What is "normal"?

I had my six-week postpartum check up today. I've officially been released to resume normal activity. This got me to thinking about what normal is for me now. I'm not really sure. Adding an additional family member means that my "normal" now is different than what my "normal" was pre-pregnancy. Before my pregnancy, I could pretty much go to bed whenever I wanted and get up whenever I wanted. I could exercise when I felt like it. Now I'm at the mercy of not just one toddler, but a three-year old (well next week anyway) and a newborn. I sleep when I can and have no idea how to fit exercise into my schedule. It won't be hard on the days that Clayton is home, but on the rest of the days... I just have no idea.

It's funny how we talk about being "normal" when it is such a fluid concept. It is always changing because life and our circumstances are always changing. No two days are the same. No two moments are the same. So how do we gauge what normal is?

I guess we'll find out what our family's new "normal" is. Only to have it change again in May when Clayton finishes school and is home every evening.

Potty Training - The Bane of My Existence

I've decided that Andrew will be in diapers until he's in high school... At least as long as he lives at home. He just doesn't seem to care. He knows he has to go potty, but instead of going to the bathroom, he potties in his pants and then tells me he pottied. When he does go into the bathroom, about half the time he potties in his pull-ups while playing with something in the bathroom. The thing that frustrates me is that he will potty for others. He went to a friends house yesterday and was gone longer than I had figured. I didn't send any extras. I figured he'd come home either in a diaper or else soaking wet. Nope. Bone dry. 7 hours and no accidents. I don't get it. I'm sure a lot of it is his way of acting out his jealousy of Luke and the time we give him. But he's going to be 3 in two weeks. All his friends are completely potty trained. *sigh* We've tried everything. Rewards like pennies or M&Ms. Consequences like losing toys or tv time or throwing out the cool big boy undies he picked out. Nothing works. I guess he doesn't really value anything. He has no problem giving up his toys or throwing out his undies.

I'm hoping that someday he'll get it and do it. Until then... My patience is wearing thin. And so is our supply of pull-ups!

Luke

Luke is our little miracle. It took us nearly a year of trying, crying, doctor appointments and medication to conceive him. He's only been with us for a few short weeks, but I love him very much. He's a handsome little guy who loves to be held and snuggled. He makes the cutest little faces, of which my favorite is his surprised look - eyebrows raised, wide eyes and his mouth in a small "O" shape. He loves to be rocked and have a song sung to him. He can sleep through anything...seriously...even aunts, uncles, grandparents and parents screaming at the top of their lungs all together. I love his dark hair and inquiring eyes. I hope he keeps both. He's starting to imitate our facial expressions a little bit. I love to hold his little hands and stroke his chubby little cheeks. He's getting so big so fast. I look forward to seeing what kind of a boy and then man he turns into. I just hope it doesn't happen too fast.

Andrew

So, being a new mother of two, I've been feeling a little bit overwhelmed and frustrated. So as a bit of an attitude adjusment, I decided what better way to appreciate what I have than to talk about it. So I'm going to talk about what I love about my kids to help me remember what I love about them.

Andrew's my little fire ball. He's as smart as they come. When people hear him talk, they think he's four, not two. He started putting three- and four-word sentences together before he was two. He's already telling stories and he can remember things he heard or talked about two or three weeks ago. That also means that we have to be VERY careful what we say around him. He's been very healthy overall. We've had a couple of problems with his teeth, but I've only had him to the doctor a couple of times since he was born because of being sick. He's super social and loves to play with other kids. He loves going to nursery, which is a blessing for me. We don't have to worry about having him crying and wanting to stay with one of us. He ALWAYS says the blessing on the food. He won't let anyone else do it. He also always remembers to say his prayers at night. He's recognized Jesus Christ's picture since he was 9 months old. He's definitely going to be a spiritual giant if I can teach him what he needs to know. Any time I am sad and crying, he'll come up and give me a hug and ask me to not be upset anymore. No matter how many times he gets in trouble, he always tells me he loves me. He loves to sing songs and, for a two-, nearly three-year old, he's got some pretty good rhythm. I also love the fact that he loves to read stories. If someone will read to him, he'll sit there quiet for hours listening to them. He can also remember how a story goes after hearing it once and will call you out if you miss something or mess something up. He has the cutest smile and the goofiest sense of humor and totally cracks me up when I take time to notice him. I love him very much and and blessed to have him in my life.

Pay It Forward

This is how it works: Pay It Forward Exchange is based on the concept of the movie "Pay It Forward". I will send a hand made gift to the first three people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join the PIF exchange. All the gifts will be made and posted out 'sometime within the next year'. How exciting to not know when your surprise package will arrive! What you need to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. This Exchange is only open to those with active websites or blogs. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PROMISE TO POST THIS SAME 'PAY IT FORWARD' MESSAGE ONTO YOUR BLOG, WHICH MUST BE ACTIVE IN ORDER TO PLAY. YOU WILL PAY IT FORWARD TO THREE PEOPLE WHO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG. I'd love for you to join me! Will you? Other comments are welcome, but only the first three will be my Pay It Forward recipients. Come and join me. Who doesn't love a gift or giving gifts???