10 Must Have Baby Items

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I've tried many different baby products over the last 7 years and 4 babies.  This is a list of 10 items that I would definitely buy again if I had the chance.

Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair

We didn't have any room for a high chair at our old house so I had to get a space saver instead of a traditional high chair.  I'm SOOO glad I did!  It reclines back for young infants, has a 5 point harness, straps onto a chair easily, and the tray slides close enough to the baby that they can't climb out.  The cover wipes clean and can easily be removed to throw in the washing machine.  It also converts to a booster seat although with 4 kids in 7 years, I haven't had the chance to try out that feature yet.  Traditional high chairs with the same features are often twice as expensive as the space saver high chair.



Mam Pacifiers

These are hands-down my favorite pacifiers.  I tried quite a few different ones with Princess, but these were the best.  They come in tons of cute designs and were the only pacifiers that didn't cause irritation around the mouth due to the drool factor.  They have dimples on the underside and holes for airflow.  Little Man's skin was super-sensitive as a baby so the Mam Air Pacifiers were perfect for him with their open design. 



Avent Bottles

The wide mouths on Avent bottles make it easy to mix up a bottle with one hand without dumping formula all over the counter.  The wide design also make the bottles much easier to clean than standard size bottles.  I like that the nipples have numbers right on them to indicate the flow of the nipple so there's no guesswork.  The measurements on the side are also easy to read. 



Baby Einstein Jumper

We started out with an exersaucer, but were able to use my sister's jumperoo for the last two babies (Little Dude is still using it!).  I liked the jumperoo MUCH better than the exersaucer.  It folds up when not in use, has four different height adjustments, and the hanging toys can easily be switched out for different ones.  My kids seemed to like the motion of the jumperoo better than the exersaucer plus the jumperoo isn't as noisy when a baby is jumping in it. 




Bumbo Seat and Tray

I love how lightweight and supportive the Bumbo seat is.  My kids were able to use this from a few months of age.  When we were going somewhere that I knew didn't have a high chair or place to put the baby, I'd throw this in the car to take along.  The tray is small and lightweight as well so it was easy to bring that too. 



Munchkin Traveling Flash Cards


I got these when Princess was little and have used them with all four of my kids.  Babies love flipping the durable pages and chewing on the handle.  Little Man learned all of his letters, colors, shapes, and numbers from this just by looking at it everyday with me, and Star is on her way to learning them too.  I love that the pages can be written on with a dry-erase marker and then wiped clean.  My kids loved tracing the objects on the pages which helped them learn better.  This set of flash cards is great for when you're out and about, and you can easily use baby links through the handle to make sure it doesn't get lost. 



Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes

This is a super cute toy and all of my kids, my nieces and nephews, and everyone else I've ever seen with it has loved it.  It plays classical music so it's not annoying to have to listen to it for long periods of time.  Of course, my favorite feature is the volume control :)



Swaddle Blankets

My all-time favorite swaddle blankets are the large flannel ones my aunt has made for each of my kids, but muslin blankets come in second.  They're lightweight so baby won't get too warm and have just enough stretch in them to easily get a tight swaddle.  I also used them all last summer to throw over the carseat when we were out in the sunshine.     



Lingerie Bag

Baby socks are tiny.  They can easily get lost in the wash so to keep from having to buy new socks every few weeks or so, throw the dirty socks in a lingerie bag and wash them in that. 



Baby Food Grinder

I keep one of these in the car and one at home because they make it so easy to feed the baby whatever we're eating.  Just grind it up, add some liquids if it's thick and you have homemade baby food in just a few minutes. 



What are some of your must-haves for babies?

