I Can't Even Think of a Title.

Y'all.

I haven't slept for more than three hours at a time for the past three nights.

This is evidenced by my lack of blog posts and also my inability to put two thoughts together which is why I almost washed my hair with shaving cream this morning. Fantastic!

The first sleepless night was my own fault, when I conked out at 11:00 and forgot to set an alarm to wake up and give Naomi her dream feeding. The dream feeding usually gives her enough gumption to make it until 4:30 or 5:30 (she goes down by 10:00pm). However, without the dream feeding, she was ready to eat by 2:00. Not a huge deal, except I've kind of gotten used to that nice little chunk of sleep. So, I stumbled to her room and fed her. And she was ready to eat again at 5:00, like usual. Sweet! And then again at 7:00. The next night was just weird. I was so tired, SO TIRED, my eyes hurt all day. When I finally crashed (AFTER the dream feeding), I randomly woke up at 2:00. For no reason. When that happens, I typically try to be conscientious of who is coming to my mind and then pray for them. I did just that, but then I laid there until 3:00. Then at 4:30, Cub came into our room, wide awake, wanting to crawl into bed with us. This kid usually sleeps until 8:30. WHAT THE HECK! I sent him back to bed. He came back at 5:00. I sent him back to bed. Naomi woke up at 5:15, ready for a feeding. Cub came into our room again at 6:00, was sent back to bed again, and I shook my sleeping husband awake and said YOU ARE ON DUTY, MOM IS GOING TO TAKE A SHOWER FOR ONE HOUR.

Then Naomi woke up at 7:00, ready to eat.

Then last night we were at the lake and Naomi was just all screwed up. No routine, no sleep pattern, nothing. She woke up periodically all night, until I finally brought her back to bed with me at 4:00 where we both tossed and turned until 7:00 (my husband had to work and wasn't with us). Yippee!

I finally broke down and cried tonight to my husband. I'm just tired. That's all there is to it. But ugh, I can't take much more of this not sleeping. It's like being on petocin while in labor--your body just doesn't have time to fully rest before you're right back in it again. I hadn't whined to my husband or woken him up (he could sleep through a semi carrying nuclear artillery blasting through our bedroom wall) because I wanted to handle it myself. It's my job, you know? Let the poor man sleep.

Well, tonight, he might just get a tap on the shoulder from myself. I'm not Superwoman.

While I am tired and frustrated and expended, I also find my mind drifting to the time when we won't have these battles anymore. I know Naomi will be sleeping through the night soon, whether it's in a few weeks or months. And Cub won't want to crawl into bed with us in a few years. Either way, it's still SOON. And my heart kind of breaks with the thought of this phase being over. Especially since we don't plan on having any more children (which could totally change, I realize), but then this stage is REALLY over. And I will long for those sweet moments again, rocking my baby girl and cuddling with my precious boy.

It makes me sad.

Crazy, huh.

Kids, I tell ya.

This is the hardest and most wonderful time in our lives. I never knew it was possible.

I wouldn't trade it for a thing.

Diaper Bag Switcheroo.

This is the diaper bag I was using before Naomi was born. We'll call her Sofie:

Okay, I know, it isn't actually a diaper bag. I'm one of those multipurpose people who makes her diaper bag and her purse one and the same. This bag has everything I love. It is cute, roomy, and has a long strap to wear across my chest to make for that invaluable hands-free agility. And, it's Coach. Love me some Coach.

However.

The only downside to using this bag was that I actually used it. Meaning it came to know many a place, such as the floor (nursery floor and living room floor and car floor), the back hatch of our car, the bottom of the grocery cart and the countertops in several bathrooms. I'm not gentle with my bags. And once Naomi came along, the abuse only increased. The shiny white leather began to fade. The gleaming white straps began to darken. Despite several cleanings, Sofie was losing her luster. And I kind of began to feel bad for beating up something so ... nice.

Now, I realize that the point of owning a purse or bag is to use it. But, this bag wasn't exactly made for wear and tear. And then it became a stewardship issue, that perhaps I should reserve this bag for nicer occasions and find something a tad more rugged in the meantime.

