Gonna ride this one out

I've removed my shoes, stepped off the platform, strapped myself in, pulled down the bar and hanging on tight for this rollercoaster ride. I don't know how long it will last or how many loop the loops I will do. But it's going to happen no matter what.

Quick update:
Kara and Matthew are finally playing together maybe once a week.
Kara still will not sit next to Matthew and gets quite upset when he touches her.
Matthew smiles and giggles so much.
Matthew is ALMOST crawling. He's trying so hard to get to the things/places that he wants. Eventually he turns enough circles that he gets to where he wants.

Andrew working many, many hours.
I am running around, literally and figuratively.
I'm learning how to write. Again.
I am organizing. (Sigh) I really like organizing. I keep thinking if I organize enough, my life will be simpler.
I am earning an award. Soon, I hope.

We are hanging on tight for this ride. Keep checking back, someday we will post about our craziness.

Triple Layer Chocolate Mousse Cake

A friend watched Kara (Thanks Annie!) and I made this cake. It was for a chocoholic party. It was really good. Just looking at it makes me want to make it again (almost). It took me all day. Next time, I'll be faster.

If there is a next time.
p.s. It had 6 cups of cream and 3 lbs of chocolate :)

Baths

I gave Kara a bath tonight, and put her in pjs. Then I gave Matthew a bath and Kara got in. This was the result:

Two is better than one

Night float

For those out there confused by this phrase, here is a definition

Night Float:[nahyt][floht]

A residency rotation in which residents see their kids for 3 hours a week (literally). Often results in extreme stress and mental breakdown of resident's spouse. Especially if resident has children, and most definitely will happen if spouse is dealing with newborn with nighttime colic.


In a nutshell, Andrew has switched to nights, leaves at 4:30 pm one day, gets home at noon the next day and crashes until dinner. One hour later is bedtime. I see him till 10 pm, then go to bed. He stays up until 7 am the next day and sleeps like the dead (seriously, he can sleep through two kids screaming in the same room) until 4 pm to go back to work.

This is not my favorite rotation. Thank heaven for all the people bringing me dinner and helping me out. You deserve extra blessings and a spot in heaven for your service. I am so grateful.

Yes, we are still alive.

For all of you out there wondering about the Baughs, WE ARE STILL KICKING!!! Some days just barely. Andrew has been on Night Float so I'm essentially running solo. I keep telling myself that billions of people have made the transition to two kids and survived. I was incredibly spoiled with Kara. She slept through the night from Day 1. Matthew, has not. His little body is working out the kinks. He has been a wee bit colicky (translation: screaming from 12 am to five am, among other times throughout the day). After 2-4 hours of inconsolable crying, he will make a tremendous amount of "wind" and settle right down. Looking like the adorable angel that he is. I know I'm biased but hey, I'm his mother. I'm supposed to think he is perfect.

You can't tell from the picture but his body is stiff as a board, this happens when there is a lot of pressure in his tummy. Usually his legs are sticking straight out but, I got lucky when I took the picture.

I (sometimes) get a few minutes to read when nursing. I just finished Fire of the Covenant by Gerald Lund. It is about the Martin and Willey handcart companies. I can't possibly imagine doing this transition in the middle of nowhere with no home and no washing machine. Let alone on rationed food. I'm still wondering how the pioneer women maintained some semblance of modesty while nursing their babies.

Outtakes:

Playing peek-a-boo to try and get a smile.

Matthew's Birth

Many of you already know as I sent out emails, texts, and facebook announcements, but we're excited to welcome Matthew David Baugh into our home this last Monday. He was 7 lbs. 15 oz., and 21 inches long.



Kara came to visit the day afterward, can you tell how thrilled she is to be sharing Mommy's lap?



...and with some hiccups...



Kara managed to find something to play in in our room.

To sleep or not to sleep...

Sleep eludes me. This so pregnant body is a sleepless bomb waiting to explode. Two nights now I wake hourly, only to turn over and try the other side. Last night or tonight, however you want to look at it, I tossed and turned until the blessed hour of 5 am when I can let myself get out of bed. I finally got up and made raspberry tea. Which is supposed to help put me in labor. Alas, no labor.

So I spent a few minutes researching sarcastic sleep quotes on the "Interweb." I hope you enjoy them.

