Will Blog for Sleep

Left: At the scene of the crime; Right: Celebrating Father of the Year Being a mother and a casual observer of the human race, it warrants me the right to shed light on the interesting public response to parents out and about with their children. A battle of Mothers vs. Fathers, if you will.   Thankfully it isn't actually a competition.  Because there is a clear "winner"....and it isn't me. Let's start with an the average bus ride experience.  As I board the bus, baby strapped to my front; toddler pushing his way through the sea of legs, it is business as usual.  No one notices my existence or offers a seat.  The only time an eye is lifted is if one (or both) of the children makes a scene.   And these once avoidant eyes now contain harsh scrutiny.  Most looks have a bonus "tsk-tsk" noise to accompany them.  I am so lucky to have the "village" there to help.  Now swap the mother with the father in the above scenario and...

As a continuation of Part I , below is the second half of signs you may have a toddler.  Based on my final score of 100%, we are neck deep in "toddler" at home: (5) You eat really healthy.  Until the kid is asleep. When my son is awake, we are incredibly healthy.  We sing songs about trying new and healthy foods.  We smile as we ingest carrots:  MMM...this is so good, you'll love it!    Then our son goes to bed.  Within seconds , ice cream is removed from the freezer, and/or Doritos sit out in the open, and/or cookies are finally released from their cupboard.  If I am honest with myself, the charade is 50% health and 50% selfish.  While I want him to avoid sugar, I also don't want to share.  Those Milano cookies ain't cheap. (6) Each day has a 75% chance of dancing And a 100% chance of singing.  When spontaneous dancing occurs, it is easily my favorite moment of the day.  Music not required.  "Dancing" is ...

Chances are we haven't spoken with you in a while.  Return phone calls have been slow; emails neglected.  See that little man sleeping in the santa hat?  We blame him.   And the new home is a little at fault as well.   Our move (five blocks from our first home) was greatly needed and has opened up a new world of possibilities.   Previously,each day ended promptly at 7pm since Chase was in bed and his room had a partial wall.  Lights were dim, movement was limited.  People were allowed in only if they did not laugh.  Or speak. Now we shut the door to the kids' rooms and behave with reckless abandon.  Our new life is filled with lights on full blast, a TV which can now use volume, and speaking to one another above hushed tones.   With the not-so-great real estate market, our decision to keep our previous home has added "landlords" to our growing list of responsibilities.  This new role would be going swimmingly, if...

Are you often singing a tune you wish you didn't know?  Perhaps someone is trying to convince you nap time is over (when it definitely is not)?  These are a few indicators you may have a toddler in your home.  Below are 4 of the top 8 signs our house is occupied by a toddler: (1) There is an upbeat, but irritating song in your head. Half the time it takes me until noon to even realize a toddler tune has been buzzing around in my head and to those nearby all morning.  Then reality sets in: this song won't stop reminding me of the joys of new foods ( Try it!  You'll like it! ) until a new, equally positive and repetitive song replaces it.  It's a never-ending cycle.   Somehow an Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas song snuck into our home and now those squeaky verses about hoola-hoops are horrifyingly playing over and over in my head.  If you see me staring blankly ahead while at a busy crosswalk, I am most likely weighing the p...

A small view into our morning walks to school.... It's officially been 12 weeks and it's back to the workforce I go....with  mixed emotions.  After getting into a routine of having two babes, Chase (the oldest) and I were able to create a new relaxed morning routine in order to spend some extended time together.  With no need to arrive at school by a certain time, we packed up the littlest family member in the car seat and meandered our time away.   There was extra time spent getting ready for school, petting the piggy (yes, there is a pig in our park), and cheering on the construction & landscape workers along our route.  Stopping to  hop on tree roots and spontaneously dance on the sidewalk was no problem.   And while the beginning of my time with Kiefer was inexplicably hard (see What Not to Say for proof), the past few weeks have brought smiles and coos unlike I have ever seen.  Even Chase is entertained and has full blown "con...

As I amble into Target   --  newborn  in tow -- with  my hair askew and an un-showered appearance, a person (or 10) undoubtedly stops me to say sweetly "Look at the new baby!  Don't you wish they could stay like this forever?" Though I smile politely at this stranger's notion of perma-infants, in my mind I have landed an upper-cut-jab-combo squarely on   the unsuspecting shopper.    To be clear: this stranger wants to freeze my son at an age where sleeping one to two hours is considered an amazingly long time?  Where his all too frequent diaper changes are  filled with piercing screams as if an appendage is being removed?  Where he sleeps like an angel in my arms, only to wake with a jolt the moment his head hits the crib mattress?  No thank you. I understand their heart is in the right place.  A sleeping infant with its cute button nose and little baby coos is undeniably wonderful.  Seeing such a teeny hu...

This is my first attempt to post-date and add in something after the fact.  Here's to hoping it works as I would like to have the ability to refer to this as the year's go on, instead of being lost in the archives of my email . ---------- We are proud to announce the (early) arrival of our son:  Kiefer Maddox Carlson While they say never to compare siblings, let's ignore this for a moment: Chase: 10 days late (9/9/10) Kiefer: 10 days early (9/11/12) Chase: 9.5 pounds, approximately the size of two Kiefers. Kiefer: 5.5 pounds, the smallest kid on his hospital block  Chase: Bald at Birth.  Still looks relatively bald at 2 Kiefer: Full head of jet black hair. Chase: Big appetite.  Wouldn't stop feeding Kiefer: Would rather be sleeping at all times Chase: Parents well prepped for the hospital.  Lists made, lists adhered to.  Calm, collected Kiefer: Parents behaved as though this was their first time.  Mom made i...