who wants to hear from a hunky aussie bloke? (a "daddy chats" vlog)

{This is the final post of the Moms Who Work series.}




Have you met this man yet? The one with the cute Australian accent?

He is my husband... my hunk-o-spunk.


He is the man I adore more than any other man on earth. He looked like this (bright-eyed and suntanned) when we took our trip to Spain last year. (This photo still makes me drool.)


{It's no wonder we came home with an extra family member from that trip... our little souvenir named Levi.}


In wrapping up this series, I asked Ryan to comment on the subject of Moms Who Work. (I didn't ask Levi to comment... but he did anyway.)


This is what they had to say...




What a treasure he is... wouldn't you agree? (Oh, and Levi too.) And what a breath of fresh air to hear from a man with a well-balanced perspective on motherhood (in my opinion at least).


I hope you enjoyed this little video... my first ever vlog. (Well, Ryan's first-ever to be precise.)


We're going to be doing "Daddy Chats" vlogs every now and then on the Memos so that you can hear from a dad's perspective on different parenting topics. So this is the first of (hopefully) many times you'll get to check out my man, hear some good daddy wisdom, and swoon over his good looks and adorable Aussie accent.


Oh, and just so you know... Ryan got all gadgety with this video and added in the intro and closing, complete with the little blurbs of music. I told him to set the bar a little lower so I wouldn't have to measure up next time... but he insisted. He's gadgety like that. And creative. (Plus he'll take any excuse to "play" on his macbook that he can get.) So thanks for that babe. It looks awesome. 


Dear mommy-friends, this brings the Moms Who Work series to a close. What stood out to you most from this series? What is your "take home" message?


grateful to be a mom who works,

The Moms Who Work series:

• All moms work hard  
• How to be a stay-at-home mom without losing your marbles 
• Mom on a wire: finding balance and sanity in a home with two working parents
• You have spoken: the best and worst of being a working mom (away from home)
• How I became a pediatrician turned stay-at-home mom
• The pros and cons of being a work-from-home mom
• From home to work or work to home: speaking up about the transition process
• Back to work: tips for how to prepare for the transition after maternity leave
• Are stay-at-home moms 1950ish? (readers speak up about the best and worst of being a SAHM)
• 4 ways single moms are thriving 
• 8 tips for running a business as a work-from-home mom 
• Mom hat, student hat: important tips for studying moms 
• Hey honey, why don't you stay home with the baby while I go back to work? 
• What you wish others knew about being a mom
• Who wants to hear form a hunky Aussie bloke? (A "Daddy Chats" vlog)

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

ss jg gnoiwn,,,,vn fia i if;p: (that's my 7-month-old typing "happy fathers day, daddy!")

It's Fathers Day in Australia!

Today I have a very special guest poster... my son Levi. Pretty impressive for a seven-month-old, right? It's his first ever post so be sure to show him lots of support and give him some "comment love". He's turning out to be a fabulous writer already... and he sure is a looker.

Dear Daddy,

Happy first Fathers Day to you! Well, technically it’s your second, but last year it was just you and mama celebrating while I was tucked up on the inside still. As much as I liked that, this year is way more fun.

Zl, op o iejftg opwa3ooooaaaaaaaaaaa mnloaaaaavvn     aeww wa ;agnqfweio j qwpol

Mama had lots of ideas about how we should spend this day together and what sort of pressies we could give you, and I thought that was all great. But I also wanted to write you a letter… pretty much to say…

I love you.

I know you waited a long time for me, and trust me, I waited a long time too. (Do you know how long nine months is in baby time? Seriously.) But I think it was worth the wait, because you are the best dad I ever laid eyes on.

You’re my favorite.

Sl sil jl Llevv ds,lakdldddddddddddddd 9 ,. ,l.FEO3 98G HOLDNj sje ohlszg o sosp

Some kids say that their dads aren’t around much, but I don’t get what they’re talking about. You have always, always made time for me. I love that about you. You’re the kind of dad who rushes home on your lunch break and after work just so you can be with me. In fact, sometimes you even like to do things like change my diaper because you know that means a few extra minutes of just daddy and son time.

I think that’s really cool. Not all dads are like that you know.