Random Monday - March 30, 2015

I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but I've finally figured out a way to make the bedtime routine go smoother.  Bedtime has been an issue since Little Dude was born because he's so needy.  Granted, he has gotten much easier to care for, but he still requires a lot of attention.  I've always had the three older kids get ready for bed at the same time which involves going to the bathroom, getting a drink, and brushing their teeth.  As you can guess, sending three kids into the bathroom at the same time to brush their teeth is chaotic to say the least.  Last night, I had each of the kids pick out a book to look at while they sat on the floor next to me as I fed Little Dude.  Then, I had them take turns going into the bathroom to do their bedtime routine before returning to finish looking at their books.  When they were all done, I set Little Dude down for a minute to tuck them all into their beds and rub their backs.  SOOOOOO much easier!!  Now, if I can just figure out a way to keep Star from getting out of bed 874 times before she finally falls asleep... 

Have you heard of Target's subscription service?  I use my Target redcard to get free shipping and 5% off on all my orders from Target which means that I shop online there a lot.  I recently discovered that Target has subscriptions to just about any household item that gets used up (toilet paper, paper towels, feminine products, office supplies, etc), and that the subscription service covers diapers and wipes!  Plus, I save an additional 5% on all subscription items I order.  So now, I have diapers and wipes shipped to my house every month and even save money on them!  Disclaimer: This rave review was not sponsored in any way, shape, or form.  I just wanted to share something really cool with my readers :)

When people ask me what's wrong with Little Dude, I usually say that he's medically complex or special needs because it's too hard to explain his issues any other way since we don't have an actual diagnosis.  My sister, however, called him special edition the other day.  I like that way better than special needs :)

I recently opened an Instagram account for my boutique (@annaliesbabyboutique) and will be posting special deals, flash sales, Instagram-exclusive products, and giveaways over there!  My first giveaway is actually running now so make sure you head over there to enter.

Follow me on Instagram at @annaliesbabyboutique to enter my giveaway!

   
Due to being pregnant or having a small baby for the past 3 years straight, I kind of dropped out of the craft show circuit for a while.  This past Saturday, I was able to set up a table as a vendor at a craft show again!  Princess and my younger sister came along to help out.  My mother-in-law babysat Little Man and Star at her house, but couldn't watch Little Dude because they're remodeling their house, and his lungs can't handle the dust and paint smells, so I got to take him along as well.  It was a lot of fun, and I realized how much I'd missed doing craft shows.  Princess was very courteous and informative to everyone who stopped at our table.  She also took it upon herself to make sure that everyone had my business cards "because it's free."  She was adorable and definitely an entrepreneur in training!

Me and my two kiddos at the craft show

Princess manning the table

Yes, we even tube feed at craft shows!

If Only Someone Had Told Me...

Being a parent is hard.  When I got pregnant with my first child, I read all the pregnancy books and a ton of parenting books.  None of them even remotely prepared me for the reality of being a mom.  Sure, friends and family try to warn you what it's going to be like to have a baby, but until you are there in the trenches, there's no way you can actually know.   

No one told me just how much poop, vomit, and other body fluids I would deal with as a parent, a lot of it with my bare hands and a few baby wipes.

No one told me that I would learn to survive on 3 hours of interrupted sleep and still get up and keep the kids alive the next day.  And no one warned me that I would live like that for 6 months straight after my youngest child was born. 

No one told me that the constant demands from four kids all needing something from me at the same time would be enough to make me want to hide, rocking, in a corner somewhere while my blood pressure skyrocketed.

No one told me that I would cry when my babies got shots or how much my heart would ache when my kindergartner tearfully told me that kids on the playground were making fun of her because of her hair.

No one told me that there would be days when I would sit down to eat supper with Hubby after the kids went to bed and realize that it was the first time I'd eaten or sat down all day.

And seriously...if someone had told me that I would have a baby with a feeding tube, a list of 12 diagnoses, and a possible genetic syndrome who screamed for his first 6 months of life, I would've run crying from the room.

When you read all of that, being a mom sounds awful.

But here's the secret...no one tells you how your heart nearly explodes with love when that tiny baby is placed in your arms.  No one tells you that one ounce of the good stuff in parenting is so amazing that it cancels out 2 tons of the bad stuff.  No one tells you that no matter how hard it gets, you'll just keep on going and know in your soul that it's worth it. 

