Naptime is Sacred!

Seriously. Naptime is the best thing ever. Little Miss stopped napping the day we brought Mr Man home from the hospital. It was a very sad day for this mommy. Our current naptime routine consists of the following...

Mr Man sleeps from 1pm-4pm (sometimes a little less) and in those three hours I cram as much in as possible. Laundry, weeding, cleaning, reading, writing in my journal, prepping for dinner, spending time with Little Miss and reading to her...the time flies. But it is special. And without it I would be one frazzled mommy with a messy(er) house.

Naptime is a time to play catch up for me. Naptime is a time to give Little Miss some much needed one-on-one, my full undivided attention, an opportunity to make her feel extra special. Naptime is also extremely necessary and good for Mr Man...

Proper amounts of *restful* sleep are vital for brain development in children. Vital! And vital for mommy's sanity. So around our house we stop everything to make sure naptime is a consistent enjoyable experience for all. I schedule my day around it. My errands are done in the morning and I leave things that can be done during naptime, until naptime. So loud things - like vacuuming are done early in the day.

Consistency is the key. Same time everyday. Dark window treatments to block out the light and the same white noise Mr Man gets at night.

Because, naptime is sacred...

What are your naptime tricks and tips?

It's Never Too Early...

Currently, I'm awkwardly sitting sideways in our office chair - chair cannot be moved because it is wedged in between towers of moving boxes. And since typing sideways is...difficult to say the least. I'll make this short. Here is something I've been thinking about lately...(I planned on having cute pictures, but due to moving + a lovely bout of croup with the Little Miss you'll just have to imagine it...)

There are a couple of things it is never too early to start teaching your children...they are never too young to...

• Have manners! Even before Little Miss could talk we had her signing "please" and "thank you", I wouldn't give her things for fussing or grunting - she had to be polite. Yep, I'm that kind of mom. Judge away. Ever seen the movie "Raising Helen"? You should. It's a good flick. There is one scene where the preggo sister reprimands her unborn fetus for kicking her while "mommy is trying to talk". It's pretty much hilarious, and played by Joan Cusack. Go watch it - you'll love it!
• Have patience! Children should have patience. They don't need to feel entitled to everything they want right away and as their parents we can teach them this fairly easily at a very young age. Here's the trick - don't be quick to give them everything. "In a minute" is fine for a child to hear. Little Miss hears it too often apparently - she's started saying it to me. Which is also, hilarious.
• Know how to give mommy a backrub...I am very serious about this one. My back hurts after a long day of being mommy - plus I love backrubs. So...why not!? Here are 2 tricks to a good kid backrub...

1. A paint roller. We have a small one that Little Miss can easily grip and she is loving "painting" mommy's back. Super fun for her - feels good for me. It's a win-win. *insert cute picture here of Little Miss giving me a paint roller backrub*
2. Drawing pictures. When I was little my grandma would have us draw pictures on her back using our fingers and she would try to guess what we drew. For some reason she could never figure it out and would always ask us to do it again...smart lady. Love this game! Thank you grandma!

So, start teaching your children! And if you're wondering - paint rollers are super cheap at wal-mart! =)

Colic: The Bane of My Existence

My first child - Little Miss - was colicky (purple crying) from 3 weeks to 4 months old...every night from 6pm-9pm she would scream. My husband and I became a great tag-team! And we managed to make it through with our sanity in tact...most of the time.

{colic: a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or screams frequently and, for extended periods, without any discernible reason. The condition typically appears within the first two weeks of life and almost invariably disappears, often very suddenly, before the baby is three to four months old, but can last up to 12 months of life. It is equally common in bottle-fed and breastfed babies. The crying often increases during a specific period of the day, particularly the early evening.}

So at Mr. Man's 2 week check up a couple of weeks ago the pediatrician mentioned that colic runs in families...if you've had a child with colic, it's more likely that your other children will have it as well...hmm...can't say I was thrilled to hear that news. And it was news - that is something I've never heard before. But, I am here to attest, it is true. Has anyone else heard that before?

Mr. Man started showing signs of mild colic about a week ago. And every night it seems to get a little worse. He is no where near the level Little Miss was at, and I'm hoping it doesn't progress to that point. Right now he is fairly content - or at least not screaming - if one of us is holding and rocking/bouncing him for the dreaded bewitching hour.

So...do I just make really fussy babies or what!? I know colic just happens and there is nothing we can do about it. Just wait it out. But I've heard 3 possible fixes I'm willing to try this time around...

