Calcium.

I know my 16 faithful blog readers love hearing about my health, so here is one tale about me and calcium.


When I was nursing my first baby, I got super bad carpel tunnel syndrome. Turns out it was a calcium deficiency. At another time I asked my then chiropractor about my wrist that was in pain. He asked if I slept with my hand all curled up. I didn't know/ notice. He said I think you do if you can sleep with your hand straight, it will help the pain dissipate. It's hard for me to do, I often trap it under my pillow so it can't curl up. Over my childbearing and lactating years I've learned if my wrist and hand are curling up/ withering up while I sleep, I'm A. Not getting enough calcium, and B. probably need to switch back to a liquid calcium. Liquid calcium is truly disgusting, so I try to get away with pills, which its fine when my body is only providing life for me. When I add another human being to the mix capsules don't work. I also try whenever possible to hold my babies with my thumb next to my fingers, but that doesn't always work, sometimes I have to use my opposable thumbs as they were evolutionary made to be used, even if it hurts my wrist. (I think that is the wrong tense of evolution.)

New pjs

I bought baby A new jammies. His first new jammies, the rest have been hand me downs. Best part they were on clearance because its the end of the season. But only the end of season on the store racks, it's going to be cold at night for another three months.

Momma

This girl has two babies today, and she tells me it's a lot of work to feed two babies at the same time. I'm sure it is. Here she is modeling her nursing coverup.

New Ages

My kids have all hit milestones lately.  Is December still lately?

Here are the pictures I've tried to take of them.

At 7, now in first grade, he was self conscious of his mom taking his picture.

 At 4, within view of a mirror, she was ready to strike a pose or twenty.

6 months old, sitting, crawling, eating mush, as happy as ever.

They all look so old lately, what happened?

New trick

Mostly for grandmas, baby A has a new trick. He has had is tongue as far out as possible, none stop since Wednesday. Something about his well baby visit taught him said trick. He loves squash, and apples. He tolerates bananas, refuses pears, and barely eats blueberry mush. I'm terrible about recording things this baby, poor third baby. Less to remember him by but more forgiving love from mama.

Seven and Art

I have a few thoughts, that interconnect.
A few weekends ago, after my husband I finished watching a movie, he was flipping through our ten channels that come through the tv antenna.  I'm not sure why we do this, if we would just go to bed immediately after the movie we would be so much more rested.  Anyway, he ended up on the documentary about two artists.  It made me think of a lot of things, mostly I miss art in my life. Crafting seems much easier with small children around, but its not really the same thing. Mostly because I can finish a craft much quicker, and because it take less creativity.  The last time I took an art class I was in my second semester at college.  I didn't take anymore because of the massive amount of time it took.  I was a busy girl in college, in my four years, I acquired a husband, a child, and a degree. The documentary made me think about that, you only have so much time, especially as a mom, so a lot of things get put aside in hopes you don't miss much of your children.  You hope you can always come back to other interests as they grow up, but you can never come back to their infancy and early childhood.
When we lived in salt lake, we (my children and I) went to the art museum bi-annually, it was only 20 minutes from our house.  My daughter was still at the age that she was easily contained in the stroller, and my son loves art too.  My four or five year old (depending on his age) and I would discuss what we like and don't like.  It was salt lake so its not a huge museum but it was a good size for small kids.  I guess we need to find the art museums around here.
My son is like me when it comes to art, no one would look at our art and think it was the best for our skill level, but we love to create it.  Our art is often messier than those around us, but we still enjoy it.
This week, my son checked out a book about art from the school library.  It came with a note, "Lesli you might want to check the content of the box, before he reads it."  I checked it was fine to me, it was art, but I guess some parents would mind.  I don't know it wasn't scandalous, the book had a few pictures of Italian religious art, where the angels/humans don't wear much more than a sheet.

