...I am now a "mother" of three. "Mother" is in quotes because technically I am a mother to two and an auntie to one. My 3 month old nephew is currently staying with us and with his other auntie and uncle until his mom and dad are able to go through rehab and prove to the State of Washington that they can be responsible parents.
I would do anything in the world for this little guy, I truly would. He is a remarkably good baby, very adaptable and seems to be thriving despite the recent uproot. His mom and dad call and/or visit daily to check on him. I have seem some good things at our visits, and I'm hoping that they can beat their demons so that little Hayden can go back to them.
My kids are learning (Bryce especially) that I am one person who two arms and I just cannot do everything at once all the time. Bryce has been very patient with me, almost to a fault, because he will sit back and look for an opening to seek attention that rarely comes with two under the age of one. So, rather than seek negative attention (which he did nearly constantly at first), he tells me loudly, "mommy, it's MY turn!" and that is sufficient to remind me that I have another child that needs his mommy. Both babies have learned that I will leave them to fuss on the floor (as long as they're clean and fed), to tend to Bryce's needs, which I think makes Bryce happy. Not that he has some weird vendetta, but that mommy is putting him first for a while.
I can tell you that after the first week, when my sweet nephew left to go to his other auntie and uncle's house for a few days, I felt like I could do ANYTHING. Handling my kids alone seemed so dang easy I was pretty sure I could do it with one hand tied behind my back and my eyes closed. For safety's sake, though, I didn't do that. :)
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Milestones Abound
This has been a huge week here at Casa Monahan.
First, my beautiful bonus daughter, Shayann, turned 18. And with that, she packed up her things at 2AM on the morning of the big day and moved out of her mother's house, into the home of a 21 year old high school drop out guy...who still lives with his mom...and step dad...and 18 year old sister who has ALSO dropped out of high school. I HOPE we've managed to convince her that 4 months longer in school is worth sticking around for. After all, she has been going to school since the tender age of 5. What a time to drop out. But, you know, it'd be cool and all if these two sparkling examples of humans and Shayann got to go PAY for their GED's. I really shouldn't judge the kids...just their parents. I mean, what parent doesn't at least put up a FIGHT to keep their kid in school? You know, if you want to enable your own children and never allow them to suffer the consequences of bad decisions, that's fine by me. Just don't enable my child. I wonder if the mother who is allowing Shayann to live there knows that she has 4 parents who ARE NOT ON BOARD with this at all. She has a big fight waiting for her should I ever meet her, that's all I can say about that. Ridiculous.
So, she wants to be an adult and move out? Fantastic. Her mom asked for their house key back. Brett signed her car over to her and told her she had to go buy her own insurance. Missy doesn't have a job. I have no clue if she's been going to class...but alas, she is going to have to learn from her mistakes...I was just hoping that we would be able to convince her that this wasn't the mistake to make. You win some, you lose some. This was a big FAIL for us.
Another milestone is that as of Saturday the 20th, Miss Abbie will be a full 6 months old! I CAN NOT believe how quickly time has come and gone. She is almost sitting up on her own, cracks herself up all the time, and LOVES her big brother. Sometimes Bryce is the only one who can make her smile. Bryce is a huge helper, has even taken to feeding her oatmeal at dinner time when I'm trying to finish up dinner for all of us with teeth. He makes her giggle constantly. Abbie is eating well, loves all veggies so far (especially squash of all things) and is getting through fruits famously. Once she sprouts a tooth or two, we'll start her on pureed meats. Yargh.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Back to the Old Grind
Well kids, I'm back at work. My maternity leave is up, we ran out of money, so it was time to start collecting a paycheck again. I fought long and hard, but alas, being a stay at home mom at this juncture is just not in the proverbial cards. Boo.
It took 2 days to regain full functionality of my work laptop. It was a rather boring 2 days. Today I was able to get my work done, but since I'm not up to a full inventory yet (which I am NOT complaining about, mind you) I've been done since about 10:30AM. My hours are until 4:30PM. Needless to say, I am aware of every news story going on in the WORLD. Nicole Richie is hospitalized for pneumonia, Michael Jackson's sisters believe he was in denial about his addiction even though they all tried to intervene, and Barack Obama is apparently the worst president ever for bowing to a Japanese leader. Shame shame Mr. President.
Getting my body used to this new schedule is an entirely different beast. My kids generally didn't wake up before 8 AM, so I could go to bed at midnight and, besides the possibility of a brief interruption in sleep to tend to Abbie, I could get close to 8 hours of sleep. I am a night owl by nature, not a morning person at all...so making myself go to sleep by 10PM and get up at 6:30AM has been killing me. Mostly because I can lay down at 10, but it'll still be midnight before I finally pass out. 6:30 comes around much too quickly when 12:00 is the last thing you see on your alarm clock.
Here's to many more sleepless nights!