{you've gotten much better at some things since that first day...}

And oh daddy, I love how you play with me! Your crash tackles are pretty much the best thing ever. I can’t wait until I’m big enough to crash tackle you right back. Watch out… I’m growing fast!

I also love helping you with your tools and helping you with your food. (I like it when you help me with mine too.) Actually, I like helping you with everything… especially when it means I get to try something new to put in my mouth. (Wrenches taste sooo good.)

And you know the best part of my day? Bath time! You make bath time sooo much fun, and you never get mad at me when I splash you. And I love it when you wrap me up like a mummy in my hoodie towel afterwards. I feel so special when you take me and show me to mama. She calls me her burrito baby and then you and I go off to get ready for bed. I look forward to those special times together every night.

Bnspajaoijw  apwop oipawekasssssffoNO  Opawsaaaaaaaaaaaafn

And the walks, oh how I love our walks together. You take me around the neighorhood and stop whenever I look curiously at something. You tell me about your day and ask about mine. You teach me about colors and things that we see together on the street or in the park.

Did I mention that you’re such a good dad? Oh, how you are.

Mama thinks you’re a great dad too. She tells me about it all the time. She loves how you get up with me early in the morning, and how you’re always willing to comfort me when I cry. She loves that you love me so much and she tells me that you would do nearly anything for us. She’s pretty in love with you.

So am I.

She also says we're two peas in a pod. When I get bigger we'll see how right she is about that... but for now I like being told I look like my daddy.

I know you can’t wait to take me fishing and to play soccer and golf and go out to watch the football. And it won’t be long before I’ll be helping you make stuff in the shop and cooking dinner with you. But right now I’m just little. I still really love your cuddles and your kisses and your stories and songs. (I also enjoy your jokes - mama says enjoy it, cuz that might not last.)

Oh, but the songs... Yes, I love, love, love your songs! (Even though you never get the words right.) Actually, I love it best when you can’t get the words right because then I get to hear two of my favourite sounds – you singing and mama laughing. It’s the best!

You’re so funny dad.

{i remember when you were first learning to dress me. you really had no idea, did you?}

I hope you know how much I love you. One day soon I’ll be telling you myself with words. But for now just know that when I look at you and smile, when I giggle, when I nestle into your neck, when I’m calmed by your cuddles, and when I’m relaxing in your strong arms… that’s when I’m telling you I love you.

{best day of my life yet daddy - my birthday. isn't it easy to see how much i love you?}

Akei mc,cc…,,,,,,,,,,,J WIW PIE mvm jaw ef nvqgve v m

Happy Fathers Day, daddy. You are the best dad a kid could ever ask for or dream of.

I’ll love you forever.

     love and slobbery kisses, Levi   xxox

p.s. Since I’m still learning how to type, mama helped me with this letter. I did  some of the typing myself (the really good bits), but she did most of it. (She takes great dictation.)

Dear mommy-friends, for those of you blessed to have amazing husbands or partners who are great fathers to your kids... why don't you take a moment today to tell them again how grateful you are. What's the best thing about your baby's dad?

so grateful for my baby's father,

P.S. Like this post? You might also enjoy Like Father, Like Son. (My humorous look at the men in my life.)

Have you registered your blog here yet?

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

these are a few of my favorite things {sweet, sweet baby}

Five months old. As tough an age as this is in some ways (can anyone say teething, developmental leaps, and nap time dramas?), this is by far the best age yet. SO. MUCH. FUN. 

Here are just a few of the reasons why:

1.            Pulling off for a moment while nursing just to look up at me and smile before continuing on with business as usual.
{OhMeltMyHeart.}

2.            Being able to toss baby in the air during playtime.
{WeeeItsSuperbaby!}

3.            Helping momma by putting his legs up in the air and lifting his bum while getting a diaper change.
{SoFreakingCute.}

4.            Toes in the mouth!
{EnoughSaid.}

5.            When being held by someone else in a crowded room… turning his head to make eye contact with me when he hears my voice.
{NewMommyGushing.}

6.            Uncontrollable baby giggles when I say anything with an excited expression and raised eyebrows.
{WhyHelloTherePoopyPants!}

