Baby Number Three

Please welcome the newest baby to our family. Baby Number Three. He's rather large. About six foot six. Two hundred pounds. And all baby. I'm not sure about you but when daddy is sick - it's like having another baby around the house. Sometimes even equivalent to two (or three) more babies. I'm not sure why but men seem to be extra needy when they get sick. (Of course that's just my opinion not to be confused with all men).

For the past week Dan has had a terrible cold. It seemed like it got worse and worse with each passing day. The poor guy still went to work sick and just wasn't getting enough rest. I finally forced him to take a sick day on Tuesday. In the almost six years that I've known him - he has only called in sick three times. I think I called in sick three times in one month one year. I'm sure it had nothing to do with me hating my job.

Unfortunately as a stay-at-home mom I don't really have the luxury of calling in sick anymore. I have to be a mom...sick or not. But when daddy is sick it's like working overtime. I have had to experience single-parent parenting for a week. And let me just tell you that with everything else on my plate right now...it is really really hard. Hopefully daddy will be feeling better soon! And more importantly...I hope I don't get sick!!!

He Made My Day

I had a pretty busy day today. I started around 9am and was nonstop running around like a crazy chicken until 1pm. (I had a babysitter so I was able to get A LOT done). I put Sophia down for a nap and did some laundry and cleanup around the house. When Sophia woke up it was time for a few more errands (this time with kids).


When we were finished I decided to stop by the MOMS Club monthly meeting. We were an hour late but I figured it would be a nice break to just stop by and say hello to everyone. I was really tired and kinda stressed out from the gazillion things on my to-do list. But as soon as I walked in the door I felt better. I actually felt REALLY good.


I got to the meeting and the hostess' son immediately recognized me. "It's Paula," he said. I was in a complete state of shock. I think his mom was too. I've only known him for 16 months and we don't really see each other that often. But it was so neat today when he looked at me and knew my name. It put a smile on my face and made me feel really special. Thank you N.R.

Never Wake a Sleeping Baby

Never wake a sleeping baby. I've heard this saying a few times before. In fact I pretty much abide by the rule whenever I can. I relish naptime and don't really mind that my kids sleep in until 8:30-9am every morning. I've said it before - all four of us LOVE to sleep. If they are both sleeping, I'm sleeping (or at least trying).

Well, today for some silly reason, Dan woke Sophia up from her nap. He says she was dead asleep. It's no wonder. I mean it took me almost 2 hours to get her to nap in the first place. It was getting kinda late and we needed to eat dinner. We decided to go out to a local favorite - kid-friendly, delicious and close to home - so he woke her up. He's such a rule-breaker.

So we get to the restaurant and order our food. We let's just say we got the food TO GO as soon as we lifted our forks. Paine Toddler Tantrum #1 was in full effect. The poor thing. She was so tired and we had no business as parents taking her out to dinner in that kind of mood. I think we have finally met the day when eating out is no longer an ability. Sad but true. I guess we will just have to rely on babysitters to get our restaurant fix. That or takeout.

Needless to say, we came home and Sophia went straight to bed. I'm pretty sure she will wake up in the middle of the night. Probably not at the same time as Thomas - probably an hour after or before he wakes up. Which means I better get to bed ASAP to prepare for the long night ahead.

An Ounce of Comfort(er)

So I have this twin-size comforter. I call him Little Blue. He has basically been my "blankie" since I was a little girl. And yes he still brings me comfort. He's the perfect crying blanket since he's so soft and thin. He's broken-in and has had his fair share of tears.

When I was three my dad transferred his job to Seattle, Washington. So my mom, two sisters and two brothers (I think), and I moved with him. They kept the house where they live now and rented it out. When my dad got to Washington he fixed up the "new" house for our arrival. He bought three matching comforters for the girls' beds. They were light blue with white flowers. Hence the name Little Blue.

Over time I got a few new blankets and comforters. You know how teens love to redecorate. And when I went to college I got a new set for my dorm. But no matter how many new bedding sets I acquired...I always kept Little Blue. Eventually Little Blue became sort of ragged. In fact my mom has sewn him up several times after he tore and the stuffing disintegrated. Today he's essentially two sheets sewn together without stuffing.

