DeWitt Family

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Jason = Luke Perry

Jason is a man of various talents. He can land softly on a bed or couch after running like no man I have ever seen. He can identify the voices of animated characters or narrators in an unparalleled fashion. He is also a chameleon and seems to resemble various people on TV or in the media. It started when someone noticed that he looked like Beavis of Beavis and Butthead fame. Then he was once snapped in a picture (by a drunk person) arm in arm with an older gentleman who looked like Dick Cheney. He was supposed to be G. Dub. The resemblance is there! From time to time I notice that he looks like Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser years). Recently, he was a doppelganger for Blake Lewis on American Idol and then for an Elf, in the movie by the same name starring Will Farrell. This past Friday he channelled Luke Perry from his Dylan /90210 days in this priceless photo (Bren, I love you). He is such a talented man, and as you can see, I appreciate very random and useless talent.

Did I mention he is also a talented father of 3 and a fabulous husband and an Oral Surgeon? I guess those seem minor compared to the whole "landing softly" thing sometimes.

Going to the Dead show?

Sawyer has this affliction that I cannot seem to fix. I've tried various things, none have worked. She wakes up from each nap and in the morning with this hair that can only be understood visually. (see fig. a) I think the amount of hair that is involved in this baby dread lock style is increasing daily. I'm fearful that one day Sawyer will wake up with her hair completely "dread locked" and will tell me that she is leaving to see a "show" of some band that currently takes the place of The Grateful Dead or Phish. When she walks by me, I smell the faint odor of Patchouli and want to put on a tie dye shirt. Any suggestions?

Madeline: just like every other kid

We do not own video games. We never have. The last time I played a video game was in 9th grade when my friend and I used to play Mario Bros. on Nintendo. That was in 1990. Jason hasn't really had time for video games in the past 16 years, with all the studying he has been busy with. Therefore, our children have not been exposed to any video games of any kind.

Well, you would never know. Madeline has taken to video games like a fish to water. She got a video game for Christmas that plugs directly into the TV and you would have thought that she was born playing the darn thing. The Honakers brought their Wii and Madeline started rocking out to Rock Band without delay. I believe these things must be pre-programmed into children. Madeline is no exception. Here she is as lead singer in The DeWitt Five.

Eamon: mama's boy extraordinaire

This baby is too much. He would be content to hang out in his mama's arms, gazing up at her forever. The way he looks at me is unrivaled in either of my other children. He just stares at me, contentedly and lovingly as though I can do no wrong. I'm sure this is because I am the sole source of his nourishment and also because I spend a lot of time talking to him as though I am a complete imbecile. "This is mama's baby, yes, I just love ya, yes mama's little sweetie...etc..." He loves every second of it. He is so crazy for his mommy that he actually smiles and gets excited when I sing. The fact is, he should be crying when I sing. I am truly tone-deaf. I cannot sing a note. It is painful to those around me to hear me sing. Eamon loves it. He is so sweet. I am so lucky to have this little boy.

Sawyer: this week

Two year olds can push a parent to the brink of insanity. Sawyer is no exception. She is a "challenge" and as previously stated, a "spirited" child. This is nothing new. We noticed her "spirit" the day we brought her home from the hospital. She started crying that day and did not really take a break for the next six months. At six months, she became slightly easier to deal with but we noticed that she liked to play rough. She would, in her six-month old way, wrestle her 3 year old sister. I am not joking. She is really something.

She has challenged our parenting abilities and made us question our effectiveness countless times. Recently, Jason and I have changed our approach with Sawyer. Black and white does not work with her. She is all shades of gray. We now use the "kill with kindness" approach with Sawyer. Honestly, I kinda think that it is working. I'm not sure if she is simply thrown off by the love-fest we are showering on her, or if we have just finally figured out what works for her. Nonetheless, this week has been so much easier and we have really enjoyed Sawyer. She has been a delight. Oh yeah....and she went to daycare one morning and has had a babysitter to the house. I suppose the breaks that we have had have also been part of the success we are experiencing.

Finally, we are picking our battles with our little angel. We are allowing her to eat things that she wants, giving her myriad choices and picking her up to baby her as needed. In the picture, you will notice that Sawyer is dining on her new favorite cuisine: the peanut butter spoon. She loves it and I couldn't care less whether or not it is appropriate. Bon Appetit, Sawyer!

Hope

The day after the inauguration of Barack Obama, I am still excited and hopeful that things are going to change for the better in the next four years. I watch the news coverage and see the hopeful crying and looking forward, knowing that the recent past has been stressful; at times a living nightmare. The inauguration was exciting and emotional but, also a confirmation of just how dire our times are. Some people in this country have nothing left except hope. Barack Obama has huge expectations to live up to. I hope that too many people do not feel let down by the constraints reality and time may place on him.





I am excited and somewhat empowered by what I believe will be a brighter tomorrow however, my "struggles" are minor compared to that of a large part of our population. I realize as I watch moving pictures of African Americans, that I have no idea, despite reading and empathizing with them, of their struggles. I have been fortunate. I have been privileged. I have very rarely been made to feel like a second class citizen. It hit me very hard that I have no idea what it feels like to feel liberated from a history of closed doors and lack of opportunity. I feel proud to be a part of a country that has evolved in such a short history. I am proud of the American citizens who have chosen a new route for the future and I hope to do my part to make that future a happy, prosperous one for others.

