Naptime Blog

For those that follow my blog posts here or at my personal blog, you know that my oldest son has had some difficulties and developmental delays. He is super smart, but has trouble walking and had been using a walker. I wanted to share a little on his progress and share this video that just makes a mother’s heart smile.

He is now walking more and more. He still falls a good bit, but is walking more than he is crawling. He has AFOs (orthotics) on his feet that have helped with stability. We have also added physical and occupational therapy to his treatment (he also benefits from Early Intervention services).

Both of my boys just make me so proud (you will see my youngest son in the video as well) and I wanted to share.

Shannon
Potamus Prefers
http://www.potamusprefers.com/

I am trying something new with Tristan. He has not been sleeping well, so I did some research and decided to put a twin mattress on the floor in his nursery. A gate is across the hallway so he can only get to my bedroom. His nursery and my bedroom are 100% childproof so I know he is safe if he gets up at night. Plus I am a super light sleeper. It seems to be working out.

Another reason I decided to try this was I have been studying the Montessori way of learning. They believe:  “A bed should be one which the baby can get in and out of on his own as soon as he is ready to crawl. The first choice is an adult twin bed mattress on the floor. Besides being an aid to development, this arrangement does a lot to prevent the common problem of crying because of boredom or exhaustion. It helps to think of this as a whole-room playpen with a baby gate at the doorway and to examine every nook and cranny for interest and safety. If the newborn is going to share a room with parents or siblings we can still provide a large, safe, and interesting environment. Eventually he will explore the whole room with a gate at the door and then gradually move out into the baby-proofed and baby-interesting remainder of the house. These are the beginning stages of independence, concentration, movement, self-esteem, decision-making, and balanced, healthful development of body, mind, and spirit.”

I am so excited to see how this works long term. So far he wakes up and comes and gets me. Maybe one day he will decide to explore and play.

Chrystal
www.everydayoates.blogspot.com

All day today, my son has had a pink/red left eye. It looks like he could have scratched it or irritated it by messing with something in his eye but I don’t know! My husband said he woke up like that and has been rubbing it quite often throughout the day. Great. I sure hope its not pink eye. There’s nothing “crusty” about his eye which I know is usually a good sign of it, well at least not yet. I do believe there was a time where I had to give him eye drops for something like that many months ago, I can’t remember. I still have not fully regained my memory from pregnancy and that’s a fact! I used to remember everything, literally. In the beginning of my pregnancy it started to fade and I had noticed it. Towards the end, I was forgetting what I had eaten for lunch that day and it seems that it has only gotten worse, is that possible?! I can’t remember what people tell me, can’t remember when I last did something, can’t remember something I was supposed to do that night… all of it! Is there any natural over the counter product that I can use to increase my memory skills? I’ve tried those DS games, Brain Age, or whatever it is called and I failed hard at that. I read about Ginseng and those positive results but I can’t differentiate half the time between what REALLY works and what is a gimmick. I only want information from people who have seriously tried it and saw great results. Now what was I talking about in this blog before, I forgot….Oh that’s right, hope it’s not pink eye!

Krystle

When I was my daughter’s age, there was no such thing as cell phones, Blackberries, I-Phones…  We used Encyclopedias to find out information on any given topic.  We had the telephone book to find a home or business phone number, all landline phones.   We did not own a computer until I was in my early teens, and the first time I used the internet was on dial-up (gasp!), but didn’t know it was so slow because I had nothing to compare it to.  My daughter is amazed that growing up there were no cell phones, no Wi-Fi and internet connections, no technologically advanced means of interacting.

After I finished my homework each day, I actually went outside, walked a few doors down and rang a friend’s doorbell to see if she was done with her homework yet so we could play.  We chatted for hours, but in person.  We played and made up games and had fun. 

Kids today have fun, but quite differently than we did.  Although I am not quite certain I am convinced it is as healthy as going out in the fresh air and “running bases” for three hours with your friends face to face (friends that my parents knew and their parents knew me), but we have to make the best of what we have, right?  My husband and I keep up with much of the latest in technology whenever we can (although I do not own anything Blue Ray yet!) and intend to keep my children up with the latest in technology as well.

I recently reviewed a copy of Read Between the Lines: A Humorous Guide to Texting with Simplicity and Style by Shawn Marie Edgington – www.rbtlguide.com .  Although I consider myself up on all the acronyms and shortcuts to text messaging, I was curious what I still had to learn.  The book is an adorable guide, geared for women, moms like me, who want to keep up with today’s technology and stay in contact with the world. 

