Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Not Happening Vacation:(

Que the cries!!!!
Well I booked my vacation reservations back in February....that was a long time for vacation build up!  My dear husband wasn't going to be able to go so I talked (didn't take much) my oldest sister and her kids in to coming along.  I had already gotten the snacks and food prepared to go.  The deposit had been paid and the time was finally here!  It wasn't a huge vacation but just 3 short nights at the beach.  Well a darn tropical storm decided to come along and ruin the whole thing.  All these months I have been planning and preparing washed away b/c for two of the three full days that we would be there, it would be doing lots and lots of raining.  Did I mention that my sister has 5 kids (she really has six but one is out of the house already)???  Did I mention that we would all be in one suite together?  Yes it has two rooms but that is still a lot of kids, 7 total including mine, to be stuck in a hotel room with for two days and only get one really good day of weather to enjoy before having to head back home!  

So instead I am in rainy Georgia and working like crazy on my business stuff trying to distract myself.  I guess the good thing is that they were willing to transfer my deposit to another week and it is a week that my husband will for sure be able to go with us.  The bad news is, it is THREE MONTHS away!!!!!  Stayed tune to see if I go crazy before then!!!
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Back at HOME!!!!

A few weeks ago I wrote this post about a tough decision that I had to make between taking a job that would demand a little more or being back at home with my kids and depending on my business to help get me by.  I asked for opinions on here and facebook and I sure got them.  They were all good and supportive decisions that argued both sides of the fence but when it came down to it, I already knew where my heart was.  Given our current debt free situation, I had options.  When it became a huge struggle to find childcare for my little ones over summer break, I realized that I needed to follow my heart!

I am so happy to say that I am back at home with my babies and loving it!  Yeap, they are already pushing me over the edge and I may have threatened them earlier by telling them I was just going to go get a job but at the end of the day (mostly while they are sleeping) I am so happy with my decision.  Not only is it awesome to not have to worry about who is keeping my kids and what they are doing but it is also awesome to be working full speed on Cohen Lane!!!!  I really love and believe in my business and there is nothing else in this world I would rather do (job wise) than this.
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Are you Mom enough? Why yes I am, thank you very much!


Oh how we judge each other.  Is it better to breastfeed or bottle feed?  Do you feed your child all organic foods?  Stay at home or work?  The list goes on and on and on and on and frankly it gets very tiring.

I didn’t really take any offense to the Time magazine cover.  I mean, I don’t have the desire to be breastfeeding an older child but who gives a crap if someone else does.  It isn’t up to us to decide.  As mothers, we should never ever feel guilty about our choices with our kids as long as those choices are what works for your family.

I was a bottle feeder.  I had total intentions of breastfeeding my first born child but then I was put to sleep for a c-section and didn’t get to see her for the first time until over 12 hours later.  Then I was pretty sure that c-section was going to kill me so the very last thing I felt like I could do was breathe much less feed my baby.  I know what you are saying….what a wimp.  Then a wimp I am!  It was my very first ever time being a patient and in a hospital.  There was no time in my situation for a spinal so when I awoke from my surgery, I felt every single nerve that had been sliced through to get to my baby girl safely.  When my son came along I totally entertained the idea yet again of breastfeeding but he landed in the NICU for 5 days.  Even still I was being pressured by his NICU Dr. to pump for him but you know what, I didn’t want to.  I had just suffered through a horrific two year process that started with trying for 6 months to get pregnant, being pregnant, birthing and burying that sweet boy, healing, getting pregnant again, being pregnant and on bed rest for 17 weeks and it had all ended with yet another c-section with a baby in the NICU.  So excuse me if I know my body, my emotions and my parenting skills  and made the best choice for me and my family not based on what some Dr. that has never birthed or breastfed a baby told me. 

Extreme parenting is in ALL OF US!!!  No matter what you say, we all have our own version of extreme.  I bottle-fed, didn’t make my own baby food, only co-slept when I thought I was going to die from sleep exhaustion, I used store bought diapers and I don’t regret one single bit of it.  But my extreme comes out in other ways.  My kids had to stay on a schedule and Lord help your soul if you (my husband) caused my schedule to get off course.  I insisted that even though my babies didn’t leave the house most days, they had to (and still do) take a bath every single night.  The most extreme (my entire family would agree) parenting that I had was my sudden fear of germs.  Don’t touch my kid or me and all will be right in my world.  Well I should say that my little boy who can’t keep his hands off of stuff has broke me of this to some extent but that germ sickness is still deep down inside of me. 

So Time magazine, Yes I am Mom enough.  I was mom enough to go through three pregnancies.  I was mom enough to birth them.  I was mom enough to survive the death of a precious boy that I still try to mother even from very far away.  I was mom enough for my kids to survive their first year of life.  I have been mom enough to get one child to 9 ½ and the other to 4 1/2 and guess what….so far they still like me.  I don’t think my kids have suffered in anyway b/c they wore store bought diapers or sleep in their own beds.  But for those of you that do any form of extreme parenting (which is every single one of us in some way or another) you are awesome.  Every parent that takes care of their own child, teaches them, loves them, clothes them, feeds them and raises them…..No matter how you do it, you are AWESOME and don’t let any Dr., friend, judgmental woman, Time magazine or mother-in-law tell you any different!!!


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Monday, May 14, 2012

Whirlwind

Wow!  The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for us.  There have been lots of changes and decisions made once again.  I will fill you in later.

Tegan finished up his very first T-ball season this past Saturday.  I have to admit that the very best part of t-ball is seeing him in that uniform.  He loved it and will be back at it next year but not before playing a season of soccer in the fall:)

After 3 1/2 months of play practicing, Rylee finally had her six nights of performances.  The last day for that was also this past Saturday.  Saturday was a big day for us b/c it meant the end to all this running around.  Even if it is only temporary, I welcome the break for right now.
She had a small part but did great and loved it.  I don't doubt for a second that I will see her on the stage someday soon in what will be a big part!  





I hope you have all had a very happy Monday!  I am trying to get all caught up this week...wish me luck! 
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