Monday, June 25, 2012

Groundhog Day

When you have a toddler and your husband works full time taking your only car to work leaving you stranded, you settle into a very predictable routine. Sometimes I'm dying to get in the car and head somewhere new and sometimes I love being able to count on our routine. Either way, there are few dull moments in the life of a stay at home mom. Here is a glimpse of our daily routine.

5:30 - daddy wakes up and gets ready for work
7- daddy leaves for work :( 7:30ish Madi wakes up - she plays quietly in her crib until I get her.
8:30 - mommy showers and starts to get ready
9am - go get Madi, change diaper, sit down for breakfast (while Madi eats mommy finishes getting ready for the day.
9:30 - time to watch Mickey mouse club house - mommy downs 2 large cups of coffee :)
10am - dress Madi and brush her teeth. From here we have playtime. If it's nice we go for a walk, play outside with the neighbors or go in the kiddie pool, play with bubbles or chalk, or drive her car.
11:15/11:30 - Madi has a snack and milk
11:45 - nap time (asleep from about noon - 2) During this time mommy does laundry and/or dishes, eats      lunch, returns phone calls, on rare occasion I get a nap.
2:30 or whenever she starts to fuss - get Madi from nap and give her a snack/lunch. Mommy drinks another coffee - need to refuel for the race to the finish. More playtime until dinner.
5- Madi eats dinner - she spends a while at the dinner table.
5:45 or whenever she's done eating - pj's and teeth brushing. After we snuggle and watch a few minutes of TV
6:15ish - we read a book, say a prayer and go to sleep.
6:30 - mommy picks up the house and starts dinner or heats up leftovers lol. We do not have daily gourmet meals in this household. :/
7 - daddy comes home, we have dinner, spend some quiet baby free time together, go to sleep to wake up the next day and do it all over again.

 I realize this may not sound glamorous, but the schedule leaves out all the sweet moments. Like when I open her door in the morning and she jumps up and says, "morning" in her sweet voice. Or the giggles throughout the day and her telling me I'm silly. It's her evening phone call with da da on his way home from work. She has the sweetest back and forth banter with him. It's her begging for a cookie and if she gets one her giving me thank you kisses. It's me giving her some dried Cheerios in a snack cup and a sippy cup of milk, only to walk in 3 minutes later and here her say "cereal" and see that she poured her milk into the Cheerios and all over the couch. Can't blame a girl for trying. Everyday she learns something new and I get to see it happen. I'll take groundhog day routines any day because even though the schedule falls the same, she makes each day new and exciting. And while she rarely sees da da Monday through Thursday we make up for it on Friday afternoons and weekends by going special places and trying new things together as a family. I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Understanding

The age/stage that Madi is in is my absolute favorite. Something in her little brain has clicked and she is soaking in he world faster than ever. I can tell her something once, she can repeat it, and will remember it. I no longer have to repeat myself 100 times for her to learn something or for her to understand what I am asking of her. It's amazing. There was a moment today, where it really clicked for me that she was one of the big kids now. We were at a play space in the mall. She walked to the stairs of a play structure and said "wait. turn" as to my surprise she waited patiently for it to be her turn. She then said, "climb" and climbed the stairs. She then said "slide" and counted to 3 before sliding down. She then ran around to do it again. She saw another child try to climb up the slide rather than slide down it ( which she knows she is not allowed to do). She told the little girl, "no, no, no. Around." she was telling the the little girl to go around to climb the stairs. All on her own she understood everything she was supposed to do. She knew to wait her turn, and climb the stairs, and slide. And she knew the rule was to walk around and I didn't have to say anything to her. This may seem like a small thing to most people, but to me it was HUGE. As a mom of a mobile baby it can feel like you repeat yourself all day even though you have no idea if any of it sinks in or if you are wasting your breath. You work to stay consistent and lay down the law. There are time outs and tantrums and one sided conversations that can leave you exhausted at the end of the day. And then all of a sudden, my 17 month old, not so baby anymore, proves to me it was worth it and she understood. And sure there are days that are worse than others, but those little moments where you can pat yourself and your little one on the back knowing you both did your part - mom being the teacher and child the learner, both hard jobs and everyone is doing ok. That makes everything worth it.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Toddlers

