J is for . . . Juggling

Juggling, a cool trick that clowns do?

Yes, but no.

It's also something that many families deal with every single day. The juggle between, being a mum, having a clean house, having a social life, working or studying and being a partner.
Some people are fantastic at this.

Me, on the other hand?

Well all it would take is a look inside my house to see that things aren't spotless. Its something im struggling with.

im at uni, every day. Somedays for 3 hours, some for 8 and its not a shock, that I miss my little man to no end when im gone. So when I am with him, I want to spend all my time playing around with him, giving him cuddles and reassuring him that ill always be here, even when i'm not.

And then with study, as soon as he goes to sleep I try and catch up on a weeks worth of tute questions and lecture notes. For those of you studying or who have studied in the past, will know, it can be never ending!

So how do I sort it out? how have I managed to spread myself among all the tasks I have to do?

Planning! I have written up a plan for housework in the past, this one is more specific that for sure.

but very simple.

Each day I write up at least 3 items that need to be done around the house. I then make sure that every time E goes down for a nap, I complete one of these. He has 2 naps a day and then bed time at the end of the night. So I complete the 3 tasks by bed time and I find myself feeling more accomplished!

I also let the little stuff go by, i'm not going to put his toys back in his toy box every time he goes to bed, because he is just going to pull them out again, and that fine! Choose your cleaning battles I say!

As for study, I do it for the reminder of his nap time. I will do some at bed time and my wonderful partner looks after E for a few hours on the weekend, out of the house. So I can have some peace and quiet study time! Which I truly appreciate.

Also coming into winter, I will be making full use of my slow cooker! Such an easy way to prepare delicious meals and so quick! Something I can leave on all day and have a beautiful meal at the end of it! Just perfect!

And lastly, I make sure there is time for Thomas and I to just be, us!
Of a night time we can sit in bed and just chat about our day. It might not be anything important, but just getting back to basics and really talking to each other.
And then on he weekend we might get a bottle of wine or some chocolate and watch a movie in bed together. Just really simple things, that help us to reconnect. I think this is such an important part of relationships after children.

So it might not be perfect, My house might not be spotless, we might not have gourmet dinners every night, we might not get to enjoy romantic evenings anymore.

BUT

Im studying hard, and getting good marks, we do eat, the house is clean enough and my little man gets as much one on one time as I can possibly give him.
And to me thats a juggling success.

So my key points?
-Plan, (Meals, chores, and friends)
-Enjoy (every little moment you can, with kids and partners)
-Be proud (of everything you do, no one is perfect)
-Prioritise (MOST IMPORTANT, if your having one of those days, and just need to spend a little extra cuddle time with your kids, then do it! the cleaning will always be there tomorrow)

What tips do you have for the juggle of life?

Today, for the first time in a long time, Im linking up with the lovely Jess For IBOT.
Go ahead and link up!

W is for . . . Where for art thou Crunchy?

Where am I?

Here I am!!

The juggle between uni, motherhood, Love and a somewhat clean house, left little time for my poor neglected blog! I miss the relaxation of writing and connecting with the wonderful people I have met....so guess what?

Im Back!

and better than ever! I have posts scheduled, products reviewed, training to (re)start and a blog to show some love too! I just hope it missed me as much as I missed it.

What has happened since I left?

Well I have a 9 Month old! Yep 9 months! and boy oh boy is he clever!
He claps and waves, he hi fives and shakes his head to say no. He says dad, nan, ta, this (what this?) hi, yeah, no and tries to say pup (he gets the pah out) still no mum (its ok, its not like i birthed him and feed him or anything)! He also pulls up on EVERYTHING and took a few steps behind his walker today!

Oh and he has no hair...

...and no teeth. But he is totally perfect! (mumma brag over)


I have totally nerded myself out, I spend all my spare time studying. Which as crazy as it may sound, is amazing! Im loving my course so much and I even have my first placement coming up soon!
Being a midwife is going to be fantastic, im even considering a placement for a couple of weeks overseas. But we will see how that goes!

Life is busy, its stressful and its totally crazy fitting everything in on very little sleep (im sure he will sleep through eventually right?) but it is amazing, I am more happy than I have ever been in my life!
I have found my calling
my happy place
I feel like I am on the exact path im meant to be on!

Bring on the future!


Whats new with everyone else?
Update me on the goss!

L is for. . . love and loss

This is probably the most personal post I have written so far. But I feel like sharing all the bits and pieces that make me, me.

