Monday, March 25, 2013

reflections.

such hard work being a baby!

well, it's been five and a half weeks since owen arrived on the scene, and i figured it was high time to share some observations on life around here.  

1) owen could quite possibly be the most relaxed, chill baby in the world.  i'm NOT exaggerating.  he is a sweet little cuddler who, thankfully, is impervious to the raucous atmosphere around here.  between his father's commentary during blackhawks' games to his brother's opinionated monologues, LOUD NOISES is one thing we're glad he doesn't seem to mind.

2) THIS is the most amazing mascara in the world.  no matter how few hours of sleep i've gotten, a shower and this mascara are all i need to feel like a million bucks.

3) THESE nursing bras are still my absolute favorites.  thought i'd share, just in case your boobs are ridiculously large and leaking milk...

4) the key to a happy home is regular meals.  and regular snacks in between.  seriously.  i don't need eight hours of sleep each night --  i can function on about half that, if need be.  nothing brings me closer to meltdown, though, then ravenous hunger.  i've been focusing on keeping everyone around here well-fed (myself included), which, i believe, has resulted in general good spirits and happiness.  

speaking of which - if you have a toddler who has recently decided to become a picky eater, i highly recommend any and all articles by dr. sears.  he's calmed my anxiety on the topic.  instead of getting frustrated, i've been trying to make mealtimes fun, and let me just say - eating an orange is more fun when it looks like a monster face.

those are the three little bears wearing super fashionable, on-trend strawberry hats.  and those two orange monsters are FRIENDLY, as i carefully explained to jack.  he was more concerned about the lack of legs on the caterpillar. regardless, he ate the entire plate and followed it all up with "candy peas," which i, employing skillful reverse psychology tactics, asked him to PLEASE NOT eat those CANDY PEAS because they were for mommy and daddy.  as soon as i turned my back to him, he gobbled the bowl down.  stubborn mom - 1; stubborn toddler - 0.

5) nothing brings me to hot post-partum mess quicker than tender moments between my husband and his sons.  

6) family pictures become exponentially more difficult with the addition of more children.  (this is maybe number 18 in a series of 37?)


7) mediocre is the new AMAZING.  or something.  you know me: BIG expectations, COMPLICATED plans, and always a HUGE to-do list.  however, beginning with a surprise c-section, these past five-ish weeks have really reinforced to me that i need to check my control freak tendencies at the door and just LIVE.  my favorite recent memories have not come about after tedious crafting or elaborate meal preparation.  they've mostly taken place on the floor of our living room, where everyone's still in their pj's at 11 a.m., i'm covered in baby spit-up (but i'm wearing that awesome mascara - see #2), and i've just recovered from a near-death run-in with a lego underfoot.  i feel a familiar nagging voice reminding me that i haven't "done ANYTHING" today, and then i see jack hugging owen and sharing trucks with him, and i realize that i don't need to "accomplish" anything today.  

8) speaking of which, revising my attitude and changing my perspective is about as helpful as more sleep and a live-in housekeeper would be anyway.  i challenge you to really think about this the next time you tell yourself you haven't accomplished enough today.  i guarantee you've done a lot more than you're giving yourself credit for.  i almost dismantled my happy mood with that sort of nagging today when i realized, HEY! i did two loads of laundry, had the kids in actual outfits, made everyone breakfast and paid all our bills online - all before 9:30 a.m.!  it's the little victories!

9) frozen yogurt makes everything better.

10) downton abbey is a fabulous show.  i'm sorry i resisted jumping on that bandwagon for so long.  my mother-in-law came to visit for a week, and she insisted i take afternoon "naps" (LOVE her!), so i was able to watch seasons 1 - 3.  

11) speaking of shows, john and i are slowly, but surely, plugging away on mad men episodes.  i have a love-hate relationship with it.  some days i'm all about it, and other days it annoys the crap out of me.  no matter the day, it always makes me thirsty.

12) most importantly, i am having a great time hanging out with my boys at home.  i'm trying not to think about the looming end of this time together, and doing my best to treasure all the sweet moments we're experiencing.

all the best from our messy, but HAPPY, home to yours,
steph



 "take a camera of jack's sad face, mom!"


 "angry face!"