So. Meet Chuck:

I've been eyeing this bag at Target and after my bowling victory, my husband conceded to its purchase. A friend of mine has a bag that is the kind of leather you can beat up and I wanted to find something similar. The canvas can take a beating and is easy to clean. The leather is the kind of leather that gets softer and better the more you abuse it. It has compartments for all of my stuff, plus the across-the-chest strap for that invaluable hands-free agility. And, I think it's cute. A different kind of cute than the Coach bag. Sofie is lovely. Chuck is cute.

And, I don't feel bad when Chuck gets thrown onto the pavement as I rush after a wayward shopping cart with my toddler still strapped in.

Don't feel too badly for Sofie. She is currently resting on the knob of my closet door. She's great for dates and still gets out, but her life is a little easier. Cheap Chuck will take blows for now.

Have a lovely day!

Mighty Summer List Number Eighteen!

Surprise my husband with a date night.

When I created my Mighty Summer List, I had no idea what, exactly, this little Number Eighteen would look like. My initial thought was that we would eat at a nice restaurant and enjoy a quiet evening out. Of course, that was before Naomi was actually born and before I experienced firsthand the effect of adding another baby to our family.

And I realized that my husband I just needed to have a little fun.

I didn't want to take a walk and talk about our feelings. I didn't want to focus on romance or make him dress up for a fancy dinner out (something I enjoy waaaay more than he). I wanted him to be comfortable and relaxed.

I wanted to focus on our friendship.

So. We went bowling.

Now. Bowling is fun for us because I'm actually kind of good at it, whereas I am not typically good at the competitive things my husband enjoys. Golf? Not so much. Disc golf? Meh. But in bowling, I'm good enough to at least keep the game interesting. My Dad and I have bowled together my entire life, and I even took Bowling in college for a health credit (it was ridiculously fun). I knew it was something where we would both be competitive, and we needed a little friendly competition.

When he came home from work, I told him to throw on some comfy clothes and get ready for a night out (without kids! without kids!). He was so excited when I told him we were going bowling--something he loves. It was perfect. We were both giddy when we walked into the bowling alley and my husband was so confident that he would win that he said, "If you beat me, which I know you WON'T, you can have a Shark steam mop!!"

Oh ladies.

Ohhhhh.

Those are fightin' words right there.

I've been drooling over a Shark steam mop for weeks now. I know, I know, it makes me sound lame, but y'all, this thing is AWESOME. And since the majority of our floors are wood and tile, ohhhh. ME WANT.

That was it. Game on.

We're ordering it today.

He even threw in a Target bag I've been pining after.

My favorite words of the evening were his lament that he was "actually trying". Love it.

We laughed about it for the rest of the evening. Honestly, the odds of me beating him were quite slim. But I did it! During the entire game, we were teasing each other, laughing, and being completely flirty. We haven't had that much FUN together in a long time. Don't get me wrong, we have fun in some way every day, but this kind of carefree fun is something we haven't experienced in a long time. It was a refreshing reminder that beneath it all--beneath the babies and the bills and the obligations of day-to-day life, this all started out because we are friends. I believe my idea of romance is changing. I've always considered romance to involve flowers and candlelight, but now I'm not so sure about that. To walk through the challenges of life together...to accept that things change and some things will never be the same (especially after having kids), and to still want to wake up next to him, to enjoy him, to relish in your commitment when sometimes that feels like it is the only thing holding you together, and then pushing through to the things greener and greater on other side...it is extraordinarily romantic. Romance fades because flowers die and candles burn out. But the sound of my husband's laughter is still ringing fresh in my ears and is fixed in my mind. I wouldn't trade this romance for anything.

So, you see, it was so much more than bowling.

It was a commitment we made five years ago playing out tangibly, showing where it all began: One boy, one girl. Living in the adventure, believing we can take on anything that comes our way.

And still believing it.

Have a lovely day!

Mighty Summer List Number Five.

Lose most of the baby weight by August.

(Taken only moments before I tripped and fell WHILE HOLDING CALEB thanks to a cluttered garage and tall heels. The bruise on my leg is still throbbing.)

(Please also notice the classy handwritten "PLEASE KNOCK BABY IS SLEEPING" sign haphazardly taped to our front door. We'll pretend it hasn't been stuck there for the past six weeks.)

Well friends, I've got around ten pounds left to lose. Rather than suck in my stomach and try to do a skinny pose in the above picture, I am instead trying to wrangle a toddler who is way more interested in his waffle and juice than in taking a picture with Mommy. Fun! I think I gained 35ish pounds this time around and these last ten pounds are just hanging around. You know, keeping me company. Such friendly post-baby pounds. My six week appointment is coming up and once I get the nod to exercise then, well ... I'll be out of excuses. Dang!

