5 Easter Activities to Do With Your Kids

I love holidays.  I think the United States in particular has gotten a little "holiday happy" here recently, with something to celebrate pretty much everyday (like today is "plan your epitaph day"..what???), but I love the main holidays.  And I especially enjoy making memories with my kids!  Because Easter is right around the corner, I'm going to share 5 Easter Activities we will be doing.

1. Going to Easter Egg Hunts!

We've gone to public easter egg hunts before, and while we are laid back enough to let it go, sometimes the "big" hunts are just down-right terrible.  There are so many pushy people, no one follows the "10 egg" rule, so some kids end up without eggs, while others have baskets full, and you wouldn't believe how many of those pushy people are parents.  You're kids are watching and learning how you act, friends.  

But, this year, we are going to an easter egg hunt that is on a much smaller scale through Griffin's early intervention program and I am SO looking forward to it!  We may also tackle another egg hunt, but I'm most excited for the EI one.

2. Dye-ing easter eggs!

What's easter without dye-ing some easter eggs?  I am all for the traditional dye-ing of eggs.  I have never been able to shrink wrap those darn covers on the eggs and I don't need sparkles to make it fun.  Hadley has dyed eggs before, but doesn't remember it.  Griffin never has, so I'll get a kick out of doing it!  I plan to do this outside with no close on, ha!  (No clothes on the babies....I'll have clothes on. ;) ) 

3. Resurrection Rolls!

I am extremely excited about this activity.  Hadley has recently had more questions about God and Jesus.  [Side note: my mom asked her the other day, "who loves you the most?" because everyone loves her but no one can love her like her mommy, and she answers with, "God!"  Whelp...you got me there!  I can't argue with that, haha!]  We have a cd in the car of kids hip-hop worship songs and in one of the songs it talks about how Jesus died.  The other day as we were listening to it, Hadley heard that line and said, "JESUS DIED???"  Enter confused mama trying to explain to a 3 year old about Jesus, who he is, what it means that he died....SO, all of that to say, I think this activity will be a great visual for her.

via

4. Our own Easter Egg Hunts!

One thing my kids love to do on Easter morning is find the eggs we've hidden around the house for them!  They are still young, so we use the big eggs and put them in pretty obvious places.  Most of the eggs are filled with candy (although, after Hadley's cavities/terrifying dentist visit yesterday--a story for another time--I'll be filling them with some healthy alternatives, too...haha!), and we have a gold egg that holds the prized possession: MONEY!  This year, I wised up and bought two different sets of colored eggs: pink for Hadley and green for Griffin!  They are at an age where they get along, but they fight over al the things, so now they each have their own set of eggs to look for, AND they each have their own gold egg.  As they get older and understand the purpose of the easter egg hunt, we'll dumb it back down to one gold egg, ha!

Terrible picture quality, but she was so tiny she had to drag her basket, haha! :)

5. Easter Egg Coloring Pages!

Hadley is really into coloring and drawing these days (and the girl can draw!  I don't know how well kids are supposed to be able to draw at 3 1/2, but she's good!), so I printed out a couple of plain Easter eggs for her to draw pictures on!  If she's having quiet time, or in the car, or I'm fixing dinner...she can color them.  Griffin scribbles, but he can color them, too! 

via

That's it!  Five Easter activities we will be doing this year.  What do you guys do for Easter?  What are some ideas we should be incorporating?!

Chores!

Hadley is three years old.  She is sweet and kind, cares about others, loves to be a good friend, says "I love you Mommy" a hundred times a day (oh, if I could just bottle that up!), and gives the best hugs and kisses I've ever had in my life.  She's energetic, a full-throttle go-getter, no looking back, independent little girl.  She's also trying to find ways to exert that independence and sometimes that takes the shape of defiance, anger, and yelling.  (All perfectly normal stages of gaining her independence, but man can it be tiring!)

We hear a lot of, "NO! I DON'T WANT TO!" and "THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANTED."  Accompanied with a lot of bossy behavior followed by some pretty sweet sucking up to get something she wants.  She has figured out the game and our typical time-out tactics aren't working as well anymore. 

Things we have figured out:

- she only acts like this at home.  Her teachers say she is such a delight and is a great friend to everyone at school.  

-she doesn't act like this with other family or friends.  She is a people person and being around others who will give her all the attention is one of her happy places.

-she does it at home for mom and dad.  She's testing her boundaries and I'm so thankful she does it with us and not with others!

But, man, I have felt quite a lot of pressure lately to "get it right"!  It's my job to train her and as she gets older that "training" is going to take different forms.  I love her energy, her creativity (I mean the girl can talk you into ANYTHING.) and I just want to make sure those skills help her become a productive member of society one day!

