Mama in the City

Poor little dude! And we do "sick beds' ...

2012-02-19T17:58:19.830-08:00

Poor little dude! And we do "sick beds' too. It saves everyone a lot of loneliness, wailing and hassle

i'd bring my neice. She would love it. :)

2012-02-19T17:02:52.657-08:00

i'd bring my neice. She would love it. :)

You are one smart Mama! I love the idea of the Si...

2012-02-19T16:46:37.204-08:00

You are one smart Mama! I love the idea of the Sick Bed. It certainly helps to balance everyone's needs. I'll tear this page our of your book when I need it...hopefully not any time soon! ; )

i love her arm chubs too!

2012-02-17T16:33:58.691-08:00

i love her arm chubs too!

Oh, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. W...

2012-02-16T19:24:28.723-08:00

Oh, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. With all three of my pregnancies I gained 43 lbs, 20 of which came off within weeks after giving birth, the remaining 23 always took a good year to get rid of. A YEAR. I remember hanging my head in shame, shuffling to Wal-Mart to buy some in-between clothes for my post-partum booty to fit into. I came out of there with an armful of size 16 pants and felt so defeated that this was where I was at. It's hard because you want to just focus on the beautiful moments of life with a newborn, but when you don't feel comfortable in your own skin, it's hard to get past that. You really do look great, though, and you know that all it will take is time, some nice long walks, and a bit of work and those old jeans will be buttoned up before you know it. I know that having baby girls seemed to make me gain a LOT more than friends who carried boys. I don't know if all the extra estrogen surging through the body made me eat more chocolate or something, but yeah, it was an epic weight gain all three times.

Thanks for being so open and honest about your feelings in this tender time. Be kind to yourself. Your body has done an amazing thing, growing and birthing that sweet baby girl, and it just needs time to get back to where it used to be.

You are doing a great job!!

What a beautiful photo! I love those little arm r...

2012-02-16T10:56:48.113-08:00

What a beautiful photo! I love those little arm rolls. It's so sweet you sing to her. :)

Love this post and photo! Your kids are both ador...

2012-02-15T16:54:03.651-08:00

Love this post and photo! Your kids are both adorable, love the story about Ben. What a proud big brother.

I cherished the little things more the second time...

2012-02-15T16:45:29.446-08:00

I cherished the little things more the second time around, and I think because I knew I'd managed to keep one baby alive I also relaxed - a lot. I used to laugh at the advice too, I think the funniest I got was from my husband's (alcoholic) aunt - "If you mix rice cereal and beer in with their formula for the last feed before bed it really helps them sleep! Something about that rice cereal keeps them full longer. It totally worked for my kids." We were out to dinner with them and I almost choked for real on my spaghettini.

So happy you're getting to love it and that Ben is loving it too!

I loved the second baby too. There's something...

2012-02-15T13:39:19.557-08:00

I loved the second baby too. There's something very comforting in knowing that we survived the first, so we can just relax and really enjoy the second. Precious photo.

Don't forget to keep in mind all of the money ...

2012-02-15T12:41:08.433-08:00

Don't forget to keep in mind all of the money you are saving by living in the city too, however. Not that it completely balances out, but the cost of insuring, maintaining and fueling a car (or 2 cars!) would take a chunk out of your available childcare funds! Also, depending on your income, there may be more affordable options available in a city as well. For example there's a community college down the street from us that has an Early Childhood education program. The students all have to work in their daycare, in addition to the certified professionals of course, so there is a plethora of adults and it's VERY reasonably priced. If I lived in the suburbs it wouldn't be convenient to drive in to drop off my kid, but living downtown it'd very easy to take advantage of these options.

That photo needs to be published somewhere! Love h...

2012-02-15T12:07:52.227-08:00

That photo needs to be published somewhere! Love how she is holding her hand to her ear like you are telling her a story.

Thank you! I already feel like these tiny baby mom...

2012-02-15T12:02:07.414-08:00

Thank you! I already feel like these tiny baby moments are fleeting. Especially after our recent cluster feeding night and subsequent growth spurt. They grow so fast...awe so cliche and so right on.

Fab photo that captures all those oozy gooey baby ...

2012-02-15T11:29:46.197-08:00

Fab photo that captures all those oozy gooey baby love feelings perfectly

I can feel you bursting with love. How amazing and...

2012-02-15T10:13:00.723-08:00

I can feel you bursting with love. How amazing and rewarding!

Love this picture!! Josie is a gorgeous baby :)

2012-02-15T08:29:29.030-08:00

Love this picture!! Josie is a gorgeous baby :)

I think that Lils would have a great time.

2012-02-15T07:24:34.869-08:00

I think that Lils would have a great time.

and i love how this post takes me back to that yum...

2012-02-14T22:40:16.075-08:00

and i love how this post takes me back to that yummy delicious feeling that you have just described. love on my friend! what a gorgeous photo of you both!

I would bring my 2.5-year-old son who is already f...

2012-02-14T08:52:13.119-08:00

I would bring my 2.5-year-old son who is already familiar with Fred Penner and his little brother or sister, ready to make their debut at the end of May!

With my first, I came home from the hospital 24 po...

2012-02-13T21:48:46.181-08:00

With my first, I came home from the hospital 24 pounds lighter. I was almost down to my pre-pregnancy weight. With my second, 3 months postpartum and I was still carrying around 20 extra pounds. It eventually came off and I know it will for you too. I really enjoy reading your blog each and every time because you writing is honest and real. Something we can all relate to. Thank you.

Me too! I would luv to take my daughter Natasha

2012-02-13T21:42:12.865-08:00

Me too! I would luv to take my daughter Natasha

2012-02-13T21:18:40.186-08:00

Me too! I would luv to take my daughter Natasha

Brooke would love to sing and dance along with Fre...

2012-02-13T21:07:47.882-08:00

Brooke would love to sing and dance along with Fred Penner!

I would bring my two oldest boys! Sounds like fun...

2012-02-13T18:13:19.964-08:00

I would bring my two oldest boys! Sounds like fun!

I would bring both my kids!!

2012-02-13T16:46:21.687-08:00

I would bring both my kids!!

I would definitely take my daughter and her best f...

2012-02-13T16:34:26.141-08:00

I would definitely take my daughter and her best friend, they are both 6 and I think would adore this :)