A Perfect Day

My birthday was last Friday, and it was the best! On my last birthday, it snowed. The birthday before that, I was sick! I was overdue for a fantastic day to remember.

The day started out as I woke up at 6 a.m. to work out. Yes, I wanted to work out. My birthday especially should be a day of feeling good, and I feel good after I exercise. The kids didn't wake up until after I was done, which doesn't always happen. For breakfast, we had cinnamon rolls. Yummy! After everyone got dressed and ready for the day, Chris and the kids drove me to my 9 a.m. appointment for a massage, pedicure, and manicure. Chris drove around and watched the kids while I got pampered. It was SO relaxing! It was my first time, too. During my massage, I could just feel all of the stress being pushed out of my body. Needless to say, it was very nice.

After feeling refreshed and getting my nails painted a pretty purple, we went out for lunch at Lucy's. I love Chinese food, so it was a good meal. Chris' sister, Sarah, works there, and hooked us up with some extra egg rolls and Crab Rangoon. Next, we took the kids home to take their naps, and I got dressed in nicer clothes for a date with my man that night. Jeni, my sister-in-law, straightened my hair. I completely trust her with my hair; she does a good job. At 3:30 p.m, I had a facial appointment. Also awesome, relaxing, and my first one. I felt pretty and relaxed after who-knows-how-many lotions the beautician put on my face.

Our evening started out with dinner at Gilardi's, a very nice Italian restaurant. I ate with my mom-in-law, dad-in-law, Jeni, Sarah, as well as (of course) Chris, Micah, and Paige. I got a pasta with creamy tomato sauce and mushrooms. Very delicious, and good service, too! Everyone seemed to enjoy it, so that made me happiest of all.

After our bellies were full, Chris' family took the kids home while Chris and I had our date at a Springfield Cardinals game. We arrived at the field, and one of the stadium workers found us our seats right behind home plate a couple rows up. He brushed off our seats for us, too! We watched a good game as we ate cotton candy and ice cream in a bowl resembling a St. Louis baseball hat. A man with roses gave one to each lady in our section. We were treated like royalty! The score was tied 5-5 in the middle of the 9th inning, but the Cardinals swung hard and hit a home run bottom of the 9th. Great way to end the game! Plus, they had fireworks afterwards! Nice ending to the perfect day. Finally, we went to the 'rents home to pick up the kids, and pretty much just crashed in bed. Like I said, a perfect day. And I have my husband to thank for it. He wanted to make sure I had an amazing birthday, and I did. How is he going to top it next year?

Yesterday, Chris and I decided to try putting Micah in some underpants. We hoped once he saw that they don't work like diapers or training pants, he would ask to use the potty so he wouldn't get wet. WRONG! He went through the whole pack we bought him. The last pair of underpants he had on was during lunch. Just as I was about to ask if he needed to go potty, he wets his pants, the chair, and the floor. So, I take him into his room to clean up. As I was doing that, Enzo (a child I care for during the week) drops his plastic plate half full of grapes and eggs. So, now I need to clean up pee, eggs, and grapes. No big deal, I thought, I'll take care of it. (All the while, Paige is hungry crying.) I put Micah back on his seat after cleaning up some of the mess as to not sit in it. As he normally does, he decides to stand up to eat, stuffing his mouth with grapes... and starts choking! But, he doesn't just cough up the grapes, he throws up the rest of his lunch on his seat, the floor, and his clothes! At first, I was surprised, but then I caught some of his puke in my hands to dump in the sink. Yikes! So, once again, I cleaned him up and put him to bed for naptime. (He wore 5 outfits yesterday!) Enzo had a good lunch before dropping it on the floor, so I just put him to bed. I gave Paige a bottle, and while she ate, I cleaned up the mess: pee, grapes, eggs, and puke. Then, I swept and mopped the floor to make sure it was really clean. While I was doing this, though, I had a little grin on my face, and I was glad I didn't feel overwhelmed. I was able to step back and figure out what I needed to do, and it all worked out great! I wanted to add that Micah is doing well using the potty. He doesn't go in there all the time, but he is still learning. That's all I can expect or even hope for.

Has it been this hard for anyone else?

Micah has been frustrating the crap out of me these last few days! Is it really this hard to be the mother of a two-and-a-half year old? I have been praying for more patience lately since that's what I feel I need more of. I have learned the importance of taking "mommy time-outs", a few minutes to regroup and refocus. It's a good thing for both me and the kids. As frustrated as I get sometimes, I don't want to take my anger out on the kids; I need to still be a good example. But even that isn't easy. I'm trying to teach Micah to listen to Chris and I and do as he's told. That is still a work in progress. I'm also trying to make potty training a positive and encouraging experience. Micah gets to put one sticker on his rubber ducky for a pee pee and two stickers for a poo poo. (Still waiting for the first poo poo in the potty.) But, the only time he wants to go is right before he takes a nap (so he can postpone his bedtime). I ask him if he needs to go, and he says, "No. Playing with (insert name)." So, right now, he still doesn't see the importance of taking a break to use the potty. It's much more convenient to just go in his training pants if he is busy doing something he likes. The need for patience comes when he takes a really long time to use the bathroom. With the child care I do for 2-4 other kids most of the week, I don't have time for him to play with the soap or take a few minutes to pull up his pants. So, my lack of patience and frustration is not helping in making this a "positive and encouraging experience". I hope I'm not the only one who has felt this way.

Our 9-Month-Old

Last Wednesday, Paige had a doctor's appointment. At 9-months-old, here are her stats:

Weight: almost 18 lbs.
Length: 27 1/2 in.
Head Circumference: 17 1/2 in.