Click the frog and link up!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Hop Hop
Welcome to the third edition of Blog Hop Friday, hosted by My New Life As Mom, Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Take A Mom's Word For It, Bree Bee's, This Adventure Our Life and Belly Charms! We continue to invite you and your friends to link up every Friday and join us for a wonderful blog hopping adventure! We're all about making friends and having fun so come join us!
Click the frog and link up!
Click the frog and link up!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Cloth Diaper Event ~ Check It Out!
Stephanie @ My New Life As Mom is hosting a cloth diaper event all next month! Head on over there for all the details and extra entries. Don't forget to grab her cute as a button, button!
Fluffy Bottoms Cloth Diaper Event isn't just any other cloth diaper event. This event is to shed some light on cloth diapers. Styles of cloth, price comparisons, common misconceptions and more importantly, how to care for them. Not only will she shed a little light on the fluff, but she'll also be giving away some pretty freaking fab prizes! Fluffy Bottoms Cloth Diaper Event runs June 1-30, 2010 so don't miss out!
Fluffy Bottoms Cloth Diaper Event isn't just any other cloth diaper event. This event is to shed some light on cloth diapers. Styles of cloth, price comparisons, common misconceptions and more importantly, how to care for them. Not only will she shed a little light on the fluff, but she'll also be giving away some pretty freaking fab prizes! Fluffy Bottoms Cloth Diaper Event runs June 1-30, 2010 so don't miss out!
Hooked on Phonics
Peanut: Mama, can I have yogurt for dessert if I eat a good dinner?
Me: Yes, if you eat a good dinner.
Peanut: I love yogurt.
Me: I know.
Peanut: I want vamilla yogurt.
Me: What kind?
Peanut: Vamilla.
Hubby: (to Peanut) Vanilla.
Peanut: Vamilla.
Hubby: Van-il-ah.
Peanut: Vam-il-ah
Hubby: Van-il-ah.
Peanut: Vam-il-ah
Hubby: Van
Peanut: Van
Hubby: Il
Peanut: Il
Hubby: Ah
Peanut: Ah
Hubby: Vanilla
Peanut: Vamilla
Hubby: VAN-NIL-AH
Peanut: Yogurt.
Me: Yes, if you eat a good dinner.
Peanut: I love yogurt.
Me: I know.
Peanut: I want vamilla yogurt.
Me: What kind?
Peanut: Vamilla.
Hubby: (to Peanut) Vanilla.
Peanut: Vamilla.
Hubby: Van-il-ah.
Peanut: Vam-il-ah
Hubby: Van-il-ah.
Peanut: Vam-il-ah
Hubby: Van
Peanut: Van
Hubby: Il
Peanut: Il
Hubby: Ah
Peanut: Ah
Hubby: Vanilla
Peanut: Vamilla
Hubby: VAN-NIL-AH
Peanut: Yogurt.
Monday, May 24, 2010
LOST
Did you stay up and watch?
Hubby and I did, because yes, we have watched all six seasons and needed closure. Did we get the closure we wanted? I am not sure yet. I am going to think on it a little while and maybe watch it again. Then I will let you know.
Because we wanted to watch the finale without interruption, we put Peanut to bed a little early and kept Little Man downstairs with us so no one would have to run upstairs to replace a Nuk or snuggle the babe back to sleep and potentially miss something.
And it was a good thing because he did not want to go down without a fight. After nursing him and snuggling him, I passed him off to Hubby who walked and rocked him. A dose of Tummy Soother helped settle him and then it was into the bouncy chair. This is how he ended up:
We decide that rather than wake him up, we would just let him sleep in the bouncy until he woke on his own. Hubby carried the chair to our room and covered him with a blanket. He stayed in that crazy position almost all night. I woke up once or twice to replace a Nuk and then got up with him around 2:30 am. I pulled him out of the chair and nursed him in his room until he fell back asleep. I put him in his crib and he slept until his usual 6:00 am wake up time. I hate to think of him getting used to sleeping in the bouncy, but that is one of the better nights of sleep he has had in a long time.
What do you think? Let him sleep in the bouncy and only get up once a night or keep trying to get him to sleep in his crib and get up anywhere from 3-6 times a night?
Hubby and I did, because yes, we have watched all six seasons and needed closure. Did we get the closure we wanted? I am not sure yet. I am going to think on it a little while and maybe watch it again. Then I will let you know.
Because we wanted to watch the finale without interruption, we put Peanut to bed a little early and kept Little Man downstairs with us so no one would have to run upstairs to replace a Nuk or snuggle the babe back to sleep and potentially miss something.
And it was a good thing because he did not want to go down without a fight. After nursing him and snuggling him, I passed him off to Hubby who walked and rocked him. A dose of Tummy Soother helped settle him and then it was into the bouncy chair. This is how he ended up:
I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how this is comfortable, but he was OUT so I was not going to mess with him. He stayed like this through the entire last hour and a half of LOST.
What do you think? Let him sleep in the bouncy and only get up once a night or keep trying to get him to sleep in his crib and get up anywhere from 3-6 times a night?
Friday, May 21, 2010
New Car Smell and I Love Getting Packages in the Mail
That's right, new car smell. We now own a car that has new car smell. last night we went back to the dealership and signed on the dotted line for a new ride (and a car payment). We are now the proud owners of a 2010 GMC Acadia. We traded in our little Jenny Car (2004 Kia Spectra) and got a real family vehicle. I think we will name her Cadi. Yes, we name our cars. No, I don't why, we just do. Here is a picture of Cadi in the driveway last night.
I love her.
I also love getting packages in the mail which made yesterday a really great day. After we finally got home from the dealership, put the kids to bed, put all our junk in the new ride and ate dinner I went through the mail and found a package from Amazon with my name on it. I ripped it open and this is what was inside:
I am just as excited about this as I am the new car. (don't tell Hubby) I LOVE the Pioneer Woman. L O V E. The cookbook arrived as a gift from my awesome mom-in-law who also likes the Pioneer Woman and is a cookbook collector herself. (Hi Kay, thanks for the cookbook! I hope you bought yourself a copy, too.) I am guessing she saw me swooning over the Cinnamon Baked French Toast I made last week and wrote about here and thought I needed the whole cookbook. Whatever the reason, I am so excited to try it out this weekend. I am just not sure where to start because there are so many amazing recipes. Maybe the Macaroni and Cheese....
I love her.
I also love getting packages in the mail which made yesterday a really great day. After we finally got home from the dealership, put the kids to bed, put all our junk in the new ride and ate dinner I went through the mail and found a package from Amazon with my name on it. I ripped it open and this is what was inside:
I am just as excited about this as I am the new car. (don't tell Hubby) I LOVE the Pioneer Woman. L O V E. The cookbook arrived as a gift from my awesome mom-in-law who also likes the Pioneer Woman and is a cookbook collector herself. (Hi Kay, thanks for the cookbook! I hope you bought yourself a copy, too.) I am guessing she saw me swooning over the Cinnamon Baked French Toast I made last week and wrote about here and thought I needed the whole cookbook. Whatever the reason, I am so excited to try it out this weekend. I am just not sure where to start because there are so many amazing recipes. Maybe the Macaroni and Cheese....