My sons name is Ethan Lance. I have seen eyes brows raise at his middle name, as its not all common and modern these days. So here is the story behind the name.

My pop, my dads dad was such a large part of my life, he was lovely and supportive and just wonderful. I have so many amazing memories of him when I was younger, him being at my athletic meets, him sitting and watching his grand kids play with a smile on his face and of course him telling me off for wearing makeup and having a boyfriend.

I also remember the day my mum and dad came into my room and told me he had cancer, I was young, maybe 9 or 10, but I was old enough to know that it wasn't good. He didn't give up though, he battled through surgery and medications, all the while putting a smile on his face when we were around.

Just before he died, our family got together and we made a plate, which we all put our finger prints on, in the shape of a butterfly, and after he died we burned a candle with butterfly stickers on it. A sign that he was flying free and happy.

He is always there when I'm sad or uncertain. A little butterfly. I know some of you may read this and think I'm crazy...I'm not. I know he is always there.

Why am I sharing this story?

I wish, every single day that Ethan could have met him, just once, just for a minute. That I could hug him one last time. And yesterday, my mother in law said something, that changed my life and she didn't even know it.

She said that when she watches Ethan during the week, he will sit at the window and for some reason, many butterflies will just appear.
It was honestly like receiving that last hug I had dreamed of, it made me realise that he is still here, for me and for Ethan. And that he is proud of me.

He really was a special person and I hope he is enjoying his life as a butterfly <3

W is for. . . Walk in her shoes

Ill be honest, every other week Thursday is my most favourite day, I love looking at the positive side of my life, picking out all the wonderful points and sharing them with you. I will admit though, today I struggled. I have ended up in a bit of a slump the last few days and struggled to find something positive to share.

I have been thinking all day, Its now 5pm and I have finally realised there is no point in feeling sorry for myself. No point in focusing on the negative things have have happened over the last few days.

How many people would love to live my life?

Would love to have 3 meals a day and a roof over their head.

Would love to have the amazing support I have from my partner and from our families.

Would love to have a healthy and safe lifestyle.

And they don't.

So who am I to complain and the things in my life, that would be so small in comparison to some peoples problems.

So instead, today I am thankful!

I am thankful to have 3 meals a day and a roof over our head

I am thankful to have amazing support from both my partner and our families

and Im thankful for the healthy and safe lifestyle we have


To prove how thankful I am, I am going to join "Walk in her shoes"  Where I will commit to walking 10,000 steps a day from March 18-24.

Because I don't have to walk for Km's each and every day, just to food and water, just a few steps to the fridge.

My aim is to raise $500! But I would love to raise more. Ill be promoting through my blog and social media, the more money raised, the more girls we can help, spend more time in school than having to walk every day!

You can donate to here

Or you can register for yourself here, It costs just $15 and they will send you out a pedometer so you can keep track of those steps!

I know there are other bloggers walking as well

BabyMac

Essentially Jess

Any other bloggers who are doing this, please let me know and i'll list your names! I think its such a wonderful cause.

No matter how bad life can get, how dark and gloomy, there is always something to be thankful for.
This Thankful Thursday may have been a little harder than other, but after a little soul searching, its easy to see all the wonderful things I have been blessed with. And I hope I can make some people's lives, just a little bit brighter.

Of course I'm linking up with Leigh at "Six by the Bay" for Thankful Thursday! My weeks just wouldn't be the same without it!

H is for . . . How to

I have decided to make Fridays on the Blog, How to Fridays.

There are so many things I search for every week, How to videos or instructions. So I thought, during the week Ill make lists of things that I do, that maybe other people would like to know how to do.

So today is. . .

How to. . . De stress your life in 5 easy steps

Do you ever just get so frustrated with life that you can feel the steam escaping from your ears? I had a day like that yesterday, I was on edge, stressed out and ready to explode. Then I dropped a mug and it smashes everywhere and so did my mood. I was totally grumpy for the rest of my day.

However it was not the mug that ruined my day, it was a series of other things that today I have changed and I already feel much better about myself. So here are my tips.

1. Clean out your social media!

Do you have people on your Facebook or twitter that make you crazy? Do they post things that infuriate or irritate you? This happened to me yesterday, two people I had on Facebook posted things that made me really mad. Just silly little selfish things, so I deleted them. But as I was deleting them, I went on a clean out and ended up deleting almost 50 people. Not having to see them and their posts this morning, already changed my mood!

