One of the awesome things about Jerad's job is that his customers give us things. Gift certificates for restaurants, food, things for the kids. Someone sent home this awesome power wheels bike for Marshall. It really drives. He was in heaven:
Another customer, who is an organic farmer, sent home a BUNCH of produce.
We took the kids to the drive-in for the first time. We saw the Disney Planes movie, it was super cute. Marshall was really into it, Miller got tired and didn't pay attention to the whole thing, and Emery slept.
Jerad took Marshall to one of the Lowes Buld and Grow workshops where they built a wooden model of Dusty, from the movie Planes:
Dinner with friends:
Every single morning Marshall comes barreling into our room to "say hi to baby Emery." He has been such a great big brother. When Miller was born he wasn't really old enough to be excited or care. This time around he's obsessed.
I love this ridiculous picture. Marshall is pouting, Emery is pooping, and Miller is being his crazy goofy self.
I left the kids with Jerad one night and went out to Thai food with my friends Beth and Chelsea. Afterwards we went back to Beth's house and painted our nails. I *never* have painted fingernails so it was quite the treat!
Baby stretches:
Around this time I started running our house like a daycare/preschool. It was kind of the only way I could survive and keep the kids happy and engaged. Every day we have an art project, some sort of sensory activity, outside time, and story time. We were doing all of these things before, but they're a little more scheduled now so the kids know what to expect and I plan everything in advance instead of flying by the seat of my pants. I spend HOURS a day rocking Emery (usually during the boy's naps and for 2-3 hours after they go to bed) so I search for things on Pinterest during that time. Every night I plan what we'll do the next day and get it ready in advance if there are preparations. Most things are Montessori inspired, or sensory. While the boys are occupied I'm able to cook, clean, and do other chores. At this point in time Emery wasn't able to really be set down at all, so I would just wear her in the moby wrap or baby k'tan for 8-10 hours a day as I went about my business. I literally don't know how parents of infants get ANYTHING done if they don't baby-wear. Especially with multiple children!
Mixing colors with pipets and paper towels:
Transferring grains:
Spooning dried beans. This is such a great activity. We started around 15 months with both boys and they could eat soup unassisted without spilling by 17 months.
Thursday is our trash day, so around snack time (10:30) I load the kids in the stroller with a snack, wear Emery in the Ergo or Moby, and we walk around watching the recycle trucks then watch the heavy equipment building the new houses.
Toothpicks in modeling clay:
5 weeks!
The night of August 16th Marshall hurt himself getting out of his chair. Neither Jerad or I saw it so I'm not exactly sure what happened, but he started screaming and complaining about his arm. Now, him and Miller get hurt a lot. They're energetic boys. But they typically brush it right off, or if its "really bad" they'll calm down with an ice pack in 2 minutes. After 30 minutes of him screaming, it was clear no amount of ice packs or movie watching was going to make him feel better. I think we even bribed him with Ice Cream. Jerad took him to Urgent care since they were still open for 30 minutes and we were hoping to avoid an ER visit. I stayed home with Miller and Emery.
They took some x-rays and diagnosed him with Nursemaid's Elbow (a dislocated elbow), which is very common in kids his age. They tried popping it back in the socket and sent him home. Relief is supposed to be almost immediate, but he woke up every single time he moved his arm all night long. Meaning we didn't really sleep.
Jerad in his bed in the morning:
So I took him back in the morning. We waited for 1.5 hours, then they tried popping it in again and did another set of x-rays. He was so good and brave and FUNNY, but it sucked holding him down for the x-rays and while they tried to relocate it when he was crying and begging to go home. Ugh.
Long story short, they couldn't fix it and told me we needed to go to the ER where they would probably sedate him. We have *never* had to take any of the kids in for anything other than normal Well Checks, plus I have a SEVERE hospital anxiety (hello, that's why I have the babies at home!) so I was pretty traumatized. I asked the Urgent Care doc if it could wait until Monday so we could see the pediatrician and she basically told me I needed to be an advocate for my child and letting him be in pain over the weekend was cruel.
