Savoring the Moments

Sometimes I wish we could hold and capture every moment of a child's life to savor forever. And, I don't only mean the first time they roll over, the first time they sit up, the first time they crawl, and the first time they walk. I am referring to the moments that occur every single day at nap time and bed time. These are the moments at the end of a three hour period or at the end of a very long day that we sometimes long for, especially when we are not ourselves, and we aren't feeling the best. These are the moments that we often long to pass quickly because there are dishes to be cleaned and laundry to be folded. These are the moments that lead to complete peacefulness and solitude for everyone, baby or toddler, Mommy and Daddy.

But, it isn't just the moment that Annabelle falls asleep that I find so special. It is the moments that lead up to bedtime and nap time (even though I find nap time quite a struggle).

It is the way that Annabelle will walk from the living room to her bedroom at bedtime when asked, "Are you ready to go night night? Let's go to your bedroom and get ready for bed." I've just noticed that she's starting doing this within the past few weeks (probably right around Halloween).

It is the way that Annabelle will immediately hand me her paci (that she was sucking on seconds before) just as soon as her little head hits the boppy pillow when it is time for her to nurse before nap time and bedtime. It is this trust that she so completely has with me that she trusts me to hold and protect her paci until she is ready for it again before bed.

It is the way that Annabelle will fight sleep at nap time by babbling and sometimes shrieking "Da Da Da Da Da Da Da" very loudly, just as her eyes are too heavy to hold open any longer. And, how suddenly, her eyes are no longer heavy as she says, "Da Da Da Da Da Da Da." I will often have to look away from her to avoid eye contact just so I can laugh. If she sees me smile or laugh, she knows she's won me over, and it makes nap time that much more difficult.

It is the pleasure and overwhelming love that one feels by watching her baby sleep with her baby's knees pulled to her chest underneath her little body while she is lying on her tummy.

Another Knock to the Head

Okay, how did that just happen? It was about 10:45 a.m. or so this a.m., and I am in the bathroom brushing my teeth trying to finish getting ready to head out the door. My husband just got home for a quick 20 minute break to see his precious daughter before leaving for a business luncheon at 11:00 a.m.

Well, I am brushing my teeth, and my sweet, little Annabelle comes trotting into the bathroom to find me. I'm watching her, trying to prevent her from opening the toilet lid to splash in the toilet bowl and trying to prevent her from falling head first into the shower while at the same time trying to brush my teeth, and next thing I know, she takes a stumble to the ground.

No big deal, right? She stumbles ALL of the time. And, it looked like she caught herself with her hands as she always does. She apparently had tripped over the rug in the bathroom.

Well, she cries a little bit, and I am so used to her stumbling and crying for sympathy when she is tired. And, she is getting tired because nap time is around 11:00 a.m. So, I say, "Annabelle, you're alright, aren't you?" I pick her up and prop her on her feet and send her on her merry way, and she's fine again...no more whimpering. She did not cry long or very hard.

About that time, her Daddy walks in to rescue her, and he picks her up to hold her. I look at her, and there it is...another knock to the head! This time it was to her forehead. The goose egg and bruise quickly begin to form, and my heart aches for my little girl.

I still cannot comprehend how she got a goose egg out of that fall, but she did. I guess the tile floors should explain it. The dangers lurk everywhere! It doesn't matter how cautious you are, there is ALWAYS something that can really hurt them...even when you are right there watching them 24/7. I guess the rest remains in God's hands. He is there to catch them when they fall when we cannot catch them.

Maybe this was a learning experience for me too. I've been putting off getting those corner things to put on the end tables to prevent babies and toddlers from cracking their heads open on the corners because the ones I've found stick to the furniture, and being the selfish one I sometimes am, I didn't want to mess up my precious furniture! I am not a big fan of babyproofing anyway as I think you should let your child explore and just watch them, but I now think the corners are a GREAT idea. I thank God that she hasn't tumbled into one of those corners yet. Now that would be devastating! I just didn't realize how dangerous the corners can be until she took this little stumble on the bathroom tile floor.

So, she seems fine. I tried to apply a "Rapid Relief" cold compress to her little forehead, but she wanted nothing to do with that at all. I was able to apply it for a little while, but not very long. It is supposed to help with the goose egg swelling.

