Snow baby

   In January we had that wonderful week of snow and arctic temperatures that kept us all locked up in the same house for days. Luckily I was able to keep the majority of my sanity intact without murdering my children....or my husband. In fact it felt nice to spend extra cuddle time with my husband since usually we work alternate schedules. Of course snuggle time turned into sneaking away from our bed since Milk Monster bedshares with us. After the storm, BatGirl returned to school and slowly our routine went back to normal. There were still days of subzero temperatures and snow, but nothing like that one week.
   As our routine went on, small changes began to occur. These changes were only noticeable to myself, and involved my own body. I noticed I was beginning to produce much more milk and this was causing Milk Monster to nurse more than he had in months. At first I thought my body might have been responding to the beginning of a growth spurt in my son. Then my body just felt, well different than it had in a long time. I don't know how to describe it, but it felt as if something within me had changed. I told my husband my suspicion, that perhaps our week of snow had resulted in another baby. He knew I had baby fever and that I had been wanting another child, but he didn't want to get my hopes up. So he tried to calm my suspicions, but it was impossible. I waited weeks before allowing myself to take a test. It was roughly the week my period was due when I bought a pack of tests. I took a test and it seemed negative to me, so I went to bed without saying anything. The next morning, I happened to glance at the test and realized there was a faint second line. I knew of course that it could have been just an evaporation line. So I waited a day before taking the second test. Again, there was a very faint line. My husband wasn't convinced that it was positive, I think partly because he wanted a baby more than he was letting on. So I waited until the end of the week and bought a set of digital tests. The first one was negative, which at first crushed me inside. I waited until the next night to take the second test, and it was positive. I took a picture of it and sent it to my husband while he was at work. There was no denying it now, I was pregnant.
    So we waited until just a few weeks ago to announce to our families that we were expecting. For the most part they seem excited, and we are happy about it. BatGirl wants the baby to be another girl, and Milk monster doesn't really know what's going on. He kisses my belly when we talk about the baby to him, and it is the cutest thing in the world. The interesting part will be when the baby arrives. I wonder how well he will do with sharing mama's milk with the new baby. Oh lord...that's going to be scary.

Name change and WAR

 Oh the joys of winter. The Princess has now decided she be named BatGirl, which I have no objections to whatsoever. What I do object is the madness I had to endure for three weeks. Normally she has two weeks off from school for winter break, no big deal right? Wrong. DEAD WRONG. You see, Milk Monster is a baby of routine. He hates it, no loathes it when anything disrupts his daily routine. He gets up after BatGirl goes to school, eats a banana and some cereal, then drinks from the boob. Right as mommy is heading to work, he heads upstairs with daddy so he can take a nap. Then he wakes for lunch before resuming his nap. Well for two weeks this routine was disrupted with the very first moment. BatGirl wasn't going to school, which meant we all slept in. He doesn't rouse until after mommy wakes up, so his wake up time was thrown off. Then of course sissy is home from school, why would he nap? He would battle daddy fiercely in order to get out of taking a nap. By the time mommy got home from work the house was in chaos. Furniture was on fire! Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad, but you get the idea. Poor daddy was exhausted and Milk Monster was literally a cranky monster running around screaming at the top of his lungs. So the exhausted mommy who had been on her feet all day would whip out the magic boob to soothe the little monster. For the most part, it worked...until bed time. Milk Monster was beyond exhausted and of course you would think this would mean that going to bed was an easy task. Nope, not at all in the least bit. Instead he would run circles on the bed, screaming and jumping until almost midnight. This went on for two weeks. Then, a magical day was on the horizon. It was the weekend before BatGirl was to return to school and we were all looking forward to it. We were so close, so very close. Then, as if from nowhere, a great monster loomed in the horizon. SNOW.
     Snow is fun, beautiful, and a wonderful part of every child's life in the midwest. Even parents can enjoy it, unless it's a foot of snow right before the kids go back to school from winter break. It started on Sunday morning, and my two were already about to kill each other. We were getting an inch of snow per hour with high winds. It was making a huge mess on the roads and I knew school would be cancelled for kids going back on Monday. Luckily our daughter was going back on Tuesday. Nothing could go wrong, right? Wrong again. Not only did we get a foot of snow, but temperatures were below zero. That's not the wind chill folks, no, in fact the actual temperature was about 17 below zero. This meant that any salt treatments would not work on the roads and even the plows were having trouble getting out on the roads to clear the way. So Tuesday morning came and went without them going back to school. Not only did they not go to school, but we didn't go to work. Which meant all four of us trapped in the house, together. How we survived I do not know. Then we began to look hopeful for school to resume on Wednesday. Then our wonderful governor dashed those hopes be asking all schools to remain closed one more day due to the cold temperatures. I was about to go bald from pulling out my hair. We had to keep separating the kids, because every little tiny argument turned into a massive battle that would make any soldier cringe. Then, magically Thursday arrived. We emerged from our home tattered, and emotionally scarred. BatGirl returned to school and slowly Milk Monster went back to his routine. Once more peace descended upon our kingdom. Yet clouds still loom in the distance. The farmer's almanac calls for two more massive storms before winter's end. Our family's survival is not promised, so a chill runs through my bones. Spring is still 56 days away. I hope this will not be my last blog...

