Archive for April, 2011

Changes

Friday, April 29th, 2011

From Friday Mom – Jaime:
I’ve been a bit preoccupied lately…perhaps you noticed that with my recent posts.

Today is my last day working a job I never really thought I’d leave. I know the average trend is that you don’t stay at your first firm more than 3-5 years before moving on. But this was a place I thought I could call home and make a career at.

That changed three weeks ago. I’m not going to get into details. It will have to be sufficient to say that I made a very difficult decision and gave notice two weeks ago. Although it’s exciting, it’s also sad and a little scary to see this chapter in my life come to a close.

I haven’t had much patience since all this went down…with the little guy or anyone else. That’s part of what made this so hard. I really try to keep a division between work and home, but I haven’t been much good walking that tightrope this month.

At the end of all this, there will be a very hard earned vacation. A new job. A new house. Hugs and kisses from a little guy who loves me to pieces (okay, and from the big guy too).

And this weekend, there will be LOTS of dinosaurs. There’s a family event at a local museum where the kids get to do all kinds of cool stuff involving dinosaurs. Andrew’s psyched for it. I am too, actually. I love sharing this kind of stuff with him.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Girls’ Weekend!

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
This weekend is a first. I have been waiting months (years) for the opportunity.  I am leaving my three wonderful boys for a weekend of fun at the beach.  I will be accompanied by three other hard working moms on a much needed weekend escape.

I love being a stay at home mommy and a loving wife, but there comes a point where a break from “life” is a treat.  Days when I can grocery shop, buy stamps or drop off dry cleaning by myself feel so refreshing.  A weekend by myself with good friends at the beach is one of the best treats I could ask for.  I have been looking forward to this weekend ever since the idea was tossed around.

I’m sure after a few hours I’ll miss my kiddos (husband included).  I can’t imagine not hearing any whining, screaming, my name being repeated 45 times in a row or a baby tugging at my legs wanting to be fed will feel like.   It’s been a daily occurrence for the last four years.  Not hearing the same sounds will be an adjustment I’m sure.  It will only make me appreciate being a mommy and I think my husband will appreciate it, too.

Happy Weekend… a few days early!

This Too Shall Pass

Monday, April 25th, 2011

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
You hear a lot about how life with a newborn is hard. And it is. For me, it is difficult in a way that I couldn’t have predicted. I thought it would be more inexplicable crying (and perhaps that is coming at some point- yikes!) and feeling totally clueless about what to do for your child. Luckily, it’s not really like that. There are enough resources out there so that if you put any effort into educating yourself, listening to your own instincts, and paying attention to what your pediatrician says, you should more or less know what to do. That doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Haley is almost three weeks old and she is the sweetest, loveliest little girl. And she’s also a bit of a terrorist. Her expertise is in an area known as sleep torture. She and I are both learning how to make breastfeeding work. The standard for young babies is to feed every 2 to 3 hours, for about 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Sound like a lot? That would be a relaxing night for me. That has not been our reality. It’s more like, ‘Mom, I think I’m going to be hungry and wake up whenever I feel like it. As often as I feel like it. I am going to feed for as long as I want. Take breaks during the feeding for as long as I want. Fall asleep and then cry hysterically minutes later because—surprise – I wasn’t actually finished with my meal. And here’s the kicker. I’m going to feed in such a way that leaves you unsure if I’m getting adequate nutrition, because I feel you need more excitement in your life.’

I have sought sympathy from my mom friends about this, and they assure me my woes are typical. This too shall pass, they say, and faster than I realize. I think that’s the most annoying thing about newborn baby issues. I spend so much time worrying about things, that I’m not appreciating every minute to the fullest. I know she won’t be this age forever. But being a new mom is an emotional time, and I think worry tends to outweigh sheer joy, when it should probably be the other way around. It’s hard to be blissful when you are concerned that your baby is not thriving.

It’s important to keep things in perspective, though. In actuality, my baby is doing great. Far too many parents are not that lucky. I know that, but I can’t seem to stop myself from being worked into a constant, heightened state of concern. Soon enough, I will surely be dealing with new parenting dilemmas that have absolutely nothing to do with feeding. This issue will pass indeed. But the anxiety that comes with being a parent never will. At times, I wonder what I got myself into. Then I’ll have a moment in which I forget to be worried, and I stare with wonder at the miracle I’ve created. And suddenly, all is right in my world, and I know everything will be okay. New problems will always be there, but so will the love I have for my daughter. I have faith that it can get me through anything.

