A long overdue update.

The last update I did on Madigyn she was 18 months. That means it was prior to her enter the “Terrible Two’s”, she quickly welcomed me to that stage while on vacation in Chelan last year while I was three months pregnant and immediately asked myself what exactly have I done, having a 2nd child while I didn’t even really know what it was like to have ONE just yet. I laugh at this now but, at the time it was a very scary situation. At the time I thought she was ready to give up her 2nd nap of the day and boy was I wrong. She had also been experiencing some very dramatic life changes. We had just started our own business and Brad was working full time so her little life as she knew it was no longer. She was now going to “day care” at my sister Sally’s on a daily basis. Not only that but, I had lost my SAHD! So, now I was back to grocery shopping, cooking dinner, cleaning house, and chasing a Toddler around while pregnant! Needless to say 2010 was a crazy year. So, we welcomed Jayma on November 15, 2010 and immediately Madigyn became an amazing big sister! She has done a wonderful job with the transition from only child to being the eldest daughter. She loves every bit of her little sister and is always helping me. If she hears her sister poop, she runs and gets a diaper and a wipe for me, she must then be able to throw the dirty diaper away as well! Needless to say we are still logging the hours in at the sink washing our hands over and over and over again. Madigyn is by far the funniest little girl ever. She does the most amazing and funny things. You never know how incredibly dull and lifeless your days are until you fill them with a child (or TWO). She is so smart! She is counting, learning colors and potty training just to name a few. She continues to amaze us daily with how much she has learned and how fast she has done it. Among her favorite things are Mickey Mouse, helping Mommy and Daddy, her baby doll, “Baby” (which is her blanket) and Lamby (Which if you ask her is a Sheep!), and her FROG boots (I received them as a baby gift for Jayma and she swiped them and has not taken them off since!). She loves to run and put garbage in the garbage can, to dance, help us cook, and to help feed the dogs. I had the pleasure of spending 14 weeks at home for maternity leave. I tried to make every moment count, we made popcorn at 11AM, had movie days, play dates with friends and cousins, colored, painted, did manicures and pedicures, went to Great Wolf Lodge and Crescent Bar on vacation, we played in the back yard and at the park when the weather was nice. I enjoyed every sleep deprived moment of it. She is growing up so fast and for the most part is well behaved and a very good little girl.

Jayma is now 19 weeks old. She rolls from front to back and from back to front! She is amazingly strong. She loves to try to stand up and almost never likes to sit up. She drools like crazy, I swear she is teething. She is almost always happy. She sleeps about 8-9 hours at night and then goes back down again after I feed her. She takes 2 hours naps and eats very well. She is so quiet and rarely ever cries, if she does you know she is tired or something is wrong. She is growing so fast just like her sister. She is very different than Madigyn was at her age but not in a bad way. It is very interesting how two babies could be so different even in the womb!

My sister Sally is watching the girls four days a week and Sadie is watching them one day a week. I am so blessed to have my girls be with family and I will never be able to repay them for the gift they have given me and my family. They love my girls like I do and nothing is more important than that.

Our business is doing very well. Brad has been very busy and we are very fortunate that is the case. I was able to be home with our girls for more than enough time and I am so thankful that Brad was able to stay busy in order for me to be able to do so. He works very hard at what he does and has such an amazing work ethic that no one ever thinks twice to call him up when the time comes the next time. The books got a little out of control the end of last year but, I was able to spend sometime straightening them out this year and we have a really good system going now.

As for myself, I am back to working full time. The transition from Mom to career woman is always difficult in the beginning but, I know that I am not cut out to be 100% SAHM. I need a reason to get out of bed, to get dressed and find a kind of peacefulness in my office. It’s a love hate relationship much like that of any job I guess. I take care of 75 employees from 7-3:30 and then take care of my family when I get home. To switch gears nightly is hard and getting up at 4:45AM is not my favorite but, I wouldn’t give up being able to be a breastfeeding mother for the sleep and I am so thankful that I am able to provide for my baby in that way. I am so thankful that I found Brad. He is such a wonderful Dad and an even more amazing husband. He always makes sure that I have time, time to go tanning, get a manicure or massage, be with my girlfriends, all the little things that keep you sane. Life goes rushing by and when I forget about myself, I am very unhappy and I am not the best that I can be. It is hard to remember to care for yourself when you are going 100 different ways at once and he helps me remember that I need to care for me too and I am so very thankful for that reminder and welcome the time for me when ever possible! Our lives are so different with children and we often laugh at how times have changed but, we have never known so much love until now.