JUST A Mom?? Think Again.

Many people who ask me what i do for a living believe that staying at home with my children means i'm like the typical television housewife.  As much as i LOVE Desperate Housewives & Days of Our Lives, my day is not as easy-breezy. I've often been told how "easy" i have it and yes, i do to an extent.  I wouldn't rather be anywhere in the world than with my children, however, it is a very energy-consuming job.  My father, the most hard-working man I know, admits himself that taking care of a child is much more demanding than having a full-time job.  It's the people who often hassle me about when I'm going to get a "real job" and go to work that bug me.

The best thing you can do for your children is to be at home with them. I worked for three months before Kade was one and it was very difficult on Kade & myself to adjust to after being together for the first 8 months of his life.  Finally, it got to the point where it was actually costing us for me to work, rather than benefitting us.  And now, having two kids in daycare is ridiculous.  Between the $400-600 you have to pay out per child to send them, you have to factor in diapers, pull-ups, wipes, bottles, sippy cups, meals & formula to leave at and send to the school.  Then figure out how much gas you'll be using to take them to and from daily in addition to your drive to work and it's very likely that you won't have much of an income afterwards.  I know not everyone is as lucky as myself to be able to stay at home.  I have a husband whose income provides for a family of four by itself.  Also, i'm not much of spender myself.  I don't need an "allowance" to spend on myself.  We are also budgeting since i am staying at home full-time and am able to do so.  All of our money at the end of the month goes towards our dream home we will hopefully have built and be living in within the next two years.  The fact that we have money left over at the end of the month leaves me with a sense of accomplishment that we have managed to make it through the month, with no struggle, and still have something to show for it. I love my family & i only want the best for all of us.

Back to the "easy" days i have.  My typical day consists of 10-20 trips to the potty with my toddler, changing 15-20 diapers, changing 20+ DVDs and shows, preparing approximately 15 bottles & sippy cups, baths for myself and both kids, several outfit changes per child, laying out many meals & snacks for Kade periodically through the day, cooking supper for my husband to come home to after work and preparing his lunch for the following day, dishes, tending to the cat, planning menus and grocery lists, laundry, sweeping, mopping & vacuuming.

Being a full-time mom is a very rewarding and demanding job, even moreso when you do it for a living.  I am my childrens':: alarm clock when we have appointments or playdates, personal live-in chef, maid, teacher & translator, nurse/boo-boo kisser/band-aid applier, disciplinarian, bodyguard, chauffeur, event coordinator, hairdresser, photographer, personal assistant, snuggle buddy, butt-wiper, and in addition i also bring toys back to life via new batteries. So the next time you assume that a stay-at-home mother/housewife lives the luxurious life of those women portrayed on tv, think again.

...Just another manic Monday....

It has definitely been one of those days where I just wish I had just laid down and cried all day. Friday Kade started having a lot of congestion. At first I had passed it off as the drainage expected as a result of his surgery on Thursday. Then Saturday morning, I woke up with a miserable, burning sore throat. Then Sunday afternoon, Kyleigh decided to join us with a nasty hacking cough.


I decided we all needed a trip to our doctor's office where it was confirmed that all of this nastiness is viral and was passed right through the house, skipping only the cat & my husband. Lucky dog for sure!! Now Kyleigh is struggling to keep anything down and we are all hacking & snot-nosed.


One word to describe my day :: Yucky!!

Our Experience with Myringotomy Tubes & Adenoidectomy

Yesterday, Kade had to have his first surgery ever. The not eating or drinking after midnight meant absolutely nothing to him even though I anticipated a major struggle by 8 am. My parents came by to watch Kyleigh, which didn't even phase him that they were here so early. And getting the boy to go for a ride is never much of a struggle. We built him an Alvin Build-a-Bear decked out in scrubs to take back on his little stretcher with him and to wake up with after surgery.

 We arrived at Piedmont Surgery Center at 8:30 and Kade made the most of his 30 minutes waiting in the lobby. He chased a little girl named Summer around and had everybody in there laughing. He had to make sure everybody who came through the doors closed them tightly behind them as well. We finally got to go back to be prepped for surgery and Kade didn't seem to suspect anything until he was cornered off and couldn't get up and leave. He started struggling to get down so we asked if there was any way we could get something to make him comfortable. Not even ten minutes later he was dopey, glassy-eyed & falling over. A few minutes later the nurses came to take him back. As thy carried him back, we told him bye and we only got looks, no verbal response.

