What I'm about to share makes me laugh, but might make many of you worried about what I'm exposing my children to. Around this time last year, my media twin friend, Laura, suggested that I read "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer as a fun vacation read. I looked at the library and couldn't find it so Stephen picked it up for me at the airport on the way to Rhode Island. Then we made a stop at Barnes & Noble to pick up the sequel three days later. Then, when we arrived in Indiana for the second stop of our vacation, I bought the third book in the series. By the time we got home, I had finished all three 500-1000 page books. It was like crack, I was addicted and couldn't wait until the fourth and final book in the series came out in August 2008.
At the time that Laura suggested the book, I had no idea that Twilight was such a phenomenon. Since then, the movie came out. Stephen, being the nice husband he is, went to the movie with me. He then proceeded to purchase the movie soundtrack and a shirt that says "My husband sparkles" for me for Christmas. He even went to the trouble of wrapping the gift in black paper with a red bow. In March, I bought the DVD for me and my sister (who I dragged into the addiction with me).
I always tell Stephen that he buys me this stuff just so he can make fun of me. According to him, the vampire lore is totally off the mark. He thinks it's all a bit ridiculous.
So what do "Those Williams Kids" have to do with all this Twilight talk? Remember that CD Stephen bought me? Well, they ask to listen to it every day! Julian particularly likes the Linkin Park song "Leave out all the rest". This is extremely funny to me as Linkin Park has got to be the band that annoys Stephen the most.
Anytime they see a poster for the DVD at HEB or WalMart, they say, "Mommy, look, there's TWILIGHT!" D'arcy woke up one day while I was watching the movie, and now asks to watch it. Yes, it's PG 13, and, yes, I've let her watch it. She steps away at the end when James tries to kill Bella because she says it's too scary. She just leaves the room for a couple of minutes and comes back when the scary part is done. The violence is really the only part that is inappropriate for her age. The romance, I don't think, is much different than watching a Princess movie as it is pretty innocent. That's my defense, and I'm sticking with it.
Stephen bought me these candies that had Edward(the main character) on the box and of course the kids want candy so I made them say "I love Edward" before they could get a piece. This all to drive Stephen crazy. But he must like it because he keeps buying me this stuff.
The funniest moment came when, on one Sunday morning in Children's Ministry, the kids were learning about the books of the Old Testament. One kid mentioned Twilight because it is a book (not from the old testament, though :P), and Julian exclaimed, "I love Twilight!" We all do Julian...well...all of us but that silly daddy.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Tips for Tuesdays: Swaddling
This is my first "Tips for Tuesdays" which I'm doing in conjunction with my friend Carrie @ fedbybottles.blogspot.com. Okay, I'm posting this on Monday night, but tomorrow D'arcy has an allergist appointment and won't get around to it. So, here is my tip for the week.
I breastfeed my babies so even though they don't sleep through the night at an early age (my first two didn't until 6 months) they are still sleeping all night. Which means that they are only awake during their efficient middle of the night feeding which lasts approximately fifteen minutes. I very rarely have to spend time and energy getting my kids to sleep. A lot of moms spend countless hours rocking, bouncing, singing, or nursing their kids to sleep, and once the kid finally gives up, the parent has to somehow get the kid in their bed without waking them. All moms and dads will no what I'm talking about.
I can forgo all this difficulty. My kids are awake when placed in their beds, and typically fall asleep within ten minutes without screaming. So what's my secret? When I put my infant (0-6 mos) to bed, they are swaddled. The theory of swaddling is that the baby isn't able to move his extremities easily (most importantly his arms) so that he will go to sleep easier and won't wake himself up when his arms inevitably flinch.
Our Method.
We use the extremely unsophisticated method that we like to call "the burrito baby swaddling method". Forget those flimsy receiving blankets we all have to many of, this method requires a bigger, sturdier blanket. It doesn't matter how tight you wrap the baby in those light receiving blankets...once they are about three days old, they'll get themselves out. Here are two of the blankets I have used to swaddle Julian and Schroeder.
To create your own burrito baby, simply lay out a blanket and fold it so that it is no longer than the height of the babies body. Lay the baby about a third of the way into the blanket. This is the crucial step, take the third of the blanket to the left and wrap it tightly around the baby's body. I tuck the end of the blanket under the baby's left arm. It needs to be tight enough so the baby cannot easily get himself out of the swaddle. Then...ROLL. Obviously, you will need to be on a soft surface, either a bed or a soft carpet. However, my babies have never freaked out during the rolling process. Now you have a well swaddled baby who will feel snug as a bug in a rug, and when this happens your baby will fall asleep easier and stay asleep.
Twenty minutes ago, Schroeder was playing. I knew he would be sleepy and ready for his afternoon nap so I burrito-ed him, put him in his co-sleeper, give him his pacifier and within five minutes he was asleep, and he'll stay that way for two and a half hours.
