WEBVTT 00:00:13.379 --> 00:00:15.519 motherhood where sleep is a rumor and laundry 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:18.280 is eternal and somehow we're supposed to be raising 00:00:18.280 --> 00:00:20.899 tiny humans through it all we're here to laugh 00:00:20.899 --> 00:00:23.859 at the chaos cry when necessary and remind you 00:00:23.859 --> 00:00:25.940 that none of us actually know what we're doing 00:00:25.940 --> 00:00:29.100 this is no manual a mom cast your mom friend 00:00:29.100 --> 00:00:31.699 group chat but with microphones welcome back 00:00:31.699 --> 00:00:35.439 to no manual mom cast Well, this week is Thanksgiving, 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:39.219 and I realized a while ago we're really bad at 00:00:39.219 --> 00:00:42.899 acknowledging holidays. So happy Thanksgiving! 00:00:42.899 --> 00:00:46.600 So happy Thanksgiving! But yeah, happy Thanksgiving 00:00:46.600 --> 00:00:49.020 before we get started. Grateful for you guys 00:00:49.020 --> 00:00:51.700 as listeners. Grateful for our families. Hopefully 00:00:51.700 --> 00:00:53.659 you can get some good family time this week. 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:57.640 Yeah. Well, welcome back, everyone. Today, we 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:01.299 thought we would just do kind of like, I guess, 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:05.420 a check -in on... Where we're at, just we both 00:01:05.420 --> 00:01:10.340 have two -year -olds and ZZ's just about nine 00:01:10.340 --> 00:01:14.140 months. Chris is almost eight months. Yeah. 202. 00:01:14.579 --> 00:01:17.340 Yep. Just kind of talking like how we're doing 00:01:17.340 --> 00:01:20.319 and maybe make you feel less alone if you're 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:22.980 in a similar season of not feeling crazy. Yep. 00:01:23.180 --> 00:01:25.780 But before we get started on that, do you want 00:01:25.780 --> 00:01:28.540 to start with your mom moment? I would love to. 00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:32.260 So I... started kind of telling you about this 00:01:32.260 --> 00:01:34.060 before recording but then I was like you know 00:01:34.060 --> 00:01:35.379 what I'm not gonna tell you because I'm just 00:01:35.379 --> 00:01:38.900 gonna save it for this so this was Wednesday 00:01:38.900 --> 00:01:41.319 today is Friday when we're recording this so 00:01:41.319 --> 00:01:44.640 this is was this last Wednesday so two days ago 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:47.700 and Wednesdays are my long parent it's like solo 00:01:47.700 --> 00:01:49.760 parenting days because Michael has youth group 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:52.959 on Wednesday nights and this one was specifically 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:55.959 long because the first uh Wednesday of the month 00:01:55.959 --> 00:01:59.540 they do a an event called rally it's like um 00:02:00.109 --> 00:02:02.590 a big, large student event that they hold for 00:02:02.590 --> 00:02:06.810 all students from all campuses at our church. 00:02:07.129 --> 00:02:09.629 So Michael usually has to go into work a little 00:02:09.629 --> 00:02:12.870 bit earlier. And then he's usually there until 00:02:12.870 --> 00:02:16.949 like 11, 1130 at night cleaning. So it's just 00:02:16.949 --> 00:02:20.909 a long, long day. And so we kind of had had a 00:02:20.909 --> 00:02:23.710 rough morning. Colt did not sleep well the night 00:02:23.710 --> 00:02:26.349 before. And so he was just like super whiny. 00:02:26.430 --> 00:02:30.479 Like everything was just like, eh. And we have 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:33.460 those days. Yeah. And I'm like, I just like that. 00:02:33.639 --> 00:02:37.280 I know that he's too. I do. I just get really 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:39.780 annoyed sometimes when it's like everything. 00:02:39.900 --> 00:02:44.080 Like it's, it's, Oh, if mom does this, it's the 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:45.960 wrong thing. So he's whining about it. But if 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:48.020 I don't do it, then he's whining about it. Cause 00:02:48.020 --> 00:02:50.099 I'm not doing it. So I'm like, I don't know what 00:02:50.099 --> 00:02:53.280 the right thing to do. He'll say mom hug and 00:02:53.280 --> 00:02:56.039 then run the other direction. So I'm like, do 00:02:56.039 --> 00:02:58.800 you want to, do you want to hug or not? So yeah. 00:02:59.289 --> 00:03:04.110 Right there with you. Yeah. Yeah. And so I finally 00:03:04.110 --> 00:03:08.810 got Colt down for a nap and Cruz, I was, I was 00:03:08.810 --> 00:03:11.370 getting him down for a nap and just got him down. 00:03:11.509 --> 00:03:14.129 And I was like, okay, that like went really smooth. 00:03:14.610 --> 00:03:16.669 And Colt's new thing right now is he like has 00:03:16.669 --> 00:03:19.509 to fall asleep with his door open. And so I'm 00:03:19.509 --> 00:03:21.449 like, yeah, I'm not, that's totally fine. And 00:03:21.449 --> 00:03:23.090 then I usually close it after he falls asleep. 00:03:23.330 --> 00:03:27.659 And he just was like coughing a ton. in his room 00:03:27.659 --> 00:03:30.659 and i'm like i couldn't tell if he was like getting 00:03:30.659 --> 00:03:34.199 sick or i don't know i kind of little kid in 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:36.960 november so he's always sick anyways yes and 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:39.599 i'm kind of like starting to think maybe as asthma 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:43.699 um so trying to like manage that whatever that 00:03:43.699 --> 00:03:46.259 looks like um but finally got cruised to sleep 00:03:46.259 --> 00:03:48.259 and i thought colt was asleep in there and he 00:03:48.259 --> 00:03:50.919 was like coughing in his sleep and so i was like 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:53.770 okay i'm just You know what? I actually have 00:03:53.770 --> 00:03:55.729 a minute. I'm just going to like I'm just going 00:03:55.729 --> 00:03:58.430 to close my eyes for a second. So I like literally 00:03:58.430 --> 00:04:02.030 just lay down and all of a sudden like Cole is 00:04:02.030 --> 00:04:03.750 sitting up. He's coughing and then he starts 00:04:03.750 --> 00:04:07.229 crying. I like look on the monitor and he's just 00:04:07.229 --> 00:04:08.729 sitting there and I'm like, OK, I'm going to 00:04:08.729 --> 00:04:11.849 go check on him. And I go in there and he had 00:04:11.849 --> 00:04:15.289 thrown up all over himself and all over his bed. 00:04:15.430 --> 00:04:19.120 Buddy. And he just was like. just sitting there 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:21.660 stunned and like kind of crying and it made me 00:04:21.660 --> 00:04:25.879 so sad and so then obviously I did not get to 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:30.040 nap no and also Colt did not nap because then 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:32.620 I'm like taking his clothes off we get him in 00:04:32.620 --> 00:04:36.100 the bath get the sheets off the bed in the wash 00:04:36.100 --> 00:04:39.300 I ended up making him some like honey water he 00:04:39.300 --> 00:04:42.439 calls it his honey wawa like when he's sick we'll 00:04:42.439 --> 00:04:45.649 do like his version of tea Um, so I like, we 00:04:45.649 --> 00:04:49.089 made that and then remade his bed with new sheets, 00:04:49.170 --> 00:04:52.250 get him laying back down and Cruz is still asleep, 00:04:52.430 --> 00:04:54.769 thankfully. And so I'm like, I let, I'm laying 00:04:54.769 --> 00:04:57.089 with Colt. And then of course Cruz wakes up. 00:04:57.089 --> 00:04:59.029 So then I'm like, I leave Colt in his room, go 00:04:59.029 --> 00:05:01.569 get Cruz, try to get him back down to sleep, 00:05:01.629 --> 00:05:04.930 get him back down, go back in with Colt. And 00:05:04.930 --> 00:05:07.129 then at that point he just was like so awake 00:05:07.129 --> 00:05:09.910 and he was like, go downstairs, go downstairs. 00:05:10.110 --> 00:05:12.939 And so then I'm like, okay. Let's go downstairs. 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:15.399 You, I, but you have to lay on the couch and 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:17.279 we're just going to be calm. We're going to have 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:19.819 a calm body on the couch. And he's like, okay. 00:05:19.899 --> 00:05:21.879 But then, you know, it doesn't turn out that 00:05:21.879 --> 00:05:25.579 way. Never. Yeah. So then like we ended up going 00:05:25.579 --> 00:05:28.639 to visit Michael at work, which is kind of, we've 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:30.379 been doing that on Wednesdays. It kind of breaks 00:05:30.379 --> 00:05:32.220 up our day. We'll go and like visit him while 00:05:32.220 --> 00:05:34.560 he's setting up for youth group. And Colt falls 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:37.199 asleep on the way there, which I knew was going 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:39.800 to happen. But of course this was at like 4 PM. 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:43.639 So, like, not ideal time for a nap. Right. Yeah. 00:05:43.720 --> 00:05:45.620 And there's, like, a level of you're kind of 00:05:45.620 --> 00:05:47.579 thankful because at least he'll have some sleep 00:05:47.579 --> 00:05:49.180 so the evening won't be awful. But then you're 00:05:49.180 --> 00:05:51.199 like, well, are you going to sleep ever tonight? 