The Ride To The Surgery Center

A Few Minutes Before Surgery

Twenty five minutes was all it took to take his adenoids out and put the tubes in. I read my Nicholas Sparks while Josh played on my iPhone. Dr. Saccogna came out to let us know he was being taken to recovery and had done perfect with no issues with his procedure. He said within a few minutes they'd call us back to recovery & I heard Kade screaming before that time came.


Being in the recovery room with him was difficult, with him screaming and stiffening up. He repeatedly tried to rip the thing off his finger to take his pulse and screamed when it got put back on. They ended up giving him more pain medicine before we brought him home because he was hysterical.


On the way home, I sat in back and held his hand and got pulled closer several times because he wanted hugs. He was very happy to see his Mimi & Papa when we got home and even goofed off and laughed before drifting off for a nap.

 Six hours after being taken back for surgery, Kade woke up laughing, cutting flips in the kitchen & running around like nothing had ever happened. He also decided to eat chips, candy & brownies as well. The night wasn't as painless, however. He woke up at 2 am in a good bit of pain and wanting to watch cartoons.

Napping At Home

All-in-all, the experience wasn't as bad as I'd been scared to believe it might have been by a few people. And Kade is feeling better and back to his crazy self now, just two days later.  Through this experience I've learned that things aren't always going to be as difficult as people make them out to be.  Also, that i have a very resillient little boy who overcomes things very quickly.  We were blessed with a very amazing doctor & nursing staff as well.  I hope we never have to go through it again, simply because seeing your child in pain is a very difficult thing for a parent.  And it also made me feel very blessed that both of my children are healthy & happy babies who don't go through this sort of thing on a regular basis.  I couldn't imagine the strength it would take to watch your child be operated on so often.  I pray for good health for both of my children & hopefully no more surgeries for The Chastains for a while.

Manic Monday

Mondays are stereotypically the worst days of the entire week. The hardest to get through after having the weekend to spend time with your family, the longest day of the week getting back in the swing of things & even moreso looking forward to the next upcoming weekend.
My day today was even more dreadful because of a pre-op appointment for my son. My two year old, Kade, is scheduled to have tubes put in his ears and his adenoids out on Thursday. His appointment consisted of absolutely nothing that couldn't be conducted over the phone. No weight or blood taken, only instructions of what to do the night before & what to do for the days and weeks after. I've had many surgeries myself, these things were nothing I'm not accustomed to. However, i was informed that since toddlers' tolerance of anesthesia is different than that of an adult he will be "floppy" afterwards. Definitely what I want to hear. My child will be floppy. Anyways, Needless to say after the 30 minute drive and being woke up from a nap, I had a very cranky & uncooperative child who simply wanted to leave. I don't even know his surgery time, we will receive the call with the time on Wednesday afternoon. We were told to expect to have to be there between 8 and 9:30 am. Despite my frustration after this appointment the staff are amazing & super patient. This is just an experience any parent would dread. Nothing to eat or drink after midnight Wednesday = Thursday morning with a thirsty & hungry toddler should be quite interesting. Expect an interesting post Thursday afternoon.

My Life: An Intro

        First Off, My name is Amanda.  I'm 25, I'm married & a full-time Stay-at-home mommy & housewife.  My husband Josh & I met in high school and began dating June 21st 2008.  Our son, Kade, was born June 17th 2009. We got engaged December 23rd 2009 & were married March 17th 2010.  We found out we were pregnant again in April of 2011 & welcomed our daughter, Kyleigh, November 28th 2011. We also have a tortoiseshell cat, Turtle, who is almost 3 years old and still a kitten at heart. 
        My parents are simply the best any girl could ever ask for.  They've supported me in every way possible my entire life and continue to do so and try to help my husband & myself out as much as they can. Over the years, i have seen that not everyone is as blessed with the things & parents that i was lucky to have grown up with.  I also hope to provide my children with the same love & affection that i was priviliged to have been given.
        I decided to start doing a blog simply to keep up with very special times in the lives of my husband, my children & myself.  As well as keeping family & friends updated on these things as well. 

Photo Introduction

Me & Josh at the beach August 2009

Kade at Two & A Half

Kyleigh at six weeks old