It was a "Sleep" Come True

So I know that in some guide on parenting there must be a section on the rights and wrongs of your child's sleeping habits. I remember being able to talk and clean in Braydens room while he was sleeping then slowly I got quieter and now I look like a spy tip toeing through his room. I remember him falling asleep more in his carseat than in his crib and the stuffed animal and noise machine he got to liking. I'm sure parenting "experts" would have a field day with me.
So after my parents Christmas party the other night when we all (Ryan, Brayden, Caleb, myself and the dogs) were staying in one room at my parents, I knew it might be interesting.
Brayden woke up around 2am when Ryan and I were trying to sneak around assembling a bed and started chatting with us like he was figuring out why we were in HIS room. I calmed him down and put him back to bed, when I thought he was sleeping I tip toed over to just check on him and cover him with blanket. His eyes were wide open and I swear I almost peed my pants scared. (Why are children so much scarier than adults in the dark) I slowly tip toed backwards to my sleeping area, as I did that Caleb started crying...which of course made Brayden more curious. I whispered to Brayden, don't worry, go back to bed with Bunny. I fed Caleb and then looked at his bassinet and his carseat. SCREW IT!! In the car seat he went, I swung it a little bit and asleep Caleb fell.
Just to give some perspective, Brayden usually wakes up around 6:30 and Caleb sleeps 2-3 hours at time.
In the morning, my eyes started to come unglued when I heard Brayden's little voice chatting with his Bunny. To my surprise I felt rested...too rested. It was 7:30am!! How did Brayden sleep with us in the room the whole time. More importantly, how was Caleb still sleeping. Like any sane mom I put my face abnormally close to Calebs to make sure he was breathing. Phew...He was...he was actually snoring...so cute.
I swear I almost started crying with happiness. I thought this night had chances of going terribly and it ended up being a night I got the most sleep I had gotten in almost two months and a night where Brayden really taught me a lesson. It was to give us all a little more credit. All Brayden needed was a chance to show us he could do it and sleep in the same room as us. Maybe we are more resilient than I knew. Sure our parenting style may be a little unconventional at times and I don't follow all the advice out there...but tell that to someone who didn't just get more than 5 hours of sleep with a 2 month old and a 1 and a half year old! Take that "experts"!

"Moo" went the cow. "Waaahh" went mommy.

The other day Brayden, 17 months, made a huge scene while leaving daycare. Kicking and screaming while putting him in his car seat, he actually kicked me too. When I finally got into the drivers seat I sat there almost wanting to cry. As we drove home I told Brayden "Mommy isn't talking to you on the way home because you hurt my feelings." What?!? he really had...
Brayden "chatted" on the way home and then started making his animal sounds, which we have been working on. He was doing so good with his cow and monkey sounds...so of course I started tearing up with pride. Within 5 minutes, we were "moo"ing together. Well I hope he learned his lesson...
This post is dedicated for my friend Melanie whose feelings were hurt recently too.

Sunny Weekend Realizations...

So being a mother to me this last weekend meant realizing...

That children get to discover what grass is...so funny

That men feel a sense of pride just seeing their favorite team on their baby's shirt

That straps on children's hats are there for a reason

That children think it's funny that you wear sunglasses on your face when it's clearly a chew toy! (I'll only be getting glasses under $5 from now on)

That Brayden only thinks BIG dogs are actually dogs, Canen and Tigers are obviously human!

That Starbucks should have a children's menu because they are really missing a key audience (Brayden loves their oatmeal!)

and...That weekends are so much better with my Monkeys!

Double the pleasure...Double the diapers!!

