Can't you just hire a sitter??

Good luck struck again and I scored two free tickets to a private showing of the new documentary, Babies. I heard about this movie awhile back and have been dying to see it ever since I saw the trailer. Anyway, the showing is tomorrow night. And since I won the tickets a few days ago, I have been trying to find a sitter so both Billy and I can go. To no avail.

Here's the thing: I'm not upset, or even surprised, that I can't find a sitter. When I had kids, I didn't expect to be able to go out whenever I wanted. That's part of the parenting deal, in my opinion. My problem is that the rest of the world - all those people who have not had to find someone they trust with their offspring's well being - thinks that it's easy to just hire a sitter. In a sense it is. I'm sure I could just pull some poor slob off the street, throw $30-$50 at him/her and be on my way. But I'd like to think I'm a little more selective than that. And many people think that if you have family and friends close by that its sooo easy to find a sitter. The fact of the matter is, family and friends - even paid help - all have lives, as they well should. Just because they are close doesn't mean they are free, even if you're willing to coax them with free food, untaxed income and lots of love from snugly pug. And its not like I can have a babysitter on retainer and whenever I need her she has to come over. If only! Alas, our world does not work this way. In the meantime, I will just roll my eyes when someone says, "can't you just hire a sitter??"

My Job Here is Done

We finally took the plunge and purchased some oversized plastic contraptions for Sebastian and Collette. One for their playroom, one for the backyard. Needless to say, it was love at first sight on both accounts. And now, it's like I don't even exist. Ahhhhhh... :)



PS - If you are local, consider yourself invited to enjoy in the bliss that is giant plastic toys.

Hello Third Trimester!

I have passed the 26 week mark with Tater Tot and am officially in my third trimester. I haven't written much about this pregnancy because there has been so little to report. My belly gets bigger, as it should. Matteo moves around a lot, as he should. I was up 18 lbs. as of my last appointment, so all is normal there. Only change now is that I have to see my OB every 2 weeks (seems like so much now!) instead of every 4. At least there are no more scheduled ultrasounds - I hated those last time.

Part of what makes this pregnancy seemingly uneventful is that it's my second pregnancy. I'm sure most women feel this way, to a certain extent, the second (and third, fourth...!) go around. But I know that this pregnancy seems easier because it's just one. I'm just much more comfortable overall. And I keep waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop - like one day I will have awful sciatic nerve pain or my back will hurt so much I won't be able to lift up my kids. Only time will tell, I guess. In the meantime, I can be thankful for two pretty easy trimesters.

Also, I can't shake the feeling that I will delivery early. The idea of NOT going to 40 weeks is so burned in my brain that I just can't get it out. Whenever I think about my due date, it's always hypothetical, like "well, I'm due on July 24th but really, it could be any time in July, maybe even June." We are finally putting together Matteo's nursery next week (Billy is on vacation, woot woot!) so perhaps that will put my mind at ease.

Sitter Worthy?

The other night, a MoT friend of mine (and next door neighbor, go figure!) invited me out to dinner with some women from her other moms group, one for working mommas. It was at the Melting Pot so I got my ass into gear and found a sitter. Nothing motivates me more than melted cheese and melted chocolate.

The dinner was great, albeit LOOONG. 6 mommies at one table leads to lots and lots and lots of talking. Which was great and a needed change of pace. As we are sharing war stories (read: poop, vomit, and pumping stories) one of the women asked us if we remembered that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine is buying up all the sponges because they are being discontinued - she used the term "sponge-worthy" as in, "do I want to use one of my remaining sponges on this guy??" Anyway, our mommy friend said that she and her husband use the same thought process, only applied to having a night out and hiring a sitter. Would this "event" be worth finding and paying a sitter? Maybe. Maybe not.

Of course, that night was sitter-worthy. Again, melted cheese and chocolate - what more do I have to say? But there are some things that don't make the cut so easily, at least not for me.

• running errands alone: NEVER sitter-worthy
• doctor appointment: NOT sitter-worthy
• emergency doctor visit: sitter-worthy
• shopping: NOT sitter-worthy
• date night with the hubs: sitter-worthy
• club meeting (mom's group, book club, etc.): NOT sitter-worthy
• gym/exercising: NOT sitter-worthy

What do you think is sitter-worthy?

Updates and Such

We had our second music class this week (well, third, but I forgot about the class last week. Isn't pregnancy lovely??) and things went MUCH better. I brought snacks and got there early. Except we ended up being on time because the class started at 930 not 945 - again, pregnancy brain. But still, things worked much better this time.

