Happy Friday!

Yesterday, Caleb was being wretchedly disobedient. After keeping my cool for a very long time and continuously repeating my requests, I finally told him that if he did it again ~ “it” being one of sundry rotten things he did yesterday! ~ I would smack his hand.

That kid looked me right in the eye and repeated his naughtiness.

So I walked over, looked at him, smacked his little hand, then reiterated that his behavior was unacceptable. He pouted for a second, then came back with, “Don’t hit people!”

Ohmigoodness, I almost died. He’s so stinking precious! It was very hard to keep a straight face. When my own dictates come back to me at such opportune times, it’s tough to remember why I was upset with him in the first place!

The doctor told me I couldn’t get up with Gavi every two or three hours anymore at night. I agreed with him that it was about to knock me out, but I needed a professional to tell me it was okay, because it feels like I’m the worst mom in the world when I let him cry. So the good side is that by making him wait four hours, I feel more confident making him wait three hours during the day! So not only have I gotten a little more (guilt-ridden) sleep in the past couple of days, but I’ve been able to get more done during the day because I’m not stopping to feed him every two hours and pump a few times a day as well!

Good news for me! Jonathan’s Florida trip coincides with my mom’s spring break! So she’ll be able to watch the kiddos for me for a few days while I join my hoosband in the state we met! And another good news, slightly less spectacular, but sooner: my parents are going to watch the boys overnight so Jonathan and I can stay at a hotel for a night to celebrate our anniversary! We haven’t stayed at a hotel together since I was pregnant with Caleb. I LOVE HOTELS! Jonathan gets to go all the time, and I try not to be too jealous.

Seven years of marriage. Two kids. Many more (of both) to come. It’s good to be alive.

Gavi's first Christmas!

Best Christmas Ever! Jonathan and I were actually discussing that during Caleb’s nap on Christmas Eve. Three years ago, we had just decided to try to have a baby, so the holiday was fraught with the concerns that the coming year was going to be more than we could handle. Two years ago, it was our precious Caleb’s first Christmas. It should have been the best Christmas ever, but I was only a week away from having to leave him at daycare. It sort of spoiled it. Then last year, we really wanted another baby, and we hadn’t been able to get pregnant in time to announce it at Christmas dinner. (It had only been two months of trying, but it felt like we would NEVER get pregnant!) Then this Christmas, not only do I have the two cutest babies in the universe, but I don’t have to leave them anytime soon!

YAY!

Chris and Alisa came over last Thursday night to have Christmas a little early. It was so much fun! They got Caleb a Snoopy Golf set! Chris said that he needed to get used to it, because next year he’ll get a real set. Ha! They also got him an awesome play-doh set, but I haven’t had the guts to open it up yet because I’m all kinds of nervous about my carpet. And Gavi got this super cool Lamaze tummy-time thing where he’ll lay on a lazy-susan type thing and explore a mat with fun textures and sounds. So far he hasn’t spun himself around yet, but it seems really cool.

I took Gavi in for his three month appointment on Friday morning. Fifteen pounds four ounces still isn’t big enough to knock him out of the 75th percentile. He sure doesn’t seem like 25% of kids his age could possibly be bigger! The appointment was so fun! Not only was Gavi so pleasant that almost all the nurses came in to coo at him, but Caleb Zakai was an angel as well! He kept interrupting Dr. Lewis by saying, “Hi, Doctoh Woo-wiss!” He said it about six times while the doctor was talking before Dr. Lewis finally said, “HELLO!” Caleb is quite interrupt-y!

Christmas was really fun this year because Caleb finally “gets” presents! And he had so much fun opening his stocking! My folks had bought us a dining room table in September for Christmas, so they were supposed to not give us anything for the actual holiday. Ha! Our stockings were as awesome as ever, and even more fun was the fact that they bought Caleb and Gavi a little table, too! It flattens up to store, and since space is at such a premium around here, it’s a huge blessing! Plus, it will be fun to set outside this summer and let Caleb eat some Popsicles without following him like a shadow.

Also, between my parents, sister and various less nuclear relatives, my boys got about thirty books. Yikes! It is awesome!

Gavi seems even smilier than I remember his brother being! That kid is just cooing constantly and charming anybody within range of his baby magnetism. He likes to be snuggled a lot more than Caleb did. And his skin is even drier, if such a thing is possible. We’re greasing him down on a constant basis, and I have to put ointment on his face every time I feed him to keep his face from looking reptilian. The cutest little repti-babe in the world!

FAR away in a manger!

Caleb’s Grandma Sue gave him a nativity set that his Daddy and Auntie Sisa used to play with as kids. It’s been absolutely marvelous to be able to teach him about Christmas with such a fun bunch!

Yesterday, I noticed that an elephant had joined the donkey and cow that surrounded “baby Jee-suss.”

This morning took the cake, though. A polar bear RIDING A GIRAFFE has entered the scene.

Who says the Christmas story isn’t a living and vibrant tale?!

PS. This is my shortest. Post. Ever!

Medical Maladies...

Everybody has health stuff! Some of it is less earth shaking than others, but it’s fun to be a Fashbaugh right now! Caleb Zakai has the worst diaper rash I’ve ever seen. For the last week, I’ve been changing his diaper more and more often, using more and more of every kind of diaper rash cream on the market. It just kept getting uglier. The poor little monkey didn’t even like to sit down. Diaper changes were constant drama. He couldn’t take a bath. So I finally gave up, and just used some baby powder.

