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Thursday, February 7, 2013

18 Months

Dear Mairead,

I have had eighteen full months with you. I remember my life before you well. Ambling around trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted, truly really wanted, in life. It sounds incredibly cheesy - but I knew from the day I found out about you on - this is who I am and was meant to be. I always knew I wanted children; I always wanted to be a mother. I wanted to nurture, teach, and learn from beautiful souls that I had created with someone I truly loved. And that's how it happened. Not as I expected - but in hindsight I feel that that is how it was truly meant to be.

I remember my pregnancy well. I just knew you were a girl. I was so, so sick for so long. I lost a lot of weight. But it didn't get my spirits down. I pushed through with excitement. At 13 weeks, I swore I started to feel you move. Not every day - but once or twice every few days I felt bubbly inside. It was you, I know it. I felt you every day by seventeen full weeks. I loved every wiggle, roll, and nudge. I felt so beautiful on the outside as my belly burgeoned and so deeply moved inside by the miracle you were. I ate what and when I needed, I took my prenatal vitamins religiously, and quit my biggest vice - Pepsi - cold turkey very early on. I was in love with eating - I had never had a very large appetite, and it felt so good to be able to eat more. It was confirmed you were a girl by nineteen weeks.

I was over the moon. I wanted to buy you the world. I wanted so much for you to have when you would make your way into the world. Daddy was so proud, his chest poofed up. He was rapt at the thought of you. We were so excited, proud, happy. I felt like a fertility goddess. So beautiful inside and out. I loved watching your elbow come out of my stomach. I listened to your heart beat. I played you music and read you stories. I talked to you in my head. It was the best time of my life, preparing for you.

And then you came. I struggled to breastfeed you those first few days. You drank colostrum from a syringe until you got the hang of things. I stuck through without even thinking about it. Life was, and still is, a never ending happy journey with you. I watched you smile, giggle, roll, crawl. I watched your hair grow long, your hands and feet get bigger. I watched your wonder and excitement at the world. I cried in joy and frustration. I watched your first teeth erupt. I heard you babble, and then talk. I saw you crawl, and then walk. I saw you walk, and then run. You grow every day. Your vocabulary is ever-expanding. Your curiosity is limitless, your knowledge growing. Every day, you grow a little more. Yet, I remain your epicenter of comfort for a fleeting moment more. I treasure and cherish each passing second of nursing. I know it won't last forever, as my big baby grows more and more. You are staring to want your independence - asserting your preferences and communicating so well. Just a fleeting moment more you will be my big baby.

I adore you. I love you. I can't imagine life any different. I don't want it any different. You are such a beautiful soul, a being whose worth far exceeds my own. I cannot express in words how much I wish for you. Just try not to grow up so fast. Momma's heart is so full of happiness, but is breaking, for time doesn't slow no matter how I beg.

I love you so, so much, Darling.
Mommy

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

What do you DO all day? A Day in the Life

As a stay-at-home mom, I constantly get this question. I mean, what could I possibly do with all that "free" time, eh? So I'll walk through it.

With both me and my husband home all day, honestly day-to-day life isn't ridiculously crazy. I'll break it down into approximate times. I'm going to include most things - some days we don't do things in this order, or at all, some days are more hectic than others for various reasons etc. Some days my lovely husband lets me sleep in lots. :D

6:00 a.m.; Nurse Mairead

9:00 a.m.; Mairead wakes me up, usually Jeff too. She gets a diaper change and/or dressed.

9:30 a.m.; Coffee is made, breakfast. Maire will eat a banana, sometimes string cheese or other organic snack and some juice.

9:45 a.m.; Blue's Clues turned on with Maire in her Joovy. Jeff turns on his playstation and I shower.

10:30 a.m.; Mess around on facebook, check email, etc.

11:00 a.m.; Change Maire's diaper, nurse for 20 minutes and usually a snack (graham crackers, natural chips, organic puffs, etc.)

12:00 p.m.; If the dishes still need done, one of us will do them and/or other house chores (a.k.a Maire's messes).

1:00 p.m.; Maire's naptime, which is preceded by a nursing session of varying length.