(On a side note I also have a reddish pink blanket that belonged to my Grandma Neat. I still have him too. I always called him my Pink Blanket. He is super, duper hole-y. He's not as good for crying but he's VERY soft).

Well anyone who's known me knows the importance of my two blankies. Once my mom even tried to replace my dearest Pink Blanket with a new pink one that she handmade. I cried. Honestly tears rolled down my face. I mean it was the thought that counts but my old raggedy Pink Blanket is irreplaceable. The same thing holds true for Little Blue. IRREPLACEABLE.

So the other day when I found out that I will NEVER see Little Blue again - I was exceptionally calm. In fact it still doesn't bother me at all. I had taken him to the hospital to be with my sister who is dying of Ovarian Cancer. And knowing that she used it, if only for one day, brings me much happiness and comfort.

So rest in peace Little Blue. I think your purpose on this earth was finally fulfilled the other day. You could never have made me happier than the smile on Kathy's face when I gave you to her that day. Thank you for being there for me for more than 25 years. I will miss you dearly.


P.S. Little Blue was accidentally taken with the hospital laundry when the nurses changed the sheets on Kathy's bed.

The Best Kind of Tired

Sometimes I worry about my little baby when I'm away. I get nervous that he's crying the whole time or hungry and out of milk. I guess I figure he's so good for me all day long that it has to end sometime, right? Well last night when I got home from the hospital this is what I found....

Two exhausted leprechauns asleep on the couch watching TV. Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day!!!

Roller Coaster Ride

If you've ever been on a roller coaster than you'll understand what my life is like right now. You know the part where you are climbing toward the top - anxious, scared, nervous - there's no turning back and no matter how many times you've been on the ride before it's still the same. Well these past few days have been my own personal roller coaster. Full of emotions. Twists and Turns. Up, down, Up, down.

I mean what do you do when a loved one has only two months to live? Or in my case two weeks? or two days? What do you do when you have two healthy normal children and a husband at home that you have to take care of but you can't...because your world around you is crashing? And crashing fast.

Well me? I'm relying heavily on others for help. Mostly on friends. I don't think I could make it right now without the help and support of my friends. Friends, new and old. Friends that have been there for years. And friends that I just met when I joined motherhood. Without my friends I don't know what I would do. Because right now I'm on a roller coaster approaching that huge steep hill that's about to drop suddenly and fast. I know it's coming. But unlike the actual roller coaster I don't know when...but I know it's soon. I just hope that after this ride is over that everything will return to normal. And that I'll never have to ride it again!

For My Sister

My sister. My best friend. My hero.

I dedicate today's blog to the strongest person I have ever known. She has fought so hard for her life. Unfortunately the cancer has taken over. The doctors have given her just a few short months to live. But naturally no one really knows for sure. I do know that she will be greatly missed. Her smile. Her laugh. Her spirit. I wish her strength and comfort in her final days. I love you sister!

Nap Time is Sacred Time

At our house sleeping is priority #1. All four of us LOVE to sleep. Dan requires at least six hours a night to "function" in the ER. He claims he needs ten but there just aren't enough hours in the day. I think I require six. Being a mommy is a very hard job. Sophia usually sleeps close to twelve hours every night. And Thomas is turning out to be a good sleeper too. He likes to go to bed around 10pm and wake up once to eat around 4am and he falls right back asleep until 8am or so. Which means I usually get two solid spurts of four hours. Last night I lucked out and got nine solid hours of sleep!!! I really needed it so I am very thankful to Thomas for the generous gift.

Daytime sleeping is also vital in our household. Dan will usually take advantage of any downtime to fall fast asleep. Me...I'm not a big fan of naps. I try when I'm really tired. But usually I just cherish the quiet time to be by myself and get stuff done. Sometimes I wonder if I'm putting Sophia down for a nap for her benefit or mine? I have to admit there are days that I feel like I'm begging her to nap. Today was one of those days.

