Sick Days

I recently read a quote (and I won't even try to cite it since I think I saw it on Facebook and it sounded like one of those requoted-so-often-the-original-source-is-buried type of things) that said, "What if we only had today what we thanked God for yesterday?" And I got to thinking of all of those unnoticed gifts that get buried by daily life. (And, then, as quick as that, life took over again.)

Tonight, after I got Caroline down, I was really looking forward to taking a shower and crawling into bed myself. No sooner than I was dressed for bed, I heard the unmistakable sound of...well, let's say a stomach bug doing it's thing, in our bedroom. Yes, poor Veronica is sick...again. We had just gone through one round of this with everyone but Freeman affected and I was so thankful for our regained health.

I got poor, sweet girl out of her bed and into the shower to get her clean enough to put back to sleep. As I was remaking her bed, I heard another unmistakable sound from the other side of the room. Oh, yes. Apparently our oldest two did a very effective job of sharing this bug.

So, over an hour after I was seconds from being in bed, I am hanging out at the computer, waiting to see if I am needed again...and remembering that quote. Don't get me wrong, I don't think God's in the business of taking away things immediately when we don't thank Him in this era of history. But, isn't it true that we recognize what we had more acutely when it's gone?

As I think of tomorrow, which will probably look a lot like this

(and I may even have to cancel our playdate for Wednesday)
I am going to work to be thankful in all things.

Sweet Caroline

With each of our kids, I've (somewhat inadvertently) come up with a song using their name. Basically, while trying to calm a screaming infant, I resorted to singing. As you will soon see, I am neither a great songwriter or singer.

Hamilton's song is to the tune of "Where is Thumbkin" and went something like this:
I love Hamilton; I love Hamilton. Yes, I do. Yes, I do.
I-I love, Hamilton; I-I love Hamilton. Yes, I do. Yes, I do.

Brilliant, no?

With Veronica, it became a bit of a duet, since I had Hamilton as a helper, so we developed a little ditty to the tune of O, Christmas Tree.
Veronica, Veronica, how are you, Veronica?
Veronica, Veronica, how are you, Veronica?
Are you tired, do you want to (and Hamilton says) sleep.
Are you hungry, do you want to (once again, Hamilton) eat.
Veronica, Veronica, how are you, Veronica?

As she got older, we changed the "how are you" to "we love you."

Now, not only do I have Hamilton to help out, we've got a budding choir (ha!). And, of course, what tune could we possibly pick other than "Sweet Caroline (ba, ba, ba). Enjoy! (and please ignore the craziness in the background)

I tried to cut the video in time to save your ears from some high pitch screaming. You are welcome!

The Smell

Ah, yes. I didn't actually reveal what the smell was. The receptionist was so kind and called me at home to update me. Apparently there was some work being done on the sewer down the street and the fumes from the sealant they were using was seeping up through the toilets. Not flammable and not really toxic (though the packaging does say to use in well ventilated areas). So, mystery solved!

And some unrelated pictures...

(Note: I just realized that Freeman posted some of these pics on his Facebook account last night...but they are already loaded, so please enjoy the duplicates.)

Sweet Sleeper (and yes, we need to take more of her!)

Climbing the Tire Tower at the Children's Museum to ring the bell

Contemplating his accomplishment (or surveying the beauty from the pinnacle?)

Happier on the ground (well, maybe in this picture, but don't let this monkey fool you)

At the park. Once again, my kids are the ones who eschew playground equipment for drums made of pipe caps and fallen sticks.

I love my scooter.

I think this is one of my favorites of Veronica so far. In her sweeter moments, this is definitely an expression you'll see.

Pure excitement.

The Dentist (and Fireman) are People in Your Neighborhood

Today was Veronica's first dentist appointment. Actually, it was just another one for Hamilton and I asked if they could do Veronica's first "appointment" at the same time. (Our dentist's office is great--they do an orientation appointment to just get kids used to the surroundings and people). But, for the official record book, today was the day. So I tried to prepare them: we checked out and read several dentist books, I talked up Hamilton's role in showing Veronica how it's done, and I brought the camera.

Boy am I glad I brought the camera.

We got there early so that the kids could enjoy all the cool toys. When the hygienist came out and called them back, Hamilton did a great job of leading the way and Veronica was happy to follow anything he did.

Now, I should mention that there was a bit of an odor at the office. I noticed it upon getting there, but assumed someone was getting a procedure done that used something with a smell (I had a root canal done this summer and there was something they put in my mouth that tasted like that smell). But, after the kids headed in, I heard the desk staff talking about the smell, so naturally, I asked about it.

And then this arrived...

