(More than) Fourinarow.net

My mom commented to me yesterday that I hadn’t posted anything other than pictures lately.  Very true.  One of my excuses is that I have yet to become proficient at one-handed typing.  The other is… life.

For example, here’s what my day has been like so far:

Wake at some unGodly hour to feed baby.
Doze with baby in lap.
Set baby down and tumble out of bed around 6.
Feed dog.
Escort dog outside to do her duty.  (Escort required to prevent barking.)
Put lunches together for Jack and Maria.
Replace toilet paper roll in upstairs bathroom and discover toy soldier stuffed inside new roll. (?!?)
Get together goggles, towels and extra clothes in anticipation of swim lessons.
Wake children that are not already running crazily throughout the house.
Feed children.
Feed baby.
Load car with children, swim supplies, stroller and a bunch of other crap.
Head to pool.
Get Jack and Maria started in swim lessons and settle in to wait with two little boys and baby.  FUN.
Hustle Jack and Maria into dressing room to change while waiting for little boys to start their lessons.
Get little boys started and run to van with Jack, Maria and baby.
Tell Maria to stop crying about her hair.
Rush to school for Catholic Camp.
Arrive at camp (late because of swimming) and pass kids off to a mom who is insanely volunteering for the week.
Rush back to pool before little boys finish lessons and find me missing.
Get drenched with baby in rain on way into pool.
Stand in rain waiting for boys.
Grab boys, towels, flip flops and shirts and hustle home with crying, wet, hungry baby in tow.
Throw blue-lipped, freezing little boys into showers.  (Separate showers, ’cause Sam hogs all the water.)
Change and feed baby.
Try to get baby to sleep.  Unsuccessfully.
Give up and pop baby into vibrating chair.
Prepare to complete day 8 of my 30 Day Shred.
Find “The Wild” in the DVD player instead of Jillian Michaels.
Search for JM DVD.
Search EVERYWHERE for JM DVD.
Get angry because I can’t find JM DVD.
Finally find DVD.
Spend 20 minutes shredding while Luke entertains baby and Sam pokes him in the face.
Complete workout.
Try to put baby down for a nap.
Order little boys downstairs to play.
Jump in shower.
Exit shower to crying baby and Sam saying, “Mom is going to be MAD!”
Dry off while anticipating the tattle that is coming.
Dress while Sam tells me that there is Silly Putty all over the remote and Luke yells from downstairs that it was an accident.
Request delivery of putty covered remote.
Dry hair.
Settle baby.
Put in a load of laundry.
Feed lunch to little boys.
Sit down only to have Luke ask for a movie to be put in.
Go down to basement to put in movie (sans remote).
Get hunted down by Sam announcing that there is a spider in his room.
Tromp upstairs, followed by both boys, to dispose of spider.
Watch boys head down to watch movie and anticipate a short break.
Go back downstairs (upon request) to back movie up, as Luke missed the beginning due to the spider incident.
Work on cleaning remote and discover that Silly Putty bonds permanently to rubber remote buttons.

Whew!  Just half a day to go!

He’s got the mischievous look going, no?

All of the kids love their new brother. But, I think Luke is the most attached to him.

Luke loves to play with him when he’s alert and iIt’s Luke that talks to him and entertains him when he starts to get fussy.

I love listening to the stories he tells Andrew.

I was treated to my first concert last night.  (Andrew was in the audience with me.)

Thank goodness for digital cameras!  I would spend a small fortune on film and prints with the number of clicks it takes me to get something relatively decent.

In lieu of one of my usually outstanding posts, some pics from the last couple of weeks…

Are these not the cutest things ever?

So you can really see the size, here they are next to Jack’s flip flops:

I know… totally impractical and will probably never be worn (except maybe once for show).  But for $2.50, how could I not indulge?  Especially when they match his new swim suit and hat

Yesterday, before heading out with the baby, I went through my diaper bag/purse to make sure I had plenty of baby supplies.  I found in there several newborn sized diapers.

And I wanted to cry.  At over 10 lbs., Andrew has outgrown these tiny diapers.  So much so, that it’s hard to believe he wore them just a few weeks ago.

He is growing too fast for me.  I love snuggling with him, chest to chest.  And I love all of his squeaky baby noises.  And how he can sleep just about anywhere.

Already he is staying awake more and paying more attention to his surroundings.  He even smiled for me the other day, which thrilled me, but again made me sad.

I look around at all the other babies born to the preschool moms this year and can’t believe how big they all are.    I know that, come the return of school, they’re all going to think the same about Andrew.

Maybe I should become a nanny for newborns only.   Accept them for just the first four months or so.  Then I could have a steady stream of itty-bitty baby-ness and I wouldn’t be so sad to see Andrew grow.

Yesterday, on the way home from school, Luke, Maria and Jack were struggling with one another in the back seat of the van.  Come to think of it, it wasn’t just yesterday afternoon.  It was yesterday morning, too.  And the afternoon before that.  And the morning before that and… Well, you get the picture.

(Loudly, so as to be heard) I asked them what they were going to do when we go to Grandma’s house next, as it is a 5+ hour drive and so far they can’t even manage the 3 minutes to and from school.  Jack said they’d watch movies.  (I don’t know how this is going to keep them off of each other, but whatever).

Sam, however, said something interesting.  “We can’t ever go to Grandma’s again,” he announced.  “Why not?”  I asked.  “Because the baby can only cry and poop and drink!” he said.

“So?” was my reply.  (Clever, I know.)

“We would have to stop and stop and stop and stop,” Sam said.

Yes.  Well.  I guess he has a point.  It may take a lot longer to get there.  And I may need to have a few (hundred) drinks upon arrival, but I don’t think the baby is going to keep us from visiting Grandma.

I can’t believe it.  Andrew is one month old today.  Already!

He’s up to 10 lbs. 4 oz., give or take a little, so he’s chunking up nicely.