Small Firefighter

Sometimes things work out so well that you just have to thank your lucky stars and really embrace life. It could be something big or something small, but whatever it is, you should never let it pass you by.

One such occurrence graced us yesterday morning, so we rolled with it! A huge City of Seattle firetruck parked outside our building and Noah shrieked with delight from the window. So I threw some jackets on us and we went out to see it.

Noah wasn't shy at all! He babbled and chirped and laughed at the firefighters, but shook his head violently when they asked him if he wanted to ride in the truck. We all laughed at that and then he proceeded to touch the door and the giant tire. He loved that truck let me tell you. He was in such innocent awe of its grandness! They said he was the most brave littlest guy they've seen so far. Then when they drove away he waved happily and so did the gigantic firefighters who turned into cutie piles of mush around one toddler.

It was lovely and I'm glad we got to do that. :)

He was SO excited!

15 Month Favourites

This is a bit late since Small Human turned 15 months on the 16th, but so many stressors came about that it slipped my mind completely. Our littlest mister Wilson is doing well though! He scared us with a bit of a virus and hunger strike earlier this month, but I think we're hitting another growth spurt because he's suddenly way hungrier than he usually is, thank goodness.

At his last Well Baby check up, Noah was in the 90th percentile for height and 50th for weight. So, tall and thin like his dada. It makes him look like a hilarious bobblehead doll though, with his giant head and muscular little bod. He's wearing mostly 12-18 month clothes but with some smaller 18-24 month stuff mixed in. (!!!)

This kid loves to dance to music, squeeze and look at animals happily, and anything that spins, like wheels on my bicycle, his stroller, and his toy cars. Here are a few of Noah's current favourites:

1. His blue Chucks. Even when he's not wearing them, sometimes he'll go find them and carry them around the house with him. :)

2. His Foxy. He has woken up screaming a couple times this month, and we've gone in to see him clutching this fox! (so cute) He even hugs him during nap time now.

3. His Kleen Kanteen sippy. It was a struggle for us to find a non plastic sippy cup, or even a silicone one that didn't just spill water everywhere if you flipped it upside down. We use these for water and his Pura Kiki sippies for milk. That way he knows what he's in for. He is a great water drinker so we haven't given him any juice or flavoured water. No need.

4. Baby Tractor book. We originally borrowed this from the library but liked it so much that we bought it. I think he likes the different, brightly coloured tractors and the fact that there are farm animals hidden behind each one. 

Like every mom on earth, I worry about Noah's development. Physically, I couldn't be happier, he was an early walker, is very dexterous, and loves to climb things. Verbally though, he still mostly speaks his own special Noah language. :) He says mama, dada, bath, Xbox, uh oh (not really a word), light, and I think he was trying to say "dance" today! He shakes his head when he doesn't want to do something, gives ascent by nodding his head, or crosses his arms in front of him when he has had enough food. I know he understands us because he follows commands, but it is what it is. I'm still very proud, I assure you!

I know I say this all the time, but he is so fun right now! It's incredible to be able to watch him grow. <3 Happy Tuesday!

So happy! Even though he fell on his head/face THREE times in 30 minutes. Oy.

This Weekend in Pictures

The best thing about living on the west coast is the incredible springs we have. There are cherry blossoms in bloom on every street, not just in parks, and the weather is lovely and temperate. I think I just stole a little from Shakespeare there, but Will and I go way back and I'm sure he understands.

We went shopping for new Toms sandals for momie; had a delicious bubble tea treat (momie & dada); went thrift shopping and scored some really amazing deals like brand new with tags still on pajamas and a $3 jean jacket for Small Human.

There was park fun, home fun, shenanigans, burritos, hugging, kissing, and lots of laughing. What more does one need? I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to take on the week!

Follow me on Instagram for more of our daily shenanigans! xoxo

Caught climbing his toy bin to reach the top of the shelf!