7.            That look of wonder and awe when he watches mommy and daddy eating “big boy food.”
{PleaseLetMeHaveSomeNowMomma!}

8.            The “drunken sailor wobbling hula” when he practices standing up while holding onto my hands.
{DontGainYourBalanceTooQuicklyCauseMommasLovingThis.}

9.            Thirty-second 360’s on his tummy.
{WhenTheHeckDidYouGetSoFast?!}

10.        Screams of delight when being mildly (deliberately) startled.
{WhoKnewPeekabooCouldBeSoHilarious?}

11.        The frustrated arm-waiving when throwing a fit.
{FunnyExceptForThoseTimesWhenMommyIsSuperTiredAndOverIt.}

12.        Having his arms stretched out to me when he wants to be picked up.
{IsItWrongThatISometimesPutHimDownJustSoHeCanDoItAgain?}

13.        Head resting on my shoulder and super sweet cuddles when he first wakes up from naptime.
{GetsMeEveryTime.}

14.        The skin… oh, the skin.
{ICantStopTouchingYourChubbyLittleThighs.}

15.        That little baby sigh of relief and pleasure that comes about thirty seconds after nursing has begun.
{TooCuteForYourOwnGood.}

16.        The after-bath hair styles.
{ThankYouDaddy.}

17.        That priceless look of “I-just-accomplished-an-incredible-trick-did-you-see-that?” while making splashes in the bath and saturating daddy.
{YesSweetPeaMommysProudOfYou.}

18.        Being able to sing baby to sleep in five minutes tops if he’s crying in the car due to over-tiredness.
{IKnewIShouldHaveBeenARecordingArtist...ButWhyDoesntThisWorkAtBedtime?}

19.        You know those sneezes that start and then stop mid-sneeze? Baby’s getting those.
{LittleManIsSoFunny.}

20.          When babe sticks his thumb in his mouth while nursing... thinking more is better?
{YouKnowThatIKnowYoureDoneEatingWhenYouDoThatRightSon?}

21.          The paci is no longer for sucking and calming but for chewing and playing.
{SoothieTurnedTeether2For1Deal.}

22.           Those precious moments while nursing that babe reaches up to touch my face or to stroke my chest.

         {PleaseBurnTheseIntoMyMemoryForever.}

Dear mommy friends, I could have gone on and on with this list! Don’t we have so much to enjoy and be thankful for? What are your favorite things about your child at his/her current age?

P.S. For any of you following me that read Dear Nap Time, I've just gotta report back. Two days of perfect naps since then. Can't believe I'm doing this but... kudos to the postal system! That letter was received! {*grin*} I'll keep that in mind for next time.

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like father, like son

This morning as I was sitting at the dining room table waiting for the delicious waffles my hubs was making for our Saturday breakfast, Levi chatted away at the top of his lungs as if the whole world wanted to hear what he was saying. I made some wise crack about how he was just like his dad… which propelled us into spending the next few minutes coming up with similarities between daddy and son.

Seems the men in my life have a lot in common:

1.           They both talk a lot—even if no one is listening—and seem to enjoy the sound of their own voice.

2.           As hard as I try, I sometimes find both of them unintelligible.

3.           Both babe and dad can’t eat without milk/food getting all over their faces and down the front of them.

4.           Mommy needs to help both of them get dressed in order to come out with something that slightly matches.

5.           They both want to eat everything in sight.

6.           Apparently both men cannot get enough of mommy’s boobs.

7.           Both splash water everywhere and make a mess of the bathroom when bathing/showering.

8.           Both dad and son have pudgy little bellies.

9.           They are both are irresistible to the ladies (this one was definitely my husband’s contribution).

10.      Both are strong and determined and aren’t all that concerned with what other people think.

11.      Both need mommy’s help to keep their noses clean (though one just gets verbal “help”).

12.      They both love getting tickles from mommy.

13.      Both love it when mommy reads out loud to them.

14.      Both daddy and son have gas and poo that can knock a grown woman off her feet.

15.      They both love to be the center of attention.

16.      Both will sometimes put their foot in their mouth.

17.      Mommy regularly tells them both how funny and silly and cute they are.

18.      Both have a sweet, kind nature about them.

19.      They both have smiles that melt my heart.

20.      They both make me a proud, happy, and grateful woman.

Thanks boys, for providing me with joy, purpose, and a lot of laughter. I love you... so much. xx

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dear God, thank you for men who are good fathers to our sons.

oh daddy... you're so fine. you're so fine you blow my mind.

