Friday, September 2, 2011

If we don't change, we don't grow...

...if we don't grow, we aren't really living! With Abby being in school all day now and it just being Liv and I at home, I have been thinking about how much things have changed in the last 6 years. These 2 pics of the girls are old ones, but I LOVE them so much! They are perfect examples of the bond my girls have...they are sisters, friends, enemies some of the time, but when it comes down to it...they would chose one another over any one else. I hope THAT never changes! :)

Anyways, I was thinking about the almost 3 years that Abby and I had together before Liv was born. I quit my job when I was about 5mo. pregnant with Abby. I knew that I was going to stay home with her and Scott got the opportunity to to do a 12 week 'deployment' in Tampa. We thought it was the perfect chance for one more last adventure before the baby was born, so I gave my notice and we went to Tampa, where they put us up in a gorgeous Condo with all the amenities. I only stayed for 7 weeks (the longest my doctor was comfortable with me going in between visits), but we had SO. MUCH. FUN! I have a lot of wonderful phases in my life, and God willing, there will be many more, but my pregnancy with Abby and those weeks in Tampa are without a doubt the best times of my life. The glow and excitement of our first baby on the way is something that is beyond words. Plus, I basically lived a life of leisure for 7 weeks! ha! I slept in, got up and worked out, spent a few hours at the pool, read a ton of books and shopped. When Scott would get home from work we would go to dinner, shop, site see, we went to ball games, the beach, the casino on the reservations, Mom and Dad came a stayed a week with us...it was truly awesome! :) Shortly after that little Abigail was here! I will not sugar coat it one bit, the first 4mo. or so were ROUGH! She was not a good eater, a TERRIBLE sleeper, we had issues right after she was born and ended up back in the hospital with her...it was just stressful times and I fell into a little bit of a funk. Not PPD or anything, I just didn't know anyone here yet, I was alone at home all day with a new baby, I never left the house unless I had to because it was winter and flu season and I was scared to death someone would breathe on Abby or touch her! haha! Finally in May I had had enough. I got a membership to the gym and started to get back to my old self. Abby was getting bigger, things were easier, I was determined to meet some people. Once Abby was about 1 we started going to story time and other little things around town. Once she was a toddler, I was in full suburban stay at home Mommy mode....she was in Little Gym, we were part of 2 story time groups, we had real deal play dates, we went to the Parent/Tot days at the school. While I laugh at some of this now, I met some wonderful people during these years, some that are dear friends of mine...and, don't worry, I was never one of 'those Moms'...we had some good times and good laughs at the die hard Mommy Nazis! You know the ones...the ones that ask if your toddler can read because theirs can (puuhleaze!), the ones that swear their children are going to be MENSA members because they breast fed and you didn't. The ones that have nanny's 2 days a week so they can shop and work out! Yeah, we had a lots of fun with those Moms! haha! Anyways...here is my little doll during those years....Abby @ age 2!
A few weeks after Abby's second birthday, we found out I was pregnant! Exciting times, of course, but it was different than Abby's pregnancy. I was very sick the first 12 weeks (just like with Abby) but once that wore off, I would really go some days and almost forget I was even pregnant. I was busy with Abby, we were doing renovations to our house to get it on the market, we were busy selling and buying our new house and there just wasn't time to bask in pregnancy glow like there was with Abby. ha! I spent most of my time worrying about how we would all handle the adjustment of another baby, how in the world could I love another baby as much as I love Abby, I also had some issues with the pregnancy (nothing major, but stuff that had to be monitored a little more closely) so when I was engrossed in pregnancy mode, it was mostly with worry! We moved into our home a few weeks before Liv was born. When she was born, it was life as normal but with her in tow, and she fit perfectly into the chaos. She was the total opposite of Baby Abby. Liv was easy, laid back, she ate, she slept, she cuddled, she was always happy and she has the most ROCKIN' hair I have ever seen on a baby (just a side note! ha!) But, things just got busier and busier...I started coaching at a gym when Liv was just a few months old (I hadn't worked since I was newly pregnant with Abby), Abby was starting preschool, there were no more story times or organized play dates! ha! They played with each other or the neighbors! Now, here we are and Liv is almost 3, Abby is in full day Kindergarten, I am working, Abby is in dance, Liv is starting dance, we have whatever other things Abby gets into (soccer, tball, Girl Scouts), my house is never as organized as I would like it to be, we have met so many great people and are involved in so much more now. Sometimes I feel bad that Liv doesn't go to Little Gym or the other 500 activities I used to do with Abby (but she goes to work with me which is WAY better, in my opinion-ha! ;), but I don't think she's worried about it, do you? ha! :)
We actually did meet a friend at story time a couple of weeks ago and Liv hated it! She said she never wants to go back! ha! I just think it's so funny to reflect back on how much has changed in such a short amount of time. And, now we are getting ready for another big change with Scott leaving...and when he gets home, I am sure it will be something else.

3 comments:

Jami said...

I greatly enjoyed reading this post. Since I don't really know you it good to get some background stuff. I too had a rough time adjusting after my babies were born, like you said not PPD, just a funk. I feel the same way about having two now, when it was just Cooper we were always doing stuff like the library. I can't control two of them in the library, it's wild!

A Whole New McAfee Crew said...

I feel the same way about Jake. We used to just sit and talk about how cute he was! ha ha! We had nothing else to do, right? We thought we were soooo busy. Now we travel "light" with just one!! Funny how things change but I wouldn't change it for anything! :)

A Whole New McAfee Crew said...

I love what you said about toddlers reading. I laugh at those parents too! I also laughed when you said that about breastfeeding. Everyone assumes that everyone that breastfeeds is like that. We're not! ha! :)

About Me

Welcome to our life! :) Our life seems to be a constant 3 ring circus these days, but we have a lot of fun, laugh a lot and enjoy every minute of it (okay...almost every minute-haha!) Scott and I have been married for almost 9 years, and we are the parents of 2 amazing daughters, and another little one on the way. This blog is a way to keep in touch with family and friends. It also serves as a 'year book' of sorts for our family. Enjoy!!