I got rid of a piece of baby gear.
This was a dramatic moment for me, as it was a tangible acknowledgement that we will likely not have any more kids. Granted it was just the Jumperoo, which neither kid used that much anyway, but still... I've only given away some baby clothes to little Isaac because I know they'll stay in the family should we ever need them again. But the Jumperoo now lives with the Rauchers in North Carolina. Judah was happily bouncing away in it at our house a few weeks ago and Tamar asked me about buying one. I told her not to spend the money because they were more expensive than they were worth (but of course, I had some crazy coupon discount for mine getting it for less than half the regular price). Then she offered to buy mine since their moving van was coming the next day.
I froze. I seriously did not want to give it away, even for a little bit of money. I turned down the offer at first, actually, thinking "What if we have a third kid? It won't have a Jumperoo!" After stewing on it over dinner, I came to the conclusion that if we can ever afford to have a third we will also be able to afford to buy a new Jumperoo, or not get one at all (again, Silverstein babies aren't too into them...this logic may or may not be inspiring me to also get rid of the swing, which currently resides in my parents garage). So off it went into the Rauchers' moving van and Judah is currently jumping away happily in North Carolina. I miss them...
As hard as this was to do, it helped ground me in the reality that we will likely be a 2-kid family. Nothing wrong with that at ALL. I am so grateful for Ivy and Sidney who are the most amazing gifts and if for whatever reason I can't or choose to not have more, I don't feel that I am at all missing anything. BUT. Mike and I always talked about wanting three...of course, before we even had 1 and realized now that having 3 would make us certifiably insane. However, everyone says going from 1 to 2 is more difficult than 2 to 3, and we also know families gracefully managing 4, but that's just crazy talk.
And the reality is we are barely even equipped to handle 2, and a hypothetical number 3 would be in a LONG time anyway, IF we can afford it and IF we want to jump back into starting over with another baby. Every time I see a squishy little newborn (as I do often since many of my friends are all reproducing at the moment) I want another one. It's also a really selfish desire because I want a do-over from my pregnancy with Sid. I want an easy, uncomplicated pregnancy and an easy birth (my doctor is totally supportive of VBACs). Again, I acknowledge that this is selfish, and even out of my control, but I want to officially close off the uterus happily and on my ideal terms. I just can't bear the thought of saying definitively, at 32, that I am done. Time will tell, my friends, but don't expect any announcements soon. And I'm not getting rid of anything else for the time being either.
In other news, things are busy and hectic around here and we're geared up for summer. I am now officially a Schlepping Mom, as I take Ivy to not one but 2 "extracurricular" classes each week - dancing (birthday present from Mike's parents) and swimming (from mine). Both are quite amusing. Dance class is a HUGE hit. She's been waiting for this for almost a year. She loves the leotards and the tights and the shoes, and she practices her poses and positions around the house all the time. As Mike commented, Black Swan she aint (crappy movie, by the way) but she's enthusiastic. More like a clumsy chicken, but whatever. It's adorable. And she's enjoying swimming too. We have her signed up for semi-private lessons but she's the only kid at her time slot so it's private at a fraction of the cost. Score! Hopefully by summer's end she'll be more comfortable and confident in the water so we can enjoy crashing the neighbor's pool on Shabbat afternoons and at my parents' community pool.
So, have I mentioned that I'm really into daily deal sites? My friend Rebecca is really into Extreme Couponing on TLC (as impressive as it is to get 47268494 boxes of Cheerios for $1, where the hell would I put them?), and this makes think I need to pitch my own show to TLC - Extreme Grouponing. I seriously need Groupon therapy…I’m totally addicted. I get probably 25 emails a day with deals. It’s nuts. But as I’ve mentioned before it’s been a great way to buy or do stuff we otherwise wouldn’t really be able to afford. And, I’m so Extreme that when I refer other people to the deals, I usually get credit and then end up getting deals for FREE! Brilliant! I love free! Spread the love peeps – buy through me, then repost yourself and you too can get free stuff!
Speaking of free stuff, I’m also on an email list that sends you consumer surveys. They’re usually pretty quick and I like to share my opinion as a consumer, so I’ve racked up money that way too…cash them in for Amazon gift cards, and that’s MORE free stuff! Madness, I tell you! This is now living in my home, that I got free:
How have I lived this long without an ice cream maker?! It’s divine. Not exactly helpful for keeping the weight off, but it’s summer so nightly ice cream is practically mandated. Oh who am I kidding? Ice cream is non-seasonal in my book.
And finally, I am so relieved to report that after 3 months of sleep training, Sid is finally sleeping through the night. I realize as I type this I am probably jinxing it, but who cares - I'm more rested than I've been in almost a year. Almost enough to forget how exhausting it is to have a baby and want another one...just kidding.
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