• Cut dairy out of my diet entirely (since he's nursing)
• Cut chocolate out of my diet entirely (again with the nursing)
• Take him to a chiropractor who specializes in babies

What have you heard? Do any of these actually work? Or are there any other things I should try? I'll deal with colic for the next 3 months if I have to - but I sure am willing to put some of these myths to the test!

4 Week Weight Loss Update

4 Weeks after baby and I'm down from 180 to 145...and sadly I've been holding steady at 145 for almost a week. So I think that means the water weight is gone and I have to work off the rest. But that's okay. It could've been worse. So...15 lbs to go till I'm satisfied, 20 to go till I'm super satisfied!

I wanted to post a picture - but my hubby is out of town and my 2 year old can't really work the camera too well...so it'll have to wait till next week. Maybe I'll get one up on Saturday.

2 more weeks till I can workout!! Super excited. I really want to try Zumba finally - but I doubt I'll be making it to a class anytime soon. So...any recommendations for a good zumba dvd? Or any other good post baby workouts?

1, 2, Buckle My Shoe

Being a new mother can be exciting, stressful, enjoyable and tiring. And so it is when baby #2 comes around. Transitioning from 1 to 2 kids has many ups and downs, and for me it was a big adjustment. I was really lucky because my husband works from home, and so I was able to have more help than a lot of women. Here are just a few things I experienced this year.

3 Best Things:


1. The love you feel for your children. If you thought you loved your only child, just wait until #2 comes along. Before #2 came, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to love him as much as I loved #1. Boy was I wrong. Not only did I instantly love him unconditionally, but it made my love for #1 grow as I was able to see her grow up into a big sister.

2. The love your children have for each other. It is sweet to watch my daughter take care of her little brother. She talks so sweetly to him, and always wants to help. My advice is to remember that your attitude towards the new baby will greatly affect your older child’s attitude. If they always hear your frustrated voice, that is the kind of voice they will use with the baby. If they see you love and nurture and laugh with your baby, that is how they will act too. And it is even better to watch my baby light up when he sees his sister. He loves her more than anyone. I love watching her make him laugh. She is the only one who can get him to give that awesome belly laugh.

3. Feeling much more comfortable about being a mom. Since this wasn’t my first baby, I already felt comfortable in the mother role, and knew what to expect (for the most part). I am much less paranoid and over-protective. I have a much more relaxed attitude this time around.

3 Hardest Things:

1. Feeling like I was not giving enough attention to #1. At first this was not a problem, because newborns sleep a lot. But as he grew out of that, I found it hard to balance my time between both of them. I was so used to being able to devote my whole day to #1, and now I have to divide my time between 2 kids…and a helpless baby usually needs more attention. Even now, as my son is crawling all over the place, I feel like I’m always chasing him around and never get to sit down and play with my daughter. So I try not to get on the computer or have lengthy phone conversations during the day—I save that for after the kids are in bed. And I’ve learned to use #2’s nap time as a special play time for my daughter and I. It’s hard, because there are so many other things I want to get done around the house while he is asleep, but I know that I’ll feel like a better mom if I have some one-on-one time with my daughter. And that brings me to the next point….

2. Feeling like my house is always messy. I could get all of my housework done in one day when it was just my daughter and I. But now it is a trick just to keep the dishes out of the sink! I’ve learned to divide up my chores and do some each day. Monday I go to the grocery store, Tuesday is laundry day, Wednesday I recover the kitchen from the disastrous state it is in, Thursday is for bathrooms, and Friday is my day off. Saturday I enlist the help of my husband to do other odds and ends like mopping and vacuuming. I have also learned to clean up toys once a day. Otherwise I’d be doing it all day long. Live with the mess while the kids are playing, then clean up at bedtime so it’s clean for the next day. Totally unrelated, but here is another time-saving trick I use—bathe them at the same time. When #2 was a newborn, I would stick the infant bath inside the tub with big sister. #1 loved helping, and #2 loved having big sister to watch.

3. Keeping #1 away from baby! When he was a newborn, this was mostly to make sure he wasn’t kissed to death. #1 loved him so much, and wasn’t always aware of her own strength. Now that #2 is mobile and getting into her toys, she occasionally gets mad and knocks him over. I just keep reminding her that if #2 is touching something he shouldn’t, to ask mom to move him instead. And I always praise her when she touches him soft and lovingly.

But this was not only a transition for me, but for #1 as well. So I’ll quickly share some things I did to help my daughter adjust to the new addition:

• While I was pregnant, we talked a lot about the new baby. She even came to my ultrasounds. We talked about how baby was growing big and strong inside mommy, and soon he would come to live at our house.

• We got her a big girl bed a few months before the baby came. That way she didn’t resent the baby for taking her crib away once he arrived.

