Should I give it up on the first date?

The day started out perfect.  We locked eyes in the kitchen over coffee and tea and there was a spark. 

We took our time getting ready, no point in rushing a day like this.  We enjoyed each other’s company while I picked out a cute outfit and talked about the adventures we would go on.

First was a small strawberry farm to pick our own strawberries.  We walked up and down the fields with the sweet smell in the air, both excited to take a bite of the vibrant berries.  To my surprise, a beautiful picnic had been planned under a large oak tree.  Sandwiches, drinks, and a hunger for more.

With the car smelling like berries and excitement, we set off on an adventure.  Unsure where to go, we headed for the coast.
I opened the door and couldn't control my thrill when the saltiness of the air inhabited me.  I love the beach, and what better way to experience it than to ride a surrey on the boardwalk?  We laughed till tears formed at the funny looks from passersby and ran out of breath only 15 minutes into our ride.

With our extreme exhaustion an hour later, we decided to replace those burned calories with chocolate milkshakes and whip cream.  82 million calories have never tasted so good.

Walking barefoot in the water and sand, with our treats in hand, we talked about the joys of life and laughed about our adventurous day. 

On the way home, we listened and laughed while singing along to early 90’s music.

We stood in the kitchen drinking some homemade sangria and making manicotti… together.
The day ended with walks through the neighborhood and checking out the beautiful homes.

It was the perfect end to the perfect day.  I have never been on such an amazing date and enjoyed myself so much.  I laughed till I cried; I smiled the whole day through… I was happy.

The key to the perfect date is to date a woman.  A dear friend and I decided to spend the day with our children and forget about men completely.  We set out with five children between the two of us and enjoyed every aspect of the day. 


Thank you April, I thoroughly enjoyed your company and you looked HOT! 
Don’t get too excited gentlemen; I’m not turning lesbian just yet… 


Tarah
Single mama of two pooping machines

Date night? What do we do?

The other night, hubby and I got a date night. It is a rare rare event in our home. So rare, if it was a steak, it would probably still be saying "moo".

We live an hour away from both of our parents, we do not know very many people I would consider close enough to watch my kids (one doesn't like mommy to go upstairs for 30 seconds to grab laundry) and with my husbands work schedule, we really only get to go on a date every couple of months. My best friend and her husband came up to stay for a two days and go to an event together and volunteered to watch the kids so we could go out.

Date nights before our little treasures used to be going 45 minutes up into the mountains for dinner at a riverside lodge, camping for the night or weekend, breakfast at a diner, I used to go to parties, I was a  "woo hoo!"girl, shopping for sexy lingerie, I had Wii bowling parties, UFC fight nights, never once did I worry about getting home quickly or worrying what was happening back at the house . We would just jump in his truck and go. So what is date night like now?

We hurried out the door while the kids were both taking a short nap, we went to a restaurant, we talked about the news from Boston, we talked about the world that will be left for our little men, I ordered one adult beverage and 3 drinks in felt tipsy (Yay for not being a drinker.), we ate and watched the people around us (Some young guys from the local community college baseball team were in front of us , an elderly couple clearly still in love, a family with children around the ages of 6, 4, 5-7 months, and one on the way, a father and son who were talking about school and sports, and a teenage couple who appeared to be on a first date or very new to dating each other.) Now that I think about it, we were surrounded by so many different stages in life. Young love, young adulthood, the child raising years, life with kids on the verge of leaving the nest, and life after the kids leave. Then we left. BUT, we didn't go home.

But where do you go and what do you do after dinner? We did what many home owners do on the weekends, we went to the home improvement store. Why? Because I could slowly go through every aisle I wanted and not worry about when the inevitable melt down was coming, or magic fingers adding things to the cart, or a child running wild through the store. My husband usually goes to stores alone, so he didn't get the enjoyment I was having. I picked out our garden, we talked about paint colors for our room, I planned my dream kitchen, I sat on toilets and we did a reenactment of the scene from "Couples Retreat" with the kid peeing in the showroom toilets at the store, we laughed, and then we went home...all before 8 pm. What has become of us?