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Working Mommy Wednesday: Are You the Mom You Thought You Would Be?
*Warning ~ this post ended up being a rambling novel and I an too lazy to shorten. But it is a good story! If you have the time, pack a lunch, get comfy and read on reader!
For me the answer is both yes and no. I know, straightforward, right? But the answer really is yes and no. In some ways I really am who I thought I would be as a mom and in other ways - no, not really, not even close, big FAIL.
Since I prefer to end on a positive note, I’ll start with where I don’t even come close to my own expectations as a mom. (Side note – I think we, as moms, expect more of ourselves than our spouses and children expect of us. At least for me.)
Once I was ready to be a mom (because I was not one of those people who always knew that they wanted to be a parent), I had it all “planned” out as to what kind of pregnancy I would have, how my labor and delivery would be, and then what kind of mom I would be. I was absolutely convinced that after my easy pregnancy and smooth, drug-free and natural delivery that I was going to be able to pull off the über chic, always put together, make-up and hair done, totally organized, always in control, Martha Stewart-ish, completely patient, non-yelling, rational, fully engaged, loving, all organic moms whose kids were always polite, quiet, and clean-faced; and whose house was immaculate and who cooked dinner for her family every night. Oh and by the way, who also worked full time at her fabulous career.
Apparently, I was smoking something, because, let’s face it – I really wasn’t most of those before I had a baby - why did I think that having a baby would make me any of those things I wasn’t? Before baby = chic – no, put together – rarely, and patient – who was I kidding? And contrary to my last post, I used to cook all the time, so I wasn’t reaching when I thought I would keep that up. Being a Type A/slightly OCD personality, I was organized and in control (mostly), I channeled Martha a little bit, we were pretty green and I was definitely loving and totally engaged with Hubby. (I got knocked up, how about that for some loving?) And the fabulous career? It was a good job, but by no means fabulous or glamorous.
Then I got pregnant with Peanut.
Getting pregnant went as “planned” and happened right away. It was a pretty easy pregnancy except that pesky tiredness. And food aversions. I really didn’t have too much morning sickness, I just didn’t like the way anything smelled. Hubby slowly started taking over the dinner cooking because of this and also so I could rest sleep after work. I “planned” to take back over the kitchen duties after the baby was born. I tried to be the cute/chic pregnant girl, but when your 5’2” it is hard to find cute maternity close that fit, so I failed there. The house stayed really clean and organized because I am a little OCD/Type A that way. And we already discussed my patience – nil, and it didn’t improve with my growing size.
Little did I know it, that when Peanut decided to make her entrance 3 weeks early by breaking my water in the wee small hours of the morning that all of my “plans” and expectations of labor, delivery and parenthood were going to be thrown out the window, fall to the ground and be smashed to bits.
After my water broke, my body failed to go into active labor. So they gave me drugs. The drugs tried to force my body into labor but it refused. After MANY hours of drugs and no epi, I got an epi which I hadn’t “planned” on. Then the natural labor thing failed so I ended up with a c-section. I had been so set against a c-section that I thought I was a failure.
Then she was born.
Once I held my tiny 6 pound baby in my arms, it was one of those moments where NOTHING else mattered. None of the crazy expectations I put on myself to have the perfect pregnancy, labor or delivery mattered anymore because all that matters now is that beautiful baby girl lying in my arms. After the rush wore off and I now had a very jaundice baby who wouldn’t latch and the nurses were pushing me to give formula when my “plan” was to breastfeed and I felt like a failure. And then I wondered if she wouldn’t latch because I had a c-section instead of my “planned” vaginal birth and I felt like a failure. And because she was so jaundice and not nursing well, we had to stay at the hospital an extra day for bili treatments and my “plan” to go home quickly after her birth was a failure.
Then we FINALLY got to leave the hospital and go home.
I figured once we got home, all of the things I “planned” on would fall into place. I “planned” to keep up on housework, cleaning and laundry but couldn’t because nobody told me that I would be nursing around the clock and I felt like a failure. Same goes with showering and getting dressed and make-up. Fail. My “plan” to start cooking again failed, too. I was a failure.
Then the postpartum depression reared its ugly head.
I was failing miserably at all of the things I had “planned” to do. I felt like I was a terrible wife and mom because I couldn’t do simple things like taking a shower and getting dressed and getting the laundry done and cooking dinner all before Hubby got home from work. Oh, not to mention figure out how to take care of a newborn in the middle of it all. FAILURE.
After one scary incident where I yelled at my crying baby then shut her door and went into the basement to call Hubby and he rushed home I felt like more than a failure. I felt like I wasn’t good enough to be mom, that I shouldn’t be a mom, and that it was wrong for me to be a mom. I had “planned’ to be a loving mom, not one who yells at a newborn for crying.
I will never forget one really terrible day when Peanut was crying and I was crying and just couldn’t take it anymore. I told Hubby that he should probably just take the baby and they should go find someone who could be a better wife and mom. He took my hand and walked me into Peanuts room, and we looked down on our sweet baby in her crib. He said that I would never be a failure to him because I had grown and protected our perfect little baby in my belly and I that had given her life and that I was the only one that could be her mom.
Then things slowly got better.
After that, we decided I might need to see the doctor and get some help. With the help of my doctor and my absolutely fantastic Hubby and great friends I was able to slowly get the PPD under control. And during that looooong process I learned to accept that not everything goes as “planned” and that I can’t “plan” for everything. I also learned how to manage my expectations of myself and quit comparing myself to other moms. I learned that Hubby didn’t expect me to shower, get dressed, get the laundry done and cooking dinner all before he got home from work. He just wanted me to enjoy being home with our baby and take care of her and myself.
I learned to accept that the house wasn’t always immaculate, or the laundry always done. There were days that I didn’t get a shower. Heck, there were days that I didn’t even get out of my jammies. I loved that Hubby cooked dinner because he was good at it. And slowly things got better. (I need emphasize slowly because PPD just doesn’t go away over night.) I realized that I had a lot of anger at myself about having a c-section and that anger fed the PPD. I came to accept it and let it go. After a while I embraced our breast feeding and formula feeding combination because it let Hubby have really great bonding time with the Peanut. And I already knew it, but dealing with PPD confirmed it – I married the most amazing husband, father and friend on the planet. I couldn’t have done it without him.
Then I went back to work.
It was rough at first and I had a lot of guilt about going back to work and leaving Peanut. I also had a lot of guilt about wanting to go back to work and having some me time. Fortunately I was able to be flexible with my schedule so I had quality time for me at work which was great for my mental status and still had lots of time with Peanut to balance out the emotional side.
