Look out family room, here comes Naomi!

Baby seal or baby baby? Would she
be even cuter if covered in a fine layer
of silky fur?

I've known this day would come. I've known, in fact, for more than a year. It's been impossible to deny, as hard as I've tried, that one day we'd have a grabby baby on the loose in our home, wreaking adorable, drooly havoc on anything she manages to approach. That's right, the baby can roll.

Naomi has been able to kind of, or occasionally, roll for at least a month or two, and especially from back to front. At first, the motion surprised her, and not always in a good way as she lands her stomach or back on a hard, plastic toy (think of stepping on Legos--ouch!), or her head flops onto the floor. Once rolling started to happen more often, she learned to kind of duck her head in and smooth the transition so that it wouldn't be quite so uncomfortable to roll from front to back--at least if there are no toys in the way. And then she decided that rolling was okay, and could be a new mode of transportation. Now, Naomi is working on purposeful, goal-oriented rolling. The baby still has not learned to plan her rolls to avoid planting on toys, but I assume that comes next. I don't think she's ever gotten more than about five rolls away from her starting point (although that has gotten her under both her and Elise's beds), but it's enough to cause some big changes around our house.

Goofy girls. Naomi has the best big
sisters ever.

It is a much different situation from last time. For one, Kalina no longer freaks out (in a big way) when another child so much as glances at her stuffed lamb (Lisa, who is now a mother herself---sniff!). The girls love when I tell stories about how Baby Elise briefly look at Lamby, as she was called then, from across the room and Kalina would melt into tears, convinced of her little sister's involvement in a massive conspiracy to kidnap the stuffed animal and keep her for herself. I think only time changed her mind--I sure couldn't. But it's a relief that we don't do that anymore.

In fact, good-natured, generous Elise is so used to having a sister around that she really only seems concerned about her toys entering the baby's mouth, or drool leaking onto them. I know I will never be able to convince her, "it's just cute baby spit," so Naomi will have to learn the rule, "No putting your sister's stuffed animals into your mouth" before she even gains much of a concept about what constitutes a stuffed animal ("Is that the plastic block that fits into the hole? No? Shoot, I've got this all wrong."). But the baby doesn't suffer much at all at the hands of her doting big sisters, so this is a worthy compromise. Besides, she'll have to learn it sometime.

I love baby profiles. I may
have mentioned that before.

The bigger problem is that both of the big girls have firmly moved into the "millions of tiny toys" stage of girlhood, which they happily scatter over the house like raindrops. Aside from driving me slightly crazy, it means that every time Naomi rolls over, there's a new choking hazard.

On my side is the fact that while Naomi can certainly gnaw on a plastic ring for a while, she at least starts with her fingertips. Primed and ready at almost every calm and alert moment she has, her fingers love to touch and study. Our little scientist first tentatively touches an object, then scrapes it with her little fingernails, then pats it if it's big and drum-like, or grabs and manipulates it if it's small and hand-held. Her mouth is always at the ready, but not always in use.

And fortunately, the big girls are hyper-aware of what constitutes a choking hazard (especially if the choking hazard happens to be a prized possession). They're also hyper-aware of whenever the baby is playing with something that's not specifically a baby toy (again, especially if it's a prized possession), but we've had the "We share our toys unless they're put away in your room" discussion and I think they're okay with the arrangement as long as I occasionally let them borrow some of Naomi's shape sorters and rubbery animals and whatnot. Because apparently shape sorters are still fun if you're 3 1/2 or 5 1/2? Maybe it's fun to be an absolute pro at them.

The elusive finger-in-mouth
picture! Naomi loves chewing
on her finger. It's cute. It
comes out every time I pull
out the camera because it
wants to touch the camera.

We do have one new rule: for now, anything on the family room rug has to be fair game for Naomi. In return, I promise to keep her out of the actual playroom when the big sisters are playing in there. For now. Even if I have to fence it off. I think this will keep us all from going crazy except, potentially, Naomi when she realizes there's a treasure trove of really good toys within crawling distance.

Did somebody say "crawling?" That'll never happen...

Pbthbthpbhthbth. Something else
Naomi has learned lately.

This thing spins. And it spins
again. And again. And again.
I wonder if it'll do it again.
Naomi the scientist, and the
one who has most loved the
exersaucer. And most
studied it.

Whee! Spinning!

Triple firsts

Nummy bananas. Naomi
can't get enough, so she
figured she'd help.

Naomi is happy to announce that she likes bananas! And avocados! And oatmeal! But applesauce is a bit tart, and barley is just weird (not to mention an unhelpful texture that might work better at a later time). That's right: this week, Naomi officially sampled her first, although I had let her suck on not-too-ripe banana and washed lettuce stems, at her particular request, a bit earlier. She likes food, and in fact, has started to get annoyed if she's not offered any--especially lettuce, which is just so green and neat-looking.

We began on Wednesday, with mashed banana, a cute bib, a pink spoon and a camera. The big sisters, who had been eager for the baby to eat "mushed-up food" for a good year now, made for an enthusiastic and even helpful audience. Having sucked on a banana before, Naomi took to the taste immediately, even though it was mixed with a bit of formula. She sucked on the spoon and even managed to swallow quite a bit, adeptly spitting out any chunks I hadn't mashed quite as well.

The baby ate most of what I had to offer, letting me know she was done by screaming to get out of her chair (fortunately, at our second encounter with food she simply turned away). Loud and clear.

With each new food she's tried, the first few bites, at least, garnered a face that suspiciously said, "What in the world is going into my mouth?!?" Meh. Meh. And I'd wonder if bananas would be it for a while, But as long as the texture was super-watery, she'd keep going after the initial adjustment.

Naomi seems to want to eat more, so we'll be adding a second daily meal sooner rather than later. Any guesses on whether it'll help her sleep better at night, as the old wives say? I think no.
____

Build-A-Bear and Build-A-Pup! Elise
wore her puppy outfit to match.