My husband asked me if he gets Fathers Day presents in both June and September. (Australian Fathers Day is in September.)

"No, nice try," I said. "We’ll celebrate in September with the rest of the nation."

But since I’m American I can’t let this Fathers Day go by without writing something about my hunk-o-spunk hubs... especially since this is his first (American!) Fathers Day with a child on the outside. What a great excuse (as if I need one) to publicly affirm my man whom I am so proud to be married to!

So, here we go.

Ryan is an incredible dad, as I knew he would be. The way he relates to children is one of the things that first attracted me to him early on in our dating relationship. But for the sake of this post (cause if you haven’t noticed by now, I sometimes have trouble keeping things short!) I’m going to list the first ten things that come to mind about why Levi’s daddy is such a great father:

1. Levi’s daddy is humble. He is secure enough in who he is to be willing to admit when he’s made mistakes. When he’s wrong he’s not too proud to say “I’m sorry” and ask for forgiveness. What an awesome thing to have modeled to our children.

2. Levi’s daddy is kind. He is as respectful and kind to strangers as he is to those he loves… and he’s as respectful and kind to those he loves as he is to strangers. I know our children will always be treated with kindness by him.

3. Levi’s daddy is pure-hearted. He doesn’t manipulate and doesn’t use others for his personal gain. He has integrity and is deliberate to keep his motives in check. He will not push or use our children to fulfil his own unmet dreams or expectations.

4. Levi’s daddy is fun. He is light-hearted, always joking, and wonderfully silly. He is creative and imaginative and will bring laughter and playfulness to our home, which every child needs.

5. Levi’s daddy knows how to treat women. He is polite, honouring, and very much a gentlemen. He will teach our son how to treat women and—if we have any daughters—he will teach them how they should expect to be treated by men.

6. Levi’s daddy is always learning new things. (This is especially when it comes to gadgets and anything mac!) He’ll show our kids that learning is a life-long process, and that it’s not only necessary, but enjoyable.

7. Levi’s daddy is concerned with others. He is not self-consumed and he cares about what goes on in the world. He will inspire our children to have a local and global perspective and to play their part in making a difference where they can.

8. Levi’s daddy values people’s individuality. He doesn’t expect everyone to be the same and loves to see people thrive in who they are – personality, gifts, skills, quirks, and all. He will help our children to find themselves and be secure in their identity.

9. Levi’s daddy is a great encourager. He freely cheers people on and constantly offers optimism and encouragement. No doubt our kids will grow up feeling like they have a dad who believes in them.

10. Levi’s daddy is an amazing coach. He has an awesome ability to get alongside people and train them as they go. He’ll offer input and suggestions along the way in a very on-the-job, side-by-side style of teaching, rather than just giving instructions from a position of superiority. Coaches are focused on the needs and successes of the people they coach, and he will most definitely do the same with our kids.

By the way, these are not written in order of importance; they are literally written in the order they came to my mind. And of course I could write many more reasons... but we'll leave it at ten for now. J

I’m so grateful for Ryan - my husband and Levi’s daddy. We are so blessed to have him in our lives!

Happy (American) Fathers Day to you, babe! (And yes, I think you're hot.)

Love me. xx 

p.s. We only have one son right now (which is plenty for the moment!), but I’ve pluralized when talking about “our kids” because we definitely want to have more than one child in the future. J

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mr. mom saves the day

Sometimes mommy just needs a day off… to work.

I’m new at mommyhood. We’re only four months into this gig and I’m still undergoing very rigorous on-the-job training. (And it’s appropriate to say here that I’m absolutely loving it… for real.)

But this last week I’ve had this growing awareness that… unlike most jobs, I never get a day off. Because when your “job” is to be a mommy, that doesn’t change at 5:00pm Friday evening. (Not that I’d want it to.)

My husband works hard all week. And then he comes home and works hard all weekend. He’s an amazing daddy and an amazing husband, and he definitely does his fair share of caring for our son when he’s not at work. His weekends are as full as mine – wanting to use those “days off” to get things done around the house: fix things, work on projects, yard work, etc.

