Strange Dreams

I had the strangest dream last night.

It was early morning in our house. Scott was leaving for work and I was sweeping the entry way. For some reason, Izzy was by the door, crawling on the floor. I picked her up and put her back in her crib, because she was asleep. I walk back and continue sweeping. Adrien bolts past me and through the door. Down the stairs and into the parking lot. Scott is by the car, so I thought that he would see and catch him. He doesn't. Instead Adrien just keeps running and running. I am screaming after him and trying to catch up. I finally grab him at the bridge about two hundred yards from our house, he is in the creek. I grab him and check for any sign of pain, blood... anything to indicate that he has been hurt. But he is just laughing and laughing at me. He is fine. My heart is racing and I bring him back to the house as fast as I can, Izzy is all alone. As I am walking up to the house, Scott is there with Izzy in the parking lot. He looks at me and says "What the hell just happened? Why did you put Adrien outside? How could you just leave Izzy? She's hurt, we're going to the hospital."
That is when I woke up. I felt so unsettled when I woke up. I checked on Izzy, I checked Adrien and I checked to make sure the door was locked. Everything was ok. I just hate having dreams like that.

We had an interesting Easter. Isabella finally decided to start sleeping, all day and all night. On the exact opposite frame of mind was my son. Adrien did not sleep all weekend. No naps, barely any sleeping at night. Normally we would have just taken it in stride and for the most part I think we did alright. We just let him do his own thing. He was so obviously asserting his independence. AT 1 1/2, he tends to do things in a "Terrible Two's" style. Everything has to be questioned and tested and tried over and over again. If Scott and I should have opposing views as to what should be said No to and what is a Yes, all heck breaks loose. Adrien is screaming, throwing his head on the floor or against a wall. My personal favorite is when we are holding him on our hip and he suddenly throws himself backwards screaming as you scramble to try and keep hold of him. That is so much fun.
There was this sort of odd, really beautiful moment at the grocery store. We were checking out and Adrien, ever the escape artist, started to stand up in the cart. I looked at him and sternly said, "Adrien, sit down right now, that is not safe." And in what seemed to be slow motion, he did it. He actually listened to me on the first try! I am a good parent, I am, I am! I can't tell you what that moment did for me. It was sheer bliss, it was chocolate raspberry truffles with a glass of white wine. It was the best thing that has happened in weeks. I am still high from that moment.
On another note, I heard from my AuntyMommy today. I call her AuntyMommy because I am really close with her. She had a hysterectomy very young and really really wanted a baby about the time that I was born. I think that even though we were meant to be close, this helped strengthen our bond. We both feel like she should have been my mother. The universe just made a mistake. Anyway, between the two kids and trying to take a shower everyday, it is really hard to keep in contact with anybody right now. She is super busy too. She works for Kaiser and checks the hospitals for things that should be fixed, that they are following OSHA regulations, etc. She travels a lot and has an adopted son, Jason, who is like a brother to me. So, she is quite busy herself. I got an email from her today and it just made me feel so good to hear from her. I miss her so much.
And while they are still snoozing (miraculously) at the same time I am going to attempt a quick shower and shave. Wish me luck!

To sleep or... not to sleep

I heard somewhere that five month olds generally need about 12-15 hours of sleep. If that's the case, then my little one is in desperate need. Last night, she went to sleep at around 11 pm, then woke up at 12:30 am, again at 2:00, at 2:45 am, and at 4:00 am. At 5 am, she and my son were up and I looked like this. I usually take a shower at night and then do my hair during the day, but it always gets so crazy at night.

Oh... California...

well, it might not actually be raining today, but the air certainly has that feeling. it could be from all the rain the previous 4 days, I just do not like it. we moved up here (Washington) for my husband's career, from California. We had just found out we were pregnant with Adrien when he was accepted into the IUOE Training Program for Crane Operators. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I hate it here, but I definitely prefer California.
I miss my sunshine in the dead of winter. The avocados, the fruit, the rivers, the beaches, the canyons, the roads, the plants and yes, even the smog congested air. We have been trying to get down there for about the past six months now and it's driving me crazy. All of my family is down there and my old friends. We've only been up here for 1 1/2 and I have been so busy being a Mommy and being pregnant that I just have not had any time to make any friends... at all. It's really rather sad. I miss going to lunch with the girls, I miss talking to girls! Isabella, at 5 months is just not quite what you would call sociable.
I used to work in a flower shop, I lived in Downtown Sacramento. Which if you've been there can be quite beautiful, especially this time of year. They have the most beautiful trees... the flowers, people's gardens alone are worth a walk there. Now I live in this very winter type environment, I stay at home with my babies. In order to go for a walk, I have to make sure that both are fed and happy, have had a nap. Then, I get Isabella dressed and finally Adrien. Now, if you've ever tried to get a toddler dressed you know the challenge that lays ahead of me. I have to first find his clothes and hope they are clean. Then I wrangle him either on the floor or on the changing table, only to find that along the way I have dropped something that I must have right away, diaper or wipe... Once I have found said thing I have to re-wrangle him. I have to fight him into his clothes and shoes and little doggy back pack leash. I put the carrier on, I put Izzy in the carrier. Then, we can go... Oh wait, I've forgotten my keys or something.
So we leave, and now it is chasing Adrien around the parking lot or the back area for maybe twenty minutes to when he decides that he is done and throws himself on the ground with vigorous force. Sometimes it just isn't worth it.

baby in the middle of night

last night Scott and I watched I Am Legend, with Will Smith. It was quite intense, maybe because of the late hour or maybe because it actually is. I'll never know. Just as it was finishing up, Isabella decides that she wants to eat and play with us. So, I feed her and then we lay her on the floor to play for a few minutes before we put her back to bed. I have found that usually this technique works for her, as all she really wants is some time alone with us. She sometimes get startled with Adrien around because he screams like a banshee.
We let her play for about 45 minutes, Scott got his lunch together and I hung with her. After a while, Scott came over and for some reason, all of my
babies have an obsession with Daddy. The minute he enters their orb Mama doesn't exist and the bluest eyes I have ever seen become fixed upon the one goal, DADDY. Once she has seen the Daddy, she starts to scream, giggle and flirt. Her eyebrows go up and down, her eyes get bigger. She is a natural, the boys are going to be all over her later. One of her favorite things to do with the Daddy is to nuzzle. She lays there expectantly looking at him lifting her chin just a teensy bit while flaring her little nostrils. Finally Scott comes in and nuzzles her, you would think that Buddha came off the mountain with how excited she gets. She just absolutely can not contain herself. She starts wiggling and giggling even more, then she screams again and again until he stops. It's funnier than all get out as my aunt would say.