A Glimpse Into Our Daily Life

I will admit that it's been hard to get into a schedule since Farrah was born. But now, she's almost 7 weeks and I've begun to find ways to fit motherhood, housekeeping and fitness all into my schedule. For those of you wondering how it's possible to manage more than one child...here's a glimpse into my daily schedule for you.

I recently got into the habit of just staying up and being productive once Farrah has her first morning bottle. Since she's still so young, she often wakes up once in the middle of the night and then again around 5am. I now stay up after that 5am bottle because she will go back down to sleep and the boys and my husband are still sleeping as well.

5:00AM-6:30AM
Feed Farrah and put her back down to sleep. Since everyone else is also still sleeping, I'm able to clean up our downstairs living area and kitchen, get some laundry started and folded, pack baby bag and anything needed for the boys, etc. It really makes my day go a lot smoother to get things like that out of the way and start the day with a clean house because then when the kids are awake, I am able to spend more quality time with them.

6:30AM-7:00AM
Go for a run. I just started this one this morning, but plan to keep it up to help melt the baby weight off faster. Right now I run about 30 minutes. I hope to pack more miles into that 30 minutes soon as I start getting back into running shape...and also lengthen the run time. I also added a little jump roping at the end of my run this morning.

7:00AM-8:30AM
Feed Tanner and Breckin breakfast. Get Farrah fed again and changed. Have boys get dressed and ready for the day. Continue doing a few small chores as I go.

8:30AM-11:30AM {M/W/F}
Take Breckin and Farrah on a walk in our neighborhood. We usually go 2.5-3 miles before it gets too hot for them. After that, the kids will have outside play at our house - we have a trampoline and tree fort in the backyard and I've set up a sprinkler, chalk and other toys to keep them occupied. I'll feed Farrah once again, sometimes I will do this out on the front porch {with a fan on Farrah} so I can hang out with the boys while they play outside. She usually has another nap as well. {She's still very into sleeping and eating...but is starting to have more active periods, or just sits awake but content.} If I am able, I try to squeeze in a T25 or Insanity workout, but often this ends up having to wait until Jake is home to help with the kids.

8:30AM-11:30AM {T/TH}
Take Tanner to Karate camp. Breckin, Farrah and I meet some of my other mommy friends to walk the Cooper River Bridge at 9:30am. We usually walk for an hour or so, then I will usually feed Farrah while sitting on a bench watching Breckin play at the play park under the bridge. After she's done eating, we drive home.

11:30AM-12:00PM
Make and serve lunch.

12:00PM-2:30PM
We usually do a daily activity such as pool, play park or just playing outside. Farrah of course gets fed again sometime during this time.

Farrah and me at the play park the other day

2:30PM-6:30PM
We leave to pick Tanner up from Karate camp {T/TH} and I'll run any errands needed as well {groceries, etc.} I start preparing dinner. Jake gets home around 5:00pm normally, unless he's picking up extra hours or playing volleyball at the Windjammer after work {he does that on Tues eves right now - sometimes we'll go out there and hang out with him so the boys can have some beach time.}We eat dinner and Farrah also has another bottle.

6:30PM-8:00PM
This is when I typically make sure the kids get bathed, into their PJs and teeth brushed. I will then put a movie on some evenings for them and before they go to sleep, we read a nighttime story. Tanner is entering 3rd grade, so I like to have him read a book to us too.

8:00PM-10:00PM
Jake and I relax and watch our favorite shows - currently Orange Is The New Black, Game of Thrones {borrowing the series from a friend}, and a few other things. We feed Farrah her bedtime bottle and then go to bed.

And that's how it's done...for now. Seasons change, school will start again and Farrah will begin to be more active in the coming months...so everything will change accordingly. It's not very glamorous, but it's my life. :-)

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Happy Birthday, My Amazing Son

Today is the 8th anniversary of the day I became a mother. I am pausing on normal blog stuff today to wish my first baby a Happy Birthday...

Happy Birthday, Tanner Jacob Smith!

I love this boy with all of my heart...he is so unique, so wonderful, so amazing in so many ways. He is his own person and will make his mark on the world someday. I am grateful for him and the better person he's helped me become.

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Wednesday Whatever

Can you tell by the post title that I'm reaching for things to write about this week? Gosh, I need to get back into this! It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks, so bear with me.

I'm over on my fitness blog, The Gym Bunny, today after a long hiatus...talking about prenatal fitness and how I'm doing with all of that.