It took 2 days to regain full functionality of my work laptop. It was a rather boring 2 days. Today I was able to get my work done, but since I'm not up to a full inventory yet (which I am NOT complaining about, mind you) I've been done since about 10:30AM. My hours are until 4:30PM. Needless to say, I am aware of every news story going on in the WORLD. Nicole Richie is hospitalized for pneumonia, Michael Jackson's sisters believe he was in denial about his addiction even though they all tried to intervene, and Barack Obama is apparently the worst president ever for bowing to a Japanese leader. Shame shame Mr. President.
Getting my body used to this new schedule is an entirely different beast. My kids generally didn't wake up before 8 AM, so I could go to bed at midnight and, besides the possibility of a brief interruption in sleep to tend to Abbie, I could get close to 8 hours of sleep. I am a night owl by nature, not a morning person at all...so making myself go to sleep by 10PM and get up at 6:30AM has been killing me. Mostly because I can lay down at 10, but it'll still be midnight before I finally pass out. 6:30 comes around much too quickly when 12:00 is the last thing you see on your alarm clock.
Here's to many more sleepless nights!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Dizzy, Day 15
So, it's official. There's something wrong in my head. Besides the obvious. :)
I'm going to an ENT tomorrow to find out why exactly I'm so darned dizzy, even when I only move my eyeballs. This is crazy, and is REALLY not helping the daily baby nausea.
I yelled at Bryce today. You see, Wednesdays, I work from home and Bryce stays here too. It's an interesting balancing act, and I'm glad that I don't have to do it all week (yet, anyway), because I end up sticking him in front of movies until lunchtime, and then it's immediately naptime. At this juncture, I work on anything that may require a lengthy phone conversation of uninterrupted analysis.
Anyway, I got a really weird assignment today, and while I was trying to figure it out, I had to make some calls. And Bryce decided that was the exact moment to scream that he wanted cheese. So, I got him cheese out of the fridge. But, it was just half a slice, not the whole thing, which led to a mini-melt down. And after mommy got off the phone (trying to laugh off my screaming child in the background), I literally YELLED at my son, told him to shut up and watch his damned movie and eat the cheese I gave him. He looked stunned. And he answered, "okay mommy, I'll eat my cheese." He then sat silently and didn't even make a move.
I did apologize to him. I was downright mean. I shouldn't have yelled like that. I guess that's what happens when the phone calls can't always be made during naptime and you have a 3 year old who doesn't understand. Oh yeah, and you're also very ill all day long everyday and at your wit's end. Again, not his fault.
Just life.
I'm going to an ENT tomorrow to find out why exactly I'm so darned dizzy, even when I only move my eyeballs. This is crazy, and is REALLY not helping the daily baby nausea.
I yelled at Bryce today. You see, Wednesdays, I work from home and Bryce stays here too. It's an interesting balancing act, and I'm glad that I don't have to do it all week (yet, anyway), because I end up sticking him in front of movies until lunchtime, and then it's immediately naptime. At this juncture, I work on anything that may require a lengthy phone conversation of uninterrupted analysis.
Anyway, I got a really weird assignment today, and while I was trying to figure it out, I had to make some calls. And Bryce decided that was the exact moment to scream that he wanted cheese. So, I got him cheese out of the fridge. But, it was just half a slice, not the whole thing, which led to a mini-melt down. And after mommy got off the phone (trying to laugh off my screaming child in the background), I literally YELLED at my son, told him to shut up and watch his damned movie and eat the cheese I gave him. He looked stunned. And he answered, "okay mommy, I'll eat my cheese." He then sat silently and didn't even make a move.
I did apologize to him. I was downright mean. I shouldn't have yelled like that. I guess that's what happens when the phone calls can't always be made during naptime and you have a 3 year old who doesn't understand. Oh yeah, and you're also very ill all day long everyday and at your wit's end. Again, not his fault.
Just life.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Aggravation Nation
I'm not perfect. I'll admit it, I can be lazy. I mean VERY lazy. But, I can also hunker down and get things done when they need to be. I don't enjoy living in filth, so I fight my urge to pop in a movie, and instead pop in earbuds and listen to some upbeat songs and get down and dirty.
However, with this pregnancy and all the joyous nausea that comes with it, I just need to sit sometimes. Or more. I get thirsty, guzzle too much water, then feel like I'm going to yak, so I gotta sit and let it work through my system so I don't toss my cookies (or water, as the case may be). About the only time I don't feel nauseous is first thing in the morning. Once breakfast hits, it's on like Donkey Kong.
Why is it that my husband doesn't get this? We've already gone through this once, and I'm FAIRLY certain he thinks I faked every ache, pain, and nauseating minute of my pregnancy. That would include the modified bedrest I was placed on, which is where I believe Brett's resentment began. I wasn't able to do ANYTHING but lie on the couch for hours at a time (which should be a lazy girl's dream!), when all I wanted to do was clean, organize and put baby stuff away. This pretty much placed Brett in a position of working all day, coming home and doing almost all of the housework. He'll never admit it, but I know some resentment boiled over by the end. It showed pretty clearly within the first 2 weeks of Bryce's life.