Being a mom to me means once thinking I had this perfect plan for life, when really I have as much control over my life, as I do the weather (And if you live in Winnipeg, you understand my disposition on that)

Yeppers. I'm pregnant again. And I'm not going to lie, I might have been freaking out just a tad... like a mountain size tad. Ryan was even funnier. I don't think he actually spoke for about ten minutes after he discovered the news. He just made a lot of odd faces. People were supportive and excited but loved to remind us that we were going to have two kids under the age of 2. What great news, they will be able to play and share toys! On the other hand, it also means they will have to share their parents -- from what I understand humans are harder to divide. I also recall my sister all excited and saying, "oh both your kids will be in diapers!!" Thanks Jen :)

So yes they will be about 15 months apart. When I realized this, I started to panic. Oh my perfect little plan of having Brayden be old enough to help when I was pregnant again. Infants require time, energy, and willingness to be there whenever they need. Brayden will demand the same, but with a little extra "fun" as now he is mobile and often takes Ryan and I both to corner him before he gets into mischief.
I might be exaggerating a little bit but I feel like parenting two kids under the age of 2 is like walking two dogs, and the little one is trying to stop and go to the bathroom while the big dog is pulling on their leash so hard you slip, pull the little puppy and step in the poop pile (never mind the fact that we actually have two dogs). Yep, it's like a cartoon. I understand why people make reality shows out of this stuff. I can envision it- Ryan sleeping in the living room with the baby, while midnight ESPN reruns play and me sleeping on the floor of Brayden's room with food caked on my forehead.

LOL!
STOP!! Pay attention to the following:

Even as I've been writing this, I've been smiling. Maybe I'm excited for the storm! Instead of being scared and staying inside, I'll get the courage to run outside and play in the rain. I'm excited to apply what Ryan and I have learned so far and see these two little beings grow together. I'm excited to see Brayden's face when he meets his younger sibling or maybe see him give an applause one day when the little one first learns how to crawl, or roll, or walk. I'm also excited to see the little look up to their older brother as he teaches them to do so much (including getting into mischief.)

So, will we be able to handle two under 2? I'm planning on it. I know it will be a little crazy, and we'll have to compromise on everything from trips to...sleep. But I don't want to wish that time away, because it's such a blessing and soon enough we'll look back at it,  laugh about the craziness and I'll wish I could have it all back.

The Secret to Being a Working Mom: Research in Progress!

Being a mother to me this last week has meant learning that it's okay to work and be mom.

Ages after society has made it okay to be a working mom, I found myself in an odd situation. Brayden got the stomach flu and was basically not able to go to daycare for a week. Ryan had just begun a job so we didn't think it was a good idea that he asked for days off right away, so I was basically off work or working from home throughout that week.

I found myself at home feeling bad that I couldn't be at work, and then when I was at work, I was feeling bad that I couldn't be with Brayden. I remember feeling that, "Oh my goodness, I'm a real parent" kind of sensation that came over me. I felt like I was going through an emotional crisis, which is odd because I' usually a very confident person (I know I'm really trying to go after that whole modesty thing ;))

It was not until someone took me aside at work and said, "Stop over analyzing it, You're not gonna feel okay with it because you're a parent and you're hard worker and you're a ...oh yah...human! We have sick days and personal days for a reason so when you have to use them, feel okay with that, and or just get used to not feeling okay about it! Even though it will ok, it's hard but this is what it is to be a working mom."

You should have seen my face after. ha ha, I was like a child whose candy had been stolen. I didn't know if I should cry or if I should I feel better? But she was right. This is the life of a working mom and at least I work at a place that really supports that kind of person. They never ask for me to be at work at night. They respect my time with my family. They would think it's crazy if I was at work past 6! They are really great! I think what happened was that this whole world was just new to me and it took me some time to get my head around it. 

My work has always been very important to me and nothing has ever really pulled me away from that but at the end of a day, a job is a job. I really enjoy what I do and hope to remain here as long as they'll keep me but if I ever needed to get another job, I feel confident that it would happen. Brayden though...man, he's irreplaceable. He's the best part of my day and it's a really special thing that when he was sick and down in the dumps and nothing would calm him, I would hold him and he would nuzzle into my neck and fall asleep. That's a Benefit work could never offer.

