It's 4 am

And we've been up for an hour! Macey is wide awake; John Jenry is in and out of sleep. He wakes up and asks why it is still dark, then goes back to sleep.

The good news is that I am catching up on my online shopping. I just ordered my sister in law her birthday gift (it was in July) and am about to order my nephew's birthday gift (won't tell you when that was). The bad news is that the roofers will be here bright and early in the am and it will be loud. And John Henry has school pictures at 8:15. If we are up, I am going to let Kurt take him.

My new favorite blog

http://www.rantsfrommommyland.com/

Hilarious!! This is the best one I have read-
http://www.rantsfrommommyland.com/2010/03/sleep-wars-baby-vs-momma.html. I can totally sympathize with her.

:)

5 months old!

Macey is 5 months old! This past month has been challenging to say the least. My sweet baby who was down to crying only 70% of the time went back to crying about 95% of the time and sleeping in only 1.5 hour increments at night. I thought I was going to lose my mind for a few weeks, but things are better now.

This month Macey:
- loves to lie on her back and play with her toys on the living room floor. She rolls all around and ends up a completely different way than she started.

- has been grabbing at toys, but now she grabs at everything that is in front of her.

-still loves to be swaddled to sleep

-laughs and smiles all the time (when she isn’t crying)

-plays in her exersaucer and jumperoo

-takes a bunch of short naps. Occasionally she will take an hour or two nap, but that is rare!

-had pinkeye. She woke up with it one Sunday, got medicine on Monday, went to the doctor b/c

it wasn’t better on Friday, and got better by the next Monday! Kurt was the only other one that got it, and his was awful!

-weighed 12 lbs, 8 oz. at her doctor’s appointment

-got told that she is the nurse’s favorite baby. And don’t say they tell everyone that. I know she really is her favorite. :)

-is still wearing size 1 diapers. We have a few left to finish in the pack, and then we are moving up to 2s.

-still sleeps in the Nap Nanny on the floor. We are going to try to move her to her bed soon. (Really I am writing this on the 12th and she already sleeps in her bed some of the night, just not all of it because apparently, I am so sleep deprived that I cannot hear my children cry on a monitor. I have to be in the room with them or they will be hysterical before Kurt hears them and goes to get them while I wake up completely confused. I guess we will all be sleeping in the same room until high school. :) )

-still loves to take a bath. We have the best bath seat ever (http://www.diapers.com/product/productdetail.aspx?productid=18673) and she just kicks and splashes until John Henry requests that she get out of the bathtub.

-nurses every 1.5-3 hours during the day and night, never any longer. It’s more like 3 hours when we are out b/c she is entertained I think.

-loves to be out in public. She is so good in public; no one believes she cries like 3 hours a day.

-still has not gotten a haircut, even though Kurt tells me every day that we need to cut it.

John Henry's first day of school

Today John Henry started St. Paul's PK3 program. It is Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-3. I have been really nervous about him going to school, so we have tried to prepare John Henry for it by really talking it up. He is not one to leave us and try new things, so we (mainly I) were really worried that he would be miserable and cry all day. He has never been away from us with people he didn't know. No babysitters or even the church nursery. We tried that one time, and it was a disaster.

He got to pick his lunchbox and backpack. He chose a green backpack because his favorite color is light green. :) He picked a metal lunchbox (that was the only choice he was given) with a train on it. He acted excited about school, but then he would say that he didn't want to go tomorrow "just in a few couple weeks later."

He actually went to bed early last night, which made for a better morning. We got up and I packed his lunch. It felt so strange to be packing a lunch! He had a turkey sandwich in the shape of dinosaurs (I thought I was crafty until I saw this- http://www.anotherlunch.com/), ranch rice cakes, 2 chocolate chip cookies that we made yesterday, and water.

We took pictures before we left. John Henry said his lunchbox was too heavy to hold, so we put it in his backpack. Then he said that was so heavy that he was going to fall down.

