Trying to keep up

I'm really trying to be good about blogging, if for no other reason than to have some of our history down in words. :-)
I took Noelle to the doctor today to have her weight check. She's gained a pound in six weeks, even with two-and-a-half rounds of antibiotics, ear infections, yeast infections, and the whole nine yards. The doctor was happy; I was happy. The doctor was happy that she had gained weight; I was happy that I got to be my non-confrontational self.
By the way, the last two mornings I've gotten to practice my "wiping a child while holding another child" skills. I'm getting good. Nathan's body is working against me, I tell ya. He technically could do the honors himself, just not on over-sized toilets on which he's doing his best not to fall in anyway. I think everyone wanted to know that, right? I'll chalk it up to history.
Nathan said something really funny today, but I can't remember what it was. Rats. At one point this morning, as I was trying to eat breakfast and feed breakfast to a little girl, I had taken the towel off my wet hair to allow my hair to dry a bit (we had an early appointment and not much time to waste). Nathan was eating his breakfast (two fried eggs and peanut butter toast) and commented, "Mommy, I like your hair better when it's tied up...hmmm...in a ponytail, yeah." Really? You don't like my hair when it's wet and tangled and crazy all over my head??
At the doctor's office, I have problems getting Nathan to stop talking to the doctor. It takes a joint effort by the doctor and me to get him to stop talking long enough for us to have a conversation. Thankfully, the doctor is extremely good with him.
Right now I'm brainstorming ways to train Nathan to pay attention. I don't know if it's just an excuse, but I do know that his mind goes ninety-to-nothing, and he has a hard time listening if he finds the need to formulate a rebuttal, addendum, or improvement to anything we're saying (which is quite often). He also is fairly slow to obey; he'll do it, just slowly. My only bright idea at the moment is to make a chart on which he only gets a mark if he obeys quickly and cheerfully, and the only way he can have movie time is if he has a certain amount of marks. ?? We'll see.
Noelle is definitely showing her personality. She gets mad if anyone crosses her and will sit in the floor and kick her feet. Today we went through several rounds of "no, you cannot throw a fit when mommy won't let you touch the banana." I was holding her, and I would just set her down when she started throwing a fit. I wouldn't pick her up until she would hush when I told her to. On the other side, she is a very excitable little girl. Events that cause grabbing and happy squealing: Mommy getting her from her crib, seeing Bubba for the first time after a nap, seeing the dogs outside, Mommy swatting flys with a flyswatter, seeing Daddy walk down the hall. When her daddy comes home from work, she will follow him around then get up on her knees and hold her arms up. Once he finally gets the hint and picks her up she starts pushing him and wanting down. ha
Okay, I'm so done. Can you tell Evan is not home?? I would love to go to bed, but I know that the minute I go to sleep, he'll come home and wake me up. :-)