Grocery Stores and Toddlers

In the days before I was a mom, I used to listen to my friends who were moms talk about grocery shopping with kids. Inevitably someone had a story to share about their little one's epic meltdown in the bread aisle. These stories kind of freaked me out.

A few week ago, Jack and I had our first difficult shopping experience. He did great during the shopping part, but struggled with the checkout part. He wanted out of the cart. He didn't like sitting still. There wasn't anything to look at, etc. He cried and wanted to be held. Unfortunately I can't hold him and unload groceries. There were people in line behind me and I started to panic. 

Anxiety is an evil thing in a new mom. I really wasn't sure what to do. I mostly wanted to cry. Instead I finished the checkout and hurried out of the store as quickly as I could – my blood pressure felt sky high. I'm sure some people in line were annoyed with me while others probably had empathy for the situation.

The next time we went to Walmart, we had a similar experience. Jack had a hard time checking out, but this time I was prepared with snacks. I also talked to him about why he couldn't get out of the cart. He still cried, but this time I didn't panic. I was in control and didn't let it bother or overwhelm me that he was crying or that people might be staring.

Sometimes I cope with offering a "toy" like a straw. Sometimes I have a snack pack in my arsenal to distract my busy toddler and I recently let an older gentleman give Jack a sucker as we made our way through the grocery aisles. My parenting is nowhere near perfect and I continue to learn how to cope with and teach my child, but I am thankful that I have managed to set aside my anxiety and deal with the combination of a potentially fussy Jack and grocery shopping.

something gave...

 Daniel and I always joke that I just sit around and eat bon bons all day. 

I tease him that he just sits around and eats bon bons on the weekends.

Last week I wrote about being so busy that something was going to have to give {at the time, the give was housekeeping, groceries, exercise, etc.}. Well then something really did give.

I got sick.

After two nights of sleep training my little one and one night of staying up until 3am to finish a project for a client, I woke up with a sore throat. I could barely swallow. At least I wasn't achy. But I definitely didn't feel well.

By day two with a sore throat, I happened to look in the mirror and noticed a white spot on my uvula. I texted my sister to see if she would advise seeing a doctor {I HATE going to the doctor}. Since I have a baby at home, she suggested I go to the doctor, especially since white spots could indicate strep.

I heeded her advice and scheduled an appointment with my doctor. One great thing about living in a small town is that I got in right away. 

Getting your throat swabbed has to be one of the worst experiences ever. It makes me gag and is almost impossible for me to relax enough to let them do it {my dad told me he once had to get a shot in his uvula!!! I don't think I would be capable of sitting still long enough for someone to stick a needle down my throat}.

The doctor was very friendly and told me I didn't have strep, but I did have an ulcer on my uvula. He said my body was probably just stressed and this was it's way of showing it. He went ahead and prescribed me antibiotics to prevent it from becoming strep. 

When I left the doctors, I noticed that the sheet with my prognosis said "acute pharyngitis." I went home and googled pharyngitis. Basically it is doctor's speak for "sore throat." 

In addition to the meds, I have been trying various home remedies. 

• I leaned my head back and shook salt into my throat...
• I licked a spoon covered in honey with 1/4 tsp of tumeric mixed in {this just turned my toothbrush yellow later that day}...
• I drank broth that I made by simmering an onion and a whole garlic...
• Several times a day I make hot tea with honey and lemon...
• I eat popsicles and ice cream at regular intervals {these are the only things that soothe the pain}...

I will be thankful when this sore throat goes away. In the meantime I am enjoying ice cream and popsicles with every meal and am extremely thankful that Jack has taken to the sleep training and is sleeping through the night now. It is allowing me to catch up on some much needed rest.

Something's Got To Give

I have been missing from the land of blogging lately. Actually I have been MIA from a lot of things. Being a {new-ish} mom who also works as a freelance designer from home means that some weeks are crazy busy. Last week was one of those weeks. 

While I worked to meet tight deadlines to help a new client get ready for an upcoming trade show, groceries were not bought; dinners were not made; workouts were skipped; the house was not cleaned; books were not read; sleep was in short supply; and Daniel was left to fend for himself.

Somehow I managed to take care of my boy, but that is not a lifestyle I would want to maintain for any appreciable amount of time. 

I feel so blessed to be able to work from home with the flexibility to take on new work or turn down projects if my plate gets too full. I am still learning how to balance this new life of mine. I don't always get it right, but hope that I will get better at the balance part as I continue to navigate this new world of work-at-home-mom.

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Up until recently we have not bothered to buckle Jack into any of his stationary seats {baby rocker, rock 'n play, high chair, etc.}. Last week I set Jack in his baby rocker while I got caught up on my emails. 

After a few distracted minutes, I looked up to see that Jack was no longer in the rocker.

He was on the floor.

Little guy had figured out how to thrust his little body until he wormed his way out of the chair! Thankfully it was only a four-inch drop to the floor and little guy was not bothered by the experience.

In the future, we will be sure to buckle our little one in.