Hormones Make Me Crazy

When I was a teenager, it did not take very much to make me cry. Seriously, I cried all of the time. If someone told me that I had a stain on my pants, I would cry. If my mom told me that something I said was out of line, I would cry. And then I would cry because I was crying about something so ridiculous. And you know what a big part of the problem was?? Hormones. Freaking hormones. I am not kidding when I tell you that in the past 10 years or so, I have cried maybe a total of 10 times. (Okay, caveat to that statement...mushy movies totally do not count. Watching The Notebook, Steel Magnolias, Beaches, etc...will make me cry every.single.time I watch them) But those 10 times were when I wasn't pregnant.

When I am pregnant, I cry at the some of the silliest things. I become uber paranoid that people don't like me, I think the Hubs is ready to leave me at the drop of the hat. Basically, I am a hot mess. And I'm just NOT an emotional person normally. I have been told that I act more like a guy than a girl sometimes. Until those pesky hormones kick in and I just feel like I can't control my emotions at all!! And along with not being able to control my emotions, I also seem to want to eat everything in sight. Some people might think, "Just don't eat so much." But that's just plain ridiculousness. Because, hello?? I buy food to eat, not to sit in the fridge. So now, I'm emotional, fat, and lugging around emotional love-handles, which is super-exhausting. So I sleep. A LOT!!

And now I'm thinking: I can't wait to have a newborn around. The sleeplessness, crankiness, never-ending diaper changing is going to really be a welcome relief. Seriously, this may be the hormones talking, but I'm super psyched about having so much more to do than just blobbing it out on the couch. Because even though I can't wait to leave work after dealing with emotional preggos for 12 hours at a time, I can't stop watching baby shows on TV. Oh, and on top of all of that?? Thanksgiving is next week. I certainly hope my family members aren't planning on taking any leftovers home, because those are mine. Because I'm pregnant. And I'm hungry, and I might cry if someone eats so much food that I can't gorge myself for a week after Thanksgiving.

Super? Not Even Close...

I saw a commercial the other day that said, "Nobody wants to be remembered as being average." I think the commercial was for a phone, but the words are so very true. I don't ever aim to be better than anyone else at any one certain thing, but I know I've always put everything I can into everything I do. Which just makes the rest of this post so hard to write.

Let me explain: Even though there are some things that I am good at, I've never been great at anything. I love to sing, and I've been in choir since 1st grade, but I was never specifically sought out to sing solos. I love being a nurse and love being a part of babies coming into the world, but I need to work for several more years before I would consider myself a good nurse. In December, the Hubs and I will celebrate our 9th anniversary, but I know I'm not going to get a "Wife of the Year" award any time in the near future.

So, when the Hubs and I started trying to plan a family, I thought, "Here is my chance to truly be great at something. I'm going to the be best mom I can be." I didn't want to be Supermom, or even June Cleaver, but I wanted my kids to see me as being Supermom. And then life happened. Stress happened. Exhaustion happened. Two kids going through toddler years at the same time happened. Being a single mom for 3 years happened. And I now find myself becoming somewhat forgettable to my kids. The Hubs has been so amazing with taking over the majority of the parenting since he's been home, and at first I thought, "He really needs this time with the kids." But now I'm the outsider, even though I'm here at home. The kids now go to Daddy first for their needs, and don't seem to mind too much if Mommy is there or not. The one thing in my life I thought I could be great at, and I've allowed myself to only be average. I didn't WANT to be average, I ALLOWED it.

The new baby will be here in less than 3 months, and I feel like it's a deadline I have to repair my relationship with Punkin-head and Baby Girl. I don't take anything away from the bond that the Hubs and the kids have, I just wish I hadn't let my bonds with the kids suffer. This isn't a pity party, it's a recall to reality, and trying to be more present in the day-to-day with my babies. It starts today with the pumpkin patch.