So, there you have it. And let's just be glad that little Nomi Bug has such a terrible gassy reaction to ice cream because if she didn't, well, this would be one goal that I might not achieve!!

Have a lovely day!

Adjustment.

After I took this picture, I promptly consumed half of these strawberries. YUM.

It has now been almost six weeks since the Mouse joined our family and I must say, every bit of that time has been one adjustment after another. We're all learning how we fit together, who goes where, and every day we get a little better. The trickiest part thus far is figuring out how to keep the house and the husband happy whilst juggling the two kiddos all day. We're figuring it out. Some examples:

Laundry

It has to be one load a day, every day, at least. I can't have a "Laundry Day" or the pile will be so enormous (Remember how newborns blow out of their outfits? Even if it's just a little blowout?) that you would have to paw through the massive explosion of clothing in our laundry room to find me huddled underneath it all, sucking my thumb and consoling myself. To prevent such a fire hazard, laundry is a constant. I don't separate whites and darks. I just throw it all in. If I have something expensive that requires special washing ... it sits in my closet until next summer. Sweet! I heart cotton.

Move Over, Hungry Man

This one is tricky, but I've found something that works for us. Monday is my self-proclaimed Food Day. This means that any chore, be it laundry (except that one load), vacuuming, mopping, dusting, or whatever else that might need to be done gets put to the back-burner and my primary goal, my ONLY goal on Monday is to take care of the food for the week. That means looking at our calendar and planning our menu for the week and then loading up the kiddos and hitting up the grocery store. After we come home, the rest of the day is spent preparing meals for the rest of the week as I have time to do so between naps and playing trucks. If we're having spaghetti and meatballs, I make the meatballs and freeze them. If we're having any kind of chicken, I chop it up and freeze it so I only need to marinate and bake it the day we need it. I also chop up strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple and store them in the fridge for Cub to eat as snacks the rest of the week. This has worked out wonderfully thus far and has prevented us from eating out too much. I always keep one day optional, though, and leave dinner up to the pizza delivery guy. Or the nice homeschool teenagers at Chick-fil-A.

Working Father of Two

My husband and I realized we were often butting heads when he walked in the door after work, as he carried the stress from his long day and wanted to rest and I carried the stress from my day and wanted his help, and our two worlds would collide at approximately 6:00pm every evening. It was aggravating to say the least, because, even if we wanted to talk and figure out why in the world we were being so grumpy, the conversation would have to wait until the kids were in bed. So, we began instigating Daddy Rest Time. That means that when my husband walks in the door, he has fifteen minutes all to himself. He can go into the bedroom and close the door and his wife and his children will not require his attention. He can decompress, take a short nap, look at lame YouTube videos, or stare at the wall. Whatever it takes to clear his head. Then when he re-emerges, he's in Daddy mode the rest of the night and I have his help. He can take his fifteen minutes whenever he'd like. Cub always rushes the door when he walks in and they tickle and giggle and play and all of that, so sometimes he waits until after dinner for his break. That's fine by me. Whatever it takes. That way, he knows he has time to himself when he gets home and won't immediately be slammed by me, and I know that I can depend on him the rest of the night. As for Mommy Rest Time, well, I might not get a nap in every day, but I at least have the luxury of going to Starbucks to refuel whenever I wish. It's a fair trade-off in my mind. And I can always ask my husband to watch the kids for a short time during the evening and he will.

Please Pass The Concealer

My favorite aunt and I went out for coffee a few weeks ago and we discussed the challenge of being a mom of two little ones, primarily the challenge of still feeling like a woman amidst the spit-up and the sippy cups and the melodies of Baby Einstein swirling in the air. She told me that when she was in my stage of life with babies and toddlers, she would always make it a point to get up and get dressed before she started her day. Whether that meant a full-blown shower or just a dab of mascara, she would put on jeans and a cute top and be presentable to the public, even if she stayed at home all day. Genius, I thought. Impossible, but genius. It was a bit more feasible with only one baby, but now with two, there were several mornings where I would stay in my sweats until noon, which is to be expected with a newborn, I think. But I was ready for some revamping. So, for the past two weeks, I've made it a point to get ready in the morning. Whether I'm toting Naomi into the bathroom with me and putting her in her bouncer, or whether Caleb is playing in my make-up bag while sitting in the empty tub, I'm taking that time to get ready. And y'all, it has made a huge difference in my attitude. There's nothing worse than feeling like a worn-out Mom and then actually looking the part when you suddenly run out of milk and have to take an unplanned trip to the grocery store. It adds extra stress. On the other hand, it's wonderfully empowering to actually like the way you look when you go out into public to run unexpected errands. For me, anyway, it takes out a huge chunk of stress. And having two cute kids as accessories is just an added bonus.

