[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Took the boys to the city to look at Christmas decorations yesterday, while dad did some demo work and rewiring of light switches in the lounge room. We have industrial style barn doors being delivered this week and it’s going to be such a simple yet drastic shift for the space.

Picked up new glasses this morning, and now I’m unsure if they’re too big for my face 🤔 I probably just need to adjust to them as I’ve had my old pair for 12 years (two or three sets of lenses in that time). And now I’m getting my first pedicure since becoming a mum. I honestly don’t know who I am without two little boys pulling at me.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Put the boys down for their naps and speed mowed the back lawn with Uber eats on the way. But you can totally tell the side I took my time on and the one I went my food is approaching, I don't want to share, need to hurry 🤣 Oh well. It grows that fast, you won't tell a thing in a day or two.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

9.30am ☀️

And this is why I prioritised a big backyard.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Hair straightener users - what’s everyone using these days?

Feel it’s time to upgrade my prehistoric GHD but have no idea where to go from here.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Life lately.

I keep waiting for the dust to settle, but have concluded it simply isn’t going to happen.

Baby is ten months and on the cusp of walking. He’s bigger than the toddler was at one year of age and this fact blows my mind every day.

The toddler has delayed speech. We’ve been pursuing private therapy for several months. He’s doing amazing and passing milestones. But we also have applications in for early childhood funding, so it’s very much a wait and see (while doing the work) process.

In recent weeks I’ve wheelbarrowed eight cubic metres of wood chip and three tonne of sand.

We built the boys a huge 2.4x2.4m sand pit and it’s an absolute delight. Even if it means I’m working construction equipment all day everyday.

I’ve also joined a gym. I reached out to my old strength coach with the intention of starting slowly and learning to move my body correctly again. I’m back at my pre pregnancy weight and I’m done having kids, so it’s really time to build strength for health - and despite being so time poor and extremely tired, I’m here for it!

We’re starting to plan our ensuite renovation which is exciting. There is so much to be done on this house and sometimes I feel like we’re treading water. But I have to remind myself that we have two very demanding little boys who run the show 99% of the time.

Anyway, I’ve mowed the lawns, just eaten lunch and now it’s time to mop the floors before the boys are up again.

As I said, there is always something, the dust never truly settles…

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

There is nothing more disconcerting than feeding your ten month old fomo baby in one room, as you hear boxes of toys being crashed and dumped by your almost 2.5 year old in another room 🙃

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Life is messy and my boys hate each other 99% of the time (well the toddler hates his bro), so when I see moments like this one and the screaming has stopped, I sneak away.

Just two boys working on the tools.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Bribing your toddler to walk home from the park with double stuff Oreos is a legitimate parenting strategy, right?

Four Oreos per 1km seems to be the going rate.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

My six month old (today!) baby decided to pull to stand yesterday 🤯🤯🤯.

Meaning today I'm finding instructions on how to lower his cot. These second kids are crazy.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Walk and park hangs with the one who made me a mum.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

How is it already May? I swear I keep blinking and missing days, weeks, months.

We're all sick.

The baby is six months next week. Has two teeth, started crawling a few weeks ago, and went for his first (and last 🤞) ambulance ride on the weekend. He spiked a nasty fever and was having breathing problems so nurse on call dispatched an ambulance who advised that hospital was necessary. The hospital however couldn't have been more apathetic. We discharged at 7am and bought the fever down ourselves. He's got nothing more than a common cold left (like the rest of us) and is back to his usual smiley self.

The toddler is terrified of the baby now that he's on the move. I spend all day moving the baby to the other end of the room to stop the toddler from screaming or pushing his head away. It's hilarious and draining. Like, this is your brother. You're playing with cars. He wants to play with cars too. Just let him have one and he'll be happy. But no no no. We're also in a super clingy phase and dad isn't allowed to help with anything. I'm so over stimulated I just crash at the end of the day 🫠 but I know it won't be forever and those toddler cuddles are worth it.

I'm still not training how I'd like to be. I walk four or five days a week and the pregnancy kgs are dropping just from that. I'm ~3kg above pre-pregnancy weight and I know that will vanish over time. I could do something about my chocolate consumption but that's not a battle for 2024.

We're half way through building a new retaining wall in the backyard. The second half will happen next long weekend and then it's onto the bathrooms. I think I've chosen the range of fixtures I want for all wet areas and have an idea of tiles for the ensuite at least. It's nice choosing everything from scratch. We also ordered a new couch a month or so ago. It's being built in Norway so will take 20-22 weeks to arrive 😅. Renovating our fixer-upper with two children underfoot is a lesson in patience. It's taking longer than I'd like but it's going to be 100% us.

I've got 15 mins left of nap time. Just enough to close my eyes in the sun before I'm inevitably dragged back out to the sand pit or pleaded with to put Peppa Pig on the TV. Please kid, no more Peppa Pig.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

I don’t know what it is, but the days feel long lately. It’s not that having two kids has gotten any harder. Or because the baby is teething. Or the fact we constantly have renovations underway. They simply feel long.

My energy drink intake is a little out of control. But walking with a double pram and 20ish kilos of kiddos in a hilly suburb has gotten easier 🙃.

I really need to go shopping for some wardrobe essentials. But I did buy a vacuum/mop and I’m in love 😍. This will at least make starting solids in two weeks a smoother ride. (How is my baby just shy of six months?!)

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Toddler turned two this week.

Made him a truck cake and celebrated with endless Duplo trucks 🤣🤣

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Just over here, trying to fathom how the toddler turns two next week (and the baby five months!).

I should really be celebrating surviving two under two 🫠 Do not recommend. Unless you have a village. Or childcare. It’s been wonderful but still the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

Anyone bought a leather couch recently that they absolutely love? Looking for brand recommendations or ones to avoid.

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

I've been out of the fourth trimester for a month and I finally feel the fog of postpartum lifting. This time I struggled hard core with postpartum rage. I still do at times and 100% put it down to being needed constantly and feeling housebound by naps. My needs? Well, I'll hopeful that I'll address those soon.

I'm also struggling with my body. I'm ~5kg above my pre pregnancy weight, which I know doesn't amount to a lot but it's still messing with my mind. My shape has shifted and clothes I once loved don't fit right - there is work to be done in being ok with this - I know I'll get there - but for the moment, it's hard.

I've started getting out for a daily walk. It's not that my activity levels are low, rather that I need a dedicated activity for myself that will also help my fitness and clear the brain fog. So far the kids aren't complaining. The baby sleeps and the toddler gets as many snacks as he can handle 🫠 and we generally detour to a park when the baby wakes.

I have the all clear from my women's physio to lift weights. I have no doming or ab separation to worry about, the home gym is set up, but I'm struggling with consistency. Do I get a gym membership? Try classes? Suck it up and train in my pjs of a night? I'm not sure. I feel confident that something will fall into place soon and I'm trying to be ok with baby steps.

It's true that nothing shakes you more to your core than motherhood. I've been pregnant or early postpartum since mid-2021 and have a hunch that 2025 will be the year my puzzle pieces start clicking into place. Or maybe I'm simply hoping?

[diaryofthelegallybrunette]

You know you’re a boy mum when your morning walk revolves around watching diggers and big drills, counting trucks, and keeping a lookout for buses.

I’ll never get over the toddlers’ excitement for heavy machinery or waving at aeroplanes ✈️