Baby Fever

   So that wonderful feeling has struck me once more. That internal itch that nags at you and nags at you until you acknowledge it. Every baby you see stirs up an incredible desire as if you are gollum in Lord of the Rings and must obtain your precious. That's right folks, baby fever. It has hit me and it has hit me HARD. You would think that with a sarcastic five year old that is a constant reminder of myself at that age, and a toddler teetering on the edge of the terrible twos cliff would be enough to derail these urges. Nope, not in the least bit it seems. In fact I think that as Milk Monster continues to grow and hit new milestones the urge merely grows.
   When my husband and I had Milk Monster, we discussed the possibility of more children. He was honest in his feelings that he was happy with just our two children. I on the other hand have a strong desire for more children. We recently had to have a new discussion about this since we had a pregnancy scare. He admitted to being okay with having one more, maybe not right now, but one more in the next few years. Well knowing that he would be okay with another child has only increased my desire for another child. I try my best to not voice this desire, so it won't bother him, but it is becoming too difficult. I have one issue though...will Milk Monster be okay with sharing mama's milk? He is a little piglet even at 20 months old. If my husband pretends to reach for my chest, Milk Monster flips out and yells at him. Then immediately after he chases his father off, he has to nurse. As if he is an explorer laying claim to land. Then there's the fact that instead of using a toy bottle to feed his baby doll, he brings her to me to nurse her. So he knows the concept of mommy having the milk for babies. He is okay with his doll having my milk, so maybe he would be okay with a little brother or sister having my milk as well.
    So for now I am filling my baby fever with the adorable babies that come into my workplace. I can't hold them, but I sure can make them smile or laugh. It's not completely working, but it's enough for now. Sadly for my husband it may not work for long. It's like giving decaf to a coffee addict. It's just not the same.

