Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Messes and Toilets!
After returning from a three day outing, the house is a mess. Clothes need washing / sorting / unpacking, as do many other items, and the baby is being very demanding.
I managed to put together a nutritious dinner. But alas, the laundry looks like it vomited, and the kitchen is almost that way too.
Tomorrow I’ve got a family reunion of sorts, and it would be ideal if I could bring something home baked. Sigh.
So I’ll start with cleaning the kitchen, do as much as I can tonight, lay out clothes etc, and perhaps cook the home baked thing (can anyone guess what quick and easy dessert dish I’m making?) and shower/bath all of us in the morning.
The rest of the mess will just have to wait until I, the sole cleaner of all messes, can get the time/energy to do it all, and still have another nutritious dinner ready tomorrow night. If you think SAHM’s don’t do anything, think again !
I am the:
- 24/7 Carer including night shift
- Laundromat
- Cleaner
- Chef
- Chef’s assistant
- Shopper
- Teacher
- Taxi
- Organiser / PackerUnpacker / Planner
- Secretary
and I’m sure I’ll find other things to add to this list.
Its also fun to add that my day is dominated by the bowel and bladder movements of not only myself, but my two children. Three sets going all day ! I think I’ll decorate my loo since I spend so much time in there.
My smug husband is so happy that when we’re at a caravan park, I, and only I, get to take Miss4 to the toilet block every two hours. He can’t go because he can’t enter the women’s toilet (of course). I’m so glad we just had a boy ! However I’m sure he’ll find a way to just send him behind the tent . . . men have got it so easy! No lining the toilet seat for every trip!
And supposedly I’m meant to lead an active (or any) sex life amongst all of this as well. (Can anyone tell me how to make this work with a newborn and a toddler in the house?)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Family Message
Dear Miss4. Right now you are underfoot all the time. You can’t wait to play games with me, and you give me lots of hugs and kisses. Your hunger for knowledge is unquenchable as you demand to know what every written word says, from books to cereal boxes, to movie credits. Everything I show you, you remember the first time, and already you know all your colours, numbers, shapes, and a thousand different words. Today you stomped on an ant, whilst you exclaimed “I’ve gotta die it!”. I laughed and you said “what’s so funny mamma?”. Then I drew a big hopscotch and taught you how to hop it and turn around. I marvelled at your perfectionism – if you couldn’t do it perfectly and fast, you didn’t want to do it at all! After that I tickled you and you gave me a big grin and a big kiss. Then you threw a total tantrum when you realised you’d left a toy outside, when you could have just asked me to please open the door.
You have perfect little lips with little points, mischevious eyes with dark lashes, and long wavy thick hair I’ve only ever dreamed of ! Some day some young guy will want to take you away and marry you, after all the years I’ve spent raising and nurturing and cleaning up after you! But until then, I’ll enjoy your beauty, simplicity, adventure and love all to myself.
To Mr10weeks. Right now you sit sleeping in the bouncer. Your legs have not lost their little bow, and you sit like a little chicken! Your latest habit is to suck your top lip and make loud sucking sounds to entertain yourself. You sit and stare at your feet whilst you move them about, and when we smile at you your face lights up in wonderment and excitement. You love to be cradled in mummy or daddy’s arms for hours on end, falling asleep in contented security. Your bottom is so very tiny, but boy can you make a mess ! You guzzle milk at each feed like you’ve never seen food before! You’re a chubby little thing, but its so adorable on you! You’ve got a perfect little mouth and high cheeks, with a little love heart chin, and it’s so cute to hold you up and nuzzle your soft little cheeks !
One day you’ll be a big strong man. Daddy will teach you how to be a bloke’s bloke, you’ll discover how to make mud pies, break stuff, build stuff, and Bunnings. And I can just see you now, walking into the house and asking for the car keys. But for now you’re my adorable little man, you love being near your mamma, and love watching from your bouncer as I potter around the house. I am excited to hear your first words, watch your first steps, and discover what kind of personality God has made you with !
To my darling husband, it is wonderful to share life with you. We are a match made in Heaven, and I enjoy every smile, every conversation and every day with you. I love hearing your thoughts and dreams. You are intelligent, thoughtful and fun. You are a wonderful leader of the home. May our love continue to grow stronger as we get fatter and wrinklier!
PS: How about that pergola? LOL 
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Special Moments
When I gave Mr10weeks his bath today, it was amazing just how much he enjoyed it. I make the water a little bit on the warm side, and he sits in a little newborn recliner made to sit inside the baby bath.
