Two Under Two...The Good, The Bad and The Foggy

I’ll never forget the day I found out I was pregnant with my second child. I’d spent nearly all day in bed watching afternoon talk shows with my six month old daughter laying on my chest. I was exhausted…and nauseous. The last time I felt that sick, I was pregnant. Oh my goodness, I couldn’t be…could I? Nah. It took us nearly two years to get pregnant with my daughter. There is no way I got pregnant that quickly with a second child. My head was spinning. I ran to the bathroom and puked…again.

I bundled up the baby and made a bee-line to the drug store. As I set the pregnancy test stick near the scanner I watched the clerk look at me...and then the pregnancy test…and then my baby…and then me again. I am fairly certain he was doing the math in his head. He smirked. “Would you PLEASE just scan the freekin test”, I said under my breath.

I walked in the house and threw up again. Boy, this flu bug is killing me, I thought. I was clearly in denial. I set the test stick on the counter and avoided it. If I didn’t take the test, I wouldn’t be pregnant…right? I cleaned up around it. I ate lunch around it. I even considered stirring my coffee with it when I couldn’t find a clean spoon.

It was a bit ironic. I used to love those little sticks. I would anxiously tear them open and…(well, you know what comes next). I would gaze longingly at the little spot where the second little line might appear. On the glorious day it actually did appear, I ran up to my husband and tried to shove it in his hand. He lurched back. (I was so excited that I forgot to clean it off, woops). We are pregnant! I squealed.

This time was different. I didn’t want to be pregnant. I couldn’t be pregnant. I barely figured out how to take care of this one…much less another one. We couldn’t afford a baby and I didn’t want another baby.

There was that second line I’d only had the pleasure of seeing once before. It looked florescent this time. I’ve probably taken 50 pregnancy tests and I’ve never, ever seen such a clear, bright line. I puked…again. Only this time, it was due to nerves.

I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to tell my husband. Should I buy him balloons, a cake, cookies? Maybe if I turned it into a celebration we would forget how ill-prepared we were for a second child. As I was planning the “we don’t want another baby…but ‘oh-well’” celebration, my husband arrived home early from work.

I couldn’t wait. “Honey, I have to tell you something”. “You aren’t pregnant again, are you?” He laughed. “Not funny”, I grumbled. “Yes..WE are”, I replied. He walked into the bathroom. I think he puked too. “Well, we’ll make it work”, he said. He sounded sincere. “Okay then”.

I am not sure if we said anything else that night or for the next eight months for that matter. We didn’t really talk much about the baby even though our excitement started to grow with every prenatal appointment. “We’ll make it work” became our mantra. And we did. My daughter had just taken her first steps around the time my son was born.

While this is the part of the article where I should be giving you tips on how we made it work, I can’t. Quite honestly, I don’t remember much. I remember changing a ton of diapers, pushing around a super heavy double stroller, having back pain from lugging around a toddler on one hip and a bulky car-seat on the other. I also remember getting up between one and five times every night for two years straight to tend to a crying baby. That’s about it.

My son is almost three now and my daughter will turn four this summer. The fog has lifted. Suddenly, I am sleeping again. I know what it feels like to take a long, hot shower again. I can shave my legs, fix my hair and apply makeup now. I even smell good. The other day, I read a magazine, drank a cup of coffee and watched a reality tv show without interruption. Pinch me.

My kids are a bit more independent now and I am enjoying some much deserved “me-time”. They play together. They like each other and they entertain each other. It is great.

If you are reading this in panic mode while awaiting a second baby I am probably going to disappoint you. I don’t have any profound advice to share or tips to offer. In fact, I am not even going to lie to you and suggest that it is easy. Two under two is hard. You won’t get much sleep, you won’t have much time to yourself and you will probably be running non-stop.

That being said, I am LOVING “two under four” . It is fun, it is easier and I blessed with non-stop laughter at the antics of two preschoolers. Who knows, I might even be ready to try “three under five” soon (just kidding, honey).

Technorati tags: pregnant, pregnancy, infertility, two under two, family planning, two-under-two, multiples, twins, parenting, babies, baby, resources, advice, tips, stories, birth

Bluetooth Headset...Should I, or Shouldn't I?

I have been seriously thinking about getting myself a bluetooth headset. It would be great for driving, cleaning days and those rare days I go to the gym or do laundry.