Honestly, no one could have told me because until I became a mom, there's no way I could've understood. 

Thank you for stopping by my blog! I appreciate each of my readers and would love to connect with you on Facebook and Instagram!

8 Survival Tips for When Your Child is Sick

We're in the throes of a stomach flu that's making its way around my house.  A sick 2 year old who doesn't know how to grab the puke bucket in a timely manner makes things very interesting.

To make things a little bit easier, I have some tricks I use to prepare for and survive when my kids get sick.

• Keep empty ice cream buckets under their beds at all times.  My older kids know they're under there and can grab them if need be.  Also, this way, I'm not scrambling to find a bucket for them in the middle of the night.

Read the updated version of this post at Sunshine and Spoons.

The Only One?

I recently read this article about a 12 year old boy who is starving because he can't eat and it was upsetting to me.  First of all because this boy and his family have to go through something like this and secondly because of this statement in the article: "He lacks all impulse to eat or drink. And he might be the only person in the world burdened with this bizarre medical condition."  (Italics mine)

The only person in the world?  Really?  Apparently, the reporter didn't bother to do much research on the subject other than on the boy featured in the article himself.  I belong to a support group on Facebook called "Pediatric Feeding Disorders/FTT/GERD/Kiddos with Feeding Tubes" with over 6000 members.  Six thousand members.  That's six thousand parents and caregivers of children with feeding issues.  It's estimated that approximately half a million people worldwide have a feeding tube.  The lack of understanding for pediatric feeding disorders is astounding and quotes like the one in the article only perpetuate the lack of awareness.  

Eight month old Little Dude is one of the many children who have a feeding disorder.  He rarely shows hunger cues and, if it were not for his strict feeding schedule, would go all day without eating.  Every three hours, I make a bottle and work with him to get him to drink it.  Sometimes he drinks the whole thing, but more often then not, he drinks very little or none so I have to feed the rest of his formula through his feeding tube.  Despite my constant efforts to feed him orally, he gets about 50% of his food via his G Tube.  After running dozens of tests, his doctors still have no idea why he doesn't eat.  The lack of diagnosis means that it can be hard to get people to take his feeding disorder seriously.  I've been accused of overreacting or just not trying hard enough to feed him.  Some people see the feeding tube as the easy way out (Sorry, but having a hole in your child's stomach and dealing with tubes, syringes, infections, etc, is actually NOT easy).  Let me tell you, until you have watched your child waste away and starve in front of you, you cannot understand how absolutely heart wrenching that is.    

Little Dude at 2 1/2 months old, shortly after having his G Tube placed

Little Dude at 7 months old, 5 months after getting his G Tube

The article concludes with a plea from the parents.  They're desperate to find others going through the same thing as them both for the support and to help them find answers.  It's heartbreaking that they think they're alone in this struggle.

So why aren't they aware that so many others are dealing with similar issues?  Probably because pediatric feeding disorders are not usually talked about.  The general consensus is that children who won't eat are spoiled and manipulating their parents.  Telling someone that your child has a feeding disorder opens you up to a lot of criticism and critiquing of your parenting skills.  Not being able to feed your child, the most basic of parental care, makes you feel like a complete failure as a mother or father.  Parents of children like my Little Dude often hear statements such as "He'll eat when he gets hungry enough.  Babies won't starve themselves!" or "Let me take her home for a while.  I'll get her to eat!"  Both of these comments are untrue and hurtful because they only make a parent who is struggling to feed their child feel even worse than they already do.

If you have a child with feeding problems, know that you are not alone.  There are many groups and pages on Facebook for support and information, internet forums and websites (www.feedingtubeawareness.com is a good place to start and has many resources), and some areas even have local groups where you can meet other parents with similar issues.

If you are blessed to have children who eat normally, don't take them for granted and please don't jump to conclusions or judgement when you see another parents struggling to feed their child.  You can find tips on how to support a parent with a child or children with feeding disorders here.       



