Modern Day Mom. Or Not.

Well, I had a two week trial at being the mom who does to does it all: Makes her husband's lunch, makes breakfast, feeds her children, gets ready for work, catches the bus, works, goes home to happy children, plays, makes dinner, eats with the family, bathes her kids, puts them to bed, does the laundry, does the dishes, makes her husband happy by doting and going to bed with a mask and cucumbers, ready for the next day.

Okay, okay, I'm exagerating.

Let me back up a moment:

When it was time for me to return to work after Maternity Leave (which in Canada is a blessed year), I told them no, I would not be returning full-time. But that was hard for me. I was at my job for more than 4 years and I really liked it there; it was hard for me to cut those ties. I was also searching for a way that I could stay home and make some money, so we came to an agreement that should they ever need any extra service they needed to outsource - give me a call.

Well call they did! One of the executive assisstants was going to be out of the office so they asked if I would step in for a couple weeks. Well, the stars were aligned because Miles' mom, Maureen, had just arrived to stay for a while. After talking with her, and she being willing to play Super Grandma, I said "Yes! I'll do it!"

This also came at great moment in time because I was desperately searching for a change of pace and a two week road trip with me and the boys was high up on the list of possibilities and as much as I want to see my friends in far off places, making money trumps spending it and it provided the change of pace I was looking for.

Well, after just one week, let me tell you what I learned about myself and my family:

1. A change of pace only needs to be a couple of days to recharge my batteries.

2. It's much nicer to use the time during the day to keep on top of tidying the house rather than when I get home after already working a full day.

3. I miss my boys terribly and am sad when I think about all that I'm missing throughout the day.

4. I understand now why it's so nice for Miles to come home to clean house and dinner ready to go. It offers such a relaxing peaceful atmosphere, which is what your home is for after spending the day out in the world.

This experience of being away from my home and going into the office day in and day out, if only for a week or two, has reaffirmed to me that I am doing the best thing for me and my family in this moment by staying at home and taking care of the children and running the house.

I don't know how mothers who work a full time job then go home and put in another full shift do it. I have gained a respect for those who do, but I am glad that my husband and I both agree that me being at home is best for us.

So kudos to you modern day moms out there doing it all; I'll stay at home blissfully dawning my apron in all the glory of the 50's housewife.



The Babies Ain't Babies No More

Well here we are, a year has past and what a wonderful year it was, too. I'm just gunna take a minute here and brag about my life - mostly because I can, but I also want people to know that all the horror stories going around about birth and babies and feeding and diapers and twins and - well you get where I'm going with this- it's not always so horrible.

Everything about my life has become so much richer because of Austin and Lincoln: my marriage, my family, my sense of fulfillment, everything.

Although I didn't want my babies to come early, or to have a c-section, and I certainly didn't want my babies away from me in the NICU, there are definite benefits that came from these and I know it helped me ease into motherhood gracefully.

The boys have been wonderful sleepers - I honestly can't remember any more than a handful of times they didn't want to sleep for their naps or at night. When they did wake at night to eat, they would always go right back to sleep.

They've been excellent eaters. Nursing on a schedule, eating full meals until their tummies burst and they're only allergic to milk, but very mildly at that.

They're so happy. They're only upset if they need a diaper change, are ridiculously tired, or are fighting over a toy, and all these are easily addressed.

With all these pros, I'm ready to have babies again right away. Give me twins, or TRIPLETS! We can do it :)

If there's anything I have to say is hard, it's - well - seriously, I'm thinking. Oh! Well, it's not hard, just an annoyance. The amount of stuff I have to pack around is crazy!!! I don't know what I would do without my minivan. If we go out for a night with friends and bring the boys it's: 2 booster seats, 2 playpens, 2 sleepers, 8 diapers, food, blankets, toys. I'm sure I'm missing something in there...

All my blessings aren't without gratitude, however. I have to give credit and thanks to all those who have donated or loaned baby clothes and gear and furniture, those who have ever babysat and given us food and gifts. And especially a big thank you to my husband, Miles, for all of his support and encouragement. My life is truly blessed because of all the support out there.

