Did you do anything today?

I write an aweful lot of blog posts and journal entries in my head these days, but I cannot seem to find the time to actually put them down on post or paper. So in lieu of my own thoughts and insights I am posting someone else's, with whom I agree and whose work I was actually able to read. Albiet in four sittings, plus another three to simply cut and paste and write one paragraph. Motherhood is busy, and I cherish every moment.


From the blog Kellymom.com
My husband came home today and saw me sitting on the couch, toddler on one knee, and baby nursing on the opposite breast. I was trying to turn the pages of a book with the hand not attached to the infant,while listening for the sound of the stove buzzer, which would indicate that tonight's pork chops were at the stage between "well-done" and "the dog gets tonight's entree."

My Darling husband looked at me innocently, and asked "So, did you do anything today?" It's a good thing that most of my appendages were otherwise engaged, as I was unable to jump up and throttle him to death. This was probably for the best, as I assume that asking a stupid question is not grounds for murder in this country.

Let me back up a bit, and explain what led me to this point in my life.

I was not always bordering on the brink of insanity. On the contrary, a mere four years ago, I had a good job, steady income, and a vehicle that could NOT seat a professional sports team, and me, comfortably. I watched television shows that were not hosted by singing puppets. I went to bed later than nine o'clock at night. I preferred sex to sleeping in. I laughed at those people who drove halfway across the country hauling a tent trailer, three screaming kids, a drooling dog, and called it a holiday.

Now I have become one of them! What happened? The stick turned blue.

I have traded in my Victoria's Secrets lingerie for cotton briefs and a firm support nursing bra. Good-bye, Garth Brooks. Hello, Raffi, Lois and Bram. My idea of privacy is getting the use the bathroom without a two-year old banging on the door, and the baby spinning the toilet paper roll from my lap. And I finally understand that the term "Stay-At-Home Mom" does not refer to a parent who no longer works outside the house, but rather to one who never seems to get out the front door. So here I sit, children in hand, wondering how to answer my beloved husband.

DID I DO ANYTHING TODAY?

Well, I think I did, although not much seems to have gotten accomplished. I shared breakfast in bed with a handsome young man. Of course, the breakfast consisted of a bowl of porridge and leftover cookie crumbs found between the sheets. Then a handsome young man is about thirty-four inches tall and only gets really excited at the sight of bugs, a little blue dog, trucks, cars and Pancakes.

I got to take a relaxing stroll in the woods. Of course, I was on the lookout for frogs and lizards, and had to stop and smell the dandelions along the way. I successfully washed one load of laundry, moved the load the was in the washer into the dryer, and the dryer load into the basket. The load that was in the basket is now spread out on the bed, awaiting my bedtime decision to actually put the clothes away or merely move them to the top of the dresser. I read two or three classics. Of course, Dickens and Shakespeare cannot take credit for these works, as we have moved on to the works of Seuss and Sandek. I don't think I will be making any trips to the Adult Section of my local library anytime soon. In between, I dusted, wiped, organized and rearranged. I kissed away the owies and washed away the tears. I scolded, praised, hugged, and tested my patience, all before noon.

DID I DO ANYTHING TODAY? You betcha!

I will now understand what people mean when they say that parenthood is the hardest job they will ever have. In my LBD (life before diapers) I was able to teach young minds how to divide fractions and write complex sentences, but I am unable to teach a strong willed three-year-old how to use the toilet. I was once able to navigate urban streets while talking on the car phone and looking for a decent radio station, but now I can't get the wheels on my stroller to all go in the same direction.

I've graduated from a university, written newspaper articles, and won awards, but I can't figure out how to get carrot stains out of the carpet. I used to debate with my friends about politics, but now we discuss the merits of cloth versus disposables. And when did I stop talking in sentences that had more than five words?