Thank you for stopping by my blog! I appreciate each of my readers and would love to connect with you on Facebook and Instagram!

11 Tips for Supporting Parents of Children With Feeding Issues

It's unknown how many children have pediatric feeding disorders and issues, but there are more than most people realize.  Just a few of the many reasons for a child's inability to eat are GERD,  aspiration, allergies, motility issues, etc.  The list is extensive (you can see a partial list here) and sometimes a child never actually gets a diagnosis.

Parents of little ones with feeding issues face a lot of challenges and often feel misunderstood and like they don't have support.  I've put together a list of ways you can support a parent of a child with feeding issues.       

You can read an updated version of this post here on my new blog, Sunshine and Spoons! I hope to see you there!



Thank you for stopping by my blog! I appreciate each of my readers and would love to connect with you on Facebook and Instagram!

"Their Name is Today" Book Review and Giveaway

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising"): Many thanks to the Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

About the book:
Despite a perfect storm of hostile forces that threaten to deny children a happy, healthy childhood, courageous parents and teachers can turn the tide.  Yes, we can reclaim childhood, says Johann Christoph Arnold, whose books have helped more than a million readers throughout the challenges of education and family life.  In Their Name is Today, he highlights drastic changes in the way our society treats children.  But he also brings together the voices of dedicated parents and educators who are finding creative ways to give children the time and space they need to grow.  Cutting through the noise of conflicting opinions, Arnold takes us to the heart of education and parenting by defending every child's right to the joy and wonder of childhood.

When I started reading Their Name is Today, I sat down with a highlighter so I could highlight the points I liked or wanted to remember.  Before I was halfway done with the first chapter, I'd abandoned the highlighter in lieu of turning down the top corner of the pages I thought contained valuable information because I was highlighting so much.  By the beginning of the second chapter, I'd given that up as well because just about every page had a corner folded down.

The thought that kept going through my head was, "Every person who comes in contact with children NEEDS to read this book."  That includes parents, grandparents, teachers, daycare providers, Sunday School teachers, etc.  The US Department of Education especially needs to read this because the public school system could use a pretty big overhaul as the current system is damaging to so many children.  Believe me when I say that I will definitely be passing this book around to my friends and family and encouraging them to buy their own copies to keep.     

Arnold emphasizes the blessings that children are and how much responsibility we, as adults, have towards them.  Our society sees children as a burden that is to be pushed off on someone else to deal with.  We've forgotten that children are actually adults-in-training and without the care and love they desperately need, they will not grow up to be the kind of adults this world needs to keep going.  Their Name is Today reminds the reader of the importance of children and pinpoints many of the issues facing children and the adults raising them today.  But it doesn't stop there like so many articles I've read.  It continues with solutions and ideas that each parent, each teacher, each caregiver can utilize to help one more child have the childhood they deserve.   

Do you have children?  Babysit?  Teach?  Come in contact with children at all?  Then you are going to want to read this book!  Win your own copy by entering on the Rafflecopter widget below.

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A Day in My Life

I've had several requests for a "day in the life" post.  Never one to disappoint my many fans (you know, all two of them), I finally buckled down to doing one.  I decided to do it this past Monday which meant writing down what I was doing so I could then type it up in blog form.  Monday started off as a good day and then by mid-morning, it went haywire.  I thought about scratching it and trying again on a more "typical" day, but realized that Monday was a typical day for me.  At least several times a week, my day is thrown out of whack because of doctors' appointments, last minute or scheduled, or other medically related issues.

6:45 am - My alarm goes off.  I think about throwing my phone out of the window, but decide against it.  I hit the dismiss button and drag myself out of bed to wake the two oldest kiddos up for school.  As usual, neither is happy with this.  Princess refuses to pick out her own clothes, but complains about what I pick out for her, Little Man throws several tantrums in the first 10 minutes of waking up because he wants to go back to bed.  He asks if he can pretty please take a nap when he gets home from school because he is sooooooo tired.  I oblige, but know that he'll have changed his mind by then.  Neither one want to eat anything we have in the house for breakfast.  Star wakes up and can't seem to understand why everyone in the house isn't catering to her every whim.  Little Dude also wakes up and is ready for his first feeding.  Hubby and I tag team this whole production.

