Recent events have really got me thinking about friendship and time and family. NOW - this is NOT necessarily about my family - but just various events I've been watching unfold...
1. If something or someone is important to you - chances are, you make time for them... no matter what! I was talking to some friends who were saying it's hard to make friends now days with families and such because everyone is so busy. But I disagree. I don't think everyone is "so busy", I just think they do not want to find the time to see you or be your friend or go to your events or support you. I always try and prioritize and there has been times when I had NO time for anything but was still able to go to the hospital and hold a baby while the mama had surgery or go to a shower 1 1/2 hours away... because I found the time. Time is what we make of it. If something or someone is important to you - you make time for them... no matter what!
2. Family is all you have at the end! Do not burn bridges, do not spend your time hating on people or being mad. Because time passes too quickly and things are missed and feelings are hurt. Say your peace and move on. Be there for each other - forever and always. Understand. It's easy to get caught up in our own lives that we forget that our mom/brother/sister/dad/cousin/aunt/grandma also has a life and while we are at different places or in different chapters of our lives - we need to be loving, kind, caring, empathetic, and genuine - and understand. Support each other as much as possible. Hug! Find time to chat at least 1x a month to say hello. Because at the end, while you might have friends - when someone in your family passes away, you will not be sitting at their funeral going "I'm glad I was so mean to her or never tried to understand her or missed that stupid event of hers or missed out on so much of her life"... chances are, you will be sitting there, sobbing: "I wish soooo bad for just 5 more minutes with her". So be good to your family. Love your family. Be there for your family.
Now with that being said - I am going to be working on that myself! I love my mom, my sister and my brothers to pieces! It's high time I start showing it... unconditionally.
Fouladi Family
Monday, November 14, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Perfect Day
As I sit here, awkwardly holding Lulu (when she has reflux, she arches back a lot... so I am holding her while her head is arched back & her body is upright and straight... see? awkward) - I am pondering my day and how absolutely awesome it was!!!
Firstly, I was awoken by a handsome lad, briiight & early. Since it was soooo early, I grabbed all 40 pounds of cuteness & we snuggled in bed. I noticed he was looking at the top of the curtain. Still. Pondering life's great wonders. "Oh Mr. Sun Sun, Bright & shiny sun" he begins to sing. Turns to me and says 'Sun awake now?" - See?? Life's great wonders ;-)
Well since it was so early, I decided to dress the little munchkins and head to the mall. They have a team that practices hockey in the Mall on their Ice Rink and we want to create a passion for Hockey in Cy - so we are starting young! I head to Panera first, pick up some breakfast sandwiches and decaf tea (Still trying to keep all sugar and caffeine out of my diet... minus a few slips here and there) and we sit by the rink, watching the guys practice hockey.
Then we headed off to church - we have a great marriage series going on right now and my sweet husband took his lunch WAY early (6 hours early) and came to church with me so we could be there together and learn together. So awesome!!!
Cy took a wonderful nap, we ran to Target and got a frozen pizza for dinner because mama forgot to grocery shop on Friday (oops) & we sat at home. Relaxing. Hugging. Watching Veggie Tales. Playing with Baby Sisa. Unloading salt on the pizza (cy! ... no I wasn't happy at that moment ha ... wait till daddy eats that piece and no, I didn't tell him - thought it would be more fun this way, ha!). Building Blocks. Waiting for daddy to come home.
At bed time, we read "Goodnight Moon" and my genius boy almost read the entire book BY HIMSELF! No kidding. Ash and I just sat there and kept kissing on him - I am soooo proud of him! He then made sure we all prayed to Jesus & sang "Jesus Loves me". Then it was off to lala-land for the Prince who has given my life soooo much meaning. So much love. So much pride. So much.... everything.
Firstly, I was awoken by a handsome lad, briiight & early. Since it was soooo early, I grabbed all 40 pounds of cuteness & we snuggled in bed. I noticed he was looking at the top of the curtain. Still. Pondering life's great wonders. "Oh Mr. Sun Sun, Bright & shiny sun" he begins to sing. Turns to me and says 'Sun awake now?" - See?? Life's great wonders ;-)
Well since it was so early, I decided to dress the little munchkins and head to the mall. They have a team that practices hockey in the Mall on their Ice Rink and we want to create a passion for Hockey in Cy - so we are starting young! I head to Panera first, pick up some breakfast sandwiches and decaf tea (Still trying to keep all sugar and caffeine out of my diet... minus a few slips here and there) and we sit by the rink, watching the guys practice hockey.
 |
| Yes, he was VERY excited!! |
Cy took a wonderful nap, we ran to Target and got a frozen pizza for dinner because mama forgot to grocery shop on Friday (oops) & we sat at home. Relaxing. Hugging. Watching Veggie Tales. Playing with Baby Sisa. Unloading salt on the pizza (cy! ... no I wasn't happy at that moment ha ... wait till daddy eats that piece and no, I didn't tell him - thought it would be more fun this way, ha!). Building Blocks. Waiting for daddy to come home.
