Picture of the Day

I have become a picture manic since Jack has been born.

He has never liked his Bumbo seat until today.

It's also rare that Lenny will go near Jack.

Little does he know they will soon be best friends.

Letting Go

COUNTDOWN UNTIL WORK: 2 DAYS

So I am sitting here writing my "instruction manual" for Jack's day care providers.  He will be with my dad one day, my mother in law two days and an in-home day care for two days.  I laid in bed last night staring at the ceiling wondering how any of them could possibly take care of Jack the way I do. How could anyone else figure out what makes him happy or what makes him stop crying, or how he likes to play, and what songs he you to sing to him the most?

I have become one of "those moms".  The mom I SWORE I would never be.  I would see moms telling people how their child liked certain things or how you should talk to them this way, or sit with them this way, and I would think "you are absolutely crazy".  And now here I am.  It's not that I don't trust anyone.

I know all of them will do a wonderful job with him, I just worry.  I worry my mother in law will continue to let Jack suck on an empty bottle because "he wants to", or that she will shove a bottle in his mouth everytime he cries. I worry my dad will not want to sing to him, or play with him like I do, and I worry that the day care will not have the time to give him the attention I can.

But there comes a time when I have to let go,and trust that they will take care of Jack just as well as I do, that one way of parenting is not always right.  I need to let go and know that Jack will still know I am his mother, and will understand I am working to make life better for him.  Twenty years from now Jack won't even remember where he was during these months.   I need to learn now that there will be a lot of "letting go" of Jack in the future so I better get used to it.

I know it will get easier day by day, but I just with I had a few more days with him; to play, and cuddle in the mornings and to just be Mommy and Jack.  It's amazing how fast these first 12 weeks have gone.

Maybe I'll win the lottery in the next 2 days.......

Shout Out

My husband wanted to make sure he was recognized for his hard work, so I want to say thank you to him for designing my blog header and button.  Without him, this blog would be a very boring place.  : )

Who's the Baby?

So we just got back from the second round of Jack's two month shots.  We are spreading them out just for peace of mind.  I don't know who cried more, Jack or me.   It's amazing how your heart can break so much for another human being.  I only hope I can become more "brave" as time goes on.

I also only hope he never truly has to know what real "pain" feels like.

Merry (late) Christmas to me!

I thought I would post another Etsy find. Today I received a gift I bought myself for Christmas. I figured I deserved it, I carried and pushed a life out of me, why not buy myself a gift to remember it.  I wanted something with Jack's initial and birthstone and also something that doesn't scream out "I'm a Mom!!"

So I ordered this:

This necklace by another designer necklace was featured in In Style magazine for $68.00, but I found the same thing on Etsy for $34.00!  Mine of course has the initial J and his birthstone. 

I think it's beautiful and simple and can be worn with anything.  Etsy seller "ArtWark" has so many other great pieces of jewlery in her "store",  and I think you should check it out.

You can buy her great designs here:  Etsy seller Artwark

Lesson Learned

Last night my husband and I decided to have our first date night since Jack was born. We have had a couple nights out before, but none just us.  We wanted to celebrate us making it 12 weeks of an unpaid maternity leave without going broke.   I sure did celebrate, and I also spent the night cuddling the toilet instead of my husband.

The lesson learned?

I do not want to be taking care of a screaming baby hungover.

EVER AGAIN.

The New Must Have Fashion Accessory for Mom

As Jack will be teething soon I am looking for some good teethers that will also hold his interest.  He loves his Sophie, but I came across these and will be placing my order this week.  These teethers are multisensory which is great for their exploring fingers, and mouthes.   They are are BPA, and PVC free and I must say....make a great accessory for a night out on the town.
You can get these great teethers here.

Decal is up!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL WORK: 4 DAYS
So I thought I would follow up with how great our decal looks in the nursery.  It did take us about 2 hours of deciding where the stars should go yesterday,  but we think it looks great. 

Forget the Mall!

Something that I have always loved is shopping.  And I love a good deal.  Since becoming a new mom, I have turned to shopping online, because it's hard to get out.  I am in amazement at how many wonderful things there are online, and may just change from a mall shopper to a permanent internet shopper.

One of my discoveries has been Etsy.  Now I know it has been around for a while, but I am a little slow with these things.  I love Etsy.  I could spend days looking at all the shops and items. One item I came across is this vinyl wall sticker.  

Now I always told my husband that I would NEVER buy one of these because they are cheesy.  Well cheesy or not, I bought this one, and I received it today! I can't wait to put it up, and Etsy seller Leen the graphics Queen,( http://www.etsy.com/shop/LeenTheGraphicsQueen) does a great job and I received this so fast! 

This quote is from a book I have read many times to Jack, while sobbing my eyes out at the thought of leaving him for work.  Anyways, the quote is perfect, because that is exactly how I feel about him . I will post pics of it our nursery once it's up. 