For me personally, I have a Blackberry and BBM (use my Blackberry Instant Messenger) more than texting, but the same rules pretty much apply.  Actually, the BBM allows me to carry on a conversation by text with those in my BBM list.  The only drawback is that I can only chat with those who have a Blackberry.

Shawn Marie lists a whole dictionary of acronyms that are used in texting.  I will certainly be going back into the book in my “travels” with not only texting, but with using Twitter, Facebook, my BBM, and other social networking sites and tools.  This shorthand guide is very helpful.  Shawn Marie also talks about other ways in which texting is making its “debut”…  how parents can use it to their advantage with their teens (Generation Text) instead of it being the enemy… how high school and college teachers/professors can use texting to engage the students more in class and in doing homework/projects…  how businesses, politicians, corporations, doctors offices, the older population, just about EVERYONE can jump in the technology bandwagon and start texting.

For me, I am already using these social media tools, and enjoyed the book as it clarified some things and gave me a great little guide.  For anyone who wants to get themselves into all the current technological advances but are afraid to test the waters, this book is a great place to start.

I can’t even imagine what technology will offer by the time my daughter is MY age!

Jennifer
Wife to Paul, Mom to Juliana (7), Anthony and Louis (1) and Joseph (4 months)www.nevaland.com

I am excited to see how this tax season will help our family. Things are so tight today, w/ cost of living steadily rising, but salaries staying the same! Often at the end of our bills there is not much check left. I am hoping & praying for one of those big refunds I hear other moms bragging on.

For forever we have only had our 1 son to claim. Now that our family has grown a little more, I hope our tax refund grows a little too. I will be honest; I don’t know much about taxes or the IRS rules and regulations. I do know that my husband & I both work very hard at least 40 + hours per week and our checks are TAXED to DEATH.

I Googled some information about the current tax laws that may help you and your family out.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=217826,00.html

Happy Tax Season guys…

~Shanta

Shameful right? Please don’t judge me. 

Yes, our Christmas tree is still up. Yes, it’s Jan. 31 when I’m writing this (and February when you’re reading it).

Is it just me that has that one task that really needs to be done, but no matter how many times I try to get it done, something gets in the way, almost like fate? Yeah, fate is why our tree is still up. Seriously though, I have gone over there and started to box up the ornaments about 15 times in the last few weeks. I’ll get a couple off, then my 2 year old will need me to play with him and I surely don’t want to say no. I’ll try again and the phone rings causing me to be on the phone with doctors and insurance people for the next couple of hours ironing out details of my son’s treatment and appointments. We’ve also recently upped my sons’ occupational and physical therapy appointments.

Of course, my 1 year old comes wiggling by and I have to immediately stop what I’m doing to smooch him all over and hug him tight. Kids sure are distractions aren’t they? Good ones, though!

So, I give up for a day or two. Some other task gets in the way like the dishes or the fact that every time a cold front comes in the whole house gets sick. As I type, I am miserably sick with allergies or something and even my fingertips are a combination of pain and numbness. Oh, and did I mention that I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel in both hands last week?

Wow, I’m full of excuses aren’t I? The fact remains… why is my Christmas tree still up? Oh well, I am aiming to have it down by Valentine’s day. Wish me luck, okay? If not, we’ll just have a merry Valentine’s Day and I’ll put a few boxes of chocolates under the tree.

Shannon
Potamus Prefers
http://www.potamusprefers.com/

I was reading in line at the store the other day and the article was very interesting. Here are a few of the things that I learned and thought were helpful: 

1. When cooking put a thin layer of butter around the rim of the pan to keep the water from boiling over (which makes a huge mess depending on what you are cooking). 
2. If you run out of eggs you can substitute in two tablespoons of real mayonnaise for one egg (I have not tried it yet but I think it’s quite interesting). 
3. A common mistake people make when cooking meats is salting the meat before you cook it. This actually pulls the moisture out of the meat as it cooks, making it dryer. 

