The "Grumpy Fog" is lifting a little finally

** WARNING** A more personal than usual post lies ahead....

So for awhile now I've had my head in the sand a bit.
I didn't really notice, but I had gotten myself into this grumpy, overtired, completely unmotivated state. And it came on so gradually I really didn't think a lot of it.

But then we went through a spate of about 6 weeks of sick baby and toddler, sick hubby, immunisations, and eventually, after many sleepless nights, a sick me. And by that stage, I was pretty low, but I thought I was just over tired and still getting used to having a baby and a toddler. 

The foggy view from our lounge the other morning. Appropriate.

I won't go into the gory deets, but a few things have been sorted now and as a very quick and unexpected side effect, I'm happier. I am no longer sick and overtired, and neither are my kids or hubby. More sleep has been had. And suddenly, things just seem.... better. Nothing in particular around me has changed, but I am a lot happier, which in turn makes my kids and hubby happier.

I noticed myself that I wasn't flying off the handle as quick and I was more motivated to get stuff done. 

Practicing "Monster Face"

One day I cracked a joke about something and I thought after, I haven't really been cracking jokes in some time... but I hadn't noticed until I started again.

According to hubby, I am "much perkier" these days, and more like my old self.

Monster Pixie practicing her monster face

The kids are getting more attention during the day, as is the housework. 

I am even starting to think about what I am eating again, as well as starting to get back into exercising, which has been a long absence!

How could you be sad with these 2 around?

The other afternoon, my kids were sitting with me on the couch and being extra cute like they do so well, and I found myself loving them so much it made me cry (ok, I'm not a crier. I teared up a lot though) They got lots of cuddles. So yeah. Interesting how things can change without you noticing. I'm just glad that life is getting better again. Even if I hadn't noticed I wasn't "feeling it" so much before.

Taking time to enjoy the Newborn phase, and other things I've learnt.

A couple of things I have noticed in the last 8 weeks since having baby #2:

You really do take more time to enjoy your 2nd (and, I assume, any subsequent kids after #2) than you do with your first. I'm sure many a mama will agree that with your first, it's all about hitting the next milestone, rushing through the development and worrying about every little thing or spot that they may develop. Then, one day they aren't newborns any more, it all rushed by in the haze of sleeplessness and fretting the little stuff.

This time around, we almost feel like bad parents, things that had us worrying and asking for advice every 2 seconds last time, well this time it's more a case of "meh, it's fine" "ahhh hormone spots again" and on it goes. It's not that you don't care the 2nd time around, but you remember from last time that kids get hot at random times, they might sometimes sleep so deeply after a long day that they are really hard to wake, hormone spots are FINE, feeding non stop for 48 hours is ok and they have regular growth spurts.

All this stuff had us worried last time, but this time we knew to expect it so I guess we aren't sweating the small stuff. I must admit that having her get really cranky every night when I sit down to eat my dinner, that still bugs me!

Cute brother and sister pic...

The 2 year old forgot to hold his sister upright.....

I just want to mention that NO she did not fall over.
I was right in front of her and she just slid off his knee onto the couch.

Kids adapt. We stressed, as would any soon to be parent of 2, that Dex would be so traumatised at not having all our attention, and having this new little person around, that it would be upsetting for him. He is the most loving, affectionate big brother. He has his moments where he's a bit rough, but generally it's when he's trying to give her cuddles, he nearly suffocates her with his hugs! His sleeping routine went a bit awol for awhile there, but he seems to have gotten over it, realised Amber is here to stay and that is that.

Last but not least, there is always enough love to go around. I was so worried that after spending 2 and a bit years with Dexter as our one and only, how could we love another kid as much and give both the same attention? You can. Always. I actually heard (on that "all grown up" version of Rugrats, of all places) that the walls of your heart expand when there is another person to love, so that there is always room for more love. Was something like that anyway, but it's very true.

I've learnt so much more, but I was just thinking about all this today, as at 8 weeks, Amber is already out of Newborn nappies and newborn clothes, it's all just going far too fast, and it makes me sad to think that this is likely our last child and the newborn phase has gone so fast. I'm just glad we took more time to relax and enjoy it this time.

The cuteness that is a 15months olds jibber-jabber

I am absolutely blown away by how far my Little Tornado has come in the last week. Besides the walking, his vocabulary has increased hugely!!

Now, besides the usual Mum, Bub, Dad, Dog, Pusssss, hat, hi, bye that we have had for awhile we now have:

My dad dad (hubby loves this one)
My Ted (while holding his bed time teddy, very cute)
Up
Out!!!!!
Mudd (the cat)
Odie (the dog, said in a rather creepy deep voice... must have heard us telling the dog off)
Ball
Bawoooon (Balloon. Very cute, especially when he is pointing at the Xmas baubles in shopping centres)
Duck (followed by lots of quacking)
We can now sing "Old MacDonald" and he chimes in perfectly with eee iiiiiiii eeee iiiiiii makes us laugh every time.

There's a few others I can't think of right now. But unfortunately, with great vocabulary, comes great bossyness. At 15 months of age he is already getting very good at telling us what he wants. Especially if he is crawling. He just rams his head into your leg and keeps pushing until you move, or points at a closed door, looks at you and says "OUT!!"

A lot more of that to come I'm sure!

Weigh in Thursday and another .4kg down!

Ahhh Weigh in day. my jeans were feeling quite loose yesterday and so I was hopeful for a good loss this week.

I am down another 400g :) Not as much as I had hoped for, however I was feeling quite bloated this morning and so a 400g loss is still good.

On another happy note, I tried on some of my clothes from my pre-preggy and just-preggy days, and some of them fit again!! I am so stoked! Still a little tight around the spongey post-baby waistline but still, another couple of kg and I might need to go shopping for some new clothes, even though I have a whole wardrobe of "smaller" clothes, shopping would still be fun!

Was meant to go to the gym this morning but baby wanted to **GASP** sleep, so we will do the grocery shopping today and gym tomorrow morning instead. Am looking forward to it too which is a good sign!! 

Aahhh Daylight Savings!..

Happy Monday everyone!

Just been to the gym while my mum watched the little man. Was a lot quieter this time, maybe because I went slightly later, maybe because it's school holidays, I don't know. Either way it was good!
Little monster is asleep and I have just had a shower and **GASP** painted my toenails! Very posh.  I started on the big mission that is cleaning out my wardrobe yesterday, got most of it done, all sorted into shelves of clothes I currently fit (the smallest section), clothes I should fit in 5kg, 10kg and at the back of the wardrobe up high, 15kg.
I WILL FIT THEM ALL EVENTUALLY!!!!! Preferably the 10kg ones by the end of the year.

That's about all I have to say today really. Little man has had an upset tummy for 10 days now, but is totally happy besides that. Rung healthline last week and they said he sounds like he is fine but I should take him to the docs within "the next 72 hours". I have my doubts they are even qualified nurses, both times I have rung them they have read off a script for the most basic of questions... Anyway, hopefully I find out what is going on, he's hard enough to get weight on him as it is without it all going out the other end!

First Gym visit down, and another 1kg also down!

Well I weighed in this morning and am down to 89kg! (again) I went up last week but from Monday to today (Thursday) I have lost that kg again. Heres hoping it stays away this time!!!

Had my first visit to the gym today and really enjoyed myself. Felt great to lift some weights again, although now I can barely left the baby!! Was a bit of a hodge-podge workout as had trouble finding the eqiupment that I wanted, but will get better now that I know where it all is :)

Better go, baby is ACTUALLY sleeping for a change so going to do some housework and have a quick shower before work!