Okay, so maybe a little more than a minute to brag, but now I'll share their birthday party!!

I wanted to have it outside (hurray for summer birthdays!) and it had been so hot out we went to Prairie Winds Park because they have a wading pool. I found a nice shaded spot and family and friends showed up to celebrate.

My talented sister did the mini cupcakes and the giant cake for the boys - so delicious! You should check out her blog and order some.  www.sweettoothcc.blogspot.ca

The boys didn't really know what to do with this big huge blue lump in front of them but it was still neat to watch them figure it out. Later on they dug into the cupcakes pretty well.

Austin, Lincoln: I love being your mom, you two are the best anyone could hope for. And I promise to still love you when you keep me up late and drive me crazy :)

Love, Mom

Austin and Lincoln's First Year

           

 Here I am, looking at a whole year gone by. I figured the best way to commemmorate this would be to show some pictures and my Facebooks statuses (stati?) from the past year, so here you go, here is a glimpse at the boys' life their first year :)

Aug 12/11 So I haven't been coy the last few days, just busy and tired! As we begin day 3, everyone is doing wonderfully. The babes love to be cuddled and we love to cuddle them :) Eating great, breathing beautifully, both blessed with headfuls of dark curly hair like their dad :) Handsomest boys ever if I do say so myself. Pics are forthcoming! Thanks for all the love and well-wishes, we are truly blessed. - Aug 22/11 All are home and perfect - thanks everyone!! - Sep 11/11 You know what's awesome? When you're holding your baby, and look down and they're just silently gazing up at you. The moments following are the most precious in the world :) – Jan 9/12 Happy 5 month birthday to my boys! I've loved every single minute of being your mom, I'm so blessed to have you.Jun 16/12 Well, officially said goodbye to work, kind of a weird feeling. Now when people ask what I do, I'm no longer on mat leave, I am MOM. - Jun 19/12 As mobility increases, there follows a rise in criminal activity. The two seperate units have begun working together to cause confusion and exhaustion and the former ideal of peacekeeping is being reevaluated. We find stronger measures must be taken and martial law may have to be instituted. The need for tranquilizer guns and restraints is also becoming a viable option.  - Jul 2/12 Had a wonderfully hot Canada Day celebration with my Grandparents and brother and his family down in Raymond. Boys in bed, getting my heat-stroke on and getting ready for bed. Jul 5/12 Well, Lincoln has taken to throwing food - now we're in for a battle! - Jul 6/12 Had such fun at Riley Park today! Lincoln was motorin' in the pool on his hands and knees :) Can't wait to make this a regular activity. Thanks to mom for helping out and to Jamie and Jassie for joining up! - Jul 11/12  So I'm nursing the boys and Lincoln is absently kicking his foot. Austin gets up and swats his butt and comes back to continue nursing when Lincoln stops. This is crazy!! - Jul 11/12 Made pulled pork the other day, and it wasn't the best I ever had. But the boys are loving it!!- Jul 13/12Gettin' ready to head out for the boys' first Stampede. Yahoo!!! Let the indoctrination begin!!!! - Jul 13/12 Had a great time with the boys - they did so well!! My only regret is not capturing enough photos. They're now tucked into bed nice and tight and I'm headed back to the Grandstand Show. Yeehaw!! - Jul 16/12 Obviously I made the mistake of always vacuuming while the boys were sleeping. They're terrified of the machine like two monkeys in a tree watching out for the tiger! It's priceless. - Jul 16/12 Tried out grilled cheese on the boys and it's a hit! What veggies can I hide in there? Tomatos, spinach....anyone? -Jul 23/12 I found a can of bean in tomato sauce down in my storage, so I thought I'd try it on the boys. Well, they like the sauce, but not so much the beans. They suck on em and spit em out. What can you do! - Jul 25/12 So I don't know when it happened, but it dawned on me that boys are sitting up all by themselves. Hurray! One less thing they need me for. That should make me proud - so why is my smile upside down? - Jul 25/12  My favorite part of the day: watching the boys run-crawl to see Daddy when he gets home :) - Jul 27/12 Austin took a stuffed bear and clapped it's hands! How awesome is that???- Jul 30/12 Why do I bother cleaning, you ask? Because then for at least 10 minutes a day, I can look around proudly and sigh with relief. Then it starts all over again – Aug 2/12 So the boys are playing in the toy box when I hear Lincoln start to freak out. Guess he was reaching for the bottom, cuz all I see are legs kicking in the air!

