The birthday girl will be one in 3 days and I can't believe it! I have been totally consumed with the party I've been planning and today was the first time I sat back and thought "this time last year I was beyond pregnant" now a whole year has passed.
I'm not sure how I feel about that. Don't get me wrong, I am more then excited at my little girl growing up, but how can I not be a little sad at the same time? She is 1 now and that means my son will be 3. You really start to realize how fast time goes by once you have kids and have something actually in your face saying "it's been a year, it's been 10 years, it's been 16, 20, 50 years!" With time moving so fast, it's hard to not feel like you could have done more in that time frame. Like maybe you failed this year. Maybe life should be a lot different then it was a year ago. For me, things are the same. Outside of the fact that I am not pregnant, my life hasn't changed much, if at all.
As I said before, I'm not sure how I feel about that. Being a parent seems to make time move so much faster then it used to, I don't think it's something that anyone can get used to, but it shows that you have to make the most of even the smallest things because they will all be gone too soon.
Showing posts with label Kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kids. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Friday, August 3, 2007
World Breastfeeding Week
August 1st marked the start of World Breastfeeding Week It's a big deal and is really recognized by the world. There is a video called The Breast Crawl that actually shows the newborn infants ability to crawl to the breast to nurse right after birth! Just amazing.
Part of the reason for world breastfeeding week is to pass along such vital information to mothers about the importance of breast feeding. Marsha Walker RN, has done extensive research on formula verses breastfeeding and you would be amazed at her findings. For example, did you know formula is 50 percent sugar? SUGAR!! Maybe that's why childhood diabetes is on the rise.
I could go on about this forever ( and I will all this week) so stay tuned for more information. Please check out the links I listed as well as My lactation consultants siteto familiarize yourself with the many benefits of breastfeeding.
Part of the reason for world breastfeeding week is to pass along such vital information to mothers about the importance of breast feeding. Marsha Walker RN, has done extensive research on formula verses breastfeeding and you would be amazed at her findings. For example, did you know formula is 50 percent sugar? SUGAR!! Maybe that's why childhood diabetes is on the rise.
I could go on about this forever ( and I will all this week) so stay tuned for more information. Please check out the links I listed as well as My lactation consultants siteto familiarize yourself with the many benefits of breastfeeding.
Friday, July 20, 2007
At Wit's End?
This blog is courtesy of a magazine called Parent and Child. This article was in there and I wanted to share it with other moms and parents in general.
Forget yelling and nagging, focus on positive discipline to bring out the best in your kids and create a more harmonious household.
A Better Way: Positive Discipline, based on love and limits, is common sense. It's often the simple, sensible choices we tend to overlook as options, especially when we're in the heat of a kid battle. Unlike punishment, positive discipline works to maintain the dignity of both child and parent by helping the child want to cooperate because he knows it's the right thing to do, not because he feels he has to comply "or else" It has 3 main objectives:
1. Acknowledge strong feelings: A child who feels understood sees you as on his side rather then on his back and is more likely to cooperate.
2.Talk less: Say what needs to be done in a single word if you can. Children hate long explanations, which often turn into a screaming tirade of reasons it must be done. You're also modeling self control.
3. Tell your child what he can do, rather then what he cannot do: i.e. "we pet the cat" works better then "Don't pull the cat's tail like you did last time"
4. Give limited choices: Say to your child " you can get in your car seat all by yourself, or mommy can help you, do you need my help? It's your choice" ( but they have to get into their car seat) The more you do this, the more you'll get "self" cooperation
5. Lighten up: Make inanimate objects do the talking for you. Have your child shoes ask him to put them on.
6. Rewind!: This announcement means that your child will "take back" her words and actions and start anew with good behaviour. Silly babble and walking backwards indicate the bad behaviour has been "erased."
7. Take a break: To calm a frustrated child, stop and breathe together. Sitting across from one another hold hands and inhale slowly and deeply three times.
8. Take a silly break: A sense of humor is very positive and often works well to stop misbehaviour. When things are out of control, consider declaring " We need to get silly!" Dance, sing, tell a joke, talk in a silly voice or a foreign language. The children will join right in, or at least stop long enough to watch the show.
In truth, changing your ways and your children's isn't easy. and it can be especially difficult yo hold it together on crazy mornings. But even if you find that what comes out of your mouth is not what you had practiced, don't worry. Your child will give you another chance-sooner than you think-to say it better.
