Having my mom here for that week was absolutely fantastic. Apart from just spending time with her, it was great to get some insight as to how I was as a baby. I often hear from everyone (including the doctor) that all three kids look like their Daddy. I get tired of repeating that while Emily has glimmers of her Dad, she looks an awful lot like my baby pictures.
The entire week she was here, my mom would shake her head in awe and say, “She’s the spitting image of you”. YES! She would also say that we had the exact same temperament. Never crying (she hasn’t cried since the magic medicine helped her reflux), always smiling, sleeping like the thumb-lover she is.
My Mom also reiterated the story she had told me many times. I was such a happy baby that teething wasn’t an issue. Yes, I drooled. Yes, I chewed on everything. But no, I was not a “fussy” teether. She said the only reason she knew that my first tooth had arrived was because she went to feed me cereal one morning and heard a “clink” as the spoon hit my tooth. I just nodded and smiled, because I could not relate. The boys were not good teethers, and I thought that maybe my Mom was remembering the past through rose-coloured glasses.
This morning I was playing with Emily on my lap. She was laying on her back and looking up at me. I was singing to her (much to her amusement). I thought I’d rub her gums like I often do to see if she had any bumps working their way up. I felt a tooth. Then another. Both of her bottom teeth have cut through! She slept through the night despite this life-changing event. She really IS a mini-me.
I was also apparently potty-trained at 15 months. Here’s hoping she follows suit.
I hope I don’t come across as gloating. That’s not my intent. While the boys were “good” babies, Emily is a Wonder Baby. What did I do to make such a happy baby that sleeps so well? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I think God knows that two pre-school boys are enough to drive me close to the brink. A fussy baby might cause me to take a long walk off of a short pier.
Speaking of those two pre-schoolers, they have resorted to a 5:30 AM wake-time again the past two mornings. I left the room for five minutes and returned to find the following:
Cute, right?
Why are they both sleeping? Because 5:30 is NOT AN ACCEPTABLE WAKE TIME. Their brains may not comprehend that, but their bodies know better. We’ve tried to keep them up later, but once 7:00 comes they hit. the. WALL! And so do I, my friends. Thanks be to Jesus for the time change this coming weekend. 5:30 will become 6:30, and THAT I can handle.
What I cannot handle, however is the current state of whining. It is a normal thing, I know, but it’s exacerbated by the LACK OF SLEEP. It makes them even whinier, with a dash of whiny thrown in for good measure. And then there’s the whining. Oh, and did I mention the whining? Good. Oh. I almost forgot! There’s also whining! And more whining!
All the whining is making my want to do some “wine”-ing of my own, if you know what I mean.
Today was swimming class. I had all three children, and I felt like I was running a three-ring circus. Horribly. With people crashing and burning all around me. On the drive home I had a big thunder cloud around my head (With lighting bolts! And rain!) and was going over the afternoon in my head. I’ll spare you the details, as I don’t want to relive it. As I was wallowing in my despair, I looked in the rear-view mirror to see the following:
He’s been wearing them ever since. And somehow…the day doesn’t seem so bad.
Avelyn has been rousing at 5:30 too and I can feel my brain cells slowly dying. Can’t wait for Daylight Savings, that’s for sure!
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2 teeth?!? way to go, baby girl!!
And the whining. the whining. the whining. What is WITH the whining? My kids have got it too, and I’m hoping they’re over it soon.
I’ll be doing some ‘wine’ing of my own in about 2 minutes, want to join me?
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Hi Angella, I’m finally ‘delurking’ – I check your blog whenever I sit at the computer (which is sometimes several times a day). I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog because I was once in the same boat – stay at home mom of three preschoolers (age three and under), two boys and a girl, dealing with the same things you are (dragging little ones to swimming lessons, multiple bums and noses to wipe, even the 5:00 – 5:30 am wake times!). Anyway, I want to congratulate you on the wonderful job you are doing as a mommy, and as one who’s been there and survived (my oldest just turned sixteen and is learning to drive) let you know it does get easier! Having three so close in age is incredibly demanding when they’re so little and so dependant, but I wouldn’t have done it differently. I appreciate your creative writing and your humour in your blog – it makes me smile and brings back great memories of that stage of my life.
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I think every 3rd baby should be like Emily
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I can totally relate. I love my son but he woke every 2 hours until close to a year. I often joked that he was bi-polar because he was either super happy or super not! LOL Caileigh is much like Emily and it is such a blessing. I cant believe she cut two teeth! What a brilliant girl! I am so happy that you are experiencing such joy with her!
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Great pictures! They are all so cute!
I hope the time change does the trick for that ungodly wake up time.
It’s good that at the end of the day you can see the humor in it all.
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Hmm, maybe I *could* have handled a third baby … but too late now!
Way to go Emily on getting your first teeth!!
As for the early risers … well, I hope they sleep later tomorrow and I hope the whining stops. I know how that can grate on the old nerves!
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I hear ya with the whining.
I don’t think I could make it if I woke up at 5:30 in the morning. Cheers to you!
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The pictures say it all!!!
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A woman at my church who’s daughter is 11 months has another angelic baby who sleeps through the night, smiles, and is way less work than my son. I was wondering what I was doing so wrong until she told me that neither of her boys (about 6 and 3) slept through the night until they were over a year. I think you must just be better at it by the time the 3rd baby arrives!!! (Or it is a reward for surviving the first two).
Duncan’s up at 5 am every morning eating, but then wakes up for good at 5:45. He then sleeps all morning in nursery (and not at all in the afternoon when he’s with me). Oh well, I console myself that he’s hardly in daycare as he’s only awake for about three hours there a day…
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Congrats to Emily on the teeth…!
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HA! What a card…. I bet the clouds parted when you saw that!
I can relate to the thunder cloud, me had a few of those days too lately :-{
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At least you can see the sunshine and humour at the end of the day in the midst of all the whining and thunderclouds! I agree that God is rewarding you for all of your hard work being such a great mommy!
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Wow, I don’t even know where to begin. Yay, teeth (we’re still waiting). Ouch, 5:30. Been there, too. I feel your pain. And Yay again for having your mom, and to your daughter looking like both YOU and Matthew!
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Yay for WonderBabies!
Thank goodness God knows what we can (and can’t) handle or we’d all be in the looney bin!
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I too am looking forward to the time change. And the weather change as well…summer couldn’t come any sooner. I have one whiney 5 yr. old at my place, and a totally independent do it “his-self” almost 3 yr old. I’m hoping my baby is as pleasant as your little angel Emily. The picture of your 2 sleeping boys is hilarious. I wish mine would fall asleep like that. Today I went for a drive with Liam in attempts to get him to sleep, but it was me who was falling asleep at the wheel while he was busy chatting. y a w n
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