Stephen and I have been using this technique since our first son, Julian, was about three weeks old. I had nursed him one night, and was trying to set him back in his co-sleeper without him waking up. I was beyond frustrated. Stephen woke up to help, and decided to swaddle him. At three in the morning, he abandoned all the complicated swaddling techniques and went for the simplest possible way. Julian immediately laid down in his bassinet fell asleep. It was very liberating!
Let me know if any of you have experienced the benefits of swaddling.
I breastfeed my babies so even though they don't sleep through the night at an early age (my first two didn't until 6 months) they are still sleeping all night. Which means that they are only awake during their efficient middle of the night feeding which lasts approximately fifteen minutes. I very rarely have to spend time and energy getting my kids to sleep. A lot of moms spend countless hours rocking, bouncing, singing, or nursing their kids to sleep, and once the kid finally gives up, the parent has to somehow get the kid in their bed without waking them. All moms and dads will no what I'm talking about.
I can forgo all this difficulty. My kids are awake when placed in their beds, and typically fall asleep within ten minutes without screaming. So what's my secret? When I put my infant (0-6 mos) to bed, they are swaddled. The theory of swaddling is that the baby isn't able to move his extremities easily (most importantly his arms) so that he will go to sleep easier and won't wake himself up when his arms inevitably flinch.
Our Method.
We use the extremely unsophisticated method that we like to call "the burrito baby swaddling method". Forget those flimsy receiving blankets we all have to many of, this method requires a bigger, sturdier blanket. It doesn't matter how tight you wrap the baby in those light receiving blankets...once they are about three days old, they'll get themselves out. Here are two of the blankets I have used to swaddle Julian and Schroeder.
To create your own burrito baby, simply lay out a blanket and fold it so that it is no longer than the height of the babies body. Lay the baby about a third of the way into the blanket. This is the crucial step, take the third of the blanket to the left and wrap it tightly around the baby's body. I tuck the end of the blanket under the baby's left arm. It needs to be tight enough so the baby cannot easily get himself out of the swaddle. Then...ROLL. Obviously, you will need to be on a soft surface, either a bed or a soft carpet. However, my babies have never freaked out during the rolling process. Now you have a well swaddled baby who will feel snug as a bug in a rug, and when this happens your baby will fall asleep easier and stay asleep.
Twenty minutes ago, Schroeder was playing. I knew he would be sleepy and ready for his afternoon nap so I burrito-ed him, put him in his co-sleeper, give him his pacifier and within five minutes he was asleep, and he'll stay that way for two and a half hours.
Stephen and I have been using this technique since our first son, Julian, was about three weeks old. I had nursed him one night, and was trying to set him back in his co-sleeper without him waking up. I was beyond frustrated. Stephen woke up to help, and decided to swaddle him. At three in the morning, he abandoned all the complicated swaddling techniques and went for the simplest possible way. Julian immediately laid down in his bassinet fell asleep. It was very liberating!
Let me know if any of you have experienced the benefits of swaddling.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Williams Family Pictures
We are all responsible for something in the William's family. Alex is responsible for the wine. Meagan is responsible for the baking. I'm responsible for the photography. It's good to be in a picture or two, though. That's when Josh and my remote control come in handy. Here is my latest batch of family photos.
Vacation 2009.Second Leg.Franklin, NC
The second leg of our trip brought us to North Carolina. Stephen's grandma has been asking us to come to the extended family reunion for years. This year, Dianne, Stephen's mom, planned our normal family vacation to be directly following the reunion and only two hours away so that I couldn't get out of it :P. The reunion was for Stephen's grandfather, Duren's family. Schroeder's first name is in honor of him.
I get the daughter-in-law of the year award because not only did I go to the reunion, but I allowed Dianne to dress my children in patriotic shirts that matched hers and Emmett's. You'll be able to spot my three little ones and there matching grandparents in the bright red.
I get the daughter-in-law of the year award because not only did I go to the reunion, but I allowed Dianne to dress my children in patriotic shirts that matched hers and Emmett's. You'll be able to spot my three little ones and there matching grandparents in the bright red.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Vacation 2009.First Leg.New Orleans
I will always remember our 12 hour trip to New Orleans. We passed Baton Rouge around 10:30 and I was dozing. Stephen was driving, drinking red bull, and flipping through the stations looking for a song he could sing to. He said, "Melissa, I think Michael Jackson died." This statement shook me awake. I'm not the biggest Michael fan. I don't own any of his records, but I, and the world, wasn't expecting the King of Pop to die that day. So, I was surprised, and now awake.
We were trying to follow our googlemap directions to our hotel. Which, I have to stop and say, was really lovely and only $65. It was in the French Quarter, and only $65, and, yes, really lovely! Anyway, we were trying to find our way to our lovely hotel, and made several wrong decisions that sent us over the Mississippi twice. Once, we took what seemed like our own private interstate.
I've never been to New Orleans, but Stephen and I had watched a documentary about Hurricane Katrina last year, and so some of the sights were familiar. It was an eerie feeling coming into a city at 11:30, everything is dark, Michael Jackson just died, and the only association you have of the city is about a hurricane that trapped thousands of people in it without food or water.