We are parents to small humans who we love. As much as I want a break and to go out with my husband and have him to myself, I miss the kids when I am gone and look forward to that hug when I walk in the door. Date night has definitely changed from 4 years ago, but I value them more now than I did before. They are more precious when they do happen and being able to eat my dinner next to my husband, holding hands, and not sharing is almost like Christmas.

Lynea

Full-time teacher, Full-time mommy, Full-time guilt

Guilt. That word. It has so many meanings and connotations.

Guilt. I am a teacher who works full-time and also coaches basketball in the winter, which brings my work to over full-time. I also recently became single (J’s dad and I are getting divorced). All these things put together mean one thing: Guilt. I ask myself, "Am I a horrible mom because I work?" This question, I don't have the answer to and probably never will. But the question remains and is always in the back of my mind.

Guilt. I come from a family of very strong-willed, independent working women. They told me from the moment I got pregnant and knew that I would be working, “it’s quality time with your kids, not quantity.” I wanted so badly to believe this. J was born in March of 2010 and in 7 weeks time I would be leaving him to get back to work (I only worked for 3 weeks though because summer vacation started). However, extreme guilt took over when I returned. I knew it would only be for 3 weeks and then I had the entire summer with J, but it was very hard especially because I was nursing (another blog will be written about how I breastfed him for an entire year without formula while working). We, however, all survived and have a nice routine that has worked for us the last 3 years. 

Guilt. I am a working mom because I need to be- financially and emotionally. I WOULD NOT be a good mom if I stayed home. That is personal for me only. I know so many great mommies who stay home and are fabulous!  They can do it all and still be amazing. I am just not one of them. I am very much an independent person and need “adult” time which I get at work with my colleagues. My job as a teacher also keeps a roof over our heads, food on the table and money for J and I to have our weekend walks to Starbucks. :)

When I get vacation time like summers, Christmas break and spring break, I don't take them for granted. This is the "quality" I alluded to back in paragraph 2. J and I spend days catching up on things I don’t get to do with him because I am at work. We take vacations and day trips to see friends and family.

So after 3 years, do I still believe that “it’s quality time, not quantity?” Yes. I do everything I can to make the quality time with J educational, fun and memorable. In these moments the guilt goes away. The feelings of regret go away.

Written by Chantell

Spotting the "Perfect" Mom

We've all seen them, we've all despised them… we're probably all friends with one of them.

Have you ever come across the perfect mother?  Face it, we all think we’re exceptionally awesome at being a kick-ass mom but there are some who take it to extremes.

First, let me say this- I’m not great.  I “try” to be a great mom but there’s only so much you can do when you’re tapping an IV of coffee into your arm each morning like morphine.
“Good morning sweetie, if you’d like to live to see tomorrow, you won’t bother mama till she’s on her second pot of coffee.  You know the drill baby girl.”

There are some moms who are able to bounce out of bed in the morning to make fantastic healthy meals with whole wheat bananas, a fresh slice of homemade orange juice, and a tall glass of toast.  They get their planners out and make sure they haven’t double booked play dates while calling other mom friends to discuss matching outfits.  These moms are loaded with supplies and emergency items, all while dressed to impress. 

Not that you didn't already know, but I am NOT that mom.  This morning my daughter had a balanced meal of Cap’n Crunch while wearing the same floating skirt she has worn for the past two days.  Who would've thought it would be so difficult to get a 4 year old out of a zebra print tutu..?
I would love to take my children on play-dates with other moms, but I have yet to come across a mom who thinks it would be fun to start a baby fight club.  First rule of baby fight club; we don’t talk about baby fight club.

As much as I would like to claim to be a health nut in front of other moms, the fact still rings in my ear that I have a hidden stash of stale mini marshmallows in the center console of my car.  I shove handfuls in my mouth when the kids are asleep in the backseat.  I've only been caught once… she didn't like that I wouldn't share.

When I leave the house, I only grab what I see when walking out the door…
My keys- CHECK
My wallet- CHECK
Chapstick, of course- CHECK
iPhone, DUH- CHECK
Oh yeah, the kids.. oops.