All Grown Up

From the time my babies were created, they have relied on me to protect, nurture and take care of them. And after they joined the world, they have expected help from several different people in order to accomplish different things. With each new thing that they can do alone, I get excited and a little bit sad. Excited because my little baby is becoming more independent and so much more grown-up. Sad because that is one more thing my teeny, tiny little person does not need my help with. Punkin-head and Baby Girl have both told me, "No, mommy, I can do it by myself." And in my head, I think, "Yay!! One less thing I need to worry about right now. Wait. Wait just a second. Stop growing up and needing me less."

And so, with all of this self-sufficiency, I have found myself holding onto so much more with my little babies. Which brings me to the dentist appointment last week. The dental tech came out to the waiting room and said my son's name. I stood up and walked over to her with him and she told me, "Oh, he gets to go back all by himself since he's over the age of 3." I'm sorry...WHAT?? He goes back all by himself and has his very own dental appointment...BY HIMSELF?? I said, "Really?? I can't go back with him??" She told me, "Don't worry. He'll be just fine." Well, great. I know he'll be fine, but I'm not. My little man walked back there and as I watched the door close behind him, I seriously started to cry a little. I have been there for him for everything, and now he's big enough to go by himself.

Thankfully, Baby Girl got called back to her appointment at the same time, and I went back with her. I held her in my lap as the tech cleaned her teeth and the dentist examined her cute little smile. Then Punkin-head came walking around the corner with a big grin on his face and a bag of dental goodies for being such a good patient. He was so proud of himself for being such a big kid. And I was proud that he was able to be so good all by himself. I told him I was so happy that he did so well, and he was such a big boy now. Then the dentist said, "We'll see you back in 6 months. And next time, she'll be able to go back by herself too." Oh, well, isn't that just peachy??

Reunions and Whatnot

The first and most important reunion in the past couple of weeks was the day that the Hubs came home. And this time, it's for good. I think :) No, really. He really is back to stay, and I have officially resigned as a single mom. Ta-da!! Since he's been back, I've gained 5 pounds, the house is cleaner, and pictures have actually been hung on the walls. About 5 days after he came home, we drove up to Colorado for my 10 year high school reunion. Because nothing says, "Welcome home honey!!" like a 13 hour road trip with 2 toddlers and a cranky pregnant wife.

Aside from the fact that it just feels wrong to be old enough to attend any kind of reuinion, it was so strange being back in my hometown. Strange because so much has changed, and yet, the atmosphere of the town is exactly the same. And I don't miss it at all. Wait, not true. I totally miss some of the food. I don't think I ever stopped eating while I was there. But I don't have any ties to the town anymore. Sure, it's great to see old friends, but the truth is that I probably won't be back there for a very long time. It's strange to "go home" again, when it doesn't feel like I ever really lived there at all. And maybe I didn't. Perhaps I was just staying there for a while before I moved on with my life. So...the trip home was bittersweet, to say the least.

And now?? Now we are living an extremely mundane life. I work, and the Hubs is looking for a job. He's taken over a lot of the day-to-day chores (and I'm not complaining), and we just hang out together. For now we are just taking things one day at a time, and that feels pretty good.

You're Not an Expert

This may come off as a little snippy, but some things just need to be addressed. And sometimes it doesn't matter if you address a specific individual in person, they never seem to get the point, or they choose not to change old habits. So, here's a list of people that may have had similar experiences to mine, but that doesn't make them an expert:

-Just because you have a child, doesn't mean you are a parenting expert. This sentence speaks volumes, I just wish some people would actually read it. This doesn't mean that I wouldn't accept parenting advice, but really I don't need to hear how certain people would do things differently, and what I 'm doing wrong. Everyone makes mistakes in parenting, myself included.

-Just because you have a bank account, doesn't make you a financial expert. There are maybe 2 people in my life that I would go to for financial advice. And if I haven't asked you, then you aren't one of them.