Eventually our little family carved out a routine and the house got cleaned, the laundry got take care of and most importantly the baby got loved. No, I never figured out how to that be über chic, always put together, make-up and hair done, totally organized, always in control, Martha Stewart-ish, completely patient, non-yelling, rational, fully engaged, loving, all organic moms moms whose kid was always polite, quiet, and clean-faced; and whose house was immaculate and who cooked dinner for her family every night. Oh and by the way, who also worked full time at her fabulous career. But we were doing pretty good. And, I was fully engaged and loving. I had those down. I loved my baby more than I thought was possible. Sure, there were still days when I didn’t get a shower or the kiddo wore mismatched socks, but the world didn’t end.
Then we decided to move to another state.
And start new jobs.
And live with my parents while selling our house.
And I had a miscarriage.
All of these things happened in a 3 month period and you can read about them here. What you won’t read about is the resurrection of my depression and how I started feeling like a failure again. But it happened. And it wasn’t pretty. But, we worked through it and it got better, slowly.
Then I got pregnant again.
And we sold our house, bought a beautiful new house and moved out of my parents when I was 6 months pregnant.
I really had to work to keep my expectations in check with Little Man’s pregnancy. I tried very hard not to over “plan”. I accepted the fact that I was going to have another c-section. I was prepared to use formula if breastfeeding wasn’t working. I KNEW that the house wasn’t going to be immaculate. (I had a toddler, the house was never immaculate.) I was looking forward to being my jammies all day. I felt fairly ready for this baby.
Then he was born.
Again, it was one of those moments where NOTHING else mattered. When I saw my beautiful 10 pound baby boy and heard him cry for the first time, nothing else mattered. He was perfect and I was a mom for the second time.
But with another baby comes a whole new set of challenges. A few days after we came home from the hospital, he developed a terrible diaper rash. Nothing we did could get rid of it. I was starting to feel like a failure again. Here I was right out the gate with baby #2 and I was already failing by not being able to clear up a simple diaper rash. We went to the doctor several times and eventually decided to try cloth diapers to see if that would help. It did help and you can read about it here. It was a struggle, but with Hubby’s support I realized that his diaper rash was not my fault so I shouldn’t be feeling like a failure. Now, using cloth diapers was something I never “planned” to do but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
After the diaper rash came the screaming. The screaming and screaming and screaming. I didn’t write much about it here or the PPD that came along with it. You may have seen a few tweets or FB post about it because that was all I was able to manage, mentally. Eventually, the screaming was diagnosed as reflux and we were given some medication and other things we could do to help manage it. By now Hubby and I were able to identify the signs of my PPD and could take the steps needed to help me handle it. Hubby was AMAZING about making sure I had time away from the kids to manage my sanity and take a shower. There were still days when the screaming was really bad or days where I couldn't put Little Man down for fear of the screaming. These days were rough and the thoughts of failure were bad. This is not the mom I thought I was going to be.
Then it started getting better.
The medication helped with the reflux, which helped with the screaming. Which has helped with my stress. I am back at work which is helping. I like my job. It makes me feel useful. Not that being a mom doesn't make me feel useful. Being a mom is the best job ever. But working and helping to provide for my family is important to me.
Am I the mom I thought I would be?
Yes and no.
Were all of my pregnancies easy with smooth, drug-free and natural deliveries, like I “planned”?
No, not really. But, I am okay with that.
Am I the über chic, always put together, make-up and hair done, totally organized, always in control, Martha Stewart-ish, completely patient, non-yelling, rational, fully engaged, loving, all organic moms organic mom whose kids are always polite, quiet, and clean-faced; and whose house is immaculate and who cooks dinner for her family every night? Oh and by the way, who also worked full time at her fabulous career?
No to most of them. But I am okay with that, too, because that’s not the mom I am.
The mom I thought I would be and the mom I am are two different people. And I will take the mom I am over the mom I thought I would be any day.
Why?
Because, I am Mama to Peanut and Little Man, and Wifey to Hubby, and that is who I am SUPPOSED to be. I love our non-chic, definitely not put-together, disorganized, sometimes out of control, sometimes yelling, no patience, totally in love with each other, cloth diapering, formula and breast-feeding, semi-green life with 2 beautiful and healthy, although sometimes loud and rowdy and screaming kids, whose house is clean but nowhere near immaculate and whose husband does 99% of the cooking.
They test my patience daily. Sometimes I yell and sometimes a cry. But, most of the time am laughing and smiling and hugging and kissing and loving my beautiful family. I love them more fiercely than I ever thought I could love anyone. I am Mama, Mommy, Mom. I am the one that soothes ouchies, wipes noses, wipes bottoms, plays dress up, tucks the Peanut in snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug every night and snuggles a fussy Little Man back to sleep in the middle night. I am the hand holder, the bad dream calmer, the tickle monster and toy finder. I am the singer of silly songs and dancer of silly dances.
I am the mom I thought I would be. A good mom. I am darn good mom who is doing my best to raise the amazing babies I have been blessed with.
For me the answer is both yes and no. I know, straightforward, right? But the answer really is yes and no. In some ways I really am who I thought I would be as a mom and in other ways - no, not really, not even close, big FAIL.
Since I prefer to end on a positive note, I’ll start with where I don’t even come close to my own expectations as a mom. (Side note – I think we, as moms, expect more of ourselves than our spouses and children expect of us. At least for me.)
Once I was ready to be a mom (because I was not one of those people who always knew that they wanted to be a parent), I had it all “planned” out as to what kind of pregnancy I would have, how my labor and delivery would be, and then what kind of mom I would be. I was absolutely convinced that after my easy pregnancy and smooth, drug-free and natural delivery that I was going to be able to pull off the über chic, always put together, make-up and hair done, totally organized, always in control, Martha Stewart-ish, completely patient, non-yelling, rational, fully engaged, loving, all organic moms whose kids were always polite, quiet, and clean-faced; and whose house was immaculate and who cooked dinner for her family every night. Oh and by the way, who also worked full time at her fabulous career.
Apparently, I was smoking something, because, let’s face it – I really wasn’t most of those before I had a baby - why did I think that having a baby would make me any of those things I wasn’t? Before baby = chic – no, put together – rarely, and patient – who was I kidding? And contrary to my last post, I used to cook all the time, so I wasn’t reaching when I thought I would keep that up. Being a Type A/slightly OCD personality, I was organized and in control (mostly), I channeled Martha a little bit, we were pretty green and I was definitely loving and totally engaged with Hubby. (I got knocked up, how about that for some loving?) And the fabulous career? It was a good job, but by no means fabulous or glamorous.
Then I got pregnant with Peanut.
Getting pregnant went as “planned” and happened right away. It was a pretty easy pregnancy except that pesky tiredness. And food aversions. I really didn’t have too much morning sickness, I just didn’t like the way anything smelled. Hubby slowly started taking over the dinner cooking because of this and also so I could rest sleep after work. I “planned” to take back over the kitchen duties after the baby was born. I tried to be the cute/chic pregnant girl, but when your 5’2” it is hard to find cute maternity close that fit, so I failed there. The house stayed really clean and organized because I am a little OCD/Type A that way. And we already discussed my patience – nil, and it didn’t improve with my growing size.
Little did I know it, that when Peanut decided to make her entrance 3 weeks early by breaking my water in the wee small hours of the morning that all of my “plans” and expectations of labor, delivery and parenthood were going to be thrown out the window, fall to the ground and be smashed to bits.