I just put her down for a nap, and she went down fine. Probably because the stumble made her sleepy, but I am not too worried as she wasn't knocked unconscious, and apparently, according to the doctor, you need not worry about them sleeping if they weren't knocked unconscious.

My husband said that the goose eggs are actually common when you bump your head on something. He asked me, "Have you never knocked your head on something and then got a goose egg as a result?" Well, no, I really don't think I have. He is the accident prone one, and I think Annabelle is following in his footsteps. I think she gets her "high tolerance for pain" from her Mommy though. Otherwise, you would have thought the child would have cried for longer than she did this morning? Right now, if my husband is reading this blog, he is laughing at the "high tolerance for pain" part. That is exactly why I quoted it, just for him! He thinks I toot my own horn for having a "high tolerance for pain." I remind him all of the time that I gave birth to his 7 lbs, 9 oz daughter without ANY meds...almost 24 hours of labor, with 12 hours being hard labor! Hard labor defined (by me) as contractions 5 minutes or less apart.

And, on another side note...my plans for this weekend were to have my husband take her 12 month pictures (at almost 13 months). I am already mad at myself for not getting these done sooner, but every week since her birthday, she's done something to her face, and I didn't want it to show up in the pictures. Of course, those were all minimal blemishes with just a little scratch here and a little scratch there from those sharp finger nails of hers that I don't even bother to cut any more because it is too much of a struggle, and I eventually will just tear them off when they get long and flimsy enough.

And, to top it off, I just learned earlier this week that the photographer that I have been using at Portrait Innovations and loved is no longer working there! Big bummer! Grandmama, Granddaddy and I took Annabelle and her Cousin James back at Annabelle's 6 month birthday for a photo shoot, and we didn't make an appointment with the photographer I like, and the pictures were not impressive at all. So, I've decided to get my husband to try and rent one of those big flashes, and I am going to buy a white cloth, and we are going to do our own photo shoot at home. It is stressful enough taking a baby (now toddler) for a photo shoot. It stresses me out even more having a photographer that I cannot stand or who is not good with her or patient with my indecisiveness, for that matter.

The subject for the pictures is awesome, and she smiles a lot, so how on earth did this guy's pictures show the worst smiles of my daughter when she has a beautiful smile 99% of the time! And, I really am not exaggerating too much, she does have a beautiful smile most of the time.

So, I guess this just goes to show you that you shouldn't procrastinate. Maybe I was procrastinating because I really didn't want to deal with the stress of the photo shoot, and it had nothing to do with the blemishes. It was probably a little bit of both. Oh well!

I have faith that my husband will take magnificent pictures of her for her 12 month photo shoot at 13 months, and we'll still dress her in her birthday dress, and maybe I'll make another cake just for the occasion.

It will be cheaper in the long run to buy our own flash (or even rent it), then pay the prices I've been paying for these photo shoots just to get the CD with all of the pictures on it.

What has Squeakers been up to? # 1

Okay, for those of you that don't know, Squeakers and/or Squeaky is Annabelle's newest nickname. She only has about 20 nicknames from birth! For her 1st birthday, her Daddy bought her pink squeaky shoes off of ebay. These squeaky shoes are apparently a Chinese tradition, and all of the Chinese babies that come home to the United States from China have them. Or, so we've heard.

They actually arrived in the mail on her birthday, so we put them on her that evening after the cake. It was the very first present that she opened, and she LOVED them! There really was no need to open any more presents after the squeaky shoes were opened because with every step, she just smiled with excitement and joy. All she wanted to do was walk around the house. She really did not have much interest in opening presents when she had squeaky shoes to enjoy.

To see her happiness with every squeak was a special moment for her and for her Mommy too (and probably her Daddy, Nonnie, Grandmama and Granddaddy). Talk about sharing the simple joys of life with a child! This was one of those moments that you must stop and enjoy.

So, she quickly inherited the nickname Squeakers and Squeaky because she would not stop walking around the house. She just wanted to hear her shoes squeak. I know that to some, these shoes would be an annoyance, but I cannot imagine missing the joy in her eyes solely because I could not stand the squeaking. I love to hear her squeaking around the house! It makes me smile. Not to mention, I also know if she's up to something. When the squeaking stops, she's probably up to no good, so Mommy is quick to find her little Squeakers.

