- The littlest Carroll hosed me down this morning while I was changing his diaper. I mean, really. Hayes peed all over the room! I was in such shock that all I did was scream. I’m not sure why I didn’t act faster and just throw a towel over the situation. I think Hudson did it once when he was a baby. Hudson was in the room when it happened and he died laughing. I’m hopeful that when potty-training starts Hudson doesn’t get it into his head that it’s funny to tee tee on Mommy!
- I am itching to throw a party. It’s time to get started with Have a Ball. I delayed my official “launch” and have just been taking projects very slowly because of pregnancy and Hayes’s arrival. But now I’m ready. Email me for details! (Yes, I refer to this part of the brain dump as Shameless Self-Promotion.)
- I’ve lost all but 4 pounds of what I gained during my pregnancy with Hayes. After I get rid of those 4 pounds, I’m going to work on the 10 that I never lost from my pregnancy with Hudson. When I get rid of those 10, I’m going to work on the 5 I gained after we got married. Whoa. That sounds like a lot when I put it in writing.
- I am completely freaked out by public toilets. I have a really hard time when I travel. When I was pregnant with Hudson and was so nauseated all the time, I would drive the full 3 minutes home from work just so I wouldn’t have to get sick in the scary toilets at work. I also kept those fun barf bags in my car just in case I didn’t make it.
- I can also get really freaked out by hotel beds. I will tuck my knees up so far into my chest so my toes aren’t down near the unknown under the covers. I’m not exactly sure what it is I’m afraid of.
- I have been wanting a pom-pom throw for a long time. I would love one in Hayes’s room and one in the living room. I just hadn’t been able to find a great price for one. But then they were on One Kings Lane today! I scooped up a couple of fun pom-pom throws in yellow and purple!
- Hudson is really into elephants and I’m thinking that may be his Halloween costume this year. His Daddy may put an American flag bow tie around the elephant’s neck.
- I heard a loud crash and the sound of glass breaking this morning. I honestly thought someone broke a window in our front door. So I looked all over the house and couldn’t find anything. When I went into the bathroom, I saw a picture frame had fallen from the top shelf and was shattered all over the floor. Do we have a ghost?
- When having budget discussions this week, TC suggested we stop using our cleaning people. I suggested I stop highlighting my hair and dye it brown, my natural color that I haven’t seen in 18 years. TC was not a fan of this idea. I prefer my hair blonde in a major way, but vanity kind of went out the window when I had Hudson. The topic is still up for discussion.
- Of course I can clean my own house, but it would take me a full week because I’d do it one room at a time. I’d never be able to enjoy the full pleasure of having a fully cleaned house all at one time. I know, poor me. But it’s my brain dump and I’m just being honest.
- I’ve been battling a bad attitude over the past few days. And I honestly think the negativity on Twitter is rubbing off of me. I should spend less time reading tweets.
- I’ve seen so much talk lately where women/mothers are challenging each other’s opinions and parenting choices. I just don’t understand it. From how you discipline to how they are dressed. And milestones… why does it matter if someone else’s child reaches a milestone before yours? It’s hard not to feel competitive and like you want your child to be the best, but it’s exhausting to try to keep up. We have enough stress as parents without having to worry about other parents making it harder for us.
- We took the first step toward potty-training and bought Hudson some Cars and Toy Story underpants. But after Hayes’s tee tee adventure this morning, I’m not sure I’m ready for Hudson to be having accidents all over the house.
- That’s about all I’ve got!
Honestly, one of the things that scares me most about becoming a mother is the judgement of other mothers (whether it’s my MIL, my mom, people on the internet, etc.) I already feel so judged for choices I make now (“You’re still working out? Is that a COFFEE in your hand? etc.) and I can only see it getting worse. I just don’t understand why we can’t all support each other and put our energy toward actually helping moms in need. It’s frustrating.
Also, we have housecleaners and while it is a fair amount of money each month, it relieves a lot of stress and honestly helps us get a long a lot better. I don’t feel like I need to nag Bill about helping out and I’m also not stressing out about vacuuming under beds and such.
I love your post today. I don’t think I’ll ever get back to my wedding weight. I don’t even know what I did to get there in the first place, I wish I’d written that down.