Apparently, the fire department had been alerted to the smell and needed to come in and check it out.

This fireman went in and said hi to Hamilton while he was in the chair. He was also a little taken aback by my request to take his picture (but so kindly obliged).

Shortly thereafter, the kids were done with a "thumbs up" appointment and they came out to the waiting room to play some more while the firemen walked around inspecting. (Note: I was glad this appointment went well, because last time I got a "Your son doesn't want his teeth cleaned" message).

The patients with the dentist and hygienist...too busy checking out their new toothbrushes to smile.

As I walked to the counter to finish the paperwork, etc., the fire chief approached me and said, "We're just doing this as a precaution, but at this point, we are not sure where this smell is coming from and not sure whether or not it's flammable, so I am going to have to ask you to please put on the kids coats and leave."

Um, yes, I'll get my things and go.

Although we did get this photo with the fire truck:

my city kids' reactions to waiting for the bus next to 4 fire trucks, an ambulance, several police cars, etc. was more like this:

Oh to grow up in the city!

Resemblance?

Hamilton at 32 days

Caroline at 39 days

Like Chicago Weather

Friends have been asking how we are doing (and I am so touched by how many people are remembering us). I've told a few people that it feels like I was used to juggling two balls, and now I've got three; I have a sense of how it should all work, but it's taking a lot more energy and focus than it used to.

I have a new analogy now--we're kinda like Chicago weather. Some moments are like that first spring day where everyone's out on the lake path--the older two are playing well together, Caroline's content, the house isn't sticky, and dinner's going to make it onto the table. Other moments are like late February when the snow has turned brown and frozen over and there's the realization that there may be months more of this. I won't go into what that looks like in our house, but I am sure you can imagine.

The nice thing is that, like Chicago weather, if you wait a few moments the temperature will likely change.

This analogy came to mind because that's exactly what happened with the weather today. We woke up to a day that was grey and wet. I began to go through my mental list of ways to keep both Hamilton and Veronica engaged and active. At about 9 am, I was prepping the materials for a hallway-relay-race, I looked up and could not believe what I saw. The sun was shining and the sky was blue! I ran to the computer to check the temperature; it was 58 degrees. I literally called out, "Children, socks, shoes...quickly!" Within 5 minutes (possibly a new record), we were out the door and to the park. Yes, it was wet, but who knows how many more park visits we will get before snow and ice (and who knows when the next meltdown will occur).

It was a little tricky taking pics of sweet Caroline, since she was strapped to me. She instantly fell asleep when we stepped outside. I think she enjoyed the fresh air as much as the rest of us.

Hamilton forwent the playground equipment for more natural diversions, such as autumn leaves and puddles.

I think in this last picture he's saying something like, "Mom, my shoes are off because they are wet. "

Veronica was racing motorcycles and loving it. In fact, none of the pictures did it justice, so here's a video.

You'll notice a the end that it no longer looks sunny or calm. In fact, about 2 minutes after that recording, we loaded up into the stroller and headed for cover before we got what felt like freezing rain. (And, as I type this, later the same day, it is officially 37 degrees in Chicago--a whole 20 degrees colder).

So back to the analogy--we couldn't count on that sun staying out forever (or even all morning). Likewise, the relative calm in our house didn't last either (once again, I won't bore you with the details, but trust me, chaos would be an appropriate descriptor). But I am learning to be thankful for the moments we do have and remembering that the chaos (and winter) won't last, either.

Meeting Caroline

How can I pitch this video with poor lighting, awkward angles, and fuzzy sound...?

Well, it is kinda funny...if you like watching little children run around in dim hallways.

And, it's sorta cute...if you can understand toddler mumbling.

Actually, it's the type of clip you can probably skim through and get the idea, but I haven't yet figured out all of the nuances of iMovie, so I didn't edit it much. (I give you complete permission to "watch" while surfing other sites; you'll still hear all the confused excitement and get a sense of the active-ness of our household).

As a sidenote, do any other moms out there notice that snapshots seem to portray an activity as much calmer and more organized than it actually was? No, just me? Great!

Why post it, then, you ask? I am guessing there's a grandparent or two (or four) who would like to see this and what the grandparents want, they get.

Note: If you'd like to travel down memory lane and watch Hamilton meeting Veronica for the first time, check this out).

Caroline Noor Whitney

Almost a month later...

Caroline Noor Whitney was born on her due date, October 3, at 9:52 pm and weigh 8 lbs 3 oz and was 21.5 inches long.

Less than 7 hours before her arrival, before heading to a routine appointment, Freeman asked, "So what are the chances we'll be sent over to triage to have this baby from the appointment?" I very assuredly answered that there was little-to-no (emphasis on the no) chance we'd have the baby that night. How's that for a lesson in humility!

