Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Things You'll Find Me Wearing

Welcome, welcome, welcome.  And, yes, I've been noticably missing lately.  Don't be mad.

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic was too good to pass up.  I read Katie's fun list of things she wears, and it put into perspective how sad my wardrobe really is.  See, she actually leaves the house to teach, and she looks good while doing it.  As a stay-at-home mom now, most days I am here at home with my three kids and not a single non-family member (hopefully) will see me.  It's amazing what you'll allow yourself to get away with when you think nobody's looking.

If, by chance, you happen by my house in the middle of the day, or if you run into me at ballet class, or if you catch me couponing in Publix, there is more than a little chance you will find me wearing the following things--maybe not all at once, but at least several of them in combination.  (And if you're used to seeing me, you can attest to my honesty!)

1. Yoga Pants.  These yoga pants came from Target, and they are from the Liz Lange brand...yes, mommy friends, that's a maternity line.  I still totally rock these and they still fit me really well.  I'll pretend it's because they're cotton and shrunk. 

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Why do I love these, you ask?  Well, first of all, they are the most comfortable pair of pants EVER.  You can wear them as pajamas.  You can wear them around the house and to run errands.  Should you really wear them to do errands?  Probably not.  But that doesn't stop me.

2. My Old Slippers.  My sister-in-law gave me these about ten years ago, I think, and they're from Old Navy.  They're obviously falling apart, and they stink.  I can't wash them, though, because then that one thread holding them together would lose its hold and they'd be no more.  I just can't handle that, so my husband and children must put up with my ugly, smelly slippers.

I do not wear these out of the house, so just relax.  I do, however, use them when I go check the mail, and I'm sure my neighbors cringe a little each time they see them.

3. Ouchless hairband by Goody.  Since giving birth to my oldest bundle-of-joy five years ago, I have rarely worn my hair in any other way than all pulled up in a knot on my head.  There are multiple reasons for this, including the fact that it's quick and easy and I can put it up wet on the rare occasion that I get a shower.  The main reason, though, is because babies pull hair.  A lot.  And I learned pretty quickly that getting all this hair out of the way is the best way to prevent it all from being yanked out by chubby little baby hands.

Not only will you find one of these in my hair, but you'll usually find one around my wrist, as well.  You know...just in case.  That's fashionable, right??  RIGHT??

4. Wireless Full Coverage Nursing Bra by Motherhood Maternity.  You wanted to know that, yeah?  Tough.  This is honesty, as shocking as it may be.
I have done a whole lot of breastfeeding in my life, and I've tried a whole lot of bras.  I always come back to this one.  They're great for pregnancy, wonderful for breastfeeding, and look smooth under t-shirts and sweaters.  There's no underwire to pinch and press on you and possibly lead to mastitis (been there, don't want to do it again).  And plain white is the way I roll.
I was going to post a picture from their site (not of me...I'm not crazy or masochistic), but the lady was so...uhm...perky...that I doubted she's ever had a baby and that irked me just a little.  I should have posted her picture and pretended it was me, but I'm not ample enough to get away with it.

5. Earrings.  14k White Gold.  During my pregnancy with Sawyer, my ears decided to become really sensitive, oddly enough.  I've worn all kinds of earrings, mostly cheap, my entire life.  I could change the pair to coordinate with my ensemble.  All that has changed now.  First of all, what even coordinates with the aforementioned yoga pants?  And secondly, my ears now become red and sore and inflamed when I wear anything other than 14k gold.  I purchased these simple white gold ball earrings and now I just never take them out.  I need to amass my collection, but these are just fine for now.  Boring, but fine.

6. Button-up Sweaters.  Yes, sometimes I leave the house and have to wear real clothes.  One of my staples is button-up sweaters.  I mean, you have so many options with them.  Buttoned or open?  T-shirt or long sleeves underneath?  Big buttons or little (usually big)?
The truth is, I am usually just wearing a t-shirt with my jeans and grab a sweater as an afterthought on the way out the door.  This applies for all types of weather, as I'm cold-natured and chilly in the winter and in the air-conditioning situations in summer.  I barely even have to look at what I'm throwing on my body as I head to the mini-van.
I am so glamorous.
Need even more proof?  My favorite ones are from American Eagle and St. John's Bay at JCPenney.  That's high fashion.

