Happy Monday, loves! I hope you had a fun weekend!
A few weeks ago I did a post called “Real Parenting Moments” inspired by the constant rollercoaster of big feelings when it comes to motherhood – the good, the bad, the hilarious, the melt your heart, the pull your hair out with frustration types of moments. With a two year old around I’m experiencing all of them almost daily, and I kind of love it.
There have been a few stand-out moments lately that easily make up this next edition of real moments. Enjoy. 🙂
1.) A few weeks ago Hadley and I were running out to grab dinner with friends, and as I started backing out of the garage I hit something with my back tire. It startled me big time, and because I am guilty of having an accidental potty mouth when I get startled, I yelled “Oh sh*t”. Without missing a beat, Hadley immediately repeated me LOUDLY with the same expression I had just used, with perfect pronunciation OF COURSE. I was shocked but immediately fell apart into a fit of giggles. Once I realized that I’d hit one of her garage toys that wasn’t too damaged, I got back in the car and belly-laughed even harder. So did she! Whoops. #momfail. Maybe this is one of those “had to be there” stories, but it was pretty funny (and just the lesson I needed to do a better job of watching my mouth!).
2.) Hadley’s new favorite phrase this month: “Aww, that’s cuuuuute!” What’s even better is that she actually uses the sentence in correct situations, such as when she sees a baby, an animal, etc., which makes me smile and want to say right back “You’re the one that’s cuuuuute!”
3.) Hadley started kissing my belly completely unprompted about three weeks ago, and she always does it 5+ times in a row out of nowhere when I’m laying down on my side on the couch. Jamie saw her do it on FaceTime a few days ago, and it made him an emotional mess. I was so glad he got to see our feisty girl do something sweet for once. 😉
4.) I mentioned the Easter egg hunt madness a week ago, but let me tell ya – the word “madness” is an understatement. All Hadley wanted to do was be held by me when we were walking back to the car, we had a lot of walking to do, and I couldn’t physically carry her comfortably as far and as long as she wanted because I was 35 weeks pregnant. She was really ticked about it and let everybody around us know. Tears ran down her cheeks and she screamed bloody murder with frustration as my mom and I tried to reason with her. I eventually practically collapsed on the grass by the sidewalk and pleaded with her to please calm down. In that moment I really wanted the ground to open up and just swallow me. We both went home and cried – her because she was overtired and frustrated and me because I just needed Jamie to help me in that moment. We both took naps and turned a new leaf together once we woke up.
5.) My mom and I took Hadley to get her first pedicure a couple weeks ago, and while we were sitting in the chairs I had this moment where I remembered the gender reveal ultrasound three years ago when I found out that she was a girl. As soon as they told me, I unexpectedly burst into tears because I was flooded with images of what the rest of my life would hopefully hold raising a daughter. So as we got pedicures the other day, I thought about how much I really do love being a “girl mom” and sharing these fun moments with her. It was special! (And just for the record – I probably would have cried if it was a boy too because that would have meant my life would have held a whole different set of amazing moments too.
6.) I’ve realized that as a stay-at-home mom, I’ve become the biggest fan of rainy mornings. We don’t get very many of them in Manhattan, KS (maybe one a month), but I love having an excuse to snuggle Hadley on the couch, watch TV, read books, and hang in our pajamas. Gorgeous days are obviously a good thing, but I always feel like I need to get Hadley out of the house and be outside. Rainy days are just the most wonderful excuse to rest.
7.) We celebrated my dad’s birthday dinner last week at a pizza place in the next town over, and in the middle of our meal there was a potential domestic violence situation that broke out. It’s a long story, but I immediately got the worst feeling that something bad could/would happen. The guy stormed out of the restaurant, and when my parents spotted him coming back 20 minutes later, I quickly grabbed Hadley and left altogether while my parents boxed up our food and paid the bill. I went into total “Mama Bear” mode like I never had before and wanted to get my kid away from that situation as quickly as possible.
8.) When I went to pick up Hadley from school on Friday, I peeked in the door and saw her sitting on the floor smiling in a circle with her classmates and teachers singing “The Wheels on the Bus”. It was the most simple moment, but I just loved seeing her sitting there so nice with a smile on her face being a part of everything.
To see more: Real Parenting Moments Vol I
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo