Friday, September 27, 2013

My Little Teddy

I don't have a lot of time to write these days...just trying to do things like remember to get dressed before noon and get the boys their meals- both nursing Teddy and cooking/spreading peanut butter for the boys and things of that nature. Every now and then I even work on school-y things with the boys. I got a little carried away with a sight words lesson the other day, which was fun. It's dangerous to put a former English teacher in front of a white board apparently.

I do want to check in here with some Teddy love. The kid is almost three months old and I love him so much! I was looking at him asleep in my arms tonight and remembering when Cal and Clark were at this phase, but how different it is with Teddy. It's definitely easier this time, especially in the middle of the night. With Cal and Clark, nighttime feedings involved me nursing one boy and Brian bottle-feeding the other boy; it was quite a production. We had to feed them more often than Teddy for awhile because they were so much smaller than he was. But with the twins, it seemed like a lot of things were a chore. We had to quickly and efficiently get them fed, dressed, diapers changed, bathed, etc. I know that I liked it and I liked the baby phase, but looking back I don't think I enjoyed it as much as I do with Teddy. I can savor it more. I can give him a bath and I don't have to think about going quickly to get to the next boy or to keep them on schedule. I can take my time and play with him more. This month it has been such a delight to start interacting with him more. He smiles and coos and nearly giggles. He gets concerned and furrows his brow. He gets excited and moves all over the place as fast as he can. He sticks his tongue out. I am in love with this little guy.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the past few weeks. I think I've already used some of these but...oh well.

















Thursday, September 26, 2013

Monday, September 23, 2013

Calvin's World

Things Calvin Finds Beautiful

1. flashing police lights
2. all flowers
3. fall leaves
4. gasoline in mud puddles
5. sunsets
6. paintings with lots of colors
7. rainbows
8. long hair
9. me when I wear anything besides a t-shirt and jeans
10. bubbles
11. colorful clothing and toys
12. the blue sky
13. clouds in the sky
14. the moon
15. nail polish
16. turning wheels on cars
17. reflections of all of the above

A conversation with Calvin this morning:

Hey, Mom my feet are asleep. I know because they feel like they're on fire. My feet are nocturnal! Because they're asleep in the day so they must be awake at night! I have nocturnal feet. They're owl feet! I have owl feet, Mom!

We might have an artist on our hands.


Thursday, September 19, 2013

Friday, September 13, 2013

Huge Consignment Sale for Local Parents

I put this on my blog Facebook page but I'm never sure how many people actually see it. The Northern Virginia Parents of Multiples puts on this sale every year.

Super cool giveaway to two interested Whispers & Shouts readers: two Friends and Family passes to a big consignment sale put on by the NOVA Parents of Multiples the end of the month. These passes are worth $30 and will get you into the sale half an hour early to get the best bargains! First two to respond get them! I think I already have a taker for the first one, but I'm not sure yet.

EVENT DETAILS

Fall 2013 Northern Virginia Parents of Multiples Kid’s Consignment & Vendor Fair 9/28/13

Saturday, September 28th 9:00am to 1:00pm (doors close at 11:15am, floor is cleared, and half-price sale starts at 12pm) Luther Jackson Middle School 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA 22042

Link to event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/405749222872143/



Thursday, September 12, 2013

Being a Port-a-Potty Doorstop

We decided to take the three boys to Brian’s softball game the other night. The weather was beautiful and perfect for the boys to run around and get tons of energy out. They always go to the games with Brian, even when I can’t because they are in heaven, running like wild creatures all over the ball field complex and running the bases whenever there’s a break in action. Those times though, Brian’s mom is usually at the game too, able to keep an eye on them when Brian is in the field and dugout and when he’s batting. They come home with every inch of their bodies covered in dirt, except for those bright white eyes, brimming with crazed, slightly-tamed mischief, and Brian throws them in the bathtub.

This tradition of boys’ night at the ballpark started when I was pregnant and has continued after I’ve had Teddy to watch. I don’t know why we felt the need to change things up that night and let loose the wild things with only me, tied to an infant, to keep them in line. But alas, we did.

Like I said- beautiful night, it started off great with the boys running down the hill in the slanted early evening sunshine from the parking lot to the field, me pushing Teddy in the stroller and feeling all maternal and fulfilled. How naïve I was.

Soon Cal needed to pee. Teddy was fussing in the stroller. There were port-a-pottys close so I told Cal and Clark to go over to one of them, Clark stand by the door while Cal went in and used it and then run back for hand sanitizing. They were uncertain of doing this without me, but somehow they managed it and I didn’t ask for details when they came back.

Of course after awhile Clark needed to go, and by then Teddy was full-on hungry and I was looking for a secluded area in which to nurse him. Clark refused to go potty with only Calvin there by the door so I grudgingly told him I’d go with them. It was then he informed me and the entire group of spectators that he had to poop. Of course he did. Now what?

I pulled the stroller over to the door of the port-a-potty and propped the door open with it. The stench was as bad as you’d expect it to be. I told Cal his job was to stand right by Teddy as I aided Clark, balancing over the precipice of blue water littered with floating feces. Just don’t puke, Dawn. Remember you’re the mom. First he peed and it went all over the back of his pants, so that was a nice start to the experience. Then came the poop. Fortunately there was toilet paper and I quickly took care of things, holding my breath. Teddy started crying and Cal was loudly complaining about the smell and that the door was heavy. It felt like everyone was watching us, a stroller propping open the port-a-potty, two whining boys, and a crying baby. Was this really what my life had become? A port-a-potty doorstop? I wanted to run away.

Anyway, Clark got cleaned up and I deemed that his wet pants were okay for him to keep playing in the dirt. Plus I needed to nurse so the baby would shut up. As we were walking out, Clark said he needed to go again. Are you freaking kidding me? I told Cal to stay with him and I left to nurse, ignoring Clark calling that he wanted me there. Bad mom? Maybe.

I found a semi-secluded area on the other side of a little hill behind home plate. I pulled out my handy nursing cover and got down to business. I was about halfway done when I looked up and saw Clark, pants and underwear around his ankles, doing a shuffle toward me in full view of all spectators. Excellent. Gravel crunched loudly around his feet and I closed my eyes in disbelief.

So, just to summarize in case you missed something: I had a boob in a baby’s mouth, a child coming toward me with no pants or underwear on in full view of the public, yelling at me that he needed help, and a third child laughing at his naked brother. Clark got to me and I made him sit in the grass and take everything off while I finished nursing and then I took out the spare clothes that I have learned to take everywhere with boys.

It felt like everyone in both fields must have seen what was going on with us, and be laughing, but Brian hadn’t even noticed any of the episode. Granted, he was in the outfield, but still I was surprised. We all sanitized up and then the boys proceeded to roll in the dirt and gravel, run through tall grass, and slide into home plate. Teddy finally fell asleep, and we eventually left.

I swear I’ll never do it again, no matter how beckoning the weather, until they are all teenagers. 

Teddy, before the night digressed
The three boys, NOT being disgusting 

Thursday Thesicle

Catching a big brother reading his favorite book to his little brother is the coolest.


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