The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

As I see Emma getting older and turning more into a little girl and less like a baby, I realize there are some good, some bad, and some just down right ugly truths about this transition.

The Good:
Emma is becoming more independent.  She is content to play by herself for longer periods of time.  I can sit out a coloring book and some crayons and she's good to go for a while.

Furthermore, with the new toddler bed, she'll usually get up in the morning and come play in the living room.

This is considerably better than the crib days when at the crack of dawn I would be summoned from a deep sleep and have to bound out of bed to rescue a screaming baby.  Yes, she still wakes me up early, but at least I can hang out in the bed until I've got my wits about me and am ready to get up and face the day.

Just felt like adding a pic of Emma's bed head...

She's also able to feed herself now.  No more sitting and shoveling pureed nastiness into an unreceptive baby.

In her Derby "hat"

The Bad:
With independence comes curiosity.  This little sponge likes to imitate everything Mommy & Daddy do.  Now don't get me wrong, this can be totally cute sometimes.

 

But that also means we've got to start watching what we're saying and doing.  She also loves to try new things and investigate how things work.

Daddy teaching her how to golf.

But this does result in kitchen cabinets being emptied (repeatedly), PDF's (public display of frustration) when things don't go her way, and endless temper tantrums.  (No photos of this, and believe me, you don't want to see it.)

The Ugly:

Some ugly truths about babies becoming toddlers?  Well for starters, when I pick Emma up from the nursery at the gym, I used to get sympathetic looks.  Like, "Oh, she just had a baby and she's trying to loose her baby weight."  But now, since lil' princess isn't a baby anymore, there's no sympathy (or excuses) for my extra "fluff".  (Again, no pictures, entirely too disgusting.)

There's a considerable increase in the number of times we get asked, "So, when are you having baby # 2?"  The closer we get to Emma's second birthday, that whopper of a conversation starter increases exponentially. 

 And the ugliest truth of all?  You'll eat your words.  As hard as that baby-phase was and as many times as people would tell me "Cherish every minute of it" (and I would think, "No way, I can't wait to be past this stage"), I find myself looking back at baby pictures and missing our sweet cuddle time.



The first day we brought Emma home.  June 2009



You realize you're little baby will never be a baby again.  That every fleeting moment with your precious little one will soon become only memories for the scrapbook (which may/may not be completed before she goes off to college).

So as I do my little balancing act that is parenthood, I am thankful that the good is so good, the bad is not so bad, and the ugly, well, that's censored for toddler ears.

Mother's Day

In honor of Mother's Day, I simply wanted to post some Mommy quotes:

“My mother's menu consisted of two choices: Take it or leave it.” - Buddy Hackett

“If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” - Milton Berle

“It's not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.” - The Golden Girls

"The hand that rocks the cradle usually is attached to someone who isn't getting enough sleep." - John Fiebig

"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids." - Unknown

“I'm not going to vacuum 'til Sears makes one you can ride on.” - Roseanne Barr

“The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” – Calvin Trillin

“There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one” - Jill Churchill

“Some are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same; and most mothers kiss and scold together.” - Pearl S. Buck

“Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see.”- Pope Paul VI

“The phrase ‘working mother’ is redundant.” - Jane Sellman      

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” - Rajneesh 


Happy Mother's Day to all the fabulous mothers out there!!

Victoria Rose, Martha Rose, & Emma Rose

 

Happy Endings

There's a new show on ABC called Happy Endings.  It's pretty funny, funny enough it earned an automatic DVR'ing upgrade.  It's about a group of friends, I think they're in NYC, but they're all trying to find that special someone and live happily ever after (hence the title).

But it just got me to thinking, why is it that finding your spouse/life partner/whatev and then settling down with them, considered THE END?  Every little girl's fairytale ends with the princess marrying her prince charming and riding off in the sunset... 

I can see from a single person's point of view, finding your soul mate might seem like your life's ultimate quest.  And once that's accomplished, it's all rainbows and butterflies from then on.

August 19, 2006

But let's be realistic here.  Most folks get married in their mid- to late twenties and the average life expectancy is somewhere around 80.  That's a long time for nothing but rainbows and butterflies.