So, I had to revamp our techniques recently and Hadley is the proud new owner of a chore chart!

 

I thought very hard about what I want to teach her and what I want her to learn from these chores.  If we are honest, this hasn't made my life any easier because it isn't about having "help" around the house (yet!), but raising an impactful community member.  

I wanted her to know she is an important member of our family and because she is an integral part, it's important that she help keep our household running.  I want her to learn about good hygiene and how it affects your health.  I want her to learn that in order to keep our house orderly (not spotless), we must pick up our things and put them where they belong, I want her to learn that there is joy in taking care of our things and our home.  I want her to learn responsibility and to respect authority, 

even if we don't always agree.  There are a million things I want her to learn, but I really want her to learn these things while remaining true to herself.

I don't want to diminish her self-worth with constant time-outs or constantly being separated from the family (we DO still do time-out when it's needed.)  But she needed another outlet.

How it works:

Hadley is smart, but she can't read yet, so I knew I wanted the chore chart to have pictures.  The pictures represent what she has to do each day and when I first introduced the chart, we sat down and talked about what they all mean.

I did some research on things she should be able to do at three years old.  There are quite a few things three year olds should be able to do and I didn't want to overwhelm her.  I decided she should have 5 chores each day.  The first four are things she has to do absolutely everyday.  The fifth one is something that I will ask her to do.   

1. Brushing Teeth: she has to brush her teeth everyday (obviously we help with this), but she's learning about good hygiene.  She is learning to squeeze small amounts of toothpaste on her toothbrush.  She brushes first and then Daddy or I come behind her to finish up.  

2. Laundry Basket: we have little baskets in each kid's room for dirty clothes.  Each morning and evening Hadley has to put her dirty clothes in the basket.  Griffin gets a kick out of this, too and knows just what to do with his clothes if we tell him to put them in his basket!

3. Bible Verse: Hadley has a weekly bible verse she has to memorize.  I want her to know God's word in her heart, be able to recall it as she gets older and times get tougher.  I want her to start forming a relationship with Him and while this isn't the only thing we do to help initiate that relationship, memorizing scripture is important.  It also helps that I memorize scripture, too, so she enjoys getting to ask me to say my bible verse. ;)

4. Putting Toys Away: We have a basement full of toys and with 2 kids, it constantly looks like a tornado has gone through.  I try to pick up when we are all down there playing, but my two kids are faster at pulling things out than I am at putting them away!  So, she now picks up toys.  We try to keep similar toys together because it's important to take care of our things and we want all the pieces to play with next time.  She also picks up the toys in her room.  

5. Random Chore: Everyday she has to complete one extra chore and that is determined by me.  If I'm doing laundry, I may get her to help me fold socks or washcloths.  If I'm putting dishes away, I may get her to help me unload the silverware.  If I'm cooking dinner, I may get her to help me put ingredients in.  Sometimes, if she's had a really off day, her chore will be listening to Mommy with a happy heart.  

Each time she does a chore, she gets to put a sticker on her chore chart for the day. If her WHOLEchore chart is complete at the end of the week, she gets to pick ONE prize out of the prize box.  The prize box is full of all kinds of different things (the movie Aladdin, a box of bandaids, bouncy balls, small bags of m&ms, window markers, stickers, etc.).  

I don't stay on top of her about her chores.  If she's feeling particularly crabby about doing chores, I will say " remember the whole chart has to be filled out...." but she's generally very excited to put stickers on her chart.  She loves helping out and will say, "this is a chore, right Mommy?!"

It is so much fun watching her grow.  What ways do you teach your kiddos?  I'd love to hear!

Choosing a Pediatrician

As a nurse and a Prepared Childbirth instructor, I get asked frequently about choosing pediatricians.  In today's world, there is so much to think about, obsess over, and stress about with your first (and subsequent!) babies.  And while choosing a pediatrician shouldn't send you over the edge, it should be a decision you spend some time thinking about.

First, should you even use a pediatrician?  Can't you just use your family practitioner?
     Well, yes, you can use your family practitioner.  If you feel comfortable with them and comfortable having your child cared by them, then sure!  Of course your family practitioner's have been trained and have degrees to be doing what they are doing.  One thing to consider, though, is that family practitioners see a wide range of patients.  They can see infants all the way to the elderly.  Because of that, they may not see as many children and subsequently may not be as "up to date" on what to look for in children.
     Pediatricians see children from birth through 18 years.  They have extensive training specifically in the pediatric population.  They know what to look for in pediatric patients, they see the same age range every single day, similar childhood diseases, outbreaks, etc. and may diagnose pediatric illnesses quicker because of that.
     Neither is right or wrong.  If you trust your family practitioner enough to care for your newborn, that's great!  I would just caution you to at least give some thought to using a pediatric office.

