My Mom Bod and Keeping Healthy

This is a bit of a terrifying blog post for me to write, because it's about my body, and I find that women's bodies on the internet are such a source of contention. So much shaming goes on that I'm almost confused when I meet someone who isn't self deprecating or completely insecure.

Since becoming a mother, I have been unhappy with my body. I loved being pregnant both times, but both times I also gained more weight than the randomly allotted 25 lbs you're "supposed" to gain during pregnancy. It is sad that so many mothers feel this way when we have just done something truly miraculous with our bodies. A life was created, grown, and brought into the world through these bodies that we love to bash and criticize. Why aren't we more proud of ourselves?

I was tired of feeling tired and unhappy, so I decided to start exercising again. I haven't done much in terms of dieting because I love to eat and I love to eat a lot, but I have been eating more greens and trying to eat less fast food (but I still love my occasional Big Macs). Honestly, I don't have a whole lot of time to exercise, but I try to get 20 - 30 minutes a day in of something, whether it's cycling, yoga, pilates, or some random squats, planks, push-ups, and dips. The important thing for me is to get my body moving. I don't measure my heart rate, I just measure whether or not I'm sweating and breathing hard!

Back at the end of March, I purchased a Fitbit, to help me track my steps in a day and encourage/entice/force me to get moving. Sometimes it really isn't easy, especially since my 9 month old only just started sleeping through the night this week. So if I can do it, anyone can.

When I started to exercise again at the end of March I was 135 lbs, and now I am 117 lbs. It doesn't sound like much, but keep in mind that I'm just barely 5'3". Anyway, the point wasn't to lose a ton of weight, the point was to feel confident in my own body again, and to feel healthier and happier, and I am. One of my dearest mom friends told me that in order to make something a part of your life, you have to turn it into a habit, which takes 21 days. If you think this might be something you want to try, challenge yourself and do something good for yourself for 21 days, it couldn't hurt to try right?

This is so scary for me, but here is a before and after pic. I took it to prove to myself that I succeeded, and so that I can finally shut my pie hole and stop bashing myself, because there is nothing to bash! This is me, this is my body. It carried my two sons, endured one labour, two c-sections, a miscarriage, has fully healed, and allows me to play, run after, and take care of my family. And you know what? I am proud of it.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, friends. xoxo

Progress over 3 months

It's Tough Right Now

Life is kind of tough for me right now. I'm giving all of me, everything I have to give. I'm tired from not sleeping, gross from not showering as much as I'd like, and not getting to wash my bed sheets as often as I want to. I'm exhausted from trying my best to answer 300 questions a day from my eager to learn, very precocious toddler; I'm tired of being everything to the little baby, who cries like a banshee when momie's not holding him. There is always a drink to get somebody, food that is needed by someone, a mess to clean up, a butt to wipe, laundry to attend to, much needed supplies to refill, and you know, somehow taking care of my own basic human needs too.

There is really nothing I can do but keep trudging on, keep on going until I can get even the tiniest break. Whether it's hiding in the bathroom for 5 minutes, or getting to exercise while one or both of the boys are asleep, it's so necessary for me to keep sane and help me recharge.

Life could be completely different though. When the little baby is not sleeping through the night and crying non stop because of his teeth, I have to remind myself that this may not even have happened at all. For a brief but heartbreaking moment, I thought I wouldn't be able to have this all again, and it was something I wanted so desperately. I'm so very grateful to have had the ability to do this again!

I try to remember, when I've had enough and I want to rip all my (greasy) hair out because I'm being touched by tiny people all day, getting frustrated by nobody listening to me, and when I'm being prevented from resting like a normal human being overnight, that this will one day all end. One day, no one will ask me the best and funniest questions because they are trying to figure life out; no one will cry because I'm not in view; no one will think that my hug and kiss are all that is required to make them feel better. They'll be able to get their own food, wash their own, no longer little bodies, even take themselves to school, and I can guarantee you (because I know myself) that I will miss it and ache for it! It's a difficult thing to remember when you're right in the thick of the sleepless nights, and trying to meet the needs of small humans all day long.

So if you're wondering where I've been, that is where. We still have great fun too, of course! But it's definitely the hardest I have ever worked and I often feel brain dead. I look forward to reading this again in the future and laughing it off, but for now, it's my little moment of catharsis. Thanks for sharing in this moment with me.

Relaxing Shower?

Last night after dinner and before the boys' bedtime, I decided to take a shower. Brendan was still en route from Boston to Seattle at that point, so it was just me and the small humans. I've been working out and sweating more, so I just wanted to get showering out of the way early without risking waking one or both of them up later since our place is pretty small.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to attempt a shower with a toddler and a baby, it goes something like this:

• Turn on The Incredibles so Noah will be distracted. It works for about two peaceful minutes
• Elias starts to whine, so I sing You are my Sunshine from inside the shower, on loop
• Noah barges in and asks me 75,000 questions like, "Why is water wet?" and "Mommy, where is your penis?"
• Then the toddler announces he has to poop, and that "it's gonna be a stinky one" (he was right)
• The baby starts screaming. My baby is the loudest screamer I have ever encountered in my life. It is seriously unreal and deafening, so you can imagine how pleasant this was in a tiny enclosed space
• While Elias screams, Noah starts to freak out about how his butt is itchy and also starts screaming
• OMG I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A SHOWER
• I have to quickly finish up to calm the screaming baby and clean the little boy's butt, and have been instructed by my bossy boy to "dry off completely so you don't get water all over me". 

