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.