What Does "Having it All" Really Mean, Anyway?

Simultaneous phone and laptop use? Check!
But my nails are not that nice.

I was having a conversation with another mom on the way home from school pick-up today. I mentioned something that we're doing next week, and that the tickets were offered to me because I'm hosting a giveaway on my hobby blog. Yes, this one. Yes, you should stay tuned for more details in the next week or so.

Anyway, I joked that I haven't been able to keep up with my "hobby" writing because I'm too busy with my paid writing. That's definitely something no entrepreneur is allowed to complain about. Especially not in their first few years in business!

But really, between getting the kids up and out the door to school and preschool, running home to do some work, picking up the kids, ferrying them to activities, getting them fed and into bed and then doing some more work, the notion of having a "hobby" has become somewhat laughable.

I know I'm incredibly fortunate, and that there is a sizeable chunk of the world that would love to have such a privileged problem as a lack of time to indulge in leisurely pursuits. I know it, I really do. And yet, here I am, updating the blog that chronicled my pregnancies and my early, fumbling days of parenting, for the first time in more than half a year.

I'm positive that it wouldn't have been any better if I had gone back to work full-time. All of the "stuff" that I can accomplish with multitasking, like throwing in a load of laundry while cooking lunch, or folding that laundry while helping M practice for her spelling test, would still be waiting for me when I got home from a traditional workplace.

Somehow, though, I think I'd feel less guilty about all the ways I'm not a Pinterest mom if I wasn't self-employed. I'd have a better excuse for ordering take-out when The Husband is out at a work function. I'd be less apologetic about the state of shambles my house is in, perpetually. Perhaps the best idea is to look back at my idealistic younger self and let her know that there's no point trying to be something you're not. Maybe "having it all" doesn't mean what I thought it did. Maybe it's about adjusting the definition to fit the new circumstances.

What do YOU think?

Understanding Learning Differences: Terrific Teddy by @JimForgan #BookReview

Little kids are awesome! Their views on the world around them are fascinating, and their unbridled honesty is truly a treasure. Except, of course, when it's the source of profound embarrassment for their parents! But let's face it, I think we all know a few adults who could use a little help in the tact department...

M is in school now, which means she meets kids from all walks of life. Sometimes she meets kids who have special needs and learning differences, and it can be hard to come up with ways to explain those differences in an honest, age-appropriate way. It's important to remember that just about everything will be repeated, without a care in the world about who is within earshot.

So how do we explain, tactfully, that some classmates experience learning differences that may mean changes to the way their teachers address their specific needs?

Thankfully, Dr. Jim Forgan, a licensed school psychologist, has given us the Terrific Teddy series to use as a guide when talking to children about learning differences. I received copies of Terrific Teddy bd Mix-Up and Terrific Teddy's Excessive Energy for review.

Terrific Teddy and the b-d Mix-Up (Understanding Learning Differences) (Volume 1)

Terrific Teddy's Excessive Energy (Understanding Learning Differences) (Volume 2)

I read them with M and *I* thought the books were helpful and sweet. But let's face it, I'm not the intended audience! M also really enjoyed the Terrific Teddy books. She read them to her little brother. She asked to read them again and again. Several weeks later she asked a question about a classmate with a speech impediment, and we were able to relate it to what we learned in the Terrific Teddy books.

Parenting is fraught with difficult questions and potential landmines at every turn. The Terrific Teddy series helps parents answer at least some of those questions with grace. 

* Disclosure: I received complimentary copies of the above noted Terrific Teddy books to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated, and all opinions expressed are my own. I participate in the Amazon Associates program, and if you purchase the Terrific Teddy books using the links above, I will receive a small commission. This in no way influences my opinion of the Terrific Teddy books. 

Talking to my daughter about #womenslives

It's a common scene for us, walking around our neighbourhood. It's a safe place with good schools and a real sense of community. There are often people out on the main strip holding clip boards, talking to passers-by about charitable organizations. This day was nothing out of the ordinary, except that it was the first time that I had to have a conversation about the place of women in the world.

On this day, the logo on the back of the clip board was the one for "Because I am a Girl." For those not familiar with the organization, this is their mission: "Because I am a Girl is a global initiative to end gender inequality, promote girls’ rights and lift millions of girls – and everyone around them – out of poverty."

The thing with (almost) six-year-old children is that they ask questions about absolutely everything. Because I have a firm pledge to always answer my children honestly when they ask a question, this sometimes leaves me struggling to find an age-appropriate way to explain what is happening in the world around them.

