Miss Livy Spends Most of a Day with her Auny

by brandyellen // July 25, 2014 // No Comments

Yes, I spelled that correctly, Auny. The name that my niece Livy has given me is Auny, not Auntie, not Tee Tee as she had once started to say. I am now Auny. And I love it!

One day I got a chance to take Livy for most of an afternoon back to my home so that her Mommy (my sister) could catch a break to clean house, relax and get whatever done she wanted to get done. Honestly, she should just sleep when she gets that time, but she had stuff to do and so I was very happy to test out taking Livy for a bit.

I picked up Livy and went to get my daughter from her visit with her Dad. I then traveled home with Livy and my daughter before my son’s were coming home from their Dads. It was so adorable watching Livy spend quality time with her Auny and cousins. Livy is now about a year and a half, time has flown so quickly. Come January she will be two years old!

Jenny the Pug has finally learned to be calm around Livy, they spent some time hanging out a bit as shown above. Jenny loved following Livy around and giving her puppy kisses. Simply precious.

I love the photo of Ki with Livy next to her arm in arm. We really have a strong family bond around here and so happy Livy takes to that big time too! That was a fun day, and the separation anxiety my niece has, left her within moments of her waving buh bye to her Mommy. I remember those days of my baby crying until I was out of sight, then they were fine. Thankfully my sis knows Livy is in great hands with someone she feels safe with and who adores and loves her to pieces so it is easier for my sis to allow Livy time with me. I must admit, I am so in love with being an Auny!!!!

Livy is a true miracle baby and a blessing to have in our world.

Let’s Give this Dress Idea a Try

by brandyellen // May 23, 2014 // Comments off

I happened upon a rack at Ocean State Job Lot that held a bunch of cute dresses. Usually, as a woman with wide hips, it’s difficult for me to find a dress that suits my body type.

Trying to Dress Up

I picked out two dresses, each I felt may end up looking odd on a girl with curves, but I actually adore this first dress I wore. Never mind my double chin, most of us who have given birth or not end up with one as we get older. I have learned to embrace this double chin even if I do hope it goes away as I work to lose my Winter weight.

photo 2(2)

This is the pattern of the dress, one day I will have a full length mirror that allows me to take a full body picture, but for now, you get the idea. I am excited to start challenging myself with new colors and wearing dresses more.

Related Funny Story: My youngest child had never seen me in a dress before, this was a couple of years back, and we were at a local store purchasing some snack items when he lifted up my dress as a means to find my pockets. I was so embarrassed. I handled it well though, with five shades of red upon my cheeks, I explained that Mommy was wearing a dress and this dress does not have pockets, if you lift my dress, you will be giving the store a show that Mommy doesn’t want to experience.

{Life as Auntie} A Night Babysitting Miss Olivia

by brandyellen // January 19, 2014 // Comments off

If my sister had her way, she would be with her daughter 24/7 but she also knows the importance of finding a way to catch a break. As of late, my sister has had appointments and since I am the only one my niece knows beyond her parents; the babysitting is in my hands. I do not mind one bit.

Babysitting my Niece was a blast

I absolutely love my niece and since my “baby” is now five years old, I welcome any chance to take my niece for a few hours or even overnight. This particular evening we babysat Miss Olivia for about four hours. Sadly, Olivia had been woken up by accident when brought into the home and so in the above pictures she is still a bit uncertain of being away from her Mommy and Daddy. One thing about Olivia, that also calms my sister, is that Olivia calms quickly for me and seems to feel safe as well as secure in her Auntie’s arms while Auntie sings her a lullaby or two.

Cousins Playing Nicely

I was a little concerned having Olivia here during bedtime hours for a couple of reasons; I wasn’t sure if she would get comfortable with my fiance again or my daughter so that I could do the normal bedtime routine for my sons or not. I also was concerned about my “baby” because K-man really doesn’t like his Mama paying any attention to another baby. What I got was a lucky surprise! My son played with his baby girl cousin, gave her toys and even showed her around his bedroom. To boot, he fed her dinner at dinner time too. K-man was so proud of himself and had fun talking to Olivia and singing her a song while playing his ukelele, it was simply adorable!

Cousins Olivia and K-man

The four hours or so that Olivia was here made our evening so wonderful! The night ended with Miss Olivia giggling and babbling at Jenny the Pug. I just adore this baby girl and was thankful that my sister knows me and trusts me enough to let go and allow this time for her daughter to gain a relationship with her Auntie and Cousins. I thank my sister for allowing me and trusting me to care for her child while she attended her meeting.

StrongMoms® Empower <– Isn’t that The Truth! #StrongMomsEmpower

by brandyellen // April 14, 2013 // Comments off

Being a parent is difficult but when you make certain decisions it can get more difficult, you see your elders and peers may feel they know best and wish to push that advice onto you as Gold rather than their opinion that can be politely declined. I have had my own Mom moments where I just felt as if I wasn’t good enough, my choices being made were not the right ones, heck I have questioned myself from time to time without listening to others who feel they know best.

