Rant & Questions

First off – I shared a lovely experience at a local store the other day on our family blog….pretty entertaining

Secondly – do you like my new background/theme/whatever you want to call it? Is it too dark? WP only gives so many options and I just love this one!

Thirdly – what about the new background for my recipe blog? Wait – you didn’t KNOW I had one!!!! What? lol You should join me over there, esp. on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays – ok, the weekend too! I started a weekly schedule to make sure I ‘commit’ to blogging there (also, I tend to post like 9 recipes in one day and then I don’t go back for a month, lol)

Mondays - a recipe (this could be anything, breakfast, snack, drink, etc…)

Wednesdays - a freezer meal recipe (usually something to make in bulk…)

Fridays - a cooking tip

Weekends - a round up of recipes that I want to try (they will be linked, once I try them, I’ll post them here…)

Thoughts – do you like it all??

OH and I my newe tagline! Keaton turns two in less than 2 weeks & all at the same time! So, I’m testing out the tagline – thoughts?!?!

All touched out…

I adore the age difference between my boys (16mos). I really do. K LOVES his little brother. I know there will come a time when our house looks and/or sounds like Fight Club, but, I love that K always has to be near B – holding his hand, hugging him, kissing him, petting his head or just laying next to him. When K wakes up from a nap, he runs to the living room. If B is there, he immediately goes to him, saying “B!!! B!!!!” If he’s not around (ie: napping) he gets very sad, asking, “Where B??”

If I knew then what I know now, we would have planned for B. I know they will drive each other crazy, but will be the best of friends…

However. I’m about to quit today.

B did not want to go to sleep last night. We have this “unspoken” rule between Zach & I – he attends to pre-midnightish needs of the kids (minus breathing treatments – that’s ALL him! lol) and I take anything after that. Around 230 or so, B wanted to nurse (after sleeping for about 20 minutes…after being awake playing and eating for hours before that…) I was way too tired to sit and nurse him, so I just laid in bed and nursed him – I went back to sleep. I woke up at 330ish and he was still nursing. I switched sides and fell back asleep. I woke up at 530 and he was still nursing…

I switched sides again and he just wanted to snuggle, so he was all up in my armpit and whatnot…

This morning, he would only let me hold him in the wrap (he’s usually fine on the floor or the jumperoo – he never has a vocal need to be held all the time – you know, bloody murder screaming…) I finally got him content playing on the floor so I could take care of something – and K wanted to be held…usually a passing 20 second hug is all he wants and he’s off again…but he wanted me to hold him like I’d been holding B all morning.

We eat lunch…I put K down for a nap – he fights it for 30 minutes or so…

He finally goes to sleep…

I’m still working on getting B to sleep…

It takes about 80 minutes to get him to sleep. I let him snooze on my shoulder for a few before putting him in the crib…

The SECOND my hands are off of B…K wakes up screaming…

Really?

I let him CIO (cry it out) for a bit because he’ll usually go back to sleep…but his screaming inevitably woke up B…

Now, all three of us are crying…

I’ve had someone touching me for 12 hours now…I do not like to be touched….(I like my nightly back rub from Zach…but, even I ask him to stop after 20 minutes or so…)

I just. need. to. be. alone. Just for 10 minutes…in silence…without someone sucking on me. breathing on me. touching me. hugging me. drooling on me.

A Jekyll & Hyde Kind of Day

I’ll be brutally honest. Today was one of those days when I questioned being a mom.

By 8am, I had had enough screaming for the day.

It ended with K not wanting to eat his cheese quesadilla for dinner. When I say not wanting to eat, I mean head on his tray, screaming with tears pouring down his face, they were pooling on his tray. After 35 minutes, I gave him some pineapple and a berry granola bar. I told my mom that it’s so much easier to stick to my guns and “make” him eat (either at that sitting or later) when Zach is home. When he’s at work (during most meals) I tend to just say “Whatever” and give him something I know he’ll eat to make the screaming stop.

Some sweet spots to the day:

B sleeping in my arms while K napped (I don’t “let” this happen too often, but it was ‘one of those days’)

K came over while B was sitting in my lap, gave him a HUGE, wet kiss on the forehead and a hug (a real hug!) and said, “Lo, B” (I’m thinking ‘Love B’ …he calls Benjamin, B)

Every time K needed a diaper change, he told me and went right to his room and didn’t fight it (huge step, right mamas?)

B & I had a long peek-a-boo session which resulted in him belly laughing for about 30 seconds

And at bed time, K came back to give me 3 more hugs before heading off to bed – I’ll take that any day!

The end result. I wouldn’t give up this job for anything. I can honestly say, tonight when I lay down and think about my day, I’ll remember those kisses and hugs and sweet laughs from my babies…