[don't] complicate me

why is it that people tend to over complicate things these days?

what happened to the days of simple. just letting things be what they are instead of trying to search for some over-complicated, analytical reasoning behind them. i mean maybe i'm just lazy and would rather just accept things for the way they are versus trying to find something more behind them.  

like, when did friendship become so complicated? 
i haven't always had the best record with friendships in my past ... i tended to let other people control my way of thinking about people and it never ended well for me. but these last few years, i have definitely evolved.
why do people spend so much time and effort in trying to figure out if something is wrong in a friendship instead of just asking that person who is supposed to be a friend. 
i have, on multiple occasions, witnessed first hand friendships dissolve over nothing at all. one side thinks the other is mad at them, the other doesn't know what to think and when it's all said and done ... the friendship is over. why can't people just talk to each other? i don't know about y'all but i talk to my friends. 
i mean, sometimes talking to your friends about an issue/problem doesn't always end well [i know first hand about this one]... but you know, at least you said what you wanted and you either move on or walk away from the friendship KNOWING you TRIED versus not.
we were born with voices - we should use them.

also, when did parenting become so complicated? [yes, i know - this is a touchy subject]
a thousand and one books to read before the baby is born and another two thousand to read during the first year of his life? what is the point? 
i mean - i read one book while i was pregnant. 'what to expect when you're expecting'. [a second after boys were born - 'what to expect the first year] and even then, i didn't read from cover to cover. i basically skimmed over each chapter for interesting points. 
i always figured - even before i had kids - that most things would just come natural to me and for the most part, it did.
don't get me wrong - there were times that i had to consult the interwebs or my 'what to expect the first year' book but for the most part ... parenting isn't all that hard. 
kids crying? only a few things could be wrong - hungry, diaper, tired or just wants some holding/comfort. none of that soothes him, well then he's just a fuss bucket and you should trade him in [i kid .. i kid ..] but for real, i don't need a book to tell me any of that. 
as parents - we know our kid better than anyone else. ESPECIALLY better than some loony bin 'doctor' who has never met your kid. what works for one kid, definitely won't always work for the other. 
so your kid is fussy? or maybe exceptionally happy? or maybe they're just a kid ... and they're new to this world and dealing with an overwhelming new sense of life ... why does it need a fancy shmancy name? a 'wonder week', a 'leap', a 'sunny week'.  why do we as parents feel we have to make excuses for our kids? [again, something that i am guilty of .. but this blog is just as much directed towards me as anyone else] they're just kids ... and if they're being a little fussy, SO WHAT? they're kids. matter of fact, they're BABIES. i don't feel like i should have to justify to anyone why they're having a bad day. don't we, as adults, just have bad days?!
it's almost like someone decided they were tired of explaining constantly that their kid is just a kid or just feels like being a brat at the moment and decided to come up with some new term, ... "my kid is still perfect, just going through a wonder week." 
maybe i'll start saying that ... whenever i'm in a bad mood i'll just tell people look .. i'm going through a wonder week ;)

i hate when people act like they have perfect kids [& lives!]. come on, NO ONE is perfect. you may have a better behaved kid than mine - but keep in mind that no two kids are alike. my kids are definitely spirited and can be difficult sometimes - but you know what, they're mine and because of that it's no wonder they are that way. they may grow up to be a doctor [to your childs kid - food for thought] or even the president. i don't know why so many people waste time and energy on other peoples kids behavior. what does it concern or affect them? when i see a kid behaving well, it makes me happy. when i see one behaving badly, it also makes me happy. because i've been there. BOTH places. my kids can be great one day but hellions the next. they're still kids at the end of the day and wear their hearts on their sleeves and love with everything they have. i admire my kids - and all kids for that matter - for that trait.  maybe i'm over complicating by even writing about this, but it's just something i've been thinking about. i don't like complicated. i like easy. i like go-with-the-flow. i like freedom. 
when my kid throws himself on the floor because i took something away that he wasn't supposed to have [like a knife! [[again, kidding ..]] haha!] i'm just going to laugh [or maybe sigh] and say .. 'what a brat' ... because that's what he's being. and i'm okay with that. i was a brat and i'm sure you were too. 
if i think a friend is upset with me ... i'm going to ask her about it. not just going to sit there and wonder if i did something wrong! 