We walked him into his classroom, put his lunch and backpack in his cubby, and told him to have a good day. He started screaming and crying. Mrs. Munger tried to hold his hand and he jerked it away (so embarrassing!) and tried to get us to hold him. We left, and I immediately started crying. I went to Chick Fil A to get an unsweet tea and I sat in the parking lot and cried and texted Laudan. I knew if I called anyone I would cry.

I was worried all day, but I am not going to lie, I did enjoy my time alone while Macey took a long nap. I got much more nervous as it was time to go pick him up.

Kurt met us at the school to pick him up at 12:15. Yes, overprotective mom didn't let him stay the whole day. The kids were coming up from lunch when we walked in. I made Kurt hide behind a wall so John Henry wouldn't see us until he got to his classroom. Crazy, I know.

Kurt was giving me the report from behind the wall- (It sounds much more crazy than it was, I promise.) John Henry was smiling and talking to his friends! I was soooo happy that I wanted to cry again. Mrs. Munger said he stopped crying right after we left, probably before we got to the car! I am so proud of him. I thought he would be sad, but he did great. I guess I cried all morning for no reason.

He told us about his day and a little boy that brought fishing worms, playing on the playground, and eating lunch next to Patrick (his friend Ava's daddy). He told me they read a story and Mrs. Munger told the kids to clean up the toys before they could go outside. He said he only picked up one, but I really hope that isn't true.

He got a prize for going to school for the first time- a bag of sharks. He is obsessed with sharks these days. He didn't want to take a nap when we got home b/c he wanted to get in the bath and play with them. He stayed in the bath for 2 hours, playing.

John Henry said he is excited about going back to school! I asked him if he wants me to pick him up after lunch or stay and play longer. He said he wants to stay and play longer. I really cannot believe it, but I am so thankful. God certainly answered our prayers!

We have to go get him a nap mat now. I didn't even buy one b/c I didn't think he would ever stay and sleep there. Who is this kid?! He even rode home from school with Kurt and not me!

My first day of school flowers from Kurt. :)

Happy 7th Anniversary to us!

June 28th was our 7th anniversary! To celebrate we spent 11 days at Kurt's parents beach house. The first 4 were alone and the next 7 were with the Hendersons, Lowrys, and Nixons. I will post some pics soon, but there are some on Laudan's blog and Kelly's blog if you just can't wait.

I was going to post 7 things I love about Kurt but since I am not a cheesy person, I figured he would die of shock. And I need him around to help with the kids, so I'll just post these pictures of us on our honeymoon in Hawaii.







A funny story about our honeymoon~ We spent the night at the Tutweiler the night we got married. Before we even pulled away from the B&A Warehouse, I was crying. In the elevator, the bellhop was looking at me like I was completely nuts. I said, "I guess you don't get a lot of brides crying." He just shook his head and said, "No we don't." I definitely don't deal well with change!

We got to the room, and we found a dried booger on the the headboard. Then we found one on the comforter. Kurt called the front desk to come up and change the sheets. I remember Kurt on the phone with them telling them that it looked like someone "blew snot" all around the room. I was crying and laughing at the same time.

They came to change the bed and examined it up close under the light. I guess they wanted to make sure it was old. I am not a hotel fan at all, and this didn't help! The next morning when I was in the shower, standing on a hand towel so my feet wouldn't touch the bathtub, I looked over and there was another booger at eye level. Yuck!!

We got to Hawaii, and for the first 2 or 3 days, I cried, threw up, and used a 1000 minute phone card4. I told y'all I don't deal well with change! Because of this, Kurt would go to the bar every morning and wait for it to open. He said he knew something was wrong when he was waiting at the swim up bar at 9:30 am. Thankfully that part of our honeymoon only lasted a few days. After that we had so much fun! And now we love to laugh about our first few days of married life. :)




I need to add that Kurt didn't go to the bar b/c he was upset with me. He went to the bar b/c I was in the room on the phone with my friends and crying. :)

4 months old!