Home Alone

Thursday, April 21st, 2011

As I write this, Hubby is somewhere in South Carolina on a golf trip. He’s shocked at the amount of actual golf that they’re playing… though I’m not sure what else he thought they would be doing on a GOLF trip. Meanwhile, the last time he picked up his clubs were to move them from New Hampshire to New Jersey eight years ago.

So Mr. Andrew and I have the next four days to ourselves. We have some great stuff planned. The safari at Great Adventure is open and they’re running open bounce sessions at Bounce U all weekend.

We have a new Buzz Lightyear movie, and tomorrow Andrew is going to Nana and Papa’s house for a sleepover.

And that means mommy will enjoy a very overdue, very well-deserved night to herself. Of course I’ll miss both my guys – but every so often, you need a little time to yourself.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Easter Egg-citement

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Easter is approaching rather quickly.  Usually by this time, I have basket goodies ready to stuff, eggs dyed, church outfits picked out and ironed, and a craft or two made by Jack displaying on the fridge.  Unfortunately, this year I am way behind.  It seems like we were just drinking green juice and playing April Fools jokes on each other.

The end of this week is going to be quite busy.  I need to fit in all of the above mentioned along with a school class party, a birthday party, two egg hunts, a going away party, and celebrating Easter.  I’m already feeling overwhelmed, but am excited at the same time.  Jack can’t stop talking about the egg hunts and how he is going to find the biggest egg and eat all the chocolate at once.  (I am secretly hoping he’ll leave the Peeps for me).  He reminded me to get carrots at the grocery store today so we can leave them out for the Easter Bunny.  Clearly, he is more prepared than I am.

Tate will be experiencing another of his first holidays.  He won’t be eating any candy, but hunting for eggs will be a thrill for him, I’m sure.  He is on the move these days, and will go straight towards anything that is round or resembles a ball.  Undoubtedly, eggs will be a new desired toy.

I’m looking forward to dressing up the boys and getting as many pictures as I can.  I know these days, months and years pass quickly, and I don’t want to miss any opportunities (especially all dressed up).  Now, excuse me, I must go shopping.

Happy Easter!

Roots

Monday, April 18th, 2011

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
I really enjoy watching and reading biographies of people. Often, I’ll see a news piece about some well-known politician or actor or newsmaker and wonder more about his or her life. I immediately head to Wikipedia to see what I can find out. He was born in Kentucky? His father was a plastic surgeon? He has a twin sister? I don’t know why, but I find the origins of well-known figures fascinating.

Perhaps I am trying to uncover that magic moment or broader circumstance that allowed the person to become a success (or a failure). Sometimes the person was groomed to greatness by a parent. Other times, luck played a huge role, with the person being “discovered” walking down the street. It’s also interesting when people have nearly nothing going their way, but rise to prominence anyhow.

I do not particularly want my daughter to become a famous person, but I do want her to be happy. I wonder what variables in her childhood will have a major affect on her outcomes in life. Having a dog? Grandparents who are immigrants? Being from New York?

I guess that’s what we are all trying to figure out as parents. How will what we do affect them? What should we be doing for them? There are no easy answers aside from “love them,” “support them.”  The other intangibles will fall into place as they are meant to. We do the best we can to raise our children in the right circumstances, but not every influence is under our control. However I do know this. The great thing I was able to accomplish in my life so far is my daughter. And my parents certainly played a huge role in my becoming a proud, confident mother, which is all I ever wanted to be. Let’s hope that fact makes it to my Wikipedia page.

Short and Sweet

Friday, April 15th, 2011

From Friday Mom – Jaime:
It’s been a rough week. I won’t get into the reasons why, but it’s left me feeling pretty drained and with a really short fuse. I try not to let home stuff affect me at work, and work stuff at home, but sometimes that’s not so easy…

This morning, I lost my cool with Andrew. It was stupid. We were running late and I asked him to get his sneakers. He walked past them six times before telling me that I had to find them. And I yelled.