At a birthday party this weekend another mother actually physically ripped a PB&J sandwich that I was feeding my daughter out of my hand. I don’t know a lot about the peanut allergy thing, but I do know that because of a milk allergy, we had to have my daughter scratch tested for the major allergens at 6 months and she has no allergy to peanuts. THEN, the same woman commented loudly to her husband about the size of bites I was giving to my daughter, who is 12 months old and has 12 teeth, including her 1 year molars. What is up with people? I didn’t look at her and say, “Oh, your 15 month old isn’t walking? Shame.” Because that is RUDE AND TACKY.
Love the elephant with the American flag idea. 🙂 We might just have to steal it. I love your blog, by the way, brain-dumps and all.
Oh and, I’m not going to cancel my house cleaners because I’d have to spend even more on marriage counseling : )
Love reading your “brain dumps”! I hope you have a great day – and no more pee showers…
I’m a terrible housekeeper. I hate it, and our sweet cleaning lady is the highlight of my every two weeks. Whenever our budget discussions come up, my favorite thing to bring up is our cable (hee, Hubs is the TV watcher in our family). The discussions always come to a quick resolution after that!
I have been feeling super down the last couple days as well. I need to snap out of it, but a summer cold and hormones are making it tough!
Brain dumps are good for the soul! I can’t wait to see that American elephant at Halloween!
Oh my goodness! I am so with you on the public toilets. Im nauseatd all the time and carry around diaper disposal bags in my purse because I WILL NOT vomit in a public toilet. And we got rid of our cleaning lady years ago, I have not had a 100% cleaned house since. Man would I love to have someone come in even once every month to get the things I always forget about doing.
If house cleaners were in my budget, I’d sacrifice just about anything else to keep them… definitely number one on my splurge (almost necessity!) list! 🙂 I gave up highlights too after I quit working when my son was born, and I’ll admit, it was a big adjustment especially considering that pregnancy made my natural color even darker, but it’s worth it. You’ve got such great hair, it’ll be beautiful either way! 🙂
love those pom pom throws – must keep an eye out for them!
AHH Hudson did that to me when he was a baby! I agree with you on the cleaning people, if I were still working we would still have ours! Potty training can be hard, Hudson was potty trained for a good 3 weeks and then when I lost my job and had to change up his schedule he regressed big time! We are slowly starting the process all over again. Good Luck!
I love that pom pom throw!! Its so cute! 🙂
My blog series on “Mommy Wars” starts today. I have so much to say about it!
We keep trying to start potty training Harper and then just quit. He’ just not quite ready yet. I’m actually starting to think of waiting till Quentin is born in October so we don’t have to deal with regression when he comes. He loves to wear his undies and sit on his potty, but thinks the fun part is taking toilet paper bits and dabbing his “business.”
Love the pom pom throws!
I LOVE that elephant Halloween costume idea! Hilarious and oh so appropriate right now …
We love our pom pom throw!! So many great colors today, I may have to scoop up a few more! Loved your brain dump and always appreciate your honesty!
I didn’t know you weren’t a natural blonde! I dyed my hair blonde all through high school, it didn’t look natural or good on me. You look great as a blonde, but I’m kind of curious to see you as a brunette!
I always have to cover Landon with a washcloth when I change him otherwise I’d get peed on at least twice a day. When we first brought him home, we couldn’t put anything on him until his circumcision healed, so we got sprayed a lot!
We don’t have cleaning people and my husband won’t let us have any with me not working, but even with 1 baby, my house isn’t as clean as it used to be or as clean as I want it to be. I just don’t have the time to clean it the way I used to right now.
I hate public toilets too! I was so scared when I was pregnant that I’d have to puke in one, but luckily, I never did.
We stopped getting our house cleaned not long ago as well. While I was COMPLETELY dreading it, it really hasn’t been the adjustment I thought it would be. I use a chore system from the Motivated Moms website and that makes it simple without being overwhelming. Obviously, it’s not as nice as having a cleaning crew but it’s do-able.
Yeah! 😉
Erin, I have been reading your blog for a while now, it’s great! I agree, I feel like the negativity out there is so great, and I am not sure why…. I guess I don’t understand why people just can’t be happy for one another. It’s sad, I feel like Facebook has kind of gotten that way as well. Best of luck with the potty training, I am in the middle of it right now….I personally need all the help/advice I can get!
Although I don’t have any children yet, I have lots of friends with babies, and I’ve definitely picked up on the judging things! I can’t believe how rude some people are!
I just set a weight loss goal myself – 40 pounds! Seems overwhelming, but hopefully I can take it 2 pounds at a time. Good luck!!!
