I moved!!!!

Today Cally celebrated his 11 mos b-day in GRAND fashion: he crawled his first few inches!!!! Saturday he pivoted on his belly for the first time and today he inched up. He told Rachel just remember the story of the Turtle and the Hare ;)

Lil Miss Independence!

So we evaluated Rachel's eating b/c she hates eating solids. We were concerned it was early signs of Sensory Processing Disorder which Harmon has. NOPE, it was just that she wanted to eat independently. The speech language pathologist tested her first w/baby food and Rach spit it all over the lady. So than we started w/carrots that were boiled and chopped... she ate them all by herself and LOVED them. So we tried more advanced foods: egg, macaroni, and even a little pizza bagel. She ate it all up! She just loved these big kid foods and feeding herself. So nothing is wrong. She is just ahead of her time.

That is the way little Rachel is. She is an overacheiver. I feel bad b/c she is struggling to learn to walk b/c of her feet (she can't stand flat) so we got her some shoes that hopefully will help correct the problem and she will be starting massage again next week. But honestly I'm not in any hurry for her to start walking. She gets around way to well as it is already and I dunno if I am ready for 2 walkers in the house!!! In other news she is just doing well. Her speech is right on target and so are her other milestones. Finally in other fun news her eyes have officially lightened to green... now the question is will she a blonde like her brothers or a brunette like me?

Sometimes it isn't all peaches...

Chris and I had a tiff. It started b/c he was talking about doing something fun and when I showed concern he was like "well so-and-so's wife lets him". At the time it really hurt my feelings because I hate being compared to "other cooler" wives but after I thought about it more I sort of found it funny. It reminded me when I was a little kid and had to do chores or homework and I was mouthing off to my mom "well Sarah's mom doesn't make her do homework".

I'm not mad at Chris... I feel a lot like he does too. Even compared to other friends who have children we have it pretty hard. 3 kids in 2 yrs w/one on the spectrum doesn't allow for much personal time. Sometimes I don't even have time to shower, much less really just do something fun for myself. We just have to remember that this won't last forever and our family is growing quick. We can't look at what everyone else has but rather focus on what we have and find joy in the journey!

In a funny note for a "make up" present Chris topped the cute list! Since I'm in marketing and Chris knows locally my favorite logo is the Sonoma Ranch logo (it is a local development and golf course) so he stopped by the pro-shop and picked me up a cute shirt w/that logo embroidered. It is a golf shirt and I don't golf but I think it was really thoughtful how he remembered I like that logo and the shirt is nice. Maybe I need to pick up golfing, b/c I have so much extra time ;) Either way I have a new cute shirt!

The traveling circus

When I'm out and about w/the troops we have become quite sight in a small town. This weekend at the Farmers Market we even brought our dog and that is when it hit me what another mom of multiple said: you feel like a traveling circus :p. Truer words were never spoken! Thank heavens Target has a cart which accommodates us ;)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Sleep Walkers

When I first married Chris I met a very rude awakening one night. I'm a VERY light sleeper and he is a very HEAVY sleeper. In the middle of the night he sat up and loudly said: "The traffic on the 215 would be lighter if they would simply expand it to 3 lanes cutting down on the median". He than laid back down. I was truly freaked and perplexed. You see this on tv. Since than I have seen this episode maybe 4 other times in our marriage and he has expounded on random topics like global warming and grass growing.

Well like father like son but worse. Last night at 4 am we heard Harmon going from his room towards the garage. He was sleep walking! He kept telling Daddy "go pool"... "momma pool" I always take him to swimming lessons every week and he was determined it was time for the pool. Poor thing was totally asleep still but nevertheless devastated he wasn't going to pool.

Twins in name only!

As I've mentioned everyday I get asked "are they twins?" and today I was asked it 4x. So now we just joke and say "in name only" which is SOOO true. I love this picture b/c it represents them well: Cally is just chilling while Rach is on the move.

It is interesting b/c for a while I've heard Cally has something called hypotonia which means his muscles are comfy bowl of Jello. Like you saw earlier this week he is making some FABULOUS progress and w/some more PT he will be kicking everyone's trash on the soccer field by the time he is Harmo's age. Rachy I just found out today that she might have hypertonia which is the opposite, it means her little muscles are tight like guitar strings. This explains why she walks w/her "virtual high heels" (she is always on her tippy toes), "kitty cat back" (she arches her back real tense sometimes), and has her "cheerleader arms". So far none of this has slowed her down so we are not too worried. With a little PT and some more baby massage I'm thinking it will be worked through pretty quickly. These little setbacks are common w/micro-premies.

