Space Between Siblings

To be honest, I always just assumed that my children (however many of them there were) would be roughly two years apart.  That's the age difference between my sister and I, and also between Jeff and his brother. Aside from a tiny little window of time when Sam was an infant - during which I decided I'd be perfectly content with just one baby forever - I never really considered anything different.

But, as it tends to do these days, that time period came and went in a flash, and I still found myself - although now fully intending to have another baby some time - secure and confident to wait a bit longer...

I remember, around the time Sam turned two, someone telling me that "the ideal age difference between siblings for physical and physiological development is three years," and - although I have absolutely NO idea if there is any fact behind that statement - I clung to that for a while.  Three years it is then.

And now, Sam is 2 1/2 and - like my previous "deadline" for having kids two years apart - the three year age difference window is swiftly passing by as well....

In our society, you know, it's weird what we deem "acceptable" or "normal" when it comes to spacing out our children... At least in my experience, if a woman gets pregnant before her baby is a year old, people automatically assume that the pregnancy was an "accident" (as if she doesn't know how babies are made); but, once the child is a year, it seems everyone and their uncle's brother wants to know "when can we expect number 2?"  Now, what I'm finding more and more is that as your child approaches their third birthday and there is still no baby-bump in the picture, the questions begin to dwindle and people quietly wonder if you are "having trouble" or just "done" having kids altogether.

To be clear: It does not bother me when people ask when we will try for more kids.  I LOVE being a momma, I love this sweet time I've had with just Sam, and I love the person I have grown into over the last two and half years.  At this point, Lord willing, it IS a part of our "plan" to have at least one sibling for Sam; and, I'm still pretty comfortable with the fact that (for a variety of reasons) the time isn't quite right for another baby just yet... BUT, I do have to admit that I've had some insecurities swelling up recently about somehow doing a "disservice" to my kids by spacing them out so much.  I worry that they won't have a relationship, that the "hard years" of parenting will stretch on forever, and that (frankly) I'm not getting any younger.


So, today, I'm looking for a little encouragement out there in the inter-webs... Do your kids have more than three years between them (or do you and your siblings)?  How has this been a good thing for your family?  What are some of the advantages of spacing out siblings?  Do your kids still have a close relationship?  


*Obviously, and I hope this goes without saying, I'm not saying ANYTHING negative about choosing to have kids closer together either... Just looking for some "success stories" for my own personal situation, that's all.

Blog Silence (and Gems)

Hey friends.  Sorry for the silence around here this week.  I don't really have a good excuse for not writing - just a myriad of little things that added up (sick boys, semester grades due, slow internet, this book, and maybe a little bit of Bachelor-induced writer's block) and kept me from visiting this place.

Anyway, despite the unspoken code of blogging that says "Thou shalt not publish a 'comeback' post on a Saturday night" (never mind "thou shalt not cheat and make said 'comeback' a simple compilation of other people's writing") I'm playing a fun little game with myself where I get to read one blog post inbetween each set of papers I grade tonight.  #yougottadowhatyougottado #motivationatitsfinest; so, with that said, here are some gems you may have missed from around the World Wide Web lately:

Busy Isn't Respectable Anymore 

I don't really think "taking naps every day and never folding laundry" is respectable either; but, it is really interesting how our culture is shifting away from the constant rat race, huh? I'm SO glad.

My Hope for You Today

Just a good, simple reminder for the start of another year. :)

16 Books to Read Before They Hit the Theaters This Year

If you haven't already seen this floating around Facebook, check it out - especially if you are in the market for a new book to read.  I'm on a big reading kick lately, but I've only read three of these so far.  #gottagetbusy #mostexcitedaboutTheGiver


And, if you aren't already, you NEED to be following the Possessionista for Bachelor re-caps and details every week. Hil.ar.i.ous. 

Also, here are a couple of new blogs I've started following lately... 

Love, Laura Beth

I actually "met" Laura Beth three years ago when I was pregnant with Sam.  She's been a blog-reader for a while, but I just found her blog recently in my quest for some real-world healthy living inspiration, and I'm HOOKED.

Catholic All Year

Kendra is the cousin of one of my oldest and dearest friends, Pryor.  I don't know exactly what our age difference is, but I vividly remember looking up to her when we were awkward preteens and she and her sister were beautiful teenagers.  Now, she is the (still) beautiful momma to SEVEN (yes, you read that right) in southern California. As if having seven kids wasn't enough, she also home schools, wears adorable clothes, wrote a book, blogs regularly, AND makes driving a 12 passenger van look cool.  Obviously, she IS supermom; but, not in an annoying and intimidating way; more like - I-still-look-up-to-you-even-though-we-are-both-grownups-and-mamas-now.  You will like her (and her blog).
                
AND FINALLY...

A pretty new January Desktop Wallpaper

Unroll me.

Have you done this yet? If not, what in the world are you waiting for?  It (literally) takes two minutes and my inbox is like a DREAM now.  I was subscribed to so many things I didn't even know about!



Ok, I think that about catches us up.

Besides The Bachelor (obvi), what else do you want to hear about next week?  I gotta get my blogging mojo back. ;)

I'm Not Going to Write About My Healthy Living Resolution

I'm not going to tell you about my plan to get healthy in 2014, ok?

I know you are sick of the "New Year, New You" campaigns, and you kind-of wish all those people that made "get fit" resolutions would just give up already so there is a free elliptical at the gym and your classes aren't so full; so, I'm not going to blog about my plans to work out four days a week or how I'm tracking my steps every day with a really fun FitBit Flex.

I realize that I've told you all this before (here and here... just to name a few), and I can't really expect you to believe that THIS will be my year because, well, I have plenty of doubts myself.  I promise not to whine about how scared I am of another year passing of me feeling tired and lazy, another year of wishing I had made changes a year ago.

I'm not going to waste your time blabbing about how I turn 30 this year, and I owe it to myself, my family, my future babies, etc. to finally take control of the way I am living.  That I want to start the next decade of my life feeling confident and energetic and healthy.  I won't write about those things.

I'm not going to post unflattering "before" photos (no, really, I'm not).

Pinterest

I'm not going to talk about it; I'm just going to do it.

Anyone else?



 
P.S. If you actually do want to hear about my plans to change my life in 2014 and finally get healthy, you can join me and @MinuteClinic and @DashForHealth for the New Year Healthy You Twitter Party at 1PM on Tuesday, January 7th.  #NYHY :)