I’m free!!!

My newborn son is nursing happily at the boob.  He just turned 4 weeks on Monday, 1 month  today, Alhamdulillah.

My daughters hair is a H-O-T mess

My near 2 year old son had a doo-doo explosion fiasco this morning.

My morning started at around 6am.

…and I just finished my last class towards my BA and got my grade testerday…B+

I’m free !!!!!!!!!

No more stressfully trying  to read books and do homework

I can take my kids to the park, instead of sending them with my husband, sister, or mother so I can decide between the sleep I desire or the work I so desperately need to complete.

I have my husband and children in my life, Alhamdulillah, so I’m not on vacation or anything.

But I’m free of stress that was beginning to get to me.

I did this for me and all of us.

I’m proud of myself, but I’m also happy to refocus on my kids and developing myself in other ways.

Woo hoo !!!

I love my kids

My kids, my joy…

Its funny the love a mother has for her children.

RIght now, at 9 months pregnant, I have to admit…I’m not the nicest person to be around.  As I tell my husband when he asks ‘What’s wrong?’… “I’m annoyed, and I’m annoying!”

I dunno, maybe its just htis stage in pregnancy.  Truthfully, its more than that.  I’m 9 months pregnant, with a  year old and all she briungs, and a 1 1/2 year old and all he brings – also mind you that the whole ‘boy’ thing trips me out.  I’m the eldest of 6 girls, and I tell you this..boys and girls are so very different, even at this young age.  Anyway, I’m also finishing up my BA online in these accelerated courses at Ashford University, and preparing for a big move out of the country in about 2 months.  So, I’m kinda stressed you could say, a new thing for me.  I just feel like I have alot on my plate.  Oh, and I am TIRED!!!!!

All that means that I’m annoyed and annoying.  My kids are just being kids…my boy climbs on the dining room table and puts avocadoes in the Brita, my daughter has ‘accidents’ while trying to change her clothes in front of the toilet.  My son sneaks under the gate that is supposed to be keeping him out of the kitchen, my daughter decides to ‘clean’ the window sill by pouring water all over it.  Yes, they are just being kids.  But you know what, I’m so on edge that it damn near pisses me off.  What’s wrong with me?!

Oh, another thing…I’m big, heavy, hot, sweaty, and funky…yeah…not a good combination.

Oh, and I also need to do my hair.

However, through it all, and at the end of the day, I feel bad.  I absolutely love my children.  They are so sweet.  They say, ‘Mommy, I love you!’, they give me unsolicited hugs and kisses, and just looking at them makes me smile.  My ‘baby in the belly’ kicks and swims and plays with his brother and sister when they touch my stomach, Mommyhood is beautiful.  Being so busy however puts a damper on things.  I am excited to finish up with school just so I can chill out a bit.  Hang out with my children, and focus on my mommy thing.  Spreading myself out so thin is not fun right now, and I feel bad.

Anywho, this is one exciting thing – among many others- about our big move.  Hopefully we’ll have a maid, and I should be finished school, and me n my kids can chill.  I’m really looking forward to that insha’Allah.

Cloth diapering

After weeks of consideration, research and pontification, I’ve decided to cloth diaper my baby. He’s 18 months old, and I have one on the way insha’Allah. Here’s the website I went to, its looking much easier than I thought it would be, so I’ll let you all know how it goes once I really get started.

Diapers – Brand or No Name

Well, its official, no name diapers are a pain, or, are they the way to go.  From my experience they are both.  If you know you want to save money, and most of us do, especially when you have more than one child in diapers, get them into the store-brands ASAP.  That way, they should never have a problem.  With my first child I only used big brand name diapers, I actually found Luvs’ the cheapest of the big names, to be the best in terms of not having any leaks, even better than Pampers swaddlers which I actually liked the look of better.  THis also was before Luvs had their stretchy ber hug fit.

When my son came along about 1yr and a half later, I decided to start him off on no-name Target and Walgreens diapers.  I didn’t have a problem until he turned one and turned into a juice/water guzzler and started leaking through his clothes and wetting his bed sheets everynight.  Thats when I first tried upping the size from 4-5, which didn’t work.  Finally, I decided itwas time to cough up a little extra money and bought a huge pack of Luvs from www.diapers.com .  They were great, no more leaks, and everything was cool.

Recently however, I’ve decided to go the cloth diapering route.  It’s better for the environment, and the option now seem so much easier than the vision I previously had of cloth diapering.  I had about 2 days in between when my Luvs ran out and when my cloth diapers would arrive, so I bought a pack of diapers from Walgreens.

The result, my poor sweet love boy has been getting horrible diaper rash.  I mean, horrible.  I feel bad bc if the poop sits in their for more than minute, and he’s a busy boy so I don’t always know exaactly when he goes, he gets a horrible rash.

My theory, theres some definite difference between big name and store brand diapers.  Having to change those store brands more often to prevent the diaper rash prob cuts away at the money you save buying them in the first place.  If your gonna go that route, stick with it, bc once you go the name brand route, it is literally painful to turn it back around again.

Poor boobies

So, my son is eight months old now, Alhamdulillah.  He makes me laugh, makes me smile, he lights up my life and my heart.  He also, pinches, churns, pulls, bites, and stretches my nipple like its made of some kind of super rubber.

When I’m a woman

Yesterday, my husband made some remark about my breasts as I was holding in my jiggly belly – nothing unusual.  However, my daughter remarked and said, ‘I have breasts too mommy.’  No honey, you have chests, okay.  ‘OK mommy, when I’m a woman I’ll have breasts like you!’  Yes, honey, insha’Allah when you’re a woman.

Wait a minute…when she’s a woman!!!

Homemade Yogurt

This is my very simple recipe for homemade yogurt.

I love yogurt, I use it when cooking pancakes, making smoothies and for baby food (beginning at 6 months).

Ingredients

1 gallon of whole milk

2 cans of evaporated milk

4 Tablespoons of Stoneyfield plain whole milk cream on top yogurt (or 4 yogurt ice-cubes)

Big stainless steel pot

colander

cheesecloth (or clean white baby receiving blanket)

thanks momma

My hubby gave the 2 yr old a bath tonight, so that I, in all honesty, could eat my dinner and watch TV before I did my homework.  It was quite a romantic gesture.  As my little girl walked to her room after giving her brother and I a kiss, she said, “I love you mommy, Good night…Thanks for the food” 

What a sweetie…thanks for the food.  Funny, that makes my day.  My baby said I love you, and thanks for the food.  Yes she kicked her brother in the chest this morning, and she yelled at me about poop on her fingers – don’t ask – as she was using the potty.  But you know what, she is two…whadya expect.  What I didn’t necessarily expect was the thank you.  I love that girl; I love them both so much.   A thank you and a smile is all I need sometimes.

 

cold tea

Every morning, it never fails; I make my kids, my husband and myself some breakfast. I put the water on, put a tea bag in my glass, and set a nice cup of piping hot tea on the table next to our shared plate, my daughters pink plate, and the baby’s bowl of baby food. And then, it starts… Just as I sit down, my daughter needs to use the potty. About a minute later, my son is so hungry; I can’t get the food into his mouth fast enough. My husband digs in to the plate, devours two-thirds of the food before I can blink and eye, and when the baby is almost done, ‘mommy, I’m ready!’ comes shouting at me through the bathroom door.