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you take a shower with a baby and a toddler. It's 0% relaxing, 50% kinda stressful, 50% necessary only if you're absolutely crazy.

I Did It

Brendan has been working hard for us as usual, and this past week he has been away on the east coast, Boston to be exact, at PAX East, a gaming expo. While he's been working on promoting their upcoming video game (Astroneer), I've been holding down the fort at home, and doing an awesome job (mostly).

I'm embarrassingly proud of myself for parenting alone for almost a whole week. Both kids are happy, healthy, engaged, not destroying my home, and we've been doing fun activities and going on outings. I pretty much rocked parenting until today, even though I haven't been getting much sleep. Today the clothes dryer stopped working, I ran out of coffee grounds because my subscription isn't arriving until tomorrow, and it hasn't stopped raining since 6:30am.

It's alright though, because of this one glorious little app on my phone called Postmates. I think the company is based out of San Francisco, and it's basically a delivery service for almost anything you can think of. Today, they brought me sanity in the form of McDonald's hot cakes for Noah and a sausage egg McMuffin meal for momie, complete with a giant coffee.

When the delivery guy arrived, Noah was so excited, and in true toddler fashion exclaimed, "Hey! You are a man and you are bringing us food and a BIG coffee for mumum! I don't drink coffee, I'm too wittle. You are a nice man, fank you!" Why is he so funny? Happy Sunday everyone, may your coffee cups be full and your children happy.

Busy Life With Two

I know, I know, where the heck have I been? I'm not going to lie, I've been feeling beat down by life the last couple of months. Sleep hasn't been plentiful in our house, but tantrums have been. It feels like there aren't enough hours in a day to do everything that needs to be done, but also like bedtime can't get here fast enough. My house is never completely clean, always smells a little funny, and it seems like the laundry never, ever ends.

Here's a quick update of what's gone down since I last posted:

• Noah had his first ear infection and was the loudest, most miserable sick person I have ever encountered in my life.
• Elias is teething, so he has been waking up every two hours during the night, like a newborn, poor cranky baby. He is a total momie's boy, and clings to me like no tomorrow.
• Brendan has been working hard as usual and was gone for a week in March, and will be again later this month.
• I started working out again to lose the baby weight. 
• We've been dealing with Noah forcefully asserting his will, and lemme tell you, he is very strong willed.
• Had a couple of tearful preschool drop offs, which was so sad and uncharacteristic.
• Noah started soccer classes.

Life has been good too, though! Noah's personality is really starting to shine through, and when he's not being obstinate, he is seriously so much fun. When we go out to the store, he always likes to "pay" when we're done. He brings along my old (metallic gold!) wallet filled with business cards and old gift cards, and swipes them on the keypad when we check out.

Eli has been getting exponentially cuter too, laughing at his big brother's antics and talking all the time. He's always so curious about everything, it's really beautiful to watch.

We've got family here this week for Elias' baptism, so it's going to be fun. It will also be a relief to have a couple extra pairs of hands to help us!  

Today in Hump Day News

1. I woke up nearly every hour on the hour last night. I'm fully a mombie today.

2. Sun can make almost any day brighter, both literally (obvi) and figuratively.

3. Being in walking distance of an amazing park is the best thing EVAR for a mommy of young kids.

4. My eldest is way too independent for his own good; he straight up left me to go potty halfway across the park without telling me first, I almost had a stroke.

5. Had the new smoked butterscotch latte, on ice, because I needed a sugar and caffeine rush and it's warm out. It was aiight.

6. Our apartment smells gross and I don't know why.

7. Teriyaki flavoured SPAM is bomb.

That is all, carry on. Happy Wednesday. OMG it's not Wednesday, it's Thursday.

TV Family Moments

The other day was a two cups of coffee kind of day. You parents know what I'm talking about. There's the morning coffee that helps you to not be a wretched human being for the day, and then there's that evening coffee that you try to avoid but sometimes cave to, because there's just no way you'd be able to handle your little lunatics before your spouse comes home and the kids go to bed.

For the briefest moment, (maybe 7 minutes?) it was just lovely and peaceful. All three of my kids (fur kid too) were happily playing while I sat on the couch with my special cup of coffee, watching an episode of Friends on Netflix. In that moment, I felt like I was living in some happy, feel-good, wholesome family sitcom! I was living the good life, a happy mommy with her happy brood!

Then my toddler jumped on the couch, headbutted me and spilled my coffee all over me from chin to crotch. Seriously all over, there was a pool of coffee inside the cups of my nursing bra. And I don't know how, but I somehow immediately already smelled of stale, day old coffee. How?!

Since everyone was quite content, I decided to take a speed-shower. While in the shower, I thought, "What could go wrong?" and that's when I remembered that Elias could roll onto his front now. I immediately called out to Noah to ask if Eli was on his back or tummy, to which he chirped, "He's on his tummy, mumum!". I leapt out of that shower so fast, leaving a trail of soap and water behind me! I got to my youngest son and my heart jumped into my throat because he looked like a dead rag doll on his front! I screamed, startled little Elias, who just turned to look at me, puzzled, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Sometimes, I can't believe this is my life. My life is a comedy of errors. Now, please excuse me while I attempt to lift permanent marker from Noah's favourite shirt. Have yourselves a great Thursday!

Blurry brotherly "love"