Bringing Down The House

By the time all of our heads hit their respective pillows at bedtime in our home, I make sure the living room is picked up and the kitchen is clean. It might sound like a small or easy task, but trust me, some days it feels like the mess is breeding within itself and slowly taking over the house. So, to dim the lights in a tidy living room and hear the hum of the dishwasher in a clean kitchen is honey to my soul. Don't get me wrong, there might be some unopened mail on the kitchen table, but I can at least see my countertops and my kitchen sink is empty. Cub's room and the nursery need to be picked up, too. Nothing major, but enough so I feel like we're starting the next day with a clean slate.

There you have it! Our current survival mode.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Misconception.

Misconceptions. They stink. I can see how misconceptions follow us from the time we're born, whether we're misjudged by the sound of our cry as infants, misunderstood as children, or misread as angst-ridden teens. I've found that being a young adult also has its fair share of misconceptions, stemming from the choices we make that allow others to place us squarely into whichever stereotype they deem fit. It's perfectly frustrating.

Like, say, the stereotype of the young married couple with children. This is a fun one. One moment we're hip young college students with the world at our fingertips, and the next we're trapped in the bonds of marriage with spit-up on our shirts and babies on our hips. Our peers who scoff at being married in their twenties turn up their chins and point and laugh because OH MY WORD, we are the group that has gone from cool to lame in a matter of a few years by taking the bait that marriage is the next natural step in life after college, and that kids are the natural step after that.

We're SUCKERS.

This choice has not only greatly limited our futures, but it has also rendered our intellects useless. We are suddenly lumped together as the ones who could have gone to grad school and had good careers, but instead chose to pledge commitment to our spouses in the boring bonds of marriage and then promptly reproduce to make up for the zing that fizzles after marriage grows stale. The worst of us actually choose to stay home with our offspring, foregoing the finer things in life by losing one income and spending the day up to our armpits in dirty diapers. And then our peers who do not understand our choices simply shake their heads and sigh. All that potential. Wasted.

I don't care how many times Oprah declares that being a Mom is the best job in the world (to keep her ratings up, perhaps?). We are still viewed as naive. Unintelligent. Ignorant.

I would like to assert that perhaps these assumptions are a bit untrue. Becoming a wife did not strip me of my sex appeal. Just my single status. Birthing a child did not cause my IQ to drop. My boobs, perhaps, but not my IQ. If it is the challenges in life that cause us to become better people, then being a wife and a mom must catapult us to realms of greatness unknown. My husband brings out the absolute worst in me, no doubt. My frustration with him can cause my blood to heat to boiling. But the act of digging in my heels and fighting it out until it's right again takes work. Hard work. Work that pays off. And having two babies who cry and get hurt and push me to my limits at times might bring tears to my eyes, but I don't get to quit. I don't get to clock out at five. I figure out how to make it work, for all of us, and we push through until bedtime. And I'm on-call after that. I not only figure out how to survive, I figure out how to do parenting well. I figure out how to turn those moments into exceptional ones, where the joy is overflowing. And I end the day loving my husband.

I don't think that makes me a sucker.

I think that makes me strong.

Wordless Wednesday: Little Friends.

The Mouse and the Birdie.

Mighty Summer List Numbers Six and Eleven.

Take an overnight trip to the lake with my family.

Go on the boat at the lake with both children.

This past week some of my husband's extended family came to the lake from out of town. We all stayed over the weekend and then the kids and I went back later in the week after my husband had to come back for work. I feel like we've done a lot of traveling lately--probably because we have! It has been good for me because I'm becoming more and more confident toting around both kids. It's challenging getting everything packed and my poor car looked like it belonged on an episode of Hoarders after all was said and done, but it was totally worth it.

