HUMBLED & Other Snippets From My Life of Late

Yesterday I felt humbled after reading a blog post of an acquaintance. This woman lost her baby boy who was born prematurely and died on Friday. As I am dealing with the round-the-clock feedings of my healthy newborn and in my sleep deprivation, I can lose sight of the miracle before me and forget that this child (and all the required childrearing!) is exactly what I wanted. I feel terrible now for my constant complaining about the discomfort of my pregnancy; because in the end, I delivered a healthy baby girl who I love so very deeply. As a fellow mother, I grieve for this woman, with the understanding of her desire to have a healthy child to love and to hold for a lifetime and now of her loss. There are no words, just sadness.

So rarely these days are my thoughts linear, complex or deep. While I wouldn’t describe myself as a scatterbrain, I definitely do display a mind that jumps around. Really, my life is lived in snippets. So in the last two days, here are a few snippets from my “exciting” life as a stay-at-home mom/domestic household manager/domestic goddess:

· Spice Rack Clean-Up – Of all the pressing projects that Hubby could do while on family leave (taxes, life insurance updates, yard work to name a few), he decides that he must clean up our spice collection. I woke up today to find him happily going through our assortment of spices. For how long are spices good, potent and fragrant for cooking? No matter as I didn’t waste any brain power on his pet project.

· My son’s Oxy-Clean statement – I now have definitive proof that my child watched too much TV during my pregnancy. After being instructed to eat his snow cone in the dining room rather than the living room for easy cleanup of inevitable spills, he informs us that if he were to stain the rug, “we just need to get Oxy-Clean because it works on tough stains.” I’m pretty sure that’s a direct quote from the commercial. What makes this so funny to me is that he believes it so sincerely that it makes the delivery of the statement so precious.

· Dinner Duty Made Easy – We have been very fortunate to have friends who have made our lives easier by preparing and delivering dinner for us during the newborn stage. Much thanks and love to all my friends who have taken time out of their busy and hectic lives to make my busy and hectic life a little more manageable! Besides meeting our precious baby girl, we have been able to catch up with a few friends.

· Perfect Baby Girl with Mixed Up Days & Nights Garners Mega-Attention in Baby Sling – I braved the Commissary today with both kids in tow. The shopping trip took forever! However, my son was extremely helpful and patient. Little girl just slept, oblivious to all. I think the trip took a long time because I couldn’t walk more than 10 feet without someone stopping to admire my Precious bundle. Of course, I’m thrilled but also a bit leery.

· Clean house = constant motion – I think the only way to have a clean, clutter-free house is to be in constant motion. Frankly, I just don’t have the energy. Today I cleaned the master bedroom. Our son had an accident in our bed last night. The bed had been stripped but not remade (Hubby & child relocated to another bed in the house.). So I emptied the laundry hamper and hauled the dirty clothes and the soiled sheets downstairs to start laundry. I cleaned up the mattress with baking soda and remade the bed. I emptied the trash. I de-cluttered, taking all the children’s books that have migrated into our room back to the child’s room. I hung up clothes. And then it was time for a feeding. *sigh* and then there was the kitchen, bathroom, living room….

While I’d love to share more snippets, Precious Bundle is demanding that I hold her 24-7. Life is Good.

Exciting Day: Ultrasound Reveals a Mini Me!

I might be one of the most spoiled women in the world. I’m getting exactly what I want! Ever since I’ve found out that I am pregnant, I am have been harboring a secret hope for having a girl. I tried not to think about the sex of the baby too much, because really what good would that do? I’ve just been trying to get through the not-so-fun aspects of pregnancy and this time around it has been a doozy! Today was a big day. Hubby & I went for the ultrasound and…..

It’s a GIRL!!!!!!!

OMG!

I am smiling from ear to ear right now!

She’s looking good for her gestational age. No red flags or concerns from the technician or doctor. 8 ounces of pure joy in my belly! We saw her adorable little feet. She kept putting her hands in front of her face. She made sure to wiggle her fingers. And she bounced all over the place. I still can’t feel a thing (an sporadic flutter or two in the past week but nothing consistent) so apparently she has lots of room at the moment. No doubt she is practicing her dance moves (if she is anything like her mama!).

I am so excited! Now only time will tell if she actually looks like me or if the hubby’s gene pool wins out.

My little man is so excited, too! He sang “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars to my belly this afternoon, which was too adorable. He will be a great big brother. Although he is voicing concern that mama will not have as much time for him. Hmmm….I have been preparing him for the transition, mainly the transition out of our bed which he migrates to almost every evening. I told him he won’t be able to do that once the baby comes. He was not pleased when told the baby will be sleeping next to me (in a co-sleeper next to the bed). He offered the baby his room. Ha!

Anyway, today has been a happy day, turning into a boring night. I decided to tackle the massive amount of paperwork that has been accumulating for the past year. The project is really massive as we need to establish a better filing system. The office is being moved to the basement to open the room up for the nursery. I tackled two piles which took an hour. *sigh* Just a little bit at a time, right?