At the same time, I have a love-hate relationship with the headsets. While I want one...it makes me crazy when I am trying to talk to someone who is using one.

This commercial is a good example of what I am talking about....



Technorati Tags: funny, beer commercial, bluetooth, headset, video, commercial, keystone, joke, youtube

How to Get an Extra Hour of Sleep....

I feel so refreshed today. I am alert. I am relaxed. I am ready to take on the world...and I have the little cherub above to thank for it.

So, what would you be willing to clean up for an extra hour of sleep?

• Flour on the counter, tv...and in the microwave?
  
• Butter on the dog?
  
• Eggs smashed on the floor?

These are just a few of the horrific morning mess stories my fellow moms have shared with me.

This morning it was my turn. I woke up....looked at the clock and was panic struck (but oddly happy at the same time.) My kids slept in! Which one is sick? Which one was kidnapped?

I rushed downstairs to find my daughter happily squishing flour between her fingertips.... "Mommy...I am making you breakfast". "What exactly are you trying to make me...'a mess'?" I asked, sarcastically? "No...COOKIES!" - "Ahhh...just what I wanted for breakfast".

While I gave her the best "we don't bake without mommy" lecture I could muster without coffee I really wasn't that mad. It was the longest night of sleep I'd had in a week. Thanks again for *breakfast*, Jenna!

Sesame Street Flashback - Doin' the Pigeon

My kids made me really sad today. It was snowing outside so we decided to veg out in front of the TV this morning. I grabbed their sleeping bags, some fruit snacks and my own pillow and blanket so we could curl up and watch shows together.

As I flipped through the kids' channels my preschoolers (ages 2-3) were barking orders at me... "no, not that one"...."that's not my favorite"..."I want Dora"...."find Diego"....ug. so much for a fun morning.

And then...they really annoyed me. I turned the channel to PBS and Sesame Street was on. It was a classic Ernie and Bert skit. I wanted to watch. "Mommy...I don't like this show"...my daughter yelled. It was as if she had punched me in the guts.

"You are THREE...and you don't like Sesame Street?...what is WRONG with you?"

I was sad. I loved Sesame Street. I loved Big Bird, Grover...and I really loved to hate Oscar. I have fond memories of eating bagged cheerios in my jammies after sneaking out way too early in the morning just to watch it.

Unfortunately, my kids have been exposed to WAYYYYY too many options. Movies, DVD's, video games, computer games, realistic animation, cartoon musicals....and more. Suddenly silly little puppets aren't so exciting, I guess.

So...I missed Sesame Street this morning and am bummed out. I figured You Tube would have some clips and wa'la...here is my favorite. Doin' the Pigeon...by Burt.

I hope you enjoy the flashback as much as I did!

...and you probably thought toast was boring.

Check out this site. Dedicated entirely to....(believe it or not) TOAST. You'll never look at a piece of bread the same again.

Photo by Charles Kaufman

The gallery of regrettable food.

I just found this site today and it is hysterical so I wanted to share it. It isn't going to make your life any simpler, but it will crack you up...and perhaps make you feel a bit better if you aren't a very gifted cook.


The Gallery of Regrettable Food

Mmmmmm....doesn't that jello dish look delish.......? Blech.

Finally, a reunion I can get behind...the Police are back.

I know that this post has nothing to do with being "simple-ish"...but I am so excited about this entertainment news that I just had to share.

The Police are reuniting to perform at the Grammy Awards this year. Here are the details.

Sorry for getting a little off-topic....I just can't get "Roxanne" out of my head this morning.

Here's a You Tube video to get you in the mood too...

The Joy of Sons

My son turns two this week so I have been thinking a lot lately about my sweet little boy who is no longer a baby. I was really starting to look forward to all of the fun adventures that come with raising a young man....until I saw this site - The Joy of Sons.

Enjoy.

Cute Overload...

I have a new favorite blog. Grab your kiddo, and check out the Cute Overload blog...

It truly is "cute overload" when you listen to your child laugh, giggle and ohhhh..and ahhhh...over all of the great pictures of cute animals...plus, it makes a really fun family activity.

Totally Off-Topic, but I can SOOOO Relate!

A Mom's *Must-Have*!

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Need I say more? (okay...just a quick tip - buy one with a jelly holder for backpacks, purses and keychains.) You can usually find them in the check-out aisle at Target.