I ♥ you guys

I love the readers I know in real life. Like my mommy, my friends, my online mother's group.

I love the readers I feel like I know through their own blogs and tweets.

I love the readers I really do not know at all.

You guys make blogging fun.

I'm not really into numbers and the whole business-aspect of blogging these days. But I want to host another giveaway. A freebie for you guys - just because I love you!

My real readers are the ones who come back time & time again. Who leave comments or keep in touch via Twitter. Who share opinions of information on the 3 Moms In 1 Facebook page.

Those people? Are the ones eligible for this GIVEAWAY!

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GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Congrats to LeAnn, Jenilee, and Samantha!
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If you have left a (real!) comment on any post since February 1st, you are already entered!

Bonus entries or need to enter?

Comment, comment, comment! Not just "I want to win!" And don't make me gag with "Follow me and I'll follow you back!" pleading. Tell me something about YOU or what you think of a post. Would love to get to know you better.

Tweet tweet! @BalancingMama I am a  real reader! Would like to be entered in your #giveaway on 3MomsIn1.com

The LOOT: Decided to have three winners!

• Grand prize: One $5 Target Gift Card and TWO Little People music CDs (I love these!)
• 2nd and 3rd prizes: One $5 Target Gift Card each

Winners will be selected via Random.org on 2/18 from a list I compile. I will gather all post comments and tweets from 2/1 through 2/18. Will notify winners quickly; winners will have 3 days to respond before I select another winner.

Thank you, thank you! Blogging is fun because of YOU.

Wordless Wednesday: Mess

This is what happens when Mommy suffers a stomach virus for 32 hours.

I make such a mess!

Not ready to clean yet. This mess is here to stay - at least one more day!

A crack, not yet a breakthrough

Pregnancy was not easy for me. I battled migraines, skin issues, ligament pains, and occasional anxiety. Labor and delivery? Definitely NOT a simple experience. Motherhood? Well, if you read my blog regularly, it's pretty easy to figure out that I am far from perfect.

Amelia is 2 years and 10 months old tomorrow. I have shared many exciting joys and happiness-inducing laughs with her. I have also managed to wear myself out. I have battled anxiety and depression. And I paralyzed myself with fear upon any thought of a (gasp!) second child. I fear how my body will react to pregnancy hormones again. I fear more surgery after another delivery. I fear that a second child would never be able to match up to the awesomeness that is Amelia. We were blessed with a spunky, extremely smart, hilarious little girl. One who shows off her fake tattoos and plays rough with older boys. She's an independent person with an amazing spirit. What if a second child lets us down?  By the time I get over these terrible twos and potty training aggravation, I'm supposed to think about starting over?!? Goosebumps and chills. Yikes.

However, there is a tiny streak of a silver lining. I have begun to notice how much I love other people's kids. Amelia is #1 in my mind (mommy bias!), but I adore her little school friends. I enjoy the smiles I get from my friends' babies. None of these kids seem like a disappointment... surely my second child could never be!

Sometimes I call Amelia my little octopus. She is so clingy! I barely move more than 16 inches from her and she's running over to see what I'm doing. Mommy makes the best snacks. Mommy must change the Pull-Ups. Mommy must endure the wiggles and crowding by a preschooler in the restaurant booth.

Last night, I witnessed a miracle. We attended a Super Bowl party. I had already resigned myself to Amelia duty. I expected beforehand that I would not talk to my friends, I would attend to my little octopus. But this party? This party had kids! And toys! And a fabulous upstairs play area. The children watched The Polar Express and played with the toys. After a few minutes, the mommies went DOWNstairs. Amelia? She stayed up there! She had the time of her life playing with the other kids. Playing without a grown-up in immediate view. Maybe, just maybe, the chaos of a sibling's early years would be made good by the future years of playtime together. Perhaps Mommy could get a minute to herself?!?

Friends and family: Before you get excited, remember this is not yet a breakthrough. Child #2 is not in the works anytime soon. But I have definitely begun to crack. Maybe, just maybe, I could do all this again.

2012? Maybe.

Or maybe not!

Just don't pressure me. I'll get there on my own terms. Cross my heart.


Amelia, 9 weeks old

(Photo of a photo. Original copyrighted image taken by Lambert's Photography in Tennessee)

Nothing compared

1990 was a year of change and discovery in the world. Mikhail Gorbachev was elected the first president of the Soviet Union. The Hubble space telescope was launched. The Gulf War began. Ireland elected their first female president. The best preserved T-Rex specimen ever found was discovered in South Dakota.

I was in middle school. Teachers discussed world events with passion and interest. I listened and learned, enough to get my As and Bs. My mind and heart, however, were elsewhere.

The boy I "loved" just wasn't interested in me.