I fully realize that "First Build-A-Bear" should most definitely not be a milestone. And it won't go in the baby book. But it was still a pretty big experience for Elise.

You may remember that we last experienced Build-A-Bear three years ago, as a Big Sister thing for Kalina. I'm not quite sure how we avoided making another animal in the meantime (unless you count the one for Aunt Nancy...), seeing how it's directly up our alley, but we did. Now that I mention it, that might be one of my proudest parenting accomplishments!

Kalina was more than happy to introduce Elise to the wonders of Build-A-Bear. I announced our plan the day before, and Kalina dug out her old B.A.B. cat and got her freshened up to meet a new friend.

Upon entering the store, Elise immediately became overwhelmed. So many people, so much glitter, and so many choices! Such expensive taste. I somehow managed to steer her past the My Little Ponies and Disney cats to the section of affordable animals. I'd prepped them for this a dozen different ways: "Now, what happens if the one you love costs $25?" "We can't get it." "Are you okay with any animal they have, or do you have to have a kitten?" "Okay with anything," they both assured me. That's the challenge of B.A.B.--getting out of there with all four limbs, and with no major arguments in the meantime. ("No, you may not get the stuffed car. [Don't be ridiculous, are you out of your mind?!?]")

Kalina, to her credit, contentedly bypassed the adorable multicolor bears she was initially attracted to. "We can't get these, Elise, they're too expensive," she said, not me. I could've bought her one then and there for her super attitude, but she happily settled on a more reasonable soft, pink bear with a heart for a nose. Elise wanted a puppy, but the Reasonably Priced Puppy was "too dark." I couldn't blame her--I wished they'd lightened it a shade. Finally we agreed on a lighter one that was super fuzzy, and probably a bit pricier than I'd planned. B.A.B: 1, Me: 1.

The three girls in the same rocking
chair their mommy was rocked in.

The girls grabbed at outfits with both paws as we waited in line to stuff the bears. And then it was our turn! Elise was assertive enough to answer all the questions herself, spell her own name, and even mention to the associate that she wanted her puppy to be "softer." (So was Kalina.) Soon, both animals were stuffed to perfection, and we turned our attention to outfits in earnest.

Elise liked anything with sparkles, and we found a sweet, glittery dress with a lollipop accessory and lollipop-shaped wings. We dressed her puppy, and then Elise stood clutching Pink Bear and the pup and taking in the scene. While Elise makes up her mind quickly and sticks her landing, Kalina likes to hem and haw. Fortunately, her mommy does, too--to a point. Kalina wanted a winter outfit that matched Gray's, but there were none to be had in the store. We found a cute substitute.

I considered letting them pick out cute bows as accessories. I then mentally nixed the idea: we have hair do-dads at home. And then they received free little bows at the register, along with the famous, bulky box homes! Fabulous! I forgave B.A.B. for at least one arm that they'd charged me. Then we created birth certificates. Elise's creation was named Licky Lick Lick, possibly changed to the Poky Little Puppy after she noticed some resemblance today during storytime later in the day. Kalina named her bear Rebecca.

Back at home, Elise has happily dressed and undressed her puppy several times already; fed her carrots with cinnamon on top in the play high chair for one meal and crocheted pizza, milk and banana for another;  provided birthday cake (it is, after all, the dog's birthday); and put her into and out of her house a dozen times. Kalina's armful of stuffed animals has happily expanded as she works her hardest to make sure Rebecca feels welcome, quietly talking to her about what to expect as a stuffed animal of the household. Thank you, Build-A-Bear! And Daddy...
______

Little girl at a big piano.

Kalina performed in her first piano recital! Held at her teacher's house, it was the perfect mix of casual and "real," and enjoyable for all, except, possibly, Elise, who caught wind of the treat table right behind her seat and couldn't wait for the music to be over. Naomi, for her part, didn't make a peep in the mei tai.

Kalina has been working hard since June and has been described by her teacher as quite talented. Her attention span, coordination, good attitude (even when she wanted to quit) and mental capacity have helped her breeze through various challenges, surprising us all. And with that, I'll be done bragging. She no longer wants to quit, by the way.

She chose her own program based on a theme: horse, and horse-like animals, and those who ride them. She practiced her pieces, Cowboy Joe, Rodeo and Donkeys Like Carrots, daily, and couldn't claim to be more than a little bit nervous as the day approached. The performers all sat cross-legged on the floor for lack of chairs, and volunteered to play when they were ready. Kalina, the youngest by two years, managed to be the very last.

She confidently answered her teacher's questions for the audience, and sat down to play. Her pieces couldn't have gone better, and since she's only five and hasn't quite moved on to Beethoven, her performance was quickly over. Soon, she was happily savoring a lemon bar while Elise devoured as many treats as she could grab.

_______

Naomi enjoying the soft puppy her
sisters picked for her before she was
born.

Naomi also had her 6-month checkup! She's growing at a consistent rate: she's 13 lbs. 8 oz. (in the 7.41%), and 25.5 inches long (34%). Apparently, she allotted most of her milk to height these past two months. She received her shots, but was smiling again by the time we checked out, having been more concerned about the fact that total strangers were poking and prodding her.

I bemoaned her horrible, awful sleep (I keep saying it can't get worse, and it always does--so I will not say that anymore), and the doctor reassured me that a bit of cry-it-out will not only help, but not hurt.

Big sisters, under strict instructions to wait patiently and not mess around, actually waited patiently and didn't mess around. Plus, they made a new friend in the waiting room who was a little too fond of Naomi for someone who'd been wheezing (according to her grandma). Aaargh! Fortunately, I was able to whisk Naomi to safety, my height being an advantage over the 4-year-old's.

On the way home, I remembered that Naomi could now have ibuprofen! With a cheerful, mellow baby, two well-behaving big girls and a husband who wanted pizza ingredients if I happened to be out, I decided that it'd be worth it to risk a trip to Target. My efforts paid off--not only did no one cry, but Naomi was fussy the rest of the day and night and the next day, so I was grateful for our infant Advil.