2. Go for a walk 

It doesn't matter if its down the street, around the block or up a hill, go for a walk. Get out of the house or office and get some fresh air. The mixture of fresh air and sunshine will make such a huge difference. Its like a mini holiday while you stroll. Sometimes its also easier to reason out why your mad or stressed when your outside! Give it a go

3. Write

This is a two part tip. For one, write down whats making you made, it can be a list or just a huge slab or writing. You will be surprised how much it helps to just let it all out. When I was younger I used to do this and then (safely) burn it. It used to help the bad feeling fly away like smoke from my brain.
and 2, sit and write down 5 positive things in your life, it could be family or friends or even food. Just pick some things that make you happy and choose to focus on them!

4. Breathe

Simple, yet I think the most effective way to help relax yourself. Take a deep breath in, hold it, then slowly breathe out, counting to 5 as you exhale. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Once you have slowed your breathing down, focus as you breathe, breathe in positive thoughts and breathe out negative thoughts. This might sound simple and silly, But I promise it works wonders. You can even do it while your sitting on the loo...bonus!

5. Laugh

It has been proven, that laughter is the best medicine. It sends those all important endorphins to the brian, that trigger the happiness you should be feeling. It has even been proven to boost your immune system. So...laugh. Find something hilarious to laugh at and have a good old laugh!

So try your hardest to rid yourself of the negative thoughts and people in your life, focus on what makes you happy and get outside and enjoy the fresh air.

And if all else fails, remember, tomorrow is a new day!

What helps you relax?

B is for. . . Boyfriend

Boyfriend, I hate saying that Tom is my boyfriend, it sounds so juvenile. But if I call him my partner, I feel like I'm old. I guess technically he is my defacto but I have never really heard anyone refer to their other half as their defacto, would that be weird?

Anyway he is the other half of me, the one I love. And today on "Thankful Thursday" I am so happy and thankful to have him in my life.

I mean , no doubt he drives me crazy and we have our ups and downs. But without him I don't even know where I would be. He is so supportive and he is always there when I need him and he would do anything for his family.

He really is fantastic.

The other night I had a migraine and he came home from work, ran me a bath and made me a peppermint tea and let me relax to try and make me feel better.

He makes me cups of tea, pretty much on demand. And has even been known to bless me with breakfast in bed, pretty much every weekend. And he helped me create a pretty perfect little person, who is a Mini him all over,

He is there with hugs when I need them, kisses when I crave them and support when I feel hopeless. He mended my heart, opened me up to what real love is all about and taught me to be confident and proud of who I am as a person (trust me, that was not an easy job) I am new and improved since he entered my life and I honestly can't imagine a day without him by my side.

I mean sure, he leaves his socks on the floor, leaves the toilet seat up and forgets the dishes every now and then. But I can forgive him, because he is pretty much amazing, and every night when I lay down to sleep, I thank the world for letting me have him.

So that concludes a super soppy blog post from me. I just hope he knows how much he means to me :-)

Happy "Thankful Thursday" everyone. What do you have to be thankful about? Link up with "Six By The Bay" because she is amazing ;-)

M is for . . . Mummy problems

When you become a mummy, you will know all too well that things change.

Your sleep changes

Your moods change

Your heart changes

Your whole life changes

And its totally amazing, the special feeling you get when you look at your little person smiling back at you makes everything worth it.

But what they don't tell you, is how having a baby, sneaks into seemingly unrelated moments in your life.

I thought I would put together a short list, and this is only from this morning!

-Thomas bought me some flowers the other day, they are beautiful! Well when he changed the water, some way or another he added something else as well.

-I decided to get the sewing machine out this morning to have a bit of  a play around, look what I found. Now I have to wonder where the other one is hiding.

-Babies gone to bed, time for some breakfast and a cup of tea. It doesn't take long to become a creature of habit, luckily I love soldiers

-Finally, that moment, every single parent has gone through. The foot injury related to the baby toy, hiding in a dark corner somewhere. He isn't even mobile yet, so its beyond me how it managed to get here!

In saying all this though, While i'm eating my soldiers, my foot throbbing and staring at my bizarre vase of flowers, I would not change anything, not one thing at all.

I love mummy life, throbbing foot and all.

Ohh and today is my first IBOT with "Essentially Jess" Yay!

F is for . . . Fun

Ethan and I were playing today, usually he is so happy to play by himself either on the floor or in his walker. He loves it. But the last few days, im guessing his teefers are starting to give him hell and he is being very sad. It hurts me to see him uncomfortable, I wish there was more I could do to make him happy.

