Anticipation

My baby girl is due in 2 weeks, 4 days.  As I wait (as patiently as humanly possible) for her to make her debut, I also have alot going on that keeps my mind busy....like a 20-month-old son that never stops.  His new favorite game is "hock sticks" - aka hockey.  Daddy bought him his very own hockey stick and started teaching him recently.  So fun!  He's also obsessed with "mommy" right now.  I'm soaking in every moment I have with him before my attention has to be divided.

In great anticipation of welcoming this new bundle of joy into our lives, I've been doing some creative writing as well.

BIG BROTHER

How did I get so lucky?  How am I so blessed?
Sleeping like an angel, but soon to wake & make a mess,
This little boy in front of me has stolen my whole heart.
As he becomes Big Brother soon, I know he's perfect for the part.
Humorous and inquisitive, he amazes me every day,
I cannot wait to watch him shower love on Reese Elaine.

 

LITTLE GIRL

Little girl inside of me,

You bring me so much joy.

I want to meet you, hold and kiss you,

Prayers for your health I greatly employ.

You enjoy dancing in my tummy

Day and night and night and day!

I anticipate the talents God will bless you with;

He will soon show you the way.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” He promises,

And I can clearly see

That this hope for a bright future

Is in store for you and me.

May you grow to know His unending love,

And never do forget

That this same love of the Savior

Is the kind I’ve had for you before we met.

 

 

 

 

 

Not-So-Terrible Twos

As my son nears the age of 2, we are starting to have those moments of "gotta have my way" tantrums.  However, if we stick to our guns, tell him No, and ignore the tears (and red-faced loud cries that accompany them) then he usually realizes that we mean business and he stops.  It's amazing how quickly those tears turn to giggles if we say or do something he thinks is funny.  In fact, "funny" should probably be his middle name.  This kid can make me laugh all day long if I chose to sit and be entertained.  He must've gotten the "goober gene" from his Diggy (my dad.)  I'm telling you- he is the happiest, most charming, well behaved (for the most part), cheeseball (who will pose for pictures), talking, singing, & dancing-est 19-month-old on the planet.  I also happen to think he's the cutest and smartest....but keep in mind this is coming from a mom who's hopelessly devoted and in love with her child.  I'm pretty sure every mom has the same opinion of her child....as you should!

Most days, I sit back and think to myself, "How did we get so lucky?  We have the most amazing kid."  But let's be realistic here too - there are times when I want to pull my hair out.  There are days when the reality of "stay at home mom" gets the best of me....because it comes with some really repetitive, mundane, tiresome tasks that can suck the life out of you....if you're not careful.  To name a few:  cooking, waitressing, cleaning, budgeting, grocery shopping, teaching, picking up toys, reading (the same books over and over), rocking/soothing/fighting naptime....and then realizing you haven't brushed your teeth (much less showered) today. 

So I've acquired a few ideas that MIGHT help put the fun back in motherhood for you.  And they might make those Terrible Twos not so terrible after all.

1.  Shake up the routine every now and then - you don't have to live and die by a schedule.  Be spontaneous - if the weather is nice, go to the park.  Yes, kids need structure....but they also need surprises.  They need to know that mommy can have fun too.  It's ok to put the laundry off until tomorrow - clothes can wait.  Your baby won't be a baby very long.

2.  Turn off the TV and play together.  I have a rule that we only watch cartoons or talk shows until 10 am.  After that, we play, we read, we go outside, we snack....and we don't need the TV as background noise that fills our head with more junk.  If you need some noise, turn on some music.  (This might encourage a dance party!)  Lack of TV will encourage you to get creative.  And most importantly, it will allow you to interact with your children.  (Something a television can NOT do.)  Play with them, talk to them, teach them something.  You may simply need to teach your child HOW to play.  (Kids don't naturally know how to play with new toys....until it has been modeled for them.  They play "make believe" because they're mimicking adult behaviors that they learn from watching you.  Think about it.)  When you make yourself get on their level and play WITH your children, you will find the inner-child in yourself.  You will remember what it was like to be young and care-free.  You will get more joy than any household task (or TV show) could offer.  That's a promise.

3.  Search for educational, age-appropriate activities and free field trips. (Hello, Pinterest lovers!  Don't just pin it...try it!)  Go to your local library.  Go to the park or take walks on nice days.  Plan playdates with friends. (The pictures below were taken at Barnes & Noble and home. My son loves books so we took a trip to the store and I let him pick out a new book. He chose a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse box set of 12 small board books...and he hasn't put them down since we bought them!!) Figure out what type of activities trigger your little one's love of learning and foster that.

As an experienced educator, I don't claim to have all the answers.  But I do have some insight about Discipline during the Toddler Years, because discipline strategies are similar at every age.  I've always relied on Love & Logic.  Show your love by giving your children the attention they need when they need it.  When they're tugging at your leg, hitting, yelling or screaming, they're asking for your attention.  Be as patient and calm as possible when you talk to them about whatever it is they need.  Don't get physical or loud back to them, because that just enforces their behavior that was so frustrating to you.  Be logical in your response to their request.  It's ok to say no.  If they keep screaming, don't give in.  Remain firm.  Ignore their bad behavior and simply walk away.  If you choose to give in after initially saying no, then they win and they own you.  (This only makes matters worse!!)  It's also ok to say yes.  Give in sometimes when they least expect it.  Let them play outside if they want to.  It may require you to stop what you're doing and go with them....but that's ok!  The key here is - let your yes be yes and your no be no.  Consistency is key.

