Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Christmas in.. July?

Today is my last day with my baby....

Well, not really but it feels like it! My middle child (my only girl!) is starting preschool tomorrow.

I have such mixed emotions. One the one hand I'm stoked! More free time to myself, not having someone parrot me all day. I'd also be down a kid (or two actually) and could actually give rocket man some undivided attention (being the third and all..)

But on the other hand? She's my bud! We would hang out together. It was like being with a little mini me!! And she's funny-so funny! Kid cracks me up, man.

She also gives THE BEST hugs ever. She is always up for "huggy bears" as we call it (giggle).

Man I hope it's not traumatic for both of us.

I still remember when my first born started school. He was climbing the fence to get to me. Screaming! It was horrific. I went to the car crying and I was a mess all day. The last image I had of him was pure panic and confusion. It was baaaad.

So now I thought it would be easier, no? Second time around? I've been trying to prepare her, so she would know what to expect- but can they really understand at age 3?

I know in the long run it will be good for her (right?) and she'll make friends (please God!) and she'll come to love it. Or at the very least not hate it? (Or me for sending her?)

She's already been asking me things like :

"Will you be waiting for me on the bench?" (Knife in the heart)

and

"But where will I put my backpack?" (Sad! This is what she worries about I guess?)

"Will brother be with me?" (Ugh, I was hoping she wouldn't put two and two together)

Yikes! So basically I told her (although it felt like LIES!) :

"I will be there right after you're done!"

and

"Your teacher will tell you where to put it."

and last but not least (because he gives her courage)

"Brother will be there but in a different class, but you might see him around school!"(Holding my breath, wait for it...and- nothing! Whew! Totally dodged that bullet.)

Ugh, this part of parenting sucks man.

For a whole year while we would wait to pick up her brother she would ask "When can I go mama?" and pretty much I've dreaded it since we applied to get her in. I could feel my stomach drop but think "I still have x amount of time with her!" And now the countdown is up (barf).

I've fantasized of running off with her just the two of us into the sunset! But of course I can't do that...

Can I?

I saw a commercial once for the store Staples with a back to school shopping sale. It had the Christmas song "It's the most wonderful time of the year" playing in the background.

A father happily pushed his shopping car (full of school supplies) around, dancing up and down the aisles, happy as a clam, while his two school aged children dragged behind him with "woe is me", "my life is over!" looks on their faces, while he couldn't be happier!

AND-I totally get it! I feel that way where as my son is concerned. I love him no less but the kid is driving me nuts! He has waaay to much energy for one person. Seriously.

I'm sure having a new baby to take care of and the fact that my son wants to fight with his sister ALL.DAY.LONG. doesn't help either. I love him but he's gots' to go-back-to-school I say! (By the way-teachers are completely underpaid in my opinion)

And so that gives me hope with my daughter, that in time I will feel the same with her.

I'm sure it will be fine..

Right?!


(Just in case, after I drop her off, I'm totally coming home to rock myself in the fetal position!)

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Good Times

So today I had to take my two older kids to the dentist. Super fun (not).

I was nervous because my oldest (he's 7) has a super sensitive gag reflex and can pretty much look at something the wrong way and gag.

The last time we took him we went to the mall together afterward. The hubby and I were high-fiving each other about how well he did only to have him completely BARF all over a store showroom 40 min later.

Not a little bit either. He barfed from inside the store all the way out. I was waiting outside while the poor hubby had my son and our middle child (still in a stroller at the time) and I knew something was wrong when I saw them running out of the store while hearing that awful SPLAT sound as his puke hit the floor...

Let's just saw we're not going back there anytime soon..sorry bout that guys!

So today I was nervous seeing how my son reacts and all and for my daughter, seeing it was her first time. The thing about her? You never really know how she's gonna react to well... anything.

That one is... Unpredictable lets say. And that is a nice way of putting it (trust me). Hubby and I call her "bag-o" as in bag o' fun? Because you never know what you're gonna get.

And whatever you may pull out of that bag, may not indeed be what you get...

Whereas my son? I can pretty much spot a mile away, anything he's gonna do, even before he does, or has even thought about doing it.

The kid is paper thin and so easy to read.

So, back to the dentist-needless to say I was nervous.

Plus, my hubby (lucky bastard!) was at work, so I had to suck it up and do it alone. The Baby (rocket man) was at home with grandparents (thank you Jesus!) or things would have been a lot more stressful, trust me..

So, my son went first. I thought I might have heard some screaming but I'm not positive. I had a "talk" with him beforehand to NOT scare his sister and put on the bravest face he had. He did-ok, considering his history and all..

He did however tell me later that he had to hold back barfing the entire time and even as the dentist spoke with me, I could see him out of the corner of my eye with "that look".

In our house that "look"= puking in the near future. I kept thinking "wrap it up lady or something reeeeally bad is gonna go down (or come up so to speak) and we can NEVER show our faces here again (hence, the incident at the store..)

