Abbi the babysitter

So Kenna is playing under one of her toys and Abbi is looking through a princess sticker book. I leave for 2 minutes to start the laundry. I come back to this:

Kenna is such a good sport!

"Baby Barbara" was victim #2.

Livin La Vida Loca

Not just a catchy title, but a good description of my life. I’ve neglected the blog for over 2 months, with good reasons I assure you, and now I feel like I need to write as a form of therapy! Even as I’m typing right now, Josh is gone (this time at the dentist and later to a study group), Abbi is terrorizing and refusing to eat dinner and Kenna is insisting on being held. This pretty much sums up most of my nights.

I started back to work 5 weeks ago and now I am half-way through, 4 weeks, 3 days to go! I truly am counting down. If I get any more free time, maybe I'll find a cute widget to countdown. I think I am more excited for school to end then my students. I feel like I am a bad teacher right now, just going through the motions each day, trying to figure out how to do my job with minimal effort. Its working, but don't tell anyone :O)

I find that shortening notes, and giving my students time to do homework is more effective and beneficial for them, rather than trying to make up a game or activity for them to do. I am getting more homework turned in (which means less time putting in missing work) and my smarter students are going home with no homework - win-win situation if you ask me. (Now I'm fighting Abbi off my lap... its hard to type on a laptop with a two-year-old crawling all over you... I think she is letting me think I won this battle for now).

Monday - Friday my days start between 5:30-6. Josh leaves at 5:30 for work and I get up and try to get myself and everything ready before Abbi and Kenna get up. It takes twice as long once they wake up. We've been leaving around 8 for the babysitter, (unless I have a meeting, then its earlier). I have to make our lunches, pack the diaper bag, get both girls dressed, nurse Kenna, clean pump stuff and bottles, and get myself dressed and ready to go! If Abbi wakes up early, I have to devote time to cleaning up her mess. Getting out the door takes the most time and effort. I usually take out all bags in one trip, go downstairs and load Kenna in the car seat, go downstairs to carry Abbi upstairs, get Kenna and go out the door. Load Kenna in the car and then chase Abbi around to get her in. Needless to say its a good work out.

After work, I try to fill it with quality time - playing, dancing, books, puzzles and making dinner somewhere in there, and having my shows on in the background to clear off the DVR. Tuesday and Thursday are weekday bath nights. Abbi goes to bed at 8 and then I end up crashing on the couch around 9. Poor Josh tries to wake me up to get in the bed and I usually join him in the middle of the night.

Josh has had a crazy time back to school from Spring Break. He was gone just about every night. It seemed like Monday and Tuesday he had either a dentist appointment or a study group. Wednesday and Thursday are school nights. Gone on Saturday from 6 - 6:30, let me clarify, 6am -6:30 pm. He had a test every week, a presentation due and a care plan due. But he is doing well and really enjoying his pediatric rotation. He's also going to the gym at night with his cousin and losing weight.

Both girls were sick I think my second week back and we were doing breathing treatments every 4 hours. Kenna also had an ear infection. Not to mention our situation with the temporary babysitter was huge headache. She was sick a lot and recovering from laser eye surgery which made everything more interesting! We'll just leave that subject alone now. (I've wrestle Kenna into take a nap while Abbi is bathing. I'll then bath Kenna after Abbi is done and watching some Disney movie).

This last week when things were slowing down, we decided to make a day trip to Tucson, which just about killed us :O) But it was fun to hang out with Josh's side of the family and great to watch Abbi play with her cousins. We went fishing, played at the park, got ice cream and just had fun!

But things are on the up and up. Josh has Thursdays off of school now, and he doesn't have nearly as many dentist appointments or study groups (except for tonight). The girls are back to their normal babysitter (hallelujah, we missed the Prices :O) ). School is coming to an end and I don't have nearly as many meetings as I did before. I just can't wait for the summer to come and things to slow down.

Abbi is growing up so fast. She talks constantly and when she's not talking, she's singing. She has the best memory, kinda cool, but sometimes annoying. I made these books from Finch Family and some I did on my own to help her be reverent in church. She's totally into the Disney princesses and dressing up, so when she is acting up we just tell her that princesses don't act this way and she's usually good. I've also tried rather then losing my temper and screaming at her, to make a conscience effort to speaking softly and she responds 10 times better!!

Kenna is a chunker! She EATS way too much for someone her age. She eats about twice as much as Abbi did at her age. She's already drank the extra supply and I'm going to have to start pumping twice a day to keep up! She loves to laugh and talk! She manages to put a smile on my face when I need it the most! She's a good listener and snuggler! We moved her into 3-6 month clothes just after she turned 2 months! Its really weird saying that I have a 2 year old and a 3 month, soon to be a 4 month old! Kenna also likes to be on her tummy and laying under her toy gym thing and just play.

Sorry to vent. I actually feel much better with every letter I type. I think I'll be getting a pedicure this week to treat myself and to help with my sanity! Next post will be much better! I promise!

Vacuuming

This is mine and Abbi's vacuum.

She helped me vacuum the basement today wearing this:

Kenna cried the entire time!

Being a mom is fun!

Abbi turns TWO!!

So last Tuesday, February 2nd, our little Abbigail turned TWO!! I can't believe I have a two-year-old. We started off the morning by taking pictures of her when she got up. She was a little crabby, and I couldn't resist making her more mad :O)





She quickly cheered up when I told her we were going to have pancakes for breakfast. My mom always made us pancakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head, so I'm carrying on the tradition with my children. Its a little hard to see Mickey in the picture though (the plate is too small).




We met up with Dad at Burger King to get chicken nuggets and french fries for lunch!

At one point, I look over and Abbi is dipping the ketchup packet into the ketchup and eating it. This girl LOVES ketchup!

