Just walk...

When the day has been long, and the walls get too close,

When the house is untidy, and the bin is full,

When the husband is away, and the baby is screaming,

When the toddler is moving at lightening speed,

When the washing is still hanging up on the line,

When you've just bathed the dog and found she has fleas,

When the Wiggles aren't even working anymore,

When the dishes are piling up in the sink,

When the bed is unmade and you can't see the floor,

When you'd kill for some chocolate, or maybe some wine,

When you just want to cry, or run away from it all,

Just get out the pram, strap them in... and walk.

Just walk.

Yesterday, it helped.

Linking up with Diary of A SAHM for I Blog on Tuesdays....

These times, they be a-changing....

Life can sometimes lead us in ways that are unexpected. Things can change, and they do. Often.

If you had told me, a year ago, that I would have another baby. A boy..... And that Shane would be in Canada..... And that I would be so happy. I would have had trouble believing you.

A year can seem like such a long time, and yet feel so short.

On Good Friday, last year. I woke up and took a pregnancy test, and then went for a long walk to try and process things. I came home and told Shane I was pregnant. And I was terrified. Yet right now, Charlie is one of the nicest things in my life. Having two under two is not as hard as I thought it would be. Sure some days it is exhausting.... but it is also so great in so many ways.

In October last year, we were on holidays, when Shane got the phone call telling him he got a new job. We were stunned. We never would have believed things could change so fast. But they have, and although it is difficult.... this change has been good for us in so many ways.

I'm not a big fan of change. I like routine, order, consistency. I like planning, and knowing exactly what's  going to happen. But at the same time, often I find my life so mundane and stifling.

Sometimes we can feel trapped in life. I know occasionally I am conscious sometimes of a sense of heaviness when I look to the future, because it just feels so... long. And like so much hard work. But I don't know what the future holds. Some of it will not be good. But some of it will be great.

We don't know what the future holds. We can get excited about it, or anxious. But we live right now.


Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Matthew 6:34



 

Remember.... this isn't home

If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy,
I can only conclude that I was not made for here
If the flesh that I fight is at best only light and momentary,
then of course I'll feel nude when to where I'm destined I'm compared

Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan as I wait for hope to come for me

Am I lost or just less found? On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way?
Is this a soul that stirs in me, is it breaking free, wanting to come alive?
'Cause my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth of who I was born to become

Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the morning
I will sigh and with all creation groan as I wait for hope to come for me

For we, we are not long here
Our time is but a breath, so we better breathe it
And I, I was made to live, I was made to love, I was made to know you
Hope is coming for me
Hope, He's coming


"C.S Lewis Song" as written by Brooke Fraser.

Solo parenting is kicking my butt

I love my little girl, but to describe her as a handful is an understatement.... she's more like an armful! Maybe two arms full, even. I know that everyone says it about their toddlers. But she is seriously one of the busiest little people ever! I have been comparing her to my friends kids, and other kids I have cared for, (and not to be all poor-me) but she really is full-on! She's not bad, but she's just so incredibly busy.

Our house is as toddler proof as possible. But there is only so much you can do. This morning alone, while we had breakfast, did a quick tidy, showered, dressed and left the house, she managed to cause all kinds of trouble. She dumped the bin over and put the rubbish all over the kitchen floor and I'm hoping to God that she didn't eat anything in it, she put her towel in the (full) bath, along with her shoes, because I forgot to drain it. And she managed to pull out all of the nappy wipes. Not to mention all the other assorted mischief.

I've always been a fan of free-range parenting, but with Georgie it's a little bit like an extreme sport. I love her so very much, but at the same time, what I wouldn't give for a pause button!! She really is the most adorable little monkey, and I loves her to bits, but my goodness, that girl!

Night time is really hard, because she's gotten into the habit of wanting lots of cuddles before bed. Which is understandable, she needs some one-on-one time, but it's so hard to give it to her when I have a screaming baby as well. I always seem to be rushing around like a madwoman between crying children at night and some nights it's all just too much.

Fortunately Charlie is such a good natured little guy. He is really one of the happiest babies. He can be jumped on and attacked by his sister and he hardly even bats an eyelid! He does have his unhappy times at night when his reflux flares up, but even that's not too bad. Mylanta and cuddles fixes it pretty well. He is also a champion sleeper. He sleeps most nights from around ten or eleven pm until seven or eight in the morning, so I really can't complain! A good night's sleep makes a huge difference to how well I cope during the day.

I have also been exercising much more and that is helping. I try to walk with the kids every day. And some days I have been able to take a break while Mum looks after the kids and I get to go for a bike ride or a swim instead. I have managed to do some form of exercise every day that Shane's been away, and it's great! It's a habit I plan on continuing when he gets home too!

The hardest part is probably just the fact that we all miss Shane. Georgie is constantly saying 'Daddee Daddee?' and looks for him often. But it is not for long and she loves to see him on the computer through skype. And I really just miss my person, you know? I miss the person who I talk to about everything, and the person I snuggle up to at night. I miss my friend. But the people around me have been so wonderful. My family has been helping a lot, especially my Mum, plus I have some good friends. One of my friends in particular is so great. She has children who are almost the exact same age as my two, and so she 'gets' this completely. She has been so amazingly helpful, I have seen her often and she is constantly doing little things that help lift me up.

It is hard work, but we're coping. We're getting close to the halfway mark now. I really do take my hat off to the parents who do it alone all the time, it is so much hard work! I am tired, and busy, but still doing okay. My husband is coming home, soon. And if nothing else, this time has helped me appreciate him even more!

Top 5 must-have baby items....

I'll start by saying that this is most definitely not a sponsored post (although I will happily accept freebies!). But I thought I'd put together a list of the extra things that I have found that make my life a whole lot easier with my babies.


1. A baby carrier

I don't think it matters what brand it is, but a baby carrier is one of those items that I find incredibly helpful in my day-day-life. I wear it all of the time. It's so handy, especially while shopping, cleaning, and on those days when you cannot put the baby down. I have a Baby Bjorn that has lower back support, and have found it to be more than worth the price tag. But I have a friend who swears by her Ergo carrier. I think the most important thing is that the carrier has good back support. I have used side slings before, but I found them harder on my back and shoulders, plus I prefer to have my hands and arms free, (especially when chasing a toddler!).


2. Amolin and Bepanthen Nappy cream (technically two items... but lets ignore that)

I know there are a lot of nappy creams that people swear by, but I have used a fair few nappy creams when I worked in childcare, and I always found these two to be the best. My sister always used these as well, and we have both never had many dramas with our kids getting nappy rash.


3. A bouncer

There are all kinds of whizz-bang baby holding contraptions, but in my opinion, a good old fashioned bouncer is one of the better ones. Bouncers are cheap, light, and easy to carry around and great in summer. We were given two rockers when we had Georgie, and she hated both of them, so when Charlie was born, Mum got a hold of a bouncer for me, and I've used it more than I ever used the rockers.

4. A vaporizer.

Again, it doesn't matter what brand. But Vaporizers, or humidifiers, are a Godsend when it comes to sick babies. It helps them breathe so much easier when they have blocked noses, and I have found mine to be the difference between a good night's sleep, and a really horrible one when my babies are unwell.


5.


You know what? I honestly couldn't think of a number 5. I tried really hard, but I just couldn't, and I don't want to put something on the list just for the sake of it. I'd love to rattle off a list of things that  would make baby-rearing a breeze, but the fact is, there really isn't anything that is essential. Fair enough you need nappies, clothes and somewhere for the baby to sleep, but when it comes down to it, everything else is just 'stuff'. Some of it might help you as a parent, I know the things in this list have made my life easier. But, really, when it's all said and done, babies don't need as much gear as we think. Feed, them, change them and love them. If there's one thing I'm noticing with Charlie, it's that the time they are babies goes by so fast, and generally, you won't screw things up too badly if you just do the best you can.

Did you find anything to be absolutely essential when you had babies? Could you add a number 5 to the list?


Linking up with Diary of a SAHM for I Blog on Tuesdays. Why not pop on over and see who else has been busy? And say hi to Jess while you're at it!