You've decided to find a pediatrician.  Now what?
One thing I get all of my expectant moms to do is create a list of things that are important to them regarding their child's care.  Things like:

• circumcision: do you want it done in the hospital or after discharge in the office?  No circumcision at all?
• vaccines: if we don't want vaccines, will you take us as patients?  Would you be willing to do a delay or space out vaccines if that's what we want?
• same-day sick appointments?
• Weekend hours?
• After-hour hours?  After-hour phone number?
• Support for breastfeeding moms?  Support for formula feeding moms?

Once you've got your list, talk to friends, family, and co-workers to get trusted opinions on pediatrician's they use.  Word of mouth is generally a great way to find good pediatricians.  People are not typically shy in giving you honest thoughts on any subject and if they have negatives, they'll let you know!

When you have your list of pediatricians to check out, call them and make sure they take your insurance.  The last thing you want is to pick a pediatrician you love, just to find they don't accept your insurance!  When you call to ask, take note of the staff.  Are they friendly?  Did you get put on hold?  How long?  *All offices have busy days, so don't use this as your sole reason for discarding a certain pediatric office.*  

As you go through your list, which ones are close to your home?  You may be willing to drive farther for well-visits, but what happens when your baby wakes up sick in the night?  Do you want to be traveling 30 minutes to a sick visit or would you rather be closer to home?

Hopefully, you've narrowed your list down to a few pediatric offices and at this point, my suggestion is to go visit them.  Set up a time to meet with one (or a few!) of the care providers in the office, take your list, and get face-to-face with them.  This is your chance to see how they respond to parents, how they align with your thoughts, and if there are any red flags.

Other thoughts to consider when choosing a pediatrician:

• are they AAP certified?
• how long have they been practicing?
• do they have Nurse Practitioners, Physician's Assistants, or other doctors in the group?
• how long do appointments typically last?
• is the practice affiliated with a hospital? (if your child ended up in the hospital, would they be rounding at the hospital to see your child)
• any specialists at the office?
• how do they stay up-to-date on current practices?
• do you feel like they listened to your concerns or questions?

You, as the parent, are an advocate for your child.  It's important that you find someone who will care for your child and advocate for them as well.  Choosing a pediatrician doesn't have to be stressful and taking a few preparation steps before baby is born can help with this important decision!

What are your thoughts?  I'd love to hear whether you chose a family physician or pediatrician for your littles and why!

Why I Chose To Be A Stay-At-Home Mom

So, just for clarification, I do have a job.  It's just really, really part time- like 4 hours every other week.  I'm essentially a stay-at-home mom.


*First foray into motherhood.  My "fur-st" born on my lap and my first born in my arms*

When I was pregnant with Hadley, I worked full-time nights in the NICU (intensive care for newborns).  I love the NICU.  I love the babies, I love the families, and honestly I'd probably still be working there if they hadn't had some policy changes.  I knew when Hadley was born I wanted to go PRN (super part-time).  I didn't want to quit working, exactly, but I wanted to be home with Hadley.  I wanted to watch her grow and be there for her big milestones.  I wanted to watch her roll for the first time and walk, and say her first word.  So when I went back to work after maternity leave, I went back part-time, which was two 8-hour shifts a week.  In my unit, they had 12 hour shifts, 4 hour shifts (7-11p) and 11p-7a.  They really didn't like the 7-11/11-7, but sometimes people needed to leave early  or whatever, so it was do-able.  I was usually taking the 11p-7a shift and it was AWESOME.  I was at home for dinner, bath, and bed-time routine, I got to tuck my baby in, and I didn't miss anything since she was sleeping.


*My first night back at work after Hadley was born*

Around the time Hadley was a little over a year, they changed all shifts to 12 hour shifts.  Research shows patients get better continuity of care if they don't have a change in caregivers so often, medications aren't missed, etc. so I completely understood why they went that route, but it did make me quite sad.  Hadley has always been a terrible napper and with a switch to 12 hour shifts, I was going to need more sleep than I was getting during the day.  I could get through an 8 hour shift with a short nap when David got home in the evenings, but 12 hours is hard and quite frankly it was dangerous.  Who wants a sleep-deprived nurse taking care of your sick, brand-new premature infant??  So we looked into childcare.  We are blessed that David makes good money and we are taken care of, but we punched some numbers and long story short- I would have had to go back full time to pay for her to go to daycare.  That made no sense.  I need to work more, spend less time with my kid, just so we can afford to send her to daycare for my one shift a week?  It essentially worked out that the money I would be making would go directly to childcare, so what was the point?  We'd just be losing money and time with Hadley.