Just like how no one tells you how hard babies can be, no one tells you how hard marriage can be.  In our ripe ole marriage of five years (well, it'll be 5 yrs in Aug), Cody & I have been through alot together, but I am so thankful to have him.  We've seen the best & the worst of each other and we're both still in it for the long haul.  I thank God every day for giving me such a wonderful man.

But the point of all this woo'ing over my hubby is that August 19, 2006 was most definitely not THE END!  Our fairy tale is still being written, we are still in pursuit of our Happy Ending.  As is everyone.  Married or not.  Kids or not.  Everyone wants to die, well, happy.

Getting ready to get all Jesus freak on you, so brace yourself.  I'll make it brief.

On Easter Sunday what better time to reflect on the crosses we must carry and what reward waits for us at THE END.  So in the meantime, let's just try to enjoy the ride...

How to fold a fitted sheet

So how on Earth do you fold a fitted sheet?  Something about putting one corner inside the opposite corner then vice versa, then fold like a normal sheet.  Sounds simple right?  Usually I'll attempt it, inevitably fail, then just do the ole roll it up trick.  Luckily it gets stretched out over the mattress so no one really notices the wrinkles. 

Whew, crisis averted!  Heaven forbid there be the slightest wrinkle in my sheets!

But it always makes me think about my Grandma Showfety (from my mother's side).  She was your typical 1950's housewife.  She was a nurse in her younger days, met my grandfather and left work to raise her five children.  The house was always pristine, the kids where always at church every Sunday, and you better believe she could fold the crispest, most precise fitted sheet.  There was no way a wrinkle would find their way into those puppies!

But it always makes me think about how times have changed.  My mother, who was a product of the late 70's/early 80's way of raising children, didn't find folding a precise fitted sheet a necessity.  Instead she found making time to play with her children, take us to the park, teach us to play sports, etc, etc more important.  That's not to say my Grandma didn't spend some quality time with her children, my mother has some very fond memories of large family gatherings, annual beach trips, and learning to perfect an Orange Kiss Me Cake recipe that would knock your socks off.  But the 50's were a different time.  Women were told they most keep a spotless home, they must have dinner ready for The Man, things like that.

I'm so thankful I was not a mother during those times!

Of course, who's to say today's society isn't much different.  Women are expected to be back to work six whole weeks after having a baby, if not, look out, because inevitably there's someone right behind you chomping at the bit to get your spot on the corporate ladder.


So no, Grandma Showfety was not able to pass on her uncanny ability to fold a fitted sheet, but if there's anything she passed on that was alive and well during my childhood and will hopefully be the same for Emma's, was that family should always be your top priority.  My daughter knows I love her and that is more important to me than having a successful career or the fact she is currently napping on horribly wrinkled sheets.

Big Girl Bed!

About an hour before Emma's bedtime last night I made a rash decision.  Let's convert her crib to a toddler bed!  (Like that's just no big deal...)

My thought process was brought on by the sudden refusal to let us change her diaper on the changing pad.  Side note: we don't actually have a changing "table", we just attached one of those U-shaped pads onto the top of her dresser.  So can't say's I blame the girl.  She was about 5 feet off the ground, her now toddler-sized legs dangling off, surprised she lasted as long as she did.

So for the last week or so I've been changing her on the floor and my lower back has been letting me know it's not happy about this.  So I had a brief thought that maybe if we moved her to the toddler bed, I could use it to change her on.

So without thinking a step further, I called Cody in, we busted out the tool set and took her down.  Then it dawned on me.  Holy crap, she can get out!  Like any time she wants!  Remember those couple days last week when she didn't want to nap, and you just left her in there till she finally fell asleep?  Well you can kiss that goodbye.

I started to panic.  "Too late now," Cody said.  (After a small mishap trying to find the directions, and only after all was said and done, realizing they were attached to bottom rail, he wasn't in the mood to put everything back.)  So we did it, we went about our regular bedtime routine and put her down.  We listened out just waiting to hear her bouncing down the hall, but there was nothing.  Then it was off to bed for us.  I don't think I've slept that badly since the first night we brought her home.  Every sound woke me up, but again there was nothing... I am happy to report we didn't hear a peep out of her until 8am the next morning!

