Party with the Halls

A few weeks ago we traveled to Michigan to celebrate my mom's birthday with a surprise party. We played. We read. We slept. We kissed. We stayed as long as we could.

No Mama No Dada No Baby! Jett!

Last Friday Jett spent the night at Aunt Jenny's. This was his first sleep-over, so a couple of hours before Jenny came over to pick him up, I started hyping it up to him. We discussed how Jenny would change his diaper, put him in pajamas, and read him a story. We talked about how he would sleep in the pack-n-play next to Aunt Jenny's bed, and when he woke up, he would see Aunt Jenny. During our conversations, Jett ran around our condo yelling, "No Mama! No Dada! No Baby! Jett!".

I was thrilled that he was thrilled, but he didn't have to be that excited.

When it was time for him to leave, I bet down for our usual kiss and hug routine. As he was leaning in for a hug he stopped and said, "Oh! Baby!" and ran to Kai in the swing. Very carefully, without moving the swing, he bent down and kissed Kai on the lips. Then he laid his hands on Kai's shoulders and laid his head on Kai's chest.

I had to open the window then to let some of the love out, because I could hardly breathe.

He ran back to me for a quick hug, then hopped on down the stairs, singing, "No Mama, no Dada, no Baby! Jett!"

Because Now I have the Luxury of Feeling Wistful About Work

Kai is twelve weeks old today. Today should have been my first day back at work. But a few weeks ago Charlie and I decided that I wouldn't go back to work. So you might say that today was my first day as a SAHM. You know, a stay-at-home-mom.

But that is naive.

During my maternity leave with Jett, I had to concentrate on storing up milk in the fridge. We had to make sure that he would take a bottle. We had to figure out child care, and I had to mentally prepare myself for leaving him every morning. The last few days of my leave I had to practice getting up and getting ready as if I was going to work. I had to gradually be away from him for longer and longer amounts of time. For a working mom, maternity leave starts out as a time to get to know your baby, and it ends with your preparations to leave him.

This time, when we decided that I would stay home with the boys, I had barely started pumping. We hadn't even tried giving Kai a bottle yet. I've been able to spend these last few weeks of my maternity leave without the mental stress or the physical work of preparing to go back to work.

My point is, that working moms don't just face challenges after they go back to work. Their added responsibility starts as soon as they start looking for childcare, which they probably do (or at least I did), before their baby is born. They may get twelve weeks off of work (if they're lucky), but they spend part of their leave simply preparing to go back.

So despite what I might say later in this blog, I know I have it easy right now.

Staying home with my boys has proven more challenging than I thought it would be. But working outside of the house every day takes a different kind of stamina. At least when I'm with my kids, I'm only with my kids. When I was at work, I was physically in my office, but mentally with my babe. Sure, I got better at focusing on my work at work, but I was still always in two places at once.

So let's give it up to the women who spend their days in two places at once. Who never get quite all of the information they want about their child's day from their child's caregiver. Who wake up every morning three hours before work, but don't get dressed until they are about to leave because it's the only way to ensure that their work clothes won't get spit up upon.

Thanks for everything you do. I was proud to be part of the team.

The Bottle

We've been starting to try to get Kai to take a bottle, but he's been pretty indifferent to it so far. I don't really mind, because it's hard to find time to pump anyway. But every now and then I'd like to go to a movie...or let Charlie get up for the 4:00 am feeding.



Of course now Jett loves drinking from the bottle. Let's just hope that he doesn't start waking up at 4:00 am.

One Fantastic Week

Our family vacation was a few weeks ago, but the lessons are still sinking in:

1. Lake Michigan is great, but nothing beats a kiddie pool.



2. Bathing outside: fine. Bathing outside in a roasting dish: not so fine.



3. If you need to know the latest headlines, just ask Kai.



4. It is possible to sleep through a Johnson party, although you might miss your opportunity to shotgun a beer.



5. That perfect family photo still eludes us.



6. Can you believe we all fit around one dinner table?

Where are all the capes?

This morning I took the boys to the zoo. Jett chased the seagulls, I chased Jett, and Kai hung in there in the Baby Bjorn. When we left we were all hot, sweaty, and thirsty, and some of us were crying because we were getting in a car and not a bus. It made me stop and think how amazing it is that so many people are watching multiple children at once, and getting out of the house and back with all of the kids, sometimes with no injuries. I feel like a hero when I make it to the end of each day, whether its been an easy day or a challenging one. I never realized how many superheros there are out there.

Blog or Shower?

We got home l a t e from a weekend trip last night, so this morning when Kai woke up, I pulled him into bed with us, hoping to get another hour of sleep. But then Jett forgot that he went to bed at 11:00 last night, and called out to me, "Hey Diaper Changer Woman! I'm awake! I'd like you to stand next to my crib now and bring me my toys one at a time while I say "poop" over and over but refuse to let you change my diaper. Oh, bring the baby too and I promise NOT to hit him with my toys when I throw them out of my crib at you!"

That was this morning. But now it's naptime and I don't know what to do among all the things that need doing. Sweep the floor? Take a shower so Charlie and I can celebrate our anniversary without spitup on either one of us? Or should I continue updating the blog using my phone, while I lay on the bed next to a sleeping Kai?

There, I can check 'update blog' off the list. Next on the list? Shower while they both sleep. I probably have 2 minutes left.