I told her that she is lucky to live here, because in some places in the world, girls are treated very differently. And then I shut up, because I realized that even here some girls are still treated very differently. I don't know how to answer these questions about the role of women in today's society because frankly, we get the short end of the stick an awful lot of the time. I make sure to mark the anniversary of the massacre at L'Ecole Polytechnique every year. Will I tell her that? How will I explain that right here in Canada women were murdered because they were born with an X instead of a Y.

I don't know the answers, but I know that doesn't mean that we should stop asking the questions. That's why I'm pleased to take part in Across Women's Lives, a collaborative radio, web and social media coverage of gender equity around the world hosted by SheKnows Media and Public Radio International. I'll be sharing experiences about #womenslives on Twitter and Facebook. Please follow along!

Dear Moms at the Toddler Playgroup, I'm Sorry!

You may remember us from the Parent and Toddler Playgroup. Mine is the gregarious, affectionate little guy who gave several of you big, unprompted hugs. Yes, I know, he IS adorable, and super-duper sweet. He's a little on the small side for his age which makes all the running and talking that little bit more endearing. He also hugged a bunch of your kids and kissed the communal toys. I'm *really* sorry about that in particular.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You see, when we were leaving the house he was a pretty cranky little bugger. The deep snow has kept us chained to the house for most of the week and I figured he had just had enough of looking at the four walls around him. A change would do him good, right? So I bundled him up and gave my shoulders one hell of an awesome workout, pushing him in the stroller all the way to the playgroup.

He ran and jumped and played, we came home for lunch, I put him down for his nap, and everything seemed fine. It wasn't until a few hours later, after he woke up, that the "scene from The Exorcist" eruptions began to literally spew out of him. Within 8 hours it was clear that no family member was going to be spared this indignity. Suffice it to say I'm pretty grateful for the "sanitize" settings on my washer and dryer right now.

With the gift of hindsight, it's pretty clear that his morning fussiness was because of the coming (literal) shitstorm. Given the incubation period of the average norovirus, it is only now clear to me that he was probably contagious as he was was all up in your face. And your kid's face. And slobbering all over the toys. In my defence, if I had known what lay only mere hours ahead, I never would have taken him out. Really, I had no idea! Nevertheless, if it makes you feel any better, (and as you furiously work on decontamination, it probably doesn't) I feel like a giant asshole for unknowingly spreading a plague. Just remember how cute he is and how happy that hug made you as you plot your revenge.

When Doing Nothing Does Something

A Reasonable Facsimile

It was a Professional Development Day at M's school yesterday. Usually this fills me with a sense of "OMFG, what are we going to do all day?" but yesterday, I tried something a little different. Wait, I should back up a bit. Our daily routine is predictably a pretty busy one, and it goes something like this:

• Get up, pack M's lunch for school, help get her dressed, feed and dress Z, and then finally feed and dress myself. 
• Morning programs for Mommy & Z.
• Home for lunch, put Z down for nap and do some work until he wakes up. 
• Go pick up M at school, go to her after school programs a couple of times a week.
• Make dinner, put the kids to bed, do some more work and head to bed. 
• Wash, rinse, repeat. 

Somewhere in there the laundry and dishes get done. And sometimes I even have an evening off to hang out with The Husband. Imagine that!

Yesterday, however, was a little different. With both kids underfoot and The Husband at work all day, the idea of getting stuff done around here was laughable. So I didn't bother trying. I cleared the decks and took the kids to an indoor play centre in the morning to let them run around and blow off steam. When we got back, Z went for a nap and M and I did each other's nails and then curled up on the couch and watched The Book of Life together. 

Taking that time to do nothing and reconnect reminded me why I had these kids. There's actually a name for what happens when you take a day to reconnect, it's called filling the attachment tank. Yes, I spend a lot of time with the kids, but a lot of it spent in the midst of doing something else. Once in a while, the damn laundry can wait. Let's face facts, it's not going anywhere. Ever. But someday these kids won't have any interest in lengthy cuddles on the couch.

Have you tried taking a break from all the "stuff" that needs to get done, just to spend some time doing nothing with your little people? Tell me how it went! 

