Slice of Heaven

I am experiencing a little slice of heaven. I'm on a train headed to Boston to spend time with some of my favorite women, to have a bachelorette weekend to celebrate Joni finally tying the knot with my Dad this coming spring. I'm in a quiet car. There is no sound but the hum of the air system and the rattle of the train on the tracks. I have two seats all to myself, a good book and a bag full of goodies to munch on. And my husband put brownies in my bag. Need I say more?

It's really nice to have a little peace and quiet. Whenever I spend an extended amount of time on a train, it always brings me back to my early twenties when spent time traveling Italy and Spain. Even with all of the awe inspiring places that I visited, some of my favorite moments were spent on trains and buses, getting to where I needed to go. Some of the most important friendships in my life were made on those trips, drinking wine, telling stories and laughing until the wee hours of the morning.

It was also where I did a lot of reflecting on myself and who I wanted to become. Maybe that's why whenever I am on a train, I relish the quiet and solitude. It's kind of like my opportunity to check in on myself and see what's going on underneath all of the hustle and bustle.

During that time of travel in my life, I was truly fearless. I took a lot of risks, and sometimes I shake my head at some of the decisions that I made... But those lessons got me where I am today.

I sometimes wonder where that head strong person went to. It is amazing to me how much being a Mom has changed me. I have become more mellow. Things that used to get me anxious or worked up just don't bother me as much anymore. I find myself appreciating the little things. Staying in bed to cuddle longer and doing things only to make my family happy.

That impulsive, live-in-the-moment person is still in there somewhere. Every so often I feel her rise up and make me do things that I wouldn't normally have the courage to do. Believe it or not, that is one of the things that I like about myself. I have the ability to surprise myself at times. That can be good and that can be bad but mostly it keeps life vibrant and fun. I'm always looking for the next adventure and the next train ride to get me there.

Giggles, Girlies & Goodness

One of my very best friends Stephanie and her daughter Charlotte came over for dinner the other night.  (Charlotte is also my Goddaughter, so she is very special to me.)  Stephanie and I haven't seen each other in quite some time, just because of how crazy busy our lives have been.  It was so nice to sit and catch up with one of my favorite people in the entire world. 

However, the best part was listening to our little girls play together.  They were like little tornadoes of laughter, running all over the place.  Every single toy was pulled out and played with.  

To try and get them to sit still for two seconds, I pulled out some crafts.  (AKA - Michaels' Dollar Aisle Goodies.)  

The girls got their creative juices flowing by making some Christmas trees!

There were plenty of glittery ornament stickers to decorate their trees.

And maybe a few giggles too.

Okay... lots of giggles!

Did I mention they had fun?

Love these two little pipsqueaks.  It was really awesome to have the girls together.  They really adore one another.  I can't wait to see what the future brings with these two.  I have a feeling they are going to give us a run for our money!

A Few of My Favorite Things: Top Ten Over the Counter Remedies

Two days before Thanksgiving, we had our first big "uh oh" injury in our house.  Rose was walking into her room for bedtime in a pair of fleece footsy pajamas.  She was about two feet in front of us when she suddenly lost her balance and fell head first into the door jam.  

At first I thought it was nothing.  I didn't see anything on her face, her mouth, her body.  And then all of a sudden... there was a giant swelling bruise growing out of the center of her forehead.  I kid you not, it was like a sci-fi flick.  It just got bigger and more purple as the seconds went on.  Calmly, I said to my husband, "This isn't good, Daddy.  Please go and get the Boo Boo Buddy out of the freezer."  My husband isn't the best in stressful situations, especially when it is one of his girls that gets hurt.  He ran through the house like a herd of wild elephants and was back in a flash to hand the ice pack to me.  And then proceeded to pace the floor like a silver back gorilla.

Fortunately, our landlord is an ER nurse so we had her come up and take a look at it.  She thought it was best to have it looked at, since you can never tell with face or head injuries.  Not long after that, we were rushing her to the hospital where we spent a good couple of hours for the doctor, and a father of three, to tell us it was just a really good bump.  He also said, "By the third kid you won't even notice these anymore!"  Hmm. 

This leads me to the direction I was going in with this post.  In the days after while she was healing, I liberally applied a ton of Arnica cream to her forehead.  It is a remedy that an old friend recommended to me.  She always keeps some on had for bumps and bruises for her boys.  I can't tell you how quickly the bruise subsided.  It vastly improved over the next few days and now there is no sign of it.  I was so happy I remembered her tip because it definitely helped to ease the swelling and pain... and made our Thanksgiving snapshots able to be looked at without wincing. 