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:55.259 Yes. So, all that to say, he got, like, a 20 00:05:55.259 --> 00:05:57.639 -minute power nap in. And then we had fun at 00:05:57.639 --> 00:06:00.740 church, which was great. Get back home. And then, 00:06:00.759 --> 00:06:04.199 like, the whining starts again. Dinner was just, 00:06:04.259 --> 00:06:07.540 like, he didn't eat well. Thankfully, we'd already 00:06:07.540 --> 00:06:09.720 done bath time earlier in the day because of 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:14.399 the throw up situation. Get him into bed, which 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:17.420 like putting both kids to bed on my own is not 00:06:17.420 --> 00:06:19.220 like the most ideal, especially when both of 00:06:19.220 --> 00:06:22.160 my kids are very high need sleeping kids right 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:25.639 now. And Colt like usually wants us to lay with 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:29.860 him until he falls asleep. And so my thing that 00:06:29.860 --> 00:06:32.459 I've been doing right now when I. I'll put Colt 00:06:32.459 --> 00:06:35.279 down and I tell him like, hey, buddy, mommy's 00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:38.060 going to go put Cruz to sleep and then I will 00:06:38.060 --> 00:06:40.459 come back and check on you. And it's usually 00:06:40.459 --> 00:06:43.060 like 50 -50 where it's like he's like, okay, 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:46.259 mama, or it's not okay. Tonight was a that's 00:06:46.259 --> 00:06:49.480 not okay situation. Like you need to stay with 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:52.600 me and like just go put Cruz down and leave Cruz. 00:06:52.939 --> 00:06:56.639 Cruz doesn't need you. No. And so obviously Cruz 00:06:56.639 --> 00:06:59.660 needed me. So I like I had to leave Colt in there. 00:07:00.009 --> 00:07:02.069 crying you're doing like the back and forth yes 00:07:02.069 --> 00:07:05.170 and so i finally get cruised to sleep lay him 00:07:05.170 --> 00:07:08.509 down go back in with colt laying with him and 00:07:08.509 --> 00:07:10.610 colt is just like wide awake singing wheels on 00:07:10.610 --> 00:07:14.910 the bus just all the things mama turn like i'll 00:07:14.910 --> 00:07:17.649 like try to turn the other way so that i'm not 00:07:17.649 --> 00:07:19.629 like giving him attention so that maybe he'll 00:07:19.629 --> 00:07:22.629 calm down yeah i'll go turn around mom turn around 00:07:22.629 --> 00:07:25.829 so then i turn around i'm like yes buddy and 00:07:25.829 --> 00:07:29.480 he's like sing with me sing with me So demanding. 00:07:29.720 --> 00:07:32.379 Yeah, he is a demanding boy. I love his confidence. 00:07:32.540 --> 00:07:36.779 I do. And then Cruz woke up, so I had to leave 00:07:36.779 --> 00:07:39.060 Colt in there. Then he starts crying again. It 00:07:39.060 --> 00:07:41.160 starts the whole thing over. Get Cruz back asleep. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:43.899 I swear I did this back and forth four times, 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:46.860 probably. And I felt like I was going to crash 00:07:46.860 --> 00:07:50.980 out. I was like, I'm about to lose my mind. I 00:07:50.980 --> 00:07:53.220 think by like the second time, I would have been 00:07:53.220 --> 00:07:55.459 like, I'm going to let them both cry for five 00:07:55.459 --> 00:07:58.939 minutes while I walk away because I'm going to 00:07:58.939 --> 00:08:01.339 lose it. The hard part with Cruz, so Cruz still 00:08:01.339 --> 00:08:05.379 sleeps in our bed. And when he wakes up, he'll 00:08:05.379 --> 00:08:09.279 like sit up and he just starts crawling. And 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:12.220 so it's like, I got to get there quick or he's 00:08:12.220 --> 00:08:14.300 going to crawl off the bed. And I will do like 00:08:14.300 --> 00:08:18.160 the pillow barrier. But it only works so far. 00:08:18.339 --> 00:08:22.079 Yeah. Yeah. And so it was I'm not even kidding. 00:08:22.379 --> 00:08:25.259 Colt fell asleep for maybe 20 minutes and then 00:08:25.259 --> 00:08:28.160 woke up coughing at one point again. So then 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:30.620 I had to go back in there again. And Michael 00:08:30.620 --> 00:08:36.100 got home at 1115, I think. And I was in Colt's 00:08:36.100 --> 00:08:39.179 room trying not to cry. And he was texting me 00:08:39.179 --> 00:08:41.100 like, let's just switch because Colt was still 00:08:41.100 --> 00:08:44.409 wide awake. At that point. And I was like, I 00:08:44.409 --> 00:08:46.809 am literally going to lose my mind. So Michael 00:08:46.809 --> 00:08:48.929 switched me. Michael ended up falling asleep 00:08:48.929 --> 00:08:52.649 in there for like five hours. But I like went 00:08:52.649 --> 00:08:55.649 downstairs and I just I had a full on meant to 00:08:55.649 --> 00:09:00.009 be mental breakdown. And I was like, what was 00:09:00.009 --> 00:09:02.690 that day? That was the hardest parenting day. 00:09:02.870 --> 00:09:08.159 Every single time that. Stuart has, we both have 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:09.740 the same thing where it's like for you it's Wednesdays, 00:09:09.740 --> 00:09:11.820 for me it's Thursdays, where it's like our long 00:09:11.820 --> 00:09:15.500 day. Yeah. Dad is gone in the evening. That's 00:09:15.500 --> 00:09:18.179 always the day something happens. Always. And 00:09:18.179 --> 00:09:22.360 it's like, I think as a two -year -old, he's 00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:25.460 testing every single boundary right now. And 00:09:25.460 --> 00:09:29.600 it's always towards me. Oh, for sure. Yeah. Yeah, 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:32.159 definitely. I mean, Stuart gets it a little bit. 00:09:32.299 --> 00:09:34.870 Yeah. And I mean, there is a level of like, I 00:09:34.870 --> 00:09:37.889 know I spend more time with him or with Lloyd. 00:09:38.230 --> 00:09:43.470 So there's more opportunity. But then, yeah, 00:09:43.590 --> 00:09:47.070 it's definitely not the same for like me and 00:09:47.070 --> 00:09:49.610 Stuart. Like the way he tests and the way he 00:09:49.610 --> 00:09:52.230 like. Like the level of it. Yeah. I feel that 00:09:52.230 --> 00:09:55.529 for sure. So, you know, that was my mom moment. 00:09:55.590 --> 00:09:59.450 It was like not a fun day at all. Yeah. And there 00:09:59.450 --> 00:10:01.610 was like little pieces of fun in it, but it was 00:10:01.610 --> 00:10:04.970 just. exhausting yeah we have those days too 00:10:04.970 --> 00:10:08.370 okay what about you so mine is a couple weeks 00:10:08.370 --> 00:10:10.669 ago i shared that zeta was no longer nursing 00:10:10.669 --> 00:10:13.110 to sleep and i'm here to report that that is 00:10:13.110 --> 00:10:17.029 no longer true we're definitely back to nursing 00:10:17.029 --> 00:10:20.759 to sleep every single time I mean, that reel 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:23.440 you sent me today, that was like a breastfeeding 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:26.860 mom that was like, I have a just a question for 00:10:26.860 --> 00:10:30.559 all those that bottle feed or, you know, whether 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:33.179 it's breast milk or formula that feed their kids 00:10:33.179 --> 00:10:38.299 not on demand. How do you do that? Yeah. I'm 00:10:38.299 --> 00:10:40.960 like, that is so true. That's exact. Well, and 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:45.720 so Zeta is teething. She just had one come up 00:10:45.720 --> 00:10:48.629 and I think she's cutting. another one if not 00:10:48.629 --> 00:10:51.149 another two right now because she's just gonna 00:10:51.149 --> 00:10:53.490 have a full head of teeth before she hits one 00:10:53.490 --> 00:10:57.070 and she's been sick so i'm like there's just 00:10:57.070 --> 00:11:02.549 no other option yeah i i and we tried um i mean 00:11:02.549 --> 00:11:05.370 to be fair before when i was like we got to cut 00:11:05.370 --> 00:11:07.669 this out she was nursing for like an hour at 00:11:07.669 --> 00:11:10.629 a time yeah and i was like i can't do this because 00:11:10.629 --> 00:11:13.309 i can't leave my two -year -old alone for an 00:11:13.309 --> 00:11:15.149 hour like i'm fine leaving him on his own for 00:11:15.149 --> 00:11:18.840 a few minutes at a time yeah but like 15 max. 00:11:19.059 --> 00:11:21.179 And that's if I don't hear things going on downstairs. 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:24.460 Like, so it was just taking way too long. It 00:11:24.460 --> 00:11:26.340 wasn't realistic. So at least we've cut that 00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:30.379 down and she's like more normal nursing times 00:11:30.379 --> 00:11:34.549 now. That's good. Um, but yeah, but still, I 00:11:34.549 --> 00:11:37.470 mean, back to nursing the sleep and I, I honestly, 00:11:37.570 --> 00:11:39.110 when you were talking about that in the first 00:11:39.110 --> 00:11:41.309 place, I was like, I don't know how you do it 00:11:41.309 --> 00:11:44.730 because nursing is such like my crutch that like, 00:11:44.809 --> 00:11:50.009 yeah, if teething or if he's fussy or like just 00:11:50.009 --> 00:11:53.590 needs to sleep, like literally nursing is just 00:11:53.590 --> 00:11:57.190 my go -to and yeah. And it works every time. 00:11:57.269 --> 00:12:01.389 It does. Yeah. So why not use it? Yeah. Yeah. 00:12:01.470 --> 00:12:04.629 So we're back to nourishing the sleep. And that's 00:12:04.629 --> 00:12:07.309 just, that's where we're at for pretty much every 00:12:07.309 --> 00:12:13.549 nap. Yeah. Bedtime. All the things. Yep. So. 00:12:13.830 --> 00:12:18.509 Yep. Hey, I do not judge you at all with that. 00:12:18.529 --> 00:12:21.269 And we'll get back off of it someday when she's 00:12:21.269 --> 00:12:24.110 not teething and sick. Yep. Great. You know, 00:12:24.149 --> 00:12:27.340 whatever works for you. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, 00:12:27.460 --> 00:12:32.820 let's just hop right in. How are you doing? No, 00:12:32.899 --> 00:12:35.220 overall, I feel like I'm good. There's definitely 00:12:35.220 --> 00:12:37.740 things that I'm like, this is really hard. Yeah. 