See Ya Later, Maternity Leave

Today is the last day of my maternity leave, and those 2 months sure flew right by.  For those of you that know me you know that A) I can be quite emotional, B) I wear my emotions on my sleeve, and C) I'm a crier.  Given that information, you can just imagine what the last few days have been like.  I don't need to bore you with the details.  ;)

In between all that we did a lot of fun things like baking blueberry muffins, cuddling, painting nails, and a McDonald's date.  We also did some not-so-fun things like wish it would stop raining, washing filthy, rascally animals, and baking blueberry muffins.  (Baking with a toddler is a lot more fun in theory, I think.  But the pictures are sure cute. :)

In other news Evie Sis has become quite the ham this last week with her smiling constantly and mimicking sounds.  Mostly "ooooh".  She's also racing right through her 3 month sizes, and even maxing out some of her 6 month outfits.  And she's not even 2 months!

Also, my number one problem was relieved today when the girl that creates the birth announcement I wanted to order for Evie (who happened to go on maternity leave right when I did and discontinued her work during that time) said she would go ahead and do them for me anyways.  Can I get a #firstworldproblems??

Here's some pics from the week!  Wish me luck tomorrow...

- K

Animals are Assholes

I'm sorry for the language, but can we just be honest with ourselves for a second?  There are about a million and two causes out there inundating my social media about these "Pitiful Pooches" and "Krestfallen Kitties", and I'm calling your bluff.  Animals are assholes.

Seriously.  They are expensive.  They are loud.  They are dirty.  They have zero regard for their human counterparts, pooping and peeing anywhere they please without the slightest hint of remorse.  They bark and meow in the middle of the night, just to check in, make sure you know they're still there.  And then, after all that, they demand treats at all hours of the day.  As if they've actually done anything remotely worthy of a reward.

I can't remember the last time I sat down and actually had my lap to myself.  Or a pillow to myself for a single night's sleep.  I don't know what it's like to walk through the house without some kind of critter wrapping themselves around my ankles and tripping me, and not a single pair of black pants is still black 5 minutes after putting them on.

But, just when I think I've had enough and I've written off ever having another animal again...they curl up next to me, the warm piles of fur with those sad puppy dog and puss in boots eyes, and all is forgiven. 

Damn it. 

- K

A Grandma Visit

 

Another quarter close has snuck up on me at work, and with Joan being out of town we've had to call in the reinforcements, which means a lot of exciting visitors for L.  My stepmom came into town last week and ran around with that silly girl all week.  They had a blast reading about 2.3 million books every day and chasing our poor pup around who got neutered and was forced into the cone of shame.

 

It's so sweet to see how much Lyla loves to have visitors these days.  The way she grabs their hands and drags them around from one activity to the next is pretty cute.  And her rendition of the word "grandma" going from "ma" to "wa-wa" to "wa-mwa" was pretty cute too. 

 

Wa-mwa was so helpful to me, keeping L busy all day long and helping around the house.  And I think it's safe to say Lyla had a blast.

 

Kevin, on the other hand, has seen better weeks.  ;)

 

- K



Daddy Daughter Weekend

 

Well as most of you know by now via various social networks, we will be having another beautiful daughter come March.

 

For now, though, I would be remise if I didn't pay tribute to the amazing weekend Lyla Rose and I just had.  With Kassi in Seattle visiting aunty Jo, it was literally the first time L and I had been by ourselves for multiple days and we went all out. 

 

We ordered steaks and rotisserie chicken on Friday night.  On Saturday, Lyla picked her own breakfast of cottage cheese, string cheese, and milk... what baby wants, baby gets.  Then she cheered me on as Metropolis maintained our number one ranking on the rugby pitch and had a pizza and movie party that night. 

 

Sunday things got really crazy as we ran out for donuts for breakfast, took Kevin on a walk all over Minnesota, hit the swings, napped, went to the Vikings game, and then set up shop at McHugh's Irish Pub for the Broncos game in the afternoon. 

 

It was there that I really realized how hard single parenthood must be.  Lyla not only grabbed a urinal cake out of a toilet when my back was turned but also colored on a wall and knocked over an entire cart of ketchup and mustard bottles.  All leading up to a total melt down for MAMA at the front doors of the restaurant.

 

Funny thing is lately, even when its hard, I can't help but cherish these moments with my only (soon to be oldest) daughter. 

 

Now if I could just get her to hold still for a whole football game.

 

- R

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Strong Willed Child

 

 

The other day Lyla and I went to the park with Kevin, and these are the only two pictures I was able to take before whisking her off the playground and forcing her little butt to go back home.  Don't let that smile and those pigtails fool you, this girl is a sassy one.  She is one smart cookie and tests her boundaries all. the. TIME.

 

I've said a lot of prayers for my baby girl in her 18 months, and among many other things have prayed for her to be strong and confident, to have a strong drive and that she always knows exactly what she wants and goes after it.  (Having suffered from a bad case of indecisiveness all my life I hoped she would be able to avoid that.)  As days go by and I see her little personality developing I can see exactly these things coming out...which I now realize will be so good for her in the long run but probably very hard for her parents over the next 18+ years.  Sigh.

 

Going back to the park the other day, she is getting really good at climbing around that playground by herself and I can finally start to trust that she isn't going to accidentally trip and fly 15 feet off the dang thing.  For the longest time it was a heart attack waiting to happen for me, so I'm glad we're past that point.  However, she now thinks it's hilarious to run straight at those open areas, grab the bars and stick her little body as far over the edge as possible, then stick out a foot too.  I mean, one wrong move and she's asking for a broken leg!  Not to mention finally giving her poor mama a legit heart attack.  So now as soon as she does that I pack her up and send her little booty back home.  Unfortunately she hasn't really figured out she's being punished.  Or else she just doesn't care?  They say consistency is the key with this discipline thing, right?  So one day maybe one day she will actually listen to me.  Right??

 

For the time being I've started on a journey with Dr. James Dobson and The Strong Willed Child.  Wish me luck.

 

- K