Naptime Blog

For the next few posts you might pick up on a common theme. I am a mom of two toddlers and have, as I am sure many of you have as well, begun to ponder things that never even crossed my mind before I became a parent. I have heard that is a sign of maturity, but it is also a sign of love and of caring and hope that my children have all the opportunities that I had and more.

The basis of my hope though, lies in the understanding that my children and my grandchildren will grow up with a chance to live on a healthy planet, with freedom to choose their own path. While this is not by any means a politically themed post, it is meant to make you think more about politics and the long term effects of letting someone else decide how your children and grandchildren will live, and under what conditions.

My husband, the two kids and I went out of town for the weekend to the Texas state capitol, Austin. Austin is not only the state capitol, but is the world headquarters for Dell computers. It is a large technology hub, the home of the University of Texas and a large contingent of socially and environmentally conscious individuals. Some may even call those individuals hippies, earth children, or tree huggers.

Just thinking about someone being socially conscious enough to be recognized as a tree hugger made me feel a bit guilty at times. Many times I have caught myself not recycling when the bin was less than 5 feet from the trash can. I have caught myself using the elevator when I could have, and definitely should have, used the stairs. I have been embarrassed at the thought of drinking bottled water knowing good and well it may have come from the same source as the water in my faucet. 

Now, to the point: We all can do our part to reduce, reuse and recycle, but we can also do our part to shape the future by exercising our right to vote. Maybe we need to spend a little less time on deciding what restaurant to gorge at, or what other excess or vice to indulge in, and let our officials know that we care about our planet and our future and our children and their children’s future.

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

Song for a Fifth Child.

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow
.So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

L.O.V.E this poem by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

These past few weeks with Tristan while I’ve been laid off have been AMAZING. Its hard to do but we’ve grown so much closer. We do the grocery shopping and try to clean in between playing.

Today we ran to Safeway (a local grocery store and Wal-Mart.) I went to Wal-Mart first and stocked up on parents choice diapers, wipes, meal & formula! All a steal. The parents choice meals were way cheaper then the safeway ones offered at “Rock bottom prices.” Did you know the average family can save $3,200 a year shopping all Wal-Mart?

I do have to brag about my safeway score. They had 90/10 ground beef on sale at $.99 a pound. So I bought the max. 18 pounds! I have a food saver and plenty of freezer room. I would have spent $71.82 but my total after the sale was $17.82, I saved: $54.00. What a steal!!

Chrystal

With Thanksgiving a day ago, I have a long standing tradition of writing in a special journal what I’m thankful for that year. I have one book that dates back to my third grade project. So this year here it goes:

1. Rick: He is such a strong and steady rock for me. I think he’s pretty handsome too!
2. Tristan: He reminds me how to look at the world through a Childs eyes. He’s so sweet and innocent.
3. Cora: My daycare provider, she’s provided a second home for my son. He loves his second family and shows it with many hugs and kisses.
4. My In-Laws: They are so good to me. They support me as much as my husband.
5. Our Troops: I don’t care if you agree with the war or not. They put their lives on the line to keep us free. Since the current conflict started I’ve lost a very close friend to the madness and I’m thankful. As his Mom said he died doing what he loved and no one can change that.

On a different note, Tristan is back to all stage 2 formula and only Parents Choice Microwave meals. He had two major allergic reactions recently and until his allergy test we have to stick with what we know he’s not allergic too. I’ve never had food allergies (knock on wood) so I feel super bad for wee man! He gets a horrible diaper rash to go with it and the pain I see him in is almost too much to handle.

Chrystal

I love fall. It is hands down my favorite season; the crispness in the air is amazing. It is chilly here in the Washington DC area. I love the smell of fire places and the smell of all the yummy things I can from the Apple we pick. Here is a picture of Tristan eating an apple picked fresh off the tree like a big boy.

Mommy didn’t even have to cut it up. Tristan went on a hayride, picked apples, picked a pumpkin and tasted all kinds of new and exciting foods. He also made lots of friends. I love that my baby is open and loving. See the super cute jeans he is wearing. Those were $5 at Wal-Mart. I had him in jeans. When I changed his diaper at 8am he was bone dry from the night before. So I put a new one on him and when we made a pit stop 2 hours later he had peed all through the diaper and his pants. I had shorts as backups in the diaper bag but it was way too chilly for shorts. I was so happy when I saw those pants for $5. That is a steal. They have Mickey Mouse on this little tag on it and Tristan loves to point to it. He loves Mickey Mouse. While we were at Wal-Mart I picked up some more of the microwave meal for toddlers. They are wonderful when we are having a busy day and I can’t cook him lunch. In each one is a full serving of vegetables. Parents Choice makes them and I can’t get them at my local Wal-Mart so when I saw them at that one I jumped all over the deal.

-Chrystal
www.everydayoates.blogspot.com

I have been trying to lose weight, especially the last 2 1/2 weeks. I
started the “cookie diet” and have so far lost 8lbs. That is great, but
also concerning because that number should be much higher than that.
Technically, you’re not supposed to exercise, and I think that is
because of the drastic change of calorie intake, so I have not been
doing that, but I think I will incorporate some walking if I feel okay
about doing so. Lately the number one concern is my thyroid. I really
want to go to the doctor and have it checked because there was about a
three month long period where I literally should have lost at the least
20 pounds but in fact gained weight during that time. I haven’t had
health insurance since September 2008 which is a huge bummer, and not
safe, but I just cannot afford it. Are there any clinics that would
maybe do some kind of bloodwork to check on this for little cost?
Especially with having a child, I want to make sure that I’m up to date
on my health because I want to be there for him and eventually be in tip
top shape to keep up with him when he becomes more and more active.

