Focusing on Feeding

I haven't been around much, lately. I've probably been at the computer about as much as I usually am, maybe more since I'm spending more time sitting down. But I've been listening to music, watching videos with the kids, or passively browsing facebook most of that time because it's hard to type with only one hand.

No, I didn't injure myself. I've just been holding a baby the majority of the day, every day. This development came about as a result of a couple of things:

1. Cub is becoming more aware more of the time. He's enjoying some relatively quiet awake time, instead of waking up only to complain of dirty diapers and stomach discomfort. Right now, he's a few feet away in his play pin, making adorable baby noises, looking around. This morning, though, I had to put him in the wrap just to make my breakfast because he was not about to be put down (nobody put's baby in the... crib?) even though I had just fed and changed him and he was even wearing his favorite pjs.
   
   Yesterday, I put him on his bedroom floor on his tummy and laid next to him in the same position (I call it frog position) with my knees up under my belly and my hands under my chest. We looked at each other for 15 minutes or so while I sang to him and he made a wide variety of frustrated faces. I can only imagine that he desperately wants to be able to do something, really anything with his body on purpose. He is getting better at not accidentally hitting himself in the face with his phantom hands, though. Would it be offensive to him to say, "baby steps"?
2. I got sick again. This is the worst January for communicable disease. Honestly, I haven't looked up the statistics on that, but I wouldn't be surprised. I'm not, by a long shot, the only one of my friends to get sick recently and I haven't kept track, but I would bet that I'm not the only one to have been sick more than once in the last several weeks.
   
   This time, though, it was a flu-like 24-hour thing. I was sore everywhere, with a fever of 102 degrees and a horrible headache. I stayed in bed almost an entire day, which would have been nice if I weren't sweating and apparently passed out on Papa's side of the bed (it's closer to the exterior wall, so it's cooler over there).
   
   Papa told me over dinner last night that this year has actually been a rather effective year for the flu vaccine, but that Colorado specifically seems to have gotten it's own strain that was not covered by it. I don't think that's what I had, but the thought of it sure makes me want to stay inside more. Unfortunately, Papa works with a bunch of people who have school-aged children and they're all calling in sick in rotation this month, too.
   
   Anyway, now I'm struggling to get my milk supply back, again, for the Cub. I'm drinking lots of fluids and trying to eat high calorie snacks. It really is a good thing I like peanuts and almonds. The pacifiers are just collecting dust during the day, because I don't want to ever turn him down if he seems interested in nursing, even if I'm pretty sure he's not hungry. And when he's done, I use the pump (thank goodness for having a good one, this time). It's all very time consuming.
   
   And I just got over that last bug and finally got back to normal milk production. *sigh*

The girls using the art table they got for Christmas

I'm currently trying to help the twins decide what "extracurricular" activity they want to pursue. The options for kids their age in our area are swimming, ballet, gymnastics, basic self defense, shotokan karate, taekwon-do, guitar, pottery, tennis, soccer, t-ball, lacrosse, volleyball, and softball. I've kind of got my fingers crossed that one of my four kids wants to play lacrosse someday, but I'm trying not to suggest anything to them. I want this to be their decision.

Our community centers also offer a line-up of parent-and-child cooking classes I think I might offer to take with them if I can figure out what to do with the Cub for the duration. 

They want to go to Jumpstreet for their birthday outing. That won't be until after Cub gets his 2 month shots, so their outing will be a couple of weeks late. That was their decision, because they wanted us all to be able to go together (the alternative was for them to go with Papa on their birthday, and I would stay home with Cub). We'll still have an at-home celebration on their birthday, for which they've chosen to have pinata cookies, which I've never made before. I love birthdays for that reason. They're a great excuse to bake something new.