Just letting off some steam...

I feel this urge to blog. I have been meaning to blog, wanting to blog, but somehow having two small children and little free time have kept me from doing so. I know you understand.

After several frustrating events the past few days, I think that blogging will make me feel better. Does it ever seem like the little things get in the way of big things? I know that may not make sense. It seems that every night there is at least one challenge. The other day I went out to see a movie with a friend that had invited me to see the new Eclipse movie. I had read the books and I simply could have waited to see the movie. Yet I have only been away from the baby three times in his 12 weeks of life. Once for my husband's graduation from his Masters program, once to see Sex and the City 2, and this would be the third time. In about three months of my baby's life, I was averaging to about one night out a month. This is definitely not unheard for a mom, especially of a mom with a little nursling. I really in a way didn't want to be away from the baby, but I knew that it would be good for me. My husband had help with both kids in the form of his dad. After the movie, I looked down at the phone and saw that there was a light blinking (my phone does not make sounds when I have new messages or texts, just subtle hints so if I ever do not answer your call or text quickly, it's probably because I never received the message). I looked and I had a text message (I also do not know how to use the texting feature of my cheap, pre-paid plan cell phone) from my hubby stating that the baby had been crying for the past two hours and to please come home soon. I was gone for three hours, including travel time to and from the theater. So of course I called and found out the baby was fussy during my absence and found out my father-in-law had wanted my husband to call me to come home. My husband refused to call me and said that my movie was almost over and I'd be home soon. I thank my husband for realizing that this was well-needed time away and there was not a true emergency. When I got home, my oldest son said, "Ma ma! Ma ma!" I heard the little pitter patter of feet, opened my arms, got the hugest smile and the biggest hug. My baby was calm, in my husband's arm. I was so happy to see the both of them and realized that this time away was good for me and also good for them.

Friday my oldest son slept extremely late. I kind of just let him sleep, knowing that he does not sleep much and has been going to bed at a later hour (now 10:30 or 11) and maybe his little body needed rest. It was noon when I finally woke him. My parents were over and my mom gathered yogurt and chocolate chips. He was slow to wake up...he drank a lot of water from his sippy cup, almost a whole sippy cup full before he ate his breakfast. My mom proceeded to make him a grilled cheese (one piece of bread with one piece of cheese), which I fed him and he ate. Drank more water. Then I saw her peeling a clementine. At this point, I think I got distracted with other things. A little while later (less than an hour), I hear some gagging and choking and of course looked to see my oldest little boy throwing up. The sounds of the gagging and choking alarmed me as he threw up some more. My father-in-law was also now at the house as he had planned to take him to the park for the day and was trying to help. Of course he burst into tears and was crying as he was very scared as to what was happening. Meanwhile the baby started to cry and needed to be changed and fed. I hugged my oldest, washed the vomit from him, and tried to get his clothes changed. My mom took over with him so I could take care of the baby, while my father-in-law went into action mode and started cleaning up the mess downstairs. I was worried about my little guy..I wondered if he had picked up a stomach bug from some shopping cart, wondered if I should call the doctor before the long holiday weekend. I observed him, let him go to the park with his grandfather, and that was Friday's big event.

Leading up to Saturday...when my husband and I went to the BMV to renew our license plates, get new driver's licenses, and such. There was no line. Great. We could be in and out quickly. Came to the part where we had to pay and gave the woman our credit card...it was declined. What? Hmmmm...well, this happened once at the Best Buy with their machines. My husband called our credit card company...looked up to see him looking angrily at me and signaling for me to talk on the phone. Meanwhile, the BMV woman completely lost the whole transaction of what she was trying to do for us, meaning that we had to do everything over. Found out that someone in India had tried to charge things on our credit card back a few days before that were declined by our credit card company. So now we had no credit card to use, our BMV transaction was essentially lost, we had to get cash from our bank since the other credit card was at our house, and someone somehow had obtained our credit card information. The only thing I can think of is that earlier this week I had called Snapfish to ask them a question, the Indian call center person answered my question about our address changing and about the delivery method. It seems odd that these transactions occurred the day that I told her that our address would be changing...as if she thought that I wouldn't know about it. The transactions occurred in India, I talked to someone in India this week. I was frustrated that our credit card never notified us, leaving us without proper payment with a baby at the BMV. 2.5 hours later, we were finished at the BMV having to wait in a longer line, with cash in hand and redo our lovely transactions. Luckily, the baby cooperated and slept most of the time and my lovely father-in-law helped play with my oldest son at home.

So today it's Sunday, the 4th of July. I am enjoying some silence while my husband plays with my oldest son outside. The baby is asleep and I am just here.

Even though I have been complaining throughout this post, I am very happy. Life is good. The baby is as sweet as can be. Now my 3 year-old is as equally sweet, but he is certainly asserting himself and his struggle for independence. I have noticed that since turning 3 is a lot more opinionated about what he wants and doesn't want. And the baby is now waking up. Let me at least leave you with a picture or add one later.