For the record, no, I can't believe she's halfway to 1. The part of me that's not utterly spent wants her to slow down!

The alert child

Matching, more of less!

I've heard it more times than I sat down today: "Wow, your baby is so alert!" or "Look at those wide eyes!" And I've heard it for each of my babies, often, and enthusiastically. Sometimes with a sense of wonder. And the other day, even, "That's horrible!" From a dad who knows. Alertness seems to be a hallmark of the Odegaard-Hanks lineup.

It's not horrible, really, but I can totally see why he said that. I'm thrilled that my kids are so tuned in. I do wish they would choose daylight hours to be engaged with the world as opposed to the bleary-eyed hours, but I suppose we can't be picky.

3:00 a.m. (Okay, maybe I exaggerate: I
think this was closer to 9:30 a.m.)

Yes, I do think this inherent alertness must be the reason my babies sleep horribly at night: I've tweaked and tried absolutely everything else. It's also why at five and three they would often rather converse with the grownups than play. It's a wonderful thing, but it can be a trying thing, too. When the kids are 100% alert, Mommy has to be, too. And we'd never change it for the world! Except sometimes.

And so, in our most desperate moments of exhaustion, Matt and I try to convince ourselves that all their alertness must be due to sheer genius, or at least brilliance.

I have no idea if that's true. But we must believe it if we are to keep going. Sometimes I think they really should just watch more TV.

Elise's best "baby penguin"
face, playing with the "igloo."

The first 10 months aside, alert children really will fit in well with Matt and I. We're all learning, all the time. And since it's January and nothing else interesting is happening, here's a rundown of what we're all working on.

Daddy spends his day learning about agriculture, business, and how the two relate. On his way to and from work, he keeps up with current events. In the evenings, he reads about anything from politics to the economy to farming methods to carpentry to bunny keeping. He has also recently learned how to apply conditioner to girls' hair, since he's had to step into the role, temporarily, of hair washer while Naomi refuses to learn how to fall asleep and stay asleep at night, even though she's perfectly happy to for naps (IT'S NOT THAT HARD, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!!).

I am learning, too. Even more about infant sleep (it can be really bad even if you pretty much do everything right), and how to use a Kindle (yay!). Also, how to make those little paper woven heart basket thingies, how many animals you can make out of a kid's handprint and some imagination, Spanish, all about the Entitlement Epidemic that's plaguing our children, and several ways to use kale.

But really, it's the kids who are doing the really good learning.

Elise's favorite part of snow:
snow cream! Yum!

Elise is working on all things "big girl." When it's convenient, that is. Not so much, however, when I remind her that big girls don't suck their thumbs, big girls hold a writing utensil properly, big girls can clear their dishes from the table (even if they're temporarily baby kittens) and big girls can hang up their coat, or at least drape it over the pile on the shoe rack in the entryway. 

But she really is, in fact, making "big girl" progress all the time. Thumb sucking, for instance, is almost a thing of the past. In fact, I thought it was when I bought her a reward Care Bear (and one for Kalina!) a week ago, but she has since relapsed a bit. While I've been putting a bug in her ear about quitting ever since her dentist appointment last August, it was actually her resolve (and a bloody, swollen, dried-out winter-weather thumb) that made her want to quit virtually cold turkey, using Band-Aids to help remind her (she can, by the way, do a big-girl job of putting the Band-Aids on by herself). It's painfully hard for the poor girl, as it would be for anyone quitting an addiction like that. Heck, I can't stay out of the chocolate, personally. She occasionally consoles herself with a water bottle. As long as it isn't anything stronger. Like juice.

And Elise can get herself dressed! Except her purple sparkle tights, which probably rules out about 1/4 of her outfits (we have two pairs, because they are so fantastically Elise).

She's also learned, recently, to skid-steer her training wheels while riding her new bike in her living room, and how to crack an egg. She knows most of her ABCs, and some of the letter sounds, and can spell her name and Kalina's name. The girl has also recently learned to count to the thirties or so, skipping only a few of the teens and most of the twenties, and Kalina's teaching her numbers and colors in Spanish.

Elise will also tell you that she can read! At least one book! She uses the "memorization" method.

And of course, Elise is learning plenty of things that we would prefer she didn't. For instance, to be afraid of any tiny noise she hears in the basement (which sends both of the happily playing girls charging up the stairs), and that even snow Mommy has said is "dirty" tastes good. Blech. On a sadder note, Elise has recently learned that even if she shares a bite of her cookie, that does not mean she will be shared with and in the meantime, her cookie is now smaller (Mommy and Daddy always share!). It's a cold, hard world out there sometimes.

Three seems to be the perfect age for learning, in fact. While Matt and I (and Kalina) have worked on various topics with her, Elise also seems to learn best by  listening in on conversations. 

Kalina's favorite part of
snow: the "playground" she
made!

While Elise is learning major skills every day, by dint of being three, Kalina is honing and gaining confidence in the skills she already has. She learns best through one-to-one contact. So if I (or Matt) sit beside her, she will learn. If I don't, being beside me (or Matt) is her top priority, and learning will happen only when that equilibrium is reached.

Academically, I've been printing off 1st-grade phonics worksheets and activities for her. They are a bit of a challenge, but only a bit. Nevertheless, learning to read is actually a very low priority for her. I've tried to convince her that I will still read to her every bit as much as I do now, but either she doesn't believe me or she just doesn't want to learn to read. She can read, she just chooses not to unless forced. I try not to push it too much and back off for months at a time if she needs a break.

Kalina is learning piano and Spanish, too. And how to use my new Kindle, and ride Elise's new bike. But one of her favorite things to learn about is babies! Mostly, to hear stories of when she was a baby.

Some of what Kalina learns nowadays is rather abstract, such as, how to "sell" an idea without being bossy (I told her about my advertising days, and she could totally relate), that it's okay not to be perfect, and strategies for surviving a party in which you only know the birthday girl and are shy (Strategy #1: Find someone who's not shy, and will do most of the talking for you--for instance, your sister. Strategy #2: Realize that anyone else who's shy is probably more scared of you than you are of them.).

