Tuesday, August 7, 2012

20 Questions: Mallorie



We are starting a series called "20 Questions for Twenty Something Mamas." It will feature our own interviews, as well as, other twenty something mamas!

Tell us a little about who makes your house a home. 
Jesse: My husband, best friend and baby daddy:) Works as a Journeyman electrician full time. He plays hockey weekly and fishes when he can. 

Me: I stay home and wrangle the children. I am the taxi, cook, maid, referee, mama, and wife.

Andi Jo: 4 year old cutie who has lots of attitude. Jo is very shy and quite at first. But, just like her dad if you get her talking she doesn't stop;) She likes to play in the sand, fish, and ride her bike. You can always count on her for a good laugh. 
Fun Fact: Her middle name is after my mama and Auntie Jamie.

Raelin Deann: Our fiesty 2 year old with a head of curls. Rae does anything Jo does of course. Currently working on potty training and she is doing pretty good. She is starting to dress herself which is fun.
Fun Fact: Her middle name is Jesse's and my middle names smashed together. Dean and Ann:)

Gatlyn Tobias: Gatlyn is 10 months old! He has had a rough start at life but has exceeded all expectations and more. We are so excited to see how he grows and starts being more active.
Fun Fact: Tobias is after his Great Grandpa Schrock. I wanted it as his first name but then we found Gatlyn. Grandpa Schrock is the sweetest.

What's a typical day in your household like? 
Right now it is different because Jess is on third shift.
I wake up around 3/4 am to get Gatlyn food and meds. Jo comes in our room around 6:30 am and lays on the floor and watches cartoons, I then get up and get formula again. Jess gets home at 7:00am and goes to bed. Jo usually falls back asleep for another hour or two get up anywhere from 7-9:30. I get breakfast for the girls and then go get Gatlyn out of bed.

I then do all of Gatlyn's morning care for his g-tube(feeding tube) and meds. Then about 2 hours after we get up I give Gatlyn a bottle and feed him some baby food (half an ounce of formula and about 5 spoons of food). After the girls' breakfast they usually play outside for a hour. Around 10:30 am it is snack time for the girls and then they play for a little bit longer. By 9:30-10:30 Gatlyn is ready to go down for a nap(depending on when he gets up). I usually eat breakfast once he goes down for his morning nap.

At 11:30/12 we get lunch around for the girls. Then Rae goes down for her nap. She will sleep 3-4 hours. Jo takes a rest around 1 pm and I get lunch for myself. Gatlyn will get up at who knows when. He is just starting to get on a schedule. 3pm is med time for Gatlyn again. Snack time around 2:30/3 and then the girls play again, outside. Jess gets up around 4 and then I start dinner.

Bed time starts around 7:30 with showers and such. Kids in bed by 8/8:30 then Jess and I have a little time before he leaves for work at 9pm. I go to bed whenever I can face getting in bed alone. I don't sleep well without Jess:( lol pathetic I know. I usually end up staying up until midnight. And then it all starts over again.

How has your lifestyle changed since having children?
My lifestyle is completely different. I was 3 months out of high school when I got pregnant for Jo. It was a total 180 from what Jess and I did. We settle down and began finding new things to do for fun. My life now revolves around my husband and kids.

Have you ever felt the need to defend your decision to start a family in your 20's?
I have felt like I have needed to a lot. More so when I was pregnant with Jo. We weren't even 20 yet though. Not only just passer bys but even some family were hesitant about Jess and I. But, we did not decide to even get married for a few months after I was pregnant. We really thought it through and didn't want to make any rash decisions. 

What's the most challenging thing about being a mom, and what's the most rewarding? 
Most challenging thing as a mom is having patience. No matter what age having the patience is key. I pray for God to grant me patience a lot. By far the most rewarding thing is when I see my kids doing something new or when you have left them for a little bit and they run to you when you come home. 

How are household chores divided up in your family?
Since I stay home I tend to do the "cleaning" portion of everything. Jess picks up a lot and that is very helpful. I HATE it when Jess tries to help with laundry. But, I LOVE it when he helps with dishes. Lawn mowing is whoever gets out to do it. Anything other than mowing outside is usally Jess.

How do you find a balance between your commitments and family time?
I don't have balance. It is something I am working on. I am trying to schedule my days better so I don't feel I am just tossing my family to the side. Lately I have been trying to do a few more things without kids. I find it helps me be a better mom if I come home refreshed I can have a more even outlook on things. 

What's your most embarrassing mom moment??
I honestly don't want to say it. But I will. Lately Jo and Rae have been very "handsy". Whether it is smacking my butt or tickling my chest. It is redic. 

Who (or what) has influenced your parenting style the most?
I am very watchful of other parents. Jess and I take things that our parents did that we liked and we do those. We also talk about things we would do differently from our parents. I like to talk to Jamie about stuff. She tends to give me a different perspective. I don't always agree but is fun to talk parenting with her. 

Since becoming a mom how have your friendships changed? Have you made new friends, strengthened friendships, or lost friends?
I feel like even before kids I was kind of on a friendship roller coaster. When Jess and I first started dating I had 3 friends that stuck by me and were very supportive of us. Lindzy, Rachel and Kayla were there for me when a lot of other friends stepped aside. Rachel has been a great friend to me since 7th grade. We can go weeks without seeing each other and we pick right up. I feel like it has strengthened our relationship.
Lacey my other friend it has defenitly strengthened our friendship. We rekindled our friendship when I became pregnant. She was right there just as I have talked about her in past post. I don't feel like I have lost any friendships. But those friendships have changed. I still considered them friends but they are not the people that I call when something big goes on.

I have added some new mom friends too. Through church and MOPS I have picked up some friends or ladies I can talk to about kids and that's fun. The biggest change though has been in my friendships with my sisters. Both in laws and blood. I have gotten so much closer to Jamie now where as before we never really had that much in common. Alexis and I have found a new element to our friendship. And my sister in law Carrie is so uplifting to me when it comes to being a mom.

How do you fit in time for your romantic relationship?
This is a struggle for me. It takes work for me. It is so easy to let that slip by because I focus so much on our kids. I have had to be a lot more intentional. Jess and I both want to start doing more things just the two of us. 

What's one piece of advice you have for future/new moms? 
Don't compare your children to other peoples'. Each child is made special by God.

What's your childcare set-up and why does it work for you?
I stay home with the kids. It works for me because I feel like I am doing what is best for our family. I feel accomplished when getting the kids down for naps and bed at decent times. I enjoy getting dinner around. I like to be able to take them to appointments and then come home and have family time when Jess gets home. 

Do you ever get time to yourself?
I am starting to. 

What was the toughest adjustment going from 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 kids?
Having time with one of the kids is hard to come by. I want each kid to feel they have enough of me. 

Has having children changed your relationship with food? 
I am picky eater. I find myself limiting my kids. I am trying to start making stuff for them to try and expand there horizon with food beyond my own.

What are your plans for your child's education? 
We actually just had to make a decision on preschool for Jo. We have decided against preschool. I want to have one more year with Jo at home and it was for her social skills we were even considering it. For kindergarten she will attend Clarksville and as for now will attend Lakewood Public Schools.

How is discipline handled in your family? 
We usually give one warning and then timeouts are in order. I talked about it here.

If you could change one thing about your current set-up, what would it be?
I would change Jesse's occupation. He is not happy where he is. Nothing is worse then having you husband hating to have to go to work.

Finish this sentence, Before having kids, I wish I would have known...
the things to put on a registry and not too. Sounds like a post to me:) You can see our favorite products here.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading, we love feedback!