Operation: Get in the Frame

She's alive! 18 months after welcoming our Little Cat Z to the world, the fog has lifted. A lot has changed, most notably my decision not to go back to full-time work after my maternity leave ended in June. I'm a bona fide work at home mom, squeezing in all the freelance writing and PR consulting I can during naps and after bedtime. M's after school programs are a breeze now that I'm able to make it to something that starts at 4:00. Z and I fill our days with trips to a neighbourhood play centre and running all the errands that filled our weekends when I worked outside the home. It's always busy, it's sometimes exhausting, and all this extra time with my kids makes every single sacrifice so worthwhile. 

Perhaps the biggest change has been my feelings about self-care. Turns out that I finally got the message: I can't be a good mother or a good wife if I don't put my own mask on first. Which brings me to the latest operation: STOP HIDING FROM THE CAMERA! If you've been around here for a while, you may remember Operation: Try Again and Operation: Momentum from way, way back in my pre-pregnancy days. I had every intention of getting back on the wagon shortly after Z was born. However, he is not a Unicorn Baby like his sister, who was sleeping through the night at six weeks old. Little Z took until he was nearly a year old to get with the program. There I was, damn near insane from an entire year of fragmented sleep, and feeling pretty icky all the time. Something had to change. 

Monster Dash 2014

Enter The 21 Day Fix* It really is as simple as it seems. Follow the meal plan, do one video every day (there's a modifier for those just starting out), and ta-da! I also further modified the exercises on my own to avoid activities that bug my bad knee or those that could worsen my diastasis recti. Now, I know what the cynics among you are thinking... Well, duh! If it involves eating less and moving more, ANYTHING will work. To that I say, well smart ass, why aren't you doing "anything" if it works so well? Oh, that's right! Because getting started is a lot easier with the structured approach of an actual plan. In the initial 21 days, I lost nine pounds and several inches, including 3.5" off my waist. 

That was in June. I have continued following the meal plan (more or less) and have gradually been increasing the intensity of the exercise. I joined the gym again and have been consistently going several times a week. I ran a 5K this fall, proving something to myself and setting an example for my daughter who ran the family race with me. I'm now down 27 pounds, my waist circumference and waist-hip ratio are *thisclose* to getting out of the danger zone, and I can get through the day without collapsing in exhaustion in the evening. I can back off on the efforts now, right?

HELL NO! 

Next up, Insanity Max 30* I'm no longer doing this because I want to get pregnant. I'm not doing this for my husband. I'm not even really doing it for my kids. IT'S ALL ABOUT ME! I'm tired of avoiding the camera or not sharing family photos because I'm worried about the extra chins or the size of my belly. So, I can do something about my self-esteem and my body image, which would require a time machine, or I can do something about how woman in the frame looks to me any everyone else. Since I haven't been able to find any time machines, I'll have to keep going on the weight loss. Dammit. 

You, dear readers (all 6 of you who may still be around), get to come along on this journey too. To keep myself accountable I'm launching another mission. Operation: Get in the Frame commences on December 29th. You can expect semi-regular progress updates, and eventually I may feel like sharing some Before & After pictures. Stay tuned!

* Disclosure: I am not a BeachBody coach, I don't have plans to become one, and I am not being compensated for sharing my feedback. However, my friend Sandra is a BeachBody coach, and the links to the programs I have used with success are associated with her profile. If you place an order, she will earn the standard coach's commission. If you don't want to order anything, that's OK. You should like her Facebook page anyway, because she's lovely and she shares all kinds of motivational tips and anecdotes. 

Life with TWO parasites

So this life with two small children... It's busy. Like really busy. But busy in SUCH a good way... most of the time. The Husband and I sometimes wonder if we're dreaming, like this is too good to be true. Apparently that's common for people who have been through infertility and pregnancy loss. Every so often I let myself think that Z started off as a pair of twins and I get a little sad, but then I push those thoughts aside because we have two beautiful children and that's just the size our family was meant to be.

M is days away from her 5th birthday and her sass gives me a run for my money every single day. So far this year, she has been to Disney World and Disney on Ice and gone on a maple sugar tour and on her first trip to the theatre for another little friend's birthday. She's into art and music and is turning into quite the little gymnast. She conquered Space Mountain, and will not hesitate to hell you her first real, grown-up roller coaster was "AWESOME!" She is fearless, that little girl of mine.

Little Cat Z is 10 months old and getting to be more fun every day. This is the happiest baby on earth. His giggles brighten my day, and he has taken to sleeping in late enough that I need to wake him up to keep to our daily routine. On the days he has been dragged out of bed, he spends that first half hour quiet and extra cuddly. It's the very best way to start the day. Otherwise he is a mad man, a speed demon crawler, pulling up to stand at every piece of furniture in the house. Walking cannot be far behind.