A little booking reading and eating

My boys on the teeter totter

Trying very hard to put his hat on dada

Happy Weekend

The Wilsons are going to try to do happy things this weekend. It's the last weekend of April, and I think we just need it. Small Human's humongous appetite is back which means he's feeling better finally, and my tests came back from the doctor all clear. I'm healthy, my boys are healthy, there's no reason why we shouldn't try to enjoy life.

A lot of people probably think I'm annoying for documenting and sharing our life constantly, but when I weighed it out, I felt that I would regret not doing it more. I admit that there's value in keeping one's privacy but I truly think that human experiences should be shared with one another, even if it's just the banal day to day stuff. That's what you look back fondly on when you have the luxury of looking back.

Life might start to seem mundane after awhile when you're not dealing with the stresses of office life, or retail life, or being on set. While those places of work can make for some interesting stories and memories, I think that I will cherish my time with my baby man the most.

He's so much fun, and his cuteness makes me crazy with each passing day. I used to think it was daunting to have the huge responsibility of making sure your child turns out "right" but now I feel somewhat honoured. We've been given an opportunity to show a new person our incredible world with all it's complexities and wonders.

So enjoy the weekend, rain or shine. Have fun, belly laugh, and hug. You won't regret it.

Noah "using" my laptop :)

Love

It was our friend's memorial service and funeral today. As you can imagine it was sad and beautiful and still unbelievable. My heart is broken for my sweet friend who lost her partner in life and crime and parenthood, and I think that even the baby girls knew something was up. Rest in peace Steve, we will all do our best to help your girls.

When faced with sudden death, it really puts all the petty arguments and annoyances into perspective. Life is too short to rile yourself up about little things that don't matter at all in the grander view. You can either let past grievances colour your present thoughts, or you can strive to live in the moment and love with all you have.

I'm going to try to let love be my motivator instead of hate. One feels plainly healthier than the other if you're going to be honest with yourself. Live for the people you love; follow your dreams; don't say or do things that you will regret. Life is incredibly short.

xoxo

Mittelschmerz

Up until early 2012, I had no idea that I ever had any pain associated with my menstrual cycle. Growing up, most of my female friends and family complained about the dreaded cramps, bloating and irritability that are synonymous with having your period. I had only experienced this pain a handful of times in my life and assumed I was one of the lucky few who escaped unscathed.

Nope, no such luck. My entire life up until we decided to have a baby I thought I just had a sensitive digestive system. I seemed to get what I thought were gas pains or constipation pains. It didn't seem tied to my period because it never happened when it was supposed to happen: right before Aunt Flo arrived.

Well, when you are introduced to the strange and terrifying world of starting a family you learn lots of new things about yourself and babies. Like, lots, we're talking information overload here. One of the things I learned was that I wasn't one of the lucky ones, I also had monthly pain, but it was tied to ovulation instead of menstruation.

Basically, what this means is 1 out of 5 women experience what is called Mittelschmerz, a German term that translates to "middle pain" or pain in the middle of one's cycle. Fabulous! There's no textbook definition for the types of pain that come with Mittelschmerz, apparently all women experience varying degrees of it and it can range from short bursts of sharp pain or long, drawn-out, dull pain.

My Mittelschmerz manifests as something akin to a really horrible gas pain on either my left or right side that only goes away if I take Advil. It happens when the ovary releases an egg, and in some women it can hurt because some blood and fluid is released that irritates the rest of your abdomen. I guess it's good to know that I can ovulate but man does it hurt.

Being a woman can be so gross but also feels incredibly empowering because we can go through all these disgusting, painful things and still come out as strong as ever. So if you didn't already know about it, that's the word of the day: Mittelschmerz.

What I feel like doing cause of Mittelschmerz

Mr. Picky and The Infinite Pickiness

As far as I can tell, Noah cannot read yet. I know this because he doesn't know the alphabet. Yet he is still able to identify which organic food packet he likes and which one he dislikes. They are mostly varying shades of green and silly Momie thought they'd all look the same to her toddler. Momie was wrong. He seriously somehow knows which is which before tasting them.

