Day 13: Priorities

I am back after a short break to take care of some sick kiddos.  I used to think there was nothing worse than a baby with a cold (or in this case RSV), until I discovered what life was like with a sick toddler.  I will take the sick baby any day over the terror my 20 month old became over the past week.  Thankfully everyone is healthy now and back to their normal happy little selves.

I took a break from my regular work clothes yesterday to help my school bring attention to a great campaign.  March 6, is National Spread the Word to End the Word Day.  The campaign hopes to bring awareness to how hurtful the use of the word retarded is when it is used in casual conversation. 

The department chair of the Special Needs students has gotten grant money the last few years to provide free t-shirts to any staff member who wants one.  She also does a fabulous job of organizing a petition for everyone in the building to sign saying they will not use the r-word.

This is an amazing campaign and we should all be aware of the way we talk and converse with others! 

Day 12: I Caved

I told myself no new clothes until I hit my pre-Ellis weight.  I am officially three pounds away and so I caved and bought a few new things!  I wore two of those items to school on Thursday.  A sailor stripe shirt that is made of a really nice thick material from Loft and some skinny black dress pants from JCrew.  I paired it with a chambre shirt that I bought in between pregnancies and some red flats that I have owned for a super long time. 

 

Hurray for a new found confidence and clothes that fit.  It is crazy to be almost back to my pre-Ellis weight, yet I am not the same clothing size i was before Ellis.  Still getting used to this new body but happy to have some new clothes!

Day 11: I Just Needed a Break

Most mornings on my way to work I am excited for a new day of teaching but also sad to leave my girls.  I look forward to going home and playing with them before bed, especially on Mondays when my husband is home and we can play as a whole family!  Yesterday was not one of those days.  Both my children have colds and the sound of their breathing along with my husbands snoring is keeping me awake.

I am exhausted and dealing with some sort of cold myself and all I want to do is get some rest.  I had visions of the old days where I would come home from school, flip on some Gilmore Girls and nap until 7pm.  Then I would get up and move myself into bed and sleep away.  I suppose I could still do that but my children would probably not appreciate it.  Since Matt was home last night I went in to lay down at around 5:30 and told him to come and get me when the baby was hungry.  Here I was exhausted and someone was telling me to go ahead and nap...hurray!!  I couldn't sleep. I could hear the kids out in the living room and Ellis kept wanting to come in and say hi to mommy.  I was admittedly crabby about it at the time because I was so exhausted  but in the light of day (or dark before my early bird class) I can survive tired and I look forward to playing with the kids tonight. 

 

The exhaustion led me to pick out my outfit in a dark haze between snooze button and breast pumping so it is rather ill fitting.  I chose a blue trapeze top that i got before the girls were born and it fits but is feeling really short.  I paired it with an open cardigan from the loft and some trouser jeans that have not fit me since I was 25.  How I managed to squeeze myself into them today I don't know.  I feel like I may be having a sisterhood of the traveling pants moment where magic pants fit all who try them on!  I am also wearing some cute tortoise print flats that i got in between my pregnancies.  I am generally feeling tired and weary today and the picture is not helping!

Day 10: A New Outlook

My brief absence from the blog, gave me some time to sort through my closet and truly get rid of things I will never wear again.  In the course of doing so I rediscovered some clothes that I am going to reincorporate into my wardrobe.  The green pants I have on today are one of those items.  I bought them 6 years ago when nobody was wearing colored pants and I never wore them because I was too nervous but I broke them out today along with my new glasses!  The picture is a bit blurry but it shows off the basics!

Day 9: Pants Without a Maternity Panel!

It is a joyous day for me because I am now 3 months post pardum and I managed to wear a pear of my old pants.  Granted these pants were from in-between my pregnancies so they are still 1 size up from my pre-pregnancy pants, but I am trying not to let that rain on my parade! 

The shirt is from JCrew.  I have had it for many years and only work it once or twice so today was its last chance to find its way into my wardrobe/  It has a really nice paisley print and a fun ruffled neckline.



I paired it with a cream colored sweater that I got at Banana Republic about 5 years ago.  I was very surprised that it fit this morning.  I finished off the outfit with some fun turquoise flats from the JCrew outlet that I bought after Ellis was born. 

Day 8: A Pop of Color

It's Monday again, and I feel like I might need a weekend to recover from my weekend.  My husband is the Chef de Cuisine at a new restaurant in town named Cobble Hill and they had their friends and family opening over the weekend.  Trust me this did not bode well for my maternity weight, but it was delicious!!  I woke up this morning extremely tired not only from the weekend but from a windy night that kept my children from sleeping soundly.  So I threw together something with a little pop of color to brighten my day. 

The shoes are from JCrew and the skinny jeans (there they are again) are maternity.  My polka dot peplum top is from JCrew outlet and the blazer is from Loft.  Everything was bought in between pregnancies.  The little pop of color is forcing me to be bright eyed this morning despite my lack of sleep this weekend.

Day 7: The Post Pregnancy Slump

I can't speak for all women but around the time both of my daughters hit 3 months old, I felt like I needed to change up my look.  When Ellis was three months old I cut all of my hair off (8 inches or so) and had a stylish inverted bob, which I loved, for about 1 day.  Thus starting the arduous process of growing out my hair.  I vowed to never make the same mistake again!

Now, here I am three months post pardom and I have been feeling the need again.  With a second birth has come wisdom; wisdom to not chop all of your hair off in a desperation for change and improved self confidence.  So, instead of cutting off my hair (which is still growing out), I colored it.  I am really digging my new ombre highlights, but I was so nervous that they were going to look bad that I underestimated how many we should have put it in.  Needless to say, I will go back in a few weeks and get some more because I am in love with them!!  Hopefully this new found love lasts longer than 1 day!


I also jumped for joy this morning when I was able to put on a nice trapeze top that I wore before my girls were born.  It was quite a squeeze in the chest department but I made it happen!  I am also wearing some skinny jeans (I really need to try out different styles of pants) that are maternity, but does maternity really count when they were designed by Heidi Klum?  I say no!  I topped it off with a nice cardigan from the Loft purchased who knows when and some grey suede ballet flats from JCrew.