Weekend Review

So yeah, it's been a while.  Not sure what's up with me lately.   I suppose life is getting the best of me.  That's a good thing though, right?  We have been busy living here in Ohio, that's for sure.  We're finding our groove and getting into it more each day. 

Blogging has been on my brain a lot lately, though.  I don't know how all you devoted bloggers do it.  Make time to be so thoughtful and witty and real each and every day. Teach me.  Honestly, this toddler gig is no joke and I am spent by the time Elena goes to bed.  Like literally, good for nothing.  I honestly have to accomplish all I want or need to do before she goes to bed.  If I don't?  It doesn't get done.  Once she goes down I just want to hit the bottle and catch up on DVR decompress.  And nap time?  Well, that's when I do all the stuff I'd be too tired to do *after* she's gone to bed.  Clean.  Cook.  Work out.  Catch up with calls and cards and all the other stuff.  I find myself checking FB and Twitter on pee breaks and red lights and at 2 in the morning, thanks to my old friend insomnia. 

I'm re-evaluating a lot of things in my life lately and realize I need to work on my time management.  Making time for important things like documenting our life *is* important.  So,  I'm signing myself back up for blogging.  Starting tonight.  This little girl of mine is growing up at such an alarming rate and this mama doesn't want to miss one iota of it.  There is so much on the horizon that deserves to be captured and celebrated and remembered. 


And now, here's a little weekend recap for ya! {b/c if you're still here and still reading, you at least deserve some pics of my little love}

Friday Elena and I went to a local farm with the Mom's group we are a part of.  We're having fun making friends and getting to enjoy this beautiful mid-west fall.  For six bucks we got to pick a pumpkin from the patch and choose a gourd, enjoy a sinful sugared donut with some juice, and have some playtime.  Elena loved driving the trucks through the corn box (like a giant sand box, but with corn, obviously) and running around through the giant hay maze.  She had a blast and cried when it was time to leave. 

She's been a solid napper lately and Friday was no exception.  She was well rested for her second stop on the campaign trail...Lancaster, Ohio for a Romney/Ryan rally.  It was great energy and super exciting for all three of us.  We had a great view of the Governor and Congressman.  I haven't uploaded the pics from my camera yet, so here's a pic from the freezing cold rally we went to earlier in the week {we left before Romney arrived} and a mobile pic of Daddy and his little conservative at Friday's rally.

We left before Mitt was done speaking {Not gonna lie, I kinda felt rude, like hellloooo, we are walking out on the next President of the United States!?} But I hoped Mitt would understand this mama did not want to be stuck in traffic almost 2 hours from home.  Yeah, no.  Apparently Mitt doesn't like sitting in traffic either.  So, despite our best efforts to get outta dodge before the masses, the highway was SHUT DOWN in anticipation of Mitt's tour bus.  We were literally stuck. Luckily we were able to pull into a McDonald's so we could eat.  Here is Elena shoving a grilled cheese in her face.  I mean, seriously, I'm lovin' it.  Sorry.  I had to.  But really, she looks like 8 or something. 

Saturday was a big day for all of us.  It was Elena's first day without "milkie".  We are officially weaned.  It's an emotional subject.  Certainly due it's own post.  I've already written about in the notes on my iPhone and I'm hoping to transcribe it to the blog in the next week or two. We've gone steady and strong for the past 17 months.  To make it easier on both of us, I started a very gradual weaning process that eliminated one nursing session about every 2 weeks.  It has gone smoothly for the most part.  Today is day 3 and, though she is still wanting to nurse, she is easily distracted and I just keep reminding her that she has her big girl cup for milkie now.  My emotions and hormones are all over the place and I find myself crying at random moments.  Honestly, I would have been happy continuing until she self-weaned but b/c we are hoping to start fertility treatments soon, I can't be nursing on the meds I'll be taking. She's never been a big drinker from the sippy to begin with and although I've been offering whole cow's milk  in one since she turned 1, she is finicky.  Well, here she is on no-milkie-morning number one and girlfriend downed all of that milk in her tilty cup, which seems to be the only one she'll take it from.  And I've tried them all.  She drinks water from a straw sippy but will not take milk from one. Needless to say it was bittersweet but I was one proud mama.  There may or may not be some strawberry Quik added per pediatrician's advice.  And yes, those are Christmas pajamas. 