*The first time she sat up by herself!  She was so proud!*



I love the NICU, but being there in the pivotal years of raising my children was more important to me and David and so as heartbreaking as it was, the decision was made, I'd stay home with Hadley.  God seriously intervened, and while this is a quick rundown of that time, I was very torn and anxious about all of this, and God really answered some prayers.  I didn't want to just stop working altogether and a position in our hospital's Women's Education department opened up.  I teach Prepared Childbirth classes, Sibling classes, etc. now.  I still have face time with people, which I love, but the classes are a couple Saturdays a month or 2-3 hours on weekday evenings.  I'm home with my kids, I'm raising them, and I'm still able to bring in a little income for our family.


*Holding his ball all by himself!*


*Learning to count!*

I will eventually go back to work.  I mean, I'm in school to get my doctorate!  Ideally, I'd like to go back part-time after I graduate.  I want to be there for any other children we may have, I want to be able to go to sporting events and awards ceremonies for my kids, I want to be a constant presence in my kids lives.  Not overbearing, but a cheerleader, and advocate, a mom who loves her kids. (And I am in no way saying parents who work don't love their kids!! Please don't let that be your take-away.)



A lot of things lined up perfectly for this opportunity.  I didn't go into motherhood thinking I would be a stay-at-home mom and I realize that a lot of people aren't in a position where they even have this option, so I don't take it for granted.  I thank God everyday for letting me be home to raise my babies and still get some time to work.  In the grand scheme of things, He knew what was coming.  It was so hard during the transition: I wanted to work, I wanted to be home, we couldn't afford to send Hadley to daycare without me working full time....but shortly after all of this fell into place, I found out I was pregnant with Griffin.  He answered a prayer before we even knew it was on the horizon.  There is *no way* I could have continued working part-time and send two kids to daycare.  And He knew that another year down the road, I'd be back in school studying to get my doctorate and would need time to devote to my studies.



Being a stay-at-home mom isn't a decision I chose lightly, but it is one I relish in daily.  I'm blessed by this opportunity to pour into the lives of my children, shape and mold their hearts, and who they will grow to be.  And for that I am eternally grateful.

"Children are a gift from the Lord; They are a reward from Him."

Psalms 127:3

5 Special Things I Do For My Children

I've been quiet on here for a little over a week!  Life happens, y'all!  Last week I headed to my hometown to spend the week with my family!  My mom, Aunt, and cousin always go to The Southern Christmas Show and since Hadley didn't have school Tuesday for election day, I just packed us all up and we spent the week there.  I had some school work to catch up on, I somehow came down with some kind of stomach bug, and now I'm battling a cold.  So, welcome germ season- I hope I'm getting it all out of the way now!

Today, I wanted to talk about 5 special things I do for my kids.  They are special and I'm sure it's much more difficult to grow up in the world we live in now than the world we lived in when I was young.  I never want my kids to feel less than the beautiful people they are, so I've started some special traditions with my kiddos.

One.

When Hadley was about 6 months old, I started a journal for her.  I write in it when she hits special milestones, when she says something funny, when I hear special things about her, when there is something I want her to remember or know...I'm not sure when I'll give it to her, but I want her to have written words from her Momma.  I loved doing it for her, so I started a journal for Griffin as well.  And I'll do one for any other children we are blessed to have.  I put a lot of stuff on here, but there are some meaningful things in those journals meant just for them.

Two.

On their birthdays, I get them a special gift just from me.  When Hadley turned one, I gave her a charm bracelet and each year I add a charm.  Griffin has just had his first birthday and I gave him a hand-made quilt.  I'm not sure what I'll do in the future for him, but each present is accompanied with a card and a heartfelt message from me.  (What can I say?  Words are my love language.)

Three.

I take them on special "outings" alone.  Sometimes it's special things (like Hadley has a princess academy she's going to Saturday!) and other times it's just a special trip with mom when I run errands.  They both need one-on-one time with me (and vice versa with their Dad!) and I love to make that happen.  I see so much of their personalities, I can talk to them, and even though Griffin can't "talk" yet, he can still communicate and he's such a funny little guy.

Four.

Pictures and videos.  I know...you're thinking, "come on....every parent does this!"  And you're right!  Most do!  Words are my love language, but pictures capturing memories are my soul's kindred spirit. I don't have much art on my walls (and if I do, then it's meaningful.)  but you can bet my walls are filled with pictures of the people I love.  I want my babies to grow up in a home knowing they are welcomed and loved all the time!

Five.

I have a special song for each of them, something I sing to them every night.  It's "our song" and I hope whenever they hear it, they will think of how much their Momma loves them.  Hadley's is actually a made up song my mom sang to me when I was little, so it's unlikely she will ever hear it in public, but I also sing Amy Grant's "Baby, Baby" to her and that one she might hear!  Griffin's song is "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon.

