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Posts Tagged ‘Parenting’

Blake Hits Some Milestones

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

So, as a second time Mom, I am not obsessive with Blake’s need to hit milestones, but don’t mistake that for not caring.  I do, and recently he has hit a couple of big ones!

Blake Talking to His Mommy

Blake Talking to His Mommy

This is a picture of him talking to me…Yeah, we are discussing the stock market and how he is thinking of investing once he’s five months old, drug cartels and how they are corrupting the planet…seriously, it’s just mind altering chemicals, who needs that when some grownup called Mom makes silly faces at you all day, that’s mind altering enough?  Finally, we talked about how he personally is going to help halt global warming.  He told me he will pee less which will create less dirty diapers and in turn have a smaller impact on the landfills.

Seriously though, he will mimic you if you make a motorboat sound and he will also make that sound if he wants your attention.  It’s his first attempt to communicate with us and it’s adorable!  He is giggling and cooing and doing all the fun stuff that a four month old should be doing in the communication department…I love it!

Then the other day, he rolled over from his tummy to his back!  He gets all frustrated on tummy time and realized if he works himself up enough and gets overly pissed off, then he gains enough energy to flip himself around.  He is quite astonished that he can do this fete!  So astonished in fact that he has chosen to not repete it in a couple of days, guess he’s a little calmer now and days!

Chillin on Tummy Time...Should Have Fixed Those Devil Eyes

Chillin on Tummy Time...Should Have Fixed Those Devil Eyes

Finally, he has started grasping his toys and putting them in his mouth…while I know that is totally normal right now, I am not so sure that we should consider my fingers as toys…or maybe we should, since the inevitably end up grasped in his hands and into his mouth.  He has this crinkle toy that so far is proven to be his favorite…I think he likes the noise it makes when he is chewing it and he loves the blanket texture since the toy is made of that material and usually if that toy isn’t in his mouth, an actual blanket or sleep sack is.

Seriously Cute Picture of My Four Month Old

Seriously Cute Picture of My Four Month Old

So, my baby Blake is starting to be, “All’s Growns Up!”  Well at least in baby milestones he is!

Where In The World Am I?

Friday, June 5th, 2009

So it seems like I fell off the face of this Earth, when in reality I started watching both kids full time, which means there is only 1 hour in the day for me, if I’m lucky before bed and I’ve been using that to either catch up on email, spend time with my husband, attempt to exercise or read a book.  It goes by really fast and there isn’t much room for multiple accomplishments in that hour.  I know, this seems like a lame ass excuse and if you want you can think that, but in reality, it’s my life…take it or leave it.

Okay, so the last month has been a complete blur, but if you want to know the highlights…well, here it goes.

  1. Everyone got the stomach flu in our tribe…I got it the worst, it was god aweful…like someone kicked me in the balls (if I had said balls).  And the worst part is I got it while in Tucson for my cousin’s college graduation, so I wasn’t in the comforts of my own home when I felt my worst.  I mean, I had a fever and I don’t think I’ve had a fever in well over ten years…very sick.  Oh and to try to be a mom while this sick is virtually impossible, but it doesn’t matter, you get only 24 hours to get better and then you have to be back on the job, even if you still feel like crap and still need to recover.
  2. One day after I was starting to get better, we packed up our trusty rented U-Haul trailer and started our 4-day journey across the United States to our summer cabin in Wisconsin.  It was really hard with a three month old, he didn’t like being in the car for that many hours out of the day and really I don’t blame him.  Also, Travis’s body decided to have the stomach flu while on this drive because we weren’t all miserable enough already.
  3. I literally lost my mind the first week or so that we were in Wisconsin…I was a crying heaping mess who couldn’t do one thing without losing it.  Lovely, I know.  I was a wreak because the intense stress of two kids trying to get comfortable in new surroundings while this cute little cabin was falling apart with at least a half a dozen things broken, (major things like hot water heaters, water pumps, dishwashers and heaters).  Heater in the summer you ask?  Yes, because apparently Wisconsin didn’t get the memo that summer has started and it’s freekin’ freezing around here most days!
  4. I’ve had to, not by my choice, slow editing production down since there isn’t 28 hours in a day.
  5. I’ve almost gained all the the weight I worked so hard to get off…stress, no exercise and eating to cope have all played a part in that demise.  Hopefully, I will get back on track sooner than later…Horrible kick off to the summer of the work out!
  6. I got over most of my anxiety thank god and now we are starting to get in the groove of things…I’m hiring some summertime help, everything has gotten fixed and the kids are doing better…so hopefully the blog will get more action then it’s seen lately :) .