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:41.740 What's like the hard for you right now? So right 00:12:41.740 --> 00:12:44.460 now, I think, I mean, other than having a job 00:12:44.460 --> 00:12:46.899 and like, we've kind of talked about this. I 00:12:46.899 --> 00:12:48.539 don't know how much we've talked about this on 00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:50.940 Mike, but both of us work full -time jobs. Yeah. 00:12:51.019 --> 00:12:53.879 You all know that. both of us would love to not 00:12:53.879 --> 00:12:56.399 work full -time jobs yeah just like to be able 00:12:56.399 --> 00:12:58.440 to spend time with our kids and i think that's 00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:00.860 like one of the hardest it's elevating all the 00:13:00.860 --> 00:13:03.679 hard things yeah i think is the big problem right 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:07.059 now where yeah it's like we have a hard day and 00:13:07.059 --> 00:13:09.419 we can't just like go to the playground yeah 00:13:09.419 --> 00:13:12.200 or get out of the house because mom has to answer 00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:15.580 emails so i think that's like one of the hard 00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:18.600 things what about you i'm like how real do we 00:13:18.600 --> 00:13:23.159 want to get here i'm really struggling And I 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:29.580 think that this season has been extra hard for 00:13:29.580 --> 00:13:34.019 me. Yes, work wise. I think emotionally, like 00:13:34.019 --> 00:13:37.960 mentally, I think I'm just extremely tired. And 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:41.559 I think like work, yes, plays a part in all of 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:45.759 those areas. I think my exhaustion and my mental 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:48.519 exhaustion, sleep deprivation, all the things 00:13:48.519 --> 00:13:52.740 is what. elevates everything for me and i'm not 00:13:52.740 --> 00:13:55.179 saying like a one good night's sleep is gonna 00:13:55.179 --> 00:13:58.940 fix it all for me for sure it's not but i yeah 00:13:58.940 --> 00:14:02.379 i'm just struggling and i don't i feel it like 00:14:02.379 --> 00:14:05.720 a lack of like i don't know how to fix it right 00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:08.860 now yeah and i'm like yes everything is a season 00:14:08.860 --> 00:14:11.840 i'm we're gonna go through ups and downs you 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:15.490 know um And yes, this is just the season we're 00:14:15.490 --> 00:14:18.909 in. And like my kids are my everything. My kids 00:14:18.909 --> 00:14:23.169 are amazing and everything I prayed for. And 00:14:23.169 --> 00:14:26.049 I just I get so in my head about like, why am 00:14:26.049 --> 00:14:30.590 I not feeling more gratitude towards that and 00:14:30.590 --> 00:14:33.389 like soaking up the moment of that? Yeah. And 00:14:33.389 --> 00:14:35.549 then I'm like, I get frustrated with myself that 00:14:35.549 --> 00:14:38.070 I'm not like that. I'm not feeling that. And 00:14:38.070 --> 00:14:41.029 I think I just I don't know how to fix things 00:14:41.029 --> 00:14:43.649 right now. And I think I'm struggling. because 00:14:43.649 --> 00:14:47.450 of that yeah that's super hard I think one of 00:14:47.450 --> 00:14:51.669 the things for me right now is I have such a 00:14:51.669 --> 00:14:55.850 love -hate relationship with the age two um and 00:14:55.850 --> 00:14:58.409 so I think I've said this before where I try 00:14:58.409 --> 00:15:00.529 really hard not to say the terrible twos yeah 00:15:00.529 --> 00:15:03.970 mostly for my own mindset yeah we have terrible 00:15:03.970 --> 00:15:06.669 days don't get me wrong we have days that are 00:15:06.669 --> 00:15:11.029 awful yeah but I I don't want that to be like 00:15:11.580 --> 00:15:14.600 the focus of my attitude towards this whole year 00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:17.019 of Lloyd's life and then you know Zeta's life 00:15:17.019 --> 00:15:20.559 and any future kids yeah but yeah and I say love 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:22.019 hate because there are certain things that are 00:15:22.019 --> 00:15:25.440 so so sweet like Lloyd loves reading books and 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:27.799 there's a couple books that he's like kind of 00:15:27.799 --> 00:15:29.519 memorized and so he like knows the words on the 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:32.279 page and you know you switch like green tractor 00:15:32.279 --> 00:15:35.059 is one of them so I think we have some recordings 00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:38.919 maybe I'll make Stuart put them in yeah like 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:42.179 the way he says green tractor is like just the 00:15:42.179 --> 00:15:46.960 sweetest thing in the world and just like seeing 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:49.639 his personality start to like come out and i 00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:51.700 think i don't know if i said this right now or 00:15:51.700 --> 00:15:53.919 when we were recording earlier last night we 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:56.480 like all broke down in tears at the dinner table 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:00.840 by all i mean yeah me lloyd and zeta um and then 00:16:00.840 --> 00:16:05.320 this morning lloyd was like mama's okay now which 00:16:05.320 --> 00:16:08.539 is just like so sweet that like he noticed so 00:16:08.539 --> 00:16:12.320 empathetic yeah which like love that and it's 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:15.120 like so fun to see and you know we're coming 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:18.299 up on holiday season i'm so excited to see like 00:16:18.299 --> 00:16:21.139 lloyd loves his family for the past few weeks 00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:23.440 he keeps asking to go to my in -laws house and 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:25.320 so finally we're like lloyd why do you want to 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:27.700 go to g -mon op pop's house and he just started 00:16:27.700 --> 00:16:30.259 listing everyone in the family and it's like 00:16:30.590 --> 00:16:33.529 Oh, you want family dinner. You like want everyone 00:16:33.529 --> 00:16:35.990 to get together, which is so sweet. That is really 00:16:35.990 --> 00:16:38.549 sweet. So like I love those moments and I love 00:16:38.549 --> 00:16:40.190 the moments when we're like cuddling on the couch 00:16:40.190 --> 00:16:43.470 and reading books and seeing his excitement over 00:16:43.470 --> 00:16:46.590 everything Lightning McQueen right now. Yeah. 00:16:46.690 --> 00:16:50.830 And then there's like this other side of it where, 00:16:50.929 --> 00:16:54.629 like you said, testing boundaries. Super real. 00:16:55.529 --> 00:16:57.429 For some reason, he started getting on the table 00:16:57.429 --> 00:16:59.309 again. Like, we had this issue for a while where 00:16:59.309 --> 00:17:02.009 he'd climb onto the kitchen table, and then that 00:17:02.009 --> 00:17:04.170 stopped, and now he's started doing it again. 00:17:04.470 --> 00:17:07.829 And, you know, try to tell him to get down, and 00:17:07.829 --> 00:17:12.849 he just doesn't. I have to unplug the Xbox every 00:17:12.849 --> 00:17:15.930 day because he'll just... Turn it on and off 00:17:15.930 --> 00:17:18.170 and on and off and on. And I was like, we can't 00:17:18.170 --> 00:17:21.289 afford to replace our Xbox right now. So we got 00:17:21.289 --> 00:17:24.109 to unplug that. I also have to hide the remotes 00:17:24.109 --> 00:17:26.849 because he's found that if he throws them, the 00:17:26.849 --> 00:17:29.329 batteries fly out and he thinks it's really funny. 00:17:29.410 --> 00:17:32.750 But then also we have a nine -month -old crawling 00:17:32.750 --> 00:17:34.609 around who's for sure just going to grab the 00:17:34.609 --> 00:17:39.180 battery and eat it. The other day he smacked 00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:40.819 me in the face because I told him not to touch 00:17:40.819 --> 00:17:43.519 my work computer. And so there's just like all 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:48.140 this stuff that's so hard. And I know it's developmentally 00:17:48.140 --> 00:17:50.339 appropriate. Yeah. And I like tell myself that. 00:17:50.440 --> 00:17:52.700 But then when you're in the moment. You're like, 00:17:52.819 --> 00:17:55.880 why is my kid doing this? Yeah. It's just frustrating. 00:17:55.940 --> 00:17:57.920 You're like, I just want you to get off the table. 00:17:58.099 --> 00:18:00.079 I just want you to not pour out your water right 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:02.299 in front of me. Like, I just want you to like 00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:04.700 behave the way I want you to behave. And then 00:18:04.700 --> 00:18:07.859 there's like that guilt of like, oh. Well, like, 00:18:07.859 --> 00:18:10.240 I guess I'm a terrible mom because I'm asking 00:18:10.240 --> 00:18:13.180 my two -year -old to behave ways that he literally 00:18:13.180 --> 00:18:15.940 doesn't know how to yet. Yeah. Yeah. That is 00:18:15.940 --> 00:18:19.539 so true. I feel I can relate on every single 00:18:19.539 --> 00:18:23.220 one of those levels of just it's such a hard 00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:27.240 age with two. And, like, I heard someone call 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:30.799 it the terrific twos. And you have those moments, 00:18:30.940 --> 00:18:34.420 too. It is really terrific. It really is. But 00:18:34.420 --> 00:18:36.599 it's so true. They're testing every single one 00:18:36.599 --> 00:18:39.700 of your boundaries and really kind of seeing 00:18:39.700 --> 00:18:43.180 what they can and cannot do. Yeah. But then, 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:45.819 yeah, the other side of it is it is so sweet. 00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:49.740 Like, the empathy. I feel like Colt is very empathetic. 00:18:50.059 --> 00:18:53.440 Yeah. Like, anytime I sneeze, just, you okay, 00:18:53.500 --> 00:18:56.390 Mama? You okay, Mama? Yeah, buddy. I'm okay. 00:18:56.529 --> 00:19:00.910 Bless you, mama. That's so cute. And I'm like, 00:19:00.950 --> 00:19:02.890 I want to remember these things and hold on to 00:19:02.890 --> 00:19:05.390 them. And I want, I want to not take it for granted. 00:19:06.250 --> 00:19:10.250 And I feel like I so often, I'm just like, I 00:19:10.250 --> 00:19:13.890 just want this day to be over. And I hate that. 00:19:14.009 --> 00:19:17.549 I don't want that mindset. And like, it's, I 00:19:17.549 --> 00:19:19.329 mean, there's so many reels out there. I'm sure. 00:19:19.849 --> 00:19:21.529 all of you listening have seen these reels of 00:19:21.529 --> 00:19:23.990 like, when I'm 80, I want to go back to this 00:19:23.990 --> 00:19:26.730 moment. Like, and it's just like you hugging 00:19:26.730 --> 00:19:29.650 your little kid and playing with them. And I'm 00:19:29.650 --> 00:19:32.109 like, yeah, like these really are just the best 00:19:32.109 --> 00:19:35.549 days of our lives. And I'm like, so often in 00:19:35.549 --> 00:19:39.269 my head, I'm like, this is such a hard season. 