So, this is life?

Adding To Crazy: Our Newest Addition

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 12:29:00 +0000

You guessed it! We're having a baby! After a long, drawn out battle to conceive; all which consisted of a tragic miscarriage in September just to get that big fat positive again on Thanksgiving Day! We are thrilled!

Our little addition is due the first week of August 2013. Our next prenatal visit will be January 14th -- but for now, here are some pics!

Mommy's Growing Belly - 8 weeks

Our newest little bean - 6w4d :)

Welcome to the Circus

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 00:08:00 +0000

Literally. My life is unraveling like the opening show of a circus. You know, the small duo or trio they hire to entertain the crowd in destraction while they anxiously and impatiently await the flame-throwing, ball-juggling, tiger-taming clowns. I am that trio. I'm the underpaid, overqualified, superior perfectionist that is juggling an act that I've practiced day by day for months (years, even) just so that I could find myself in the midst of this moment. Before you know it, you find yourself on stage performing and the crowd is hyped. Even if they aren't necessarily hyped about you, the enthusiasm they present for the main act is displayed which makes you feel welcomed. But before you know it, those rude, overpaid, underqualified, nasty, hateful clowns interupt your performance. They cut you short by ten minutes and take over the stage. This, my friend, is what my life feels like.

I am constantly asking myself, "What was I thinking?" Why do I take on more than I can handle? Why do I seem to have no time in a single day to accomplish ONE, just one tiny thing, on my to-do list. My to-do list has become more of a to-do book. Seriously.

This was seriously my thoughts the entire class.

Work has been crazy lately. In the midst of a new job offering, then having to weigh out all of the pros and cons of taking the new job vs. staying at my current job. Oh, and not to mention having Algebra and Organizational Management finals this week. Two weeks ago I swore that college algebra would be the death of me. I seriously did not think I would make it through this class. It has officially kicked my butt. Luckily, I did pass my final exam which will for certain boost my grade and pass the class so that I don't have to worry about retaking it. The entire eight weeks of the class I asked myself, "WHEN am I ever going to need this?" I highly doubt I will be required to factor polynomials or simplify radical expressions within my law career. Oh well.

On a lighter note, my house is clean (somewhat) and I am getting a kick-A start on my mile-high pile of laundry that I've been lacking the time to do for weeks now. I still feel very unorganized. I don't feel like my house and/or life will ever be 100% organized ever again. I have this week off from classes before my summer term begins. I am totally taking advantage of it. Say hello to Mrs. Clean!

The Adventures of Super Mom: A Day in the Life

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 08:36:00 +0000

Photo credt: tshirtdesignblog.com

Have you ever noticed that in leui of becoming Super Mom you always run into Super-tired Mom and Super-stressed Mom along the way? When your schedule consists of way-too-early wake up, lunch spent doing work for home, and a to-do list long enough to reach the front door from your drive-way, it seems that stress becomes an inevitable factor in the equation.

I have days that are simple, easy, and care-free. I go to work, do my job, and come home to a semi-clean house and can relax for more than 20 seconds. But, (yes, I said but) there are days when I wake up 20 minutes late just to find a voicemail on my phone asking me to come in a half-hour early. I jump in the shower to realize I fell asleep last night before I washed towels. I go to get dressed as I realize all of my clothes are in the dryer -- that I forgot to turn on. I run to dress my child just to learn that he's discovered the baby lotion and will now need his hair washed -- AGAIN. Drop my lunch in the driveway where it is devoured by the neighbor's dog. Become 15 more minutes late when I notice my gas light has come on and I have to stop but not until after I turn around and drive back home because I left the diaper bag sitting on the couch. And please do not fail to realize that this is all between the hours of 6:30AM and 7:30AM. Shall I continue to the oncoming hours?

Why is that the phrase, "When it rains, it pours," always seems to pop into my head when I'm having one of those days. Occasionally, it gets to the point where I refuse to touch another object in fear that it will shatter in pieces or explode in my face. I have to consistently keep reminding myself that, yes, when it rains, it does indeed pour; but also that there is always a rainbow after the storm. Regardless of the people or things that manage to bring me down in a day's time, I still come home to my family. I am healthy. My family is healthy. We are happy. But the problem: Super Mom is super tired.

