Help is not a four letter word.

I have to laugh at this title. My kids' and their emerging literacy would challenge me on that one. 

Hayes and I went into NYC today. We got off of the ferry when we returned to Jersey City and I saw a woman ahead of me struggling with a little girl. She picked the girl up, trying to contain her and carry the girl over her shoulder. I immediately empathized with the mother/nanny because I had been there (many times). She was walking with the girl, also pushing a stroller with infant twins, while the girl cried. When I caught up to them, the little girl was no longer crying, but she was laying on the ground refusing to walk. The woman looked exasperated and defeated.  It was written all over her face, her hunched shoulders, her eyes pleading for just a shred of cooperation from the little girl. I looked at her and tried to express my empathy with a small smile. As I was walking away, I stopped, turned back, and asked, "is there anything I could do to help? Could I offer her a snack to maybe get her willing to walk?"  To my surprise, she said "Yes, a snack, that would be great. Maybe that will work." So I handed her a Baby Mum Mum and watched the little girl stand up to take the cracker. Just then, one of the twins started to cry so I walked along, not wanting the woman to feel any more pressure with me standing there. (As a side note, I think that mothers tend to feel judged more often while in the presence of other mothers. This is especially true when our children aren't behaving the way we would hope). 

While walking home I was thinking about my surprise that she accepted my offer for help. I thought about being in her shoes. If a stranger walked by and offered my child a snack, I would never think to take it (even if it was a sealed Mum Mum like I handed her). There are times when I'm offered help from someone I know and I don't know how to accept it. Last week, I went out for coffee and breakfast with a new friend. She didn't have her little ones with her and I had Hayes. She just had coffee while I also had breakfast. Hayes was squirming and making it really difficult for me to eat. She asked if I wanted her to hold him while I finished and my reflexive response was "no, I'm okay, thanks."   After a few introspective moments on that walk home, I tried to dissect my unwillingness to have others help me (although I'm a SAHM now, my previous life as a psychologist still shines through at times!). Has our culture of independence fooled us into thinking that we don't need help? What is the root cause for not accepting it? Being judged for not being able to do it all? I wish I had answers. I reminded myself that it takes a village to raise a child. Given the exponential impacts of additional children on our ability to parent, I just may need a continent. 

#helpisnotafourletterword

#feelsgoodtobeback 

Right now - 1:44EST

I'm bringing my blog back to life with my partner in crime

See my friend Danielle's post regarding "Right Now".

A resurrection of a blog

March 22, 2010.  That was the last time I wrote an entry here.  Hudson had Grandpa hair. Hadley was an immobile newborn.  Hayes wasn't even a registered thought.  I was still in grad school.  We were living in Baltimore.  Obviously it was a different world for us then.  In the months (years!) that have passed, I have given many thoughts to this blog.  I often think of something and go "Wow, I have a lot to say about that and should write a blog post" then life happens and that thought gets downgraded to a Facebook status or remains trapped in my overactive frontal lobes. I (over)think about creating new blog posts and tell myself that I'm already drowning in everyday life and that writing these posts would just add another item on my infinite to-do list. Well, today, September 26th 2013, I'm going to break that cycle and resurrect I Drool Black and Gold. I hope with today's technology (did I even have an iPhone in 2010?!?) that I will be able to compose posts on the fly (I'm looking at you iPad) and not have to schedule time at my desktop with pictures that I had to download off of my camera (with a wire!!). (#thatsalotofparenthesisinonesentence #wedidnothavehashtagsin2010)

Looking forward to becoming reacquainted.
#tobecontinued

Developmental updates

I'm getting ready to write a post about our trip to San Fran, but I'm waiting for the 720 pictures to download (yes, we were only gone for one week). So I thought I'd take a minute to update on the kids' development. This is my way of tracking the things they're doing since I no longer have a baby book for Hudson. So I guess this post is more for me than you :)

HUDSON:
-This kid's memory blows our minds! He knows his ABCs now and loves to sing them over and over and over. He also randomly broke out in a store last week with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. His version is pretty cute "twinkle, twinkle, star. How wonder what are. Up above sky high. Like diamond in sky." We definitely have to get this on film.

- He likes to tell you everyone's name. If you ask him his name, he says "Name, Hudson James Prichard" and then continues with "Name, Hadley Grace Prichard. Name, Mommy Prichard. Name, Daddy Prichard." He had a hard time saying his nanny's last name (Bissally) so when you ask him Joyce's name he says "Name, Joycey Bussy, ahahahah!" (He covers his mouth and laughs since he knows he's not saying it correctly.). Lately he's been saying "Name, Joycey Bussy. Name, Joycey SALLY!"

