Thursday, August 28, 2008

9 Years and Counting

Today was our 9th wedding anniversary. 9 years ago, H and I said "I do" after only knowing each other for four months. He jumped into an instant family when he married me and took on the role of Mister's father. And I have to say, he's done wonderfully. He is a great father and a caring husband.

We knew that we weren't going to do anything big for this anniversary since we just had Little Man. So, after my doctor appointment this morning, we headed up the mountain and ate lunch at a restaurant at a ski resort. Of course LM was with us, but he did well. H and I ate pizza and drank Dr. Pepper until we couldn't possibly have anymore. It was nice to eat and talk and enjoy the mountain air and scenery. I love when we get the opportunities to just sit and talk. Connecting, even for just a bit, feels great.

After that, it was back to life. I picked up the kids from school and then we headed back to their school later for the open house. And then a quick trip to the grocery store, home, dinner and off to bed for the kids. A simple day, but a nice one.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Funny, I don't remember all this from the last time I had a baby.....8 years ago.

Some "new" mom insights (the "" marks are only there because I have a new baby...not because I am new at being a mom):

Babies have a sixth sense. When you have successfully gotten them to sleep, they can sense when you are thinking of laying them down. They choose that moment to stir awake and you have to start over again. When they are napping, they can also tell when you are trying to do something productive or entertaining, such as the dishes or trying to update your blog. They choose that moment to wake up early from their nap and immediately expect food.

New moms no longer see the appeal of long hair. Sure, it looks great, especially from all those vitamins you've been taking for 9+ months. However, you regularly find yourself wondering just how much time you could save styling it at a shorter length. Shorter length = shorter styling time = more baby naptime to do other things. You are also not feeling very attractive at this time in your life anyway (ponytails, spit up on clothes, no shower for 3 days), so why not just cut off a large portion of that hair that is not getting styled anyway? Believe me, I'm seriously fighting the urge.

Clothing choices are no longer ruled by fashion. It doesn't even really matter if you match anymore. The only definite requirements are that there is no visible spit up spots and your top can easily be lifted up to the height of your chin in order to pull out a boob and provide nourishment...which then shortly ends up spit back on your clothes. Seriously, I asked H the other day, with multiple wet spots on my shirt, why I bother to get dressed at all.

Nursing does not require that you are awake. You can lie on your side, pop the boob in his mouth and lapse into a coma without him missing an ounce of food.

And Finally...

They are worth it. No matter how tiring the day can become and how little sleep you manage during the night, you wake up each morning, gaze at that chubby-cheeked face and smile...because he's yours.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Finally...a moment.

I can't begin to convey just how busy it's been. And that's just taking care of the baby, the kids and the house. Little Man is doing well, growing round and eating and eating. I remember that things were really busy after having Tiny. Mister was only 3 years old and quite a handful at the time. It felt like I had three kids instead of two. And, well, now that I have three, I have to say that it does seem easier this time around. Sure, I'm not getting much done around the house and I'm ready for a nap every afternoon. But, the kids are older and a big help. And having H work from home helps too. Before, he was still in the military and working all day, sometimes 12-hour shifts. And his schedule kept changing too. It's nice to hand off Little Man for a few minutes so that I can have a break or do the dishes or make something to eat.

Another thing that I have been noticing is my post-baby body. I have, with both deliveries, regained my pre-baby body within reasonable amounts of time. And it seems that I am being blessed in that way again. I have lost about 80% of the saggy, squishy belly that is usually left behind after it's held a tiny human for 9 months. It's taken a month to lose that, so I'm hoping that I'll be even more slim in another 4 weeks. Who knows? Maybe I'll even fit in some of my jeans, instead of my maternity pants.

Fun news: My Bree is finally back from Florida and I'm really looking forward to see her soon. Melissa has a bday coming soon. The bad news is that she will be moving on that day. The good news is that she's moving in with Liz. Couldn't think of a better roommate to have. But Bree and I are hoping that we can all get together soon and celebrate anyway.

Well, Little Man is waking up from another very short nap. Later.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Breaking Dawn

I just finished reading this greatly anticipated conclusion to the impressive series. I liked it. Sure, there were some parts that were a bit anticlimactic. But I think it was pretty well done. Though many readers may not like this, I like it when the author leaves just a few strings untidy, loose ends. It lets the reader use their imagination and continue the story in their own minds. All in all, I will continue to recommend this series to everyone.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Family is a blessing.


I haven't been blogging because I had family in town. It's been really great. My parents stayed with us for a week and helped us out sooo much around the house and with the baby. I love it when they visit because my mom always helps me whip the house into shape and my dad fixes anything that needs it. And they loved spending time with their new grandson. They love their grandbabies. It makes me sad that we don't live nearer to them so that they can enjoy the kids more often, and the kids can enjoy them too. And it made me really sad when they had to leave early this morning.

I would love to live nearer to my family, but there are things that hold me back from moving there. Having gone through the school system there, I was not very impressed with it. I would probably decide to homeschool the kids if we ever lived there. Also, the nearest university is an hour away and I plan to be back in school in the next year and a half. Another reason, and I am hesitant to state it, is that I don't think the peer groups that the kids would be around if we lived there would be a very good influence for them. I know, I know...you can have those anywhere you live. But, like I said before, I've lived there and experienced it. The kids in that town are always grouping together. You have the hispanics, the preppy whites, the blacks, etc. In school, we felt like we HAD to belong to one of these groups...not an easy task when you're a mixture of more than one. And once you were accepted, it was hard to resist peer pressure from the group. It was like that high school was the embodiment of an after-school tv special. It sucked. While I liked being near my extended family, school sucked. And because of it, I got into a lot of trouble there. I saw family members, friends, and church members alike making poor decisions...mainly influenced by their surroundings and people around them. Am I eager to uproot my kids and put them in these situations? Heck no.

So, that is why, thus far, we have not moved back.

My brother and his family also stayed with us for a couple days on their way back to Alaska. My brother is in the Air Force and is being stationed there for the second time. They loved it the first time they were there and are glad to be going back. The distance from family is a negative, and the price of living. But it was the best of the choices given them. I hope we will get to travel up and visit them while they are there this time. H is definitely in favor of that, and going fishing up there. Their kids are split on the move. Their daughter is happy to go back, but their son is not. He made a lot of friends at their last location. I hope they will do okay with the move and make the best of it.

Well, I was starting to get used to having a lot of help, and now they've all gone home. Maybe we can try to make enough income to fly family out whenever we like. I wish. Well, this post is starting to sound like a pity party, and I try to never throw those. So, just know that we're all healthy, happy and doing well. Little Man is a good sleeper and is growing fast. (But not too fast, Bree.) The kids are ready for school to start in a few weeks and H is keeping busy with his work. I hope you're all doing well too. Love you.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Oh Yeah!


Because you should never underestimate a guy that can make you laugh...and make you hot on a cold night.