Okay, so enough on the nickname. Let's get into the question. What has Squeakers been up to (since I last posted and probably before that too)?

Brocolli for the 1st time on Sunday, October 28th? The ? is because I think it was on Sunday. She loved the brocolli the first time she had it. And, she seemed to like it the next day too, but after that, she decided that she wasn't a huge fan. I thought I had finally found something full of fiber to help with these constipation issues she has been having. After these past few days though (Tuesday, November 6th and Wednesday, November 7th), I think we may need to start her back on the Miralax again. Poor baby! She just hurts so bad every time, and I don't blame her one bit. Have you seen the size of these things?

For Annabelle's 2nd Halloween, she was a ladybug. And, she was one cute ladybug. If I can only figure out how to posts pictures on this blog, I'll post some soon for you all to see. I found her Halloween costume at a church consignment sale for $2! It is an older year's Old Navy costume, and when we went to Old Navy just a few days before Halloween, I probably would have bought the newer version for a sales price of $11.75 (regularly $23, but it was 50% off), but they didn't have her size. Thank goodness they didn't because it would have only been a waste of money! She looked just as cute in her $2 costume, and I saved $9.75 plus tax!

We took her "trick-or-treating" at the nearby assisted living in Buckhead. We took the old folks with us too, and we told them we hoped they had brought their bags with them because they wouldn't be coming home with us because they were going to their new home. Ha! Ha!

The assisted living home was rather depressing. I really wasn't expecting that because I thought assisted living homes were for older people to hang before they lost their mind and functionalities. Boy were we wrong! Some lady started telling me about how she was a member of the Cherokee Country Club, but that she liked this place much better, and it was much cheaper. And, she talked about how she had played tennis earlier in the day (with some supposed to be famous person, at least it sounded like they were supposed to be famous, but I didn't recognize the name). The ironic thing...she was in a wheelchair, so she definitely did not play tennis earlier in the day.

But, anyhow, we were trying to do our good deed for the old people living in our community. We weren't taking Annabelle trick-or-treating for the candy. It was more for us than anything, so we thought that the old people would get a kick out of seeing her (since she is really cute and all). The tennis player told me that Annabelle had the best costume that she had seen all evening. I am sure that she told everyone that though as she probably didn't remember us one second after we walked out the door.

After the assisted living trick-or-treating, we ventured over to Whole Foods because I saw online that they had something special for the kiddos for Halloween too. It was a bag full of goodies, but we had to find someone to find someone else in Customer Service to give her the bag full of goodies (that she won't eat anyway). Oh well!

We did take her trick-or-treating to just a few houses in the neighborhood. The first one being our neighbor across the street, Ken. And, the second one, well, they didn't answer. And, the third one, our neighbors next door, Michelle and Dwight. They were all happy to see a precious little girl, but then again, who wouldn't be?

Okay, moving on...rutabagas for the first time on Tuesday, November 6th. Annabelle and I met Grandmama and Granddaddy at Five Guys by the Wal-Mart we shop at. Grandmama brought some cooked rutabagas for Annabelle to try. I think she brought them because she cannot get Granddaddy to eat them, so she's trying to pawn them off on my little girl! Poor baby! The funny thing is...she actually ate a good bit of them, and she seemed to enjoy them. I tried them too. So, we can probably document that as one of my firsts as well because I don't know if I've ever had rutabagas before. Mother, did I spell it right?