7:30 am - I prep Little Dude's feeding and meds and make myself a chai latte.

7:40 am - Princess gets on the bus.  I am working with Little Dude to drink his bottle.

8:00 am - Hubby takes Little Man to preschool and then leaves for the farm.

8:30 am - Little Dude is finally done with his feeding.  He ate 4 ounces so I tube fed him the remaining 1.5 ounces along with his meds.  I get some warm soapy water ready for his tube care.  He got another infection around his G Tube on Friday so it's a little more time consuming than usual.  I also change his diaper, do his skin care routine for his eczema, and get him dressed for the day.  Star gets into about a million things while I do all this.

9:00 am - Little Dude eats 2 tablespoons of rice cereal.

9:30 am - I have just laid Little Dude down for a nap when the doorbell rings.  I forgot about the public health nurse coming for his weekly weight check.  Naturally, the house is a disaster, but she is pretty used to the craziness at my house by now and understands.  :)  Little Dude is up to 15 pounds, 13 ounces which is a weight gain we're both happy with.  I discuss his current feeding regimen with her and we agree to continue with it.  Just for fun, Star climbs on the scale too.  She weighs 21 pounds, 10 ounces, less than 6 pounds more than her baby brother.

9:45 am - After the public health nurse leaves, I lay Little Dude back down for a nap.  I have to go in and give him his pacifier several times and he refluxed and choked once, but he eventually falls asleep with a minimum of crying.  I check Facebook and happen to see that the wipes we bought from Sam's Club in July have been recalled for a bacterial contamination.  Immediately, my mind goes to the recurring G Tube infections Little Dude has had since we started using the wipes.  I make a phone call to the doctor to see if they think there might be a connection.  She says she will call back after doing some research.

10:00 am - I change Star's diaper and go in her room to pick out her outfit for the day, but lo and behold, all of her clothes are in the dirty laundry.  I pull out the box of 2T clothes and pick something out for her to wear.  It's way too big.  Oh well.

10:20 am - I log onto Little Dude's online medical portal and check dates on his G Tube infections and then call Sam's Club to determine when exactly I bought the box of wipes.  The dates line up.  Then the doctor calls back and informs me that Little Dude has Strep.  On his G Tube.  Great.  We talk about how I need to disinfect ALL THE THINGS and keep the kids from sharing germs.  I have a mild panic attack just thinking about it.  I call Star's doctor to make an appointment for her because I suspect she has Strep too.  While I am on the phone, Star has dumped out and eaten half a bag of chocolate chips.   

11:00 am - Time to pick Little Man up from preschool so I wake Little Dude up and am putting him in his carseat when I realize that he has soaked through his diaper and all over his outfit.  I change his whole outfit quickly and rush the kids up to the school so we're not late for pickup.  Little Dude is already 30 minutes late for his feeding.

11:20 am - Home with a very talkative Little Man.  I try bottle feeding Little Dude, but he will have nothing to do with it so after working with him for a while, I tube feed him while he cries nonstop.  Little Man and Star are making up for lost time by getting into EVERYTHING together.  I set the alarms on my phone for the rest of the day's feedings so I don't run late on another feeding.  Little Dude is getting very worked up and I'm feeling just slightly extremely overwhelmed.  I vent him through the G Tube mid way through the feeding because his stomach is hard and distended.  I get a lot of air out, but his mood does not improve.  Mine doesn't either.

12:30 pm - Finally done feeding Little Dude so I throw a frozen pizza in the oven for the kids and Hubby.  I call my sister-in-law (kinda handy to have a doctor in the family) to talk about the Strep and wipes fiasco.  I end up venting my frustrations over Little Dude's health to her.  I give her extra points for not hanging up on me.  After I hang up, Hubby comes home for lunch.  I dish food out for everyone (except me) and sit down to feed Little Dude some pureed pears.  I finish my now-cold chai latte.

