This is the week I go back to work.
I’m sad.
I’m anxious.
Actually, I feel exactly like I did last time.
But this time, even though I’m going through the same emotions, something is different.
I’ve been around this block before.
Will there be tears? Of course.
Will we be fine? No.
We’ll be better than that.
Bring it on.
Source: Southern Living
BigSIS and I had lunch together today while theBOY worked and lilBRO napped.
I’m really going to miss lunching with her when I return to work next week. Some of our best conversations happen at lunch.
Take today’s, for example.
I finished before her (as usual), and turned to check out our kitchen set-up.
“What you doing, Mom?” she asked.
“I’m thinking, honey.”
We usually forget that our 26-month old is 26 months old, so I continued.
“I”m trying to figure out how to make a dishwasher fit in here.”
The next question reminded me that she is, in fact, two years old.
“What’s a dishwasher?”
Then the conversation went something like this…
It’s the thing at your grandma’s house that washes the dishes. You know, you get to push the button to start it. Everyone else we know (except one other poor soul and friend of mine) has one. Yada. Yada. Yada.
I turned from her again.
“What you thinkin’ about now, Mom?”
(Yes, she recently started calling me “mom” instead of mommy. I’m not worried about it, though, because this comes after a stint of calling me “mama” for days on end.)
This time I didn’t turn back to answer.
“I’m still thinking about the dishwasher,” I replied. “And if we should get one.”
“We have a sink.”
We have a sink, she said.
Yes, we do, don’t we?
We have a sink.
She’s watched me wash dishes in our sink for months. She’s even helped me wash dishes in that sink. And? She loves it.
In that moment, her two-year-old mind pointed out what my 30 {something} year old mind often forgets.
We have a sink. And not just a sink.
We have a home, two cars, warm beds, enough food, puh-lenty of toys.
See, I get wrapped up in what we DON’T have. But bigSIS doesn’t know what we don’t have (yet).
She doesn’t know there’s a whole world of stuff we don’t have.
Stuff we don’t need.
Today, I wished I didn’t know the stuff we don’t have. Because we obviously don’t need it. We’re doing just fine.
Yes, we have a sink.
And, for today, that’s enough.
What is it that you don’t have and, just maybe, don’t need today?
~theGIRL
I do not love mornings.
I am not a get-up-and-go kind of girl.
I like 8-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
And after that perfect night of sleep, I like to lay in bed awake for at least 15 minutes to mentally prepare for the cold floor, the bright light and the chaos of the day ahead.
I like lazy mornings.
Who’s with me? I need some back-up here. theBOY hops out of bed like he’s got an extra spring on his side. So annoying.
When I became a mom, I lost all control over when or how I would get out of bed.
When the baby cries, you get up and go.
That may have been my biggest challenge when bigSIS arrived.
I’m not kidding. Remember this?
With two years of motherhood under my belt, I think I’m pretty good at getting up in the morning.
Most days I’m not bitter about it. I greet my kids with a genuine smile. And I don’t feel sorry for myself anymore.
Maybe my memory of those glorious, lazy mornings is starting to fade – or maybe I’m just used to getting up when the alarm kids ring now.
Yes, I’m pretty good at get-up-and-go mornings.
Now a whole new challenge.
Just before the new year I stumbled upon Inspired to Action and the Hello Mornings Challenge.
The point? Getting up for your day/children instead of waking up to your children.
What does that look like? Getting up and ready for your day before the babies wake.
Quiet time? Check.
Exercise? Yep.
Showered and dressed? You know it.
What a difference it makes! Brilliant!
Now, a little note. I must be ready for my day before the kids wake when I go back to work in two short weeks, so this is just a jump-start for me. What I’m really learning now is to get up and spend time reading, studying and praying {because, as my pastor recently said, you can’t know God if you don’t know the Bible} and to get my exercise in first thing in the morning {because a worked out me is a happy me} in order to set myself on the right path for the day.
So, this past Monday I jumped in with both feet (which actually looks more like dragging both feet to the ground at 6 a.m.).
My goal? To remember how good this habit is when the alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. on February 1.
Say a prayer for me, will ya?
Oh, and if I learn any good early morning tips in the process, I’ll be sure to share them for my other non-morning people out there.
Now I must go to sleep. Morning comes really early these days.
~theGIRL
PS – If you follow me on Twitter and notice some funny hashtags, it’s probably me checking in with my Hello Mornings group!