After my water broke, my body failed to go into active labor. So they gave me drugs. The drugs tried to force my body into labor but it refused. After MANY hours of drugs and no epi, I got an epi which I hadn’t “planned” on. Then the natural labor thing failed so I ended up with a c-section. I had been so set against a c-section that I thought I was a failure.
Then she was born.
Once I held my tiny 6 pound baby in my arms, it was one of those moments where NOTHING else mattered. None of the crazy expectations I put on myself to have the perfect pregnancy, labor or delivery mattered anymore because all that matters now is that beautiful baby girl lying in my arms. After the rush wore off and I now had a very jaundice baby who wouldn’t latch and the nurses were pushing me to give formula when my “plan” was to breastfeed and I felt like a failure. And then I wondered if she wouldn’t latch because I had a c-section instead of my “planned” vaginal birth and I felt like a failure. And because she was so jaundice and not nursing well, we had to stay at the hospital an extra day for bili treatments and my “plan” to go home quickly after her birth was a failure.
Then we FINALLY got to leave the hospital and go home.
I figured once we got home, all of the things I “planned” on would fall into place. I “planned” to keep up on housework, cleaning and laundry but couldn’t because nobody told me that I would be nursing around the clock and I felt like a failure. Same goes with showering and getting dressed and make-up. Fail. My “plan” to start cooking again failed, too. I was a failure.
Then the postpartum depression reared its ugly head.
I was failing miserably at all of the things I had “planned” to do. I felt like I was a terrible wife and mom because I couldn’t do simple things like taking a shower and getting dressed and getting the laundry done and cooking dinner all before Hubby got home from work. Oh, not to mention figure out how to take care of a newborn in the middle of it all. FAILURE.
After one scary incident where I yelled at my crying baby then shut her door and went into the basement to call Hubby and he rushed home I felt like more than a failure. I felt like I wasn’t good enough to be mom, that I shouldn’t be a mom, and that it was wrong for me to be a mom. I had “planned’ to be a loving mom, not one who yells at a newborn for crying.
I will never forget one really terrible day when Peanut was crying and I was crying and just couldn’t take it anymore. I told Hubby that he should probably just take the baby and they should go find someone who could be a better wife and mom. He took my hand and walked me into Peanuts room, and we looked down on our sweet baby in her crib. He said that I would never be a failure to him because I had grown and protected our perfect little baby in my belly and I that had given her life and that I was the only one that could be her mom.
Then things slowly got better.
After that, we decided I might need to see the doctor and get some help. With the help of my doctor and my absolutely fantastic Hubby and great friends I was able to slowly get the PPD under control. And during that looooong process I learned to accept that not everything goes as “planned” and that I can’t “plan” for everything. I also learned how to manage my expectations of myself and quit comparing myself to other moms. I learned that Hubby didn’t expect me to shower, get dressed, get the laundry done and cooking dinner all before he got home from work. He just wanted me to enjoy being home with our baby and take care of her and myself.
I learned to accept that the house wasn’t always immaculate, or the laundry always done. There were days that I didn’t get a shower. Heck, there were days that I didn’t even get out of my jammies. I loved that Hubby cooked dinner because he was good at it. And slowly things got better. (I need emphasize slowly because PPD just doesn’t go away over night.) I realized that I had a lot of anger at myself about having a c-section and that anger fed the PPD. I came to accept it and let it go. After a while I embraced our breast feeding and formula feeding combination because it let Hubby have really great bonding time with the Peanut. And I already knew it, but dealing with PPD confirmed it – I married the most amazing husband, father and friend on the planet. I couldn’t have done it without him.
Then I went back to work.
It was rough at first and I had a lot of guilt about going back to work and leaving Peanut. I also had a lot of guilt about wanting to go back to work and having some me time. Fortunately I was able to be flexible with my schedule so I had quality time for me at work which was great for my mental status and still had lots of time with Peanut to balance out the emotional side.
Eventually our little family carved out a routine and the house got cleaned, the laundry got take care of and most importantly the baby got loved. No, I never figured out how to that be über chic, always put together, make-up and hair done, totally organized, always in control, Martha Stewart-ish, completely patient, non-yelling, rational, fully engaged, loving, all organic moms moms whose kid was always polite, quiet, and clean-faced; and whose house was immaculate and who cooked dinner for her family every night. Oh and by the way, who also worked full time at her fabulous career. But we were doing pretty good. And, I was fully engaged and loving. I had those down. I loved my baby more than I thought was possible. Sure, there were still days when I didn’t get a shower or the kiddo wore mismatched socks, but the world didn’t end.
Then we decided to move to another state.
And start new jobs.
And live with my parents while selling our house.
And I had a miscarriage.
All of these things happened in a 3 month period and you can read about them here. What you won’t read about is the resurrection of my depression and how I started feeling like a failure again. But it happened. And it wasn’t pretty. But, we worked through it and it got better, slowly.
Then I got pregnant again.
And we sold our house, bought a beautiful new house and moved out of my parents when I was 6 months pregnant.
I really had to work to keep my expectations in check with Little Man’s pregnancy. I tried very hard not to over “plan”. I accepted the fact that I was going to have another c-section. I was prepared to use formula if breastfeeding wasn’t working. I KNEW that the house wasn’t going to be immaculate. (I had a toddler, the house was never immaculate.) I was looking forward to being my jammies all day. I felt fairly ready for this baby.
Then he was born.
Again, it was one of those moments where NOTHING else mattered. When I saw my beautiful 10 pound baby boy and heard him cry for the first time, nothing else mattered. He was perfect and I was a mom for the second time.
But with another baby comes a whole new set of challenges. A few days after we came home from the hospital, he developed a terrible diaper rash. Nothing we did could get rid of it. I was starting to feel like a failure again. Here I was right out the gate with baby #2 and I was already failing by not being able to clear up a simple diaper rash. We went to the doctor several times and eventually decided to try cloth diapers to see if that would help. It did help and you can read about it here. It was a struggle, but with Hubby’s support I realized that his diaper rash was not my fault so I shouldn’t be feeling like a failure. Now, using cloth diapers was something I never “planned” to do but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
After the diaper rash came the screaming. The screaming and screaming and screaming. I didn’t write much about it here or the PPD that came along with it. You may have seen a few tweets or FB post about it because that was all I was able to manage, mentally. Eventually, the screaming was diagnosed as reflux and we were given some medication and other things we could do to help manage it. By now Hubby and I were able to identify the signs of my PPD and could take the steps needed to help me handle it. Hubby was AMAZING about making sure I had time away from the kids to manage my sanity and take a shower. There were still days when the screaming was really bad or days where I couldn't put Little Man down for fear of the screaming. These days were rough and the thoughts of failure were bad. This is not the mom I thought I was going to be.
Then it started getting better.
The medication helped with the reflux, which helped with the screaming. Which has helped with my stress. I am back at work which is helping. I like my job. It makes me feel useful. Not that being a mom doesn't make me feel useful. Being a mom is the best job ever. But working and helping to provide for my family is important to me.