1:00 pm - Little Dude is in his crib napping and the big kids are eating goofing off at the table.  I clean the kitchen which hasn't been touched since yesterday afternoon.  So. Many. Dirty. Dishes.  I also wash Little Dude's bottles, med syringes, and tube feeding supplies.   When the kitchen is cleaned up, I lay Star down for a nap and do some laundry.  I call the school to arrange for Princess to go home on her cousin's bus today since we probably won't be home when school gets out.  Then I call my sister to let her know that there will be an extra kid at her house today.  Hubby leaves to go back to the farm and I feel a sense of despair as I watch him leave.

1:45 pm - Little Dude is still sleeping so I tube feed him his entire bottle.

2:30 pm - I get Little Dude and Star up from their naps so Star can go to the doctor.  Neither is happy with me.  We make it to the doctor's office in time.

3:40 pm - Finally done at the doctor.  Star does indeed have Strep.  Oh joy.  Like the idiot I am, I decide to run errands with the three younger kids before picking Princess up from my sister's house.  We start at the grocery store where I have exactly three things on my shopping list.

4:25 pm - We leave the grocery store with two things.  I fondly nickname our grocery store visit "The Worst Shopping Trip Ever" and head over to my sister's to drop Star and Little Man off so I can finish running errands with Little Dude (you know, the kid who doesn't whine, argue, throw screaming tantrums in the middle of the aisle, or run away from me).  I stop at the pharmacy which is practically our second home at this point and the library.  I don't need anything at the library, but I'm stalling picking the kids up.

4:45 pm - I pick the kids up from my sister's and we head home.  I get another feeding ready for Little Dude.

5:30 pm - Little Dude happily drank the whole bottle so the feeding went faster than usual.  When he's done, I lay him down for a nap.  I start supper for the kids while they jump off the couch onto the coffee table despite my warning to stop.  A few minutes later, two of them are crying because they got hurt (told you so!)  I pack Hubby's lunchpail for work and fold a load of towels.

7:00 pm - The kids are done eating supper and Hubby is off at work.  Little Dude wakes up fussy and crying just as I start getting the other kids ready for bed.  I rush to put the kids to bed so I can calm Little Dude down before he throws up or chokes.  The kids fight the bedtime routine and naturally, Little Dude starts choking and turning blue midway through Little Man's second tantrum.

7:45 pm - The big kids are in bed, but not sleeping.  I feed Little Dude half a jar of pureed pears and play with him for a while, incorporating some of his physical therapy into the playtime.

8:15 pm - I get Little Dude's bottle and meds ready for his last feeding of the day.  He refuses to drink most of it so I end up tubing it.  I change him into an overnight diaper and his pjs and change the gauze around his G Tube.

9:15 pm - Little Dude is done eating and ready for bed.  I lay him down and check on the other kiddos who are (finally!) all sleeping.  Woohoo!  Freedom at last!  I turn on Netflix and catch up on emails, texts, and Facebook for an hour and half before I go to bed.


Do you have a "day in the life" blog post you've written?  Leave a link in the comments so I can check it out!

My Last One

Last night, it hit me.

I was getting ready for bed when the cradle taking up all the space between my side of the bed and the wall caught my eye.  No longer in use by Little Dude, it was slowly filling with random clothes and blankets.

"I should take that apart and bring it back to the in-laws." I mused. (It belongs to them.  They lend it out for each new grandbaby in the family.) "It'd be nice to have that space back after so many years of having to climb into bed from the foot of the bed."

And then it hit me.

That cradle will never rock another tiny newborn at my bedside.  It will be the first of many baby items and paraphanalia that will slowly make their way out of my house.  For good. 

No more babies.

For over seven years now, my life has been about babies.  I've either been pregnant or had a baby to take care of.  For over seven years, my house has been arranged with modifications for bulky baby gear, sippy cups, and the storage of jumbo boxes of diapers. 