I planned to share a fun project today, but it’s a cold winter day and I feel like writing about my family instead.
I hope you don’t mind.
I haven’t shared much about our new family member and how he’s changed things. So here goes.
First things first – he’s brought about the need for me to change how I refer to my kiddos at GGU. From here on, my firstborn will be known as “bigSIS” and my sweet baby boy as “lilBRO.” (And just in case you’re new here, I’m theGIRL and my cute husband is known as theBOY.)
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s discuss the addition of lilBRO to our family. Here are the highlights.
Speaking of healthy kids, is anyone else super touched by all the commercials for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital this time of year?
Or is it just a result of my hormonal state?
The tagline tugs at my heartstrings every time I hear it.
“Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not.”
I’m giving thanks. I’m also wondering how to give to those “who are not.” (Besides financially. I get that. It just doesn’t seem like enough.)
So that’s that. I hope your first week of 2012 is going well.
Thanks for indulging me today.
~theGIRL
*A “good” baby is one who nurses until he’s finished and only takes 10 or 15 minutes to do so. He sleeps for four hours at a time at night the first night home and only increases his night sleep from there. He is content in his bouncy seat, his swing or laying on the floor. He doesn’t require endless rocking to fall asleep at night. He’s attentive and smiles during his alert period and yawns when he’s ready for a nap. Yes, I have myself a dream baby. I’m fully aware and grateful for it. So grateful. Oh, and I’m trying not to worry about him losing his angel wings…which I know will happen. He has to grow up, right?
One of the reasons I journal {and write this blog} is to revisit recent history to remember how things happened. Today I did just that. And you know what I discovered?
This happened the last time I had a baby, too.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember what I had for dinner last Friday night, let alone what it was like the first few weeks home with theBABY two years ago. I’m always so glad I’ve recorded things when it comes in handy like it did today.
Enough about why I {and you should…you really should!} keep a journal.
Let’s talk about this newBABY of mine!
He’s three weeks old today.
He’s beautiful.
He’s a good sleeper. Though today I’m wondering if he’s done sleeping the day away for good – the catalyst for this post in the first place!
His cry is like he’s screaming in your face telling you, “No, dummy! Don’t do it like THAT!!”
He started smiling this week, and it’s adorable. Two dimples just like Daddy and Sissy.
He likes his pacifier.
And a good pat on the bottom.
And sleep.
Which is good because I like sleep, too.
Here’s another (slightly disturbing) glimpse at what I’m experiencing during my last weeks of pregnancy number two.
Insert sample of theGIRL’s current thought life here:
OH my! There are only five more weekends to get this place ready for another baby. Oh wait, five weeks is a really long time. But that’s really only 10 days when you consider it in weekends, and we have PLANS for most of those days! But the plans are all things that we’re choosing to do to enjoy the last days of being a family of three. But when will our bedding and curtains for the nursery be here!? Okay, the USPS tracking says the curtains should arrive tomorrow, and I’m sure the bedding isn’t far behind. But what about all the laundry that needs done in my special baby detergent? Not to mention that I haven’t refreshed myself whatsoever when it comes to newborn care. And when do I pack a bag for the hospital? And what goes in it again? Ahhhh!!!!!
Aren’t you glad you’re not in my head?
And here’s another piece of randomness for you (because, really, all I want to do is share pictures of a completed nursery with you).
Have you heard the song If I Die Young by The Band Perry? I love the lyrics.
Here’s a neat cover of the song for you to enjoy.
In the grand scheme of things, life is short (just like a pregnancy).
Whether you die young or old or somewhere in between, life is too short to waste time doing things that won’t even matter in the long run.
So, go give your loved one a hug. Give your pets some undivided attention. Write a thank you note to someone who deserves it. Then write a note to someone who needs encouraged. Call your mom. Dance with your kids. Keep a journal of things you’re thankful for.
Even better, spend some time contemplating eternity. Because eternity IS a long time, and I could use some eternal perspective right about now.
Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. ~Matthew 10:32-33
In honor of my countdown to the newBABY…
What-to-Expect-When-You’re-Expecting-&-Have-40-Days-To-Go
And most of all, expect to be so incredibly anxious to meet that little bambino!
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Nursery Update: We’re finished with the nursery *except* for the bedding and curtains we ordered from Etsy. They should both arrive any day now…pictures to come!
We’ve come to the end of my money-saving tips for new parents! I hope you learned something useful along the way.
Today we’re talking generics – gasp!