I still give him the puree packets to supplement his diet with fruits and vegetables because he refuses to eat them like a stereotypical child. Since I am just as stubborn, I refuse to let him subsist on cheese and bread alone, but I've also decided that I'm not gonna stress out or force him to eat and give him bad food associations in the future.

I'm exasperated by trying to appease the boy king and finding what foods he'll actually ingest. So far, chicken enchiladas are a big hit but if we feed it to him too often, he hates it. Also, toast with peanut butter is now out, and bagels with butter are in. We are struggling to keep up with his expanding palette, but he refuses to eat half the things we do, so it's a bit of a battle.

We had his 15 month Well Baby checkup today, and he's tall, slender, healthy and normal. Oh and those vaccinations? No prob, Momie, I'm a tough guy!

I'm doing my best to feed him healthfully but I keep forgetting that he's a person with rapidly changing tastes. The pediatrician said that as long as he's getting a well balanced diet week to week, I shouldn't worry about the day to day. Maybe I'll send him on a couple foodie trips with Anthony Bourdain, or his Tito Jeffrey. ;)

His favourite. He has no idea it's fruits and vegetables.

Noah Gibberish

I'm not going to lie, it was a slightly difficult and emotional weekend. Nevertheless, it's a new week and I'm going to try to remain in the present moment since it's going to be jam packed. Health-wise, I only started to feel truly better on Sunday, which meant I got to have somewhat of a birthday do-over, which was nice.

My Small Human has a nasty cough and I'm trying not to worry. It isn't non-stop, but it's phlegmy. He's happy and playful though! It's astounding how quickly they learn and grow. We talk to him like he's fully able to communicate with us, and he seems to truly understand. The only thing is, he isn't exactly capable of expressing himself with words that momie and dada can comprehend, it's still just gibberish. For now.

I am expecting to be shocked off my rocker any week now by a talking toddler. He's definitely got his own vocabulary, judging by the repetitive nature of certain specific sounds and actions. Ah I love him so much! He's this intelligent little sponge that gets smarter with each passing day.

As a result of this growth, he's developing very strong and distinct likes and dislikes. We are fast approaching the Terrible Twos. Actually, I think we are there a little early judging by the tantrums, refusal to eat things, and the deliberate ignoring of our admonishing. Fun times ahead!

New Things Noah Can Do:

• Blow people kisses on command
• Put away his toys and books when asked
• Distinguish food he likes from food he dislikes
• Point to his nose when asked
• Copy mommy and daddy's actions
• Feel remorse for misbehaving
• Reach things that are astonishingly high, he's tall!

Playing Peek-a-boo with the dish towel!

We Will Miss You Steve

Yesterday morning, we lost a friend. He was the husband of one of my closest mommy friends, and an awesome stay at home dad to beautiful twin girls. It makes no sense to lose someone young, and especially not a person who was needed and loved so much.

My friend's words telling us the news still haunt me, and part of me wished so badly that it was some nutty prank of Steve's. I'm just glad to have met him. He was honest, kind, quirky, and hilarious, and his Steve-isms will stick with me forever. The runs will always be known as: "Uncle Diarrhea" in the Wilson household because of him.

To Eliza and the girls: anything that we can do for you, we will do. Whenever you need us to take care of the girls, we can (even when they're 16). Whenever you crave risotto, consider it made. Brendan, Noah and I love you very much.

Wherever you are Steve, we will miss you. That enormous double rainbow you left your girls last night was spectacular. Really wish you didn't have to go. xoxo

I've Had Better

I know I went missing yesterday, but that was because on the evening of my 35th birthday, I was struck with a stomach virus. Happy birthday to meeeeee. Brendan also caught the bug but he has a stomach of steel and barely felt it, while I suffered through the night with stomach cramps and nausea. To make a long story short, I ended up at the clinic yesterday getting a shot of Zofran in the butt, and had dehydration. I was so dehydrated that they tried to draw blood from my arm and even though they were so far up my vein, they still couldn't get any blood out of me. Seriously.