Oh yeah, and this gives me another opportunity to show off my picture with our new president and his first lady..

Family Fun

This weekend, Jason's sister and her family came up to visit. Jason's niece, Avery is very close to superhero status in the DeWitt home. She is the surrogate big sister to Madeline and Sawyer and they worship her. It is really great for Avery to be around the girls for many reasons.

The best reason (other than the fact that she is a great kid) is that she can be used as a behavior management tool for both of our daughters. For example, "Sawyer, if you don't go to bed right now, you won't be able to play with Avery tomorrow." Miraculously, Sawyer's behavior corrects itself when threatened with "no Avery time." Another thing is that Madeline can get the "little sister" treatment for a while, and can begin to understand what Sawyer goes through.

Overall, we had a great visit. The Honakers' brought their Wii and we collectively rocked out on Rock Band for a couple of days. I've never really seen fake drumming go to someone's head like it did to Jason's. I think he accomplished the equivalent of smashing the drum set....Wii style.

A Quick Learner

Parents with infants all around the world walk through the day with eyes half open. They are tired, frustrated and don't know where to turn. They have an baby who refuses to sleep. Some allow the baby to co-sleep in the grown up or "family bed." This is not an option for us. Our kids, given an inch, will always take a mile. No kids in our bed. That is except for Eamon for an hour in the early morning. Otherwise, he sleeps in his crib

He decided recently that he did not want to be rocked to sleep anymore. When we would attempt to do so, he would wriggle and move around, rubbing his face all over the place in desperate attempts to stay awake for the excitement that is the DeWitt home. We decided to "Ferberize" Eamon. The Ferber method is the classic sleep training method where a parent lays the child in his or her crib and lets the baby cry for increasingly longer periods of time before entering the room to provide comfort. A parent is never to pick up the child. Only provide comfort in the form of pats or rubs. This process, in a baby who is old enough (Eamon is barely old enough) should work in 3-7 days according to Richard Ferber. Often, parents can't take the screaming and give in to the child.

For Eamon, this process worked the first night. It has now worked for another night and for naptime today. The kid came out of a textbook. Our other two did not. It is amazing to feel like an effective parent. If Eamon would have been our first child, we would have thought that we were superheroes in the parenting department. Thank you, Eamon. The third time really was the charm.

Jason and Katie

We are two exhausted parents. Attention all who warned us that having 3 children makes you feel outnumbered: YOU WERE RIGHT! We're very grateful and we are so happy to have our beautiful, healthy children. We are just really tired.

Jason is studying daily for his written board exam and I am still up at least once (usually twice) with Eamon during the night. The good news is that we have a babysitter lined up a couple of times in the next 2 weeks and we are looking forward to a couple of hours away. First, we will have a very exciting trip to the bank to talk with the investment specialist (party on!) and then we are going to a grown ups night out with friends. We are very excited to engage in discussions that do not (as my friend Stevi says) have to do with someone's rash or diaper. Hooray for things to look forward to!

Madeline

What can I say about Madeline? She is a great kid. She works daily to become smarter, nicer and more well-behaved. I am so proud of this little girl, I cannot put into words my amazement at how wonderful she is. She fixes products on the shelves at the grocery so that they are even and pleasing to the eye. She cleans her room when asked. She taught herself to read. She even reads books to her infant brother and little sister. She loves everyone she knows.

However, the best thing about Madeline, in my mind right now? She was a total pain when she was 2 as well. She gives me hope for Sawyer's future.

Eamon

Eamon is 4 months old. He is my only boy. We call him "the prince." He is an absolute joy and is a sweet little baby. I love to watch him grow. I am a better parent to him in some ways. In others, I have no doubt that he will be incredibly spoiled. He is, at 4 months, a mama's boy in every way. He cries when I walk away. He smiles more and laughs more for me. He is in so much trouble.

Jason says Eamon's existence helps him wake up in the morning. This is not to minimize the importance of his darling daughters. Jason needed Eamon to even the playing field. He finally got that little boy he has always dreamed of!

Sawyer

Sawyer is....2. She is really, really 2. Jason and I are being tested daily on our parenting skills. I have to admit that I'm a bit embarrassed because Jason is beating me at my own game (parenting that is). He is able to separate himself from the situation and behave in a rational manner, while I am ready to pull all of my hair out. Sawyer is often a real challenge. She is indecisive, ornery, aggressive (see figs. a and b above) and whiny.

We are devoting extra time and love to our "spirited" child as she works out her kinks. We think that many of her kinks are jealousy related. She is not happy that mommy is often preoccupied with baby Eamon. Today my strategy is to be the "master of distraction" with my little bundle of joy. Wish us luck as we try to keep Sawyer from becoming the classic middle child.

Commitment

The DeWitt parents are ready to commit to posting regularly on a blog. We are excited to share our pictures and stories with family and friends! Please return frequently to see our updates and to watch us grow.