SAHM - Check In

So I've officially been at home for a little more than two months or so.  While I'm still freelancing for several publications, I spend the majority of my day chasing Avery around.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here are ten 11 things I've learned/experienced along the way in no particular order ...

1.  Never fold clothes when Avery is awake.
2.  Aldi really is the cheapest place to shop.  I just went for the first time this week and spent about $35 less than what I do at Meijer or Walmart. And their one off-brand brownie mix was the best I've ever had.
3. Each time Avery breaks into her rapid fire giggle, my heart melts.
4. The childcare at the Y is awesome. Not that I'm spending 2 hours on the treadmill, but it's nice to know they'll watch her for that long if I'm ever feeling crazy.
5.  Avery still fits perfectly over my large tummy. Love the thought of rocking both my babies at once.
6.  Girlfriend and "mama" time is important.
7. Avery must be sitting in the bathroom sink for me to successfully put pigtails in her hair.
8. It doesn't matter how many times you read Baby Farm Animals. Avery wants to read it again.
9. Getting things done through the week really does free up more time on the weekends for family and fun outings.
10. There is nothing sweeter then hearing Avery's version of "E-I-E-I-0" or "1, 2, 3"  Her two and three are perfect but she always skips one.
11. Avery lives to dance. Sometimes she won't even need music.  She'll just break into moves on her own.

She's 16 months now and so much fun ....

When I told people my plans of staying home or even when I answer the question, "what do you do?" now, I typically get one of two responses. People who say something like, "oh, I could never do that" and look at me like I'm crazy. And then those who say, "oh it's so nice you get to do that." 

And so far .. I think it's been a good mix of both. I love our alone time together. As another SAHM told me once, YOU get to show them the meaning of sharing with others, introduce them to new things while you point to airplanes and birds in the park, and be the one they run to when they fall down. All that has been amazing. But sure there are times when Chad gets home, and I'm immediately out the door to see girlfriends, go to church group or even get some alone time sitting in a pedicure chair. Breaks are essential. If not, I think you will (or at least me) go a little crazy. I feel that time is so needed to stay effective and purposeful at home.  Before leaving my full-time job, I limited this time to "must dos" because I felt like my time with Avery was so scarce to begin with.

So to have that balance now has really been nice.

Here are a few photos of our recent adventures ...

 

 

Do chickens really look like this? In Williamsville apparently they do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're headed to TN this weekend to see some family since it will be too close to baby brother's arrival time around Christmas.  Another mama/daughter road trip.  Except this time I'm pregnant and we're headed even further south. 

 

LOTS of animal crackers will be packed. I agree with the motto that when traveling with kids, you need to let things slide. :)

 

 

Until next time ...

 

 

Overhaul

Okay. It's confession time. 

I'm messy.  A closet hoarder. And going to bed with a sink full of dirty dishes has never bothered me.

Ask any family member, former roommate or friend that has seen the inside of my car before I do the 2 minute throw everything in the back trick. In some areas of my life, I'm super organized.  But in others, not at all. You'd think someone would be one way or the other, but evidently not.

But now, in my new role as a SAHM, the whole cleaning thing kind of falls to me. And it's something I struggle with. I'm sure having a toddler who enjoys making messes and being pregnant/tired factors into it as well. But I can only play those cards so long before I have to suck it up.

Chad is great about it all. But he also happens to be messy (sorry babe). This is both good and bad. I suppose if he were a super neat freak, we'd have hired a professional organizer for relationship counseling by now. But since he is also messy, I've developed some bad habits that are hard to break now.

When I said I was a closet hoarder above, I meant it quite literally. Our foyer closet has a poker set of Chad's that we've never used in our four years of marriage or in the six years I've known him. When you open it, blankets shoved onto the top shelf fall on your head. And most of our closets are like this (besides Avery's which is super organized). Last Saturday, I spent four hours cleaning out my closet. Three trash bags and four Goodwill bags later, I had all my summer/winter skinny clothes (I use this word loosely) in tubs and maternity clothes hanging up. It was amazing how much stuff I was holding on to. And most of it had no sentimental value whatsoever.