I started feeling sick again the Thursday after Halloween with another cold! I was just sick on Annabelle's birthday. She got sick, and then she gave it to us (her Daddy and I) right before her birthday. I just hope that she doesn't get sick from me this time. Well, that evening, I sat in the glider in her room, and she proceeded to bring almost every book to me from her bookshelf one by one. It was absolutely precious! Every time she'd bring a book to me, I would just say, "Thank you." And, she'd turn around and go get another book. I just stacked them up in my lap as she brought them to me. She held onto one little book in one hand though the entire time (as she brought me the books). I guess she was keeping that book because it is one of her favorites. When it was time to put the books away and get ready for bed, I said, "Annabelle, will you bring Mommy the book on the floor?," and she did just that, she brought me the book on the floor. Then, I said, "Annabelle, will you bring Mommy the book on the stool?," and she did just that, she brought me the book on the stool. One by one, she brought me the books I asked her to bring me. Then, I said, "Annabelle, will you bring Mommy the cow?" She has a stuffed cow that actually Moos that her Daddy brought her home from Texas when he went out there earlier this year for business. Well, she brought me the cow. I am so amazed with how much and how fast she is learning! It blows my mind that they can retain so much information at such a young age. But, then, I sometimes think, "when will she start talking in sentences to ask for stuff?" I guess that is just being human...always wanting the next best thing. I try very hard to live in the moment though. I know she'll be grown before I know it, and I won't have my little girl to hold in my arms any more.

And, now, she'll actually take the time to sit in my lap to look at a book. This is new to me as she has always squirmed to get free before I even read the first page. In the past, when she's done this, I just let her down, and I'll read to her as she plays. I think reading is important whether they are sitting right there with you or not.

So, then on Saturday, November 3, Annabelle, her Daddy and I took a day trip to the mountains. We made it as far as Black Rock State Park near Taccoa. I think we decided that this will be the last long day drive for a long time. While we were dating and pre-Annabelle and actually even post-Annabelle (last year while Annabelle was probably only a month old), we would just decide to take a drive in the mountains. Well, Annabelle wasn't a big fan of the drive at all. We had to stop several times just to get her out of her car seat. And, it probably didn't help that we forgot to pack the paci! She normally will nap in the car very well, but she didn't on Saturday, and I solely contribute that to forgetting the paci.

Well, while we made the long drive to Black Rock State Park, I sat in the backseat with Annabelle, and I showed her pictures in one of her picture/word books. She loves the pages with animals on it, and she will constantly turn to those same pages over and over again. I'm not sure if it has something to do with those pages being in the middle of the book or not, but whatever the reason, she constantly turns to the same pages. Well, I would point at the pictures and tell her the names of the animals, and then I would say, "Annabelle, where is the cow?" Etc., Etc. I pointed at many different animals, and she got it! She is really making the connection now! She would point to the animal or object I was asking her to find.

Okay, so now that you have a new update on "Annabelle's Firsts" since my last post, I better end this blog and continue on another day as it is already getting late, and we have plans to go and visit with Grandmama and Granddaddy tomorrow. And, I think I just heard my baby fussing! She woke up crying last night around 1:00 a.m., and I had to rock her back to sleep. Fortunately, it didn't take very long though (maybe 20 minutes). I think she is teething again because she keeps putting her hands in her mouth, and she'll hold her fingers against her bottom gums. Those are the teeth that are supposed to come in next.

So, until next week's blog...Ha! Ha! Just kidding, hopefully, until tomorrow's blog...

You'll be hearing about Annabelle lying down with her Mommy on the floor (on Monday, November 5th) , pretending to use her play telephone for the first time (correctly) (on October 31st, I believe) and possibly saying "belly" on Friday. And, Annabelle's use of the toy that Granny bought her for her very first birthday. And, Annabelle looking at her belly when I told her that one of her peek-a-blocks had a bell in it.

Oh, and before I forget, she gave her Daddy his first hug around the leg on Monday, October 29th. And, she gave him a kiss last night (Tuesday, November 6th) that appeared more like a real kiss (using the lips a little more properly instead of her mouth wide open).

We think she said "Amen" earlier this week after we finished saying prayer, I believe it was on Monday, November 5th. And, tonight (or maybe that was last night), it sounded like she said "I love you" to her Daddy. Maybe we are just hearing things though. I think she says "Juice" when she sees her sippy cup. And, when she points at stuff, I swear she says, "What's this?" That would be a lot of words for an almost 13 month old though, so I am probably just hearing things that I want to hear.

Comments please

Okay people! I know that some people are reading my blog because I've personally given you the web address. So, why aren't you writing me any comments? Your comments and/or opinions would be much appreciated! It keeps me blogging. As you can see, I haven't posted any blogs since Monday, October 29th, and this is solely because I have not received any comments from any of you!