So, in response to my husband's inquiry, yes, I did do something today. In fact, I am one step closer to one of life's greatest accomplishments. No, I did not cure AIDS or forge World Peace, but I did hold a miracle in my arms. Two, in fact. My children are my great accomplishment, and the opportunity to raise them is my greatest challenge. I don't know if my children will grow up to be great leaders or world-class brain surgeons. Frankly, I don't care, as long as they grow up to be happy and fulfilled. They are my greatest joys, even though I sometimes cry myself to sleep at night in frustration. The point is, that today I got to watch my children take another step on the great journey of Life, and I even got to point out some of the sites along the way.

As challenging as parenthood is, it is also equally rewarding, because we are using all our wisdom, our talent and skills to help forge a new person. It is this person, these people, who, in turn, will use their gifts to create our future. So every nursery rhyme I recite, every swing I push, every little hand I hold is SOMETHING!

----- by Cyndi Devlin

Easy as 1,2,3...

One, two, three and we are four. The blessings abound this Christmastime in our home as we welcomed our second daughter 6 days ago today. We are stunned that we have been blessed with two special girls to call our own. I was so certain that we were having a boy that I almost took the girl going home outfit out of my bag before heading to the hospital. So when, after a mere 6 hours of labor and three pushes Hazel Rae made her way into the world and into our hearts, we were thrilled.

It was as easy as one, two, three.

ONE

One last belly shot at the hospital

TWO

Epidurals are from heaven.

THREE

Hazel Rae was born on December 17th at 3:06pm at 6 lbs 7 oz and 18 1/4 inches long





WE'RE A FAMILY OF FOUR!

This is our very first family photo of the four of us.


SISTERS

Georgia has loved her baby sister since the first moment they met.


Morning hugs are our newest tradition

" our baby will not________"

Its incredible how time can slow down so much yet pass so quickly. A short trip to the garbage can now takes several minutes as my one year old pleads with me to grab her hands and let her walk with me there and back, yet I have never seen a year fly by like it does when watching your child grow.

It is also incredible how having a child of your own changes you. No matter how determined you are to "not let the baby run our house" or " not let my baby go around with a dirty face" and our personal favorite pre-parenthood proclamation "we will not let our baby into our bed."


Daren with Georgia 10 days old


Daren with Georgia 12 months old

Parenthood changes you, no matter what you think. And its the most wonderful, constant, exhausting, and fascinating gift God has ever given.

You've got personality

A brief glimpse into the developing personality of my fantastic child.

This morning while sharing breakfast at an outdoor cafe I turned back to Georgia just in time to see her drop her piece of croissant to feed the friendly white bird that had come over to say hi. I laughed and said " no feeding the birds, baby". I then tore off a few more pieces of our shared croissant and put them on the table for Georgia to eat herself. I said one more time " this is is Georgia to eat. Georgia eats this, don't feed it o the birds".

With that my girl picks up a piece of bread, holds it up to her mouth until I drop my bird guarding hand then launches her food down onto the ground and the bird. Very clever Little Miss!

I laughed out loud at her new found tricks and sly ideas. The elderly lady at the next table over didn't find it nearly as funny, so I pretended that I didn't see her throw the next few pieces.

As the quote says " never apologize for your children Because those with kids will understand and those without never will".

I'm in that place

Its been three nights since I've slept well. I've been up for everything from the sudden increase in trips to the bathroom, rain on the windows, the dog rolling around the having his own personal play date at midnight, my husbands sleep sounds, my baby crying and of course, my favorite of all of my pregnancy symptoms, Restless Leg Syndrome.

It may be the tiredness, but I suspect its the knowledge of what's to come that is keeping me in this place. Georgia has been sleeping perfectly through the night like a champion sleeper for two months now. Once she hit 9 months old her sleeping habits rounded to bend and she began to sleep from 7 p.m. to 7 am like a dream. Now after a 2 month break from my nighttime routines, she is back up and I have no idea why. We were up last night for a good 45 minutes and she was very sad and I still have no idea why. Together we rocked and rocked in sweet silence until her eyes finally drooped closed and I placed her back down in her crib, which she promptly responded to by waking up and wailing. Eventually the combo of crying it out and soothing visits from me did the trick and she fell back asleep for good until about 6:30.

