Category Archives: growing up

On sibling spacing and brutal honesty

When Andy & I talked about having kids we always knew we wanted them to be about 2 years apart.

It just seemed perfect for so many different reasons.

They’d be each others best friends. It wouldn’t be a tough transition for us because we’d be in a constant state of baby. Blah blah blah.

In all that time, I may or may not have forgotten all of our other reasons.

Well, about the time we were due to start trying for baby #2 our life was flipped upside down with a single phone call and after a very brief discussion, we decided it was best to put our baby plans on hold for a year.

It was the responsible thing to do. Having a 3 year gap between kids wouldn’t be so bad.

Well, what ended up being the hardest year of our lives came and went and when it was “time” again, we took a look at our situation and decided, again, that it’d be best to wait.

And again with the responsibility thing.

I’d be lying to your face parts if I told you I wasn’t upset/mad/hurt/resentful about the entire situation, but we made it through another year and then it was time for a little brown chicken, brown cow, if you know what I mean.

And now here we sit, just starting 2012, with baby #2 FINALLY on the way.

Looking back now, I can tell you it was such a hard, but good decision for our family, and not just financially.

I have adored my time with Rylee being just Rylee. We’ve had so many fun adventures as a family of 3 that I know wouldn’t have turned out the same if we’d been toting a little 2-year-younger sibling.

On the flip side, over the last 2 years there have been more occasions than I care to admit where I’ve struggled with Rylee and thought, “there’s no way I’d be able to handle 2 kids right now. Will I be able to handle 2 kids ever!?”

Remember how I’ve said before everything happens for a reason? I totally believe it.

And really, let’s be real, if we’d stuck with our “2-year-spacing” plan, I’d be missing out on conversations like this:

Rylee: Mom, you’ve got a fat belly.
Me: Oh just wait, it’s gonna get a whole lot bigger!
Rylee: {eyes as big as pie plates} WHOA!

Gotta love kids and their brutal, innocent honesty, am I right!?

For the record? I’m only 12 weeks.

Little Monster…

Things that have made me smile lately…

So…Christmas?

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Christmas was perfect in just about every way possible this year.

There was family time.

There was lots (and lots) of good food.

There was laughter.

And there was magic.

I don’t know what it was about this year, age I’m guessing, but something just clicked with Rylee and the Christmas Spirit was alive and well with that little one. It was contagious.

She got more and more excited with every ring we tore off of our Christmas Chain.

She soaked up all the time with her Aunties…loving every minute of it.

She was a rock star during Christmas Eve mass.

At my dad’s house on Christmas Eve she unwrapped a present that was nestled inside a box that one held wine glasses, complete with photos of wine glasses filled with wine on the box and she excitedly proclaimed “I GOT WINE!”.

She handed out “thank you’s” left and right. Made this mama’s heart proud.

We put her in PJ’s before the drive home on Christmas Eve thinking she’d zonk out on the drive. Instead of sawing logs, she decided to singe Jingle Bells over and over and over again, getting louder and louder and louder with each round. The entire way home. Andy and I couldn’t help but laugh.

On Christmas morning she was disappointed that Santa left half of a scone on his plate…as if the 1 1/2 he did eat wasn’t enough. {noted}

At my mom’s house while playing with the hand puppets Grammy had made her she busted out in a maniacal laughter when my sister, playing the pig & the sheep, said she couldn’t go to the park because she had to go to the slaughter house.

While opening gifts over at my in-laws house, she looked her grandma square in the eye and asked her to STOP taking so many pictures of her. {I about died!}

Throughout the Christmas, and the following days, anytime someone asked her what Santa brought her she proudly said “A bike!” Then went on to tell how it was wrapped in a red sheet. Every single time.

There was so much smiling. So much laughing.

Like I said…magical.

The one part I failed at was taking pictures. I took two. The entire weekend.

And you know what? That was ok by me.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas like we did.

The one I still have nightmares about…

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“EAT!” They Persisted.

“I don’t want to.” I pushed back.

“This is what this family is having for dinner. If you don’t like it, tough.”

“BUT I DON’T LIKE IT!” I fired back.

“Katherine Elaine, you will sit there and eat until it. If it is still in front of you at bedtime, you will go to bed hungry then eat if for breakfast!” That was the last warning.

I sat with my food in front of me, unwilling to take a single bite.

Ten minutes passed…the rest of the family was done eating.

I sat firmly in place, not touching a thing.

20 minutes passed…all the dishes were done.

There I sat. Alone at the table. In the dark.

It was quiet.

I have no idea how long I actually sat there in the dark, but I do remember this: TGIF was about to come on and there was no way I was going to miss that!

I choked my food down as fast as I could, rinsed my dishes and rushed to the living room.

To this day, I am 100% convinced that nasty food would have been my breakfast the next morning.

And I can’t quite put my finger on it, but for some crazy reason, I’ve never really cared for Ham & Navy Bean Soup.

The Sound of Silence

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Andy & I are a lot alike in a lot of ways. Like, scary alike.

But there’s one way in which we’re complete, polar opposites.

In the summers, when Andy’s working outside on the property, or he’s working inside while Rylee naps, he has the radio blaring. He hates it when it’s quiet.

Me?

Oh, how I love that sweet sound of nothing.

After not sleeping well Friday night, Rylee took a three hour nap on Saturday. On the couch. Draped over the top of me.

And you better believe I sat there, for the entire three hours soaking up the snuggles and the silence.

I even read a book. An entire stinking book.

Then on Sunday, while Ry napped I kept the house quiet again. Not really for her, but for me. I folded umpteen loads of laundry in complete silence.

There’s just so much noise in the world.

I relish in the silence.

Her & I both love her naps.

The sound of silence ranks right up there on my list of favorite sounds with hearing her giggle.

I love my girl, I really do. But I won’t lie…

I’m gonna hate it when she gives up naptime.

The Monster at 3 weeks old.

Somewhere In The Middle

Mostly Average Accounts of the World's Okayest Mom.