Kind Of

So, I finally have nothing else to do on the computer. So this will kind of be an update.... Meaning, I have so much to write on (It's been like a month and a half, somehow), but I know that one the boys will inevitably have a crisis with much screaming and drama before I'm done, so I'll get pulled away.
Let me refresh my coffee.....
Ah, coffee... How I have missed you. About a month ago, I woke up with a major craving for coffee (hence the Norwegian egg coffee recipe). I usually have a cuppa decaf about once a week, when we eat breakfast at Burger King or wherever on our way to church. (Despite trying everything - getting up earlier, fixing it the night before - every single time we try to eat breakfast at home, we are late - and since I lead the praise team, I can't be late. So we resigned ourselves to the fast food dollar menus.) I haven't been drinking "leaded" coffee because of nursing.... Jacob was apparently very sensitive to any trace amounts of caffeine - even as little of a half a can of pop would affect him. So I'd given it up. But the last month, I have been tired all the time. I know it's my bad sleep habits (averaging 5 hours or less whenever Paul works nights) - combined with still having to get up once a night with Jacob - and compounded by the fact I gave up naps in order to exercise. A year of this finally hit me. So I started drinking real coffee again. Jacob was on his way to being weaned, so since he wasn't nursing as often or as much, I managed to sneak in some morning coffee.
And - cue fanfare and drumroll - Jacob is weaned! The plan was to wean him two weeks ago, while we were on vacation. I figured all schedules and "comfort zones" would be out the window anyways, so it would be easy. But he came down with a virus the day before we left, and ended up with a high fever for three days. He refused to eat, or even really drink, the whole time, so I had to go back to nursing. So the "coming back weaned" idea got thrown out the window. But then... It just kind of happened. I was expecting lots of drama - with Nathan, I had to do a very deliberate step-by-step weaning, cutting out one nursing at a time, with much screaming at every stage. But Jacob was much more laid back (and maybe I was, too). I tried putting him to nap without nursing, and it worked. But then the next day, I did nurse him. And then I had Paul put him down at night, but I'd nurse it in the middle of the night. I kept changing it up. Really, it was centered more around what I needed (when I got full and uncomfortable), and he's just kind of went with it. The middle of the night is the hardest for him to give up. And, honestly, the hardest for me, too - it's much easier to give him what he wants to make him go back to sleep immediately. But in the long run, I know it's in his best interest to say no, so.....
We took both boys in for their yearly checkups on Tuesday. Nathan is 40 inches and 40 pounds. Jacob is 28(ish) inches and 24.5 pounds. She said they both look perfect, and I would have to agree. I fibbed slightly on how much Jacob talks. He does say "Dadadadada" and "Mamamom," but not often. I didn't want pressure to take him to speech therapy. He can hear fine, and he understands us - if you tell him to go give something to Daddy, or close the door, he will. And I have been paying attention this week: He "talks." You can't understand what he's saying, but it's obvious in his mind, he's talking. And whenever you hand him something, he always says, "Das." That's "thanks."
While we were at the doctor's office, we took him next door to the county clinic to get his next round of immunizations. We'd gotten a postcard in the mail, so I figured it had been two months. They looked at his records, and told me it was a week too early, so we couldn't do it. But they told me that he needed six other shots, plus his flu shot, to get him caught up. This kind of irritated me.... We can inject him with 7 shots for 10 different diseases, but we can't give one shot one week early. And they got huffy when I explained how we do immunizations: we aren't anti-immunizing, we're just anti-all-at-once immunizing. We get, say, the DTaP vaccine, and go back every two months, until we've completed the regimen. Then we get the MMR and go to completion on it. They will get all of their vaccines eventually, but I see no need to do all of them before they're 2. They like to tell me that I'm endangering any child they come in contact with, which is a bunch of crap, because the only child I'm endangering is my own. If other children have had their shots, there's no way they could pick something up from my child - that's the point of having them vaccinated, isn't it?
Anyhow. Sorry about that little rant. I just get irritated when people think they know what's better for my kid than I do. And: I do not judge anyone who goes ahead and gives their kids the vaccines at the recommended time. I figure you've researched it, and you feel fine about it, so it's your choice. Respect my choice, and I'll respect yours.
(Said crisis has occured. Back in a few......hours, probably.)
Okay, so that didn't take as long as I figured. I allowed myself to be distracted by the dirty kitchen and actually loaded and started the dishwasher.
Exercise and housework have been on hold for the last couple weeks, since we left for vacation. Obviously, I couldn't do P90X while we were in Colorado... I resolved to exercise and eat healthy. I did neither. I did hike one day, shop another, and another day I actually walked one lap around the lake at city park, and jogged another lap... A feat in itself - jogging 1/2 (or more) mile at that altitude (about 4000 feet higher than home). I admit I was pretty proud of myself for that one. Need for caffeine during driving led to buying of "meals" at fast food joints (rather than just a sandwich with water), which led to fries..... Not cool.
We got home and I exercised Monday and Tuesday, then I realized that I had a week and a half to finish the church cookbook. So every spare moment was spent at the computer, editing, reediting, and double checking that I got all the recipes in correctly. (I hope I did.) I printed it off yesterday, so I hope it's all right. I also exercised yesterday. *gasp* I have really got to get back to it. It's surprising how much jiggly stuff returns after just two weeks off. (This sweet tooth lately hasn't helped....)
The house also was severely neglected in that time. I'm pretty sure I didn't do a thing from last Wednesday until this Monday. It was BAD. So bad that Paul picked up two rooms without me even hinting for help. It's on the way back, but you know those piles that appear everywhere when you don't get stuff really cleaned for a while? Yeah, I've got about three of them I still haven't managed to get to.
Well, I came to a conclusion on what to do about Cubbies. We have one boy who comes, who by himself isn't a problem, but combined with several other rambuctious/disruptive boys (including my son), becomes a problem. Even though our Pastor has agreed to pay half the book cost (which brings the cost to the family to under $4), his mom still hasn't purchased it. In Cubbies, the book and working on it at home (especially the home work park) is required - 3 and 4 year olds can't learn stuff in an hour and a half once a week, so a parent has to work with them at home. I'm wondering if habitual lying is a part of their house.... I'm not sure how old this boy is - I'm wondering if he even knows. He has told me he's 4, 5, and 7. He's told me he's in kindergarden (which means he shouldn't even be in this class), and he's told me he's not in school. He's also said his mom said "no" about getting him a book, but then later he said his mom was going to get it for him. It really makes me feel for him. We met the mom the first week he came, but now she doesn't even come to get them. She has a friend/neighbor come pick them up (there's about 5 kids in the family), and the friend sends a little sister (about 2nd grade) in to tell him it's time to go. I made the sister go get the adult - I told them it's a new rule (which it is). Then I told the friend that we needed the mom to come in next week to talk to us. I'm going to have to put the ultimatum down that if he doesn't have his book by the end of the month, he can't come. This isn't a free babysitting service. I'm hoping and praying that she'll come see us with purchased book in hand, so all this will be moot.
Well, Jacob's poopy (again), and I have got to get bills paid. It's the 4th of the month, and I've only paid car insurance (and only because it was due the 2nd). The only thing that motivates me is deadlines, and they are fast approaching.