A weekend of small victories

I was reading this post by AP the other day and found myself nodding with every word in agreement.  You see folks, with the first child I, along with many, had some lofty goals and expectations.  I figured dinner would be on the table as always, the house would be clean, etc.  With the second child I was pretty prepared for reality.

Truthfully, my biggest accomplishment everyday is survival.  If we make it though one day with no emergency room visits I'm happy.  If I happen to cook dinner several nights in a row, I'm ecstatic.  If the laundry gets done and I happen to shower and put on makeup?? We're talking gold medal people.  Last week was a pretty great week.  I went into work on Wednesday and felt a little bit giddy at the thought of my normal life returning.  I spent Thursday and Friday at home, in my pjs, rocking the little guy and trying to keep the toddler from collapsing from boredom.  When the hubby dropped the bomb on me he was working all weekend I might have wept.

But, I gave myself a little mental check and decided I'd do some things for myself.  Saturday morning I loaded up the kiddos and went to the lake for a walk.  The endorphins kicked in and I might have even jogged a little!  Evidently that exhausted the whole family and we took colossal 3 hour naps that evening.  Two small victories in one day!! :) 


Saturday night I decided I had to get serious about putting Hank on a schedule...and putting him in his crib.  Hank is a cuddler; big sister was not so much.  She was pretty happy laying on her back and starting sleeping in her crib pretty early.  And by sleeping, I mean small increments people.  I didn't bring her home from the hospital and sock her in it!  So after feeding little man Saturday night I swaddled him up and laid him down.  A little whimpering and he slept like that for about 3 hours. 

Of course, it kind of breaks my momma heart to see such a little guy in such a big bed so he cuddled with me the rest of the night.  (I did put him in his crib for nighttime last night as well and he made it 3 hours again!  Sweet victory!)

Sunday I had already asked Rosie to watch Hank so Carsyn and I could go to church together.  Honestly running a 10k is easier than getting myself and 2 kids ready and out the door!  Carsyn is loving sitting at my dressing table and pretending to put on makeup so that occupied her for a little while.


Hank is pretty content in his rock and play..




(And oh my goodness....do you see those little leg rolls??)

Anyway, we made it!!  Carsyn loves seeing everyone at church, but secretly I think she just goes for the toys.

So my advice to new mommas and mommas of two- Take AP's advice and celebrate those small victories!

Static

My mind is such a full mess right now! There are a MILLION things I need to be doing and I feel like I'm always behind. I start each week writing down all the tasks I need to do and feel so overwhelmed. My house is a disaster,my hubby rarely gets a home cooked meal, and I'm so grouchy I can't stand myself.

Fall has always been my time of year. Some say its a spiritual time, or a time of renewal and I kind of like that. I like the fact that summer is over and I can sip warm drinks and curl up under a blanket. I like to look outside and see the leaves dying and the dew dripping off the colors of autumn. I like the chill in the air. I'm hoping the calmness of the weather outside will somehow put me in that same calm state.

I went to church yesterday morning and honestly didn't comprehend a word the preacher said. I set there completely annoyed at myself for letting the noise in my head interrupt this time. I guess I can partly blame that on it being baby girl's first time in the church nursery. (Luckily she LOVED it). I don't know why I let little things like mounds laundry and cleaning to do get inside my head. Reschedule pictures, get windows cleaned, cut back trees, clean out closets, put up baby stuff.....its never ending. Its like I need an off button to turn down the static. While I had hoped the church service would help me clear out the junk I think I finally succeeded during my evening run. Before mile 1 I was already feeling better. As the gravel crunched under my feet and Bruce sang about lonesome days I begin to think clear thoughts. I think I'm going to make it a point to get back to running at least 3 days a week. And yes I'm aware of the fact I say this every week or two! My mom always said when she walked she thought and I guess I'm just like her. Running=therapy :)

Thankfully, the hubby and Carsyn had daddy/daughter day and I also worked some outside. I always feel better when I accomplish even small tasks, but I'm going to try to relax more also. Speaking of relaxing we had a very low key Saturday. We went to my MIL & FIL's house to watch the cats play. I might have fallen asleep during the 4th qtr. We lost, but part of the fun is getting dressed up in KY gear and cooking, don't you think?















I made 3 appetizers dishes and they turned out pretty well. Do y'all have a great buffalo chicken dip recipe? I keep tweaking mine!







Well, my goal for this week is to lose the grouchiness...wish me luck!

Our Weekend

With summer winding down I'm trying to spend as much time in the pool with baby girl as possible. She is such a little waterdog :)







I'm beyond ready for fall fashion, but I hate to say goodbye to my summer staple-the maxi dress. I got this little beauty off the INC sale rack at Macys for $29..