"happy face!"

 littlest lepruchan.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

jack-isms.

handing owen a toy train...
jack: here you go, owen!  you have this train.  (raises his voice to a squeaky pitch and pretends to speak for owen) oh, thank you very much, jack!

jack: good morning, owen!  (sees that owen is wearing a sleep sack) WHAT (pause) IS (pause) THAT???  owen's legs are broken!

jack (to his stuffed puppy):  you better be good at the store!  no barking, no screaming, no yelling, or mommy will be mad and angry and you will be in a time out.

jack lugs a gallon of milk to the living room and sets it down next to me while i'm feeding owen. jack: can you give this milk to owen and we will play trucks?

walking home from sledding at the park, a man shoveling his walk says hi to us and i say hi back...
jack (VERY LOUDLY, i might add): DID YOU TALK TO THAT MAN?  DAD IS GOING TO BE MAD!

jack: i peed in the potty, mom.  i peed LOTS.  i peed three thousand.

jack is walking around with a one dollar bill, a nickel and a penny...
jack: i have twenty-eight, eight-four monies.  i have coins.  i have monies to buy whatever we need.

jack: i am captain hook.  you can be smee.
me: ok.
jack: don't say that, mom.  say ARRRRGGGHHH.

jack drops a truck behind his bed and gets his leg stuck in the process of trying to retrieve it...
jack: help! help! emergency! ayudame!

i'm mixing some spices together to sprinkle on top of homemade fries...
jack: can i have a little taste? (he proceeds to lick his finger and taste the spices, and make a face) this is ewwwww.  can i have some more?






Friday, March 15, 2013

owen william: one month!

totally cliche, but i can't believe this little peanut is one month old already!











happy st. patrick's day weekend, everyone!  i'll be celebrating with my little lepruchans... indulge me in a proud mom moment... aren't they the cutest?



Tuesday, March 12, 2013

more jack-isms.

on increasing morale...
me, to john:  i'm crabby today.  i need to get out of this house.
jack: we can go to cherry berry (frozen yogurt place), mom, and you will feel ALL better!
... and we did!

preparing to take owen to his doctor's appointment...
me: i'm going to take owen to the doctor and you're going to stay and have fun with daddy.
jack: can i go, too?
me: not today.
(jack leaves the room, and comes back a few minutes later)
jack: (holding out his finger) i got an ouchie on my finger, so i have to go to the doctor, too.

owen is upstairs napping...
jack: did you forget owen, mom?
me: no, he's upstairs sleeping.
jack: don't lose owen, mom.  go get him!

inspecting a knick in our bookshelf...
john: jack, did you do that?
jack: yes, he did.  he bashed it.
me: do you know what happened to the piece?
jack: i need my glasses.  i can't find it.

jack and i were in a minor (thank goodness!) car accident on the way home from target.  we were rear-ended.  after the ordeal, we headed home to tell daddy what happened.
(as i'm unbuckling him from his car seat) jack: i'm going to tell daddy about the big bam!  this is going to be really exciting! (as he enters the house) daddy?  daddy?  where are you?  a man hit mommy's car.  there was a big boom, and the car is SMASHED!  call the police, daddy!  (he proceeds to "call" all our relatives using a red block, to share the news)

at target, we're searching for "short" yoga pants.
me: i don't think they have them, jack.  mommy can't find them.
jack: don't cry, mom.  cheer up.  we will find them.  i promise you.

owen is grunting.
jack: he is trying to poop, mommy.  owen will feel better if he toots!

stay tuned for the next edition of things-i-think-are-funny-because-my-offspring-said-them!

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

jack-isms.

me:  are you crabby?  i feel like you're not listening very well today.
jack:  (proudly) that's right, mom!  i'm NOT hearing you and i'm NOT listening today!

while making banana bread, using the electric mixer, owen lets out a tiny meow...
jack: MOM!  please turn off this!  it's too loud and owen hates it!

jack: there's only one thing we can do!  we have to smash it!  (about a toy truck that was broken)

me: would you like yogurt or applesauce?
jack: umm, no thanks.  he will have a cookie.  (we're big on talking in third person around here)

owen grunts a little...
jack: i'm sorry, owie! you have to be quiet.  be a good boy now.

after his super reader show ends...
jack: i want more super readers, mom.  can you get me some more?
me:  it's over.  i can't turn it on... i don't make the schedule.
jack: (encouraging) you can do it, mom!  just try!  excellent work!

after his nap, i discover him cuddling up in my bed...
me: what are you doing in here, jack?  are you still sleepy?
jack: SSSSHH!  quiet down, mom.  he's still waking up.

i purchased a bag of jelly beans to reward my little grocery shopping sidekick for good behavior.
grocery store clerk: what a good helper!  are you going to help your mom with these groceries?
jack: ummm, no thanks!  i will sit here and eat jumping beans.  (he calls jelly beans "jumping beans.")