She was very resistant to the whole nigh-night. She refused to sleep. After about thirty minutes of her protests and screams I went upstairs and let her free. I tried to put her down again an hour later. She protested again. Remember how yesterday I mentioned that we took away her beloved paci. Well now I'm partially regretting the decision. She won't sleep without it. She's crying and crying. Begging and pleading. But I held my ground. I didn't give in and eventually she fell asleep without it. Fast asleep for two hours or so. I checked on her around 6pm tonite and she was passed out. It reminded me of the good ol' days when I could walk in her room without waking her.

And today...in the same crib

From twenty inches to twenty months...big change, huh? Notice that she still sleeps with her arms above her head.

She Quit Cold Turkey

Today is the fourth night that we have withheld Sophia's beloved Paci from her at bedtime. It's really hard when she asks for it in her sweet little voice and pouted lips. I mean how can you deny such a cute face? Well so far it hasn't been too terribly rough. The only problem is that she's not falling asleep as quickly. And today she didn't take an afternoon nap. It was either cave in to paci-desire or deal with a napless toddler. I chose the napless one.

Now I'm not addicted to anything (unless you count cookies) so I can only imagine how hard quitting a habit can be, especially cold turkey. Poor little Sophia had no warning that we were going to take away her Paci. She just went to bed one night and it vanished from the routine. Cold turkey. "Sorry, no more Paci. Pacifiers are for babies and you're a Big Girl now."

I'm wondering if we were allowed to treat adult addicts like little kids if quitting would be a lot easier. Too bad it's near impossible. But it would sure be nice.

The Perpetual To-Do-List

Do you have something on today's to-do-list that's leftover from yesterday's list? I know I do. In fact I have a couple of things. Every day I make a mental note to fix this or that. And I don't. I forget. Or I just run out of energy.

For example, every night when I'm rocking Thomas to sleep I look at the twin bed in his room and swear I'm going to fix it one of these days. All I need is the staple gun. Click. Click. Click. The fabric on the bottom of the box spring is loose and it needs to be stapled back on. So easy. So simple. And yet every night I sit there and stare at it. Sometimes I even tell myself that I will just tuck it under the metal frame. Nope. Still hanging there.

Another example. Every night I lay in bed and check the progress of our little ceiling bug. Yes, we have a tiny little bug in the corner of our ceiling. Maybe a spider. I'm not quite sure. He barely moves but an inch or two each day. And he's not causing any harm. But his presence really bugs me! I always tell myself that tomorrow I will get our little friend. But no. He's still up there.


They say that the best way to get yourself to do something is to make a list. Write it down. I'm actually a huge fan of to-do-lists. I love making them and I especially love crossing things off. Each day I make a new list and carry over anything from yesterday to the new one. But for some reason I can never seem to finish everything on my list. Well I'm hoping today's blog will help me with at least these two things. Hopefully tomorrow I will staple the lining back in place and squash that silly little ceiling bug. If not...well, it'll just be on the list for the day after tomorrow.

Too Cute to Care

My baby girl is growing up SO fast. Almost right before my eyes. It seems like every day she's a little bit taller, a little bit bigger, and a little bit smarter. So you can only imagine how I felt today when I caught her sitting in her old Fisher Price Rainforest Bouncer. I remember how she used to sit in it for hours as an infant. And now here she is a toddler who can barely fit and is probably going to break the chair with her weight. But it's just too cute for me to care. I'm sure Thomas won't mind. He's not a big fan of the chair anyways...he likes his swing.

Sophia at six weeks in the same bouncer

Thomas in the chair last Friday (ten weeks)

And Thomas in the chair at five weeks old.

Always Pack a Change of Clothes

Today we had the pleasure of going to San Diego to visit with Great Grandpa Don (Dan's grandfather) for a belated birthday lunch. We woke up early, fed the kids, packed the mini-van and headed South. Thomas, being the newest baby that he is, slept the majority of the car ride. Sophia, on the other hand, was a little restless. I tried my best to distract her with lions, zebras, elephants, crayons, goldfish crackers, a Baby Einstein DVD, whatever I could do. About two-thirds of the way down, she had had enough so we pulled off the freeway for a pit stop.