Come to find out, a lot of people don't know that Arnica cream even exists!  I find it to be a staple in our household.  I had to pass that information along.  

So, fellow or future Mommies or Aunties or Children Lovers... Here are some of my favorite over the counter remedies that I count on and couldn't possibly live without.  Keep in mind I have spent countless hours and CVS Extra Bucks to figure some of these out.  So enjoy!  

A Few of My Favorite Things:  Top Ten Over the Counter Remedies

ARNICA CREAM

I find this cream to be a miracle worker.  You can use it on bruises, bumps and swelling to help speed up the healing process.  You can also take it in tablet form.  I took it after I had my daughter to help with the soreness and it worked like a charm.  You can find it at CVS, Whole Foods or any pharmacy.  At around $6 a tube, it is totally worth it!

BOO BOO BUDDIES

I love these ice packs!  They are super cute and come in all different characters and colors.  Rose actually looks forward to getting them out of the freezer when she needs one.  You can find them on Diapers.com or at any baby store.  Under $7!

CALIFORNIA BABY CALENDULA CREAM

I absolutely adore this calendula cream.  Actually, I swear by the entire California Baby line.  However, this cream is a miracle cream.  When Rose was brand new, she had a horrible case of baby acne that spread all over her face, head and neck. This was the only thing that seemed to soothe it.  I use it all the time on her dry skin or any irritation.  Most of all, I just love the smell of it!  It is $12.99 for only 2 oz, so slightly pricey.  You can find it at any baby store or Diapers.com.  A little goes a long way!

VICKS BABY RUB

This is an old family remedy.  Whenever Rose a cold or any kind of cough or decongestion, I put a bit of Vicks Baby Rub on the soles of her feet and then cover them with a pair of socks or footsie pajamas.  It helps her to sleep soundly through the night without coughing.  Works every time!  You can find it at any pharmacy.

JOHNSON'S BUDDIES EASY COMB SPRAY

My little one has curly hair.  When she gets out of the tub, there are almost always tangles in her hair.  A few spritzes of Johnson's Buddies Spray detangler, and I am able to comb right through it.  I have a bottle in our bag for swim class and even take one to the beach with us.  Love it!  Under $4.

JOHNSON'S SAFETY SWABS

The safest way to clean your baby's ears.  Now that I have a toddler, I really appreciate these.  Changing her after a bath is like wrestling an alligator.  These swabs make it a lot safer to clean her ears without harming her!  You can find these at any drug store, usually in the baby aisle.  Under $2!

BOOGIE WIPES

Boogie Wipes rule.  It is that simple.  The fresh scented wipes smell so good, that I actually use them all over Rose for a freshening up when we are heading out somewhere.  They smell so fresh and clean, I just can't get enough of them.  They are especially good for runny noses that you have to wipe a million times a day.  Little trick:  warm them in the microwave for a couple of seconds.  They feel so nice and soothing on sore noses!  I can only find them at baby supply stores or online at Diapers.Com.  They are about $4 a pack.  A must have!

DREFT STAIN SPRAY & FABRIC REFRESHER

Okay, so that's two things.  But they go hand-in-hand and you can't be without them!  The Dreft Stain Remover spray works incredibly as a pre-treater for any items that need to be washed.  It has removed virtually every stain on clothing that I can think of.  I even use it on my couch to spot clean with a few baby wipes.  Awesome!  Under $4.

Dreft Fabric Refresher works like a Febreze spray to refresh and eliminate odors, but you have that amazing trademark Dreft scent, which I can never get enough of.  I spray it on freshly washed sheets and blankets. It makes her bedroom smell incredible!  Under $4.

CVS DIAPER OINTMENT

It's only happened to me once, but I had to deal with a diaper rash that was nothing like I had ever seen.  Nothing worked on it.  I tried oatmeal baths and every ointment I could think of.  My sister-in-law told me about this cream and it worked within 24 hours to be rid of it.  The secret is that it has the highest level of zinc out of all of the creams on the market.  It worked like a charm!  Under $6 at any CVS.

A&D OINTMENT

I use this ointment after every single diaper change.  I've never had a problem with diaper rash (except for the horrible incident listed above) and I think it has a lot to do with this ointment.  It is a great skin protectant and keeps her bottom happy and healthy!  I buy the large tub because it lasts you forever.  I swear I have been on the same one for over a year.  Around $12 at any drug store.