So rather than him having alone time play, he has been having mummy cuddle time. To make it a little more interesting we played with the webcam and took some photos. He loves to see himself, so this made him happy for a while.

Ive got so say, im very impressed with his ability to look so cute when he is actually so sad.

Take a look for yourself. . .

Isnt he adorable?

I am so in love with him, he teaches me new things every day.

His most important mummy lesson for today, is put a smile on your dial, it will make you feel better, even if its just for a little while.

Does anyone have an magic medical miracles for teething bubbies? I would love to hear them!

M is for . . .Milestones

I remember back when E was a month old and I had to pack away his 0000 clothes! I was so sad, I felt like time was moving too quickly and I didnt want him to grow up!

But then he hit his first milestone, a smile, the most beautiful smile I had ever seen in my life. Then it was the roll from belly to back, and a giggle! It was then that I learned not to dred him growing, but to look forward to the milestones ahead.

There is no greater accomplishment than watching your little person grow and reach new hights! I know look at my almost 4 month old who never stops making noises, grabbing toys and drowning them in his mouth and trying his hardest to roll from his back to his belly! I could not feel more proud. Every milestone ge reaches I think, ok now time...stop! Stay in this moment.

But then he will do something even more amazing and the cycle begins again. So instead I know live in the now, I cherish all moments, the good and the bad! I enjoy the moments and the milestones that are happening now, as well as looking forward to the ones that are about to come!

Everyday I wake up and look at his little smile and think, yep today is a great day! Everything that happens today will be great and I'm the luckiest person alive.

So thanks E for making everything amazing, and never give up! You will be rolling around all over the plave before I know it...and I cant wait

F is for . . . Family

Honestly family are irreplacable. Sometimes its a simple as my night tonight.

My sister is over spending some time.with her nephew and of course her favorite sister :-) we spent the night chatting and playing with the little man.
We also has homemade marinated ribs for dinner! Our all time favorite meal, we always have it when she comes over! They are always delish! Its not a recipe as such, just a mixture of all the sauces in the house over some tender pork ribs. Mmmmmm!

Its just a nice way to spend a night and being 21 now and somewhat more mature and of course having a family all of my own I can appreciate family time much more. Without my family around I dont even know how I would have made it through this pregnancy and birth. My mum was by my side with Tom as E entered this world and its been that way ever since and my dad is the proudest poppy around. Im just so blessed to have the support of my family and I hope they know this.

Family is the most important thing in the world, and i'm blessed with a prettt awesome one

L is for . . . The Little Things

People are quick to throw you all their advice. So often I heard, "ohh dont be holding your baby all the time, he will end up spoiled" I have to say, everytime I heard that I had to grit my teeth. He is my baby and I will hold him whenever I please.

And thats where I am right now, laying on the couch, watching the rain out the window, while I feel the soft gentle breathing of E on my chest. He looks so peaceful, his skin so soft against mine. I feel this amazing love for the little person I created.

I carried him around inside me for 9 months. I laboured for 3 days, I pushed for one hour and I have now fed him from myself, for three months. He is half of me, half of his amazing dad, and I know that a few extra hugs every now and then and some naps on my chest wont spoil him. Infact I hope they can remind him exactly how amazing he is and how much he means to me.

I love you little man, from the moment you started growing inside me and for the rest of your life.

J is for . . . Jinx

Of course after posting yesterday about my favorite time of the day being 10pm, tonight Ethan decides that it would be fun to cry from 10- 10:45. I dont even think he was sure why he was crying, but one second he jusy stopped, smiled at me and fell straight to sleep.

Its times like this I feel so overwhelmed. I know this is what comes with being a mum, endless crying and not knowing how to help your baby. But that doesnt make it any easier. I hate feeling helpless and I hate that I get so frustrated. I let that little voice creep into my head that says I'm not good enough, that im being a terrible mum. This voice tends to lead to me getting even more frustrated for thinking this way.

I know deep inside, even in moments like this that I'm a good mum. That im doing everything in my power to help him and make him feel comfortable. But its the crying and the way he looks me in the eyes, that makes me think I should be doing more to help him. I know i'm doing all I can, I just wish there was more I could do.

Well he is asleep now, and I think its also time for me to hit the hay. Fingers crossed he stays asleep for a while. I could use the zzzzzzzzz.

Goodnight!