Quick Pics

Must... post... pictures... before children wake up and I slump over in an exhausted, unconscious heap of ponytailed hair and unbrushed teeth...

This was Olivia after waking up from her nap and while watching Veggie Tales.
I have no clue why she preferred to watch Veggies like this.

Benjamin will sleep anywhere. Actually, he's a lot more alert now and doesn't sleep as much. He's learned to prefer human contact to his bouncy seat. Part of me is sad because this means much less productivity. Part of me is glad because this means I'm forced to hold my baby boy more.

I walked into our bedroom one day and found Olivia like this. She had used her step stool to climb up on the changing table, get a diaper, and then change her baby doll.

Benjamin has a belly button! And it's an innie. We've got one of each now.
And that's Olivia's foot.

I didn't do it. Olivia has a slight obsession with socks. I'm just impressed that they match.

Just a cute Benjamin picture.
And that's Olivia's foot.

Cuteness in a diaper.

Cuteness in a bouncer.

I apologize for the crick in your neck.
I must have missed this one when I was rotating the original batch and I don't have the time to go back, rotate, re-upload, then re-post.

Maybe you could turn your monitor?

And why don't I have time? Because of messes like this.
All around the apartment.

Well, at least she's well-read.

But, then, how do you explain the coasters she likes to throw around the living room like Frisbees?

I can explain it alright...

Josh taught her that.

Awww... I wonder what he's thinking about?

"Mommy, wow! I'm a big girl now!"

Yes... that's great, dear... now potty train already.

Because seriously... this is the reason for the ponytailed hair and unbrushed teeth.

I Won - Here's Livi

I was looking through my drafts and found this post dated October 12, 2006. I have no clue what I won or why Noah didn't help me. I'm sure I was going to explain that last picture and quite possibly add more. Oh well, I can't now for the same reason I probably didn't then: Olivia is needing attention. :-P

So, Noah, I won without your pathetic help. But here's pictures anyway.

She went into her room and shut the door. So naturally, I was curious.
This is what I found. How cute!

My Own Rain ... Child

I recently rented Rain Man from the library and have since enjoyed watching and chuckling at Olivia in her little routines*. Both grandmas who helped out with Olivia in the first couple weeks after Benjamin was born can attest to her strict adherence to her bedtime ritual. (She needs her blanket; she doesn't care if it's 80 degrees in her room. It's always been there and thus must always continue to be there!)

Well, here's another Rain Man moment from our lives:
A while back, I started the Chronicles of Narnia (back when I only had a toddler and a bump in my belly, thus more time to do frivolous things like read books and, oh, I don't know... blog?) Any-who, I started with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, like any good Lewis fan would. Olivia would see me reading it, and at times even fetch it for me when she felt it would be a good time to read. In short, she became attached to it. Well, time passed and I finished that book. I moved on to The Horse and His Boy. But when Olivia found out that I had replaced The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (henceforth to be called TLTW&TW for my own sanity), she didn't quite understand why. I began to notice that where ever I set down The Horse and His Boy, it was soon to be replaced by TLTW&TW. I'd put it next to the rocking chair to read while we rocked, on the end table next to the couch, on my night stand - she would find it and replace it with TLTW&TW. I just laughed it off.

And then I started Prince Caspian.

Same thing.

I am now on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I actually started it before Benjamin was born and I'm sure I haven't picked it up since. It's been in the pocket on the side of the rocking chair for a few weeks now, untouched. Well, Olivia found it today. "Ooooh," she said. And she took it over to the bookshelf, put it back, pulled out TLTW&TW, and placed that in the pocket instead.

*She is not autistic, autistic savant, or idiot savant. She just has her... preferences... :-)

She Shares

Evidently, I did something right?

Post-Partum Praises

1. I can bend over and breathe at the same time.
2. My bladder now has a capacity larger than a dixie cup.
3. I can eat a full meal WITH tomato sauce and not have to wash it down with a handful of Tums.
4. I get a whole new wardrobe! (I was so sick of maternity clothes; especially since towards the end there, I could only fit into maybe two outfits.)
   
