Posts Tagged ‘Home’
I caught it…
Posted on: November 26, 2013
Yes. I have been off the blog for a few days.
Toddler germs are really potent.
I caught whatever M was dealing with.
M has gotten over it quite quickly.
What ever she was dealing with absolutely floored me! There weren’t enough steam baths, decongestants, tissues and hot tea in the world that was going to make me better. Seriously.
I was so stuffed up one night that I was so absolutely miserable and angry at the world.
I just couldn’t stop complaining and ranting and sulking and just being absolutely miserable just because I couldn’t breathe through my nose.
A little melodramatic, I know.. but I couldn’t help it.
My poor M, because she wanted to be with me at all times, she had to hear about how miserable I was. I’d lie there and she’d look at me.. and I’d just pour my frustrated heart out to her.
And if you’re wondering, no, I never blamed her for my cold. It’s not like she gave it to me on purpose. It’s not her fault.
Luckily, the severe congestion only lasted one night. I’m still battling congestion, but it’s not as bad as that one sad night. The cold seems to be lingering for me, while M is pretty much on the mend.
I hope this cold won’t be too bad during Thanksgiving, I’d love to have some sense of taste back when I eat some yummy Thanksgiving food..
Play doh..
Posted on: November 13, 2013
M is so interested in Play Doh that a good number of the videos she watches on Youtube involve playing with a Play Doh set.
Not kidding.
She watches this video where they are reviewing some sort of ice cream making Play Doh toy. She watches this video where someone is making a rainbow with Play Doh. She watches this video where they are opening a box of some Play Doh toy and just going over what’s inside and then making stuff with it..
It’s pretty cute how obsessed she seems to be with Play Doh.
I won’t buy her any.
Not that I’m against Play Doh. I used to love Play Doh as a child. I remember having so many tubs of it. I also remember being really careful not to mix my colors together. So the objects I ended up creating were always just one color. I didn’t like seeing the colors get all mixed up.
The reason I won’t buy her any is because she sticks toys in her mouth. Yes, at two years old, she still has a habit of sticking things in her mouth. The scary thing is, since her mouth has obviously grown, objects fit further into her mouth than before. So we have been SUPER diligent about the objects that are around her. There are the obvious play foods and table settings that go into her mouth. She loves to pretend she’s eating, or having a tea party. Such a girlie girl. Then there are toys that should be in her mouth, and that’s why I worry.
She always asks for Play Doh videos, and when she sees actual Play Doh in the stores, she always seems to want it. I feel really bad about not getting it for her, but it’s for her safety. I tell her all the time, “I will buy you Play Doh when you no longer put random things in your mouth.” So far, she hasn’t shown me that she’s matured in this aspect, so.. no Play Doh.
I can’t wait until she is old enough for it all. I can’t wait to play with the Play Doh with her. Maybe I’ll show her that it’s ok to mix colors. Maybe that’s more for me than for her. I shudder to think of the icky brown color that will result when all the colors eventually get smushed together.. :::shudder:::
Thankful November:
November 13 – I’m thankful that my daughter has the opportunity to discover new toys and new experiences through technology. I’m thankful that she is blessed with these opportunities to grow and learn and develop.
Goodbye, Diaper bag
Posted on: September 25, 2013
Since we’ve returned from our vacation, we noticed that our diaper bag has gotten a lot lighter.
Gone are the multiple changes of clothes. Gone are the big stacks of diapers. Gone are all the other little parenting odds and ends that parents with infants bring with them.
So, Hubby and I decided to get rid of the diaper bag and just go with a big bag.
I have a big bag. Years ago, during my young and single days, I purchased a pink Burberry purse for about $700. (Ahhh.. the good old days..)
That bag is the perfect size to hold 4 diapers, a pack of wipes, an extra pair of leggings, and my wetbag. My phone and wallet fit perfectly into it as well.
So, the purse that I had deemed my most prized possession for a good part of my early-mid twenties has now been “mommified.” It’s turned into my diaper bag. A definite sign of how much my life has changed.
We aren’t retiring our diaper bag for good. We plan on still using it for the long, all day excursions.
I’m actually really glad we’ve decided to downsize. It’s almost liberating!
Mommy doubt..
Posted on: July 11, 2013
I read things about other parenting styles.
Rigid schedules. Early bedtimes. Strict diets. All organic foods. Homemade baby food. No TV. Limited TV. 3 Day Potty training.
Do I stick M to a rigid schedule? No.
Does she go to bed by 7pm? No.
Do I make sure everything that touches M’s mouth is organic? No.
Do I turn my nose to fried and/or processed foods for M? No.