He immediately senses the freedom of being in the water, and kicks about like a newborn doing aerobics. With a wonderous look on his face, he explores and pushes himself with his feet, and splashes the water. Its amazing to watch !
Then later in the evening after his feed, change and burp, he is relaxed, contented and comfortable. I put him down for five minutes whilst I did something, then picked him up again. He looked into my face and his face lit up with a huge smile that reached his eyes. And not just one smile . . . several smiles ! And he also “talked” to me (this means he made gentle “ahh” sounds).
It makes all the sleepless nights worth it.
Miss4 is growing out of toddler stage and becoming a little girl. I’m not sure how to make the transition! All I know is giggles and hugs, lots of tickles and her attachment to her “blanky”. Now she wants information, activity and entertainment! If you’re experienced in this next stage, drop me a line !
Monday, February 18, 2008
The Perfect Article
Further to my last post, I decided to do a little researching on how I could be doing things better. Actually, I never even questioned anything until I wrote all my thoughts about my weekend in my last post. After reading it through, a lightbulb went off in my head (hasn’t happened for a while actually) that there’s got to be a better method than the constant arguing I was getting from Miss4.
So there it was. Just a quick Google and it was right there – an article about how to deal with an argumentative child.
Click here to read the article (you’ll need to click “Continue To Your Destination” to see the article if you get a pop-up page). If you’ve got a pre-school aged child – enjoy ! I will be implementing some of these strategies right away. Actually I’ve already tried some today and they’ve worked well ! Do let me know if you have any strategies that work(ed) well for your family.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Holidays, Never the same?
I had been looking forward to our weekend away for a long time. Finally I spent a week planning and making preparations, washing, folding and packing clothes for us and our two children, Miss4 and Mr9weeks. I also packed food, drinks, beach gear and other things we would need. (And bottles, steriliser, blankets, cot sheets, a gazillion spare clothes, nappies, wipes, powder etc etc).
We were meant to pick up a cot I bought on ebay on the way (that was the plan), but alass, there was no room in the car for it. So we decided we would drive there with an empty car on the first day of our weekend away, after we’d arrived and unloaded.
Well, that trip took the best part of the day. The cot is gorgeous and we got it for a bargain. But day one of our weekend was almost gone. I ended up taking Miss4 to the beach for an hour late in the day when the sun was not burning so hot.
The next day started ok. I’m still only getting about 3 plus 2 hours sleep every night, but I insist that I want to live a normal life anyway. So after dressing the kids, wiping bottoms, fixing hair, making breakfast, washing bottles, making beds, I announced I’m “going for a jog”. I used to really make myself jog, but since I never have a moment to myself, jogging is now wonderful. I brought my headset and listened to my favourite music and was having a great time, for about 20 minutes. The water was lapping the shore, the boats in the distance bobbed gently on the water, I had Enrique in my ears, I was enjoying looking at all the different camp site setups whilst I jogged, for a moment I felt youthful and summery, and for a moment, I felt like myself again (I’m 20kgs heavier than my usual self, but emotionally I was getting there LOL).
But I didn’t realise it was THAT hot outside.
Overheated, I returned, and decided to take Miss4 to the beach whilst hubby looked after Mr9weeks.
Since Hubby wanted to leave early enough to be home in daylight, I had to take Miss4 out in the heat of the day. This meant sunscreen lotion on both of our white bodies, from top to toe, including ears, and under hair lines. This took a long time.
So after all this trouble, I gathered her beach toys, a rug and a shade tent and walked down to the sand (5 minute walk – no roads to cross). Miss4 managed to complain the whole way. I’m hot. I’m tired. Hold my hand (remember I’m loaded like a pack horse). Can you carry me? Carry me, carry me, CARRY ME !!
So we arrive at the sand. I set everything up, eager to soothe my hot feet in the water and have a swim. So I ask Miss4 and she says she’d love a swim. When the water was just past her knees, she said she’d had enough, enough, ENOUGH, thank you. So much for that. Was I sun lotioned up to my ears for nothing? I sat and supervised her from under the shade tent.
The next two hours consisted of “stop that” “don’t flick sand” “don’t tip the bucket on mummy” “don’t go out too far” “stop flicking sand” “keep your hat on” “keep your sun glasses on” “come here, I’ll wipe your eyes” and so on. Although she was having a tonne of fun, playing in the water and sand, I reflected on the days I could actually dig my feet into the warm sand, and close my eyes, or simply read a book. It seems I never am relaxed anymore.
