Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Traveling

I wonder... why is it so hard to travel with little ones?
Is traveling really that much of a shock to the system, that they just don't know what to do with themselves?
Maybe, if you are like me, I have my house set up. Little man knows where he can and can not go, and I know how long I have to go and get him before he gets in real trouble when he goes where he isn't sopposed to... I know exactly where he is and what he has (the vast majority of the time) by just the tiny sounds that he makes. This isn't true in a new setting.
I become this hawk, and he my prey. He can't go anywhere, unless I have gone there first. He hears the words "NO, Come back now!" way more than he's used to hearing them. I'm sure this wears on him... like I'm nagging him... maybe good prepreation for later in life??? : )
He doesn't eat. He's in this stage in life where everything is new, and he just got the ability to go and check everything out. Why waste his time eating when he can be exploring new and exciting worlds? And then, he wonders why by the end of the day, he's still fighting sleep, but is just as miserable as can be.
And then, there's night. Every new sound wakes him up. And he's not that great of a sleeper anyway, but in a new environment, hope is lost. I have never been gone for more than 3 nights, and even that was just once or twice, and by the end, I'm just beyond exhausted. Compound this with the fact that I usually travel without my husband, my right hand, and no wonder I don't leave more often.
So, what's a Mom to do? I pack as many snacks as I can that I'll know he'll eat. I pack his favorite toys to keep him distracted from Grandma's favorite (insert something expensive and breakable or eatable) I'm like a boy scout, and come pretty prepared. I do like my packing technique... the day before we leave, everything I use I put in a suitcase. That way, I don't forget anything. I know about not washing the blankets and other sleep things so that they still smell like home. I try to make things as comfortable for him as possible... Short of making him sleep in the pack n play for a couple of weeks before we leave, wich then I'll be exhausted BEFORE we leave, not sure what else we could do. This is another one where I'll leave it up to the other mom's... Any great and revoluionary ways to make travel with your little one better? Find a way to fit your entire house, or just the nursery, in a suitcase? : )
Thanks!

Friday, March 26, 2010

My Son's Birth Day


But Mary kept all these things, and treasured them in her heart. ~ Luke 2:19



There few days as important as the day that you give birth to your child. On that day, your life changes forever. You get to meet one of the people that you love most in the world, one of the people that are going to challenge you and test you like no other person has the power to do. It's a pretty spectatular day. Maybe that is why it is so important to women, it seems more so today than ever before, that every detail of that is special and under their terms, and how they want it.

