My FAVORITE!!!

My favorite thing right now is Larkin’s THUMB.  That’s right…she is a thumb sucker.  Last Monday (April 16th), Larkin didn’t even attempt putting her thumb in her mouth..sure she would get her hand near her mouth but really loved her paci.  Well, Tuesday (April 17th), she woke up and decided to be IN LOVE with her thumb.  I mean it was the most bizarre thing…she went from her paci to her thumb in a day.  I was a thumb sucker…I LOVED my thumb.  My parents had to get the nasty tasting stuff that you brushed on the thumb to get me to stop.  I can still remember the drawer that they kept it in. 

Let me tell you…I am most certainly a fan.  She can go ahead and suck her thumb because she is sleeping through the night…and not just through the night but 12 hours.  She has slept 12 hours ever night since she started sucking it.  SO, I will pay for braces later (everyone gets them anyway) because I am becoming more and more sane by the day.  It’s amazing what good sleep will do to your brain!!!  So, PRAISE THE LORD for Larkin’s thumb!

The teacher in me…

The teacher in me is always looking for incentives…positive reinforcement.  Trigger is a pretty difficult child.  If I had in my classroom, he would probably be a child that I would LOVE (of course) but would be a little glad when they were absent. I know that may sound horrible but he is really difficult.  The wonderful thing is that he doesn’t act this way at school.  PRAISE THE LORD!  He saves his wonderful behavior for me (and his daddy).  I have taught some children that act this way at school and it is really difficult to teach them.  Let me just give an example….if you say in a very excited and happy voice, “Trigger, lets clean up these toys…lets make it a game and see how fast we can do it…you think we can do it before daddy gets home…ohhhh, I bet he would be so proud of us if we cleaned it all up.”  He would respond “I don’t want it clean.”  Me “well, if we hurry we might have time to play outside before supper”.  Trigger: “I don’t want to play outside” (knowing full well that he is just itching to go outside).  Me: “okay…well lets just play with these toys and we will clean up later…but if we choose to do that, we won’t be able to go outside…is that what you want?”  Trigger: “yes maam”…two seconds later the yelling and screaming and major meltdown of crying would begin…..do you know why?  because he wants to go outside.  THIS is ALL DAY LONG! 

My point?!?!  My point is that I have to find creative ways to get him to do things.  We’ve tried it all…and no, the do it or you’ll get a spanking does NOT work.  He doesn’t really care…or he may care but just doesn’t show it.  Either way, I would tire myself by spanking and the toys still wouldn’t be picked up.  BTW, my children do get spankings.  Anyway, I bought these clear jars.  I have little pebbles (we call them marbles) in a bag.  ANY time I see him doing something sweet, cleaning up, doing something the first time asked, staying in his bed, etc., he gets a marble..or sometimes a lot of marbles.  Like for actually going to sleep during naptime, I sometimes give him TEN marbles….because napping is VERY important in our house!  :)  The great things is that he has to count them out with me watching him…so its great for his one-to-one correspondence too!!! 

What is the reward?  A new TOY!  because we have NO toys in our house…HAHAHA!!  Seriously though…when he filled his jar up, he immediately asked to go to TARGET to pick a toy.  Obviously he has learned a young age that Target is WAY better the HORRIBLE walmart.  We took him and he picked out a Thomas train.  He was SOOOO excited to be able to pick something!  Maybe this will continue to be a good incentive.  Because after this, I’m out of ideas…okay…not really but I do feel like my bag of tricks is getting a little low!

A little competitive

Sorry for the delay in posting…Matt is DONE with tax season.  PRAISE THE LORD!  Soooo…that means that I get to actually talk to my husband in the evenings after the boys are in bed.  And that was when I had been doing most of my blogging.  We shall see if I can keep up with it now. 

Trigger is really big into being first these days.  He wants to beat Campbell at everything.  It really works to our advantage sometimes because it gets him out of the bathtub quickly, dressed quickly, etc.  And, Campbell has no clue that it’s a race.  When he does, I’m sure it will be BAD!  Anyway, a couple of days ago, the boys were literally fighting over Larkin.  I had put her in the nap nanny for a few seconds so that I could pump and they fought and shoved and pushed, screamed and yelled, etc.  I just let them fight…I’m not sure that’s the right way to handle it but I get tired of refereeing between the two.  No one got hurt so it turned out fine.  I did take some pictures that I think are hilarious…you may not but as their momma, I just know what each was thinking/saying in each picture!

