Let’s Get a Few Things Straight…

I’ve had such lovely and encouraging feedback on the things I’ve been posting since our little Drew came on the scene.  I’m so thankful for my IRL (in real life) and Internet friends.

All of the congratulations and kind comments about how well we seem to be doing or how nice my hair looks, have been so sweet.

BUT…

I don’t want anyone out there to think I have it all together!

I most certainly DO NOT.

There are moments throughout the day when I feel like I’m starting to get into a groove.  Like I’m on the ball and will be just fine with 3 kids.

THEN there are moments where I can’t even think straight and I smell terrible and Drew won’t stop fussing and Grace won’t stop whining and Avery won’t stop begging to watch “SUPER WHY PEASSSSS.”

In those moments I start to wonder how I’ll even survive when Andy goes back to school/work on Monday morning, let alone get anything done.

Andy has been SERIOUSLY INCREDIBLE.  He is taking such good care of the girls and the house and the meals and the shopping.  Seeing what needs to be done and doing it.  Not playing into my raging craziness when I start to protest him doing so much because it makes me feel guilty.  He keeps pressing forward.  Keeps doing the next thing that needs to be done.  Keeps anticipating our needs.

I’m beyond thankful for what a wonderful husband and father he is.  I honestly don’t deserve him, I’m just so grateful he sticks by me no matter what.  I don’t take him for granted.  Not even for a second.  He’s the best thing to happen to me since Jesus!

So, back to keeping things real.  I want to go through a sampling of pictures I’ve recently posted on Instagram and I want to give the background information on them…

Y’all were SO KIND in your comments on this picture.  For as many people congratulated me on his birth, a whole other group commented on me and/or my hair.

I can’t take any credit for the phenomenon that was my hair that day!

I mentioned in my birth story that I had a hair appointment the afternoon before Drew was born.  I see Esther Tolnai at Lamia Lamia salon in Grosse Pointe Woods.  I used to babysit for her when she was a toddler and now she’s a beautiful young woman.  That whole thing makes me feel a little old, but her awesome hair skills help me get over it.

She’s absolutely stunning (I mean look at this wedding picture!) and yet she’s the sweetest girl ever.  She’s been doing my hair for a few years and I am toying with the idea of driving back to Michigan every few months once we move just to keep her as my stylist!  I love love love her.

She gave me a great hair cut and color 24 hours before Drew was born and I LITERALLY didn’t touch my hair for the next 3 days.  I finally broke down and showered at the hospital, but I didn’t even want to because my hair still looked good!  That’s one amazing blow out.

You rock, Esther!

Then there’s this picture taken the first week I was home with Drew.  Andy happened to be working that week, so it was up to me to run the show alone.  Drew came home from the hospital a little jaundiced which I found out later made him extremely sleepy.  Like only-wake-up-to-eat-for-almost-the-first-entire-week-home kind of sleepy.

I had a feeling things were too good to be true.  That he was too content and too easy.  And I was right!  He’s still a good baby with no major issues, but he’s much more normal now.  Not napping at all the times I need him to.  Having fussy sessions multiple times a day where nothing seems to help.  Being wakeful much of the night and not breastfeeding quite as perfectly as he was week one.

I’m not complaining by any means, but all of the tiredness and anxiety from lack of sleep and extreme ADD from being exhausted have kicked in at this point.  I’m not so much on the ball as I am underneath it, gasping for air. LOL

Thank God for Andy handling everything else while I care for Drew and work on getting him on a more predictable routine.

So that day up there ^ where I look all bright-eyed and bushy tailed?  I was.  It was a fluke though and I’m longing for that girl to return!

In this one Drew is sleeping and I have good hair.  These phenomenona are due to #1 how long he fussed and nursed before passing out and #2 my awesome haircut by Esther.

I can honestly get 3 days out of each shower with this haircut.  Just add more hairspray and a few curls and I’m good to go.  Too bad my lady bits don’t stay fresh that long!  Post-birth ::ahem:: aroma is no joke.  Yes, TMI, but anyone who’s given vaginal birth can probably relate to what I’m talking about. Gross.

I’m wearing pre-pregnancy jeans in this picture and I mentioned that fact in the Instagram caption.  I failed, however, to mention that these are my fat jeans.  I bought them after I was pregnant with Avery.  They tided me over while I was waiting to get into my regular sized jeans.  So don’t be too impressed.

Yes I made a crap ton of Christmas cookies right after birthing a baby.  The kind that have to be frosted & decorated and the kind that have to be dipped in chocolate.  Both are a pain in the butt.  Both are my all-time favorite Christmas cookies.  Christmas isn’t Christmas for me without these cookies.  I even had to make a double batch of each because I wouldn’t have been willing to share any if I’d only made a single batch.  So basically I’m shallow and greedy.

Also high on all the sugar I’ve been consuming this season.

These are my nails.  Yes, I have a newborn and I still paint my nails.  It’s something I do just for me and it makes me feel happy to look down and see a fun manicure that I’m probably too old for.

Andy bought me a set of nail dotting tools for Christmas and I was itching to try them out the other day. I grabbed a few fun polish colors and set about painting silly polka dots while Drew was napping.  Of course he woke up before I was finished! #murphyslaw

I had to hussle to get my favorite topcoat on and then I very carefully picked him up out of the crib while trying very hard not to mess up my new mani!  Thanks to the incredible topcoat, I was successful.  That stuff is unbelievable with how long my nails last and how fast they dry.  Buy yourself a late Christmas present and make it this topcoat!

So there I am yesterday, sitting by my Christmas tree, admiring my fun new manicure and snapping pics for Instagram. The next thing I know, Andy is shouting, “No Avery! No no no!”

Avery had wandered over to the dining room table where I foolishly left my nail painting supplies, and she unscrewed the BLACK polish! Not the lavender or clear or white or glitter! THE BLACK NAIL POLISH! (Essie “Licorice” is the ultimate black polish, by the way) and she spilled it on her brand new dress.

A dress she received as a birthday gift and hadn’t even worn out of the house yet.

So yeah, send my Mother Of The Year award to 2165…..Harper Woods….Mich….