Kalina is also learning that mommies often smell like chocolate, especially during stressful times. "Mommy, what's that wonderful smell?" "Mommy, you smell great!" I always play dumb. She needn't know the secrets of the maternal chocolate stash until she's at least a teenager.

Naomi's favorite part of snow: making
a baby snow angel!

And Naomi? She is learning her big sisters' faces (and that they're friendly faces, and occasionally funny faces), how to breathe even when it's windy (our little seedling has been grown mostly indoors) and that Mommy is kind of a pushover. Naomi learns best, it seems, when lying on her playmat and just watching, and often batting, and sometimes mouthing things, but mostly just watching. She can watch her big sisters bounce around for quite some time without getting bored.

Poor Naomi has also learned that once we start shoving her into her carseat, there's no return: a carseat is inevitable. She has taught us, however, to do this as rarely as possible. We have been good learners. We have also all learned that the swing is more optional than the carseat if the protests are strong enough.

A different perspective on Naomi.

She also learned how to roll over from back to front on Friday (she was motivated by trying to touch Kalina's bright orange hoppy ball), and from front to back on Saturday. Naomi knows and loves her stuffed puppy, and that if she cries pointedly and looks at me, I will come over. 100% of the time. She also recognizes that when I carry her in her birthday suit into the bathroom, it's bath time, and braces expectantly for the water accordingly. She likes baths, she just has to mentally prepare for them, and you can see it happen.

Triple story time!

Maybe all this is why she hasn't been sleeping? Or maybe she just doesn't want to miss a thing. I suppose I can't blame her.

Our Merry Little Christmas

Christmas cuties!

Christmas with a baby! What fun!

And when you upsize your family, sometimes you downsize other areas of your life. Like Christmas! It may have been small (ish), but no less the merry. Here's how it went:

Choosing a Christmas tree
at the farmer's market!

Naturally, we had to have a Christmas tree. Snow was falling--as were
temperatures--as we picked it out. How ideal! And how freezing. It took all of five minutes to decide on a white pine, as all the girls were cold and wanted to get into the nice, warm treat shop (somehow Elise had remembered that we got chocolates last year when we bought our tree). Naomi, in a stroke of early Christmas blessing, was warmly napping at home with a trusted friend to babysit her--and never knew the difference. And we decorated! With two happy helpers, we ended up with ornaments clumped merrily around the tree.

Decorating the tree and the baby.

If the tree was one must-do of Christmas this year, another was making treats for our amazing neighbors (and in so doing, showing the kids that Christmas is as much about giving as it is about receiving). We spent a snowy Saturday making cranberry bread, fudge and spritz cookies. I'm not sure the girls particularly enjoyed delivering them in the cold, fading light of December, but the neighbors assured us the treats were delicious. (The girls were certain of this fact, too, having begged plenty of tastes.)

Me and my girls and our
tree!

Speaking of snow, we had some! Twice! New this year: Matt took the girls to the neighborhood golf course for some sledding. The five-year-old was content to start halfway down a hill for a non-scary ride, while the three-year-old was ready for some thrills. "But that wasn't very fast!" Elise whined after going down a small hill. "Again!" she shouted after a big one. They devised a safe-sledding system where Kalina would hold the sled for Elise at the top of the hill, letting go only when Matt was at the bottom ready to fight off any pesky trees that got in the way of a smooth ride.

Elise singing along.

We also got to see the girls in the Christmas singalong at preschool. Elise was first. Since she doesn't attend on Thursdays, she joined her class from the audience, and as such, ended up front and center. And I'm not just speaking as a proud mommy when I say that she carried the show. Her emphatic voice carried over to her singing, the result being that even towards the back of the chapel, Grandpa Tom, Matt and I could single it out. Elise also did most of the motions, even though she'd probably had only half the practice her classmates had. She must've known how stellar her performance, because she applauded happily after each song. Kalina, despite being nervous that she'd mess up, also did a lovely job. She stood straight and tall, sang nicely--and gave sweet smiles throughout her performance. Naomi, for her part, napped like a pro in the mei tai--so I thoroughly enjoyed my morning.

Kalina singing along.

Of course, part of the buildup to Christmas is choosing or making presents for family. With only a couple weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a newborn, we couldn't exactly comb the stores, but Kalina and I made it to Target one Saturday.  Kalina carefully and sweetly examined each and every toy in the store (or so it seemed) to find the perfect Christmas present for Elise. Once I convinced her that we could buy more than just a tiny little plastic Care Bear, she picked out a purple bunny Elise could draw on with marker on and a small dog. For Matt, she later decided on a book about bunnies.

Naomi and her first Christmas
ornament.

Elise happens to be awesome at presents. Gifting is one of her gifts. We learned this a lot over the season, as she insisted everyone in the room take a nibble of every Christmas treat she received--no matter how tiny. So I asked the girl straight-up--what would you like to get Kalina for Christmas? A pink Hoppy Bunny (like the purple one she got for her birthday). Great idea! Unfortunately, Kalina is too big for it--but I had a substitution in place: a bouncy ball with a pony head on it. The idea sold, and is currently a favorite. How about for Daddy? A remote control airplane. Great idea! But too expensive? Nope: the one Elise pointed to on Amazon.com turned out to be both perfectly affordable, and well-reviewed. It's not remote-controlled, but still lots of fun: they've been having a spectacular time shooting it off on the golf course.

See the smile in her eyes? Thank you,
Santa!

For the rest of our family, I had the girls draw on kitchen towels with fabric marker, a project Kalina loved as she created some pretty elaborate scenes (a cave with stalactites, stalagmites and lava, for instance). Elise used cookie cutters to make T Rex's (who doesn't like T Rex's?) and a giraffe.

And what did the girls want for Christmas? Elise most definitely wanted a T Rex toy, and Matt convinced me to bite the bullet and get a startlingly realistic one for her. "She'll love it," he promised. "It's scary," I argued. Kalina wanted pet fairies. And other impossible things of her imagination.

