A Mother's Day Update

So the day did end up getting better...

Scott and Liam went to Lowe's and on the way home stopped to get me a Mother's Day card that says: "What's the difference between you and a light bulb? You can't be replaced". And they also stopped at Starbucks for me and got me an allergy proof (for baby) decaf, cinnamon dolce Americano which was delicious. I couldn't have it with milk or soy milk but it was good nonetheless.

Later I made stir-fry for dinner and the baby sat in his high-chair with us while we were all having dinner.

Baths went well. Bed time was long but was without drama.

So hopefully Liam will sleep well tonight, the baby won't wake up to nurse more than twice and tomorrow I will have more energy

A Mother's Day Special

I wish I could say this Mother's Day has been wonderful so far but it hasn't. I barely got any sleep. When we went to bed last night Scott had some random health insurance bad news for us. They are trying to get group insurance (so far we've been on Cobra) but since there still aren't that many of them, it is going to be one of those very high deductible plans until they get more people. Now, I appreciate that it's better than not having insurance at all, but for some reason that stressed me out really bad and I wasn't able to fall asleep. Do your husbands fall asleep with no care in the world as well? That drives me absolutely nuts! How do they do it? When I go to bed is when my brain starts working over time. All the thoughts about all there is to do the next day and all I never managed to get done during the day start creeping in and it takes me a while to just settle down to sleep. Also, there's always the stress of wondering if the baby will wake up to nurse all of 5 minutes after I manage to fall asleep. Last night was just worse than usual for some reason. So I didn't fall asleep till about 1 am. Then, all of 15 minutes later Liam wakes up screaming. Must have had a bad dream. Scott goes to him. He wants mommy. So I go in. He calms down instantly. But it takes him a while to go back to sleep. My son alright! So I just spent about 25 minutes staring at the ceiling in Liam's room because I knew if I fell asleep, the baby's cries will wake all of us. I go back to our bedroom while praying that Liam doesn't notice that I left his room. I go to the bathroom. I get back to bed and baby Aiden wakes up wanting to eat. He nurses well. I actually manage to get enough energy to put him back in his bassinet. I take forever to fall back asleep. About 2 hours later baby Aiden decides he needs to eat again. I never regain enough resolve to put him back in his bassinet so I spend the rest of the night in a twisted position and wake up with a really stiff neck and a really aching back just in time to being Mother's Day. Yay!

My breakfast choices are very limited now. I can't have cow's milk dairy products or soy because it makes the baby's poops super explosive. Way more explosive than the usual breast feeding baby poops. I also can't have eggs because they seem to cause Aiden's eczema to get a lot worse. So Scott makes me beef bacon and coffee and that's pretty much what I have for my special Mother's Day breakfast. But then again, some people don't even get that much so I am grateful.

I wanted a laundry free day today considering I do about 2 loads of laundry per day. But I didn't get my wish because I didn't manage to get all the laundry done yesterday. So I had to do laundry yet again.

Baby Aiden took a shorter morning nap than usual.

Then Scott tells me that in addition to his trip to the UK in July he has to go on a short trip in the US sometime in June. I am now stressing about finding help over night for when he is gone. With two babies waking up at night, I can't actually do it all alone over night.

Now both babies are napping but for how long I ask?

So yes, it is Mother's Day and it feels just like any other day to me. It's exhausting and not that much fun at all.

But at least I get a lot of love from all my boys.

Hope my fellow mothers out there are having way more fun on this special day than I am.

What I Do to Keep Sane - Part A

There are certain things that I do to maintain a certain level of sanity. I am not always successful, but I try really hard. When I had Liam, I never took care of myself. I try to do that now. In parenting magazines they tell you to nap when the baby naps. What a joke! Seriously, are there really moms out there who actually do that? I can see how some moms might be able to do that when they only have one child if they don't care about healthy meals and a somewhat clean house and clean clothes. And that's ok not to care about those things. I am not able to not care about these things but I respect that some people simply don't. But with two children, you really don't have that luxury. So here is a partial list of the things I do to try to remain sane:

1. I make sure to take a shower every morning before Scott goes to work. It gets tricky when Scott is away on business though.
2. After showering I put on real clothes and make-up even if I don't intend to leave the house that day.
3. I try to eat healthy meals. I cook on weekends and freeze stuff so that me and my family have healthy meals to eat.
4. I try to get out of the house if not every day then every other day. Even if it's just taking the baby and going to the grocery store. I didn't do it with Liam and it contributed greatly to my depression and anxiety so I am making sure not to repeat that mistake.
5. I give myself a mini-manicure once a week on the weekend when Scott is home.
6. I try to get a pedicure every so often when it is needed.
7. I let Scott do some things around the house that I would have never let him do before. I actually let him sweep the floor and get laundry out of the dryer.
8. I do a load of laundry once a day so that laundry doesn't pile up too much.
9. I go to a breastfeeding support group that meets every other week. I regret not having done that when I had Liam so I try to go every time they meet. It's a wonderful way to meet other moms and support new moms in their choice to breastfeed. It isn't always easy to be a breastfeeding mom. It takes a lot out of you to exclusively nurse so it's nice to be able to talk about the challenges with other moms.

More to come...

Why I Love Being a Mom Part A

1. Being a mom of a new baby is like discovering G-d all over again every single day. If you are not a believer, you easily become one once you give birth to a baby and raise a baby. It takes a miracle to have a healthy baby. And when you see how they develop and grow and learn things you didn't even get a chance to teach them yet, it's impossible not to be a believer.
   
   
2. Having a baby fall asleep on my chest. It's all so warm and cozy and wonderful. The baby's slow and sweet breathing.
   
   
3. My baby smiling back at me, thinking I'm the best mommy in the world. I try to enjoy is as much as I can because I know one day he'll say - 'I hate you mommy'.
   
   
4. My baby's head turning to find the breast and falling asleep while nursing.
   
   
5. Baby waking up from nap or in the morning and opening his mouth to smile real wide.
   
   
6. My baby falling asleep - FINALLY
   
   
7. I love how everything is so new and interesting to my baby
   
   
8. I love how he falls asleep in the infant carrier when he is facing me and his head is tilted to the side and he is so peaceful
   
   
9. Being a mom of a toddler boy is like being a child all over again. It's discovering the world G-d has created every single day. The little thing us adults no longer notice are noticed by my wonderful toddler boy and that reminds me there is so much to be grateful for.
   
   
10. Seeing my toddler boy running to me when I pick him up from day-care and telling all the other kids: 'my mommy' and getting hugs and kisses from him
    
    
11. Hearing my boy tell me: 'I love you mommy'. Those are the sweetest words ever.
    
    
12. Hearing my boy ask his baby brother when he cries: 'what's wrong baby Aiden?' and also telling him: it's ok baby Aiden'. He is so full of love and caring.
    
    
13. I even find joy in playing with cars, trucks and trains which I never though possible because I get to do it with my precious son
    
    

There's a lot more, this was just part A