Ireland

Yes, the title to this post is true. I have two small children and I am on my way to Ireland today.  By. My. Self.  You'd think I was one of the Real Housewives but I'm not.  I just have an awesome husband, a super generous brother and amazing parents who are going to help my awesome husband with our kids while I'm away.

One of my best girlfriend's is having a baby in early August and she's going it alone, so my brother, who travels a ton for work, gifted me the miles I need to get to Ireland.  For free.  I don't quite know how to thank him for his kindness exactly but I know he knows just how much this trip means to me...on multiple levels.

The combination of getting a break from the unrelenting and back breaking work that is being a stay-at-home mom AND getting to be there for my friend -- who I would literally cut a limb off for -- means the world to me.  We haven't seen each other in over two years.  In fact, the last time I saw her she came to Boston to be a support to me one month before I had my daughter who has a heart condition.  At the time, I was 9 months pregnant and the doctors told me they couldn't really be sure how things would turn out with my daughter once she was born, we just had to wait and hope that the open heart surgeries they were planning after she arrived would keep her alive.  Needless-to-say, it meant a lot to me that she came all the way to Boston -- if nothing else than to give me a huge hug and tell me she loved me and that we'd get through this no matter what the outcome.  And we did.

Fast forward to today and she needs a similar visit from me.  And because of my amazing family I'm able to return the favor.  She's having this baby on her own and while she does have family in Ireland who I am sure are going to step up to the plate and help her -- she is definitely overwhelmed and a little scared and I just couldn't live with myself without wrapping my arms around her one last time before this baby arrives and letting her know -- she can do this.

She and I used to live together and were crazy-ass waitresses at a local Irish bar in Boston -- and man did we paint the town red.  In a major major way.  In ways that are not appropriate to discuss in this blog or in really any other setting besides the two of us alone laughing our asses off about some of the stunts we pulled (which we will be doing in less than 24 hours :)  When we were together we were hell bent on never getting married -- and if anyone ever asked us if we thought someday we might want kids -- we'd laugh in their face with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other.  Not exactly the earthmother types that you would want raising your children.  But here we are...I have two and she's got one on the way.

I have surprised myself time and time again with actually being an amazing mother.  And as fun loving and crazy as BOTH of us would like people to believe we are -- well, because in all honesty we are bat shit crazy and know how to have a hell of a lot of fun -- BUT, I know she is going to be an amazing mother, too.  Honestly, I think this baby is going to force her to let down some of that armor and let the world know just how much she's got this covered.  She might not know it yet -- but that's what I'm going to Ireland to make sure she knows going into this.  This baby is a lucky baby.  And she is beyond lucky to be about to become a mother.

And until I get there and throw my arms around her -- I am going to enjoy the hell out of being hands-free and without my two kiddos (as much as I know I'm going to miss them -- already cried twice this morning).  I'm going to ride the escalators instead of the elevators, enjoy the enormous salad I just ordered (that's more than I've eaten in two and half years combined) and I'm going to eat it with two hands :)