In the meantime, at 5:15 am I received a text message from my best friend telling me that her grandpa has passed away at 5:00 am this morning. I've met her Grandpa Jim and I still refer to him as "Turkey Butt" because thats what he also called me. Having lost my own grandpa just under a year ago I feel an extra amount of empathy for her and her family as they now navigate these waters of grief and funeral planning.

When my husband rolled over and wrapped his arms around me for some much needed quality cuddle time all I could think about was the coffee brewing downstairs and my future sleeping patterns.

While pregnant with Georgia I was nervous about how I was going to handle it all, How in the world was I going to get through life on such little sleep? I made it through but not without landing myself in some dark emotional corners and falling asleep in the most random of places. Now as I look to the next year of my life I'm just plain scared.

I know what I'm in for.

I have yet to decide if I think that these last two months of Georgia's perfect sleeping habits are a blessing or a big joke. It has been blissful to sleep through the night so many nights in a row and sometimes even wake up before her, but now as my nights are breaking up into little pieces again I wish I didn't quite remember how lovely sleep really is.

Two of the biggest blessing of this second time around are one; that I fully understand that the newborn months are a phase that pass you by in a blink and that it does get easier and two; that Daren and I have been through this before as a couple and are already laying out plans to bypass some of the tough times that befall a married couple when welcoming home the biggest change of your life who is wrapped in a swaddling blanket and weighing in at 6 lbs. 3 oz.

As I near the end of my second trimester I am finally feeling pregnant and moving like I am pregnant. My workouts are feeling harder and are starting to wear me out for the whole day. My moods are starting to change more rapidly and I can't stand myself moody. My body looks nothing like the body and figure I recognize and I still have a long way to grow before it starts the long haul back to my skinny jeans. Still, for this being my second pregnancy in as many years and I am only up 25 lbs total from my pre-pregnancy weight, I count that to be a victory that I am doing my best to hold on tightly to.

Nevertheless, today at 25 weeks pregnant I am in that place where I feel like I have been pregnant for a very long time and that I still have a long way to go. ( To be fair I have been pregnant for 15 our of the last 20 months). I had to pull my foot up across my knee to put on a pair of boots over the weekend and I thought to myself " Aw Man, I'm not going to be able to bend in half again for another 6 months!" I don't know if its the current lack of sleep, the changing weather, or the daunting prospect that I may not sleep again for the next year that has me in this place, but I'm there.

I'm in that place today. That place that all pregnant women pass through on their journey toward Motherhood. That place where you feel nothing like your former self and are not yet your future self. I wouldn't change it for the world, I wouldn't give up the opportunity to grow and carry our babies for anything.

Even still, I am in talks with God about some sort of Sleep Exchange Program, I'm pitching the idea of eating more ice cream to get more sleep. Some sort of pints of Cookies and Cream to Hours of Sleep ratio. I'll keep you all posted.

As for right now, the coffee is hot.

I want this to be a girl...no boy...no girl...no boy

This baby is baking away perfectly in my belly. We are in our 24th week which means we have entered into Viable Baby Zone and are nearing the end of our second trimester. Daren and I choose to take the high road and not find out early who we are having. We love it and it lines up perfectly with who I am. My favorite part of Christmas is that moment right before you open your presents and are filled to the brim with anticipation. I have never been a present snooper. So much so that you could put the box right in front on me, unwrapped, and tell me not to peak...and I wouldn't. So why would I peak in on this, the biggest and best, of all gifts given to me.

We have made it through our two ultra sounds successfully not finding out who we are having. Still, in any given week I sway back and forth between wanting one or the other.

The standard saying "I just want this to be a healthy baby" fully applies in all cases.

I want this to be a Girl because:
- We have one girl and she's fabulous. Why not have two fabulous girls?!
- I already know how to fall in love with a baby girl so it just makes more sense
-I don't have a sister. When I was little I was jealous of my two brothers because they each got to have a brother and a sister and all I got were two brothers.
-The Mother/Daughter relationship is intrinsically complex, rich and deep, and I think it would be even more so if there were three of us.