Aug 9/12 A year ago I was all belly and didn't really know what to expect. By the end of the day I had two beautiful boys who make me laugh and smile every day. I never knew the love and joy they bring would be so fulfilling. I love you, Austin and Lincoln, I can't imagine my life any other way. You make me so proud every day. Happy Birthday!

Birthday images to come :)

Footprints Keepsake

I came up with a wonderful idea for Father's Day! I was looking at Michael's for a kit to make molds of the boys' feet, but I happened upon the painting aisle instead, and although I don't have an artistic bone in my body, an idea was born:

And this is how I did it. I used acrylic paint, a sponge brush, my boys' feet and their fingers. I have to say, painting on canvas was really fun!

 

Thank you for being a great Dad, for caring about seeing your children everyday and enjoying the time you spend with them. Thank you for doing your part to make this family happy and functional and for providing for our necessities. I look forward to continuing to raise our family with you and I can't wait for all of our adventures together.

Loves.

Can't Leave Nothin' Lyin' Around

About a month ago, it happened. Lincoln had started getting on the move, but we didn't quite know how determined he was to get from point A to point B. Let me give a little back story:

For those of you who know my husband well, you know he loves popcorn. But not inasmuch that he'll eat anything, he's a connoisseur of the popcorn. He's developed his own seasoning to fit his taste buds perfectly. It's a secret blend hot sauce, seasoning salt and cajun spice. And he's addicted, I swear.

Anyhow, the bucket was left of the floor from the night before, and I put Lincoln on the ground to deal with Austin, not realizing this bowl of Red Hot flavor was right there. Once I saw Lincoln had it, I was so worried he would lick it and be so upset by the hot spice shocking his little taste buds! But this is what I found, and he didn't seem bothered so "Wait!" I say, "get the camera!!"

I'm sure this satisfied his salt intake for the next month.

If I Have To

It's Passport Photo time! I took the boys to get their "oh so charming" pics taken at the AMA last week. I used to work at the AMA, and I used to take passport photos. The running joke was that there was an "ugly filter" that made even the most gorgeous person look homicidal, or at the very least unimpressed, and nothing you could say or do would make them crack a smile.

I wasn't worried, though. My boys are pretty darn cute. There may be those who say otherwise, but I really don't think they exist. These would be government photos with flare!!

Well, I was wrong. The "ugly filter" applies to babies, too.

Okay, so maybe not 'ugly' persay, but I'd much rather catch a pic of them screaming their faces off with alligator tears streaming down their cheeks than this souless, two-dimensional mis-representation of my two happy little men. They're happy babies, I promise! Don't trust the current evidence. I also can't say I'm a fan of Austin's "I'm in a stupor" face, either.

Which leads me to part II of my rant. On the application form, it specifically says mouths must be closed. Having done photos before, I know there's leniency for babies, but I didn't want to risk making the trip to the passport office, just to turn around and get another picture taken. So I got the pic re-done. I don't think AMA was very happy that I was being so picky. And they reminded me that it would likely be okay.

Well, if it would be okay, how about they say so on the application?? Something along the lines of "mouths must be closed, with the exception of children under 3" or something like that. But no, it's this unspoken rule that they'll pass, and wouldn't it be grand if I ran into the one person who rolled out of bed and decided to be a government (fill in the blank) the day I go in. No grey area, please - just re-do the photo and I'll be on my way. So we did.

 

He doesn't look so clueless, and the collar adds a touch of 'studious', but it still doesn't show the world how loving and amazing this little boy is. 

So be it. 

Scarfing Pancakes

I'm trying out different finger foods on the boys. They do great with puffed wheat and raisins, but the mango and banana just gets squished in their tiny Hulk hands.