• We read lots of stories about being a big sister.

• I let her help me as much as possible. I don’t know if every kid is like this, but she was so eager to help. She wanted to do everything for the baby. But because I knew there would be things that she wouldn’t be able to help me with, I bought her a bath tub and high chair for her doll, and refinished my old doll bed for her so that she could take care of her baby while I was doing the same things for #2.

• I make sure to give her one-on-one time while he is napping, and my husband and I take turns taking her out on “dates” without brother. She has fun doing something special just the two of us (even if it’s just going to the park to feed the ducks or getting some ice cream).

There are so many more things I’m learning as I go along. What are your experiences with your growing family?

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Marie is a stay at home mom of two adorable kiddos who keep her super busy! She has a dual degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education and continues to use her degree everyday of her mommy career!

Marie is one of my good friends and someone I look up to very much as a mommy. She has tons of fun ideas for things to do with your kids - so keep an eye out for her future guest posts.

DIY: Homemade Cloth Diapers

{guest post by my amazing niece, and new mommy - Dianna, tips on how to make your own cloth diapers}

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As much as I love the ease and convenience of a disposable diaper, I don’t so much love the price of them. I decided I’d probably do some cloth diapering to offset the price of disposables, but even prefolds are expensive. Fortunately, you can make your own!

I picked up some fleece fabric from a secondhand store for about $2. I also picked up a towel from the store for about $2 as well.

First thing you need to do is measure out the liners. I used the towel for my liners since I figured they’d be most absorbent. For my project, I used a 5 inch by 14 inch piece, but you can experiment with sizes. If you are using towel for the lining, it’s a good idea to use a serger along the edges. If you don’t have a serger (I don’t), use a zig zag stitch. If your liner is made of non-fraying fabric, you can probably skip this step.

Then you need the fleece cut out for the cover on the liners. These pieces are 23 inches by 15 inches.

Next up, fold the cover over so that the 15 inch edges are together (or “hamburger style” if that helps) and place the liner with a 14 inch edge against the cover’s 15 inch edges.

Sew these edges together. You should be able to do this with the diaper after you’re done.

Next, shift the liner so that it is in the middle of the cover. It will look like 3 sections: cover, liner, and cover.

Sew up the top and bottom of the diaper, making sure to leave a hole to turn it right side out. The liner doesn’t have to be sewn down into the top and bottom seams, but it can be if you like.

Now turn the diaper inside out. You’re going to sew two lines down each side of the liner. The best place to start is by following the seam from the first time you sewed the liner down. The second line can be done by eyeballing the first line, or measuring it out if you’re a perfectionist.

Remember to sew up the hole, and ta-da! You’ve made a diaper!

The best part about making your own diapers is using whatever fabric you have around the house. You can be creative and experiment with different liners for the most absorbency – t-shirts, sheets and blankets, old towels, I’ve even seen some people use old jeans for liners.

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Thanks Dianna for that great step-by-step! And just because I love you and my new little great nephew - I have to show off a picture of him...

I really want to try cloth diapering, but am also kind of a sissy about having to clean them. However - I do think cloth diapers would be a great addition to emergency supplies for those of us who aren't brave enough!

Have any of you amazing readers done cloth diapering? Have any tips to share on how best to use/clean them?

My Bum Book

I have the worst memory. Always have. And to make matters worse - I now have what's known as "mom brain"...Every mom, or expectant mom, can attest - when you get pregnant you just get dumb. Making, having, and raising babies zaps your brain cells! Pretty soon you're fumbling over your own words and can't remember what you ate for breakfast. It's kind of ridiculous.

I keep a daily journal, and that helps. I've been able to go back and read through my pregnancy with Little Miss and compare it to this pregnancy. One thing I wish I would've had though - this little beauty...

My Bum Book by bumble

It is adorable! It's just little and will easily fit in a diaper bag or purse. I'm super excited to use it with baby #2 come February! Keeping track of feedings, changings, and well check stats - all of these things make my left brain dance for joy! It even has a spot on every page for random notes - like first smile, first time he'll roll over. Sure wish I'd had this with Little Miss!

You can get your own Bum Book here.

Baby #2

I'm 13 weeks along with baby #2!! I foresee a lot of posts dealing with baby #2, becoming a family of 4, transitioning...etc. Meanwhile - here's my cute little bug.

When we told Little Miss she immediately decided it was a little sister. She talks about the baby in my tummy and how it's growing healthy and strong. She also decided it's fun to poke the baby in my tummy. It's pretty funny.

So - all of you moms who have gone from 1 to 2...any advice? I hear it's a harder transition than going from 0 to 1.

