Hats off to moms everywhere!

So...it's almost been 6 weeks since Nate was born and things are starting to settle down.  By settling down I do not mean that we've got things figured out and things are going perfectly, just that we are settling into a "routine." And by routine, I don't mean a schedule.  I wish things were that easy.  No, I've just come to notice some consistency in Nate's everyday routine.  Like, for instance, his most alert times are in the morning-usually 6am-9 or 10am-and in the evening-10pm...just when I want him to be winding down...

(But actually, last night wasn't so bad.  He only got up once and I got 4 consecutive hours of sleep!  I feel like a new woman right now!)

Another exciting thing is that Nate is becoming a lot more animated and is smiling, cooing and very alert; eyes wide open, checking out his world.  So fun!  Unfortunately for my "to do" list, since Nate is a lot more active and alert (and wants to be held more...), I can't get anything done!  And, to be quite honest, I'd much rather be holding and playing with him anyway!

And that brings me to my realization: being a mother is a full-time job!  As I was preparing for Nate's arrival and looking forward to spending 12 weeks as a stay-at-home mom, I came up with a very extensive list of things that I wanted to get done.  You know, since I would have lots of free time...

Among the "to do list" was to complete several scrapbooks that I've been meaning to work on, complete Nate's baby book, do some decorating around the house, put together a cookbook full of my great grandmother's recipes...and the list goes on...   It's been almost 6 weeks and do you want to know how much of that list I've accomplished?  NONE.  In fact, at this moment I haven't showered in 3 days. And please don't judge, I've gone on two runs in that time (thanks to Austin watching Nate for awhile so I can get out to the trail), so I'm probably due for a shower but every time I get a few moments to get some things done, there are other things that seem to be more important.

My mom was (and still is) a stay-at-home mom (in fact, she home schooled me and my four siblings), but I always kind of admired women who worked full-time and had kids.  I mean, they have so much on their plate.  They must be superwomen!  But now, I am starting to realize that I don't care about being a superwoman.  I want to be a super-mom to Nate and any other children that the Lord may bless us with.  Staying at home, being a wife, and taking care of an infant isn't easy and I can imagine that it gets more difficult and time-consuming as the number of children increase.

So if the Lord gives me the opportunity to be a full-time stay-at-home mom I will accept it happily. Right now I have to work part-time and I realize many women are faced with the need to work outside the home and there is no shame in that. I also realize that some women choose to work instead of staying at home, and that's fine too.  I'm just saying that women should not look down on other women because they choose to be a stay-at-home mom or because they choose to work outside the home.  It's a personal choice and for me I hope to be able to choose to be a stay-at-home mom sometime in the near future.

So, "Hats off to moms everywhere," being a mom is the most important job I can think of!

Date night

Austin and I made a few changes to the country song, "Just another day in paradise" by Phil Vasser.  And here it is:


Nate screaming, phone ringing
Anna barking at the squirrel and they're bringing
That stack of bills - overdue
Good morning baby, how are you?
Got a half hour, quick shower
Take a drink of milk but the milk's gone sour
My funny face makes you laugh
Twist the top on and I put it back
There goes the dishwashing machine
Baby, don't kick it.
I guess we just won't wash it
even though there's many things...

Well, it's ok. It's so nice
It's just another day in paradise
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise

Thursday, cat hate (*I'll explain that one later*)
Guess we'll never make our dinner date
At the restaurant you start to cry
Baby, we'll just improvise
Well, plan B looks like
Pancheros burritos at your parent's house...



So Thursday night Austin and I had arranged for my mom to come over and watch Nate for a couple hours so that we could get out, grab a bite (without it being interrupted by a nursing session) and chat.  It wasn't going to be anything big.  We were going to go to Pancheros or Panera...nothing fancy, but I was looking forward to a little Austin and Cailey time.  Things had been hectic at the Oates house lately.  Nate has been more fussy after eating, Anna (our dog) is feeling a little left out and has been going CRAZY in the backyard (thankfully both of our next door neighbors are gone for the week), we got a few unexpected bills, and the dishwasher started making strange noises.

On the evening of our date night we decided to do a little housework and tear up the carpet in the basement because we were thinking that the cat had started peeing down there.  So Nate and I are upstairs eating again and Austin is in the basement.  Before long I hear him calling up the stairs and to make a long story short, we had to vacate the house for a few hours to let things air out.  The problem was alot worse than we thought.

So I called my mom and cancelled our date night and Nate and I left the house and went to Austin's parents' house.  Austin hauled out all of the old carpet, bleached the floor, opened all the windows, ran the furnace for a few hours and joined us at his parents' house.  Austin picked up Pancheros burritos and we ate our dinner on his parents' couch by the light of a football game on tv.

Just another day in paradise!

But seriously, even though something always seems to be going wrong, life is beautiful.  I am reminded  of that every time I look at my sweet little boy.

I wouldn't trade it for anything!