boom boom ain't it great to be craaaazzzzy!

Crazy...what life has been like this past week, actually what life has been like this entire month of May - hence the title of this post. We've been back and forth from the lake and had lots of activities to attend for all of Kassidy's senior festivities - Academic All-State banquet, senior baseball banquet, senior awards ceremony, Kassapalooza, and graduation. I've also been working a half day a week and taking LilliAnn with me. Reid's been going through the "terrible twos," but it seems to go from one extreme to the other...screaming fits one day to being the sweetest angel the next. We're also working hard at potty training, which has been quite the mess! Some days he goes to the potty all day long and then the next day we're back to diapers. It really depends on his mood and how busy we are. Sometimes he goes without even telling me and then tries to wipe himself - this is when it gets interesting! He probably would be fully potty trained if we weren't so busy. Hopefully now that things are slowing down for the summer we'll finally get it mastered!

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Since I know that everyone is just so interested in our day to day chaos :) I'll give you a little glimpse into a day in the life of a Rollins! This post may sound like I don't have it together, and that I'm struggling with motherhood - but hey, don't we all? This post is real life. And I LOVE motherhood and I LOVE my kids and I LOVE our chaos! I wouldn't change these memories for anything. Days like this are what make life so funny and interesting. So keep 'em coming - just not that often :) 

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So it's Thursday and I had a lot to do that day. We were staying at the lake and I woke the kids up about 8 am - WAY earlier than their usual time to start the day (they both usually sleep until about 10). I had set my alarm for 7:30 in hopes of getting a shower and getting ready before time to get the kids up. But of course, Lil didn't sleep well the night before so I pressed snooze on my phone and slept until 8...no shower, no fixing my hair, and rushing around to throw on my work-out clothes. I had just fed LilliAnn at about 6 so I thought she would make it until we got to Shawnee to eat, but of course, she wakes up and starts crying right as I was putting on Reid's clothes. After getting him dressed, I started to feed her with Reid crying and clinging to my side. I somehow managed to get both of their bags backed and as I was putting LilliAnn in the car, Reid ran out the door and started up to the play area up the hill. I chased after him and finally got him and wrestled him into his car seat...whew - I was exhausted already and hadn't even made it to my work-out! I started the car and then realized I didn't get Reid anything to eat so I ran back in the house and popped some sausage in the microwave and grabbed a cereal bar and some grapes to feed him on the way. He was screaming for Barney and the DVD was acting up, of course, but finally I managed to get my sanity back as I heard, "we're on our way, we're on our way, on our way to grandpa's farm." Then, half way up the road at the lake I realized I forgot the frozen bag of breastmilk to take for LilliAnn so we had to turn around. I run in and grab the milk then we head to Shawnee - again. 

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As we're pulling into my grandmother's neighborhood I realized that I forgot to call and remind her that she was keeping the kids this morning. I called her and and said, "granny, we're in your driveway - can you still keep the kids while I work-out?" She said yes, of course, and I rushed the kids in with Reid on my hip and LilliAnn on my shoulder. Reid didn't want me to leave and started crying...come on! Could this morning get any more crazy (oh yes...it can!). We finally got him distracted and I headed out the door. I couldn't turn on the grown-up music fast enough...Highway 16 on my XM radio - at last! When I weighed at the gym I wasn't at the weight that I wanted to be at...come on people! I'm starving myself here (not literally! I know! Not good when you're breastfeeding!). While everyone else is eating cheesy potatoes and red velvet cupcakes, I'm repeating over and over "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!" After a work-out that made me feel like I was going to vomit, I rushed back to get the kids from my granny, praying that LilliAnn didn't get hungry, and if she did, praying that she took a bottle (FYI - I've spent countless hours pumping away and she's just not digging the bottle thing). Thankfully, she was an angel - slept the entire time. 

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Since she was sleeping I decided to leave Lil with granny and take Reid out to Old Navy with me to return a few things. I hate returning things! Their system wasn't working, of course, and the lady at the counter had to call three different people up front to scan my receipt and try and figure out the problem. All the while, I'm running like a mad woman chasing Reid all through the store. I think he got out all the balls in those ball bins Old Navy has now, and by the time we finally got out of there Old Navy looked like a giant ball pit! Right in the middle of the lady telling me that they are going to have to re-scan everything to be exchanged...blah, blah...I get a phone call from the lady at the chiropractic office saying that I missed my appointment this morning, "but you can come at 12." "I'm so sorry - sure we can come at 12." I hung up the phone and then looked at my clock - that's in 10 minutes! So I called my amazingly wonderful granny and told her they were having "system problems" at Old Navy and could she meet us at the chiropractor with Lil. As we're leaving Old Navy I realize that not only does Reid have on clothes that don't even match and fuzzy hair in the back from where he slept, he has rubbed scrambled eggs and butter off his toast that granny made him all in his hair. Why didn't I notice this sooner? At this point, I'm thinking I'm a terrible mother - dragging my children around looking like this, not to mention that I have on stinky work-out clothes, crazy hair, and no make-up. 