And, of course I have a WOODARD Health update.  Sunday afternoon, Trigger all of a sudden started having a runny nose…it turned green within an hour and his eyes started having green discharge.  It was YUCK!  We went to Sonic to get me a drink and the boys some ice cream.  Trigger wouldn’t eat his and said “momma, I just want to wait until we get home and I can take some medicine.”  YEP, I knew then that he was in  bad shape.  I called quick care and they were closed.  I gave him motrin when we got home.  He had 101.4 temp.  The next morning (Monday), I took him to Green Clinic.  He was PITIFUL looking.  Dr. Mcgehee said he had double ear infections…badly infected.  AND, his right ear drum had ruptured!!!  And he had eye infections.  We got our antibiotic and came home.  Today, actually within the last two hours, Campbell has been holding his right ear and making very horrible facial expressions.  SO, I’m taking him in this afternoon just to make sure because I don’t want another ruptured ear drum.  BLESS their hearts.  I just don’t understand. We barely go anywhere.  sigh…

It’s funny story time!!! and a sweet husband…

 

 

• Funny story…or not so funny at the time: A few Sundays ago, the kids were feeling better (this was before the flu/rsv diagnosis)…Campbell had had a throat infection but had been on an antibiotic and was fever free but I still didn’t feel comfortable to send them to church.  So, we stayed home.  Matt actually stayed with us because it had been really chaotic couple of days with sick children.  Anyway, I’m not sure why I just typed all of that…this is why Matt hates for me to tell stories because I just ramble on!  HAHA!  Okay, so I needed to go to walmart to get some groceries/diapers/essentials.  I was going to take just Trigger but then Campbell threw a fit so I ended up with the boys and Larkin stayed home with Matt.  We did our shopping and I got the boys to the car.  I unloaded some groceries in the back (which is very little space because both boys sit in the back seat now).  Then, I put the boys in the car so I could stuff the rest of the groceries at their feet in the middle.  I remote started the car because it was hot, laid my purse/keys down so that I could get the bags in the car…you know where this is going, don’t you?  yep, I locked my children IN THE CAR.   *sigh* I am probably the worst mother in the history of the world.  AND, guess what?  My phone was in my purse that was already in the car.  Seriously, I ALWAYS have my phone attached to me in some way but not this time.  I looked around and didn’t know what to do.  Do I just leave my children in the car and go into the store to use the phone?  I couldn’t do that.  I looked around and there was a lady with two upper elem age girls in the car.  I walked over and told her what had happened and asked if I could possibly use her phone.  She wasn’t overly helpful or compassionate but she did let me use her phone.  I called Matt and he didn’t answer his phone.  I have onstar but didn’t know the number and neither did she.  So, I walked back over to the car and tried to get Trigger to unbuckle his car seat.  He can work the top of the 5 pt harness but not the bottom.  He tried his hardest to squeeze his way out…and he was kind of stressing about not being able to get out.  Finally, the lady called her sister and got the onstar number.  I called it and didn’t know my password (isn’t that just great) but they unlocked my car anyway.  WHEW…it was not a high moment of life, that is for sure!  And, thank goodness for onstar!!!!
• Another funny story…Friday morning I was in a rush to get out the door because our cleaning lady was coming and Larkin and I were going to Monroe for a haircut…yay, I haven’t had my haircut since November.  So, I got Larkin up and changed her clothes and started feeding her.  I noticed that she had some dried spit up on her face and a little in her hair.  I asked Trigger to get a rag and go wet the rag for me.  While he was in Larkin’s bathroom, I was fussing at Campbell because he was yanking everything out of Larkin’s drawers. Trigger reappears with a wet rag and hands it to me…It was very cold…I went towards her face with it and decided that I should just wait because it was just too cold.  At that moment, I realized that I had never heard the water running while Trigger was gone. I called Trigger over and said “where did you get this water”  T: “what water” (he is soooo a BOY)  Me: “the water on the rag…where did you get it from”  Trigger: “Mama, I don’t know what you are talking about” (seriously, it had been seconds…and he wasn’t avoiding…he really didn’t know what I was talking about…sometimes I wonder what goes on in their brains)  Me:”Trigger did you turn the sink on to get the water on the rag?” Trigger: “no, mama, I got it from the potty” (I do not know what I bothered to continue on…I guess I still wasn’t awake because I shouldve know this line of questioning was pointless) Me: TRIGGER WOODARD, you put your hand in the nasty potty.  That is disgusting!!!” Trigger : “no, mama…I didn’t put my hand in there…I just (and he demonstrated dipping the rag into the potty)”    THIS IS THE HELP I HAVE….I NEED A HELPER…not someone that gets water for my infant from a TOILET!  I just don’t even know what to say!