Take note of Lola going in for the snack trap of Cheerios. 

Luckily we had swim lessons on the morning agenda so we could keep her occupied and tucker her out.  She loves splashing with Daddy and had a blast dunkin' the punkin'. 

stupid blurry iPhone pics

Learning to get out of the pool

Sunday we did some stuff around the house and ran some errands.  Capped off the weekend with some Chipotle for dinner and lots of good TV.  

Loving this pic and how they are making the same expression and gesture.  My favorites, these two.  I just adore the bits out of them.  And yes, that's a tutu over her sweats #lovehavingagirl

Phew.  I feel like I just lost 10 pounds after all that.  Feels good to get some stuff out of my brain.  I needed that.  

Can't wait to get back to reading and catching up and commenting.  All that good stuff.  

xoxo

Toddler Mom

Apparently my child did not get the memo that she won't be two until May.  Isn't two when the mayhem begins?  Meltdowns and power struggles?  Tantrums and 'tude?  I'm good for another 9 months, right??  Wrong.  Girlfriend has other plans.  

I never worried about having a toddler .  I suppose as a new mom I didn't  have the foresight to think of anything more than what my been-there-done-that mom friends had warned me about.  You know, sleepless nights, latching issues, engorged breasts etc.  Baby shit.  Literally and figuratively.

Well, just like no one warned me about the crime scene that was my lady parts postpartum, no one warned me of the preamble to the much talked about Terrible 2's.  I shall call them the Whatthef*ckhaveyoudonewithmysweetbaby One's.  It's a mouthful, I know.  Let's dub  it WTF One's for short, k? 

I am the first to admit that toddler hood is a totally different beast than infancy.  And I am not ashamed to admit that I feel more incapable as a toddler mom than I did as an infant mom.  Maybe it's because I really didn't anticipate this toddler shiz until 2.  Clearly I was ill-prepared.  This girl is giving me a run for my money!

I'm that mean mom that totally takes pictures of her child mid-tantrum.  I'm too lazy to search for them I don't have any on hand at the moment, so, instead I'll give you some evidence of this whirling dervish child of mine.  This is what happens when I turn my back for a second.  A SECOND!

Girlfriend is in to everything.  If it isn't locked up or bolted down, it's fair game.  And in case you didn't know, I am a neat freak. Yes, friends. Truth = I find pleasure in a good scrub and get my rocks off when all the labels in the spice cabinet face the same way.  Crazytown from Sleeping with the Enemy has got nothing on me.   #ocdproblems

Surprisingly, these types of messes do not bother me.  She's a baby toddler and babies toddlers make messes.  Messes are her way of leaning about the world--Cause and Effect--they are a natural part of her development.  I gets it. I can handle the path of destruction she leaves in her wake. Because the truth is, I'd rather be playing and making the mess *with* her.  And truth is, I like to clean.  So, at the end of the day, when the house is quiet and she is asleep, then I can get my freak on and clean to my heart's content.

Anyway, back to the lecture at hand...The toddler shit that is really throwing me for a loop?  Not the messes.  Or the not being able to turn my back for a second.  Nope.  The things that are really giving me a dose of youaren'taspatientasyouthink are the tantrums and the mood swings {Wow.  That sounds a lot like someone else I know when it' that time o' the month.} So yeah, that's what's going on in this house.  A lot of power struggles with a healthy side of smirking when Mommy says "No!"

I know.  I know.  Just like the messes, the power struggles are a part of her developing self.  She's testing her limits.  Figuring out how things work.  She can't communicate her wants and needs and it's frustrating.  But unlike cleaning, I don't get the warm fuzzies from trying to shove my ramrod-straight-I-don't-wanna-sit toddler into a shopping cart when it's time to go grocery shopping.  Know what I mean?

And so I remind myself that it is another lesson in patience.  Fifty Shades has been shelved for the unforeseeable future time being and  Happiest Toddler on the Block has taken residence on my nightstand.  And it begins.  I'm a toddler mom.

Oh wait....I found some :)  

From smiles to meltdown to smiles in 30 seconds.

Caveat: And please, for the record, I am not complaining.  Not for one iota of a second.  I am not even gonna justify that lame thought one second further.