7. Jeans.  Duh.  Jeans.  I have my skinny jeans that I wrote about here.  And I have several pairs of Mossimo jeans from Target.  It's like perpetual casual Friday around here.

8. My baby.  Whether I'm at home or pushing a cart around the grocery store, chances are that Sawyer will be on my hip or strapped in a carrier on my body.  Babywearing is not only convenient, but it lets him stay close and comfy and has numerous other benefits (I should really write about that sometime).

Plus, he's pretty much the best fashion accessory in the world.

9. Spit-up, breastmilk, mashed-up food.  I wear it with pride.
I've been used to having spit-up and breastmilk on me all the time, but the food thing is new with him.  He loves to squish sweet potatoes or avocado between his fingers, then rub it on his hair and give me a pat on the back.  And whatever was on him ends up on me, just like whatever is IN him ends up on me a few times a day.


(Yes, he's wearing a pink bib.)

Oh, babies.
So sweet.  So gross, but so sweet.
When (not if, but when) you see me wearing these things, just pretend it's part of my designer look.

10.  My rings.  Engagement, wedding, gift from husband.  When I look at the rings on my hands, I am reminded that I am married to a man who loves me.  Because of our love, we have three children whose antics are the reason for most of my "fashion" choices.

No, I'm not well-dressed.  My hair is a mess, I don't have time or desire to think about the clothes I choose, and there's usually something unidentifiable on my outfit.
And that's totally fine by me because of that one other thing I wear almost all the time...
11. Look of contentment and love.

Top Ten Tuesday--Top Ten Goals for 2011

It's that time again, folks--time for another Top Ten Tuesday list.  This week, it's Top Ten Resolutions...but I'm just going to call them "goals."  Let's face it, I don't have much resolve, so this is more like a list of things I hope to accomplish, but I definitely won't beat myself up if it doesn't happen.
 
Doesn't sound like I'm setting myself up for success, huh?  Well...hmmmm...you're probably right.  Nonetheless, my top ten goals are:
 
1. Be able to run a 5k, minimum.  Running has previously been, as my friend Miranda would say, something I only do if chased.  This year?  It's something I'm doing for my health and for a healthy self-esteem.  I'm determined not only to get to the Disney Princess Half-Marathon/5k Weekend, but also to lower my risk of heart disease by improving my cardiovascular health.  And also, I don't mind if my saggy booty gets a little pick-me-up.
 
2. Learn to knit.  I know that immediately you thought, "That is one boring old lady."  And I am.  Boring, not old.  I like to be able to sit and do things in bed (oh, so your mind went there...), although I'm already preparing myself for leaving a knitting needle on my pillow out of sheer absentmindedness and having it poke through my ear or something. 
So maybe knitting isn't for me.  Or it's for a more responsible me (maybe that should be a goal?).  Katie wants to knit, too, but I'm willing to bet she doesn't get stabbed by her knitting supplies.
 
3. Keep my house somewhat tidy.  I want people to be able to drop by unexpectedly and only be shocked to see how wrecked I look, not how wrecked my house looks.  I've already done a huge toy clean-out downstairs and in my kids' rooms, and now I'm working on the upstairs playroom, which will eventually be Sawyer's room when he decides he doesn't like bunking in with his parents.  My carpets have been shampooed, and I'm doing my best to actually hang up the laundry that I get clean.  I'm making a valiant effort to get the dishes into the dishwasher immediately since we no longer have pets to lick them clean for us.  (Joking.  Kind of.)

4. Get that freakin' leak fixed.  We have a leak of some sort.  It started in the kids' bathroom, and now it has spread to include the upstairs playroom/Sawyer's future bedroom.  It just keeps getting worse, and I'm tired of clumps of sheet rock falling on my kids while they're bathing.  Plus, I can't decorate and paint the room for Sawyer until that wall is fixed, and that means his toys and clothes and furniture will be perpetually stuck in my room until we fix this (Sawyer can sleep with us for as long as he wants,  but the million baby items need a home).  And by we, I mean Brandon's dad.  I have no shame in admitting that my husband and I have pretty much no handyman skills.

