Just Checking In

Howdy! I know, I've fallen off the face of the planet again and all that. If I ever figure out how to be a wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend, maid, chef, shopper, accountant, organizer AND blogger all at the same time, I might show my face here again more often.

We're going through some major changes around here lately...Mike has a new job...new hours, new schedule, new everything. Preslie is quickly approaching three...and two was a breeze comparatively. Wilson is cutting teeth two at a time and can be a little terror with them. They're both as sweet as pie... unless they're not, lol. My body is revolting...hair's still falling out by the handful, gaining weight, having 2 cycles a month. I'm thinking postpartum thyroid troubles but can't really have it all checked out til the new insurance is in effect from Mike's new job... and the circle begins again.

It's really not all that bad, just terribly busy. Instead of complaining more, I'm going to the grocery store. ALONE. You might never hear from me again. ;p Just kidding! Mike would walk there and drag me back if I didn't return in a timely fashion. Taking care of both the monkeys at the same time is still quite a bit of work for him. :)

Hope you're all well wherever you are. I've been reading when I have the time but have become horrible at commenting. Sorry!!

Here's a recent picture to brighten your day. Even when they're doing their level best to mow me under, they never fail to brighten mine! Have a great Monday! :D

Spring Pictures at the Botanic Gardens

Happy Easter!

 

Just popping in for a moment to wish you the most blessed of Holy Days!

 

 

My little Easter Bunnies wish you a "Hoppy" Easter, too. :)

God Bless!

Time is Flying...

Hey there. Hi. Howdy. Hello.

We're still here, just in case you wondered. :)

Just a quick check in to let you know that all is well. It's 2:38am here and it seems that this might be the only time of day that I have to blog in the foreseeable future. We're a busy bunch and as usual, there just aren't enough hours in the day. I'm only up now because I fell asleep putting the kids to bed around 7:30pm and just finished feeding my little mister his midnight snack. I'm having trouble falling back to sleep, so where do I go? To the Internet, of course! ;)

Everyone around here is doing great. FINALLY. Since my last post, we endured about 6 weeks of someone being sick with something. We had snotty noses and coughs and more snotty noses and the tummy bug and more coughs...and then passed it all around again, a few times for good measure. No one was immune and despite all my cleaning and sanitizing and disinfecting, we've all had our fair share of yuckiness. This been our first full week of total wellness in a quite a while and it feels awesome. Thank goodness!

Mister Wilson is doing well. My little man will be 4 months old on Monday and I just don't know where the time is going! He's a good baby, so different than Preslie was...so different than what I expected. We're still battling reflux and crazy bad spit up but with another change in meds and a new eating plan for him, plus finally being well, we've seen some major improvement recently. Especially in the last week or so. He's babbling and jabbering and doing his best to keep up with his big sister. He LOVES her and the feeling is mutual. It is precious to see. He's a busy little guy...constantly in motion...and I think he'll be rolling over anytime now. He loves to laugh and is never happier than when he's naked. He's chewing on everything he can get his hands on, eating and sleeping like a champ and has a happy, sweet personality...and a swift temper, especially if his dinner is late. ;) If I'd have had him first, I could have had a dozen babies. He fits in perfectly here and I can't imagine not having his sweetness in our lives.

Big Sister Preslie is doing great, too. It's hard to believe that my baby girl...my tiny miracle...will be 3 in just a couple of short months! She seems to be over the adjustment hump now (knock on wood!) and is much happier and more settled and secure than she was just a few weeks ago. She has really bloomed recently and is interacting more with people and things outside of her comfort zone. Don't get me wrong, she still gets overwhelmed very easily and some outings seem to totally wear her out physically and emotionally...and I think that's just part of who she is...but she's maturing so quickly these days. It makes me look forward to the kind of little lady she will be come...and makes me miss my baby something fierce. She's sleeping much better, eating us out of house and home (hello, growth spurt) and is bounding with energy all the time. She loves her little brother to distraction and is constantly checking on him and wanting to play with him. It gives me hope that they'll be friends instead of 'just siblings' as they grow up. My gentle little sweetheart is also a little dynamo and if her dramatics, temper (wonder where my kids get that from? ;p), and inquisitive nature are any indicator, the future will be anything but dull with her!