I'm 12 weeks along tomorrow, so I have two weeks left of this lovely 1st trimester {it ends after 13 weeks, but apparently, you have to finish out the 13th week, so you're not technically 2nd trimester until day one of week 14 I guess - if that makes sense}.

I do feel like this one is going a lot slower than the other two...but I suppose that's because I'm in the moment. As bad as it sounds, because please don't mistake me as being ungrateful in any way for how blessed I am to be able to get pregnant without issue and have done so more than once, but I am just not loving being pregnant this time around. I am so eager for it to be done...and just hold this new baby. I want to feel normal again...I want my body back. I think I'm just exhausted...being pregnant with your first is typically a breeze - no one else to take care of - you really get to focus on yourself and your needs. Being pregnant with a third means I'm chasing around and trying to keep in line the two kiddos I've got...get family dinners on the table...clean the constantly messy house...oh, and all while working full-time...the last person I get to think about is me. I just want to not feel pregnant so that I can take on these tasks with a little more ease than I have right now. I've got just under 7 months left to go...and believe me I'm counting.

However, I am aware what a miracle being able to create another life is and I cherish that blessing more than anything in this world.

And in spirit of those two crazy little boys I am blessed to get to keep in line day in and day out:

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Monday Musings: Some News...

So if you are a friend of mine on Facebook, or you follow me on Instagram, you already know...

Yep...and ironically the very first cycle I had after I posted this about having thought I might be preggers last month. It was totally an "oops" moment ONE TIME and this is what happens, folks.

 

Apparently, I need more than one test to tell me the news {6 to be exact, one of those being the doctor's test - and I still took 2 after that}. A little in shock for sure...and we found out super early {as I tend to do with all of my pregnancies}.

Hubby and I are excited...truth be told, I'm REEAALLY hoping for a girl this time around because this is DEFINITELY our last baby. But regardless, first and foremost, I pray it be a healthy baby and an easy pregnancy. I don't plan on changing much...I still want to workout every morning after I drop the boys off to school {yay for a school year pregnancy, right?} and I do want to be a little more careful with what I eat in comparison to my past pregnancies {not that I went crazy-overboard, but I could have been better}...staying away from too many sweets and empty calories. I really want to stick to the +300 rule and just eat protein-packed foods and lots of leafy greens and fruits that are beneficial to the baby. I'd be lying if I said having a 3rd child really makes me nervous about my post-baby body this time around! Here's hoping I can stay on track.

Having been due in November {2005} and August {2010} with my other two, I've had to endure the hot, humid Charleston, SC summers during pregnancy...so now being due in May, this is a very different pregnancy for me...with different fashion options to style the bump as well. I'm excited to be able to be comfortable in leggings, boots, and long sweaters for my growing belly. Once April comes around, I'll have to shed some layers, but that will be fine. Here are some inspiring pregnancy fashion photos I've been pinning...

{via}

I have a couple of these boyfriend blazers and they will be super-cute with a maternity tee and some jeans.

{via}

I imagine wearing this style through most of my growing months since it will be winter. Just looks so comfy!

{via}

And I'm sure many of you know the fabulous Andee Layne of The Honeybee blog...she's fashionable and her pregnancy was no exception!

Even though I still have all of my maternity clothes, I'd really like to try to use as few maternity items as possible. Forever 21 is a good option for stylish yet forgiving clothes on the cheap. I'm sure most of my maternity wear is "out of style" now anyway!

Looking forward to sharing this next nine months with you...plan to do some outfit posts as well! xoxo

 

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When They Stop Talking To You

I couldn't think of anything "stylish" to post here today because of the morning I had with my oldest son.

To preface this post, I should tell you that Tanner is an extremely intelligent, witty and awesome little boy. However, he is defiant, stubborn and strong-willed {still wondering where he got it from, tee hee}. That being said, he has proved our most difficult child - though in his defense, we only have two and he's got almost 5 years extra time on Breckin. He is extremely excitable and loud {boys, right?} Mornings are especially difficult because he usually grumbles about having to get up, get dressed and go to school...then by the time he gets to the breakfast table, he's going 100 miles per hour just talking loudly and being extremely off-task from what he needs to do {which is eat}. He picks on Breckin each and every morning from across the table as if it's just part of his daily routine...he's a very routine person.

This morning he seemed especially difficult, but more so because his behavior was very negative. He was saying mean things to both his brother and me and I had to continuously intervene to correct the behavior. He would make mad faces and pout. The mother in me told me that something was really bothering him and that he was acting out. I asked him to come to me and I gave him a hug and told him I loved him and that I wanted to know what was wrong so we could try to fix it. He said "Nothing." {Oh, the teenager years have arrived very early.} I tried to coax any sort of reasoning for his negative behavior out of him to no avail.

