Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday-
Tuesday-
Tuesday went VERY well. Even thought it was rainy, getting Nikki to school, and back home, both went very well. We had a lady come talk to us about Jackson and his early intervention. In June, his expressive language was at a 5 month level. We had NO idea it was so low! On one hand we were very glad he'll be getting services, and that we know what he needs. On the other hand, she was quite abrupt about Nikki and her aggressive behaviors, and I felt very judged by the way she was talking. We've only had them 3-4 weeks. Later in the afternoon another friend from church came with her big kiddos, and it was a NICE visit! It was very fun to have adult company, and Nikki didn't seem to get too hyper. Jackson woke up from at 11:30, and didn't go back to sleep until 1:30, I was EXHAUSTED the next day.
Wednesday-
Wednesday, my mom came!! She came around lunch and it was awesome to see her, and for her to meet the kiddos. We had a good afternoon while the little ones slept. Wednesday nights have become the time when the kids visit with their birth parents. The time is HORRIBLE! It's from 4-5pm. That means Nikki sleeps 3-4, the whole way there! We can't keep her awake. Bedtime is hard enough when she naps, let alone when she naps from 3-4. We always hope the long drive home will help soothe her, but she ends up in her room screaming until 9:30. We are REALLY pushing to get the time changed!
Thursday-
This morning and early afternoon were good. I got some time with my mom, and I got a package from some close friends. I also got my new phone! Later afternoon was hard with Nikki. She has started spitting her juice and drooling on herself on purpose. She has also started getting very violent with Jackson. It scares me, and sometimes I feel like I can't keep the little ones safe. I think we're going to talk to the school psychologist or psychiatrist to get some extra help on how to deal with these issues. It's really hard when she has several rough hours, completely exhausting. Steve didn't get home till 645 because he was getting the paperwork for their daycare all set up. I am SO thankful my mom was here to help me and console me. Now Jackson is in bed, Steve is spending some time with Nikki, and I get some down time. Much needed downtime.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
the weekend and my first day on my own
Saturday-
Saturday we took the kids to Greatbrook state park (I think that's the name). They did so well! We spent a lot of time watching the cows, pigs, and chickens... I think Nikki could have stayed there all day. We also did some walking on the trails and a picnic snack. We went to Fern's Deli for lunch and were able to have a nice lunch outside at the tables. Saturday afternoon our neighbor brought over some amazing toys for us. There were some great classic story books, and a few Leapfrog toys. The kids ended up fighting, hitting, and screaming over the new toys for a good portion of the afternoon, which was pretty rough. They ended up calming down, and having a relatively calm evening. Once they were asleep Steve and I had a "date night in", and watched a movie together.
Sunday-
Sunday was another great morning at church. We all made it through worship this week, and the kids continue to love Genesis Kids! After church we went to the Mulvaney's to watch the football game. The kids slept well, and had a lot of fun playing with all the Mulvaney's toys once they woke up. We did dinner there, and the kids made it till the game was over. They all fell asleep on the way home, and they all transferred pretty easily to their room. It was a pretty much perfect day!
Monday-
Today is my first day home alone! I got up to feed Alli a bottle around 6, and managed to get a shower before Steve left. By 7 all kids were fed, changed, and ready to go! I was able to finish getting myself ready, and brought everything out to the porch to play for a few minutes. I was early for once, well would have been. Jackson had a horrible diaper just as I was getting everyone in the car. I quickly changed him and we headed to school. After we dropped Nikki off I took Alli and Jackson to Hannafords and Walmart. They did really well. It was busy, but, not too bad. On our way home from Walmart I got a call from Nikki's school. Nikki had thrown up, but, seemed to be doing fine. Instead of going home for a carrier, we had to go straight to school. I managed to get the baby seat and Jackson in the double stroller, but I didn't know how I'd get Nikki back to the car. Thankfully the nurse helped me by pushing the stroller. I managed to get the groceries inside, then bring all three kids in. It was hard when Alli needed food, and Jackson was really cranky,but once I got food in them, they were pretty calm. Nikki and I are just hanging out now, keeping it relaxed. Hopefully it was just a fluke thing!
Saturday we took the kids to Greatbrook state park (I think that's the name). They did so well! We spent a lot of time watching the cows, pigs, and chickens... I think Nikki could have stayed there all day. We also did some walking on the trails and a picnic snack. We went to Fern's Deli for lunch and were able to have a nice lunch outside at the tables. Saturday afternoon our neighbor brought over some amazing toys for us. There were some great classic story books, and a few Leapfrog toys. The kids ended up fighting, hitting, and screaming over the new toys for a good portion of the afternoon, which was pretty rough. They ended up calming down, and having a relatively calm evening. Once they were asleep Steve and I had a "date night in", and watched a movie together.
Sunday-
Sunday was another great morning at church. We all made it through worship this week, and the kids continue to love Genesis Kids! After church we went to the Mulvaney's to watch the football game. The kids slept well, and had a lot of fun playing with all the Mulvaney's toys once they woke up. We did dinner there, and the kids made it till the game was over. They all fell asleep on the way home, and they all transferred pretty easily to their room. It was a pretty much perfect day!
