weekend wrap up

I don't like wrapping up the weekend. Sunday nights are my least favorite time of the week. We're exhausted from trying to fit in as much as we can (even if some of it is napping) into the weekend and we try to get to bed at a decent hour so Ben can get up for work early in the morning. Malakai never really cooperates with that and somehow I always forget to make Ben a lunch.

This past weekend was pretty full, but also pretty great. On Friday night we celebrated Kai's great-grandpa's birthday at a local pizza place. My grandparents have been in Hawaii for the past 7 weeks (I know, poor them) so it was great to see them again and we got showered with gifts. Meanwhile, Kai got passed around from great- aunt, to 2nd cousin, to great- uncle, to great-grand.

Saturday was generally lazy. We got up early with Malakai and played, then during his nap Ben played his video game and I looked at houses online and spent maybe 5 minutes trying to figure out our tax mess before giving up (again). I took a TON of photos of Malakai...

wearing one of Ben's baby shirts

 and holding the balloons that he sent to work for dada's birthday

          

... we took a nap, drove by some houses (3 of which out of the 4 were c.r.a.p.) and went to Red Robin to use Ben's birthday burger coupon (did you know they send you a coupon for a free burger every year if you join their bday club?...awesome), and came home full and sleepy to watch The Beatles, Help! which was a favorite of mine during my Beatles obsession in middle school.

Sunday we went to 1st service at 9am and were only a few minutes late. Malakai played with the other babes in the nursery for the second time. Had a break to socialize with some people in between services and then at 10:45am Malakai and I played in the nursery as it was my Sunday to volunteer. Ben came in to feed him a bottle about halfway through and we chatted about having him volunteer with me on a regular basis when he's not playing with the worship band.

Afterwards we headed out to my parents' house for the Super Bowl and a family birthday get together for Ben. His siblings couldn't make it, but his parents came and we ate way too much food (chips, 7 layer dip, carrots & ranch, pasta salad, birthday cake, ice cream, pizza....), watched the game (I only watched the commercials, and wasn't impressed), and stuck around for a little while afterwards. Malakai had another two person (a third would have been even better) blow out. Ben and I are so childish and end up giggling uncontrollably while trying to clean him up. He's so wiggly now that he ended up sticking his foot in his diaper and thus getting poo on every piece of clothing had been wearing. Luckily, I've learned my lesson and now pack two entire extra outfits wherever we go.

Ben & his birthday balloons 

G'Pa and Malakai

Once we got home we checked our email and finalized plans with our realtor to go see some houses this week (tonight!) and chatted til we fell asleep...and then an hour later woke up to feed Malakai again and get him to sleep....and so on and so forth...

choose laughter

oh. my. goodness!

Yesterday was a bit interesting and through it all I made the decision to take it all in stride. I chose laughter and joy over stress and anxiety. Having the power to choose my mood really made what could have been a rotten day into a funny and memorable experience.

It started out with my having to get myself and Kai ready and out the door for church all on my own. Ben had worship band practice and got a ride with a friend earlier that morning. We were going to first service at 9am (we usually stroll in to the second service at a much more reasonable 10:45am) and I don't get much practice at getting us out the door without Ben.

The sweetest boy was passed out and slept all morning while I got myself ready. I had one of those days that I know every woman is familiar with- I didn't feel great in anything I could find. I changed my outfit 3 times and stood in front of the closet trying on others with my imagination. I realized I needed to quit and just pick something so I could get us out the door in time.

Unfortunately I had to wake up Malakai to get him ready, I HATE waking my sleeping baby. I waited til the last possible moment, which was probably not a good idea since he didn't have time to wake up slowly. I got him dressed while he was still half asleep. When he did wake up he ended up kicking the canvas bin on the changing table onto the ground. Diapers, wipes, vitamins and more were strewn across the floor and under his crib.

I just laughed- and left it there. I had zero time to worry about picking it up. I just glanced over to make sure nothing was broken and leaking and went on my way.

I wish I had a video of how much I struggle with carrying his carseat and then getting it in to the car. We put his seat in the middle of the back as I've read that's the safest position in case of a side impact. It's also quite convenient for me to reach back when Ben is driving and calm him when he's mad. It is NOT convenient for getting him in and out of the car. I would post this video for you to sympathize, but mostly for you to laugh with me at how ridiculous my 5'2 frame must look lifting that 50lb thing so awkwardly.

Once we got to church I didn't have a hand free to take a bulletin from the door greeter so I told her to set it on Malakai's lap with a laugh. She grinned and complied. When I walked into the service Ben was coming my way and I immediately handed the carseat off to my much more capable husband. In doing so I noticed that the bulletin had flipped up and was stuck to Kai's face. We both had a good laugh at that one.

Fast Forward to later  in the afternoon. We had completed our errands and were hanging out with my family. MeMa was holding Kai in a standing position when he proceeded with the loooongest poo of all time. It sounded like a pot of water boiling over, for eternity.

Ben was across the house and had heard me cry out "it keeps going!" before I called him in to take care of it (for those of you that don't know, he changes almost all diapers when he's able because he's the best dad on the planet). Well- he ended up needing my help because the poo had gone all the way up to his neck...YES, HIS NECK! We've had blowouts before, but this one was epic.