-Just because you have money, doesn't mean you should spend it. I don't care if something is on sale. If it's not something I NEED to function in my life on a day-to-day basis, then I don't need to buy it. 75% off or not.

-Just because you have a driver's license, doesn't mean you are a good driver.

-Just because you've had more education more than me, doesn't make you better. It also doesn't give someone the right to talk down to me, or talk to me like I don't know what I'm doing, because CLEARLY, nobody could ever be as super good and awesome as you are, ALL of the time, because YOU NEVER make any mistakes.

I may be a little grouchy lately, and I may be able to blame it on the pregnancy hormones for a little bit longer. Regardless, the above statements are still true. Pregnant or not.

Finally Have the Internet Back

When I didn't have access to the internet on my home computer, I seriously thought I was going to die. Because, let's be honest, my cell phone internet access is really less than ideal. But other than checking in on Facebook once in a while, I truly didn't miss it at all. Oh yeah, and a couple of my bills may be a couple of days late because the only good part about the internet is online bill pay. But really, I only use the internet to check Facebook, pay bills, and check my email once a month. And then I started having so many amazing things that I wanted to put on my blog, but I didn't have access to it. So here are some seriously random thoughts that I have been thinking lately:

1. Not really a random thought, but Punkin-head turned 4 last week. It was heartbreaking to think of my little boy AS A LITTLE BOY and not a toddler anymore. In a couple of months, he'll be going to school. WHAT??!! That makes me even more sad, but although I truly love him to pieces, I truly need a break from his tantrums lately. They are epic. (But nothing is really as bad as Baby Girl right now. I think I may need to call a priest for her and bathe her in holy water soon.)

2. I do NOT understand how people can complain about the lack of funds that they have, and yet spend, spend, spend. Just because something is on sale, doesn't mean you need to buy it. The Hubs and I are comfortable with our finances right now, but the only things I spend money on are bills, food, and gifts for other people. What happened to saving money?? And if someone has enough money for luxuries, then they shouldn't have the luxury of complaining about how they don't have enough money.

3. Yes, I am pregnant. Yes, I've been pregnant before. That is where the similarities end. I have never had this extreme exhaustion with my other pregnancies. I have never had morning sickness or all day nausea before. I've never been this irritable and cranky with my other pregnancies. So I wish people would stop saying stupid crap like, "Gee, aren't you used to this by now?? " "Welcome to pregnancy!! HAHAHAHA!!" No, I don't feel welcome and I'm not used to it. And for the record, I'm glad it's us having a 3rd baby and not you, too. Yeah, our lives are going to be loony tunes for a while, but that doesn't invite stupid comments. Done and done.

And so, next time I actually have a story to tell, I have the ability to tell it. It may not be a good story, but I promise it won't be so random. Or, maybe it will. But nobody is making you read it.

What the...I Have a Blog??

Okay, so the past month or so has been somewhat of a blur. The Hubs came back for a little vacay from the desert at the end of April and stayed until May 19th. In that time, there was a lot of bow-chicka-wow-wow going on (sorry for the TMI, I truly have no filter at 4 am), and a lot of the Hubs taking extra good care of me. I'm not going to lie, I super liked it a lot. I mean, honestly, he made me this breakfast bagel that is pretty much the most amazing thing I've ever tasted in the form of a breakfast entree. And even though I dictated exactly how I wanted it made, the point is that I didn't have to cook any part of it or put it together. And I didn't have to clean up afterwards, which is the bestest part of all.

Okay, so apart from all of the me and Hubs time we had (and it was super great), turns out we also have 2 rambunctious little toddlers that also wanted to monopolize Daddy while he was home. He is so amazing with them, and they are on him like white on rice while he is home. I may as well not even be here when Super Dad is around. And that's okay, because I have plenty of Mommy time while he is away.