(please forgive the playmat in the background..I have boxes of stuff baby girl has outgrown I need to pack away..sigh)

I was so inspired reading what Shauna did to her pantry I decided to tackle my own this weekend.

Before..


Work In Progress..



I have a little more work to do but here's a little breakdown so far..

I put all of Carsyn's goodies on a tray on the bottom shelf. She's outgrown most of her baby food, but I still have a few left.



I picked up these OXO containers for dry goods like cereal, snacks, pasta, etc..



I also have a tray for our grownup snacks...ritz crackerfuls and granola bars..exciting stuff! :)



I wish I could get more ambitious and paint and repalce the shelves but I feel better just getting organized.

The perfect weekend ends with a run for me..

Mile 4

We all know I'm a CBN by now right? This weekend at the lake I was struggling a bit. So mad at myself for putting being in shape so far down on my priority list. The local high school cross country team members were practicing and passing me up as I took my walk breaks. So after mile 3 this little number came on the ipod and I ran that entire mile 4. Not a super huge accomplishment given it took me almost an hour to complete the 4 miles, but I gave myself a little pat on the back. Folks, I might just be back ;)

What song gets you going?

Days 10 & 11 Things I Love

I love to run. I love to sweat believe it or not and when I'm gross and completely dripping from finishing mile 6 I feel on top of the world. Of course I have to admit part of the reason I love to run is so that I can eat more of day 9's object of love and well frankly day 11 also (but we'll get to that later). I really started running about 10 years ago. I could barely go 1/2 mile but the adrenaline rush hooked me. I've ran 5ks and 10ks but have always wanted to accomplish a mini marathon. So far I get up to running about 9 miles and my body just can't go any further. Last year right before I found out I was pregnant I was at this point and now I think I'll never reach it again. I'm not putting any pressure on myself, but it's still on my to do list. Thankfully Carsyn has discovered Baby Mozart on DVD and I can prop her in front of the tv and she's completely content for about a half hour. See.....







As far as food goes this girl loves her some pizza. Plain cheese from Papa Johns to be exact. Have eaten a whole pie in one sitting.

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What food do you love?

Accomplishments!

This has been a busy weekend, but sometimes I like being busy!

My chalkboard to do list worked well for the hubby so I made myself one this weekend.


Bath Dog..



Check

Mani/Pedi..



Half check

Visit Hobby Lobby..



Check- Carsyn was not at all enthralled by the hobby lobby like I am, but I did get some sparklies to bling out her paci from an idea I stole from this gal.




Run..



Check!! 3 miles at a very slow pace, but I'm hanging in there.

For those of you taking notice the laundry did not get checked off, nor will it, but in keeping with 14 days of things I love I did experience 2 of them this weekend-hobby lobby & a manicure :)

Turn Me Loose, Set Me Free

Love that Merle Haggard song...

Carsyn was 3 weeks old as of yesterday and Momma was completely going stir crazy. As for being a SAHM the SAH part is not for me. I'm looking forward to dressing Carsyn up and going shopping(even if its just the grocery store), going for strolls at the lake, and visiting family. Luckily Shane's family came to visit on Sunday and I got outside and did a little fall decorating. Its so nice to have company..I start looking forward to weekends on Mondays.








We finally got our new doors installed and I'm really happy with the results!


Today, I loaded up the SUV with Carsyn's 400 lb stroller and went to my favorite running trail at the lake.....Yippeee! My Dr did not give me specific instructions as to when I could drive or exercise...I do not feel up to running yet, but baby girl and I did have a nice walk. It was a beautiful fall day here in KY and I think it did us both good to get out of the house.





Tomorrow is another adventure as we have a Dr appt. Hopefully they'll give me some advice as to how to get baby girl to sleep at night!! So far, she is totally nocturnal (and yes this might be my fault).

Springtime

We have been enjoying beautiful weather in Kentucky lately and today was no exception. I do not think I counted a single cloud in the sky. Unfortunately it was a crazy hectic day for me and the weather did little to offset my mood. I went for a run at the lake tonight and regained my sanity. It really is lovely there and never fails to make me feel glad to live in the country.






Some still nag me for running but as I told my doc you took away my coffee, red wine, and sushi, please don't take my running! While its true my "running" has turned into a slow jog and that will likely turn into a waddle, I am still enjoying it.

I am looking forward to a beautiful Mother's Day weekend and getting to spend some time with my family.

20 more weeks to go and 4 more days til we find out whether we have a little boy or girl!! :)