Honey, we need to talk

When I was in my 20's, I felt I was too young to have kids.When I actually did have my first girl, in my early 30's, I was planning to plan to have a baby. Then we planned Gabs and after 1 month of actively trying, we were pregnant. When is the right time? There really is no right time. It's like that moment right before the wax is removed from your upper lip, its scary as hell but sometimes you've just got to pull the trigger or you'll never accomplish anything. If we were all to afraid of the certain pain it takes to remove the wax, we'd all be running around either with hot wax or hair on our upper lips. Am I too old to have any more? Has my womb become a cavernous black hole filled with cobwebs and brittle remnants of my past? These are the thoughts that plague my mind in my 5 seconds of free time every single day, lately.

I don't feel 38, I feel the same as I did when I was 25 but much, much wiser in the ways of the world, relationships, and myself. After Gabs was born, we were conflicted whether or not to have another baby. After all, we already had these 2 perfect little girls and, at least me, felt that to have any more might be getting greedy.The Big Guy and I discussed it and decided to make a decision by the time Gabs was 2.Two came and went and it was basically accepted that we were a family of 4. We both breathed a sigh of relief that we had made a decision...sort of. Gabs is now 3 and I am not sure what I feel anymore.

The Big Guy occasionally makes a joke that we need to have " a boy"..you know our illusive unicorn baby. I'm not sure if he's joking just to drive me insane or if he actually might want another baby.It starts getting hard when you see that your babies are no longer babies. Bella's in kindergarten and it feels like she already has one foot out of the door. Every day she becomes more and more independent. I realize that is what we want to happen. She is amazing but with each new miracle and milestone she performs, we know its only a matter of time that she is no longer in need of our immediate care. Then there is Gabs, who is just  so sweet and lovable and squishy but each day I can see her getting her big girl face and it breaks my heart. She is picking up everything at lightening speed because she is her sister's little clone.

Lately I have noticed myself wondering what if? How would this be? How would our lives change? I just don't know if its a genuine hunger for another baby or is it not wanting to have my options closed or am I just feeling the twitches of my uterus a little more than usual because my girls are growing up so quickly? How do you know when you are absolutely done? Obviously, it will start with a serious talk with the Big Guy.It's a little hard to broach the subject when I'm not sure how I feel myself and he's only here on the weekends. That's a pretty serious topic to hit him over the head with when he walks in the door on a random Friday evening.

 Then there is the factor that no matter how old I may feel, I am, in fact, 38. I always told myself no babies after 35. It was like this magical stopping point because of risks and statistics. Of course, I have spoken to my doctor and she says that I am perfectly healthy and another baby would not be an issue. Then again, there are NO guarantees in life. None! Have  I mentioned to you that I am a complete control freak.Then I get that feeling of tempting the fates, again.I am so conflicted. To be clear, there is no baby in the works. It's just something I've been thinking about a lot lately and I thought you ladies could weigh in.So, my question to you ...what's too old to get pregnant? How did you know that you were done having babies..for certain? I just keep having a feeling that I am supposed to be the Mommy of 3 but that could just be the baby pictures I just looked at talking. But how could these pictures not make your uterus twinge?

You do have to admit, we do good work! Look at those gorgeous little girls!

Coitus Interrruptus

Big Guy:" The Kids asleep?"
Me: "Yeah, we better hurry.  You know they'll be waking up soon for... something....anything"
Big Guy: "OK. where do you want to do this?The kids are in our bed right? How about the living room?"
Me:"No way, we're too exposed. We'd be right out in the open."
Big Guy:" How about Bella's room?"
Me: "NO, that's right across from our room..they'd walk in and there we'd be. It's too easy to get caught!"
Big Guy: "What about Gabs room? They'd have to make a turn, we'd have a warning!"
Me: "Sounds good, but not in the bed..that would be gross!"
Big Guy:" OK, so we got about 10 minutes on Gabs' bedroom floor?"
Me:"Yep!"
Big Guy:" GO!"

Sound familiar? I know I am not the only one with co-sleepers, or small children in general. This was NOT in the baby handbook! How people have more than 2 kids, I will never know. It must be pure unadulterated dumb luck. I know how we go the first one, we were alone, we were married, we lived in Tennessee and nothing was on TV so we got a lot of practice entertaining ourselves!  Then we went on a romantic getaway with nothing to do but linger in each others arms. BAM! There ya go! But number 2, that baby was conceived on a Labor Day afternoon while a baby napped, Daddy had the day off, and Mommy was feeling frisky. Now, fast forward to 3 years later..there is no way that we could conceive another one. Love making has been reduced to an Olympic qualifying sport.It's all about being very strategic and very fast, rushed and quiet (Sush, you'll wake the girls).There's no falling into it, no looking longingly into each others eyes with that hungry look. We still have those hungry looks but now its usually a hunger for sleep.

