Five Things Friday

1 - I've been on maternity leave for 13 weeks now.  I have one week left.  I don't even want to think about it.  While I'm extremely lucky that my boss lets me work from home/go in the office 20 hours a week so I don't have to use all my vacation/sick time, I kind of wish I was one of those people that could just let everything go for those 14 weeks.  It's been a stressful time to have maternity leave and I don't think I was able to completely enjoy it because of that.  On the other hand, I got 10 weeks with just me and Hattie that I loved and I'll have 4 complete weeks with all four kids.  Our parents are helping us with the kids this summer like they did last summer so Hattie will be 5 months old before she ever has to go to daycare.  Talk about good timing!

2 - This maternity leave has made me realize I would be a horrible stay-at-home mom.  I'm one of those people that can not start and stop things.  I'd just rather not start something than to be interrupted during the middle of it.  If I stayed at home all the time, nothing would get done in our house!

3 - I started a new running program two weeks after Hattie was born.  I'm now running 3.8 miles three times a week.  4.5 miles if you include my warm-up/cool-down.  I still don't consider myself a runner.  I have to push myself every.single.time.  but I'm hoping eventually I'll be able to just go do it without dreading it.  I'm proud to say I've only missed one week and that was because it rained everyday but one, in which I ran.  I've been trying to count my calories also since week two after Hattie was born.  I've lost 30 lbs since she was born, but i seem to have hit a plateau.  I'm hoping to lose 20 more so we'll see how that goes.

4 - I finally made Lily start potty-training.  She was the kid who had absolutely NO interest.  She was scared to death of any potty, big or small.  Her first week out of daycare, I was determined to get her potty trained though so we went straight big-girl underwear, giving a sticker for every successful bathroom trip.  Once she reached 10 stickers, she got a special trip for a toy with Daddy.  The first two days, I won't lie, she held it until nap time when we put a pull up on. Then, on the third day, it was like she finally figured out how to go and it wasn't scary anymore.  She has been wearing them 3 weeks now with no pee accidents and only one poop accident.  I'd say that's a good start.  Now, if we can only get her to go on the big potty.  Currently, we're having to take her frog potty everywhere! :/

5 - Hattie has been such a great addition to our family.  Believe me when I tell you after two kids, you don't even feel the additional child.   It's like they've always been there.  She sleeps about 12 hours at night and she's just so laid back, it's wonderful.  I hope she stays like that!  The only problem we've had is her congestion.  She's had it like 6 weeks now.  We have to continually use the saline and bulb for her nose and I'm hoping eventually it'll get better.  She also has these crying fits where she just can not be consoled.  I almost feel like it is colic, but when I thought about how much she spit up and the fact that she can't sleep flat on her back, we feel like it's reflux.  The doctor doesn't want to call it that, but Chris has it and I feel like that's what it is.  We finally made an executive decision to change her formula to the Enfamil AR.  We just switched yesterday but so far, no spit up and she hasn't had a crying fit.  Fingers crossed this works because she's so happy and has so much personality otherwise.  I hate to see her in obvious pain!