I love babies.  I love how their fuzzy (or bald in Princess's case) heads smell so good and are so soft after a bath, and I love all the baby gear, the simple baby toys, the tiny baby clothes, the soft baby blankets that always seem to multiply.  I love the soft squishiness of baby snuggles and the absolute innocence in their eyes when they stare up at you. 

Each one of Little Dude's "firsts" will be my last "first."  I probably won't even realize when the "lasts" will be until they're long gone.  When Star and Little Dude outgrow their clothes, they won't be packed up in a box, ready to be unpacked for the next one.  The bouncy seat, the infant swing, the jumperoo...they will be passed on to someone else who is just entering or re-entering this stage of life and this time, I won't ask that the things be returned when they're finished with them. 

I'm ready to move on to the next stage of life where my life doesn't revolve around diaper bags, feedings, and naps, but I'm still going to miss this.  I'm really really going to miss it.  

World Breastfeeding Week

I know I'm a little late to the party since World Breastfeeding Week ran from August 1-7th, but the constant Mommy Wars over the best way to feed your baby this past week really got me thinking.

First, let me fill you in on my history with breastfeeding...

Finish reading this post at Sunshine and Spoons!

You Don't Know How Strong You Are

Have you ever looked at someone else's life and thought to yourself, "There's no way I could handle that."

Chances are, you could handle it if you were there.

You can read an updated version of this post here on my new blog, Sunshine and Spoons! I hope to see you there!

How Are You?

What a loaded question..."how are you?"

Generally speaking, when someone asks that question, they're expecting this reply:
"Fine, how are you?"

The superficiality of that answer (and the question) has always annoyed me. 

Lately, when someone asks how I am, I respond with, "not bad."  The unspoken part of that answer is "but not really good either."

So how am I?  Here's my real answer.

I'm exhausted.  I'm stressed.  I'm frustrated.  I'm overwhelmed.  I'm ready to cry...or sleep at a moment's notice. 

I love being a mom.  I love my kids and there's no way I would change our family or the fact that I stay home with them.  Right now though, I am at a difficult season in motherhood...four kids, age 6 and under.  A six year old who will repeat an offense the second the punishment for it is over, a three year old with a temper that is set off at the slightest thing, a one year old who constantly gets into everything, and a very needy infant who easily fits the guidelines for having colic.  To get even the smallest thing accomplished, I have to listen to the baby scream while I'm doing it and put the toddler in the pack n' play so she doesn't destroy something or inadvertently hurt the baby.  Most of the time, I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water.  I know this is just one stage in life and it will be over before I know it, but that doesn't make it any less hard at this moment.   

Oh, and did I mention that we're getting ready to move next week?  I'm absolutely thrilled that we'll finally have our own home and enough space, but the timing is not the greatest.  I'm not exactly confident that I will have everything packed in time for the move.  

There are two things I hear from people on almost a daily basis...."Wow, you must be busy!" or "You're doing a great job, I don't know how you do it!"  Yes, I am busy, and thank you, but I don't know how I'm doing it either.   Or of course, there's the other camp that prefers to tell me how their situation is so much harder than mine so I don't have a right to feel the way I do.  I have a blog post for them too. 

Don't worry, I don't plan on giving out the long answer every time someone asks how I am, but it's really hard right now to smile brightly and give the socially acceptable answer of "Fine!"  And, if I ask how you're doing, I truly do want the real answer.  

It Takes a Village

In case I haven't mentioned this before, I'm on my own a lot.  Hubby works full-time and farms with his dad so he's pretty much home to eat (occasionally) and sleep (sometimes).  He tries to help me out when he's able to, but the poor guy works so hard that he spends his small amount of time at home either relaxing on the couch or playing with the kids to try to make up for the fact that he hasn't seen them in two days.  So for the most part, I'm doing this whole parenting thing on my own. 

You can read an updated version of this post here on my new blog, Sunshine and Spoons! I hope to see you there!