The single best thing that we do with our money is to have a cleaning lady come once every two weeks. It has saved my sanity and our marriage. Perhaps you can just get the cleaning crew once every two weeks instead of giving them up totally? That way you won’t have to sacrifice your beauty. There’s something to be said about feeling good about your appearance, especially when you spend most of your day being tee-tee’d and spit up on. Hope you can find a happy medium!
I’m having a house cleaner dilemma as well. With a baby on the way it seems like an unnecessary expense, but then it saves so much time and effort. My issue is ours isn’t respecting the changes I’d like to see made. And, yes, I know it’s a luxury but I want my dollars spent wisely. My husband has always agreed that as long as we are both working outside the house we could have one, but I’m wondering if I might want to give it a go for a few months without one since he’s so hesitant to change who comes to our house. (In all fairness she has been cleaning his house since before we got married, which is part of the problem I think.)
I’ve never understood why women are so quick to judge each other. We would all be so much more productive and content if we could support each others choices and see that what works for one family might not work for another. I’m feeling so much of that already and this baby isn’t even here yet!
You have got to keep the house cleaners! My hubby and I just got one and our fights have been cut down substantially. Who knew that dusty end tables could cause so many problems!?!?!? 🙂 Or on the flip side that a spic and span bathroom could cause so much joy?!?!??!
Please keep us posted on the potty training with any helpful tips. I’ve only potty trained girls and I’m anxious at the prospect of potty training a little boy!
I brought our own sheets and a comforter from one of the guestrooms to our new abode, Residence Inn. I’m sure the cleaning staff thinks I’m insane, but I am not sleeping on those itchy-ass sheets for 2 months. And it makes it feel just a teensy bit like home!
I have a public bathroom fear too. I have no idea what prompted it but I’m pretty terrified of anywhere but home. Same with hotel beds. I used to travel a lot for work and my coworkers actually knew that they had to check under my bed for me before I walked into the room. I swear it wasn’t the Boogie monster I was scared of…but some creepy guy waiting for me to shut the door or something other, like a dead body. I’m aware that these thoughts are crazy yet I always ask my husband to check under the bed when we’re traveling.
Congrats on your weight loss – totally amazing! How did you do it?
When I move to firm’s office next year that is near my home I fully plan on driving home to use le toliet.
My whole house is never clean at the same time and I’m so OCD about how I clean that it takes me all day to clean one room. Maybe after we don’t have any children in daycare it will be fit in the budget.
Being a Mommy is tough especially when it seems like other Mommies are out to get you. As long as you are happy and your children are safe(with or without clothes, peanut butter, or what have you) then people need to worry about their own children. No one is perfect and no two children are alike.
My husband and I have discussed cutting out getting our house cleaned also. He says no way! He will cut the budget in many places but that is not one of them. I can’t agrue with it!
I hate public toilets! I am currently training for a half marathon and on my long runs I’ll have to stop and use the ones on the lakefront path- yuck, yuck, yuck! I always tell my husband that is just one reason why he should be thankful he’s a guy and not a girl!
I think you would look great with brown hair! And congrats on your weight loss. I have started gaining weight since I got married…need to start working on that asap!!
I’d give up hair color long before I gave up my cleaning lady. Believe me I understand about public toilets. They were a huge problem when we first started potty training. With little boys it really helps when they stand up and titi.
I just LOVE everything about you!!! LOL! We are so much alike…poor you:)
I have a 6 1/2 yr old son and also a 2 1/2 yr old son…You will find that everything will probably be so much quicker/ easier with Hayes. He will probably want to do everything Hudson is doing. Which can be great, but scary at the same time. My little one is almost completely potty trained…yahoo!! And he can swim half way across the pool withOUT swimmies or any other flotation device! Eyes are wide open and has begun coming up for air…NO swim lessons!!! He wouldn’t have anything to do with the swim teacher!
So, what I am trying to say (heehee) is potty training Hudson may take some time. Don’t get frustrated. Try to begin on a weekend when you all don’t have much to do outside of home. Set the timer, go potty every 15 mins! (Whether he needs to or not.) Make it a big deal…you don’t want to pee pee or poop on Lightning McQueen(or whoever is on that particular pair of undies), do you? LOL! We began with the reward program of one m&m after going potty! We even had a potty dance afterwards! Just try to make it all about Hudson! (They also make disposable kid potty covers! Just in case you didn’t know…Target usually has them:)) Sorry for rambling! Have a great day!
