Spring parsnips

Ruth was full of old wives tales, and age old advice. She told me to leave my parsnips in the ground until spring.

I was quite certain that if I followed that advice they would rot. 

Well last fall at 8 months pregnant the garden lay forgotten. Thus the parsnips sat in the ground all winter.

Today was a balmy plus 5, and so baby and I ventured out to begin cleaning up the garden beds. Here's what we found - lovely sweet parsnips! It seems Ruth was right. 

Time

With my first child, time stood still. Days passed in a blurry haze of cuddles and naps together. It seemed sometimes that weeks lasted forever.

With my second I feel that time is squirming out of my grasp, and I am unable to pin it down long enough to enjoy the moment.  Days fly by in a flurry of activity. Swimming lessons, birthday parties, play dates, errands - and the endless stream of laundry.

I keep reminding myself to be still. To put down the phone. To ignore the dishes and get down on the floor to play trains. To build forts out of blankets and pillows, and turn empty toilet roll tubes into eye spy glasses. To take a moment and stop, and really see my children.  The way the sun turns their small red heads into a million shades of auburn. The way their cheeks dimple as they smile. 

The other day my son leaned into me as I was cooking dinner. "Mama?" He said, imploring me to come down to his level. 

So I did.

He took my cheeks in his hands and kissed me. 

Then he ran off to play with his fire trucks. 

I took a snapshot in my mind and tucked it into memory. 

More toddler ideas

What did mothers do before the Internet? I mean seriously - it's a never ending source of amazing ideas.

Baking soda and coloured vinegar.

You can see where this is going. I had no eye droppers so I used straws and spoons. Not such a great idea. Next time I need the eye droppers.

But he loved it. The fizzing, the colours. It was a big hit!

Painting with a toddler

So keeping a toddler busy is no easy task. I wouldn't trade this time for the world though. To be able to spend another year with my wee farm boy is so amazing. He is such a joy to be around and has a great sense of humour.

I found a use for old wrapping paper. Taped on the wall with painters tape it makes a great canvas for him to paint on.  He was surprisingly good about not panting on the walls, but did ask if he could paint me. 

No.

And could he please paint his sister?

No.

The dog?

Ah, no.

I did allow him to paint his feet and walk on the canvas. I can't be the mom who says no to everything, right?

2015, here we come!

Well thank the good lord we haven't had a house showing since before the baby was born. I looked around today and clearly the fog is lifting from my post baby mind - all I could think was "WHAT A MESS!".


Ok. It really wasn't that bad.  But I am certainly NOT winning any Pintrest awards at the moment. I have 5 baskets of folded laundry to put away. The toys in the family room have taken over. And I don't think I have vacuumed our bedroom in weeks.


So I told hubby he was on kid duty and I made a considerable dent in things today. I even went as far as to rearrange the furniture.  Gawd that man is such a good sport. We get two hours while the wee farmboy naps, and I as I see hubby eyeing up the comfy sofa for a snooze I say "let's move the furniture" with glee. 


So he did. And then he made me lunch. He's a keeper. Seriously.


It's amazing how when my space is organized and clean, my mind is more organized. I can think better. 2015 is off to a good start. Now we simply need to get this place sold, as we have our eye on a 100 acre farm.

Here's hoping the cards fall into place! 

Oh. And I finally got the laundry put away. 

Slowly getting there

Christmas is days away and I feel so absolutely unprepared. Thank god I did most of my shopping before the baby arrived.  Between that and online shopping I think I have managed to cover most of my gift giving needs.


We decided to do photos of the kids for Christmas.  Partly in an attempt on my part to appear normal, and feel normal.  I am really pushing myself to do two things every day.  Fold laundry.  Clean out a junk drawer.  Clean the bathroom sink.  Teensy baby steps towards finding my old self again.


When you have the first baby there is a sea of visitors following the baby's arrival.  They come armed with lasagna and gifts, and it's a heartwarming way to not only welcome the new baby but also to ensure that the new mother puts lipstick on and gets out of bed.


With a second child visitors are few and far between.  So the unfortunate thing is that new mothers don't have the same motivation to keep the house tidy and get themselves "back to normal". 


It's been a real struggle for me. I am frustrated that my body isn't returning to it's old self as quick as I would like it to.  I over did things the first few weeks physically (hard to believe, I mean seriously? Stairs are that bad for you?) and now I may have popped a stitch internally. Jesus Murphy that sucker hurts.


I am happy that I can drive again, although the idea of carting baby and toddler out seems overwhelming. I just need to find my groove again. I remember with the wee farmboy I was incredibly nervous on those first solo trips. So I know it will get easier.


When you are at your grocery store next, and the mom in front of you is juggling a toddler and a baby - please be patient. Smile, and say an encouraging word. It could very well be me.

Baby blues or just recovering?

Don't overdo it.
Take it easy.
Remember to sleep when the baby sleeps.


Apparently the folks who provide advice to mothers post C-section don't have a toddler to deal with at home.  Hubby is beyond fantastic.  I mean, seriously beyond.  I think I am suffering from mild post partum, and I have to push myself to shower and join in the comings and goings of the day.  Fortunately, it's very mild, and I completely adore this new little red headed girl.  (They say that post partum depression can lead to feelings of dislike for the baby - so I am not sure if it's post partum or if I am simply recovering from the surgery and supposed to feel this way.) I simply feel... blah. I can't be motivated to do much. I have absolutely no get up and go which isn't like me.  Everything just seems so overwhelming.


Hubby has been taking on the lion's share of household activities. Making breakfast, taking care of the wee farmboy, tidying up. You name it. He's on it.  Add to that he has been bringing me tea and ensuring that I am comfortable. I am almost at the 4 week mark - and I know if I can make it to 6 weeks I will begin to feel like myself again. 


Right now having a shower seems like such a monumental task. I keep seeing these new mom's on Facebook, all put together with their lipstick on and their hair in place. I am lucky if I manage to get all of the shampoo out of my hair and find a pair of track pants that fit over the incision site.


"Off to my first post baby work out! So excited" - I don't know whether to be jealous or relieved that this isn't in the cards for me. Given how I feel these days I would opt for the latter.


Now excuse me as I curl up on the couch with my tea and my wee girl...and do absolutely nothing.