why is my kid such an asshole all of a sudden!!!!

Zoe....has taken to stomping her feet, crying for nothing and saying no.....a LOT recently.

It is making it very hard to keep my patience and not stick her out on the front lawn with a free sign strapped to her neck.

She will scream and cry and pout about nothing.

She stepped on a piece of cooked rice.
She has a scab on her leg because she plays like a boy and gets banged up.
The cat wont let her pet her....and then kick her.
Mommy and/or daddy said NO.
She doesn't want to eat
Her blanket is bunched up on her bed.
Her sister is crying.
She drank all her juice.
etc.....

Pretty much any reason is why she is crying. Reminds me a LOT of this - http://reasonsmysoniscrying.tumblr.com/

I keep thinking she is coming down with something. Nope.
I keep thinking its a growth spurt and she's just really tired. Nope.

I am now blaming the terrible two's and realized my hands are going to be very full for a while.

Tonight, she went to bed at 630, a full hour sooner than normal.

Gah!!!! I still have one more child that still hasn't even reached the beginning of this stage!!!!


Wish me luck....cause I am going to need it!!!!!!

Update since its been a while.

Well, here is an update on us in point form since way too much has happened and chances are I will even forget some.
Awesome - we moved into a house, I love having a yard, washer and dryer, the girls have their own room and Mike has an office again.
Not so awesome - our foundation has a leak so Mike is back in the dining room with us for the time being until the ground thaws and the landlord comes to dig 8 feet along the outside and fixes it. Hopefully this will be within the next 2 months and then I can put everything back in it's place.

Another not so awesome - I never knew how much a utilities company has SO MANY stupid useless fees for everything. On our first bill there is at least 5 sections that all have a stupid hidden fee that NOBODY ever uses. Sewer fees, 3 kinds of water charges, water heater rental etc.... it just keeps going. But that's what happens when you didn't have a utility bill at the last place and didn't know about all the shocking fees. lol

However....the most AWESOME PART OF ALL, we now get to regulate our own heat!!!!!!!!!! THANK THE BABY JESUS ITS NOT ALWAYS 30 DEGREES IN OUR HOUSE ANYMORE.
This will give you an idea of how different it is.
At the old place I was always wearing shorts and a tank top. Here, I wear pants and a tshirt for the most part and also put on socks or my slippers here and there. It's amazing!!!!!!

Awesome -  Zoe poops now. This restoralax stuff that the pediatrician told me to give her is a SUPER GAME CHANGER

She goes regularly now without complain, no crying, nothing getting stuck, no hiding in the corner afraid that I would see her trying to hold it and pick her up and bend her legs. AMAZING.

Awesome -  I bought a deep freeze off kijiji and I LOVE the fact that I can cook massive soups, and meals and freeze them. I also love that I can buy 2 of stuff now when on sale and store it in the freezer for those other times of the month where something always comes up and the grocery budget is a little smaller. (come on....lets admit it...it happens to all of us).

Awesome - our living room isn't AS taken over by kids toys anymore. We store a lot of them in the girls rooms now and in the basement. It really helps make our living room a little more adult once the girls go to bed.
Now, I knew that we would still have some toys left out, but it's NOTHING like it was at the old place where we had nowhere else to put stuff.

View into the dining room from the living room

View of the living room from the dining room (it has changed a little since this pic was taken)

And I just realized that since I reorganized for Mikes desk to come into the dining room....once it goes back into the basement I will take Zoe's play kitchen and stick it in the dining room which will make even less in the living room.

My little kitchen

Awesome -  Mike and I have our bedroom back. At the old place we didn't want to put Emma in the girls room just yet because Zoe kept throwing things into her crib and the last thing I wanted was to come in one morning and find everything on top of my baby.
So now Emma is in her own room and it's great.
Not so awesome - She still cant find her suce in the middle of the night on her own and was waking up way too many times for it. So we have been sleep training her. She is getting much better now, and she is maybe crying for 3-5 minutes once in the middle of the night (which we don't go in for). So she seems to be getting the hang of things finally.

Sleep training is hard, and it takes a lot of dedication NOT to go into your childs room....but its worth it when you wake up realizing that you didn't hear your baby at all during the night. So refreshing. lol

NOT awesome -  Zoe is the full throws of the terrible 2's and not listening and pushing her limits even more than I thought she did before. Some days she gets a few time outs, where as the next day she might be an angel. That's the most frustrating part of it all, not knowing what side of your kid you will see until the first hour into the day. Today thankfully seems to be a good day, which is why I am able to sit and write a blog post while Emma is down for a nap. The only thing is that Zoe is stealing all the carrots I put on my counter since I am making a spaghetti sauce in a bit. But to be honest, she can steal all the carrots she wants. I have more in the fridge.


Otherwise, all is pretty much the same with us over here. A happy little family.

Some people deserve a kick in the throat

So, I am going to try not to rant too badly here, but I am so disappointed with humanity.

It seems that the nice, respectful, polite people are very few and far between.