And for my daughter? She did awesome! She did however keep her eye on the hygenist the entire time. Kinda like "hurt me and there WILL be a problem lady..."

She had the whole death stare going on while the sweet hygenist had her whole sing song approach going on. It was pretty hilarious from where I stood. She never once took her eyes off of her...

When we were almost done the hygenist said she was the BEST she's ever seen especially being her first time (and for being a 3 year old I guess).

Agh! The Kiss of death! Whenever anyone says that you know for sure some type of behavior will follow and it will not be good. But, luckily we got out without a scratch.

Until we have to go back in six months time...

When I'm totally making the hubby take them!

P.s. It's been over five hours now and no puking from my oldest...We're making progress people!!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Rocket Man

I've hit a new low...

Rocket man peed all over my blanket last night while I was changing him in bed. Now this has happened many a times and usually it happens when the hubster is changing the baby. But-it ALWAYS happens on my side of the bed and it is ALWAYS on my blanket. Hmm...coincidence? I think not.

In the past (because it happens ALL the time) I've had hissy fits, jumped out of bed and got another blanket and even once I put it immediately in the wash because it bothered me so...

I always lecture my hubby to "cover the rocket! cover the rocket!" and usually he's so tired he could give a rip. I continue to give him a hard time telling him "just assume the rocket will launch ok?!" but it never fails. In his defense he says it just happens so fast!

(R-I-G-H-T buddy) Never on MY watch!

And so how funny was it (not) when it happened to me, on MY watch, on my side of the bed, on my blanket (like it ALWAYS does). I finally GOT what he was saying. It really DOES just happen so fast!

So you know what I did?

I turned it over (its a really thick blanket I swear), used the other side and pretended it never happened.  I did wonder if the smell of fresh pee would bother me... I mean at least it's not like grown up man pee but little, whittle baby pee.. right? RIGHT?! Agh, who am I kidding?

Pee is pee is pee is pee...

The little stinker... I mean pee-er.

P.s.

But for the record- I threw it in the wash first thing in the morning. (My standards haven't completely dropped out of sight!)

Monday, July 2, 2012

Love/Hate relationship with breastfeeding

I have mixed feelings about breastfeeding. First of all-it rocks! It's free, ready made and supposedly the best you can give your child. I'm in no way a BF nazi. I believe a woman should do whatever works for her.

For me, it works for the most part. It works because I am lazy and cheap. I figure "hey, something that I can give them with no preparation whatsoever? AND I can burn calories? It's FREE? SIGN ME UP!" And, I love the way they look (and I totally mean my boobs) when I am BF! I full cup bigger?? OH HECK yeah!

However what sucks (no pun intended!) is that:

1) Unless you pump (which I don't-hence the laziness) then you must be ready available almost all the time to feed the little one

2) Babies have Teeth- nuff said

3) Waking up at night. If I wasn't so lazy I'd pump then I could wake up hubby to feed the baby but most likely he'd sleep through the crying and I'd have to wake up anyway to feed the baby, heat the bottle, so on and so forth-not my cup of tea. Soo much easier just to pop the baby on the boob.

4) When your baby plays "shark and seal" with your boob - its all very "National Geographic" like. Guess who's the shark in this scenario? One of my favorites -NOT. Also, not to be confused with #2. Totally different yet painfully similar.

5) Hungry ALL the time. SO hungry!!! The dang thing about burning calories is that you get hungry and so you want to eat everything in sight, all day long.

6) Thirsty ALL the time. SO thirsty!!! (like you're in the outback, doing a walkabout kind of thirsty, but you don't remember this of course until you've sat down to bf your little one. NEVER FAILS)

7) Plugged ducts or being so full you feel like you've got rocks strapped to your chest? I already spent 9 months sleeping on my back and now I've gotta do it again? You MUST be kidding me. If I weren't so lazy I'd get up and pump but... Did I mention the laziness?

8) Flailing around. Seriously, sometimes it's like trying to feed an octopus. But it sure does beat #2 & 4!

Now I can tell you once I've outweighed the good with the bad, there were many a times I thought to throw in the towel. But-then! I'd go through what I thought would be me drying up and I'd pray "please God! let me just get through a few more months of this!" and then I'd be thankful again that I was able to do this for my little one.

Also, I had my sister remind me that as hard as it is...it brings my baby so much.... peace and comfort (along with sustenance of course!)...and for a cranky guy- it really helped to calm him down (after he played shark/seal- of course)

When I see him relax and go to his "happy place"and know ONLY I can do that? Plus- the little guy is just so darn cute when he's all sleepy like...

Then I am reminded how the good outweighs the bad and I tell myself "only (blank) number of months to go!" and I know when it's all said and done, I will cry like I did with the other two when I'm no longer wanted...that and to have them shrink down to smaller then they were to begin with (now how is THAT fair?)