We found a McDonald's and headed inside to share some french fries and let Sophia run around and stretch her legs. While I was feeding Thomas, Dan and Sophia went outside to play on the grass. Suddenly, I heard it. I heard the burst. For my fellow mom friends - you know what I'm referring to. For the rest of you...it's the newborn digestive system working out its kinks. I actually think burst is an understatement. This time it was a full-on explosion.

As soon as I heard it I knew. I rushed outdoors holding Thomas with questions on my mind. Is it running down his leg? Why is my hand wet? I was sorta freaking out and a little embarrassed. Did anyone else hear it? Or see it? I got Thomas to the car, grabbed the diaper bag, and laid him down to inspect the damage. Yep, full-on explosion. He had just pooed all over himself and it had run down his leg and all over MY jeans too. So much for Huggies.

By this time a few tears were running down my cheek. I was covered in fluorescent yellow poop and we were miles from home. Of course I had a change of clothes for Thomas but what about me!!! I tried my best to clean my jeans with baby wipes (an entire package) and proceeded to change his diaper and outfit. Did I mention it was a super cute meet-Great-Grandpa-for-the-first-time outfit? Yes that's the one. After I was finished I went inside to, one, scrub my hands, and two, rinse off the soiled laundry and get a plastic bag. Here I am in the women's restroom trying to rinse poop out of Thomas' outfit and hoping nobody walks in and the water pressure is awful. Of course, McDonald's has gone green and installed those water saving faucets. Clog our arteries but save the earth! Just great!

Anyways, I eventually get the job done. We load up the car again and proceed down South for a very nice lunch and fun trip to the park with Jiji (Dan's dad), Baba (Dan's mom) and Great Grandpa. Now the funny part is that right before we left the house in the morning, I ran back upstairs to grab an extra shirt. You see, Thomas loves to spit up. I figured I better grab myself a clean shirt just in case. It never crossed my mind that I would need an extra pair of pants too! Next time, I think I'll just pack an entire outfit for everyone.

White Steak

What is it about fish that gives it such a bad name? Maybe it's the stinky smell. Or the whole pet goldfish thing. Or the slimy scaly skin and bulging eyes that creep me out. Whatever it is, I don't really enjoy eating fish (or any seafood) unlike my husband, who on our honeymoon ordered a dish in Italy that I still refer to as giant bowl of friends. I think it was some kind of fish stew or cioppino.

When I was a little girl I loved tuna sandwiches. My mother would make them for me all the time. Then one day, Grandma Neat (that's what we called her) offered me a tuna fish sandwich. Tuna fish? Yuck, I don't eat fish. Now before you compare me with Jessica Simpson, rest assured that I was way too young to know the difference. My mom simply never called it fish. Kinda like how my older sister called it "white steak." I think I ruined it for her kids when I spilled the beans and refused to eat it. By this time I was wise to the color of meat and had never heard of "white steak." It sounded (and smelled) fishy to me.

Now that I'm an adult, sometimes I will order some nutty mahi-mahi when we are in Hawaii because it's festive and I know it's fresh. I also eat tuna sandwiches again. And in recent years I even started eating sushi but it's limited to tuna and salmon. I mostly eat fish because it's deemed healthy but I don't really like the taste. I just can't seem to shake the fish tank image from my mind. I guess it's kinda like how a vegetarian sees the whole cow and not the scrumptious Filet Mignon steak.

Tonight I completely shocked myself. We went to dinner at Wahoo's Fish Taco restaurant and I ordered Sophia a rice bowl with grilled fish. At first I hesitated because she probably wouldn't like it, right? Even Dan questioned my menu choice. But I figured if she didn't like it we could trade. (Funny note: neither Dan nor I ordered fish at the fish taco place). Luckily for me, Sophia ate the whole thing and I think she really liked it. So I'm wondering...do I tell her it's fish whenever she eats it? Or do I call it white steak?