Does M sleep in her own room? No.
Do I follow the parenting methods of some book or studied the works of parenting experts? No.
Does that make me a bad parent? Absolutely not.
Does it sometimes cause me to doubt my parenting skills? Well.. sometimes…
Yes.. I do question my parenting skills.. and I do question my parenting choices.. but doesn’t everyone?
Every family is different. Every child is different. Every parents “parents” differently.
However, you can’t avoid comparing yourself to others. It’s inevitable. Even if you try to avoid it, sometimes you get unsolicited advice or even criticism of the choices you make for your child. That causes you to question your skills.
I think a little self-doubt is healthy. It keeps you aware of the different methods of dealing with parenting situations. A little self-doubt allows you to think twice about a parenting decision and maybe even helps you try something different if your own methods aren’t quite working to your standards.
I’m learning that mommy doubt is natural, but I shouldn’t let get out of hand. I’m ok with what I’m doing as a mother. I’m ok with the decisions I’m making. I’m ok with the little person M is becoming because of my parenting decisions.
I think the goal for every good parent is simple… to raise a good child to turn him or her into a good adult. That’s the bottom line.
The mommy life..
Posted on: April 17, 2013
It’s been a busy few days at work.. It’s been non-stop work for 8 hours and it leaves me absolutely exhausted by the time I get home..
I get home before M and Hubby, so I get to spend at least an hour alone to unwind.
Of course, when I get home, it isn’t complete relaxation.
Once I’m home, I don’t even sit down. Most days I go straight to the kitchen to start putting away dishes and start cooking something..
There are days when I go right to the laundry after the kitchen..
After getting that done, I can finally sit down at the craft table.. it’s my way to unwind and clear my head.. it’s a great therapy that I hope to one day make more than just a hobby.. but only time will tell.
Once I’m heavy into my crafting, I hear the door open and a little voice repeatedly saying, “Mimi, Mimi, Mimi..” until she gets into the craft room to see me.
Then, she gets this huge smile on her face, and with so much conviction, she says, “Mimi!”
Of course, I run straight to her.. she lifts her arms for me to carry her.. then she tells me “Hug.” and she gives me this super sweet hug with her arms wrapped around me as tight as she can and her head resting so comfortably on my shoulder..
It’s as if she’s telling me that she’s so glad to be with me again.. it’s like she tells me she misses me while we are apart..
I love it.
I leave the craft room with my darling daughter in my arms and go to greet Hubby. We talk a little bit about our day and joke around a little.. or a lot!
Once they come home, I flip the switch into “mommy mode” and get no rest until it’s time to go to sleep..
It’s not the ideal life that I had pictured myself to have when I were to have kids.. being a working mommy.. but it’s my life.. and there’s so much love in our little family..
I couldn’t ask for anything more.
What’s your day-to-day parent life like?
Breakfast…
Posted on: April 4, 2013
I’m NOT a breakfast person.
Yes, I know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when wanting to lose weight.
I just can’t do it.
I’m not hungry in the mornings and breakfast foods just aren’t that appealing to me.
A bowl of oatmeal? A bowl of cereal?
Who has time for that?!
Well, I don’t know if it’s old age, but I go through weeks during the month where I HAVE to eat before lunch. My body just needs the food.
I don’t necessarily WANT breakfast, but I NEED breakfast..
I’ve been making the wrong choices because I’ve just been starving. I just grab whatever I can, and I know that it’s not helping my cause at all.
So.. I need your help.
Give me quick and easy.. and healthy.. and yummy.. breakfast ideas.
I’m basically on the go in the morning.. I barely wake up in time to just get ready and out the door. I love my sleep and don’t want to give up too much of it just to make breakfast..
I’ve searched online for options.. and most of what I get are eggs, oatmeal, cereal, peanut butter sandwiches using whole wheat bread, and yogurt.
I want to know what YOU do.. anything creative I need to know about a quick and easy (and healthy) breakfast?!
Answers in the comments!
The dinner battle..
Posted on: January 22, 2013
Every night, it seems like a battle.
Every night, it’s getting harder and harder.
Every night, it’s a question of will she or won’t she?
Every night, it makes me a little anxious and stressed out.
Dinner time. Yes, dinner time.
M used to be a great eater. She ate anything you put in a bowl and into her mouth. She would eat a lot too. She had the greatest appetite.
Ok, so she still has a great appetite, and when she likes what she’s eating, she’s a great eater..
But the reign of the pickiness is totally beginning.. sixteen months and she’s telling me what she wants to eat..
When did she get a mind of her own?