I just think it is funny. One is 21 lbs and the other is a pip-squeak at 14 lbs. Cally LOVES to eat, Rach spits it out at my face. Cally sleeps 12 hrs at night and Rachey sleeps 10. Rachey naps like a rock star and Cally is a very tempremental napper. Rach can get tossed high in the air and screams w/laughter... Cally would scream and cry. Rach has to always be moving while Cally would prefer to lounge and watch some "Sponge Bob". Everything is opposite. Perhaps it is wierd b/c you always think twins will be on the perfectly same page but my babies are just not that way. I think it pretty cool though. I get to have 2 VERY unique and wonderful spirits to raise alongside their very unique and wonderful brother. They truly are twins in name only b/c the only thing they share is a birthday!

One Special Kid...

This week Chris had an old HS friend and his wife come and visit (they were checking out the town for a possible offer) and so we had to tour them around for the day. During that time the inevitable came up: "why does Harmon not talk"? And of course I answer he is on the spectrum and has a diagnoses of Sensory Intergration. As always the eyes get big. I think people hear "special needs" or "spectrum" and they think the worse (like Rain Man or something)! For us though it isn't a big deal. I think it is funny b/c to I don't know what having a "normal" toddler is like, all I've ever known is a sweet child who is exuberant, brilliant and doesn't talk a lot. With a little early intervention it is likely he will fully catch up w/other kids his age by grade school.

He is making great progress! You should hear him he can now say "open the case" (from his favorite Deal or No Deal) and a lot of other short phrases. This is amazing b/c 6 months ago he had NO phrases and less than 50 words. He repeats everything I say so I need to watch it. Today I was in the car and I screamed "IDIOTS... fricking IDIOTS" and of course Harmon joyfully parroted me shouting "idiots". I'm so glad I didn't curse (I'm a reformed cusser who falls off the wagon occasionally).

This talking thing isn't convienient. Now that he talks more he tells me what he wants and has learned the art of arguing. "Juice!" and I say "no juice, water!" and he goes "no water, juice!" and this continues for sometimes 20 mins. I miss the days when he just took the water ;)

Everything else is going well. He is a crazy little boy and on top of that he is 2 (today I caught him in the dog kennel w/the poor dog) but I wouldn't want Harmon any other way!

My big little boy!

Cally began to sit up at the beginning of the month if you put him in a sitting position and this weekend he actually for the first time got into the sitting position for the first time! I am soooo proud of him :)

Callum is so funny! He loves the "creature comforts" in life. I honestly don't think he would be sitting up if we had not taken away his beloved "baby lounge chair" aka THE BOPPY. He loves to just sit and watch TV w/a little tag blankie in his hand. Everything still scares him. Grass is public enemy #1 in his book. Just now Harm was watching The Price is Right and Cally changed it to cartoons by sucking on the remote. When we changed it back he was just heartbroken.

My little man is such a good boy. He learns things slower but when he learns them it is always quality! Everyone always calls him "the best baby ever" (although I think all 3 of them are the best babies ever) b/c he is so laid back and smiley. Today we are packing up the 6-9 mos clothes. I guess my baby won't always be my baby :(

Worn thin...

How does one get sick 2x in 3 wks and I am not just talking a little runny nose... I mean plague sick! I think I need to start drinking my V-8 again or something :p

Dear Pampers Company and other rants

Dear Pampers,

I have attended college. I am not a dummy. Please do not sell a "box" of Swaddler diapers and claim the box is so small b/c you shrunk the diapers. You did not shrink the diapers, you took out 40 of them! You think I wouldn't notice that for the same price there are 40 less diapers in a box????

Dear Tostinos,

My son will only eat 3 types of food besides fresh fruit. Your pizza is one of those 3 foods, so do you think you could figure out a way to put in 3 servings of vegetables in your pizza?

Dear Carters,

I bought an entire Summer wardrobe for my daughter on sale last year b/c I didn't know she would only be 14 lbs at 10 mos. Do you think you could take them all back and let me pick out a killer fall wardrobe or Chris may kill me? (At least I will have baby shower gifts for years to come for baby girls.)

Dear Walmart,

I love your cheap prices and great selection but I hate shopping w/two-thirds of Las Cruces and waiting in line while juggling 3 kids. Could you start a home delivery service for me?