Mommy Panic Moment

  Yesterday I had a major mommy panic moment. One of those dreaded moments where something happens to your child, and in that moment you are the worst mother on Earth. No-in the entire universe. What exactly happened? Well I was cooking dinner, and I asked The Princess to take Milk Monster upstairs to play in their room. Normally this is an uneventful moment. The most that usually happens is a small argument over a toy. Suddenly I heard Milk Monster screaming hysterically, as if he was in pain. Next thing I know, he is downstairs grabbing at his leg and crying for me. His pajama pants seemed bleached out on his leg. I ripped them off and smelled bleach. I don't buy bleach so I didn't know where it came from. The Princess came down carrying a spray bottle of mildew cleaner that Milk Monster had gotten into. Then it dawned on me, the landlord had left the bottle here. So we put it upstairs under the bathroom sink with the safety locks on it. Milk Monster, being the smart little guy he is becoming, had figured out the safety lock. I called their father panicking and had him come home from work. While I waited for him to come home, I put Milk Monster in the tub with cool water to wash the bleach off of him. He instantly calmed downed and started playing. I was in tears when daddy arrived home. He checked Milk Monster's leg and found that other than his eczema being irritated, he was fine. Then he spent the next half hour trying to coax me out of my mommy bashing mood. Even though it seemed terrible in the moment, accidents happen. Milk Monster is okay, alive, and other than his skin being irritated, nothing horrible happened. We want so badly to protect our children from everything that can hurt them, but we also need to accept that sometimes we can't always protect our kids. We can do our best, but when accidents do happen we need to stay calm instead of panicking. I know, easier said than done. Now I was planning on writing more, but Milk Monster is demanding to nurse.

Disney's Frozen

   Recently my bosses gave us free passes to an early showing of Disney's latest princess film, Frozen. We both had the night off, so we figured we'd have a fun night out with the kids. We treated them out to dinner before heading up to the movie theater. Keeping Milk Monster entertained while waiting in line proved to be difficult. We were surrounded mostly by families with older children, but there were also a group of adults our age as well. I sat on the floor with him, trying to get him to play. Then he did what I had been afraid he would do. He climbed into my lap, pulled down my top and latched on to nurse. I looked around to judge the looks on the faces around me. Most people just looked away. Then I noticed the younger adults, the group that was closer to our age. They looked back at me and smiled before continuing their conversation. I sighed in relief. It wasn't much longer before they allowed us into the theater to find our seats.
     Once we got comfortable, the kids shared some popcorn while we waited for the movie to start. Before the movie started, Milk Monster decided he was thirsty again. I was less hesitant to nurse him this time. He sat in my lap nursing until the movie started. The movie was in 3D but Milk Monster wouldn't wear the glasses. Before the actual movie started, there was an old mickey mouse cartoon. This was Milk Monster's first time in a movie theater, so I was worried he wouldn't sit still. He watched the cartoon and laughed. He even clapped in excitement! Then Frozen started, and he was entranced. As the movie went on, he began to become sleepy. He curled up on my lap and nursed for the rest of the movie. He twisted his head though, so he could watch the movie while still nursing.
     Frozen was a great movie. I enjoyed it, my fiance enjoyed it, and both of the kids loved it. At first, I was worried it would be one of the typical princess movies where she needs her prince charming to save her. I was surprised to be completely wrong! It had two strong female lead characters that grew as people as the movie went on. It had humor as well as a good moral story. It had moments that made us cry, and many that made us laugh. The ending was wonderful and it left us smiling. The music was great and weeks later, The Princess is still going through the house singing songs from the movie! My fiance was happy about the strong female roles and I pointed out to him the possible reason it was written that way. A woman wrote the screenplay! That is not very common in Hollywood. All in all it was a great movie, a great time as a family, and I recommend you all go see it! If you go with  your little nurslings, do not be afraid to nurse them! I was afraid, but there was absolutely no reason to be afraid.