And, really, God's timing was perfect. My dad was watching the kids while Freeman and I went to the appointment--and was so great to stay the night with them when we realized I wasn't coming home. (If you've ever spent time with two energetic toddler/preschoolers, you know that's no small task). Freeman's mom came up the next day and stayed for several days to help with the transition (once again, no small task). We are so grateful to both of them! And, to be honest, if we'd been at home, I am not sure we would have made it to the hospital in time--let alone with Oompah there to babysit.

She has been a sweet, calm, easygoing little baby so far (though she does like to be held and cries a bit when she's alone in the bedroom). Really, for her safety, I wear her in my Moby sling a good part of many days. She does spend some time hanging out on the couch and seems to like watching shadows. Of course, her laying on the couch is an open invitation for lots of love and interaction with Hamilton and Veronica, but she doesn't seem to mind (in fact, today, Hamilton's presence calmed her down from crying--hooray!).

Ready to go home!

2 weeks old

Seeing how I haven't taken many pictures of her since this point--I'd better get on it!

And One Makes Three

I know that we have been delinquent in posting anything about our sweet Caroline (and thank you to those who have "reminded" me--I really do appreciate it). And for those of you who are thinking, "Poor third child," please know that she's probably been held/strapped to me more than the other two combined (mostly for protection) and part of the reason this is so delayed is because I am so in love with her (and have fallen in love again with the other two) that I choose snuggling during the rare times it is quiet enough around here to compose a post. Oh, and I still have mommy brain and the idea of composing a sentence, let alone a post sounds trickier than a #29 bus ride to Navy Pier with 3 3-and-under kids!

I'll get to work on a "Meet Caroline" post shortly (really), but wanted to post a couple of pictures and highlights of life with three.

Our three sweet monkeys. No doubt that life is a bit crazy right now, but we sure do thank God for them and love them to pieces.

Sweet Sisters

Some of the memories that stick out about Veronica and Caroline in these first few weeks are:

• One might think that Caroline's name is Olivia if going by what Veronica says most around her. She very emphatically repeats "O of oo!" while getting closer and closer and showering her sister with kisses (notice the movement in the first photo). She's not saying her name, she's saying "I love you." It melts my heart every time, even as I am trying to protect Caroline from her "love."
• She's pretty sure whenever Caroline is in the touchdown baby position (you know, with the arms as goal posts), that her sister is asking her for a high five. And she is happy to oblige. In fact, she insists on it...several times a day.
• She brings me diapers, blankets, and toys for Caroline--such the helper.

Big Brother

Initial memories of Hamilton with Caroline:

• He uses a very staccato pronunciation of her name: Car-O-Line.
• He asks to hold her about a dozen times a day...and I try to let him as much as possible. He's actually pretty good at it (enough so that I can capture some quick pictures, but not enough for me to be further away than arm's reach).
• That first photo is of him when Caroline got a bit fussy. He's obviously been watching me because I use my pinky to calm my doesn't-want-a-pacifier-but-wants-to-suck baby.
  
• That second photo captures how he looks at her--you can just see the love.
• She's the first thing he wants to see every morning.
• edited to add: How could I forget my favorite Hamilton/Caroline memory thus far. Hamilton loves saying things like, "Baby Caroline, you are so sweet/wonderful/amazing/special." The other day he started in with "Baby Caroline, you are so sweet." Then he got a thoughtful look on his face and added, "But not delicious."
  

More to come!

Veronica and the New Bed

So, I suspect that most of the couple of people who tune in here know that Freeman and I moved into a one-bedroom condo back in 2003 when we got married...and that we're still here (and I should actually do a separate post on that sometime because I am sure we'll want to remember how it all worked out--someday). So, when we started sharing that we were expecting another little baby in early October this year--it wasn't a surprise when the #1 question was, "So, you are moving now...right?" Long story short, after some (ok, a lot of) praying, thinking, discussing, and researching, Freeman and I came back to each other with two realizations. #1-A move was not a good move right now and #2 -We both felt that God was using our situation to teach us more about contentment.

That left us with the challenge of finding sleeping space for all of us in the bedroom. Unfortunately, they don't make toddler-bed sized bunk beds (and Freeman doesn't have experience welding). After playing around with several twin-sized stacking options (trundle, bunk, trundle/bunk), we realized there was no ideal option. But, we knew something would work out--and it didn't have to be ideal to work.

In the end, we found a toddler bed that looked remarkably like Hamilton's and after some excellent planning/moving by Freeman--we now officially have sleeping arrangements for 5!

