This was my last full week alone with Caleb since after one half day on Monday (thanks to a “blue snow day” we had when the Royals won the World Series), Jordan is HOME for the summer! Hip hip hurray! I can’t wait for slow mornings, family walks, house projects, and all sorts of summer adventures. It will be so sweet! For now, here’s a few updates from our last week of the school year.
1) Long Car Rides And Delicious Donuts
Since Caleb isn’t on a schedule as much as a general routine, it’s a bit challenging to make it to events with a specific start time like church. We’ve found ourselves doing a lot of extra driving to extend those carseat naps as we go from place to place on Sundays. Maybe my favorite part of this new routine of figuring out naps on the go? We’ve started spending Sunday mornings before church at Doughnut Lounge, a new donut shop right down the road from church. Caleb naps in his carseat while we eat delicious donuts and coffee, we feed him right before church starts, then get there just in time for him to sleep in our arms. I’m sure this routine will shift soon enough as his naps spread out, but for now I love that time with my hubby (and I loooove some yummy doughnuts!).
2) Spring Thunderstorms
We’ve had some typical spring weather here in KC, which means lots of rain and a few good storms. Our sweet girl Olive has SUCH a hard time with the storms. She starts shaking and panting at the first rumble of thunder and doesn’t calm down until it’s over. It breaks my heart to see her so scared! Do any of you pet owners have suggestions of how to calm her? We recently got her a thunder-shirt and we try out best to stay calm and snuggle her but it’s so, so sad to see her so anxious. This picture below is her hiding by our bed (and the water bowl I brought her). So pitiful!
3) Sweet Baby Coos
Caleb has officially found his little voice and it is SO sweet. In the mornings after he eats he’ll sit on my legs and just coo and coo. Those sweet little noises make me so excited for when I get to hear that voice putting words to the thoughts in his little head. He’s also a big fan of seeing his own reflection (or at least all the lights and shapes in the mirror). I walked into our bathroom and he went from fussy to calm and curious about his own reflection. I love all his little grins and facial expressions and love watching his personality unfold. Our little chats like this throughout the day are my favorite and I never want to forget how sweet he is during them.
I’d say this picture is a pretty accurate glimpse into what my mornings look like these days. Yoga pants and flannels for dayyyyys.
4) Yummy Recipes
Like I said in last week’s post, I have been all about the crockpot lately. This week I tried two new recipes: spinach black bean enchiladas from Real Simple and chicken cacciatore from Slender Kitchen. I had to modify the enchiladas recipe to add some more tortillas and salsa, but all in all, they were both a success! This week reminded me how much I love cooking yummy food for the hubby and I to eat and I’m excited to get back in the kitchen to try some new recipes.
5) Not Fun Mama Jobs
Since Caleb is getting over a nasty bout of bronchitis and pneumonia, we’ve had to give him medicine twice a day in a syringe for the last week or so. Y’all, it is the WORST. For the first week, he cried and cried every time we did it and I had to squeeze his little cheeks to give him fish lips to make him actually swallow it. Adding to that, he has started to “discover” his hands and likes to rub his face with them. Within about 12 hours he managed to scratch his face three times. I tried to trim his little nails and accidentally cut his finger, making him scream and me about burst into tears (I’ve decided he can just wear gloves until he’s old enough to not scratch his own darn face – that’s reasonable, right?). I know that part of being a mom is doing these things for his good, even when he doesn’t like them, but MAN is it no fun.
Oh how awesome that Jordan is home for summer and you guys can get more family time in, that’s so wonderful!
Loving your couple time before church too, that is super precious.
Awful as it sounds, have you thought about mild sedatives for Olive during storms? Vets can prescribe pills for dogs with anxiety, and storms are one of the most common reasons for these prescriptions.
Awwww, yoga pants and flannel are fine because you know what, you’ve got that sweet little man to take care of, and you look awesome in it, so rock it!