Kennadee doing what she does best during lunch... SLEEP!!

Then we had family over for her party! We ate pizza, cupcakes and ice cream. Abbi opened presents! She got some Yo Gabba Gabba blocks and dolls, a tricycle, clothes, puzzle and much more! It was so fun watching her open her gifts. She would get so excited, she would start shaking!

So I decided instead of making a cake, I would just make cupcakes. Then I remembered for my niece Tiffany's 2nd birthday, we got cupcakes shaped in the number 2. So I originally was going to try and replicate that on my own (to save some $$$) and then I decided I was going to attempt to shape the cupcakes in the shape of Foofa, one of the Yo Gabba Gabba characters.

We didn't show Abbi the cake until it was time to sing Happy Birthday! She recognized immediately who it was!

She didn't want to blow the candle out, so we had to lift it up to her!

Here's the final product!

I would have to say that for a first timer, I did pretty good! Thanks to everyone who came and made it a special day for Abbi!

Crazy Life

So its been a while since I blogged… life’s been a little crazy, but we are surviving. Here’s a quick recap (sorry there are little pictures... I need to get them from my in-laws):

Thanksgiving – good. Didn’t get to eat as much food as I wanted (darn cold) and our family was a little under the weather. We also really didn’t participate in Black Friday… bummer… there just isn’t a lot of stuff we “needed”…

Trip to Blanding, UT - Abbi did pretty good for being in a car for 7 hours. Blanding was cold. I thought I might have the baby up there due to some strong contractions, but was able to make it home okay. Abbi got to play in the snow and with her cousins and grandparents. Fun was had by all!!

Christmas – very simple, spent in Blanding. We gave Abbi a play kitchen and she received stuff for the kitchen, as well as some other toys and clothes from the grandparents. Josh and I picked out our own gifts and then wrapped them. I got a smoothie blender (similar to the Magic Bullet) and Josh got clothes!

December 29 - We started to moved into my parents basement. We decided back in June/July that we were going to let our house go and my parents offered to let us move in. We are sad to leave our house and ward, but know that this is best decision financially for our family right now.

December 30 – Appointment with Huish. Almost 36 weeks and I’m 2cm and 50%. Woo-Hoo!!

January 4 – Josh and I went back to work. I kept telling Baby #2 that she needed to give me a week back at school to get everything situated and then she could come whenever. I continued to have strong contractions, but made it through the week!

January 6 – Another appointment with Huish. Almost 37 weeks and I’m now 3cm but still 50%.

January 9 – So I was having strong contractions all day (technically I’ve been having them since Christmas). I was working my butt off to try and get the basement “in order” so that I wouldn’t be so crazy. Josh kept telling me that I needed to slow down or I was going to put myself into labor. My response “And…” We went out to dinner with Michael and his fiancée Saundra. Had a great time, despite contractions. I really had to go to the bathroom and while I was in the restroom, they called “Kenna, party of” something or other. I told Josh that was a sign I would have her tonight. Went home, contractions began to be consistently 6 minutes apart, I laid down thinking they would go away, and then they were 5 minutes apart, then 4…

January 10 – I woke up at 12:30 in awful pain! I told Josh we needed to go to the hospital and if I had to do the walk of shame (where you get turned away ‘cause you’re not ready to have the baby) then I would. Keep in mind, I’m only 37 weeks along. We get to the hospital and I’m admitted immediately. I was dilated about a 4 or 5 and 90% effaced.

By the time I got my epidural (thank you modern medicine) I was a 6. Josh is in Block 3 of the Nursing Program and this is where he does an ob rotation. The nurse was really cool about explaining and letting Josh participate. She showed him how to check dilation and he accidentally broke my water. The look on his face was priceless!! This is a secret we kept between the three of us, so shhhhhh…

Anywho, I finally was able to sneak in a quick nap about 2:30am. Woke up about 5:30/6am, feeling some pressure, the nurse came in and checked me. I was ready to go. She got everything ready and called my doctor. At 6:50 she had me start pushing. After two pushes, I had to stop and wait for the doctor to come. He arrives literally 5 minutes later. I start pushing again and at 7:12 a.m. Kennadee Mauretta Seiter was born. She weighed 7lbs 8 oz and was 19.75 inches long.

When they told me how big she was, I was a little disappointed. I was expecting to deliver an 8/9 lb baby and then I realized, duh Julia, she’s 3 weeks early!! And then I was grateful!!!

This pregnancy/delivery was completely different then when I had Abbi. Abbi’s pregnancy I felt great most the time! I loved being pregnant! With Kenna, I was sick A LOT, had some complications at the beginning, and had LOTS of ultra sounds! I had to push for an hour and a half with Abbi, dripping in sweat and tears. Kenna was 20 minutes of pushing and I didn’t even break a sweat.

I was really nervous about being a mother of two and how I would balance everything. I would say, so far, I think I’m doing pretty good. The hardest part has been the lack of sleep. Kenna has good nights and bad nights. It just depends on her mood! Sometimes I have the hardest time getting her to wake up and eat, other nights she wants to eat every hour. Overall, she’s a really good baby. She rarely cries, but has some nasty gas!
Abbi is doing good at being a big sister. She likes to tease Kenna by taking her paci or socks, or tickling her, but overall helps out. She’ll bring me 3 diapers when I need to change Kenna and grabbed a pair of pants the other day cause “Kenna cold” Abbi’s words. She also lets me take little naps and doesn’t destroy the basement… I’m so blessed. She’ll be 2 on Tuesday, and I’ll post pictures from her birthday party!

My sister-in-law Brooke has pictures of us at the hospital that I need to get from her and my father-in-law, Ken has Christmas pictures! I'll post as soon as I get them!