Gavin is 8 weeks old today! I can't believe he has been here so long. He has gotten big and can really hold up his head. He smiles now too and likes to stick his tongue out when I stick my tongue out at him. He also loves bath time and coos while in it. Unfortunately he is still not sleeping well. The longest he sleeps for is about 4 hours. I miss my sleep!
Gavin has a rash on his face and neck. It's almost like extreme dry skin. It doesn't seem to bother him too much though. He is a cutie though and I'm so pleased that he is mine.
I have to admit that there are times when I miss my easier life...however "easy" a life can be with two toddlers. It was a lot easier to grocery shop or just get in the car and go somewhere or even just to do the simple things like cook, clean, do laundry. The hardest part now is getting Henry to preschool. It has snowed here a lot and it takes us so long to get ready and into the car. Then at school I have to lug everyone out of the car and into the building. There is another mother there that is the sister to a very lovely friend of mine, if we time it right and get there at the same time she'll take Henry in and bring him out for me. Of course it is hard to get there at the same time.Since having Gavin I have made some new friends and one friend I knew from high school has actually become a HUGE help and support since Gavin's birth. For this I have to thank Facebook since that is how we got in touch. In fact Facebook has brought another friend back into my life and she was a huge help while Mark was out of work.
Since having Gavin, Ann has been very supportive. She also has three kids and can understand what I am going through. She also shares some stories about her experiences with the wacky things kids do. This makes me feel unbelievably better about life! It's nice to know that this stuff doesn't just happen to me. I've found a lot of mothers only tell people about the great things their kids do. Meanwhile I am asking myself why I am the only one with a child who tries to break her nose at the doctor. I guess what I am trying to say is I like to hear about what other mothers are really going through and Ann has so helped with that. Plus she invited me to join MOPS. It is a group called Mothers of Preschoolers. Through this group I have met more mothers. They meet twice a month and have childcare so I can bring the kids. At the last meeting a nurse from the health department was the speaker and she talked about H1N1. She answered a lot of questions. Not long after that the kids and I got the H1N1 vaccine. Gavin is too young to get it so it is important that the rest of us get the shot in order to protect him.
MOPS is having a cookie exchange this week. I have decided to go even though Ann cannot be there. Normally I would not go if I wasn't sure I knew someone there but I think it'll be good for me to get out of the house without the kids. Of course this means baking 90 cookies before Thursday night. And I have to make cupcakes for Friday which is Henry's school party. Gonna be a busy week in my kitchen!
My other dear friend is Shannon. She has been a huge help and support while Mark was out of work. She helped keep me sane while bringing diapers and formula for the baby. I am happy to say she is pregnant! She and her husband are coming over Sunday for cookies and coffee. I have a small little gift for them but I can't say what it is since she reads my blog ;) The kids love her and her husband.
For Thanksgiving this year we were invited to join my brother Matt and his in-laws. Peter and Ashley came as well. I think the group totalled around 25 people. It was so much fun though. My brother has been so lucky with his in-laws. His wife has two brothers and they have 7 kids between them. We drove down to Lansing on Thanksgiving and picked Mark up in Grand Rapids on the way. There was a ton of food and lots of toys and kids for Henry and Irene to play with. Gavin was rarely with me since everyone wanted to hold him. I think I only got him for diaper changes.
My dad is coming for Christmas. He helped my mom take care of my kids while I was in the hospital. He came back the next week and helped me during my first week home. The he came for a long weekend the first weekend of December. The kids love having him visit and so do I. He wants to start coming to visit more frequently now that Mark is back at work. He thought he'd be able to help during the weekends Mark is gone. I am really hoping that we'll be seeing him more often. As for Christmas, my brother Pete is driving up with him the night of the 24th. They'll stay for most of Christmas day before heading back home. Pete works Christmas Eve and the 26th so they can't stay longer. Pete's wife Ashley is not going to be able to come up this year. They were both going to go to Virginia to spend Christmas with her family but with Pete's work schedule he can't. But he told her to go since she really misses her family. Granted it's their first Christmas together being married but Pete was just promoted to a manager at Hyundai and there is no way he could get the time off.
Well that was a condensed version of our life the last 8 weeks! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
3 comments:
Thank you so much for the comments. Its always nice to know someone who understands what you're going through. You didn't scare me with your comments, I know I could handle being with the kids alone. I just prefer not to. (or at least be appreciated for doing so.)
Parents that only tell all the "good" things their kids do, aren't being honest with themselves. Every parent has nightmare moments with their children. Why they choose to pretend their children are perfect is beyond my grasp. We all have them, so you are not alone.
Sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving. Glad to hear your husband found a new job. Hope you have a Merry Christmas.
I'm so glad you've gotten back in touch with friends who have made you feel happy, and supported. That's an absolutely wonderful thing.
It is a tremendous relief to get out of the house without the kids from time-to-time. MOPS has been around since my (now nineteen-year-old) son was tiny.
The thing most parents don't like to say, they feel as if it is somehow a terrible thing, is that there will be days when you wonder, "Oh what have I gotten myself into? Was this really a good idea? I can't do this! Argh, I need a time machine!!"
I firmly believe that being able to admit that some times you feel overwhelmed is a good, and healthy thing. It isn't wishing yourself back to a different reality, it's an indication of how seriously you take the job you are trying to do. It's not an easy job, it's okay to admit that.
There's so much pressure on moms to talk about how wonderful and fulfilling it all is...and hey...you know what? It is. But there are those times, when the split pea soup gets thrown across the room, and the dog has wet the rug, and sleep is but a distant memory when it's absolutely necessary to be able to say, "At this very moment? Right this very second? This...sucks. Like.A.Hoover. and footnote? I'm going to lose my mind if I don't get some sleep."
You say it, think it, and then get back to doing what needs to be done.
I love my son dearly, and he's a wonderful kid, but every now and then, I wonder "Oh man, why did I think this was a good idea?" then he does something that makes me remember exactly why it was :-)
Just saying, parenting, it really has as many highs and lows as every other single relationship you have in life.
Oh, and if you need any cookie recipes? I have some really good ones. Yours for the asking :-)
Arley and Land of Shimp,
Thank you for sharing! I love to hear real stories from mothers. I like to know that I am not the only one and I'll take any pointers I can get! And yes, sometimes I feel like this isn't what I signed on for! Then one of them will do something that melts my heart...darn kids ;)
Shimp, I'll take any cookie recipes you feel like sharing. Thank you!
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