Baby blankets

My older two kids both had/have special blankets they sucked their thumbs. So far I haven't had luck with any blankets with this latest baby. But it is TIME, the other kids "found" their blankets around age 6 months. Like I said no luck, until today! I was wearing this tshirt infinity scarf and he loved it all day. I was about to cut up another tshirt right after bedtime, but then I thought.. Wait, this baby takes a pacifier, the others didn't, this baby still takes naps at church, with said paci. He only takes the paci in church, in the carseat, and after his dinner while he is waiting to be put to bed. But still! Maybe I don't want him to have a blanket. Then again it's so wonderful to have a security blanket for bed, babysitters, car trips, immunization, and such. What to do, what to do?

Baby nightgowns

I love baby nightgowns, I think they are adorable. My two winter babies never grew out of them, the earth just rotated and it magically became too hot for them. Well now it's pretty apparent my baby needs new pajamas. You can see his toes trying to bust through his sleep sack, his legs are much too long for the nightgowns, it reminds me of an old fashion baby who needs his dresses shortened, yes boy babies wore dresses too. And his arms really haven't fit through the sleeves in almost a month. I have no idea how I've squished him in theses. But they are adorable, and I love this duck.

Valentines

I'm not pregnant, I'm not the room mom, we aren't having a 30th birthday, we aren't having a friend birthday party, so I had time to think about valentines. I came up with two ideas, so "Brent" gave the kids valentines. (I might have a sugar coma headache.) Brent gave the kids flashlights, and I used the incredibly original idea of "you light up my life". We only have a million cheap led flashlights around the house but the kids can never find one so I figured why not add another 8 in the mix. I got them books from the thrift store, and they were love letters. Get it letter of the alphabet. I even spent 50 cents to give one to Brent. J made us all lego hearts and nan gave everyone chocolate.
Me you may wonder? I'm hoping Brent calls usaa for me. Yes, I know it's not romantic, but hey I figure milk the holiday the best way I can. And the last thing I want to do is talk about car insurance on the phone.

1st grade birthday

My 1st grader is about to turn 7, so we brought sandwich chocolate chip cookies to school. I wasn't going to buy cookie creme and make sandwich cookies like last year, but I could tell that is what the birthday boy wanted so I gave in.

There's more

Right after I posted the last post, I looked at my child. Then in disbelief I asked Brent, "is he army crawling?! He replied calmly, he has been all afternoon. It was his first day home from Peru, so I don't think he realized he was his first day doing it.

Progress

I think you should be appraised of baby A's progress. He now is in full control of spinning around on his belly. He moves in the direction he wants, instead of random. He is also getting upon his hands and knees rocking back and forth. In fact that seems to be all he's done today.

Behavior

My daughter is in early intervention preschool, you have to qualify in two areas. Hers are speech and behavior, they have never ever had a behavioral problem at school, which means I'm pretty much on my own. Sure the teachers give suggestions for us at home, but they don't help, because none of them are new to me. We have tried it all. She has been quite sad since Christmas, and to me when you step back and look, that is the thing that is worst part, she is not a happy child. Never has been, sure she has bouts of being happy, but its not the norm. I guess I'm finally recovered from pregnancy and delivery, because I'm really trying to help her right now instead of just endure her. She has a sensory disorder, that really gives her a hard time. I've now realized jumping is extremely successful for her. It really jazzes her up. The sensory disorder causes her body to sort of get stalled in neutral, and jumping helps. Sometimes she is just too stalled to get jumping so I hold her upside down. She loves it so I've started to do it more. She becomes a happy child, until she needs the next rev up. I wish I would have known this years ago. I've also recently noticed refined sugars definitely make her sensory processing worse, but it's hard she LOVES candy. Luckily she is like anyone and if she is fed good healthy food, then she is far less likely to ask and whine for candy. That takes planning on my part something I've been lacking lately. Take froot loops, she loves them for breakfast but I've recently figured out they make her body twice as sleepy. She is not sleepy her body is. But it takes lot of planning to get healthy food in her, her type sensory disorder makes her an extremely picky eater. As far as i can tell the only healthy protein she eats is eggs. What is about our bodies that always want to choose what is wrong for us? Take my oldest for example he is obsessed with computer games. I have no problems with computers or other such devices but my son is incapable of doing anything until he gets his hour of screen time. He often wants to cry when it's over. Yet when he is banned because he is being punished he is the happiest kid always busy. Now that spring is coming, I think I'm only going to give him and hour three times a week. Tues,thurs, sat. Plus his sister desperately wants to play with him. He has great fun with her as long as the looming obsession of computer time isn't hanging over his head. Honestly our house is screen overload, I'm only talking computer games, not iPods, iPhones, tv or tablets. So yes, I'm now off topic although I definitely see a connection between computer and behavior for my son. Anyway, I'm finally figuring out what works for my daughter. It's nice, but she is a lot of work. What I've realized, is don't look for things that claim change or that claim they can fix her. She is who she is, just like everyone else she came to earth with her own set of challenges and strengths. All anyone can do is help her and love her. I was also given the expectation she would grow out of her misery, her constant crying. Around 18 months, a lady at church speaking from experience told me, some point you have to realize they aren't going to grow out of "it", accept it for who they are. She told me her second was her hardest and still is. She said if she would have had another like her second she would have never had 7. I think she was one of the reasons I choose to have baby A.

