Here I Am

I have been unable to post much lately, at least not as often as I would like.  It seems that coherent thinking has become a passing acquaintance; even when I have time to post I cannot seem to form an intelligible sentence.  I know that this is the price paid for parenthood.  Blogging is an outlet for me, a creative place of being that is fairly necessary for my mental well being.  I really hate that I don't have the time to blog the way I'd like, but I know that my life will settle soon enough.  Then I'll hopefully have working brain cells enough to post some of the thoughts that flitter through my mind as I wash bottles and fold onesies.

Despite the lack of time to post, I've fortunately found time to read the blogs I follow.  It has helped me feel like I'm still connected, as well as pulling me out of the family absorption.  Those who have children know how easy it is to get so caught up in the fascination and the demands of children, particularly new additions, that one loses track of the outside world.  I lived in that for the first couple of weeks, a haze of unfamiliarity.  The next couple of weeks I spent acclimating to my new life and trying to find some sort of routine.  Now I'm ready to poke my head out of my shell and see if the outside world has continued to turn without me.  I'm ready to try to slide those activities I love into my new, extremely tentative routine.

This past week was full of activity and excitement.  Connor had his 4 week checkup and is growing like a champ.  He's now a whopping pound and a half heavier than he was 3 weeks ago.  I guess we are doing something right!  Jordan professed an interest in potty training so we set out on a potty shopping excursion.  It was a riot.  She and I went and picked out a potty for her, as well as some training underpants.  She then proceeded to call, "Hey Lady" to every woman we passed and would then say, "Imus poo poo potty" to anyone who would respond.  ('Imus' seems to stand for I have, I want, I am, etc.  We have not a clue what she's really saying.)  She seemed to feel it was important to tell anyone and everyone that we were shopping for a potty for her.  We have not worked too hard on the training yet, but I'm letting her get used to the potty and sit on it when she wants.  Thursday night we were all getting dressed and ready because Chase had a gig and I was taking the family to watch when Jordan wanted to sit on her potty.  At the time I'd not done anything with it so it was just sitting in the laundry room, which happens to be off of the master bath.  Chase went ahead and sat her on her potty with some reading material and, lo and behold, the girl actually used it!  We were shocked, not to mention impressed, and made a big to do about it.  Since then she's successfully used it a few more times.  There have also been quite a few mishaps.  Even the successes haven't been without mishap.  The last time she used the potty she proceeded to put her pants in it to soak up the pee.  Go ahead, laugh.  I know you want to.  We are going out of town in a couple of weeks, and I intend to work harder on the potty training after we get home.  

Here's Jordan.  This picture is rather self-explanatory, isn't it?  She'll probably hate me for this one day!

I am so thrilled that the time has changed.  I'm very much ready for longer days.  The weather wasn't fantastic today, but it was pleasant enough that we went to a local walking trail this morning for some family exercise.  Ashley and her boyfriend and his kids went as well.  We were quite the crew!  Considering the fact that only one of the six kids is over the age of 5, we were not speed demons.  Still, it was nice to be outside, and I enjoyed the company.  Not to mention the fact that we got to use our fancy schmancy double stroller for the very first time.  It is unbelievable!  Connor didn't say, but I think he enjoyed it too.

Here are the three guys, Mitch, Chad and Chase, pushing strollers and corralling kids.  There' not much that's sexier than a man spending time with the children he loves.  This picture also shows how pretty our walk was.

Jordan's latest thing is to pick up sticks while we are walking.  Not twigs.  Sticks.  And she's adamant about carrying them home.  We currently have a 3 or 4 foot tree branch in our yard, a remnant from our walk a few days ago.  I was able to distract her long enough today to get rid of this one!

Here are most of us.  All we are missing are Chase, who had the camera, and Mitch's son, who had ridden his bike on ahead.  Mitch, by the way, is Ashley's boyfriend.  He's the one in the back right, pushing a stroller.  The three little girls also belong to Mitch.  They are completely adorable, and Jordan loves them.  The guy in the forefront is Chad, our good friend and current housemate.  

Here's the stroller.  It moves like a dream.  I didn't really feel like I was pushing anything.  Jordan seems to like it, too, even though she was in and out of it so she could run around.

I put Connor on his play mat for some tummy time, and Jordan decided she and Dolly needed to join him.