my babies

Chancellor is getting so big! She's 14 1/2 months old. I just tried to see if she wanted to pee on her new little toilet, but it really scared her. She asked to put her diaper back on. And she HATES having her diaper on. She loves watvhing Yo Gabba Gabba, because it and she are just so awesome. She dances all day long! Anytime she hears music, she starts dancing. And she's talking now, too! Here are the words she says well enough for me and Aaron to understand:
dog
mama
papa
grandpa
grandma
grandad
aaron
katie
alek
cat
horse
up
more
peek a boo
roll
cheese
cookies
bottle
diaper
poop
bath
that
gabba
baby
broccoli
prayer
amen




Aleksandr is 1 1/2 months old. He's such a good sleeper!!! He's getting big and chubby, and still had a nice round bald head. He sleeps. He eats. Sometimes he's awake for a little while. But mostly he just sleeps and grows. His cardiologist thinks he's okay. He said the nerve that slows the heart down is more mature than the nerve that speeds the heart up, and that this usually corrects itself before his first birthday. He sleeps with me at night, and is getting really good about not eating too much while I'm sleeping. Once I've fallen asleep, he eats twice and needs one diaper change. Other than that, it's peaceful sleeping for us both! He's getting better at smiling and every now and then he'll make eye contact with me. He likes to look at the blinds when thy're closed, nice contrasting stripes.




My babies are growing up so fast! It's really fun watching them learn and grow every day.

Too busy to be grateful??

Seriously. I am soooo busy. Two kids is A LOT! I like to kinda try to do as much parenting as I can without any help, to prepare myself for when I'm not surrounded by extra adults. Chancellor just will not let you ignore you. Ever. She is happy and loud and energetic and always wants you to play with her. Alek is still new, and cries and sleeps and needs to be held. When I'm lucky, I get two showers a week, but it's usually just one. I make food for Chance 3 times a day. I make food for me and Aaron three times a day. I literally MAKE FOOD for Alek, about 8 times a day. I try to clean, but find that my children always need me right when I start. I was going to start learning to belly dance via fitTV, but I only got to do a couple episodes before that routine was ruined. Every moment of every day is taking care of children.

I used to want to write. I guess I still do. Everybody wants to do something. Write, dance, sing, paint, run, whatever. Everyone wants to be really good at something. I wanted to be a really good screenwriter. It's often hard for me to realize that the thing I'm really good at is being a mom. For some reason motherhood tends to not fit into the same category as things people get paid for.

But most of all it's just hard to stay positive while I'm living with my parents. It really sucks having no way to support my family. I want my own home! It's not fun being the mother in a family of four, and having your own parents leave you chore lists and tell you to wash dishes. In MY house, it's okay to leave the dishes dirty for a while so I can have a little moment to play with my kids, or maybe even relax. It's really hard to remember that this isn't my house. It's hard to remember that I am sooo lucky to have parents this nice. And as much as I want to run my life the way I would if I weren't living with them, I need to keep remembering that they're being nice enough to support my family in our timeof need, and I should just go ahead and empty the dishwasher.

back in the day

Aaron had long, sometimes black, hair. I had short, sometimes blonde, hair. We had no babies. We had more money than we do now. We went on dates. We saw movies at the expensive theatre. We had little responsibility and nothing to do. it was REALLY FUN!!!

This is Aaron and I almost 3 years ago. His hair looks so girly! I think he looks prettier than me in this picture.

The rest of the pictures are from about 2 years ago. This one is Aaron playing his bass in his old room. Or wait, is that one just a regular guitar? Whatever it is, he was getting pretty good. Behind him, on the wall, is a picture I made for him with some inks. I made him a lot of pictures back then.

All I know about this one is that it's us, and on the sofa in my parents' living room.

It's hard to tell, but my hair was REALLY short. I would like it that color again. I enjoy my dark dark hair. Maybe somebody will buy me two boxes of hair dye someday. hint hint.

Anyway, just wanted to show some pictures I guess. Life sure was fun before kids came along. I think it might be fun to be childless again for just ONE day. But I think I'd miss them too much to ever really be able to do it. Oh well, i guess liking my kids isn't the worst thing in the world.

Sweet New Baby...

Alek came home from the hospital last Monday. He has been home with us for one week now, and it is so much fun! At night he sleeps with me on our sofa, and Chancellor sleeps with aaron on the bed. Someday I'd love to get a bigger bed so we can all fit on there together. (of course, a little bed just for Chancellor would be just fine, if she can ever sleep through the night).





Chancellor loves her little brother! That's a picture of her going up to give him a big, wet kiss. She kisses with a big gaping mouth, and her tongue sticking way out. She likes to bring him his bottles, and make a little pretend eating noise. She'll get his diapers for me. She'll yank his hat off and touch his head. She likes to find his eyes and nose, and poke them. She always tries to pick him up, but we make her settle for a hug. It's so cute watching her lay her big(comparatively) head down on his little body for hugs!





I think Aaron's having fun with his little boy. They'll be cute together as Alek grows up. Aaron picked out his name, Aleksandr, because he likes Russia so much. And Edward is Aaron's middle name, and his father's, and HIS father's. If it weren't for Alek, the Umberson name would die with Aaron, because there aren't any other boys. He's a very important little guy.

BABY BOY!!

I gave birth to my son on Thursday, January 28th at 1:39pm.

When I first arrived at the hospital they noticed that he had an arythmia(no idea how to spell it). So when he was born, I held him for a brief moment before they rushed him off to the NICU. As for now he is still there. His heart sometimes slows down, to 85 or so instead of the usual 130, and beats with an irregularity. However, it is still doing the job it needs to do. His heart just does it in its own slightly unusual way. Hopefully he will get to come home to us tomorrow or Tuesday.

He was 7 pounds 5 ounces, and 19 3/4inches long. He looks just like I did when I was a baby. He's got gorgeous dark blue eyes. Not very much hair, but what little there is is blond. His name is Aleksandr Edward Umberson, aka Alek, and I love him very much.

Yesterday he started having his eyes open more often. He likes to look around and practice moving his neck. He looks like a little turtle.

I can go visit him whenever I want, and stay as long as I want. I get to hold him and breastfeed him. Whenever I'm not with him I pump and freeze my breastmilk so I can bring it with me next time I go visit him. He likes eating the good stuff.

He's got the softest, puffiest cheeks I've ever seen! They're squishy and squeeze-able!

Best of luck to this little boy of mine. I know he'll be home with me soon.