To Call It a Day

Babies are amazing. They smell oh so delicious and they have sweet little noses and they do this amazing thing where you can put them down somewhere and they'll still be in the exact same place when you come back. Then there is the love 'splosion that rocks your world as soon as they enter it. As many have said before me, having a baby is like nothing else in the world. It is incredible.

But babies are hard. And growing a baby is hard and don't even get me started on getting a baby out of your body. That is beyond hard. Really looking back, the newborn stage seems all sweet cuddles and love, but I know my brain was muddled from the hormones and lack of sleep and that during it, both times, I was slightly out of my mind. Maybe not even slightly. Maybe completely. Like most women, I struggled post-partum. I was always concerned I was doing something wrong, and I was so exhausted I had a hard time living in the moment and enjoying that stage. 

And now, now things are good. Now we sleep - mostly, unless someone is sick or needs their back rubbed or a glass of water or has to go potty. Okay maybe we don't sleep all that much. But things are certainly easier than they were. My children can understand what I'm saying when I talk to them, even if they don't necessarily listen. There are no more bottles to wash. Soon there will be no more diapers to change. No more burp cloths, breast pump, swaddle blankets or bucket car seats to haul around. 

Now, there are moments when my kids go off together to play, and I don't even hear the word mama for at least ten full minutes. They make each other laugh. They are self-sufficient, in their own unique, tiny person ways. They still need me to be sure, and I wouldn't have that any other way. But it's a different kind of need, and that's okay. They aren't babies anymore. They're full blown people now. 

I love watching my girls grow up together, sisters. I can already see how they love each other, fiercely, just as I love them. And while I have no doubt that another child would only bring more love into this little family, I think we are complete. We have everything we need in one little package - all the crazy and happy we can take on right now.

Maybe it's because they are so close in age, or maybe it's just because I'm so terrible at being pregnant, but I am done. I'm closing up shop. I'm ready to call it a day on the baby making. Because look what I get to do instead. I get to hang out with these people. 

What Happens After You Die?

On Facebook that is. You didn't really think I was going to tackle that subject right now did you? Let's face it, no one knows. What we do know however, is that there are millions of social media accounts poised to be abandoned forever once we all kick that eventual bucket. 

But now Facebook has announced a new policy that allows users to choose a "legacy contact" to manage your account in the event of your death. This is a tool that many users who have experienced the untimely death of a loved one have been asking for for years. You can now provide the option for that contact to manage your page, letting you live on with posts, photos and more, or to shut it down permanently if desired. 

So how do you do it? It's easy, and it provides a good reminder for you to go take a look at your Facebook setting, which I recommend  you do often, as changes happen frequently.

Simply go to Settings, then click Security from the left hand menu. After that, you'll see an option to choose your Legacy Contact at the bottom of the page. You can choose to let that person know you've chosen them as a legacy contact, or notify them later.

No one like to admit their impending mortality, but life will go on without you, even on social media. Best get that house in order now!

On Risk Taking

I am a creature of habit. I like my habits. I encourage them for my daughters. I think routine is a good thing - especially for kids. I find them to be better behaved and happier in general when they know what to expect.

But I know sometimes I can be... rigid. A little too regimented. Maybe just a tad militant. 

I know one person in particular, who shall remain nameless but is my husband, can find this quality of mine to be frustrating. It's just who I am though, and frankly I think it's served me well up until this point in my life. 

So today I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. I'm doing something I would not normally do and it is freaking me out. I mean freaking me out. But I also feel strangely exhilarated. Like maybe I made a huge mistake but maybe that's okay and the world isn't going to end. 

Or maybe it will. But if it does it's not going to be because I dyed my hair.