7 Quick Takes: Dairy, Sleep, Cabin Updates, First Haircut

1. Well, I'm back on the dairy train. That didn't last long. I cut dairy last week, then re-introduced it with some cheese over the weekend and it didn't seem to affect Aden either way. Now, I'm thinking the pediatrician was probably right and Aden's skin irritations are caused by the dry air / cold weather. I've been diligent about applying lotion several times a day and Aden hasn't had any skin rashes or redness since the one incident at the beginning of last week. See, this is what parenting's like inside my head. I go back and forth on topics until I've hashed them to death. Is the rash from something I'm eating? Is he getting enough to eat? Is there something I'm missing? Maybe it's not a big deal at all? Gah.

2. Dare I say we're moving in the right direction re: sleep in our household? It's been a tough month(s) in the sleep department with multiple wake-ups from Tory and Aden every night. Andi started sleeping downstairs in our spare bedroom so he could be semi-functional at work during the week and giving me extra time on the weekends to catch up. Our family's entire method of function was off-kilter from lack of sleep. There was a gray fog cast on every aspect of life. Luckily, things seem to be on the up-swing and Aden's pulled a few 3-4 hours stretches at night which isn't perfect but feels heavenly in comparison to the previous few weeks. Best of all, I don't feel like stabbing someone at every waking moment. The world moves on.

3. Andi's mom has been babysitting the kids on Sunday evenings and it's been wonderful. We're often driving home from the cabin on Sundays and since her house is on the way, she's offers to keep them for a couple hours from the time we drop them off until bedtime. One week, Andi and I ran to the Apple Store together (something I loathe doing alone when I have the kids) and two weeks ago, Andi went to dinner with friends while I shopped and went to a coffee shop alone. This past Sunday, we celebrated Easter with Andi's family and his parents offered to keep Tory overnight. It is such a breath of fresh air to have a break at the end of the weekend and to start the week with a fresh slate. So thankful for that.

4. We amped up to a new level of redneck at the cabin this past weekend: Andi bought car seats for the Ranger ATV so we can take family "truck rides" together. Driving around the countryside is one of our favorite things to do on the weekends. Now the kids are safe and secure inside the Ranger and I just feel so much better about taking them on trails and country roads. Excited for it to warm up a bit around here so we can all get out there.

Andi and Tory out for a 'truck ride" this past weekend

5. We're hoping to do a few cabin remodeling projects before summer officially begins in Wisconsin. Last fall, we replaced the appliances and added a sauna and outdoor shower. This spring, we're hoping to update the countertops with granite and put in new flooring on the middle level to replace some mis-matched carpet. Excited to see how it all comes together. All I can think about when I watch TV or flip through magazines these days is back-splashes, cabinet colors and countertops.

6. We also bought a canoe for the cabin. Andi has grand plans to take family canoe trips this summer on a few of the rivers by the cabin. We did one on Father's Day last year and it was really fun, but it was bit challenging with a constantly-moving toddler. I held onto Tory most of the time while Andi paddled us the length of our trip down the river. Our new canoe has a trolling motor, so problem solved! We'll just turn on the motor and zoom down the river when Andi doesn't feel like paddling his entire family in a canoe! Wish us luck canoeing this summer with two small children. Life's all about the adventure, right?

7. Aden got his first haircut this morning. I'm still somewhat embarrassed / shocked I let a hairstylist come near my baby boy's head with a pair of scissors, but Aden's hair was seriously out of control. There were some very long baby hairs on the top of his head and a few random ones sticking out the sides. Elsewhere, Aden has peach fuzz just starting to grow in so I thought it'd be best to even it all out. Tory, Aden and I were at the kids salon for Tory's haircut, so I politely asked the stylist to clean up Aden's hair a bit, too. She snipped away the long hairs on top and gave me a baggie with his tiny blond strands. People probably thought I was crazy, but oh well. He really does look better.

Little buddy, 21 weeks old today