We've Had a Rough Week . . .

and it's only Wednesday!  

No, really, things aren't so bad.  We found out I'm carrying around a baby boy.  I'm happy our son will have a little brother less than 2 years younger than he is.  We also have most of the things we need for a boy.  A few of the newborn things that I had left over from our son I gave away to friends, but it's funny because all a baby's clothes for about the first 3 months can all fit into one drawer.  They are so tiny!  Anyway, it won't take much to get what we need.

I had my annual flu shot on Monday.  Because I'm pregnant, the risks are much higher if you don't get it, so they pretty much make you get it.  I didn't really get sick this time.  Also, my son had 4 immunizations including the flu shot on Tuesday during his 18 month appointment, and he didn't even get a slight fever (and he has a cold).  Anyway, this is all good news.  We've all been sick so much anyway in the last month and a half, who needs another illness to worry about!

My husband has been busy with school and work, and I have been busy with my work at home and school too.  There have been some frustrating things, like conflicting editions of books.  My professor posted our homework in the wrong place, so the class didn't know we had homework until 3 days later.  It's like impossible for me to study during the week if I can't get it done Wednesday, when my son is at daycare.  I didn't even get close to getting it done today, Wednesday.  I have so many questions and am only 1/4 of the way done.  

It makes me wonder how all of the student-moms at the College of St. Catherine make it through.  St. Kate's is like 100x tougher a school than the University of Alaska, and here there are few student-parents and still people drop out like flies.  When I was in college, if I didn't understand something I spent hours figuring it out.  Parents don't have that luxury.  If you can't get it in a short period of time, well then you just aren't going to get it.  I sure salute you student moms at tough schools!  I don't know how you do it!  

That said, I am at the toughest age.  When they're small, you can study a lot more easily.  But, at 12-18 months and for I don't know how much longer they really require your every minute of attention . . . or at least my son does.  He has to be doing what I'm doing or is asking my help with something or he is getting into something that needs supervision.  Sometimes I wish he would sit and watch television for just 1 hour, but he's not that type of kid and I guess that's a good thing!

My Son is Growing Up.

I'm so proud of my 17 month old son. He is getting to be so mature, so smart, but at the same time he can be such a baby. What makes me so proud today is that 3 days ago we cold turkey stopped giving him a small bottle of formula before bedtime. He asked for milk by saying "ma, ma, ma" and doing sign language for milk, but I just told him "No milk" and continued to read him a book. We haven't read him a book before bed until 3 days ago. The first night he cried 10 minutes, the second night maybe 2 minutes, and tonight just a wimper.

I think we as moms and dads think it's going to be so hard to take away a pacifier, stop breastfeeding, stop feeding a bottle, etc, but in the end it's really not that difficult. I want to be consistent and not feed him a bottle from now on, because in a couple of months I want to get him sleeping in his toddler bed. I want to do this ideally a couple of months before the next baby arrives. Friends have done this successfully when their children were my son's age, so I'm hoping it goes smoothly for us too. See, there I am anticipating it's going to be so hard, when in reality it probably won't. And I'm rambling.

It's just hard being a mom sometimes.

We're Enjoying the Perfect Weather.

It has been just gorgeous outside in Fairbanks again.  I can't explain this weather to people who have not experienced it.  It's the kind of calm I think you can only find in deserts, but there you probably see it in the winter, not in the summer.  But, I don't know.  Here, it lasts for a week or two.  These days, without a cloud in the sky, I feel happy as a clam.  It's like seasonal affective disorder, but the good kind.  

The boys put together some new furniture a friend ordered and shipped us from Seattle.

I walked around the yard and in 5 minutes photographed over 15 varieties of mushrooms.  I won't put them all here, but I need a book or a friend to help me identify which are safe to eat.

My husband mowed the lawn and weed wacked for the last time, picked up brush and logs in the woods, and burned a giant pile of debris down by the river.

Our son has the worst cold ever, but he won't nap.  He just wants to be outside too.  We found a new trail at the wildlife refuge in town and had a mother/son Taco King picnic by the lake, while daddy hunted by some bluff on the upper Chena River.  He didn't bring a camera, but I bet the colors were brilliant up there.  Tomorrow, we'll meet some friends at the Chena Lakes.