Buy Off-Brand
One of the best ways to save money in life in general is to buy generic brands. From medication to cleaning products, generic brands can help keep money in your pocket. It’s no different when it comes to baby supplies.
Here’s the thing, if you find a generic brand that works for your babe, go for it and don’t look back. I’m talking everything from formula, diapers, medicines and laundry detergent.
I know this tip may be a tough one for new parents, so here’s some reassurance. When theBABY was six months old, Tylenol had a huge recall and there was none to be found – anywhere. There were potentially SHARDS OF GLASS in the bottles of medicine for precious babies. We had no choice but to buy generic at that point, and really, why would we ever go back?
More ways to save money every time you shop for your little cutie include……
So I’m curious, do you go generic on anything I’m missing here? Or do you have certain things (like diapers for me) that you just can’t buy off-brand? I’d love to hear about it!
Diapers
As the slogan goes…you live and learn, then get Luvs.
That’s totally what happened at our house. We registered for Pampers and used them until we ran out of the diapers that were given to us. We tried a couple generic brands, but really didn’t like them. Then we found Luvs. Yay for Luvs!
That’s not the end of the story, though. This tip is one that I’m just recently learning.
To get the best price on diapers, you have to….
1) Buy the kind that’s on sale
2) Use coupons
3) Buy them at a place that gives you money off your next shopping trip
I haven’t paid full price for diapers since I started using coupons/store rewards!
Potential Savings
To illustrate your potential for savings, here’s an example of a recent purchase:
Final price: $7.49
Total savings: $12.50
Multiply that $12.50 by the number of times you’ll be buying diapers over the course of the year and you’ll save around $325, so stop paying full price!
Do you have other ways to save on diapers? Please share!
Not all of my tips will fit into your way of doing things, but I hope you’ll find at least one thing over the next few days that will help you save a little money!
Baby Gear
At the beginning of this series, I mentioned all the stuff available for parents these days. It only takes one trip to Babies R Us to figure out that not all baby gear is necessary. That store is o.v.e.r.w.h.e.l.m.i.n.g the first (and second and third) time you go there after learning you’re expecting.
I have three big tips for saving money on baby gear….
The trouble with giving advice on what baby gear to pass on is that every family (and baby) is different. We didn’t register for some items just because there’s no room in our house for it! Other things, like the Boppy, just didn’t make much sense to me since mother’s have breastfed from the beginning of time without a special pillow.
Here’s a pretty good rule of thumb: If you have to ask why you would need an item, you probably don’t. That said, it’s also a good idea to get a list of your close friends’ and family members’ “must haves” because if you’re anything like me, you’re clueless about this motherhood thing!
Potential Savings
This list of potential savings is based on the Babies R Us “Must Haves” list and the items my family has deemed unnecessary. You can save big bucks on this one. Here’s the breakdown.
Bassinet/cradle $100
Our rationale: The baby already has a place to sleep. His or Her crib. Bonus! If he or she sleeps there from day one, there’s no need for any anxiety-ridden transition down the road.
Travel System Up to $100
Our rationale: We didn’t need an elaborate travel system for our winter babies. A car seat and snap ‘n go stroller (just a frame the seat fits into) ended up being perfect for us for the few times we used it. Plus, I’m (almost) 5’2” and lifting an awkward, heavy travel system into my trunk was not on my wish list. I highly suggest going to the store and testing all your options before making a decision on strollers.
Walker/Jumper $50
Our rationale: For starters, we have no door frames to hook a jumper to. Then there’s all that talk about walkers hindering babies actual walking. No worries, theBABY learned to walk AND jump without either of these.
Full-size Swing $75 if you go w/ a travel swing, $150 if you skip it totally
Our rationale: There’s no room in our house for this. It was truly that simple. That said, we registered for a travel swing that could easily be stored when it wasn’t being used. Some babies don’t dig swings, so if you know someone with a swing in storage, you may want to test the waters with a borrowed one!
Full-size High Chair Up to $120 if you purchase a space-saver instead
Our rationale: Again, room is tight at our house, so we decided to go with a space-saving seat that fits right on top of a kitchen chair. It’s worked like a charm from 4 months – present (20 months).
Total Potential Savings $520
Think of the diapers that could buy!! Or don’t, because really, it’ll only buy a year’s worth and who ever thought they’d be spending that much on waste management?
Speaking of the cost of diapers, coming up Monday: quick, money-saving tips for purchasing disposable diapers!
