Peace & Quiet

Sitting on my bed I just finished breast feeding Josie when I hear a banging. It sounds like it is coming from Byron's bedroom. There is a war going on in there you know. He can't pick up all his toys yet because he doesn't know who is going to win. I holler, "Byron stop banging or you are going to wake up Taryn."

"Mom, I am just playing in my room. 

I am peace and quiet!" 

That was his response from his room. 

I got a big kick out of that! I then realized that Taryn was awake and making all the noise in her room!

Byron and Josie! He is a great big brother!

I also have enjoyed some much needed peace and quiet this week with my little newborn. Breast feeding hasn't been easy for us. After two desperate nights in a row I called Tami, a lactation consultant, to come over for a visit. I got an education on Josie and her early arrival. She is considered premature because she is earlier than 37 weeks. 

--Funny story here. I was a little surprised she was considered premature. When Tami told me that I said, "Really?" 

Tami responded with, "have you seen the hair on this child? You could brush her!" 

Now while you may think that sounds a bit rude, I tell you it is funny and true! She has the hairiest back my midwife has ever seen. That is saying something for delivering around 800 babies! (I think that number is right!) Not only does she have a hairy back, but her arms and thighs are hairy too. She even has a hairy chest and tummy but it is really blond. She was also born with a lot of vernix on her face and head, and she didn't have any foot prints. Babies get their foot prints in the last 3 weeks in utero!--

Here is an up close picture of the hairiness! Check out her arms. The pictures of the hair on her back don't turn out this well, but you can picture this all over her back too! Too cute! It freaks Steve out, he's afraid she got it from him! 

Premature babies are very sleepy babies and don't always register their hungry tummies and wake up to eat when they should. So then they are ravenous when they do wake up--not good for mom's equipment!

We are also having a little mouth vs. large equipment issue--also painful!

Premature babies have a more difficult time learning how to latch on to the breast.

Josie is pretty much always dressed like this these days. I just uncover her when she is sleeping and she wakes up enough when she cools off to realize that she is hungry. I love looking at all of her!

I promise I am going somewhere with all this information! After a visit on Saturday and another from Tami on Monday we are doing much better. Josie is on a feeding schedule. She eats every two hours and can go for three hours 2-3 times in 24 hours. Let me tell you I went from tired to exhausted in the first 24 hours of this schedule. We will keep this up until at least June 10th when she would have been full term.

That is where the peace and quiet comes in. I have been so fortunate to have my blessed mother, Aunt Lara, Karalee, Brittany and my friend Stephanie help out with my children this week so I can get sleep during the day. If I wasn't getting naps during the day our nights would be miserable again! So a big thank you to all of them. This whole experience is helping me to learn how to better take care of myself and ask for help! Asking for help is seriously difficult for me. I'm much better at offering help!

Josie is currently sleeping in my lap! We're due for another feeding, so I'm gonna run! I'll try to post more when I get the chance. Breast feeding, sleeping and eating come first, and in that order!

Loves!

Byron Here!

My mom doesn't think that I listen to her. Ok, sometimes she does have to tell me things 5-25 times before I do listen and do them. But I do listen to her! Today I proved it to her when I blessed the food.

Dear Heavenly Father

Please bless the food

We are thankful for the food

(Short interruption to tell my mom she should put her folded arms over her closed eyes)

Please help us to listen to our mom

To ask if we want a popsicle or a candy bar

And ask if we want to watch TV or play a game

And help us to clean up our mess

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

See, I told you I listen to her! I love her too, and I will ask for everything. Today. At least for the next two hours or until she tells me 'no'! My advice, "Listen to your mom, or she might send you to your room for 4 minutes. That is no fun and boring."

Love, Byron

The Terrifying ELE - VADER!!!

For those of you who are not well versed in Star Wars history, there is one who is even more frightening that the dark lord Darth Vader himself. Let me introduce you to the the greatest Sith of the Dark Side . . . Dum, dum, dum!

ELE VADER!

He wields his mighty light saber with pure expertise!

He strikes terror into the hearts of all his victims with one gaze!

He is terrifying to behold in his red Sith cloak!

So the story goes a little something like this. . . Byron was running around in his red towel after a bath. I was getting Taryn dressed in her pajamas. I asked Byron to go and get his pajamas on and he told me, "I am not Byron. I am Star Wars. Get out your lightsaber and fight with me." So we air fought with our pretend lightsabers. Suddenly it occurred to me that I could use this to my advantage. I put my air lightsaber away and told Byron, "I'm sorry, but I can only fight you Byron if you have your pajamas, or at least your underwear on."

He said, "I am not Byron!"

"Who are you then?"

"I am the red guy."

It later occurred to me that he might have meant Darth Maul, but he has only seen episodes IV, V and VI. So I said, "what red guy?"

"The Bad Guy!"

"You mean Darth Vader?"

"Yeah, Darth Vader. No, not Darth vader. . . Um, I'm Ele Vader!"

I about fell over I was laughing so hard. I made him go tell his dad who he was and he came back with his lightsaber (pictured above). Steve joined me in my laughter. Byron is so funny. He wanted to make sure he was the right character, so he said, "is Ele Vader the one who flies? I want to go up and down."

I assured him that yes indeed elevators go up and down, and we just laughed harder. He is still being true to the character of Ele Vader, especially after every bath! That was about two weeks ago. We were sure that he would catch his mistake, especially since we still laugh every time he tells us he is Ele Vader! I think at this point we will be sad to see Ele Vader go when he gets it right! Hope you laugh, or at least smile as hard as we did!