A Day in the Life of a Mother with a Preschooler, a Toddler, and a Newborn

1:30 am- Baby is crying. What time did I feed him last? Okay, I guess it has been 3 hours. Get up, go to bathroom (there are times when you must take care of your own needs first), change baby’s diaper, swaddle baby, get back in bed and start nursing. Doze on and off while baby eats. Baby stops nursing. Put him up to shoulder to burp. Fall asleep.

2:30- Wake up. What time is it? I guess he doesn’t need to burp. Put him down in bassinet and pull it close to bed. Get back in bed. Hear baby spit up. I guess he did need to burp. Reach over and half heartedly wipe up spit up. Fall back to sleep.

4:00- Baby is crying. It can’t be time to feed him again. Okay, I guess it is. Repeat process.

6:00- Baby is crying. I am not ready to feed him again. Pull him into bed, both fall back to sleep.

6:30- Preschooler and Toddler come running into room. Wonderful Husband gets up with them.

7:00- Wonderful Husband leaves for work. Pull self out of bed. Kids are eating breakfast and watching Curious George. Change baby, sit down to feed baby. Look around house. How did it get so messy? I will get all that laundry piled on the couch put away today. I will get the kitchen cleaned up too.

7:30- Toddler is in high chair yelling, “Done, I done mom.” Stop nursing, get Toddler out of high chair and wash his hands and face. Go back to nursing.

8:00- Put baby down. Eat breakfast myself.

8:30- When did I last bath my children? I can’t remember. “Quick, everyone in the bath.”

8:50- Wrestle screaming Toddler into cloths. Encourage Preschooler to hurry and get dressed. “No, those pants are on backward, take them off and start again. Hurry, we are going to be late.”

9:05- Leave for preschool late. It could be worse.

9:15- Back home. Baby is hungry again. Change baby, feed baby, burp baby, put sleeping baby down.

9:45- Toddler says, “I hungy mom, want snak” rubbing his belly. Get him snack. Baby is crying again.

10:10- Put sleeping baby down. Finally, time for a shower. Weigh self first. Shouldn't have done that.

10:25- Stand in closet staring at cloths. I hate getting dressed. Select a shirt that fits over extra large boobs and jeans that are 4 sizes larger than what I was wearing pre-baby. It is better than sweats.

11:00- Dressed, hair done, minimal make up on. Baby still sleeping. Time to tackle some chores. Where to start?

11:30- Dishwasher half loaded. Baby crying. Time to pick up Preschooler.

11:40- Baby cried the whole time we were gone. Now I know why. His back is wet, diaper leaked. Time for a complete outfit change. He is also hungry.

12:00- Kids are saying they are hungry. I tell them we will eat lunch as soon as baby is done nursing. I hear a rustling in the Kitchen. They are helping themselves to a little pre-lunch snack. “Stop eating, we are going to have lunch.” I hope this doesn’t ruin their appetites.

12:15- The kids are happily munching on PB & J and bananas. I scarf down a turkey sandwich, ignoring the cries coming for the swing. He can’t really think he is still hungry, can he?

12:30- The baby is finally content in the swing. I hurry and finish loading the dishwasher. I just manage to get it started before the cries start again. Just before I pick up the baby my toddler announces that he is done with his lunch. The snack did ruin his appetite. I think he got more food on his clothes than in his mouth. I clean his hands and face, then I wrestle him out of his dirty shirt while he screams.

12:45- Story time. All four of us snuggle on the couch.

1:00- Nap Time, Hooray! With only a little trouble I get my toddler down for a nap and turn on the computer for my preschooler to play a computer game. I think I will feed the baby a little early and have a nap myself.

1:10- As I am changing the baby’s diaper he pees, a nice stream goes over his head, over the blanket, and onto the carpet. Fabulous, time for complete outfit change number two.

1:45- The baby is sleeping, the toddler is sleeping, the preschooler is happily playing a racing game on nickjr.com, time for mommy to have a rest.

3:15- I wake up. My preschooler is still playing on the computer. I should really get up now and do something with him, but my body feels so heavy I will just lie here a little longer. Am I a terrible mom?

3:30- The only thing that gets me up is the promise of sweet chocolate goodness waiting for me in the pantry. If I get up now, my kids won’t know I had a Swiss Roll. I’ll get my preschooler off the computer when I am done. I am a terrible mom, he has been on the computer for over 2 hrs.

4:15- Just as I finish feeding the baby I hear my toddler calling me from his room.

4:30- Snack time. The baby is asleep, while the other two eat I finally get to wiping off the counters and wash some bowels that have been hanging out in the sink for a few days. I clean the kitchen in shifts now.

5:00 Oprah ends, the news starts. Is it seriously 5 already? I got the kitchen clean in time to dirty it again. What are we going to have for dinner? Something easy, spaghetti? Pancakes? Sandwiches? Or go out?

5:15 Get call from Wonderful Husband. He will be home a little late. Baby is stirring, time to eat again.