Monday-
Today is my first day home alone! I got up to feed Alli a bottle around 6, and managed to get a shower before Steve left. By 7 all kids were fed, changed, and ready to go! I was able to finish getting myself ready, and brought everything out to the porch to play for a few minutes. I was early for once, well would have been. Jackson had a horrible diaper just as I was getting everyone in the car. I quickly changed him and we headed to school. After we dropped Nikki off I took Alli and Jackson to Hannafords and Walmart. They did really well. It was busy, but, not too bad. On our way home from Walmart I got a call from Nikki's school. Nikki had thrown up, but, seemed to be doing fine. Instead of going home for a carrier, we had to go straight to school. I managed to get the baby seat and Jackson in the double stroller, but I didn't know how I'd get Nikki back to the car. Thankfully the nurse helped me by pushing the stroller. I managed to get the groceries inside, then bring all three kids in. It was hard when Alli needed food, and Jackson was really cranky,but once I got food in them, they were pretty calm. Nikki and I are just hanging out now, keeping it relaxed. Hopefully it was just a fluke thing!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Just another day...
Wednesday-
On Wednesday we had a pretty relaxing day. Steve brought Nikki to school, he loves doing this because he'll usually be at work and won't be able to do it. Jackson, Alli, and I got to hang out and relax. Dawn came over and it was nice to spend time with Savannah and Carston again. Wednesday night the kids had a visit with their birth parents. Nikki slept from 3-4, the whole ride. We tried keeping her awake, but it just didn't work. At the visit the birth parents fed the kids some food that didn't agree with them. We went to Steve's parents for dinner, it's closer to the visiting office, and dinner would be ready when we got there. Two very important things when kids have food issues and need to eat at 5! Jackson had horrible Diarrhea, neither of the kids were hungry, and Alli had horrible stomach pains. Needless to say, no one ate very much. We went for a walk and left their house around 745. Alli and Jackson fell asleep... but not Nikki, I ended up fighting with her till almost 930. Things finally settled down, and I was happy I was able to keep my cool, even though I was exhausted.
Thursday-
Thursday morning I was able to get a lot of fall organizing done while Nikki was at school. I am very proud to say that each child has all the clothes they need till spring. For Alli and Jack they have piles of clothes for when they go from one size to the next. Thursday afternoon they had a play date with the Kapaldo's from church. Nikki had a hard time, but it's good that she's learning to socialize. Nikki calmed down after the visit, but then got very hyper again once our social worker came by to visit. It's a good thing we have those "down times", it keeps us going :-). Thursday night Steve braved bedtime by himself, he's SO amazing!! He let me sneak off and get my hair done with my sister-in-law Dawn. There was a really good deal, cut and color for 10 dollars. It ended last night, so he told me I "had to take advantage of it". I came home to a quiet house, all children sleeping, and the house fairly clean. I was VERY impressed!
Friday-
Today I was able to finish the fall clothes organizing, it felt so good to get the baby stuff done! We had a calm morning. In the afternoon grammie took Nikki and Savannah apple picking, and Steve, Jack, Alli and I ran some errands. It was so nice to have that down time! Dawn and the kids visited for a little while, and the we had an early dinner. Nikki was so tired that she fell asleep in her food! VERY funny! We let her sleep just long enough to get her jammies, and then we moved her into the bathtub. She perked back up. Jackson is also really tired, so hopefully they'll both go down quick and easy tonight! (Here's hoping :-))
On Wednesday we had a pretty relaxing day. Steve brought Nikki to school, he loves doing this because he'll usually be at work and won't be able to do it. Jackson, Alli, and I got to hang out and relax. Dawn came over and it was nice to spend time with Savannah and Carston again. Wednesday night the kids had a visit with their birth parents. Nikki slept from 3-4, the whole ride. We tried keeping her awake, but it just didn't work. At the visit the birth parents fed the kids some food that didn't agree with them. We went to Steve's parents for dinner, it's closer to the visiting office, and dinner would be ready when we got there. Two very important things when kids have food issues and need to eat at 5! Jackson had horrible Diarrhea, neither of the kids were hungry, and Alli had horrible stomach pains. Needless to say, no one ate very much. We went for a walk and left their house around 745. Alli and Jackson fell asleep... but not Nikki, I ended up fighting with her till almost 930. Things finally settled down, and I was happy I was able to keep my cool, even though I was exhausted.
Thursday-
Thursday morning I was able to get a lot of fall organizing done while Nikki was at school. I am very proud to say that each child has all the clothes they need till spring. For Alli and Jack they have piles of clothes for when they go from one size to the next. Thursday afternoon they had a play date with the Kapaldo's from church. Nikki had a hard time, but it's good that she's learning to socialize. Nikki calmed down after the visit, but then got very hyper again once our social worker came by to visit. It's a good thing we have those "down times", it keeps us going :-). Thursday night Steve braved bedtime by himself, he's SO amazing!! He let me sneak off and get my hair done with my sister-in-law Dawn. There was a really good deal, cut and color for 10 dollars. It ended last night, so he told me I "had to take advantage of it". I came home to a quiet house, all children sleeping, and the house fairly clean. I was VERY impressed!
Friday-
Today I was able to finish the fall clothes organizing, it felt so good to get the baby stuff done! We had a calm morning. In the afternoon grammie took Nikki and Savannah apple picking, and Steve, Jack, Alli and I ran some errands. It was so nice to have that down time! Dawn and the kids visited for a little while, and the we had an early dinner. Nikki was so tired that she fell asleep in her food! VERY funny! We let her sleep just long enough to get her jammies, and then we moved her into the bathtub. She perked back up. Jackson is also really tired, so hopefully they'll both go down quick and easy tonight! (Here's hoping :-))
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Dr Appt
Today was a good day overall. A friend and coworker from my previous preschool came to visit, and brought some gently used toys for the kids. They LOVED having new stuff, especially a new kitchen play set!