So, there you have it!  My top ten list of my favorite over the counter items.  I hope they are as much use to you as they are to me, and make your life a lot easier!

Early Mornings

I have been wide awake since 4:30 am.  Not the sort of awake, rolling around getting comfortable kind of awake.  I mean wide awake, time to start your day and do sh*t kind of awake.  It is making me crazy.  It happens almost every night.  As I am sitting here, I can feel that I am tired.  But as soon as I get into bed and try to make myself comfortable enough to sleep, my eyes are open and I am raring to go.  Freaking third trimester insomnia!

Instead of fighting it, I just get up.  I'm sitting alone in my kitchen waiting for my Keurig to warm up so that I can have a big, hot cup of Decaf coffee.  Then I will probably venture in and watch an episode or two of Nashville, since I am pretty far behind on that one.  Let me just say for the record that I tried not to like that show.  I even took it off of my DVR because some of the acting and story lines were so atrocious.  But I can't help myself.  The music is amazing!  Here are two of the characters, Scarlett and Gunner, singing a little ditty.

"If I Didn't Know Better"

I am a total music lover.  And yes, I absolutely adore Country music.  When I was young, I used to say that I loved every kind of genre of music except Country.  Well, fast forward to now and I will tell you that I am a goner.  I could actually go as far as saying that it is my favorite.  

Here's another gem from my silly TV obsession... 

"Fade Into You"

I think that a lot of people have a misconception as to what Country music actually is.  Since I've come to adore it, I've come to realize how much fun it can be.  It isn't all honky tonk and banjos.  It's actually some of the best music I've ever heard.  Incredible voices combined with really good guitar, piano and rhythm.  I don't understand why everyone isn't listening.

Scarlett and Gunner have officially made it onto the baby name list.  I can't really say that Daddy is all for them, however... I still have ten weeks to work on him.  Gunner Lane.  Now that is something to send out a birth announcement about!  Tee hee!

Handprint Christmas Tree

We did a really fun arts & crafts project today.  Daddy was home from work so we made him help out!  (I don't know who was more excited, Daddy or Chicken.)

We got on our fancy new artist's smock.

We painted our hands green.

Then we made our Christmas tree.

Painted a yellow star on top... and Wala!

Then it turned into a painting free-for-all.

And well... We ended up in the tub.  Happy Friday!

PS:  Found this great idea on Pinterest!

Nap Time Wonderings

Well, for the first time ever, Rose has decided that she does not want to take a nap today.  She usually goes to sleep around 12:30 in the afternoon and then stays down for about two hours.  She has been in her crib chit chatting to her Raf (her beloved stuffed giraffe) for over an hour now.  I'm definitely a stickler for a schedule, so this is frustrating me a bit.  I can't possibly explain how much I look forward to these two hours.  It's really the only time that I have to myself.

I used to run around the house like a complete maniac trying to get everything done that I can't do when she is awake.   But being seven months pregnant has certainly changed that a bit.  At nap time, I literally shut off my phone and get directly on the couch.  Usually, it is to catch up on episodes of all of my favorite shows and to try somewhat unsuccessfully to stay awake through all of the recordings.  Or I pick up the book I am reading and try and get through a few chapters.  Or I just sleep.  But mostly, it is me time.  All by my lonesome.

So, now I am starting to worry about the fact that naps may be starting to become non existent.  What the hell am I going to do without them?

I already worry that I don't have enough for Rose to do when she is awake.  I like for her to be stimulated and educated with something new every day.  I try to keep her away from the television and I try to keep some type of arts and crafts project on hand for her.  If she doesn't give me those two hours of down time, I am going to have to rethink our whole day.

I'm a planner and a doer.  I am a bit of a perfectionist and don't like surprises.  I like things to fit into my calendar.  I like for things to be organized and have a place to be put away.  I like things clean and picked up.  Most of all, I like to feel like I've done all I can by the end of the day.  I like to be able to look around me at night and realize I am tired because I accomplished a lot that day.

To add fuel to the fire, I am starting to realize that I have another little person coming into this equation very shortly.  I am in the third trimester of my pregnancy.  Only eleven weeks left to go.  I'm starting to have a lot of fears and a lot of apprehension about this new development in our lives.

It is such a strange thing to say, but I am actually more nervous this time than I was the first time around.  It is that point in your pregnancy when you realize that the baby has to... come out.  You can prepare for it, educate yourself and learn all you can about it.  Truth be told, there is no way to control the sequence of events that occur.  I can picture it a certain way in my head, but most likely, it won't be the way I planned it to be.