Eventually it was time to go, I packed up the shade tent, and got it to fold into a circle in one go !! (ha ha sis!) and endured Miss4’s whining all the way back, including her not wanting to walk anymore, insisting she hold my hands, which were now carrying all the stuff plus her load of shells, and screaming when I wanted to take a different (shadier) route. She told me in no uncertain terms (yelling at the top of her lungs) that she did NOT want to go THAT WAY. Some people having a BBQ gave me a sympathetic smile.
When I got back, Hubby informed me he wanted to leave asap. So I forfeited us having a shower, even though we were covered in sunscreen grease and sand, simply changed our clothes (we’ll shower at home) so we could start to pack. (Since we are at a campsite, showering involves walking across black sand to a toilet/shower block and back – I would have to take all clothes and supplies, and carry Miss4 back so her feet didn’t get dirty again, and if there is a queue we have to come back wearing towels as it takes too long to dress her when she’s damp). We packed and sweated whilst doing so since it was now really hot. Mum had lent us a portable air conditioner, which we pointed toward Mr9weeks and kept him cool. But if you were not in front of it, you didn’t feel its benefit.
The drive home was long and the roads were clogged. Miss4 wanted a drink, then some food, then more drink, then some food, but not water, coke, so I added some to her drink bottle, and managed to spill it all over my self and the front seat.
Then she needed to go to the toilet. No toilets on a freeway, for a LONG time. “I want to go toilet.” “I want to go toilet.” “I want to go toilet.” “I want to go toilet.” “I want to go toilet.” “I want to go toilet.” “I want to go TOILET.”
Finally we pull into a KFC so we can use the toilet.
Then the sun was shining hot heat into the car, right onto Miss4 and Mr9weeks, so we stopped somewhere to put a blanket on the window, and kept going.
Then Mr9weeks started whimpering, they crying, then CRYING, so I mixed a pre-prepared bottle with formula, and we pulled over so I could sit in the back seat and feed him in his baby restraint.
When we finally arrived home, and unpacked the car (which I will deal with all that stuff tomorrow, dirty laundry, jumbled bags of stuff etc), Mr9weeks started crying and would not stop. We discovered he is teething. He’s not yet anywhere near sleeping through the night, and now he’s teething !! at 9 weeks old !!.
I really wanted to have a shower, and also shower Miss4 (remember, we are still beach soiled), and where is Hubby? Mr Gadget Man Hubby is on the roof, installing a new brand of satellite TV, because, um, this HAS to be done now. Mr9weeks won’t settle at all (he’s fed, changed, rocked, burped and still isn’t happy) and Hubby is on the roof. Finally after some words, he comes down and I shower ourselves while he looks after Mr9weeks, and then I give Mr9weeks a bath but he keeps crying. My frustration levels are quite high at this stage, and bugger the whole jogging/weight loss thing, what do I do when I’m frustrated? I EAT ! So in go two icky sticky choc covered meusli bars as I stifle my frustration. I mean, how much can a tired sleep deprived mamma take?
So yes, I really did enjoy my 20 mins of “me time” jogging on the beach.
I love my family and enjoy my children and husband very much – I am blessed. But I’ve forgotten how to relax. Any advice will be readily accepted !
Monday, February 11, 2008
It’s a Boy ! Who needs sleep ??
Hi everyone, I’m back! I gave birth 8 weeks ago to an adorable baby boy, weighing 7lbs 8ozs. Yay !! He is a much longed-for answer to prayer!
I gave up blogging for a while – from recovering from a C-section to coping with severe sleep deprivation I have not got around to having a normal life yet!
For a while I thought “What’s the point” since I’m probably writing to myself here, but I’ve decided I need to write down what’s in my head, or I’ll go insane with sleep deprivation and “never-get-out-of-the-house” syndrome!
Even though I’m totally TOTALLY thrilled with our new son, and he is SO CUTE (I’m certainly not biased LOL), for the last two months he wouldn’t settle at night until 3am. Yes you heard right folks, 3am, sometimes 4. So my first three hours of sleep would be from 3 to 6am. Then up feeding/burping/changing bottom for an hour, then back to sleep at 7am, only to have him wake me again at 9am. That’s if Miss4 doesn’t come in beforehand saying “there’s light outside mamma, its MORNING! – wake up mamma, I want brekky, I want brekky, MAMMA I WANT BREKKY !! Yes, two months of this so far, but now things are better. Mr8wks now settles by about 2am (ish).