That is the story of my fabulous 35th birthday. Luckily, as my kind friend Stacie reminded me, I celebrate for the whole month of April so it doesn't matter!

Before I fell ill I still managed to have lots of fun at least! I got my hair blown out at the salon while my boys played in the mall play structure, and we got to eat at my favourite dumpling place for lunch. Then I got to take a nap (!!!), and we walked around our beautiful city and had dinner at one of my fave spots, Pink Door before I succumbed to the stupid virus.

The best present was having a healthy baby and a husband who took such good care of me and our son for two days. So I can't complain, even though I still feel quite delicate today. I feel very lucky regardless!

PSA: Always sit up straight for pictures, otherwise you look pregnant when you're not.

He slept through most of lunch, good boy!

My favourite!!!!

Like father, like son ;)

Birthday apps

My little boy and I

It's My Birthday

I was born on Easter Sunday thirty-five years ago today. I have been busy celebrating all day with my two favourite boys, so have a happy Tuesday everyone, I hope everyone finished their taxes, and I will see you tomorrow! (Hopefully with a cake hangover)

Bad Mother

When you're a stay at home mom there are certain things you are supposed to do in order for your child to develop properly into a whole human being, or so we're told. You're supposed to play music, you're supposed to talk to them constantly about the things you are doing, you're supposed to read to them, and you're supposed to encourage age appropriate play. (And therefore Google age appropriate play)

Today I am a bad mother because I don't want to do any of these things. I will make sure his needs are met but I'm not going to do all the crap you're supposed to do because I just don't feel like it.

Instead of putting on music and reading aloud, I'm drinking a cup of coffee quietly and minding my own business. You know what Noah's doing? Happily playing with his toys, babbling to himself and occasionally coming over to press my control key.

The world will not end if Momie is having a lazy off day. Life goes on, and the baby will be just fine. In fact, they may be better than fine. You may find that he likes to discover the way things work on his own. He's figured out that the jack-in-the box doesn't need to be cranked because there's a button that releases the top. This is endlessly entertaining apparently.

So I'm not going to follow the rules or suggested guidelines or whatever other crap I'm supposed to do. I'm just going to have fun with my son today on our terms, because I think that's what we should do. If he wants to read, then we'll read, but you know what else is fun? Ice cream! :)

Hunger Strike & Feeling Thankful

Small Human went from eating all the food to eating nearly no food, it is beyond ridiculous already. All he wants is milk, water and toast, he barely even eats cheese. It's definitely more teething, it's his canines this time but the clincher is that I can't give him Advil, only Tylenol because of the big bruises on his head. Tylenol does nothing.

I know he won't starve, but I have wasted a ton of food in the last 48 hours, and that drives me nuts. Also I think I may have gained some weight from trying to eat his food and my own. This of course adds to my frustration.

Thursday wasn't really much better than Wednesday, I really felt like I was sticking it out with a mental patient. Tears and whining, refusing food, not knowing what he wants, and more head smacking all day long. Then at long last, at 5pm, he found some stale snacks in a bowl and started to eat them. I was too tired to rejoice, I was broken.

Then we went for a little evening walk and passed a daddy who was pulling his son in a wagon. He was about Noah's age, maybe younger and the little guy had a leg cast. They both looked miserable. Well that sure stopped my bellyaching. We don't have it that bad.

It has been quite the week but it's good to be reminded of your blessings. Happy weekend my friends, thanks for your encouraging words this week. :) Enjoy yourselves and enjoy spring!

Why I Will Never Be Relaxed Again

Wednesday morning was a very shitty morning. We usually have a playdate, but one of the other mamas wasn't feeling well, and then one of the other babies was potentially sick. Then my son decided it would be a good idea to surf off his armchair. Since he's a baby, he didn't think it through and ended up smacking his head into the side cabinet. The fall didn't look or sound too bad, but when I picked him up to hug him, there was a giant golf ball sized lump on his head. With a bloody scrape.