At bed time, we read "Goodnight Moon" and my genius boy almost read the entire book BY HIMSELF! No kidding. Ash and I just sat there and kept kissing on him - I am soooo proud of him! He then made sure we all prayed to Jesus & sang "Jesus Loves me". Then it was off to lala-land for the Prince who has given my life soooo much meaning. So much love. So much pride. So much.... everything.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
New Week
Tomorrow starts a new week!!!! I am super excited! I have big plans everyone! Big plans! Ok well not really... I don't think I have more than 2 things on the calendar - which excites me! I think I'll be a hermit and stay in with Cy and Lu, cuddling and loving on my babies!
But I do have some goals for this week:
- ENJOY Church tomorrow - great sermon coming up about marriage - I cannot cannot wait and Ash is taking his lunch early so he can go with me - YAY!
- ENJOY my sweet babies - They are only this young for a little bit... so I'm going to hug and kiss on them as much as humanly possible :-)
- ENJOY the weather - it's been a nice 70-some degrees - so I'm gonna be out a LOT with my boy
- ENJOY setting up Christmas Tree with my baby boy and daddy - should be loads of fun! It's his 1st tree that he'll remember
- ENJOY the quiet and stillness of a "boring" week :-)
I hope y'all have a wonderful and enjoyable week as well!
But I do have some goals for this week:
- ENJOY Church tomorrow - great sermon coming up about marriage - I cannot cannot wait and Ash is taking his lunch early so he can go with me - YAY!
- ENJOY my sweet babies - They are only this young for a little bit... so I'm going to hug and kiss on them as much as humanly possible :-)
- ENJOY the weather - it's been a nice 70-some degrees - so I'm gonna be out a LOT with my boy
- ENJOY setting up Christmas Tree with my baby boy and daddy - should be loads of fun! It's his 1st tree that he'll remember
- ENJOY the quiet and stillness of a "boring" week :-)
I hope y'all have a wonderful and enjoyable week as well!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Dust go to sleep...
A couple nights ago my dear sweet Lulu was up every hour. Seriously, every. single. hour. And to throw in some "Make sure you really didn't get any shut-eye" into the mix, Cy also woke 2 times :-)
Well, I then had an entire day of cleaning to get ready for my amazing Stop'N'Shop. So, to the day of cleaning while having a sore throat and runny nose - WHOO! Stop'N'Shop was fun and long :-) Bed - nope! Baby up... DH grumpy... Mama tired. It turned out to be a long evening of "who is taking baby" and "what are we missing, why won't she sleep... why can't she sleep... why is she still crying... WHAT do we do?!??!"
Well, this morning I was feeling very very low about everything. I mean, let's be honest - when you are getting MAYBE 4 hours of sleep a night for the last 4 months and virtually ZERO breaks each day because kids do NOT nap together (Well at least a reflux baby doesn't... she doesn't hardly nap unless being held) - spirits are running on fumes. I am running on fumes. Enter Whitney! :-)
She came to pick up her stuff from the night before (Check out her website) & while she is packing up and I am nursing - she says something, I respond, and she turns around to me sobbing. Because lets face it - sometimes all we need to do is cry. And that's what I did. I cried. About my feelings of failing as a mom. Because I cannot seem to make my sweet angel happy. Because Cy is so affected by her screaming all the time. Because my marriage is affected by the constant pull for attention with a reflux baby and a needy toddler. Because I am EXHAUSTED beyond anything I've ever felt. Because I'm getting sick. Because I just want to be a good mom, a good wife, and good friend, a good daughter to God. Nothing is ever enough. I am always writing lists of things I need to get better at. Maybe if I was a better friend, I'd have better friends or maybe if I love Cy more, he'd stop hitting other kids and Lulu or maybe if I just give myself 5 more minutes of cleaning - the house would be cleaner. It's never ending. Go look at my mirror in my dining room right now - I have a "THings to get better at" and a LONG list that I wrote out during nap time.
- Do more crafts with Cy
- Be sure to brush Cy's teeth 2 times a day
- Learn more about Arbonne (This is actually a fun one!)