The other night, Hubby brought some food from his parents house. I haven’t been cooking lately so I can finish the Save The Dates for my friend.
It was good food, yummy filipino food.
M wasn’t having it.
She’d either keep her mouth completely shut and turn away from me, or I’d get it in her mouth and she’d immediately push it out with her tongue.
So frustrating, but there was no changing her mind. I tried everything. I tried to pretend feed her little princess toy that was with her, I tried to pretend-feed Elmo, I tried to pretend-feed the Fresh Beat Band she was watching on TV.
Nothing.
Thank God for frozen bags of peas and hot dogs..
We quickly heated and chopped up a hot dog, cooked up some frozen peas.. and she LOVED it!
She ate almost all of it..
I asked my mom about whether I should be doing that, or make her eat what we initially had. She said that at this age, I should just cater. I guess she has a point. She’s a little too young to realize what I’m doing, but smart enough to know what she wants and doesn’t.
All I know is that she can’t live off hot dogs and peas.. so I need to figure out more foods to cook that I know she will like..
Any suggestions and/or recipies?!
Rough..
Posted on: January 16, 2013
Monday was a rough morning for me, “working mom” me.
It was bad. Bad, like, “crying in the car on the way to work” bad.
I guess it started last week. The past few mornings have been absolutely freezing. It started off feeling terrible because I had to make Little M go through those freezing cold mornings to go to Grandma & Grandpas house to be watched while Hubby and I go to work.
She doesn’t need to go through that. She needs to be in her nice warm bed, snuggling up next to her mommy.. me.
THEN, she spent the entire weekend at my hip. Literally. I couldn’t even leave her sight. I’d go to the restroom, two seconds after I disappear, I hear “Mimi! Mimi!” and the pitter-patter of her little feet running towards whatever room she thinks I’m in.
So, Monday morning, I’m getting ready to go to work and she wakes up crying for me. I carry her, comfort her, put her back to sleep. I try to lay her back on the bed and she holds me tighter and starts to cry.
“Mimi! Go milk!”
She wanted milk, so Hubby gave her some and I thought all was good.
I walk by her again and she sees me. The waterworks start up again and she’s in my arms again.
I hold her so close and she finally calms down.
I tell her I had to go and that she had to go to Daddy. She holds me tighter again and starts to cry.
Sigh.. that’s when I couldn’t hold it in anymore and I start to cry!
It really isn’t fair that she has to go through this and I feel absolutely terrible and so so so so so guilty.
You can tell me that so many mothers go through this everyday, but right now, it just doesn’t help.
I would LOVE to be a stay at home mother. That’s the dream.
You can’t tell me that I’d be bored at home. You can’t tell me that being at home would drive me nuts. I don’t think I’d get bored. I don’t think I would be drive nuts. I think I would absolutely enjoy it. I’d rather have the stresses of what to cook for dinner, or how many loads of laundry I have to do, or making sure M stays out of trouble.. I’d rather have all that than having to have her go out in the cold of an early morning, or having her cry for me when she wakes up and I’m not there..
It’s just so sad.
I hope she understands all that I do for her when she gets older.. I just wish it didn’t make me feel so guilty..
There’s something about a mommy.
A child seems to always just want their mommy.
It’s something about a mommy’s hug that seems to make everything right in the world, especially for a sick toddler.
It’s definitely tiring. She doesn’t want anyone else, so you get no help or relief. You can’t “change shifts” with daddy to give yourself a break. You get no “me time” other than the short amounts of time you get to use the restroom. And even that time is cut short by the little knocks from a toddler whining for “mommy” while daddy tries to comfort her saying, “mommy will be out soon.”
Poor daddy seems to get the sidelined. He tries so hard to comfort her and spend time with his sick little girl, but everytime she sees mommy, she wiggles out of daddy’s hug and right into mommy’s arms.
There’s just something about a mommy.. and I’m so glad that I am one!
Is this gonna last forever?!
Posted on: December 19, 2012
I’m a lab-geek by profession. I like lab work. I think it’s fun..
But sometimes, I feel like I’m outgrowing the lab work.
Sometimes I wish I would move on from the lab onto more “desk oriented” jobs..
It just feels like it’s the natural progression of things..
Now the dream would actually be for me to quit and be a SAHM.. but that’s not the reality..
So I have to think realistically..
I’d like to eventually see myself move on from the lab.. do more non-lab type work now.. then maybe be able to work from home a day or two a week..
I just can’t see myself in the lab forever.. I feel like I need to move on.. even if it’s in the same company..
If I can’t stay home, then I’d like to see my career grow.. even just a little bit..
Living life in the carpool lane.. 