I went into shock and almost had a panic attack. I called Brendan, took a picture of the bump, messaged a pic to my mommy friends for a quick emergency diagnosis, then I called the doctor while changing a poopy diaper. We got an appointment within the hour.

Then we snuggled while I put some frozen peas on the goose egg. The swelling went down significantly, but I was worried because he was really sleepy. It was close to nap time and there was a lot of crying that could've tired him out, but still. I needed to have a doctor check him out or I would never breathe/eat/sleep again.

He is just fine though! In fact, I was a bit nervous that they would think I was abusing my son, since we didn't go in to see our regular pediatrician. The doctor assured me that they know what an abused child looks like, and what a rambunctious toddler accident looks like. (Hey, you never know.)

Noah demonstrated that he was alert and behaving normally. Everything was in order, but if he started to act lethargic, dizzy or overly sleepy, I was instructed to go to the hospital right away. The cut on the surface wasn't due to splitting from a hard impact, but was from scraping the edge of the cabinet after he bumped his head.

I guess this is just life now but it was still scary. I have scared my parents a dozen times and I'm alive to tell the tales. :)

Update: He was healing up nicely, when he got bowled over by another kid in music class and fell on his head. AGAIN. So there's a new bruise overlapping the old one. I swear, we are not leaving the house again until he has healed or I am mentally stable again. Geez Louise.

The terrifying bump at 10:15am

No more bump at 6:30pm, just a bruise and that laceration.

Face Masque Obsession

I kind of have an addiction to face masques. You know what though? I'm just gonna roll with it because it's healthy, doesn't hurt anyone, and it makes me happy cause it's fun and relaxing. Sometimes I force Brendan to do it with me, and he's so sweet that he always obliges.

Looking like a murderer for 20 minutes has its kicks too. I actually thought Noah would be really scared to see me in a masque, but he took one look at me and fell over laughing. So there's that.

Then there's how my skin looks afterward, which is a nice reward. I'm always left with a really smooth, glowing complexion. My skin's pretty dry, so it can drink up a lot of any extra moisture I can give it.

My friend just recently gave me a bunch of Asian paper face masques and I am having a ball with them! If you're used to masques that dry first before washing them off, these ones might feel strange to you. They are wet and stay wet, but they're infused with all kinds of serum-y goodness. You don't have to wash your face afterwards, just massage in the nutrients, add moisturizer and you're good to go.

You can use one a day without going overboard with treatment. Women in Asia swear by them, and I'm pretty inclined to believe them, especially seeing how incredible my skin has been just this week alone. If you live in Seattle, you can find them at Uwajimaya, otherwise check out Amazon. Lastly: I am so sorry if you get addicted too. :P

Crazy face is optional, but more fun.

Spring in Seattle

All Noah's idea

It was crazy pants warm and sunny on Monday for the whole day, which meant that Small Human and I were out and about from the end of nap time til nearly 6pm. Of course the toddler with never ending energy was fine, Momie on the other hand practically had to crawl home. It took everything I could muster to get us back because as per usual, I like to do things on foot. It still makes no sense to me to drive places to have fun when so many fun things are already all around us.

That said, I still get exhausted and sometimes wish I had the car. I feel like death, especially since I thought I'd be awesome and do 20 burpees while Noah was napping. But what's done is done, and today I'm gonna take it easy.

I love adventuring with my son! We always meet happy, talkative and interesting people. Noah picked out books at the library and most of them were Max & Ruby books, which I find hilarious cause they are rabbits. Then we cheered up people in a very long line at the post office by dancing and clapping. We went to two different parks, hugged some pugs, went cafe hopping, and Noah even helped me decide on dinner by grabbing some ribs at the grocery store. Most helpful toddler ever.

He is seriously so much fun and we have the best time together every day. This summer is going to be so good! I'm happily exhausted just thinking about it. We're currently having a dance party to the music from Doctor Who before going to the store to get some more cheese strings for the cheese string monster. Happy Tuesday, aka one week before mah birday!

Let's go to Costco, Momie!