Hint: I think it is fairly easy to comment by clicking on the "0 comments" in gray at the bottom of the blog. And, you can comment as "Anonymous" if you don't want to set up a google account or include your user name on the web.

So, comments please!

Did we maybe say our first word?

So, I think my daughter is finally talking! And as the ongoing joke between my husband and me goes, "They either talk first or walk first." Well, Annabelle walked first! And, now she's talking!

This little quote is funny to us because our neighbor made this comment to us a few months ago. I agreed with his comment when he said it because I thought he was saying that they typically either walk really early or if they don't walk really early, then they'll talk really early. My husband commented about it after the fact saying that yes, you do either walk first or talk first. So, that is our ongoing joke. And, the funny thing is, our neighbor made the comment again to me very recently (right after Annabelle started walking), and he wasn't trying to be funny either. I had thought maybe I was the moron before, and that I just didn't catch on to the joke. But, I think he meant that they do one or the other really early (compared to the other).

Okay, so on Wednesday, October 24th, I was visiting with my parents, and my mom picked my daughter up from her highchair to leave the room to go play in the den. As they started to walk away, I heard my daughter say "Bye," but I didn't think anything of it. My mom "claims" that she actually said "Bye" because she said that she waved as she said it. I am not sure I believe it, and I probably won't document it in her baby book as her first word because "you've got to see it to believe it!" Not to mention, I'll probably never complete her baby book as I haven't even started it! And, she's already over a year old!

So, that same day, Wednesday, October 24th, I believe. If I am wrong on these dates, I am sure that my mom will be the first to correct me. But, anyhow, later on in the day, Annabelle's Grandmama had gotten Annabelle up from a nap, and she was changing her diaper. Grandmama said that Annabelle pointed to her shoes and said, "Shoes." Again, "you've got to see it to believe it!"

Since then, my husband and I have been trying to get Annabelle to say "Ma Ma" and "Da Da." We have been trying for awhile, and she knows us by "Ma Ma" and "Da Da," but she just won't say it when she looks at us. We'll say, "Where is Ma Ma?" and "Where is Da Da?" and she'll look right at us (and at the right person), but that stubborn little girl just won't say it!

Okay, so, then on Saturday, October 27th, I swear she said "Thank You" for the very first time, and my husband agrees. So, when my daughter asks what her very first word was, do I tell her "Thank" or "Thank You" or neither. I am still unsure whether or not she said "Thank You," but it was used appropriately if she did. And, then today, Monday, October 29th, it sounded like she said "Thank You" again, and this time, it was much clearer.

I should mention that she's been babbling "Ma Ma" and "Da Da" since July. So, maybe I should count "Ma Ma" as her first word. Sorry Da Da! I guess having your daughter use "Thank You" for her very first word isn't such a bad thing either though. She's learning to be polite!

On Sunday, October 28th, we were riding in the car to go do a little shopping, and I was sitting in the back with her showing her a book with pictures of animals in it. I showed her the pictures of the ducks, and, it sounded like she was trying to repeat me by saying her version of "Duck" which was just "D." But, she kept saying "D" every time we'd look at the pages with the ducks on it.

Oh, and probably the most important one...because maybe this was her first word. On Friday, October 12th, right before my daughter's first birthday, my husband and I were looking at the knock-off Robeez shoes at Target. My daughter had just discovered her freedom as I let her down to walk up and down the baby aisle at Target while I looked at the knock-off Robeez shoes. She is such an independent little thing! She naturally walked towards the other side of the aisle to play with the "My Little Ponies" underwear. I guess she wants to potty train early! Ha! Ha! But, anyhow, at Target, there are pictures of babies up within the baby section. I asked her, "Annabelle, where are the babies?" And, she pointed at the babies, and then very shortly after that, my husband and I both heard her say "Baby" while she was looking at the babies. We both exchanged looks as if to say, "She just said her first word!" We tried to get her to say "Baby" again, but she wouldn't do it. So, we discounted it, and we decided that it was not her first word. But, now I am sort of thinking that it probably was her first word. Maybe we should have encouraged her more that day after she sounded like she said "baby." I was still hoping that "Ma Ma" or even "Da Da" would be her first word.