What special things do you do for your children?  Or that your parents did for you that was meaningful?

Let's Chat: Breast is Best?

I'm starting something new on my blog called Let's Chat.  Everyone loves an opinion.  (More like everyone loves arguing an opinion, ha!)  I, like most people these days, turn to the internet for advice on lots of things--although I take them with a grain of salt.  But it's always helpful and interesting for/to me to read about others experiences and opinions on topics.  I'm hoping when it's all said and done, you'll let me know your thoughts on the topic as well!  

Today I'm talking about breastfeeding and formula.  There are some serious opinions out there about breastfeeding.  After having Hadley and Griffin,  I've used both breast milk and formula so I'm going to weigh in with my opinion.

I used to work in the NICU.  I know the benefits of breastfeeding backwards, forward, and side-to-side while blind-folded.  But I also know how difficult it can be for some moms.  It was hard to watch them sit by their baby's bedside crying because the only thing they feel they have control over is the milk given to their child...and for some reason or another, aren't able to produce enough.  

Do I support breastfeeding?  100%.  Do I support formula?  100%.

I think how you feed your baby is completely individual and based on your own experience!  The important thing is making sure your child is taken care of.  Breastmilk can do that.  So can formula.  "Breast is best" is a term a lot of hospitals and caregivers toss out, but is it really?  What if you can't produce milk?  What if you're on medication?  What if you just don't want to?  All of those things (plus many others) are going to influence why breast is not necessarily best!  I'm not arguing the plethora of goodness breast milk delivers to our precious babies.  Not at all.  But if you can't produce milk- your baby isn't being fed.  If you're on medication- it goes to your baby, too.  Depending on what type of medication it is, it may be contraindicated for breast feeding.  And you may not be able to stop the medication to breast feed!  If you don't want to breast feed, then guess what?  It's not going to go well and you're going to be frustrated, baby is going to be frustrated and it's already a stressful (happy stress!) time and breast feeding can just pile on top of that.

For me, breastfeeding was the right choice, although it didn't come easily for me with Hadley.  However, with Griffin, it was a piece of cake. 

Cons (Most of these were with Hadley):
1. It HURT.  Their was cracking.  There was burning.  I cried through feedings for what felt like weeks.  Add in postpartum hormones and I was convinced my "ninnies" (as Hadley calls them) were just going to fall off one day.  My poor husband had no idea what to do, he just sat there and watched me cry. Ha!
2. Mastitis.  I got it.  So now, not only was there cracking and burning, the flu-like symptoms, fever, and excruciating pain were like the cherry on the top.  And I don't like cherries.
3. Not helping the case at all, Hadley's mouth wouldn't open wide enough. It. would. not. open.  So she wasn't latching on correctly.  And then once she did start latching on correctly, her tongue didn't thrust correctly which just added to the pain!
4. Overproduction.  Way more than my girl needed.  She would choke, sputter, and cry her way through feeds because my body was literally shooting milk at her.  Bad mommy.

Looking back I'm wondering why I even continued breastfeeding, haha!!

Pros:
1. Hadley and I worked together and finally got the hang of it.  She figured out how to open that tiny mouth of hers, we learned how to latch correctly, and I learned how to prevent cracks.  Griffin just instinctively knew what to do which made it so much easier.
2. When Hadley was in the womb, I could control everything.  When she came out, I lost that control.  I had to {gasp} SHARE my daughter with people.  Breastfeeding was something I had control over.  It makes me feel good that I know what's going into that little body of hers.  Same with Griffin.  Both of my babes were born at the beginning of flu season and the nurse inside me cringed a little anytime ANYONE other than me held them.
3. Weight gain.  She lost 10% of her weight in the hospital, but 3 days later at her first doctor appointment she was ABOVE her birth weight.  I did that.  My body was doing what it was supposed to for her.  Griffin barely lost any weight.  That boy was an eating machine.
4. They know me.  They bonded with me.  At 2 1/2 months old, they knew me and my voice.  they smiled when they heard my voice and when they saw me.  No one else gets the privilege of their beautiful smiles like I do and I'm convinced it's because they know I've been there to take care of them from day one.  Hadley nursed until she was 15 months old and at almost 12 months, Griffin is still nursing with no sign of stopping in the near future.