I’m not the ideal mom to go out with.  Chances are, I have forgotten all the important items like, extra diapers, snacks, water… common sense.

But fortunately, there’s light at the end of this evil tunnel.  I may not have an extra baggie of cheerios to snack on, but it’s a great form of entertainment to watch that perfect mom’s children scream at her while she tries & fails to discipline in public.

I guess when it comes down to it, I may not be completely prepared or know what I’m doing half the time, but my parents trained me well in matters of the evil eye and I do believe that’s the key to great parenting.

Tarah

Single mama of two pooping machines

C's Birth Story

At 10:30 pm on 2/22 I started having regular contractions that lasted 90 seconds and were 4 minutes apart. I didn’t feel they were strong enough to call the midwives, but Tyler insisted at 11:30 pm. In the next few minutes they arrived. They decided to watch the contractions, timing them, and decided to hang out for at least two hours to see if they got stronger. Two hours later my labor had not seemed to progress.

.

Julie asked if I wanted to be checked. I hadn’t planned on being checked, but in that moment I felt defeated and curious. At 1:20 am on 2/23, I was 7cm, +1 station, cervix posterior. I was shocked that I was 7cm – I had not expected that!

.

At 6:00 am, there were no changes. Since I hadn’t progressed and my contractions had stopped I told them to go home and get some rest. Julie suggested I try inversions after resting. She felt that his head was so low that it was impeding my cervix from moving forward and dilating any further. I knew since I was 7cm it would not be long before our son would join our world. All I wanted was sleep! When I woke up I would try the inversion.

.

I tried the inversion at 12:00 pm. Oh boy did that hurt! Having the baby come back out of my pelvis in the wrong direction is probably the strangest sensation I have ever experienced. I checked myself at 2:00 pm and my cervix had finally moved forward! At 2:00 am on 2/24 I had my third bloody show as of date. Contractions were steady and uncomfortable yet faint, not seeming to put me into transitional labor.

.

I woke up on 2/24 around 10 am when Tyler left for work (a little late so I could sleep in while he helped J with her morning routine). When I got up I walked to the kitchen and a small gush of wet came out of me. I thought in a sleepy and confused way “Oh that might be my water breaking”. I calmly go to the bathroom and check my underwear it was slightly pink but very watery. I call Julie to let her know what happened and that I’m not having contractions. I was to have an appointment with Julie and Angela at 3:00. They said on their lunch break they would stop by and see how I was doing.

.

I went about my morning. I sat on the couch to wait for Tyler’s parents and watch cartoons with J. A few minutes later I had a contraction. Now, this contraction was much stronger than any I had been experiencing up to date, which made me stop because it hurt quite a bit. I called Tyler and said, “I think it’s time, but don’t come home yet – I will call you when I know for sure.” I had another contraction. This one brought me to tears, not because of the pain, but because in that moment I realized that this was happening right now – my son was coming today. I felt I would do most of my laboring alone like when I had J and for some reason that made me scared and tearful. I called Tyler again and informed him while sobbing, “This is real, I need you here!” Tyler’s parents came over to help with J until Tyler was able to get home. Tyler arrived and I decided that I wanted to be in our room so I could have more privacy and Tyler could start filling the tub.

.

I was on my birthing ball, using the bed for balance and trying to relax through each contraction, when my midwives arrived. Julie watched me throughout the contraction. When it was over she stated that I was actually in labor – that I was completely focused on the contraction this time. I continued to sit on my ball doing wide, rolling hip circles. I decided the tub seemed like a good idea at this point, and as soon as I got in it eased the contraction pain and I relaxed. I tried different positions to see what I liked. I sat on my knees while having them spread out, I leaned forward, backward, but mostly I was squatting. I relaxed as much as possible and let the contractions do their job. In between contractions I kept conversations going with my midwives and Tyler. I wanted control and knowledge over my birth so I had my hand down to feel where his head was. I felt his head was about half a finger inside of me and the bag was still intact with a little bit of squish (that’s an official term). I kept my midwives informed on what I felt.

.

