The Power of Moms

One thing I do from time to time is blog hop.  Sometimes it's a total waste of my time, but other times it inspires me and makes me want to improve in different areas of my life.  The other day I was blog-hopping and came across a site called The Power of Moms.  I started looking around, and I really liked what I was reading.  It was a site with articles, podcasts, and blog posts on inspiring me in my important role as Mother.  I immediately put it on my Bookmarks Bar and hope to revisit it often.  I have to share one blog entry that I came across while clicking around, it's called:

The Last Time

Read it.  I hope you like it as much as I did.  I'm so blessed to be a Mom.

Rantings



(My perfect little angels)

   I felt like a bad mom today.
   Last night Blake woke up at 10pm, 2:20am, 4:45am, and 6am. I was grumpy. Usually Blake is easy to put down for his naps, but today it seemed like I had to rock him three or four times before he would finally settle. Then he would wake up half an hour later. Because he was tired, everywhere we went in the car, he was screaming. I felt like screaming, too. I put him down at 6:30pm tonight hopeful that he would have an easier time tonight. He's already woken up and been rocked back to sleep three times. Did I mention James is in Brazil for five more days?
Annie was whiney today and I just couldn't cope with it. She is actually whiney every day, but it was totally magnified today. Me: "It's time to clean up your room." Annie: "I'm sooooo tired (insert fake cry)." This after she was playing joyfully outside with the neighbor for the last thirty minutes. This isn't abnormal, but I just. couldn't. take it. It finally ended with me giving a warning, her immediately not heeding the warning, and her crying and throwing a fit in her bedroom while I read Natalie a story in mine. I was too short with her today. I yelled too much. Not exactly how I want to be as a mother, and unfortunately my reactions to her just made me feel worse.
   Natalie just chose to lose it after the littlest things today. For instance, she started crying dramatically when I told her she could have a cookie, but just after dinner. It was because she had asked for half a cookie earlier in the day and had not gotten it thinking she had to wait for me to get it, even though I had given her permission to get it herself. I was kind of in awe that she threw a fit over this, considering I was now offering not half a cookie, but a whole cookie, but just after she ate her dinner. I mean, it's nothing new at our house that we don't eat dessert until after dinner!
   Why is it, that when I am functioning on so little sleep, all of my children choose to try my patience extra hard? Are they feeding off of my stress or is it just "when it rains, it pours"?
   I did have an answer to a prayer today though. It was after hearing Blake cry after I had put him down for his nap for the third time. I was so tired, and I wanted to lay down on the floor and cry. I said a quick prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help me, I was tired and I just needed a little strength. After my prayer, I told myself I would make my bed and then go and get Blake. While I was making my bed, I had the thought that instead of trying to put Blake back to sleep I would go get him and take the kids over to the park for a little bit. I know this was so simple, but I really do feel it was an answer to my prayer. That's just what I needed at that exact moment. I needed to get out of my house and just take a moment to sit on the bench and have some peace and quiet. The rest of the day was still hard. I still had plenty of moments where I wanted to burst into tears. I probably should have said a few more prayers. But I was grateful that my prayer was answered, however simple that answer might have been.
   Even though today was a bad day, I'm hopeful that tomorrow will be better. And I love my kids, I'm so glad to be their Mom. Just let me go have a good cry and I'll be ready to be a better Mom tomorrow.

Tidbits

It was a goal of mine this week to post on my blogs, so here I am!  Here are a few happenings around these parts:

I've been baking a lot lately (well, a lot for me).  My mom got a new Kitchen Aid mixer, so guess who got her old one?  Oh my goodness, I have been missing out all these years.  I was using my Mom's old Bosch that she received for her wedding (pretty amazing that it's still going strong), and although it worked just fine, the Kitchen Aid kicks its trash any day of the week.  Don't know if that's a good thing for my weight loss goals though!  But these muffins I made are healthy and wholesome, so I feel good about that. :)  The chocolate toffee cookies I made the day before these muffins, however, are not.

Annie wants to grow out her hair "like Natalie's".  Poor Annie was blessed with my fine, slow-growing locks, so maybe by her baptism her hair will be as long as her sister's.  I did manage to french braid it for church the other day.  That's progress!

This is my new go-to hair style.  It is the "I really don't want to blow dry my hair, but I want to look like I actually made an effort" do.  I actually came across this hairstyle in a bridal magazine when I was a young, engaged girly and planning my perfect day.  It was labeled as a "honeymoon" up do for a day at the beach.  Just twist half of your hair, pin in place, then twist the other half.  I'm not sure  it looks as good as I think it does, but I like it, so there!

Blake's 3-month shot.  I know I'm his mom, and a bit biased, but he really coudn't be any cuter/sweeter.  Love my little guy!

My Dad will be watching the girls this weekend!  I am going with my Mom, Blake, and sister-in-law to the desert while James is on a flight to Brazil!!  James will be in Brazil for 10 days, so my Mom thought I needed a little R & R to kick off my single parenthood.  And once we get there, after Blake screams in the car protesting his dreaded carseat, I will get some of that R & R.

Transition

Blake is 6 weeks old now.  Our family of four is officially a family of five.  He has been a calm, peaceful baby, despite what Annie may think (two seconds after he starts crying, Annie will say, "Why is he always crying?  I don't like it when he cries.").  But I've noticed something this past week.  He is calm and peaceful...until he is not.  I believe we have hit the fussy stage.  My "to-do" list that was already quite lengthy (I swear I will finish writing my thank you notes before he's sitting up on his own) is growing hourly.  So if you come over to my house any time soon, please excuse the crumbs on the floor, the markers and art paraphernelia strewn across my kitchen table, and the preschool papers and spelling tests piling up on my counters.  I've been holding my baby, and that's just as it should be. 

Home from the Hospital

We welcomed our little guy, Blake Barker White, 15 days early on Febraury 13th.  He still came in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces, my smallest baby by over a pound!  And despite a few sleepless nights, a bout of the stomach flu, and a certain little girl adjusting to not being the baby anymore, things are going surprisingly well!  I even made chocolate chip cookies today (after sitting on the couch for a few hours, I figured I better do something!).  Welcome Blake!!

Quick Update

Went to the doctor today, my fluid levels are up, and we set an induction day for Friday, February 24th.  Two more weeks!!

Return to Blogging?

I have taken quite the long break from blogging.  I'm not sad or regretful of it either--I've honestly just had no desire to do it!  I find in my life, some things just take precedence over others, and like the scripture/song says: "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose..."  I have been sitting on my couch now for about a day and a half, doctor's orders, and so I suddenly wanted to write a blog post.  And here we are.  I also figured it might be nice to start up again so I can post pictures of our new addition...coming any day now, but most likely at the end of February.  I had my 37 week appointment yesterday, and though there's no cause for concern yet, my doctor informed me that my amniotic fluid is on the low end of normal.  I go back tomorrow, and if it has fallen, we will be having a baby boy a lot sooner than we anticipated.  I don't expect this to happen, but if I've learned anything in life, it is that life doesn't always go according to plan.  This little hiccup has woken me up to the reality that baby boy is coming, whether now or in a couple weeks, and this is both exciting and scary at the same time--but mostly exciting.  It's been four years and a few months since we welcomed a baby into our family.  This baby has been long-awaited and we are so excited to finally meet him...stay tuned!