This afternoon we had a triple Dr. appt. They did pretty well. Thankfully they put us in a room pretty quickly and we didn't have to worry about the noise. Nikki and Jackson ran around the whole time... they pulled everything off the shelf, screaming happy screams (mostly happy anyways), and Alli needed a bottle in the middle of it all. I had to laugh when I was literally 3-4 feet away from the dr, and I couldn't hear what she was saying. She was very helpful, and it went pretty smoothly. The swelling from the bug bite under Nikki's eye is going down, and the dr wasn't concerned. We had some bloodwork on the way out, and hopefully their anemia is getting better. They did well with the finger pricks, and were interested in what was going on. I'm glad we got the first Dr. visits out of the way... but all in all things went well!
This afternoon we had a triple Dr. appt. They did pretty well. Thankfully they put us in a room pretty quickly and we didn't have to worry about the noise. Nikki and Jackson ran around the whole time... they pulled everything off the shelf, screaming happy screams (mostly happy anyways), and Alli needed a bottle in the middle of it all. I had to laugh when I was literally 3-4 feet away from the dr, and I couldn't hear what she was saying. She was very helpful, and it went pretty smoothly. The swelling from the bug bite under Nikki's eye is going down, and the dr wasn't concerned. We had some bloodwork on the way out, and hopefully their anemia is getting better. They did well with the finger pricks, and were interested in what was going on. I'm glad we got the first Dr. visits out of the way... but all in all things went well!
Monday, September 12, 2011
busy weekend
This weekend was so busy!
Saturday we hung out with Uncle Andy, Aunt Dawn (Which Nikki has picked up on very quickly), Savannah and Carston in the morning. We left around 1230 for a wedding of some church friends. The wedding was in Connecticut, which meant a 2 1/2 hr drive. The kids (thankfully) did great! They slept the whole way down. When we got there we had some time to play on the beach, the weather was perfect! Unfortunately Nikki didn't want to leave the beach to get ready for the wedding, but, we got through it and moved on. The wedding was beautiful... Jackson, Alli and I hung back and watched from the back... and Steve and Nikki hung around the water front. The reception went OK. I didn't think to pack some food for them to eat prior to the reception (which didn't start till 7). They're used to eating around 5 or 530. With all the issues with food, not a smart idea to try to make it till 7 for dinner. We had lots of snacks, and finger foods before the reception, but it was too late and Jackson had some trouble and decided he needed to scream even when he was being fed food. Finally he calmed down, and we made it till 730ish. Not too bad. They all slept on the way home, and it was nice and peaceful.
Sunday was baptisms on the beach. We dropped Alli with Grammie at Grace Chapel (too much sun for a 3 month old)... and we took the other two to the service. Although Alli is super easy, it was nice to have 1 on 1 defense:-) The kids played on the beach, LOVING it, until service. We got back in our stroller, had snack during the service. Jackson and I made it through. Once again, Steve and Nikki had to roam the beach... to much sitting for a 3 year old. I was so thankful to be able to stay for the worship part! After the service we had lunch and continued to play till about 2. On the way home both kids napped... which started the trouble. Last night was probably our hardest time going to bed. Nikki was very very unhappy, and we ended up having to let her scream it out. I stayed with Jackson on our bed until he fell back asleep. Since he was apt to wake up or roll around, I tried to be resourceful. I ended up putting him in the bassinet so that I could go downstairs. Nikki finally fell asleep between 8 and 8:30.
This morning they were both up around 4. We brought Jackson in our bed and Nikki finally fell back asleep. No one slept very well from that point on, and Nikki woke up with a swollen bug bite from the beach. Poor baby! We've been trying to figure out if we needed to make an appointment, but, she has one tomorrow. Currently their dr is an hour away, so it was a hard call to make. Finally we got a hold of them and we're waiting till tomorrow.
Nikki had her first day of preschool this morning, she was so excited! She kept saying oooh! She went right in, started playing, loved it. According to her teachers she had a hard time sitting (pretty typical for a new 3 year old in school), but they used picture cues to help her. I was going to pick her up at 11, but Jack hid the keys and I didn't find them till 11:10! I rushed to school, rushed to the dentist, and got their in time! She did SO well at the dentist, a real superstar! She was nervous, and not happy, but it didn't escalate into full blown tantrum, and she didn't try to hurt anyone or get up from the chair. I tried to take her to McDonald's as a reward, but, alas, the good behavior wasn't meant to last. I made the mistake of ordering fries for her. When I didn't let her eat all the fries before the chicken... well... let's just say I ended up wearing my Hi-C ORANGE drink on my khakis, and half her chicken ended up on the floor. I made a very quick embarrassed escape, and drove home to screaming from the back seat. Thankfully, this afternoon has been good, and she's been listening very well. It will be very nice to find my bed and pillow tonight, hopefully for a nice 7-8 hrs. :-)
Saturday we hung out with Uncle Andy, Aunt Dawn (Which Nikki has picked up on very quickly), Savannah and Carston in the morning. We left around 1230 for a wedding of some church friends. The wedding was in Connecticut, which meant a 2 1/2 hr drive. The kids (thankfully) did great! They slept the whole way down. When we got there we had some time to play on the beach, the weather was perfect! Unfortunately Nikki didn't want to leave the beach to get ready for the wedding, but, we got through it and moved on. The wedding was beautiful... Jackson, Alli and I hung back and watched from the back... and Steve and Nikki hung around the water front. The reception went OK. I didn't think to pack some food for them to eat prior to the reception (which didn't start till 7). They're used to eating around 5 or 530. With all the issues with food, not a smart idea to try to make it till 7 for dinner. We had lots of snacks, and finger foods before the reception, but it was too late and Jackson had some trouble and decided he needed to scream even when he was being fed food. Finally he calmed down, and we made it till 730ish. Not too bad. They all slept on the way home, and it was nice and peaceful.