-He LOVES jigsaw puzzles and is a master at them.

-He's been into a few dinosaur books. His transportation books are still his favorites and he loves to tell you which is the "single propeller passenger airplane" and which is the "microlite". Some other favorites from those books are the "4 wheel drive", "combine harvester", and "airport fuel tanker".

-Joyce once told him that a tanker truck outside of our house was going to pick up gas, so every tanker, bus, or airplane he sees, he tells you "Tanker truck/bus/airplane pick up gas".

-When he can't get someone's attention, he resorts to calling them by their names. So far, he's called for "Ryan" (and he does that often), "Reuben" (aka Pop Pop), and "Jack" (aka Pappy).

-He continues to be lovey and affectionate - always giving be hugs and kisses :)

HADLEY:
-She is just the happiest baby ever! As soon as she wakes up, she glows with the biggest smiles you can imagine (made all the cuter with her huge chubby cheeks).

-She cuddles next to me all night and with sleep the entire night. We haven't made the transition to the crib yet, but I'm enjoying all of the snuggles!

-She recently started to giggle out loud. Her biggest bout of giggles came while she was looking at Mom Mom when we were riding to our hotel from the airport in San Francisco.

-She has learned how to blow bubbles. This may be a side effect from her new drool machine status. She also sucks on her hands so we may have some impending teeth (though nothing is visible yet).

-She's a girl who knows what she wants! Hudson never turned away a chance to nurse, but if I try to force it on Hadley (like when we're flying and I'm trying to make sure her ears pop), she throws a bit of a fit.

-She gasps for air and acts as though she can't breathe when you wipe her face or put her shirt on. And then come the tears. Like I said, she knows what she does (and doesn't!) want!

Okay, off to go through these pictures. SF post coming shortly.....

Full of gummy smiles!

Hadley Grace has been full of smiles lately. She seems to have kicked the cold and is back to her happy self. She LOVES to be on her changing table and just cracks up at her name on the wall. Here are some of the pics:






And all of those smiles are because she was looking up at this:

Someone pinch me!!

I never thought this day would come. Ever. I fully anticipated that I would go off to CMU with Hudson and need to rock my 18-year old son to sleep. But now I have hope. For two straight days he has allowed me to rock him for a few minutes then put him into his crib awake and let me walk out of his room. With no tears (for either of us). For both his nap and at bedtime. It's a sleeping miracle!! It has been really cute. I think he's internalizing his big brother status. I tell him how proud I am of him for going to bed on his own and he tells me "Hudson pillow. Hug Birdie. Hadley Grace cry." which translates to "Hudson lays on his pillow, hugging his Big Bird because Mommy has to leave to get Hadley Grace who is crying".

We're so proud of you Hudson James!

You know you're a mom when....

I've been thinking about this post for a few days since it seems I have so many "mom tags" these days. And I laugh when I think of how different my life was 2.5 years ago. I'm sure there are many lists like this out there, but these are my mom tags. Please feel free to add yours in the comment section.

You know you're a mom when...

...you could be on the show "What not to wear". Just today I ran errands in the following attire: non-maternity grey sweatpants that were clearly too tight, and therefore also wore some VPLs, Uggs pulled up haphazardly over the sweats, a nursing tank, a hoodie that was too large, a red pea coat, severely overgrown eyebrows, dark circles under my eyes, and greasy hair. I kept looking for Stacey and Clinton to be filming secret footage.

...you have a children's show theme song stuck in your head at any given moment. For me, it's usually "It's signing time with Alex and Leah..."

...you know more about the features of your stroller than you do about the features of your car.

...Friday and Saturday nights are no different than a Tuesday night.

...you're more familiar with the local preschools and story times than you are with the local bars and restaurants.

...you don't think twice about wiping boogers off of your child's face with your bare finger.

...you are personally responsible for keeping the snack food industry in business.

...your car is littered with random toys and snack foods.

...you have NO idea what the hottest songs on the radio are.

...you and your husband have full conversations with spelled-out words. "Hey, I'm going to take a b-a-t-h. Can you watch the kids?" "Sure. Should I give him m-i-l-k or j-u-i-c-e while you're up there?"

...you don't remember the last time you slept without a little foot or hand kicking or hitting you all night long.

...you're a master stain remover.

...you learn that Mr. Clean Magic Erasers do more than just clean your bathroom. They also remove crayon from anything.

...your house looks like FAO Schwartz.

...you know every creak the floor and door of your child's room make and are an expert at avoiding them.

...you don't bat an eye when you find a matchbox car or stray cheerios in your purse.

and lastly...

...you don't care how cliched this phrase is because it captures your feelings perfectly: You truly know your a mom when you see your heart outside of your body.