My Funny Kids

It's been awhile since I've blessed you with the funny things my kids have done. I have a couple in my head, so I thought I would share. Enjoy!
The first one will take a little introduction. Because Zoey was born at home, and Bryce is 7, he remembers the experience quite well. I was very fortunate to have my sister here during the birth, if for no other reason than to take my dear son out of the room. Poor guy was nearly traumatized. The worst part for him was that scary looking umbilical chord. I knew it had scared him, but hadn't truly known the full effect until Shylo's arrival when he again mentioned the umbilical chord. Not knowing it's name, he just called it that thing coming out of her belly. He was very pleased that he wouldn't have to see it. His description is the funny part!

He said in disgust, "It looks like a dinosaur pee-pee!" wow!

Zoey is staying in Amarillo this week so Mommy can get a few hours of sleep. Grandma followed her into a room to see what she was doing because she looked quite determined to accomplish something. She got into her bag, took out 1 wipe, walked deliberately into another room, where she had seen a spot on the wall, and began to clean it off. Amazing! That's her personality, though. She loves to clean! She'll clean her tray after lunch. She can barely play outside without wiping the dirt off her hands. She will also run to the nearest adult to wipe off her jeans if she fell down and got them dirty. (After, of course, she's attempted to clean them herself.)

Zoey also loves to talk on play phones. I think I've mentioned that before. She was holding her toy phone today, and Lynn's mom noticed that she was running both thumbs across the keys as fast as her motor skills would allow. Grandma finally realized that she was texting. Apparently, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Speaking of apples...it's not funny, but she has said both "apple" and "nana" this week. We know she was requesting a banana, and think she was requesting applesauce. She has also said "up" to get on the couch. Have I mentioned she's brilliant?

Bryce has a Star Wars calendar that he loves to keep track of. He religiously pulls off each page and knows exactly what day it is at any given moment. Lynn's mom noticed that he had missed a few days, so she asked him about it. He was a little surprised, but then said, "Grandma, we just had a baby!"

After writing this, I realized that Lynn's mom has experienced way more funny-kid-moments than I have.
But, I did just have a baby!

Zoey loves me!

Zoey wasn't too happy with the arrival of that new baby. I've never seen her bottom lip out so far as the day Shylo arrived. She did show relief when she saw my sister in the hospital holding her. I'm assuming she thought, "Oh good! Aunt Crystal's here to take her away." Then once I got home with Shylo, Zoey wanted nothing to do with me. She wouldn't look at me. You may notice some of the pictures of Shylo's first day when Zoey looked quite disturbed with the whole situation.
She's displayed small moments of affection toward Shylo in the last few days, giving her big kisses and patting her gently.
Then this morning, Zoey actually laid next to me, gave me a big kiss and hugged and patted me. She's been interacting with me all morning. I guess she just needed to be reassured that she wasn't being replaced.

Shylo is Here

I'm sure most of you have visited www.patterson-pack.com and have been updated on Shylo's arrival, but I need to put my thoughts here, of course. Shylo Re Patterson was born on February 16 at 1:13 pm weighing in at 8 lbs, 9 oz. and measuring 21 inches long. It was the smallest baby I've ever birthed, but the most painful, longest birth yet. There was a point in the process that I was so mad at the whole hospital situation that I wanted to hurt someone! (I actually let out an explative at one time, but I'm sure i will be forgiven.)
Birth is, to me, one of the most beautiful, incredible experiences I have ever had. That is until you sit me on a towel made of sandpaper and tell me I'm not allowed to stand up, drink or eat. Then pump me full of a drug that unnaturally pushes a baby out at a rate that was in no way planned by my body or God. Then the absolute worst--force me to lay on my back to push a huge head against gravity when I'm not even fully dilated.
I now totally understand why so many women think it's necessary to have pain medication to birth a baby! I wanted an epidural at one point just for my butt on the sandpaper towel!
That's all I'm going to say negatively about the situation. I have a beautiful, healthy baby girl. Nothing went wrong. It's over, and I've now experienced the torture that so many women have talked about when referring to birth. And they think I'm crazy for having babies at home. If the experience were the same at home without the option of drugs, it would be crazy! My roomful of attendants thought I was crazy for opting out of no pain meds. I think a lot of things that happened in that room were crazy, but my choices were the only sane decisions being made.
Sorry, I said I was done being negative...
The nurses, with one exception, have been amazing! The food is even good. Shylo is the perfect baby sister to join our family. She truly lives up to her name--"His gift". What a precious gift for us!