Making cookies with Uncle Tom!

During the season, Baby Jesus reached celebrity status in our household, as did Santa. Sometimes, the worlds collided:
Elise: When will Santa Claus die?
Me: Um, I'm not sure he ever will die!
Kalina: He'll die, everybody does.
Elise, thrilled: But then he'll go to Heaven and then we'll get to see him!!
Sometimes I wish my kids weren't so excited about death.

Christmas morning!

The weekend before Christmas we had a visit from Uncle Tom, and opened our first presents along with Aunt Nancy via computer, and Grandpa. We also made Christmas cookies, which frosting-rookie duo Uncle Tom and Kalina both helped frost (Elise helped sprinkle and taste the sprinkles). And of course, there were plenty of games.

And when Christmas Eve arrived, we made it to church, then home to quickly eat supper, sprinkle reindeer food on the yard (mixed with magic glitter so the reindeer would be sure to stop at our house!) leave out a cookie for Santa (Elise: "A purple one so Santa knows it's from me!"), and head to bed (Elise: "Let's go to sleep so Santa will come!") Kalina worried a bit that Santa wouldn't come since Naomi's up all the time at night, but I assured her that he would be able to sneak in and out between feedings. Better be quick, Santa.

The sock is a little big for Naomi,
but the perfect size for Santa to fill!

Deep into our presents.

The next morning, we had to wake up Elise, who desperately needed to sleep in, at 7:30 because the rest of us were getting impatient. It took a couple shakes and a bit of, "It's Christmas! Let's go see if Santa came!" to get the girl moving, but soon we were headed downstairs. Kalina darted straight past the tree, not noticing the brand-new bike we left out for Elise--but doubling back, the big girl's excitement matched the little one's. Soon, Pink Bear was strapped in the seat and Elise was learning how to pedal it.

The bike on Christmas morning!

Next stop: the mantle. And Santa had come! The kids' stockings were full to bursting. Kalina, celebrating her sixth Christmas (seriously?!?), tore expertly through her stocking gifts and Elise, unable to distract herself from her new things, followed at a slightly slower pace.

A fairy named Alice and a
"baby" unicorn.

We took our time with presents under the tree, having nothing to hurry us for once. Most of the morning was filled with "I love it!" and "Yay!" We couldn't lose! Finally, I handed Elise the box with her beloved T Rex, camera in hand. She took off the lid, pulled out the tissue paper, and...gave a little whimper, ran behind the couch and hid. What?? Had she seen it properly? I pulled the previously beloved beast all the way out and held it out to Elise, but she only screamed, then started crying a little. Poor thing! She was scared of her Christmas present. How could her parents play such a cruel trick on her?!?

Elise finally made peace with her T
Rex, and is introducing it to Puppy.

Once Matt and I stopped laughing into our hands, we solved the mystery. We believe she'd seen the dinosaur's tail, and thought it was a little alligator. It does look quite real. We tucked it out of sight, and Elise consented to let it "live" outside. I was right!! It was too scary!!

Merry Christmas Naomi!

But the story doesn't end there. We quickly found another, more cheerful present for Elise. Ten minutes later, Matt tried to re-introduce the T Rex from a distance, and soon Elise was petting it and even hugging it--and then carrying it around quite happily and, later, making it eat a lemon and lettuce. I guess Matt was right after all?

Christmas at Grandpa Tom's
house!

We had pancakes for lunch, then went to Grandpa's for more presents and dinner. And on the way home, Naomi even consented to nap in her carseat so we could drive around a bit and see lights. How magical!

Tearing into a present
with Grandpa Tom. Okay,
maybe just patting.

Annual family pic. And this year,
there are 10!

The day after Christmas was as special as the big day itself, as Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Laura, Uncle Chris and Uncle Brian all arrived! The big girls basked in all the attention and activity, while Naomi showed off just how jolly she could be. Kalina's favorite thing was sneaking Grandma or Aunt Laura upstairs to help with her Legos, while Elise's was to ride circles in the living room on her bike with Uncle Brian keeping her from bumping into things. There were also plenty of treats, a few games, some music composition on Uncle Chris's iPad, a glow-wand treasure hunt, pasta necklaces and the arrival of a giant trout caught by Uncle Chris on the men's fishing trip.

Opening presents with the Odegaard
side.

Elise has become an expert at riding
her bike in tiny circles around the living
room, thanks to Uncle Brian.

And how was Naomi's first Christmas? I can't say the baby particularly noticed it, but she did look adorable in her Christmas outfit. And she certainly wasn't forgotten in all the celebrating--in fact, she was celebrated quite well! She received a sweet new Baby's First Christmas ornament, and back-ornaments from the collection Grandma is making all three girls. And Aunt Nancy finished her stocking just in time for Santa to fill it! Naomia's favorite gifts: a chewy toy from Santa, a chewy giraffe from Grandma, and the warm carseat cover I gave her early. Naomi's least favorite thing about Christmas was that she had to try to fall asleep all kinds of new places. Her New Year's Resolution is to never leave the house again.

Pasta jewelry with Grandma.

Naomi loved the attention!

Kalina's favorites: her fairy doll and her Lego vet set (that I had triumphantly tracked down for a reasonable price despite its fast disappearance from Amazon.com, Target and other easy places), the hoppy ball from Elise, the remote control tractor from Grandpa, and various Playmobil fairies.

Elise's favorites: Her T Rex, her puppy from Kalina, Playmobil penguins and bunnies.

And so, it was a big little Christmas, but a very merry one throughout!

Composing music with Uncle
Chris.

Our Christmas miracle trout!

Yesterday

She smiles! For the camera, even!

I once read a Dear Abbey letter written by a single person, wondering why her stay-at-home mom friend never seemed to have time to chat. After all, how hard can it be?Abbey's response was lovely: in a nutshell, it's because it takes the mom 45 minutes to do what it would take someone else 15--if it's even possible--and that if, by remote chance, the mom encounters a moment of silence, she might really want/need to keep it silent. For her own sanity. In the spirit of that post, here's the rundown of a typical day in our household with a new baby (as opposed to when there's not a new baby, in which case there are more grocery outings and field trips).