Red Head

I love his red hair.  I honestly never expected to have a red head, then again I never expected to have a tow headed blond.  I'm not sure why I'm surprised to have a red head, when I my husband has a beard I call him Brent Redbeard, because he has a red beard (Redish/black).  He ignores me, but I laugh hysterically at myself.  Anyway, my baby has red hair, check out the left side of his head, totally orange. 

He is 6 months old!

6 Months ago

I just found this picture on my computer, it was taken when baby was just a few weeks old, so there is a good chance I've never saw it after I took it.  I love it, I'm pretty sure I've never seen anything cuter. Turns out I've never seen it, my husband took these pictures, I'm in the background.  I can't believe how much she has grown in 6 months.

Moved

Remember Molly our friend next door? (Click on the link, my daughter isn't a baby anymore!)

Yeah, she moved, we were sort of sad.  Next door is a rental so most likely another pet will move in, but will it be a nice calm dog that wants my kids to pet her?  Odds are not great.  For the part part the novelty of a dog next door wore off a year ago, but still she was a great neighbor.  Plus when my kids would ask why they couldn't get a pet I could say you don't even pet Molly anymore.  It was sad ever since we got the swing set, Molly would sit at the fence looking at the kids longingly while they would play on the playground. The only time they would pet her anymore was when I told them too.  She just looked so sad with the kids ignoring her.

Stress reading

As we've already discussed my super happy and easy going baby eats in about 5 minutes flat. Which is probably a blessing, but I can't sit around and read all day while I nurse. Which means I don't have as much time to read as I like. Sadly, all the books I've been reading lately, I don't like. They where for book group. We won't hash out any of the details, but life solved itself. My stress level has dropped significantly. Don't you love when the unsaid prayers of your heart are answered and the misery leaves. Thankfully a friend volunteered her daughter to sit in my house while my kids slept so I could go to book group. It was at book group that all my book group woes were solved. Maybe not all but a large portion.
Hopefully soon I post about what I have been reading.

Bald babies

I love my bald babies. I know the four year old is no longer bald, THANKFULLY, but she was a bald baby.

Just some pics

Skipping the Nap

Someone decided to skip his nap.

Afternoon

I did it, I bit the bullet. I registered my daughter for afternoon pre-k. I was nervous about making the decision, I mentioned changing my first choice to afternoon. The teacher registering us, said I teach afternoon pre-k and the kids are better focused, etc etc. I said I'm worried she would be tired, and she said it is an adjustment, but within a few weeks they are fine. I'll add the same could be said for morning it's an adjustment too after the long summer.

Speaking of the preschooler, today she told me, she worries she won't be able to read when she gets big. I said, oh you will be able to, in what I hoped was a comforting voice. She said, but I worry! I said, I'll start teaching you this summer. She eagerly replied ok! Now my homework starts, I've never taught a child to read. I swear my oldest taught himself.