Re-starting Over

Posted in Family by teamtradermom

Well. Hello there! How have you been?

I know, it’s been a while. Maybe too long. Did you forget about me? I almost did.

Do you have a minute? Oh good! Let’s chat. Here, have a cookie and some tea. I have something on my mind I’d like to share with you.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about this blog and if I want to keep it going. It started out as a place to post stories of my crazy work environment. I wanted to share some of the funny and weird things we encountered. Those posts are still my most popular to date.

But once I left that office, the focus shifted to posts about my family and life at home. After a time I felt stuck in the silo of Mommy Blogger. Don’t get me wrong – there are a ton of great Mom Blogs out there but I felt like I was always competing with them and never quite measured up. The posts became more like long status updates and my heart wasn’t in it.

So I just stopped posting. I even thought about shutting this whole thing down.

Then I realized the other day that I could get back to what I started with. Not necessarily stories about The Annex but about other strange things that go on in the life of Team Trader. Believe me there are plenty. I recount them to friends and family all the time, so why not here?

So, that is going to be my new focus. That’s not to say I’ll never post about my family again. On the contrary, more often then not they’ll probably be featured in my stories. But it won’t be to report on the latest milestones Cora is hitting or how our financial situation is going (by the way, this year we’ve paid off all our debts except the house – BOO YAH!). It’ll be more like “you’ll never believe what happened when we tried to go look at Christmas lights the other night.”

I hope this change will rejuvenate both my spirit in writing and your spirit in reading this blog.

Do you want to hear a tale? You do! Great!

I have to tell you about a phenomenon that goes on in this house. It’s called the Sleep Principle. This is how it works: whenever I have a morning where I could sleep in, Isabella or Cora will wake up extra early. On days when I work or have an appointment, and therefore it doesn’t matter to me how late they sleep, they will set records with the amount of time they will stay in bed. This can also be called “The Odds Are Forever In Your Favor CJ” Principle.

Saturday was one of those days when I could have used a few extra winks. I was feeling the beginnings of a cold and was also worn out from the hustle and bustle of the season. Well wouldn’t you know it but Cora was awake at 3:30 a.m. wanting to eat. I fed her and got back to bed by 4:15.

I believe it was exactly 2 hours later, and approximately 90 minutes after I finally fell asleep, that I heard “Mommy it’s morning!” and turned to find Isabella staring at me.

“Go back to bed,” I muttered knowing full well I was wasting my breath.

“No Mommy I’m hungry.”

Sigh. Fine.

I got up and shuffled downstairs. I made a deal with her that if I put in a movie and gave her food, she would watch it quietly while I went back upstairs to rest. After all, that’s what parenting is all about right – bribery and deal making. I popped in Despicable Me, made up a breakfast plate and was ready to head upstairs when I felt the call of nature. A call that could not be ignored.

So I made a detour in to the downstairs bathroom.

I had just finished drying my hands and was rounding the corner toward the staircase when I heard it.

The all too familiar sound of a dog dry heaving.

I tell you what, I have never run up those stairs so fast. I actually think I flew at one point.

I hurdled up to the second floor, tore down the hallway to Samson’s Loft (What? Your dog doesn’t have his own loft?) and yanked open the kennel door in time to see him puke all over his bed.

Good morning to you too!

Then he started the dry heaving again. I grabbed his collar and yell-whispered “Go Dude go! Outside! Come on!” while dragging him down the stairs. You try dragging 88 pounds of heaving dog down the stairs some time and see how fast you go. We didn’t quite make it and he hacked again in the playroom. I finally got him out the back door but he was already done by then.

I looked at the mess for a good 30 seconds while contemplating my options. I could do the responsible thing and clean it up immediately or I could ignore it and go back to bed. Of course I chose the adult grown up option – place a paper towel on top of the pile so it was clearly marked, and then hustle up to my pillowed wonderland.

And just as I laid my head down on that sweet soft gateway to dream world, Cora woke up.

It was at that point that I elbowed CJ and told him to get up. I knew there was no going back to sleep for me but dammit I was not about to deal with all that awaited outside our bedroom doors all alone. There were kids to feed, diapers to change and 2 piles of puke to clean up.

Welcome to my life of luxury!

I hope you’ll come back soon to share in it some more!

Deep Thoughts from Isabella | Life A.D. – 6 Months | Then She Was Four

22Oct2013

Deep Thoughts from Isabella

Posted in Isabella/Munchkin by teamtradermom

“I’m going to sing a song called Poopy Diapers. Don’t worry, it’s not about diapers….it’s about fear.”

“Somewhere you go is where you were.”

“No that’s not a snail it’s a caterpillar…from North Dakota”

“I want to be Katie Perry when I grow up. And an astronaut.”

For more Team Trader fun, check these out:

And then she was four | Munch and Punk | Little Things

11Oct2013

Life A.D.–6 Months

Posted in Body A.D., Cora by teamtradermom

My baby is half a year old.