So, that is what you’ve missed out on in a nutshell….hopefully I will be able to keep up a little better in the near future.

TTFN!

Sometimes Others Have to Remind Me…

Friday, April 24th, 2009

Yesterday we took Brook to Mojo’s for a treat (it’s a frozen yogurt shop).  She received a positive report from her teacher this week, which Travis and I thought deserved a little kudos seeing that she was the devil child last week.  For a better understanding of what I mean click here

Anyway, we were eating our frozen treats and I looked across the way at White House / Black Market and asked Travis if we could stop in so I can look around.  I have nothing to wear since the only clothes I have are maternity clothes or clothes I used to fit in before I was pregnant.  On Saturday, I am hanging out with my girlfriend Shannon and I wanted to feel pretty.  So, I went in totally expecting to find something fabulous.

I found a few items to try on and I got into the dressing room.  Oh, how horrible of an experience that was.  Same ole story, nothing looks good on the body I have now and I start to go into a serious depression about what I am looking at in the mirror.  The saleslady kept asking me how I was doing and my response was, “I’d be great if I didn’t have this body…it makes all the clothes look horrible!”  To that she replied, “well, at least you have a beautiful family.”  My god she is right!  Sometimes others have to remind me…because I tend to forget what’s really important once in awhile.

The Word Violent is a Harsh Word to Hear Coming Out of a Teachers Mouth

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

So today was our parent/teacher conference with Brook’s preschool teacher.  This morning we went into the classroom to observe how the class works and how Brook interacts with the other children.  She was adorable, working on her math lesson, putting together puzzles and offering us a cup of water on a tray.  She started the Montessori in January and we have seen her excel in her studies there.  So we though we were going to have a great report when we went back this afternoon for a one on one with her teacher.  It wasn’t the “she’s perfect in every way” speech I was hoping for.

Instead, we got there and Ms. Rocio asked if we could describe the good and the bad of Brook.  One parent went out of the classroom and said what they felt was the positive and negative aspects of Brook’s personality and then we switched.  We basically said the same things…We said in not so many words, that she is strong, vivacious, confident, stubborn, needs to listen better and shows both positive and negative emotions in good and bad ways.

And then the bomb dropped…”I feel that your daughter has violent tendencies.”  WHAT!!!  No, not my daughter…I mean she can throw one hell of a tantrum and she will verbally fight us on things that she doesn’t want or like, but aren’t all three year olds like that?  Then we were told that she will hit/kick/push the other kids more than normal…she will interrupt the other kids work on purpose and oh yes my favorite…she has written in a book that we now will have to replace.  She is violent and she destroyed school property, great!

So, we talked about how we can help her talk through her feelings better, how saying sorry doesn’t mean anything if there is no positive action after the fact and that doing mean or negative things have more severe consequences then what we are already doing.  The thing that gets me is we don’t let her get away with things at home.  We are equal partners in parenting so we always have each others backs when it comes to disciplining and we discipline often and we follow through with whatever we say…good or bad.  I knew she was going through a trying time, but I had no idea it was this severe.  I FEEL LIKE A FAILURE!  I feel that everything we have done is for naught and that although my discipline is what the books and professionals say I should do, it’s obviously not working.  So back to the drawing board.  We will create a good, respectful, peaceful, confident, smart and outgoing girl yet.

On the plus side, she did say that Brook is one of the smartest three year olds in the class and she is always impressed by her education skills.  At least there was something positive said.

We are going to have mini talks every Thursday to touch base and to hopefully talk about the improvements that Brook is making…please oh please let there be positive change.

Sometimes I have to be reminded about how good I have it

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

So anyone who knows me, knows that I am a HUGE Oprah fan…I mean I am a loyal follower of the Oprah way!  If she was a religion, I would faithfully follow it and that is saying a lot since I’m not really “religous” in the traditional sense of the word.  Monday’s episode, which I saw today, is about men who are single parents.  One lost his wife to breast cancer and one man lost his wife after she had their daughter.  Both were amazing stories of selflessness, survival and love.  There were a couple of other stories too, just as important and compelling, but the first two men struck my heartstring.  They re-taught me how precious and fleeting life is and how spectacular my life really is.  I have an amazing husband who is right there in the trenches with me.  I have many luxuries that other parents raising children don’t have and I really do get a lot of help from others.  I know I would have a mental and possibly physical breakdown if I was a single parent and my heart and mind can’t even begin to comprehend what it would be like if Travis passed away right now.  So, thanks Oprah for giving me an “ah-ha” moment.