Before we even got pregnant this time around, I got the distinct impression that I was being tested in some aspects, to see if I could work full-time, take care of a 2500 square foot home with only sporadic help from the rest of the M Clan, a 16 year old (who, to her credit, is remarkably self-sufficient, but still needs some gentle guidance), and a 3 year old (who usually does a FANTASTIC job of helping to re-create the messes I've just cleaned up). I think for the most part I passed the test with flying colors.
However, add in pregnancy, and we've got a whole different ballgame.
Now, even my best laid plans are thwarted by bouts of nausea, the kind you get when you ride a roller coaster backward with your eyes closed...all day long. So, I've gotta sit, or do something besides even mild physical activity to focus on ANYTHING else but how crappy I feel.
I knew I'd physically feel this way again, at least until week 13 or 14, but I guess I had just hoped I'd be cut some slack, given some sympathy, and be treated more like a woman who's carrying her husband's child and less like that chick who lives in the house, cooks dinner, cleans (or tries to, but gets sneered at when she doesn't feel well enough to do it), takes care of the toddler, and bakes a new bun in the oven.
Oh yeah, did I mention I work full-time too?
However, with this pregnancy and all the joyous nausea that comes with it, I just need to sit sometimes. Or more. I get thirsty, guzzle too much water, then feel like I'm going to yak, so I gotta sit and let it work through my system so I don't toss my cookies (or water, as the case may be). About the only time I don't feel nauseous is first thing in the morning. Once breakfast hits, it's on like Donkey Kong.
Why is it that my husband doesn't get this? We've already gone through this once, and I'm FAIRLY certain he thinks I faked every ache, pain, and nauseating minute of my pregnancy. That would include the modified bedrest I was placed on, which is where I believe Brett's resentment began. I wasn't able to do ANYTHING but lie on the couch for hours at a time (which should be a lazy girl's dream!), when all I wanted to do was clean, organize and put baby stuff away. This pretty much placed Brett in a position of working all day, coming home and doing almost all of the housework. He'll never admit it, but I know some resentment boiled over by the end. It showed pretty clearly within the first 2 weeks of Bryce's life.
Before we even got pregnant this time around, I got the distinct impression that I was being tested in some aspects, to see if I could work full-time, take care of a 2500 square foot home with only sporadic help from the rest of the M Clan, a 16 year old (who, to her credit, is remarkably self-sufficient, but still needs some gentle guidance), and a 3 year old (who usually does a FANTASTIC job of helping to re-create the messes I've just cleaned up). I think for the most part I passed the test with flying colors.
However, add in pregnancy, and we've got a whole different ballgame.
Now, even my best laid plans are thwarted by bouts of nausea, the kind you get when you ride a roller coaster backward with your eyes closed...all day long. So, I've gotta sit, or do something besides even mild physical activity to focus on ANYTHING else but how crappy I feel.
I knew I'd physically feel this way again, at least until week 13 or 14, but I guess I had just hoped I'd be cut some slack, given some sympathy, and be treated more like a woman who's carrying her husband's child and less like that chick who lives in the house, cooks dinner, cleans (or tries to, but gets sneered at when she doesn't feel well enough to do it), takes care of the toddler, and bakes a new bun in the oven.
Oh yeah, did I mention I work full-time too?
Monday, December 22, 2008
Baby James Princess
So, I told you I'd tell you where my son came up with this nickname for the new baby growing in mommy's tummy. He's a creative little monkey, I'll give him that.
He and my cousin's daughter, who is a year older than Bryce, were playing together a couple of weekends ago (before I knew I was preggers). She had a doll, and they had her entire bedroom sprawled out in the living room, and we were trying to get the kids to put the toys away. Well, D hands me her doll and says that she can be "my real baby." So, playing along as I always do, I asked Bryce what we should name the baby. He is obsessed with Thomas the Train, and decided we should call it "James", after one of the trains on the show. I asked D for a middle name, and she though Princess sounded nice. So, Brett and I were joking as I was holding the baby doll that our new child was Baby James Princess.
Flash forward a week, as I'm explaining to Bryce that I didn't eat a baby, and that he doesn't have a baby growing in his tummy, only mommies can grow babies in their tummies. He then decides that the baby needs a name and the perfect name for it is "Baby James Princess". And so it begins
He and my cousin's daughter, who is a year older than Bryce, were playing together a couple of weekends ago (before I knew I was preggers). She had a doll, and they had her entire bedroom sprawled out in the living room, and we were trying to get the kids to put the toys away. Well, D hands me her doll and says that she can be "my real baby." So, playing along as I always do, I asked Bryce what we should name the baby. He is obsessed with Thomas the Train, and decided we should call it "James", after one of the trains on the show. I asked D for a middle name, and she though Princess sounded nice. So, Brett and I were joking as I was holding the baby doll that our new child was Baby James Princess.
Flash forward a week, as I'm explaining to Bryce that I didn't eat a baby, and that he doesn't have a baby growing in his tummy, only mommies can grow babies in their tummies. He then decides that the baby needs a name and the perfect name for it is "Baby James Princess". And so it begins
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