Andrew grabbed his sneakers and then shuffled over to me, eyes shining with tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. I felt like a first rate jerk. So I gave him a big hug and told him I was sorry. That I wasn’t mad at him, but upset over something that happened at work. He asked me a couple questions before giving me a big hug and sliding into his shoes.

After I got him strapped into his car seat and got myself settled in the car, he kicked at my seat until I turned around. When I looked back at him, he smiled and said, “Mommy, it’s so great spending time with you.”

How can you not have a great day after starting it off with something like that?

Road Trip

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Last weekend my husband and I finally narrowed down dates for our big summer road trip.  The trip will start in Mississippi, then on to Pennsylvania for a week,  DC for a night,  North Carolina for a week and back to Mississippi.  We’ll be packing up the minivan with massive amounts of clothing, toys, food, baby gear, movies and 101 items that we most likely won’t use.

At times I think we’re crazy for driving all those miles, but we are excited for the adventure.  We are getting Jack excited by showing him all the different states we’ll be driving through.  We are going to try to find an interesting stopping point in each state.   Keeping his interest on the next stop will hopefully keep him from throwing a tantrum.  Tate, on the other hand, will be a little more of a handful.  Fortunately, he likes to ride in the car and look out his window.  Hmmm…I wonder how long that fascination will last.

I look forward to our summer vacation and the chance to visit with our family and friends back home.  Being far away makes seeing everyone that more special.  Time to get a move on finding the right toys to keep the kiddos occupied.  Any suggestions are welcome!

I’m a Mom! (For real this time.)

Monday, April 11th, 2011

From Monday Mom – Neetika:
As you may have heard, my husband and I welcomed our beautiful baby into the world last week. We didn’t know what gender we were having beforehand. Everyone said I was having a boy. I had that classic “boy carry”—a tight basketball shape sitting high on my belly. Of course, it’s a girl.

And I couldn’t be happier. When the doctor put her on my chest, I was stunned. My husband cried a little, but I was just in shock. As they took her aside to check her out and clean her up, I turned my head and strained to look at her and process what was happening. I was loopy from the delivery and I just kept saying to my husband, “I love her. I love her. I love her.”

We were undecided on names, especially for a girl. But that was silly, because it seems like she came with a name, somehow—Haley.

These days, Haley is really into sleeping, feeding and screaming. Her grandparents like to talk about how feisty she is, how she does what she wants, how smart and athletic she’ll be. Perhaps that’s all true, but I’m very cognizant of the fact that she’s only few days old, and her personality will continue to develop. It’s not that I’m against fawning over her and talking about how perfect she is, because she is. Yet I feel as her mother, my role is to take her as she comes. And I won’t want to put any of my perceptions on her.

All I need to do is make sure that she has every opportunity to thrive, and that she knows how much we love her. I may not be the perfect mother, but I will always try to be, because that is what Haley deserves.

The best time of year…

Friday, April 8th, 2011

From Friday Mom – Jaime:
It’s no secret that I come from a family of die-hard Yankee fans.  Last Thursday marked Opening Day for the Yankees.  Despite the horrible weather and it being the last billable day of the month, you can bet that I was there cheering on my boys in pinstripes.

I still haven’t gotten Andrew to a baseball game at the stadium. If I’m being honest, I feel like a horrible mom for it.  No, not because my 3 year old hasn’t seen a Yankee game in person.

It’s really because Andrew’s first major league baseball game was in Fenway… But let’s keep that shameful little secret just between us, shall we?

As hubby and I were at the game, my mom went down to pick up Andrew from daycare.  He excitedly showed off her cast and crutches to the rest of the class before they left.  Back at my parents’ house, I’m happy to say that my dad put on the game and tried to further Andrew’s baseball education.

My parents had gotten him a bucket full of baseball guys.  Andrew can set them all up on the field and tell you that the guy holding the bat is the batter and that the guy in the black shirt is the umpire, which means he’s the boss.

Andrew can also tell you that the guys wearing gray and blue are the Yankees. (“We like the Yankees!”) And the other players? The ones in red and gray? They’ve been affectionately dubbed “the stinky socks” (“EWWW!”)

I’m so proud. 🙂

Have a great weekend everyone.