Pregnancy Isn’t Always Fun

Have you ever met one of those women who can’t help but tell the world how she loved being pregnant and would keep doing it over and over if she could?  It seems like those who have easy pregnancies can’t help but share with the world how wonderful it is.  At the same time, there is a much quieter group of moms in the world, those who can’t stand being pregnant, no matter how wonderful the end result is.

Most of the time, being mommy is the best job in the world.  Other times, it’s a true test of patience and control.  Getting to the point where I was a mom didn’t seem as bad the first time around, but I’m sure I complained then too.  I was pregnant through half of the summer, on bedrest, and had no central air.  This time, I have a three year old who still needs my attention, I’m working, going to school, and trying to stay awake.  

I have actually called this baby an alien invader and I wasn’t totally joking.  He’s big enough that he’s not moving around much and has decided that his feet belong in my ribs.  I had no Braxton Hicks contractions with Khaila, and this time I’ve had them since about week 30.  Every week, they’re a bit more painful.  If there’s a grain of truth to the heartburn means hair tale, I’m going to need a barber in the delivery room.

I could go on and on with all the petty little complaints I’ve had this time around, but as my husband likes to point out, I should be counting my blessings that I’m 35 weeks pregnant, NOT on bedrest, I haven’t spent any overnights in the hospital, we’re NOT planning an induction for next week and praying that baby’s lungs are developed.  In a way, he’s right.  On the other hand, doesn’t he know better than to tell a pregnant woman what to think or feel, no matter how irrational???  :)

Trying to find Time

A couple of weeks ago, I was blessed to have two days off in a row.  Yes, given the situations that have come up at work, I do consider it a blessing and I sometimes feel like the next time it happens will be because I’m off having a baby.  During those two days, I got off my butt, found the pedal for the sewing machine, and started making cloth diapers for RJ.  I truly enjoyed it!  I want to make more.  I want to wash some of the fabric I have laying around and make some play dresses for Khaila.  There are so many things I can think of that I would love to do, I just need to find time to do them!

I feel like a bad mommy because I would love nothing more than to knock out a few diapers, the cover that I have waiting to be sewn, and prep more material since today’s my day off.  Why does that make me a bad mommy?  Because I promised Khaila that we would have a together day and we would bake today.  Her Nana has introduced her to the kitchen and she loves it!  I enjoy it too, but I find my patience is definitely wearing thin these days and that makes things not fun for anyone!

In the Motherhood

I really wanted to like this show.  I’ve been seeing commercials for a couple of months and it looked hilarious.  I’m hoping it’s off to a rocky start and next Thursday will be better.  Just a bit sad.

How Things Change

I realize that both of my blogs have been attention-deprived for far too long. A lot has happened in the past six months. In September, I became a full-time student at the same time as being a full-time mommy and maintaining a full-time job. Is it any wonder that I didn’t have time to blog?

You know how people always say you can’t determine what God has in store for your life? Well, September also turned out to be the month we got pregnant with baby #2. While not expected, we’re certainly excited!

As June gets closer, I’m hoping to be more diligent about blogging since Rick’s family is 700 miles away and this is the best way to keep them up to date on everything.

A Seriously Amazing Mommy Site!

Have you heard about 5 Minutes for Mom? I learned about the site during the Ultimate Blog Party, and I’m sorry I didn’t find it sooner! Between giveaways that are above and beyond any other site I’ve seen, mommy services and sites, book reviews, and helpful articles, it’s a treasure!

They’re currently running a 2 Weeks of Toys giveaway. Click on the image below to see all the cool toys that have been posted so far!

Tantrums and Society

Monday night, I had the opportunity to catch Oprah when it re-aired.  Jamie Lee Curtis was one of the guests.  I could go on and on about how much I love this woman.  I love the fact that in a world of pumped up, sucked out, nipped, tucked, and dyed women, she has chosen to remain true to herself.  She looked amazing with her gray, super short hair and trendy glasses.  I would have been happy to listen to her speak about being content with the body you’ve been given.

That night, she caught my eye when she started talking about kids.  She talked about representing a game company and talking to them about her favorite game.  She never mentioned the company or the game, but she gave enough hints to let everyone know what it was.  She said one premise of the game was that you could get just about to the end and be sent down this “thing” to the beginning.  From the clues, I think she’s talking about Chutes and Ladders.

Even if she wasn’t, what struck me was what she said next.  She said she was told that they were thinking of changing the game because the moms in their focus groups didn’t like the tantrums that were created by the setbacks.  She went on to talk about the lesson that is teaching our kids.  Rather than use the game as a teaching tool, showing kids that life isn’t always roses, the company was going to change the game.  Moms won’t have the tantrums to deal with.

Then I thought about my own parenting.  There are many times when I give in to Khaila so I won’t have to deal with her bull-headed tantrums.  After working all day, I’m tired and wish for nothing more than peace at home.  When she starts screaming because she can’t have her way, I get sick of it and depending on the day, I give in.

I know this isn’t the right thing to do.  I watch “Supernanny” and see the number of parents who have out of control children and they say it’s because of this very reaction.  Kids aren’t stupid.  They know how to wear us down.  I know this.  So why do I give in?  Maybe a better question is, “How can I change my reaction to her tantrums?” or “How should I be reacting to get her to stop this behavior?”

Being a first time mom, there are things I still feel so clueless about, even after almost three years.

A Future Career?

I think I may have a chef in the making!  At two, creeping up on three, Khaila LOVES to cook!  At first, I was able to appease her desire with an empty bowl and spoon on the floor while I made dinner.  This week, she has become unsatisfied by that.  Tuesday, she pushed a chair from the dining room into the kitchen and stood to watch me.  “Me cook!” she demanded as I attempted to make the dinner of champion work outside the home moms, Hamburger Helper.

My first thought was, “Fat chance, kiddo,” but I quickly decided that “what the hell” was a better way to go.  I brought the chair over to the stove, she stood up and stirred dinner.  The whole time, I had one hand around her waist and the other holding her free hand to keep her from touching the pot.

“Hey, this isn’t so bad!” I thought.  Then it was time to put the lid on.  Two years old is too young to teach the concept of “cover and simmer”.  Immediately, we went into meltdown mode.  Desperate to regain sanity, I scoured the cupboards to see if we had anything else we could cook to go along with dinner.  Yes, I know that it may not have been the best way to handle a tantrum, but after a crappy day at work (a driver had an “incident” in a rough part of town), I was in no mood to ride out the tantrum or have her decide she was going to cook without me near her.

So, I pulled out the only thing I could, a Funfetti cake mix, and a big mixing bowl.  Two years old is apparently also too young to comprehend the fact that you have to BAKE a cake before you can eat it.  We had a minor tantrum starting when the timer for dinner went off.  She happily went to her Dora table to eat, reminding me the entire way that we were eating “Khaila dinner” and that she had cooked.  When daddy got home from work, she ran to let him know what she had done.

Tonight was round two.  Again, I let her stir dinner (moving on up, beef and rice this time).  I also helped her dump the canned veggies in, and she stirred the rice into the mix.  The girl scares me.  I don’t remember telling her what boiling liquid is, but as the water began to boil, she looked at me and said, “Mommy, boil water.”

I’m going to keep a close eye on her, and she’s already picking up that she can only be by the stove if I say it’s okay, but I think I’m going to roll with this one.  When she decides she doesn’t want to cook with me anymore, that’s okay.  I’ll be sad, but I’ll get over it.  One of the best memories I have is being a small child, probably no more than six or seven, cooking with my great grandmother.  Maybe someday she’ll help her son or daughter cook, thinking back to when she and I shared the task.