If you could please send a formal request and I'll put you in my sched.

Being a mom to me means life never being what is once was.
So I haven't written according to schedule, I do want to apologize to my 6 fans out there, ;). But in my defense, life has taken on its own life. The life of before with time and space to do nothing and being able to drop what I'm doing with a moment's notice is gone.
Our whole life is officially Mr. Brayden, or at least it feels like it at times. We were asked to go out last minute a bit ago, and we were like, sorry, we need a tad more notice to set up a sitter, or make appropriate accommodations. WHAT? I felt soooo old. Life of spontaneity was gone. I can honestly say the life of a parent... I didn't get it till I got it, ya know.
Luckily we are so blessed with my parents and a couple great sitters, so this is not me complaining, but it's just a warning to parents-to-be that you'll definitely need to prepare for a life of flexible behavior, or un-flexible behavior. And although at times it will feel like you're overwhelmed with everything "parenting" involves, I would also like to say that this really cool life has also just begun. Like my mother in law always asks, "Isn't it hard to imagine your life without this little person? It's like he's always been here." It’s true. Although weekends away and all nighters will be harder to come by in the future, little times like bath time and witnessing my son's first time eating ice-cream have made me realize what is actually meaningful and surprisingly fun!
If you have a sitter though, take advantage. Set up a time every week, or every other week to go out and remember who you are as an individual, not just a parent. I swear that it makes both the person and the parent stronger. Plus going out with your friends or your partner will also strengthen your relationships and remind yourself that there is life outside of yours, and maybe other people are going through their own version of chaos.
Last words…if you're a control freak, you might want to toss that to the side, because parenting will be one thing that spits in the face of your perfect system. If you don't believe me, just wait until you're in a restaurant and somehow have managed to get poop on your shirt!

Remembering pregnancy: I would like beets, goat cheese, perogies and toast!

Being a mom to me means taking the time to appreciate to appreciate the irony of how much nausea one goes through in pregnancy to produce a child that then vomits on you all the time.

Here is my prego friend's lunch bag today!
The poor thing just didn't know what she wanted,
so she brought it all! I totally understand!

I have a friend who is pregnant right now and every time I see her it looks like the night before was her 21st Birthday party. Hung over! Everyday she feels hung over. What a special treat this pregnancy is! First you can't even stand the smell of onions, then you want perogies smothered in them with a dallop of whipped cream and chocolate!

I feel like I talk a lot about my experience as a mother, but I want to give a shout out to my non-mommies out there, especially ones that are trying to get pregnant.

Be aware that you're first 3-4 months (yes I said FOUR!!!) may be filled with burning sensation in your throat due to acid reflex - when you least expect it, randomly vomiting in your mouth when you least expect it, letting out an incomprehensible smells - when you least expect it, bloody noses - when you least expect it... and more!

Alright now that I've probably turned everyone away from wanting to go down this lovely path, the second trimester is actually so much fun. You're feeling better, starting to show and actually are having fun with the concept that there is a little human growing inside of you. (On the other side of course this is also the phase where you feel like there is an alien inside of you! Oh ya and that part where you start to get bigger and you get your partner to shut the lights off every time they want to get close to you!) But never the less, there is a lot to look forward to! People naturally smile at you when you're out and about. Even the coldest of hearts will open a door for you.  You get special parking (that Ryan always liked more than me.) And then there is that moment when your partner rubs your belly and gives you the all knowing smile. That's a pretty good moment that make all those hung over mornings worth it.

So consider, the first few months are a boot camp of sorts. Makes you realize how strong and crazy you have to be to want to take on one of the most challenging jobs God can give a person! Making a human - and then raising it! Because guess what’s around the corner when the little tike is here? Burning sensations you'll get to feel right after child birth - when you least expect it, your baby randomly vomiting on you - when you least expect it, the most incomprehensible smells coming from their diapers (or coming out of the diapers) - when you least expect it and more…trust me…so much more!