August 30, 2012

THOUGHTS ON THREE

*Disclaimer: All of this was done via iphone because my computer decided to die which has accounted for the lack of pictures.

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Recently the idea of having a third child came up for discussion with my husband. To be honest having a third child is not something that I had envisioned myself planning for. I was quite content with having two boys, needing only two car seats/booster seats, not having to switch over to a big huge SUV or minivan, but now I think about it, the more I love the idea of having an SUV or minivan. There would be so much more space and it will make road trips even more fun. Oddly enough I never envisioned myself having three small children but I have envisioned myself having three adult children, heck even four! It's just getting there that was the scary part.

*Joshua and Lucas. Summer of 2010*

Pregancy with Joshua was a breeze! I did of course suffer through the dreaded morning sickness but that only lasted 4-5 weeks and literally as soon as I hit my second trimester it was like I was walking on clouds. I didn't start showing until I was 18 weeks and even then it was just a little bumb. My pregnancy with Lucas however was a whole other story. I was sick for TWENTY weeks and I started showing at 8 weeks not to mention every part of my pregnancy with painful in some way. I vowed to never get pregnant again!

I look at these two, and think about how much I like things the way they are. At least now I have one kid for each hand, I dont know what it would be like juggle the little ones by myself. Wrangling them can be difficult as it is,  but it's not overwhelming to the point where I fear going out in public with the two of them alone. Aaron and I are an equal team. One handles Lucas, the other handles Joshua then ..1..2..3..switch! That is the art of tandem parenting, and it works because we are not out numbered.

But then I realized I was living my life based on fear.


Really, what was I afraid of? Many parents have three children and some of those parents are single, surely I was loving enough and able enough to raise another child. What I needed as a large dose of self confidence. I have to look at all the thing's I've been able to do well as a mother then look at the things I had not done so well and use them as learning experience. I have to push myself and test my own limits in order to see what I am truely capable of.

*Some time in early 2011*

So Aaron and I talked about it, actually we texted about it...or, it could have been an email. We decided that filling our home with more love and laughter was going to be the best decision ever. There were a few other deciding factors for me, the honest to goodness truth is, that neither of my boys were planned, they were just wonderful surprises. I missed the experience of planning a family, I missed out on taking a few months to a year in order to get my body ready with the right vitamins, calculating when I would ovulate, talking to the doctor about it and all that fun stuff.

Aaron and I decided on the year and month that we would start the baby dance, so to speak, but before we do there are a few things the Smith family would like to accomplish before baby number three comes along.

Disney world with TWO kids
Get to my goal weight (20lb to go!)
Our second honeymoon, just the two of us
Take a family vacation to the Carribean
Purchase our first home
Get a second car
Get promoted (either of us)
I was really inspired by The Art of Making a Baby blog. I never knew that such preparation when into planning for a baby, then again this is coming from the mom-by-surprise. They prepared  for their pregnancy 6months to a year before they started trying and remarkably they ended up getting concieving on their first try! In efforts to cure this bout of baby fever I've decided to start monthly or at least semi-monthly pregnancy theme posts Once my blog grows I would love for those to be guest posts! If you are interested email me and you don't have to be currently pregnant or even a parent to participate!

August 27, 2012

WEEKEND REVIEW


This weekend I spent my time doing something that a mother with hardly any time does...



Absolutely nothing.

On Friday the boys got their haircut...finally
 




I spent Saturday relaxing with my kids at home. I took them for a walk to the convenient store.

 
They both got ridiculous lollipops but I bought them anyway... you know the kind that squirts gel onto the lollipop and they drink the gel off? Gross, I know.

We baked a mini cake and some cupcakes. Out of the box is good enough for me!

*Yes, I realized that the bowl was way to small! Had to transfer it when cake mix got everywhere lol
 
 
 

On Sunday Aaron did some grocery shopping. I was so grateful that he did it without me so that I can spend the morning continuing to relax with my boys.