When trying to think of an example, all I can think of is that time when my middle child was a baby at eight weeks old and I had to switch to formula. Having breastfed my first born for about 9 months, due to her weaning off on her own, I felt like such a horrible failure for not being able to keep up with nursing my hungry baby boy. Around 8 weeks of age I gave my son formula instead of breastfeeding or pumping and feeding him breast milk, I just couldn’t handle breastfeeding this constantly hungry baby boy. Without naming names, I was judge by this one person who often had pushed me to be a breastfeeding Mom, I felt pressured to continue breast feeding even though it just simply wasn’t the right fit for my baby at that time, he went on to have 16 oz of formula each night just to get to sleep. I couldn’t keep up with breast milk for that kind of hunger.

There are times even now when I open dialogue about alochol, drugs and even sex with my kids that people are just shocked that I even discuss such subjects with my oldest. I would rather my kids hear about these things from me than their peers, I want my kids comfortable with me, not the outsiders that may not educate them properly on these life changing topics. I think some people forget that we are all doing our best as parents and really that’s all that matters – that each parent takes care of their kids in the best way they know how.

I read a post about Dear Mom on the iPhone and in all reality I have been that Mom. The one who had been too busy trying to get work done to support the kids and the one who just got so occupied with being on top of work that I forgot the main reason I chose to work from home …. to be with my kids more. It takes practice and so I can feel for that Mom on the iPhone, I have been here without the iPhone {just a regular ole smartphone}. The one who forgot that kids just grow so quickly and that eventually if you keep walking that path of unknowingly putting your kids second best, that one day they won’t call Mommy anymore. Kids who grow up like that will eventually turn to someone else for advice & attention. The sad part is it will probably be their peers who shouldn’t be the ones advising them of certain topics. I have compassion for that iPhone Mom, because I can see how easy it is to forget your inner Mommy, but the good news is that each day is a new one and if you realized today that you didn’t spend enough time paying positive attention to your kids, then tomorrow you can have another chance. Or, better yet, put that iPhone down now and realize whatever is on that phone can wait, your kids must come first before you blink and they are adults.

As part of partaking in this campaign I am to write my own StrongMoms Empowerment manifesto, while there is one that is superb I think I can get my own based on my unique personality and that is found below … what would you include in your StrongMoms Empowerment manifesto and will you go over and take the StrongMoms Empowerment Pledge as I did?

I am participating in a blog campaign with One2One Network. I have not received any payment. All opinions are my own.

Sometimes Wednesday Late Afternoons Suck

by brandyellen // November 7, 2012 // Comments off

Now I am a positive person and I have semi-thick skin when it comes to my kids and the things they do or say, however, on Wednesday when my four year old spends the morning with his Dad then goes to pre-k in the afternoons, I sometimes schedule work and meetings as it’s the only full day I get each week to put forth towards work.

Working from home takes a lot of motivation, dedication and you have to give n take. That means, as much as I would love to be there when the K-man is dropped off to pre-K sometimes on Wednesdays I can’t be. Work has to be a priority as much as motherhood in my world. Therefore, Wednesdays sometimes suck and K-man is great at making it suck a tiny bit more.

When I go to the school on Wednesdays or any other day that K-man is having a rough time with whatever may be going on inside of his head, he takes it out on me and his siblings. So when I went to school to grab the K-man today after missing him all day long, he cops an attitude. Gets out of the school. Throws backpack at me. Takes off coat and proceeds to refuse to put coat back on. Whines. Yells. Kicks. Hits. Just totally not himself and appears to be an awfully ill behaved kid.

Then as I am trying to get him to walk to the car, throws himself on ground says he can’t walk and refuses to walk, has to be carried to the car screaming and kicking, all the while I am sure many people were starting at my child making a scene. The kid screamed, kicked and fought some more over getting into the car and buckling up. Before I even left the school road, I was near tears. I felt the tears coming. Welling up in my eyes and I just simply refused to let them take over my eyes.

I just wanted to cry, and be sad, but instead, I decided to talk to K-man and figure out what the heck his issue was. I know my kid and I knew he was mad about something, it was just a matter of deciphering a four year old’s mind. The route of his issue seems to stem from 1) he says Daddy didn’t play with him today and 2) he was sad he didn’t get to hug me before school. Meaning he was sad that he didn’t get enough attention {in his opinion} and that Mama wasn’t there for pre-k drop off to hug him.

Now, I am faced with a tough decision. Do I give up that Wednesday full day of working to take the half hour to go down and make sure I am there for drop off, thus interrupting any lunch plans I may have for continued client work or do I just make him understand Mommy needs to work and as much as I wanted to be there to hug him, sometimes I can not be, which is why I give him a great big bear hug in the morning when I drop him to Daddy’s.

I am torn, why? Because he is my “baby” and of course he knows this. I explained why I wasn’t there, and had told him I wouldn’t be when I dropped him at his Dads but he is four and apparently wants what he wants. Guess that’s normal…. how would you all handle this?