My new favorite cake to take places is:

DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

• 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1 1/4 c. boiling water
• 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 10 T. butter, softened
• 1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1 t. vanilla

1. Grease three 8-inch cake pans and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk boiling water, chocolate, and cocoa until smooth. 
3. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. 
4. On low, bet in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Beat in half of the chocolate mixture. Repeat wth half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining chocolate mixture, and finally the remaining flour mixture. 
5. Give the batter one final stir using a rubber spatula. Divide batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake 15-20 minutes. 6. Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Flip onto wire rack, flip capes upright, and let cool completely before frosting, 1-2 hours.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened
• 1 1/3 c. creamy peanut butter (don’t substitute chunky)
• 3 T. heavy cream
• 2 1/2 t. vanilla
• 2 1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar

1. Beat butter, peanut butter, cream, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl on medium high speed with an electric mixer until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
2. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, and beat until incorporated and smooth, 4-6 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.

This recipe is straight from The America’s Test Kitchen Baking Book. Let me know what you think!

-Chrystal

As I have talked about before, my son is very opinionated and now tries to explain himself in baby talk. When I try to cut his nails he kicks and screams then just repeats his same noises as if he’s telling me why it’s a bad time to cut his nails or explaining his general thoughts on the situation. When he stops babbling I start to talk and tell him it’s okay and that everyone needs their nails cut. Sure he cannot understand what I am saying but talking to him calmly and telling him what’s going on seems to work. Well, at least half the time it works. The other half he is completely dedicated to the fact that he does not want them cut and that’s that. End of story. He chooses what he wants to eat, before he would eat everything you put out there, veggies and all. Now he’s very particular about what veggies he eats and it has to be on his watch. He still loves his green beans, sweet potatoes and peas but now he seems hesitant on carrots, corn, and broccoli. I hope it is a phase for him but we still praise him and eat veggies along with him so that he knows we enjoy it…which is actually not the case haha!  As he gets older he just voices his thoughts more and more, and I know he gets frustrated because we can’t understand him or can’t figure out what the ONE item in a huge toy box he’s pointing to saying “This? this? this?” But one day I’ll get it, kid! I promise. How have you learned to communicate better with your toddler?

-Krystle

This morning, my husband kissed us goodbye as he left for his annual business trip to Reno.  He is running a conference from Tuesday through Saturday and is expected back on Sunday.  So for almost a full week, I will be manning this ship by myself.  Luckily I will have a lot of help, so I will not be alone, but I still have been dreading this week for some time. 

This morning, my cousin, who is off from school until later this month for winter break, came to stay with us for a few days.  I will have another adult with me at night with the kids, and her being here will make things much easier on me.  My parents only live two blocks away, and my mom comes every afternoon for about an hour to help with the kids while I start dinner.  They will be around whenever I need them.  My Dad even suggested we spend the week at their place, but I just can’t see uprooting all four kids, their clothes, toys, special foods, etc., so I declined.  On Wednesday, my mother-in-law will come for dinner and spend the night.  She is also a big help.  Then on Thursday my two aunts and another cousin is coming.  My cousin will spend the night with us.  She is actually a NICU nurse and is so good with all the kids… she is a pro at changing diapers and giving medicine!  And then my mother-in-law will be back on Friday afternoon and stay until Sunday.  As I said, I will have help around the clock.  But I won’t have my husband!

We have a system in the morning and at night.  He gets my daughter up every morning and helps her get ready for school.  He then helps me get the other three babies changed and gives them bottles while I am in the shower.  He takes my daughter to the bus on his way to work.  When he returns from work, we sit down for dinner, he helps me with the dirty dishes, then we hang out a little bit, then take the kids up and get them ready for bed.  He usually puts their pajamas on.  If I hadn’t already bathed them, he helps bathe the babies before bed.  Then we sit together chat about the day’s events.  We might even either watch TV together or I will do some writing on my laptop while he reads.  However we spend our time together is quality time, and I truly enjoy his company and his companionship.  So not having him for a week will be rough.

I know we’ll be fine, and with four kids, a full time job and a ton of other responsibilities, I know the week will fly.  I just miss him already!

Jennifer
Wife to Paul, Mom to Juliana (7), Anthony and Louis (1) and Joseph (4 months)www.nevaland.com

It’s that time of the school year again, “Science Project” time. I have to say as a mother, I dread this time of the school year. As a teacher, you would think this would be a piece of cake, NOT!

My son usually comes home clueless about he needs to do. His instructions are very vague and the topics are out of this world for 4th graders. I have a hard time with the kids not getting much guidance on what is required and the kids are allowed to pick ANYTHING they want off of a list of 100 various project.

We are doing something with “light bulbs”, not sure what, but “light bulbs”. If our project comes together nicely, I will share pictures later.

 Moms, please pray my strength and patience on this one…

~Shanta