Life Updates

I don't get a lot of time to blog with 2 kids under 2 but I like to when I get a chance because I've always enjoyed looking back. Life goes by so fast and with kids it is even faster so I often forget what life was like even a few months prior. That is another lesson I have learned with kids.. that nothing is a permanent state. They are growing and shifting so quickly that I can't get stuck on any routine for too long before it no longer works.

Life is going pretty decently. Charli's 2nd birthday is in a couple of weeks and we are going to have it at Jungle Jims with just a few family members. My mom and I are going to make her a Minnie Mouse cake and I bought her an adorable Minnie Mouse dress to wear that day. It should be a fun and relaxing birthday party so I look forward to that.

I go back to work the day after her birthday party and on her actual birthday. I am sad to lose my time with my girls but I am definitely ready to go back into the adult word and start working hard on my career goals. I have been at Nelson for 6 years but I may not be there much longer. I want to stay long term but unfortunately I am starting to feel like the companies priorities are on their profits and not their employees. A lot of the family friendly benefits are going away and I never get more than a basic 3% raise which doesn't really even cover the increase in cost of living year to year. I am waiting for my annual review in March but I have a feeling I know how it will go. I won't leave unless it's for the right opportunity but I can't help feeling that I could be doing so much more for my family so that Kyle can focus on goals that actually make him happy as well. He has been working at Nelson the last year and a half and they haven't really taken care of him at all either. He works hard and is productive but he doesn't play the politics well unfortunately. I feel like he would honestly be better if he was his own boss anyway. We are hoping he can get his real estate license and start looking at investing... assuming I can get a better job of course.

Charli is growing up so much and is a super fun and happy toddler. She is also an absolute challenge and is definitely testing boundaries but we are hoping that with firm and consistent rules that she will grow into a well behaved child. It's a hard balance because I want her to always communicate with me and to not hide from me but it's also important that I raise her to be a good person and to not be entitled. Parenting is so much harder than it looks sometimes...

Riley is also doing well but she is struggling with her weight gain and has also been sick. I am feeding her the same (if not better) than I fed Charli but she appears to just have different genetics and to just be on the smaller side. I think that it is okay but my PTSD from Charli not gaining is coming back so I worry. Just want her to be healthy. Otherwise she is meeting her milestones and is super happy and calm. It has been easier for me to connect to her and I think it's just because I've been down this road before and I know how short this difficult stage is. Charli I think was a bit of a shock so it took me awhile to gain some confidence.

Kyle and I are doing well but I definitely miss my husband.  A new baby takes away some of that one on one time for awhile. I feel like we have both been good at supporting each other through this stage though. He has also been sick for a couple of weeks so that has been rough. I really love my husband though, I honestly couldn't imagine life without him. I really feel like I found the perfect person to share this life with. We are also strongly leaning towards Riley being our last kid. We are really excited for our girls to get older and to start going on family trips and doing more active activities. We love our kids but it is a huge sacrifice to start over each time. I feel at peace and like our family is complete.

Anyway, most of my days consistent of feeding, changing, keeping a toddler out of danger, and putting a baby to sleep in a consistent rotation so it was nice to find a few minutes to update this blog. I was also able to get a work out in which is super nice. I can't wait to get back into a strict routine with diet and exercise but my main focus right now is my mental health and taking it easy.