There are times when I can't help but envy -- or despise, depending upon my mood -- childless people. It isn't that I'm jealous of their lack of responsibility, but that I am angry at their constant complaints of being "so tired" and "so busy". Wait a second, you mean to tell me YOU are so tired?!? I work full-time, with a child and husband to care for, full-time college courses to do, housework and laundry to tend to, dinners to cook, but YOU are busy?! Please, excuse me while I let my bitterness and tiredness overcome me. Is it wrong of me to just want someone to acknowledge how busy I am? How tired I am? To offer a helping hand? Of course not.

Photo credit: buyandsellhair.com

Sometimes I wish I was octo-mom, and ~~no I do not mean that I wish I had eight babies!~~ I mean eight arms. Eight hands to help me juggle all the craziness of my life. This would be appropriate, don't you think? (See photo to the right). Let us examine this photo together. Mother, six hands, one baby, cleaning, cooking, walking dog, and cell phone. Even with enough arms to do all these things at once, this mom is still super tired. You can simply tell by the look that the artist has depicted by her facial expression. She's exhausted. She's stressed. She is tired! I feel like I can't stress this word enough.

What does is take for a busy mama to make everyone around her realize how busy and how tired she is? I am still struggling to find answers to this. Once I do, you will surely be hearing back from me.

FACT: Busy moms need to breathe. Really, try it next time when you're in the midst of a sticky situation!

Flight Delay: Eating in Crazy -- can I take your order?

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:05:00 +0000

Photo credit: weblogs.baltimoresun.com

"Would you like fries with that?" Every mother's most ashamed admition of guilt: feeding their child fast food. I'll be the first to admit, I am guilty of swinging through the drive-thru when I'm in a pinch and little man needs some grub. After all, who carries chicken nuggets in their diaper bag? Not us.

Even though I avoid fast food if at all possible, I find myself quite often in search of a quick, simple (and healthy) meal for lunch or snack time at home. These are the conclusions I have come to.

#1 -- Frozen chicken nuggets aren't that bad.
Every kid (with the occasional exception) loves chicken nuggets, right? I know mine does! The truth is, there are nuggets out there that are healthy for your little eater! I prefer Tyson -- as does J! A few nuggets along with some green beans or celery sticks and lite ranch dressing -- happiest kid ever.

#2 -- Messes are unavoidble, so don't avoid messy foods.
PB&J, crackers and hummus, celery and peanut butter -- all messy foods we tend to avoid at all costs. Truth is you can't avoid messes. It's inevitable. Toddlers learning the concepts of proper eating are going to make messes. So give him that ice cream, Mom!!! ;)

#3 -- In the words of the great Taco Bell, "Think outside the bun!"
Or, outside the bread, in this case. Who says that lunch has to consist of a sandwich of some kind? And if it does consist of some sort of sandwich, who says it has to be on plain ole' wheat bread? Kids, picky eaters especially, enjoy food more when it's fun or out of the ordinary! Use things like tortillas, pita bread, or my personal favorite -- fun-shaped bread! Pepperidge Farm makes an awesome goldfish-shaped bread that any goldfish fanatic is sure to love!

Photo credit: parenting.com

#4 -- "It's not delivery, it's DiGiorno!"
Or, even better, it's homemade! Every kid (once again, with the exception of those few) loves pizza! And as a busy mom, you have to admit you've chosen pizza for dinner more than once due to it's easiness and convenience. But what you may not have known is homemade pizza can be just as easy and convenient as delivery (or Digiorno) and it's cheaper and healthier, too! English muffin halves with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a few pepperonis, and voila! Pizza!

Being a crazy, out-of-control, mom-wife-student requires mass use of imagination and creativity -- and not only when it comes to grub time. Do not be surprised if you see us using shoes strings to mend a broken baby gate, towels and safety pins for diapers because we ran out and forget to pick up any at the market, or our t-shirt to wipe a snotty nose because we don't have a tissue close by. These, my friend, are just a few of the fun -- and sometimes disgusting -- perks of being a busy mama!