Even given all of these wonderful things, both of my babies started falling off their growth charts around 4-6 months old.  We aren't really sure why.  I still produced milk, but whether it's just in their genes (neither my husband nor I are really large people) or something else, I wasn't enough anymore.  With Hadley, we were able to get her to 6 months and start solids.  She's been a great eater from her first taste of food, so we filled her up with all the fatty foods.  Griffin had a dairy/soy allergy, so once he exhausted all of my fat (I lost 20 pounds after giving it all up for him) I couldn't do anything for him.  We started him on solids but he couldn't have any of the good stuff.  He needed something more and in came formula.

He nursed and we supplemented for a few months until he gained what he needed to.  I am so glad there was an alternative for him.  I don't want to think about what would have happened if formula wasn't available for us.

What's your story?  What are your thoughts this Thursday about breastfeeding and formula?  I can't wait to hear!

5 Products That Helped Transition From One to Two Kids

1. k'tan, lillebaby carrier 2. BOB dualie jogging stroller 3. diaper caddy 4. motorola double monitor 5. ipad

I had no idea the level of exhaustion I would feel after my first was born.  I'm a nurse who worked nights.  I know exhaustion.  We have a hate-hate relationship and working 3 or 4 nights in a row really does you in.  But it was no comparison to the exhaustion I felt after bringing home a baby.  I was emotional, nursing took for-e-ver, and for someone who likes to plan things out--it was quite the transition.

Fast forward 2 years and we were getting ready to bring another baby home and I was so incredibly excited to add this guy to our family, but so nervous about how it would go.  How would I manage taking care of two children?  How would I keep my busy toddler from getting hurt or in trouble when my newborn needed something?  How in the world would I go anywhere by myself with two kids??!  It was a little overwhelming, to say the least.

We are almost at the year mark of adding this special guy to our family and when I look back, there are a few things that I know helped ease our transition from one to two:

1. K'Tan and Lillebaby Carrier
In the early months, the k'tan was my life saver.  Hadley was always on the move and still too young to reason with, so I kept up with her best by following her around.  It would have been so much harder to do if I'd had to carry Griff-man in my arms.  He fit snugly down in the pouch and the walking around and closeness to me really soothed him.

Griffin eventually got too big for the k'tan/ his weight started to hurt my back, so I started using the chicco carrier.  That was not a good fit for me.  Griffin hung too low, so my center of gravity was off, he couldn't see anything so he hated it, and if I ever had to bend down to help Hadley do something, I felt like he was going to flip right out.  I did some research and narrowed down my carrier to the lillebaby and ergo.  Both can move baby 360 degrees, meaning he could face me, he could face out, I can carry him side-saddle, or on my back.  The only real difference I ran in to between the two is the lillebaby has a zipper part you can pull down to reveal a mesh material that allows it to be a little more "breathable" during the hot months.  Since I needed it mostly during the summer, I was sold.  The minute I put that thing on, I knew it was a good purchase.  I think I even uttered the statement, "we need to have another baby so I can get full use out of this thing!"  I use this especially when we are at the park or playing outside.  I can bend down without feeling like G will topple right now, and the lumbar support is phenomenal--no more back ache!

2. Double Jogging Stroller
Hadley is a lot better now about obeying and holding my hand in the street/stores, etc. but she was still quite young when G was born and this BOB double jogging stroller did the trick for us.  I wanted a side-by-side to avoid fights as well as something I could exercise with.  It has options for click-in carseats, it is easy enough for me to fold and put in our trunk, and it fits through a door frame.  It turns easily, the seats recline, and there is a little basket underneath to store my stuff.  We have a couple different strollers and this is the one I use most often.  This was probably the most expensive purchase, but well worth the money.

3. Diaper Basket
The most genius thing I did was have a diaper basket downstairs.  Obviously we had stuff upstairs, but having a place for diapers, wipes, butt cream, nose suction, etc. downstairs saved us a lot of times.  All of our toys were downstairs and I couldn't leave Hadley alone to go upstairs and change a poopy diaper.  Having a basket of essentials downstairs was honestly a life saver.  Hadley loved "helping" change Griffin and would run to the basket to get anything we needed.  I was able to keep an eye on her and take care of him.  Win-win.

4. Double Monitor
I love the monitor we have.  I will probably be watching my kids sleep until they go off to college, haha!  But really, this monitor can hook up to 4 video feeds and it "scans" through them, so I get a full picture instead of a small square that I can see absolutely nothing in.  It has been perfect for nap time when I'm cleaning the basement or outside playing with Hadley.  I have a little more freedom to "do" instead of sit around and listen for crying.

5. Ipad/TV Show
Now don't shoot me here, but one of the things that really helped establish nursing for Griffin, especially in the early days, was a game on the iPad for Hadley or a DVR'ed Mickey Mouse episode. I would get H a snack, pile her up on the couch next to me and turn on an activity for her and that allowed me about 30 minutes to feed Griffin.  Establishing nursing is so important in the beginning and you need time to devote to it.  There would have been no way I could chase Hadley around while trying to feed Griffin.  Some kids may sit and read books quietly or color or whatever, but not my kid.  I know I would have been way more stressed about the mess she was making than focusing on feeding my baby, so it was a great set-up for us.  It also made Hadley feel like she was still important and "part of" everything.