People that say toddlers are trouble are both right and wrong. Madi definitely gets in to trouble, but it’s a pretty direct result of her trying to discover and understand the world around her and I love watching her understanding grow. It’s truly remarkable. She is communicating so much and is really developing her own sense of humor. She finds it hysterical to “scare” ben. She comes up behind him and screams. When he screams, pretending he was actually frightened, it sends her into a fit of giggles. She dances when music plays and cheers when Ellen comes on tv every week day at 4. She says “yay” and claps her hands. And then waves and says, “Hi, Ellen.” It just might be my favorite part of our days. She now goes out of her way to ask for specific things without being prompted and is very aware of what she wants. She goes to bed happily without a fit for both her nap and bedtime (most of the time – we have the occasional bad teething spell). She uses her pleases and thank you’s and is very into kisses and hugs. She constantly keeps us laughing. She is just what we need to keep us grounded and to help remind us to be grateful. If you ask me, everyone could stand to spend time with a toddler J

Fatigue

This week has pushed both Ben and I to our limits. This is partially a result of poor time management and partially because we just had an insanely busy week with a needy toddler. Ben is in the throws of his final weeks of graduate school. Wahoo!!!!! He has been glued to the computer working tirelessly to finish strong. I have been so proud of him. In an effort to soak up any time with him, I have been staying up SUPER late along with him. The hours of lost sleep are starting to really stack up.


Then, sadly, we found out that my great Aunt passed away suddenly in her sleep. She was 69 years old and married to my uncle for 47 years. They started dating when they were 15. The funeral was in CT on Friday and was emotionally draining. I can’t help, but realize that one day that could be Ben and I. It feels too real and terrifying. I can’t stand to watch my cousins lose their mother. I have yet to find a worse feeling, and I am so sad that they have to experience it. This alone has taken the very life out of me.

As life gets busier we have to fight to keep up. Poor Madi has had 4 babysitters in just 2 days and I have had only 6 hours total with her in those last 2 days. Last night she was up from 3:30 to 5:30. Ouch. Ben tag teamed with me thank goodness. I had to be up at 6 am for work so the middle of the night waking hurt more than it usually would. Never the less, the girls teeth are killing her so she’s really not at fault. Our house is a disaster… result of mommy being gone so much and babysitters in and out.

Tonight we are looking forward to a much needed date night. In this moment, a nap seems much more exciting, but I know once we are out it will be worth it. We are contemplating a movie. We have not been to the movies since Madi was 4 weeks old. Yikes!. Looking forward to life slowing down a smidge so that I can soak up the beauty that is my family.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Long Weekends

We had a beautiful fun filled 4 day weekend. It was anywhere from 70 - 88 degrees the entire time and we took full advantage.


On Friday, Madi and I had a mommy and baby (toddler) date at the mall. We bought new shoes, played in the play place and focused on a purple balloon. Not too hard to please her ;)


On Saturday, we started the morning with our best friends having the best brunch I have had in ages. Madi sat in her high chair happily the entire time. It was an hour and half. I was so proud of her. She really hardly made a peep. She colored, read books, ate breakfast, and watched elmo all without a single whine or scream.


After breakfast Madi and I headed to Maine for a girls weekend with the cousins. She loves hanging out with the big girls. She slept a solid 13 hours that night, which meant I could stay up with my cousins talking and laughing with a glass of wine.


The next morning we headed to the beach. I had planned on just walking along the beach in the sand, but Miss Independent had other plans and I didn't mind one bit! She was in bliss with a day at the beach.


We headed home around mid day in time for the patriots day parade. She ran and collected candy that was thrown from floats and cars and danced and clapped with the marching bands.

The next day we had daddy all to ourselves and we chose to go to another town parade. She had lots of kisses and laughs for each of us.This weekend allowed for a lot of special mother daughter time and we really enjoyed each other's company. She has started laughing most of every day and has been really into being silly. Pretending to scare us, playing hide and seek, and taking walks holding my hand. She is such a big girl now and I LOVE every minute I get to spend with her- watching her learn new things.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

I'm feeling...

This is going to be a mosh posh of many different thimgs. I'm feeling a lot and I can't sort it all out well enough to have a clear direction. I am exhausted, encouraged, sad, discouraged, overwhelmed, and content all at the same time.

Lets start with exhausted. We just returned home from an 8 day san francisco vacation to visit very dear friends. Madi was in rare form most of the trip and sucked out every last bit of energy that I had. I think maybe she has not been feeling her best, but at any rate she has been up crying at all hours of the night for a couple of weeks now. It's amazing that I was able to do this for several months when she was a baby, but now just 2 weeks seems to take the life out of me.