And if all of that love and warm fuzziness wasn't enough, we also bought a house. Yay!! It's huge and beautiful, and we love it to pieces. The kids can't stop talking about how much they love their "new house." I think it's because they have their own little kid space upstairs where they can escape from the adult world. Which is fine with me, because the Hubs went and knocked me up while he was home. That's right...we are pregnant. Again. And about 2 weeks ago, I was all like, "Oh yay!! I'm so nervous, and excited, and I want the nursery to be an owl theme." But now, I feel like vomiting 24-7, and then when I do feel like eating, I overeat to compensate for the fact that most of the time food literally makes me puke in my mouth, which then makes me feel overly sick. So, that sucks. And if that weren't enough, I am so freaking exhausted all...of...the...time; I think I may have pregnancy-induced narcolepsy. Fun mom has left the building. I plan activities around how much I can lay on the couch, and how long I can stay in bed in the mornings before the kids plan a mutiny and finally get me up and going. Which may explain the very obvious lack of posts for the past month.

So, when I actually have the energy to do something more than haul my overactive bladder to the bathroom, I will try to keep this updated fairly regularly from here on out. But for now, I need to swallow down some vomit and go to bed.

Aunty Nanny

Behind every working mom going it alone is a good (hopefully) daycare provider. I so seriously lucked out on the fact that my sister watches my kids while I am at work. And while I sleep during the day because I work nights. She is unbelievably amazing, and I know that I am extremely lucky that I have her in my life. But things weren't always so great between us.

My sister, K, is 7 years younger than I am. And for most of my life growing up, we had to share a bedroom. I'll spare you the details on the disaster that was, but suffice it to say that we didn't get along. When I left for the military, she was this scrawny, annoying 11-year old little girl, and I couldn't wait to be rid of her. I'm so not kidding. She was a pain in the a$$, but mostly I was looking forward to having my own room, with my own things, and everything was mine all mine. I remember coming home to visit one time about 3 years later, and it was about that time that I realized what a cool chick she was. She was outgoing, funny, and always down for something ridiculous. She was a pretty neat little sister. And when I was 9 months pregnant with Baby Girl, she agreed to come live with me and watch my kids while I went to nursing school. I truly thought I had it made. A live-in nanny that would love my kids unconditionally, and I didn't have to worry about how my kids were being treated while I was at school. What I didn't count on, was how little we had in common. I have a type-A personality with an extreme neat streak, and she is obnoxiously messy. I wanted the kids to stay clean, and she would get the paint down and let them become little Picassos all over my kitchen. I like cooking, and she is the master of Mac 'n Cheese.

I was stressed, tired, breastfeeding, doing homework, cleaning, and trying to keep up with every day demands of life. She was chill, relaxed, stay-in-your pajamas for days, eat whatever was available, and hooked on VH1 shows. In all reality, we probably wouldn't be friends if we weren't related. But as much as we got on each other's nerves, we really did become friends. We talked about anything and everything, and adapted to each other's crazy quirks. She really was my best friends for those 5 months. Then she left. I missed her like crazy, but I knew she needed to go be a regular teenager, not a cooped-up nanny for my kids.

After I moved down to Texas and got a job, she agreed to watch my kids again while I was at work. I am more than thankful for her every single day. We call her Aunty Nanny, Handy Nanny, Aunty K, Pretend Step-mom, and sister. But the best name I have for her is Friend. She loves my kids like crazy, even when they act like heathens. My daughter is madly in love with her boyfriend, and Punkin-head loves playing with her rambunctious dogs. I can't wait for the Hubs to come home, but for now I love having her be a part of my life and helping to raise the cutest kids in the whole world.

When Things Aren't So Fabulous

I can't even begin to count how many times people have said to me, "My goodness, you must be pretty busy with a 2 year old, and a 3 year old. " Or, "How do you do it??" The thing is, being a single mom is all I've really known. Sure, the Hubby was here for the first year of Punkin-head's life, but I've been a single mom since before Baby Girl was even born. I don't know what it's like to have someone here to help take care of the kids, so I've learned how to do it all alone. It's not always so great, but it's the only life of mommy-hood I know. And until recently, I think things have been going pretty good.