GASP!

How could this have happened? Who is responsible for the time going by so quickly? I want names!

I guess I just have to accept it. My girls are going to keep growing up and there ain’t nothin’ I can do about it.

In terms of milestones and progressions, not a whole lot has happened since last month. Cora continues to observe everything and especially watches her big sister very closely.

Poor thing got another ear infection last week, this time in both ears. It’s her second one in a month. One or 2 more and we’ll probably have to start talking about tubes. This is all new territory for us as Isabella didn’t have an ear infection until just this year. Cora wasn’t showing any typical signs of it either – no ear tugging or fussiness or loss of appetite. We only figured it out because she was getting a lot of mucus in her eyes.

Yesterday she broke out in a rash. Started in her diaper area so I thought it was just diaper rash. By mid afternoon it had spread all over. Lucky for us we were already going to the doctor for her well check appointment. Turns our she is allergic to Penacillin and thus broke out in hives. Both CJ and I are allergic so it only makes sense that one of the girls would be. Poor Cora seems to be getting the lion’s share of the bad genes!

She doesn’t seem bothered by any of it though so that’s a blessing.

Here is the report from her well check visit!

She is 13 pounds 15 ounces and 28″ tall. She’s average on height but tiny for weight. We got the go ahead to start baby foods (though she’s been on cereal for a month or so already). She’s also been approved to move to a convertible car seat whenever we’re ready. That’s what Isabella is in now. So when we move Cora up, we’ll upgrade Isabella to a booster and be DONE with the infant car seat altogether! Hip hip hurray!

(As a side note, Isabella also had her well check visit yesterday and passed with flying colors. The only thing was that we discovered she has ringworm. I had noticed a little circular shaped red spot on her chest and it wouldn’t go away with Hydrocortisone cream. Now we know why. Doctor said some times kids get it from cats. We don’t have any cats. However we do have cats that roam the neighborhood so doc suspects one of them may have pooped, got some of the feces on it’s fur or in it’s paws and then carried it in to Isabella’s sandbox. Could also have been from pre-school if another kid was infected and didn’t tell the school so who knows.)

As for me, well, I’m almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight! I can wear most of my old clothes now which feels great.

I had a fun discovery today. First, take a little walk with me down memory lane. Remember when I fainted at The Annex 3 years ago? Well one thing I never shared was that when I fainted, my bowels relaxed and emptied themselves. Yes, I pooped my pants. I didn’t realize it until I was in the ambulance. The EMT told me that was totally normal but still I was mortified. So when I got to the hospital, they gave me some scrubs to wear. And they were Men’s Size Large. I obviously had to wear them home and have kept them all these years because, well, they’re darn comfortable. But they’re huge on me.

When I went to the hospital to have Cora, I took them along to wear after giving birth. I was horrified to discover the day after delivery that they did not fit. They were too small. Men’s size large scrubs were too small for my post-baby body.

I took them out today and take a look!

Too big!

THAT felt good!

I still have another 7 pounds to go to hit my goal weight. And the kicker? I actually believe I can do it! In years past I’ve tried and failed to lose that little bit of weight and told myself it just wasn’t possible. Now I know that it is. I CAN do it and I WILL do it.

What can I say – life is good.

Want to read more? Check out these!

Life A.D. – 4 months | Fat Talk | Little Things

8Oct2013

And Then She Was Four

Posted in Isabella/Munchkin by teamtradermom

Oh how quickly this….

…can turn in to this.

Heck, every year the change is evident, both physically and otherwise.

1st bday*:

2nd bday*:

3rd bday*:

*photos courtesy of H&J Creative Studio

Isabella’s birthday fell on a Monday so we waited to have her party the following Saturday. That meant a whole week of birthday fun!

Monday she had pre-school so we sent her off with some treats for her classmates . Then she spent the afternoon at home with CJ, Cora and her Grandpa Fred, who came over to see his birthday “sweeter”.

Monday night we took her out to dinner and let her pick the restaurant. She chose Red Robin solely for the reason that they have balloons. They also brought out a birthday sundae and sang to her!

I don’t think she quite knew what to do with that and I for a minute it looked as though she might cry. But she was a trooper and even said “thank you” when they were done.

After dinner it was time for presents!

For the last month or so, whenever I’ve asked Isabella what she wanted for her birthday, she would say “a magnet ball”. I had no idea what she was talking about. Turns out it was something she had played with at a friend’s house. I had to text her friend’s mom and ask what it was and where I could buy it.

Turns out it’s a toy for kids 14 and over. When I bought it, along with a collection of picture books, and asked the clerk to wrap them all up for my daughter’s 4th birthday, she looked at me and said, “OK, I’m confused.” That sentence right there sums up Isabella. 4 going on 40 in every sense of the phrase. She runs around and plays and acts silly and inappropriate in all the ways a 4 year old can and then will turn to you and say something like, “Mommy I think the TV is malfunctioning.” What 4 year old says that?