J wanted to see us so Tyler’s mom brought her in. She asked if I was ok and let us know that I was having “baby brother”. She was excited and doing very well with the situation. She left to lay down for her nap as I continued to labor in the tub.

.

At each contraction I felt his head move down a bit but as soon as the contraction was over his head slid right back to where it was before. I did notice though that the bag around his head was bulging much more than before, it took a little push on it to feel his head when I had felt his head right away before. So I decided to get out of the tub (around 2:30p) because I felt I wasn’t progressing. I decided to pace the room and see if it helped me to get things moving but that was causing even more pressure in my back. I decided to do wide hip circles on the ball again. This time, each circle I did gave me a really hard contraction. After awhile I was ready for the tub again. It felt like HEAVEN!

.

Julie asked me if I wanted my water broken. She said she would rather not break it, but if I wanted to I could actually do it myself. All I had to do is push on the bag with my finger during a contraction and it should pop and break. I was not ready for that step yet. I continued to labor and started to feel rather discouraged so I decided that with the next contraction I would push on my bag. I was nervous and knew that he would arrive very soon after it broke.

.

I felt cautiously as my contraction tightened around my belly. Internally, I felt the bag get taut and bulge even more. I put a tiny bit of pressure on it and slowly added more until… POP! It actually surprised me and made me jump a bit. “Wow, that was so amazing!”, was all I could think. Then my contractions became very intense. These were so close together I just focused in on my body. I don’t recall how many of those contractions happened before I was pushing.

.

Angela holds up four fingers to let Julie know how much of the head she feels.

Once the pushing started my yelling did as well. I groaned/yelled through each push. At one point I yelled I’m not opening! I felt his head bulging right there but I felt as if I was not opening to let him out. Angela asked if she could feel me and see where his head was. She held up 4 fingers to Julie letting her know that I was open. My midwife, who thought we had time when I said I’m not opening, started to rush and grab the things we needed for delivery. I gave another nice good yell, and a strong push, and out came his head! Sweet relief… Almost!
With J once her head came her whole body slid out and I had expected that to happen this time. I had to give another strong push to get his body out. Tyler was behind me as I was squatting and leaning on the edge of the tub. Tyler and Angela were there to catch him. I was so relieved that he was out! I turned around and lifted my right leg over the cord so I could face them and see my baby.

Tyler handed him to me while he was quietly sobbing from joy. I laid him on my chest, relaxed against the tub, and took in those first few moments with my new baby. Everyone asked, “So is it a boy?” I felt under his bottom and confirmed he was indeed a boy.

.

I was asked to stand up and get out of the tub to deliver the placenta. I didn’t have to do much – I just stood there, as gravity did the work, and gave a small push to get the last part of it out.

.

Then I made my way to our bed. And that’s where I finally had the chance to really look into the beautiful face Tyler and I had created. We laid him on my belly so he could find the breast on his own, as he squeaked and talked to us. He stretched and crawled all the way up to my breast rooted around, found my nipple and started to suckle all on his own! He latched perfectly the very first time. It was one of the most precious moments I have ever witnessed.

.

While I was in a little love trance, my midwives were watching my bleeding. Due to some lemon-sized clots and a continuous flow of blood (even after massaging my uterus), I took some medication which slowed the bleeding – but not enough. Next, they suggested putting a small piece of the placenta in my mouth stating that the hormones in it would work to stop the bleeding. After cringing I figured, “Why not? It’s better than going to the hospital.” The bleeding stopped almost right after I put it in my mouth. To help me build up the blood I lost, my midwife asked me to drink 32 oz of water with the last of the chlorophyll from the bottle I had been taking during pregnancy. My mouth and teeth turned green from the chlorophyll. I was a sight for sure! Pale as snow and a green mouth.

.

We left the cord intact so that baby could get all the last nourishments from it. After about an hour when it had emptied and naturally clamped off itself we burned his cord instead if cutting it. It took over 20 minutes for it to burn all the way through.

.

C was born at 3:33 pm on 2/24/2012 – weighing 7 pounds 1 ounce, 20 inches tall, and a 14 inch head circumference!

.

