Embrace the Camera

I've loved this concept since the first time I saw it. The idea is that we moms (and dads) are so frequently behind the camera taking pictures of our children, instead of being in the pictures with them, for whatever reason...be it discomfort with being in front of the camera, or just never thinking to jump in there with our kids.

This whole movement is about creating these memories so that your children can look back and see the moments that you were a part of. As someone who lost a parent as a child, I can say that I truly cherish and love those photos of me and my mother, and of our family together. I love seeing her face as she looked at me, and at my dad and brother. I want my daughter to have those photos to look back on, too.

Embrace the camera today!

Wordless Wednesday

7 Quick Takes: The I'm-so-busy/tired-I can't-even-update-my-blog Version

Sorry folks. I've definitely phoned it in the last couple of weeks. What started out as an effort to expand my blog ideas became an awesome excuse to post a pic and say "Tada! I blogged!", when in fact, no such thing occurred. So. Sorry about that.

1. The kids are keeping me on my toes, and on the caffeine. I reflected the other day that, while I feel very confident caring for three kids, when I have three kids that are mine, I won't get to send them home at the end of the day. Yikes. They are fun, but suck all your energy out by 9am. Still, we're in a good routine now, and everybody seems happy.

2. Amy is 15 months old, and right on target. Her pediatrician actually described her growth curve as "beautiful". She has 28 words, and has suddenly morphed from "Grumpy Toddler" to "Silly Toddler". It's a nice change.

3. I am not doing well on my personal weight loss journey. But I'm still trying, so that's something.

4. Our pediatrician is leaving for another practice. We have loved her immensely (and ironically, she is joining the practice in Olathe where we first took Amy. The doctor we also loved there went to school with and recommended our current doctor. sigh.), and we are super sad she'll no longer be Amy's doctor. Is it inappropriate to give a small gift of appreciation before she goes? Cause I really want to get her a present. And perhaps grab her leg and scream and cry, "Please don't leeeave us!" Well, not really. I swear.

5. Amy was a bee for Halloween. She didn't get the process yet, but she did tolerate a costume with a hood for a couple hours. That was kind of amazing.

6. I'm really missing my family these days. Because we don't know what'll be happening with George's job, we're trying to be frugal and not travel over the holidays. This will be the first time since I got married that I won't see my family for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Not knowing the next time I'll see them makes it even harder to be so far away.

7. George is taking Amy to a toddler music and movement class tomorrow night, since I'll be working. I think it'll be a good opportunity for them to bond, since she's still a hard-core Mommy's girl. Please pray that it's a positive experience for both of them!

Well, that's it from here. I'll try and be a little more on top of things...like writing posts on the weekend so I only have to click "Publish" later. lol...baby steps, Emily, baby steps.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

So, this first one won't be entirely "wordless", but just a blurb to explain. Enjoy!

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_wordless_wednesday

Why I Love Fall, Episode 1

#1) Apple Picking!

This was the first (halfway rotten...we were too late for the good ones) apple we handed her. She refused to put it down and carried it around the whole time we were in the orchard.

Yep. Four. That was the grand total of decent apples. Pretty picked over, but it was a great place and we'll go there next year before the "last weekend for u-pick".

#2) Breaking out the fall jackets and Amy's sweet new kicks!

#3) Pumpkins!

Daddy helped her pick the very best one!

This one is George's...I told him not to carve it so early, but he was so excited, and the seeds were SO good! We'll wait to carve Miss Amy's for a couple weeks.

Stay tuned for Episode 2! This is my favorite season, and there are still so many "fall things" left to enjoy!

Making Adjustments

Well, we've had a quite a week here! On Monday, I started watching a little boy, Baby T. He's such a sweetheart, and it's fun to have an infant around again! Exhausting, but fun. :)

Amy has been...ok, as far as her treatment of Baby T goes (no, hitting, pushing, or anything harsh), but she's having a really hard time getting used to her mommy being needed by someone else. If I'm holding him, she tries to squeeze onto my lap and wants me to read a book. If he's playing on the floor, she puts herself in between me and Baby T, making sure that she's the one closest to me. She's really hard to deal with if I need to leave the house in the afternoon after baby T goes home, and is resisting at bedtime.

Besides taking care of Baby T, I've been working on a project for a former employer in the evenings...some extra office work he needs done. So, 4 nights out of the week, I'm leaving before the bedtime routine begins so that I can get a couple hours in without getting home too late. George says it's not going well after I leave.

As much as I know I can't coddle her, and how much this extra income means to our family, and our future, I'm really struggling with Mommy Guilt. Where I would have been firm before, I find myself wanting to give in.

I know her reactions are normal, and I know mine are too, but I also know that she'll adjust, and in the meantime...I still have to be the mommy who maintains a level of firmness that I know will be beneficial down the road. God, give me the strength to be a good mommy, even if that sometimes means having to be resistant to the guilt.

It's just hard to see her trying to process the "why" of the new situation, while not having the reasoning to understand it.

I'm going to start watching another 14-month-old on Monday...(we'll call her S. She and Amy are 4 days apart!), and she and Amy seemed to mesh when we met her and her mom yesterday. I'm hoping it will help Amy to have another kiddo her age to interact with, and not just Baby T to compete with. We'll see.

In other news, George will have to go to Minneapolis (again) in a couple weeks, this time for some additional training for his job. Since his company is merging with another, there have been a lot of adjustments, and we haven't been totally convinced that he'd be keeping his job after the end of the year, despite reassurances to the contrary.
So, as much as I hate that he'll be gone for three days, I'm encouraged, because it seems like it'd be silly to spend all that money flying all the techs around the country up to Minneapolis, putting them up, and training them if they were going to lose their jobs.
So, hopefully that's a good sign.

That's it from here! Have a great weekend! I, for one, am looking forward to sleeping in!