checked

I'm 4 cm and 60%. Procrastinator! 2cm for 3 weeks, and now we progress in a matter of hours. It's going to start going very fast now! If you don't hear from me it means the pain has gotten too much for typing...
Maybe we'll have baby pics posted next!
10:33

irritable

My contractions are getting stronger. I know I'm not the most pleasant patient. Most women, I'm sure, would want to be here. Just keep thinking of seein' the baby. But my butt hurts!! whose bright idea was this?! Oh yeah! the doctor's! It will be over soon. And I will have a new baby...
10:15

big one

I just had a big contraction. The time on these blogs is way off, so I'll let you know it's actually 9:37 at the moment. At least the beeping has stopped. Maybe we'll have a baby soon. My thoughts aren't coming out as smoothly as usual, but you can figure it out, I'm sure. It's hard to type with a heart monitor on my finger...and there's another contraction. not as big...9:40. I wonder why they aren't regular and getting worse. I know they're the real thing, but it's not following the rules.

all I hear is beeping

I'm having contractions. There's lots of beeping. It says "inclusion downstream" whatever that means.

still beeping...

Probably too much info

They won't even let me pee!

hospital birth update

My water has been broken. I'm awaiting petocin. The hospital has blocked facebook, so I'm updating here. I hate IVs. I hate having to sit in a bed very still so they can monitor me. This goes against everything I stand for. I'm holding onto the thought that although this is not ideal, I am very fortunate to have a healhy baby. OK, nurse just came in to start petocin.

Meds

Bryce had a fever today and it occured to me after reading that he would need 4 children's tylenol that our household needs baby pain reliever, children's pain reliever, junior pain reliever and adult pain releiver. Not too many families can say that.
I gave Bryce some junior motrin this evening and Evyn tried to convince him to take it by saying that it was bubblegum flavor. I told her it was actually orange, so she said, "oh, yeah, I've had it before." To which Bryce reacted, "No you haven't, Evyn! It's Jr High!"

Zoey Words

Zoey has started putting lots of different sounds together. We're entering my favorite baby-age. I love it when they start "talking". It is sometimes frustrating not to know what she wants, but the cute factor totally makes up for that. Instead of everything being "mamamama" and "dadadada" and "babababa", I hear "dadabootitlaw" and "kestabeeeeyda". I especially love it when she looks like she's really saying something deep. The eyebrows get invloved, the head cocks to the side, fingers point, hands rest on hips. Precious!
I love it when she actually seems to be talking to herself, just slightly above a whisper. Or when she says something to us and laughs like she just entertained us all. Today in the car, she was pointing and babbling and making Evyn and I crack up. Of course, Evyn always knows what she said. And why wouldn't she? It's obvious! (to a 5 year old who knows everything...)

She walks around talking on anything shaped like a phone--remotes and of course toy phones are her favorite. "alla" sounds just like "hello". And when someone is really on the other end, it changes a bit to sound like "allalla" which I believe is "I love you". The other day Grandma called and she gave a big kiss. She opens her mouth big and says "mwa". (Zoey, not Grandma)
She has also learned that "guns up" makes everyone freak out, so she'll do it on command now. We say "Guns Up!" and she holds her "gun" way up. Of course, this is followed by Oohs and Aahs and a huge, proud, adorable grin from our Littlest Tech Fan.

We're working on signs, but I've totally been slacking in that department. Apparently teaching time dimenishes with each new baby. I hope Shylo has the opportunity to learn something before she gets to school. ;-) Zoey can say "more" but that's about it at this point. Evyn is re-learning what I taught her as a baby, so I told her to help me teach Zoey. It's fun to watch.

39 Weeks

Reminds me of Baskin-Robbins...yum! (39 flavors...)
anyway!
I went to my 39 week doctor appointment today. Typically I don't have much to say about my doctor visits, which are every week now. Today, however, I was very happy to hear that he thinks this baby is about 7 pounds. He said that if she stays in until next week, she MAY be as much as 8 pounds. I have felt the whole pregnancy that this baby is smaller than the other 3, which have gotten progressively bigger. Bryce was born 8 lbs 12 oz, Evyn weighed in at 9 lbs 3oz and Zoey a whopping 9 lbs, 5 oz.
So, barely 8 lbs will be quite different for me. In a good way.