When do I start? How about at the beginning:

They really are little angels. Most of
the time, anyway. 

12:30 a.m.: Naomi starts fussing. I feed her and change her diaper in the dark with one eye closed in hopes I'll be able to get back to sleep that much faster. Fortunately, I do not also need to change her sleeper this time. Other times, I might not be so lucky.

2:30 a.m.: Naomi. Same routine, except Naomi is a little tireder this time, and falls back to sleep faster.

3:30 a.m.: Again., but with no diaper change.

5:00 a.m.: And again, but with a diaper change because last night I didn't and the baby and I both paid for it.

Aunt Jo gets to hold Naomi!
And Naomi gets to be held
by Aunt Jo!

6:00 a.m.: And again. No diaper. Naomi is tireder and falls asleep faster each time. I am more awake and fall asleep more slowly each time.

7:01 a.m.: Matt and I only rarely set an alarm nowadays, as Matt's current rotation at work is pretty flexible. So it's usually at this time that we're greeted by a little girl in a footie sleeper and with an armful of stuffed animals. Sometimes bouncing around, sometimes crawling into bed with us and staying put for a bit. Either way, it's time for us to get up and start the day.

7:20: Both big girls are usually up playing by now. The baby is still asleep, tired out from waking up all night. I gently mention to the big girls that breakfast is at 8:00, and they need to get their routines started (potty, getting dressed, putting PJs away and, for the bigger one, making her bed and brushing her hair. That's it.) in order to have time to eat. If it's a preschool day, I remind them that we don't want to be late. I walk off to get myself ready, and they stay put.

Uncle Jim, too! Naomi is a very
passable baby.

7:30: One big girl is half undressed, the other is playing. They might be fighting. Either way, virtually no progress has been made. I tell them, "Time to get ready!" and give them each a step to work on.

7:35: No one has moved. I speak up again. No one moves. I begin to doubt my own existence.

7:40: I'm still trying to rally the troops, and the baby wakes up. So now, I'm getting myself ready, changing and smiling at the baby (after all, these are the best smiles of the day!) and supervising the big girls.

7:50: After some more prodding, each girl has about half of her responsibilities done, but one is carefully making a bead design using tiny beads while the other is scattering tiny beads across the room. I tell them it's almost time for breakfast and that I'm going downstairs because the baby and I are both hungry. The big girls have now had half an hour to complete six minutes worth of responsibilities.

Pajama party to watch the Charlie
Brown Christmas special! But then
we couldn't find it, so we watched
Berenstein Bears instead. My kids
are so TV deprived that they care
not what they watch, as long as
they are watching, and they didn't
trust me that the Christmas special
wasn't scary, anyway.

7:52: I have finally managed to calm down hysterical preschoolers, terrified of being left upstairs alone. They are now ever so slightly more motivated, and in the next five minutes I'm able to push , pull and drag them through the remaining steps. I try to keep the mood light--after all, we have a whole day ahead of us. (If it's not a preschool day, I loosen up on the timing a bit--but not too much or I'll pay for it the next preschool day.)

8:02: I see that the kitchen is dirty. It was (mostly) clean last night. But now it is dirty again. The girls have finally made it downstairs, and are playing. I remind them if that if they'd like breakfast, now is the time. There won't be another time. They must eat now. They start gathering bowls and spoons. Both are able to pour milk using Milk Pitcher, one of the household's favorite possessions--so they can actually pretty much fix their entire breakfast themselves.

8:20: Everyone has eaten at least something. If it's a preschool day, I start the process of hurrying them up to brush their teeth, and out the door (a huge undertaking in itself). I try to intersperse my directives with pleasant conversation so that I'm not 100% grump. I would tear my hair out, but it's all falling out already because I just had a baby. Naomi, by the way, is playing happily on her playmat, all but ignored as I finish the early morning's tasks.

Approximately 13 new babies have
been born in our church. Naomi
and the only other girl have decided
they'd better stick together.

8:30: Today is not a preschool day, so now the kids are leisurely having another bowl of cereal, walking back and forth to the kitchen even though I remind them they have to stay at the table to eat, while I work on cleaning up the counter and play with Naomi. I start to relax.

8:40: We're done with breakfast! And dressed! Our teeth might even be brushed! I delightedly tell the girls that they can now play while I do my "Mommy work." Finally, I don't have to nag anyone anymore!

8:43: The girls have stopped playing and are bored. Apparently, all the playing for the day has already happened. They: come this close to hurting each other, jump on the couch and/or follow me around, asking for crafts and stories and, generally, to be entertained. I would feel bad for them and cave, except I just spent the last hour and a half trying to get them to stop playing. I convince myself that I'm not going crazy, and am not a bad mommy, and tell them that we will read and play together when my work is done. Work before play. A life lesson we relearn every hour.

Naomi loves her play gym more than
both of the others combined. Now I
know what they are for. I almost did
not bother to get it out. Bat, bat, bat.
Swing, swing, swing. Whee!

8:50: Kalina and Elise follow me upstairs while I put Naomi down for a nap. They want to see her diaper and climb in her crib. Because they are just bored to death. Then, Kalina goes into her room to play with her beads, and Elise follows either her or me. She mentions that she's "tired." I try to sympathize, but not over-sympathize, lest that pave the way for more complaints.

9:00: I'm straightening the downstairs, planning the laundry and remembering odd things that need to get done while Elise sits on the couch with her blankie. She's tired. And bored. Kalina wanders down and sits on Elise's blankie. Elise screams. But then the next minute I've managed to get them to be friends again, and they play nicely for a while. I empty the top rack of the dishwasher, put something in the mail, run laundry downstairs and wipe out the sink, spattering the conversation with common phrases like, "No throwing stuffed animals into the fan!" and, "Your sister probably doesn't want ice cream on her head." Soon, someone accidentally gets a tiny bit hurt. Again, I try to sympathize without over-sympathizing. It comes out a bit fake.