Am I the mom I thought I would be?
Yes and no.
Were all of my pregnancies easy with smooth, drug-free and natural deliveries, like I “planned”?
No, not really. But, I am okay with that.
Am I the über chic, always put together, make-up and hair done, totally organized, always in control, Martha Stewart-ish, completely patient, non-yelling, rational, fully engaged, loving, all organic moms organic mom whose kids are always polite, quiet, and clean-faced; and whose house is immaculate and who cooks dinner for her family every night? Oh and by the way, who also worked full time at her fabulous career?
No to most of them. But I am okay with that, too, because that’s not the mom I am.
The mom I thought I would be and the mom I am are two different people. And I will take the mom I am over the mom I thought I would be any day.
Why?
Because, I am Mama to Peanut and Little Man, and Wifey to Hubby, and that is who I am SUPPOSED to be. I love our non-chic, definitely not put-together, disorganized, sometimes out of control, sometimes yelling, no patience, totally in love with each other, cloth diapering, formula and breast-feeding, semi-green life with 2 beautiful and healthy, although sometimes loud and rowdy and screaming kids, whose house is clean but nowhere near immaculate and whose husband does 99% of the cooking.
They test my patience daily. Sometimes I yell and sometimes a cry. But, most of the time am laughing and smiling and hugging and kissing and loving my beautiful family. I love them more fiercely than I ever thought I could love anyone. I am Mama, Mommy, Mom. I am the one that soothes ouchies, wipes noses, wipes bottoms, plays dress up, tucks the Peanut in snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug every night and snuggles a fussy Little Man back to sleep in the middle night. I am the hand holder, the bad dream calmer, the tickle monster and toy finder. I am the singer of silly songs and dancer of silly dances.
I am the mom I thought I would be. A good mom. I am darn good mom who is doing my best to raise the amazing babies I have been blessed with.
~8~ Wow, that was a really long post. Thanks for toughing it out if you made all the way to end. ~8~
This was my first time participating in Working Mommy Wednesday and boy was it a doozie! head over to Julie and Lisa's blogs to share your story and to link up.
Monday, May 17, 2010
I Made Breakfast!
Shocking, I know, but I can cook. I promise I can. Pretty well, too. I just don’t do it very often. Why? Well, Hubby likes to cook. He likes it a lot so he does most 99% of the cooking. And he’s really good at it. And this time of year, it is nice so we eat out side on the deck and he grills. And the grill – that is all him.
(And, can I start a few more sentences with and?)
Well, I decided that I was going to surprise Hubby and make him breakfast on Sunday. This was sure to be a surprise as I like sleep a whole lot more that getting up and making breakfast. Then I stumbled upon a recipe from The Pioneer Woman (I love her - total girl-blog crush) that was perfect! Her Cinnamon Baked French Toast is easy, make ahead, and AWESOME!
I added apples and halved the recipe because a 9 x 13 is a boat load of French toast. The 9 x 9 worked out perfect for us. Besides being a really easy recipe, I had everything I needed so no trip to the store required. It even turned pretty in addition to tasting super yummy.
Hubby wasn't as surprised as I wanted him to be because he busted me Saturday night while I was getting it ready, so he ended up helping me prep it. He was surprised, I think the next morning when he took a bite and realized how awesome it was. The flavor was great and the bread was still soft and moist but not soggy like some baked french toast can be.
Definitely a keeper recipe. We will be having this again for sure. And who knows, maybe this small success will prompt me to cook more. Or not.
(And, can I start a few more sentences with and?)
Well, I decided that I was going to surprise Hubby and make him breakfast on Sunday. This was sure to be a surprise as I like sleep a whole lot more that getting up and making breakfast. Then I stumbled upon a recipe from The Pioneer Woman (I love her - total girl-blog crush) that was perfect! Her Cinnamon Baked French Toast is easy, make ahead, and AWESOME!
I added apples and halved the recipe because a 9 x 13 is a boat load of French toast. The 9 x 9 worked out perfect for us. Besides being a really easy recipe, I had everything I needed so no trip to the store required. It even turned pretty in addition to tasting super yummy.
Hubby wasn't as surprised as I wanted him to be because he busted me Saturday night while I was getting it ready, so he ended up helping me prep it. He was surprised, I think the next morning when he took a bite and realized how awesome it was. The flavor was great and the bread was still soft and moist but not soggy like some baked french toast can be.
Definitely a keeper recipe. We will be having this again for sure. And who knows, maybe this small success will prompt me to cook more. Or not.
Friday, May 14, 2010
We Have a Winner!!
Congratulations to the lucky winner! #30! Winner has been contacted and has 48 hours to respond.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Bye Bye Baby
So, I totally lost it this morning. Big, fat, wet tears and all. Why? Well I was saying bye to the family for a few days. Not really a big deal, right? But it was. I am leaving this afternoon for a work trip and I will
be gone until Wednesday night. Now, I have traveled away for work before, not much, but I have. And usually it is a nice little break, some alone time. But today I didn’t want to go.
This is the first time I have left Little Man over night. I don’t remember struggling as much the first time left Peanut, but she was also almost 10 months old and all but done nursing. Little Man – not so much. He is barley 5 months and he does is nurse. And the last couple of days all he has done is fuss. Really scream and cry type of fuss. We can’t tell if it is the reflux flaring back up, teething or a combination of both. All I know is that my poor guy is not happy and I don’t want to leave him or leave Hubby with a toddler and a fussy baby. Not that Hubby can’t handle it. He is the zen master of patience when it comes to the kiddos (and me). But, we are both lacking in the sleep department because of Little Man’s fussing and I hate to leave him with that.
I told him this morning that I should be looking forward to 2 nights of un-interrupted sleep, but I’m not. I don’t sleep well away from home (or him and the kids) and I am sure I will toss and turn worrying about them. I know they will be fine, but I will still worry.
Besides leaving Little Man for the first time, I had the interesting opportunity to pump in a public restroom at the airport. Not so much fun, but as moms, we do what we have to do for our babies.
I got to talk to Peanut before she went to bed tonight and she sounded good and Hubby said that Little Man was acting like he was feeling better and wasn't fussing too bad so I hope he is feeling better and lets Hubby get some sleep. Speaking of sleep, I am going to try and get some!
Good night!
be gone until Wednesday night. Now, I have traveled away for work before, not much, but I have. And usually it is a nice little break, some alone time. But today I didn’t want to go.
This is the first time I have left Little Man over night. I don’t remember struggling as much the first time left Peanut, but she was also almost 10 months old and all but done nursing. Little Man – not so much. He is barley 5 months and he does is nurse. And the last couple of days all he has done is fuss. Really scream and cry type of fuss. We can’t tell if it is the reflux flaring back up, teething or a combination of both. All I know is that my poor guy is not happy and I don’t want to leave him or leave Hubby with a toddler and a fussy baby. Not that Hubby can’t handle it. He is the zen master of patience when it comes to the kiddos (and me). But, we are both lacking in the sleep department because of Little Man’s fussing and I hate to leave him with that.