00:19:39.349 --> 00:19:42.130 You know, I don't want to just, which it can 00:19:42.130 --> 00:19:44.849 be both. I don't know. Yeah. A mom I follow on 00:19:44.849 --> 00:19:48.720 Instagram, she. posted today actually um and 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:51.980 her son is i think he's also an august baby and 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:55.059 so he's right around our boy's age they were 00:19:55.059 --> 00:19:57.140 in the car and she's like you okay buddy like 00:19:57.140 --> 00:19:59.579 he was making some noise and he just like screams 00:19:59.579 --> 00:20:03.420 no and then she's like i'm gonna miss this i'm 00:20:03.420 --> 00:20:05.579 gonna miss this and just like for like two minutes 00:20:05.579 --> 00:20:08.420 she's like i know someday i am going to miss 00:20:08.420 --> 00:20:12.059 this It was just like so real. Like, yep, someday 00:20:12.059 --> 00:20:14.359 I am going to miss this. But today is not that 00:20:14.359 --> 00:20:16.900 day. Yeah, that is Colt's new thing. He goes, 00:20:16.980 --> 00:20:21.440 no, mama. And I'm like, what? Come on, buddy. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:25.299 You're not 15. Let's go. Lloyd says no to everything, 00:20:25.460 --> 00:20:27.859 but it's just like random. Yeah. Like, do you 00:20:27.859 --> 00:20:31.099 want to go to the playground? No. I'm like, that's 00:20:31.099 --> 00:20:33.599 a lie. I know that you want to go to the playground 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:38.079 all the time. Yeah, that's so true. Do you? I 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:41.519 don't know. Do you feel like you are struggling 00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:44.519 in any other area? Like for me, I feel like one 00:20:44.519 --> 00:20:47.519 area I'm really lacking in is self -care. Do 00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:50.519 you feel like there's anything like that that 00:20:50.519 --> 00:20:52.660 you're like, oh, well, I feel like if I could 00:20:52.660 --> 00:20:56.599 increase this or. I mean, I'm sure. Yes, I'm 00:20:56.599 --> 00:20:59.880 sure self -care is like I probably don't feed 00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:02.039 myself enough if I'm being really honest. Yeah, 00:21:02.079 --> 00:21:05.470 it is super helpful. That I have to feed the 00:21:05.470 --> 00:21:07.789 kids. Like, I know that sounds crazy, but it's 00:21:07.789 --> 00:21:09.609 like, okay, if I'm going to make them breakfast 00:21:09.609 --> 00:21:12.509 and lunch and dinner, then I also am just going 00:21:12.509 --> 00:21:14.349 to make myself breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yeah. 00:21:14.490 --> 00:21:18.630 But then, yeah, I probably like don't necessarily 00:21:18.630 --> 00:21:20.849 eat as much as I should for each of those or 00:21:20.849 --> 00:21:24.269 whatever. Yeah. It's too hard to just. Yeah. 00:21:24.630 --> 00:21:26.829 Or I'm like, I don't really want to have breakfast 00:21:26.829 --> 00:21:29.890 at 11 a .m. or I mean lunch at 11 a .m. Yeah. 00:21:30.819 --> 00:21:32.900 But this is the time you're eating because you're 00:21:32.900 --> 00:21:35.019 going to eat before your nap. And so I guess 00:21:35.019 --> 00:21:37.279 this is when I'm going to. So I'm just eating 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:39.660 because I should right now, not because I'm hungry. 00:21:40.099 --> 00:21:42.660 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I think I'm bad at feeding 00:21:42.660 --> 00:21:44.900 myself, which is weird because I'm like, that's 00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:47.660 never been something I've been bad at before. 00:21:48.119 --> 00:21:50.420 Mine's like the protein side of it. I think if 00:21:50.420 --> 00:21:53.079 I could just get some more protein, maybe that 00:21:53.079 --> 00:21:54.740 would be helpful. I mainly eat protein. A little 00:21:54.740 --> 00:21:57.839 less Dutch Bros coffee and a little bit more. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:00.759 I don't know. Yeah. Dr. Pepper probably shouldn't 00:22:00.759 --> 00:22:03.779 be like my main. Your main liquid for the day. 00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:07.500 But it is. Diet Coke. Yeah. Yeah. I think this, 00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:09.400 I'm currently drinking a Diet Coke. I think this 00:22:09.400 --> 00:22:11.339 is my third Diet Coke of the day. You know, you 00:22:11.339 --> 00:22:14.160 do what you got to do. Yeah. Yeah. I think the 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:16.680 other thing, this is less like for myself, but 00:22:16.680 --> 00:22:19.819 Zeta's growing up so fast. I don't know if you 00:22:19.819 --> 00:22:22.859 feel that with Cruz. Yeah. I feel like she's 00:22:22.859 --> 00:22:25.960 growing up way faster than Lloyd did. Yes. And 00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:28.220 I mean, part of that is visually, like I said, 00:22:29.219 --> 00:22:32.359 She, she'll be nine months this weekend and she 00:22:32.359 --> 00:22:35.920 has eight teeth. That's crazy. Which is crazy. 00:22:36.599 --> 00:22:39.579 Lloyd had like two teeth barely popping up at 00:22:39.579 --> 00:22:41.660 this point. Yeah. So part of it is just like 00:22:41.660 --> 00:22:43.599 visually, I feel like she, even though she's 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:46.599 still so tiny, she looks older. Yeah. But yeah, 00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:48.680 just like every night that I put her down, I'm 00:22:48.680 --> 00:22:50.680 like, what happened to my tiny little peanut 00:22:50.680 --> 00:22:54.779 baby? Like she's. Full on crawling around. Yeah, 00:22:54.779 --> 00:22:58.220 she's crawling and getting into things and. I 00:22:58.220 --> 00:23:00.099 swear she's going to start talking any day. Yeah. 00:23:00.180 --> 00:23:02.099 Like, I know this is super young, but there have 00:23:02.099 --> 00:23:04.039 been a couple times where, like, no, she's definitely 00:23:04.039 --> 00:23:06.980 mimicking the sounds we're making. Yep. Yep. 00:23:06.980 --> 00:23:09.900 A hundred percent. Yep. Which, like, is so fun. 00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:12.900 Mm -hmm. But, yeah, I feel like it's gone so 00:23:12.900 --> 00:23:15.339 much faster. I completely agree. And that's really 00:23:15.339 --> 00:23:19.579 tough. Yeah. I feel like with Cruz, he, I mean, 00:23:19.599 --> 00:23:21.880 he's. the opposite side of the spectrum he's 00:23:21.880 --> 00:23:25.559 a big boy and he's almost eight months just started 00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:28.519 crawling but I feel like he was just so little 00:23:28.519 --> 00:23:32.400 for just little for so little time I guess like 00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:34.960 it I feel like it just this time it went by in 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:37.539 a blink of an eye yeah and I think it's because 00:23:37.539 --> 00:23:42.180 like my focus wasn't entirely on him but also 00:23:42.180 --> 00:23:45.940 on my toddler that it like, it feels like it 00:23:45.940 --> 00:23:48.700 goes by so much quicker. Cause I'm not as attentive 00:23:48.700 --> 00:23:51.579 to it maybe. Or it's like, I'm not as aware of 00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:54.220 it. You just have other things going on. Whereas 00:23:54.220 --> 00:23:57.279 with like with one child with when it was just 00:23:57.279 --> 00:24:00.000 cool, it was like, he's my entire attention goes 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:02.599 to him. And I'm just like holding onto every 00:24:02.599 --> 00:24:04.829 little moment. Whereas with cruise, it's like, 00:24:04.869 --> 00:24:06.450 yeah, I'm holding on to every moment, but it 00:24:06.450 --> 00:24:08.990 just goes by so much quicker. It feels like, 00:24:08.990 --> 00:24:12.549 which makes me so sad. And like, I feel like 00:24:12.549 --> 00:24:16.619 I just kind of missed it. And. Now he's, yeah, 00:24:16.660 --> 00:24:19.660 literally pulling himself up on things and crawling 00:24:19.660 --> 00:24:22.400 everywhere and starting to mimic. I swear it's 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:24.940 like just this last week, I'm like, it's not 00:24:24.940 --> 00:24:26.859 a ton of things that he's mimicking, but like 00:24:26.859 --> 00:24:29.720 if I start going, va, va, va, he'll do the same 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:32.480 thing. We were reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar 00:24:32.480 --> 00:24:35.660 the other night for bed, and multiple times Stuart 00:24:35.660 --> 00:24:38.119 said, and the, you know, the cat. caterpillar 00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:41.920 was still hungry and zeta would go we're like 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:45.059 what the heck are did you just say hungry is 00:24:45.059 --> 00:24:48.339 her first word gonna be hungry or lloyd says 00:24:48.339 --> 00:24:50.420 all done for dinner and she has a noise that 00:24:50.420 --> 00:24:53.160 sounds like all done yeah i'm like what what 00:24:53.160 --> 00:24:56.700 is happening what happened and it like it just 00:24:56.700 --> 00:24:59.819 makes me want to have more babies and like i'm 00:24:59.819 --> 00:25:02.579 not ready i can't do this yeah but also it's 00:25:02.579 --> 00:25:05.230 like I don't know. It's just gone by so quick 00:25:05.230 --> 00:25:09.970 and it makes me sad. I feel the same. Well, I 00:25:09.970 --> 00:25:11.589 have like mixed feelings on that too because 00:25:11.589 --> 00:25:13.670 I have certain days where I'm like, I can't imagine 00:25:13.670 --> 00:25:15.710 having any more kids. Like I'm so overwhelmed. 