You know, neither one of us wanted kids when we first met. I guess we had just never met someone we wanted to have kids with. I'm so glad we both changed our minds!

Vicks Starry Night Humidifier #ProductReview

Hey, my calendar says SPRING starts this week! So... Why does my backyard still look like a frozen wasteland? Seriously, LOOK AT IT! When I was asked to review the Vicks Starry Night Cool Moisture Humidifier, I thought the cold & flu season might have run its course in my house. Luckily (?) I was wrong! Before I tell you about my experience, here are some fun facts:

New Health Survey of Canadians – A new survey of approximately 750 Canadians (random sampling of male & female reflective of Canada’s demographics) was conducted by the makers of Honeywell Air Purifiers and Vicks Humidifiers & Thermometers.  Below are some of the interesting findings:

• Nearly half (43%) of Canadians suffer from airborne allergies, and in almost a quarter (22%) of homes at least two people are allergy-sufferers.
• The majority of Canadians (69%) estimate that having a sick child costs over C$20 a day, and 18% estimate that it costs over C$100!
• Most respondents (64%) indicated that fever scares them, and 70% of parents call the Healthline or doctor at least sometimes when their child is sick.

 Dr. Dave Greenberg offers these tips about cold and flu:

• Flu Facts - When homes are kept at the optimal 40-60 percent relative indoor humidity level, flu virus survival in the air can be dramatically decreased - by up to 30%.  Homes with radiant heat see a bigger decrease in flu virus survival when using a humidifier compared to homes with forced air heat.
• Time to Recover - They might be running around the house, feeling healthy but it’s important to keep kids home from school, play dates, and after school activities for at least 24 hours after their fever breaks.
• Prevent & Protect - Many people say the best way protect yourself and your family from the flu is with the vaccine. It takes about two weeks for your body to develop protective antibodies, so the sooner you get vaccinated the better.

It turns out M was the first to need the Vicks Starry Night Cool Moisture Humidifier. I mean, getting sick sucks when you're nearly five, but having an awesome light show softens the blow, right?

The Good: This thing is quiet. Like less than a whisper, good thing it has a light on it because otherwise I wouldn't be sure it was on kind of quiet. It releases an invisible vapour, which keeps little hands away from temptation. The starry night display is really cute and made being sick a little less unfortunate.

The Things I Would Change if I Could: The light show is great, really cute. And very entertaining. So entertaining, in fact, that I think it may have disrupted sleep a little. I would LOVE to see a timer in the next iteration. There is a filter in the humidifier that filters out impurities, but needs to be replaced periodically. Maybe it's my own lack of organization, but I can see that being a problem down the road. "Uh-oh, she needs the humidifier tonight! Ah, crap. The filter is crusty!" A reusable version that could be cleaned would be awesome.

Overall, I think it's great and the quiet operation is enough of a boon to make put it in the recommend category. Want one of your own? Here's what the manufacturer has to say: "The new Vicks Starry Night Humidifier releases cool moisture into the air, providing temporary relief from dry air discomforts. A cool mist humidifier helps keep air at a comfortable humidity to help relieve nasal and chest congestion. Available at London Drugs, Wal-Mart, Loblaw, Toys R Us, Target & Rexall. SRP of $59.99"

Or, better yet, ENTER TO WIN The Mommy Knows Best Prize Pack, valued at over $350.


Disclosure: I received a Vicks Starry Night Humidifier from Vicks & Braun for review purposes, but no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are my own.

We experienced a #MapleSugarRush with @ExploreWR and you should too! #DiscoverOntario

Photo by @zamlos
Used with permission from The Curious Creature

Pancakes are a pretty big deal around here on weekends, mostly because they are the perfect vessel for copious amounts of maple syrup. When we were asked to take part in a family bloggers trip to explore the Waterloo Region, we jumped at the chance. What a great day for all of us! 

The Maple Sugar Bush

It started with a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the Maple SugarBush at Martin's Farm with our equine companions, Duke and Mikki.

Mmmmm... Maple toffee on snow!

I'm a little ashamed to admit that despite living my whole life about an hour away from the Waterloo Region I have just never gotten around to doing a tour to see how maple syrup is made. I know, how dreadfully un-Canadian of me! Thankfully, I have rectified this for my own kids, though granted a little too early for Little Cat Z to have much recollection of it. That's OK, now that I'm reminded just how close to home it is and how much fun can be had, we can make this trip an annual event for his benefit. Also, it turns out I'm a "medium" maple syrup kind of gal, but I could be talked into an amber if the pancake is right.