5. I can lean over the dinner plate!
6. I have a lap. (Olivia appreciate this most, I'm sure. She used to just slide right off!)
7. Laying on my stomach never felt so good!
   

Benjamin Update

March 29 - 8lb 13oz
April 3 - 8lb 8oz
April 11 - 9lb 5oz

I think we're going to have a chunky monkey!

Of Course

My first time taking both the kids out all by myself today. And it's raining.

More Easter Pictures

Olivia's Easter dress - this was the only pose we could get out of her. She was too excited to stand still.


Olivia put Benjamin's tie on. Can you tell she's not used to seeing many ties around our home? She thought it was a bracelet.


Benjamin's Easter outfit - what a stud!


This was the great Easter egg hunt. We have a great video of it, too, but neither Google Video nor YouTube want to upload it. Write nasty letters to them.

Easter Family Portrait

Olivia wouldn't take her hand out of her mouth until Josh started playfully smacking it away. She thought that was hilarious; thus the cute grin. Benjamin slept through most of the day, including this picture. Oh, and you can't tell because I'm sitting down, but those ARE NOT maternity clothes; and the pants DO NOT have an elastic waistband. I couldn't breathe, but I was in NORMAL clothes.

My Genius Little Mute

Background information: She's 21 months. She has a vocabulary of maybe 10 words.

Actual, true, honest-to-goodness story: Olivia noticed I had gathered all our movies to return to the library. "Ooooh," she says, as she begins to throw them all to the floor one by one. Great, I think, she's become attached to movies that don't belong to us. But then, she finds the case she's looking for and opens it up. It is the Veggie Tales that we had watched after naptime today. To my utter astonishment, it is empty. She rushes over to the DVD player, takes out that DVD, and puts it in the case. She then returns to the upturned pile of library rentals, restacks them, and puts them in the diaper bag.

Twenty-Three

Guess what that number means. Go on. Why should I be blogging about twenty-three? Why is it important, exciting, significant?

I got weighed on Thursday.

In one week, I had lost twenty-three pounds.

Benjamin Pictures!

You'd be surprised how many things in a hospital can entertain a toddler. Sorry for the crookedness of the shot, I was holding a newborn at the same time. But you were looking for Benjamin pictures, weren't you?


Here is Daddy, Benjamin, and big sister Olivia. I wish there was sound, you'd be able to hear her say, "Baby!"


Here is Daddy changing a diaper. I had yet to change a diaper at this point.


Here is Benjamin, a whopping 24 hours old at this point and ready to go home! Let's compare him with his sister at this age (Technically, she was 48 hours when she went home, but close enough):


She was a bit more tense, wouldn't you say? This is a perfect comparison of their personality differences.


Such a doting older sister.


She demands that she be able to hold little brother. We just have one rule: Don't touch his face.


Hmm... maybe we should have made a rule about covering his face with blankets?


And one last picture of our adorable little man.

The Timeline

This was me at 8-9 cm dilated, probably around 4:45-5:00pm. The common reaction to this picture is: "You sure don't look like you're in labor!" To which I respond, "I wasn't having a contraction when it was taken!" That was one benefit to not being induced. I actually experienced the God-given breaks inbetween contractions where I was able to relax and play dolls with Olivia. She thought her baby was in labor, too, and kept putting her in bed with me.

Here's the timeline: I had called Josh after putting Olivia down for her nap at 1pm, he caught the 2:00 bus, and was home by 2:15. We watched an episode or two of M*A*S*H and waited for the contractions to get closer than 5 minutes apart. They never did, but I had a feeling I should at least get checked out at the hospital, even if they did end up sending me home. So we packed the suitcase and called the people who were to be taking care of Olivia and warned them this might be it and to stay close to their phone. At around 3pm, we woke up Olivia, got her ready to go, and were on the road to the hospital by 3:30. We arrived at the hospital at around 4 and were admitted and I was in the bed by 4:30. Olivia's babysitter didn't arrive until around 5.


At 5:55, Benjamin David Zapf was born.

I highly recommend raspberry leaf tea. And prayer!