Having 2 toddlers is a hot mess, and that's on a good day. Throw in potty training a stubborn little girl, cleaning, working, and trying to maintain some level of sanity, and it's really all I can do sometimes to not flip out. I've never been a patient person, but I have become better at letting go of the little things so I don't become so overwhelmed with the day-to-day stressors. The only problem is that maybe I've been letting too many things go. My kids are disciplined, but that doesn't mean they listen very well. And in an effort to not be saying NO all day, every day, I admit that I've become somewhat lax in how I deal with the kids. Only now they are starting to hit that independence phase in toddler-hood, and try to push their limits all of the time. The Hubby called the other night, and I told him, "Listen. I can't do this anymore. I think I've done pretty well with dealing with being a single mom pretty well, but I've really had it. I. CAN'T. DO. THIS. ANYMORE." And he just sat there on the phone in silence because, really, what could he say to that?? I don't know what I wanted him to say, but I didn't want to hear silence, so I just hung up.

I have become the type of mom I swore I never wanted to be. And trying to keep the kids from killing each other and destroying the house is making me more stressed than I've ever been in my entire life. There are some days that I know the day is going to suck as soon as I wake up because of how the kids are acting, which just makes me more stressed about how I'm going to deal with the rest of the day. I'd like to get out and do things with the kids, but I don't think I could handle taking both of them out in public by myself. Plus, they act like heathens whenever we go somewhere, and I don't want to be "that" mom. So for everyone that seems to think I'm not a REAL single mom because I'm married, I've got news for you. My husband is gone. All of the time. How does that NOT make me single mom?? And for the record?? This single mom is over it.

Jen

Birth Plan, Shmirth Plan

Before I even became pregnant, I went to the bookstore and bought a pregnancy book. It was witty, informative and so much fun to read. When I actually got knocked up, I got 2 more books and literally read them front to back multiple times. It was an obsession, and I kept them on my nightstand to read every single night. I practically had all 3 of them memorized. So when it came time to make a birth plan, I thought I was well-informed and ready to have my baby the way I wanted to have him. I researched everything that had to do with the labor process, took a Lamaze/childbirth class, and went with my own instinct before I sat down to write it. I used my best hand-writing and even made 2 copies to take with me to the birthing center.

Cue to the day I went into labor, and I forgot my birth plan at home. I was contracting every 3 minutes, and I truly did not care at that moment what my birth plan was because I was in so much pain. I told my nurse that I wanted to go natural, so she let me get into the tub and used a doppler for my baby's heart beat every 30 minutes. It was fabulous. Then my son's heartbeat starting decreasing after every contraction, so they had me get into bed so they could monitor me more closely. When I got out of the tub, my contractions were so intense, I thought I was going to die. Very literally, I felt like my body was going to rip itself apart. I cried and begged for an epidural, and my nurse finally called the anesthesiologist to come and see me. The epidural is absolutely, 100% the best invention of all time. I didn't care that I didn't follow my birth plan, because in the end, my body knew that I couldn't handle the pain of labor on my own.

Punkin-head's heart rate was going down after every contraction because the cord was tightly wrapped around his little neck twice and it was cutting off his oxygen supply. So the epidural had nothing to do with his medical issues prior to birth. I seriously hate when people give me the stink eye when I talk about the epidural or pain medication. Unless you've been through labor, then you have nothing to compare it to. So don't get on my case for how I chose to handle my pain.