Sunday was baptisms on the beach. We dropped Alli with Grammie at Grace Chapel (too much sun for a 3 month old)... and we took the other two to the service. Although Alli is super easy, it was nice to have 1 on 1 defense:-) The kids played on the beach, LOVING it, until service. We got back in our stroller, had snack during the service. Jackson and I made it through. Once again, Steve and Nikki had to roam the beach... to much sitting for a 3 year old. I was so thankful to be able to stay for the worship part! After the service we had lunch and continued to play till about 2. On the way home both kids napped... which started the trouble. Last night was probably our hardest time going to bed. Nikki was very very unhappy, and we ended up having to let her scream it out. I stayed with Jackson on our bed until he fell back asleep. Since he was apt to wake up or roll around, I tried to be resourceful. I ended up putting him in the bassinet so that I could go downstairs. Nikki finally fell asleep between 8 and 8:30.
This morning they were both up around 4. We brought Jackson in our bed and Nikki finally fell back asleep. No one slept very well from that point on, and Nikki woke up with a swollen bug bite from the beach. Poor baby! We've been trying to figure out if we needed to make an appointment, but, she has one tomorrow. Currently their dr is an hour away, so it was a hard call to make. Finally we got a hold of them and we're waiting till tomorrow.
Nikki had her first day of preschool this morning, she was so excited! She kept saying oooh! She went right in, started playing, loved it. According to her teachers she had a hard time sitting (pretty typical for a new 3 year old in school), but they used picture cues to help her. I was going to pick her up at 11, but Jack hid the keys and I didn't find them till 11:10! I rushed to school, rushed to the dentist, and got their in time! She did SO well at the dentist, a real superstar! She was nervous, and not happy, but it didn't escalate into full blown tantrum, and she didn't try to hurt anyone or get up from the chair. I tried to take her to McDonald's as a reward, but, alas, the good behavior wasn't meant to last. I made the mistake of ordering fries for her. When I didn't let her eat all the fries before the chicken... well... let's just say I ended up wearing my Hi-C ORANGE drink on my khakis, and half her chicken ended up on the floor. I made a very quick embarrassed escape, and drove home to screaming from the back seat. Thankfully, this afternoon has been good, and she's been listening very well. It will be very nice to find my bed and pillow tonight, hopefully for a nice 7-8 hrs. :-)
Friday, September 9, 2011
Friday
I just realized it's Friday night... It has a totally different "feel" to it now. In some ways I miss the close friends we've had, and I'll miss being able to go out and spend time with them. Things have definitely changed, but I am enjoying this phase of life too. It's interesting how most people start out with an infant. An infant you can transport, bring with you, and you can still do things. When you get an infant along with an (almost) 2 year old and a 3 year old, you're stuck to the house a lot more. It's nice, though, that we are able to find ways to get out of the house. Either all togther, or one of us will escape sometimes with one of the kids just to get out of the house. I also know this cooped up feeling will lessen (some) when we both go back to work. Today the kids had aq visit with their birth parents. I'm thankful that it went well, and they didn't seem to come back to us all upset.
We've also had some real good news as far as childcare goes. I will be dropping Nikki off at school, but the state will pay for and provide trasnsportation from school to daycare. It will also be the same daycare that Jackson and Alli will be going to. I like the idea of Mrs. Mulvaney watching the kids better, but, I'm thankful that the state will be paying for our childcare costs, at least for now.
We've also had some real good news as far as childcare goes. I will be dropping Nikki off at school, but the state will pay for and provide trasnsportation from school to daycare. It will also be the same daycare that Jackson and Alli will be going to. I like the idea of Mrs. Mulvaney watching the kids better, but, I'm thankful that the state will be paying for our childcare costs, at least for now.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Another good day!
Today was another rainy day, but a good day! We got to sleep in till 7! The kids were up before that, but they were playing nicely in their room, so we got to close our eyes for a few minutes. This morning I took Nikki into Tyngsborough public school so she could see her new preschool, what a wierd feeling! She did really well, and I was able to talk to the school counselor about her needs, and what was going on in her life. They seem really nice. Right now, Nikki will go to school from 9-1130, only half day. In a month they will "re-evaluate" and hopefully they'll give her full day. There is an option for early dropoff, which I am very happy about... I'll be able to drop her off on the way to work. I'm just not sure how expensive it is. We're still trying to figure out what to do in the afternooons, I'm sure something will work out. She'll start on Monday, I'm really excited!