The day before Daniel was born... wait, let's go back a little further. Just a few weeks into my pregnancy, I had some spotting. It was scary. I had just found out I was pregnant, just told our parents, and we were just getting used to the idea that we were finally going to get to be parents, and then it happens. Before you even meet the baby, feel the baby, you love this child. You love them more than you could ever know, until you are faced with the possibility that you could lose them. This is so minor, looking back, and I knew it was normal to have some spotting inthe begining, but I jsut had a feeling that something just wasn't right. (This feeling becomes a screaming voice in your head the second you get pregnant, by the way) We call the doctor, and they basically give me a list of things that I can and can not do, followed by, "You maybe having a miscarriage, and this early on, there's nothing we can do to help it. It might just happen." YIKES!!! Not really what you want to hear from the person that you are trusting with bringing you and your baby through the next few months safely, with some sort of super human powers...
AND then it hit me. (Well, actually it hit me when I was on the phone with my mother in law who prayed with me over the phone when I was told her what was going on~ pretty cool experience...) This is not in my hands. I have no control over this (outside of not eating sushi, and not drinking my coffee, and taking my pre-natals, ect...) there was nothing I could do to make this pregnancy happen. I couldn't MAKE my baby grow, I could only provide the best environment possible, and the rest was up to God. My 'itty, bitty baby" was in HIS hands. Man, was this just an awesome lesson in just the nick of time!
From then on out, this was God's deal, and I'm along for the ride. The spotting turned out to be no big deal, just found out that I had O neg. blood and got more shots (yippie!!!) and we went right along through the pregnancy...
Well, towards the end of July, about 5 weeks before Daniel was born, and 8 weeks before he was sopposed to be born, I was put on bedrest for pre-eclampsia. Thank goodness for the summer Olymipics that summer, otherwise I might have literaly gone insane! : ) OH, and a loving, kind, caring, super-amazing in everyway husband who waited on me hand and foot and cooked and cleaned and worked the whole time I was on bedrest. He was amazing, and even had to bear the brunt of my occasional craziness when I was on bedrest. (Actually, he bears the brunt of my craziness now~ but different blog! : )
So, the day before I had him, I went in and my blood pressure was up even more, and I had gained 3 pounds (concidering I only gained 10 lbs for the whole pregnancy, 3 in a couple of days was major, aparently), so they did a stress test on me along with a sonogram. I'm not 100%, but from what I can gather, I was having regular contrations without being dialated and only 50% effaced... And when they did the sonogram, he was measuring 9.3 lbs...
After the test, my doctor comes into the room, and says "Well, how about a C~ Section tomorrow" (while we had never really had a firm birth plan, we had discussed the possiblities of the options, and were shooting for a natural (maybe) vaginal birth, like everyone, I believe). These words caught me off guard to be perfectly honest. I'm sure my mouth dropped right open, and I turned white, becuase she started in very quickly "Now,there's a possibility that we'll deliver him tomorrow, and you'll have an 8 lb baby, and the c-section wouldn't have been necessary..." (And I thought, yeah, but he could be 10 lbs, too~ let's do this!)
"But, from what it looks like, I don't want to induce you becuase I don't think you're ready for that, and you're starting to get worse. I think it's time to have this baby. Is this enough time for you?"
I had my bags packed for a couple of weeks already. I was ready. Three weeks early. How did I know???
Well, I went and had all my pre-op done, and spent the next 4 hours on the phone, calling all the grandparents, my husband, other family and friends to announce that we're going to have a baby tomorrow!
Finally, about 1 am I get to sleep. The next morning, I wake up early and get some oatmeal (my surgery wasn't until 3 in the after noon, so I was able to eat until about 6 am, so I woke up and ate!) And tried to go back to sleep for a little bit. Later in the morning, my mother in law made it to our house, as we were putting the finishing touches on our nursery. Earlier in the day, we went and signed our life insurance paperwork, because all of the health testing had been done with me being pregnant, and if I wasn't pregnant anymore, we'd have to do it again, and besides, I was having major surgery, why not make sure I had life insurance? We got home, got the bouncer together, and batteries in the mobile, and went to the hospital. There, my father in law and his wife met us.
I was so glad that Matt's parents were able to be there, because as it turned out, he was really, really nervous. He needed them, and I needed him. It worked out perfectly. It was pretty funny to see just how fast his Dad could run out of the room everytime someone came in to check me, or prep me for surgery : )
It came down to it, and I had an amazing nurse who prepped me. She took amazing care of me, down to giving me a numbing shot in my hand before she placed my IV, not only to make it more comfortable, but to let me know on a small scale what the spinal was going to feel like, to help prepare me. (How cool is that???)
