I'm Getting Better

First off, I am starting to feel better. The cold has settled mostly in my sinuses, so the fact that Nick really didn't sleep last night, didn't affect me as much as it would have a couple nights ago.

Sunday evening we took Gabriel and Nick to see Elmo Goes Green. It was very cute, with a large cast of characters besides Elmo. The show was about where to plant Elmo's sunflower named Sunny, which had grown too large for its pot. It was very cute, and while I am certainly not a huge fan of Elmo, my children are, especially my baby. There were lots of songs to dance to and the characters would regularly come out into the audience, much to the delight of Gabriel (although he is more of a Playhouse Disney kind of kid).

Despite the fact that the show was an hour and a half, Nick was more than happy to stay on my lap the whole time. Sometimes he played with me (also known as bounce on mommy, bat at mommy, grab mommy's face, blow raspberries at mommy, and cuddle mommy), other times he happily munched on cheerios, and others he looked at the stage and giggle at Elmo. He wasn't really interested in what was going on unless Elmo was on stage. We had floor seats and Pigpen sat on the end with Gabriel so that he could make sure he didn't wander too far away. At the very end Gabriel went up to the stage (with Pigpen following) and was able to get hugs from both Cookie Monster (my favorite) and Grover. Nick was too busy being fascinated with the giant Elmo balloons that were sold during intermission.

We brought their pajamas with us, as well as a mini meal and toothbrush for Gabriel, so that we could change them after the show and have them both fall asleep on the way home. I brought a couple of bottles of pumped milk with me so that I could feed Nick while we were driving and then pump after he fell asleep. It worked out well, the show was over at about 6:30, and we were on the road by 7:00, so they we kept them pretty much on schedule for bedtime.

Bedtime is really important as I try to ensure that the both get as close to 12 hours of sleep at night, minus night wake ups (rare for Gabriel, regular for Nick). Naps are hit or miss. My MIL has a hard time letting either of them fuss for even a second, so usually that results in them not napping. Gabriel gave up his morning naps at 6 months and his afternoon naps at about 18 months. Regardless of my consistency with naps on the weekend with Nick, it will eventual be a futile task, as it is hard to enforce in two days, what goes unenforced the other five. It was the same way with Gabriel. Not that I don't think he still needs a nap. Once we hit the 5 O'clock witching hour... watch out! Not a fun way to spend the evening. As much as I love him, it is hard to keep my patience when he is doing everything he can to test it.

After Elmo, we still had the fun of getting ready for work on Monday. I also had a lot of homework to do. The fact that I wasn't feeling well did not help my brilliance in responding to my classmates postings. Why, I thought finishing my degree while working full-time, with two small children was a good idea, I don't know. Oh wait, I didn't. Pigpen did. Not that I don't want my degree, I do. I also started taking classes again a year before Nick was born, and thus three months before he was conceived, so my time wasn't as constrained when I started. I even planned Nick's birth around the last day of my last class for my Associates Degree. My class finished on March 23rd. He was born on March 24th (scheduled induction, which ended as an emergency c-section).

It has been so long since I have had the opportunity to read a book, but I have a break coming up over the holidays, so hopefully I can get through 1 or 2, plus get caught up on the pile of magazines I have on my nightstand. Although, I do have that trip to Seattle over New Year's for my brother's wedding. So that may curtail my plans to get much reading done before I start classes again.Yes, my brother is getting married on New Year's Day.

Yes, his wedding is on the opposite side of the country from where I live. Yes, I just found out about it the week before Thanksgiving. And yes, both Pigpen and I are in the wedding. Doesn't that sound like fun? However, we are only bringing Nick with us, and staying with my mom. Gabe will stay with my MIL while we're gone. As much as he would like being in a plane, the length of confinement and the quick pace of the time in Seattle, just would unpleasant for him. And really unfair. So we decided to only bring Nick, since he is still nursing.

Pigpen's consolation prize for flying on his birthday to Seattle for my brother's wedding with a baby is Jack in the Box - namely an Ultimate Cheeseburger and Mozzarella Sticks. The bonus prize for me is wearing a dress that I have never tried on, and guessed on the measurements, in the wedding. And no, I have not regained my pre-baby figure, so I am not exactly enthused about wearing a bridesmaid dress. But hey, new shoes.