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This is where it gets even crazier...I guess I didn't realize how "dirty" we looked until I stumbled into the chiropractor's office with one kid hanging off my shoulder and dragging the other. The lady working the front desk kind of gave me a look with her eyes wide open like, "oh no - here they are." Not only do Reid and I look like what I described earlier, but LilliAnn has spit up all over her onesie and horrible baby acne covering her entire face. We go into the room to wait on our turn and as I'm digging through my purse I find a soured breastmilk bottle that smells disgusting! The fresh bottle was in the diaper bag and Reid finds it and yes...starts drinking LilliAnn's breastmilk bottle. I know - he's two AND we're in public but at this point, I wasn't going to fight it! Right about the time we go in to see the chiropractor Reid poops - and not just any poop - the STINKIEST, GROSSEST (is that a word?), HORRIBLE poop you have ever smelled. I was SO embarrassed because I knew that the doctor could smell it. He knows I'm a nurse practitioner and I did not look very professional. He probably though "good grief, can she not take care of her kids better than this?" 

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As we walk back to the front to pay, LilliAnn poops too! So I'm standing at the front desk getting ready to pay and one of the ladies says, "so you're breastfeeding?" I thought, "oh, how nice, she's trying to make conversation with me." Think again! As I look up to answer her I see her eyes - staring straight at my boobs - then I realized it...I've leaked...right through my white t-shirt. Great, I forgot to put my breast pads in - just one more thing! "Yes, I'm breastfeeding, and I know - I'm leaking." "You can't even notice it," she said. I thought, "well you did - obviously." As I'm trying to write the check (one handed) and control Reid and hold LilliAnn I look to one of the ladies for some help. She gives me this little smile (you know the kind) and says, "oh so and so (the other lady's name) will hold her for you - I haven't washed my hands." Are you kidding me? Do we really look that dirty? Are we really those kind of people? I felt like one of those dirty people whose kid you don't want to hold because the kid looks dirty and unkept. I've never felt like this before. I know I have two huge wet spots on my shirt and half my hair in a pony tail and the other half my hair doing something totally different, but come on - I'm a clean person, I promise! So this is what happens when you have more than one kid...some days you're just dirty. And not only were we dirty - we were ALL smelly too! So as these thoughts were going through my mind and I was writing the check, the lady (you know, the one that hadn't "washed [her] hands") said, "umm, you have a spider in your hair." Then she reached over and flicked it out of my hair...how nice of her. Seriously? A spider in my hair? Thoughts raced through my mind...had it really been that long? No. Surely I've washed my hair recently. Or have I? No, I have...surely! What is going on? So this is why Britney Spears shaved her head! Are you kidding me? I had a SPIDER IN MY HAIR PEOPLE! like just chillin' crawling around in my dirty little head of hair! So now I stink, have dirty kids, and have spiders in my hair...great! 

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Once I get the kids in the car I'm thinking okay - it's time to go home. We're going straight to the lake, do not pass go, do not collect $200, TO THE LAKE. I really really wanted a nap - ASAP (I know - that's only wishful thinking). And then...my dad calls, "can you run my Sherwin Williams and pick up 15 rolls of 1/2" blue painter's tape on your way out here." "Sure. I would just love to." So one more stop, the Sherwin Williams in Seminole. LilliAnn screams the entire time and as we're checking out (finally checking out - the guy has to ask me 50 million questions, "are you a contractor - blah blah blah." Come on! Can't you see I have screaming kids here?) Reid decides that his butt hurts and that he's not going to walk to the car. Yes! I'm a mom and I CAN do this! We finally get loaded up in the car once again and what does Reid scream, "boom boom crazy mommy, boom boom crazy!!!" Perfect Reid, how appropriate. So, I turn on the Wee Sing Sillyville DVD and fast forward to his favorite song...and we drive to the lake singing, "boom boom ain't it great to be craaaaazzzy!"

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A few pictures from our craaaazzy month...

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She likes to lay like this over the arm of the chair!

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Bath time!

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LilliAnn & Gam-Ma Missy

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Aunt Gayla put her in a basket to sleep at Granny Carol's house.

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Lil & her great-granny Carol

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Reid & his Uncle Kass

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At the Academic All-State Banquet

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Ribbons & Bows!

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Mr. Academic All-State

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Shawnee High School Graduation 2010

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With Kari & Johnathan

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Our Sweet Family

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Isn't she just precious?

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Mr. Valedictorian

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We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

Life at the Lake

Just a little peek of our life at Wewoka lake...

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Papa "Telley" reading The Tickle Monster to Reid one evening. It's his favorite book right now and he has to wear a tickle monster "gub" so he can tickle too!