6:00 Garage door opens. Kids start yelling, “Daddy is home!!!” They wait for him by the door. He comes in and immediately starts playing with kids while I finish up dinner.

6:30 Sit down to dinner. Constantly remind Preschooler to eat. He gets so distracted, besides the fact that dinner is his least favorite meal of the day.

7:30 Watching TV while I feed the baby. Preschooler just finished eating, finally.

8:00 Start bedtime routine, get PJs on, read stories, brush teeth.

8:30 Kids are finally in bed, daddy is tucking them in and telling stories.

9:00 Time to feed the baby again.

9:30 Pump, or as my preschooler calls it, using my milker, need I say more. Notice the laundry still unfolded on the couch.

11:00 The evening has passed by in a blur of bad TV. The baby is feed, but not asleep. Pass him off to daddy and climb in bed. Fall asleep as soon as my head touches the pillow.

The cycle starts all over again.

Need a good laugh...

Go to a T-Ball game. My son Jacob is on a team with his cousin Isaac, the Mud Cats. It is seriously one of the funniest things to watch. A bunch of 3 and 4 year olds trying to play baseball. They have no concept of the rules. Most of them struggle to hit the ball off the T. When they do hit the ball they don't know what to do next. People are yelling, "Run, run, that way." They sometimes run to third base, or even second. My Jacob likes to head for first then veer off to second, "No, this way." They are so spacey. Jacob's coach is telling him to look at the ball before he tries to hit it, he is staring off into space, looking everywhere but the ball. I must say I was very proud of him when he did finally hit the ball all by himself at last nights game. He did a great job. The outfield is my favorite. There are kids rolling around in the grass (Isaac), and spinning around in circles (Jacob). Jacob and Isaac are tackling each other. Jacob is chewing on his mit. Randy says he used to do the same thing when he played baseball. Our team rotates positions in the outfield so they all get a turn to handle the ball, only the ones in the front of the field go for the ball when it is hit. But other teams don't do that. When the ball is hit all the kids run toward it and try to grab it. Last night the other team, the Grasshoppers, ended up with a dog pile. The kid on bottom came up crying. It was so funny. Our team has a special award for the kid who plays the best, the golden ball. Last night Jacob won the golden ball for hitting the ball so well. His face light up, I don't know if I have ever seen him so proud of himself. It was so cute. I was very proud of him. We have played three games so far. They are getting better. Hopefully by the end of the season they won't need so much help. So, if you want to see the really funny stuff you better come to a game soon.

Baby Adam

On April 6th at 11:40 am our little family grew by one as we welcomed Adam James Wardle to this world. Everything went perfectly. Well, almost. I really wanted to go into labor on my own this time, no pitocin. So, the doctor stripped my membranes on Thursday (who ever said that doesn't hurt lied). On Saturday during priesthood session I started to have mild but regular contractions. I was able to go to bed and sleep through the contractions for a few hours. At four in the morning I woke up with stronger contractions 5 min apart. Grandma came to take care of our boys while we went to the hospital. We got there some time after 5. They got me all hooked up to the monitors and then of course my contractions stopped. They didn't believe I was really in labor so they didn't even admit me. I was only dilated to a 3 1/2. After the nurse left I started contracting again. When they checked me an hour later I was a five and I was starting to hurt pretty bad, so they finally decided to admit me. When I was a 8 the nurse called my doctor to come in. He got to the hospital at 11:30 and broke my water. That is when things got exciting. The baby's heart rate dropped and was not coming back up. We had to hurry and get him out. Luckily it only took pushing through two contractions to get him out. His cord was wrapped tightly around his neck. He was blue, blue, blue. It was kind of scary. But as soon as they gave him some oxygen he turned pink and everything was fine. We were lucky the doctor was there when my water broke. I was so surprised to see this blond baby. He looks just like Randy.


We only stayed at the hospital one day. I was bored and uncomfortable, and I missed Jacob and Nathan. Plus, I work there, it didn't feel like a break for me to be there. I feel great. Recovering has been better with each kid. And, the baby is nursing well, we have had no problems. He sleeps almost all the time. He seems to have a very mild personality. I had been really nervous about how Nathan would react to having a baby around. He has been great. He loves the baby. He wants to pick him up and carry him like a doll, but at least he is not being mean to him. I could not have asked for things to go better than they are. And, I am so glad to not be pregnant anymore.

Show Me Your Face

My Nathan is the cutest kid ever. He is so cute, I can hardly stand it. He is 22 months old now, and he is so fun (when he is not sick). He does and says the funniest things. Whenever I clean his face after he eats he tries to get away from me. He doesn't like getting his face washed. But, if I say "Show me your face" he will turn around and stick out his tongue. I thought it was really funny and couldn't figure out what he was doing. But, a few days ago we realized that he is making a face. It is funny how little kids get confused about the way we say things. We were eating jelly beans and Jacob was asking to play Candy Land. So now when Nathan wants candy he asks for candy land. He was at Grandma Wardle's house one day when it started to snow. She said something about making a snowman. Now when it snows he calls it snowman. It snowed this morning and he looked out the window and said, "Oh, snowman". He makes me laugh. He is just getting over RSV. After two weeks it is so good to finally see his personality coming out again.