I was scared because they have the Dad's wait out of the surgery room until you have your spinal block and they are basically about to cut. The spinal block was the only part that I was concerned about. Nothing else scared me, and THAT was the part that I couldn't have my husband for??? BOO!!! But, the same amazing nurse was with me, and even noticed how bad my heartburn had gotten, and took care of that for me. You know how some people justhave calming energies? She had that. Again, how cool is that?
Well, I'm all prepped, ready to go, Matt walks in with our camcorder, WHITE AS A SHEET, barely able to talk, but even then, it was awesome just to have him there. Right behind him is my doctor who tells me I look great, everything's set, and here we go! Within minutes after my spinal block, I bet 15 in all, Daniel was born. There is 5 minutes of fottage on our tape before he's born. They have this down to a science. It is precise. It is amazing. Another 30 minutes of what felt like them punching my lungs, and sloshing everything around on the inside, I was stiched up and rolling back to my room with Daneil in my arms. OH, and the cry he made when he was first born~ out of this world amazing. I think I started bonding with him, right then and there, even though I couldn't see him or feel him. We knew we were in the same room. He knew he wanted me. I knew I wanted him, but well, my insides felt like they were outsides, and I was getting fixed up.
And, on a funny note, when they first show you the baby, right before they take him to make sure he's ok, my very first reaction was "You look just like Jessica! (my husband's sister) and my husband thought "You look just like Adam! (my brother)
He was 9lb 5 ozs. He was almost 22 inches. My sweet, beautiful, big boy! Back in the room, I felt some pain, but managable but I was a little shakey. I nursed him, and I was able to have the most amazing (wow~ I know I'm using this word alot, but there's few that are better to describe this) lactation consultant who came in, on her way home on a Friday evening, and sat there patiently, showing me exactly what to do, along with a BUNCH of helpful little hints....See, Amazing! After this, I was really shaky, but again, perfect because there were a bunch of grandparents there who wanted to meet the new little one, so they got a chance to meet their grandson up close while I recovered a bit more from the shock of surgery and got to sit back and ponder everything that had just happened. We had some more dear friends come and visit, and then my mom came. : ) My brother got there just about the same time, and he didn't want to hold Daniel, just touch his little hands. Being able to sit back and see all of the faces, especially of my family, as they met Daniel for the first time was really special. I got to see the love that they have for him, just like I did, the very day he was born. : ) For everything that had happened that day, I was surprisingly alert and not the slightest bit foggy. Even though I had just had surgery, I felt somewhat rested, wich I'm not sure I would have felt that way if I had labor prior to his birth.
I will say, Daniel and I weren't completly bonded right away. When he was born, there wasn't this instantaneous feeling of connection, that frankly I was expecting. I think it was because we were both in survival mode. After something so traumatic to both of our bodies, we just needed to heal. At 4 AM in the morning, after spending all night with him sleeping on my chest, skin to skin, and waking up with him probally every hour, Matt begged for him to go to the nursery. So, after some reluctance on my part, he went, but an hour and half later, he was back! : )
The next day, my Dad and Step-Mom came to visit, and I was moved out of the recovery wing, and onto the maternity ward, and that night, we were bonded. I remember just looking into his eyes and thinking "You're going to be such a great big brother!". Now, I don't know how I knew his personality already. I have always just known, I could tell in the womb how Daniel was going to be. Maybe the way he moved? (And boy, did he MOVE!) I just don't know, but there are things about him now that are coming out, that I knew would. Maybe I inadvertantly encourage these things? But, just that thought of him being a big a brother, and that was it. I started crying, and we've been insepraratble ever since.
Three days after he was born, we came home. I was thrilled to be home, Matt, again, was scared out of his mind. He felt completely unprepared, and probally because I was in charge of the prepreations for Daniel. He didn't know the extent that I had gone to to be ready. I had an excellent nest, he just didn't know it yet! :)
After the first night home with Daniel, Mom told me that she was going home. She had complete faith in Matt and me. He knew he could take care of us, and that we could take care of the baby, and that we needed this time as a family to bond and lean on each other, and she didn't want to get in the way of that. Boy, was she right. The wisdom of this lady sometimes! : ) The first week of Daniel's life was amazing, and just beyond words. The time I was able to spend with Matt, adjusting to our new family, seeing how amazing he was with me, with our son, made me love him even more.
While this may not have been every woman's birth plan, or even the one that I had planned in my head, it was way better than I could have ever hoped. It is one of those days that I will forever "treasure up in my heart".