As for Mike...well, Mike is a saint. Seriously, he is such a good husband and daddy. He puts up with my moods (which are legion) and my mom, thus he should be nominated posthaste. ;) He's still getting the hang of dealing with two kids all the time and like me, seems to be constantly busy. He's taking up my slack A LOT and I'm sure is tired of hearing me say, "Honey, could you do one more thing before you go to work?" But he does it unfailingly, even if he doesn't always do it the way I would. We're learning more and more to work together and how to build our family and home the way we want them to be. I can honestly say that I didn't ever think we'd be in the place we are right now, with both good and bad things, and be as strong as we are. I love him more...differently, better, stronger... now than I ever have or could have imagined to. Oh, he still drives me crazy and we get on each others nerves and we're still working this parenting gig out but we're making it. More than making it, we're doing pretty good most of the time, I think. He is one of my biggest blessings. He's currently looking for either a much better job or a second, part-time job, so keep him in your prayers if you will.

And me? I'm doing okay, too. Most days I'm better than I am worse, so I'll take it. :) I've recently started eating low-carb again in a real effort to lose my baby weight and then some. Chasing two kids around wears me out and carrying around all this extra fat isn't making it any easier. Coming off of carbs this week has been tiring (thus the falling asleep before 8pm with the kids) but I already feel so much better...and I've lost 5 lbs. so I have no complaints. I still second guess myself all too often, my house is a WRECK and I need to be more organized but I feel like I'm in a better place than I was a few weeks ago, a month ago, and a month before that. I'm trying to give myself more grace, be more peaceful and gentle, and spend more time doing things with the kids (which is why my house looks like To.ys.RU.s and a laundromat both exploded in my living room)...and most days, I succeed. I think. I'm trying to be less anal and controlling and am doing my best to take help when it's offered...and in turn am finding myself with more time and energy for those in my life. Win-win! I've made a few new mom friends recently and that's nice. They're right here in my neighborhood and it's been good getting to know them and their kids...good for my kids, too. All in all, things are going well. I'm looking forward to what comes next, while trying to enjoy the special, everyday moments, while wishing I could just slow down time and hold on to my babies for a few more minutes. Isn't that the way of every mom?

I'll try to do a photo post soon to show you just how much the kids have grown. And there's always more to write about when I have the time. For now, I'm putting the laundry in the dryer and heading back to bed with my sweet family. Hope that you're all doing super. I've been reading when I can but I've been slacking on the commenting...maybe I can remedy that soon.:) Til next time...

Second Guessing Myself

 I used to be the kind of person to make a decision and stick with it, consequences be dashed.

Okay, not really. But at least I would research my options, make a decision that I was comfortable with and be ready to deal with the consequences...if there were any major consequences after I'd researched myself to pieces, lol.

Since becoming a mom, I can't decide whether to wash the whites or fold the pajamas first. And if I chose the wash, I should have folded...or maybe I should have done neither and sorted some wash for later. Well, maybe it's not quite that bad, but I seem to find myself worried that I'm making the wrong decision all too often. Not 'give-me-a-Xanax-and-a-glass-of-wine' worried but what (I think) is 'normal' worried. I guess all parents second guess themselves sometimes but I feel like I do it a lot. Especially with Preslie.

My Preslie-Girl is a sweetheart. She's a beautiful, quiet, gentle soul...fun-loving, rambunctious and loud, like any two year old, but mostly just when we're at home. And so, so, so different from her loud-mouthed Mama! When we're out and about, she's often exceedingly shy. She's pretty comfortable with family and friends that we see often but when we get into other social situations, she's usually very quiet, almost uncomfortable, and it takes her a very long time to warm up. I know that this is all part of her personality and while I'm not always sure how to proceed with her since my personality is so vastly different from hers, I've learned how to help her and what to expect in most situations. Where I second guess myself the most about this aspect of parenting an introverted child is getting us into those situations where she might be uncomfortable.

I sometimes don't know whether to say yes or no to play dates. Or lunches out. Or trips to the park. Or the zoo. Or the mall. I know that probably sounds anal and that every decision shouldn't be monumental but there are times that I feel that way for her sake. When she's overwhelmed, she just stands back and watches...doesn't participate, doesn't engage, doesn't really talk, except to me...until it's time to go, and then she has a total meltdown because she hasn't gotten to do this or that or the other thing,even if she's forewarned that exit time is approaching. After the fact, she will usually tell me everything that went on...what she liked and didn't like about the outing...and if she would or wouldn't want to do it again. But I still wonder how to answer when we're invited out and if it will be worth the meltdown for her to have any enjoyment beforehand.