I told him this morning that I should be looking forward to 2 nights of un-interrupted sleep, but I’m not. I don’t sleep well away from home (or him and the kids) and I am sure I will toss and turn worrying about them. I know they will be fine, but I will still worry.
Besides leaving Little Man for the first time, I had the interesting opportunity to pump in a public restroom at the airport. Not so much fun, but as moms, we do what we have to do for our babies.
I got to talk to Peanut before she went to bed tonight and she sounded good and Hubby said that Little Man was acting like he was feeling better and wasn't fussing too bad so I hope he is feeling better and lets Hubby get some sleep. Speaking of sleep, I am going to try and get some!
Good night!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Happy Mother’s Day
I hope all the moms and moms-to-be out there in internet-land had a wonderful day! This includes all you fur-baby moms as well!
I had a nice Mother’s Day spent being mom. Soothing a fussy baby, taking a toddler to the potty, wiping noses, wiping bottoms, and doing laundry. I didn’t do any cooking, but I usual don’t, so that wasn’t different from any other day. I really wouldn’t have spent my Mother’s Day any other way, because I got to spend it with the ones I love. I would have taken the chance to sleep in, but poor Little Man was fussy as fussy can be and didn’t sleep a wink last night, therefore neither did Hubby or I. We took turns getting up every 45 minutes or so to go in and replace a paci, snuggle or nurse and very unhappy baby. We finally got up for good at the un-holy hour of 6 am. I went in and snuggled Little Man and Hubby went downstairs to make coffee, lots of blessed coffee.
Once Little Man settled, I went downstairs and found a little box and card sitting by my already poured and prepped cup of coffee. (I love that Hubby o’ mine!) The card made me cry a little bit and this lovely made me cry a lot.
It is beautiful, absolutely perfect, and I love it. It is from Lisa Leonard and I love her work and have lusted after everything in her shop for awhile now. Hubby done good, real good. As usual. He truly is a blessing in my life and marrying him was one of the best things I ever did. Having him as the father of our two beautiful children is also a blessing. So on this Mother’s Day I am celebrating that I am a mom and a pretty good one with the love and support of my Hubby aka Dada.
After the card, necklace, tears and coffee the Peanut got up and gave me the best Mother’s Day picture. She had drawn our little family and she even included Kitty Girl. (I will update with a picture when I get one)
Then it was out the door to breakfast. It was very yummy, even if it was a little cold because Hubby and I had to take turns consoling a very fussy Little Man. After breakfast we decided to do a little research - for a new car!! (imagine me jumping up and down because I SO want a new car!)
We have a short list of vehicles and decided to go drive around a few car lots and see what is available. I really like the GMC Acadia and Hubby is leaning towards the GMC Terrain but we are also considering a Toyota Highlander. We are trying to go down to a one car household so we need something that can carry all of us, but also tow. (It also has to be somewhat smallish because I will have to park it.) If anyone has any experience with any of these, I would love your thoughts!
After our nice Sunday drive we headed home and settled in for a Harry Potter movie marathon mixed in with snuggling the kiddos, laundry and a little BBQ courtesy of Hubby. It was a wonderful Mother's Day.
And I can't talk about Mother's Day and not mention my awesome mom. She really is the best. Growing up we didn't always see eye-to-eye, but I never doubted that she loved me, supported me and wanted only the best for me. When we talk about being a mom she says, "As your mom I wanted you to like me and for us to friends, but I had to be your mom first. If that meant saying no sometimes and risking you not "liking" me, I could handle that because it was the the right thing to do, as your mom. Kids don't always like their parents. but they always love each other and loving someone means that sometimes you have to make a decision to keep them safe that they don't like. They won't like you for it, but they will get it over it." She is wickedly honest.
I am happy to say that my mom is now my best friend and I love her. I am sure I don't tell her often enough but she is my hero. She set an amazing example as to what a wife and mom should be and I hope someday my kids look up to me half as much as I look up to her.I am sure that along the way they won't "like" me much,but as my mom says, "it just means your doing your job as a mom."
I love you mom, Happy Mother's Day!
I had a nice Mother’s Day spent being mom. Soothing a fussy baby, taking a toddler to the potty, wiping noses, wiping bottoms, and doing laundry. I didn’t do any cooking, but I usual don’t, so that wasn’t different from any other day. I really wouldn’t have spent my Mother’s Day any other way, because I got to spend it with the ones I love. I would have taken the chance to sleep in, but poor Little Man was fussy as fussy can be and didn’t sleep a wink last night, therefore neither did Hubby or I. We took turns getting up every 45 minutes or so to go in and replace a paci, snuggle or nurse and very unhappy baby. We finally got up for good at the un-holy hour of 6 am. I went in and snuggled Little Man and Hubby went downstairs to make coffee, lots of blessed coffee.
Once Little Man settled, I went downstairs and found a little box and card sitting by my already poured and prepped cup of coffee. (I love that Hubby o’ mine!) The card made me cry a little bit and this lovely made me cry a lot.
It is beautiful, absolutely perfect, and I love it. It is from Lisa Leonard and I love her work and have lusted after everything in her shop for awhile now. Hubby done good, real good. As usual. He truly is a blessing in my life and marrying him was one of the best things I ever did. Having him as the father of our two beautiful children is also a blessing. So on this Mother’s Day I am celebrating that I am a mom and a pretty good one with the love and support of my Hubby aka Dada.
After the card, necklace, tears and coffee the Peanut got up and gave me the best Mother’s Day picture. She had drawn our little family and she even included Kitty Girl. (I will update with a picture when I get one)
Then it was out the door to breakfast. It was very yummy, even if it was a little cold because Hubby and I had to take turns consoling a very fussy Little Man. After breakfast we decided to do a little research - for a new car!! (imagine me jumping up and down because I SO want a new car!)
We have a short list of vehicles and decided to go drive around a few car lots and see what is available. I really like the GMC Acadia and Hubby is leaning towards the GMC Terrain but we are also considering a Toyota Highlander. We are trying to go down to a one car household so we need something that can carry all of us, but also tow. (It also has to be somewhat smallish because I will have to park it.) If anyone has any experience with any of these, I would love your thoughts!
After our nice Sunday drive we headed home and settled in for a Harry Potter movie marathon mixed in with snuggling the kiddos, laundry and a little BBQ courtesy of Hubby. It was a wonderful Mother's Day.
And I can't talk about Mother's Day and not mention my awesome mom. She really is the best. Growing up we didn't always see eye-to-eye, but I never doubted that she loved me, supported me and wanted only the best for me. When we talk about being a mom she says, "As your mom I wanted you to like me and for us to friends, but I had to be your mom first. If that meant saying no sometimes and risking you not "liking" me, I could handle that because it was the the right thing to do, as your mom. Kids don't always like their parents. but they always love each other and loving someone means that sometimes you have to make a decision to keep them safe that they don't like. They won't like you for it, but they will get it over it." She is wickedly honest.