John Henry was trying to kiss her, and she was trying to suck on his nose. He was so excited that she was kissing him back.

This is how Macey sleeps, with one leg out.

This is how it ended. Both kids screaming.

Only 16 days late! We were at the beach on the 1st, so I took these when we got back on the 8th. It took me 2 photoshoots b/c Macey got tired and needed to be swaddled and put down for a nap both times. The 2nd time I just gave up and didn't try to get anymore pictures.

At 4 months, Macey weighs 12 lbs, .8 oz. :) She has only gained 8 oz. since her 2 month checkup, but Dr. Amason didn't seem concerned. He said she is right on track. She is 24" long.

At her appt., she had to get 2 shots. John Henry said he wanted her to get a shot and be scared about getting a shot. A far cry from how upset he was the first time she got one! I think she gets on his nerves a lot now. I am a little scared about how things will be when they are older! They do have some sweet moments though. He was really excited to hold her at the beach when he saw that their outfits matched. So funny!

Macey's acid reflux seems to have gotten a lot better. She only cries about 75% of the time now, rather than 95%. :) Usually swaddling, mylanta, and a paci dipped in water (or I am in the car or really really desperate- tea. I would have died before I did that with John Henry!) does the trick and she calms down. She mainly only cries when she is hungry, sleepy, or wants to be swaddled. Just wrapping her in the miracle blanket and giving her a paci calms her down if she isn't tired. She has to have her left leg out, or she will kick until she works it out. It's really cute. Really she is a much better baby and at least I know now what will work!

When I was little my great uncle put a poem in my birthday card (I think. I will have to check on that.) Anyway, it said:

There once was a girl with a curl

right in the middle of her forehead

When she was good, she was very good
but when she was bad, she was horrid.

That is Macey exactly! When she is good, she is the best baby. She will play by herself or just lie on the floor and "talk" to us. But when she is bad- watch out!

We aren't going to try food until she is 6 months old, even though she dr. said we could now. She is eating about every 3 hours now, sometimes even longer. At night, she sleeps about 6 hours for her first stretch, 2 for her next few. Most mornings, I end up putting her in the bed with us sometime around 7 or 8 to try and get a little more sleep. I will not do what I did with John Henry though and let her sleep there every night! I have learned my lesson.

Macey loves to play with toys. She picks them up and tries to put them in her mouth every time. She has a little thing in the living room with hanging toys that I sit her in front of in the bumbo, and she will grab them and smile. I need to get the exersaucer out soon. I sat her in Kate's a few days ago and she seemed to like it.

Napping is still unpredictable, but she is starting to take a 1-2 hour nap in the mornings, which is great! Then she usually take a short nap, then a longer one. I love naptime.

Dr. Amason said to keep doing tummy time, but as soon as I put her on her tummy, she rolls right over to her back. We still haven't gotten a haircut, but I think we will this month.

I think that is all I want to remember this month. And, just fyi, it is really annoying to write a blog post through the pink sharpie that someone colored on my computer screen when I turned around for 5 seconds this afternoon!

For the record and Mom of the Year

For the record- I really hope the car seat post didn't come off as condesending or rude. I really really feel passionately about car seats- ask anyone who knows me or my high school friends who called me Susie Safety b/c I wouldn't let anyone in my car without a seat belt on before I put the car in drive. :) It just happens to be something I feel strongly about- some people are all about organic foods, strict schedules, or no vaccinations- those are not so much my thing (esp. the sleep schedule, but I wish it were!), just carseats. Maybe b/c I am kind of a control freak, and it is one thing I can do b/c accidents are kind of out of my hands (see the rest of the post!). Who knows? Some of the people I look up to the most in the parenting department forward face their children too early or put them in a booster at 3. It's not exactly a barometer for how you are as a parent, know what I mean?! And I certainly don't think that!