After our visit we all went to to our church, Genesis, for a "fresh" place to play. We were tired of being cooped up, so we went to Genesis and had playtime, lunch, and naptime there. They did so well, I think it was really nice for everyone! Once we got back we played on the porch and then I took them for a 55 minute stroller ride while Steve cleaned up and made dinner! It felt good... they kids were happy, and I got some exercise in! I've lost 20-21lb now... and I don't want it to end just because we got the kids. Next week I'll go to the gym a few times after I drop off Nikki at school. The next few days could be very interesting. Tomorrow the kids have a visit with their birth parents, Monday Nikki has her first dentist appointment, and then Tuesday all the kids have a Dr. appointment. Hopefully it all goes smoothly!
Nite all!
After our visit we all went to to our church, Genesis, for a "fresh" place to play. We were tired of being cooped up, so we went to Genesis and had playtime, lunch, and naptime there. They did so well, I think it was really nice for everyone! Once we got back we played on the porch and then I took them for a 55 minute stroller ride while Steve cleaned up and made dinner! It felt good... they kids were happy, and I got some exercise in! I've lost 20-21lb now... and I don't want it to end just because we got the kids. Next week I'll go to the gym a few times after I drop off Nikki at school. The next few days could be very interesting. Tomorrow the kids have a visit with their birth parents, Monday Nikki has her first dentist appointment, and then Tuesday all the kids have a Dr. appointment. Hopefully it all goes smoothly!
Nite all!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
rainy days
Rainy days are hard being a teacher... and even harder being a parent! The kids didn't wake up till 630/645, which was a nice start to the day. Steve took Nikki out to run some errands during the morning, which gave me a nice calm morning with Alli and Jackson. Today was very uneventful, but long. The kids did well being cooped up, we just played it easy and relaxed. Tonight we sold my old red car, which will give us an extra 1200! Because that was near dinnertime, and Steve was trying to get a mat down to (try) and protect the rug... dinner wasn't until 615. That was a mistake for sure. The kids are very used to eating around 530. Waiting that extra 45 minutes made them extra cranky. However, besides dinnertime, they all had a GREAT day. I made stroganoff for dinner, and Nikki thought I was making macaroni and cheese. She decided to make up a song and sing it to me while I was cooking. It was SO funny! "Mac n cheese, mac n cheese, macky macky mac n cheese". She sang this over and over and over. She was so sure that I was making macaroni and cheese that she found a collinder/strainer and gave it to me so I could drain the pasta. That's one smart 3 yr old!
Although it's nice to go places, and nice to get outside, having a quiet day gave me more time to spend with Alli and play with her. I love seeing her smile at me, I can't even explain it! I also love how she copies me and sticks her tongue out when I stick mine out! She's so cute!!
Tomorrow I'm bringing Nikki to preschool in Tyngsboro. It'll be neat to be back there since I student taught there last year. She'll at least get 5 mornings a week, but it's only 9-11:30. There is a chance she might get full day. This is going to be hard because we have to figure out what to do from 7:30-9 and 11:30-4ish. Something will work out though... I'm sure. Well, I suppose it's time to call it a night. Sweet dreams everyone!
Although it's nice to go places, and nice to get outside, having a quiet day gave me more time to spend with Alli and play with her. I love seeing her smile at me, I can't even explain it! I also love how she copies me and sticks her tongue out when I stick mine out! She's so cute!!
Tomorrow I'm bringing Nikki to preschool in Tyngsboro. It'll be neat to be back there since I student taught there last year. She'll at least get 5 mornings a week, but it's only 9-11:30. There is a chance she might get full day. This is going to be hard because we have to figure out what to do from 7:30-9 and 11:30-4ish. Something will work out though... I'm sure. Well, I suppose it's time to call it a night. Sweet dreams everyone!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Labor Day and WIC
Yesterday was labor day, and our first "holiday" as a family. We spent it at grammie and grampie's house, they did so well! A friend really needed Steve's help moving some of the stuff, so we went early to grammie and grampies so they could play with the little ones (and help too!). We went to a park near their house, it was amazing! It was huge... but I had Jackson, grammie had Nikki, and grampie had Alli. We came back, had a nice lunch, and the little two went down for a nap. Grampie and Nikki went for several walks during naptime, and I had a few minutes to myself. Gmom and Gpop (Steve's grandparents) got to meet the kids that afternoon, which was also a lot of fun! They did a really good job, and like usual, played SO hard!! After dinner we went for a walk with the moby carrier, and two strollers (Nikki likes grammie's stroller better). We got a LOT of looks about the baby parade:-). We loaded into the truck, and they were all asleep almost before we turned the corner. We were VERY thankful that they transfered easily and stayed asleep all night!
This morning was a relatively calm morning, especially for it being a rainy day! Dad brought Nikki's new motorized bike up onto the porch and she had a fun time riding around the porch, we had to be careful she didn't wipe Jackson out. Dawn and Carston came to help out, and have lunch with us, which is always a treat! mid-morning Nikki and I went grocery shopping. I was VERY nervous about this, because of her issues with food. I was very scared that we would have a few huge tantrums. I thought that she was the best one to take though, to give Steve a little break. She ended up doing wonderfully, and I was VERY thankful! This afternoon was our WIC appointment. We were in the office for two hours! It was pretty hard, but we kept the kids entertained, and they did pretty well. I'm so glad I had Steve there, I couldn't have done it myself! After we came back and had a dinner and a chaotic night. Tonight wasn't so great, but I'll attribute it to too much time in the office, and not being able to go outside and run hard. At least they're quiet now, and tomorrow is another day.