00:25:16.029 --> 00:25:18.589 And then it's like bedtime hits and I'm like, 00:25:18.670 --> 00:25:22.710 I can't imagine not having more kids. What like 00:25:22.710 --> 00:25:24.950 hormonally is going on in our brains? I don't 00:25:24.950 --> 00:25:27.930 know. What happens? It's like the motherly instinct 00:25:27.930 --> 00:25:31.660 or I don't even know. But, yeah, I feel like 00:25:31.660 --> 00:25:34.180 they're just growing up way too fast. Not only, 00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:37.220 like, our young, you know, the youngest, the 00:25:37.220 --> 00:25:40.099 babies. But, yeah, I feel like Colt is, like, 00:25:40.200 --> 00:25:42.539 I was just looking at pictures of, like, when 00:25:42.539 --> 00:25:44.059 Cruz was a newborn because I was like, oh, he 00:25:44.059 --> 00:25:46.319 was so little. And then I'm like, oh, my gosh, 00:25:46.440 --> 00:25:49.920 Colt was so little then, too. And I'm like, he 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:52.460 just, like, shot up in height. He's still, like, 00:25:52.579 --> 00:25:55.920 he's our little guy, like. he's little for his 00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:59.480 age and i'm like still like oh the pants he was 00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:01.519 wearing then were so big on him and now they're 00:26:01.519 --> 00:26:04.960 so little on him like yeah it's just crazy i 00:26:04.960 --> 00:26:07.019 got laid out from his nap today and for some 00:26:07.019 --> 00:26:10.579 reason he just looked so old like i don't know 00:26:10.579 --> 00:26:14.339 what it was but i just like i picked him up and 00:26:14.339 --> 00:26:15.880 then we like went in the bathroom and i looked 00:26:15.880 --> 00:26:18.319 in the mirror i was like this what you're a kid 00:26:18.319 --> 00:26:20.079 yeah you're not a toddler you're a full -grown 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:23.640 kid what happened yeah yeah i'm curious like 00:26:24.039 --> 00:26:27.599 for our listeners that have like teenagers or 00:26:27.599 --> 00:26:31.099 older like does that ever realization kind of 00:26:31.099 --> 00:26:33.980 just like go away or is it like always you're 00:26:33.980 --> 00:26:36.039 picturing because like for me with colt i'm like 00:26:36.039 --> 00:26:39.099 i still picture him as like this little like 00:26:39.099 --> 00:26:42.240 either a little baby or just like you know a 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:46.220 young toddler i'm like does that ever go away 00:26:46.220 --> 00:26:48.519 or am i always just gonna like picture him as 00:26:48.519 --> 00:26:52.299 like this little little boy Or, yeah, I just 00:26:52.299 --> 00:26:53.759 have no clue. Yeah, I have no idea. I'm like, 00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:56.960 does the grief just get stronger as we go? But 00:26:56.960 --> 00:26:59.319 then it's also so exciting. Like, there have 00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:01.859 been a few things. And that's actually second 00:27:01.859 --> 00:27:04.000 baby. One of the things that's been super helpful 00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:08.019 is when the, like, baby things are tough, now 00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:10.920 it's like, oh, but, like, I see Lloyd now and 00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:12.680 know what I have to look forward to is Zeta. 00:27:12.700 --> 00:27:15.180 So it's like when I'm up at 3 a .m. again feeding 00:27:15.180 --> 00:27:19.359 her, I'm like, oh. But someday like I'm going 00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:21.140 to get to hear her little voice saying things 00:27:21.140 --> 00:27:25.420 and her belly laugh and all of that. So like 00:27:25.420 --> 00:27:27.279 that's super encouraging. There's so much to 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:29.019 look forward to. Yeah. So it's like it's fun 00:27:29.019 --> 00:27:32.079 to have things to look forward to. And there 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:34.259 have been a few things like that recently where 00:27:34.259 --> 00:27:37.119 I don't know. I got excited about playing board 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:41.000 games with. our kids like we did that a lot when 00:27:41.000 --> 00:27:43.099 i was a kid it's just played all sorts of different 00:27:43.099 --> 00:27:45.339 games and we stewart and i did that a lot when 00:27:45.339 --> 00:27:47.140 we first got married too so we got married during 00:27:47.140 --> 00:27:49.559 covid so we couldn't do anything yeah and we 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:52.099 have a ton of board games that are all in the 00:27:52.099 --> 00:27:54.380 kids closet that we haven't touched in years 00:27:54.380 --> 00:27:58.519 but i was like oh that's gonna be so fun in like 00:27:58.519 --> 00:28:01.500 a few years when they actually care like actually 00:28:01.500 --> 00:28:06.529 can understand and you know we can play Monopoly 00:28:06.529 --> 00:28:10.250 and ticket to ride. Yes. That's going to be so 00:28:10.250 --> 00:28:12.769 fun. But then I also don't want to like focus 00:28:12.769 --> 00:28:17.390 on that and miss this moment. Yeah. Yeah. That 00:28:17.390 --> 00:28:19.630 is so true. I'm really looking forward to those, 00:28:19.710 --> 00:28:23.470 those types of things too with the boys and who 00:28:23.470 --> 00:28:25.609 knows. Yeah. If we end up having more kids, it's 00:28:25.609 --> 00:28:27.549 like you get to kind of walk through all of those 00:28:27.549 --> 00:28:31.130 seasons altogether, which is fun also. Yeah. 00:28:31.190 --> 00:28:35.220 Yeah. One of the things that. I super love right 00:28:35.220 --> 00:28:39.039 now is now that Zeta is getting bigger and more 00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:41.319 interactive, seeing her and Lloyd's relationship 00:28:41.319 --> 00:28:45.039 is just like the sweetest, best thing in the 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:48.259 world. Like the amount of times I pull up their 00:28:48.259 --> 00:28:50.819 camera because they're in the same bedroom and 00:28:50.819 --> 00:28:52.839 they're like reaching across holding each other's 00:28:52.839 --> 00:28:55.039 hands. Wait, that's so cute. It's the sweetest 00:28:55.039 --> 00:28:56.759 thing. I didn't realize their beds were so close. 00:28:57.079 --> 00:28:59.980 Yeah. Well, it's funny because all of the recommendations 00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:03.240 everywhere is like keep them as far away as possible. 00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:06.400 But with the layout of their room, it's just 00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:10.200 like kind of not realistic. Yeah. So, yeah, their 00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:13.390 beds are like. maybe six inches apart, and that's 00:29:13.390 --> 00:29:16.410 probably being generous. That's so sweet. Yeah, 00:29:16.410 --> 00:29:19.049 so Lloyd will, like, reach over and hold her 00:29:19.049 --> 00:29:21.309 hand, and it's so sweet. That makes me want to 00:29:21.309 --> 00:29:23.549 cry. Honestly, I think, like, having them close 00:29:23.549 --> 00:29:25.730 together has worked out better for us. There 00:29:25.730 --> 00:29:28.109 have been a few times when that has woken each 00:29:28.109 --> 00:29:31.630 other up. Yeah. Which is not ideal, but overall, 00:29:31.890 --> 00:29:34.690 like... I think it brings them both comfort that 00:29:34.690 --> 00:29:37.309 they're like that close. Because Zeta, if she's 00:29:37.309 --> 00:29:41.289 sleeping in there by herself, she's more likely 00:29:41.289 --> 00:29:45.690 to wake up crying or upset. But if like it's 00:29:45.690 --> 00:29:47.569 the nap time that they're both in there or waking 00:29:47.569 --> 00:29:50.890 up for the day, she's way less likely to wake 00:29:50.890 --> 00:29:53.509 up crying. She just like looks over and sees 00:29:53.509 --> 00:29:56.440 her brother. And Lloyd's there. Do you do a blackout 00:29:56.440 --> 00:29:59.140 room or what do you guys do? We like technically 00:29:59.140 --> 00:30:01.279 have blackout curtains, but they don't cover 00:30:01.279 --> 00:30:04.140 the window fully. Okay. So it's like some light 00:30:04.140 --> 00:30:06.339 is let in on the sides and stuff. Yeah, exactly. 00:30:06.599 --> 00:30:09.380 Yeah. Which I'm kind of okay with partially because 00:30:09.380 --> 00:30:11.400 I realized I'm like, I don't want my kids to 00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:16.400 be so sensitive that like if we go to someone's 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:18.720 house or if we go on vacation and they don't 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:21.460 have like our brand of blackout curtains that 00:30:21.460 --> 00:30:23.559 it's going to turn into a thing. So like at my 00:30:23.559 --> 00:30:26.470 parents' house, They don't have blackout curtains 00:30:26.470 --> 00:30:29.029 in the room they sleep in. And, I mean, they 00:30:29.029 --> 00:30:30.950 definitely nap worse at my parents' house, but 00:30:30.950 --> 00:30:33.809 they nap. Like, it's not like they're skipping 00:30:33.809 --> 00:30:36.349 naps altogether usually. Yeah. Most of the time. 00:30:36.369 --> 00:30:38.970 Yeah. Okay, that is so sweet and makes me want 00:30:38.970 --> 00:30:40.630 to cry, and I'm sure that makes you cry when 00:30:40.630 --> 00:30:42.450 you see that on the monitor and stuff. It's the 00:30:42.450 --> 00:30:43.970 sweetest thing in the whole world. And it makes... 00:30:44.250 --> 00:30:46.410 the tough times. Like I definitely have. This 00:30:46.410 --> 00:30:48.990 is why we're in this. This is why we're doing 00:30:48.990 --> 00:30:52.289 this. Yeah. That's so sweet. Yeah. I completely 00:30:52.289 --> 00:30:54.990 agree. Like now that Cruz is like a little bit 00:30:54.990 --> 00:30:58.230 more interactive, I feel like, like he, Colt 00:30:58.230 --> 00:31:02.819 can make Cruz laugh. Like. More than any of us 00:31:02.819 --> 00:31:04.740 can. That's the same. With the simplest things, 00:31:04.859 --> 00:31:07.259 Colt will just make a noise and Cruz will think 00:31:07.259 --> 00:31:09.799 it's hilarious. It's the same. We can try to 00:31:09.799 --> 00:31:11.279 make Zayna laugh. She'll laugh at some of our 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:12.819 stuff, but Lloyd is the person who makes her 00:31:12.819 --> 00:31:14.960 laugh more than anyone. Yes. And that, I'm like, 00:31:15.039 --> 00:31:19.980 this is everything I've dreamed of. This is worth 00:31:19.980 --> 00:31:22.640 every late night. This is worth every tantrum. 