Two Years is a Long Time to Marinate
I really thought I was done.
Like the meat thermometer doesn’t go any higher, the chicken is all dried out done.
But I had a twinge the other day.
Already?
I’m not even recovered from the most recent total life-altering one.
I was shopping. I don’t remember where. I saw a very pregnant mom-to-be. And I actually felt a little sad that I wasn’t pregnant anymore.
That totally blindsided me because I don’t like being pregnant. And this last time I was so sick and miserable for so much of it, I was relieved when Wade came a month early as soon as I learned there weren’t any complications from him being slightly premature.
I’m so sleep deprived right now, and struggling to keep up with a newborn and four-year-old that I think, “You’re crazy for wanting to do this again!”
The doctor told me after the C-section that I could have one more, but that I needed to wait two years to let everything heal. Originally he’d said Wade would be my last if I didn’t have a VBAC this time. And at the time It didn’t matter because I thought I wanted Wade to be my last.
Two years is a long time. I’d be that much closer to 40. And do I really don’t want to be plagued with headaches and nausea and fatigue for months again? Do I really want to put my body through that again? It was more difficult to recover this time.
I was never one of those girls who dreamed of being a mom. I didn’t even really play house growing up. I was sort of take it or leave it when it came to a family. I mean it was something I thought I’d do, but it wasn’t something I had to do. Then once I had two I was sure it would be enough.
I can think of a million reasons why I shouldn’t.
But there’s the one big reason I should.
Well, I guess we’ll wait and see how I feel two years from now.
The One Where I Manage to Work in SpongeBob, McDonald’s and Bob Dylan and Still Make Sense
I managed to cleverly avoid going out and about alone with Wade and David for seven whole weeks.
I had the handy little excuse that I wasn’t supposed to lift things after the C-section, and the baby carrier with Wade in it was just too heavy. Saying so with sad eyes as I dramatically clutched my middle was quite effective and convincing.
Really I was just terrified about what I would do if David was screaming in the store because, “No you can not have a SpongeBob balloon,” at the same time Wade was screaming because, “Mommie, I’m starving!”
But after a long, cold, rainy June day at home with David climbing the walls and attempting to pick up Wade while I was in the bathroom, I decided we needed to all get out of the house before someone got hurt or went nuts. Daddie wasn’t going to be home until very late, so I packed the three of us in the car and headed to McDonald’s for dinner.
McDonald’s because they have a Playland and WIFI.
I mean goodness knows I wouldn’t go there for the coffee. Ack! You could strip paint with that stuff. I don’t get why their coffee is rated number one over and over above other chains. It must be pure market share.
The Carmel Latte and their new Frappe are the only coffee drinks that are consumable as far as I’m concerned.
Not that you care how concerned I am about McDonald’s coffee.
Ahem…
So, anyway, back to the story –
Now, much to my dismay, when we arrived there we gaggles of parents and young children in line. I looked for the tour bus on its way back from the circus, but learned that it in fact was not a tour bus. I chose $1.50 Happy Meal Night of all days for our first outing.
And in our pit of an economy in Michigan $1.50 Happy Meals are like Christmas in July.
Or June.
It was actually still June.
So we waited and waited, and I wrangled David who was going to absolutely burst if he was delayed one minute longer from climbing to the top of the slide.
My other discovery that evening was that I do not have enough hands.
My super-cute pink and white polka dot laptop sleeve that does not have a handle is completely useless when lugging around a baby in a car seat, a diaper bag, purse and four year old. I managed to cram it into the diaper bag between the bottles and the wipes.
I also, in a moment of unusual clarity, had the where-with-all to ask for our food To Go even though we were dinning in. It’s easier to manage bags than a tray. There is your handy-dandy parenting survival tip for the day.
You are welcome.
So we ate, David played, Wade slept, and I tried to get on line.
Did you know the WIFI at McDonald’s is not free?
I know! Right?
It costs $2.95 for two hours.
Everybody on God’s Green Earth has free WIFI except McDonald’s.
But after all that work I was not about to be defeated by $3, so I anted up my Mastercard.
McDonald’s not-free WIFI is almost as bad as their coffee.
So. Very. Slow.
I was the only parent in the Playland with a laptop by the way, and I fielded more than a few sideways glances.
