The Mommy Esquire

Apparently ice cream does wonders for your skin.

At least that the best reason that I can think of

for coming home from work to find that bath time

started in the high chair tonight.

And coming home to this happy face is the best part of my day.

We have had some napping and bedtime success lately thanks to “Baby.”  Aubryn has a Cabbage Patch baby that she got for Christmas last year.  She has taken a particular interest in it lately – probably because of all of the baby talk in our house the past few weeks.  The past few days, at naptime and bedtime, we have taken Baby into Aubryn’s room.  We kiss Baby “night night” and put Baby into the crib.  Then we read books.  After 2 or 3 books, we talk about going “night night” and Aubryn asks to go “night night” with Baby.  I put her in her crib, she cuddles Baby and there is not another peep.  It’s wonderful.

Hopefully it continues!

It’s been a rough week around here.

That’s an understatement.

It’s been an awful, terrible, no-good, horrible week around here.

A little over four years ago, when we moved into this house, TK4 herniated a disc in his back trying to move the big white chair in the family room by himself.  Since then, he has had flare-ups of pain which have resulted in cortisone injections, epidural steroid injections and physical therapy.  Yet, his back has continued to degenerate.

A few months ago, TK4 started another round of physical therapy.  He went to his doctor last Friday and had a cortisone injection.  For some reason, he became progressively worse last weekend and the beginning of last week.  By Wednesday night, he could walk far enough to get to his class from his car so he missed his first graduate school class.  For TK4, this is a huge deal.

On Thursday, he was downstairs putting on his shoes when I left with Aubryn for school/work.  When I was almost at Aubryn’s school, TK4 called me and asked me to come home to take him to the Emergency Room.  I took Aubryn to school and headed home.  When I got home, he was in the driver’s side of his car but could not move.  He was eventually able to get out of the car but collapsed on the garage floor.  I went to get my neighbor to help me get him up and into the car but we were unable to move him so I ended up calling 9-1-1.

TK4 went to the hospital via ambulance and I followed by car.  We ended up sitting in the Emergency Room for about 9 hours – during which I had to wear a mask because I am pregnant.  Around dinner time, TK4 was admitted.  A MRI showed that a piece of his disc had now broken off and was pressing on some nerves causing spasms and pain.

He stayed in ths hospital until yesterday afternoon and tomorrow we return for another epidural steroid injection.  For now, TK4 is on some heavy duty drugs and unable to get around the house or drive.  So it looks like I’ll be driving him around for a while.  The hardest part is going to be getting him to and from his classes.  Hopefully Erin and my parents can help me some with that.

So how did this all lead to my breakdown at Wegmans?  Let’s just say that having a very active and spirited toddler along with a husband who needs help with absolutely everything plus my end of the year schedule and being pregnant and nauseous and exhausted all of the time caught up with me.  At Wegmans, Aubryn refused to ride in the cart and refusted to walk beside me and hold my hand and it just all became too much.

So, if you saw some crazy lady crying while her toddler was trying to run out the side door of Wegmans this evening, it was just me and I apologize.  Sometimes life just becomes too much and a good cry can be cathartic.  But, tomorrow is the beginning of another week and it can only get better from here.  Right?

Shhh….

It’s been a secret.  Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t let me tell.

But now the secret’s out…

I’m going to be a big sister in May!

Mommy, Daddy and I couldn’t be any more excited!

I can’t wait for my little sister or brother!

Aubryn is twenty-one months old today (I promise that I’ll stop with the month-by-month when she’s two – I just don’t want to someday forget all of this).

She is wild and funny and keeps me on my toes.  She can be defiant at times (the time out stool and step are getting some good use) but is so loving and sweet most of the time.  She is discovered her voice and is prone to scream absolutely everything. 