• My sweet husband sent these flowers to me last week.  It was so sweet of him…and it was “just because” and “thank you for all you do” flowers.  Those are the BEST!  Aren’t the beautiful.  We LOVE Lauren Roebuck!  It’s been a rough tax season so this has been a great way to end it!

Larkin- 3 Months

Where do I begin? You have most definitely turned our world upside down…not in a bad way!  Let me try to tell a little bit about you at THREE months.

You weigh 10lbs 10oz.  You lost weight while you were sick…half a pound…so you are almost back up to wear you were before.  Some people look at you and say you are so tiny but I (and my family) think you look huge because you are over double what you weighed at birth so we think you are chunky..haha!  You are wearing size 1 diapers.  It’s really hard for me say exactly what size you wear because it depends on the type of clothes, how many times they have been washed/if handmedowns, etc.  However, a majority of the clothes you are wearing are 0-3 months with some being 3 months.  You even still wear a couple of newborn outfits…they still fit and I love them so we still wear them! 

Feeding:  I am still breastfeeding exclusively.  You have never had a bottle.  Like your brother, you are NOT the best at nursing.  I do not understand why my children are so difficult when it comes to eating…or really anything!  Ha!  I really don’t pay attention to how long you nurse because I am usually so distracted.  I am still feeding you every three hours during the day and whenever you wake at night.  I love to nurse you at night because you are usually asleep and nurse for a long time and peacefully.  During the day, you are unpredictable.  Sometimes you will nurse peacefully and sometimes you will fight and scream the whole time. 

Sleeping:  You are doing great at night.  I put you down when we put the boys down…anywhere from 7-8pm.  You sleep until between 2-4am and then you don’t get up again until morning.  AWESOME!!!!! 

Naps:  She is doing much better.  We have discovered that she is definitely VERY sensitive to dairy products.  I wasn’t very strict about it at first but now I can’t even have chocolate (which is killing me..but probably not such a bad thing! :))  You really don’t realize how many products have milk in them.  I do still eat some things like cookies that are made with butter.  Anyway, as long as she is well and I haven’t eaten anything to make her upset, she is pretty much on a sleep, awake for 45 minutes, and then in her bed for a nap until it’s almost time to feed her again OR until a little brother screams right outside her door (not that that ever happens…HA).  On the days that I have eaten something not to her liking, she screams almost all day. 

Medicine:  She is still on prevacid once a day and zantac twice a day for her acid reflux.  She still spits up a TON but Dr. Slusher said “just imagine if she weren’t on medicine”  so I guess we are just thankful for medicine to give her a little relief!

Personality: Larkin is all smiles (unless she is screaming because of stomach/acid reflux).  We could still get her to smile throughout the whole Flu and RSV episodes!  Today, APRIL 15th, Larkin laughed for the first time.  I could tell it was coming!  It’s such a precious sound!  Larkin does like a lot of attention.  She reminds me of Trigger in that way.  She does not like to be alone at all.  I have bought a bjorne in addition to my moby wrap.  I love my wrap but I needed something that I could throw on quickly to go outside with the boys…or on those screaming days. 

 

The boys: ARE IN LOVE WITH HER!  I think they are getting a little tired of Larkin just laying there. Yesterday I got pictures of the boys fighting over Larkin…I’ll have to post those later.  If I would let them, they would a lot of their time in her face, talking to her, pulling her limbs, etc.  They usually get sent to the playroom so that she isn’t harmed. 

Physical:  We really don’t do much tummy time.  It is so funny how different it is with #3.  I can’t put her on the ground unless I have my body pretty much on top of her to protect her from the two tornadoes!  It’s hard for us to do tummy time for several reason…one being the boys…but we also can’t put her on her tummy after a feeding for 15-20 minutes because of acid reflux (she needs to be upright as much as possible). She would vomit (not just spit up) if I put her down that quickly….and by the time that time has passed, she is getting close to getting sleepy and doesn’t want to be thrown down…plus, I think that she just hates it.  Campbell was already rolling over at this point but Larkin is showing absolutely NO signs of being close.  Liz made the comment the other day that she will be crawling before we know it.  And my response was “I HOPE NOT” because I would really be just fine if she didn’t do everything as early as the boys.  I can’t imagine how crazy life will be when she is all over the house and putting legos in her mouth.  STRESS-ME-OUT!!!

