So usually at night I feed Jesse and then put him in his bassinet next to the bed for his first sleeping stint. However, last night I was so tired that I must have fallen asleep while I was still feeding him. I'm not sure when, guessing around 10. When I woke up at 2:30 I was very confused and my glasses had fallen off and were lying on him. We both woke up with stuffy noses - big bummer! He seems to be handling it well so far.
We had a great holiday. Saturday Jesse didn't nap at all, which made cleaning a challenge, but somehow we managed. Sunday morning I managed to get all the beds made and even shower. Everyone was here by about 12 :45 and I managed to hussle everyone into the dining room for a group picture before the football game started. Not everyone is looking at the camera, but no one is crying, so that's something!
Then the men, except Josh, retired to the living room for football. Josh was busy cooking dinner which was ready just at half time - perfect! Meanwhile the kids played and mom had some games for them which of course they enjoyed immensely. Adult games were after dinner and we all stayed pretty occupied until 6:30 and then just sat around chatting. Jesse took a loooooong nap, from about 2 -6, very unlike him but gave me a chance to eat with both hands and play the games. I normally wouldn't let him go that long without eating, but one day won't hurt him.
The kids got new pjs. In the grand Lessard tradition - pjs were bought to be big. However, Morgan barely crammed into his 7s and Timothy's 10s certainly didn't leave much extra room. Everyone else, however, was pretty much swimming in theirs, especially Jesse! Pretty funny.
The kids went up to bed around 7:30 and we played another game and then filled the stockings and set them out and we all went in to open adult gifts. I got a chain saw - look out world!! After presents we sat around snacking and then finally went to bed about 11: 30. Jesse slept until 2: 30 and then until 4: 30. He finished eating at 5: 30 and I decided to just get up so as not to wake Jocelyn and Timothy. Jocelyn had missed her nap since everyone was here and ended up in a pretty foul mood because of it, so she needed to catch up on a little sleep. Morgan was already awake so he and I and Jesse went downstairs and made coffee. Grandpa joined us around 6 and then by 6: 30 everyone but Jocelyn was up and we did stockings and had breakfast and then started the tree. Jocelyn joined in a bit later.
Since Jesse was now sleeping again, I sat by the tree and played Santa, though Ruby was my main helper and handed out most of the gifts. The kids all do such a great job waiting for their turns. Sage got so many babies that she didn't have any hands left and at one point asked Ruby to open her next present for her - too funny! Jocelyn got into it, though wouldn't part with her binky, and even Morgan stayed with us the whole time (though Uncles Rob and Jeff took a beating for a while there as he was kicking and hitting them both - for play, but still, that's 65 lbs of Morgan comin' at ya - we coaxed him onto a different couch). He did open a couple presents. That's progress for him from previous years when he didn't last quite as long or really show any interest in the presents at all.
The kids all made out like bandits of course. Too many gifts to list - but among the favorites - Timothy got a remote control fart machine (don't tell Uncle Joey - there's a whole plan for his next visit) so there were a lot of fart noises going on yesterday. Jocelyn got a bunch of stuff for her kitchen.
Jesse got a new exersaucer (the kind where the baby walks circles around the middle stationary part) and Morgan got a sponge bob portable dvd player.
Presents were done around 8:30 and everyone was packed and gone by 10. Josh had cleaned the kitchen while everyone was packing so we put together enough toys to keep the kids entertained and then collapsed on the couch for the rest of the day - which means we have a lot of work to do today! All these toys need a new home and I'm thinking of rearranging the dining room (really a play room) and also need to organize Timothy's room, and rotate toys in Morgan and Jocelyn's rooms. I need to get some things put up on the walls in various rooms too.
This is fun work for me but will have to be done in between feeding Jesse, who only seems to have gained 3 oz this week instead of the required 4, but as of Saturday had not gained anything so I think he's in the middle of a growth spurt and will catch up over the next few days. (In separate news, the two of us had our first bath together yesterday, which was very relaxing). He is growing though - I gave all of his preemie outfits to Elisabeth and then started another bag (which I keep next to the dresser) and have had to retire several newborn outfits (typically meant for up to 8lbs) as well. He has long limbs so outgrows the arms and legs but is still swimming in the rest if it!
A tip for baby shoppers out there - Gymboree brand clothes run small so 0-3 month will fit small babies, no need for the preemie size unless you expect a 5 pounder. Also - I love Gymboree brand, especially their blankets which are bigger and thicker than other brands and last forever - or at least longer than 8 years from what I can tell, even with frequent use. Shop the clearance racks though, they are a little pricey. I just bought Jesse a squirrel ensemble from their sale bin, with matching blanket, and it is soooooo cute! Oooh, and while I'm on the topic of shopping tips - here's another for the new moms-to-be – 1800diapers.com has free shipping on orders over $45 and prices are better than Target. An average baby will go through one case of Newborn swaddlers before moving up to a size 1 (Elisabeth - don't buy any newborn size!). Pampers swaddlers are awesome. Huggies don't work for boys, though I like and use their wipes. Pampers sensitive wipes are good for recently circumsized boys, but otherwise are useless because they have no grip. Oh, and baking soda sprinkled in the bath cures diaper rash better and faster than any cream, and is way less gross. Target brand baby shampoo in the purple bottle is only 99 cents and is awesome. Soothies brand binkies are great but need to be boiled prior to use to soften them up and make them acceptable to baby. Nipple confusion is a myth made up to torture new moms. Medela breast pumps come with *average* breast shields (also called horns) but over 70% of women need a larger size, which will costs you $10 plus shipping but be way more comfortable and increase output. Kellymom.com is a fantastic breastfeeding resource. If you plan on formula instead, ask for freebies from the hospital and also sign up on their web site and they'll send you coupons and samples (I sign up on all the sites and then trade with friends - Enfamil seems to have the best giveaways).
Alright, more tips are available upon request.
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