I am happy to say that my mom is now my best friend and I love her. I am sure I don't tell her often enough but she is my hero. She set an amazing example as to what a wife and mom should be and I hope someday my kids look up to me half as much as I look up to her.I am sure that along the way they won't "like" me much,but as my mom says, "it just means your doing your job as a mom."
I love you mom, Happy Mother's Day!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Trying Something New ~ A Giveaway!!
Okay, so a giveaway is not new in the grand scheme of things, but it is new to me. At least the hosting a giveaway part. (I enter A LOT of blog giveaways and have actually won a few) So, I am going to see how it goes and possibly do some more down the road.
I thought about what I wanted to giveaway, since this is not a sponsored giveaway and comes out of my own pocket. I thought about what I would like to win if I were entering a giveaway, what other bloggers would like to win, what it would cost to ship said giveaway item and how long it would take to get there.
I settled on a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com. Why? I love Amazon. You can buy just about everything you would want on Amazon. Also, the winner will get their certificate immediately in their email and they can pick whatever THEY want as their giveaway prize. Pretty sweet, right?
This giveaway will end Thursday, May 13th at 11:59 pm MST. Winner will be selected via random.org and posted on Friday, May 14th. Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize before another winner is selected. I will email the lucky winner their gift certificate.
Mandatory Entry:
In honor of Mother’s Day and Mom, leave me one (1) comment telling me something great about your mom, another mom you know or about being a mom/mom-to-be.
Additional Entries:
Follow The Lungos blog publicly and leave one (1) comment that you are a follower.
Follow @MamaLungo on Twitter, come back and leave one (1) comment with your twitter ID.
Tweet about this giveaway. Come back and leave one (1) comment per tweet with a direct link to your tweet. 2 entries per day. You can copy this tweet or write your own, but please include: @MamaLungo #giveaway http://thelungos.blogspot.com
Win a $25 Amazon gift certificate from @MamaLungo #giveaway http://thelungos.blogspot.com
Blog about this giveaway and leave three (3) separate comments with the URL of the blog post in each comment.
Good luck and Happy Mother's Day!
I thought about what I wanted to giveaway, since this is not a sponsored giveaway and comes out of my own pocket. I thought about what I would like to win if I were entering a giveaway, what other bloggers would like to win, what it would cost to ship said giveaway item and how long it would take to get there.
I settled on a $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com. Why? I love Amazon. You can buy just about everything you would want on Amazon. Also, the winner will get their certificate immediately in their email and they can pick whatever THEY want as their giveaway prize. Pretty sweet, right?
This giveaway will end Thursday, May 13th at 11:59 pm MST. Winner will be selected via random.org and posted on Friday, May 14th. Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize before another winner is selected. I will email the lucky winner their gift certificate.
Mandatory Entry:
In honor of Mother’s Day and Mom, leave me one (1) comment telling me something great about your mom, another mom you know or about being a mom/mom-to-be.
Additional Entries:
Follow The Lungos blog publicly and leave one (1) comment that you are a follower.
Follow @MamaLungo on Twitter, come back and leave one (1) comment with your twitter ID.
Tweet about this giveaway. Come back and leave one (1) comment per tweet with a direct link to your tweet. 2 entries per day. You can copy this tweet or write your own, but please include: @MamaLungo #giveaway http://thelungos.blogspot.com
Win a $25 Amazon gift certificate from @MamaLungo #giveaway http://thelungos.blogspot.com
Blog about this giveaway and leave three (3) separate comments with the URL of the blog post in each comment.
Good luck and Happy Mother's Day!
It's Friday, Y'All and I'm Following!
I am giving Friday a Follow a try for the first time. If you have found me through Friday Follow, thanks for stopping by!
Friday Follow celebration is hosted by the fabulous One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades!
You can get all the info on how to Link up, join in the fun, and meet tons of fabulous new bloggy friends all by clicking the amazing button.
I have really come to love this whole blog thing and really hope to stick with it and grow my readership. I love "meeting" new blogger and making connections over the interwebs. I hope you are here to join in the fun. So, thanks again for stopping by, leave a note and follow ~ I will do the same!
Friday Follow celebration is hosted by the fabulous One 2 Try, Hearts Make Families and Midday Escapades!
You can get all the info on how to Link up, join in the fun, and meet tons of fabulous new bloggy friends all by clicking the amazing button.
I have really come to love this whole blog thing and really hope to stick with it and grow my readership. I love "meeting" new blogger and making connections over the interwebs. I hope you are here to join in the fun. So, thanks again for stopping by, leave a note and follow ~ I will do the same!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Daycares Blues ~ Part I
One of the hardest things for any working parent is finding the right chlid care option for your kid/kiddos. If you don't have family or friends who can watch Junior while you and your significant other are at work, you are looking at daycare. As if there isn't enough guilt for just going back to work, you are now paying (ack!) some stranger (ack! ack!) to raise your sweet little muffin toes. I say raise because that was what was said to me by several anti-working, anti-daycare moms when I was getting ready to go back to work after Peanut was born. True story. I don’t agree with that statement all. I am paying someone to help educate my child/children, but not raise them. We as the parents will be the ones responsible for raising our children. And, I am not here to get into the work vs. stay home mommy debate. Everyone does what they do for a reason, by choice or by need. That said, I work full-time out of the home and my kids go to daycare.
Except we don't call it daycare. We call it school. And Peanut, she loves school. When we lived in Seattle, we found a wonderful school near my work that was a great fit for us. We had looked at a lot of daycares/schools in our search for the right place for Peanut. As a new mom, no place was good enough for my baby. The ones that I thought were close to good enough, were outrageously expensive or had yearlong (or more) waiting lists. And a lot of them were both. (Side note - we did not really look at daycare/schools while I was pregnant. We talked about it, but nothing serious. We got serious when Peanut was about 5 weeks old. Not ideal when you are trying to get into a good school in a city like Seattle. All the good schools have really long wait-lists. But hey - we were new at this!)
March 2007- Hubby happened to stumble upon our eventual school in his all day and late-night scouring of the interwebs for someplace I would feel comfortable leaving Peanut. I was threatening to quit my job and stay home so he was looking hard. He knew that I needed to go back to work, not for the money, but for my sanity. (I was suffering from postpartum depression and part of my dealing with it was to learn to be away from the baby.) And then he found it. The school for us.
We called to see if they had any openings and to see if we could come visit. They didn't have any openings at the time, but it looked like they would have one spot in the infant room about the time I was ready to go back to work. So we headed over on the day of our appointment to tour the school. Hubby had scheduled a tour of another school (same chain, different location) earlier so we could compare the two. We stopped at school one and it was an immediate "no" for me before even walking in the door. I didn't like the neighborhood, the busy street, or the car parts store right next door. Hubby wanted to give it a look though, because it was significantly cheaper than our school-to-be. Well, it was a “hell-no” for me once we walked in. The oh-so-overpowering aroma of poopy diapers about knocked me over and I had to keep my gag reflex in check the entire tour. It was dirty, disorganized and poorly staffed. (I actually called public health later on to report them.) We walked out of there hesitant to go to the other school because; it had to be the same, right? It was the same chain. We were really considering calling and canceling the appointment but decided to drive by first, then make up our minds if we wanted to stop.