After a break for some maple toffee on snow and hot apple cider to warm us up, we headed off to the St.Jacobs Farmers Market for a tasty lunch. The Husband highly recommends Grandpa’s Soft Pretzels, and this is not a man whose recommendations should be taken lightly, particularly not when it comes to baked goods.

The Village of St. Jacobs

Child provided for scale

St. Jacobs is so quaint, one might think time forgot it. This is probably due to the large local Mennonite population, a group we learned more about from TheMennonite Story at the St. Jacobs Visitor Center. M is a bit too young to "get it" but The Husband and I found it very interesting. The next stop, however, was a little kids dream. You’ll have to see the St. Jacobs & Aberfoyle ModelRailway to believe it. Model building isn't a hobby I could ever take up with any success because of skills required. Like patience, of which I have none. But when people who love it get together to build something like this, the results are spectacular. Another highlight of the day was sampling craft beers at Block Three Brewing.

The Maple Sugar Rush experience was a great way to spend a day with the littles. It's amazing to think about just how much there is to see and do just a short drive away from home. Family Day is coming up and it’s only an hour away. Better still, make a mid-week adventure during March Break. I'm not into crowds so I really enjoyed the weekday adventure, but if you don’t mind being one of the masses and you're really into your maple syrup, go check out the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival this spring.

Disclosure: We received complimentary meals and admission to attractions from the Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation as part of this blogger tour for review purposes, but otherwise no compensation was received for this post. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Have your second kid first: Nap time!

I was completely neurotic about M's nap schedule. Seriously, a total lunatic. I was actually afraid that her brain development would be in peril if she napped poorly for a few days. She's brilliant now and capable of outsmarting me most of the time, so in hindsight perhaps I should have let her skip a nap or two. You know that person who tells you their baby was sleeping through the night at three months old and took 2+ hour naps so they could get stuff done around the house? And you have to work hard to restrain yourself from punching them or at least telling them to shut the fuck up?

Hi! That was me! Naturally, I attributed her fantastic sleep habits to my superior parenting. Naturally, I was wrong. All luck, no skill.

Little Cat Z? Well, he's just not the sleeper his sister was. He's six months old and he has slept through the night five times. Don't even get me started his nap "schedule" because I will laugh in your face. If I don't punch you first. More often than I care to admit his naps are passing out for a little while in the stroller or the Ergo as he's carted off to one of his sister's activities.

You know what? The kid is fine. He's alert and active and quite possibly the happiest baby I have ever seen. The smiles are blinding. If a nap is cut short because we have to pick M up from school or leave for ballet (or gymnastics or swimming or Tiny Tots at the museum) he just catches up at the next one. That stress, that worrying, that pulling out of the hair was for naught.

Have your second kid first: Decorating the nursery

Months before we brought M home, I had meticulously planned the nursery décor. It was a fun and funky jungle theme. Not too girly, because I'm nothing if not practical. I wanted to be able to reuse that stuff if we had a second child. The wall mirrors matched the lamp, which matched the window treatment, which matched the comforter, which matched the dust ruffle (yes really, a fucking dust ruffle), which matched the totally useless crib bumpers. Warm, cozy and inviting, it was the perfect spot for a little baby to sleep, and it was ready months in advance.

And then I found myself breastfeeding a nine pound baby approximately 36 times a night. The totally useless crib bumpers collected dust as she slept in the bassinet beside our bed to spare me the trip down the hall for those endless feedings. When we found out Z was on the way, we bought M a big girl bed set and moved her to what was the guest room because it was larger and had a play room attached. Big girls get play rooms, babies get tiny nurseries. It softened the blow.

The nursery was turned into the guest room because THIS time I knew that baby would spend the first few months in the bassinet in our room. We got around to turning it back into a baby's room this past weekend. Would you like to see the warm, cozy and inviting space my baby currently sleeps in?

Note the picture hanger with nothing on it. The hand crafted wall hanging I made for M moved to her room in the big switch. As it turns out, babies really don't give a shit about matchy-matchy dust ruffles and window treatments. Who knew?