(And let’s not forget that we want—and need—to have family time as well. My husband and I have a strong conviction that rest and fun are good, healthy, and right. Family recreation is important... This is a given.)

But as full as those weekends are for my hard-working husband, the difference is that he gets a change in the type of work he’s doing… unlike me.

And you know what they say… that sometimes the best vacation is just a change? Well, I’m beginning to see that truth on a micro level too.

And this weekend I just needed a slight change.

I realized that what I wanted more than anything was just to have a day off to work. I needed to tend to some things that require more than sporadic attention… things that require (relatively) uninterrupted focus… like our family ministry communication and my Australian immigration paperwork.

And that’s where Mr. Mom came to my rescue.

My dear husband spent all of Saturday looking after Levi – every diaper, every naptime, every tear, and every little song and game. He also cooked the dinner (including dessert!) and cleaned the house while I locked myself in our office and got some of the things done that had been piling up. (Because as much as I love and value spending time on the floor, there comes a point where you do have to buckle down and fulfil some other responsibilities. This weekend was one of those times.)

I still got to see my little Levi at brief interludes throughout the day—and we had our time together when I nursed him—but for the first time in four months I wasn’t with him the majority of the day like I usually am.

I’ll admit that I missed him a little. But at the same time, my day of “work” was so refreshing. It was good to have a change of pace, and of course it was also good to finally cross some things off of my to-do list.

And please don’t misread me here. It’s not that I haven’t had any fun or rest since Levi’s birth—I have. It’s not been all mommy-duties and no time for anything else. And I have had partial days "off". (My hubs and I also believe that a child comes into a family… he doesn’t rule it.) It’s just that this was my first complete day of having someone else care for my beautiful baby... and by complete I mean literally from the moment he woke up in the morning until the moment his eyes shut that night. 

It was complete... And it was good.

I wouldn’t trade my job for the world. I adore mommyhood even more than I had anticipated I would. But even still, sometimes we just need a day off… even if that means it’s a day off to get some work done. (*smile*)

And let's face it... at least in my family the boys are more than happy to have an entire day together. Everyone wins.

Now... for my next day off: shopping and the beach? (*still smiling*)

Oh, and for the record, that was Saturday. On Sunday we all went for a long drive into the country and took a bush walk together... A beautiful, sunny family day of rest and fun that we could all enjoy.

P.S. When I asked Ryan to give me a "Mr. Mom pose" for this post he insisted I wait so that he could put flour on his face. (Someone's been watching too many movies.) Yup, that's my man... whom I adore. And, that's my other little man - the cute, teething, rolling-pin-chewer man.


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happy day of your birth (a letter to levi)

This is the story of how you were born. Now, you’re a boy… and boys don’t normally care—or want to know—about all the details of birth. But I will try to tell enough so that your future wife can have the details that she’ll want. (Joke, sweetie.) And just look at how precious you are at five hours old... Certainly the most beautiful being that I've ever laid eyes on. 

 

It was 2:30am the morning of your due date when my water broke and labor began. When daddy and I went to sleep the night before, we really did hope that you’d be making your entrance that day… but all expecting parents eagerly look to their baby’s due day with that hope and desire!

As soon as my water broke I immediately started contractions. Throughout the rest of the night (or should I say early morning?!) I continued to have contractions. But they were still 5-7 minutes apart and I needed as much rest as possible for the day ahead so I stayed in bed and tried to sleep.

Daddy helped me with hot packs for the pain and applying pressure to my lower back through the contractions... Except when he was busy falling asleep! J

I snoozed on and off until morning time, but didn’t really get much sleep considering it’s hard to sleep through contractions and I was so excited knowing I’d get to meet you sometime that day.

We spoke with our midwife, Jeannine, and told her that today was going to be your birthday. She gave us suggestions and ideas about how to make sure that labor kept moving along and progressing.

Throughout the morning my contractions would slow to over 10 minutes apart and then speed up again to 4 minutes apart. It was a bit all over the place. We used some essential oils that Nean said would help bring on labor and also some reflexology, applying pressure on different points in my hands and feet which is also supposed to help.