Those recipes sound delicious. I think the slow cooker will be getting a workout soon here too. Cannot believe I’ve only got seven weeks left.
Have you tried tearing or nibbling his nails instead? My SIL accidentally did the same thing to my niece, and my brother now has nail trimming duty! I’m not going to lie, this is something I worry about too.
Is Caleb on the mend now?
xxx
Cutting baby nails are THE WORST. I really thought Aiden was going to lose a finger one time because he jerked awake mid-cut. And yay for relaxing Sunday’s with donuts before church!!
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The thunder shirt and the doggie Xanax helps Satchel. We have to be prepared for the 4th.
That last picture of little Caleb looks like he is mean-mugging you so bad! Were you coming at him with the nail clippers again?!?! Too precious 🙂
I think every mom snips her baby’s finger at least once. It’s like a right of passage. Do you have scissors or the little clippers? Trimming Bensen’s nails is an olympic event, and everyone keeps telling me the scissors are the easiest but I swear by the clippers.
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I’m sure summers from here on out will include lots of fun family memories. And donut dates for the win!
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I’m TERRIFIED to cut Selah’s fingernails!! I haven’t spilled any blood yet, but her quick movements make it so hard to be careful. Someone once told me to cut their fingernails while they’re asleep…and I’m over here like YEAH RIGHT, I’m going to let that baby sleep! Also, I’m super pumped for your Sunday routine. It sounds like you guys are really in a sweet spot (ha! get it?) with your Sunday mornings. Those donuts look divine!
Ha YES that’s my thought too! No chance I’m doing that while he sleeps. I did it right when he woke up from his morning nap when he was really snuggly and calm this morning and it was a success! Jordan and I are officially letting him out of “mitten jail” and letting him sleep with his hands free now. He’s a much happier camper! 🙂
Oh my gosh, the fingernails! I was SO PROUD of myself because I cut all of Jackson’s fingernails the other day! I sneak in when he’s napping and start cutting them! I can usually get through a few before he realizes what’s happening and starts moving. It’s so hard though! I have these clippers with lights on the sides and they are AWESOME! I don’t think I could cut his nails without them! Last time I cut his nails, I got one in every day, so by the time I finished his 10th finger, all the other nails were long again! I had no idea it’d be so hard! Jackson is on a routine too. I know he wakes up around the same time, but occasionally he wakes up later or earlier and then our entire day is off by an hour or so. I feel like it works great, but lately he has been wanting to stay awake when we go places so it is really messing up his naps and we’re ending up with a fussy baby way more than I would like in the evenings! I LOVE that mirror picture! Caleb has SO MUCH HAIR! He looks like such a tiny man to me with all that hair! And those faces! Ah! Jackson has such cute little faces and smiles and he coos and babbles nonstop now! It is the best thing ever! I am really loving this time with him, even though I can’t wait until he stops eating every 3 hours during the day! Haha. I think I have awhile for that… But the rest of this time is so nice! Now that he sleeps all night, he wakes up soooo happy in the mornings and I can barely even feed him sometimes because he is smiling so much! And he goes to town eating his fingers and fists and licking his bib! I think I give him 129980 million kisses a day! I am sure having Jordan home is going to be WONDERFUL for this summer! I really cherish days with Jon more than I ever thought I would! It makes a world of difference having somebody at home! I can run errands alone and I have somebody to help feed him so I can get things done and really enjoy the time just hanging out with him. It breaks up the monotony of this phase. And spending time as a family now is even better than before Jackson joined us!
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Ha I love all the little faces and coos too! It’s so cute to see their little personalities come out. Caleb has slept great the last few nights now that he’s feeling better and I’m hoping that bad nights will start to just be an occasional thing from here on out. Fingers crossed! And I definitely hear you on being excited for them to spread out feedings. Caleb pretty much ate every two hours up until the last week or so and it’s been so nice to have him stretch that out a little!