Case in point: Today, a dear friend of ours hosted a play date at her home. She and her family are people we see often and our kids are of like ages. Many of the other moms and kids that were invited are folks that Preslie is familiar with, so she would have likely, after a while, enjoyed herself with the other kids. In addition to our regular group of friends, there were some new faces invited and if everyone showed, there would have been about a dozen kids and half that many parents...some of them unfamiliar to my girl. The play date was also late for us and would have certainly gone over into our much needed nap time. Despite those things, I thought she'd enjoy going. Mike was going to be home to keep Wilson so she and I could have some one on one time. Lots of fun stuff was on the agenda...play-dough, outside play, making their own pizzas, a valentine exchange...so my first instinct was to say yes. Then I started thinking about it and wondered if she would actually enjoy it with the large number of people and the noise and busyness that would come with it. Was I just wanting to go for myself...for the mom time...or was it for her? Does she need that kind of interaction? Or was I forcing it? At this point, I was approaching the 'give-me-a-Xanax-and-a-glass-of-wine' worrying...which is STUPID, right? I mean, it's a play date, not a college decision or a marriage proposal! Ugh.

So, anyway, the snot gods intervened, I guess, and I didn't really have to make the decision. Preslie woke up sick yesterday and I decided to keep her home as to keep our germs to ourselves. But I have to be honest with you, I still didn't know what to do. I was worried that I would make the wrong decision. What is wrong with me!?

I mean, while I don't really think that I'd be doing Preslie lasting damage if we went somewhere that she didn't like or was uncomfortable with, it would certainly make our day rocky...and we quite often survive in the day-to-day. And I HATE to see my baby upset or ill-at-ease, even for the smallest amount of time. While I'm not overly introverted, I do enjoy my quiet time and my space, so I do understand where I think she's coming from to an extent...I mean, she can't always accurately verbalize what she's feeling, so I have to do some guess work, you know? And when I do that, I always wind back around to the question of making the best decision and then second guessing myself into a headache.

I want to expose her to so many wonderful things and want so much for her to enjoy the things that we do but I just can't seem to figure out how to do it without causing upset...or potentially causing upset...or ending up in upset...or whatever. And truly, the older she gets, the better she handles the situations (I think...or maybe the better I handle the way she handles the situations?), so there's room for improvement, I guess...on both our parts. But it makes me wonder if the experiences I want her to have...the ones that I think would be wonderful or exciting or fun...would really be that way for her. Or would they just be stressful for us both because she's uncomfortable and I'm disappointed??

So, do you think I'm crazy yet? Any help...ideas...interventions for a Mama who doesn't want to screw up her child by sheltering her too much...or putting her out there too often? Lord knows I don't want to be a pushy, passive-aggressive parent who ruins their child by forcing things on them...which is exactly what I sound like, huh?

Aaaaaaaannnnd now I'm second guessing whether I should have written all of this...and if I should post it...and what you'll think of me. And her. Crap. Give me the wine...the bottle, not the glass. And two Xanax... ;)

Seriously. Am I alone in this or what?

Once Upon a Time, I Blogged

...not so much anymore.

Oh, well. I'd still like to but there just aren't enough hours in the day...or I'm not organized enough...or dedicated enough...or whatever. There will always be a reason that I can't get it done, right? Today's reason? I was busy snuggling this little booger.

 Taking it all in as he attends his first party.

He decided that he wouldn't nap today unless I was holding him. And since Mike is home this week and can help corral Preslie (thank you, Lord!)...and since our sleep is extra crappy right now (more on that in a minute), I held him and napped some, too. Until recently, Wilson has been an excellent sleeper. Truly, he still is at night (he's sleeping 5-6 hours at a time! woot!!) but naps have been a little iffy for the past few days. I think it stems from a very busy weekend where I wore him in the sling a lot (he luuuuurrrrrves the Moby) while we were out and about. I must admit that I love it, too. I used it some with PJ but not nearly as much as I do now (she was a summer baby and that thing gets HOT). It's almost a necessity if I want to take both of them somewhere...it keeps me hands free (and I don't have to carry that bulky, already-heavy-before-adding-a-13-pound-hunka-hunka-burnin'-baby-to-it infant car seat everywhere) so I can keep up with big sister and it keeps germy folks from touching my baby munchkin. Like I said...luuuuuurrrrve! I know I could wear him at home, too, but honestly it's not a habit I want to get into.

 

Mama-Baby-Moby love!

I'm hoping this little napping snafu is temporary, though. While I love the baby snuggles even more than the Moby, my house is going to pot and my almost-three-year-old will absolutely run amok if given the opportunity.

Speaking of Princess PJ, she's quite the dynamo right now. A dynamo that is running this Mama ragged! She's so busy all the time and is constantly discovering new things and wanting to be involved in everything...which would be great if I wasn't exhausted.

