In the still of the night

Having a new baby means that I am up several times a night. I will admit that I do not happily jump out of my cozy bed, stumble down the hallway, and get my crying baby - no I grumble the whole way! But once I get there I settle into a calm about the moment. After having Kinz, I know that these ultra quiet moments with just mommy and baby are short lived. So, I settle into my oh so familiar (and comfy) rocking chair and use the time to pray over my kids, ponder the events of the day, dream for their future, and try to be the mom they deserve. When Jax is back asleep, it is off to Kinz room to recover her with her blankets and gaze at the beautiful little girl who first opened my eyes to the role of motherhood. 

I take solace that in the still of the night, I am not alone. Somewhere in this vast world, there is a mommy doing the same exact thing and this role of motherhood has bonded us. So if you are up with your little one during the night, know that I am here in my Pottery Barn rocker with a baby in my arms, and that what we are doing is extremely important and worth every wakeful minute!

Only half the battle

The other day my friend and I were discussing going to the grocery store with 2 little ones. Before having our little guy, I naively thought that if I could just get everything ready and make it to the store, I would be fine. Not the case! Yes getting out of the house with everything you need is a chore. Getting the kids out of the car and in the correct place (currently that is Kinz in the cart and Jax in the sling or Bjorn.) is a challenge. Keeping them in that place and happy is sometimes problematic. Shopping for everything on your list (if you could find that list!) and making it through the checkout is an obstacle. Making it back to the car with all of your groceries and kids in car seats is work out. And just when you thought you had it made...BAM...it hits you that now you must get all of those groceries out of the car and into their proper place. Inevitably when you get home, one of the kids will be hungry and need to be fed. Then the other. Then it is nap time for both of them. By the time you get both kids down, the butter that has been sitting on your counter with the rest of the groceries, is no longer a solid substance. Cheese is mushy, ice cream is runny, and milk is warm. That is usually the point that I grab a drink, sit on the couch, close my eyes, and tell myself "well at least the wine didn't spoil!"

My Tiny Dancer

Our little peanut just crossed another milestone in her life...she went to her first dance class! Those of you who know me are surely not surprised that she is going to dance class! She absolutely loved it. Kevin and I have always said that she is our little "free spirit" and there is no doubt after watching her today. It brought a little tear to my eye to watch her. This is the first "class" that she has gone to where I am not a part of the class. It totally showed me that she is growing up so fast! She is so self-assured and confident. I am so proud of her and can't wait to see what the future holds!

Pump, Pump, Pump it up

It became that time again for me...not pregnant, 6+ weeks passed delivery, and getting a tad more sleep than before...it's back to the gym time. I actually don't mind working out that much; probably because I choose to go to the classes that I like - namely yoga and cycling. That being said, I had not been to a cycling class since before I was pregnant with Jax. So yesterday I ventured back assuming it would be about the same as the last time I went - wrong! I had forgotten that sitting on that little tiny seat for an hour really hurts into the next day! Ouch, just sitting here typing is hurting. Today it is back to yoga - YIPPEE! That is really my kind of work out; barefoot, on the floor, eyes closed, and no talking. 

On a side note, my gym is really great and most of the people there really do want to work out. But every now and again I see these women walking around and I think they stumbled into the wrong place. They look like they got all dolled up for a hot night out. Is it just me in my SAHM mindframe to not wear make-up to the gym, pull my hair out of my face, and to wear something I don't mind sweating all over?

I did it!

Yes, after all this time I finally found enough free time to read a book. My choice was "The Doomsday Key" a historical fiction novel by James Rollins. It is part of his Sigma series which I just love. It took me a couple days to get through it's 430 pages but I did do it. My poor husband...he is always so excited when I finish a book because when I am reading something I am a bit consumed by it! Now, I am going to pass the book off to my dad will no doubt consider it a light mid-afternoon read. Yes, I am jealous! 

Thank You Pottery Barn!

The other night, as I was rocking my sweet little guy to sleep, I got to thinking about my rocking chair. Many nights have been spent in that chair as I often rock myself and my babies to sleep. It has soothed both myself and my kids in the worst of moments. It is the perfect chair for late night feedings and late night tears. It is easily the best present I received when my daughter was born. Thank goodness it has a washable slipcover (I won't mention all the reasons why it has needed a washing but if you are a parent you know!)

Conspiracy?

I am not a huge believer in conspiracy theories. Sure there are some that I find plausible and interesting if nothing else. But today I am truly starting to question something...can my two children (one of whom can not communicate beyond crying) be conspiring against me in order to keep me sleep deprived? My oldest is known to be a very late sleeper and a very consistent sleeper. My little guy was going in the same direction, sleeping 5-6 hours as a newborn. Now my little guy has decided to wake me up all night long and my oldest has decided to start getting up at the crack of dawn (even with her window blacked out.) I find it interesting that these two events began happening at the same time. Coincidence...I think not!

Gratitude

Sometimes I find it calming to take a moment and think of the little things that I am thankful for. Usually they are things that help make my days go more smooth. Today I am thankful for my IPOD, the baby bjorn, and kids that love music and dancing. My day was quickly heading into a downward spiral but luckily some quick thinking on my part rescued the day from ruins. Plug in the IPOD docking station, throw Jax in the bjorn, and happier times were on the way. I even managed to vacuum the house! When I was done, Kinz came in and asked "Mommy, all done?" When I told her I was, I got a round of applause and a "Yea Mommy!" I can never again say motherhood is a verbally thankless job!

Books, Books, Books

One of my favorite things to do is read! I get this from my Dad who can read a 1,000 page book in one leisurely afternoon. I am not quite so lucky: not lucky enough to read that fast or have a leisurely afternoon. But, I do see the shining light at the end of the tunnel. My kids are beginning to nap on the same schedule and that means, if I am lucky, I get 2 hours of "free time." Yes, I could fold laundry, clean my kitchen, or scrub the bathrooms but lets face it...I don't want to. What I want to do, what I long for, is reading a book! Sorry, Dr. Seuss just doesn't cut it for me. 

Right now I am on a historical fiction kick. I have been reading mostly James Rollins Sigma series which I love. Steve Berry is also pretty good. I will read the new Dan Brown when it comes out as well. Before kids I loved reading crime novels but after Lisa Gardner's last novel "Say Goodbye" I have had to keep a safe distance from that genre. That book nearly sent me over the edge!! Being a Mommy has put me in a very sensitive spot when it comes to crimes and children. However, she does have a new book that is coming out as well as Karin Slaughter (good name pick for a crime novel author) and from a distance they look fairly "safe".  Any other book suggestions from out there in internet land...and no don't tell me to read The Shack! I am sure I eventually will but reread the post...I don't want to read a book about bad things happening to kids. 

My My...how time flies!

Where have the days gone?! I apologize for being so absent from my blog but life got the better of me. The holidays came and went. We spent the first part of the year preparing for our family trip to SeaWorld (which our little peanut loved!!). Then came our precious baby girl's 2nd birthday. After that, we were blessed with the arrival of our little man. Needless-to-say, since his arrival free time to blog, or read, or eat, or sleep for that matter have been at a minimum. In fact, I am being called right now in the form of the saddest little baby cry ever. More to come...