New Year's Resolutions

Every year I make New Year's resolutions. Most years, I fail to keep them. But that doesn't stop me from making them. I'm an optimist, I guess.

So, without further ado, my resolutions for the year 2011:

• Lose the baby fat and reach my goal weight, which includes eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise
• Nurturing my spiritual side and relationship with the Big G, including regular (2x monthly) attendance at church
• Read more and watch TV less
• Potty train P

I have a few other personal resolutions, too, that I think I'll keep private.

I realize my goals for the year aren't exactly award-winning material. But hey... I got 2 young kids. I'll be glad if I manage to accomplish just 2 of those resolutions!

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas and a holiday filled with peace, joy and blessings!

A Mother's Prayer

Even though I have a toddler and a newborn, the days around here go pretty smoothly. When Hubby's at work, I probably rely a bit too much on TV for my toddler. But overall, the days aren't too hectic, and I usually find some time to myself each day.

Except today. Today was a nightmare day. My toddler was a little demon child. She threw tantrums, was into everything, and basically was acting out. Normally, this would be only a small problem. But my newborn decided that today--of all days--she wanted to stop her pattern of sleeping and, instead, cry and fuss for hours. So both of my kids were being fuss-pots, and I'm still in recovery mode from my c-section.

My prayer today: Please, God, let my children nap at the same time today so I can pee in peace and get a drink of water.

Well, I still have food on my table and a roof over my head. So even though my kids are having a fussy day, I have plenty to be thankful about, too.

My EDC

When I had my first kid, I carried everything-but-the-kitchen-sink in my diaper bag. I was prepared for any kid emergency. And I never used half of the things that I carried. This was torture for a gal like myself, who prefers to travel light.

So, now that I'm older and wiser and more experienced, here's my EveryDay Carry (EDC):

On Person: Folder Knife (2.5 inch blade, nice and sharp)

On Keys: Small Swiss Army Knife, small LED flashlight

In Purse: Wallet, small LED flashlight, penknife, pen, paper, epi-pen (for allergies), chapstick, hairband, feminine supplies, BIC lighter, 2-3 diapers and pack of travel baby wipes

In Diaper Bag: 2-3 diapers for both kids, travel package of wipes, receiving blanket, pants for each kid (in case of accidents), sling, lollipops (I will sometimes throw a sippy cup or snack into this bag, too.)

If need be, I can grab just my purse and leave the house with the basics I need for a 4-5 hour outing with my kids, although I usually bring the diaper bag with me for extended errands.

Nectar of the Gods

After a 10-month hiatus from alcoholic beverages, I'm ready to have a glass of wine. I'm breastfeeding R, but have pumped a few times so there's a supply of breastmilk to feed her from the bottle. (In addition, this gets her used to drinking from a bottle, which is a good thing, since I will occasionally want to leave the house without kids in tow during the next year or so.)

Since tonight will be my first alcoholic drink in almost a full YEAR, I'll be keeping a close eye on how much I drink. I don't want to overdo it the first time I indulge in a bit of the vino. But even a small glass or two sounds really really relaxing right now.

Shhhhh... Don't Tell Anyone, But...

Apparently, I am not SuperWoman.

So, after Hubby went back to work, I resumed life as usual.

Sure, the doctor told me to take it easy for 6 weeks. I was told not to lift anything heavier than my newborn. I was instructed to nap/rest as much as possible. I was informed that I should accept help from anyone who offered.

Well, despite my lazy side, "taking it easy" just isn't part of who I am. And when it comes to recovering from illness, sickness and (apparently) surgery, I prefer to push the limits. My philosophy: Move more to recover faster.

In this case, however, it turned out that my philosophy was wrong. I started having more pain/soreness and some other unpleasant symptoms, and discovered that I've set back my recovery a bit because I tried to do too much too soon. Now I HAVE to take it easy, or risk delaying my recovery even longer.

Apparently, I'm human. It's a bummer.

Update

(I need a way to designate my individual kids on this blog, so the oldest one will be called P and the baby will be called R.)

Babies: R is still doing pretty good. She has the occasional night or early morning when she'd rather be held than sleep, but for the most part she is still peacefully sleeping/eating/pooping, and doing very little crying/fussing. P has been adjusting ok, too, to the change. She's acted out a few times and we've had a few problematic moments, but overall she seems to be adapting well to all the changes around here.

My recovery: Hubby has returned to work, so I've been dealing with both kids on my own. I would've preferred another week to recuperate. But actually, I probably get away with relaxing MORE when I'm on my own, since when Hubby's around he's always focused on doing chores and getting things done around the house. When he's at work, the kids and I spend a lot more time just lounging, especially since it's too cold to go outside.

Prepping: I've been prepping a bit here and there--a few extra sale cans of diced tomatoes at the supermarket, or a small purchase at the hardware store--but for the most part my preps are "on hold" until I become better at taking two kids shopping. I guess I might have to accept that I'm probably never going to be really prepared: I just don't have the time and extra money. I did, however, reorganize my Vehicle Preps this week. I took advice from The Survival Mom and put it in an under-the-bed storage box rather than backpacks. It fits a ton more, it's more compact, and it's not as awkward in my SUV's cargo space.

New Baby!

New Baby Girl was born November 29 via c-section. Even though I was nervous as hell, everything went pretty smoothly. I was only in the hospital 2 nights. I'm still in some mild pain, but doing ok.

Girl #1 has been handling the transition fine... so far. She wants to hold her baby sister and likes to fetch the binky for her.

Girl #2 is beautiful and, so far, a dream baby. She basically eats, poops and sleeps. Of course, I'm sure she'll start crying and fussing more as the days pass. But for now, I'm enjoying the relative peace. I'm just so glad we're all healthy and well after the procedure.

We've had lots of visitors, but things are starting to die down a bit. Hubby is off work for a while longer, which means he'll get lots of chores done and I have plenty of help with Girl #1.

All in all... things are going pretty darn good right now.