Wide awake

So here we are at the beginning of July and in just a few days my little lady will be 9 months, and my little guy will turn 4 a few days after. All I keep thinking is How did we get here so quickly and was I somewhat coherent for most of the past 9 months. If you recall from a previous post, I mentioned Kylie had not yet mastered sleeping through the night, but thankfully she's gotten into a groove with it the last few weeks. Our little Missy Poo, as Braedan and I sometimes refer to her, has grooved her way into a lot of things lately. She discovered her brother's toys are way cooler than hers, she knows she could possibly get to a toy which is out of reach if she would just take that final push off her bottom onto her hands and knees, but at the last second she thinks better of it and returns to her seated position to somehow scoot her way to that toy. And just the other day, she noticed something was amiss with her head--a headband mommy had placed up there which she was trying to snatch off. You can imagine my fear and horror when I caught her; fear because I really don't know how much longer she will want to wear bows and headbands once she realizes she can just take them right off and crawl on her merry own way. I know what you must be thinking, of all the milestones she will begin surpassing this is the one that screams "No" in my brain. But it is just another wake up call to the fact that both she and Braedan are growing, and there is nothing I can do about it.

Mr. Cool at all of almost 4 years old.

And our little lady really does live up to this title, always so proper with her hands clasped together when she lounges, when she eats...and even when she sleeps.

 

 

A Mother's Neverland

After celebrating Mother's Day, I reflected on how motherhood has changed me for the better, and I also looked back on the other little things which have changed for me over the last three plus years. Some of these changes are minor and superficial, I'm disappointed to admit, and others are so comical that I think other mothers who have gone before me chose not to share these life altering events because some you just have to experience for yourself.

I don't know about other moms, but I remember during my pregnancy with Braedan all I imagined was visions of holding my angelic, cooing baby boy and me looking as fantastic as I possibly could, hair and make up done all the time, of course. I like to refer to this mental block as Neverland, as in for example, I never thought I would be ok with going a whole day without a shower. Normally I would be disappointed, while simultaneously disgusted with myself, but other stay at home moms have confirmed this truth so I'm not alone in my misery, let alone filth, on those rare days. When you spend all day with two kids under the age of five, some things are more pressing than personal hygiene.

Another major never, I never imagined not being able to go to the bathroom alone, and now having had Kylie I've probably got another four years to go before that can ever happen again. The hubby mentioned to me once that he doesn't have that problem and that I should just lock the door. Well news flash, don't you think I've tried that only to have one freaked out kid who vigorously pounds on the door as if the big bad wolf is after him and his only safe escape is to join mommy in the bathroom. Now that Braedan is older I do get more alone time and I can actually shut the door. But it never fails, I still have my bathroom buddy check in on me at least once a day even after I have announced I am going there. His roll call procedure consists of him running to the door and asking, "Mommy, what are you doing?" Like I said, once Kylie becomes mobile and aware of all the "fun" to be had in there, I just know she'll be joining me too.

Before becoming a mom I never thought I may have to face the reality of never wearing heels again. And for a self professed girly girl this one is hard to come to terms with still after almost four years. I know I would look ridiculous chasing Braedan or Kylie around at a play date in heels, but I think part of what makes this one hard to swallow is that it emphasizes the fact that I'm just getting older. I say this because when I do get the chance to dress up and be kid free, my first thought when it comes to shoes is which wedge heels do I have that will go with my chosen outfit. But who knows, maybe my heel wheeling days aren't over just yet, and all I need is a little practice to get me back into my old ways. No pun intended.

One final and MAJOR change for me, before becoming a mom I never thought I'd conquer such culinary feats as I have. I've gone from loathing the whole cooking process to actually enjoying it, becoming excited about any new recipes I find and actually thinking the word "fun" about some of them. I've even baked and baked until I don't want to see a mixer for a few months and I've even gone as far as baking my own donuts. Crazy, I know. And recently, I cooked a meal that any preschooler would fall in love with but some of the best known chefs in the world might turn up their noses at the way I put my own twist on pasta, but nothing says love like putting a little hot dog with your spaghetti.

Unfortunately I can't take credit for coming up with this idea as I got it from one of the hubby's co-workers. Nothing screams, "I'M A MOM," more than this. You can bet I never would have imagined going to this great length to make a meal fun, but I never want to let these two down. Even if on somedays I may have to do it without a shower.