While I'm glad to have accomplished these two items on my list, I can't say that I loved going on the boat with both kids. Cub is fine and loves driving the boat with his Papa, but Naomi made me nervous. We had her in her car seat and only drove a short distance, but it made me nervous that she couldn't wear a life jacket (I seriously considered attaching buoys to her car seat). Plus, the heat. Oh, the HEAT. I don't know about y'all and where you live, but here in Oklahoma, the heat is soaring and stifling and suffocating. I hated having Naomi in her car seat in that heat. As soon as we came back to the lake house, we both laid down in our dark cold bedroom with a fan blowing and crashed. I have never been more thankful for air conditioning than I am this summer.

Other than the boat fiasco, Naomi had a blast.

It's a rough life at the lake, I tell you.

And then there's Cub. Oh, delicious, sweet Cub. He LOVES the lake. There are ponds next to the lake house and he loves to collect rocks and throw them in the water. Seriously. He could do that all day long and be perfectly content. "Rocks in the water!" His favorite thing. Ever.

Sweet boy.

Eight items down, twelve to go. We're flying through this summer!

Have a lovely day.

Mighty Summer List Number Twelve.

Throw a shower for my sweet cousin on the seventeenth of July.

We're going through the list pretty quickly! So fun. I was so thrilled to do this shower for Ashlee. She is my husband's cousin and I love her. She and her husband are expecting their first baby, Eli, in the fall, and I am giddy with joy for them. She will be a great Mom.

The power of delegation is what helped this shower roll smoothly. When we planned it back in April, I knew I would have a one month old baby on my hands, so we divvied up the responsibilities. I did the invitations and the decorations and delegated the food and lots of help to family members and friends. My wonderful mother-in-law let us use her home. It was so fun.

The Little Mouse made an appearance, too. I'm so glad I pumped a bottle. I was busy and there were plenty of family members ready to pounce and take care of her for me!

Rather than order a cake, we chose to order cupcakes. The cupcakes came from a local cupcake boutique called Kupcakz and were amazing. We had four varieties: Red Velvet, Coconut, Chocolate, and Dirty Blonde, my personal favorite! YUM.

I went with a modern mom theme and found super cute decorations here!

And, true to form, Ashlee gave each of the hostesses thank-you gifts. Mine was a beach bag stuffed with adorable stationary, folders, and notebooks. Love it!

The picture that I have of Ashlee and myself is blurry, so I have to pass. Sorry! I took one with my phone and we'll see if I can upload that one. All in all, the shower was a big success and was a lot of fun. Congrats, Ashlee!

(Here is the blurry uploaded pic :))!

Have a lovely day!

One Month Letter.

Dear Naomi,

Today you are one month old.

I KNOW, girl. That realization startled me, too.

I'm going to have to throw in that old cliche and admit that Yes, time is absolutely flying by. One month? Really? When did that happen? You were such a natural and seamless addition to our family that it feels like you've been with us forever. And yet, one month is so young but sounds so old.

But you are still very little.

Our nickname for you is Little Mouse, thanks to your petite features. Little nose, little mouth. Little Mouse. You are a snuggle of love. You are getting lots of attention from various family members who love you immensely, and everyone is taken with your sweetness. You really are quite a good baby. You've slept in your crib from day one and, while your sleeping definitely gave us a run for our money during those first few weeks, you've given us some longer stretches as time goes by. You even did seven hours one night. SEVEN. Right on the heels of a night where you gave me only two. Bless you, darling. You are, in fact, a tumultuous little lady.

You are, in fact, a girl. :)

And, while we're working at getting your sleep somewhat under control, I'm not going to lie--we love the extra snuggle time we get in between. Your Dadda is taken with you, sweetheart, and I adore our little girl. I can't help but get teary-eyed when I think of how quickly this is all going to pass. I know how quickly it passes. I'm trying to soak up every minute.

You are precious, Little Mouse.

We are excited for the days that lie ahead. We love you.

Love,

Mama

Still Here!

I know, I'm lame, I haven't posted in a couple days. And today is Naomi's one month birthday! I have a letter ready, but I need to upload some pics to add to it.

Adorable, smooshy, kiss-that-baby pics. Mmmm.

We have been on a little getaway to the lake (don't you like how generic that is? "the lake"?) and my Internet is limited. And, well, it's nice to take a bloggy break while on getaways.