One of the top 5 hits of 1990 was Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares To You. Her drastic shaved head got everyone's attention. And for me, her battered and bruised soul was a reflection of my dramatic rejection.

 It's been seven hours and fifteen days 
Since you took your love away
(You danced with me two weeks ago at a party and never asked me to "go" with you)

I go out every night and sleep all day
Since you took your love away
(I go out when my parents say I can and I wake when they get me up in the morning. But I really wish I could sleep all day and be sad)

Since you've been gone I can do whatever I want
I can see whomever I choose
(I still try to sit next to you in math class, but you sit with your buddy now. If I go to another party, I guess I'll dance with someone else)

I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
(Probably having Chinese food with my parents tonight)

But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues
(Our love was so strong during that one dance at our classmates house. My heart is shattered, it was love)

'Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
(I will never get over you)

--Lyrics by Sinead O'Connor, pre-teen translation by yours truly.

Part of me looks forward to these days with Amelia. I can't help but find amusement in the drama. Hopefully, if I hold on to my memories of those days, I may also identify with her heartbreaks and embarrassments and be the mom she needs.


A special thank you to @mamakatslosinit, whose pretty much world famous writing prompts help me out of many a writing funk.

F2F: Carrie With Children

Happy Friday!

Today, meet Carrie. A former PR professional, now a full-time stay-a-home mommy to a toddler and a sweet infant.

Blog? Carrie with Children

When was your blog born - and why?
I still consider myself a newbie to the blogosphere. I started my site at the end of September 2010 to share the story of my daughter Molly, who was born with Down syndrome. After about a week of blogging, I realized I was hooked and my site has now evolved into so much more than just a special needs blog - I'm enjoying sharing/learning parenting tips, meeting other parents and sharing my opinions on products and hosting giveaways too!

Carrie With Children can also be found on TWITTER and FACEBOOK

The writer behind the words - list 5 adjectives that describe you.
Friendly, Stubborn (or so my husband says), Positive, Procrastinator and Gullible

Something that recently made you laugh?
Santa brought my oldest daughter, Maggie a play kitchen and a chef costume for Christmas. I laugh at (and with) her daily while we "eat" the food she's cooked. I love that she gets really excited about wearing the chef outfit, complete with the chef hat too! I always get the giggles playing kitchen with her because I'm constantly trying to cleanup all the "food" that she's thrown on the ground and just as fast as I can pick it up, she's making a mess again. Ah, the life of a two-year old!

A favorite photo? I love this picture of my girls.

I'm biased, but they are just so happy and cute together! Maggie is so interested in her little sister and very anxious to play with her. Maggie is a little chatterbox and is always "talking" to her sister. I hope they grow to be the best of friends.

If you had 2 hours of pure "me" time, what would you do?
As the mom of two-year old Maggie and seven month old Molly, I'd be selfish and probably sleep all two hours. There are so many other productive things I should probably do with that time...but a mom never gets enough sleep and I could definitely use some time to catch up!

Remember me

A letter from Mom
April 2021

My lovely Amelia,

I cannot believe you are officially a teenager. You have grown up so fast, and I am so proud of the young lady you have become. You are intelligent, capable, and friendly - with that spunky gleam in your eye we first noticed within moments of your birth.

The next few years will be a whirlwind. You will soon enter high school, meet new friends, develop your interests, and begin to mold yourself into the person you want to be. If you ever need an extra boost or simply a hand to hold, remember me.

When you were almost three years old, I was your world. You held my hand wherever we walked. You insisted on sitting next to me at every meal. You kissed me goodbye before bouncing into your preschool classroom to play with your friends. Now, we don't kiss goodbye. I wouldn't dream of embarrassing you in front of your friends. But if you are ever feeling down or lonely, just remember me.

Your father and I joke with you about staying away from boys, but we do look fondly towards the day (several years from now!) when you meet the right guy. You are an amazing and strong person, and one day you will find someone who will treat you with respect and look at you with love forever. As you venture into the world of dating, you will meet different types of guys. Never sell yourself short - you deserve only the best. And if you ever suffer a broken heart, don't forget to remember me. As I tended your cuts & scrapes as a child, I will provide whatever you need in times of sadness.

We don't have to get along all the time. We don't have to be friends. It is a mother's job to help her child gain independence and eventually let her bird fly free. As I let you go physically, never forget that you are always tied to my heart. No matter what happens in your life, I will stand ready to support you.

In times of joy, remember me.

In times of self doubt, remember me.

In times of fear, remember me.

In times of anxiousness, remember me.

In the pain of defeat, remember me.

In moments of victory, remember me.

I will be your mother forever. And you will never have to traverse this world alone.


I love you forever and always,
-Mom

Wordless Wednesday: Sisters

"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost."
~Marion C. Garretty

Orange furniture... must be 1978