Mommy Hell

   I have been in mommy hell lately. I love my kids, I truly do. But the past few weeks have really pushed my limits.  The Princess is in school now which means she is bringing home every germ she comes into contact with. At first, I only got a slight cold. Nothing too hard to combat with honey and herbal teas. Then Milk Monster began to get cranky. Now I do not mean his normal grumpy crankiness that comes with being a toddler. No, I mean he truly showed his fiery spirit that lays dormant under all of that red hair of his. He threw tantrums, clung to me like a second skin, and refused to sleep unless mommy held him. Of course this also meant he was permanently attached to my breasts sucking the life force out of me. Luckily this probably helped him get over his cold much more quickly. Unfortunately for him....he was also cutting two teeth. So he made sure we all knew he was in pain. Then his sister got sick. My vibrant, hyper active little girl became a sloth. She did not want to do ANYTHING except lay down in bed all day. It was a battle every morning, dragging her out of bed for school. Now when she had a fever she was allowed to stay home and be the sloth she wanted to be. With medicine and mommy's milk, the kids began to feel much better.
   Then irony slammed me in the face HARD. While my kids were feeling better, enough to run around getting into everything in sight, I began to feel like all of my energy was drained out of me. I was constantly coughing, ached all over, and just wanted to sleep. Of course I couldn't sleep because I had to work and take care of my kids. At first I tried to treat it with honey and herbal teas. I took some ibuprofen for the fever and the aches. Then my asthma decided it would rear it's ugly head with a vengeance. You see, I haven't taken my asthma medications diligently since I was in middle school. I've done my best to not rely on them. But with this nasty cold, my asthma began to attack. I was waking up every night at 3 am hacking. I couldn't breathe even with my nebulizer. I gave in and bought some cold medicine. I thought perhaps it would do the job along with my asthma medication. Then, one day at work I found myself unable to breathe. I had to give in and go to the doctor. I was given antibiotics and prednisone to open my lungs while fighting the infection. Finally I began to feel better. Now I am left to face the aftermath of two sick kids, my own illness, and two now well kids destroying my house. Literally I am in mommy hell. But you know what?  I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

NIP and twisted nipples

  Recently we've been trying to do fun stuff with the kids. It's summer and The Princess starts kindegarten in a few weeks. Before it got too warm, we took a trip to the zoo. My kids love seeing the different animals, and honestly Daddy acts like a big kid when we're there.
    As we walked, through the water exhibit, The Princess would ask if certain animals nursed their babies. She got upset because. Only the seals and polar bears make milk for their babies. It made me giggle that's for sure, especially because everytime she said milk, her brother would smack my chest. The zoo was a fun learning experience. We walked by the lemurs and The Princess got excited. I thought it was because of her favorite movie, but I was wrong. She exclaimed 'Look, mommy! That one is nursing her baby!' Sure enough a lemur was nursing her baby as it was clinging to her. I thought this would be.the nursing highpoint of the trip. I was wrong. Milk Monster doesn't nurse well with large crowds. He gets too distracted very quickly. I kept trying to find a spot without a lot of people around. We walked over to the bird sanctuary and I spotted something that made me feel like a kid on Christmas. They had a building for nursing moms! Milk Monster and I went in. It was beautiful! There were three private nursing rooms with curtains for privacy. I sat down in a nice, comfy chair while Milk Monster nursed. He nursed for a full session and I could tell he had been wanting to nurse for a while. It was such a relief to be able to nurse him without him being distracted. I was so proud of our local zoo for building that for us moms. I hope to continue seeing more nursing friendly enviroments around my home state.
   As the tempratures continue to rise we've been craving the swimming pools. We went to a pool a little north of our home. It was a fun, kid friendly pool. Milk Monster was tired that day and clinged to me. He began to fuss and pull at my swimsuit. I sat in a lounge chair and laid him on my tummy. I covered him with a towel to keep the sun off of him. I lowered my top slightly for him to latch on and was able to keep most of myself covered. The woman next to me for upset. She kept making disgusted noises at me. I ignored and kept nursing. Her friend came over to sit with her. The upset woman began to loudly complain to her friend. I was dreading having to respond to her negativity. Luckily her friend did that for me. She pointed out that she was exposing more skin with her bikini than I was by nursing. I did my best not to laugh but it was hilarious.
   When my daughter was a baby I gave up quickly on nursing. I never experienced moments like this. I also never experienced what my son did just the other night. He was cuddling with me and it was such a sweet moment. Suddenly he reached into my shirt and twisted my nipple. It hurt like hell and he laughes. He laughed! He is definitely going to be an interesting child.