9:25: The situation has deteriorated again, so we bake! Muffins, cookies, biscuits for dinner--you name it. We love baking. If we just really don't need any baked goods, chances are we'll clean up the floor and vacuum, since no one else has any better ideas. They don't like the cleaning, but they do love hitting the vacuum while it's running. I don't love it quite so much.

10:00: It seems that we just finished breakfast, but it is snacktime, which really only Elise needs. They ask for candy, I give them a banana and a muffin we just baked. I empty half of the bottom half of the dishwasher while running back and forth refilling water glasses.

10:10: The baby is awake! We all troop upstairs and give her a bath. The big girls help by carrying her clean clothes and diaper into the bathroom, and then by staying out of the way. I impress upon the big girls how important it is to stay put while I'm bathing the slippery baby, lest they be banished from the small bathroom and, apparently, the only interesting that is happening right now.

10:30: I feed the baby. The girls are bored (again) so we read a few stories, and then I offer to play with any or all of the following: blocks, Little People, puzzles, games, ponies, Duplo, any other toy laying around.. But the girls only want to do impossible things, like sew a table for their stuffed animals, or watch TV the rest of the morning. I decide to just play with Naomi, who has just started to bat at toys and can do so seemingly endlessly.  Elise joins me on the baby playmat and after setting the playmat up with new toys for Naomi, Kalina flips through library books. I escape to switch out the laundry and work, again, on the breakfast and muffin dishes. Everybody's happy! Magical.

11:00: I have decided that the fridge needs cleaning, even though the dishwasher is not yet empty and there's wet laundry sitting in the washing machine. Naomi is gnawing on her front carrier while I check the freshness of certain Tupperware containers. The girls are bored. As usual, I have a dozen incredible suggestions, but they are all rejected. I pull out one of my favorite strategies-of-desperation: I assign them a small task to do, like cleaning all the toys out of the living room (there are about five). All of a sudden, Elise is pretending to be a baby bunny, Kalina is pretending to be the bunny's owner, and they're playing happily! They are so cute! I can finally finish cleaning up the kitchen, right before it's time to make lunch! I'm ever so slightly annoyed when the girls actually finish their task (no nagging required, for some reason) and wait for me to come up with something else amazingly fun to do.

12:00: I'm not really sure how the rest of the morning was spent, between baby caretaking, the occasional chore, and some playtime. But here it is, lunchtime. We all chat and eat together, then since they take insanely long to eat, I start cleaning up the kitchen (notice a theme?) while reminding them to stay on their chairs. I am like a magnetic force, and they are the little magnets, though, so it's really hard for Elise, especially, to be in a different room from me. Even though we can talk and see each other. She bounces back and forth until she's finally "done."

12:30: I remember that piano practice with Kalina usually goes better earlier in the day. She only grumbles a tiny bit as she makes her way to the bench. I try to keep Elise from pounding the keys while Kalina is practicing. I'm usually holding the baby at the same time, so this can take some acrobatics. After this, I'm usually good for a few stories, or pretend vet clinic, or whatnot, if they ask me. Or cleaning up the kitchen if they manage on their own.

1:15: Elise doesn't often nap anymore, but we do all have "quiet time." I try to have all three girls do quiet time at the same time, but that doesn't always work out. Either way, I usually have to interrupt happy playtime to start our quiet time--although I do try to wait for a natural break/fight, since happy playtime is so rare some days. Oh well. After 15 minutes of more prodding, I'm reading a story to Elise while Kalina looks on (and sometimes Naomi). Then I play a bit with Kalina in her room before her quiet time.

1:40: My quiet time! I answer the phone for only Matt. I switch out the laundry, throw anything left out from lunch into the fridge, and attempt to sit down. I answer emails, blog, work on freelance work, look up anything that needs to be looked up (like new craft ideas), make important phone calls, space out a bit, etc. But mostly, I sit down--because I might not be able to again for a good seven hours. It's quiet.

2:00: Elise has wandered into Kalina's room, they have hurt each other (real or pretend), and I'm upstairs dealing with it. No, they're not allowed in each other's rooms during quiet time, so I'm not very sympathetic. For the record, I don't actually care whether they're in each other's rooms for downtime as long as I don't hear about it, and can sit down. Usually they actually play really nicely up there--probably only because they think they're not allowed.

2:15: Naomi wakes up. My quiet time is over, but it's still fun to spend time with just my cute baby! I go back and forth, cleaning up the lunch dishes and laughing with the only kid I don't have to nag on a daily basis (yet).

2:40: The big girls come downstairs, downtime over. They want crafts and stories. Mommy has other ideas, though: the sun is shining and it's supposed to rain for the next five days, so we're going outside. I prod the girls into their shoes (coats are optional: it is a problem that will work itself out very quickly) and we all try to have fun in our yard for at least 20 minutes or more. Sometimes this is really hard for some reason. Maybe I'm just not a fun person? Maybe I'd be more fun if anybody ever liked my suggestions or cooperated.

3:30: We have come in for snacktime. The girls want cookies. I give them Goldfish, walnuts and apple slices. I actually finish cleaning up the kitchen. For the second time today!

4:00: When the baby goes down for a nap in the afternoon, I really do pull out a craft or other activity and do my best to sit down and enjoy it with them, whether my Mommy Work is done or not (is it ever really done?). If it involves painting, however, the situation, which has started nicely enough, and for which I have very high hopes, quickly deteriorates into, "Don't squeeze all the paint out!!!" and, "Elise, paint belongs on the paper, not your face!" Which is probably why she continues to paint her face/hands next time. I do love seeing what Kalina comes up with, though, and I can't help but laugh with Elise at all the things she finds to laugh at, including her own mistakes. Wise child.