So! I shall leave you with this picture, with the promise of a good post coming tomorrow. :)

This is Cub and I. We were eating cookies for breakfast.

Yet another reason I love being at the lake.

Have a lovely day, friends!

Mighty Summer List Number Seven.

Drive to Arkansas, by myself, with both children.

(Check out the overalls--so appropriate, yes?!)

The kiddos and I headed to Arkansas to visit my family this past Friday. After Naomi's 5:30am feeding (after which she goes back to bed), I frantically packed everything up. Goodness, packing for two kiddos and myself is a rather daunting task. I ran through the list in my head, trying to remember every last detail. The North Face backpack needs the breast pump, two sound machines, and the baby monitor. The red leather bag needs my clothes and Naomi's clothes (which includes several outfits, given her propensity towards blow-outs). The blue and brown dotted bag needs Cub's clothes which includes a swimsuit and swim diaper, just in case. The woven straw bag needs our toiletries and I can't forget our stroller. Or the Bjorn and diapers. Or the Boppy. Throw in a few extra burp cloths and swaddling blankets. PHEW.

My goal was to leave the house by 8:00. By 7:59, we were pulling out of the driveway, both kids (and Mom!) dressed and fed. And then I checked my gages and saw that I needed an oil change. So, we drove up the road to the local place I use, were the first car there, had the oil changed, stopped by Starbucks so Mama could get some "Mama Juice", as Cub calls it, and we were on the highway by 8:30.

I'm not gonna lie--I was pretty proud of us.

And, the list continues on! We knocked out a few other items on it this weekend as well and I will write about those later. For now, I need to jump in the shower while everyone is still asleep!

Have a lovely day, friends!

Mighty Summer List Number Thirteen.

Have my eyebrows threaded for the first time.

(Don't mind the hipstamatic app on my iPhone making my face appear green and, well, bearded.)

(The things I do for y'all.)

I have wanted to try eyebrow threading ever since I first saw it at the mall. It looked a bit intimidating, but, seeing as I am always delving into the endless possibilities of exciting eyebrow maintenance, I figured I should give it a shot. Now that I've experienced it, I still can't say for sure what eyebrow threading is. I believe that, essentially, the Threader uses two pieces of thread twirled together to pluck out superfluous facial hair. I think. That's what it looked like to me, anyway. I can honestly say that it didn't hurt at all. It stung a little, kind of like a wax, but it didn't hurt.

(Thank you, Erin, for documenting this moment.)

(Also, the lady in the chair next to me looks like she is enjoying the experience FAR more than myself. I did enjoy it, though. I just clung to my coffee for dear life!)

Ta-Da! A "before" picture would have been helpful, I'm sure, but I didn't think of it until just now. :)

Have a lovely weekend, friends!

What It's Like.

I realize that I haven't written a post that goes very in-depth on what it's been like having two children. Of course, I'm still quite new at it, but I look at previous entries since Naomi's birth and I wonder, Do I have any brain left? Anywhere? Because some of those entries DO NOT MAKE SENSE. Or the sentence structure is rough. Or they end abruptly.

Oh wait, that I understand.

That is part of having two kids. :)

It's funny, because, even now, as I sit here with my thoughts fresh on my brain, I still can't really figure out how to make them make sense. I find this happening a lot. My brain is not used to having to juggle two kids, chores, errands, etc. I honestly feel at the end of the day that my brain is a tad warped, expended to limits unknown, and what's left is a shell of a mom who had a really great day ... she just can't remember most of it. Honestly, the kids are great. Naomi is awake more these days and her wake time is revealing a very laid back, happy baby. Her crying volume is still gently touching the range of glass-shattering, but we now know what her cry is telling us, and thusly the crying doesn't happen quite as much (although we are letting her cry for up to ten minutes before bedtime and my-oh-my, this little lady can SCREAM!). Cub is doing wonderfully and lately his vocabulary has taken another leap and he has started putting sentences together. It's wonderful having conversations with my little man throughout the day.

So, then, how am I doing? Well, I think I'm doing really well. Again, the anxiety has stayed at bay, and I've felt healthy and happy. I feel like time is slipping by too quickly, and I try to soak in my time with the kids while they are at this stage as much as I can. Today I was rocking Naomi in the glider and Cub toddled in with his Mr. Lion. He climbed up next to us, and my heart burst when I looked down at the two little blonde heads taking up the space of my lap, the littlest one drifting to sleep while the bigger one quietly sang "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" as the glider rocked back and forth. The three of us won't fit in that glider for long.