00:31:23.279 --> 00:31:26.200 All the difficult of having two kids is this 00:31:26.200 --> 00:31:30.000 moment right here. you know this is not only 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:32.440 benefiting us but it's benefiting them and lloyd's 00:31:32.440 --> 00:31:34.980 been super into giving her hugs yes which is 00:31:34.980 --> 00:31:38.359 my favorite i'm like baby hug like yeah you can 00:31:38.359 --> 00:31:40.440 give say does he give gentle hugs or is it like 00:31:40.440 --> 00:31:43.319 sometimes it's like oh yeah sometimes we're like 00:31:43.319 --> 00:31:45.519 i don't think she loves that right now buddy 00:31:45.519 --> 00:31:49.470 um the other thing he really likes so What he 00:31:49.470 --> 00:31:52.369 likes to do with us is what we call a running 00:31:52.369 --> 00:31:55.289 hug, where we like sit on the floor and he comes 00:31:55.289 --> 00:31:57.769 running and then like knocks us over. Yeah. And 00:31:57.769 --> 00:32:00.849 I think he wants Zeta to do that to him because 00:32:00.849 --> 00:32:02.289 there have been a couple of times he's like, 00:32:02.309 --> 00:32:05.450 baby, stand up. So I'll like hold her up. And 00:32:05.450 --> 00:32:07.450 then he like goes and gives her a hug and pulls 00:32:07.450 --> 00:32:10.210 her on top of him. So I think he's like trying 00:32:10.210 --> 00:32:13.299 to mimic that with them. doesn't really work 00:32:13.299 --> 00:32:18.039 like what's happening that's funny but it's it's 00:32:18.039 --> 00:32:21.019 super funny but it's so sweet yeah colt will 00:32:21.019 --> 00:32:23.819 do like he's always been a big head butter so 00:32:23.819 --> 00:32:27.140 now like we've he's kind of gotten out of the 00:32:27.140 --> 00:32:30.559 phase of like just head butting everything like 00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:35.369 when he's upset or now it's like a mom headbutt 00:32:35.369 --> 00:32:37.950 and he'll like look at the couch and like headbutt 00:32:37.950 --> 00:32:40.250 and i'm like yeah that's the safe like you can 00:32:40.250 --> 00:32:42.690 headbutt the couch that's that's safe then he'll 00:32:42.690 --> 00:32:45.089 like point to cruise headbutt and i'm like no 00:32:45.089 --> 00:32:47.910 we don't headbutt we don't you gotta teach him 00:32:47.910 --> 00:32:53.400 noggin Oh, yes. Noggin. Fin. Noggin. Just like 00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:56.180 a gentle little headbutt. Yes. So we're trying 00:32:56.180 --> 00:33:00.220 to not headbutt our brother. So we definitely 00:33:00.220 --> 00:33:03.559 have moments of like, okay, more gentle. Gentle, 00:33:03.660 --> 00:33:06.690 buddy. Gentle. gentle, but Cruz is a pretty, 00:33:06.750 --> 00:33:09.390 I mean, he's like, he's a tank. So he's like, 00:33:09.509 --> 00:33:12.089 I'm like, this is why he's a tank for moments 00:33:12.089 --> 00:33:14.190 like this. Keep up with his big brother. Yes. 00:33:14.430 --> 00:33:18.990 He's got to. So it's so fun. It is so fun. And 00:33:18.990 --> 00:33:21.650 I'm like, I, yes, I feel like I'm struggling 00:33:21.650 --> 00:33:24.710 so much in this season, like mentally. And just, 00:33:24.730 --> 00:33:27.890 there's a lot going on with my family, uh, outside 00:33:27.890 --> 00:33:30.789 of just like my, my direct family, but my parents 00:33:30.789 --> 00:33:34.779 and stuff. So I feel like I, am just emotionally 00:33:34.779 --> 00:33:38.259 kind of spent right now and i feel like i have 00:33:38.259 --> 00:33:42.099 a good support system i do but it's like i just 00:33:42.099 --> 00:33:45.660 i don't know what i need to change or what needs 00:33:45.660 --> 00:33:48.259 to happen in order to like yeah i don't know 00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:50.519 feel better other than just like this is just 00:33:50.519 --> 00:33:53.880 the season i'm in yeah um and i would be interested 00:33:53.880 --> 00:33:59.180 to hear from more veteran moms yeah like is it 00:33:59.180 --> 00:34:02.160 just survival mode for a few years or is that 00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:05.119 what it's like for everyone? Yeah. Or is it just 00:34:05.119 --> 00:34:08.420 like, I know it's not just us, but is it like 00:34:08.420 --> 00:34:10.780 a generational thing? Is there something we're 00:34:10.780 --> 00:34:14.059 missing? Yeah. I do feel like that is like a 00:34:14.059 --> 00:34:16.219 good question as far as generational. Like I 00:34:16.219 --> 00:34:18.579 would be interested to hear from like our listeners 00:34:18.579 --> 00:34:21.719 that are maybe empty nesters now that did you 00:34:21.719 --> 00:34:23.739 feel like this is something you could get a handle 00:34:23.739 --> 00:34:26.719 on when you were raising your kids or. Like, 00:34:26.719 --> 00:34:28.860 was it just like the name of the game? Yeah. 00:34:28.900 --> 00:34:31.699 Like, no, this is just like it's motherhood. 00:34:31.699 --> 00:34:34.940 You just you're tired. You're exhausted. You're 00:34:34.940 --> 00:34:38.579 maybe mentally not doing well. And it's just 00:34:38.579 --> 00:34:41.079 like the season, you know, it's just is what 00:34:41.079 --> 00:34:44.920 it is. Or is it like now kind of more prevalent 00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:47.880 in this in this day and age? I don't know. Yeah. 00:34:48.219 --> 00:34:49.880 Yeah. That would be really interesting to hear. 00:34:49.980 --> 00:34:52.710 Mm hmm. So I don't know what I need to do. I 00:34:52.710 --> 00:34:55.389 think I need to add in some more self -care pieces. 00:34:56.469 --> 00:34:59.289 I think it would be helpful to have like a little 00:34:59.289 --> 00:35:02.630 bit of me time away from the kids outside of 00:35:02.630 --> 00:35:05.989 just going to work. Right. Which is like, for 00:35:05.989 --> 00:35:08.230 me, that's like pretty much my only time away 00:35:08.230 --> 00:35:11.050 from the kids is when I, other than like recording 00:35:11.050 --> 00:35:13.929 this podcast every couple of weeks. Yeah. But 00:35:13.929 --> 00:35:16.869 I pretty much, yeah, I go to go into the office 00:35:16.869 --> 00:35:19.110 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and that's really my. 00:35:19.530 --> 00:35:22.030 only time away from the kids yeah i had a night 00:35:22.030 --> 00:35:26.610 away a couple nights ago and it was crazy and 00:35:26.610 --> 00:35:30.610 just like yeah super rejuvenating and like i 00:35:30.610 --> 00:35:32.829 think we talked about this on a different episode 00:35:32.829 --> 00:35:36.469 where it like gets you back to neutral yeah and 00:35:36.469 --> 00:35:38.969 also actually that day was this whole week has 00:35:38.969 --> 00:35:41.090 just been a mess i guess it's daylight savings 00:35:41.090 --> 00:35:43.550 yeah yeah we're recording this right after daylight 00:35:43.550 --> 00:35:46.070 savings so that's probably a big part of it yeah 00:35:46.070 --> 00:35:49.619 but Yeah. So in that whole day, it was super 00:35:49.619 --> 00:35:52.579 helpful to be like, OK, I just have to make it 00:35:52.579 --> 00:35:55.300 to four. And then like I have plans this evening, 00:35:55.420 --> 00:35:56.900 so I don't have to worry about dinner. I don't 00:35:56.900 --> 00:35:58.719 have to worry about bedtime. And I feel like 00:35:58.719 --> 00:36:00.860 having that on like a somewhat regular basis. 00:36:00.980 --> 00:36:03.219 Yeah. You know, it's like I don't want to be 00:36:03.219 --> 00:36:05.139 like working for the weekend, so to speak. But 00:36:05.139 --> 00:36:08.699 sometimes that is just helpful to be like, OK, 00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:12.820 I have this to look forward to. Yeah. Whether 00:36:12.820 --> 00:36:15.579 it's something like it doesn't have to be anything 00:36:15.579 --> 00:36:18.300 big, just like. something to get away you know 00:36:18.300 --> 00:36:21.280 yeah again a gross night of some kind or I don't 00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:23.619 know yeah I've heard the term of like working 00:36:23.619 --> 00:36:28.280 from rest not to rest yeah so like it's better 00:36:28.280 --> 00:36:31.300 to like you were saying you're not like working 00:36:31.300 --> 00:36:35.099 like just desiring for the weekend but you've 00:36:35.099 --> 00:36:38.980 like you've re -energized from the weekend that 00:36:38.980 --> 00:36:41.239 you can like now go into the week strong yeah 00:36:41.820 --> 00:36:44.239 I know part of me, like, I think this is maybe 00:36:44.239 --> 00:36:47.619 how I was raised and just feeling guilt, kind 00:36:47.619 --> 00:36:50.239 of guilty, I guess, for like those moments away 00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:53.880 from my kids. Like, like, I almost feel bad being 00:36:53.880 --> 00:36:57.219 like, hey, Michael, can you do bedtime on your 00:36:57.219 --> 00:37:00.420 own so that I can go hang out with a friend? 00:37:00.599 --> 00:37:04.320 Sure. Like that. I almost feel bad and it's not 00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:06.880 him like he does not make me feel bad for that 00:37:06.880 --> 00:37:09.599 at all and he knows that I need that and that 00:37:09.599 --> 00:37:12.000 I desire that but I think it's like just kind 00:37:12.000 --> 00:37:15.239 of ingrained in me of like I feel bad I feel 00:37:15.239 --> 00:37:19.019 like it's unfair for me to ask that because Stuart's 00:37:19.019 --> 00:37:21.500 also working a full time job so then it's like 00:37:21.500 --> 00:37:27.059 why why do I get so yeah I feel that too it's 00:37:27.059 --> 00:37:29.980 just like it feels unfair and like something 00:37:29.980 --> 00:37:33.300 i shouldn't ask for yeah or whatever but then 00:37:33.300 --> 00:37:35.659 i also feel a little bit justified where i'm 00:37:35.659 --> 00:37:38.900 like i do this like so yeah this thing i did 00:37:38.900 --> 00:37:42.179 tuesday my aunt has season tickets to the opera 00:37:42.179 --> 00:37:45.000 so i'm not like a huge opera person but she takes 00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:48.400 me fun to all the shows and so it's like me and 00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:50.860 my mom and my aunt and then her friend and so 00:37:50.860 --> 00:37:53.539 this happens like quarterly and so i'm like okay 00:37:53.539 --> 00:37:58.289 i can justify going now once a quarter it's like 00:37:58.289 --> 00:38:00.210 kind of annoying because we have to leave super 00:38:00.210 --> 00:38:02.949 early so we can like get to all the things on 00:38:02.949 --> 00:38:06.110 time but so i do feel like that justification 00:38:06.110 --> 00:38:08.369 a little bit like i don't do this often yeah 00:38:08.369 --> 00:38:10.449 but then yeah it's like you just you've been 00:38:10.449 --> 00:38:12.889 up since 5 30 this morning and working really 00:38:12.889 --> 00:38:16.929 hard and now yeah you like you also don't get 00:38:16.929 --> 00:38:19.789 a break yeah the hard part too is i forget who 00:38:19.789 --> 00:38:21.949 i think it was michael that said this to me like 00:38:22.599 --> 00:38:24.900 these are my kids too. Like I'm a parent too. 00:38:25.199 --> 00:38:27.619 Like I was teasing Stuart when I left the other 00:38:27.619 --> 00:38:29.960 night. Oh no, I was teasing him about tonight 00:38:29.960 --> 00:38:32.739 because he made a joke about like, Oh dad night, 00:38:32.800 --> 00:38:35.340 two nights in one week or something like that. 00:38:35.420 --> 00:38:37.199 Yeah. Um, and I was like, yeah, are you going 00:38:37.199 --> 00:38:40.460 to be on dad duty and babysit your kids? Because 00:38:40.460 --> 00:38:44.219 that drives him crazy. These are my kids too. 00:38:44.300 --> 00:38:46.260 Yeah. When he like goes out and someone like 00:38:46.260 --> 00:38:49.159 makes a comment about, he's like, they're my 00:38:49.159 --> 00:38:50.940 kids. What do you mean? Like they're my kids. 00:38:51.800 --> 00:38:54.900 I'm a parent. That's all it is. Yeah. Yeah. I 00:38:54.900 --> 00:38:57.599 think that it's hard for me to not feel that 00:38:57.599 --> 00:39:01.119 guilt around it. And so I think I find myself 00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:04.539 not planning things or not. desiring to want 00:39:04.539 --> 00:39:06.780 to go out and do those things because I'm like 00:39:06.780 --> 00:39:10.139 no I should be at home with my kids and yeah 00:39:10.139 --> 00:39:13.679 for like for the benefit of my kids like oh if 00:39:13.679 --> 00:39:16.119 they don't have one bedtime routine with mom 00:39:16.119 --> 00:39:18.539 like that's gonna like drastically change their 00:39:18.539 --> 00:39:21.699 lives no but like in my head that's kind of what 00:39:21.699 --> 00:39:24.460 like yeah no I shouldn't go have fun because 00:39:24.460 --> 00:39:27.179 I need to like put my kids to bed I also feel 00:39:27.179 --> 00:39:29.699 I don't know if you feel this way almost like 00:39:29.699 --> 00:39:32.340 i don't have the capacity to plan things yes 00:39:32.340 --> 00:39:35.380 yeah where i might feel different if i had a 00:39:35.380 --> 00:39:38.119 friend who's like hey like actually this is one 00:39:38.119 --> 00:39:39.860 of the nice things about the opera the date is 00:39:39.860 --> 00:39:42.800 picked i i just have to say if i'm showing up 00:39:42.800 --> 00:39:45.239 or not like that's all i have to do sometimes 00:39:45.239 --> 00:39:48.280 there's a little bit of like Oh, hey, Grandpa, 00:39:48.420 --> 00:39:50.659 can you come watch the kids for, like, an hour 00:39:50.659 --> 00:39:52.539 between when I leave and Stuart gets home? Something 00:39:52.539 --> 00:39:54.679 like that. But that's, like, the most planning 00:39:54.679 --> 00:39:56.960 I have to do. Yeah. It's, like, that and what 00:39:56.960 --> 00:39:58.980 I have to wear. Yeah. And so I think that's one 00:39:58.980 --> 00:40:01.480 of the reasons why that's, like, super nice versus, 00:40:01.519 --> 00:40:04.340 like. trying to plan with a friend you're like 00:40:04.340 --> 00:40:06.079 hey you want to get together tonight or yeah 00:40:06.079 --> 00:40:08.039 you want to get together and then well i don't 00:40:08.039 --> 00:40:10.659 have four saturdays from now right and like you 00:40:10.659 --> 00:40:13.079 go back and forth on when you're both free and 00:40:13.079 --> 00:40:14.760 then you have to decide where you want to go 00:40:14.760 --> 00:40:16.960 and what you want to do like are we getting dinner 00:40:16.960 --> 00:40:18.519 are we getting coffee are we getting drinks like 00:40:18.519 --> 00:40:21.159 what is happening too overwhelming and it's just 00:40:21.159 --> 00:40:23.280 it's a lot and i don't want to put that on someone 00:40:23.280 --> 00:40:25.800 else but then i'm like there's only so much i 00:40:25.800 --> 00:40:29.480 know i have in me for planning so then that i 00:40:29.480 --> 00:40:32.840 think is a big part of why i'm like i don't even 00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:35.699 like bother reaching out yeah yes that's so true 00:40:35.699 --> 00:40:39.380 we should uh we should challenge ourselves just 00:40:39.380 --> 00:40:42.659 to have a mom's night together like mom's night 00:40:42.659 --> 00:40:45.440 out just we can have stewart and michael just 00:40:45.440 --> 00:40:49.039 take all the kids honestly they could do it Yeah. 00:40:49.039 --> 00:40:51.719 No, I feel that 100%. It's just like, it's just 00:40:51.719 --> 00:40:54.840 too hard. And so then I just like going back 00:40:54.840 --> 00:40:56.539 to the routine thing, we talked about this and 00:40:56.539 --> 00:40:59.400 I think it was last week's episode. Like I find 00:40:59.400 --> 00:41:02.079 myself not being able to get out of routine because 00:41:02.079 --> 00:41:05.579 it's just, it's just too hard to break it. And 00:41:05.579 --> 00:41:09.719 like our routine somewhat works, I guess sometimes, 00:41:09.840 --> 00:41:14.380 but like. I just get too caught in it. Yeah. 00:41:14.480 --> 00:41:17.079 It's like, it's chaotic, but it's a chaos. I 00:41:17.079 --> 00:41:20.280 know. Exactly. Trying to mix it up. Exactly. 00:41:20.420 --> 00:41:23.960 So I don't know. Self -care is a really hard 00:41:23.960 --> 00:41:27.239 one for me and I know I need it. And I just, 00:41:27.460 --> 00:41:29.940 I don't know if you guys can relate. Probably. 00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:33.429 I feel like most moms can. I mean, hopefully 00:41:33.429 --> 00:41:35.789 not. Hopefully everyone else is taking care of 00:41:35.789 --> 00:41:39.590 themselves. Yeah. Maybe we sound crazy. I don't 00:41:39.590 --> 00:41:41.909 know. I'm sure. Yeah. I'm sure no one else can 00:41:41.909 --> 00:41:44.849 relate to us. Yeah. But love to hear what you 00:41:44.849 --> 00:41:48.570 guys are doing to help navigate the hard seasons. 00:41:48.989 --> 00:41:51.389 What's the thing you're like, is there anything 00:41:51.389 --> 00:41:55.750 you feel like is thriving right now? Even if 00:41:55.750 --> 00:41:58.269 it's something just like super tiny. I think 00:41:58.269 --> 00:42:01.929 that we've been doing really well with. Yes, 00:42:01.929 --> 00:42:04.590 we eat out probably a couple, maybe two times 00:42:04.590 --> 00:42:07.329 a week. But we've been like, I've been able to 00:42:07.329 --> 00:42:11.650 plan our meals pretty good. And I feel like we've 00:42:11.650 --> 00:42:14.469 had pretty well balanced meals, I guess. That's 00:42:14.469 --> 00:42:17.510 good. Like even like our breakfast, like you 00:42:17.510 --> 00:42:20.170 fairly stay the same. We usually have like eggs 00:42:20.170 --> 00:42:23.530 or egg bites. Colt loves egg bites, which are 00:42:23.530 --> 00:42:26.110 freaking expensive. And so I'm like, I need to 00:42:26.110 --> 00:42:30.059 make these at home. super easy to make they are 00:42:30.059 --> 00:42:32.099 see i've made them once before and he didn't 00:42:32.099 --> 00:42:34.119 like them so i'm like i need to like change the 00:42:34.119 --> 00:42:37.539 recipe but yeah so our meals like breakfast will 00:42:37.539 --> 00:42:42.579 usually be like eggs toast and a fruit um lunch 00:42:42.579 --> 00:42:45.920 we'll do like turkey and cottage cheese some 00:42:45.920 --> 00:42:48.800 type of fruit and then like a veggie so like 00:42:48.800 --> 00:42:53.239 he likes snap peas or a pickle great dinners 00:42:53.239 --> 00:42:55.860 we'll do like rice or potatoes usually of some 00:42:55.860 --> 00:42:59.690 sort some chicken or steak and then like a veggie. 00:42:59.690 --> 00:43:03.150 And I just think we, like I, we've been doing 00:43:03.150 --> 00:43:06.190 pretty good at planning the meals out like that 00:43:06.190 --> 00:43:08.710 for the past couple of weeks. And I think that 00:43:08.710 --> 00:43:12.030 has like helped us save some money, I guess. 00:43:12.070 --> 00:43:14.949 And also like we're eating a little bit healthier. 00:43:15.210 --> 00:43:17.469 That's yeah. That's great. I think that's a good 00:43:17.469 --> 00:43:22.619 example. A good one. I think generally. I wouldn't 00:43:22.619 --> 00:43:24.360 say I'm thriving at this, but I've been doing 00:43:24.360 --> 00:43:27.300 better about being patient. Good job. This isn't, 00:43:27.300 --> 00:43:29.679 like, I mean, there are definitely days when 00:43:29.679 --> 00:43:33.619 I'm, like, that's not true at all. But I'd say, 00:43:33.659 --> 00:43:37.739 like, overall, I'm, like, going up on the scale 00:43:37.739 --> 00:43:40.159 of, like. That's great. What have you done to, 00:43:40.219 --> 00:43:43.380 like, help that? Okay, this is going to sound 00:43:43.380 --> 00:43:47.340 like this is such a Christian response. But. 00:43:48.159 --> 00:43:50.480 I have been reading my Bible daily. So we had 00:43:50.480 --> 00:43:52.519 like the church had the like challenge thing, 00:43:52.579 --> 00:43:56.679 which I didn't do most of it. But I did start 00:43:56.679 --> 00:43:59.500 getting back into my habit of reading my Bible 00:43:59.500 --> 00:44:02.099 every morning. That's awesome. And I have like, 00:44:02.360 --> 00:44:05.739 I think that is the main correlation. That's 00:44:05.739 --> 00:44:08.139 awesome. Yeah. Because there have been other 00:44:08.139 --> 00:44:10.860 things where it's like sleep has been hit or 00:44:10.860 --> 00:44:16.679 miss. Again, eating depends on the day. All sorts 00:44:16.679 --> 00:44:19.980 of, everything else is, like, a variable right 00:44:19.980 --> 00:44:22.119 now, I guess. And that's been, like, the one 00:44:22.119 --> 00:44:24.039 thing that's been consistent. So, like, that's 00:44:24.039 --> 00:44:26.860 such a churchy answer, but that is, like, the 00:44:26.860 --> 00:44:30.079 only thing that's changed. Yeah, that's good. 00:44:30.239 --> 00:44:33.119 And, again, this isn't, like, I am magically 00:44:33.119 --> 00:44:35.079 this patient mother who never gets frustrated. 