Why I want this baby to a boy:
- Georgia was born at 2:34 and until about 2:35 last October 15th I had only ever seen myself as the mother of boys.
-I love the rough and tumble home of a home with boys over the perfectly prissy house of all females
-I like the balance having a brother/sister duo would bring to them. He would be invited to her tea parties and she would have her own GI Joes.
-A beautiful girl with an athletic brother in the locker rooms is harder to talk about and/or date.
-I adore my two brothers. Always have. Always will.


Only God and Baby B know who is in there, and I figure God still knows best. So whomever we meet in late December will be the perfect addition to this family and a dream come true.

You must've been a beautiful baby

My heart. My Girl. My baby.

I'm having a bit of a baby breakdown today. Make that a full on baby breakdown. I'm not ready for this beautiful baby girl to no longer be my baby. I understand that I will not be trading out babies at the hospital or anything. I know that they are not going to make me give one over for the other, but still, its a weird place to be. I remember the day I took my pregnancy test for our Sweet Surprise. I woke up, nursed my tiny baby, then received a positive pregnancy test. It was weird.

I love being a mom. I sometimes had dreams of running a fortune 500 company, but my lifelong dreams were of being a wife and a mother. I'm living my dreams is so many ways. Still, I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around raising two babies today. Two tiny babies.

I don't know how I'm going to split my time.
I don't know how I'm going to split my heart.

I don't know how I'm going to go grocery shopping.

I feel overwhelmed, grateful and sad all at the same time. There are times when I feel this tiny 23 week old baby kick in my belly and smile ear to ear marveling at the utter blessing that we get to do this twice. Then there are times, like today, when I cuddle my 10 month old and cry because I'm not ready for her to be my big kid.

God brought me to this and I am certain that he will bring me through this. I can also understand in my head that I will fall totally in love with my second baby and still remain completely in love with my first baby, my heart just doesn't know how yet.

5 months, 5 Miles and a 5 K

When Julie ran her marathon I cried.

As I sat in the chair in our living room with my cell phone in hand anxiously receiving text updates as she passed each marker, talking to my mom on our land line and my computer screen filled with the Seattle Rock-n-Roll course map, pace sheets, and the live feed of the finish line I cried. I cried joyful tears for Julie, for as long as I have known her a Marathon finish has been one of her biggest goals and I cried bittersweet tears for myself.

Sitting there in the throws of first trimester sedation and nausea, still adjusting to the fact that I was two months pregnant as my then 8 months old baby napped upstairs I cried.

When would I ever run again? Really run.
When would I ever feel like an athlete again, let alone actually be one?
When would I be me?

And I was inspired. For the first time in many months I began to envision myself crossing finish lines. I imagined how I would smile at the cheering sections. I thought of hearing my husbands voice as he cheered me on at a hard mile marker during some big race. I dreamt of the t-shirts I would make my children wear for family photos at a big post race block party. I dreamt of feeling like myself again, tough and athletic with an easy laugh and enjoying it all.

The next week as I poured over Julie's blog detailing her entire marathon experience I clicked on the Skirt Chaser 5k link. For a moment I was back. I felt the athletic drive and that old friend the competitive spirit swell up inside my gut. A quick check of the family calendar and I sent my husband a text proclaiming "We are running the Skirt Chaser 5k. I can totally bust out a 5k!" He was in and we were registered.

I had already been an active member of Baby Boot Camp where we work out with jogging, lunges, wall sits and resistance bands for 60-75 minute sessions all while pushing our little ones in strollers. So my fitness level was good and I was cleared to continue running.

A month ago Daren and I took Georgia on our first family fun. We ran for three miles around our neighborhood and I was so proud for making it the whole way and so grateful that Daren pushed the stroller. As a dating and newly married couple running together was our thing. We would meet up at the trail head for an evening running date or head out early on a Saturday for a long run then hit our favorite breakfast spot all sweaty and beaming with endorphins. We ran together, we raced together and we fell in love together. The first time Daren even said "I love you" was after a big hard race up in Seattle. Running was part of who we were as a couple and since I got pregnant with Georgia, that had been missing.

