amelia

Random Acts of…Sleep

July 9, 2010September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

Thank you, Amelia. Thank you for recognizing that Mommy was exhausted last night and really needed the rest. Thank you for actually adhering to your schedule. Thank you so much for sleeping from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. It was fabulous.

Now if you could let your sissy monsters know in advance that you’re planning to sleep through the night for the first time ever so that they DON’T come crawl in the bed with Mommy at two the morning, I’d really appreciate it.

Not too much to ask from the person who meets your every physical and emotional need right now, is it?

Random Acts of….Independence

July 4, 2010 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

July 4th seems like the perfect time to reflect not only on the independence we are so blessed with as a nation, but the independence my children have recently begun to discover in themselves.

They are finally at an age where they can play outside together riding bikes, sidewalk chalking the driveway, watering Daddy’s flower beds….and mommy can be inside nursing or folding laundry or cooking dinner while watching out the windows.

They can bathe themselves. Now I’m not claiming they do a great job and they don’t understand the concept of using an amount of shampoo the size of a quarter, but at least they smell better when they get out. And there are enough bubbles in the tub to clean the rest of the neighborhood kids, too.

You know, when it comes to independence, it’s really the little things that matter.

amelia · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · madelynne

Random Acts of…Growing

May 5, 2010 Lindsey P. BrackettLeave a comment

Belle’s figured out why she’s growing. She informed me the other day it was because she’s “had a lot of birthdays and birthdays make you grow.”

Madelynne’s growing up, too. One morning this week when I asked her what she was doing as she got the frozen waffles from the freezer and headed across the kitchen she tossed back that hair and announced, “I’m making my own breakfast.” Yeah, I’d rather it didn’t involve the possibility of a burnt finger before 7 a.m.

And Amelia? Well, according to my M.I.L. she’s eating 5 oz at every feeding (which is twice while I’m at work) so she’s putting it somewhere! Her cheeks are fat and that dimple is cute as ever. We dedicated her today and she was sweet…and stinky since she filled her diaper just before the ceremony! Ahhh….the joys of motherhood.

amelia · motherhood

Random Acts of…Working Mom

May 1, 2010 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

You know, this title is really inaccurate. I certainly was a “working” mom during the past 10 weeks, even if I wasn’t at an official place of business while I was “working.” That aside, this week marked my return to the world of working-outside-my-house and ended my unofficial time as a stay at home mom.

I really thought this day would never come. I guess I just thought April would stretch on indefinitely and that Monday morning would never arrive and I would continue my little routine of cuddling, nursing, loving on Amelia 24-7 with no interruption for reality. Of course I was wrong.

I cried. I mean the sobbing, snotty, blotchy kind of crying usually reserved for something truly devastating. I cried Sunday night when I washed and prepped all the pieces of my pump so I’d be ready to do that at work. I sobbed Monday morning when I left her at my mother-in-law’s and I broke down at school when a friend asked how the baby was. I arrived in the parking lot on Tuesday morning with a tear-streaked face but managed to get hold of myself when I walked through the doors. On Tuesday night my friend Chastity told me to suck it up and quit looking so sad. Apparently I was depressing others.

So, I tried. I smiled at Amelia on Wednesday morning when I left and she rewarded me with a big ‘ol dimpled grin. I made it through the school day thinking maybe life wasn’t so bad after all, but I crashed when I got home and realized I had coupons to clip, laundry to fold, dishes to load, and church to attend.

I think I might set unreasonable expectations for myself. Or unattainable goals. Or both.

Anyway, I survived. And so did Amelia. Even though she refused to sleep on Thursday night and I had a bit of a temper tantrum at about 3:30 in the morning. Did I mention we found out on Tuesday that she has an ear infection?

As hard as this is, I keep trying to remind myself that in the grand scheme of things, I’ve got it pretty good. I only have to work for 22 more days (and only 19 of those involve students) before I get to have her all to myself again. Her and the Sissy Monsters who can’t wait for summer because summer means “we stay home with mommy and eat popsicles and go to the water park.”

I’m not sure why this has been so much harder than the past. Probably because she’s younger than the girls were when I left them. Likely it’s because me having to return to work was not part of the original “let’s have another baby” plan. Definitely because I think she’s the last and I want to treasure all these moments that I appreciate so much more because I really understand how fleeting they are.

We can do this. I’ve just got to re-establish our routine. Of course, once we get used to that it will be summer and routine gets packed away with the school supplies. And I won’t mind one bit to have to get used to being home again.

amelia · http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post · madelynne

Random Acts of…Growing Pains

April 20, 2010September 30, 2015 Lindsey P. Brackett1 Comment

With the exception of myself who is hopefully shrinking back down to better-than-pre-pregnancy size, there’s been a lot of growing in our house lately.

Madelynne is getting so tall that her shorts and skirts are rapidly becoming less than dress code worthy. I had Jill cut her hair too, a cute little stacked bob that’s longer in front to please her daddy but less work to comb which pleases mommy. She’s getting just so grown-up!

I don’t like it.

Belle is finally outgrowing 3T clothes (good thing since she’s four!) and lately she’s been climbing in our bed in the middle of the night to complain that her legs hurt. Today, however, she’s exhibiting more than usual stubborness, so she’ll probably be complaining soon that her bottom hurts.

I really don’t like it.

And Amelia went yesterday for her two month check up. Two months? How can that be? It’s gone by so fast. I’m torn between the desire to get these next 5 weeks that I have to be at work over with so I can come back home and the wish I could keep her little forever. Then I remember that as she gets bigger she’ll start to sleep through the night.

Nope, still don’t like it.

Here’s the stats on our little one who’s grown the most:

10 lb, 10 oz. (that’s a gain of 3 lb, 7 oz)

22 in (no way she was really 21 in the hospital)

38 cm of a “somewhat unusual” head.

Yes, that’s right. She apparently has an extra soft spot which is contributing to a slightly pointed back skull. Thank goodness is covered up by all that hair! Our pediatrician thinks it’s fine though. His actual words? “Well, that’s just her head.”

And that’s just my baby. Hopefully for a long time yet.