Dear Children,

Your mother is VERY VERY tired tonight after a long week. Could you all please sleep in for me? Just this one day! 6 am would be no bueno :(

Letting your hair down...

I take Harmon to swim class and it is a lot of fun. Of course as many of you know I go to a lot of trouble to blowdry my hair flat every couple of days so swim class is a little stressful for me. I always am trying to keep my hair dry! So this past week Harmon JUMPED in w/all gusto and force ruining my freshly blow dryed hair. Part of me was a little stressed b/c I had a appt right at 3:30 which is as soon as I get done w/pool. Than I saw his HUGE grin and I was like, ahh screw it! So I dove under and grabbed his legs and tickled him. We had such a wonderful time. I need to remember sometimes in life you have to let your hair down. Even if that means going through the rest of your day a little funny looking ;)

The poor single Father!

Like I said in my last post I've been increadibly sick since coming home. I thought by Wednesday I would be on the mend BUT probably since I've refused to slow down and rest the cold went to my chest and I got an ear infection we think. So by last night I was dizzy, breathing bad, and vomiting... yeah vomiting... don't ask me where that came from. So when I woke up this morning unable to speak really, I finally did what I should have done WAY earlier this week: I stayed in bed! I'm still coughing but my headache is subsiding and my stomach has settled, which is good b/c ready or not HERE MONDAY COMES!

Of course my convelescence put Chris in a conondrum: either stay here at home and have the circus pounding on the bedroom door while I rested or go to church... by himself... w/all 3 kids. He being the brave soul he did went to church and from what I understand many of the congregation helped him out. Minus Harmon getting a big ouchie on his forehead and Rachel missing her bath the man did a stellar job taking care of the zoo and a sick wife! Of course now everyone from church is either stopping by or calling curious where I was. It is a good thing Chris isn't sarcastic like I am or he would be telling everyone I ran away ;)

How the kids fared...

Sometimes by the end of the day after watching all 3 kids I start to think they look like this! This is why I worried immensly about Grandma Zimmerman watching all 3 of them on her own.

But you know what she handled it like a pro and the kids were GREAT!!!! I'm so proud of them. Harmon missed us but he kept telling everyone "Momma in Puerto Rico" and he really was sweetheart. Cally just watched TV. Rachey... well she was a little bit of a troublemaker. She moves so quickly now it is hard to keep tabs on her. She was disappearing all the time and trying to put EVERYTHING in her mouth.

I'm sure my Mom saw little tails and horns occasionally but I am so grateful that for the most part she had so much fun w/them. We are really lucky she is such a daring women and lets us have some one on one time! Also I must give my big brother William who lives with them a big shout out as well, he helped a lot too.

We are home

Sorry I've been MIA! I have had the WORSE COLD since coming home :(

The trip was so lovely. It really is so hard for Chris and I to connect these days. When we first got married it was all fun dates, romance, etc. Now it is poopy diapers, demanding work, piles of laundry, crying babies, and long sleepless nights. Don't get me wrong we still do dates and flowers but it is hard. It is hard to connect sometimes and just sit and talk. We are trying but it doesn't come easily. We do a childless trip each year. They are normally not this exotic (one year we did Boulder City in a No Tell Motel) b/c it helps us reconnect.

We did reconnect. It was cute b/c people kept asking us how the wedding was and thought we were newlyweds. So far a few days being home we are trying to make that time to talk about non-kids and non-work topics and do a lot more kissing!

The view from our hotel room

The actual trip itself was so lovely. We got upgraded for free to an oceanside room and despite some lost luggage the first night everything went well. My family is Puerto Rican so it meant so much to see where my Mom was from. We even visited her childhood home! We saw an MLB game, got messed up w/a riot at the capital, and visited a Rain Forest. It was hard at times for me to get around b/c of my RA but Chris was always patient. The best part was sleeping in though and laying on the beach. Chris speaks much better Spanish than I and since I am part Puerto Rican the locals quickly adopted us. It was so neat to really learn so much about my culture and it makes both of us determined to raise our kids w/it. I want to start cooking more of the native foods (rather than nightly Bertolli or DiGiorno... heck we are not even Italian) and Chris is learning Salsa dancing at the local Puerto Rican dances with me. At this rate we are going to raise some little Borinquenos yet!!!!

The above picture was the rain forest and the below is the street my mom grew up on.