5. Pay off those medical bills.  They don't seem to be disappearing on their own.  Sigh...

6. Get some sleep.  I really could go to bed much earlier than I do now.  I have a tendency to stay awake "just until Sawyer nurses the next time."  That's my excuse for staying up, but the truth is that I really just enjoy the quiet time when all three kids are resting.  I want to soak up enough quiet to get me through the next day when chaos inevitably ensues.  And I want to watch television with adult humor and talk to my husband about his day and eat snacks without them being stolen by little grubby hands.  The problem is, I am a person who NEEDS sleep.  Lots of sleep.  Add two or three night feedings to my late bedtime, factor in my kids all waking with the sun, and you've got one grumpy mommy.  Coffee helps some, but not much.  Something's gotta give, and it can't be Sawyer's food.

7. Keep on breastfeeding!  I think it's always wise to have breastfeeding goals, not just when it's resolution time.  I always start out with small goals--get a latch, get my milk to come in well--and then they get bigger-- nurse a week, six weeks, 3 months, 6 months, a year, two years.  Three days from now, we'll be hitting our goal of 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding.  I love knowing that my chunky baby has been grown only on mommy milk thus far.  Soon we'll be introducing solids, and I want to make sure to keep it up through that.  He'll be turning one in July, and I want to keep on going through that.  We made it 16 months with Julia and two years with Brynn, and I'm hoping to make it that long with Sawyer.  My boobs are pretty awesome, and my goal is for them to keep up that level of awesomeness through at least the next year.

8. Get some blog followers.  Lots of people visit, and many keep coming back.  But only a few are following, and I don't know how to change that.  So I guess I should do some research.  You know, in my "free" time...

9. Learn to take a picture that doesn't suck.  Sawyer learned to sit up today, and my picture of it?  Kind of sucked.  My husband is great at photography, but he's not here during the day to capture all those moments.  I can do the point-and-shoot route, but I'd rather take a photo I'm proud to display.  I guess I'll learn in all that free time people think I have...

10. Tell my family that I love them every. single. day.  And then tell them again.  And then show them.  This one, I think I can accomplish.

Top Ten Tuesday--Things for Which I'm Thankful

Thanksgiving has come and gone...

... but every single day should be a day of thanks.  So today, I'm joining Katie at Sluiter Nation for one of her famous Top Ten Tuesdays.  Today, Things for Which I'm Thankful.
1. I am thankful for my husband and three beautiful, healthy, brilliant kids.  In my eyes, they are perfect.  I love their quirkiness, I love their wisdom, and, yes, I even love their moods (we'll see if I stand by that later).  Brandon came along and allowed me to love someone completely for the first time, and when I gave life to my children, they gave me life, as well.

You knew the sappy stuff was gonna be there.  I pretty much gush over these people constantly, and that's the way it should be.  You knew I was thankful before I even said it, huh?

2.  I am thankful for the rest of my crazy family.  I am surrounded by a group of creative, neurotic, outspoken family members.  They are spectacular.  My kids couldn't ask for better grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  Do they spoil my kids?  Yes.  Do I get frustrated with them more often than I should?  Probably.  But do they know how much I love them and appreciate them?  Absolutely.

3.  I am thankful that I get to be a stay-at-home mom.  I probably don't say that one enough.  Honestly, we are a paycheck-to-paycheck family so that I can have the luxury of staying home and being with my kids every second of every day...and so they can have the luxury of me being here, I suppose.  I am pretty much always covered in spit-up or spilled juice or markers or thrown food.  I yearn for conversation that does not involve Disney Princesses or Dora.  But I would never, NEVER want another job.

4.  I am thankful for coffee.  I wouldn't make it through the day if it weren't for my daily cup of caffeine and creamer.  I love the way it smells and the way it warms my throat and belly.  I love it on ice during the warm months.  I love ice cream flavored with it and don't mind the stinky breath at all.

Brandon might mind that.

But I don't care, because I loved it before I loved him, and I'm not giving up my Joe!