The amount of times that I hold the door open for people and don't get a thank you (yes....even when I have both girls with me), letting people cut in front of me in line at the grocery store, coffee places, in parking lots etc....
I like doing things for others. When people come for dinner I make something from scratch I know they will like, even if it means learning how to make something I have never made before (like Vegan meals). I am a people pleaser, I like people to feel happy and comfortable when around me.

What bothers me are the people who don't say thank you or acknowledge that you've helped or have done something for them.

Granted for every person who is rude and impolite, there is always that 1 person who will restore some of your faith in humanity. However its sad that this happens so little that when someone does restore a bit of faith you get really excited and want to run over and high five them or hug the for being so kind. (at least that's how I feel)

It's easy to hold a door open for 5 seconds.

My 2 year old says please and thank you more often than most adults

I have so many stories I could write about how people have "wronged" others or me. But that would make this a really long post, and momma is tired tonight.

All I can say is that everyone should make an effort to be more polite. Do something for someone else, even someone you don't know.
It doesn't cost anything to hold a door open, or smile at someone, or simply say "thank you" to someone for something they have done for you.

Take the time to pay attention around you, and if you see someone walking behind you by 20-30 seconds....just wait and hold the door open for them, don't just be a jerk and look at them and let it close behind you. Especially if you see that this person is holding something or has a child/children.

Karma makes its rounds people, and I don't know about all of you, but I like the feeling I get when doing something nice for someone.



You know it!!!

If everyone just made an effort, the world would be a nicer, happier place.

what a turn in events

so this post will be a little different from my last post which was all gushy.

Today...was a BAD day in the Hayes house. Zoe didn't know what she wanted which led to a lot of random and for nothing crying for long periods of time. i also tried to explain to her that she needs to use her words because i don't understand her when she cries. that did nothing.

an accurate depiction of my day

I am really hoping the rest of the week goes well. we move in less than 2 weeks and i still have a lot of packing to do.

Wish me luck, i think i'll need it!

My babies are growing too fast!!!

I have recently started giving Emma cereal, and it's a bit of a bittersweet moment for me.
It's exciting, but it's also making me realize that she isn't the small baby that I still feel she is.

It's prompted a trip down memory lane for me, and while going through pictures I realized that yes both girls have differences...but there is NO way anyone can say they don't look alike.

Zoe at 1 month old

Emma at 1 month old

I look at Zoe and Emma now, and I don't see it. Zoe has changed so much over the span of 2 years, but she is her own little person now. She's gorgeous, as she was when she was a baby too, but I simply don't remember her being tiny. I don't remember her being Emma's size even.

My little monkey having a snack just before Emma was born

This will give you an idea as to how quickly things change in babies if you are not a parent yourself.
Emma is 5 months old. She weighs approximately 17lbs right now and it at least 25 inches long. Yes, she's a very healthy girl :)

Over the holidays I was SO excited to get to hold my newest little niece Isla. When I held her she was 3 weeks old, weighed around the 10lb mark, and was probably around 23 inches long.
She felt like the tiniest baby I had ever held.
Now, keep in mind that Emma was smaller then Isla when she was born (Emma was 7.12 and 19inches long, Isla was 10.14 and 22inches long). So how is it I cant remember 5 months back to when she was that tiny?

To make matters even stranger...a friend of ours is pregnant and having a girl come May 2013. I went through all the clothing I kept from Emma (as I have a few friends who are pregnant and I wanted to wait to see what the sexes would be before I got rid of them - YAY one of them is a girl! lol) and I held up some newborn outfits and thought "Emma wore this??" and yes...she did.
It is amazing how fast you can forget. Even the sounds that little Isla was making, her little coo's and grunts so different from Emma, and Isla was still covered in that little fuzzy "down" hair that babies have all over  their bodies, Emma doesn't have that anymore, although she does still have the kissable soft baby skin. :)

I kept staring from Isla to Emma thinking "time is precious and I have to make the most of every second I have at home with my girls".

 

Zoe fast asleep on the couch

Emma on her way to nap-land in her swing

 

I keep thinking more and more about how fast time flies, and how right now with Zoe being in her "terrible 2's" stage and Emma being so small she cant do much in terms of movement and talking right now, in a few years I will probably miss all of this (although I probably wont miss the lack of sleep even though Emma is a good night sleeper).

 

Zoe

Emma

 

 

I'll miss moments like holding them and having them be content to just stay in my arms, sneaking in  pictures and kisses while they sleep, chasing after them or playing peek-a-boo to get them to laugh. They wont be babies forever, and all I can do is instill in them how to be respectful and polite, to do things for others without having to be asked, and to ALWAYS treat others the way they would want to be treated.

 

Zoe taking a nap with daddy in Ottawa at my moms

Emma taking a nap with daddy in Ottawa at my moms.
(It was also Zoe's 2nd birthday)

 

Having kids has made me realize that my life was never fully complete without them. I ADORE Mike, but the love you have for your life partner, and the love you hold for your kids are two completely different types of love. (I've had this discussion with Mike, and he wholeheartedly agrees.)
You can never experience a love like the love you hold for your child until you become a parent. Your heart becomes so full it almost wants to explode, then you have a second child and your heart grows even bigger.
I can only best describe it this way, if your child needed a heart, and you were a proper donor....you would rip your own heart out to give it to them without blinking an eye. THAT is the love you feel when being a parent. You would EASILY give up your own life if it could save your child's life, or at least that's how I feel.

