Strawberry Pickin'

There's a pattern slowly but surely developing with us: in the middle of chaos, we seem to find ourselves at some farm picking our own fruit. Last summer, we picked blackberries as a welcome respite from night classes and the land of Mickey.

This year, while Teddy was in the hospital a few weeks ago, I took a break from my bedside vigil and headed out with Sarah and Will and my mother-in-law in search of my favorite fruit, straight off the vine.

Don't worry: neither of these children are in any danger of becoming renowned farmers.

Approximately half a row into our little jaunt, the peeps bailed on the manual labor 

in favor of see-sawing.

I can't say that I blamed them. 

Even I got tired of it after awhile, leaving Karin as the last (wo)man standing.

She soldiered on, row by row, filling her gallon plus Will's quart.

In the end our haul was impressive, especially once Karin supplemented our relatively slim pickings and bought a flat of already-picked berries. 

While their Nana wheeled-and-dealed, 

my mountain goats devoted themselves to climbing a pile of rocks,

and digging holes to China.

This was serious business, seeing as how the general consensus was that China is where Jesus is.  So...yeah.

I think we might need to make it to church a little more regularly.

Up next: strawberry freezer jam production.

I'm putting these kiddos to work, washin' cars and mashin' strawberries.

What's on your Memorial Day agenda?

Mother's Day: Out of the Mouths of Babes

Ah, Mother's Day.  The one day of the year that every mom in the trenches would just like to spend not doing the very things that make her a mother.  Every year, I have this fantasy that Mike will hand me the key to a hotel room with 5-star room-darkening shades and decent room service.  And I would sleep.  And sleep.  And sleep.  And not have to feed, clothe, bathe, or otherwise care for anyone else. 

Instead, it lands on my least favorite day of the week, and Mike is usually working.  

Sigh.

Don't get me wrong: I feel a little ashamed about this fantasy, but I don't think I'm alone in my sentiments. 

And of course I love my children.  

But every once in awhile it's nice to love them from afar, while somebody else breaks up fights, scrapes every tiny piece of rice off  the chicken, and searches high and low for the missing Ninja Turtle sock.  

Anyway, cheers to all the moms out there, taking it hour by hour and celebrating with overly-moist kisses and chubby arms around her neck!

Here are some interviews I did with the chilluns about me.  

I think you'll find them enlightening, since I must be some sort of medical miracle.
I guess I've earned the old lady jokes, since I do find 4:30 in the afternoon
to be a perfectly acceptable time for dinner.

Enjoy!

Two Months

One thing I've learned about Teddy is that this guy knows how to celebrate.

Seriously, he must have really wanted to mark the beginning of his third month of life in style, so he took us back to where it all began: the hospital.  Yep, our family enjoyed 5-star accommodations just two floors down from labor and delivery.  I'm pretty sure Teddy noticed the differences this time around, in that HE was the one with an IV stuck in his arm (and his leg). 

Suffice it to say, Teddy was a pretty sick little booger for several days. 

It seemed like every time there was an either/or scenario, Teddy got the raw end of the deal.

So, 2 blood tests, a urinalysis, and a spinal tap later, we found out that this guy had meningitis.

Now, meningitis is a nasty piece of work, but there are two kinds.  It takes 72 hours to determine which kind you have, so they start out hitting it hard with antibiotics via IV.

Sweet lil' pup knows how to smile through tears.

Though these pictures don't show it, things were pretty rough 

and it is not an experience I wish to relive ever again, in print or conversation.

But, thanks to a quick catch and a truckload of prayers (Thank you!), Teddy came home on Monday.

Paging Dr. Brown.  Dr. Brown, you're needed for a funny bone replacement.

Anyway, I meant to get this out on Wednesday, but then we all got hit with a stomach bug.

So, my Thursday night was spent with a wine glass in one hand and a bottle of bleach in the other.

Good times!

Without further ado (and a week late), I give you:

The 2 month stats:

Hair:  It's fluffy and a lot lighter than it started out.

Eyes:  Big and blue right now.

Chins:  Only two.  He lost his third chin during the hospital stay and 2 bouts of stomach bug, but the prognosis on regaining it looks good.

Height/Length:  21.5 inches and built like a basset hound, all torso like me.

Weight:  11 lbs. 3 oz.

Duds:  He's in 0-3 months sizes, and the warm weather has him showing of those gorgeous gams all the time.

Turn-ons: Ceiling fans; tummy time; flirting; singing "Wheels on the Bus" and "If You're Happy and You Know It"; kicking those fat legs; long walks; milk

Turn-offs: Poor service; spinal taps; anybody comin' at him with a catheter.

Language: He's still vocal, but I feel like he's squeaking a lot less now than even a week ago.
                My man's a ham, and lets his thoughts be known.

I took these pictures on Cinco de Mayo (the day we got home from the hospital), so here's the tough little dude doing a Mexican hat dance.

Have a great Saturday!

Bunsie Onesies and Things That Babies and Cats Have in Common

I've gone a leetle bit overboard with the bunny theme this spring.  I can't help it, though, since I have 3 sweeties to deck out for Easter this year.  Anyway, I've been meaning to make shirts like these for a really long time, and I've finally done it!

Will came up with the name for them, and I think Bunsie Onesie is the best ever.

Who can resist a baby in a onesie?

Soon-to-be-chunky legs sticking out.  

Diaper bum. 

I made a blue one for Teddy, and a yellow one just for fun.  Or maybe for a friend ;)

Hold me, I'm scared.

Seriously.  Someone call security.

All you need to make these are a few things you can find around the house:

• Brand-new pencil with a flat eraser
• Thin paint brush
• Black fabric paint
• Onesie or t-shirt
• Baby (optional, but highly recommended)

I'm not going to go into a full-on how-to, because I think you can figure it out just by looking.  But, you coat the pencil eraser with black paint and use it as a stamp for the eyes.  