We finally arrived at the hotel, unpacked the kids, and slept for about eight hours. When we awoke, we took a walk to Cafe du Monde to eat beignets and coffee. This little cafe was highly recommended to us, and I, in turn, highly recommend it to you. The beignets (French Doughnuts) were piping hot and cheap. We got a taste of what I took as New Orleans culture when our waitress took our $20 bill, counted out one five and five ones as change, and, when handing it back to me, said, "Don't forget to tip". We didn't.
We took the kids to see the Mississippi. They were asleep the first two times we had crossed it the night before. Then we headed back to the hotel and out of the city on to the second leg of out trip, Franklin, North Carolina.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
A couple of Saturdays ago, I did what needed to be done. I cut Julian's hair. Stephen would like Julian's hair to be a little shaggy. I don't disagree, but I don't like it to be a mushroom. It's been difficult to find a middle ground. Plus, I cut their hair myself which makes giving him a good longer style even more difficult. It saves money, but mostly, I like to try new things and who else besides your kids will let you experiment on their hair?
I asked Stephen to use his beard trimmers to clean up the neck line. In the midst of Stephen doing a perfectly good job, I grabbed the clippers and tried. Well, I went way too high into his hairline. Everybody needs a good buzz cut once in his life, right, and on this particular Saturday, Julian got his.
The boy had sat really still during his first haircut, but was pretty ancy during the buzzing session. Mostly, he was ready to get it over with and get to the catfish house (aka The Bass Pro Shop). He and his daddy were going on a man date. So he was whinning, and Stephen felt sorry for him so he decided that he, too, would buzz his head.
Now, if you have ever met my husband, you know that his hair is one of his most valued assets. He has to go to a hair stylist and Super Cuts does not count. He must have Crew shampoo and conditioner. Plus, there are pictures of his hair hanging in two salons (and in a hair styling book). But I guess he loves his son more than his hair because at 12am that night, he pulled his hair into a ponytail and just started shearing it off.
We've come to the conclusion that we both like his new look. You can decide for yourselves.
I asked Stephen to use his beard trimmers to clean up the neck line. In the midst of Stephen doing a perfectly good job, I grabbed the clippers and tried. Well, I went way too high into his hairline. Everybody needs a good buzz cut once in his life, right, and on this particular Saturday, Julian got his.
The boy had sat really still during his first haircut, but was pretty ancy during the buzzing session. Mostly, he was ready to get it over with and get to the catfish house (aka The Bass Pro Shop). He and his daddy were going on a man date. So he was whinning, and Stephen felt sorry for him so he decided that he, too, would buzz his head.
Now, if you have ever met my husband, you know that his hair is one of his most valued assets. He has to go to a hair stylist and Super Cuts does not count. He must have Crew shampoo and conditioner. Plus, there are pictures of his hair hanging in two salons (and in a hair styling book). But I guess he loves his son more than his hair because at 12am that night, he pulled his hair into a ponytail and just started shearing it off.
We've come to the conclusion that we both like his new look. You can decide for yourselves.
Monday, June 8, 2009
We have ourselves a giggler
Schroeder had his two month appointment on Friday, May 29th. He weighed in at 12 pounds, and the doctor told me that he is "perfect". Well, I already knew that :).
He shared with us his very first laugh this morning. We have this toy that babys can lay under and look at little rattles that hang down. He sat under this toy for forty five minutes this morning. He was kicking his legs and hitting the rattles. I'm sure he wasn't completely aware that the sound of the rattles was directly related to his kicking, but it sure did entertain him. When it was time to eat, I went to pick him up off the floor, and D'arcy and Julian were there to coo at him. Now that he can focus on faces, he is responding with lots of little dimpled smiles, and today, he added a little giggle. His siblings are loving watching his personality develop. Julian keeps telling me that Schroeder is his friend.
Yesterday, we went to the swimming pool in our neighborhood. He loved the water, and even let me lay him down like he was floating (no I didn't let go).
Below is a picture of Schroeder in the state I found him after my shower. The culprit is in the photo as well.
He shared with us his very first laugh this morning. We have this toy that babys can lay under and look at little rattles that hang down. He sat under this toy for forty five minutes this morning. He was kicking his legs and hitting the rattles. I'm sure he wasn't completely aware that the sound of the rattles was directly related to his kicking, but it sure did entertain him. When it was time to eat, I went to pick him up off the floor, and D'arcy and Julian were there to coo at him. Now that he can focus on faces, he is responding with lots of little dimpled smiles, and today, he added a little giggle. His siblings are loving watching his personality develop. Julian keeps telling me that Schroeder is his friend.
Yesterday, we went to the swimming pool in our neighborhood. He loved the water, and even let me lay him down like he was floating (no I didn't let go).
Below is a picture of Schroeder in the state I found him after my shower. The culprit is in the photo as well.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)