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Recall of Infantino Baby Sling

I got signed up on the e-mail list for the government agency that does recalls, so that I would be one of the first to know about recalls... So, I'll just pass on this info on here.

Today they recalled a certian type of sling... I would like to note that I love baby slings and the idea of "wearing your baby", but I kinda agree with this particular one. This model seems to go against the reason for "wearing your baby", at least to me, and it looks more like you are just wearing a bag that is designed to carry your baby. Anyway, passing on the info so we can all stay safe!

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10177.html

Me and My Big Mouth

Some things have been on my mind this week, and I think I'll just write a couple of ideas down to see what you guys think...
I know I have a big mouth. I like to think that it's because I'm an open book, you always know what I'm about and what I think. There's no mystery here. I kinda like that...
Well, I know that this is not always the best policy. I know that I sometimes offend with my big mouth, or that I come accross pretty poorly. Almost always, I have good intentions but you know what they say about those.
I'm just kind of awkward socially, and you have to get me to really like me, and not everyone gets me. I'm not saying that everyone has to like me.
I don't know. This started in Sunday School when they were talking about keeping your marriage sacred by not sharing everything with everyone in order to build trust between spouses. I totally see this. I totally hope that I don't embarrass my husband when we are out, or when I tell people things... I try to let others learn from me and my experience, but it doesn't always work out that way. And this is the best scenario as to why I would be telling things that I shouldn't be saying.
So, I guess what I would like to know is how much is too much? How do you know what to say and what not to say? What is your standard for not stepping on toes?
Do you just not care, and stomp away, or do you end up falling over yourself trying to dodge all the ever growing toes in our society?
How do you teach your children what to say and not to say?
Just some thoughts...

Monday, March 22, 2010

Shots

UGGGHHH!!!
I HATE SHOTS!!!
I hate doctors for making us feel that we HAVE to have them RIGHT now, or our babies will die a horrible death of diseases that have been treated successfully for years now, but then they tell you in the next breath "Well, if you really want to wait, it's ok, I guess, it's really just up to you." I hate activist groups for making me feel that if I DO give my baby shots, he'll get autism, and live an awful life, and I'm an awful mother for allowing such chemicals into my baby~ not to mention all of the cruel and inhumane ways they come up with the shots in the first place...
ENOUGH ALREADY!!!
Doctors~ You went to medical school. You know SO much more about my baby's insides and how they work and about the shots and how they affect the system than I do. That being said, I stay at home with my little guy, he's got limited exposure to the outside world, and I'm ok with giving him shots~ just in my OWN time. Besides that, I KNOW him better than you do, so trust me when I say anything over 2 shots at a time is too much!!! There's no rush to give him the 30+ shots in the first two years!!! Can't we spread this out just a little bit? I'm a very attached parent, who freaks over every runny nose, every spot, so, I promise to stay on top of his symptoms if he happens to come down with say, the measles, so that you can treat him early, I promise!!! And if I only want 2 shots at every visit, so that our next few days (yes, I said DAYS, because it does take THAT long for my little guy to get over shots) are better, then LET me COME BACK in a couple of weeks to get the other two shots!!! My insurance pays for it, again, I promise!!! I checked!!! (I'm lucky in this department~ if they didn't I wouldn't have a problem taking him to the health department~ especially since Doctors LOSE money on vaccinations anyway!!!)
Activist Groups~ How dare you put these doubts in our heads with such LITTLE research!!! You have NO IDEA what you are talking about (at least according to the doctors, and they have the degree to back them up...) I have read Dr.Sears, and I have looked into the "links" and the possible side effects that each shot MAY cause my little guy. The percentages are SO LOW to cause such a public uproar!!! That being said, if you ARE one of the small percentage, my heart goes out to you. How awful! I can't imagine. I just simply can't. What a high gamble, even if the percentages are low, but if you are the one in the million, that is too high.