Then there’s all the mummy guilt. Yes, the guilt that I’m not spending much time in active play with my daughter. She’s such a bright child, and would do well with so much more stimulation. But most days I’m too tired to wash the constant rotation of baby bottles (gave up the 2 hourly breastfeeding a couple of weeks ago), and have any laundry out of the baskets, let alone think up fun 4yo play games. However she is mamma’s “helper” and enjoys her new responsible role.
It bothers me how other people just do not understand what it means when you tell them you’re sleep deprived. I went to enroll Miss4 in kinder and when I told the ladies how hard it is for me to just get out of the house (I will now need to invent a way to get Miss4 to Kinder by 8:30am with Mr8wks in tow), they gave me a curious look. You know, that kind of look that makes you feel “What on earth is wrong with me, does everyone else cope just fine??”
Then there’s the guilt that I’m not quite ready to receive guests yet – although the dishes are always done, I prepare all meals, Miss4 and Mr8wks are kept clean and bathed, and there are always clean clothes, the housework in every other sense has certainly taken a back seat. All the hospital brochures say “accept any offers of help”, but I don’t get any offers of help! So with my limited energy, how can I entertain? I really want my aunties and cousins to visit, and I know I’m disappointing my mother in this regard, but unfortunatly “morning” for me is at about 11:30am, and that’s when I start my routines. Then evening comes and the day ends.
Right now, Mr8wks is crying. He’s been fed, burped countless times, and has a clean, fresh bottom, and yet he will not settle. Yet I’m in love with this little adorable bundle and will have more children. The pleasure still outweighs the sacrifices, and this week he started smiling and cooing. As a bonus I’ve even learned to type with one hand!
Are there any mums out there that can offer some understanding? I feel like an alien living in a non-sleep-deprived world.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Decluttering in Progress
Hi everyone. I am tackling months of clutter build up that was created whilst I worked for several months this year and didn’t have as much time for the home.
Today I decluttered the dressing table, which had a build up of receipts, newspapers, unread books, handbag stuff, and brushes and makeup. I also have a bookshelf next to my bedside table which had accumulated clutter too. I basically put everything into a basket and brought it to the kitchen table. Then when the bedroom benches and shelves were clear, I cleaned and shined and now its nice and empty. Tomorrow I will set my timer for 20 minutes every now and then and go through and either toss or keep everything on the kitchen table. I’ll only return to the bedroom with the stuff I intend to keep (in an organised manner, grouped with like items), and will shred or recycle the rest.
I also cleaned out the clutter in the laundry. This included completely emptying and sorting my kitchen pantry because my husband will be tearing the old thing down to create a new one this weekend – so we’ve got a temporary old portable pantry in the laundry for now (its usually in the shed). I tossed with abandon plastic containers I don’t like and will never use, and all old foods and baking products.
I must add that being 8 months pregnant, I had frequent rest breaks, and walked to and fro very very slowly. This process took me all day with rest breaks in between. If you could see how I walk you’d laugh ! This baby tends to like sitting on my bladder.
Jobs for the coming weeks:
- finish preparing the new baby’s room
- declutter all the cleaning products in the laundry
- purge all the old stuff under the laundry bench
- get new curtains in the rumpus since the verticles completely broke (problem is I want the same curtains everywhere and this means more to spend). Any ideas?
- purge some of M’s toys as she has too many and some of the yucky ones need to go as its too hard to keep the room tidy.
- do my personal tax and get that out of the way.
Phew !
All of this will be worth it to keep the house clutter free and easier to clean.
As for that crochet I need to finish – when on earth will I fit it in?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Pregnancy, waiting, waiting, waiting . . .
Hey everyone. I’m pregnant with our second child – 8 months along ! I am very excited and have crocheted all sorts of baby wear, such as beanies, booties, jackets, blankets and even a Victorian Cape (well, some are half finished).
Somewhere along the way, I lost enthusiasm and need to get it back to finish my projects. The baby will be here in six weeks! I’m finding I’m spending too much time cleaning and organizing my home in preparation.
So to get me going, I promise to post pictures of my projects when they’re finished, so watch this space!
In the meantime, I count the weeks in anticipation of the birth. I’m feeling huge and uncomfortable and can’t even turn over in bed. I’m counting the days . . .