The baby weight is staying put longer this time and ironically, I'm thankful for it. With Cub, my pregnancy weight was gone in three weeks, and my weight continued to plummet until I lost twenty pounds beyond my pre-pregnancy weight. That is what postpartum anxiety does to you. For me, loss of appetite has always been a coping mechanism. So, this time around, I'm thankful for my voracious appetite! It's the primary sign to me that my body is doing well. I haven't stepped on a scale, but I don't mind the way I look, either. I just have a post-pregnancy pooch. I'm looking forward to being able to exercise again! I've done some Pilates at night, since I'm pretty sure I lost my posture with this last pregnancy. Good grief! I find myself correcting my posture throughout the day. Shoulders back, Katie. Let's try not to look like Quasimodo.

I'm learning how to prioritize my time better. Now that Naomi is on a three-hour feeding routine, I know more of when she is sleepy and when she is hungry and such. Going from two-hour feedings to three-hour feedings is an amazing freedom, even though having to nurse every three hours sounds pretty confining! She is a quick eater, so feeding times are very doable. Today I cleaned the house for the first time since having two kids--meaning, I cleaned more than one room. I cooked dinner, did two loads of laundry, and on top of taking care of two kiddos, it was a lot of work and I'm exhausted. But I'm growing more comfortable in my days, settling into this groove of two-kiddo living.

There have been hard days, too, don't get me wrong. One morning last week I cried as my husband hugged me before he went to work. Mornings after sleepless nights are the hardest. But the day always gets better. And as time goes by, the hard days become more manageable. Even hard days can be good days.

It really is double the joy.

Have a lovely day, friends.

Wordless Wednesday: Little Smile.

Copout Tuesday: Second Attempt!

Okay folks! Here we go again! The kids are both down for naps, so we'll see if I can get a little further this time. BECAUSE! While this post may be pointless, I still feel the need to finish it!

Who knows. Anyway.

Another post of random thoughts by yours truly:

1) Um, I like Luvs diapers or something about that, right?

2) Still want a beach.

3) My hair has some workable wave, thanks to post-pregnancy hormones and Midwestern humidity. I prefer Aveda liquid gel when I want to touch it up with a curling iron and John Frieda Frizz-Ease mousse when I want the waves to be a bit ... stiff?

4) I have to have noise all day long, whether it be music or television. I prefer music, but cannot, for the life of me, find the cable to plug in my iPod. Bummer.

5) Today is my first attempt to have Naomi on a three-hour feeding routine with the whole feed/wake/sleep pattern. This past weekend pretty much smashed any prior routine-making attempts, so this week, it's ON. She's starting to wake up more, so I want to make sure that wake time is after feedings. We'll see how it goes.

6) Speaking of our Little Mouse, last night she had the worst gas attack. We tried everything we could to soothe her and she just screamed and screamed. When Cub would get gas at her age, we would give him a paci and lay him on his side and pat him until he fell asleep. This position wasn't working for Naomi, so we kept changing it up until we found something that worked: Sitting up, leaning on my arm, while I rubbed her back. She burped five times. I'm glad we know now what works for our little chickadee, but man, that was a rough hour. Look at her little face, red from crying!

7) Not sure what caused the gas. Some people say that babies only get gas because they gulp air when they nurse/take a bottle, and other people say it is food-related. I'm on the fence.

8) The littlest one is awakening again! Quick! Um ... let's see ... running out of thoughts ...

9) ... which means it's time to post a picture ...

10) Ta-Da!

Happy Fourth of July!

Have a lovely day. :)

Copout Tuesday!

Yes friends, it's time for another copout post a la Katie. Needless to say, last night was a looooooooooooooong one, and right now the oldest baby is still sleeping soundly and the littlest baby is conked out on her floor gym in our room. Up all night means sleepy in the morning, right? :)

SO, here you go. Ten items of randomness.

1) I'm loving Luvs diapers right now, for both kids. I hated Luvs newborn diapers for Cub, but they work wonderfully for Naomi. Go figure.

2) I want a beach, badly.

3) The littlest baby just woke up. :)

4) Have a lovely day!

Mighty Summer List Number Ten.