It’s clearing up like a charm! Hooray for the oldies but goodies!

Mine is the most expensive. I had a root canal the day before Thanksgiving and a temporary crown put on the following Monday. That crown lasted six days before it crumbled. I hadn’t even been chewing on that side because I was so used to the shooting pain of the cavity. They replaced the crown, and since there was only two weeks before the permanent crown came in, I relaxed. The SECOND crown lasted eight days. Grr.

So this morning, I went in for the permanent crown – yay! – and it didn’t fit. So now my potentially permanent crown is my temporary, and the permanent won’t be in for another three weeks. Jonathan is hacked off in the extreme, and was calling to find out whether we’ve already paid for the permanent crown, or we’re going elsewhere. He wouldn’t let me take care of it, because in his words, “You’ll just say that everything is okay.”

Then we come to Mr. Gavi. Baby boy has been puking after every feeding since birth. Sometimes it’s just a little urp that we can catch with a towel, but more often than not, it’s a full fledged hurl. The kind that you can't catch no matter how many towels, bibs or burp cloths you're using. The doctor put him on Zantac last week and it worked for four days. Then all of a sudden, the baby is again upping my laundry bills with his regurge. He’s going to the doctor on Friday. Hopefully there is something else that can help. In addition to my frustration about changing clothes six or eight times a day – SERIOUSLY! Wendy, you know how it is! – I’m really worried about the poor munchie’s little throat. As familiar as I am with the yucky puking thing, I know how bad it hurts after a while.

Jonathan’s problems are probably the least painful but the longest lasting. He has been fighting that stinking congestion/cold thing for two months now. It came to a head while he was in New Orleans, but still hasn’t completely recovered.

Oh! He’s got a trip to Florida in April, and we’re trying to figure out a way for me to be able to join him! Eek! Our first trip together in over four years! Cross your fingers!

Friday update...

The days are getting more exciting. (I almost typed “by the day,” before I realized the redundancy. Then I commented on it, even though I had already self-edited. Weird.)

Gavi is getting SO much personality! Not only that, but he’s starting to get a sleep rhythm going, and I’m only getting up twice a night now. I could just sit and try to make that kid grin all day long!

But wait! There’s another awesome kid in this house! Caleb Zakai is so stinking cool that I really am having trouble picturing him getting any more grown up! He does things at two years of age that blow my mind! For instance, he’s a better vacuumer right now than I was when I was in my teens. Not an exaggeration, either ~ he never runs over the cord, and I would let him do my living room anytime. He obviously has troubles around edges and objects, but I figure those difficulties should fade within six months!

He’s really into opposites right now. He’ll do the commentary as we’re driving for as long as I can stand it. “UP!” “DOWN!” “DOWN!” “UP!” I finally end up trying to distract him with a rousing chorus of Jingle Bells or the alphabet song. Or by pointing out school buses. Those guys are tough to come by on weekends, though! His other favorites are sitting and standing, which he demonstrates every day on the edge of my bathtub. Love him!

Also, when I’ve read a book seventy or eighty times, I’m desperate to change it up a little. So I’ve started asking him what he sees on different pages of different books. I’m amazed at what he comes up with. Sometimes it’s an object like a clock or a train, sometimes it’s random, like dinosaur’s knees. And sometimes, it’s more conceptual, like “dark.” Or “mommy’s sad.” It really makes me curious about child development. I would love to know how certain connections are made in his mind. (And TODAY, 12/14, he started getting the one to one correlation. Yay, Auntie Alisa!)

Grandma and Grandpa Fashbaugh were just out again last week to celebrate an early Christmas. It was so fun! They were really wanting to see Gavi because at this age, they change by the day rather than by the month! It was great to get to see them again, and to watch Caleb enjoy Christmas presents. Last year was cool, but this year is going to be AWESOME!

This morning, Jonathan was on his way out the door, and we were gathered to see him off as we are wont to do. Usually, Caleb asks him if he’s going to work, then closes the door after he leaves. But today, he was getting ready to close the door when he asked, “Contracts?” It made us laugh, because the point of Jonathan’s job right now is to get contracts, but neither of us had said anything about it since the previous evening. He’s getting so smart!

And speaking of contracts, he’s already got four this month, and expects several more. My honey may very well tie his best month ever!

Gavi is just sitting here cooing at me. He’s really getting vocal – even little baby laughs! I LOVE IT! And because I don’t have to look at my fingers to type anymore, I can just look at him as I blog! I have to hurry though ~ Caleb should wake up any minute now!

As Gavi develops more personality and stays awake more during the day, I’m finding not only that things are more fun, but that I’m getting a lot less done! I’m going to make the adjustments, but it’s a tough thing to get used to. I can’t wait until Gavi can sit on his own. That will make things much easier. He’s really lifting his head when he’s on his tummy, though. That way he can see us even when I’m not holding him. I really do wish I could hold him all the time, but it’s not practical.

One more thing to note: Gavi is past the age now that Caleb was when I had to start taking him to daycare. All I can say is that God must have really showered me with grace to do that, because there is NO way I can do that with Gavi. I praise God every day that he’s made a way for me to stay home with these munchkins. Six months as a stay at home mom, and I can’t even fathom wanting to do anything else.

Except have more babies.