To be honest, the first time I was frazzled before class even started. The space is not handicap/stroller accessible and that put me in a very foul mood from the get-go. Kids pick up that stuff, ya know? Anyway, this time, I knew what to expect, my attitude was better, the kids didn't have low blood sugar and everyone was (mostly) happy. This class probably isn't the best music class out there so we might consider switching to a different one for the summer.

***

In baby news, I have a correction to make. I have been spelling my new son's name wrong. Billy and I discussed it and he won (sort of...) and our baby boy is Matteo. That's two Ts like his big sis. I prefer that spelling, too, but thought it would confuse his friends and family back home because in Spanish, it's just the one T. Two Ts is the Italian way to spell it. No Italian in our family, in case you were wondering. So, now you know how to engrave that Tiffany sterling silver rattle you've had your eye on. :)

Social Media is kind of like my part time job

Sometimes I think I spend too much time blogging and Facebooking and not enough time doing "real" things like reading books, cooking, cleaning, talking to friends and family on the phone, etc. There are nights where I have a laundry list of things to do but I squander away two hours on the computer, to-do list untouched.

However, I know that I get a lot of value from my social media addiction. I learn A LOT about being a better mom - from other moms and MoTs, from sites and blogs geared towards teaching parents about nutrition and development, where to find the best parks, great deals on baby/kid stuff and other product recommendations, etc. I make connections with people I never would have otherwise through FB and blogging and that helps keep me sane and somewhat fulfilled as being a SAHM can be very isolating.

Today, I had a serious windfall from my addiction/part-time gig. A few days ago, I entered a contest. How did I hear about this contest? On Facebook. I am a "fan" of Isis Maternity and they were giving away an Ergo baby carrier with infant insert. How did I enter? I had to go leave a comment on their blog. So I did. And today I got the email that said I won! By my estimates, I just saved us $137.00!

So that totally justifies everything, IMO. :)

I Love This Age

Today, we had no plans. Just one of those days where there is no play date scheduled, no class, no EI, no special errands to run. But hey, it's no big deal these days. Lately, I feel like I don't need a plan. My kids are at that age where they can play at home or play outside and it's all good. This makes life seem so much easier than it was even a few months ago.

We went to a new park today that wasn't a huge hit with the kids but they still had a good time. When we got home, it was 11:20, still a while before lunch around noon. So, I opened the patio door and let them go outside if they wanted. They toddled on out while I racked my brain for lunch ideas. As I was preparing their food, I could hear them laughing up a storm outside. I stuck my head out to see what was going on: they were chasing each other around their little plastic house, playing peek-a-boo through the windows, opening and closing the french door. After 20 minutes (a substantial amount of time in Toddler World), I had to beg them to come inside and eat. It's amazing how much fun they have in the yard together doing a whole lot of nothing!

And for me, it's so freeing. I can see them from the window and the patio door. I can hear them easily if something goes wrong. The yard is fenced so I don't have to worry about any runaways. And I get to cook/clean/whatever while they have a blast. And when I'm done, they're happy for me to join them in their silly games. And I'm even happier to oblige. I know they won't be like this forever, sadly. This is one phase of childhood I will sorely miss once it's gone.

Easter Weekend Recap

As our family grows and gets older, Billy and I are trying to build some traditions that will make our family-time even more memorable. I always nag him about his family traditions but they always involve going to their beach house and since we live in New England and don't have our own beach house, it's hard to recreate his childhood memories. Alas, we are stuck with mine.

So, Easter consisted of too much food (as any good holiday should), baskets filled with chocolate and toys, and eggs of all colors. Grammy and Grandpa provided the baskets - the kids loved the stuffed animals and preggo Mommy loved the chocolate. Saturday, we took advantage of the weather and dyed our eggs outside. Here are some of the highlights:

Before

Colie, looking like a pro!

Sebas gets in on the action

Tada!

Easter Sunday was pretty low key. Our idea was to start an Easter brunch tradition. But it ended up being just the four of us. So, we only had deviled eggs (from the dyed eggs, which tasted like vinegar because the kids cracked them as they dipped them) and stuffed french toast. Hopefully we will have some family over next year and I will put out a more impressive spread. I might even cook lamb. We'll see.

To make things seem somewhat festive, we dressed the kids in some super cute outfits they got ages ago. It's not often I have an excuse to put them in formal wear. It was totally worth it.

Super stylish Easter babies!

Sebastian is having a hard time sprouting a new tooth so he was a bit cranky - hence the binky. Other than that, we had a very lovely weekend.