We also have a toddler who is no longer a little baby sleeping in her own bed. I wish I could capture her little satisfied smile when she wakes up from her nap and walks into the room and announces, "Hi!" But, I did capture a snap of our sleeping sweetie during nap #1 (with her bunny blanket and water bottle--sleeping necessities).

What to Do When Momma's Cleaning the Floor

I had to get the floor cleaned today. I'd like to blame it on the nesting urge, but the reality is that it's been too embarrassingly long since I had last tackled it. The floor was getting sticky enough that it was getting hard to use the dust mop (how's that for keeping it real?). I decided to go full-force and move all the furniture and do as thorough a job as I possibly could--which meant Hamilton and Veronica had some new furniture arrangements to play with.

First, they ate their morning snack under the dining table (the chairs were inaccessible and I asked them to sit there to contain the crumbs to a place that wasn't already clean). It became their hide-out and they played some sort of peek-a-boo game after they were done eating.

Soon, their hide-out was stormed by a floor cleaning momma and they had to find somewhere else to play. No worries, our couches can easily be converted into a ship!

Hamilton wanted his red blanket as a roof and decided that the couch cushion made a perfect seat belt (something he's very interested in since we rarely have the opportunity to use them). Veronica looks a little tired (she's having a mix of caffeine-free, sugar-free iced tea and water).


We turned on some sailing music and they watched me getting the rest of the house done!


They did such a great job that we headed up to our building's roof deck after the floors were all done to enjoy a little "picnic" lunch. (Ok, who am I fooling...I was also motivated by the thought of not having to sweep the floor of breadcrumbs so soon after having just finished).

And now on to naps and rest time!

Impromptu Beach Day

According to Google Maps, the 12th Street Beach is 1.7 miles from our house. Actually, that's the walking distance; as the bird flies, it would be just under a mile. So you'd think that we'd have actually visited the beach at some point. Nope. Part of it is I have a hard time just relaxing for long periods of time (ask Freeman). I like doing things with a purpose. But really, the main reason is I don't know how I would manage two little ones--who almost always want to go in different directions--with Lake Michigan right there.

So, last Saturday Freeman takes Hamilton out for a bike ride while Veronica and I spend some quality time at home (unloading dishes, sweeping--yeah, I am the fun one!). I get a call that they made an impromptu stop at Oak Street Beach and that Hamilton was loving it. So, Veronica and I pack it up and head up to meet them for some fun beach action.

Hamilton playing in the sand as we arrived. He had found a clear plastic cup and turned it into his own mini-lake with sand, water, and things I wouldn't feel completely comfortable touching.

The kids were really excited about going into Lake Michigan. They were fascinated by the waves and sea weed. There weren't too many photos of all of this, though, given that I was always holding onto one of them (and yes, that is a t-shirt and skirt--what can I say).

Hamilton practicing his swimming while Veronica's waiting for the next wave.

We would have probably stayed all afternoon, but off in the distance, we saw this:
Though the beach volleyball crew seemed unfazed, we decided to call it a day and avoid the downpour. Even though our impromptu beach day was cut a bit short, I would call it a success and suspect we'll aim for another one before the season is out. Yay for fun family time!

Fouth of July Parade

One thing I love about our neighborhood is that within 1/3 of a mile, there are 3 playgrounds. Within 1/2 a mile, there are 5 or so. If you take into account parks without the play equipment, you can add another 3 or 4 to the mix. So there is no shortage of places to go and enjoy the outdoors and meet up with friends.

Last week, we made plans to meet up for a playdate with Megan and Ryan at one of the playgrounds. Then we found out there was a small "parade" being planned for a neighboring park space. How fun! My friend, Jessica (Ryan and Megan's mom), was kind enough to bring a scooter for Hamilton to decorate and ride in the parade. The organizing moms were so well prepared with everything from streamers to sparkly paper to festive snacks. So impressive!

The Starting Line

Hamilton--Ready to Go

And They're Off--I was pretty impressed with how well spaced they were (for a while)

Hamilton Upon Return

I just wanted to show how well decorated some of the other "floats" for the parade were. (You are welcome to refer to Hamilton's picture above for a comparison. These girls really put some time into making their bikes beautiful. He wanted some streamers that would fly in the wind--and he was off!)

Although Veronica did not seem interested in the actual parade, she was dressed for the occasion and thoroughly enjoyed the picnic lunch afterward.

Between the Capri Sun and the Strawberry/Blueberry/Marshmallow Kabobs that another mom brought, Hamilton never wanted to leave!

I am not so sure there was much about our nation's history communicated through this activity, but it sure was a fun way to spend a morning.