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And Berkley Makes Three
I’m 5 weeks into mom-of-three-kids status – whew. Between Christmas and house guests and the standard newborn fatigue, I’m finally able to share the latest edition to our family – meet Miss Berkley Elaine. Berkley is healthy and happy (she just started to smile!). She is already growing so fast – it seems like overnight she has outgrown her newborn clothes and she’s changing every single day. It’s amazing how the amount of love you feel as a mother just multiplies when you have another little one. It brings back memories of my boys when they were born, but just as with each of them, there is something new and special about the…
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Managing the crazy
Sometimes I feel like being a mom is like running a factory. It takes strategy and efficiency and planning and meticulous execution to keep it all running on time. And by on time, I don’t really mean on time (because that rarely happens anymore), I really just mean running… barely. Oh yes, motherhood, one of my two full time jobs. Just because I’m not home with my kids during the day doesn’t mean I shirk any of the other mom responsibility. Nope. The daily housekeeping, laundry, dishes, meal planning, grocery shopping, hauling in and putting away all the purchased groceries (as I was reminded of this weekend when I brought home a…
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I don’t want to be the mommy that yells
But sometimes I am. I wish I knew how not to be. As I start to write this it is 9:41 pm. The kids have been in bed for over an hour, and in the last few moments the upstairs has finally gone quiet. My little boys, who most days go down easily and I’m only called with one or two “Beckett’s out of bed!” calls from Brogan, really pushed the envelope tonight (to the tune of 11 trips up stairs to put someone back in bed). But the antics were not just at bedtime. It was all afternoon, really. They fought with each other – hit, scratched, bit, screamed,…
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Simply put… it’s chaos
I found myself in a conversation with co-workers today (who don’t yet have kids) trying to explain a day in the life of a parent. A parent with two rowdy, active (and sometimes gross) little boys. It was not too long ago that I sat in their shoes, outside looking in at the mysterious world of parenthood. I thought I knew what I’d be getting into, but I don’t think it is humanly possible to anticipate the way having children will turn your life upside down. It’s in these moments that the contrast between the kid-free lifestyle and mine is stark. Here are people who meet up with friends whenever they’d like, workout…
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The Perks of Being Pregnant
I’m going to just go ahead and say it – I like being pregnant. It agrees with me. I don’t get too sick, or too tired, or too moody. If you’re reading this and you’re a miserable pregnant person – I’m sorry. Don’t hate me. To elaborate further, there are certain things about being pregnant that I love… parts I wish I could take with me post-pregnancy. Here goes… The ability to rock a fat stomach. Oh yes, when you’re pregnant, the pooch becomes an accessory! You can flaunt it, accentuate it, dress it up and certainly don’t have to worry about covering it up. Since after my last two…
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The Roles are Reversing
I’m not sure I thought I would (anytime soon) profess that Brogan was my easy child. But over the last couple of weeks, Brogan has begun to show maturity. He is controlling his emotions more and we can actually reason with him. There are less tantrums, there is less stress, less screaming and more enjoyable time together. I’m feeling a tiny sense of relief that the path I thought he was on 6 months ago may not be his destiny. Now, I’m not professing that he is an angel – not at all. But relative to his 3-year-old self and relative to his 2-year-old brother, he is now much, much more manageable.…
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We’re having a girl!
So I’m a couple of days late on the blog update… but it’s official – we’re having a girl! I’m going to steal the words from one of my aunts… I love when God’s plans fit with our desires. Amen! It is such a blessing that we’ll get to experience raising boys and a girl, and I truly feel as though our family will be complete come December. And I am especially excited for my husband because I know how much he wanted a daughter. I can’t wait to see him get to live that dream of having daddy’s little girl – it is going to be awesome! The money…
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The Truth about the Gender Question
One of the questions most asked of those who are expecting a child is “do you want a boy or a girl?” It’s an interesting question. You get to make a public declaration of your desire and then you get a 50/50 chance of either getting what you want… or not. And then when you already have two boys, the question morphs a little to “you want a girl this time, don’t you?” Now there is the PC answer (happy, healthy, etc.), and then sometimes there’s the real one. And by the way, who doesn’t want a happy and healthy child? As if having a preference on the sex indicates…
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Hi, My Name is Bob
We’ve been going through a little phase lately… our oldest has renamed himself Bob. You know, as in “the builder”. Upon introducing himself to anyone new, he insists that his name is Bob. Some people believe him. Until we interject – “his name is not Bob, it’s Brogan.” To which he pipes back, “No it’s not! My name is Bob!” Well okay then. This past weekend we were working a booth for our gym at a benefit festival, and he introduced himself to the MC as Bob as well. Which turned out to be funny when Brogan asked if he could sing a song using his microphone. It’s hard to…
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We’re Expecting… Again!
As if there wasn’t enough craziness going on in our lives right now, it’s about to get crazier! Yes, we decided to have another baby, and I’m happy to report that I’m 12 weeks along today. Baby #3 is due right before Christmas, and we couldn’t be more excited. Those of you who have read some of my kid-related posts may think I’ve lost my mind. Well, perhaps. But I’ve always wanted to have a big family, so I have chosen to be blissfully ignorant where all the impending logistical challenges are concerned. Yes, I will have 3 kids 4 years and under. Yes, I will continue to work full time.…