Being the perfectionist that I am, this is one of the toughest parts of expecting.  There is nothing for me to organize or plan when it comes to the birth of our new baby.  I have to relinquish all control to The Man Upstairs and that can be really difficult for me to do.

I don't need to get into the details, but I had a tough go of it with Rose.  Once it was all said and done and she came out in all of her glory, she had to be rushed away.  I didn't get a chance to hold her in my arms until she was three days old.  As a matter of fact, the first time I saw her face was in the display screen of my camera.  I begged a nurse to run and take a picture of her face because I didn't even get a glance at her.  These thoughts tighten my stomach and make my heart drop to my feet.  All that I want this time around is to be able to have a "normal" birth.  I just want to be able to have the baby placed in my arms and never let them go.

Love at First Sight

I have a lot of fears about giving Rose a sibling.  Part of me wonders if she would have been better off as an only child.  I realize how awful that sounds, but it is a legitimate worry that I have.  I feel as though I have been blessed with such an incredible little girl.  She is so good in so many ways.  She is everything I could have ever dreamed up and then some.  I just don't know how your heart can love another baby just as much when it feels as though your heart has reached its maximum capacity.  Most of all, I don't want Rose to ever feel slighted.  I want her to still know how loved she is and never feel threatened or left out in any way.  Finding that balance is going to be a huge struggle for me to get used to.  And truth be told, no matter what, Rose will always be my first true love.  She has taught me everything I know about being a Mother and that is something very special.

I find myself bouncing between being completely elated about having this baby and being completely petrified.  It's hard to be honest with those emotions but sometimes facing them head on can make them a lot less frightening.  It's hard to let go of the worry and the fear.  It is not easy to just accept things for what they are and to maintain that positive outlook that everything is meant to be.  But I will find a way to do it.

My husband put it the best way to me, "Your a Mommy now.  Suck it up and get over it."  He truly is just so...wonderful!

Wow.  Blame it on the hormones, but all of that rambling just has to come out sometimes.  Airing my feelings is the surest way to exercise them.  I feel a lot better.

And would you look at that... Rose is sound asleep.

Guilty As Charged

Something I didn't know would come along with the Stay at Home Mom gig?  The guilt.  I don't know for sure if this is something that other mothers deal with, but for me I am constantly plagued with the feeling that I should be doing more.

When I left my full time job to stay at home with Rosie permanently, it was an incredibly rewarding feeling.  At the time, she was only four months old so it just felt like an extended maternity leave.  Funny enough, the plan to stay home was not planned.  I was due to return to work the Monday after Mother's Day 2011.  As the time approached, I began to have severe anxiety about leaving her.  Suddenly, the day care that I had chosen just wasn't the right option for me.  I began to wreck my brain with other ways for me to keep the arrangement of being home with her.  As it turned out, on Mother's Day, I had a complete emotional breakdown and basically begged my husband to let me stay home with her.  My office gave me a bit more time to go over the decision, but really it was done.  

I continued to work at a restaurant in town as a waitress four nights a week.  I've been serving there for over nine years, so when I called and begged for more shifts luckily it all fell into place.  I was able to work four nights while being able to stay home and cover the same expenses that I did when I worked at the office.  It hasn't always been easy and it has taken some serious budgeting abilities, but we've done it.  

I wouldn't change a second of my time home with Rose.  I appreciate it day to day because something inside of me keeps reminding me how quickly it is all going and that someday she won't be this little person that adores me.  I watch everything she does and am always trying to find ways to make each day exciting.

Back to my original point, if I don't find something educational or enticing to do with her every day, I put myself through serious guilt trips.  Her weekly schedule involves some kind of class or interaction with other children every single day.  It may be excessive, but sometimes I feel as though by staying home with her, I have benefited myself with time with her and taken away her ability to become more independent and to have the advantage of being in a nursery school with some kind of curriculum.

Don't misunderstand me, she is super independent.  She needs to dress herself, comb her own hair and won't even hold my hand as much as she used to.  When I clean the house, she is constantly interfering saying, "Me do, me do Mommy..."  I know that she is brilliant and that she is advanced for her age.  And that she is funny and cute and the most beautiful little girl in the world.  (Wait... all parents feel that way about their children?  Huh.)