I never dreamed that determining my little girl's first word would be so difficult! I guess I should realize that by now though as it was hard to determine the first day that she truly sat up all by herself and the first day that she technically crawled as well as the first day that she truly took her first steps! I had always thought those "firsts" would be so obvious. Maybe I am just not observant enough or maybe it is because I was always the youngest among siblings, cousins, etc. Oh well! I have truly enjoyed watching her grow on a daily basis though, and I thank God that I am able to stay home with her to enjoy all of these "firsts!"

Do I have pregnancy brain?

Ha! Ha! For those of you who I have just given access to my blog, you are probably wondering, is she pregnant? Nope! At least I hope not...I'm not ready to give up my 12 hours between feedings right now! Maybe in another 10 years? And, I had mothers tell me I'd never get a full eight hours of sleep again! Of course, maybe I could stay up on that laundry and cleaning if I didn't get my full 8 hours. I'm hoping to start working on that soon...maybe I'll reduce my sleep time to 6 hours at night.

So, my title is related to my short memory today. I've already almost forgotten what I am trying to write about, and I don't really know why. I didn't do much today besides grocery shop. But, then again, grocery shopping is a full day with a toddler who still takes 2 naps a day, and who gets fussy when she's been up for more than 3 hours!

Today, she only had her morning nap from 11:30-1:30. But, I cannot complain as her naps rarely last 2 hours! She was a pill by dinner this evening at 6:15 p.m. though. I was trying to cook dinner, and she wanted nothing else but me to hold her. I'd pick her up to comfort her, but as soon as I'd put her down again, she'd just start screaming and talking in her gibberish to me. I finally realized that I think she was a bit hungry too (as I jipped her out of her 4:30 p.m. feeding session). I realized she was hungry because she kept pointing at the dinner I was preparing on the stove when I held her. Instead of her 4:30 p.m. nursing, I gave her about 2-3 ounces of Organic Whole Milk for the very first time! She was not interested in the milk, and instead, she wanted her juice. Looks like weaning may be a problem! I cannot blame her though, I don't like milk either.

Okay, and before I get into my pregnancy brain story, I want to mention one other thing. This blog is my daughter's journal for her too, so I have to document her firsts as I remember them. I just wish there was a way to change the dates on this blog so I can write past entries. I guess I'll just have to enter the dates into the actual entry. So, for Annabelle's first today, she had shrimp for the very first time this evening. The doctor said she was clear to eat anything now, so we gave it a shot. And, yea! She didn't have an allergic reaction. I guess that eggs is our only concern right now. We had shrimp alfredo for dinner this evening, so she got the whole wheat pasta alfredo and the shrimp. We have just recently (this year) switched to using whole wheat everything (well, almost everything).

Okay, so my comment about pregnancy brain. I typed my first and last blog on Friday, and I just tried to go into my blog to type another entry, and I completely forgot my user login AND password. So, I had google send an e-mail to me so I could change my password. Alright, so that worked, I changed my password, but after I changed my password, and after I proceeded to this screen to enter a new blog, I realized that I do not remember the user login (which just showed up on the previous page that google took me to after I changed my password). And, you are thinking, why don't I hit the "Back" button. Well, I tried, but it would not go back to the previous page. So, now I have a new password that I have probably already forgotten. I think I may have to change my password daily just so I can enter a new blog!

So, to make this blog a little more interesting, I think I'll add a little humor from my first AND only pregnancy back in 2006 that I never documented, and that I'd love to keep for the future because it was just too funny (to me at least).

It was in May 2006 (mid-may, around May 15th or so). I remember the date (sort of) because my husband and I had planned a cruise out of Philadelphia to Bermuda. Well, my best friend and her sister had loaned me all of their maternity clothes. They were so gracious as they loaned me two huge boxes full. And, when I say huge, I mean the boxes were the size boxes that lawn mowers come in.

So, I had picked up the clothes from my best friend's sister shortly before our last huge vacation with just the two of us. Our vacation was from Friday, May 19th, 2006 through Wednesday, May 31st, 2006. Well, I felt the need to try on every single piece of clothing so I could determine which clothes I liked the best and which clothes I would never wear. If I didn't think I would wear the outfits, I had planned to box the clothes back up and send them back (as we already didn't have enough room in our closets for the clothes I decided to keep).

