How To Clean, Cook AND Take Care Of A Toddler

So that title is definitely NOT implying that I'm about to tell you an easy way to cook, clean, and take care of a toddler.  More like releasing my frustration.  Its been almost 2 years since I had my son and I STILL can not master cooking, cleaning and taking care of him all in one day. Its mostly just taking care of him and once the piles of clothes, clean and dirty,  get ridiculous to climb over, then thats when I start to clean.  I shouldn't call it cleaning, I should call it walking in circles honestly.  I have a BAD habit of starting my cleaning in one room and as I'm cleaning I'll find something that belongs in another room, so I'll go take it to that room.  Then see something that belongs in ANOTHER room, then go to that room start cleaning and then find something that belongs in yet ANOTHER ROOM, and the circle begins.  Horrible right?  But thats not it.  We still have to cover cooking and toddler!  With the cooking, I can throw down.  I love to cook, and being Puerto Rican, no food is simple to make.  Everything has tons of ingredients and seasonings.  In other words, TIME CONSUMING!  I am one who is old fashion.  I love it when I cook and time it perfectly for when my hubby gets home and has a HOT plate on the table ready to sit down and eat.  Before baby, that was every single day, now. . . hardly EVER!  And now with a 22 mo old,  all he wants is to be independent, in charge, and free.   So now what? How can I manage cleaning (properly so that it actually looks and is clean), cooking great tasting food (not microwave) AND entertaining my 22 mo old?  ALSO my biggest addiction, social media, and Netflix!  Its like I'm glued, especially during Alexzio's nap time.  Instead of cleaning and catching up or starting dinner, I plop on the couch and catch up on my stuff.  I'm just tired of running after my toddler and he STILL doesn't sleep through the nights every night, (he gets night terrors some nights).  I'm not going to lie its a big deal in my house hold, and seems like I just can't get it right.

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What They Didn't Tell Me About Ear Tube Surgery on Toddlers

Surgery, its a scary word , especially for a parent of a toddler.  Lets take this back.  My son who is now 22 mo old, has had one hell of a history with double ear infections.  About once a month almost since he was about 4-6 mo old.  So as the phrase goes "mothers intuition" I had that motherly feeling that eventually he might need ear tubes, I knew barley nothing about them except kids who get lots of ear infections eventually get ear tubes.  My husband would get mad at me and tell me to stop that I was going to "Jinx" him.   I couldn't help but think that was where the road was heading.
Well sure enough a year later and he is still getting them so his Pedi referred us to a specialist.  Now thats when i told myself, ok this is no longer a thought any more, its happening and my research began. I started calling all my friends that i knew had children with ear tubes.  I wrote it on TTML page and got some feed back.  They all said the same thing, "don't worry", "its quick and easy", " they will be them selves the same day", and the main one, "they wake up fine, or a little fussy, but thats it and its worth it".  Well when you get that feed back you seem to worry less and know, ok this is going to be cake.
Then came...SURGERY DAY!
We get their and I am a ball of nerves, they had us their up and early at 7 am. That way not being able to eat wouldn't effect them as much.  We get checked in and get called to the back to his "room" and talk with the Dr. and Anesthesiologist (that was the scariest part for me, putting him to sleep!).  These where there exact words, "This will be quick and easy, in and out in 15 mins, the only thing is that he will wake up "fussy", even. . . "angry"(in a whisper voice), my thoughts (why did he whisper angry?) but I didn't pay much mind to it just on "FUSSY", he then began to explain that they are not in any pain, the "fussiness" is just a side effect from the anesthesia.
So, here comes the nurse and she says, "Oooookay,  can I have Alexzio?", my first thoughts are, wait, what?  I don't get to go back with him.  Her words, "oh no mom, we got it from here"... my heart melted, but I guess I really should consider this a good thing.  He went with her calmly not crying,  didn't even look back, I guess now I know how the guy from "Life of Pi" felt when Richard Parker never looked back!
So they walk my husband and I to the recovery room.  The lights where dimmed and it was completely empty except for the few nurses walking around.  The Dr. talked to us again right before he went into the O.R and said "don't worry he will be fine", I guess he could see the nervousness in my face, probably written across my forehead.  He goes in and my husband sits down and tells me to sit, oooh no i told him, i'm just fine swaying back and forth.  Literally 10 mins latter the Dr. comes out and says, "Everything went great, they are just cleaning him up and he will be right out, just remember he might be a little fussy".  We said our thank you's and waited for my little man to come out.
From behind the double doors I heard a little squeak, I jumped and told my husband "thats him, thats him" and my husband said "I don't know, just relax" , oh I know my sons squeak and sure enough the double doors open and he is in what looks like a old fashion babies crib with wheels and about 5 nurses around him.  Then as they are rolling him down to his spot, the SCREAMS broke my heart, I began to cry because I have NEVER heard my child scream and cry that way.  He was in no way "fussy" he was plain old "PISSED"!  The way the DR said "angry" does not cover it.  My son was throwing himself back I couldn't even hold him, my husband had to.  You could hear his screams down the hall.  I kept asking the nurses, "are you sure he isn't in any pain", and they said "No, its just from the anesthesia".   Alexzio couldn't even catch his breath.  He was hyperventilating so badly, and his voice was cracking from how hard he was screaming.  Holy cow I had no idea it would have been like that. And then to top it off, about 10 mins later he is still screaming and they said "Ok, he is ready to go home" and I'm sitting there looking at Alex holding Alexzio while he is still screaming bloody murder and they want to send us home?  What?  How does that make sense??!!
Well we went and got into the car, all while he is still screaming.  About 10 min into the drive home he finally calmed down a little enough to sleep.  Then we got home, he woke up still cranky, had a snack and then fell back asleep.  When he woke up, he was his old self, like magic!  Like nothing ever happened, and I'm happy to say that since then he has NOT had any more ear infections.

Achhhoooo

There is nothing like waking up to your 22 mo old yelling from his room "mooooooooom" . Waking up this morning I found myself peeling my face off my pillow! Nothing like waking up with watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing up a storm. Once my little man heard me sneezing I could hear him from all the way in his room, "cha chuu" (bless you) ha , this kid is just to much! But wait, my body hurts and I have all of these cold symptoms, how do you stay active when all you want is to stay in bed all day? Well you just can't ! He is almost 2 and needs FULL attention and playful activity. I just can't stick him in front of the TV and call it a day.  So, you get up, do a quick breakfast, nothing fancy, and we go right back up to his room, yes WE.  That way he has his toys and yes I'll turn on the TV for some extra entertainment and I can lay in his bed!  He isn't alone, he is in a safe environment, and he has plenty of entertainment.  Now I can rest!  Then after a little bit we can go down stairs again and get a snack. Now he gets out of the room because if you give him a snack in his room then they feel stuck all day.  Balance time in and out.  But I don't dare step foot outside on a day like this, once his feet touch pavement its impossible to get this child back inside.  So when time comes to come inside, you will not only be dealing with your horrible cold, but now you will have a screaming 22 mo old and end up with a head ache on top of everything!!  So this will be my day today ! Wish me luck!

First Timer Here

My blogger cherry has been popped  lol, no really, its my first official blog and i am supper excited! Where do i even start? well how about the blog name, "Things This Mommy Loves" i plan on writing about everything i love, from being a stay at home mom, to my funny little almost 2 year old, to being a wife, and then the good stuff . . . hair, nails, make up, bath soap, you name it, even decorations, but mostly my day to day crazy life! Its never dull in the Franco House thats for sure. Cant wait until this kicks off!