LOVE the Halloween Costume idea! I’m pretty sure when I have kids, my husbands going to want to borrow that idea. 🙂
I also Love you blog, BTW! I aspire to be a mother like you. I know it will be here one day…
LOVE the throws! One Kings Lane has become a BIG TIME addiction recently. I snagged one of the throws as well! As for your Hudson being a little American flag-wearing elephant for Halloween? I just die! Any ideas on whether or not sweet Hayes would somehow match? 🙂
Reading your brain dumps is like meeting up with a fun girlfriend at Starbucks so please don’t stop! Since becoming a mother eight months ago, I have been amazed and saddened at the level of competition and hostility between moms. It’s depressing! So much for the sisterhood I guess. I appreciate your honesty and how you lay it all out there – so ignore the negativity and keep up your excellent work raising those handsome little men! Oh and baby girls have “tee tee” sprinklers, too. Who knew?
Brain dumps seem like a good therapy…I may have to try it one day 🙂 OH, and don’t read negative comments, some people just have too much time on their hands and you are too wonderful to be down!!
So awesome about starting your business! Good luck with that, sounds like a great opportunity for with your skills. I dream of a cleaning lady and may hire one if I get a decent raise next year. Worth it. And re public toilets, I have a huge issue with people who talk on their cell phones in public restrooms. I cannot go to the bathroom if you are doing that, it makes me pee shy! So gross!
I’m with you on the weight loss thing. It’s not pregnancy induced, but I’m trying to lose some weight for my wedding next year. The thing that has helped me the most is an app on my blackberry called My Fitness Pal (they also have a website). They calculate how many calories you should have in order to lose weight. It’s easy to track your calories and your progress that way. They also calculate the vitamins and other things in the food you’re eating, so I’ve started taking a multi-vitamin because I was never getting enough out of my diet. Just an idea!
After ten years of highlighting my hair, I returned to my natural brown about two years ago. I did it in part to save money, but I was also ready for a change. My husband was unsure about it at first, but he loves my hair now and I do too (I changed the color gradually which might have helped lessen the shock)! It’s very nice not to have to go to the salon every six to eight weeks 🙂
I think you look great the way you are! Have you ever considered focusing on the way you feel rather than the number on the scale? Your weight does not define who you are! I am only saying this because I had issues with my weight in my younger days (obsession with being thin and had to get treatment). I had to ‘let go’ of wanting to be a certain number on the scale. I don’t even keep a scale in my house for that reason. I’ve never been overweight, but my body has definitely changed through the years because I am a woman and I’ve had a baby. I’m not going to hold myself to a standard that I know my body can’t fit into anymore. I still want to feel good about my appearance, and I surely haven’t let myself go or given up on my looks. I do moderate exercise (what my schedule allows), and I try to do everything else in moderation. I try to appreciate what my body has gone through and accept it for what it is. Good luck in reaching your weight goals, but please realize you are beautiful and amazing the way that you are.
(I apologize! Women and weight is a touchy issue for me! Preaching done!)
Cleaning people are good for marriages. I wouldn’t give it up unless you absolutely have to. Just sayin’
I feel you about the weight issue. I have struggled though my whole life and losing these last ten pounds before I start my regular diet are killing my. My daughter is only a few weeks younger than Hayes and I feel like I am in the exact same spot as you.
Love the brain dump! 🙂
Girl – I’m with you on the house cleaners! AND I’m grey – not brown. I would gladly have a full head of grey/black hair in exchange for my clean house every two weeks. Guys are so funny about what they’re willing to spend on. We can’t afford one thing, but even mentioning a boob job makes my hubby’s eyes light up. I never thought I’d ever want one til after a baby 🙂
I really appreciate your honesty, even the negative honesty! It’s nothing that we’re not all thinking, trust me 🙂
I’ve read your blog for a while now but this is my first time commenting. I have two little boys too so I can relate to a lot of your posts! Anyway just wanted to say I totally agree with you about others comparing parenting styles/choices and acting like one thing is better than the other. No matter what choices you make about how to raise your child the most important thing is the love you show them! I wish people would stop comparing and realize that there is more than one right way to do something!
Oh, Erin. This totally made me laugh. When Gavin was a baby, he peed all over, every time we changed him. A coworker ordered us a pack of pee pee tee pees from http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/pee-pee-teepees. We thought the idea was hilarious, but really ended up grateful to have them! He outgrew them quickly though – they were tiny.