We decided to go ahead and keep our appointment and we were so happy we did. Pulling into the parking lot, the building looked well maintained, had a secure and coded entrance and the play yard was surrounded by a very tall, private fence that was locked from the inside. We walked up and buzzed to be let in. We were greeted by the director, Miss Adrienne who was amazing. She was genuine, honest, and had all the answers we were looking for. She gave us a tour of the building, which was not huge, but very well laid out and kid friendly. We were really starting to like it here. The clincher came though, when we visited the infant room and met Miss Viktoriya. After talking to her for just a few minutes and seeing her interact with babies in the room I was sold. I was ready to hand her the Peanut right then and go out for lunch with Hubby.
Miss Viktoriya is one of those few fabulous people who has a way with babies. They all love her. She has that loving grandmother quality about her that calms and assures both baby and parent. And she loves what she does. She had been at this school, in the infant room for 7 years at that time. And I think she told us that she had been caring for babies for 12 plus years.
I had pretty much made up my mind that this was the school for us, but Hubby wanted to look at a few more less expensive ones. We had to make up our minds quickly, though, because we were on the top on the waiting list for the only spot in the infant room that would be opening up for awhile and it was opening right at the same time I would be going back to work. Miss Adrienne said she would only hold the spot for us 3 days. We took all of the enrollment paperwork with us and promised to get back to her. I would have signed Peanut up right then and there, but I agreed to look at least one other school for the sake of comparison.
After driving by the next school on the list and not even stopping, we pulled over to discuss our options. We came to the conclusion that we were going to get what we were willing to pay for. It was decided. I called Miss Adrienne and told her we wanted the spot and would be by shortly to drop off our paperwork and deposit.
TO BE CONTINUED
Except we don't call it daycare. We call it school. And Peanut, she loves school. When we lived in Seattle, we found a wonderful school near my work that was a great fit for us. We had looked at a lot of daycares/schools in our search for the right place for Peanut. As a new mom, no place was good enough for my baby. The ones that I thought were close to good enough, were outrageously expensive or had yearlong (or more) waiting lists. And a lot of them were both. (Side note - we did not really look at daycare/schools while I was pregnant. We talked about it, but nothing serious. We got serious when Peanut was about 5 weeks old. Not ideal when you are trying to get into a good school in a city like Seattle. All the good schools have really long wait-lists. But hey - we were new at this!)
March 2007- Hubby happened to stumble upon our eventual school in his all day and late-night scouring of the interwebs for someplace I would feel comfortable leaving Peanut. I was threatening to quit my job and stay home so he was looking hard. He knew that I needed to go back to work, not for the money, but for my sanity. (I was suffering from postpartum depression and part of my dealing with it was to learn to be away from the baby.) And then he found it. The school for us.
We called to see if they had any openings and to see if we could come visit. They didn't have any openings at the time, but it looked like they would have one spot in the infant room about the time I was ready to go back to work. So we headed over on the day of our appointment to tour the school. Hubby had scheduled a tour of another school (same chain, different location) earlier so we could compare the two. We stopped at school one and it was an immediate "no" for me before even walking in the door. I didn't like the neighborhood, the busy street, or the car parts store right next door. Hubby wanted to give it a look though, because it was significantly cheaper than our school-to-be. Well, it was a “hell-no” for me once we walked in. The oh-so-overpowering aroma of poopy diapers about knocked me over and I had to keep my gag reflex in check the entire tour. It was dirty, disorganized and poorly staffed. (I actually called public health later on to report them.) We walked out of there hesitant to go to the other school because; it had to be the same, right? It was the same chain. We were really considering calling and canceling the appointment but decided to drive by first, then make up our minds if we wanted to stop.
We decided to go ahead and keep our appointment and we were so happy we did. Pulling into the parking lot, the building looked well maintained, had a secure and coded entrance and the play yard was surrounded by a very tall, private fence that was locked from the inside. We walked up and buzzed to be let in. We were greeted by the director, Miss Adrienne who was amazing. She was genuine, honest, and had all the answers we were looking for. She gave us a tour of the building, which was not huge, but very well laid out and kid friendly. We were really starting to like it here. The clincher came though, when we visited the infant room and met Miss Viktoriya. After talking to her for just a few minutes and seeing her interact with babies in the room I was sold. I was ready to hand her the Peanut right then and go out for lunch with Hubby.
Miss Viktoriya is one of those few fabulous people who has a way with babies. They all love her. She has that loving grandmother quality about her that calms and assures both baby and parent. And she loves what she does. She had been at this school, in the infant room for 7 years at that time. And I think she told us that she had been caring for babies for 12 plus years.
I had pretty much made up my mind that this was the school for us, but Hubby wanted to look at a few more less expensive ones. We had to make up our minds quickly, though, because we were on the top on the waiting list for the only spot in the infant room that would be opening up for awhile and it was opening right at the same time I would be going back to work. Miss Adrienne said she would only hold the spot for us 3 days. We took all of the enrollment paperwork with us and promised to get back to her. I would have signed Peanut up right then and there, but I agreed to look at least one other school for the sake of comparison.
After driving by the next school on the list and not even stopping, we pulled over to discuss our options. We came to the conclusion that we were going to get what we were willing to pay for. It was decided. I called Miss Adrienne and told her we wanted the spot and would be by shortly to drop off our paperwork and deposit.
TO BE CONTINUED
Monday, May 3, 2010
Dance and Karate
Me: How was school today?
Peanut: Good. We had Tumble Bus!
Me: I know. Was it fun? What did you do?
Peanut: We climbed and did the MONKEY BARS!
Me: Wow. Sounds like fun.
Peanut: You signed me up for Tumble Bus?
Me: Yes, sweetie. We signed you up for Tumble Bus.
Peanut: You need to sign me up for dance and KARATE!
Me: (trying to conceal laughter) No, sweetie, I think Tumble Bus is enough for now. If you want to try dance or karate after the summer, we will switch.
Peanut: Okay!
She cracks me up. I don't know where she got it that she wants to do karate. I will chock it up to "Things They Pick Up at Daycare". She was just so matter-of-fact in informing us that we needed to sign her up that was so funny. I love that kid!
Peanut: Good. We had Tumble Bus!
Me: I know. Was it fun? What did you do?
Peanut: We climbed and did the MONKEY BARS!
Me: Wow. Sounds like fun.
Peanut: You signed me up for Tumble Bus?
Me: Yes, sweetie. We signed you up for Tumble Bus.
Peanut: You need to sign me up for dance and KARATE!
Me: (trying to conceal laughter) No, sweetie, I think Tumble Bus is enough for now. If you want to try dance or karate after the summer, we will switch.
Peanut: Okay!
She cracks me up. I don't know where she got it that she wants to do karate. I will chock it up to "Things They Pick Up at Daycare". She was just so matter-of-fact in informing us that we needed to sign her up that was so funny. I love that kid!
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