Aaron had to work today which sucked because I like to spend my weekends with my whole family. Conveniently he will be home right as Lucas goes to bed so Aaron, Joshua and I get to spend some quality time together. Lately it seems that I've been living for the weekend.  Don't get me wrong I love my job it's just that every time Monday comes around I start an internal countdown to the Friday. I suppose this is something that all working parents face, deciding whether or not it's worth it to be away from your family especially if you are working not because you have to but because you want to. When is the biggest reasons why I continue to work is because I want to teach my children to have passion for something. I see so many stay at home parents who have such passion for what they do that it's truly remarkable. I was never good at being a stay-at-home mom the dishes were never done, the cleaning took place 30 minutes before my husband came home and admittedly I fed them way too much junk and let them watch way too much TV. Oddly enough I do a much better job at parenting when I'm working during the week. I don't know why that is but I feel more organized and I don't feed my kids junk and they don't watch as much TV. Maybe I just work better under pressure.
 
So that was my weekend just the way I like it!

August 24, 2012

WHAT I LIKE THE MOST

Last time I did, “WHAT I MISS THE MOST” and in and effort of showing both sides of the mommy life (working vs. staying at home) I bring you all the things I love about working.

I like that Aaron and I work for the same company. This could be bad on many different levels but being that we work for different departments on separate floor we are able to keep the bickering down to a minimum. Other than the fact that we have the occasional lunch together, we never see each other.

I like the free endless cups of coffee.


I like that I get a designated break that I can take at any time.
I certainly love payday and the shopping it brings!

Adult conversation! Though I love it, I am not limited to discussing the latest antics of SpongeBob, or how cool Batman is.

I don’t have to hear a two year old say “I farted!” with a devilish grin on his face. …actually I take that back! This is actually pretty amusing!

I like that patience is not required here.
I like what I do.

I like that being that I work, I appreciate my time with these guys so much more!

August 21, 2012

WHAT I MISS THE MOST

I miss eager hands in the morning as the little one reaches up for me, clinging to me and not want me to let him go.

I miss him saying “Wherz Josh-oo-EE?” Then we race to JOSHUA’s room where I open the door and he storms in, his feet pitter- pattering all the way to his bed where Joshua waits for him smiling.
I miss my coffee, that I  make in my coffee maker and drink out of my crate and barrel crisp white mugs.


I miss hearing them play…then fight..then play..then fight again. At some point someone cried and I wipe tears away and then at another point I have to kiss something better and hold one or both of them in my arms and cuddle until all is well again.

I miss our walks through the woods.


I miss little feet following me where ever I go.
I miss “play with me mommy,” followed by a monkey-see-monkey doer saying “pay wif me mommy!”


I miss giving unlimited amounts of kisses and squeezes.
I miss eagerly waiting for Aaron to come home with dinner on the table.

I miss the relief I felt when he would take the kids upstairs and give them their bath while I relax on the couch watching a show I PVRed because I now hate watching tv live.
I miss not waiting for weekends.

August 19, 2012

SUNDAY TIME

I had a slow weekend. The best kind of weekend.

Aaron's birthday was on Saturday. 
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The boys prepared on Friday evening by making him construction paper cards and putting them in old gift bags that we had lying round. When Aaron woke in the morning the boys were so enthused about his special day and Joshua didn't even need reminding to say "Happy Birthday Daddy!"



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I took him out for a birthday lunch, just me and him. We had been craving our togetherness time for a while. I cannot tell you the last time we actually had a date, but believe me when I say it was too long ago!  We got to spend out much needed time out for his birthday

Aaron's birthday present as a television set for our bedroom so when we got home, the four of us gather in the bedroom watched Ernest Scared Stupid white eat popcorn and cuddling, which was interrupted by spontaneous out bursts of play fighting. 
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Aaron worked today. I wished he was home but sometimes we works weekends. The boys and I just chilled on the couch, we played, we watched Sunday movies on the television. I broke up fights by separating a crying 2 year old and a very frustrated big brother.

As a working mother, it seems like the weekends are what I live for.