First of many firsts

M is starting school in three weeks. That's right, my firstborn, the one who introduced me to  motherhood, is entering the world of formal education.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

To celebrate this momentous occasion we had a Mommy-Daughter shopping day last weekend. I let her pick her outfit for the first day of school. We went to several stores and she made it very clear what was and wasn't her taste. In the middle we did lunch. She charmed the hell out of everyone around us as she ordered for herself and acted very much like the big girl she is.

I am so damn proud of that kid. She's becoming a mature, self-possessed person of her own. I'd like to take credit, but then I'd have to take blame for a less desirable outcome. And let's face it, it's more luck than skill in those early years. Thank God I hit the snooze bar on baby life with her brother. I'm not ready for it to be over!

Little Cat Z

Our lovely little man, Little Cat Z, joined the family on June 18 at 11:35 am. My water broke at home but contractions didn't start. As luck would have it, my OB was on call. We chatted about it, decided I didn't want an ordeal like my last birth experience, and headed off to the OR for a repeat c-section. We're working on getting him back to his fighting weight of 7lb, 13oz and both of us are recovering well. My family is complete and we just couldn't be happier.

Tips for surviving your partner’s business travel

Are there words more dreaded than “required business travel” when your partner starts a new job? We have a good division of labour in our household so his absence during these trips is strongly felt. The highlight of his last trip was making my daughter cry as I yelled at her to “Just get in the @*&$^ car!” I’ll pick up my Mother of the Year award later, thanks. In my defense pregnancy fatigue does not increase patience. Still, that’s not her fault. I made a promise it would be different for his next trip. Here are steps I have taken to make things easier on all of us:

Planning, planning, planning!
The meal plan features simple, one-pot affairs. Everybody’s laundry was done over the weekend because who wants to discover a wet, musty bathing suit when it’s time to leave for swimming class? The gas tank is full and I have enough cash for the week. Sure, surprises still happen (Hooray! A birthday party… this weekend!) but it’s easier to roll with the punches when there are fewer of them. 

Identify and eliminate potential points of FAIL!
Before I retire for the night I do EVERYTHING for the morning - including washing fruit and pouring cereal and breakfast drinks. It only saves a couple of minutes, but if the FaceTime call with Daddy fails I want those minutes to cuddle and dry tears instead of having to hustle, hustle, hustle.

Respect the routine
The Husband and I handle different parts of the bedtime routine (except when I'm pregnant, when he does the lion's share. Because he is awesome.) It’s tempting to skip steps when I’m on my own, but it’s not fair to expect a little kid to adapt to change in the who AND the what, so I complete all steps in the bedtime ritual. OK, maybe I skip a few words in the bedtime story... This practice will end when she learns to read. 

Know when to ditch the routine
I am a public transit evangelist who eschews the car for the daily commute because I respect the environment, dammit! Except while The Husband is out of town, when the planet can go to hell. Rather than berate myself for running late and then driving to daycare and work, I just budget for parking and carry on with my days. The relief is sweet when I hear about multiple subway delays. 

Revel in the one-on-one time
The baby will be here soon. I don’t have much time left to give my firstborn baby all of my attention. Thanks to advance planning, dinner prep is quick and the dishes can wait until after bedtime. We have time to cuddle on the couch and tell silly stories about My Little Pony.

So far, so good! Got any tips you'd care to add to the list?

Facing Reality

I belong to an online "Mommy Team" of women due in June. Earlier this week one of the members was put on hospital bed rest for the rest of her pregnancy to treat pre-eclampsia. That ended up being a shorter stay than she planned because they had to deliver her baby yesterday. Due two days before me, that's a 29-weeker making her grand debut. Technology has come a long way and that little girl has a 90-95% chance of survival. If there is a God I hope he's in her corner right now.

M was home sick with me on Thursday. I worked from home, including moving a meeting I was chairing to a conference call. With an almost four-year-old it wasn't all that hard to do. "M, Mommy has to make an important phone call for my work. I'm going to put on a 'My Little Pony' and get your snack. Can you be really, really quiet for a little while?" She nodded and smiled. She also let me get almost a full day's work done with occasional breaks for meals and snacks and the all-important application of nail polish. She's a delightful little girl and being her mom gets easier all the time. Or at least less hands-on.

I'm due at the end of June. Moms due at the beginning of the month are getting awfully close to full term. Those babies are going to start popping, and so will mine. Oh. Right. There is going to be another baby in the house really soon. I've finally gotten one kid to the point where she doesn't need me for everything and I'm heading right back to the helpless newborn phase. What the fuck was I thinking?!?! Excuse me while I hyperventilate for a minute.