Knobs and dials and wheels are his thing

My Cloud Has Lifted

"I shake my little tush on the catwalk"

My personal woebegone rain cloud has lifted. I don't fully comprehend how and why it can come and go so quickly, but I don't want to question why I'm happy. I just want to find out how I can keep from feeling sad again. Hormones are the likely culprit, but that's such a vague blanket answer. As of now, the exact reason remains a mystery, and life goes on.

We had a wonderful weekend in Seattle! We went for dim sum and coffee with friends, had adventures downtown, and got a coffee thermos decanter (yes, we're coffee dorks and that is exciting for us). We also continued the house hunt, played in the park, refrained from cleaning the house, and I thankfully got in my weekly mommy relaxation time.

This weekend was the third consecutive week of my dedicated "Me Time", so maybe the cumulative effects are finally kicking in. This weekend's indulgence was a 90 minute full body massage with my favourite therapist. It's always like a girl date and pampering session rolled into one with her, she's the best.

For many, many years now I have been celebrating Birthday Months. I don't like to limit myself to celebrating for just one day, so I celebrate the whole thirty days of April usually. Sometimes it's a big thing like a spa day, or a little thing like using a face masque and having a cup of tea. Basically, I do something nice for just me without holding back (within reason).

Women especially, are often too quick to mourn getting another year older, so I choose to celebrate it with childlike exuberance. Keeps me young. :)

Practicing For Two

No, I am not pregnant, but I think Brendan and I have agreed that 2015 would be a good year to add another crazy bean to our family. When I was little I used to want four kids, because I was always jealous of that big family dynamic. Now that I've started a little family of my own, with no family members living anywhere near us, I think 2 kids might be more realistic. Actually, I know I'm going to want a third in my heart, but let's see how much hair I have left after ripping it all out from the first two.

On Tuesday, Noah and I had the pleasure of hanging out with our very fun and loquacious friend Carmen for the afternoon! This kid's verbal skills are amazing at 14 months. I asked her if she wanted to read the Elmo book and she said, "Ya ya! Elmo!" This blew my mind. Anyway, I thought I'd try doing my regular afternoon things with both of them in tow.

This is what went down: I strapped C in the stroller and N in the Ergobaby. We then headed out for our walk and proceeded to garner all the attention in Capitol Hill. My elderly next door neighbour called me a "strong gal" which I think is a compliment; others were confused by the extra baby I now had, and mostly people were slayed by the cuteness of my baby companions in matching Chucks, who were waving furiously at passersby.

I went to Starbucks for a caffeine fix, then to the bakery for a macaron that I rationalized myself into thinking I needed, and the grocery store. I was kinda dreading the grocery store, but we needed dinner and it had to be done. The babes got crank-y at self checkout (OMG I did self checkout), so I needed to make my escape before too much screaming occurred. Then we FaceTimed with our friends in Minnesota, walked to the park and back, and went home for snacks and water!

There was no crying, only happy babies, but there was absolutely lots and lots of mess. It's to be expected though, right? I realize this was only a snippet of a day, and with two kids the same age who can keep each other busy, but I still did it. I even have pictures so you know I'm not lying! Happy weekend folks!

Taken by a nice stranger

I think they both look a little embarrassed

Monkeys, Hurricanes, and TV

It has been a rough week for the Wilsons, but we're getting through it slowly but surely. Noah woke up again last night at 1am and was ready to party. He had pooped too, which means that he's probably not 100% well. He only poops at night if he isn't feeling so great. He was happy though! Brendan put him to sleep after a long battle, because I just couldn't keep going anymore.

Then at 7:30am we were jolted awake by the most frightening sound. It was the sound of a baby that had fallen to the ground from high up, there was no mistaking it. I ran into the nursery and there was our son on the floor, clutching his fox, totally unfazed. My heart shot straight up into my throat I could practically taste it. And yes, we both realize how lucky we are that he wasn't hurt, trust us. Our monkey can climb out of his crib. WTF.

