My husband asked me recently to put a new picture of Brian up on my little blog. His reason? Brian looked weird in the early pictures. Of course, any mother will tell you that her baby NEVER looks weird or anything less than beautiful. He just looked like a less developed version of his currently adorable self!
But to satisfy my husband and to make things fair since I did just post a picture of Jake in the last entry, here’s a recent shot of Brian, my gigantic youngest. He’s still off the charts at 13 months. Quite shocking for the boy who was once a 12lb 8.5oz newborn. Cute isn’t he?
August 16th, 2008
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It’s not pretty, but sometimes it’s a fun daydream when you’re steamed. Divorce is a very common occurrence and while I might poke fun lightly at my husband from time to time, I’m of the sticking variety. We’ve had our ups and downs, but despite the occasional glaring silence and vague threat when we don’t get our way, we’ve got a good deal going.
Others can’t say the same.
So far, I’ve had two friends get divorced. One was only about 34 and on his second divorce. (His wife was cheating on him big time – I would have left her, too.) The other friend was the kind of divorce that really stings. She got married to a guy she loved. She was perfectly happy until one day he told her that he’d realized he didn’t really love her and wasn’t really very interested in staying married to her. Ouch.
Fortunately she’s since remarried a guy who DOES really love her and she’s expecting her first child. All this and she’s only 27.
I’m not going to say that divorce is wrong, but I do think it’s considered a bit too lightly by many parties. After all, everyone is doing it – it must be okay, right?
That being said, I’ll admit freely I’ve considered it on rare occasions. Usually those occasions are when my adorable husband makes sweeping generalizations such as, “Why can’t you just keep the house cleaner? Women throughout time have managed to raise kids and clean at the same time – why can’t you?”
*teeth gnashing and stony silence*
February 18th, 2008
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You might notice this blog hasn’t been updated regularly. That’s because I’m a work at home mom. I work at home. I have two kids under three. My life is insane. I love it, but sometimes it’s just too full so things get pushed to the back burner. This blog, unfortunately is one of them.
But here’s the problem with being a work at home mom:
- I wake up with the boys around 7am. I actively parent (and I mean actively) all day long.
- The boys have overlapping naps for maybe thirty minutes - just enough time to respond to a few emails.
- Both boys are asleep in bed by 8pm, and I sit down to work…until 11pm or midnight.
Sounds great right? Being home with the boys all day is great. Being a freelance writer who can work literally anywhere, anytime is great, too. But trying to do everything all at once is really challenging.
Because I work at night after the boys are in bed, there are a few things that simply don’t get done around here. During the day a toddler and infant and working nights prevents me from taking care of:
- laundry
- picking up the toys
- baking
- uploading pictures
- watching television
- painting my toenails
- putting away clothes
- cleaning up the kitchen
- returning phone calls
- updating baby books
- reading books for fun
- etc…
Since I must work frantically all evening, all “normal” evening activities must be done while my boys are awake. So that means I’m trying to do two or more things at once any given day, and my house is constantly filthy and cluttered.
And, of course, I’m not spending as much dedicated time with them as I’d like, which was my whole reason to quit teaching for a year to work at home. So is it worth it? At this exact moment, I’m not exactly sure…
December 13th, 2007
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Rest (verb)
To rest is to take a moment any where, any way you can to not actively parent, work, or otherwise engage in the 752 tasks that call for your attention at any given moment. Rest can be hard to come by, especially for working mothers, so it must often be carefully sought out and taken advantage of when found.
See also: break, temporary insanity, sleep, almost asleep, REM sleep, stopping at a red light, waiting at the doctor’s office
November 24th, 2007
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Working Mommy Guilt is very real. Sure it seems like an excuse to spoil your child or be lax on discipline, but if you think that – you’ve probably never actually worked away from home for more than fifteen hours a week.
My friend Shanna went back to work after three years at home. She’s never worked more than a few hours a week since having her oldest who happens to be Jake’s age. Now she is working full-time as a high school librarian. She is suffering from Working Mommy Guilt in a big way. She got a membership to the Y with childcare. She was going every day for months. She went back to work and hasn’t been since – she just can’t stand the thought of leaving her girls in the childcare for one more hour. I don’t blame her.
I don’t go to church because I don’t like the idea of childcare for one hour to attend a church service by myself. (Mike won’t go.) I’d rather spend that hour with my boys. This feeling was even more powerful when I was working full-time.
November 18th, 2007
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1.Your toddler asks for a banana. You peel the banana. Your infant fusses a bit, so you walk over and try to hand him the banana. Your toddler and husband look on like you’re insane – which you are after four months of sleep deprivation.
2.Your toddler has a dirty diaper. You interrupt his play to clean it up. You bundle the diaper, kiss the toddler and head off in search of a plastic bag for proper disposal. On the way back from the garage you see your toddler contentedly playing again – with a bare bottom. It seems you completely forgot to put a new diaper on.
Yes, both of these happened to me today. And yes, I’m exhausted.
On that note, I’m going to bed for another six or (hopefully) seven hours of much interrupted sleep.
Night! *yawn*
November 13th, 2007
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Rebecca |
Infant Sleep, Notes from a Real Mom, All Parenting Articles |
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No-No (noun)
A forbidden or highly discouraged activity usually followed by a form of disciplinary action - the degree of which is determined by the severity of the no-no and the state of the mother’s exhaustion. “Jake, drawing on your brother with markers is a no-no!”
See also: mistake, rebellion, tantrum, toddler antic
October 25th, 2007
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Snuggles (noun)
To squeeze tightly for an extended period of time. Often accompanied by Kisses. “Come give Mommy snuggles and kisses!”