I’m not sure if I have discussed this on the blog or not but I need to make sure my opinion is on here to remember in the future.  When we were about to have Campbell, I had so many people tell me that going from one to two children was sooo easy…no big deal…piece of cake.  HA…I totally disagree.  It was a challenge for us when we brought Campbell home.  We had spent the last 22 months focusing all of our attention on Trigger…I can remember how we used to get the kitchen clean and we would both go and watch Trigger getting a bath.  After we brought Campbell home, that ended.  For a long time it was Matt with Trigger and me with Campbell.  I remember being so sad because all that time I got to spend with Trigger was gone.  Okay…so fast forward to January.  I had been told mixed things about the ease of having a third child.  And, for the record, I do believe it just depends on the parents personalities and their childrens/babies personalities AND how close in age they are.  Anyway, when we brought Larkin home (who if you remember was not planned…we were done with two children), we were ALL crying the first night.  We were used to one of us being in charge of ONE child.  Well, in one quick swoop, that strategy came crumbling down.  All of a sudden, I was holding a newborn that screamed way more than her brothers…and a 19 month old that was angry that I was holding a screaming newborn and a three year old that has always wanted individual attention ALL the time (I can’t imagine why…could it have been the audience of two that he had for the first 22 months?).  IT WAS NOT…and is STILL NOT EASY!  I know I am only three months into this journey but good grief, I am worn slap out most of the time.  Liz and Mrs. Marcia are LIFE SAVERS!  They help so much…from picking up one child, to coming to play with one, to bringing supper, etc.  There are some days that things just click and it is no big deal.  Then, there are others when I literally want to sit down on the ground and just cry while all three children are screaming and crying wanting me for something.  I most certainly have a hard time getting laundry done and dishes pile up quickly and I’m not sure how many meals I have cooked in the last three months.  I try not to let things get to me but the toys that are strewn about my house and the mounds and mounds and MOUNDS of laundry sometimes almost does me in.  This morning, for example, Larkin and Campbell woke up at the same time (this happens probably 6 days of the week).  Campbell does NOT wake up quickly.  He likes to be held and rocked and carried around for a little while so the fact that both wake at the same time poses a huge problem.  Larkin wakes and is starving.  I quickly change Campbells diaper and clothes (because he has usually teeteed out of his diaper).  I rush to Larkins room and change her diaper while Campbell yells and screams and cries “hollll meeeee” the ENTIRE time.  It’s really rather fun.   And then Trigger is who knows where doing who knows what…this morning he had gotten him a breakfast bar and eaten it and then opened a box of girl scout cookies and eat a few.   These days require a lot of patience.  And I won’t lie, my patience wears thin most days.  Poor Trigger probably gets in trouble for things that he normally wouldn’t.  A lot is expected of Trigger and I hate that for him.  He is our “helper” since he’s the oldest…but at 3, he isn’t really that great of a helper sometimes.  AND, I have a story on that that I will share another time. 

Okay, I will stop rambling but my point was that at each stage, life was difficult or so I thought it was at that time…I truly thought life with just one child was the most difficult thing…and in some ways it was because I didn’t have experience as a mom.  At each new addition or change in life, I have thought “wow, now THIS Is the most difficult.”  It’s really interesting how that works.  Even though I don’t know everything or even come close, that is one thing that is nice about Larkin.  I feel like I have some confidence as a mom…I’ve done this twice, I know that each of these little stages (little night sleep, teething, etc.) don’t last forever.  AND I am trying to enjoy them even though they aren’t always that pleasurable because time is moving fast and I will miss these days, I know I will!!!!

Larkin-Easter Pictures

I took these pictures a couple of weeks before Easter.  I had put Larkin in this purple dress one Saturday and realized that she looked really Eastery so I decided to snap some pictures.  I really love her Easter basket.  I was going to order her a pottery barn one and just never got around to it…I was in Hobby Lobby one day and saw this one and thought “it will work for this year”.  However, I really like it so I may just get it monogrammed…and I also need to get my Easter basket from my parents and she can use it too!

keeping the troops busy

I have been breaking out all of the tricks here lately.  Trigger gets bored when he’s here alot .  I have brought out several things from school.  This particular day I got out some pattern cars.  Trigger loved it and did pretty good with his patterns.  

Of course Campbell loves to do anything that his big brother is doing!Trigger decided that he needed to sort the cars instead of making patterns.

I’m almost at the bottom of my bag of tricks and games…I’m going to have to do a little research to find some things (easy things…because I have no time) for them to do.