- Make more time to read the Bible
- Get calendar and schedule 1-on-1 time with Cy, Lu, DH, and God
- Make cleaning schedule and stick to it
- Make food journal and figure out WHY Lulu is refluxing still
See... never good enough. And while rocking a screaming baby girl for 1 1/2 hours tonight while running toddler back to bed every 5 minutes... again - what am I doing wrong... what am I missing. But then I got on my blogger and read my friend's blog and she sent everyone to this link, and it touched my heart. I am breathing easier. Not completely better. I still need to let go and let God... but I am breathing better.
Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
Well, I then had an entire day of cleaning to get ready for my amazing Stop'N'Shop. So, to the day of cleaning while having a sore throat and runny nose - WHOO! Stop'N'Shop was fun and long :-) Bed - nope! Baby up... DH grumpy... Mama tired. It turned out to be a long evening of "who is taking baby" and "what are we missing, why won't she sleep... why can't she sleep... why is she still crying... WHAT do we do?!??!"
Well, this morning I was feeling very very low about everything. I mean, let's be honest - when you are getting MAYBE 4 hours of sleep a night for the last 4 months and virtually ZERO breaks each day because kids do NOT nap together (Well at least a reflux baby doesn't... she doesn't hardly nap unless being held) - spirits are running on fumes. I am running on fumes. Enter Whitney! :-)
She came to pick up her stuff from the night before (Check out her website) & while she is packing up and I am nursing - she says something, I respond, and she turns around to me sobbing. Because lets face it - sometimes all we need to do is cry. And that's what I did. I cried. About my feelings of failing as a mom. Because I cannot seem to make my sweet angel happy. Because Cy is so affected by her screaming all the time. Because my marriage is affected by the constant pull for attention with a reflux baby and a needy toddler. Because I am EXHAUSTED beyond anything I've ever felt. Because I'm getting sick. Because I just want to be a good mom, a good wife, and good friend, a good daughter to God. Nothing is ever enough. I am always writing lists of things I need to get better at. Maybe if I was a better friend, I'd have better friends or maybe if I love Cy more, he'd stop hitting other kids and Lulu or maybe if I just give myself 5 more minutes of cleaning - the house would be cleaner. It's never ending. Go look at my mirror in my dining room right now - I have a "THings to get better at" and a LONG list that I wrote out during nap time.
- Do more crafts with Cy
- Be sure to brush Cy's teeth 2 times a day
- Learn more about Arbonne (This is actually a fun one!)
- Make more time to read the Bible
- Get calendar and schedule 1-on-1 time with Cy, Lu, DH, and God
- Make cleaning schedule and stick to it
- Make food journal and figure out WHY Lulu is refluxing still
See... never good enough. And while rocking a screaming baby girl for 1 1/2 hours tonight while running toddler back to bed every 5 minutes... again - what am I doing wrong... what am I missing. But then I got on my blogger and read my friend's blog and she sent everyone to this link, and it touched my heart. I am breathing easier. Not completely better. I still need to let go and let God... but I am breathing better.
Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Mommy-sense
My doctor told me yesterday that Lulu is being spoiled and doesn't need to eat at night, and doesn't need to be held so often. But I left, thinking "If this is true, why does everything thing in my being tell me otherwise?". It's hard as a mom to make the decision you think is the right one. Especially when circumstances are less than perfect. It's hard enough trying to figure out if you should give the baby a Born Free bottle or Dr. Brown bottle. Swaddle blanket or Miracle blanket. Canned baby food or homemade baby food. Similac or Target Brand formula. 7 pm bedtime or 8 pm bedtime. See? Hard decisions! ;-)
What I am finding even harder is that there is STILL unknowns. This is my 2nd kid - I knew with Cy that he was just hungry at night and he ate through the night until he was 7 or 8 months old. I didn't want to push him to stop - I knew he would stop on his own. So with Lulu I try and have the same approach. But tonight as we were leaving the house, she was screaming and very very upset. The MOMENT I would touch her - she's stop and go to sleep. Then upon removing my hand - screams. It crept in that she is spoiled. She is spoiled rotten! All night she cried. Spoiled Rotten. I got home and fed her and she cried even more. Spoiled Spoiled Spoiled! Then came the screaming. And the projectile spit-up and the arching back. Spoiled...?????? More spit-up, spit-up through the nose. Screaming. Definitely NOT spoiled...? Right?
At times of uncertainty, I need... WE need... to rely on our mommy-sense. God gave us our mommy-sense for a reason! That is our commonsense! We know our baby better than ANYONE and we need to do what is right for OUR baby. SO, I am going to stand firm that Lulu isn't spoiled... for the most part ;-) And that her reflux is still getting the best of her. And I am going to block out all distracting, demoralizing comments about how she should be sleeping through the night or shouldn't be held so much. I am going to do the best I can do for my baby girl because at the end of the day, that's all I can do.