Would a tail on the back be too much?

Teddy is working on a tutorial for how to catch a beam of light.

Almost. Got. It.

Come here, you little beam of somethin'.

Aaaargh!  Foiled again!  

Why are these things so hard to catch?!

Ahhh, found the thumb.  I will get you next time, elusive shadow-maker.

Of course, I made some t-shirts based on this for the older kids, but, naturally, they refuse to put them on. 

I bet they'll change their tune when I break out the Peeps...

One Month Stats

Yup, our Teddy is a whole month old.  I'm trying to take a picture per day throughout his first year of life, and I think the hardest thing about that is only taking one picture a day.  He's such a good model, unlike his siblings, since he's captive and doesn't know how to make weird faces or run away from me yet.

Let's get down to brass tacks about this man.

Hair: Apparently he has lots of it, though I didn't have any heartburn during pregnancy.  The color is a lot like Sarah's was as a baby: golden-brown with a lot of red tones.

Eyes: Standard-issue newborn blue-grey.  We're split down the middle in our family with me and Will holdin' it down for the green-eyed folks, and Mike and Sarah on Team Baby Blues.  Teddy is the tie-breaker, so we'll see where he falls.

Complexion:  Unlike Will, Teddy didn't come out of the womb with a tan.  He's fair-complected like Sarah, but thank goodness he didn't inherit my death-warmed-over yellow skin.

Height:  19 inches (at birth).  I could go get my measuring tape, but, suffice it to say, he's longer than that now.

Weight:  We don't own a scale.  He was 7lbs. 5oz. at his two-week checkup, and he's chunkin' up quite nicely these days.

Clothing size:  He's just about outgrown his Newborn sized sleep-suits and he's firmly in size 1 diapers.

Turn-ons:  Early arrivals; ice storms; all things black, white, or red; shadows; ceiling fans; kisses; his crib; milk; Snoopy; fluffy blankets; Pat-a-Cake; riding in the minivan.

Turn-offs:  Waiting for his food; poor service; sitting around the house all day.

Favorite Activities:  Sleeping through everything; walks around the neighborhood.

Favorite food:  Milk

Language:  He's fluent in Squeaks and Grunts, and he understands English quite well.  In all seriousness, neither of our other babies were this squeaky and vocal.  We talk quite a bit, and he smiles when I kiss him.

Sleep:  He'll go for a 4-hour stretch at the beginning of the night, and then it's touch-and-go from about 1:30 until 5 am.  I think there might have been a mixup at the hospital: this kid actually likes his crib.  Like, that's where he sleeps (unless he's being dragged around in the carseat or sling).  This has never happened with a Brown child of ours before.  Teddy was 2 weeks old when I texted Mike: "I think something's the matter with our baby.  I put him in his crib so I could do laundry and he didn't scream.  He just played.  Came back 10 minutes later and he was ASLEEP."

Personality:  This little man is so easy to love.  He seems pretty laid-back, until he's hungry, wet, or poked by siblings - then he gets pretty spicy.  Teddy smiles when he's happy, and he's a flirt.  I don't care what the experts say about gas and smiling: my kid smiles from emotion.  He loves tummy time, and does his Superman workout with great gusto.  Though cuddles are rarer for my #3, he enjoys them immensely - until it's time for sleep.  When I sneeze, he's alternately disturbed and genuinely concerned for my health,

So far, the transition from 2 to 3 kids has been easier than from 1 to 2 kids.  Teddy has joined right in with the noise and chaos, as if  he knew we had a spot waiting just for him.  And it feels like we did.  I seem to have bounced back physically and emotionally with relative ease, and I'm nowhere near the dark place I was in after Will's birth.  Sarah and Will think Teddy is hilarious, and Teddy is cautiously optimistic that if he eats enough, he'll soon be able to push them out of his face and hold his own.  Mike adores his baby boy, but I joke with him that having 3 kids has pushed his OCD tendencies to the point of CRAZY. 

I'm going to try to do this every month. You can read it or not, but at least I'll have a record of these things since, I'll tell you right now: this guy is not getting a baby book.  At least not one done by me.

I Could Sleep Through That

At just about 1 month old, our Teddy B. has been a very busy boy.  As a 3rd child, he's dragged, carted, and shlepped everywhere that his big brother and sister go, and he's handled it with all of the style and grace one would expect of #3.   So, basically, he's slept through every amenity and activity our fair city has to offer.  Call him precocious, but the little bear has waxed poetic about his experiences outside of the womb thus far.  Let's let him break it down for us, shall we?

 I Could Sleep Through That   

 by Teddy Brown

First ride in a car?

I could sleep through that.

Will and Sarah using my fontanels as a worry stone?

I could sleep through that.

Big sister's talent show at 1 week?

I could sleep through that. 

Big brother's tough love?

I could sleep through that.

Elephants, goats, and T-Rexes at 2 weeks?

I could sleep through that.

Soccer practice, doctors appointments, and pottery painting?

I could sleep through that.

The park, art museum, and burritos?

I could sleep through all of that. 

A kindergarten field trip to the nature center.

You better believe I slept through that.

A five hour stretch at night.

Uh........Nope.

Brothers

I'd always thought it would be more, I don't know, torturous? for my boys to be in coordinating outfits.
Apparently, it's not.  Will insisted on donning full camo for our trip to the zoo last week after I busted out some teensy-weensy pants for my littlest man.

                I don't really have a lot to write about today, so I'll just show you pictures of our kids.

 In camouflage.

 Laughing.

 Ready to hunt rabbit.

Just had a bottle and feeling good.

This may be the last time these guys cooperate to pose together.

Big sister had to get in on the photo session too.

Happy Wednesday!