So I find mom’s blogs all the time but sometimes there’s a few that catch my eye.  These Motherhood Uncensored and Girls Gone Child particulary are good reads!  They are now having a virtual baby shower for the new moms to be and with it a bit of a contest.

So this post is reminiscing about those first few sleepless moments you have as a new mom.  I’ll never forget coming home with him thinking, “ok, now what?”.  Over the next few hours, we watched him sleep soundly in between his waking to eat moments.  Of course we had our share of diaper changes, one that I thought for sure would have Patrick leaving quickly but he handled the “tar” like a pro.  We laughed at the times he would get us while changing and learned quickly how to avoid being soaked! The first few days blurred together and I took every chance to sleep when he did.  (as per the advice of most people)  I actually did take that advice and it was a lifesaver.  The nights were easy at first but as weeks went on, his wakeful moments became more and the all night feeding sessions became a insomniacs dream.  I was then walking around during the day in a blur from the lack of sleep. The weeks turned to months and before I knew it we reached a million milestones and now he’s 2 1/2.

Those times seem so distant from my memory really until thinking of what it was really like.  I now have a 2 1/2 year old and a 4 month old.  This time around, I barely had time to think / sleep / eat or do much of anything but juggle juggle!  Suprisingly this time around seemed easier those first few weeks.  We already knew what to expect and despite the fact that I lack a lot more sleep this time around because I can’t exactly nap with a 2 1/2 year old tornado running my house wild, I am enjoying being a mommy of 2.  I can’t imagine my life without these 2 special men.  As chaotic as things are, as tired as I am and lately with a hurt back…I would never trade my life.  Sometimes I just feel like we are just “still settling” into the role of parents but it’s one of those feelings I love to have!

So here’s a link to the virtual baby shower and the end of my ramblings of a new mom.

So I’m laying here on the bed, home from work early because I hurt my back and am awaiting my chiropractor appointment this afternoon.  I’m done window shopping online, checking message boards for bargains and decided that I should update this blog thing! I had great intentions on writing a lot or at least posting pics often but instead I just make quick posts to facebook and neglect this. I’ll try harder I promise!

Lots has gone on! I went back to work a few weeks ago. All is going smoothly there and it’s nice to be back. School is back in full swing to that means no more nice parking spot *cry*, walking farther in the rain! It also means students stumbling into my office lost! It means the Professors, that I actually do miss from time to time, reappear from their breaks.

The kids are taking the new daycare better. Braysen LOVES it! He comes home beat tired and when he doesn’t fight us on naps he typically takes a nice long one. You can tell he’s playing and having fun because he tells me “have fun at Kim’s house”. He is Mr. Artist lately, loves to draw (even managed to get Patricks fairly new flatscreen tv the other morning…OOPS!) He tells me he’s drawing snakes, airplanes, helicopters, happy faces, tick tocks and many other objects. His circles look really good though (proud mom comment there!). He also is big into colors and shapes of things. We are always asking him what colors things are or what shapes and how many things he has. He seems to have those things down pretty well.  He is also into trains big time.  I mean the kid has loved anything with wheels for as long as I can remember but now he likes the whole train and train track building thing.

Merrick is 4 months.  Can you believe he’s already 4 months? He had a hard time at first with taking a bottle at daycare but seems to be better. Although, he doesn’t like to be put down for them which is kind of bothering at times. I feel bad for them and I feel bad for him. He gets put down all the time here, whether it be on his tummy or back, playmat, bouncing seat ..here there or everywhere! In fact, he scootches OFF his playmat now! No longer immobile, he’s off! He arches himself OUT of his bouncer so guess we need to start strapping him down! He rolls this or that way depending on what he wants. He also is grabbing things and putting them in his mouth. He’s growing like a weed, cooing REALLY loud and is the funniest little man.

Lots has been going on over the past few weeks but I just can’t seem to get myself to write.  Threw a baby shower for friend/neighbor Katie who is due any day now!  Went to a birthday party for 2 of the little girls in the neighborhood that turned 3.  Have been trying to get into the swing of water aerobics when not in pain with my back or when I’m not busy doing other stuff.  Would LOVE to lose more of my baby weight!  Had a girls night last week with some neighbors that I am just getting to know better and it was a fun night.  Had a bbq with some of our friends over the Labor Day weekend.  Painted the great room a different color, the “mint” green wasn’t working for me anymore.  Sam (a good friend of ours, affectionately known as Uncle Sam) came over to help us!!!  We <3 him.

Well, guess I’ll get ready to go pick up the kids at daycare and then hopefully lay low until 2:30 when I have my appt.

Someday soon I’ll do an update on my Fisher Price thing and some other stuff that is more like fun mom things!

Oh and I won a pair of baby legs from that site I linked on here last time!  SO COOL!  I NEVER win stuff and was very surprised!  Plus, I just love baby legs.

Back to RL!

So today was my 1st day back to work.  Lots of stress leading up to this unlike when I returned after Braysen.  With Braysen I stayed home for the 1st year and at that point was more ready to go back.  This time it was harder leaving a “baby”.   Besides just the necessary leaving the kids behind, there’s the whole fitting into clothes for work issue and also the pumping at work/keeping up with supply & bottles issue.

Luckily I went out shopping this past Saturday morning while Patrick held down the fort and I got some great sale deals and now have a few things to tide me over until I either a) lose more weight or b) get out to the outlets and find some more deals.

I also am VERY thankful for having a nice pump this time around.  I have a back room at work that my boss suggested me use and it worked out great today and it looks like it shouldn’t be as dreaded as I thought.  I’ll only have to do it once while i’m there since I only work 4 hours.  I managed to get enough today to cover the 2 bottles we used today so ideally if I can pump what he eats while I’m gone, my freezer stash that I’ve built up will not dwindle!

2 weeks ago I also started doing water aerobics in a nearby town with 2 of the gals from my neighborhood. It feels great to be in a pool again, even if I’m not swimming laps quite yet.  The water aerobics isn’t a walk in the park when it comes to working out though!  I did hit up the sporting goods store to buy up a new pair of goggles, a new cap and some new hand paddles for me to start swimming laps again.  I still have my zoomie flippers and my pull buoy.  I’m trying to figure out a night to do that but not to stick Patrick with the boys every night.  I thought maybe before work I’d hit up the pool but getting ready for work at the pool is well not my ideal situation.

This week we have another doc appt. for shots.  I mentioned before that I’m spacing them out and doing an alternative shot schedule. I have the book in my tote bag so I can try and read some of it this week before heading off to meet the doc. and do the next few we scheduled.  I’m definitely happier that we are doing them 2 at a time instead of a lot each visit.  This may mean a few extra visits instead of every few months but it’s worth it to me.

Oh!  Merrick can roll both ways now. He doesn’t do back to front often but he can pull it off!  He started that like 2 weeks ago or so!!  (Why do my boys have to be so fast to go mobile?)
To cut this short…I’m going to hit the sack.  So tired after the 1st day chaos and I’m going in at 8:30 tomorrow instead of 9.  I thought I did pretty good getting us all out the door today and ready but tomorrow will be even earlier!

New pics and updates soon.