This kid is a destructo-beast. He's like a hurricane that can find anything and everything he isn't supposed to touch, or even things that he is allowed to touch, and can somehow turn it into something bad, all under fifteen seconds. I was lowering his crib mattress again when he managed to steal the Allen key set from my side, remove two, and play drums on the rabbit with them. (!!!!) When I took those away, in ten seconds he left the room and came back in with a tube of lip balm and my comb, chomping away on them happily before dumping them in the rabbit's water bowl, which he first tried to drink out of and then carry on his head.

I fully understand the appeal of television now. I was at my wits end because of the craziness. After that he was running laps around me in the kitchen, throwing his metal sippy cup, my Evian atomizer, and all my shoes onto the kitchen floor, all the while screaming crankily. He didn't want to read or sing and he didn't want to be held, but he was instantly calmed by Sesame Street.

I don't care if that's bad parenting, I just needed 30 minutes to make myself something to eat before I died. As of the end of this post small Human has been asleep for two hours and 10 minutes. 4 more hours until bed time. I really don't understand how people have more than one of these things.

OOTD

For the less internet fashion savvy, that stands for Outfit of The Day. I am determined to overcome my feelings of malaise, which I gather must be a good thing. If it was really bad, I don't think I'd care quite so much. Anyway, I dressed my Small Human in shades of blue and grey today to give the somber colours a positive spin, and might I say I think I did a great job!

Some of the kids clothes at The GAP are so ridiculously overpriced, and they aren't even designer. I always get Noah's clothes off the sales rack at an additional 35-40% off so that they are in the vicinity of affordable. He gets good use out of all his pieces, because we sometimes go through two outfits a day, and I make him wear them until it's plainly obvious that he no longer fits into them. I'm so bad at graduating to the next size because I'm in denial about him growing up so quickly!

I actually take him shopping with me and he lets me know if he likes something, which usually has to do with colour, softness of the material, or if it has a hilarious animal on it. They know us at our GAP, so Noah always gets tickles, peek-a-boos, and stickers when we go, it's great.

I found this gem of a lightweight sweater yesterday, the original price was $34.95! Since we're not billionaires, we can't afford to buy clothes that will be worn for 7 months at that price point. I found it for $17.99 plus another 40% off. With tax it came to 11 bucks which is still pricey in my book, but it's huge so it's got some longevity and it'll fit easily in my purse for the random Seattle cold snaps from now until early fall.

Brendan was jealous, he wants one too. :)

I don't know what an OOTD is Momie

The Blues?

You don't really have the relief of weekends or the Monday blues when you're a stay at home mom, but yesterday I really did have all the blues. We're talking aquamarine to navy here. I was in my pajamas (which were also blue) with unbrushed teeth until 2pm. This is very unlike me.

Outwardly, it didn't seem like there was a problem, Small Human was behaving himself, it was sunny and warm out, and I don't want for anything. Yet I felt sad, tired, anti-social and irritable. I thought I was just stressed out but I think it might be something more. I don't feel 100% comfortable with divulging this fact to everyone, so please be kind.

Sometimes I can snap myself out of it by laughing at something funny or distracting myself with fun activities, but not this time. I just feel very meh. I feel embarrassed for feeling this way when my life is very good. Only in first world countries do we have the luxury of analyzing our feelings to death like this.

To try to pull myself out of this rut, Noah and I walked downtown, strolled through the Market, took advantage of the 40% off GAP sale, had coffee (me) and snacks (both of us), and I pushed him home in his stroller uphill all the way home. It's my more lazy form of exercise, but it usually makes me feel better.

Tomorrow is another day and hopefully it brings a better outlook on life. Doubtful, since I have a dentist appointment first thing. I'm such a drama queen, no wonder my son's got a flare for the dramatic.

After writing this post, my Small Human cheered me up by ecstatically feeding me a million tortilla chips dipped in guacamole bean dip, and my heart felt lighter and brighter. I usually always find it really cloying when people publicly gush over their offspring by using cutesy, overused metaphors but truthfully, today especially, he is my gift. It's my birthday month, after all.