I am so glad he is in our lives. It feels as if he has always been here and we are even more complete than I ever thought possible! I love watching him and my daughter interact – no one can make him laugh quite like she can. They have an incredible bond and I can not wait to see how it continues to grow stronger – which only makes me more excited to have more babies when the time comes!

-Courtney

How to NOT Date a Single Mom

Since becoming single, I have encountered a strange species; The Desperate Male.

They lurk around grocery store aisles with value packs of Ramen noodles and Rogaine, waiting for the perfect time to pounce.  Usually with some weird comment about how they’ve never seen someone so beautiful buying whole wheat bread.  Umm... thanks?

I have found myself in some exciting situations that I wouldn't normally give much thought, if I wasn't a mother.  The following are phrases you should probably avoid if you’re looking to get with a hot mama.

     1.       “I’m just looking to settle down and find a woman to take care of me.”

·         You’re a grown ass man!  I have to feed, change, and manage to not kill two children each day, get your ass up and make your own damn sandwich!

     2.       “I know we've just met, but I can’t wait to meet your kids.”

·         HA! No!  I haven’t even decided if you’re worthy of a second date, and by the looks of your psycho stache and that van you drove, I don’t even think we’ll get through this appetizer.

     3.       “My dog is my baby, I lovey wovey him so muchy wuchy.”

·         Baby talk?  Please tell me Ashton Kutcher is about to jump out from around the corner and tell me I've been Punked.  I don’t even talk to my 1 year old like that…

     4.       “What hobbies do you have besides your children?”

·         This one cracks me up, and let me tell you why...   My children are NOT by any means a “hobby” of mine.  As a parent (or at least a mother), we agree to put aside all hobbies and enjoyment till our children are old enough to enjoy these things with us.  Depending on the activity, it may be quite some time before we’re allowed to have fun again.  Hi, I’m a mom and I have no life.

     5.       “What do you mean you can’t go out again tonight? I've never been turned down… Don’t expect me to ask you out again!”

·         Cool your jets turbo!  Sorry I hurt your ego dude but I love my kids and I like spending time with them.  I’m not interested in ditching them each night to have a mediocre time with you and your sideburns.

     6.       “Are you paying for this or should I?”

·         Is this your way of “wooing” me? NEXT PLEASE!

     7.       “Your body looks amazing after two kids; I bet your stomach is messed up though.”

·         Why yes it is, thanks for ruining this date by making me self-conscious about it.  Now would you like to hear an awesome story about how the skin on my stomach hangs, my children ruined my belly button, and how I have to tie up my breasts so I don’t trip over them?  No?  Maybe that my daughter was born with forceps and I tore in the process..?  Don’t want to hear about that either?  Didn't think so...

I have come to the conclusion that all men are pigs, but some have better game than others.  And by “game”, I definitely don’t mean Black Ops.

If you’re a guy who comes across a hot mama and is thinking about going on a date, let me tell you this.  You need to seriously consider what might happen if the two of you hit it off.  I know guys don’t like to think far in advance, but if you hit it off with this hot mama, you need to think about the fact that you could play a serious role in her baby’s life.  Does that freak you out?  Then turn the other way!
There is no point in wasting her time just because you want to cross something off your bucket-list.

If the kid thing doesn't freak you out, by all means, approach the MILF!

Reasons to DATE a hot single mama-

     ·         She makes breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day!  The kids have to eat at some point, right?

     ·         She keeps the house clean… she’s a mom, it’s her job!

     ·         She’s obviously not a virgin…

     ·         She knows how to PREVENT children at this point so you don’t have to worry about accident babies.

The list goes on of course.  What can I say, we’re pretty amazing!

Buyers beware: Dating a single mom can be hazardous to your health, but if you play your cards right, it might be worth it in the end. 

Tarah
Single mama of two pooping machines

Time to Meet the Moms

Welcome to The Pomegranate Twig.  A blog formed by very different mothers who come together for good times, pomegranate flavored drinks, and fun stories.