Actually.....

 Actually, forget TIVO, this is better than any TV show, hands down.

I Need to Get Tivo

COUNTDOWN UNTIL I AM BACK TO WORK: 6 DAYS

So as I am sitting here watching the napping Jack sway back and forth on his swing I thought I would make a list of the things I will miss and not miss as I head back to work. As this is my last Friday as a "stay at home mom", I thought I would start with what I will miss first:

1.  Jack (of course)
2. Wearing sweats around the house and not having to shower.
3.. Playing with my dog Lenny
4.  Kathi Lee and Hoda
5. The Today Show
6. Days of our Lives
7. Ellen
8. having a clean house

As I look at my list I realize many of these are shows.  I never liked Ellen or Days of our Lives before Jack, now I find myself addicted to them.  I also have to admit my favorite on this list is Kathi and Hoda.  This may make most cringe, but I love them and I find them funny.
So tonight I am going to ask my husband if we can get Tivo, to which he will probably reply "NO we are saving money".  Maybe I can watch them on Hulu. 

As for what I won't miss..the list is short:
1. The fits of screaming all day.
2. Turning everything I say into a song.

Even those are really not that bad, and I have to admit, I have become quite the singer.

A little about me

email me here:
justanothermomdayblog{at}gmail{dot}com
OR fill out this contact form...

Hi.  I'm Amy. A wife to my best friend, new(ish) mom to the sweetest little guy in the world, Jack, and a Special Education teacher. Being a mom has taught me many things..about myself, and about life.  Being a working mom has taught me so many more things; (organization being one of them). I love cooking, baking , shopping, blogging, and working on my photography.  I thank all of you for reading and taking the time to comment, and I love meeting you all too!


The hubs, Tom. We met, at a bar, on Thanksgiving Eve, 2004.  We had our first date the next night.  The rest, they say, is history.  He is my "Mr. Fix It", the best dad, and my best friend.

This is my little man Jack.  He came into this world on October 21, 2009.  He is everything I imagined children would be and more.  He is always amazing me and will ALWAYS put a smile on my face.  Oh yeah, and he is growing up WAY TOO FAST.

Lenny, is Jack's big brother, and the most patient, loving little yorkie (and doggy) I have ever met.  He gives us all unconditional love, and he loves having his belly rubbed.

Welcome

So before I start, I want introduce myself. I am a 33 year old new mom to Jack (born October 21). I never in a million years thought mommyhood would be this amazing. He is the love of my life, and I still can't believe this amazing little man was once inside me.

It has also had it's ups and downs. We are dealing with awful reflux, lactose intolerance and nights of non-stop crying. I have learned alot about myself these past 11 weeks, mostly, that it for sure is not about me anymore. As for my husband, I think he has still not realized that yet.

As for the blog, I decided to start a blog as I make my way back to work next week. I am a Special Education teacher and love my job, but as the weeks have been dwindling down, I have realized more and more how I would love to be a SAHM. Since this is not possible I wanted to blog my days (and nights) as a working mom. Trying to juggle cleaning, cooking, working, mommying, and being a wife seems like an impossible task right now. Hopefully through this journey I will become a more organized, humorous, and calm person, and I just might learn something about myself.

I hope you enjoy reading my "diary" and I would love to hear from you with any comments, stories or support. I know there are many others like me out there, and I hope you can relate and laugh a little as you read along with me.

Thank you for visiting my blog, and I hope you enjoy reading my journey as I struggle to juggle, work, family, and my shopping addiction!

I'm Amy. I am a Special Education teacher at a Charter School in Chicago.

I met my husband,  in 2004, and knew I would marry him the moment I saw him.  We were married September 22, 2007, and are living our "happily ever after"

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As soon as we decided we wanted a family, I was pregnant and on October 21, 2009, Jack was born. We could not have imagined anyone this perfect would fill our lives with such joy.

A little more about me.  I stress.  Over everything.  My resolutions for the new year are to stress less, lose the babyweight and save as much money as possible.  All things which are semmingly impossible as I love to eat chocolate of anykind, can't pass up a good deal (or even a not so good deal), and will be juggling work, housework, a new baby and eveything in between.  So I am not sure where this blog will take me, but I know I am terrified for what the future holds......

Working Mom Meals

Brown Butter and Balsamic Tortellini

picture courtesy of Tracey's Culinary Adventures.

This tortellini with balsamic brown butter recipe is origonally from Everyday Italian and Giada.  This recipe would work with tortellini or ravioli, and while it may not be the healthiest meal, it will make your tastebuds sing out with joy!

18 to 20 ounces store-bought tortellini (or ravioli)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to the instructions on the package (until tender but still firm to the bit), stirring occasionally. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, turn off the heat. Let butter cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to the saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top before serving.