When Spontaneous is Best

As a stay-at-home mom with two little ones you can imagine how boring and lonely it gets at our house. Well, okay, it's anything but boring and I'm never truly alone. But after a few days of the daily routine, it suddenly dawns on me that I haven't had an adult conversation in days and I'm beginning to sound like a toddler. When I do get a chance to meet with a friend, I feel like there is so much to talk about and never enough time. The same is true when Dan gets home from work every day. I talk and talk and talk and he listens and then it's time for bed.

Now you know why playdates are SO important for the stay-at-home mom. I'm pretty sure they are more beneficial for the mothers than the kids who are playing, especially at Sophia's age. As much as she loves her friends, she would be completely content to play toys alone or with mommy at home. But I am not content being home all day. By the time lunch comes around I must get out of the house. At this point even ordering a sandwich at the deli counter can fill the void. Therefore, I try to schedule playdates every week when we have a free day.

Today a friend called to see if we were busy. Nope, come over. After I hung up I sorta felt like I was begging. I was so excited to have a friend over both for myself and Sophia. The best part, however, is that I didn't have to plan it a week in advance only to cancel at the last minute. It was spontaneous, spur of the moment, and just what I needed on an otherwise boring Thursday.

The Stroller

Walking is about the only exercise I get these days. I mean who has time for the long lines at the gym? Not to mention the pressure of all those really fit people in super cute matching workout clothes. It's hard to compete with them after you've just had a baby. It's much easier to just stay home and eat bonbons all day. However, that's not a very healthy lifestyle. So I choose to walk instead. It's not my ideal exercise but it's fun and I'd like to think that the kids enjoy it. Therefore you can only imagine how important it is to have a good stroller.

Strollers have evolved a lot in recent years. There are so many different brands and styles...they are almost like little cars. A few even have hefty price tags like a car. I have no doubt that there are plenty of moms with "stroller envy" because just when you get yours a newer, cooler one comes out that is so much better. For this reason, you can also get a used stroller on Craigslist or eBay if you don't mind someone else's dirt and grime.

Now when I had just one child the stroller choice was easy. I went with a very popular brand in the pattern that I liked best - a black and white toile print. It came with a matching car seat and was very easy to use. When I found out I was pregnant the second time, I wasn't sure what type of stroller to get. The main choices were tandem and side-by-side. At first I really liked the tandem stroller because you could easily snap the car seat in the rear and Sophia could sit in the front. But I also liked the side-by-side because both children would have a view. Since Sophia and Thomas are relatively close in age I knew that she would be walking by the time he arrived, but I also knew that she wasn't going to walk all the time (and I certainly wasn't going to carry her). So I definitely needed a stroller but which one?

While I was researching I was really surprised to find there were a lot of tandem strollers (used) for sale for all the same reasons. "Stroller in excellent condition; barely used; only used a few times; my oldest likes to walk, etc." After reading multiple ads like this I contemplated if I really needed a double stroller myself. I mean if all these moms were selling practically brand new strollers...would I be next? At last I decided to get a side-by-side jogging stroller instead of a traditional stroller. It would be great for walks, perfect for the zoo and the kids could sit next to each other rather than fight for shotgun (when they get a little bit older). I figured the rest of the time Sophia could walk and the baby could ride in the single stroller. Or I could carry the baby and she could ride when she got tired..

So far I absolutely love my decision. I LOVE our double jogging stroller. It was the BEST present I ever received. It's like the SUV of strollers. Very lightweight and easy to maneuver and pretty good-looking too. Even Dan likes to push it and Sophia loves sitting next to her brother. My only complaint is that I don't get to use it often enough because the weather has been so bad lately. But hopefully it will get warmer soon!.

Dan pushing the stroller on our walk by the nearby lake. Thomas is in his car seat for now but when he's a little bit bigger he can sit forward in the real seat like Sophia (although I kinda like having him look at me).