That's all any mama can do. So mamas out there - if you are having a hard time, a hard night, a hard week or a hard year - do what YOU can do and do what YOU think is right! Potty-training at 4 years old - GO FOR IT! It's your kid, you know them the best! Baby eating every three hours through the night at 10 months old - GO FOR IT! It's your kid! To home school or private school or public school or boarding school - GO FOR IT! It's your kid! Whatever dilemma you are faced with, throw away the guilt, ignore the comments and advice and listen to your MOMMY-SENSE - it's there for a reason! ;-)
What I am finding even harder is that there is STILL unknowns. This is my 2nd kid - I knew with Cy that he was just hungry at night and he ate through the night until he was 7 or 8 months old. I didn't want to push him to stop - I knew he would stop on his own. So with Lulu I try and have the same approach. But tonight as we were leaving the house, she was screaming and very very upset. The MOMENT I would touch her - she's stop and go to sleep. Then upon removing my hand - screams. It crept in that she is spoiled. She is spoiled rotten! All night she cried. Spoiled Rotten. I got home and fed her and she cried even more. Spoiled Spoiled Spoiled! Then came the screaming. And the projectile spit-up and the arching back. Spoiled...?????? More spit-up, spit-up through the nose. Screaming. Definitely NOT spoiled...? Right?
At times of uncertainty, I need... WE need... to rely on our mommy-sense. God gave us our mommy-sense for a reason! That is our commonsense! We know our baby better than ANYONE and we need to do what is right for OUR baby. SO, I am going to stand firm that Lulu isn't spoiled... for the most part ;-) And that her reflux is still getting the best of her. And I am going to block out all distracting, demoralizing comments about how she should be sleeping through the night or shouldn't be held so much. I am going to do the best I can do for my baby girl because at the end of the day, that's all I can do.
That's all any mama can do. So mamas out there - if you are having a hard time, a hard night, a hard week or a hard year - do what YOU can do and do what YOU think is right! Potty-training at 4 years old - GO FOR IT! It's your kid, you know them the best! Baby eating every three hours through the night at 10 months old - GO FOR IT! It's your kid! To home school or private school or public school or boarding school - GO FOR IT! It's your kid! Whatever dilemma you are faced with, throw away the guilt, ignore the comments and advice and listen to your MOMMY-SENSE - it's there for a reason! ;-)
Monday, November 7, 2011
4 months & Counting
We took sweet Lulu to her 4 month check-up today. I love love love my doctor - she is amazing and soooo caring. I just had to say that :-) She makes me feel so much better about Lulu's reflux and her sleeping and eating and everything. It's a huge blessing to have such an amazing doctor for the kids! Ok now on to Lulu and her progress
Baby girl, the doctor went down the list of "accomplishments" that you should be almost hitting or hitting - you have already surpassed all of them:
- You laugh at mama all the time - I absolutely love love love it! you haven't shown anyone else and will only laugh when we are alone in the room. I am loving the one-on-one feeling that gives me though ;-)
- You smile ALL the time! Even when refluxing and feeling horrible - you will flash a smile. It helps soooo much when mama is feeling overwhelmed at all the crying. Gives me a boost to keep my cool and keep going :-)
- You roll over from back to tummy every time you are on your back - it's too funny. Now if you could just learn to go from tummy to back so you don't get upset. Cy loves flipping you back over though - ha! But I do not because it scares you and you start crying. He's just being "helpful" you know ;-)
- You are the worst sleeper. Cy slept ALL the time and absolutely anywhere but you - after 15 minutes, you wake up most of the time. We have good days where you will sleep for an hour stretch but most of the time - I am lucky to get 20 minutes of baby down time before you wake again. And you are waking every hour to 2 hours at night - screaming and in pain. We have tried everything and at this point - I'm just going to comfort you, love you, and pray for you. I know it will all clear up... in the meantime - mama will just be exhausted
- You talk non-stop and will get loud just to get me to make eye contact with you
- Cy is starting to warm up to you (FINALLY!) and will copy mama when I'm playing with you. Talk about making my heart melt! Love my 2 babies!
- You are in 6-12 month clothes. You don't fill them out but you are tall in the torso so 3-6 month onesies don't snap. BUT 3-6 month pants fit perfectly because you have shorter legs :-)
- You weighed 16 pounds today. Not quite double your birth weight, I think the reflux has slowed down your eating and you actually lost a pound in the last couple months but the doctor said that you are perfect and now proportionate to your height at 25 1/2 inches
- Mama and Dada love you so much and you are definitely daddy's girl! You will find him in a room and stare at him until he smiles at you - then you give him the BIGGEST smile you can, and I can just see his heart melting for his princess. Sweetest. Thing. EVER.