 

Helping make salad for dinner. Yum!

Tired doesn't even begin to describe it...and it's not even the baby that's keeping me awake. Pres has never been a great sleeper...NEVER...but it's super bad right now. I think it's (STILL) dealing with all the changes that a new baby brings. She wakes up all.night.long and cries...or screams...or gets up to come find me (like if I'm in another room feeding the baby or if I haven't gone to bed yet). She won't let anyone else console her and wants to be touching me the whole time she sleeps. She doesn't want to nap anymore either but still NEEDS a nap desperately, mostly since she's sleeping so spottily at night. It's tough but we're hanging in there. It IS getting better but I can still see a long, sleepy road ahead of us...a road that's going to continue making daytime difficult, too, since sleep deprivation isn't pretty. ;) Fingers crossed that we turn a corner...SOON.

  Just because we have on our pajamas doesn't mean we sleep!

 

Otherwise, we're good. Really tired, really messy, but really good. I'm hoping while Mike's home for a while that I can get us a bit more organized and find a little 'me' here and there...including some time for blogging! :)

 

This is what see every time I try to sit down with the laptop in her presence...

 STINKER!

 

I've been reading but not commenting too much. Sorry! Forgive me, please! Talk with you again, soon...I hope!

I'm Feeling a Little Rusty...

...but I think I might, just maybe, kinda remember how this blogging thing goes. :) I've actually sat down to post a few times and I don't even know where to begin. I mean, it's been a while since I posted anything substance and there is SO much going on everyday that I don't even know what I should be writing about. So, I decided to write about today.

Today, I didn't get to take a shower. I don't remember whether or not I brushed my teeth. Since I don't feel any fuzzy stuff when I rub my tongue across them, I'm thinking maybe I did...or did a really good job on them yesterday. I don't smell too bad yet, so I guess it hasn't been too many days since my last shower.

Today, Wilson has been super fussy which is totally unlike him. My little man is typically a very happy camper (unless he's hungry...then, look out! He screams like you're cutting his legs off...with.a.spoon.) and spends lots of his day jabbering and smiling and laughing. I'm not sure what's caused his recent crunked-up status, but it can go away. Now.

Today, Preslie has been unusually good. Thank.You.God. She's been a handful lately! I love that little stinker but she is certainly running me ragged these days. Today is the first day in a long time that she has napped without a huge ordeal, that she hasn't wet her pants, and that she hasn't had an incredible meltdown over bathtime...or bedtime...or her clothes...or the fact that her name is Preslie, lol. ;) Like I said, good day!

Today, I actually carved time out to make dinner. Nothing fancy, just some quesadillas with salads and chips and salsa. They smelled sooooooo good...and totally tasted like crap. Well, actually not crap but more like Do.wny Ult.ra Fre.sh. Back story: my laundry closet is in my kitchen, so the shelving above is extra storage for dry goods. Somehow, the tortillas must have fallen on top of the dryer (and thus, the dryer sheets) and I didn't realize it. So back to the present, I cooked my yummy quesadillas, complete with mountain fresh scent, but didn't realize what had happened until I tasted one to see if it was too spicy for PJ. Oh.my.word...NASTY!!! What are the odds that I'd screw up the only dinner I'd had time to fix in days? Today, we had take-out yet again.

Today, I did laundry. Again. And again. It's never ending, especially with Wilson who spews like fountain constantly.

Today, I had a little meltdown myself. Things are getting better but I am still having a pretty hard time balancing my time between both kids and the house. Forget taking care of myself or my poor hubby. My mom has been a huge help but we're having some issues there, too. That's a story for another day because today, I just don't have time to go into it all. It's not terrible or anything, just time consuming and a little confusing.

Today, I had a good talk with my sister. Love her.

Today, I'm so glad that I found a little time to rejoin the bloggy world! :) Once again, it's saved my sanity and given me an outlet when I didn't have one.  I hope that your Today was awesome and that things where you live are going great. Take care, Mamas, and I'll talk to you again soon!

A Picture with Santa

Here comes Santa Claus...

 

I'm still having a hard time believing that I have TWO (!!!) babies to take to see Jolly Ol' St. Nick! And obviously, I'm still having a hard time finding the time to blog. ;) If we ever get things figured out where one of my little elves doesn't need my attention, I'll be back around to tell you Wilson's birth story and all sorts of other good stuff.

Til then, I might have to make do with picture posts. You don't mind looking at my sweet kiddos, do you? ;)

Merry Christmas, Friends!