I decided today to try out some pancakes for them, so I whipped up a teeny batch with whole wheat flour, added cinnamon and banana and omitted the sugar and guess what? Huge hit! I just had to make sure they swallowed what was in their mouth before they packed in another fist-full to avoid a choking hazard. I think this will be my new staple.

The Boys Will Play...

The boys have been sleeping in the same crib up until a couple of weeks ago when I pulled out the playpen to seperate them. With all their rolling and army crawling, they just weren't falling asleep anymore! Well, it turns out they miss each other, cuz even though they're not in the same crib, they are in the same room and I swear they've developed their own morse code with stomping the mats back and forth. So now it takes a while for them to wind down and fall asleep, and I don't mind. Who am I to not let them interact while they're still happy?

One night, they were taking a particularly long time to settle, so Miles went up to check on them. He grabbed Austin out of the crib and as they passed the pen where Lincoln was, Austin practically jumped out of Miles' arms to see him! So he placed them together, and this is what we got! The first real noticeable interaction between them.

Austin thought he was pretty clever taunting Lincoln with his soother:

This is an especially great video because the boys laugh out loud so rarely. Even with tickling it's like forcing water from a rock...

Austin's First Hair Cut!

So.....Austin's hair has been bugging me. The top is beautiful and uniform, although not very thick or long, but the rest of his head was a disaster! I never got a clear before shot, but let me just say that his fine hair was long enough to fly out in wisps over his ears. He never did get much a bald spot on the back of his head, but as the hair was growing he loved (and still does) to lay on his back, dig his heels in and arch to look at whatever was behind him. This created an interesting 'runway' of sorts of not very uniformally shortened hair, right down the middle of head. "Cut it!" I cried!

Since we've been married, Miles has never paid for a haircut. He insists on cutting it himself with clippers, and he does a really good job. This I support, because his lack of spending goes on into my hair budget :)

Naturally, then, he's on deck to cut Austin's hair. I envisioned getting him undressed and placing him in the tub naked to cut his hair right before his bath. Smart, right? Well, Miles had an even better idea:

Austin did so well!! Not a peep or squirm, just waited patiently while Daddy did his work. How did I get to be so lucky??

First Road Trip

Last weekend we all packed up and headed on the trek toward Creston, BC. Creston is where Miles' grandparents live and they aren't able to make it out to Calgary anymore. So off we went, to drop Miles' mom, Maureen, off for the week and to introduce Austin and Lincoln to their Great-Grandparents on their father's side.

I've never taken the boys in the car for longer than an hour before, and I didn't know how they would do. They normally sleep well in the car, so I thought we'd get most of the way to Fernie, then they'd wake up and we'd feed them, then stop in Fernie so we could all stretch our legs. Sleep they did, but only for a half hour! So we spent the rest of the time talking and having fun. Until just outside Fernie when Austin had had enough! But to Fernie we got, all alive and well, and as soon as Austin nursed for a bit he happy and ready to go. Go figure!

But apparantly didn't feed him enough, cuz he still wanted some of Daddy's milkshake. Not yet, little man!!

Off we go again, ready for another few hours in the car. I took over the wheel and Miles got to entertain the boys, but I don't think they needed him much, they seemed to be doing just fine on their own!

It was a surprise for the grandparents that Miles and I were coming with the boys and I think seeing their two little angel faces made the surprise well received indeed :) Thank goodness they had an old crib we could set up for the boys, that made things so much nicer.

I loved the crib, I thought it was very cool. It's well over 50 years old as Miles' mom and her sister were babes in it. It was iron and very antique looking, but certainly not 'safe' by today's standards. Keep on looking, you'll see what I mean....

Hehe!! Lincoln reminds me of Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree while Austin's trying to break free. We tried to pad the sides with blankets, but to no avail. Next time, I bring my bumper pads!

Our weekend continued well with the Grandparents helping with the feeding. We then continued on to visit with a childhood friend of Miles' and they had a swing in their backyard that the boys loved. First time they've been in a swing - I think regular trips to the park are in the order now that the sun shines on!

The trip home went well, too, and we all slept so well that night. Thanks, G&G for a nice weekend!!