5.  I am thankful for my childhood.  Now, this might shock some of you.  I admit that I did not like my mom and biological father being divorced and schlepping over to his house every other weekend and two weeks in the summer.  To this day, I still complain about that.  But my step-dad, my DAD, more than made up for that whole debacle.  He's the dad I remember, since I was only three when he married my mom and we moved over to his farm.  I'm thankful for that farm, too.  Growing up in the middle of nowhere, with the mountains and animals and quiet...well, that pretty much formed my personality.  And now, my kids love visiting this place that shaped my life and they love the people that shaped it, too.

I wanted for nothing.  I was given love and never harmed.  I had a mom, a dad, a brother, and several steps.  I was able to be involved in just about every extracurricular activity, though that didn't always turn out so well (hello, softball, basketball...any kind of sport).  Hopefully my kids will get the same warm-fuzzies I get when thinking back on childhood.

6.  I am thankful for my boobs (talk about your warm-fuzzies!).  As a teenager, this is something I would have never said.  I always complained about their size (or lack of size, rather) and thought I'd hate them forever.
And then they fed my first child, and I watched her get chubby and be healthy and glowing.
And then they fed my second child, and I watched as she grew quickly and never got sick and loved to eat.
And now they are feeding my son, and I'm watching him turning into a cute, chunky, strong little boy.
I've looked at these radiant, thriving, fat roll-covered babies and thought, I DID THAT.  On milk they got from only me, they gained all that wonderful weight and were satisfied.  They fell asleep in that amazing milk-drunk stupor that I've cherished since the first time I witnessed it.  They got immunities they wouldn't have otherwise had.
Not bad for a chest that used to embarrass me.  Now I think of them as my best feature.

7.  I am thankful for Disney World.  Those of you who know me knew that was coming.  It really is the most magical place on earth.  We already have amazing family memories from this place (I'm sure you'll be hearing more about that as our next trip approaches), and I can't wait to make more.  I actually LIKE the commercialism of this place.  Go figure.  The Mouse knew what he was doing.  Every day is happier with a little Disney in it.
And my kids are really happy I think so.

8.  I am thankful for bathtubs.  
Oh, Heavens. 
I do love me a long soak.
My husband knows that if he ever wants me to relax (ahem.), he should just buy me some bath salts and send me upstairs with no kids and a book.
My kids have inherited this from me; we all stay in the water until we're pruny, and we love it.

9.   I am thankful for books.  I have loved to read since I was three years old.  I own more books than should be allowed, but I will NEVER give any away.  I love each of them as individuals.  I smell them, I thumb through them, I highlight passages.  I am getting all weepy just thinking about it.  Books were my friends when I didn't have any human friends.  My childhood books have been passed down to my own children, and Julia started reading at age 3, too.  Hopefully, my love of books passes on to them (so far, so good). 
Here's some trivia for those of you who don't know me, or those who don't know me well.  Brynn's middle name (Elizabeth) is after Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.  Sawyer is named for Tom Sawyer, and his middle name is Bennett (from that same Pride and Prejudice family, but with an added 't'...my husband insisted, for some reason).
Poor Julia.  She's named after a Beatles song.

10.  I am thankful for my friends.  That means all of you.  You know who you are.
Honestly, I don't have that many friends IRL (in real life).  Trust issues?  Maybe.  If you're reading here, chances are that I do consider you a friend, online or IRL.  When I'm feeling down, you lift me up, and I hope to do the same for you.

So, there's my first Top Ten, and I could honestly go on and on.  You probably know me a little better now, and as you can see, I am one blessed lady.

Who Needs Sleep??

Uhm...me!

Miranda and Kimberly are doing Secret Mommyhood Confession Saturday today, and as that seems right up my alley (cause, let's face it, I've got tons to confess!), I'm jumping on board, too!

My confession is this:  I like sleep.  I like sleep a lot.  In fact, I'd say I'm in love with sleep.  It probably ranks number three in things I'm in love with, right behind my husband and kids.  See, the problem is, I have three kids ages four and under, so sleep is always a goal and not a promise. 
And here's my even bigger confession:  This love of sleep is why we co-sleep.  I would really love to say that I fully understood the benefits of co-sleeping when we began practicing it with our oldest daughter nearly five years ago.  I would love to take all the credit and say I researched it and decided to do it because it is shown to help babies regulate babies' respiration (it does) or keep their levels of cortisol low (yep) or encourages them to sleep on their backs or sides more than on their stomachs, which helps reduce SIDS deaths (that, too).  I wish I had been that cool of a mom, but honestly, I wasn't. 

