Archives for April 2015

Getting so big

April 23, 2015 by · 2 Comments

These sweet kiddos of ours are growing up!  There’s no doubt that having a toddler and an infant comes with its share of struggles but there’s also no doubt that it goes quickly.  So, so quickly.

 

In the blink of an eye Mitchell is 3 months old and Makenzie is 2 1/2 years old.  Here is what they have been up to lately.

  ::  Mitchell Dennis – Three Months Old  ::

That smile.

Our little Mitch Man isn’t so little anymore.  He’s quickly growing into 6 month outfits.  He is very ticklish and giggles non-stop when you kiss his face, belly and leggies.  He loves sitting in his Bumbo chair to check out the world.

This month he started sleeping in his crib and he sometimes sleeps through the night (yes!).  He is slowly losing his thick head of newborn hair and we’re guessing it will come back in a light blond hair like Kenz.  The babes are going to go nuts if he re-emerges this summer as a blondie!

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Now that I’m back to work, Littlest M is spending 4 days a week with Big Sis at the wonderful Miss Becky’s house, and he is doing great there.  I miss him like crazy but seeing his big grin at the end of the day makes it all better.

Daddy’s happy camper       🙂

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 ::  Makenzie Ruth – 2 1/2 years old  ::

On April 4th our girl was officially 2 1/2 years old.  A week later we headed to the doctor’s office and she rocked her check-up.  Dr. Pepe is very pleased with her confidence and vocabulary.   And Kenz was very excited to sit on the table and wear the fishy cape aka gown.

Makenzie is a very busy little lady.  She loves to dance, sing, read and play outside.  Her favorite song is Shake it Off and she is not afraid to run around the house dancing to it.  In just a few weeks she has her first dance recital!

Ready for dance class.

 

Picture day… Pretty in Pink!

Some of her other favorite things are:

Color – purple

Food – Pizza and fruit snacks

Drink – Apple juice

Toy – Mommy’s iPhone (of course)

Movie – Frozen

Chore – Emptying the dishwasher

Indoor activities – Play-doh and coloring

Outdoor activities – Riding her trike and her Power Wheels VW Bug

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We love these kiddos to the moon and back and we’re doing our best each day to savor these moments of having a houseful of babies.  We can’t wait for summer to take our Little M and Littlest M into the sunshine!

Stay tuned, it’s going to be another fun season of life.

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The monsters under my working mom bed

April 6, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Tomorrow.  Ugh.  Tomorrow is the day I leave my babies to go back to work.  Maternity leave is over.  Really?  How did that happen?  My baby boy was just coming home from the hospital and now I’m leaving him to go to work.  My heart is aching and I’m terrified for the adjustment.  The what ifs are daunting… What if we can’t get out the door on time?  What if I can’t handle it all?  What if I miss the kid’s bedtime?  What if I miss a deadline?  What if the kids miss me?  What if they don’t?  What if I disappoint my co-workers and my boss?  What if I disappoint Denny?  What if I disappoint the kids?

These ‘what ifs’ have been haunting me and causing me anxiety for weeks, but the reality is that they are nothing more than monsters under my working mom bed.  Just like a kiddo I’m creating a world of fears that in reality don’t exist.  Right now the monsters seem big, hairy and scary but there is much reality that can make my mom monster fears go away.

The reality is that I’m going back to a job I love.  The reality is that I have great co-workers, a super awesome boss and a job that makes me feel like I’m making a difference in the world.  The reality is that I have a pretty flexible schedule.  The reality is that I have an incredibly supportive husband who does drop-offs and pick-ups, who makes dinner, and who does laundry.  The reality is that we have the most wonderful childcare provider that we could imagine, and Makenzie and Mitchell get to be together all day.  The reality is that by the end of the day tomorrow I’ll probably feel good about returning to the adult world.

So tonight I’ll keep my flashlight next to my bed and do the best I can to scare away the monsters.  I’m sure they won’t go away but hopefully they won’t keep me up too late.  And tomorrow I’ll squeeze (literally) into my work pants, I’ll use some waterproof mascara, I’ll fill my desk with pictures of the kiddos, and I’ll head back to the workplace I love.  It may not be my most productive day but I’ll make it through and hopefully prove to myself that we can do it.

So go away monsters!  I’ve got real fears to deal with like how I will ever fit into my work pants…

…to be continued.

monsters under the bed

 

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And miles to go before I sleep

April 5, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

There are few things I love more than words.  Words are so simple, yet when connected with other words they create powerful and meaningful messages.  Perhaps that’s why I love writing.  So I’m sure it’s no surprise that certain stories and poems regularly dance through my head.

One in particular is Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.  The final verse is this…

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
These words danced through my head while I stayed up all night packing before my many college moves.  These words danced through my head when I stayed up all night preparing for exams in grad school.  And these words definitely danced through my head during 3 am feedings with my little ones.
Tonight Denny and I drove home from his parent’s house and the words of Robert Frost again played over and over in my head as we made our way down the highway with our two little loves in the backseat.  Our initial plan wasn’t to come home at night but after our drive there we realized that Mitchell is not a fan of his car seat.  So around 9 pm with large coffees to go, we started the four-hour trek home in hopes that both Makenzie and Mitchell would sleep.
Makenzie was so uncomfortable and unable to sleep that I eventually had to climb into the backseat and squish between the two car seats with the hope of calming her down so that she could get a few winks of sleep.
The closer we got to home, the tighter I squeezed my buckled-up baby, and the more my mind raced.  We had miles to go, but I kept thinking about everyone else in our life who has miles to go.  During the past year we’ve seen some of the people we love most walking many long miles on life’s journeys.  Some journeys are to strengthen relationships, some are to learn to let go.  Some journeys are to find answers and some are to find cures.
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It is now 3 am. We’re home and our babies are finally sleeping in their beds.  The Easter Bunny stopped by the house and we’re just a few hours from Easter morning, yet my mind keeps racing.  So as we approach the sunrise of Easter morning, perhaps the Hope of this day will bring new strength to all those who have miles to go before they sleep.  Perhaps we will all try to be more mindful of those around us silently trekking along on journeys.  And perhaps, if we’re lucky, our miles will have someone we love to hold us until we make it home.
 Sweet Dreams and Happy Easter to you and your families!
XOXO
Erin
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