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. ~Leo J. Burke

There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast. ~Author Unknown

A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow. ~Charlotte Brontë And if tonight my soul may find her peace
in sleep, and sink in good oblivion,
and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower
then I have been dipped again in God, and new-created.
~D.H. Lawrence

If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters. ~Author unknown, attributed to Jim Davis
Sleep is the most moronic fraternity in the world, with the heaviest dues and the crudest rituals. ~Vladimir Nabokov

The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more. ~Wilson Mizener

There are twelve hours in the day, and above fifty in the night. ~Marie de Rabutin-Chantal

The feeling of sleepiness when you are not in bed, and can't get there, is the meanest feeling in the world. ~Edgar Watson Howe

I think Wordsworth might have been pregnant when he wrote this one:

Even thus last night, and two nights more I lay,
And could not win thee, Sleep, by any stealth:
So do not let me wear to-night away.
Without thee what is all the morning's wealth?
Come, blessed barrier between day and day,
Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!
~William Wordsworth, "To Sleep"


And so I end with this one:

No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap. ~Carrie Snow


I hope.

Video rebuttal regarding Kara and Cookies

A few posts back, Elena noted that Kara had 'mysteriously' learned the word cookie. I don't explicitly remember teaching that word to her, but here is a video of Kara in action. She uses her key words, "peeeeaaassse?", followed with a "tank you" and giggles, and then some "mmmmmmmmmmmsssss".

You're wanting to try to feed some cookies to your computer monitor now, since she's so cute, right? Am I justified?

Andrew's response to Elena's last post "Kara"

Here are some more pictures of Kara from today.

Kara

Our sweet Kara is gaining a brother. I've been wanting her near me as much as possible because I admit, I am selfish. I know that my time will be stretched between two kids and I want to give her as much attention now while I can. Within reason.

So here's my baby girl. She's getting so big. Her language comprehension and vocabulary is EXPLODING! She says a new word every day. Her words are in quotes. Yesterday, it was chocolate. Seems pretty normal, except I don't really give her chocolate. I just give it to myself ;) Her Dad, now he's another story. All she has to say is "Peasssss" and she gets what she wants. Including any "cookie" that she wants. She learned that word when I was gone on a girls weekend. It's not so bad since even Frosted Mini Wheats and graham crackers are cookies.



She loves her Beast, and chases him around. If she chances to catch him (with a little help from me) this is what she does...

Imagine her saying "Ahhh, soft" while wrapping her arms around his middle. He's extremely gentle with her but doesn't let her "snuggle" him very often. A while back, we thought we were going to have to put him to sleep. He was pretty sick but he's doing much better now. We're glad to have our Beastie.

Kara loves to snuggle with any"banket" (translation blanket) she can find. She doesn't want to get out of bed without one. She was recently at a friends house while I went to the Dr. The friend was curled up on the couch with a blanket. Kara walked up to her and gave her those I want something eyes. My friend asked Kara if she wanted up and of course Kara replied "yessss." That's another new word. So they snuggled on the couch.



We read story after story. She goes through multiple favorites sometimes it changes daily. Other times, we read the same story 10 times in a row.

She looks like a picture of her Dad here.





Our sweet Kara.

Baby is coming!

I've been a little stressed lately. This baby is due to arrive in 50 days. Yikes! I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO!!!

Life doesn't stop so I can prepare for the next major life changing event. So, last night as I read Kara a story we've read so many times I can read it forwards and backwards I realized something.

This baby doesn't have to have a perfect room BEFORE he is born. I am going to have plenty of time to do that. He won't know if his walls have purple flowers or green/white polka dots. I don't have to have green polka dot fabric to make crib sheets. I need diapers and sleepers and a place to put him (Thanks Evan and Angie for letting me borrow the bassinet). Everything else will just come into place.

So, instead of stressing, I will read yet another story with Kara relaxed with my head back and eyes closed because most of our stories are memorized. Rather than thinking of the ten other things I think I need to do.

Blog background

Will someone PLEASE enlighten me on how to make my blog cute? I've been to the sites and looked at the code and wondered "Where on earth would I put that?" Then I get stuck looking at different backgrounds forever and end up having to go rescue a child and never get around to changing the boring Baugh blog.

So, those of you out there who understand this process, would you share your understanding?

Baby names

This post is a request for submissions. This baby is due in 68 days and we have absolutely no boy names. We can't even come up with boy names that we like. Andrew keeps recommending Adam (with a smile). His name would be Adam Baugh (for those of you not familiar with Andrew's sense of humor, replace the "gh" with an "m"). Tonight he suggested Chuck Let Baugh. Followed closely by Base, Basket or Foot Baugh.

See why I am putting the request out?

A day on the Couch or at least a movie

Last Saturday, my AH(I think I will rename my spouse to amazing husband) did the unthinkable and accomplished not ONE but TWO very hard things on my Honey-Do list. He rodent proofed my attic (see previous post on all the critters in the South) and moved lots of furniture. A project that he detests. We had some great help from the missionaries and me acting as support staff. But since then, I have been having some irregular contractions. So, despite my torn apart house, (the big furniture was moved but I have lots of small stuff to take care of) I am going to sit and watch a movie. I will suspend my no TV for Kara and do something nesty like crochet while we watch.