Emerson Marie - 7 Months

Hey Peanut! You did some major growing this month! 

She was officially moved to size two diapers earlier this month but they were big, now they fit fine. Emmer is still wearing almost all of her 3m clothes (I just put the first 3m outfit into the storage bin not long ago). When we are out an about people are always surprised when I tell them how old she is. Tiny but fierce, this little one also accomplished sitting up this month!! Don't dare forget the Boppy pillow behind her, but she will sit and reach for toys till she tumbles. 

Day at a glance:

6:00-6:30am Wake up and 6 oz bottle

Play and watch brother till breakfast

8:00ish breakfast of cereal and fruit puree 

Play with some sleep 

10:30-11 time for a 6 oz bottle

12:30 lunch of veggies &/or fruit

Nap

3:30-4 is another 6 oz bottle

5:30 dinner of veggies (sometimes with meat)

7:30 final 6 oz bottle

8:00 usually out within minutes of lying down or snuggling

Likes & Dislikes

She loves to play with Little People

She is not a fan of apple cinnamon oatmeal

She cries when mom leaves (not every time though)

She loves to watch her brother

She hates to have her face wiped, usually signaling she is done with a meal.

She loves to have her head rubbed

Little Emmer, you reach at everything with lightening speed. When it is my face, you reach as if you are telling me something important, and often snuggle your head in to me. You have such a calm demeanor. Your brother is your hero.  You are so very loved. 

Sibling Love

What he has is his. What she has is his. What he has she wants. 

The beginning of many. 

Six Month Photos

Oh this little lady!

 Although I am simultaneously planning out her 7 month chalkboard I am beyond thrilled to share some of her 6 month photos. Our amazing photographer Stephanie captured my sweet little lady and some sibling love perfectly. 

She looks like she is excited to meet this new "friend" she sees!

This last photo is the look in Emerson of content because her brother is near that explodes my heart more than I ever thought possible. 

His playful grin, her pure happiness.

The Working Mom

In the summer I am mostly a stay at home mom. But from late August through the end of May I am a full time teacher and coach. I work.

The SAHM vs. working mom feud is frustrating and annoying. It is your choice what category you fall into, each choice has its positives and negatives, sacrifices and gains. The choice may be because of child care, beliefs on who should raise your kids or strictly financial. Its a choice that you make that is best for your family.

Let me tell you though, first hand experience in both worlds...being a working mom is HARD.

It all revolves around deadlines. It requires quick flip of mental organization and it demands your full attention. There is no down time. That drive to work is not a mental break from toddler talk and diapers, it is a mental prep/sort/stress, as you prepare for work, as you switch from mom to career lady.

The most challenging times are morning and bedtime. They are both a race against the clock at the most irritable times of the day.

I hate to rush my kids. I feel guilty, can get stressed, try to be patient and sometimes fail. We have to rush around in the morning and in the evening and Jackson tries to drag it all out (sometimes not intentionally).

I long to just let him follow his constant distractions and take more time to let him sleep/wake up/play till more tired. We can't though because...I work.

Being on a schedule, having a structure, is important. This however is the biggest difference between working and staying home. There are daily responsibilities. The real world has deadlines, punctuality, and consequences.

I want my kids to know this. I want them to see time management, preparation, and organization. I want them to understand how to work under pressure and to be able to handle life.

Life isn't one task at a time, especially not in our digital world. Life isn't pajama days just because or TV marathons and play dates....and if it is, its because you already earned that opportunity. You had a work oriented set of skills and now you can make those choices.

My work choice doesn't allow couch snuggles, bottles and pancakes at any and every moment. It is daily hard to say good bye, to see pictures that are sent to me, to be uncertain of what they are doing, to wonder why they are tired at night (or maybe not), why they are starving, have blue finger nails or are telling me what they did without me there. It is painful to hear him say "I missed you." It is tearful to watch a tiny, innocent face smile at you then show actual confusion as you leave. It is sad to find out that they learned something new...and you don't know when.

It's challenging, to answer questions of why do we have to, I don't want to, can't we do this. As I fight sleep (or my early alarm) its sad to debate in my head about what has to get done. Groceries. Meal prep. Laundry. Pirate battles. Bills to pay. Doctors appointments. Teeth  brushed. Clean house.

These all still get done between snuggles and the work day. They are all important and despite criticism, they are all about my kids.

I am not here to say one choice is above the other, but I am here to say that being a working mom is hard.

Lay With Me

I can still remember when I was little calling from my bed to my parents downstairs.

Each slow call, gradually louder, hoping they would hear and come up. "Will you lay with me?" I would ask. Not because I was necessarily sad or scared but because they relaxed me. They were my comfort and that's what I wanted...to be snuggled with love.

I remember more times then not when they would come up and lay by me. Often though it was cut short and I never understood why. They would say "Mom/Dad has to go, try and sleep." I would wonder what they had to do that was better than snuggling with me...what did they have to do at all.

Now, my own sweet little one innocently requests the same thing. And now I understand why they couldn't snuggle all night.

I have the internal struggle each evening, the guilt that I feel for not laying longer vs. the anxiety of the things that need to be completed before I too can sleep so we can all have a positive tomorrow.

I've longed to be a parent and have absolutely loved [practically] every minute of it...so why each night do I try and make these moments go faster?

He just wants comfort, company, LOVE. He often talks to much, procrastinating the sleep I can tell his body desperately needs.

It's a war of the moment vs. the repercussions of an extended bedtime.

Lately, I realize that I need to spend more time laying with my little boy (and little lady too).

When I leave his room he grabs a picture of our family last summer that we keep on his night stand. He looks at it, talks to it, studies it, holds it tight. It is a way he found to have us there when we asked him to try and go to sleep.

It makes him happy, because its his family and it's his comfort. It helps him feel snuggled with love.

So last night, I laid by his bed till he fell asleep.