When Julia was born in 2006, we had her nursery all set up months before her arrival.  We put a Pack-n-Play next to our bed, but we just thought that'd be where she would sleep when she first arrived home from the hospital or where we could put her for naps occasionally.  Imagine our surprise when we got home and she showed absolutely no interest in sleeping anywhere besides our arms or her car seat.  Almost immediately, she began bed-sharing with us.  This is obviously not for everyone, but it worked for her.  She later moved to the Pack-n-Play, and then a few months later would take naps in her crib and spent part of the night in there.  Once her little sister came along, she wanted nothing to do with sleeping in our bed anymore.  Cause that baby was LOUD.

Brynn was born in 2008, and she just didn't sleep.  Period.  She was colicky from the start.  I wish I could say that co-sleeping helped her, but nothing did.  We still had her next to us, but that's just because she woke up so often we would have been exhausted toting her from her nursery (which, again, we set up months before her birth) to our room, and we're lazy like that.  At about 18 months, when my kidneys were sick of being bludgeoned by her several times a night, we put her in her nursery, and (GASP!) she only woke up one time that night.  She liked the crib.  And since that gave me more sleep, I went with it.  We put an AngelCare monitor in there so I could be assured of her respiration from another room, and then we slept mostly through the night.

Enter Sawyer four months ago.  This time around, we didn't even bother with a nursery.  We knew better! (Side note: he will get a room of his own when he's ready, so don't feel sorry for him!)  Sawyer is a great baby.  He only wants to wake up to eat and then go back to sleep.

And did I mention that I'm lazy?  So he totally shares the bed with us. 
I have gotten more sleep with this kid than any of the others.  Before he can even fully awaken, I pop a boob in his mouth, he chows down, and we all settle back to sleep within a few minutes.  No getting out of the warm bed.  It.  Is.  Heaven.  (And also, this feeding on demand makes for chunky, healthy babies--Sawyer is 19 lbs. at 4 months!--and a great milk supply.)

When I want to check on his breathing, I just open my eyes or listen closely.  I have suffered from Postpartum Anxiety (PPA) with all my kids, so this actually helps me sleep, too.  Instead of convincing myself that I must stay awake and watch him sleep every second, I can allow myself to drift off knowing that it's easy to check on him and knowing that our breathing and sleep cycles will most likely be in sync.  Calm nerves are a good thing.

I must say that we are super-safe with our bed-sharing, and it works for us.  That means minimal covers on the bed, and they stay tucked in below a level where he can get to them.  That means pillows are kept far away from him, as well.  And obviously, parents can't be intoxicated and sleep with a baby, but that's not an issue here.  Believe it or not, we all have our own space in the bed.  When he becomes more mobile, we'll have to revisit where he'll sleep.  I'm guessing he'll move into the Pack-n-Play that we have situated next to our bed now (it did have a cradle piece in it that he liked, but alas, he outgrew it).  People sometimes get confused and say, "Hey, that's not co-sleeping!"  Yes, it is.  Co-sleeping just means within reaching distance.  Bed-sharing is actually sharing a bed.  Clever name, really.  And, as a disclaimer, I'm adding that THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE!!  Nor is it up for debate.  It is what it is.  I'm a mommy in the middle, remember?  I don't really care where you put your kid to sleep.  Honestly.  I just wish you good sleep.  And if you decide bed-sharing is for you, please be safe about it.

Now, when kids are older, sleep problems change.  Case in point: 

This is Julia's bed, which has now been transformed into a tent.  The tent is the only way she will stay in her bed at night.  It's a kind of a combo bribe/threat.  We bribed her by setting up the cool tent, and we've threatened to take it down if she doesn't just GO TO SLEEP, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!

And Brynn?  The one who gave us the most trouble and the least sleep?
Well, she's a precious-darling-princess-of-a-sleeper now.  We lay her in her bed, cover her with her three favorite blankies, give her her Dumbo, and she's asleep within moments.

So, there's my confession.  I'll do anything for a few minutes of shut-eye.  We've got Julia's tent, Brynn's blankies and lovey, and Sawyer curled up next to us.  And in the middle of the night, everyone's quiet and happy and calm, and that's just how I like it.