Anywho…she loved the magnet ball and everything else!

Watching her open them was so fun. She took her time unwrapping each one, making sure to pull off every last scrap of paper before looking at what it was. She’s a little like me that way. Each gift was a joy to her too – even the clothes! She would get a big smile on her face and say “thank you for the shirt!” I love how grateful and excited she gets! She even took the time to open and read every card! Again…4 or 44?

Saturday was the party with her friends. We rented out a place that sells playground equipment. They open up the show room and for 2 hours the kids have it to themselves to run around and play on anything they want. The place also provided all the tableware, drinks, invitations and even ordered the cake! It was easy and a win-win for everyone!

Cora even got in on the action!

I surprised Munchkin by requesting a Despicable Me cake. She had originally asked for Thomas the Train but she hasn’t shown much interest in Thomas for a while so I took a risk and went for Minions. She was really happy with it!

All in all she had a great birthday. She was excited about all of her presents and more importantly, had a blast celebrating and playing with her friends. My niece told me it was one of the best parties she’s been to, which felt great.

Isabella and I butt heads a lot. We are similar personalities in many ways. Couple that with the fact that she’s at an age where she tests every boundary and constantly pushes my buttons and you can imagine the battles we have. I sometimes question my skills as a parent and heck, even my sanity. But boy do I love that little girl. I love her more than I can even describe and am aware that she and I are learning together. This whole mom thing is unchartered territory for me, as is growing up for her. So we have to go through it together, helping each other out. I truly hope that she will always feel that she can trust me, confide in me, and know that I have her back no matter what.

Yesterday she said to me, “I will always be your little Munchkin” as she crawled in to my lap. Yes, absolutely and without a doubt.

And I will always love her <———————————–THIS MUCH————————>

Click below for more happy Team Trader fun!

Life A.D. – 5 Months | 12 and 13

12Sep2013

Life A.D.–5 Months

Posted in Body A.D., Cora, Health and Weightloss, Isabella/Munchkin by teamtradermom

5 months isn’t sexy. It isn’t flashy. It doesn’t get a lot of attention like it’s friends 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. But it’s actually fairly important.

There is a lot that happens between months 4-6 of a babies development yet you really don’t hear much about that middle number 5.

We have seen a big difference in Cora in the last 30 days.

She’s showing her personality more every day (here she is getting angry when she couldn’t figure out how to roll over).

She’s a bit like her mama this way…

But she soon figured it out…

Wow that was easy

She can hold her head up very steadily all on her own and she’s sitting up, with some assistance.

She can do little baby “V-ups” (where she lifts her head, neck, shoulders and feet off the ground).

She’s having fun sticking her tongue out.

She’s even grown enough to start wearing size 6 month clothes.

She’s very attentive, watching everything we do. And she wants to be included. If we’re at the table eating dinner and she’s in her swing, she will squawk until we bring her over to join us. If we have her on the floor of the playroom for exercise time while we play, she will crane her neck to see what we are doing at all times.

I find that I can’t get enough of Cora. I stare at her and think how beautiful she is. I snuggle and kiss her all the time. Making her smile is endlessly fun. I remember this phase with Isabella when she was that age too. I want Cora to progress but I don’t want her to grow up. I wish she could stay this sweet and happy forever.

Isabella has made some strides of her own in the last month. She’s now a pre-schooler!

My biggest little one is in school now and it seems somewhat surreal. I didn’t cry when I dropped her off on the first day, and she didn’t either. She was excited and ready. But the moment was not lost on me. Watching her standing in front of the school, waiting with the other kids to go inside, I was struck by how small she is.

Not in terms of size but in terms of years. She seems so old to me most of the time because she’s the big kid in the house that I forget she’s a tiny little person. She’s only 3 (she turns 4 in a couple weeks) and has a her whole life in front of her.

I have been extremely lucky to have the peace of mind knowing that my babies are in the trusted hands of CJ every day.

Now one of those babies has been handed off to someone else. I completely trust our pre-school teachers and Isabella loves going there. Still, it can be a challenge to let go.

As for me, I’ve lost a total of 14 pounds so far and am pretty darn close to my pre-pregnancy size. I am able to get back in to many of my old clothes, and therefore give away some of the bigger sized ones. Let me tell you, that feels great.

I didn’t get a chance to take a selfie and this is the most recent pic I have. Yes, that’s an astronaut.

I have 11 more pounds before I reach my goal weight. I originally set my goal at my pre-pregnancy weight but have since decided to shoot for losing a few pounds beyond that. Hey, why not? Losing with Weight Watchers has been surprisingly easy so it seems feasible now for me to get there.

Life for the Team Trader is good these days. Really good. I am extremely grateful for what I have and don’t want to take a moment of it for granted. Ever.