What products do you find helpful for parenting?  Anything not on my list?  I'd love to know!

Carseat Safety

This post is one I wrote a year ago (although I've tweaked it now!) on my old blog.  School is keeping me busy this week but I'm enjoying the blog world again, so I wanted to post!

 I'll start by saying: these are my own thoughts and only that.  I'm not looking to start a fight and I am by no means judging other mommas! To each his (or her!) own.  We are all looking for the best way to care for our own families and this is how I'm choosing to care for mine.

Part of the issue today with everything is that there are too many options!  There are 15 different kinds of fat-free milk at the grocery store, 20 different types of toilet paper, and 17 different flavors of goldfish! Y'all, why do we need 17 different flavors of goldfish??! (I'm pretty sure these aren't accurate numbers at all, but you get my point!). 

It's a blessing and a curse, really.

The same goes for carseats.  We aren't relying on one badly made carseat to protect our child, but it's our responsibility as their parent to research the thousands that are on the market to make the best decision in case the inevitable were to happen.


Please look at how tiny my baby girl was!

When Hadley was little, we used the Chicco key fit 30.  Griffin now uses this car seat because it is still within the expiration date and hasn't been in any accidents.  Hadley now rides in the Chicco Nextfit.  When Griffin is old enough to need a bigger seat, we will research the best car seat for him and us at that time.  Here are some of the things we did/ continue to do with our carseats:

1. Professionally Installed: We called our local police department and set up a time for them to TEACH us how to install the carseat correctly.  One of our cars has the new LATCH system and one doesn't.  We needed to know how to install the carseats into both vehicles.  We needed to know how to change them correctly if we ever got a new car, and we learned a lot of tips and tricks to making sure the car seat wasn't moving.  It was one of the best things we did. 

**With Griffin, we already knew how to put in the carseats, so we didn't do this again.  However, if it had been long enough that I had forgotten, we definitely would have done it again because like I said, it was one of the best things we did. 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/LATCH
http://www.car-safety.org/latch.html


Baby brother!

2. Rear-facing: Hadley will be rear-facing for as long as possible.  Even though guidelines say you can turn forward-facing at 2, we will NOT turn her around to forward-facing at two years of age.  The Chicco Nextfit allows her to be rear-facing up to 40 pounds, or until she reaches the height limit of her carseat.  She's a petite thing and nowhere near 40 pounds or the height limit.  Recent research has shown that children's neck muscles are not strong enough to withstand impact if they are forward-facing before 4 years of age.  Clearly if she was too big to be rear-facing, we would have her forward-facing, but she's not so we won't.  She doesn't know any different yet, so she doesn't fight us about it.

  **Hadley is still rear-facing and she will be three in October.  She hasn't even hit the 30 lb. mark yet.  She has only recently started asking why her friends carseats "look funny" but hasn't questioned why she is rear-facing.  She just climbs in on her own and loves kicking her carseat mirror!**

http://csftl.org/why-rear-facing-the-science-junkies-guide/ (awesome explanation of just the facts.)
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/704630_2


She also loves to take selfie's :)

3. Middle Seat/Back Seat: Hadley's carseat is installed in the middle of the back row of our cars because that is the safest place for her to be in a collision (air bag deployment).  And her carseat fits properly there.  If it didn't, she would be on one of the sides.  Unfortunately, we only have one middle seat in our car (ha!) so I'm going through some major mommy guilt as to which child should be in the middle when the new baby arrives, haha! ;) 

**Obviously when Griffin came, we had to switch around carseats.  Both of my babies are now on either side of the car.  If we ever put a carseat in Grammy's car (etc.) the carseat goes in the middle.  Unfortunately it's just not an option with two! ;)

http://thecarseatlady.com/center-or-side/


My two babes!


*Clearly unimpressed with the proceedings.

4. We keep the car seat manual with the car seat at all times.  Chicco even has a little compartment for it.  That way, if we are ever out and need to change the car seat to another car, if we have questions regarding how she's sitting, etc., we have a go-to immediately for answers.  Yes, we do all of these things because "research says so", but we also do what we do based on how Hadley's car seat works best.  

**We still do this with both carseats**

Here are a few other links if you're interested:
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx
http://www.safercar.gov/parents/CarSeats/Car-Seat-Safety.htm


*Holding Mommy's hand.  She'll always do this, right??--the answer to this is no.  She no longer does this...ahhh my heart!