But then it was time for the dreaded naptime.  How on earth was this going to work?  Again, went about the regular naptime routine and put her down like always.  Within a matter of minutes I heard her back up.  Crap!  I usually partially shut her door during naptime, so that was keeping her contained to her room.  I gave her about 30 minutes to see if she'd lay back down.  When I heard her pulling the drawers open on her dresser I decided enough was enough.  I went back in, laid her back down, rubbed her back a little and as I was leaving the room I saw her eyes closing...  Didn't here another peep until 3 hours later!

WAS IT REALLY THAT EASY???  I have a sick feeling in my gut that it wasn't.  When we did bedtime tonight, again she got up not long after we put her down, but I took her back to bed, rubbed the back, and she's been out every since.  But something tells me tonight may be different....

Emma the Explorer

Look at that sweet face.  How could anyone ever say no to that??

Try telling those big blue eyes she can't have everything she wants...

Emma will be two in June, but the "Terrible Twos" have already arrived my friends.  Oh yes, and with a vengeance.  That sweet little face turns gruesome within a matter of milliseconds.  (Ironically have no pictures of that.)

For starters, Emma is not shy, nor does she like being contained.  So all you Mamas that have sweet little babies that cling to your leg, sit in your lap contently, or just all around angels in public, count your blessings!  My kid on the other hand, screams - no squels - when she's strapped into a high chair, held back from running into the street, or asked to sit quietly in Mommy's lap. 

No - she wants to run, play, explore!

While I appreciate that I have an adventurous daughter, it does make for some stressful outings.  And of course that Mommy Guilt kicks in and you start thinking this is your fault, that maybe you should discipline her more so she behaves in public.  There's the sting of the "looks" you get in restaurants when she lets out a toe curling squeal simply because I said, "NO, you can't play with the knife."  (How dare I??)

As I embark on this journey of Toddlerhood, I know one thing.  I don't want "NO" to be the only thing my kid hears from me.  I am so glad she is exploratory, investigative, audacious!  (Nice vocab use, ah?)  I don't want to give her so many boundaries, be so controling of her that she never learns self-reliance.  [Insert mental image of 30 year old living in their parents' basement.]

But at the same time, I don't want her to be the head honcho around here.  She's the kid, we're the parents.  We know what's best -- period.  Sorry kiddo...  But how on earth do you discipline a such a strong-willed child?  Heaven help me, Time Out is going to be my friend...

Lentin' for Punishment

My mother would be so proud.  This year I am going to honor Lent in every way us Catholics are supposed to.   Everyone knows that Lent is when you're supposed to give up something, most folks do the usual chocolate or sweat stuff.  In a society where multi-tasking is must, I can understand where some folks see it as a "two birds with one stone" opportunity.  That diet you've been wanting to try, why not give it a whirl during Lent?  Give up soft drinks for 40 days and surely you can give them up for good.

At Christmas time we all get hoards of "Remember the reason for the season!" cards, so unfortunately I'm going to use that same ole tired line for Lent.  Don't forget the reason you are skipping that piece of chocolate, saying no to that refreshing Coke.  If you're going to participate in the Lent traditions, than make sure you know what the purpose of these traditions are.

I'm not usually one to jump on a religious bandwagon, so I'll make this brief... As Catholics, or any Christians for that matter, we believe He died for our sins.  So Lent is a time to remember His great sacrifice, so in return we sacrifice a little something ourselves.  As you abstain from that slice of cake, don't just do it because you want to loose weight, but do it as just a little gesture to God that you appreciate all He did for us.

So what am I giving up you ask?  Well as Catholics, we're supposed to not eat meat on Ash Wednesday and then every Friday from now until Easter.  So that's the first part of it, but I also decided to give up curse words.  Yes, curse words.  I know, it's silly... but I need to give it up anyways because my daughter is to the point where she repeats everything I say... and I think it would make me a better Catholic... and --- wait.... this sounds alot like I'm multi-tasking doesn't it???  :)