 

Precious Preggo Moments

Robbie Mac, almost 19 months now, is warming up to the idea of having a baby sister arrive soon!  We're teaching him how to "be gentle."  We're reserving the word "baby" for true little babies, because now he's a "big boy."  He knows exactly where Reese is (he points to my tummy) and he likes giving her kisses.  He even likes going into her room to play...even though there are no toys on hand and he's surrounded by purple, lime, and pink ;)

At one point, I was looking through a bag of fun girly hair-bows that a friend passed down for Reese, and Robbie decided to spread them all over her floor.  All I could do was laugh...and soak in the moment.  Since they will only be 21 months apart and my attention is about to become split (or diverted, from Robbie's perspective), I'm trying to make the most of every moment that I have with my son before my daughter makes her debut.  He's such a Momma's Boy that I know we will continue to bond, even when Reese is here.  My life-balancing-act will become a tad more challenging...but bring it on!  Life is about to get even sweeter.  And I can't wait to watch it unfold!

 

 

 

 

Girly Girl!

I'm expecting our second baby in 3 months and I was over-joyed to find out that my son would become a big brother to a little GIRL! Don't get me wrong- I love boys and would've been over-joyed either way. And honestly, I suddenly became more nervous about raising a girl than a boy. Mainly because of the way our society idolizes sex and makes girls feel like they have a standard of beauty and size to measure up to. When I recently started decorating her nursery (so fun!) I wanted to find a way to instill God's Word and His everlasting love. So the theme of her room will be:

Love and Beauty

I've attached some pictures of things I've bought and made for the room. Can't wait to get it all put together!! More pics to come...

 

 

Glimpse of Heaven

Babies.  A glimpse of heaven in the real world.  (Reminds me of a song I used to jam out to.)

Kids sure do bring JOY to those around them.  As their mother, sometimes we get busy rolling through the daily routines.  Sometimes their screams in the grocery store make you want to drop the full basket of items at the door as you run for the car.  Sometimes their terrible-two-moments at home (when no other adult is around to witness this devil-ish behavior!) make you wonder how mothers have been staying sane for centuries.  But when they put on that smile, that giggle, that cutesy thing they just learned yesterday.....we get a glimpse of Heaven. 

When I say "heaven" what I actually mean is this:  a visual picture of God's amazing love for us.  As Thanksgiving and Christmas draw near, stop and thank the Lord for giving you a glimpse of heaven.  Thank Him for the gift and honor of being a mom.  And pray for the women out there who are enduring vicious cycles of fertility treatments or adoption processes.  They would give anything for the gift of motherhood. 

You are blessed to be a mom.

The Imperfect Mom

As I lay in bed this morning, my mind on over-drive and unable to shutdown, I just started thinking to myself, "I need an outlet!" 

Do you ever have those moments?  The little stresses all come together and make you want to run...you dream of booking a one-hour massage, thinking that will give you the fix you need.  Just one hour by myself, in a quiet room, with no possibility of disturbance, to relax.  (I mean, really, I can't even use the bathroom without my 16-month old following me in there!) 

At first, I was going to title this blog post "Outlet your Inlets" or "Outlet Shopping."  I was going to write all about taking time for yourself to rejuvenate....because you can't take care of your kids if you're not taking care of yourself....something we've all heard before.  Then I came across a small devotional book for Moms that I inherited and found a chapter that seemed to be calling my name.  It was titled, "The Imperfect Mom."

You see, I tend to get to that point of over-stressed whenever I start thinking about all my imperfections.  It's then that I start thinking of ways to "better" myself.  And that leads to more stress because then I have this long to-do list of items that I think will make things "better."

Allow me to share this prayer with you, from Richard Exley's Straight from the Heart for Mom.

"Lord, Thank You for giving me an imperfect mom,
for using her to teach me that love is more important than perfection,
that kids are more important than things,
and that it is more important to do things with your children
rather than just for them.
Bless my children, Lord.
Fulfill Your purposes in their lives
in spite of my parental blunders."


I hope that you find as much encouragement from this prayer as I did. 

By the way, I found my outlet without having to look far.  I simply got out of bed earlier than normal so that I could have some quiet, alone time to think and pray and write.  (Because writing/journaling happens to be a pretty darn good outlet for me.)  If you don't have one already, find an outlet for yourself.  And pat yourself on the back for being the best mom you can be.  Nobody is perfect.

Free & Fun Activities

As the weather turns nicer, we can FiNaLlY take nice long walks around the neighborhood and go to the park more often!! Walking is great exercise for me, it helps me de-stress, and Robbie loves the stroller ride. Park time is still quite interesting...he's not big enough to climb and slide without me hovering and helping, but he sure thinks he is! I love his adventurous spirit :)

We also love visiting the public library. We're fortunate to live right down the street from our city's new, state-of-the-art facility. The children's area is awesome!! Robbie is at the age where he can enjoy the interactive features, and he already loves for me to sit and read with him.

Check it out!!