Written by:Gail Reichlin
Forget yelling and nagging, focus on positive discipline to bring out the best in your kids and create a more harmonious household.
A Better Way: Positive Discipline, based on love and limits, is common sense. It's often the simple, sensible choices we tend to overlook as options, especially when we're in the heat of a kid battle. Unlike punishment, positive discipline works to maintain the dignity of both child and parent by helping the child want to cooperate because he knows it's the right thing to do, not because he feels he has to comply "or else" It has 3 main objectives:
- To put a stop to misbehavior
- To encourage good behaviors
- To strengthen the relationship between parent and child
1. Acknowledge strong feelings: A child who feels understood sees you as on his side rather then on his back and is more likely to cooperate.
2.Talk less: Say what needs to be done in a single word if you can. Children hate long explanations, which often turn into a screaming tirade of reasons it must be done. You're also modeling self control.
3. Tell your child what he can do, rather then what he cannot do: i.e. "we pet the cat" works better then "Don't pull the cat's tail like you did last time"
4. Give limited choices: Say to your child " you can get in your car seat all by yourself, or mommy can help you, do you need my help? It's your choice" ( but they have to get into their car seat) The more you do this, the more you'll get "self" cooperation
5. Lighten up: Make inanimate objects do the talking for you. Have your child shoes ask him to put them on.
6. Rewind!: This announcement means that your child will "take back" her words and actions and start anew with good behaviour. Silly babble and walking backwards indicate the bad behaviour has been "erased."
7. Take a break: To calm a frustrated child, stop and breathe together. Sitting across from one another hold hands and inhale slowly and deeply three times.
8. Take a silly break: A sense of humor is very positive and often works well to stop misbehaviour. When things are out of control, consider declaring " We need to get silly!" Dance, sing, tell a joke, talk in a silly voice or a foreign language. The children will join right in, or at least stop long enough to watch the show.
In truth, changing your ways and your children's isn't easy. and it can be especially difficult yo hold it together on crazy mornings. But even if you find that what comes out of your mouth is not what you had practiced, don't worry. Your child will give you another chance-sooner than you think-to say it better.
Written by:Gail Reichlin
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Kids say the darndest things
Being a mother of 2 and an older sister to a now 6 year old, I knew this day would come. My son who is almost three has become very very verbal. He began speaking fairly early and seems to absorb everything he hears so it's not surprising, that now his vocabulary is extensive.
Yesterday, we were in the grocery store and I was looking to buy ice cream ( not that it matters what I was doing) and my son i in the back of the cart waiting patiently with his daddy and sister. ( 9 months old) the aisle that we are in is packed with people and just as a couple walk by he shouts ( although I am very close to him) "Mommy, Mommy.....I FARTED!!!" The couple ( who obviously doesn't have kids) got a look on their faces that said they wanted to laugh but felt they shouldn't. What did I do? I said " thank you for sharing that with me....and everyone else honey" Then I did what anyone else would do, I laughed uncontrollably. I mean this is what kids do. There is no way I could get upset at that. We went to the Dr. for his sister the other day. Since they share the same Dr. the Dr. asked him for a hug, and he says no. She asks him again, and he walks up to me and says " mommy, i don't like her" Now, the Dr. isn't the one who gives him the shots, but needless to say, she wasn't getting a hug from him that day.
Right now, it's all fun and games, and I look forward to his little outbursts, so that on prom night I can embarrass him, by telling these stories to his date. We will see how I feel, when we are in a store and he shouts " mommy, she's fat!"
Yesterday, we were in the grocery store and I was looking to buy ice cream ( not that it matters what I was doing) and my son i in the back of the cart waiting patiently with his daddy and sister. ( 9 months old) the aisle that we are in is packed with people and just as a couple walk by he shouts ( although I am very close to him) "Mommy, Mommy.....I FARTED!!!" The couple ( who obviously doesn't have kids) got a look on their faces that said they wanted to laugh but felt they shouldn't. What did I do? I said " thank you for sharing that with me....and everyone else honey" Then I did what anyone else would do, I laughed uncontrollably. I mean this is what kids do. There is no way I could get upset at that. We went to the Dr. for his sister the other day. Since they share the same Dr. the Dr. asked him for a hug, and he says no. She asks him again, and he walks up to me and says " mommy, i don't like her" Now, the Dr. isn't the one who gives him the shots, but needless to say, she wasn't getting a hug from him that day.
