Jan 20
1. Yes, you read the title correctly, I’m pretty sure the new baby has colic. It’s affecting his nursing and his sleep, espeically at night. Nursing he will pull off early making a mess and often he won’t sleep more than 5 or 10 minutes if I lay him down. Sitting up, he does better. It was getting pretty bad, Mummy really can’t deal with crying every NIGHT for too lnog without beginning to go crazy. DMIL suggested he had colic, and I was starting to suspect he had it to some degree already. So we bought some gripe water. It seems to be hit or miss, but when it’s works it WORKS. There ahve been several nights with no crying and a 5 hr stretch of sleep. If only I could train myself EACH TIME to change him and feed both sides so he’s full, I’d probably have more down time.
2. This week we packed up the Christmas tree (so it’s not going to still be there in February!) I was less sad to see t go because it wasn’t that decorated this year and also because I know it bugs DH to have it on all the time, since it eats up a lot of power. That, and I still have my *winter* archway 
In it’s place we put the playpen for a safe place for the baby. I just found out it has a bassinet attachment! I had no idea, but always thought those things were really neat. So it’s baby’s little space (except the big kids like to try to play in there and with his toys 
)
3. On Sunday we finally had our family Christmas party. Usually we have it before New Years, when it’s still the Christmas season but I guess everyone was just busier this year. It was a nice afternoon of good food, better company and great photo ops
Food
Family
The secret is out!
Presents
Baby!
More Babies!
They had this incredible little dollhouse made out of a little bookshelf. How cute is this?
4. I realized a little thing that really bugs me if I try to take a picture of my kid with an object in front of them (like a cake). I have the habit of always focusing on the cake, but it would be a much better phtoo if I always focused on the kid, evne if it looks strange with the cake outof focus. I have to remember that as a phtoographer, I don’t always have ot focus on the closets thing!
Note to self, focus on the kid, not the cake.
5. I really do like my slow cooker, now that I’m using it more. I finally filled it up with water to test how big it is, I have a 3.5 quart. Looking at it I always thought it was one of the bigger ones, so probably 5 or 6 quarts, but for a slow cooker it’s actually on the small side!
This week I broke out my slow cooker for another new recipe: bbq chicken and cornbread. Sounded excellent, what a great combination and both things that I know DH will eat, so I made it.
I would agree the cornbread needed work, it wasn’t as light or as sweet as both of us like, but while I was still content to eat it, DH was less than thrilled. Sigh. He can be so hard to cook for. I really need to find more easy, complete-meal slow cooker recipes that he will eat. I love my slow cooker, it frees me up for other things like tending the baby, blogging, facebook and cleaning up potty accidents.
I already thought this blog was awesome then I found this : How to Company Clean in 30 minutes or Less. Makes me feel a little less crazy to know I’m not the only one who goes through the house with a laundry basket sometimes.
6. Our 3 year old is basically potty trained, even at night! He wakes up dry in the morning and will even get up and take himself to the bathroom in the dark of night if he needs to go!
However, my 2 year old is not. He was doing great till shortly before the baby came, when I stopped nursing him in my bed etc… Then he spent a week in diapers at Nanny’s when the baby was born. I resolved to get that ground back as soon as we were home again, and I’ve got him going to the potty SOMETIMES. I’m not sure if he really forgets etc or if he just doesn’t care, because he still has a fair number of accidents, enough that he goes back in diapers for the rest of that day… *mental screams of anguish!*
7. This weekend I’m heading off to another CCO retrerat. It’s early this year (it’s usually closer to spring) but we’ll be alright, the cabins are heated. Obvisouly I will be taking the littlest one with me, and hopefully there are lots of people wanting to hold him so I can take notes! The speaker is none other than one of our beloved parish priests from my old church (before they took the Companions away). Should be a good weekend, the Lord knows I can certainy use a Mommy break to rest and recharge!
my oldest had colic for 6 months and yes gripe water was a lifesaver!