We couldn't stop laughing...and yelling in panicked voices...and laughing some more.

poo. everywhere.

Ben stripped him down and tried to keep him still as he smiled and coo'd. I'm sure he felt much relief after letting go of all that!

 I was running around trying to figure out where to bathe him. Bath tub is too big, bathroom sink is too small, and the kitchen sink was full of dishes. My dad brought in a blue tub that was too dirty...I tried to scrub it and gave up. My mom emptied all the dishes out of the sink and cleaned it out while I rounded up towels.

Meanwhile- Ben's still holding a wriggling naked baby next to a pile of poopy clothes.

When we finally got the sink ready, Ben carried Malakai in and just as he lifted him up to hand him to me, pee. Little man peed on daddy's shirt and the kitchen floor. Of course, the laughter continued. Although, Ben's laughter was between grunts of irritation at being peed on.

Malakai LOVED taking a bath in the sink. I had the water going while he was in there and he kept trying to grab it. The cutest thing I've ever seen. My parents have one of those faucets with the detachable sprayer, so I started to use it to rinse Kai's back and he grabbed the faucet and tried to get it in his mouth!

We got some great pictures of his bath, but they're still on my mom's camera.

Of course, we always have an extra outfit in the diaper bag. However, later that evening he pooed through that one too. Standing on MeMa's lap in the exact same position as before. She's not allowed to hold him anymore.

So- we had a hilariously weird day and enjoyed our time with family despite the need for a whole bucket of oxiclean once we got back home.

and I lived to blog about it

I've had a doozy of a day and it's not even noon yet. Let me share my misfortune with you, yes? Misery loves company, so feel free to share your crap days with me if you find the time :p

A little background- Ben and I only have one car. I may have mentioned that before. Mommy mush-brain makes it impossible for me to remember things like that anymore. Anyway, so if I need to do anything that involves leaving the house during the day I have to take him to work at 7am. This morning we did that for the first time so I could have a SAHM date with a girl friend of mine this afternoon.

I got halfway back home and realized that I didn't have the housekey on my key chain and Ben had made a point of the fact that he wasn't bringing his keys since I was driving. It just so happened I had taken off the house key to put in my pocket when Kai and I went for a walk about a week ago and said key got buried underneath the mail sitting on the dining room table.

I checked the keyring at two stoplights before calling Ben. I knew he couldn't do anything since he didn't have a key, but I needed him to tell me what I should do. He said to call my dad.

My dad is also our landlord. He also works graveyard and lives 40 minutes away. I called his cell phone in hopes that he was in town still after getting off of work. No such luck, he was cozy in his pj's about to go to bed. ugh. I thought about the options- I could drive out there and have Henry's mom bring him to work and then pick him up when I got back to town, or I could watch Henry at their house and then go get the key after. My dad insisted on just coming back into town and saving us the trip. Saved by G'Pa.

So for the next 45 minutes I sat in the car with Malakai- who was THANKFULLY fast asleep and waited. I prayed that my dad would get there before Henry's dad dropped him off. How embarrassing to have to explain that Henry could wait with us in the car too? No thanks. I was never more happy to see my dad speeding up our road. He of course complained, and I made a peace offering of xbox live (they live in rural area sans high speed internet and G'Pa LOVES video games) but he wanted to get back to sleep.

Five minutes later Henry got dropped off and fell asleep immediately. I thought that my day could only get better. I went to feed Malakai in bed after changing him and when I picked him up discovered his very first up the back diaper BLOWOUT. Ew.

About a year ago when I was first pregnant I explained blow-outs to my childish husband who wouldn't stop snickering. I got him to agree to change each and every blow out upon Kai's arrival since he thought they were so humorous. He even shook on it. Unfortunately, daddy was 7 miles away. just.my.luck.

The poo soaked through his pj's onto the WHITE bedsheets, and when I had picked him up it was on my sleeve...which is actually my sister's sleeve. SHHH don't tell! I also had to change him on the floor in the living room because Henry was sleeping and I didn't want to wake him with Kai's coos in the nursery.

When I headed to the laundry room to start the wash I then discovered annoyance # 3 of the day...our utility sink where we bathe Malakai had been dripping. It usually does, but when we were bathing the boy I had cranked the faucet to the side and it was dripping onto the floor and my craft shelf. The paint on the shelf is artfully cracked (maybe I'll leave it in the rain to make the rest of it look antique-y) and the floor was soaked. freakin' great.

I sopped up as much as I could on my still empty stomach between attending to my fussing little guy.

Then Henry woke up and Malakai was hungry again at the same time. So I sat criss-cross-applesauce on the nursery floor and nursed Kai while rocking Henry in his carseat.

Then...the worst thing of all happened. The baby swing died. And there are no batteries in our house. I found myself swinging it with my foot to lull Henry to sleep and feeding Kai again. It didn't work, so I had to walk my son to sleep and place him in the carseat while I walked Henry to sleep.

Finally- peace and quiet. This day will get better right?