In A Rut - Quick Thoughts

So, here's something funny. I started this entry three weeks ago. And I've started a couple others as well, but... I'm caught constantly playing referee between two kids - one who wants to kill himself by throwing him down the stairs, sticking his finger into a socket, or chewing on an electrical cord, and other kid, who maybe doesn't want to quite kill him, but certainly knock him around a bit. This. Is. Tough. So time demanding right now, and I'm just exhausted. I haven't had any - I mean basically no more than 10 minutes - time to myself for three weeks straight.

SO. Here are some thoughts, jumbled together, for the day.

Dash: We've had a sick month or so. Kids had colds and then Dash's got better, then worse. Turns out, he has his first ear infection (our first ever as a family with kids!). Two rounds of antibiotics thus far. He's also anemic, and constipated always, and maybe dairy intolerant, and the list goes on. So, he's on antibiotics, probiotics, iron, miralax and I'm experimenting with his diet to hopefully help the little guy. Of course, will all the meds he now has a gnarly diaper rash, so we're treating that as well. And in news that's changed his world - and ours - he's now fully mobile. Crawling like a champ, cruising, pulling up on anything, climbing stairs. He beelines for cords and outlets, of course, and I officially have my hands very full. He finally - as in, three days ago, started babbling a bit, and it's music to my ears (as well as helps take a bit of worry off me - 10 months old and nothing up to this point). He crawls around now making his one sound "ma ma ma." I'll take it. :) And, he's not freaking out as much about his crib, and we've even gotten a couple 2 hour stretches out of him, which frees up my arms for a couple minutes at a time here and there. Refreshing, for sure. AND, he just keeps getting cuter and I'm not sure how much more my heart can burst. He is so, so sweet.
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Ellie: Funny, sweet, strong-willed, smart and simply gorgeous. Her vocabulary is exploding and it's so much fun to hear what she has to say. Today she said to me, "all done with the Olympics. My turn now. Turn on my show." I think she's getting tired of the Olympics on all the time? Tough, kid - that's mommy's only show and I wait for it for 2 years. :) She remains to be a head-scratching combo of my biggest joy and my biggest challenge at all the same time. Almost 3 is not for the faint of heart, and to be honest, most days I have no idea how to reach her, discipline-wise. She doesn't respond to a lot of discipline (thick skin perhaps? That's a good trait to have, but it's sure making me want to pull my hair out right now!). But two seconds after making me lock myself in the bathroom for a good, muffled scream, she'll be sweetly giving hugs and kisses and telling me she's sorry and that she loves me. So.... yeah. Toddlers, man.

So, that's where we've been. Stuck in the radio silence of gloomy, sick winter. I cannot wait for spring, and judging from all the other mom's and dad's I've talked to with sick, cranky kids, I know I'm not alone.

Wanna see pics of my kids crying? You're in luck! :)

And, with that, I'm off to separate them. Again. Send wine.