Right now, it's all fun and games, and I look forward to his little outbursts, so that on prom night I can embarrass him, by telling these stories to his date. We will see how I feel, when we are in a store and he shouts " mommy, she's fat!"
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Party Time
Well, this is officially MOM BLOG. You see it's getting close to birthday time for both of my kids. ( one is Sept. and one in Oct.) I have a way of having giant parties for my son. He will be three this year and the theme will be "Cars" the movie, which I must add he watches 3 times a day! My daughter is turning one, which means it is a big deal. Her theme will be Ladybugs.
I have already made myself, a pile of internet printed ideas. I have prob. mountains of scrap paper, where I have thought of things randomly and written them down while shopping, or ugh.....driving. lol Don't tell ok? So, let the planning begin. I will say I have to pat myself on the back because my parties come out awesome, that should be my job, a professional party planner. I have planned parties for things other then kids B-days also. I have done company parties, baby showers etc. whoa, sorry I got carried away there. Anyway, to give props where they are due, here are a few websites that I have gotten ideas from. dltk-kidz birthday in a box and Celebrate Express to name a few. Check them out, or write me if your planning a party and need ideas. I'll post more on my progress as I go. Wish me luck!
I have already made myself, a pile of internet printed ideas. I have prob. mountains of scrap paper, where I have thought of things randomly and written them down while shopping, or ugh.....driving. lol Don't tell ok? So, let the planning begin. I will say I have to pat myself on the back because my parties come out awesome, that should be my job, a professional party planner. I have planned parties for things other then kids B-days also. I have done company parties, baby showers etc. whoa, sorry I got carried away there. Anyway, to give props where they are due, here are a few websites that I have gotten ideas from. dltk-kidz birthday in a box and Celebrate Express to name a few. Check them out, or write me if your planning a party and need ideas. I'll post more on my progress as I go. Wish me luck!
Friday, May 25, 2007
Children And Bedtimes
There is no denying that bedtimes are a must in my house, for a number of reasons. You see, no matter what, I crave that itty bitty bit of time to myself after the 2 little ones are in bed. Sometimes I spend my time during the day making a mental list of what I will do once they are asleep. (i.e. paint my toenails, watch a DVD, stare into space) So I am constantly reading book upon book, searching site after site for things like what is an appropriate bedtime for a 2 year old. Or whats the best way to get the kids to sleep so they will stay asleep. Although all have "nice" ideas, they are all the same. You know the ones, "let them cry it out" why in the world would I want to allow my child to cry himself to sleep? That stresses me out. I also saw Dr. Sears on Dr. Phil who happens to be one of the nations leading pediatricians. He says that it is unhealthy to let your babies cry and cry. It raises their temperature and blood pressure etc etc. So I'm not going that route. I breastfed both of my babies and I sometimes will put the baby to bed in her crib after she is asleep. ( whoever suggested putting them in there while they are still awake must not have tried that) all that doe sis wake up the baby and piss them off to the point where there is no going back to sleep. At least with my kids anyway.I find that sleeping with them in bed until they are either A) no longer breastfeeding at night or B) about 14 months old works the best. I then put them in their own bed.
Once this is accomplished I move to getting them to sleep all night in it. I never give in to the middle of the night, sneak into my bed routine. As much as I would like to. I sit next to the bed and wait patiently without talking un till they fall asleep and leave the room. I do this even if they wake in the middle of the night and it works great. My son understands that once he is asleep, mommy will leave the room and that I am always close by if he has a bad dream.
My son goes to bed at 8:30, that may be late for some, but he needs 10 to 12 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period for his age of 2 and a half. He wakes at 7 and sometimes takes a half hour nap. This routine ( see future blogs for my take on children having a routine) works well for him and me because of the predictability of it all. I put my 8 month old to bed at the same time. It's fair and this way they are both asleep together and I am free. lol
Once this is accomplished I move to getting them to sleep all night in it. I never give in to the middle of the night, sneak into my bed routine. As much as I would like to. I sit next to the bed and wait patiently without talking un till they fall asleep and leave the room. I do this even if they wake in the middle of the night and it works great. My son understands that once he is asleep, mommy will leave the room and that I am always close by if he has a bad dream.
My son goes to bed at 8:30, that may be late for some, but he needs 10 to 12 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period for his age of 2 and a half. He wakes at 7 and sometimes takes a half hour nap. This routine ( see future blogs for my take on children having a routine) works well for him and me because of the predictability of it all. I put my 8 month old to bed at the same time. It's fair and this way they are both asleep together and I am free. lol
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