Anway, I have been thinking about writing that for a while now b/c it is awkward to tell friends to move their chest clips up in person, and I know most of my friends read my blog. (Although they are probably just read it and laughed at my neuroticness!) John Henry just happened to fall asleep at 8 the other night, so I got to write it. And I had been looking for the new Britax covers to see which one Macey will get and it reminded me. :) Hope I didn't offend anyone. I certainly wasn't trying to! No one ever tells you anything about car seats, like they do about every other aspect of parenting. You are just let to figure it out, kind of crazy! I think I am going to become a car seat tech so I can give unsolicited advice and not feel bad about it....

And speaking of safety-

Today John Henry woke up at 5:45. I thought I was going to die of exhaustion until about 11. We are more like 8:30-9:00 kind of people over here. So we all took a nap, which was great!

When John Henry woke up, and I carried him downstairs. On the way down the stairs, my pjs pants got caught under my foot and I slipped. I fell to the left since I was holding John Henry on my left side. I only fell a few steps, but his head hit the bottom of the banister very hard. He immediately started crying. He didn't have any symptoms of a concussion, but I called the doc to see what I needed to look for.

While I was waiting for the nurse to call back, I talked to a few friends that said you are supposed to go ahead and go to the doc for head injuries b/c it is better safe than sorry. I called Kurt, who I knew would totally freak out on me. He stayed so calm. I was very thankful; sometimes he panics in situations like that. He called his doc and we went to him so we wouldn't have to drive all the way to Birmingham.

By that time John Henry was telling me that his tummy hurt. I just knew he was going to start throwing up, but he didn't. When we were getting in the car to go, he told me that his head was tipping over and he couldn't walk down the garage stairs. I was so scared, but the doc said he was fine. There was no swelling or signs of anything at all. There isn't even a bump on his head. He was definitely active and normal acting until 11:30 tonight when he went to bed! (See why he doesn't nap anymore?)

They did tell me that symptoms may not show up until tomorrow, so I am going to wake him up a few times tonight just to make sure. And say extra prayers that I don't get puked on.

Oh, and right before we left John Henry said, "Mommy, you smashed me like a piece of paper." When I asked him what he was talking about, he said, "yeah, like this," and started hitting his head. Thankfully, the doctor is a friend of ours so he didn't think I beat my child!!





I am so thankful that I wasn't holding Macey as well. I always carry both of them at the same time. I won't be doing that anymore!





I felt like the worst mom in the world today! Poor John Henry. I carried him up the stairs to the bath tonight, and he said, "Mommy, please don't try to fall again." :( I am so thankful that John Henry was okay. It made me realize how quickly something could happen and how precious my kids are to me.

Car Seat PSA

This is for all 3 people who read my blog. :-) I am lucky enough to have a friend that is a car seat tech and once she told me to watch some You Tube videos on car seat safety, I have been a car seat nut!

It makes me sad to see kids in car seats that are installed wrong or straps not tight, etc., but I know most people don't know much about car seats. The only reason I know anything is b/c of my car seat tech friend and the fact that I spend too much time on the internet. :-)

Rear Facing
Newborns are rear faced for a reason- b/c it is the safest way to ride in the car. The law in Alabama is 20 lbs and 1 year of age to forward face, but that doesn't mean it is safe to turn your child at 1 year. People do it because it is legal, but it is legal to smoke. Doesn't mean it is safe or good for you!

Forward facing has little to do with weight and mostly with the strength of the neck bones. At one year your child's neck bones are not strong enough to withstand an accident and could result in a broken neck. I recently read a story about an 18 month old that weighed 33 lbs that was forward facing. His mom hit a tree going 35 mph, and he broke his neck and is paralyzed. http://www.joelsjourney.org The pictures are heartbreaking!

John Henry rear faced until he was over 2 1/2 years. I think we just think our kids want to turn forward facing, but if they have never sat that way, they don't know a difference. I just put JH's DVD on the back of the seat and he would watch that. It was really easier b/c whatever toys or pacis I gave him stayed in his seat, rather than falling onto the floor.

