Family Update!
It’s been a while since I’ve done an update on just the happenings of my life… so here you are family and friends! 🙂
Miss Mini is doing absolutely amazing and we are loving life.  It is getting pretty close to that time that I should be going back to work and I just don’t know how people do that, its hard to even think about at this point!  I imagine if Mini were to be colicy or othrwise unhappy I may be a little more excited at the idea of getting a break for work but as it is I am having a hard time thinking of leaving her, I have a tough time just going to the store for groceries without her!  Separation anxiety much?!  So… I am strongly considering trying to make a living via this blog… Since I live in a tiny house, on her dads property AND I was able to pay off ALL debts prior to her being born, the amount I need to actually live is fairly minimal… If I could sell a set of plans or two a month I should be able to make it by (health insurance is the killer)… That being said I am going to try out a few things that the ‘internet advisors’ recommend for monetizing things more than just an ad at the bottom.  I will really try not to be too gimmicky with things though, I promise.  I certainly do not feel like going back to a site when it feels they are trying to sell me something.  My goal is to make money via the same little ads/sponsors/affiliates, just doing a better job of it.  I am hoping no one really notices that chang…  I am new to this concept of online income though so I will try my best, if it gets annoying do me a favor, please and tell me!  I want this site to keep being helpful to people and the last thing I want to do is turn people away.  It would be super cool if I could make this work, if not no biggie and I will make other plans and keep MiniMotives going as normal!  (also, if you know of some magical way to make money from a website without compromising the content of the website let me know)
Miss M is in the 95 percentile for her height at 23 3/4 inches, and 88 percentile of weight at 13 pounds 3 ounces.  She’s a healthy, cute little chunk of kid and we love her so much.  For not knowing how I would do at this whole parent thing I think it’s going great so far… we also won the baby lottery so far though, she mostly sleeps through the night and barely ever cries and smiles and coos a bunch.  Except when getting her vaccinations, she cried then and it sucked for me, probably more than her.  I wish I could get them for her!  She also took her first digger off the couch the same day TIME Magazine came, I thought she would have broken limbs and black eyes and the whole world would see how terrible of a parent I am… instead she seemed to bounce just like they say, it scared her but after two minutes of scared tears she was fine (I still cringe about it though).  She’s at the stage where she randomly flinches her limbs without knowing how or why… I set her on the couch, turned around to get a diaper and she had launched herself onto the floor, head first before I knew it.  If she turns out kind of slow it’s totally my fault for not protecting her noggin better.  Thankfully she blamed the couch and not me but I know the truth, for three days she would scream every time we sat on the couch…  then her dad bumped her head on the lamp a little and the lamp became enemy number one and couch was forgiven.
I have always been a ‘pets are people too’ kind of person and I love my dog SO much, which I think most people who read this can tell (I hope), the best way for me to describe the difference though is to say:  If I thought there was even a chanceD would possibly harm her for a second, he would be in a world of hurt instantly.  Thankfully Denver gets this and knows his order in the family… James joked on our road trip and related our little family to the government, he is the house (because there is more of him), I am the senate (smaller but equal voting power as him), Denver is the American people (he just has to go along with what we say), and Mini is the president (she has complete veto power on what we decide and has exercised that when we sit down at a restaurant and she doesn’t approve).  Cracked me up with its accuracy… last little story, Mini and I went to our first baby and me class on Tuesday and she got to interact with other babies. She likes the older kids it turns out and might have a new boyfriend, Owen, he’s five and a half months. They just sat and stared at each other from two feet apart and laughed and smiled at each other!  It was adorable!
My other baby, Denver, has continued meeting new friends at the dog park and great dane meetups as well, I took both him and Mini for the first time (and other times since) by myself and it was uber successful.  Denver seems to know when he needs to be on his best behavior and not pull on the leash when I’m holding the baby too.  He generally gets pretty excited to go to the park and can pull but he doesn’t when she’s in my arms too, he’s a good boy.  AND he gets to start school, finally, next week.  I’ve wanted to get him in obedience for a while but I was either pregnant and SUPER tired, across the country or managing a newborn, we finally got to a point to get him signed up though!  I want to get him to a point where he is good off the leash and not so barky.  He just got animal control called on him for ‘barking too much in the afternoon’ but in his defense it was my fault.  The neighbor kids play war after school with fake guns and he barks at them (they kind of include him in the play but he always gives away their location), I’ve never corrected him because I want him to bark if a guy comes at us with a gun… Now I have to learn how to teach him good barking and bad.  I think he is going to really like dog school though and I am excited to learn how to work better together too.  I think we have a great instructor and shes coming to the house for it!
Last bit, TIME and Dwell Magazines came and did their shoots as well as interviews, I’m excited for both issues, I was told Time will come out the third week in June and Dwell will be September’s Small Space issue.  Both of these have given me new goals to pursue, who ever thought I would be marking off things on my bucket list so fast?!
In no particular order here are some pictures:
Oh man your babies are SO CUTE.
I would spend the entire day gobbling up Mini M’s cheeks and cuddling with Denver.
(well done sparing her the butt shot. sometimes I think parents don’t realize their babies will hopefully grow up to be people one day.)
An awesome update! We will all anxiously await the 2 mags’ stories and photos. I think YOUR photos are terrific!
Hi Macy,
I’m awfully partial to Great Danes but little Miss M wins by a dog’s nose. 🙂 for utter adorability.
I think you can add more selling content to your blog and still keep it just as great as it is.
Health insurance is a real problem. I don’t know if this is still accurate info but sometimes professional associations (for writers, tiny house designers, etc. ) will offer health insurance to their members.
Hmmm, I may have to look into that! Thanks! and of course thanks for the kind words about my kids! 🙂
Macy, this is one of my favorites of your posts. As a preschool teacher/director, I totally get the Mini parts and Denny’s school stuff. I’ve learned that kids will get bonked by everything, lamps, couches, whatever… glad you didn’t freak out too much. Loved the generation photos, I treasure mines well! Looking forward to the Time & Dwell links… send them out as soon as…
And you go girl to make money from your blog. Don’t apologize! Do what you need to do to be a mommy to your TWO kids!
As I wrote before, I would be ready to adopt both beauties in a pinch…lol I was looking at your stove pictures, and realized the handles of your pans are facing out. Get used to turning all the pots and pans handles inward so that the baby never has the chance of reaching it. This is the first trick I learned 35 years ago when I was expecting my first child. Mini is little now but you’ll be amazed how fast she grows. And Denver could also hit the handles and spill the content.
Both of your kids look so healthy and happy; you must be a darned good mom!
Mini M is SO adorable!! I really enjoyed this update 😛
🙂 Thanks!