Aubryn is becoming more and more of a night owl like her Daddy and loving to sleep in.  When I get her up around 7, she will pull the covers over her head and say “uh uh.”  Like her Daddy, her favorite food is pizza (”peesee”), followed by peas, grapes, goldfish and cheese.  She also loves all kinds of sweets – cookies, cakes, donuts.  Her favorite time of the week is definitely the coffee hour after church on Sundays.

I love watching her with her three best friends at school.  There are four little girls who are all within weeks of each other in age.  They are inseparable and I’ve even seen them hug and kiss each other.  It’s so cute.

Aubryn can count to five (although she often misses “three”) and we are working on colors and animal sounds.  For some reason, she can do duck and lion and cow but refuses to say what sound a dog or cat makes.  I think that she knows them but just refuses to say them.  Kind of like how she calls my Dad “George” (”dorge”) but refuses to call my Mom “Grammie” but will call my Grandmon “Gigi.”

I can’t wait to see what the next month brings!

Kristie Finnan posted a question on Twitter and her blog last week asking what working moms did that morning before going to work.  As an aside, if you haven’t bought Kristie’s book Mommy’s High Heel Shoes for your little girl – you should.  It’s one of Aubryn’s favorites.

Kristie’s question got me thinking.  What do we, as moms, pack into a day?  I’m guessing that, for any mom, the answer would be alot.

Take this morning for instance.  (And I should preface this by saying that my husband gives me a ton of help – really, a ton).  I got up, took a shower, went downstairs and got myself some juice, dried my hair, got dressed, put on make-up, made my bed, woke up Aubryn, changed her diaper, picked out an outfit for her and TK4 got her dressed, went downstairs, packed Aubryn’s lunch and made up her cups of milk and juice, packed her breakfast and did her hair, put on her shoes and took her to TK4’s car.  TK4 drove her to school.

I came back inside and ate breakfast, did my dishes from this morning (along with our house guest’s dishes from last night), prepared for my hearing this morning, watched some of the Today show and was out the door by 7:30 to make it to court by 9.

I worked a full day (leaving work at 6:15) and went to my parents’ house.  They had picked her up because TK4 has an exam this week so we are giving him some space.  I ate dinner there (what’s better than a home-cooked meal at Grammie’s house?) and gave Aubryn a bath.  I put her pj’s on, combed her hair and brushed her teeth.  We drove home, spent some time with TK4.  Aubryn and I read some books before TK4 took over.  I washed my face and brushed my teeth, and put whitening strips on my teeth while TK4 put Aubryn to bed.   We discussed what health insurance to get for next year (settling on mine).  I still have to pack lunches for tomorrow and then I am going to settle in to bed.

I rarely get a minute to myself – it’s no wonder I’m exhausted all of the time!  I wouldn’t change a second of it.  Like all moms, I love every single minute of it – I would like some more time for me though!

How long until Friday?

So, what do you do in a day?

You’re welcome!

I had the best intentions of writing a real post last night but I also had a toddler that refused to go to bed until after 10 (you should have heard the drama and crying) and then I got sucked into the Phillies game.

*****

Speaking of, how about those Phillies?  It’s like the count down to Christmas in our house – we are huge fans and always have been.  Last year, I didn’t get to go to the parade because I had a hearing; but this year, I am definitely going.

And can I say?  It gives me a modicum of satisfaction that the Phillies beat Joe Torre (former manager of the Yankees and current manager of the Dodgers) and will most likely beat the Yankees in the World Series.  TK4 grew up in North Jersey and my mother-in-law is a huge Yankees fan.  TK4’s friends from high school are all Mets and Yankees fans.  Having the Mets do terrible in the regular season and having the Phillies beat Joe Torre gives me some guilty pleasure.

*****

Aubryn’s latest word?  Paparazzi. 

Erin and I took Aubryn to Target last weekend and we were singing along with the radio in the car to the Lady Gaga song, Paparazzi.  The song has come on other times this week too and Aubryn says “papara.”  Last night, TK4 had class so I had dinner with Erin and while we were cleaning up toys to get ready for a bath, Access Hollywood or Extra or one of those shows was on.  They were  talking about the paparazzi  and Aubryn started yelling “papara, papara.”  It’s funny, trust me.