This morning was a relatively calm morning, especially for it being a rainy day! Dad brought Nikki's new motorized bike up onto the porch and she had a fun time riding around the porch, we had to be careful she didn't wipe Jackson out. Dawn and Carston came to help out, and have lunch with us, which is always a treat! mid-morning Nikki and I went grocery shopping. I was VERY nervous about this, because of her issues with food. I was very scared that we would have a few huge tantrums. I thought that she was the best one to take though, to give Steve a little break. She ended up doing wonderfully, and I was VERY thankful! This afternoon was our WIC appointment. We were in the office for two hours! It was pretty hard, but we kept the kids entertained, and they did pretty well. I'm so glad I had Steve there, I couldn't have done it myself! After we came back and had a dinner and a chaotic night. Tonight wasn't so great, but I'll attribute it to too much time in the office, and not being able to go outside and run hard. At least they're quiet now, and tomorrow is another day.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
yesterday, today, and bathtime
Just to put it out there, yesterday was a hard day, I mean a really really hard day. Nikki woke up in a mood that let us know right away that she was not a happy camper. Everything was a fight, everything was a tantrum... for the entire day... The only time she was happy was at the park. We met up with our friends Josh and Melissa, and their 2 year old son Elijah. The only hard thing about the park was that it was not a fenced in park, which made for a lot of chasing. The kids had a lot of fun though! The rest of the day was very long and hard, but we were still learning things along the way, and it's in the past. We didn't get the last kid to sleep till almost 930. I was in bed before Steve even finished geting them to sleep. Thankfully the slept till 615, and today was a new (and much better) day.
I have discovered in the last couple of days that the kids bigger kids LOVE bathtime (the baby, not so much). While they play to their hearts content, I can sit next to them, play and sing to them, and blog/relax at the same time. It's becoming a nightly tradition, and I really enjoy it.
Today was the first day of church for the kiddos. I was so excited! Our church family, who were so excited, so supportive, and so generous finally got to meet Nikki, Jackson, and Alli. Before we were even inside people were helping us push the stroller, telling the kids how beautiful they are (which they are), and loving on them. Alli, Jackson and I made it through the first worship set, and Nikki made it through most of it. I think Nikki was very confused by the singing, I'm sure she had never been in a service before. We brought them back to the nursery, and they did great! It was nice to have an hour or so to listen to the message and worship at the end of the service. After yesterday, I REALLY needed it! I had the bright idea a day or two ago to bring lunch, and serve it to them in the stroller. That way, they would be preoccupied with the food, they couldn't escape, and they would have lunch before they fell asleep in the way home and were miserable from a late lunch. I'm proud to say it worked PERFECT! The kids could eat before the long ride home, and we had a few minutes where we could talk with our friends and get hugs and more well-wishes. Nikki only had one major tantrum today, and that was leaving church. At least I'm glad she liked it!:-) They slept on the way home, and then played HARD with a friend Joshy all afternoon. HOPEFULLY they will all sleep well(and earlier) tonight!
I have discovered in the last couple of days that the kids bigger kids LOVE bathtime (the baby, not so much). While they play to their hearts content, I can sit next to them, play and sing to them, and blog/relax at the same time. It's becoming a nightly tradition, and I really enjoy it.
Today was the first day of church for the kiddos. I was so excited! Our church family, who were so excited, so supportive, and so generous finally got to meet Nikki, Jackson, and Alli. Before we were even inside people were helping us push the stroller, telling the kids how beautiful they are (which they are), and loving on them. Alli, Jackson and I made it through the first worship set, and Nikki made it through most of it. I think Nikki was very confused by the singing, I'm sure she had never been in a service before. We brought them back to the nursery, and they did great! It was nice to have an hour or so to listen to the message and worship at the end of the service. After yesterday, I REALLY needed it! I had the bright idea a day or two ago to bring lunch, and serve it to them in the stroller. That way, they would be preoccupied with the food, they couldn't escape, and they would have lunch before they fell asleep in the way home and were miserable from a late lunch. I'm proud to say it worked PERFECT! The kids could eat before the long ride home, and we had a few minutes where we could talk with our friends and get hugs and more well-wishes. Nikki only had one major tantrum today, and that was leaving church. At least I'm glad she liked it!:-) They slept on the way home, and then played HARD with a friend Joshy all afternoon. HOPEFULLY they will all sleep well(and earlier) tonight!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Family of 5
We are now a family of 5!
It was a great day. Grammie came and stayed with Nikki so we could go back and get Jackson and Ali from their temporary foster home. Grammie and Nikki made cookies, and then went to the store to get us a surprise. When we came home there was a banner and balloons outside welcoming Jackson and Ali to our home. It was SUCH a sweet gesture! :-)
We picked up the little ones with out any trouble. They both slept o the way home, and Nikki was beyond excited to see her brother and sister. She was yelling to them before we even got in the door. Jackson ran around with Nikki exploring everything, and Ali was just a relaxed as ever. The first couple hours was a little rough... but thankfully we had a LOT of help! Grammie stayed, and then Aunt Dawn, Savannah, and Carston came to meet everyone. Getting lunch for 5 very excited kids was hard, but they did very well. It was more a struggle for me because there were so many things from their foster home and family that I felt like I couldn't find anything the kids needed... there were also a few things we needed like extra sippy cups and bigger bottle liners. Steve and Grammie made a store run, and Dawn and I tended to the crew. Naptime gave me a little time to get some things put away. After nap grammie and Steve took the older two to Home depot to get some plastic-type temporarly fencing to make a quasi fence for the yard. I got some time to decompress and hang out with Ali. Once the house was clean(ish) (more about being able to find things then having every toy put away), I felt MUCH better. The afternoon/evening was AMAZING... the fenced in yard meant that I didn't have to chase them when they started for the road... and there weren't any thorns and bees from the bushes to contend with(Nikki likes the leaves/flowers). They ate well, bathed well, and now they are finally asleep. Now for day two!