We've never really been busted, probably because we are like merry minstrels roaming from room to room to find a spot to engage in the occasional coitus. Making matters worse, now he is always out of town for business so that leaves me with only 3 nights and 3 days of potential love making to choose from.  So, if I say I'm too tired or I've got a headache, I have to think carefully because the opportunity may not present itself again until the following week.(Yes, a whole week more)Who are we kidding, you can't make "love" in that sliver of time we are allotted after our kids fall asleep and before the first time they wake up for water, the potty, nightmares, what have you.Let's call it what it is, we are making a quickie and sometimes we can't even get through that before someone wakes up and calls out. Nothing like being almost there, and having to go soothe a cryer back to sleep. That will dry you up quicker than a shot of Sudaphed.Don't worry Daddies, I'm pretty sure it can shrivel your junk up too, within a matter of seconds. Thank God its the quality and not the quantity that counts. Quality is fantastic, quantity, well, we need to clear up some scheduling conflicts...like children running a muck and working out of town! I never understood what the hell all this "I have a headache" stuff was about. Then I had kids and I realized, the headache of which they speak is the headache it is to try and choreograph "Special" time with your partner.

Sometimes, you just need a back rub and that's it. It's not code for anything but I'm tired and my damn back hurts from chasing and lugging kids all day. Can you help a Mama out and just rub my back? But we can't even get through that without someone waking up, calling out, or creeping up on us.I have been busted getting a late night massage in front of the fire place, thank God it hadn't evolved any further. That's why I know the living room is too exposed.  I have a friend who told me that her and her husband used to rendezvous in their closet for "special" time, away from the prying ears of their teenagers. My closet just isn't big enough for those kind of escapades. Her and her husband are both on the smaller side. My husband is a giant and I'm life size not fun sized, so there's no way that could happen in my house. Plus with all that clean laundry that's hiding out in my closet floor, there's no room left for love making...unless the big guy wants to hump my clean nighties that are in desperate need of being put away. He never sees them on anymore, so I am sure one look at them and he'd be done.

How do you coordinate special time? Dose the kiddies with Benadryl? Lock the doors and turn out the lights and pretend no ones home? During nap time? Where do you have to hide to get your groove on? I need suggestions, I am running out of  rooms that are safe. I was thinking about the basement but then I'd die if one of the kids woke up, came looking for us, and fell down the stairs. Oh, the joys of Motherhood! Happy Parenting!

Dog food for breakfast

A few seconds ago, as we progressed through our normal morning routine, my 2 year old gave our dog her treats, which had peanut butter on them. Not special dog peanut butter, just plain old Peter Pan peanut butter. My two year old had peanut butter  on her fingers and asked what she should do. I said just lick it off. It was peanut butter from the spoon . Anyways, no sooner then she had put her finger in her mouth, she ran to the bathroom. I was worried. "What's wrong?" Gabs: "Nothing. Me spit. Why you feed me dog food! Now, me sick! NOW..me have to go to the DOCTUH!!!!" I felt bad for her, because obviously it grossed her out that the peanut butter  that had made its way onto her finger would eventually end up in the dogs mouth. But in that moment, my 2 year old irate with a mouth full of spit, going off on me...was pretty priceless.

We don't need maternity!!!

The other day my husband and I are trying to purchase a new insurance plan for ourselves. Obviously, we're all rogue in this field trying to feel our way as we go. Normally, all the logistics of the plan is handled by the place of employment. Not this time. So, after I spend what feels like forever on the phone trying to speak with an actual human being (in actuality it was seriously about 4 hours over a period of 2 days). I finally after much patience, a little bit of cussing and quite a bit of aggravation get a wonderful human being on the other end of the line..who is actually very informative and helpful. Bonus!!! I am ecstatic, I call my husband to let him know that after discussing the plans with this agent I had found a suitable health insurance plan for our family...NEVER want to have sick kids with no insurance. It's just too much for my heart to handle.I absolutely must be able to take my children in at a moments notice or on any occasion of anything suspect that may arise in their health. I'm pretty much a "shake it off" kinda gal, when it comes to me, but when it comes to my girls..I don't mess around. I am almost immediately on the phone with the nearest doctor I know, whether it be their pediatrician or one of the other wonderful doctors that I am blessed to have in our lives on a more personal level. Anyways, I was pretty happy with myself for pushing through all the clicks and beeps on the phone to actually investigate and find a plan. I call my husband at work , in IOWA, to let him know I had it taken care of it all by myself. I won't lie and say I wasn't expecting some sort of kudos. I explain the plan, tell him the monthly costs and this was his response, "Really? That seems high. Does that include maternity?" I'm thinking, what the hell does that have to do with the price of rice? Does he mean he wants another baby? What's going on here? But soon , my question was answered with a hard swift, quick to my metaphorical balls.  "Why?" I ask. " because...WE DON"T NEED MATERNITY!!!!!" Wow, it was almost as if, in that moment, he had a secret metaphorical vasectomy. That was what I felt like.  I don't know why it bothered me, maybe because I felt like he was making a statement. Drawing a line in the sand of some sort. It's not like we plan on having any more children, its just that statement felt so final. It made me apprehensive and nervous, you know like not having health insurance, in case you need to go to the doctor, or car insurance, in case you get into a wreck. I'm a planner and an organizer, not ashamed to say, a little bit of a control freak and I need insurances in life....just in case life throws me a curve ball.

Beware: Object in photo may cause hormonal reaction

 

Cutest baby ever.She is so precious, and that is definitely dangerous. This of which I speak is her effect on all unsuspecting Mommies who have decided they are done having children. You know who you are. We see one hair on her head, get one whiff of her baby breath and hold her sweet, little, cute self in our arms and we are goners. She is amazing. The caption should read: Beware this tiny adorable person may cause you to have second thoughts, pangs of yearning, and end up with one more lovely baby of your own.