So my plan for the weeks ahead is to do this in other areas - pantry, baby cabinet, bathroom cabinet, and so on. And as we begin to prep for baby #2 (begin is the key word, nothing has been done yet), I'm sticking with the old saying - out with the old, in with the new. I love walking into my closet now and not feeling overwhelmed.

Clutter free = happier me.

Plus, when going through old purses (most of which I threw in the Goodwill bag), I found an old camera memory card with a pic from when Chad and I first started dating.

If memory serves correctly, I think this is from the bar crawl where you play miniature golf. Chad happened to be working one of the stations. Fast forward six years and boy is our life different. And we wouldn't want it any other way.  As I'm typing now, #2 is moving around and even throwing a few kicks and punches. Our family is so blessed.

Other fun photos from recent adventures ...

 

 

 

 

Avery and I discovered a new passion for window crayons.

 

 

 And then Chad showed us up ....

 

Avery loves the dishwasher, brooms, mops and doesn't even mind putting her toys away.

 

 

 

Give her a couple years ... 



 

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

 



 

 

Catch Up!

So it's been a while since I last posted. We've had our fair share of sickness here. Mainly me, but I suppose that has something to do with the pregnancy. It takes a little longer to shake, I guess. 

But lucky for me, I've had a little person helping me with things around the house.

 

And sometimes, she'll add a little something extra.

Avery's also very helpful unloading the dishwasher.  I take out all the forks and knives of course, and then she pulls out the small items to do her own sorting. I've never seen anyone so excited to unload the dishwasher. She'll hear me open it and come running with a huge smile on her face.

 

 

Despite not feeling well, we've still managed to get out each day. I think that's important for both of us. Even if it is just outside for a little while.

 

 

And when it's too hot outside, we just find things to do inside.

 

 

 

 



So we're gearing up for next week. We have a trip to the lake planned with some family, and I hope we'll all be at 100 percent by then. And maybe that will mean more thoughtful posts from me.

Until next time ...

 

 

Ups and Downs

Okay, since I'm too inpatient to wait for Photobucket to resize all my photos, I decided you'll have to be okay with small photos ... at least for now.

Avery is now 14 months and each day I swear she gets cuter and cuter.

Two weeks in, we're starting to find our groove. I'm finally getting energy back and feel capable of getting off the couch.

But for now, I'm channeling that energy into fun activities with Avery, and not the other 100 things that need done around the house.

 

We capped off the weekend with a swim party with friends. My friend's baby who is just 7 months  was splashing like crazy and wasn't phased at all by the water. But Avery was a total priss and got mad when the slightest bit of water touched her face. Hanging out with the other kids and eating watermelon was more her speed.

 

And finally, I can't document details of my life without mentioning my beautiful sister Susan.

photo by Garrett Driskill, my adorable 4-year old nephew

Our family was hit with some really tough medical news this week.

Susan is the most giving, nurturing and selfless person I know. But she's also a fighter. And I know she can and will beat any roadblock put in her path. I only hope I can show her the same level of love and support she has shown me these past 30 years. 

Thanks for reading ...

Surprise!

Baby Lahnum 2 at 12 weeks

2 under 2! 

Yep. Come Feb. 1, I'll be taking care of a toddler who barely slows down to sleep and a newborn! Baby 2 (nicknamed Sneak) wasn't planned just yet, but safe to say Chad and I are thrilled. 

After months of planning a surprise getaway for our 30th birthdays (we're just 8 days apart), the biggest surprise was on me.  That morning, and the day after Avery's 1st birthday party, I took a test since I was a little late. One of the planned stops on the trip was a winery so I wanted to be safe.

After the initial shock ... we both grew more excited as the day went on and were talking baby names on our way to St. Louis.

It will be hard (as people keep reminding me), but how great will it be to have kids so close in age. I have a sister not even 12 months older than me, and it made all the difference growing up. 
I also just left my pr job to do freelance writing and be a full-time mama. So that will help. And that's actually what this blog will be about.

The world doesn't need another mommy blog. But I do need a creative outlet to highlight this huge transition in my life. 

So even if it's just my husband and sister reading, that's enough to justify it for me. :)