Attend a friend's wedding on the Fourth of July.

I knew this particular item may or may not happen, depending on when, exactly, Naomi made her debut. Since she is almost three weeks old now, I knew we could do it. This was a big deal to me because it would be the first time my husband and I would get to dress up and have a night out alone since the baby came.

Until, of course, I discovered that babysitters are not available on the Fourth of July.

To which the Mother of the Bride happily suggested, "Bring the kids along!"

The idea of bringing a newborn and a toddler to a wedding wasn't exactly my idea of a restful night out. But, I wanted to go and my husband wanted to go and there would be plenty of family and friends around to field the kids, so we figured, Shoot, why not. I packed our massive diaper bag with the appropriate sippy cup, bottle, burp cloth, breast pump, pajamas for both kids, diapers for both kids, wipes, Aquaphor, snacks, books, and my wallet. And cell phone.

And a tube of lip gloss.

All that was missing was the kitchen sink. And I'm sure I could have assembled one somehow if need be.

The venue took place at The Mayo Hotel, a gorgeous historical landmark. Unfortunately, there wasn't a ton of parking near the downtown hotel, so we had to park a few blocks away and walk. As soon as I stepped out of the car, a huge gust of wind came, flashing my post-pregnancy Spanx to a group of homeless men crossing the street. Howdy, boys! As I struggled to push my dress down, I tripped up the curb and barely escaped falling flat on my face. I hoisted the diaper bag on my shoulder and off we went, with me awkwardly walking with my knees stuck together to avoid any further wardrobe malfunctions to innocent bystanders. Graceful, I know.

The wedding took place in the hotel lobby, which was a gorgeous expanse of space, complete with marble floors. Marble floors that carry the sound of a talking toddler seamlessly and clearly. Great! A few moments after taking our seat, Cub started chattering, which meant I hoisted him on my hip and made a quick exit, right before the bride started down the aisle. Out the door we went, with no other place to go, and the wind again greeted me, tousling my curled hair and pestering my dress. We found some tall cafe tables and chairs on the sidewalk and parked ourselves there. Cub played with my dangly bracelets and pointed out every thing he saw and heard. "Mama, BIG truck!" "Mama, train!" Storm clouds started brewing overhead, but thankfully the ceremony wrapped up before the rain decided to pour and we were able to head back inside.

I heard the ceremony was lovely.

We joined the rest of the family and rode the elevator up to the ballroom where the reception took place. The wedding had started at 7:00 and it was now close to 8:00, Cub's bed time, which made for some expected fussiness. Naomi was ready to eat, so I handed her off to a grandparent with a pumped bottle and made my way to the bathroom to pump another one.

Because there's nothing classier than having to pump in a hotel bathroom. Near the toilet. LOVE IT.

The rest of the evening was a bit of a blur, with my husband and I doing the dance we've learned with having two children--trading responsibilities with ease and communicating without the need for words. I changed Naomi's diaper in the beautiful bathroom, which, of course, wasn't exactly the type of place to house a Koala Care diaper changing station. It did, however, have a lovely alligator leather bench that did the trick quite well.

It was almost 9:30 before I ever actually sat down at our table. I hadn't seen the bride. My empty stomach was growling. Watching our little man and our baby girl, even with the much-appreciated help of family, was exhausting. I couldn't believe how quickly the evening went by.

I attempted some pictures with my husband. Pardon all the fuzziness. I used my cell phone and the reception was candlelit. Hence, FUZZY!

Cub's picture was too fuzzy to discern, so I'll just have to give him a shout-out instead: LOVE YOU, CUBBIE!

Gotta keep things fair with both kids.

Finally, around 10:15, we changed the kiddos into their pj's and headed back down the elevator as the reception continued on in full-force. My husband had the diaper bag slung over his shoulder and was gently swinging Naomi in her car seat. I had Cub on my hip as he chattered about the "Fia-woks!" he saw, as they shot across the river and were visible from the massive windows at the reception. We stepped outside and the wind was gone. The concrete was damp from the rain and the city lights shone brightly in the dark as our family of four headed back to the car.

Cub rested his chin on my shoulder and as we passed the cafe tables where we had sat only hours before, he lifted his little hand and exclaimed, "Bye, chairs!" I kissed his head and he nestled into my neck.

The night didn't turn out the way I thought it would.

But it was still a beautiful night.