Come on, it’s called Parenting 2.0 People! Join the new millennium.
I woke Wade up to feed him so he wouldn’t scream in the store we were headed to after McDonald’s.
Then after pleading for several minutes with David to, “Come down here now. We are leaving!” (Like I could go up there and get him.) I managed to extract David from the human rat tunnel that is Playland, and we left.
We went to the store which was uneventful except for the predicted few minutes of screaming, “I want a SpongeBob balloon!” Wade, happily full, did not scream at the same time thank goodness.
Then home we went.
I survived. And we are about to venture out again today since Daddie is working three very long days at at huge music festival, and I know we will loose our collective minds if we don’t get out.
(Can I just mention how jealous I am that Daddie is listening to such famous acts at Bob Dylan and The Black Crowes while I’m listening to the umpteenth rendition of the ABC ’s?)
O.K.
We’re Going, going, gone.
Are People Really this Stupid?
This warning is on the side of our pool:
It says WARNING: NO DIVING.
This is the pool.
Really?
Twitter Party
Join my SIL from Comfort Joy Designs and myself tomorrow night for the Mommie Daze Virtual Shower Twitter Party Finale! There will be some great prizes up for grabs. Find the details here.
Puppy Love
This is Joey.
My favorite dog.
Shhh. Don’t tell Elizabeth.
She’ll get jealous.
This is Wade.
My favorite son.
Just kidding.
I love both my boys To The Moon and Back!
Joey took a keen interest in Wade from the start. From the time I was first pregnant with Wade, Joey started following me everywhere in the house, sitting with me whenever I sat, and getting into bed with me at night. Things he didn’t do before. Somehow he just knew. Maybe pregnant women smell different. I don’t know.
When we brought Wade home Joey spent several minutes checking him out and sniffing him.
Elizabeth just ignored Wade. Over the next six weeks Joey would check out the bassinet and it’s contents a few times a day. Often he slept on the floor next to bassinet.
This is the now empty bassinet.
Last week Wade starting sleeping in his crib.
Poor Joey almost had a nervous break down. He spent a night and day sniffing the bassinet looking for its occupant. He’d check it out, then look at me, and make a few agitated paces around the house. When he started whimpering over it Sunday afternoon I finally took him into Wade’s room, lifted up the 35 lb. dog and showed him the baby napping in his crib.
I guess that did the trick. Joey hasn’t sniffed the bassinet since. Now he just sits with me when I feed Wade, and puts his his furry little head at Wade’s feet.
It must be love.
Aden and Anais Organic Wrap Giveaway and Review
I promised you a giveaway last weekend for your summer babies. Well, here it finally is.
Aden and Anais is giving away one of their Organic Swaddle Wraps. It’s the prefect summer baby blanket. Even when it’s hot babies still like the comfort of a blanket. And if you have a newborn you probably still want to swaddle them.
Have you looked for summer-weight baby blankets? They’re hard to come by. I purchased a blanket sleeper from a department store recently that said it was summer-weight on the package. When I got it home it was as thick as a sweatshirt. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to sleep in a sweatshirt in July.
Wade in his Organic Wrap from Aden and Anais. I know he's not properly swaddled, but this baby does not like to have his arms constricted.
This Organic Wrap from Aden and Anais is made of light, gauzy cotton that breaths. It’s 47×47 inch size gives you plenty of fabric to swaddle your baby. I find a lot of receiving blankets aren’t even big enough to really wrap around your baby.
Aden and Anais sent me an Organic Safari Wrap to try out it. It’s been in the 90’s the last few days, and Wade’s been sleeping in his Organic Wrap at night and during nap time. I also like to use the light wrap to put over the baby carrier when we go out to shield him from the sun. And it came in handy when we were in a restaurant that had the air conditioning turned up a little too high.
To enter to win your own Organic Wrap from Aden and Anais visit the store and come back and comment with the name of one product you like besides the Organic Safari Wrap mentioned above.
The contest will end at 11:59 p.m. July 6th. The contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. The winner will be contacted by email.
Disclosure: Aden and Anais did provide me with the Organic Wrap to review, however the opinions expressed above are soley mine and were not influenced by Aden and Anais.