It was a great day. Grammie came and stayed with Nikki so we could go back and get Jackson and Ali from their temporary foster home. Grammie and Nikki made cookies, and then went to the store to get us a surprise. When we came home there was a banner and balloons outside welcoming Jackson and Ali to our home. It was SUCH a sweet gesture! :-)
We picked up the little ones with out any trouble. They both slept o the way home, and Nikki was beyond excited to see her brother and sister. She was yelling to them before we even got in the door. Jackson ran around with Nikki exploring everything, and Ali was just a relaxed as ever. The first couple hours was a little rough... but thankfully we had a LOT of help! Grammie stayed, and then Aunt Dawn, Savannah, and Carston came to meet everyone. Getting lunch for 5 very excited kids was hard, but they did very well. It was more a struggle for me because there were so many things from their foster home and family that I felt like I couldn't find anything the kids needed... there were also a few things we needed like extra sippy cups and bigger bottle liners. Steve and Grammie made a store run, and Dawn and I tended to the crew. Naptime gave me a little time to get some things put away. After nap grammie and Steve took the older two to Home depot to get some plastic-type temporarly fencing to make a quasi fence for the yard. I got some time to decompress and hang out with Ali. Once the house was clean(ish) (more about being able to find things then having every toy put away), I felt MUCH better. The afternoon/evening was AMAZING... the fenced in yard meant that I didn't have to chase them when they started for the road... and there weren't any thorns and bees from the bushes to contend with(Nikki likes the leaves/flowers). They ate well, bathed well, and now they are finally asleep. Now for day two!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
singing
I forgot to mention that Nikki LOVES to sing... it's hard to make out the words, but the tune is there (she must not take after her new daddy :-)). She sings twinkle, twinkle... ABC's... and her favorite... Happy Birthday! :-)
Well, that's it's for now... time for bed. Tomorrow we go from a family of 3 to a family of FIVE!
Well, that's it's for now... time for bed. Tomorrow we go from a family of 3 to a family of FIVE!
The new week...
Monday-
Monday we were STILL without power! We spend the morning going to the Lowell Blvd and walking with Dawn, Savannah, and Carston. Savannah and Nikki played very well together, and it was heart warming to see them start to form their little preschool-cousin friendship! After the Blvd walk, we went to Horn Pond to see the ducks. The girl LOVES ducks! We ended the morning and the Alexanders, some of our closest friends. The Alexander children had fun showing Nikki around their home (and their neighbors yard). She LOVED the chickens in the neigbors yard. Unfortunately, she loved their yard a little TOO much. We ended up leaving early due to an EXTREME tantrum. Thankfully, we haven't any more like that one!(yet) After a nap on the ride home, she was MUCH happier... and the rest of the day was great. We realized that we had probably done too much... so we decided to be more mindful of that in the future! We went to Grammie and Grampy's house at night so everyone could get cleaned up(still no power)... and that helped us ALL feel a lot better!
Tuesday- Tuesday was really pretty uneventful. We got to meet Mark on Tuesday night... and Nikki ended up getting VERY wound up and overstimulated before bed. I had a bridal shower to go to, and Steve refused to let me stay home:-). I came back pretty late to find out that she had taken TWO hours to fall asleep. lesson learned... very very calm evenings from now on.
Wednesday- This was the first of the better days. We finally started to relax and spend more time on each activity. The first few days were so exhausting... kind of like a pinball always "pinging" here and there. We had a good but busy morning... no big tantrums! yay! and in the afternoon we played outside, colored, and watched movies with Savannah. I was actually able to sit for a few minutes and talk with Dawn, MUCH needed grown up time :-)
Thursday- Today was another great day, the only real tantrums she seems to have is with food. Nikki wants to eat... and I mean EAT all the time. She might try to pull the relish out of the fridge, or the teriaki sauce out of the pantry... and she gets MAD, and I mean MAD if you don't let her eat every time she wants too! You would think three HUGE meals and 2 snacks would be enough.. but... I guess not :-). We're doing our best to not letter eat too much, but not make her too mad at the same time. We have now put a lock on the pantry, and a clip lock might go on the fridge too. We hate to do it, but she gets more upset when she goes in and sees all the food. Oh, and we learned to make sure she doesn't see the groceries come in! In the middle of a mild tantrum we heard her say "meat! meat!" funny, but hard at the same time. Food continues to be our biggest negotiation and learning experience. We're hoping that the language acquisition and stable home will help her get over this fear soon... for her sake and for mommy and daddys!
