Bit of a "woman rant"

Now this is not against men really but its probably not something they will want to read either. Fair warning.



That disclaimer aside I am 99% sure men would die if they were women and had to deal with what we do on a monthly basis. First there is of course mid-cycle where a woman is fertile. Now, you would imagine, this would be a fun time right? Yea, not for everyone. Some of us lucky people get pretty tough pain in our abdomen, some of us also get really nauseous, and some of us get "other trouble" with our stomachs. Sounds like a blast right? I am confident my husband would be curled up in a ball if he dealt with that alone.

Then 10-14 days later comes the other fun part. Not even taking into account the actual event there are the mood swings, the cramps, again with the nausea. We get cranky and exhausted and mostly feel like laying in bed all day, but do we? Of course not. We all know the house would fall apart and the kids would end up playing with Windex or something. So we tough it out, we deal with it all the while knowing it all all start over again in the middle of the next cycle.

Of course, men also like to make light of the whole thing. Midcycle its not uncommon to hear someone laughing as the children bounce on my stomach, I can tell you, that does NOT feel good...much less funny. Every time it happens, I hope against hope that maybe someday he could have just a *slight* idea of what it feels like, even if it were only for a few moments.

*sigh*

Still here...

Yep...still here. About to be CRAZY busy with 3 classes, 2 kids, 2 cats, a husband, and a house to run...should be FUN!

I have a post coming at some point about natural family planning but that will have to wait for a night when my brain still functions. In the mean time if you are bored you can look it up. :-)

Ivy now knows how to show me where her ears, eyes, hands, mouth, hair, nose, and belly button are. She is learning SO quickly.

Aaron is also working pretty hard on words. The only two he has down are "Aaron" and "cat" but he is getting there!

Ugh

Note to self: before next summer get AC. It is currently 85 and climbing INSIDE the house and it is 89, just about 90 with a heat index of 98 outside...

A UV level of 9 means my little lobster baby can't go in the sun no matter the level of sunblock so no pool for us! We need an awning and/or an AC next year!

Thoughts for the week

So not much has happened in the last few weeks but it feels like time is just flying by. Ivy is growing more and learning SO much everyday it always amazes me. Aaron is in a totally new phase of development and we are starting to teach him the way to do 911 and when is the right time to call etc. It makes him feel important and it helps me feel more secure home with the kids all the time. He is my smart little man and catches onto things so quickly.

I have been trying to focus more on enjoying each day because of how fast the time goes. I sit and realize that it is almost August. August is the last real month of "summer" and it is amazing how fast the summer went. I am looking forward to fall but I also know that when the fall hits I go back to school and it means even more time that I am trying to juggle with the kids and housework and learning too.

Going back to school makes me nervous but it also makes me excited. I should only need 3 semesters to get it done which is even more exciting than most people can realize. I have been working so long and so hard to try and get my bachelors and it is so close and within my reach. It will be a LOT of work and more work than I ever thought it would be now with two kiddos but it will be worth it.

Not sure what else to say. I have plenty left to say I suppose but none of which I guess I want on my blog forever in the digital world. Just looking forward to the fall while still trying to really enjoy each day this summer with the kids.

Things I never considered about being a mom

So these are things that I suppose at some level I knew but never really truly considered when it came to motherhood.

1. Everyday I have at least SOME bodily fluid on me that isn't my own, usually more than once.

2. Diapers would become higher on my priority list to wash than clothes.

3. Toys would become the centerpiece on my coffee table.

4. I would deal with tantrums everyday, and learn how to handle them effectively.

5. That a smile could come on my face at 3am when I am awaken by either child, only to find a grinning beast staring at me from their bed.

6. That "How Does a Dinosaur Say Goodnight" would become the most read book in my house.

7. That every morning I would be greeted by two very happy little creatures that are just excited to see *me*.

8. That having two people depend on me 100% for everything could be such a rewarding experience.

9. How big little arms can feel when they give Bear hugs.

10. The simple enjoyment of sitting on the couch talking with two little people and cuddling.

Dreary days etc

So the last week has been pretty rough with the weather. We got ONE warm sunny day. The rest of the days have been rainy and cold, example, today was 58 and raining...in July. While I realize I am in VT I am not really prepared for 20+ degrees below seasonal average....for a week +.

Oddly enough the kids have managed all right. They seem to be great at playing together most of the time and today I took out the duplos before lunch and they played together nicely for 45 minutes and only stopped because I had lunch ready and it was time to eat.

We also had an activity to do this afternoon as one of our friends brought Aaron over a birthday gift, a little crocodile that you put stickers on and glue together that is also a clock. Aaron was VERY excited to make the clock and did a great job with the stickers.

We are also trying to see if A can be a "big boy" at night now. I put him in a pull up and we talked about using the potty tonight etc etc and how if he keeps the pull up dry for 3 nights in a row he can wear underpants to bed and if he keeps his pull ups dry he can put a sticker on a calender in the AM. He seems VERY excited about it and I am crossing my fingers but the boy sleeps like a log so I am not sure he will wake up to pee or not...I always go in around 11 to give him water so I will ask him then if he has to pee...remind him what is going on etc.

Three years ago

Three years ago I was anxiously awaiting your arrival. See the doctors told me when you were going to be born so I knew the next day I would have you in my arms. I was very nervous but very excited too.

You were my first babe and I had no idea what to expect which worked out well because you were just a baby and didn't know what to expect either, so we learned together.

After 12 hours of working to get you born, you joined your Dada and I in my arms. Honestly the first few moments after you were born are such a blur, even the day after I didn't remember a whole lot about those first few moments. What I do remember is looking at your fingers and thinking that there were too many of them, turns out they were just really long. Still are.

You were born with a full head of hair that you never lost.

My favorite moments from the last 3 years? Seeing you sleep so soundly on my chest, shared naps in the early days, watching you grow and learn so fast, finding you on top of the cathouse and wondering how on Earth you got there, your first birthday and watching you cover yourself in cupcake, watching you meet your sister for the first time, and the cuddles you give me now before bedtime.

I love that you have become such an expressive little boy and always have something to say. I love that you are so good at loving your sister, you Dada, and I.

Watching your imagination grow and seeing the amount that you learn is one of the most rewarding things a person could experience.

I love you my little boy. Happy 3rd Birthday.