We love you lots baby girl! Happy 4 months!
Baby girl, the doctor went down the list of "accomplishments" that you should be almost hitting or hitting - you have already surpassed all of them:
- You laugh at mama all the time - I absolutely love love love it! you haven't shown anyone else and will only laugh when we are alone in the room. I am loving the one-on-one feeling that gives me though ;-)
- You smile ALL the time! Even when refluxing and feeling horrible - you will flash a smile. It helps soooo much when mama is feeling overwhelmed at all the crying. Gives me a boost to keep my cool and keep going :-)
- You roll over from back to tummy every time you are on your back - it's too funny. Now if you could just learn to go from tummy to back so you don't get upset. Cy loves flipping you back over though - ha! But I do not because it scares you and you start crying. He's just being "helpful" you know ;-)
- You are the worst sleeper. Cy slept ALL the time and absolutely anywhere but you - after 15 minutes, you wake up most of the time. We have good days where you will sleep for an hour stretch but most of the time - I am lucky to get 20 minutes of baby down time before you wake again. And you are waking every hour to 2 hours at night - screaming and in pain. We have tried everything and at this point - I'm just going to comfort you, love you, and pray for you. I know it will all clear up... in the meantime - mama will just be exhausted
- You talk non-stop and will get loud just to get me to make eye contact with you
- Cy is starting to warm up to you (FINALLY!) and will copy mama when I'm playing with you. Talk about making my heart melt! Love my 2 babies!
- You are in 6-12 month clothes. You don't fill them out but you are tall in the torso so 3-6 month onesies don't snap. BUT 3-6 month pants fit perfectly because you have shorter legs :-)
- You weighed 16 pounds today. Not quite double your birth weight, I think the reflux has slowed down your eating and you actually lost a pound in the last couple months but the doctor said that you are perfect and now proportionate to your height at 25 1/2 inches
- Mama and Dada love you so much and you are definitely daddy's girl! You will find him in a room and stare at him until he smiles at you - then you give him the BIGGEST smile you can, and I can just see his heart melting for his princess. Sweetest. Thing. EVER.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Giving up Sugar - YIKES!
Well, I am sitting in the dark on my bed - having FINALLY gotten Lulu back to sleep for the umpteenth time tonight... wait, it's already morning - ok well then this morning. And I figured - no point sleeping, let's blog about my big life change happening as we speak.
See that big bowl of candy from Halloween?
See that Big cake in the frig from DH's birthday?
See that lovely, delicious creamer in the flavor of CINNABON?
Yep - I'm giving it all up! For a few reasons but mainly because Lulu has horrible reflux. I know it's not milk or dairy products so now I"m eliminating sugar (which includes breads/pastas/ect). I'm also eliminating sugar because she's had horrible thrush and sugar can cause it to get worse. It's been 3 weeks for her - so I'm trying to get that under control as well. I am also eliminating sugar because I need to lose weight badly and what better way to do it than go cold turkey off sugar? I am also eliminating sugar because, well, it's horrible for you! Read this blog about sugar and the 76 reasons that sugar is bad for you. It might make you reconsider your sugar intake as well! :-)
So if I seem a tad cranky in the next few days, that's because I am on a serious sugar low - ha! But I must get Lulu's reflux under control - I hate her taking medication and feel that if I just change my diet, she'd feel so much better. So here I go! :-)
See that big bowl of candy from Halloween?
See that Big cake in the frig from DH's birthday?
See that lovely, delicious creamer in the flavor of CINNABON?
Yep - I'm giving it all up! For a few reasons but mainly because Lulu has horrible reflux. I know it's not milk or dairy products so now I"m eliminating sugar (which includes breads/pastas/ect). I'm also eliminating sugar because she's had horrible thrush and sugar can cause it to get worse. It's been 3 weeks for her - so I'm trying to get that under control as well. I am also eliminating sugar because I need to lose weight badly and what better way to do it than go cold turkey off sugar? I am also eliminating sugar because, well, it's horrible for you! Read this blog about sugar and the 76 reasons that sugar is bad for you. It might make you reconsider your sugar intake as well! :-)
So if I seem a tad cranky in the next few days, that's because I am on a serious sugar low - ha! But I must get Lulu's reflux under control - I hate her taking medication and feel that if I just change my diet, she'd feel so much better. So here I go! :-)
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