During my first pregnancy I was too afraid to run. Too afraid to do much of anything other than walking and some yoga. And I lost myself. I gained many many lbs and struggled with the massive physical changes and the mood swings that accompany any baby baking session. I had not completely come back to myself, or to Daren, when we found out we were expecting our second child.

Two weeks ago I ran five miles at five months pregnant. Daren, once again got me out onto the road and told me that he was certain that I could run the whole loop. I told him absolutely not and that I would be turning around at the 1.5 mile marker and heading back home. The mile marker came and went and I never turned around. I ran five miles. I ran five miles with Daren. I ran five miles with Daren, the only running partner I've ever had, while five months pregnant with our second baby and it was awesome.

We were back!
We were back because I was back.
I was running.

Saturday we ran in the Skirt Chaser 5k! The women started three minutes before the guys and they had to chase us down, chase the skirts if you will. I took off knowing that my main man would catch me and when he did, about the mile and a half in, I was so happy. I was so excited to see him! The conditions were hot and muggy and I was starting to overheat so for the sake of the baby in the belly I walked for a bit, and Daren being the incredibly supportive race partner that he has always been, walked with me. Then ran me all the way into the finish line.



We were us. We were Daren and Sarah the couple, more than Daren and Sarah the parents. We were running a race together and we loved it and we loved each other and it was wonderful.

And I am me.
I am running.

Running has saved me in these last few months. Its saved me from the pregnancy blues and the massive weight gain I had the first time around. It has brought me back to myself, even while pregnant, and in fact its even lifted my bum a little!

So thank you to the road and to the miles, though few today will be fast and far again soon.
Thank you to Julie for inspiring me to Run Like a Mother.
Thank you Daren for running with me and pushing the stroller.
And thank you to my body, for holding together and holding my babies.



Running I love you, even when I hate you.

Miss G in her LittleG's - gDiaper trial day 1

As life would have it, I have found a touch of hippie in me and Motherhood has been really trying to bring it out. I've been trying to make my own baby food, but Georgia won't eat it. This fact makes me laugh every time I think of it. She prefers the organic stuff in the jar over just about anything I mix up in my new Magic Bullet and offer to her.

When I say a touch of hippie that is exactly what I mean. More like a smidge or a dash of hippie. I recycle, as long as its convinent. We eat the mostly organic food, the dirty dozen of fruits and veggies and much of our meat and dairy but if there is a sale on something non-organic I don't hesitate to go that route and Doritos and Hershey's Bars have yet to be seen with an organic stamp. I like to use all natural Butt Paste and washes on my baby if I have them, but it doesn't bother me if we're at the farm and I use whatever is available. I nursed my baby the best I could for six months but when it was time to switch to formula I was not afraid that I would be giving my baby "poison in a can". I enjoy pursing the most healthy options I can find for my family but sometimes it is not the most economical way to stay on budget.

So a smidgen of hippie it is and today I purchased our first two week trial of a cloth/disposable hybrind diaper called gDiapers.
I have been so surprised by how much I spend on diapers each month. And with another adorable baby booty on its way I started to look into other options that were affordable and easy. My priorities in finding a new diapering option are 1.Affordabliity. and 2. Ease.

I know that, especially in the part of the country I live in, I'm supposed to be this all organic, cloth diaper loving, baby food making, non-chemical wearing, music class going, non-spanking, no sugar giving, always covered in sunscreen mother and I'm just not. Its the new Super Mom of this decade. As Mother's we're no loner looked down on if we don't work outside of the house, but we are looked down on if we give our children sugar and choose an epidural over an all natural delivery. As women we all get to be whatever kind of mother we want to be and we each mother out of who we already are and I was not the Earth Mother before I became Georgia's mother. Though I am finding I am turing into a bit of a hybrid, just like the gDiapers.