At work, we have to ask the patient if they have a birth plan that they want us to follow. But if they have a birth plan, they will usually let me know as soon as they walk in the door. Most of the time, they're very snippy about it, and it just comes off as condescending and rude. Here's my question for all of the women out there that form a birth plan. I know you researched your butt off, and want the very best for your little baby based on your instinct and your own personal beliefs about the birthing process. But have any of you researched the hospital or birthing center that you plan on delivering at?? Because I have one word for you: POLICIES. Our policies are meant to protect the mom, baby, and the staff for every single thing that could possibly happen during delivery. And let me give you all a little hint: Doctors have lives too. And they have doctors that work on call for them so they don't have to work 24-7, 365 days a year. So before you go getting all birth planny, talk extensively with your doctor, the hospital/birthing center you plan on delivering, and find out what the other doctors/midwives feel about your birth plan. There, birth plan vent over.

When I Grow Up...

There were so many times as a teenager that I would think to myself, "You know, I can't wait until I grow up because..." Fill in the blank with so many hopes and dreams of what my life would be like as an adult. Then as I got older, I realized it's not all it's cracked up to be. Being a grown up is freaking hard work, and I wish I had taken more advantage of my youth instead of wishing for something better. Because it's not all better, and I'm starting to realize that the life I so desperately wanted when I was younger is so much more difficult than I built it up to be in my mind.

Here's what I used to say, and how I've realized my own failures and successes along the way:

-I'll have my own place and get to do whatever I want, when I want to do it. Okay, first of all, having my own place is really expensive. So I won't even go into how expensive it is to have TWO places. That's right. I have a house in Ohio that just won't sell, and I'm paying the mortgage on that house every single month. In addition to the house we currently live in, including all of the utilities, groceries, unexpected bills for things that break, not to mention the expense of having 2 children. Being a grown up with my own place costs a lot of money. Which gives me so much more respect for my parents who did it with 4 children living under their roof.

-I'll have my own job, and buy whatever I want. Bwahahahahahaha!! If that's not hilarious, I don't know what is. What I want is some nice new clothes, new furniture, a bigger house, massages and pedicures on a very regular basis, and trips to the hair salon so I can look fabulous all of the time. What I pay for are bills, bills, bills and bills. Which leaves very little for those luxury items. So I have old clothes from 10 years ago, furniture that has markers and food all over it, a sore back, peeling toenail polish, and scraggly hair with major roots.

-I'll have a perfect marriage with well-behaved children. Um, okay. Where to even start with this one?? I've learned that nobody has the "perfect marriage" and my children are only on their best behavior when I bribe them with something. No judgement, I bribe like a pro. My husband and I have gone through so much more in the past 8 years than most people will endure in a lifetime. Between addictions, debt, arguing, growing apart and getting back together, we have struggled to make things work on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis. Our marriage is not happy-go-lucky, but we have both made the decision to make things work. And we're making things work TOGETHER which is the most important part.

So basically what I've learned is that growing up is so much more than getting older. It's finding a balance between life, work and family, and making an effort every day to becoming more mature and emotionally responsible to handle the good with the bad. So I'll fumble through the bad times, and laugh during the good times, so that I can be a happier person when I grow up.

*Check out Diana's confession about her amazing strength following a difficult time...

Confessions: NOT Mommy of the Year

If my kids knew the words for "Parenting Fail" I'm sure they would say it on a regular basis. I don't try to pretend like I'm the best mom in the world, but I do try to be the best mom for my little kids. And most of the time, I think I'm doing an alright job. Perhaps a B- on the parenting report card. But for the other 30%, I so suck sometimes. In fact, I'm pretty sure it would be a better investment to save for therapy for the kids instead of a college fund. Regardless, let me make a pretty list of the things I sucked at....just this past week:

-Baby Girl has been "potty training" for about 3 months now. She may have been done a little sooner, but I got sick of cleaning puddles off my floor and so I bought a big jumbo box of diapers from Sam's Club. And then I've just been lazy. And now she has a persistent diaper rash. And I am almost out of butt cream for her little tush. And I'm pretty sure that if it gets any worse, she'll probably Google the number for child services herself. Honestly, I need to get it together over here.
-I had to take my son to the ER the other night for a massive splinter that was stuck in his hand. (This was actually a parenting success, because I did what was best for my kid and tried to get the help he needed in a timely manner!!) But I had been at work for 12 hours prior to taking him, and didn't actually get into bed until 1 am. Thus, I spent a good deal of time the next day wonked out on the couch, barely able to keep my eyes open. The kids finally got the big box of Goldfish down from the pantry and asked if they could please have a snack. That's right, I hadn't fed my kids a single thing since breakfast, and it was now 2:30. Super awesome parenting...right here.
-And the biggest one of all, the one I'm most ashamed about, I yell. A lot. Not all day, every day, but it's enough for me to realize that something has got to change. I literally pray about it every.single. night because I don't want my kids to remember me as being the crazy loud mom. I know there's definitely a problem when Punkinhead starts yelling back at me. That is SOOOO not good. Crap.

There you go. All the more reason for other people to feel good about their parenting. You're welcome. I'm here anytime if you need some more warm fuzzies.

Diana at Hormonal Imbalances is on a Confession spree too. Check her out!!

A Mom Created Naptime

Looking down at my sweet angel's face, I can almost see the dreams that she's having behind her closed eyes. And my son is so stinking cute when he's sprawled all over his bed and cuddling with his favorite blanket. The peacefulness makes me feel this close to forgetting about the chaos from this morning. But then I walk out to the living room and see small scraps of food stuck to the floor, building blocks stacked behind the entertainment center, and little bits of my sanity strewn across the rug. It ain't pretty.

Some baby experts will tell you that babies NEED naps. Babies grow when they're sleeping, they need that time to re-energize, blah, blah, blah. I'm going to tell you that babies need naps because mommies have been training them to do so since the beginning of time. Picture a cave-woman mom sitting around the fire, holding her precious little bundle of joy. She tells the baby, "Ugh, uggghhh, uh, gug." This roughly translates to: I can't take this anymore. Your dad is off building something called a wheel, the pterodactyl just pooped on my dress, I haven't slept in 3 days, I haven't taken a real bath in 3 weeks, and if I don't get some mommy time soon, I'm going to join the pack of t-rexes down the street.

When I lay my kids down for a nap, it's like a mommy-cation. It's a break from constant demands, temper tantrums, shows with sing-a-longs, and food fights. Or just fall into my bed in a deep coma because my body and brain just can't take anymore. Because let's be honest. Whoever came up with the term "Terrible Two's" never had a 3-year old. I can't really say that I blame them.

My sister-in-law told me that my niece stopped taking naps after her 3rd birthday. I swear I puked in my mouth again just typing that out. Because the day that my kids stop taking naps better be the day they start kindergarten. I'm just saying.

Jen

New!! But Definitely NOT Improved...

Well folks. I finally did it. I started my own blog. It's probably going to suck a little at first, but I'll figure things out and make it better as time goes on. My good friend Diana got me thinking about starting one about a year ago, but my life was too chaotic to contemplate adding anything else into the mixture.
This blog will be semi-private, which means names will be changed, and I won't have any pictures of my babies on here. But if you know me in real life, you'll figure it out...I hope. I'll start out by introducing myself. I'm married to a wonderful, and ever so understanding, man who is currently over in Afghanistan until August. We'll call him Hubs. He has been over there for about 3 years, and I miss him more than most people could ever understand. I have a little boy (Punkin-Head) who is 3 going on 20, and a beautiful baby girl (yep, Baby Girl) that just turned 2. I graduated nursing school last June, and just started work as a Labor and Delivery nurse in January.
For the most part, I'll probably write about my day-to-day dilemmas, and overly dramatic views on my single mom-dom. There you have it. Like it or leave it. *And I really do mean that...like it, or leave it.* I'm (hopefully) here to stay, because some things are just too long to post on Facebook. Hope to see you again!!