36 Weeks

Seriously, can I get any bigger? I guess I will, I still have four weeks to go. I really hope it goes fast. In my experience the last month is the hardest. So far this pregnancy has been better for me than my last one. I think that loosing 20 lbs in between made a big difference. I am not as achy as I was with Nathan. My feet, legs, and back, don't hurt as much, even now. But, I still feel ready to be done. I am having trouble sleeping. I actually get more achy when I am sleeping. The hip I am laying on will start to ache and I have to turn over, not an easy feat when you are as big as a whale. I also get leg cramps, heart burn, and my arms go numb (pregnancy induced carpal tunnel) at night. And it is the time of day when my baby is the most active. He flip flops all over the place all night long. I hope that isn't a problem after he is born. He is going to sleep all day and be up all night long. I am contracting much more that I did with my other two. Still, I am preparing myself to go all the way to my due date and possibly over. That way I won't be disappointed. I expected Nathan early and was frustrated when he didn't come on his own.
In another sense I am not really ready to have this baby. I still don't have anywhere to put his things. It is going to be a challenge to put three kids in one room. I also don't have a car seat yet. The one my other two used broke. I figure I still have time to take care of some of this stuff. I can't imagine what life will be like with three little boys. It will be an adventure. I am so glad that I have such a good husband. Randy is such a good dad, he will make this job easier for me.

How I got my kid to stop picking his nose

Nose picking has been a problem for us for a long time. Anyone who knows Jacob knows this. I finally got fed up with it after telling Jacob to stop picking his nose about 50 times in a day. So, I decided that he needed a bribe. Jacob has always been very susceptible to bribes and rewards. He was the easiest kid to potty train. All I had to do was sing a song and give him two M&M's every time he went potty. It worked like a charm. I decided to bribe him with jelly beans this time. I put 20 jelly beans in a jar. I told him that every time I saw him picking his nose I would take a jelly bean out of the jar and at the end of the day he could eat what was left. I thought 20 would be good because he picked his nose a lot. The first day I had to take away one jelly bean and it was traumatic for him. I said, "Well, don't pick your nose and I won't take any more away." He said, "OK mommy, I won't pick my nose any more." And he didn't. He got to eat 19 jelly beans that night. The next day he didn't do as well. I ended up taking away a lot of jelly beans. But, he got better every day. It took less than a week to get down to where I only had to take away one or two jelly beans a day. The jelly beans are all gone (we all enjoyed them), and so is the nose picking, at least for now. We will see if we really broke the habit. Unfortunately he has developed a new habit. Now, his hand is always down his pants. I have to tell him several times a day to remove it. If it is not one thing it is another.

Sick Days (and Nights)

Can I just say I am so sick of winter and being sick. It feels like we have been sick for the last two months. As soon as we get over one thing we start another. In January we had colds. I lost my voice for about two weeks and Nathan had such a bad cough I took him to the doctor. He had an ear infection and the doctor was worried about the cough going into his lungs so he put Nathan on antibiotics. Then in February we had the flu. Nathan got a fever during church two weeks ago. A few days later Jacob had a fever, and then by Wednesday I had a fever. It was awful. Luckily Randy never got it so he was able to take care of us. That was one of my worst weeks ever. We didn't leave the house for a week. Finally after about 10 days we were all better. We had a great illness free weekend last weekend. No coughs, no runny noses. Then on Sunday night at about 11 I hear Jacob in his room, "Oh no, oh no, I need my daddy." Then he came into our room. I asked him what the matter was and he said, "I frowed up, that means I'm sick." He threw up on the floor in front of his bedroom door. Randy and I jumped out of bed and got everything cleaned up as best we could. For the next few hours I was up ever 20 to 40 minutes with Jacob who totally emptied his stomach and then continued to dry heave. Sometime in the middle of the night I made Randy take a turn. He had the joy of cleaning up after Jacob had, I'll just say, problems out the other end. The next morning I had to totally strip the bed, clean up Jacob and his room and wash everything with vomit and other stuff on it. But, by morning Jacob was better. He didn't eat much that day, but he didn't have any more stomach problems. I was glad it was short lived. No one else had symptoms until last night. At 5 Nathan threw up in the living room. He had the exact same thing as Jacob had. We had another sleepless night, followed by a morning of laundry. But, he has been acting normal today, except for a poor appetite, which is highly unusual for him. Please, please, please, don't let Randy or me come down with this stomach flu. That is the last thing I need right now. I guess I would rather get this all out of the way now, before I have a new baby. But, really, I can't wait until this winter is over.