Let's Get Together...Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

Let me start out by saying that I realize I haven't posted in over a year.  And I also realize that I only had one post to begin with.  That kind of makes me want to bury my head in the sand, but instead I'll just promise that I'll be more diligent in my post-writing.  Since the last time, we've added a new addition to our crew.  He's 4 months old now, and his name is Sawyer.  Julia is 4 (5 in January...YIKES!) and Brynn is now 2.5 years old.  Our family is growing in size, as well as growing up.  And that's all of us, not just the kids!

I decided to start up this whole blog thing because of my friend Miranda, who is the genius behind Not Super...Just Mom.  I will not pretend that my blog will be half as interesting as hers; in fact, I can guarantee that it might be pretty dull in comparison.  However, I realized today in talking with her that if I've got anything at all, I've got stories about my kids.  And these stories need to be documented...maybe not for lots of people to read, but so that I'll have them in the future.  I mean, just tonight I looked at my one (for shame, Jennifer!) post from over a year ago and was so happy to read it.  I remember that day!  My kids were tiny, and fewer in number!  I forgot about that video of Julia reading!  And, yes, I got a little weepy.

It's been nearly five years since I became a mom, and reading a post of Miranda's the other day, it dawned on me that I have had almost no "me time" since then.  It's not because I couldn't have it...I definitely could, as I have an extremely supportive husband.  But I'm just that sort of obsessive parent who hates to leave her kids, even if it's for the benefit of my sanity.  And writing that down makes me realize what a stupid thing that is.  Miranda offered up a coffee meeting, and I jumped on the offer.

Today we met at a Starbucks.  It was me, Miranda, and my nursling son.  No, not total mommy-alone time, but with only 1/3 of my normal distractions.  Brandon was keeping the girls--Brynn was (supposed to be) napping, Julia was playing Legos-- and Sawyer thankfully fell asleep on the drive.  I was thanking the Heavens that I *might* just get a peaceful meeting, but before I even got there I realized it might not be.  Let's all keep in mind that it's rare that I have much adult interaction, especially away from my kids.  I kind of started feeling like I was going on a first date...Would I say something stupid?  Do I look okay?  Will she like me?  Guys, you also have to realize that I've known her for a long time.  Like over ten years.  Safe to assume she thinks I'm okay.  But I am so out of practice, and I was shaking without even having the caffeine yet.

Coffee and cake ordered, we sat down to talk.  I kind of felt like I was missing an appendage without the girls climbing all over me and with Sawyer napping peacefully.  We talked about, what else, our kids.  I started feeling a tiny bit embarrassed because I realized that this is pretty much all I know.  I don't have a job.  My brain doesn't function like it used to.  I'm sort of boring like that.  But she gets it. 

Sawyer woke up and decided to be his cute self and drool all over the place.  He cooed and gooed on me, and he cooed and gooed on her.  After an hour and a half (gasp!  Where did that time go??), I took him to the bathroom to change his diaper.  Okay, Starbucks.  Big fail on your part--there's no changing table.  There was a little table I can only assume housed cleaning products or tampons or something.  And Sawyer was pissed that I had the audacity to change him on that tiny thing.  I dropped his cloth diaper on the floor, then realized I had no wet bag for it, so I just stuffed it in the diaper bag in a plastic bag and hoped for the best.  Then I looked in the mirror and realized that I had completely sweated through my shirt.  I had no time to be embarrassed...okay, I was a little bit embarrassed...but you know what?  I was out of the house.  So I didn't much care.  But I just have to give a big shout-out to my post-pregnancy, currently-breastfeeding, whacked-out hormones for making me all out of sorts, cause doesn't everyone like to look gross on their first date of adult interaction in quite some time??  So the human heater baby may have contributed to the fact that I was burning up, or maybe it was the nerves, or the caffeine, or the fact that it's nearly 80 degrees in November, but I'll do as I usually do and just blame hormones.

We packed up our things (Sawyer's gazillion toys.  And Sawyer.)  and headed to our respective vehicles, and I knew that the ride home couldn't possibly go as smoothly as the one down.  It just never happens that way.  I made it about two minutes down the road before Sawyer was crying.