Scary Teenagers

Am I the only one afraid of teenagers? I'm serious. They are so scary and mean. They always travel in packs and I could easily be outnumbered should a confrontation arise. I'd be squashed trying to protect my two little ones. As a mom I just want to know how an adorable toddler like Sophia becomes the underdressed, loud-mouthed, teenager at the mall? More importantly I want to know how to avoid that from ever happening.

Now of course not all teenagers are scary and mean. I happen to know several nice ones. So is bad parenting, peer pressure or the broken educational system to blame? Maybe it's a combination of all three. I'm thinking back to when I was a teenager. Was I scary and mean? Sometimes my friends and I would go to the mall after school or hang out in parking lots but I don't think we were causing harm. Were we? Were there moms around with little kids who were worried to be around us? I doubt it. And when I think about it, even if there were, I would have never noticed. I was too busy having fun.

So maybe that means the same holds true for today's teenagers. They have no idea that I exist. They are in their own little world. They are testing the limitations of their new found freedom. For the first time in their lives they are allowed to be unsupervised. As a mom, in my early thirties, I'm not sure what scares me more. Am I afraid of my own kids becoming teenagers and growing up too fast? Or am I afraid that I'm growing up too fast and can more easily relate to my parents than my teenager days? Either which way...I think next time I see the scary teenagers somewhere I'll sympathize with them a little. If they only knew how much better it gets...

My Food Challenge

Humans need food to live. It's a simple known truth. So in our house it's not unusual that we eat six meals a day: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and sometimes dessert. It feels like we are always eating. Which means that someone around here is always cooking. Yep, you guessed it. It's me.

Now in order to get all this eating accomplished I have to do some grocery shopping. I buy the everyday items like cereal, milk, juice, fruit, salad, and soda. When it comes to dinner I sorta buy the same thing every time and hope for the best. Maybe the food will magically turn itself into something great. I don't know about you but I tend to make the same dishes...tacos, spaghetti, lasagna, enchiladas, soup, chili, pasta, grilled chicken, etc. I never really think ahead of time unless I'm trying a new recipe. Have you ever noticed how that almost always requires an extra trip to the store. Last night it was your basic can of diced tomatoes. How could I be out of those?!?

As a side dish we always have a finely chopped green salad with candied pecans, dried cranberries, and Girard's light champagne dressing or steamed veggies. Occasionally I try to make steamed rice but it never turns out well. No matter what I do the rice is either soggy or totally burnt. I mean even with a rice cooker somehow I manage to fail. All of our other food is cooked on the stove or in the oven. We used to have a barbecue but we got rid of it when we moved. I really miss its convenience so hopefully we will get a new one soon. Plus, it's the only way to get Dan to cook!

When Thomas was born my wonderful friends provided us with several weeks of meal delivery. Every night around 5pm a delicious warm meal was brought to our door already cooked and ready to eat. This was a truly a blessing and helped ease the transition from three to four. It also opened up a world of new meal ideas. I realized how "boring" my cooking was getting. I realized that I need to step it up a notch.

You see I really do enjoy cooking. I even have a kitchen full of fancy gadgets from The Pampered Chef. I have perfectly good intentions. I want to try new recipes. I swear. I just don't have the time and energy. New recipes are SO hard. So time consuming. You have to read the directions, pay extra attention to the timing, read the directions again, and carefully follow step-by-step to avoid disaster. It's also almost impossible when there's a toddler clinging to your knees, a hungry baby crying in the other room, and a husband getting home late from work.

So how do I shake this boring food feeling? I'm not quite 100% sure, but for now I've made a promise to my family to try at least one new recipe a week. Since I like to have dinner ready and on the table when Dan gets home (we sit down to eat as a family every night), I decided that I have to experiment on his day off. I'm hoping that in a month I will have four new meals to turn to. I'm hoping that I can break the cycle of same-old, same-old. So watch out cookbooks because MommyPaine is on the loose and ready for the challenge!

Enjoy the Moment

You know how they always say that the dishes can be done later but the kids will grow up too fast and you should enjoy every moment. Well today was one of those days. It really seemed like my children needed me more than any housework or pressing tasks. So even blogging will take a back-seat. Be back tomorrow!!!