I am encouraged because it was so fulfilling to spend such great time with wonderful friends. They were hospitable, understanding, and patient with us. All things you need when traveling with your 15 month old. It was nice to catch up with a friend who is in the same life stage and feel like there was someone i could really relate to.

I am sad because it reminds me how much that is really missing in my life. Being a young mom is hard. It is uncommon to find other moms that are interested in forming a friendship, I think, because I am so much younger than them. I loved seeing Madi be able to intereact with her friend. The joy on her face was priceless. And I loved how easy it was for us to sit and talk with them or just sit silently and watch the kids play. I wish we still had that.

I also feel a little discouraged to be living in limbo land. Currently, we have no idea where are family is headed. We don't know where Ben will be working and where we will be living. At first it was exciting, but now I am nervous. I feel like I am sort of hanging in mid air and my heart is racing because I don't know when the drop is coming. A little dramatic I know, but that was the best way I could think to describe what the ucertainty feels like. I had really been hoping to move and get a fresh new start for our family, but now I am thinking that may not happen. All in all, I don't know what is around the corner, but I pray that God has it under control and that he will make it clear what decisions we should be making.

I am overwhelmed by our schedule that seems to fill up weeks in advance hardly giving us room to breathe or rest. I feel overwhelmed by Benjamin's school work load. It weighs him down and overwhelms him. Being in San Francisco really reminded me of how carefree he could be. When we talked he was all there and was not distracted by the school work and job hunt that takes up so much of his mind these days. He was able to shut that off and that was good for all of us.

On the upside of my debbie downer post, I can say without a doubt that I am more than content with my husband and daughter. I am so blessed to have been given such a gift. The way Ben sometimes looks at me like I am made of gold. I know I am precious to him and I am loved by him. Sweet kisses from my beautiful little girl that remind me that even her fits are not personal or intentional, but usually out of pure frustration or a lack of one or both of our understanding. It fills my heart up to the point of bursting when I watch her excitement when she learns something new. She is so proud of herself. I hope she always remembers to be proud of her accomplishments; whether they are big or small. She is important. God hand picked her and then gave her to me to take care of. These two people are my family. They make me a better more well rounded person. And on the gloomy days, they show some light. I am definitely content with that.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Yawn.

I'm tired. That's all. When my daughter was 9 months old she started sleeping through the night. When she was 11 months old she had hand surgery and has not slept through the night since. I was warned there would be a regression, but that sounds like an understatement now. Pray for sleep in this household please.

Bedroom face- lift

As promised... the photos of my new and improved bedroom.

I did this project while my husband was in China. It helped distract me from missing him and left me feeling very accomplished.

Sadly, my before photos are very old and show very little detail for comparing. I should have taken pictures before the make over. Still, I can share what changes I made.


Before







After





I patched up old holes and painted our room a warmer color. I rearranged furniture. I bought new picture frames, linens, lamps, and curtains. I made my own headboard and put together a bookshelf. All in all, I worked very hard and I am very pleased with the results. Our room was boring, cold, and drab before. Now it feels warm and inviting. It's a grown up room.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Spontaneity

This morning, after surviving madi using us as a jungle gym in our bed, I suggested that we take a walk to starbucks. To my surprise, my husband blurted out, "how about IHOP?" He was supposed to have an internship a couple days a week that recently feel through, which means we have extra time with daddy. We jumped up, threw on some clothes, and headed out to breakfast. It was so nice to chat and enjoy a leisurly breakfast with a hot cup of coffee in hand. Of course, our peanut now makes it her business to chat with every human being that crosses her path so the other breakfast goers might not have had as relaxing a time as usual. At least she's cute. :)

After that we decided to stop at a New balance shoe outlet. We were planning on just window shopping, but our daughter LOVES shoes and wanted every pair in sight. The truth is she did need new shoes and we found some on clearance for $10. Jackpot. Those little legs look so stinking adorable in her new sneakers.

All in all, it was a completely wonderful unplanned morning. And... we only needed light jackets in January. It was perfect.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Happiness is...

Happiness is...
Morning snuggles wih my sweet baby girl
Her giant smiles that she gives so freely
A loving husband who always kisses me goodnight and good morning
The awe in my daughters eyes as she tries to make sense of all this snow
My hot cup of coffee on cold mornings
A husband who is willing to have the tough conversations
And who waits patiently for me to get on bored with things (example....waited a year for me to get on the having a baby band wagon)
A God who gives me grace at my most selfish moments
A family I love so much I hate being away from them
Having friends that make it easy and are always there when you need them.