He was hungry.  And so was I, but babies can't wait, so I pulled into a Chevron to feed him.  I pulled up my shirt, only to realize that I had never even buckled back my nursing bra after feeding him the last time.  Which means I sat through the entire coffee chat with Miranda sans-support.  Just some flaps hanging wide open.  Again, I didn't get too embarrassed, cause I was still not only out of the house, but hyped up on caffeine!

I got Sawyer buckled up again and we were on our way.  Less than a minute later, he was crying.  He had just been changed and fed after waking from a nap, so all that was left was that he wanted to see a human face.  I don't know about you, but I HATE my babies to be crying at all, especially that helpless cry when they feel abandoned in the back seat.  Luckily, Sawyer usually sees his sisters back there, but this time they weren't there, and I felt awful.  I turned on lights for him.  I sang "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," which is usually my go-to song for him.  I did The Reach.

You know The Reach, yes?  When you are driving with one arm while reaching behind you to try to bounce the car seat the less-than-a-centimeter it will budge in hopes of calming the baby?  I was doing The Reach (which wasn't working, by the way) when I realized that I couldn't be the best driver that way.  And luckily about that time I realized that I was already at the red light in front of my house.  I kept up with the singing, and he stopped, of course, as we turned into the neighborhood.

And so I returned home to two girls who acted like I was gone for ages (I love that.), still hot and sweaty and still with my nursing bra flaps open (yeah, so it turns out I'm not great at remembering to fasten those...).  I made some dinner, and I felt relaxed for a few minutes.

I realize that "me time" can be extremely beneficial to the psyche, and even though this was kind of a first attempt at it, I enjoyed it without much guilt of leaving the girls, which is progress.  Once I can fully learn that moms are better when they're refreshed and fulfilled, I think I'll be all set.  And then maybe I'll learn to start fastening my bra.

Busy Day

This morning started way too early. For some reason, Brynn decided that 5:30 was a great time to start playing. I finally let her nurse at 6:00, thinking it would calm her down, but it actually made her wilder! Julia was awakened by the squeals at 6. If you know me, you know I am not a morning person, so I thought today was going to be horrible. Thankfully, I was wrong. After Brandon went to work, the girls played quietly together for a while...at least, as quiet as is possible for the two of them! I got a nice surprise from Brandon's Aunt Denise; she sent me an e-mail out of the blue that praised me for making the decision to stay at home with my girls, and also to breastfeed and cloth diaper. She said some really supportive and kind things that I don't often hear. People seem to constantly critique parenting choices instead of commending them, and it really made my day to read some encouragement.

Brynn got sleepy and quickly and easily nursed and went down for a nap. As is our usual schedule, Julia does school work while Brynn is taking her morning nap. Today was a very special day in terms of her learning. We did a couple of handwriting activities, and then I opened the first set of Bob books that Cousin Amanda Lear gave us for Julia to use. On the title ("Mat"), I showed her how to sound out each letter and put them together to form a word. It seems that's all I had to do, because she read the whole book! I grabbed the camera off the shelf and told her to do it again! I'm so glad I have that moment documented. I am always proud of my kids, but this was such a special milestone. I love reading so much, and this is the beginning of a lifetime of imagination and adventure for her.

Brynn woke up and we headed to Kroger to get some chicken that was on sale ($1.99 lb, plus $1 off coupon) and some tomato sauce. They were great in the store, and both loved driving the little car on the buggy. I am so glad they're finally at an age where they can both sit and play while I shop! I quickly threw together a Chicken Tortilla Soup in the crock pot while they ate lunch.

Then something amazing happened...they both napped at the same time! That never happens! I have to admit that I took a thirty minute nap myself, and it felt spectacular. I needed it since we'd been up so long.

Brandon called and was going to be late, so we decided just to throw the soup in the fridge for tomorrow and meet for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's so the girls could go to the soft play area for a while and burn off some energy. I should have known better than to have Brandon around in a shopping area; we left with a new camera he insists is for Disney. It's a Canon EOS T1i, and I have no clue how to use it. It will be Christmas and birthday presents for both of us, maybe for a couple of years! So, happy holidays!
Now we're home, and though the day was busy, I'm not sure it yielded anything too interesting. To me, the calm and predictable family life is comforting and perfect.