Ear Infections: The 411

I have this friend, Kim - you know the kind...The women with more energy and ambition in their one pinky toe than you'll ever have in your entire body. Well, that's Kim! She's currently a PA (Physicians Assistant) student and is now going to be guest posting on The Mom Blog every now and then with amazing medical/health information. I really appreciate all of the information she crams into her posts - I hope you do too! If you have any specific questions please leave them in the comments section...she just might be able to help you out!

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EAR INFECTIONS - I.E. OTITIS MEDIA (AOM) IS THE #1 DIAGNOSIS FOR SICK CHILDREN BETWEEN AGES OF 6 MO'S - 3 YEARS OLD!!!

by the age of 1, 60-80% of kids will have had at least 1 episode of AOM; 80-90% BY AGE 2-3 YEARS!!! AND 75% of kids will have RECURRENT AOM!!! (I want to BOLD everything in this post and put tonz of !!!! everywhere)!

AOM is the #1 reason that antibiotics are prescribed to kids.

30% of ALL antibiotic prescriptions are for KIDS.

INFANTS SPEND APPROX 42 DAYS ON ANTIBIOTICS FOR AOM IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE AND 49 DAYS IN THEIR 2ND YEAR OF LIFE!

The annual cost of these antibiotics total $5 billion per year, and of that $5 billion 40% OF IS SPENT ON KIDS 1-3 YEARS OLD!!! AOM has increased markedly from the 70's to the 90's there are many hypotheses as to why this is. The leading explanation is because there are more children in daycare, due to women moving into the workforce vs. staying home.

A big reason why AOM occurs mostly in children and not adults is because the anatomy of their Eustachian tubes (the tubes that connect the ear to the nose for drainage) are immature and their immune response is immature too!

Because the child's tubes are more FLAT vs. the adults which are DOWNWARD SLOPING this causes a decrease in drainage and fluid to get stuck.

Some major Risk factors for getting AOM:

1. BOTTLE FEEDING WHILE LAYING DOWN, DO NOT PUT THE CHILD TO BED WITH A BOTTLE. The reason is because the E.Tubes function in a Pressure-equalizer-type-role, and when you lay down the pressure in your head changes and can actually suck fluid inside the tube. Also the fluid can travel in that direction more easily because gravity is no longer helping the milk to go into the stomach. Try to always feed with a bottle while at least sitting up, or laying partially (not flat) how about 30-45 degree angle!
2. RESPIRATORY VIRUSES & BACTERIA this will often occur because of the fluid in the E.Tubes, because V&B love moist environments - the perfect home for infection.
3. DAYCARE- increases exposure to virus's and bacteria, at a younger and more vulnerable age vs. home care. Often daycare cannot be eliminated, but try and look for smaller daycare's with less children vs. large classes.
4. PACIFIER USE (unsure exactly why, probably has to do with the eustachian tube location)
5. FAMILY HISTORY
6. THE SEASON (i.e. winter...)
7. MALES are more likely to get it than females
8. SMOKING

BREASTFEEDING IS PROTECTIVE AGAINST AOM! This is partially because mother's milk has inherent antibodies that she provides to the child for their immunity while their immunity is still developing.

Look for my installment #2 next week on Ear Infections with some really interesting new research regarding how ear infections are linked to skin irritation and asthma! And what you can do to try and stop the Ear infection BEFORE it even begins.

Archives: Homemade Baby Food

I have made all of Little Miss's baby food - except the cereal, and I love it!

I found this great website - wholesomebabyfood.com - and it has saved us a ton of money, plus it's fresh and super healthy, and way easier than you'd think.

The website has info on food safety, age to introduce certain foods, best ways to cook it to keep the most nutrition in, food storage, recipes, and allergy information. I love it!

To date I've made - sweet potato, peas, carrots, prunes, apples, bananas, zuchini, butternut squash, peaches, avocado, pears, and green beans.

Most of them get steamed, pureed, and then I just freeze them in cubes in an ice cube tray for storage. Then in freezer bags with labels & dates.
I love being able to make Little Miss healthy fresh food & knowing exactly what is in there. Plus, I've done a little taste testing - homemade tastes way better!

And as if I couldn't be more OCD about the process - I keep all the ziplocs in a new pull-out shoe organizer - this way the little bags don't get lost in our all-too-small freezer.

Little Miss always helps me - by watching - and loves to know what's going on in the kitchen. She is always up for tasting while making too!
A couple of bonuses....

• Frozen food cubes help soothe teething gums
• Cooking healthy for Little Miss makes us automatically eat better too
• When steaming apples, our house smells delicious!

I would recommend this to everyone - especially in this economy. Gotta penny-pinch where we can!