Life isn't always perfect and doesn't always go the way we plan, but I'm striving to be content in this new year. Accepting the blessings and the hardships and remembering where my happy place truly is.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Happy Anniversary to my one and only.

If you are looking for the perfect husband, look no further. I am married to him. Sure, we all have our minor flaws, but this man is perfect for me. He keeps me balanced without ever trying to change who I am. Not only does he accept who I am, but he likes who I am. We are best friends and in love. He is patient with me at my most stubborn times. He teaches me how to be confident in my skin and embrace my fears. He helps minimize my insecurities. This man loves the things about me that I like least and celebrates them. This is rare and I am so grateful for it. We have been together for almost 9 years and married for 4 of those and I actually do love him more today than all the days before.

He helps me to see things in a different like and with new perspectives. When I got a parking ticket and feared the worst of what he would say, he was kind instead and told me it was ok. When my mom passed away, he held me close so I would feel protected. When I cry, he wipes my tears away and kisses my cheeks. When he doesn't understand me, he listens anyway. When I wanted him to repaint the baby's room because after finishing the first paint job I changed my mind on the color, he did it and never once got mad at me. When I am being unreasonable, he tells me so. And while, I may not get my way, he makes it clear that he finds my unreasonable states adorable. When I don't squeeze the toothpaste from the bottom, he shakes his head at me, but then lets it go. When I get overwhelmed and neurotic about the cleanliness of our home, he jumps in to help me. All in all, he is always there for me.

This man is the best dad. He gets down on all fours to play peek a boo around the corners and reads books to our baby girl before snuggling with her in a rocking chair. He changes diapers, gets meals together, and takes her to the park. He never passes up an opportunity to laugh with his tiny sweetheart. He loves her wholeheartedly.

I am sure that there isn't anything this man would not do for me. I know I am a priority and I know I am loved. I admire his patience and work ethic. He is strong- willed and responsible. He takes care of our family, keeping a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. There is no doubt that I married the perfect one for me and I look forward to many more years together.

She's back, but he's gone

Phew... I wasn't sure we were going to make it out of that, but alas my daughter has returned. I guess she was just going through something or maybe it was the combo of unfamiliar people and a new place. If you look back to my last post I was venting about our separation anxiety phase. Madi is back to her fun loving self, greeting everyone she sees and saying "bye" to all shopping guests as we leave the trader joes with her wrinkle nosed smile. It has been a relief to have my friendly girl back. With her independence back she has decided to really exercise her verbal skills. I wrote them all down today to see how many she could say and she has 30 words. Are you kidding me? Not a day goes by that she doesn't remind me how special she is and how blessed we are to have her. The downside, new verbal skills equal persistence and a lot of push back. Example... this morning just before breakfast she walked up to me and said' "cookie." I explained that she needed to eat a healthy breakfast and offered her yogurt and oatmeal. She said, "no, no, no." I asked her what she wanted and she again said "cookie." I said "no," she countered with "please" which actually sounds more like plea. I tried my best to get her to eat a good breakfast, but she refused. As a result, she ate no breakfast at all and was perfectly happy about it. I wasn't going to give in on the cookie situation and neither was she. She is incredibly stubborn, which will maybe serve us well later in life if she becomes a lawyer and we need her assistance. For now, it is an issue. she On the upside, she has been very sweet lately giving lots of hugs and snuggles. I can't complain there.

While there is joy due to the return of Madilynn's fun loving spirit, there is sadness in our home as we continue to miss Da who has been in China for 4 days and has another 8 to go. Our home is not complete without daddy. I am far more sad than I expected. It is such a long time to be away and is literally on the other side of the world. There is an anxiety in me, worrying that something could happen to him, Madi, or I and we wouldn't be able to get to each other quick enough. It is a 20 hour plane ride with a 13 hour time difference. This is where my faith is tested and I have to trust that God will take care of him and return him home to me, but it is hard to surrender those emotions. No matter how busy our days are, I still think of him throughout all of it. I miss hearing his voice throughout my day and I miss the good morning and good night kisses. It's hard to hear my baby girl ask for him and not understand where he is and why he hasn't come home. We try to keep busy with LOTS (understatement) of play dates and my DIY redecorating of our bedroom. Pictures to come soon. Definitely check back because it is turning out pretty amazing if i do say so myself.

Sorry this blog is all over the place, my mind is a little fried from chasing my toddler who has learned to run pretty fast. :)