My cousin first introduced the brand to me and after much research I have decided to give them a try. According to my math, after the initial invesment the insterts are cheaper per diaper than the disposables that I use. I bought the starter kit at the Whole Foods up the block which includes 2 LIttle G pants, a swish stick, and 32 biodgradable intert refills. The refills either flush, compost or toss. The website has videos of each and I am going to flushing route during the trial while we're at home and then the tossing when we're out and about. I just flushed my first one and it actually did break up and go down without any problems in our 101 year old plumbing.

Four hours into my two week gDiaper trial and I like them. We'll see how I feel in two weeks and if it does actually end up to be a more economical choice for our family.

I'll keep you posted.

Here is my Miss G sporting her gPants this morning.

A moment

I was trying to capture a fun posed picture with Georgia smiling and then this happened and my heart grew.



Its the first picture of my two babies.

20 weeks pregnant with Lil B The Sequel and my 9 month old Georgia.

Wait a minute...

I am entirely uncomfortable with how old she looks in these photos. Unquestionably adorable! But much much too mature for my liking today.





This combine with our first Mother Daughter "I can do it myself" episode yesterday and I can't believe we are here already. Next thing you know we'll be shipping her off to college!

Time really does move faster once you become a parent.

Nine Months Old

Our Miss Georgia Sweet is Nine Months Old today. She loves to dance, talk, laugh and smile, see the cows at the Farm and pet, pat, hit and pull at Boomer, who takes it all in perfect stride. Her Daddy is the funniest person alive according to her and she screams with laughter nearly every time she sees him. She and I make perfect sense together and seem to understand one another very easily so far. Every trip to the grocery store is filled with people who stop to talk to her and tell me how cute she is. She is so social and seems to have an innate ability to make everyone around her feel special. I'm looking forward to watching this trait in her play out throughout her lifetime.

Each month has gotten better and better. I love her more than I can express and more than I had ever imagined. Daren and I are so in awe of this little being that we get to call our own, with his expressions and my eye color. It is exactly as incredible and as indescribable and everyone told us it would be.

And we thought we loved her on the day she was born!

I love you my sweet girl! Aka: Miss Georgia, G, G Money Sweet, Georgia Sweet, Georgie, Georgia B or if you must Georgia.

Long time no blog

I've been terrible at taking and posting pictures lately. And even worse about doing any writing.

Here is why!






These were taken the week Georgia turned 6 months old. That puts me at 15 weeks right now and finally wrapping up the random bouts of nausea and sedating exhaustion and our babies 14 months apart.

We are really looking forward to having these two little baby buddies running around our home.

Who says?

Who says a dog is only man's best friend?

Athlete

" If you can't be an athlete, be and athletic supporter" Principle McGee, Greace

And she wore her most athletic outfit to cheer at the Super Bowl Party

Little Mirror

If you've ever wondered what my husband looks like angry,

He looks like this.

Nature vs Nurture

I don't know if its nature or

nurture but my daughter likes to watch three things on TV

1- Project Runway

2- Football

3- The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News

We are certain that this means she is a well rounded genius

Georgia Full of Joy

Georgia, my joyful girl,

You are my answer to prayer and so much more. For months I prayed for joy to fill my home and had no idea that I was actually praying for you.

I thank God for you every second, of every day for every month and every year.

Your name means Cultivator of the House of God and I wait with an expectant heart for all that the Lord has is store for you, my sweet, sweet joyful girl.

Laugh on, baby girl, laugh on!

~Mom

Kristin Chenoweth the Tree

Sunday we got our tiny tree.

A tiny tree to go in our tiny house with our tiny girl.

Meet Tiny Kristin Chenoweth, named after the tiny and fabulous star of stage and screen.

Daren and Georgia braving the cold and drinking coffee.

Here I am with Georgia in the forest of Tiny Trees

Thank goodness we brought the truck to haul this monster home!

Kristin bares it all on the dinning room table.

Georgia and I placing her first ornament, a very traditional Pink Flamingo in a Santa hat.

Our Tiny Tree, Kristin Chenoweth, fully dressed and ready for her close up.