*****

I am going to Sarah’s house,  from Genesis Moments, tomorrow night for a “champagne and chocolate” event.  I can’t wait.  This week was an exam week for TK4 which meant that I got very little non-work adult interaction.  I am sooooo in need of some “champagne and chocolate.”

*****

I am a bad mom who has still not taken Aubryn to a pumpkin patch this year.  It’s not for a lack of trying.  Twice, I have put her in the car to go to a local orchard and twice she has fallen sound asleep before we arrive.  That along with the fact that the past two Saturdays have been horrible weather-wise (as is supposed to be this Saturday) has totally foiled my plans to do a fall ritual with Aubryn.

Enjoy your Thursday!

Apparently someone in our house would rather go au naturale.  Hint: it’s not one of the over-30 crowd.

Yes, Aubryn has learned to undress herself.  She is apparently quite proud of this feat as well.  She even tried to show it off for our entire church during the singing portion of the worship service yesterday.  One minute, Aubryn is standing next to me, the next minute, Aubryn is in the aisle trying to take her dress off.  Fortunately for both of us, I am faster than she is.  An encore was attempted during the coffee hour after church.  Again, Mommy is faster than Aubryn.

She demonstrated this new trick for TK4’s family on Friday night by taking her shirt off during dinner.  It eventually became apparent that a tantrum was going to be thrown so I threw in the towel and allowed my 20 month-old to dine sans shirt.

I can’t tell you how many fits have been thrown because she can’t get the onesies off without unsnapping them.  She now settles for taking her arms out of her onesies by stretching out the necks and allows it to fall down around her waist.  (I’m hoping that some time in the dryer will repair those stretched out neck openings!) 

Sweaters, coats, socks and shoes are no match for her either.  Invariably, in the time that it takes me to turn around and pick up her lunch and my purse off of the counter, she has her sweater, coat and shoes off.  In the car, her shoes and socks are off before we reach any destination.  The only thing saving her coat, sweater and shirt is the carseat harness.

We were told at school today that she is constantly trying to undress there as well.

What’s a mom to do?  Should I ignore the behavior and figure that it is normal for an almost 2 year-old?  If it were July or August, that is exactly what I would do. But it’s October and hasn’t ben over 45 degrees in a week!  At the same time, wrestling to get Aubryn’s clothes back on hardly seems worth the drama either.

Hopefully she’ll outgrow this really fast.

I am quoted in this month’s American Baby magazine regarding choosing Aubryn’s name.  Find it here.

I’ve got nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

I could tell you about how I had a zoning hearing last night that was 2 hours away and I didn’t get home until after 11:00 last night and how I didn’t see Aubryn at all yesterday and how I have to go back on Thursday night.

But I won’t.  Who wants to hear about that?

I could tell you how Aubryn was sick last week and I had to keep her home from school and how she hasn’t been sleeping well.   Hello, 4:30 a.m. is not an appropriate time to get up.  Ever.

But I won’t.  I don’t want to hear about that – I can’t imagine that you do.

I could tell you about the piles of clean laundry that need to be folded and put away and the other piles of laundry that need to be done.  So much laundry that I think that I could drown in it.

But, seriously?  Who wants to hear about that?

I could tell you about how yucky I feel right now or about the briefs I have to write for work or about what a shock this cold weather has been to my system.

I’m not going to bore you with that.

So, for today, I’m going to turn the tables on you.  Tell me something about you – anything.  Where did you go to college?  Were you in a fraternity/sorority?  (I was.)  Do you have any hidden talents?  (I can fit my entire fist in my mouth.)  What’s your favorite color?  (Right now, orange.)  What’s your favorite food?  (A loaded baked potato or ice cream.)

And, if you haven’t commented before – now is your time to delurk!