Bottom line, there HAS to be MORE RESEARCH for shots in children. There just simply hasn't been enough to determine how to eliminate that final small percentage of serious side effects. There are good things about having your children immunized. Very good things. There just has to be LESS RISK, even better NO RISK for parents to feel better about giving their child SO MANY shots in the first two years of life. There has to be a better way!!! That is what I am praying for~ a better way to keep our little ones healthy.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Enjoying every moment

Today there are alot of different things going on in my mind, so this may be a little scatter brained... : )
I have read too many times in other blogs about parents "regretting not spending more time with their kids" or regretting not "appreciating the time that you do have with them more." There is time and time again that I hear that time goes by so quickly when it comes to little ones, and that if you don't really stop and smell the roses, so to speak, and do it often, it's gone.
If you can't stop doing the dishes or laundry long enough to play with your child, something is out of whack. I may not always have the cleanest house, but I have tried to actually stop and actually spend time with Daniel. This is not an always thing (like it should be). This doesn't always happen everyday. But, I do try to reconize the moments that he just wants a hug, or to be held for just a moment to see what I am up to, or to just play or dance with me for a minute. Especially when they are little, their attention span is so small, that they are on to the next thing so quickly, and you can be back to the dishes, or laundry, or dinner in no time flat.
This takes practice, too. It can't neccessarily be scheduled.
"All right, I can pencil you in for a hug between lunch and nap, how does 12:45 sound to you?"
It happens when a certian song comes on the radio or the tv... or a certian smell of something baking... It's feelings.
The house will get clean... someday. The jeans can be washed tomorrow. The dishes can sit just a couple more hours, there's no real harm. The baby will not stop growing. The baby will not be there forever. Life doesn't stop happening so that you can clean the toliet.
Believe me, this is just as much for me, as a reminder, than for anyone else. There are so many times that I can't wait for naptime or bedtime so I can just get this one thing done... But, in the long run, what matters? Clean dishes, or the love that you are able to show to your litttle one? Or the memories of dancing in the living room together, before they could even walk?
Here is hoping that there are many more memories to come and to cherish!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Germaphobic

What is it about being a mom that makes you instantaneously a Purex carrying, Lysol spraying, snot nose fearing crazy woman? I understand about not wanting your little one to get sick (because, who wants to see their little one miserable?) But, when it goes to the next level of blaming someone for giving you the germs (GUILTY!!!!) and cursing them under your breath as your holding your little one crying in the middle of the night, it's gone a little too far.
We go over board with questions... "Is the snot clear, yellow, or green? Thick or thin? How many times has he coughed in the past day? Hour? Well, what have you been giving him? Does he have fever? Oh, no, sweetie, don't touch that! Get that out of your mouth! Oh, you say you were sick 3 months ago... we better wait one more month to come over."
I am guilty of all of these statements. They are taken straight out of my vocabulary. I'm somewhat of a medical junkie, which make me know just enough to be dangerous. I don't know as much as I would like to say I do. Growing up, my family, not in a nice way, would call me "Dr. Beth" because I would try to fix everything. Did I mention that for fun growing up, I would read my mother's medical dictionary? Yes, I'm a nerd, I know. My mother reminded me right around the time that my little guy was born that I did NOT have a medical degree hanging on my wall, and since the pedi does, I should let them do their job. She was right.
That being said, I do think there is something to be said for a mother's intuition. A doctor only knows what you tell them. They can only go off your cues and your baby's (which are really hard to read when you're not with them 24-7, and even then, it can be impossible to tell what is wrong.) I never understood the Mother's intuition thing until I had my son, and then did it ever come out! My husband thought I was stubborn before, but get in the way of something that I think is right for my son, and be prepared to get knocked down! If I feel a doctor isn't paying attention to what I am saying, and not fixing a problem; on to the next one.
I would say I'm the middle of the road germaphobe. There are some, like my brother and sister who lived with us for sometime last year who would disagree. Every time they would come into the house with sniffles, there I was with the Lysol ready, spraying everything behind them all the way to their bedroom door. I treated the common cold as the plague. I was all of the sudden someone in "Outbreak" (by the way... anyone know how you can get one of those cool germ suits???) On the other hand, I admit to giving my son his passy after it has fallen on the floor... in public. So where's the sense in that?
I know, it's craziness. But hey, if that's the only (or one of the few) places it comes out, we're doing ok, right?

