to VBA2C that none of the doctors in the practice would touch me, even if I came into the hospital in active labor! I would be "forced" to have a section. They ended up scheduling the section with a doctor who isn't even in the same office. 
 All this time I had been venting to one of my FB friends who is a doula. Thank Heavens for her!   She went to the appointment with me and the guidelines for the doctors professional organization that stated it was safe for me to VBA2C. He said fine, go for it. He checked me at that appointment and I was still high and not effaced. 


Later that night: 2:30am
My water gushes. I was in labor!!! 
I had this panicky feeling because it was so much fluid. We had to call MIL to come down and watch the other kids and we finally left for the hospital. (Hubby said oh we have plenty of time and took his time getting dressed.) I texted my doula but forgot she didn't get service at her house. She got the message a few hours later and came on to the hospital. I think at that time I was still high and only 1 or 2 centimeters dilated.  We did the yoga ball, we rocked, we did pressure points and I still was progressing like the doctor, who happened to be the same one I had visited that day earlier (Thank goodness), suggested a very small amount of pit. At that point I was ready to get things moving along as well. He was only giving me 18 hours to have this baby and we were quickly approaching that time limit. Boy oh boy did the pit knock things up! I started having contractions upon contractions. I went to stand up and rock some more and we lost Emma's heart beat. Nurses came in to adjust the monitor. We found her heart beat but it kept dropping down. Doctor came in and said I think it is time for a section. 


Emma Kate was born less then ten minutes later via emergency c-section. We had placental eruption. It is very rare, especially since I did not have the risk factors for it. It could not have been predicted. I still would not have changed my decision. I had people suggest me giving birth at home or go to the hospital at the last moment. I am so glad that I did not do either. I wanted to VBA2C the safest way I could and be somewhere that could help if we needed it. I am also extremely grateful to my doula. At the end we had to get the ACLU involved and I know I'd never have made it without her help. With her I made it to 3 centimeters dilated and I do not think that would have ever happened without her support! Thank you, thank you, thank you!




I have a beautiful baby girl.

Puke in the van

Never thought I would have to deal with this but puke happens right? Aman has never been one to get stomach viruses so when he told me on the way into town his tummy hurt, I thought he had to go potty. Nope he threw up all over the back seat and himself. Bad part is he had milk and a pop tart of breakfast. Being eight months pregnant and already sick to my tummy the smell was awful. Mimi, who happened to be along for the ride because I had the twins with me, couldn't even stomach it. Thanks goodness for a box of paper to be shredded that caught the rest of the yuckies as we returned home. I am airing out the van as I typed and I have removed the cover from his car seat and his nasty jeans I made him strip off to ride home. The car seat cover is in wash number two, yes it was that bad and I am awaiting some clorox anywhere to tackle the back seat. Hopefully it will not smell so bad when I wiggle my way back there. The fun times of being mommy!