1:30 p.m.; I'll eat lunch, and usually my leftovers are Maire's to finish or hers will be made. Usually this is cheddar and broccoli rice, buttered rice, soup with graham crackers or natural potato & spinach chips, and lately we've been trying her out with peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, etc. Always with juice.

2:00 p.m.; I'll mess around on the playstation or computer, other tasks for a while, then go back to doing house chores (if needed). Sometimes Maire wakes to nurse some more and then falls back asleep.

3-4:00 p.m.; Maire will wake up, request a snack and her "Blue Coos" (Blue's Clues). Some days we take a walk at this time to get out of the house or stop by the store to pick up a few things.

5:30 p.m; Make dinner, clean up Maire's messes (haha)! Maire will nurse again around this time, usually for a short nap.

6:30 p.m.; Maire's back up, I'll play with her if she feels like being social (she's very independent and most days wants to do her own thing.) If not, I'll usually poke around on the internet or work on various projects.

7:30 p.m.; By this time, at least one more episode of Blue's Clues has been played. She loves her "'Teve." She usually will nurse again as she begins to get fussy. most nights I'll give her a bath at this time.

8:30 p.m.; Maire gets another small snack and playtime. I'll probably eat as well. If she feels like it, we'll sit together and listen to stories read by the actors of SAG, or do Starfall.com. Otherwise, Blue's Clues or another movie (usually Aristocats) is again on in the background.

9:30 p.m.; I'll usually mess around with projects or facebook if Jeff is playing on the playstation, although it's usually my time to play on it.

11:00 p.m.; Usually before or at this time, Maire will get tired and I'll nurse her to sleep.

11:45 p.m.; Hubby and I will play on the playstation or watch a movie and cuddle or talk. I'll usually have a snack.

12:00 a.m.; Nurse Maire some more!

1:30 a.m.; Nurse Maire and prepare for bed (if movie is over).

2:00 a.m.; Bedtime (when I'm sane! Some nights I literally can't sleep til 5 a.m.)

3-4:00 a.m.; Nurse Maire.





Rinse, lather, repeat. It doesn't sound very exciting - I know! But it is our life and I love it. It's very relaxed and very busy even if it doesn't sound like it. There are lots of laughing and giggling and tickling in this house. Oh, and snorting behind our hands when Maire gives us her angry eyes, "Are you laughing at me???"

Monday, February 4, 2013

DIY Bathroom Cleaner

In our quest to eliminate more and more chemicals in our daily lives, I've been trying to ditch the big wigs in the household - cleaning chemicals. I scoured the crunchy net for recipes and DIYs for one that I thought would be simple and effective. This is what I came up with.

DIY Bathroom Cleaner

1/3 cup of baking soda
1 tea to tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar (enough to make it a slightly foamy paste)
2 Tablespoons of Castile soap or liquid dish detergent (I used Dawn)
5-7 drops of Sandalwood (or other) Essential oil

Mix into a paste, and use. 


I chose Sandalwood because we've been having problems with Ghost Ants and can't seem to find out where they're coming from, although they are almost exclusively in the bathroom. So far, I haven't seen any since I cleaned with this solution as Sandalwood is supposed to be a natural insect repellent (bonus since it's my husband's favorite scent!) I scrubbed with this solution for over an hour and a half. It was used on mirrors, the counter, toothbrush holders, soap holders, in the tub, the toilet, and the floor. Everything. It didn't bother my hands, the smell was delicious, and it got everything sparkling clean. Honestly, our toilet was rank. We just moved in and it looked like it hadn't been cleaned since it was put in. It was yellow (and very gross to clean). That sucker now sparkles. The paste didn't turn out to be a lot, a little goes a long way. The recipe above was all I needed to clean my entire bathroom.

I think this is a recipe I will be using in the kitchen as well, I even tested it in our sink and it worked very well. I am so very happy with how it turned out.


** I know about the controversy of cleaning with baking soda and vinegar together. Mixing them does negate some of the antibacterial properties, but it is still worth it to mix them when making cleaners in my opinion. Use a bit of water or something else to substitute if you feel that you don't want to mix them.