Chantell- Written by Lynea

Chantell is the strong beautiful mother to 3 year old son J. When she is not chasing around her handsome little man, Chantell brings home the big bucks teaching the youth of today, trying to reverse their thinking that "reality TV  is not real life and an edumacation matters. She has recently begun a new journey in her life 40 pounds and a husband lighter, finding joy talking about health and nutrition. One day Chantell wants to be 100% organic, but disliking yard-work, she will not be growing her own food anytime soon.

Courtney- Written by Chantell

Introducing Courtney. She is a diligent, hard-working, stay-at-home mom who married her high school sweetheart in October of 2010. She and husband Tyler, met their freshman year of high school and have been inseparable ever since. She is mother to two very loving children: daughter J, is 3 years old and son C, is 1 years old. J is a spunky, cute little 3 year old who likes to dress herself and talk to her mom like a grown up. C is a pretty chill 1 year old who can hang with the "big kids" and not have a single meltdown (I can attest to this personally).

As well as being mom of the year, Courtney recently started teaching childbirth classes for a local hospital where we live. She has a passion for working with mothers and mothers-to-be and loves to share her wealth of knowledge and insight about breastfeeding, cloth diapering and many other “mommy” topics. Courtney’s dream is to become a midwife. She is working to achieve that goal by taking courses to become a certified doula first. She and her husband recently purchased their first home and are anxiously waiting to move in and make it their own. Introducing Courtney.

Lynea- Written by Tarah
Lynea is a hardworking domestic goddess who was kind enough to adopt her husband, Ken, from his mother in 2011. They have been happily married for two years, but happily bickering for the past four. She has since become a mother of three outstanding rugrats!

-A is an 8 year old beautiful little girl from her husband’s previous marriage who loves her role as Big Sister.
-Next in line would be L. Charming, flirtatious, and usually naked, he’s of course 3 years old.
-Last, not least, and by far the chunkiest, K. K will be 2 years old in November and has the cutest cloth diapered bottom I've ever seen.

Lynea has worked hard for her Associates in Psychology while chasing children and becoming a housewife. Lynea is one of the few hot mamas I know who can chase growing boys all day and still manage to look great while getting dinner on the table for her husband at the end of the day.

Tarah- Written by Courtney
Tarah is a bold and beautiful red head with the attitude that fits. She recently found herself single and back in her home state of CA after 5 years and two children.

First is L, a doll faced 4 year old (going on 13) who requires a "floating skirt" as a staple item in her daily wardrobe, and rocks out to Ferg-a-licious. Next is E, a bright eyed 1 year old who has the most incredible knack of bumping into walls and devouring all food in sight.

Tarah has maintained the ability to work from home to be the sole provider of her two adorable kids.
She is incredibly strong, vibrant, and with a slightly twisted sense of humor the best drinking buddy to be had. Should anyone dare to cheat her beware, she will come out ahead and usually for free!

One of Those Rare Days...

Today was one of those very rare days with kids where it was calm and everything on the "to-do" list got "ta-done"! The kids played (mostly) lovingly together, laundry was completed (diapers were even folded and put away), I watched an entire movie I had been wanting to see, naps were taken, dinner was cooked completely in peace, both children ate their dinner without negotiation of bites left to be eaten, dishes were done by the husband, and the kids were bathed and ready for bed by 8.

It is really the first day since the birth of K, almost a year and a half ago, where I have seen there is going to be a time where my day is not filled with breaking up toy arguments, cooking dinner with kids pulling at my pants/shirt, seemingly never ending laundry, and re watching a movie 6 times before I have seen the whole thing. It brings both hope and sadness.

I may one day not feel as if I have been pulled 17 directions at once, hit, cried, snotted on, and dealt with poop (human or dog) the whole day. I may not need to stay up until midnight every night trying to regain my sanity from the days happenings.

As I sit reflecting on today, I can't help but smile and cry at the same time. My little guys are growing up and I am not needed in the same ways anymore. My little babies are turning into boys. I have said many times how I could not wait for days like today. I know every stage leaves a giant impact on you as a parent, but I never thought one day I would miss the things I sometimes dread from day to day.

And now to go prepare myself for tomorrow,  for we all know today has most certainly opened Pandora's Box for tomorrow...

Lynea

Why I Hate Being a Mom

Yes, the title is controversial.