Well, I made my sweet husband turn off the television and look at every single piece of clothing to help me make the decision whether or not I would ever wear the shirt, pants, capris, etc. He was so very patient with me. I kept the clothes in our living room, and I would change into each outfit right there in the living room. I would ask my husband's opinion as he sat there in the living room with me (ever so patiently). But, then, since I felt the need to check out every outfit on my own as well, I would trot off to the office (right next door to the living room) to look at myself in the only full-length mirror in the house. Every time I would enter the office, I would turn on the light, and every time I would leave the office, I would turn off the light! And, I am not exaggerating either! I had to see myself in every outfit, and every single time, I would turn on the light and then turn off the light.

My sweet husband started to get annoyed as he saw the light go on and then go off again. After a few times of my very obvious "pregnancy brain," he commented and said, "You know, you don't have to turn off the light every time you leave the room." He told me I was using more electricity by turning the light on and then off again. But, for some reason, I could not remember NOT to turn off the light when I left the room. I must have turned the light on and then off again for almost every single outfit I tried on!

This was the worst case of pregnancy brain that I remember from being pregnant. I do recall having a hard time remembering things at work that I used to never forget, but I fortunately had my handy Outlook calendar there to remind me of my daily appointments. I don't know what I'll do when I'm pregnant with our second child! I rarely use my handy Outlook calendar now that I'm a stay-at-home mom. I keep almost every appointment in my head now! Maybe that is why I am not the best about remembering to send cards for birthdays until the day of the person's birthday! Of course, by then, it is a little too late!

Stay-at-home Mom - Hardest Job in the World?

That was the question that inspired me to start my own blog. I found this question while browsing the internet for stay-at-home mom blogs to read.

So, why do stay-at-home moms say it is the hardest job in the world?

I know this answer will vary greatly depending on the mother and her life experiences. As a previous professional in the work force, used to working 50 to 60 to 70 hour work weeks (and sometimes even 80 hour weeks, okay, 79 hours was probably my limit) during busy season from January through April, I can explain why I think that staying at home with our 12 month old daughter is the hardest job in the world.

It definitely isn't a mentally challenging job (at least right now it isn't...that could probably change as my daughter gets older), but it is physically and emotionally draining.

It is the constant daily battle. The dishes really need to be cleaned, and the dirty clothes really need to be washed, but right now (not really right now as it is 11:30 at night) Annabelle (my 12 month old daughter) is alert and awake. She is walking in circles around the house from the kitchen through the office and hall and living room and dining room and back again to the kitchen over and over. Obviously, she is at her prime for getting into serious trouble on her own without my complete and uttermost attention. These troubles may include stumbling and knocking her head on the corner of the coffee table or closing her tiny fingers into my kitchen drawers or simply deciding to taste the paper clip or penny which accidentally fell on the floor (unbeknownst to anyone except the little hands who found it). So, I have a choice. I can take care of those dirty dishes and dirty clothes or I can follow my daughter around the house as she walks in circles. Or, I can simply put up a baby gate or close the kitchen doors and lock her in the kitchen with me as I wash the dishes. But, if I do that, am I providing my daughter with the opportunity to learn and grow?

My husband and I opted to make the sacrifice to give up that second salary for me to stay at home with my daughter to help mold her into a wonderful, honest and bright individual with integrity. So, if I am staying at home with my daughter, why should I spend that precious time while she is awake and alert doing the dishes and the laundry? This is why I am always behind on the laundry (since one mother commented that she could not understand how stay-at-home moms are behind on the laundry). This mom, who also worked full-time, stated that she was never behind on the laundry. I question just how much "quality" time she spent with her son/daughter.

So, I try my best to choose to spend that time with my daughter following her around the house as she smiles at me and squints those sweet, little, blue eyes to show her happiness and affection.

I try my best to sit down on the floor with her and push the buttons on the toys over and over again even though she continously pushes the same button and it says the same thing over and over again, "This is the song. La, la, la, la. Elmo's song!" I do this because I want her to learn how to make the other characters pop up and sing (with a different motion and push or pull of a button).