Remember, these are just the things we as a family are doing to keep our baby girl safe.  What about you mommas?  What car seats do you use?  Any tips I should incorporate?

 

Tiny baby boy!

"Mama, The Sky's Awake"

"Mommy, can you sing me a song?" she asks as we lay in her little girl bed- her stretched out, but cuddled up right next to me, me cramped and trying to get into as comfortable position as I can while we go night-night.  On this particular night, it takes one song before she drifts off to sleep, her ba-ba- (paci) hanging out of her mouth (it's some good sleep!).  Other nights it takes 2 songs, some nights it takes our whole song and dance routine and she's still awake.

I slip out of her bed, hoping the cracking of my knees won't wake her, kiss her beautiful curls, and tip-toe out of her room.  It's the only time our house is actually quiet these days.  I've got about 4 hours (hopefully) before someone will need me for something again.  I clean up the kitchen, pick up the toys, fold the laundry, finally sitting down to focus on some schoolwork.  I'm so tired, but the demands of the day aren't finished and I have to push through to get to a place I won't regret when I wake up in the morning. (I knew I should have done the dishes last night!)



I settle in to bed around ten, read a chapter in a book that I'll have to re-read tomorrow because I can't even remember the last sentence.  I turn out the light and it feels like I've just drifted off when little man decides he's hungry or needs a cuddle.  They are one in the same in his eleventh month of life.  He falls quickly back to sleep, but I hold him a little bit longer because how can my baby be almost one whole year old?  We'll do this whole thing again a few more times throughout the night.



Before I know it, I hear a little voice calling out to me, "Mommy?  Mommy?!"  She never gets out of bed, probably because when we first put her in a big girl bed, the rule was she had to stay until Mommy or Daddy came to get her.  That's apparently carried over a year now, so I summon enough energy to pull my tired, aching bones out of bed and trudge down the hall to her room.  She's waiting on me, sitting up in her bed with her lovey in one hand and her paci in the other.  I really don't have the energy to try to reason her back to bed and she knows this.  She hops up quickly into my arms and lays her sweaty head on my shoulder.  It fits perfectly in the crook of my neck.  I silently wish it would always stay that way.



She sleeps well the rest of the night, kicking me and her Daddy, cuddling up close to us, feet in our faces, and sometimes even entertains us with some conversation going on in her dreams.  The sun rises and the rays kiss her sweet cheeks.  She wakes up ready.  There's no laying around for this one.  She rolls over and with her sweet toddler morning breath that I could smell forever, whispers in my face, "Mama, the sky's awake!"

Yes, baby, it is.  And so begins another day in paradise. :)

Confessions

Every time I get on social media, I feel so overwhelmed with how "perfect" everyone seems to be.  Oh, please tell me more about how you made home-made goo for your 2 year old toddler while you were 9 months pregnant, and how you've taught said 2 year old to sit perfectly still and not sling home-made goo all around the house and grind it into every crevice of the couch."

I'll be honest.  I do it, too.  95% of my social media posts are about how wonderful life is because hello, how else do I keep up with the rest of the perfectly-coiffed social media mommas out there??

Picture perfect for social media.  A little mess on the mouth, but nothing that requires an entire bath. A little messy, a lot cute.

And while I do love my life and want to remember the "perfect" times, I have some confessions to make:

Sometimes we watch Cinderella 3 times in.one.day..... I mean, when I have things to get done I can't do it with two babies underfoot.

If we aren't watching Cinderella (or Daniel Tiger, or Brave, or Frozen), then someone has my phone and is watching you-tube videos.  Kinder eggs anyone?  Hello Kitty?  Some strange, spanish version of Peppa Pig?  So much screen time and I really don't care. 

You know, things to get done...like reading a book.

Hadley is still rear-facing.  She's almost 3 and the recommendation is rear-facing until 2.  (Although research shows they should be rear-facing as long as possible or until they grow out of the rear-facing restrictions because their little neck muscles aren't strong enough to withstand a forward-facing crash and support their spine.)  But let's be honest.  If I get the carseat out to turn it around, I'm going to have to clean all the crushed up food out of it, wash the material part...and momma ain't got time for all that.

I don't shower every day.  Sorry if that comes as a shock but it's a choice between sleep and cleanliness and I choose sleep.

Hair up, work out clothes on, no make-up.  Yep, this is a "no-shower" day.

I bribe my children to get them to do things.  The best example I have is bribing my daughter to say her bible verse.  Nothing says "Jesus loves you" like a good old-fashioned m&m bribe!

I'll give you a popsicle if you take a picture with me!

I have a lot more, but we'll save those for another day.  Please tell me I'm not alone in these things! :)