Yes, it can be hard.
Yes, there are MANY frustrating moments.
Yes, a lot of it is a guessing game at times.
YES there is a LOT of lack of sleep.

Would I give it up for anything in the world....quite simply put....NEVER.

My family is my life. I ADORE them to the moon and back. I would give them anything and everything I can. As long as they are happy and healthy, I will be a happy mom and wife.

Zoe

Emma

 

Now that Emma has started eating real food, I know the time will simply fly by faster and faster. Before I know it she will be crawling, then talking, then walking.

 

Moments like this will exist only in pictures. 

Snuggles between mom and Emma

Regardless of how time flies by, I know that my girls will always be in the forefront of my heart, mind and soul.
They will always be my little girls, even when they are married and have babies of their own.

I know that within a few months, Emma will be eating more than cereal and avocado (I have carrot ready for her in my freezer, and we always have banana's here as well).
So sooner rather than later, she will look like Zoe did while eating raspberries too.

 

I will take every moment with my girls and make it the best moment I can. I will always have memories, and TONS of pictures to remind me that yes, they "were" that small at one point.

 

 

Headaches, stress and drama OH MY!!!!

Well, the holidays are over and I am SO excited about that.
Let me explain, I love having kids that Mike and I can start our own traditions with. THAT is my number one reason for loving the holidays, what I don't like is all the stress and drama that is ALWAYS included with holidays.

Let's start at the beginning of December, when randomly I started getting bombarded with migraines and the girls got sick which then led to Mike and I being sick as well.
Since this time my cold has turned into a HORRIBLE sinus infection leading to even more headaches and teeth pain due to it being so congested in my nasal cavity. Teeth pain to the point where I actually debated pulling my own teeth!!!

 



So December has been a mix of stress, planning, more stress, fights with family (mine in particular), last minute changes to things which also lead to more stress and anger and sadness.

For the last 2.5 weeks of December I have been sick to my stomach with stress and anger and resentment towards certain people. So much so that I had cramps, stress spots, early monthly "visitor" that lasted extra long, and a lot of pain meds to try to get rid of headaches and insomnia.

Probably the amount of drugs I went through in December lol

I came to the realization this holiday season that from now on I need to plan for us and us alone. No more planning around other people.
Mike and I are tired of always being the ones that need to make the drive out to Ottawa and run around even more while there. This leads to a very tiresome trip and 2 kids that are miserable by the time we are ready to go home.
It's not fair to them or us.

I have lived in Peterborough coming on 7 years now, and I can count on 1 hand...ONE HAND how many times my immediate family has visited.
It hurts the heart when you realize that your best friends have visited more often then your own family. Rob and Mal have come down a few times (and are coming again beginning February which is awesome), and Marian, Sean and their kids have been out here more often than my own family too.

I understand that its hard to travel....trust me....we do it at least every 3 months!!! Now with 2 young kids it's even harder to do because there is a lot more to plan for. I have to start planning/packing for a trip he week before we leave, anticipating what we will need or all the "what if" factors as well. ]Formula, bottles, snow pants in the winter, snowsuit for Emma, playpen, blankets for the playpens (cant use massive blankets in them), snacks for the road for Zoe....etc....and last but not least, what time to leave and where will that get us approximately before Emma's next feed.
All in all, it's a LOT that I don't think people realize is happening.

Long story short, my new years resolution is the following:
1-I a no longer going to make excuses for people who don't want to put forth the effort to see us or the girls when we go down to Ottawa.
We cant please everyone and we need to start making plans for us and not planning around others. We will let people know when we will be going down, but we will not change those plans because someone cant do something which is what we have been doing for a LONG time for trips.
2-I will no longer make excuses for my family as to why they do not come to visit us here in PTBO.
I tend to always say things like "well, my mom doesn't like to drive for long periods, my dad doesn't drive for long periods and has a dog, my sister has the kids and goes to the cottage during the summer, my sister and mom are allergic to cats" etc....
Enough with the excuses. I am family too, and they can make an effort to come here too. I am NOT the only one that needs to do this.
Ptbo has a bus station, we have the train station close that we could EASILY pick people up from, and space in our new house will always be available and made for people, and I always have allergy meds on hand as I have allergies in the winter months as well.

I have officially come to the realization that there is no more trying to make everyone around me happy (though it's ingrained in me and obviously I am not changing who I am), what I mean is I am doing things for US as a family FIRST, and others second.

Yes this is the way it should have been all along....but it's hard to stop doing something that you have done your whole life.
So let's hope that 2013 brings less stress, less sickness, and more happiness and visits to US!!!

:)


So in closing....this picture is exactly how I feel about the holidays

 

Lets hope for a better holidays this year! (I'm thinking of doing our Christmas with our families end of November to avoid all the drama and stress!!!! GENIUS I know!!)