Sorry if this one seems all over the place... I'm distracted by all the things that need to be lysoled in the house! : )

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Daniel Loves


Daniel loves:
To sing his Sunday school songs,
To say AMEN really loud in the middle of prayers,
To sleep with his blanket, blanket bear, and the shirt I wore that day
To name everyone in the pictures I have hanging in my hallway
To watch the movie "Babe" and name all the animals that show up on the screen
To put the remote in my hand and yell "PIG PIG PIG!!!!" to get to watch "Babe"
To read Daddy's sports magazines, just to find the balls
To play with the neighbor kids his age
To climb in and out of his high chair~ by himself
To eat anything SWEET
To go anywhere, anytime, as long as he's going
To make me happy

: )

Funny Stories

So, per a request from my sister... a funny story!
One lazy evening, pretty soon after Daniel learned to walk, the whole family (my brother, sister, husband, and I) were all sitting around enjoying relaxing. I don't remember what we were watching, but the "Safety Dance" came on, and Daniel just started dancing. He would bounce up and down, turn around, wave his hands... all with his cute little diaper bottom!!! We all cracked up, so much so that I googled it, and we all danced to the lyrics "You can dance if you want to" until we dropped. It was just ironic that the first real time that he danced was to this song! So much fun! Gotta love the baby booty dance! : )

Photography


Someday, I'd love to do this full time. But, for now, you can enjoy my playing around with my son : )

Whoever said "sleep like a baby" didn't have a baby!!!

I have come to the conclusion that some things just are better left unsaid. And somethings, like "Your baby won't sleep through the night, ever." should totally be said before you have a baby! This post isn't really for the mothers who have problems with their babies sleeping. If your baby sleeps soundly all night long, and wakes up happy the next morning with birds singing and the Disney music in the background... good for you! That's awesome, and I applaud you!
This is for the mommies who are up every two hours with their little ones who insist on feeding constantly. Who spend endless nights on the couch, holding them, trying to get some rest, and can't wait for the sun to come up, because it's just crazy to start the coffee pot before then, right?
Every baby is different. Every Mommy is different. Every Mom also has a list of needs, i.e. I need a HOT shower every couple of days, it is MY time to relax. I also need a soft bed. Coffee every so often is nice, too. So, armed with my coffee and knowledge of when my next nice, hot shower is coming, I can take on the constant barrage that staying home with little ones brings. This brings me to my theory: If sleep is important for the mom, the baby will sleep better. (Probably because the mom is more proactive about making it a priority, which is totally good.) If you are ok and can function with a couple of nights without sleep (like me, but two really is my all time max) then, your little one might not be such a good sleeper. Don't know if this God's selection of not giving you more than you can handle (which might have some part of it, maybe) but, I'm leaning more towards that it is possible to "train" your baby to sleep better~ you just have to be willing to do it. I, am not!!!
Let me just say that I can not handle crying it out. It didn't work for me or my son. The couple of times that I would try at nap, if he would fall asleep eventually, he would wake up early from the nap, and wake up MAD. He would cry for the rest of the day, worse than shot days. It did not work for us. And there were times when I felt so alone in this struggle, as everyone of my Mom friends had success with crying it out.
I had a friend recommend a book to me... "The No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. I highly recommend it, if nothing else, as a way of making yourself not feel so bad for not being "strong enough" to let your little one cry and cry and cry(yes, at 3 am, you can feel this way). I'm glad that crying it out works for some. I've heard miracle stories. Again, this is for the mom's for whom it doesn't.
This is one of the things that sometimes made me feel like less of a mom. I would think "Why can't I get a baby to sleep?" So, I hear all you sleepless moms out there. You are not alone! : )

Tips that I have found that really help, without tears!!!

