Excuse me while I compose myself, because I’m sobbing like a baby. Well, not like a baby. I am sobbing like a mom. And you know what that looks like. It’s eyes filled to the brim while I gaze upon my little girl who is growing right before my eyes. I am smiling and crying at the same time. I am looking at this little four year-old but simultaneously seeing the little baby I used to hold in my arms and a young lady stepping further into independence.
Emma started ballet today. We have been talking about getting her into ballet since she was two. She has always enjoyed dancing and twirling. I could tell that she wanted to dance before she even formed complete sentences. It was important to me that this be her choice. I did not want to project some ideal of my own for wanting a little ballerina in the family. I waited until she kept asking and seemed serious about starting something she could claim as her own.
There is a local ballet academy that is considered to be more serious and structured in which I thought Emma would thrive and enjoy. And today, she started her first pre-ballet class and I am beaming with joy and pride and mom-sized emotions.
Read MoreBefore I say anything, I’d like to give a huge shout out to those of you who take care of little ones at home each day. You’re my heroes. Working outside the home is hard, working in the home is hard, staying home all day with littles is hard, staying away from home all day is hard. Parenting is hard and I just think you are all doing the best you can.
Starting this week, the big kids will be staying home Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. We wanted to save a bit of childcare money while Paul is home with Theo for two months. So I had all three littles for a couple days this week. It was simultaneously incredibly exhausting and extremely entertaining. It was constant movement and diapers and meal times and staggered nap times and meltdowns and dancing and playtime and errands and chaos and pure bliss.
I have been an emotional mess this week leading up to my return to work this coming Monday. But spending uninterrupted time with my sweet babies — in all the crazy, beautiful chaos — has been just what I needed. Here’s a photo and video dump for memory’s sake. Hand me the tissues.
Read MoreIt’s happening. I am attempting to sleep train Theo. Currently on this Monday night, I am hiding on the couch in the dark trying not to let him smell me (those infants have the noses of blood hounds for that breastmilk). My bff Grace gave Theo a Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit (google it) for Christmas and I am attempting its magic. For both Emma and Henry we failed (read: currently failing) miserably at sleep training. In fact, Paul is laying down with Henry in his bed because he still cannot fall asleep alone.
So this is me, a 29 year-old mom to three kids under five. I’m hiding in the dark living room trying not to make any noise (and praying my typing is not too loud) and listening for the baby to fall asleep in his crib alone.
Ope, just heard him crying. Let’s see if he self-soothes or if I have to go back in there.
Okay, I did have to go in there but I cuddled him for about two minutes and put him back down. Guys, this may work (she says as she holds her breath, crosses her fingers, makes a sign of the cross, throws salt over her shoulder, makes a wish on a birthday candle, breaks a wish bone in half, douses crib in holy water).
Read MoreNow for some quotes from our favorite four year-old.
Emma: Daddy, you drinked a lot of beer and it made you grow a beard on your face.
When trying to get my attention about something.
Emma: Daddy, I mean Mommy, whatever your name is.
After Paul smashed a mosquito in the house.
Emma: DADDY, you killed NATURE.
After tripping a bunch of times in the house.
Emma: What is going on with me?!
Read MoreIt has been a couple of days since Henry’s first hair cut and I’ve been able to emotionally process this milestone. (Just kidding, I’m still crying.)
I had been meaning to give Henry a hair cut for a while now because, as much as I adore his little curls and flippy ends, he was having trouble seeing. His hair would fall right in front of his eyes and only let me tie his bangs back some of the time. I was debating going to a professional, but alas, I decided that we would all be less traumatized if I did it at home.
I have been cutting Paul’s hair for our entire marriage and while I am by no means an expert, I thought I could figure it out. Now that we’ve washed it and it’s been a couple days, I see a few areas I want to touch up, but overall it’s okay (I think…).
He was a champ throughout the trim and I’d like to give a big shout out to Daniel Tiger and organic lollipops from Trader Joe’s. You’re the real MVP.
Now that he has this little hair trim, he looks all grown up and like a big kid and not a baby and again, I’m crying. He’s also talking a lot more and while I know that has nothing to do with the hair cut, he suddenly seems like such a big boy now.
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