Monday we were STILL without power! We spend the morning going to the Lowell Blvd and walking with Dawn, Savannah, and Carston. Savannah and Nikki played very well together, and it was heart warming to see them start to form their little preschool-cousin friendship! After the Blvd walk, we went to Horn Pond to see the ducks. The girl LOVES ducks! We ended the morning and the Alexanders, some of our closest friends. The Alexander children had fun showing Nikki around their home (and their neighbors yard). She LOVED the chickens in the neigbors yard. Unfortunately, she loved their yard a little TOO much. We ended up leaving early due to an EXTREME tantrum. Thankfully, we haven't any more like that one!(yet) After a nap on the ride home, she was MUCH happier... and the rest of the day was great. We realized that we had probably done too much... so we decided to be more mindful of that in the future! We went to Grammie and Grampy's house at night so everyone could get cleaned up(still no power)... and that helped us ALL feel a lot better!
Tuesday- Tuesday was really pretty uneventful. We got to meet Mark on Tuesday night... and Nikki ended up getting VERY wound up and overstimulated before bed. I had a bridal shower to go to, and Steve refused to let me stay home:-). I came back pretty late to find out that she had taken TWO hours to fall asleep. lesson learned... very very calm evenings from now on.
Wednesday- This was the first of the better days. We finally started to relax and spend more time on each activity. The first few days were so exhausting... kind of like a pinball always "pinging" here and there. We had a good but busy morning... no big tantrums! yay! and in the afternoon we played outside, colored, and watched movies with Savannah. I was actually able to sit for a few minutes and talk with Dawn, MUCH needed grown up time :-)
Thursday- Today was another great day, the only real tantrums she seems to have is with food. Nikki wants to eat... and I mean EAT all the time. She might try to pull the relish out of the fridge, or the teriaki sauce out of the pantry... and she gets MAD, and I mean MAD if you don't let her eat every time she wants too! You would think three HUGE meals and 2 snacks would be enough.. but... I guess not :-). We're doing our best to not letter eat too much, but not make her too mad at the same time. We have now put a lock on the pantry, and a clip lock might go on the fridge too. We hate to do it, but she gets more upset when she goes in and sees all the food. Oh, and we learned to make sure she doesn't see the groceries come in! In the middle of a mild tantrum we heard her say "meat! meat!" funny, but hard at the same time. Food continues to be our biggest negotiation and learning experience. We're hoping that the language acquisition and stable home will help her get over this fear soon... for her sake and for mommy and daddys!
The weekend
Saturday was full of meeting family! Nikki was able to meet Steve's parents, Uncle James, and Aunt Megan. While she was a bit overwhelmed, she did a pretty good job. We relaxed and continued to get acclamated to Nikki. We also got our first taste of her tantrums. Not a fun part of having a 3 year old. I try to keep in mind all she's been through... it helps me through the tough times. She doesn't like the word "no" (what 3 year old does?)... and we've started slowly working with her to lessen the screaming and whining, and to increase the words. One of the hardest parts of the adjustment was trying to figure out what she was saying! She was very talkative, and has a lot of words... but communication and understanding her is pretty hard. When we could figure out what she wanted, she would flash us the BIGGEST most BEAUTIFUL smile... she is a cutie, for sure!
Sunday was the tropical storm Irene... we woke up and lost power almost immidiately around 7. We spent much of the morning watching the storm from our porch. Nikki loves the wind, whether it is in the car, or on the porch. Things seemed fairly calm in the afternoon, so we spent a lot of the afternoon at Aunt Dawns and Uncle Andy's meeting their family. Savannah wasn't sure what to think of Nikki. Nikki was VERY curious and spent most of the time going from the downstairs playroom to the upstairs toys.
Sunday was the tropical storm Irene... we woke up and lost power almost immidiately around 7. We spent much of the morning watching the storm from our porch. Nikki loves the wind, whether it is in the car, or on the porch. Things seemed fairly calm in the afternoon, so we spent a lot of the afternoon at Aunt Dawns and Uncle Andy's meeting their family. Savannah wasn't sure what to think of Nikki. Nikki was VERY curious and spent most of the time going from the downstairs playroom to the upstairs toys.
Day 1
So, now I have a few minutes to "chronicle" everything that is going on. On Friday, August 26th, we picked up Tajnika from her temporary foster home. We got there around 10, packed her up, and drove away. It was a very wierd feeling. I was so nervous that she was going to be upset! She started talking about mommy and daddy, and we quickly realized that she though she was going for a visit with her birth parents. While it made us a bit sad, we were thankful that she didn't get upset. When we got home she walked around the house and took everything in. She kept saying "ohh!" when something got her attention. We quickly realized how much she loves food! For lunch we let her eat pretty much as much as she wanted, for better or worse. She ended up eating TWO hot dogs and some macaroni and cheese. We also learned about her LOVE for ketchup. We played in the house for a while after lunch, then when she seemed calm and happy, we went down to the beach. We quickly found out some of her favorite things are ducks and water! She had fun splashing Steve in the water, and running around the playground area. We came back home, and she still seemed to be going "full steam"... so... we decided to take her to Home Depot and Target to get a few things. She did very well, and again, took everything in with those beautiful eyes staring at everything she saw. At one point, we realized she didn't have a toothbrush, so we got her a princess one. She was SO excited! She started to brush her teeth with the wrapper still on it. We came home, went to bed around 7, and slept till 8am!
Not a bad first day as a mommy! :-)
Not a bad first day as a mommy! :-)
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