A lot of people think that when their legs get too long and hit the back of the seat that they have to turn their children because their legs will break in an accident. My car seat tech friend told me that there has never been a documented case of a child breaking their legs due to rear facing too long, but there have been plenty of cases of a child breaking their neck because of forward facing too early. Here are common rear facing myths- http://www.carseat.se/rear-facing-myths/

Check out this video:




There are lots more videos I wanted to post, but you can just go to you tube and search "forward facing vs rear facing." Scary stuff!

Also, when your children are rear facing, the straps should be at or below their shoulders. The chest clip should always be at armpit level. It won't work if it is down by the crotch strap! Straps should always be pulled tight- only 2 of your fingers should fit between the baby's chest and the straps. Your child has outgrown rear facing in height when his head is within 1" of the top of the shell of the seat. Leg length doesn't matter!

Just remember- rear facing is ALWAYS safest (as long as your child fits the seat requirements, most are 35 lbs) no matter what your mom, friend, or pediatrician says!! Do your own research! The American Academy of Pediatrics actually recommends that children are rear faced for 2 years now.

Adding one more article- http://www.carseat.se/rear-facing-to-age-4-making-the-news/

If you don't want to read it, here is an excerpt- "The facts are still that rear facing is 500% safer compared to forward facing until age two."

If you are wondering why the kids in the picture don't have chest straps, it is b/c Sweden doesn't have them. They have to be able to get the kids out in one motion in case of an accident I think. Our car seats are designed for chest chips though, so you still have to put yours up at armpit level.

5 pt harness

Just like rear facing is safer than forward facing, 5 pt. harness is much safer than a booster seat. Many people put their child in a booster seat at age 3 or 4 because it is legal, but it's not safe.





This is the shortest video I could find of 5 pt harness vs. booster seat, but there are tons of children who died because they were in boosters too early. :( The seatbelt isn't enough for a child in a car accident.

Most car seats have a 5 point harness until 40 lbs, but many more are starting to harness to a higher weight, like 65-80 lbs. It is so important to harness your child until at least 5 years old!

For forward facing, the straps must be at or above the shoulders (opposite of rear facing. JH had to skip a level when he switched), straps must be really tight, and the ears have to be below or even with the top of the seat shell.

I know y'all think I am nuts, but I just see so many kids in car seats incorrectly in blogs. It makes me sad, so I decided to give y'all a Public Service Annoucement. :)

Meeting Aubie!

Tonight we went to the Cullman Auburn Club to meet Aubie. John Henry was so excited about going. He said he was going to show Aubie how to play with the new punch balloons he got today and let Aubie sit next to him at dinner. I guess he didn't realize there were going to be 800 people packed into a gym to meet Aubie and listen to Gene Chizik.

John Henry also got a football signed by Aubie. He was happy about it until Kurt told him he couldn't throw that one because it was signed. Then he told me he didn't want it to be signed anymore. :)

John Henry was thrilled. I have no idea why he has crazy eyes in this picture.

Macey fell asleep after screaming (imagine that). Thankfully it was really loud in there!

Macey loves to be held up in the air. She smiles so big!

She fell asleep tonight while she was in the Bumbo watching me cook. Too funny!

Annual Apel Family Beach Trip

Every year we go to the Kurt's parents' beach house at Rosemary Beach with Kurt's parents and brother's family for Memorial Day. We had lots of fun! John Henry thought playing with his cousins, Gracie, Tucker, and Brant was the best thing ever. He has really missed them since we have been home.

