I was a really good parent before I had kids

Before I had kids I swore there were things my kids would never do or have. Then I had kids and it changed everything. Freckle Foot won't give up her bottle. I almost had her off bottles and then Little Loaf showed up and it wasn't fair that he got to have one and she couldn't. It is her only comfort object. She has never been interested in a special stuffed animal or blanket. So she still gets bottles and I cringe. But on those really crummy days when all she does is whine and complain, a bottle seems to be her reset button. Give her a bottle of milk and she is a pleasant child... most of the time.

I swore my kids wouldn't have pacifiers.  Freckle Foot would have nothing to do with pacifiers after about 3 months. I patted myself on the back as a good mother. Because pacifiers are bad for kids teeth right? Little Loaf on the other hand loves his pacifier. One day he came crawling into the kitchen from the living room, pulled on my pant leg and grunted. I followed him and his pacifier had rolled under the couch and he was determined to get it. He kept grunting and trying to crawl under the couch. Until I saved the pacifier so he could go play with some toys.

I really really never thought I would have a 3 year old in diapers...CRINGE. Freckle Foot just isn't ready yet. She is getting there. For some reason when we go out to eat at a restaurant she tells me she has to go to the bathroom. Low and behold she will sit on a public toilet but refuses to sit on the big toilet at home. It's it suppose to be the other way around? Don't people have phobia about public toilets. Just when you think you have things figured out these kids though you a curve ball. 

I tell all these stories to my pediatrician hoping he will be horrified and give me some good advice. His advice is they won't go to college with bottles, pacifiers, and diapers in hand. I still cringe.

Salty and Sweet

Freckle Foot

Little Loaf

Well I was just looking at pictures of the kids when they were born. I get this nostalgic feeling that never existed on the day of their birth because I was too anxious about their arrival but it’s there now. I know 30 years from now I will look back and think this was my favorite time in our lives. Everyday is hard, it’s hard to get everything done, in the moment , the hour, the day, the week. It’s hard being tired all the time, it’s hard feeling run down all the time, it’s hard to feel like you are constantly under a time crunch, get them down for a nap, diapers changed, food prepared. What I do like is Freckle Foot staying in her PJ’s all day and I don’t care, because it doesn’t matter. I get to play peek a boo with Little Loaf on the floor. I can hear them laughing together while I make dinner at 9 am in the morning.  Because that is when I had the energy to make it. Life is salty and sweet.

Stomach Flu

Well I won't provide pictures of what we have been up to for the last four days. We all have the stomach flu. It started with Little Loaf, then me, Freckle Foot, then L. It has not been a pretty picture. I can't even count the loads of laundry I have done in the last few days. I lost count of how many times I have to change all of our sheets, towels, blankets, clothes, PJ's. I cringe every time I give the kids milk. I hate baby vomit. There are lots of things I don't like doing but baby vomit is at the top of my list. It's 10am and I am hoping that it's over. Please let it be over. Please let them sleep through the night. Hope no one was trying to eat while reading this post.

Taking a moment

Today was rough. Little Loaf is getting his first tooth, yeah and ugh, he did a lot of fussing today. Freckle Foot said every swear word I have ever said about a million times this morning followed by "NO Mommy" and "Stop" at the top of her lungs. This all happened by 9 am. I tried to get some housework done

but as you can see I gave up. I decided we needed to get out of the house so we went to Target to get some storage bins that were on sale. Both kids went down for a nap after lunch. I decided I needed to read The Stay-At-Home Survival Guide by Melissa Stanton in order for me to regain a sense of sanity. It helped. I managed to arrange a play date for Freckle Foot at our house and I was able to get the kitchen clean while they had a snack. L still had to go out and get us all dinner but I was able to gain some sense of control today.