00:44:35.159 --> 00:44:38.780 That's not at all true. I definitely, you know, 00:44:38.800 --> 00:44:42.780 yell and respond poorly all the time. Yeah. But 00:44:42.780 --> 00:44:46.980 I, like, feel my, like. I guess I've gotten better 00:44:46.980 --> 00:44:49.360 at, like, seeing in the moment, like, okay, I 00:44:49.360 --> 00:44:51.840 need to take a breath. Yeah. Or being able to, 00:44:51.880 --> 00:44:54.659 like, not necessarily backpedal, but be like, 00:44:54.840 --> 00:44:57.340 I'm sorry, Lloyd. Like, I just responded really 00:44:57.340 --> 00:45:00.159 badly. Like, you know, mama's sorry. Mama shouldn't 00:45:00.159 --> 00:45:01.940 have responded like that. Yeah. And I guess, 00:45:01.940 --> 00:45:04.519 like, not let my, like, anger and rage get quite 00:45:04.519 --> 00:45:07.079 the best of me. Yeah. That's good. Yeah. Not 00:45:07.079 --> 00:45:08.880 the case all the time. That's awesome. Especially 00:45:08.880 --> 00:45:11.679 depends on the time of day. Oh, for sure. Yeah, 00:45:11.780 --> 00:45:14.099 I would say that's a great that's a great example. 00:45:14.440 --> 00:45:17.699 Yeah. Have you like for me, I've found myself 00:45:17.699 --> 00:45:20.500 like being OK with like needing to walk away 00:45:20.500 --> 00:45:23.119 for a second. Yes. Rather than like snapping. 00:45:23.239 --> 00:45:27.260 Yeah. For the most part, I am getting better 00:45:27.260 --> 00:45:30.079 about that or being able to take a breath. It 00:45:30.079 --> 00:45:33.000 also depends on like specifically what Lloyd 00:45:33.000 --> 00:45:36.760 is doing. Yeah. For some reason, when he throws 00:45:36.760 --> 00:45:39.280 the cat food. That is one of the things that 00:45:39.280 --> 00:45:42.880 just like gets me every time. And I don't know 00:45:42.880 --> 00:45:45.059 why that's the thing that makes me so mad. Maybe 00:45:45.059 --> 00:45:47.500 it's because it like requires clean up, but it's 00:45:47.500 --> 00:45:49.659 also like kind of annoying clean up. I don't 00:45:49.659 --> 00:45:52.900 know. That's the one thing that gets me every 00:45:52.900 --> 00:45:55.639 time. But she doesn't do it often anymore. He 00:45:55.639 --> 00:45:58.239 went through like a little phase, but of course 00:45:58.239 --> 00:46:01.099 he did it this week. on you know the week that 00:46:01.099 --> 00:46:04.099 we're having a tough day yeah yeah oh gosh yeah 00:46:04.099 --> 00:46:07.099 mine's whenever like colt will push crews over 00:46:07.099 --> 00:46:11.119 or like try to purposefully hurt him yeah that's 00:46:11.119 --> 00:46:14.679 what gets me so that's great that's a great example 00:46:14.679 --> 00:46:19.920 of we're driving yeah you know we're it's one 00:46:19.920 --> 00:46:23.320 step at a time yeah one little change at a time 00:46:24.480 --> 00:46:27.420 Make the world of difference. Yeah. Yeah. But 00:46:27.420 --> 00:46:29.739 yeah, I would love to hear from you guys. See 00:46:29.739 --> 00:46:32.760 where you're at. Just a general check in. Would 00:46:32.760 --> 00:46:35.440 love to. Maybe we can put up a question box and 00:46:35.440 --> 00:46:38.559 just kind of get a general gauge on where everyone's 00:46:38.559 --> 00:46:40.820 at and how everyone's feeling in the season. 00:46:40.980 --> 00:46:45.119 And yeah. And see that we're all kind of, you 00:46:45.119 --> 00:46:47.480 know, we can all relate to each other. Yeah. 00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:51.440 Okay. Well, um, do we want to hop into our wins 00:46:51.440 --> 00:46:55.860 of the week? Sure. So mine, anyone who knows 00:46:55.860 --> 00:46:59.519 me super well knows I love Tom Petty, huge Tom 00:46:59.519 --> 00:47:05.099 Petty fan. And this week we were, Lloyd was just, 00:47:05.119 --> 00:47:06.780 we were listening to music. And so of course, 00:47:06.800 --> 00:47:08.929 first like. Play Barbara Ann. We're like, okay, 00:47:08.929 --> 00:47:10.550 we play Barbara Ann. Oh, yeah, we're big Barbara 00:47:10.550 --> 00:47:13.210 Ann people, too. His next request is always Bye 00:47:13.210 --> 00:47:15.269 Bye Bye by NSYNC. So, like, okay, Siri, play 00:47:15.269 --> 00:47:18.429 Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC. I'm like, okay. And then 00:47:18.429 --> 00:47:21.989 that played through, and then he goes, Tom Petty. 00:47:22.150 --> 00:47:24.090 And he just requested Tom Petty. I was like, 00:47:24.190 --> 00:47:26.460 oh. I'm so proud. Like, I've taught you well, 00:47:26.519 --> 00:47:29.199 son. Yep. Now, so far, there are only two songs 00:47:29.199 --> 00:47:32.079 he, like, recognizes as Tom Petty, which are 00:47:32.079 --> 00:47:35.280 Free Fallen and Wildflowers, which are great. 00:47:35.340 --> 00:47:38.079 So we're, you know, working on the whole discography 00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:40.360 and, you know, making sure he knows all the songs. 00:47:40.739 --> 00:47:43.920 But it was just so fun. I'm so proud. I love 00:47:43.920 --> 00:47:46.579 it. And also so thankful that those are the songs 00:47:46.579 --> 00:47:49.969 he's requesting. My son is requesting Justin 00:47:49.969 --> 00:47:53.590 Bieber recently. Could be worse. Also so proud. 00:47:54.789 --> 00:47:59.389 Okay, my win. So, Cruz started on solids, like, 00:47:59.510 --> 00:48:03.329 I don't know, maybe a month ago. And hates everything 00:48:03.329 --> 00:48:07.190 that we've given him. And we, like, with Colt, 00:48:07.190 --> 00:48:09.250 we kind of did the same thing. Whereas, like, 00:48:09.250 --> 00:48:11.570 we started off with, like, mashing everything 00:48:11.570 --> 00:48:14.369 up. And then kind of, like, started the baby 00:48:14.369 --> 00:48:17.699 -led weaning a little bit. With more like just 00:48:17.699 --> 00:48:20.300 chunks of things and stuff. And Cruz only has 00:48:20.300 --> 00:48:22.940 two teeth. So it's like Cole at this age probably 00:48:22.940 --> 00:48:25.780 had eight -ish teeth. And Cruz only has two. 00:48:25.860 --> 00:48:28.260 So it just makes me really nervous with like 00:48:28.260 --> 00:48:31.039 chunks of things. But he's hated everything. 00:48:31.119 --> 00:48:34.780 He's done like avocado, banana. What else have 00:48:34.780 --> 00:48:38.559 we done? Obviously carrots. Like just normal. 00:48:39.050 --> 00:48:41.849 things to start with but uh this last week we 00:48:41.849 --> 00:48:44.989 had steak and so we just like handed him a chunk 00:48:44.989 --> 00:48:49.650 of steak to just like non non and this kid went 00:48:49.650 --> 00:48:52.690 to town on this steak i have a video of it i 00:48:52.690 --> 00:48:54.969 should probably post it you've just been feeding 00:48:54.969 --> 00:48:57.090 the wrong yeah I'm like this kid just is a carnivore 00:48:57.090 --> 00:48:59.929 he just wants meat and it was like Michael cooked 00:48:59.929 --> 00:49:02.429 it like medium rare so it was like kind of bloody 00:49:02.429 --> 00:49:05.289 still this might be really gross for people but 00:49:05.289 --> 00:49:07.869 literally like the blood and the juice was like 00:49:07.869 --> 00:49:13.309 dripping down Cruz's arms and he like he sucked 00:49:13.309 --> 00:49:15.730 all the juice out of this piece of meat where 00:49:15.730 --> 00:49:18.670 it was just like This is it just sounds disgusting, 00:49:18.829 --> 00:49:21.130 but like a shriveled up like piece of meat. I 00:49:21.130 --> 00:49:23.469 mean, that's the stuff like for babies. That's 00:49:23.469 --> 00:49:25.969 actually really good. Yeah. Yeah. It has all 00:49:25.969 --> 00:49:29.170 the nutrients. Yes. And so I took this piece 00:49:29.170 --> 00:49:32.210 of meat away from him and I have never seen him 00:49:32.210 --> 00:49:37.539 cry to like the depths of his soul. And he was 00:49:37.539 --> 00:49:40.420 so mad at me, so, so mad at me. So I handed him 00:49:40.420 --> 00:49:42.840 another piece and he like sucked that thing dry 00:49:42.840 --> 00:49:45.659 too. And by the third piece, we were like, we 00:49:45.659 --> 00:49:48.099 can, like, he's got to, he's got to chill. Like 00:49:48.099 --> 00:49:51.099 this is the first solid he's actually like tried 00:49:51.099 --> 00:49:55.179 to eat and been okay with. And he just wants 00:49:55.179 --> 00:49:57.340 steak and steak is expensive. So we will not 00:49:57.340 --> 00:49:59.920 be eating steak a lot. But now I'm like, okay, 00:49:59.940 --> 00:50:02.300 this kid just wants like real food. He doesn't 00:50:02.300 --> 00:50:06.750 want like mashed up. banana you know and so the 00:50:06.750 --> 00:50:08.489 next night I gave him like a chunk of banana 00:50:08.489 --> 00:50:10.510 and he like actually kind of ate it a little 00:50:10.510 --> 00:50:12.949 bit so I'm like okay I think I've just been feeding 00:50:12.949 --> 00:50:16.010 him the wrong things I can send you the book 00:50:16.010 --> 00:50:18.230 we did for baby led weaning yeah that'd be great 00:50:18.230 --> 00:50:20.650 that was super helpful for like what to serve 00:50:20.650 --> 00:50:23.090 and how to serve it yeah that'd be awesome because 00:50:23.090 --> 00:50:25.090 I just yeah I'm super nervous because he's like 00:50:25.090 --> 00:50:28.670 not really like chewing like He hasn't quite 00:50:28.670 --> 00:50:32.369 figured it out. Yeah. Colt was like such a like 00:50:32.369 --> 00:50:35.909 easy, liked everything pretty much that we gave 00:50:35.909 --> 00:50:38.289 him. And Cruz is just being a little more difficult, 00:50:38.349 --> 00:50:40.010 which is surprising to me because he's a big 00:50:40.010 --> 00:50:42.809 boy that I was like, oh, he's going to love food. 00:50:42.849 --> 00:50:45.269 You know, I just correlated that. I don't know. 00:50:45.610 --> 00:50:48.949 Nope. No, he does not. He loves mama's milkies. 00:50:49.150 --> 00:50:53.550 Yes. Yeah. So, yeah, that was my win. But that's 00:50:53.550 --> 00:50:56.070 great. yeah well thanks for tuning in guys would 00:50:56.070 --> 00:50:57.889 love like we said would love to hear how you're 00:50:57.889 --> 00:51:00.309 doing yeah yeah we'll post some stuff on stories 00:51:00.309 --> 00:51:03.769 and on instagram yeah but follow us at no manual 00:51:03.769 --> 00:51:07.030 podcast if you don't already and we will see 00:51:07.030 --> 00:51:09.690 you next week see you next week well that's enough 00:51:09.690 --> 00:51:12.329 over sharing for today if you enjoyed hanging 00:51:12.329 --> 00:51:14.510 out with us hit subscribe so you don't miss the 00:51:14.510 --> 00:51:17.389 next round of chaos and if you're listening while 00:51:17.389 --> 00:51:19.610 hiding in the bathroom from your kids no judgment 00:51:19.610 --> 00:51:22.260 we see you Thanks for joining us on No Manual 00:51:22.260 --> 00:51:26.260 Momcast, where motherhood is messy. At least 00:51:26.260 --> 00:51:27.440 we can laugh about it together.