So we went straight to the ER and waited in the waiting room for, no joke, 4 hours. During which time he wasn't allowed to eat because he might be sedated. Around hour 2 I started getting pissed that I'd let the Urgent Care doc bully me into going because he would have been MUCH happier at home on the couch and getting to eat food. But I digress. Because he was in pain he didn't have his normal energy and actually waited patiently. He slept in my lap for awhile. I finally gave into his pleading for food and let him have some potato chips from the vending machine.
Finally we saw a Dr., they looked over the x-rays and said since two other Dr.'s had tried to relocate it and it hadn't work that probably meant it wasn't Nursemaid's. There was a little bit of fluid in the joint which could have meant a fracture (so small that it wasn't showing up on x-rays), or a sprain. So they put a splint on it and sent us home. 5.5 hours after we got there.
So to recap, the night that it happened Jerad and Marshall spent 2 hours at Urgent Care, the next day I spent 2.5 hours at urgent care and 5 hours at the hospital. Multiple doctors wrenched on his arm, took x-rays, no one really knew what was wrong, and the bills ended up being more than Emery's birth. So... awesome. They told us to see a Pediatric Orthopedist on Monday (2 days after the ER apt), but no one would give us an appointment sooner than 2 weeks and by then it was healed and not bothering him so I canceled.
The following day we took the kids to Gilroy Gardens. We'd already made plans to meet up with friends and Marshall came barreling in our room in the morning begging to go. We talked about it and decided it would probably be easier to keep him from using his arm by spending the day riding in the car seat, stroller, and on a few rides than at home where he's a Wild Thing.
Emery at Gilroy Gardens:
All the boys!
It was harder going with Emery who needed to nurse every few hours and wanted to be worn the whole time, and Marshall was a little grumpy from lack of sleep and a sore arm, but I'm so glad we went. Everyone had a ton of fun, and despite Marshall's arm he had a blast too.
I rearranged Miller's bedroom and got rid of the more "baby" toys. I made him a little reading nook, and put the play kitchen stuff in there. He loves it:
6 weeks. Her onsie says "Little Sister"
This is my new motto:
Miller started following Marshall in the bathroom and literally cheering him on:
Then we went to the Children's Museum:
Emery hung out in the Ergo. It seems like just yesterday it was baby Miller watching Marshall have all the fun and now he's running around playing too:)
Emery's thighs grew. A lot.
Then we went to the Santa Barbara zoo! Marshall is majorly obsessed with trains, so that was his favorite part.
My sister and brother in law live there (we were actually there for his surprise b-day party) and met us at the zoo:
We spent the night at their house, then the next day took the kids to a huuuuuge park, then to Lars's party. All of which I didn't get any pictures of. We ended up leaving the party early because the boys hadn't napped all weekend and Miller was going to ruin the fun for everyone. You can tell it was a fun filled weekend when the kids come home with glazed over eyes, and covered in scabs, food, charcoal, and dirt.
That night he slept for 13 hours, and the next day he took a 4.5 hour nap.
Just hanging out, being a cute chunk.
Making cloud dough:
Our insect sensory box:
Marshall was really into this one. He called it a "bug habitat" and played with it for days.
Working on fine motor skills by transferring shells from one basket to another with tongs:
Playing with colored ice:
7 weeks. Almost caught a real smile on camera!
Construction sensory box with corn meal:
Making contact paper collages:
PJ story time at the library. Jerad was working an out of town job and gone so I took all three kids by myself and felt quite accomplished. Miller doesn't have the attention span to sit through the whole hour, but he loves the first 30 minutes or so and Marshall is enthralled the whole time:
Aug 30th was my 29th b-day. I didn't really have any plans or expectations for this year. I honestly thought Jerad had forgotten altogether, and all of our friends were busy. Jerad surprised me by making a wonderful breakfast in bed before he had to leave for work, then my awesome sister drove up from Santa Barbara, arranged for our nanny to babysit all THREE kids for a few hours, and took me for a pedicure with my mom and other sister, then out for appetizers and drinks. It was SO thoughtful and SO fun.
Also she drank beer and ate fries with me even though she eats paleo and doesn't usually cheat so that was like an extra b-day present:)
The next day I made an ocean sensory table for the boys with water beads:
And we spent the rest of the day in our pajamas. I almost got everyone in this picture. Its just missing our other dog Bailey who was at work with Jerad, and our cat Monster:
Marshall and Buddy:
And that was our August!