Now that Gavin is 2 1/2 he usually goes on the toilet, but still wears a pull-up. We introduced him to the big toilet by teaching him to sit facing backwards, which keeps him from falling in and gives him something to hold on to… but he thinks it’s hilarious to pee on the back of the toilet seat or lid! It’s hard not to laugh even though it isn’t really funny – it kind of is.
Oh my goodness, I would love to have a cleaning person! Except I think I’d be self-concious about our messes and feel like I needed to clean before they came! My house is never and probably never will all be clean at once. If I can get a whole room clean in a day, I’m feeling pretty good. Can I just come stay at your house??
I just read Katie’s comment above about Hayes matching Hudson’s elephant costume idea. Hayes could be a circus peanut! 🙂
Where did you find Toy Story underwear??? That’s about the only thing that may get my 2 year old son excited about potty training!! I can’t wait to hear about what methods you are using…good luck!
I so agree with you about the cleaning lady. When the mister lost his job, that was one thing I hated to give up. I cannot wait to have a cleaning lady again! Nothing beats coming home from work to a CLEAN house. However, I am still dying my hair. The gray hairs keep me vain. 🙂
If you ever do decide to give up your cleaning lady, check out http://www.FlyLady.net. She has a home organization system very similar to what you are already doing, and also a similar system for helping you clean your house without it seeming to take a lot of time or effort. And best of all, her system is free! Her book called Sink Reflections is also great, and it is about $10 at most major bookstores, in the home organization department. She focuses a lot on how clutter and being disorganized impact our own happiness and the happiness of our family, and how as women we can develop the “martyr syndrome,” and then take our actions & disorganization out on our families.
Also, a while ago, you had asked what personal organizer systems people use, and I meant to answer then, but never got the chance. My hubby & I use the cozi app, which allows for shared and synced calendars, to-do lists, and shopping lists. So he can add something to the calendar or grocery list and I immediately see it, and I can add something to his honey-dew list while I’m at work & he’s on summer break as a professor. I needed something that doesn’t just work for me, but also works for us as a couple, and this is just what happens to work well for us.
Dear Erin,
I do believe we were sisters in another life. In my opinion you should not give up the cleaning ladies, I know I would not be happy without mine! Way to go on the weight loss!!!
PS when in September are you guys coming to Wild Dunes?? We are going there for a weekend it September for a little stay-cation! maybe we can meet for a little beach play-date??
I love your brain dump posts because they are so honest. As for your hair, you could always do the melting/ombre look. That way it would still be partially blonde but you wouldn’t have to worry about the roots. I did the ombre in early April and just got it touched up last week, so it is definitely easier and cheaper than regular trips to the salon. I’ve never had a cleaning lady (because why would my single self need one?!), but I’m guessing it would be hard to give one up! Btw, congrats on your weight loss!!!
I recently found your blog and spent a little time browsing your past posts- I’m remembering one when you were pregnant the first time and found a variety of little “hats” for boys’ changing times! I would have screamed, too. 🙂
I think people not only misuse the gift of time God has given us, but we are over-scheduled in the things that don’t matter (often one in the same). Perhaps if we used our margin time to develop and build relationships instead of getting into others’ business, we’d feel a lot less stress and experience much more delight in the blessings under our noses.
Lastly, a try or dump it idea on potty training with boys- get him a big wheel or trike. Once they can pedal and strengthen those groin muscles, potty training happens much quicker and without as much grief.
Speaking of house-cleaners….at playgroup today a Mom mentioned a website called FlyLady.com. It’s basically a woman who sends out an email everyday on a different cleaning task for the day, cleaning tips and new habits to enforce in your lifestyle. The first step is cleaning your sink EVERY night so it shines. I thought it was silly, but did it anyways….and my sink looks amazing! Check it out if you’re feeling ambitious….maybe you could compromise and have your house cleaned professionally once a month instead of twice? (assuming thats what you do) That’s what we did, and it’s not so bad.
Oops to Heather’s comment! Looks like fly lady is popular!
I know this was so not the point of this post…but I used to have to drive around with barf bags too. And used them. More than once. Oh the joys of pregnancy 🙂
I love reading your blog. You are so honest with sharing about life as a mommy, wife and girlfriend. I agree that us Moms need to stick together and lay off the judgement. This job is not an easy one and negativity never helps anything.