So, when do the dishes, laundry, dusting, vacuuming get done? Sometimes it doesn't, and that is the struggle of being a stay-at-home mom or working mom, for that matter. I still think that people tend to judge the woman (mother and wife) when a home is untidy or dirty. Especially when the woman is a stay-at-home mom because, "What does she do all day?" People don't realize that there isn't time to clean a house when you have an infant who only naps for 30-45 minutes at a stretch (twice a day). Fortunately, as Annabelle has gotten older, so have the length of her naps...we are up to between 45 minutes to 2 hours (depending on the day). Thank goodness!

What else makes being a stay-at-home mom the hardest job in the world?

It is juggling the nap times around grocery shopping (especially when you have a 12 month old who is ready for another nap after being awake for 3 hours).

Okay, so 3 hours sounds like plenty of time to do grocery shopping, right? Wrong! Not when it takes 20 minutes to nurse, 10 minutes to change from jammies into clothes, 45 minutes to an hour just to eat breakfast (Annabelle is a really slow eater like her Mommy) and another 15 minutes to grab our belongings and get buckled into a car seat. Then, what about the 20 minutes to get to the grocery store (on a good day) and the 20 minutes to get home. So, that leaves an hour for doing the grocery shopping AND for unloading the groceries while dealing with a potential fussy baby depending on how close to naptime we are.

Alright, so you're thinking, working moms still have to grocery shop. Yes, you are right, most of them do. But, maybe some of these working moms can leave the kiddos with the hubby while they run to the store or maybe hubby does the grocery shopping for the family since both spouses are working? Or, maybe hubby is there to help unload all of the groceries? And, grocery shopping may take less time for these working moms because they don't have to pay as much attention to the price per ounce because they are a two income level family.

As a stay-at-home mom, there is no formal annual employee evaluation. There is no boss or client saying, "You're doing a great job!" This is difficult because the self-esteem of being a good mother is mainly developed from within. The praise is not given from outsiders. And, if anything, it is the constant dealings with other parents (stay-at-home parents and working parents) who say, "Oh, so she's walking. Well, is she talking yet?"

As a stay-at-home mom, the adult interaction is very limited and depends completely on the number of play groups you can manage to attend around your already busy schedule.

Being a stay-at-home mom means holding your baby all day long (if needed) after the shots that made your infant feel ill. Or, holding or simply playing with the very fussy baby who isn't feeling well due to its very first upper respiratory infection. This same baby is the baby who will not nap more than 45 minutes because she doesn't feel well, and she'll only take the one 45 minute nap during the morning (instead of both the morning and afternoon nap). Not to mention, she stayed up until 2 a.m. the night before because she was having a hard time breathing through her little nose, and she was very uncomfortable and nothing would calm her. The stay-at-home mom was the one responsible for staying up until 2 a.m. with the little one (instead of shared duties with the hubby) because the stay-at-home mom doesn't have to go to the office the next day. However, as a stay-at-home mom, you still have to tend to the baby's needs for the entire day until bedtime.

Being a stay-at-home mom means no vacation or sick days! As a stay-at-home mom, if you are sick, you still have to tend to your child all day long. You cannot drop your child off at day care only to go back home and rest in your bed all day (without constant interruption). Your child is there with you all day running in circles around the house (with you close behind).

Being a stay-at-home mom means trying to do everything in your power to be the "perfect" mother 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Being a stay-at-home mom means having no one else to blame but yourself when your baby stumbles while walking outside on a concrete pavement and falls backwards and bumps her noggin on the pavement (only to cry in horror and pain).

Being a stay-at-home mom means listening to others in your previous profession discuss their accomplishments and promotions while knowing that you've put your professional career on hold to raise your little one, and knowing that if and when you enter the work force again, your job as a stay-at-home mom will very unlikely be acknowledged or praised.

Being a stay-at-home mom means questioning every single moment you spend (or don't spend) with your child.

Being a stay-at-home mom means working 24/7 for free!

These are all reasons that being a stay-at-home mom is the hardest job in the world. But, I wouldn't change anything in the world. I miss my full-time career, but I LOVE my new job as a mother.