There are times when people ask me what I do with my time at home and I feel a sort of responsibility to explain all of the things that I do.  Not too long ago, I was having a conversation with my Mom's boyfriend and he asked me, "So, what have you been doing with yourself?"  I understand that this was probably a very harmless question or at the least, a conversation starter.  But part of me began to panic.  How do I explain what I do?  Why am I feeling guilty that I have the time to watch every episode of General Hospital on a daily basis during Rosie's nap time?  Does he realize that I cook dinner, do laundry, sweep and vacuum fifteen times a day all the while keeping a little person excited and interested?  Or should I just break it down into:

Monday:  Gym Class with Dawny Dew

Tuesday:  Mini Kick It at Bruce Chung

Wednesday:  Wiggle & Giggle Time at the Library

Thursday:  Swim Class

Friday:  Music Class with Ellen Watermelon

People, people... I am doing things.  I swear I am.  And yes, while I have time to address my Christmas cards with matching holiday stamps while other people are at the work doing the daily grind, I promise you, I get just as exhausted and am working just as hard but in an entirely different manner.

I always judged people who stayed home and wondered how they could do something so... mundane and repetitive.  Well, let me tell you.  Lesson learned.  It isn't all peaches and cream.  And from now on, I am going to start to work on my confidence and feel good about who I am and what I am doing with my life.

Whew.  Vent over.

Pig Tails!

Oh... How I love these pigtails.  I was able to do this for the first time today.  Oh man, I needed a good laugh this morning!

Finger Painting 101

There's a first time for everything.  We tried finger painting this morning and it was really fun.  We put on some Ziggy Marley and rocked out with some fancy washable Crayola paints.  She just loved it!

We started with a paintbrush and a few colors.  She was very serious about her work!  

She kept asking for different colors to try.  "Mommy, purple peeease!"

It then turned into finger painting... I mean really, who needs a brush?

And finally... full blown body painting.    

 Maybe too much Ziggy Marley?

Needless to say, Rosie had a great time and it was a fun way for her to use her colors.  It may be time to invest in an easel for our little artist.  Or a full body smock.  Stay tuned!

Using My Noodle

Well, here it is.  My shiny new blog page dedicated to all things Mommy related.  I decided to do this in order to have a sounding board for myself when things seem overwhelming or just plain hysterical.  I haven't been behind the keys of a keyboard in quite some time.  I can't promise that this blog will be riveting, but it will be entertaining.   Mostly it will just be me sounding off about the hilarity of our family life, and giving myself the chance to use the old noodle since it feels like it is dormant most days.

I came up with the title of this blog thinking that I would commit myself to writing a post every Monday.  Hence, the name "Mommy Mondays".  As you can see, it is Thursday.  So, if anyone is out there, I just wanted to make sure that I set your expectations right where they should be.  In other words, Monday can turn into Tuesday... or in this case, Thursday.  Let's not get carried away with the technicalities of me having to keep my promise of posting on a Monday.

On to more important things, let me tell you a little bit about myself... I am a Stay at Home Mom to a beautiful little girl named Rosie.    She is the love of my life and makes every day fun from the time my feet hit the floor.  She is twenty... Okay, I have no idea how old she is.  She will be twenty-four months old on Valentine's Day.  So, that means that she will be twenty-two months old on the 14th of this month.  There!  She is twenty-two months old.

Seriously, does anyone else find it somewhat strange that we refer to our kids' ages in months?  When I leave a conversation, I literally have to do the math on my fingers.  "Okay, so... Her son is like what... a little more than a year and a half?"  It totally boggles my mind.  It is part of the new language I have been learning over the past twenty-two months called Mommy Lingo.

The first lesson I learned in Mommy Lingo, is that you no longer have the need to be on a first name basis with other people.  I am known as Rosie's Mom in all of our playgroups, music and gym classes.  Don't get me wrong, the very first time that someone called me Rosie's Mom, my heart almost exploded with pride.  I swore that was what I wanted to be called forever.

Since joining the ranks of the Stay at Home Moms in town, I bump into the same people time and time again.  And I hate to admit it, but I really don't know anyone's name.  I know all of their children's names, but I am most certainly not on a first name basis with anyone.  As soon as I meet someone, their first name goes directly in one ear and out the other, yet I am able to retain their kid's name with no problem whatsoever.  There has to be something wrong with that.  Preggo Brain?  Probably.  Anti-Social Issues?  Also a probability.

Anyway, I am Rosie's Mom.  And she is the love of my life.  However, when Rosie turns twenty-four months old, we will be welcoming a new member into our family.  I am expecting on February 21st, only seven short days after Rosie's 2nd birthday.  Needless to say, our household is about to experience a whole lot more crazy.  And I can't wait for every bit of it.