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Daddy holding "sissy baby" after dinner one night

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Reid has a play room under the stairs where we keep all of his toys. I'm sure he's up to something (probably pooping!) by the way he's peeking out from behind the corner!

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Posing on the window sill

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Jett & Reid playing in the sand up at the play area that Papa Glenn made for them. We've been having some problems with throwing sand and pee peeing in the sandbox! Jett even tried to poop in the play area once - like a cat!

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We're growing out his hair for the summer - it looks a little funky!

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The little boys "helping" Jeb & Josh tile the upstairs deck. Actually they were rubbing grout all over themselves because Jeb told them it was mud.

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LilliAnn taking a little snooze on a warm spring afternoon

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"somebody pick me up!"

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View from the upstairs deck

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Front view from the lake

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The boys favorite thing to do - Gator ride!!!

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Poor thing...my dad's been working him to death!

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Jaxon LOVES the lake!

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This is what my dad does most of the time - if he's not mowing, or weedeating, or chainsawing...

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We could get used to this.

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All gassed up and ready for Memorial Day weekend

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I think we're going to have a fantastic summer!

1 Month of Lil

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It's been an entire month now since the big arrival of our baby girl. I can't believe how fast the time flies, especially with two kids! I feel like it was just yesterday Jeb and I were tucking her in, nice and snug, in her car seat in that precious pink silk gown on that cool and stormy April night and bringing her home. I will admit that it has been a lot harder having two kids. It's really hard when Reid says, "mommy play baseball," or "put sissy baby down," or "hold you mommy," right in the middle of one of LilliAnn's feedings or during a time when she's really fussy. At times I feel like I'm neglecting one child to take care of another.

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We've been staying out at the lake in my parents' new lake house the past two weeks. It's been so nice being close to my grandparents. My grandma Lucy has been cooking for us and helping out with the baby and Reid loves playing outside with papa Glenn - and I think papa enjoys it even more! It has been hard though being away from my mom. They haven't been out at the lake much because she's busy with Kassidy's last few senior activities and I really have missed her help tremendously!!! I thought being at the lake would be relaxing, but somedays - with a newborn and a toddler - it's all I can do to get my teeth brushed! My perfectionist, type-A personality makes me feel quite overwhelmed and stressed at times. These past few days I feel like I'm just surviving motherhood instead of thriving! I've been trying to tell myself that the days are passing quickly and that I just need to sit back and enjoy my babies. I'm the type of person who likes everything to be done and in order so it's hard for me to let the laundry pile up or let the kitchen stay dirty or to not worry about baby books and pictures. My mother says that there will always be something that needs to be done - always laundry to do, the house always needs straightening - but they won't always be babies. So...I keep reminding myself of this when I feel overwhelmed. 

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Is it colic?

LilliAnn's a great baby...for the most part, but for about the past week she's been extremely irritable at night and bursts out in these really high pitched cries. It seems to start in the evenings around the same time every night and lasts about 3-4 hours. During this time nothing seems to make her happy. Jeb is so good with her, way better than I am with her. He has such a calming, relaxed personality that seems to soothe her. I guess that's one of the things that made me so attracted to him...he helps calm me and feel more chill! Jeb thinks that she has a touch of colic and I'm starting to agree. I just pray that it doesn't last long because I'm exhausted!

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She's awake lots more now, especially in the mid-morning and evenings. We can't believe how well she hold her little head up. She's been holding her head up very well since she was about 2 weeks old and now she'll hold it up for quite a while and even lift it up and turn it from side to side. It amazes me how she can differentiate between voices and will turn and look when different people talk to her. Reid didn't track well with his eyes until about 2-3 months and Lil is already following objects very well. She's smiled a few times, but not purposefully, it was probably just gas! I love how aware she is and how big her eyes get when she's trying to focus on something. And what a little chunky monkey...at 1 month old she weighs almost 11 1/2 pounds and is 23 inches long! This girl never misses a meal! Breasmilk does a body good :)

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LilliAnn Loves:

- to be held

- rocking

- eating

- to be held up on someone's shoulder

- to sit up where she can see everything

- sleeping in daddy's arms

- the bath and the noise of the bath water running

-kisses from Reid

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LilliAnn Doesn't Love:

-pacifiers

-taking a bottle (and it's even breastmilk bottles!)

-laying down if she's awake

-lots of really loud noise

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It definitely has been quite an adjustment having a new addition to the family, but so worth all the adjusting! She's mommy's little angel and daddy's little girl! I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful, healthy family...complete with my boy and my girl. Reid is doing great, aside from the occasional temper tantrums and time-outs... thanks to the terrible twos! He's loving lake life and practicing up on his baseball swing. Jeb and I are looking forward to a fun summer at the lake playing with our kiddos and enjoying boat rides and lots of family time!