1) Establish a bedtime routine. This is important to start as early as 3 months (if not earlier), and expect it to change as your little one does. It could change order, change times, ect., but when it works one night, follow until it doesn't anymore. And, you can always go back to old routines and try them again!
2) Adjust dinner time. Some little ones like dinner right before bed. Some like it a couple of hours before. Some mommies like dinner right before bath, because it makes for easy clean up (guilty!!!). Try adjusting it to see witch one works for you, and again, this may change!
3) I have started putting the shirt that I wear all day in the crib with Daniel at night. He is 18 months old now, so I'm more comfortable about having a loose material in his crib. He loves it, and cuddles up with it. And, he has been sleeping better with it. If you have a smaller one, try sleeping with snuggies, ect., and switching out every other night. The stronger the smell on the shirt (I know, ewww, but they love it, and hey, it doesn't have to be a bad smell!!!) the better.
4)Be certain of the temp in the baby's room. Last summer, we found out we had the vent closed in Daniel's room, because during the winter, the heater would make it too hot. Then, summer came, and no cool air was getting into his room. Ooops... But, easy fix!
5) Try white noise. This can be a sound machine (FYI, in my experience, (again, every kid is different) nature sounds don't work as well as water or just music.)which can get to be pretty pricey. This can also be as simple as a fan. Make sure that it isn't too loud, though.
6) NAPS!!! AS weird as it sounds, if you have a bad nap, expect a bad night. If your little one gets too tired to sleep, well, they are too tired to sleep. The overtired baby is an awful thing, and is not fun for the Mom, but it doesn't last long, promise!!! Make sure you accommodate for good naps, (even though they might not happen everyday) and it will make your nights better. I put up sun blocking curtains in Daniel's room (i.e. his comforter) and made it dark as possible. (There are different theories about this, but it has worked for me.) I also try to keep as quiet as possible for the first 10-30 minutes, so that he gets in his deep sleep, then I'm pretty much able to do most things.

Hope these help, and if you have tips of your own, please share, because we could all use them!

Here's to a good night's rest!

Monday, March 1, 2010

Finally starting this!!!

Well, after reading many other friend's and other mommy blogs... I thought there might be something that I could add to the mix! : )
I am a mother of Daniel, who is 18 months and is just amazing! I love him with all my heart... and mainly because he reminds me of his Daddy, who I also love with all my heart.
I guess I should start at the beginning...
I met my husband in high school. We've been dating ever since, and I think we may have had one good real fight in our whole 10+ years now of dating. I love him with everything I've got. He takes such good care of me and now our son, I am SO blessed by him!
Well, after 6 years of dating, we get married. It was amazing, and one of the best days of my life. : ) (with many more to follow, thanks to my wonderful husband!) Everyone told my mom how happy I looked at the wedding, and that was an awesome compliment! Looking back at the pictures (isn't it funny how there is ALWAYS someone taking your picture on your wedding day???) there isn't a one where I'm not smiling. Like I said, one of the best days of my life!
Fast forward 4 more years, and we have a baby... a wonderful, loving, cuddly, BEAUTIFUL (if I do say so myself!: ) Baby Boy! I am a very happy stay at home momma trying to figure out how she can stay at home for the rest of her life! : )
I've read ALOT of parenting books... I've had lots of experience with little ones, but I've only been a mommy for 18 months as of today, so I know I've got ALOT to learn! I'm trusting for guidance from God, family, and friends... not to mention the ever so wonderful "mommy network" as I call it! I'm the kind that loves input. I may not always take the advice, but I do remember it, promise Mom and Dad! ; )
Anyway,
I hope for this to help you connect more with a Mommy Network of your own... but I'll be willing to bet money that this will help me more than anyone else!