We’re all moms here, why can’t we be honest? Sometimes I hate being a mom. Why is that such an awful thing to say? We all think it from time to time and those who deny it are lying!
It’s 2:00pm and the children have refused to take a nap. I missed my mandatory conference call because I was arguing with a three year old over whether she “needed” three lunches or not, all while stealing brother’s baby snacks. To answer your question, YES my son was screaming at the top of his lungs. Probably because he was mad at the air for being in his way. The weather wasn't great so we were stuck inside all day and I was seconds away from pulling out the last of my hair. Not going to lie, I wanted to lock myself in the closet and cry. The children can take care of themselves, right?

In these moments, I have a special chant-
“I love my kids. I love my life. I love smelling this bad. I love my kids. I love my saggy boobs & rear. I love my life..?” Oh wait, that’s not how it goes…

Reasons I hate being a mom-
• Sleep deprivation. It makes me hate myself for being so sleep deprived when I was in college. Why did I stay up so late and party? I should have used that time to bank up all the sleep I would miss as a parent!
• Exorcist babies. When they cry so hard that their head is about to start spinning around in circles… I’m not going to lie, it totally freaks me out.
• Poop. Who really enjoys poop? As a mom we lose all sense of excitement about normal things. What are we excited about now? The things we find in our children’s poop! Not to name names, but two of these other lovely mamas have sent me pictures of the things they have found in baby poop. Yes, we followed it up with half hour conversations. Sad? Yes.
• Poop on fingers. If you've had a child, this requires no explanation.

I’m sure I can continue this list, but you get the gist. Look at that, I’m a poet and didn't even know it!

But then something amazing happens…
I emerge from the closet with tears running down my face and my three day unwashed hair sticking straight up due to extensive pulling… and I’m welcomed back to reality by my daughter’s hugging arms and the words, “Don’t cry mom, I love your hair like that”. My son stumbles over to me like an 80 year old drunk and tries to lean in for a kiss, also like an 80 year old drunk.

Reasons I love being a mom-
• My children. If you’re a mom, this requires no explanation.



Tarah
Single mama of two pooping machines

Favorite Child

I've been staying at a friend's house for the past few days and we have known each other for a long time.
... I think it's been 13ish years?

Anyway... we have children who are the same age. Her son is 2 months younger than my daughter (almost 4), and her daughter is 2 months younger than my son (almost 1). When we were talking about the trials of having a 3yr old, it slipped... I knew it was coming and so did she, but there was no stopping it.
She did what NO parent is supposed to do. It's unheard of and instantly makes you a terrible parent.
... or does it?

Lets just get down to business, shall we?
Is the suspense killing you?
She said her daughter (9 months old) is her FAVORITE of the two children! Her hand quickly covered her own mouth in complete shock and gave the "deer caught in headlights" look. Can this be true? Is it possible to have a "favorite" child? At first, I thought there was no way she could mean this... maybe she was tired or was suffering from that mommy syndrome called Lack of Sleep.

Or maybe she has a point...
When you're a mother of more than one pooping machine, you instantly start having doubts when you get the positive pregnancy test for baby #2.
"How can I love this new baby as much as I love baby #1?"
"Will I treat them both the same?"
"Will everything be fair?"

The answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! You will not do everything the way you did the first time around. Why? Because you LEARNED from your starter child. Think of them as "Trial & Error" baby.
We've all seen the awesome Luv's commercials and they're right, we become a pro with baby #2.
And those of you who have a 3yr old KNOW... yeah... you know.
The reason age 2 is "terrible" is because 3 is SO traumatizing, your mind forces you to forget about it completely so you don't go on a baby killing frenzy. It's your body's way of protecting child #2.

So after giving this some major thought, I understand my dear friend. I also had to watch her son for two days while she was in & out of the hospital with her daughter... and I have to say, he acts like your typical 3 yr old. No wonder she likes the baby more... for now.
But this will change all too quickly, the teen years are coming and probably too fast.

Take it from a mom who has a "little" girl who's 3 going on 13.

Tarah
Single mama of two pooping machines.