Originally posted: January 19, 2009

Do It Yourself: Matching Nursery Curtains

Ever wonder why the crib bedding you bought came with a valance, but no curtains? Me too! It drives me nuts.

So I set out to make my own matching curtains. My trick: the extra, unseen material on the backside of the bed skirt. It doesn't need to be there! No one will know if it's gone. And just like that...
...you have matching curtains. I took the valance to a fabric store with me to match colors. Then I made simple curtains. But they didn't look quite right, they needed trim. So off came the extra material on the back of the bed skirt.
A little eye-balling (I'm lazy when it comes to measuring for projects like this).
A few hems & voila! A finished look.
Another trick to tie the room together - homemade art. I bought four square canvases on sale. Used the comforter to sketch out some ideas on paper.
Bought some matching craft paint - thanks to carrying that small valance around in my purse again. And...
...a cheap, simple way to finish a room.
This project really is for anyone! I am not artistic at all as far as painting goes. I used a pencil to sketch things on to the canvas, that way I could erase when needed. For those circles - I traced glasses, tupperware, whatever was the right size.

Do you have a DIY (do it yourself) trick for decorating on a small budget?

Potty Training Your Baby by Katie Van Pelt

Loved, loved, loved this book. It is super short & a quick read. Not only does it cover potty training, but it has little tidbits of great advice on better parenting skills throughout.

It covers potty training early, starting before the 1st birthday, and potty training late, after 2 years old. It is so informative.

I'm glad I purchased this instead of checking it out at the library because I will definitely be referring back to it time and time again! I highly recommend this book for all parents!!

Sleep = Happy

The last time I recall getting a good night's sleep was...before I was pregnant. No joke. Once I was pregnant my morning to-do list consisted of not vomiting while getting out of bed & moving to the couch.

Then the acid reflux came, in which a bottle of tums was my best friend & sleeping companion, sorry husband.

Then the pressure on the bladder and the bathroom trips every hour. Then Little Miss arrived. And sleeping is not her forte. So every 3 hours (on average) I wake up, feed the little one, and rock her back to sleep.

I don't even remember the last time I had dreams. Eight and a half months of little, broken up sleep...until last night.

I've been asking everyone for months how they got their babies to finally sleep. I've been reading everything I can on the subject, and finally after listening to my friend Shauna, again, tell me her success story - Ry & I decided to dive in head first last night to sleep training our little one.

We didn't swaddle, we didn't go pop binky back in when it fell out & woke her up - we let her figure that out. She actually will find it in the dark and put it back in herself...ha!

We started yesterday with naps & she really is getting the hang of self-soothing. And it's not taking all the "cry it out" that people talk about. We just make sure she's sleepy enough, rock her a little (but not to sleep) and then put her in her crib. And she puts herself to sleep! Awesome. I can't even tell you how excited I am!

She slept last night from 10pm-2am, ate briefly, then from 2:15am-9am! What!? Nearly 7 hours straight!! I actually went and checked on her a few times to make sure she was still breathing...so my dear friend Shauna - I owe you my life! Or at least an ice cream outing. Thanks for giving me the confidence to finally sleep train.

I woke up happier, refreshed, and a better mom because of it. And I actually had dreams last night! Albeit, weird ones, dreams nonetheless! Yeah for sleep training!!

Homemade Baby Food

I have made all of Little Miss's baby food - except the cereal, and I love it!

I found this great website - wholesomebabyfood.com - and it has saved us a ton of money, plus it's fresh and super healthy, and way easier than you'd think.

The website has info on food safety, age to introduce certain foods, best ways to cook it to keep the most nutrition in, food storage, recipes, and allergy information. I love it!

To date I've made - sweet potato, peas, carrots, prunes, apples, bananas, zuchini, butternut squash, peaches, avocado, pears, and green beans.

Most of them get steamed, pureed, and then I just freeze them in cubes in an ice cube tray for storage. Then in freezer bags with labels & dates.
I love being able to make Little Miss healthy fresh food & knowing exactly what is in there. Plus, I've done a little taste testing - homemade tastes way better!

And as if I couldn't be more OCD about the process - I keep all the ziplocs in a new pull-out shoe organizer - this way the little bags don't get lost in our all-too-small freezer.

Little Miss always helps me - by watching - and loves to know what's going on in the kitchen. She is always up for tasting while making too!
A couple of bonuses....

• Frozen food cubes help soothe teething gums
• Cooking healthy for Little Miss makes us automatically eat better too
• When steaming apples, our house smells delicious!

I would recommend this to everyone - especially in this economy. Gotta penny-pinch where we can!