Attention passengers: We are pleased to announce that the engine has been repaired and the flight will re-launch at approximately 1700 hours. Please rest assured that had we stumple upon any other issues, we will inform you promptly. Please buckle up and prepare for take off.

Oh -- and Happy Easter by the way! Here's my little man enjoying his Easter goodies!

J -- Easter 2012

Flight Update: Traveling through Crazy during Rush Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:57:00 +0000

Truth: "No matter how busy your life is, you can and should find time for the things you love."

I ran across this article today from wisegeek.com (reference: http://www.wisegeek.com/how-can-i-find-more-time-for-the-things-i-love-to-do.htm) titled, "How Can I Find More Time for Things I Love to Do?"

I ask myself this question on a daily, perhaps hourly, basis. How can I find more time? I feel as if I am always racing against the clock to finish everything I need done in a day's time. Whether it be at work, at home, for school, or for anything and everything else that I endure on a regular basis.

Althought I haven't yet mastered this finding more time for "me" thing, I have managed to find a few things that have helped me cope with my hectic rush of a life.

#1: Make a schedule and stick to it.
By far the most important, which is why it is number one. I cannot stand to be unorganized. Not that I am 100% organized, by any means. I would settle for "organized mess" at the least. Anyhow, scheduling has become a very important key point in maintaining all of my craziness without losing my sanity. At work, I make a schedule every morning of tasks to be completed that day and mark them off as I go. At home, I schedule any appointments or events of importance on Friday, seeing as that is my only weekday off from work. This tactic is not perfect, by any means, but hey, it works for me.

#2: Filter out the insignificance.
Do I really need to do this? I find myself asking this question quite often. Does this laundry really need done today? Should I go grocery shopping or spend my time factoring polynomials? (yes, I am taking College Algebra this semester) It's difficult, but I've learned that occasionally you have to put aside all of that have to's and focus on a want to for just a minute in order to feel refreshed and revive your motivation to take on the ever-growing list of have to's.

#3: Ask for help. (if applicable)
Although this step may not apply to everyone, it works for me. If I simply can't find time in my day to complete an important task, or if I just can't muster up the energy to run any longer, I ask for help. DH (dear husband) is very helpful with things like grocery shopping, taking care of the baby, and helping around the house. At work, I have several co-workers that I can ask for help at any given time, and they'll do it.

#4: Put that multi-tasking skill to work!
It's human nature -- we can all multi-task. Some better than others, of course. It's doable though. I'm always looking for ways to incorporate more than one task in at one time. For example, put laundry in washing machine, vaccuum while laundry washes, transfer laundry to dryer, do dishes while laundry dries, fold laundry while tidying bedroom, put laundry away. It's not as hard as it sounds, promise.

Even though I may seem to have this all figured out, please don't be fooled. I'm a crazy mess while making a schedule and sticking to it. Consider this your warning.

This is an example of home after toddler. Looks very familiar for some reason. Hmm.

Photo credit: http://blogs.babble.com/toddler-times/

Attention passengers. There has been a flight delay due to unforseen circumstances. Please stand by for further instruction.

Welcome to Crazy: Please buckle up & enjoy the ride.

noreply@blogger.com (Audrey) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 23:29:00 +0000

And please, keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

Photo credit: Ms. Mimi Photography & Co.

(laughing out loud) And this would be myself and the two craziest, funniest, most amazing people in my life: my husband and my son (aka my other half and my mini-me). Despite all of the craziness my life has to offer, it also offers a vast array of exceptional people, these two being at the top of the totem pole.

It's been a long, rocky road along the journey that has brought us thus far. There have been ups, downs, in-betweens, more downs, and lots of smiles and love to aid in mending the cuts and bruising we've endured along the way.

"There is nothing as rewarding as being a mother and a wife."

This is the most important thing I think I have ever learned. Needless to say, the journey isn't over. We are no where close to finished with this beautiful, crazy thing called life; but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Attention passengers. Please prepare for takeoff.