I think each time we get outside and wander into our garden we find some new creature for the Babe to explore. During this trip we found this “funky” caterpillar. As much as we like creatures some just can’t have a home in our garden especially on our tomato plants. Here are a few shots of the beauty:
9/52: There has been some beautiful weather around here the past two weeks and as a family we were able to get out and spruce up the year. The Babe loves being helpful. She helped pick vegetables, water the new plants!, and clean up the debris.
9/52: Little Man did what he does best and enjoyed some time in his bouncer while having a nap in the beautiful weather.
9/52: Can you spot the Hubs? He brought home some plants that need some love and a place in the ground and we sure put all of them to use.
8/52: The Daze. The poor Babe was so tired by the time Ainsley’s birthday party was taking place. She had left the house the day before and went swimming with NeNe and Ainsley and then had a sleepover (minus her usually 3 hour nap). She was spent and sitting in a little doll stroller.
8/52: Little Man got to hang out with Father Rick (aka Padre) outside of church. He held him for most of the party and even though he is wide awake and drooling here he slept the majority of the party.
8/52: The Hubs in all his charm is feeding the Babe whatever she wants as usual. I guess it would help if she ate some junk food every once in a while. She has been the same weight for almost a half a year or more.
As usual I am behind a week, so I’ll have to try and post another Project 52 to be caught up. Actually I might be 2 weeks. Its hard for me to keep track since I didn’t start at the beginning of the year.
I think everyone that is a parent is guilty of it at least once. It can be a quick moment or something you may struggle with until your child is old enough for their own decisions. You may have read book after book on the subject or you may just go with instinct. But this is only one side of the coin, the other I will talk about a little later.
The first is parenting “styles” and I put styles in quotes because I’m not quite sure if styles is the word it should be called. There are so many out there and each has at least one book dedicated to spelling out the ins and outs of how it all works. I have read so many of the different books from: attachment, nurturing, French, laid back and now I have even checked out a book talking about free range. I wonder from time to time if they are all real and why some much time has been consumed in talking about them.
What happened to just being parents. I’m completely convinced there are some that need all the help they can get about parenting. But it seems to me at least that it is those who are the good/great parents are the ones that are being sucked down the never ending rabbit hole. The hole that consumes our time and makes us second guess our abilities at being parents.
The hole that responds to our biggest fears of enough. And don’t get me started on Pinterest. I am a Pinterest junky and have a couple boards just dedicated to my children but I have learned that there really isn’t that much time in the day to get to much and I’m finally okay with that. Before the Lil Man joined our family I was able to do more and actually tackle some of the pins. And now I am just trying to juggle the day ins and outs.
I sit and wonder when did parenting become this way and will it always be this way or will finally realize that parenting is about being present in their lives and taking care of them so that their needs are met. Not to say that some of their wants shouldn’t be addressed as well.
I dont know. Just something I have been chewing on for awhile.
As I am awake nursing the Lil Man I began to think of the sacrifice a woman gives of themselves for their child. Not only is the woman giving of her body as she grows the baby but then later when she feeds and nurtures the baby. Plus so much more. The decision to have a child is not a light one but one that I think many font consider. Having a child puts yourself in the back burner and the child always in the front.
I read and hear about how we should strike a balance, find something of our own, get out without the children and to make time for ourselves. But when it really boils down to it the child always comes first. Have a night out planned? And the child is feverish you cancel. Planning on going to bed early? And the child doesn’t want to sleep. Etc etc.
I know that I have yet to find a “balance”. I also know a lot of it has to do with my decision to be a stay at home mom, which I would rather call a homemaker, cook, nanny, friend, lion tamer, nurse, housekeeper…
There are days when I get grumpy and I wonder if I will ever will get a chance to eat or to have a moment alone in my thoughts because first my attention always goes to my children. But I begin to think would I have it any other way? Would I rather begin to be selfish and ignore my children?
Ha I think I should begin to call my post wee morning rambling from a glider. I just kept thinking though, what would the world, state or a city be like if everyone saw things through a mother’s eyes? To do things without hesitation. The care that is always there. To love unconditionally. To put others before ourselves sometimes. To sacrifice maybe that last banana. 🙂 just maybe life would be a bit happier for all.
7/52: The Babe is terrible at goodbyes. I think a lot of it has to do with that she is having so much fun that she doesn’t want the fun to stop. The only person she allows to take her away without a tearful goodbye is NeNe.
7/52: Little Man got to meet his Uncle Dom/Godfather. As you can see they enjoyed their little visit with a few funny looks and some snuggles.
7/52: A nice family picture to throw into the mix. Proud father and husband with his family. This is also our first family photo of four.
I think I might be behind in my photos per week but my brain is lacking the functioning to know if I am or not.
When do you know when something is complete? Whether it is a project you are working on or something in your life (relationship, trip, idea, etc), how do you know when to say “all done.”
This is a topic that the Hubs and I go back and forth on. I think we do it with all things; family, house, projects, dinner, more projects, but in the end it’s ultimately the person in charge of the project decision.
It seems like everywhere I go or if I encounter someone that hasn’t seen my children or heard my story ask me when I plan on having the next baby. As if being only 6 weeks out with a newborn is nothing. But then there are times where I catch myself asking other people when they plan on having another child and how many do they want?
We have been very fortunate in our little family to be able to get pregnant but also to be able to have these two little joys in our lives. If you know me you know that it hasn’t been an easy road. We have had our fair share of ups and downs and twists and turns.
With all that being said I knew very early on even before meeting the Hubs that I only wanted two children and he knew he wanted three. After the birth of the Babe we knew we would want another but it wasn’t until we saw her personality that we agreed upon two.
Now with so many having babies in our families and friends I start to wonder when will they know when their family is “complete”?
6/52: I am in love and in awe of her (little) lashes. I think I have always envied people who have long, full lashes and well most of them were boys. She sure got her daddy’s eyes.
6/52: I have decided to photograph the little man with his snake rattle each month to see how much he grows. I wish I would have remembered to get one of him right after he was born. Such a handsome man.
6/52: We are loving our zoo membership and headed out this past weekend as a family and met up with some friends. This is from the Butterfly exhibit before we headed out for the day.
5/52: The Babe is all about her art. She always wants to paint or color or draw with chalk. But she also never wants to stop. On this particular day she painted with watercolors, colored with mosaic crayons, and played with playdough.
5/52: Nightly routine is cuddles on the couch with daddy with a show of her choice, but this night Little Man got in the action and piled on top. (this one counts for daddy and Lil Man)
Just a Quick Moment 