i've never been one to think too deeply into something. i take most things for face value. if i'm being nasty, tell me i'm being nasty ... i would probably tell you. if my kids being bratty ... so what. you gonna lose sleep at night over it? i'm not. you gonna tell me that you're kid is NEVER bad. i will laugh in your face ;)

first vs second

not really a first born versus second born battle but more of a 'differences' post.


with your first born - you're afraid to leave the room to clean a bottle, go to the bathroom or heaven forbid take a shower.
with your second - you embrace the quiet, knowing he is perfectly fine and likely sleeping in his rock n play. 


with your first born - when you DO shower - it's with the shower curtain halfway open. the other thing halfway open? your eyes - risking shampoo in the eye balls just to make sure the kid is still breathing.
with your second  - you're likely putting your first born in the shower with you so it's still not peaceful. ;)


with your first born - you change outfits every couple hours. probably with every drop of spit up or pee that gets on the clothes, or area surrounding the clothes!
with your second  - you're lucky if you have time/remember to change them from their PJs from the night before!


with your first born - you take five thousand pictures a day. i even have pictures of kullen SPITTING UP!
with your second - where is the camera? do i even have one? where is the memory card? oh, the battery is dead. i give up.


with your first born - you call the pediatrician if he spits up more than once a day or isn't pooping after a feeding when you begin to supplement formula.
with your second? you switch the type of formula you're supplementing because you got two free cans of a different kind in the mail and heaven forbid they go to waste!


with your first born - you scoop them up at the first whimper of a cry.
with your second - just because they're crying doesn't mean they need to be picked up!


with your first born - you swaddle and re-swaddle so many times, trying to ensure you've got it right.
with your second - you wrap that blanket around twice and voila - swaddle complete!


with your first born - you bathe them every day until their poor skin is falling off!
with your second - you're lucky if you remember the last time you gave them one! you can tell this by the grease accumulation in their hair ;)


with your first born - sleep when they sleep? yeah right, you spend that time just staring at them!
with your second - sleep when they sleep? again, yeah right - you also have a toddler!


i could go on and on with differences between my first and second born son but the bottom line is - with your first born - you're totally uptight and paranoid at everything! 
with your seconnd - some of that fades a bit, although for me - i'm still a little paranoid from time to time!
i often wonder what it'll be like with a third? maybe it'll just be kullen and rhys watching over him/her while mama finallllly gets some rest! ;)

mothers day

mother's day. 

May 08, 2011

i am thankful for this little guy for making me a a mother. 

he, unknowingly, has made me a better person

and i can't imagine a life without him.

i am thankful for this woman. 

obviously, without her, i wouldn't be here 

but without her - i wouldn't know how to be a mother.

she, (also) unknowingly, taught me how to be a mother just by doing so herself. 

i am also thankful for my MIL. 

she is a great woman and without her, obviously, adam wouldn't be here.

she raised him right [mostly, hehe] and taught him how to treat his family.

i am thankful for my husband 

who has blessed me with one amazing little boy and another one on the way!

i'm lucky he takes care of me - even if he doesn't get me a super fancy mothers day present

[there's always next year, right?]

i still love him, i guess ;]

overall 

i am thankful that i am a mother :)

thankful for the other little boy that i am already blessed with!

can't wait two be holding [in my arms!] two little fella's next May! 

we had a great mother's day!

we took our mom's to Rod N Reel - located in Chesapeake Beach. 

they had an amazing brunch buffet - mama got her eat on :)

we gave them their gifts - the MIL definitely enjoyed hers [which was a belated birthday gift as well - a kindle!]

my momma got hooked up with Tastefully Simple and Starbucks - she's super easy to please!

afterwards - we spent the day relaxing and watching movies.

i enjoyed the company of my boys!