Summer 2009

 Off we went to school and the car ride was similar to every other morning - picking at Breckin to make him scream {which is just lovely while driving, I tell you}. However, again, it was very negative. After trying to remedy the situation of picking on each other, he would just stare at the window and then I'd catch him in my mirror with a discontent look on his face. I again told him I loved him and asked him to please tell me what is the matter. He said, "I just don't want you talking to me."

**Heartbreak**

I left it alone for right then and when I got to Breckin's daycare, I told Breckin to say goodbye to Tanner like I always do and he gave him a cheerfully sweet "Byeee, Tanner!" with a wave. Tanner just stared the other direction out the window with his angry look. I said, "Tanner, your brother said 'bye' to you, please say it back." So then he grumbled, "Bye." I decided not to make it worse, so I told Tanner I'd be right back and I took Breckin in. I made sure to tell Breckin that Tanner does love him, he's just not in a good mood right now.

Autumn 2012

 When I got back in the car, I again tried to ask Tanner if he was OK. He said he was fine. I was beginning to feel like a nag. We had a very silent ride to his school. When we got there, I opened his door and gave him a big hug goodbye and told him I loved him and wished him an awesome day. 

Summer 2012

 My heart is hurting...I know he can be a moodswing-y child, but he just seemed so angry. And when he won't even talk to me about what he's feeling, it hurts worse. He's such a sweet, kindhearted child and it breaks my heart to see him this way. I hope he has a great day at school and that he'll be ready to talk with me this afternoon. Sometimes I worry whether he knows how loved he is...or if he's jealous of his little brother...or if there are kids at school that make him feel bad. But I guess I will drive myself crazy with all the things out there that could possibly hurt his feelings...however, it's hard not to do that when you're a mother.

Tanner & Me - 2006

 Anyone have any advice for this type of thing - it's a little too early for him to be going all "teenager" on me. Not ready for that!



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Happy Mother's Day

I hope all the mommies out there had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! I had to work today for 13 hours, but I did have a great day yesterday...Breckin and I participated in a 5K called the Mom's Run for Postpartum Depression Awareness early in the morning. Our time was 36 minutes, but with a jogging stroller and having to stop to check on him a couple times, I didn't think it was too shabby. It was our first one this year, so I hope to aim to beat that time with each 5K I do this year. Here are some pics from the run:

Then, we met Tanner and Jake just down the street at Tanner's T-Ball game:

We then had a nice lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant where I had a well-deserved Morga-rita...and then we went home to work on the landscaping in the backyard - added a new flowerbed and fixed Dakotah's holes in the yard and planted some grass seed - hope to see it flourish!

Later (after even getting a nap!), we sat around the firepit in the backyard and cooked hotdogs and S'mores. Tanner and Jake camped out in a tent. It was a wonderful time with my family.

Anyway, that's my Mother's Day (observed) in a nutshell...waiting on my Mommy Ring to arrive...it's a large citrine gem (Tanner's birthstone) surrounded by a lot of Peridots (Breckin's birthstone) - exactly what I wanted this year!

Our Mommy/Son Date

Tanner was an only child for almost 5 years. During that time, our world revolved around him. He has always loved getting attention and had no problem getting it whenever he wanted.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was elated, as we had been trying to conceive for about 3 months. However, one of my first thoughts was of Tanner, and how he would cope with a new sibling in his life. No longer always being the center of attention, the only child. From what I knew about his love for attention, I had figured we had a lot of jealous episodes to come.

Enter Breckin.

It's all about Breckin...we're on his clock, his feeding and sleeping schedule. We can't always go places or stay at some places very long depending on his mood. When he cries, he gets the attention right away...even if it means stopping whatever we're doing with Tanner at that moment to see what he's crying for. And you know what?

Tanner hasn't shown a bit of jealousy. He is such a good big brother. He is all about Breckin. He always says how he loves him, tries to make him laugh and he is so proud to announce him as his little brother to everyone. He helps when asked and at five years of age, seems to understand that babies have needs and that we need to tend to them when they cry...he doesn't get angry about it.

It has been almost 8 months since Tanner became a big brother...and it's been that long since he's had me all to himself. So when I heard Mickey Mouse was coming to town, I knew that it would be the perfect way to show him how much I love him and be time with just him and me. We went last night and I surprised him with it. He loved it so much and it was such a wonderful bonding experience with him. It was so sweet to see him so happy and I hope that it made him feel special and loved. Here are some pictures of our date night:

Love Is A Two-Way Street

OK, Ladies...if someone asked you right now what most annoys you about your husband or significant other, most of you would be thinking the same thing right now:

"How do I choose just one thing and where do I begin?"