See also: hugs, squeezes, kisses
October 13th, 2007
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A few weeks ago we had a stomach bug, and I learned a lot about dealing with diarrhea. If your little one is struck down with diarrhea, here’s what worked for us:
Infants:
-Wait a day to see if it will just run its course.
-Make sure your formula isn’t diluted; full strength formula can be constipating which is good in this case.
-If infant diarrhea lasts longer than 24-48 hours, call your doctor. You might even want to call sooner.
-They will most likely tell you to take your baby off formula (I’m not sure about breast milk) and give him Pedialyte instead for 24 hours.
-Then you’ll do half formula and half Pedialyte for a day or two
-And finally you’ll be back on full formula, and hopefully the diarrhea will be cleared up.
*A note – be sure to stock up on diaper rash ointment and use it liberally. There is nothing worse than a baby who’s tummy and butt hurts.
Toddlers:
I sincerely feel that toddler diarrhea was worse than infant diarrhea. Infants don’t walk with theirs….
October 9th, 2007
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Infant Feedings, Toddler Potty Training, Notes from a Real Mom, Toddler Drama, Infant Issues, All Parenting Articles |
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Here’s my method for Cry It Out. There are many different ones and mine is a combination of many “expert” opinions. After all, I’m the real expert on my kiddos.
1. Wait until your baby is at least four months old. Ideally you’ve been letting them fall asleep on their own since birth (after rocking, of course), which will make it easier. But if not, never fear – the end result is the same.
2. Establish a solid bedtime routine. This will clue your baby in that it’s sleep time every night. Be sure you’re starting bedtime around the same time every night when your child looks sleepy (Not after she’s fussing.)
3. The first night, go through your routine. Bathe, rock, snuggle, nurse or feed, and then sing or rock some more. Instead of waiting for your baby to fall sound asleep, as soon as you see her eyes drifting shut, gently place her in the crib.
4. Her eyes will most likely pop open and she’ll wonder why in the world she’s not still in your arms.
October 3rd, 2007
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Rebecca |
Toddler Sleep, Infant Sleep, Notes from a Real Mom, Infant Issues, All Parenting Articles |
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My oldest had a sleep problem. By four months he was waking up every two hours at night and had been sleeping four or five when he came home from the hospital. After examining the problem and researching it, I discovered that we were the problem.
Apparently, rocking my baby to sleep all the time and putting him down only when he was knocked out didn’t teach him to fall asleep on his own. In fact, he liked the rocking and Mommy so much, he wanted to do it again every time he came out of a deep sleep at night – every two hours.
October 1st, 2007
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Rebecca |
Toddler Sleep, Infant Sleep, Notes from a Real Mom, Infant Issues, All Parenting Articles |
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I learned something last week. Latex nipples have an expiration date.
I know that most moms use silicone, but I liked the latex ones with Jake because they were easier to suck. Like the thrifty mom I am, I simply scrubbed them within an inch of their life and put them away until Brian showed up.
I’ve been using them for two months, and recently went to buy a new pack to have on hand when I skimmed the back.
1. Latex nipples should only be boiled on time and hand washed after that. Check – already knew that.
2. Latex nipples should be replaced every 2-3 months. Oops.
September 20th, 2007
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Rice cereal is usually the first food given to a baby. According to experts babies should not be given solids, including rice cereal, until six months. When Jake was a baby, it was four months, but now apparently the “new” rule is six months.
I like to live on the edge, so I’ve already cheated. Brian has had cereal. And it didn’t work.
August 27th, 2007
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A constipated baby on a liquid diet is no small feat. The iron in formula can cause the usual liquid poop to become more clay-like and hard for a baby to pass. In my vast formula feeding experience, which is rather extensive, there are two ways to deal with constipation in infants:
1. Dilute the formula. The iron in formula gives poop the lovely green color and can thicken it up. If you add a bit of extra water to each bottle, say a quarter of an ounce, it may be all that’s needed to keep things running smoothly.
2. Slip them some juice. Apple juice and prune juice are both great for loosing up the bowels, but apple tastes better (a personal preference.) Adding a half an ounce or so of juice to a single bottle should help soften things up.
If neither method is working after a couple of days, contact your doctor. Also, it’s normal for a formula fed baby to go a day or two without pooping and a breastfed baby can go three or four before there is cause for concern. If you’re worried, talk to your doctor. I’m not an expert; I’m just an experienced mom.
August 22nd, 2007
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I’m a huge fan of swaddling. I didn’t realize how important it was until after Jake was two months old and beyond sleep deprived. Brian LOVES the swaddle. He wants to be swaddled in the car, in the swing, and anytime he’s on his back for more than a few minutes. 
A few notes on swaddling:
Make it tight. The tighter you swaddle, the more comfortable a baby is. It’s backwards, I know. Try though and see – just don’t do it too tight. Besides, a loose blanket in the crib can be a very bad thing
August 17th, 2007
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Rebecca |
Notes from a Real Mom, Infant Issues, All Parenting Articles |
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Similac tastes better than Enfamil.
Believe it or not, I actually researched this when my older son stopped drinking his bottle around four months. You have to understand that my child LOVED to eat for a long time, but then decided to pay me back for my childhood (and adult) pickiness by refusing to take a bottle (and later being spoonfed.)
After researching the matter, I actually found people that reviewed various formulas including a taste test for their own child. I’m not brave enough to do it myself, but according to their report, Enfamil is rather grainy and Similac is smooth. While neither one is very tasty, they were able to get Similac down the hatch – Enfamil never made it past their noses
August 11th, 2007
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