4:30: I send Kalina upstairs to put away her laundry while I clean up the craft project and Elise gives her ponies a "pony bath" in the bathroom sink. Sometimes around this time the neighbor girls convince Kalina to play outside, sometimes a couple of them end up at our house and I find myself watching a couple extra kids (albeit older ones) and trying to keep them quiet while the baby sleeps. I never know what, exactly, my afternoon will be like. Either way, I'm likely to turn on some music.

4:45: If there are no neighbor girls, Kalina is likely to be found hoisting a miniature sea turtle into her pretend castle using a strand of beads, having put away about two pairs of socks. She wants help: I mention that I already helped her by washing and sorting it. On a good day, it takes her no longer than 15 minutes--on a bad, she can stretch it out for an hour. I'm hoping that one day she'll learn the obvious lesson in this. I ask Elise to straighten up her room (mostly so that poor Kalina isn't the only kid working). Elise happily finishes the job in five minutes. So I know the problem isn't me...

5:30: The baby's back awake by now, so I'm likely to be feeding her and thinking about dinner. We still have some frozen meals, so I rarely cook on weekdays (we also eat leftovers from the weekend, when I do cook). But it takes a good 20 minutes to heat up a meal for four, plus prepare sides and drinks. Kalina colors amazing abstract pictures while Elise tries to sneak tastes of dinner and makes jokes.

5:55: Daddy is home! I always wonder what he thinks of us when he walks in the door. Sometimes, two pint-sized cuties are rocketing toward him, sometimes they're jumping around in the other room, oblivious to his entrance, and sometimes they're playing very quietly upstairs and the house is silent. He tries to tell me about his day, while the big girls try to climb him and tell him about theirs, while I try to listen to him and respond in meaningful ways, keep the baby happy and answer the big girls' questions and make dinner. It's the most intense five minutes of the day, and sometimes it puts me over the edge. Everything calms down when I can convince Matt to save the details for later when I'll be able to pay attention a bit better, and he and one or more of the children troop upstairs so he can get changed.

6:15: Dinner. Also, commonly, a baby naptime, so I wolf my food and put a cranky baby to bed while Daddy, thankfully always in a good mood (having gotten to sit down during the day), chats with the big girls.

6:45: I'm working on dinner dishes and general cleanup--and even breathing once or twice. Matt takes the girls up for bathtime, or if it's not a bath night, plays with them a bit. I follow shortly to do the hair-washing. We all have something we hate in regards to kid-care, and this is his. I totally get that, and I don't mind. It does take some more nagging, but my skin is pretty thick by this time in the day.

7:20: I run around taking care of the baby and helping finish up the big girls for bedtime. This is quite a process sometimes; other days it goes quickly.

7:40: Matt takes one child and I take two, and we start bedtime stories. With any luck, the big girls' lights will be out before 8:00--or by 7:30 for Elise if she hasn't napped.

8:15: I'm feeding the baby and trying to wind her down. Elise asks for water. Kalina kicks the wall.

8:35: I start the process of settling the baby to sleep. In a dark room. Exhausted. I try not to fall asleep myself, and think about how I'm going to spend all my free time before bed.

8:50: The baby seems to be asleep! I go downstairs, finish a few tasks, and sink into the recliner, chocolate in hand.

8:55: The baby is crying. Up to settle her.

9:00: Matt comes in to finish telling me about his highly intellectual day. I try, again, to pay attention.

9:15: I sit down and relax! Possibly watch TV. Possibly just stare off into space, or the netherland that is the Internet.

9:35: I decide I better go to bed.

9:55: Matt goes to sleep with earplugs and a sleep mask, lest he wake up (which is fine--at least then one of us isn't so sleep-deprived their vision is blurred. Still, some days I wish I could be the one with earplugs and a sleep mask.). I lay down to read a bit. The baby wakes up. I go in to settle her.

10:15: Sleep!

11:15: Baby

And then I do it all again tomorrow! And the next day, and the next, and the next...until they're in college, it seems. And then I will miss it.

[Note: The past three nights, the baby has only needed settling about four times! I don't, however, count on it lasting, and this post reflects what has been normal for the past couple weeks.]

Now, let's pretend I get fed up with all the alleged boredom sometime during the day, and take the girls to the park. It goes something like this:

Me: Who wants to go to the park?
Elise: Me!
Kalina: Not me.
Me: Well, we're going--Kalina, we'll do a craft or something later. Let's get shoes on for the park!
No movement.
Me: Kiddos, grab your two things (they get to take two toys along for the ride), and shoes and coat.
The kids wander in opposite directions and get distracted.
Me: Looks like you'll be sitting in the van with no shoes on at the park! Too bad! (I'm not, actually, kidding. I have no problem getting out with Naomi at the park and leaving two shoeless big kids in the van.)
The kids know I'm not bluffing, and start moving. Fifteen minutes later, we're at the 1-minute-away neighborhood park. We drove in case of inclement weather, plus the fact that Naomi needs frequent naps.
Me: Yay, the park! Have fun you guys!
Kids: We'll just sit here with you.
Me: Um, no. You can sit at home. Go! Run! Play! Why don't you ____ (insert any of a dozen fantastic ideas I would've/did love as a kid)?
Kids: No.
Kalina: I'm ready to go home.
Finally, Elise wanders off to look for pillbugs, and Kalina eventually consents to help. They completely ignore the equipment, preferring, instead, to climb all over the furniture at home.
Two minutes later, Kalina gets hurt and decides to just sit. To try to salvage the situation, I hop up and help her hobble around, looking for pillbug food or whatever. In this way, we eek out something that could be considered "fun." Interspersed with lots of sitting and general boredom, and lots of amazing rejected suggestions by yours truly.
A while later, Me: It's almost time to leave, but we'll play a little bit longer. Simon says...go down a slide!
I wish I'd tried Simon Says earlier, because within five minutes the girls are happily playing together, and look like they could do so for quite some time. But the baby is already past due for her nap, and the big girls had plenty of time to have fun if they'd chosen to.
Me: Time to head home!
Kids: Nooo!

Mommyhood: trying to get little people to do what they don't want to do. A million times a day. But I really will miss it.