I know that I'm one that often gets annoyed by my husband's habits. I've tried and tried and tried to change him...or rather, mold him into a better version of himself (after all, I do love him). He constantly messes up the kitchen (especially after I've just cleaned it - as if he didn't even notice that I had cleaned it) and of course, never cleans up after he's done. He leaves dirty clothes in the bathroom after he sheds them off for his shower, or he leaves them on our bedroom floor when the hamper is right there in our closet not more than 10 feet away. He farts...in front of me...and laughs. He never puts his bathroom items away after getting ready for work...cluttering the already tiny one-person vanity we have - it never stays tidy and clean. I could go on and on...and on.

But wait, does this mean that I think I'm perfect?

Absolutely not.

My husband puts up with me in ways I never dreamed a man ever could. He deals with my quirks and actually embraces most of them. Many of those quirks drive him crazy, but he's let me know he wouldn't have it any other way. It's what makes me me. It's all a part of the package he fell in love with.

What would I say is probably the most annoying thing that I do according to him?

I stress. I stress about everything. It's actually as if I need to stress about something to actually function and get anything done. The stressing is also normally accompanied by my rapidly-fraying short fuse. I stress any time we have to get ready to go somewhere. I've got to get the kids ready, make sure we have all of their things, etc. while simulaneously trying to put myself together in a way that comes off as "put together"...as if I always have everything under control. I am constantly trying to portray that image. I want to be thought of as the mom that always has everything she needs when she needs it...the mom whose life is perfectly in balance - the chores are always done, the house is always clean, my kids are always healthy and happy, all the while holding down a full-time job and other side projects. Organized, never forgetful of appointments, play dates, or baseball practices and the like. So in trying to be this wonderfully organized and put together mom (not to mention, the mom that always finds a way to hit the gym or workout somehow), I am (ironically) rather frazzled and chaotic. Between working full-time, building a cleaning business, raising a 5-year old and 7-month old, being a wife, trying to maintain the household (and my figure) - I tend to find there really is never enough time to truly have everything done...and what do I do when things are seemingly out of my control? I stress. Badly. I blow up at my hubby and vent or just take it all out on him. (But c'mon, it's usually after he's just messed up the one room I managed to get clean today.)

If only he realized it really isn't always about what I end up getting upset at him for...he doesn't quite understand all of the above and why I'm constantly stressed out, but regardless, he embraces it...and me.

I guess I can learn to live with all the things he does that annoy me since he does put up with me so well too. ☺

*Today, I've linked up with Mama Kat at www.mamakatslosinit.com. This is part of her weekly writing prompts for bloggers.*

The Non-Caffeinated Mommy

Caffeine. Such a powerful drug. So many hardworking Americans are addicted to it. Many can't bring themselves to function without it.

I used to be 100% caffeine-free. I guess except for a tiny bit of chocolate here and there, but I'll be honest, I wasn't consuming that for the caffeine. Anyway, I didn't drink sodas (not even the caffeine-free kinds), caffeinated teas, coffee or anything. My drinks of choice were water, skim milk and of course the social alcoholic beverages when out with friends.

Then in 2008, I opened up an in-home daycare. My addiction begins. During the year that I had my in-home daycare, I would be up around 5:30 or 6am...take the dog for a morning walk, then prepare for the kids to start arriving as early as 7am and the last ones would not leave until 5:30pm. That is a long work day - and with no breaks. Around 10:30am, I would start to get that nodding off feeling...and with kids, you just can't have that. You need even more energy to keep up with them than you do with just a regular job! So I started purchasing energy drinks. Diet Rockstars and Lo-Carb Monsters were my guilty-pleasures. And I drank one EVERY DAY. Sometimes two. Yeah, it was bad. Here I am, 2 years later (except for a 9-month break during pregnancy) and I'm still having one a day. I am now a stay-at-home mom for the most part and working on my cleaning business. I have a 5 year old and a 4 month old - both of which require a lot of alertness in their own ways. Tanner, the 5-year old, is off-the-walls hyper most days. You absolutely have to find things to keep him entertained. And he can be very hard to keep up with. Breckin, on the other hand, requires a great deal of attention at this age, and of course getting up in the middle of the night for feedings some nights leaves me exhausted in the AM. (Thankfully, he has been sleeping through the night most nights for about a month.) But my sleep is still light, nonetheless, since I'm used to getting up. Hopefully my body will get back to normal soon.