It was raining hard that day (in the middle of rainy season) and our house was full with daddy and I, Gigi and Gramps visiting from America, and Auntie Emma. I tried to watch episodes of “So You Think You Can Dance” to keep me occupied while I waited for labor to progress, but that didn’t last long since I found it hard to follow along through the contractions in addition to my endless trips to pee.

I spent some time outside doing the “curb walk” with Emma holding an umbrella and also did a few sets of stairs. I was still contracting, but just as quickly as they would increase in frequency and duration, they would quickly decrease again.

At Nean’s suggestion I used the breast pump to see if that would speed things up at all, and sure enough as soon as I turned on the power, that little machine sent me having stronger contractions than ever. Half an hour later we were headed to the hospital.

We arrived around 2:00pm in the afternoon. As soon as we got there I went into the birth room so that Nean could do an internal and determine how far I was dilated and where we were up to. During her examination her face started to look concerned… and then she told us that she thought she “felt a crack.”

This confused us as we wondered how there could be a crack in your head! But then we realized she meant a bum crack. She wasn’t feeling your head, she was feeling your bum. You were breech.

This started a series of other midwives coming in to examine me as well as the sonographer who confirmed that you were in fact breech. They told me that I’d no longer be able to birth you in the birthing centre – the natural water birth that I’d hoped for was no longer possible – and that I’d instead need to be wheeled up to the operating theatre to have a birth by caesarean.

I was disappointed to hear this (especially after already being in labor for 13 or 14 hours), and disappointed that we had not found out sooner so that we could have tried to get you turned around in time for D-Day. There were a few tears.

But, I was also glad that you were healthy and in no distress, and I was just so excited to know that I’d be meeting you soon.

It took some time to be prepped for the surgery, and they weren’t in a great rush since neither you or I were distressed. It was 5:00pm by the time I was getting the spinal. I remember looking at the clock as I lay on the operating table and it was 5:15pm.

Daddy was with me, holding my hand, and I was trying the best I could to watch the doctors through the reflection on a small panel on the ceiling. It’s not designed for people to watch – I suppose they don’t want you freaking out or fainting by the sight of it all – but I was glad that the light was hitting just right and gave me a tiny window to sneak a peek and watch your entrance into the world.

And then, at 5:46pm on January 29, 2010 you were born!

The doctors gave you to daddy to hold and I got to touch your face and look at you – the most beautiful of sights – before they took you to weigh and measure you and make sure everything was alright.

Jeannine and daddy took you to an adjoining examining area to check you out and record all your specs while the doctors sewed me back up. (Sewing me up took longer than the actual delivery itself.) I missed you like crazy during those long moments as I lay still on the operating table, and I longed for that moment when I could finally hold you myself with daddy back at my side.

When they were through I was wheeled into the recovery room and waited for you to finally be placed in my arms. It was such a precious moment as I held you for the first time and put you to my breast. You easily found your way to me and attached yourself like you had always known that this was the way it should be.

Daddy later told me there was some loud noise/alarm going off in the adjacent room but I didn’t hear a thing. All I could see was you, and everything else faded into the background. It was a very happy birthday for you my dear Levi Scott Booker. 

I don’t know how long we were there in the recovery room, but eventually they wheeled us to the maternity ward where I ended up staying for the next 5 days.

It was hard not being able to go home as soon as I had anticipated, especially since daddy was not able to stay overnight in the ward with us, but I had to stay longer because I developed a couple of fevers (which in the end turned out to be nothing serious).

As difficult as it was so stay there in the hospital, I know it was for the best. It forced me to take it easy and let others take care of me during those early days, which of course was good for all of us. The hospital staff took good care of me, and daddy and Gigi and Gramps spent most of the days with us. We also had a steady stream of friends visiting, which was so much fun. Finally introducing you to the world was such a joy!

Although your birth didn’t go as we had planned, it was still wonderful and special and so, so good.

You are such a gift to us, and we will forever be grateful for—and celebrate—the day of your birth!

Loving you so much it aches,

momma xx


p.s. These photos of you are from when you were less than 5 hours old... being held in the strong arms of an extremely proud Gramps. Oh, so very precious.