I didn't get any pictures of crab hunting, which was John Henry's favorite part. It was too hard to hold the big camera and Macey in the Baby Bjorn. We got lots of big blue crabs and little sand crabs. John Henry even caught a few himself! He gets so excited about catching "monster crabs!" He sounds like a little English boy when he says monster. :)

The beach water was gorgeous! I didn't get a good picture of it, but it was perfectly clear and waist deep very far out. I hope that it is like that in a few weeks when we go back. I am afraid the oil will ruin the beach for a long time. Stingrays were migrating and swam in schools all around. They would look like they were swimming right up to people, but at the last minute they would change course and only get about 3 feet from people. It was so cool.

John Henry was not a fan of the ocean. He would go down to the shore and run back to the sand if the water got anywhere close to him. The last day Kurt asked him if he wanted to go in the ocean and he just said, "Ok" like he had been going all along. The stingrays got really close to them, and John Henry loved it. I think our relaxing time on the beach with John Henry just playing in the sand is over; now he is going to want to get in the water all the time.

Pop and John Henry playing the night we got to the beach.

Macey and John Henry. I was really trying to get a picture of their matching swimsuits, but we didn't get John Henry's suit in the picture.

John Henry wore Kurt's sunglasses to see the planes that were flying.

Tucker and John Henry taking a bath together. When they got out there was tons of sand at the bottom of the tub.









Gracie got Macey to sleep several times for me!

Pop, Ri, and Brant.

Macey and her Uncle Hank.

The fam hanging out in bed watching Phineas and Ferb, John Henry's new favorite show.

Tucker and his cousins. Gracie and Tucker took turns riding in the car with us when we went to eat. On the way home from dinner one night, John Henry said, "Tucker is my friend." Tucker said, "John Henry, we are also cousins, and that is better than friends. Did you know that?" It was so sweet!

Kurt and Macey hanging out in the kitchen.

Ri, John Henry, and Macey

Ri read a Dr. Suess book to John Henry. She said it was very entertaining to read to him because he was so into it.

A picture of them actually looking at me!

Macey and John Henry in cute matching swimsuits.

John Henry would play with Quincy and Artex for hours on the beach. He was "feeding" them sand.

This is what Macey did on the beach.

Julie and Brant on the beach.

Our attempt at a family picture. I look horrid and my hair is wet. The only reason I am posting this is because 1. it is the only family picture we got and 2. I don't really think I look like that. If I thought I looked like that I wouldn't post it! :)

Julie caught these baby crabs and sand flea. They were so tiny! This picture was taken after the tiniest one took a fall through the porch cracks courtesy of John Henry. The bigger blue crab in here was about 3/4 of an inch long. There is also a hermit crab that was about 1/2" and a little sand flea. The shells you see open were diggers that the baby crabs cracked open to eat. It was so interesting to watch the little ecosystem on our porch. Pop saved all the animals in the bucket by letting them go after all the kids went home.

This is the bigger crab in Tucker's hand. Tucker is only 6 so you can see how small the crab was.

John Henry holding the baby crab. He thought the tiny one was the baby and the slightly larger one was the mommy.

His face after he went and got the baby crab out of the bucket, which I had told him not to do, and dropped it through the cracks of the porch. He was so upset. He burst into tears right after this and cried because he was worried about what would happen when the mommy crab couldn't find her baby. Tucker and I tried to explain that mommy and baby crabs dont' stay together, but I think that just made him feel worse.

Brant giving Macey some love.

These fish entertained John Henry the entire trip. John Henry named his Quincy (after the Little Einsteins) and Tucker named his Artex.

Hanging out on the porch. We did this each morning.

Tucker loved to hold Macey as well. He and Gracie took turns. They were both a big help!

Tucker and John Henry holding hands on the way to The Sugar Shak.

Tucker, John Henry, and Gracie at The Sugar Shak. That is a popular place! It is always packed.

At John Henry's favorite place in Rosemary Beach- Gigi's! It is a kids' clothing and toy store. He is still talking about it.

Gracie holding Macey one last time before they had to leave. I was sad! Gracie was a huge help to me.

Pop holding Macey and John Henry. Look at my poor pale kids!