I have been on a mission to lose all of my pregnancy weight by the end of this year ever since I got home from the hospital with Breckin. In light of having to change my diet and exercise habits (at least from what they were during pregnancy), I have decided that it would also be in my body's best interest to lay off of the caffeine. Hopefully altogether. I want my body to run on the energy I get from exercising and eating right. For so many years, I functioned absolutely fine with no help from the caffeine jolt whatsoever. I know I can do it. It's a bit harder now that I'm a mommy of two boys, but I know I can do it. So here's to kicking the habit - wish me luck!

And Then They Go & Melt Your Heart...

If I've learned one thing as a mother, it's that your children will drive you crazy about 90% of the time and then about 10% of the time, they will do or say something so wonderful that makes that other 90% all worth it.

My son Tanner is quite the patience-tester. He is boisterous, stubborn and defiant. He definitely likes things to be done "Tanner's way". We are constantly butting heads. And I hate to say that since Breckin has been born, I feel like we butt heads even more, and I know it's because now he has to adjust to the fact that often we are on the baby's time schedule, i.e. scheduling play park outings around baby's naptime, etc.; or he doesn't always get as much attention as he has grown accustomed to. He will often throw his temper tantrums (or as I have lovingly named them: Tanner Tantrums) or he will just get overly frustrated over little things and it will drive me up the wall. But every now and then, there is a sweet moment where he lets me know that there is no one in the world he loves more than his mommy.

Yesterday, as we were getting ready to leave the house, I was in my usual focused mode trying to make sure I didn't forget anything I need for Tanner or the baby and I shooed Tanner upstairs to go put a shirt on. He called downstairs saying he couldn't reach them in his closet, so I ran up there in my hasty fashion and grabbed the first one down that I saw and as I was about to hand it to him to put on, he strokes my arm and says, "Mommy, you're so beautiful." I suddenly realized that I had no reason to be in a hurry...sometimes I need to just stop and really enjoy my children and the wonderful people that they are. And that he thought of saying I was beautiful when I was being so short and hurried with him...I definitely melted into a puddle of Mommy right then and there and gave him a big, long hug...something I should stop and do more often during the day instead of letting life get me in a hasty craze. It's funny how little lines like that can absolutely floor you and make you mentally erase all the chaos kids can cause, even if it only happens once in a while. ♥

9 Weeks Without A Full Night's Rest...

So I've realized that I've now gone over 9 weeks without a solid night's sleep, yet somehow my motor is still running. It is amazing what we can put the body through and have it still process from day to day. I've had a few lucky nights in there where Breckin has gone a stretch of 5-6 hours, however, since I'm so USED to waking up, my motherly instincts come in and screw it up for me by making me open my eyes to look at the clock and then wonder why he hasn't woken up to eat yet...and THEN I lay there half-awake and half-worried...so I get up to go take a peek at him in his crib. Soundly breathing and sleeping. Phew. But alas, I've gone and interrupted my own sleep when I had the chance to get a good amount in. And Lord knows, I NEVER get to take a nap during the day - you see, when you also have another child, you don't get to sleep when your baby sleeps. Oh well, I'll find a way to survive. What choice do I have?

Breckin turned 2 months old on Friday. He had his doctor appointment and his first set of shots [insert my sobbing here]. He did do pretty well though. The last few days afterward though, he was being a very finicky eater and had a couple breakdowns - he would just cry and we wouldn't know what was wrong. It was heartbreaking. When you're a mom, if your child is crying and you can't figure out why or how to make him stop, you can feel like a failure and become very emotional about it. He seems to have snapped out of it for today though...he crushed 6oz of formula at his 2am feeding (he usually only gets 4oz per feeding, but I had to make him extra since he was still hungry! Probably was making up for not eating much the day before.) He got up again at 6:30 and had another 4oz. So I feel better and he seems to have his happy disposition back again.

In other news, in less than a month, Tanner will be FIVE! I still can't believe it. He seems so grown up now...I guess it seems more so when I now have a baby to compare him to...since he still was a baby in my eyes. I've gone through his toys and clothes and packed away all the little kid/baby things to be later given to Breckin in order to make room for new big boy things he will get for his birthday. I think going through the clothes is the hardest...I will see something that I swear fit him perfectly just a few months prior that has suddenly become too small...then I realize how fast he is growing up (literally). [Insert more of my sobbing here.]