I’m a huge “self-diagnoser.” I will look up symptoms I have and
determine that I have that problem, with no evidence to back it up,
however I literally do have many of the symptoms of thyroid problems and
must see a doctor. Have any of you had issues with your thyroid? I’ve
heard of people having it removed, but how did thyroid change your life
for the better?

-Krystle

People ask me every day “How do you do it?”  They are referring to how I manage with the kids.  Things were very easy when I just had one child, and my daughter was a very good baby.  I have been blessed with three more babies.  But even when you have the best babies, having three children within fourteen months can get a little hairy.

Joseph, the newborn, is a great infant.  He is already sleeping through the night, which is a Godsend because I am not a happy camper when I have to wake up at 3 am to feed and change a crying baby.  A part of me wonders if he knows that he is the fourth child and he needs to be a good baby because Mommy has to share my time with three other kids.  But regardless of how good he is, there are days were Joseph wants to be held all the time.

A few weeks ago Joseph was fussing after I gave him his bottle.  I later learned that he, like his older brother Louis, has acid reflux.  The boys were due for their lunch, and they were beginning to get restless and agitated.  I was trying to get the laundry finished, as I felt as if I was going to be eaten alive in the deadly pile of dirty clothes.  I was about to lose it, when I remembered my BABYBJÖRN Baby Carrier Air.

About a week before, I had taken my BABYBJÖRN Air out of the box and attempted to put it on.  Although I had three older children, I had never really used a carrier before.  I had purchased two carriers a year ago that sat at the hip to hold my twins, but they were not meant for carrying two babies at once (each carrier crisscrossed my body so that when I put both babies in I nearly lost my head!) and I put the twins in them once and never used them again.  So when I took my Air out of the box I was a little lost with how to put it on and how to get the baby in it correctly.  I read the instructions and was a little impatient with it, so I don’t think I fully read how to put it on, and I quickly gave up and put it back in the box.

But this was different.  I was desperate.  There was NO way I was going to be able to get anything done and take care of the older babies when I had to hold Joseph.  So I got the Air back out of the box, took a few short minutes to actually read through the instructions and put the carrier on.  Joseph fit in it like a glove and he immediately calmed down.

I got a yellow BABYBJÖRN Air Carrier.  At first I was worried that when I threw it around in the trunk it would get dirty very quickly, but the carrier folds up so nicely I can fit it right inside the diaper bag and it stays clean.  And when you have three babies to pack for, anything compact is wonderful.  The baby’s head is nice and secure, and the material is so soft and light for BOTH of us.  And once I read the directions, I realized how easy it is to get the carrier on, get the baby in, and adjust it to fit us perfectly.  And now that Joseph is getting bigger (he is growing like weeds!), it is even easy to adjust to make for a bigger infant!

(I haven’t gotten a chance to take a photo with the carrier, but it looks like this!)

Needless to say, I was able to “wear” JoeJoe all day (even though I still don’t like that term!), got the boys fed (and even changed their diapers with JoeJoe in the Air!), got the laundry done, and was able to get out the door in time for Juliana getting off the bus from school!  My BABYBJÖRN Air Carrier is a lifesaver!

 BabyBjorn provided the Carrier Air for my review. 

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

I LOVE this time of the year!!! Baby Jayce is 10 months old now and will be (hopefully) walking soon. Our oldest son Jeromy is such a big boy and already has his list ready for mom & dad (aka Santa) I really hope that Jayce’s 1st Christmas is a white Christmas.

As the money saving mom that I am, I am really-really ready for “Black Friday” I going to help you all out with some of the great sales going on this years so you don’t miss out!!

Our Thanksgiving routine consists of:

• A really good, BIG dinner   *   BIG   *
• A nap
• A family movie at the theater, this year we are seeing; Blind Side w/ Sandra Bullock
• And at midnight we hit up Prime Outlet Mall in Williamsburg, VA  (my favorite)
• At 5:00 a.m Friday morning, we hit up the Wal-Mart door buster sales!!

The plan for the year is to be finish Christmas shopping by Nov. 30th. (Keeping my fingers and toes crossed on that one)

Please take a look at the following links about some of the GREAT “Black Friday” sales.

http://www.blackfriday.info/

http://www.walmart.com/?adid=1500000000000006955330

~Shanta

Am I the only mom of two toddlers that sees more of the back of their heads than their sweet little faces?
My  1 ½ year old doesn’t know the meaning of the word walk. I put him down and he takes off in a full run before he even looks to see where he’s going. He doesn’t care! He just wants to run. He will usually run in the opposite direction of where I am headed or sometimes right into a wall. He will then look at me funny like “Why did you do that?” lol 
My 2 ½ year old now gets along really well with his little walker and will take off running in the other direction with assistance of this device. So, here I am trying to catch two toddlers, one with a walker that could mash oncoming toes, and keep them out of harm’s way.
For those that have toddlers… Isn’t it a wonderful age? The look on their faces at all of the new discoveries is so cute.
Let me tell you the perfect place for this scenario… a hotel! Yes, this is the perfect place. With their long, straight hallways, a hotel is ideal because when one goes one way and the other goes the other way, I can still see them for a good while before they have the chance to turn and head out of sight. Of course, this is exhausting for me, because they think it’s like a speedway so speed they do!
In addition, my 2 ½ year old loves the elevators he discovered this past weekend at the hotel. He thinks they are magic boxes! He loves pushing the buttons, getting in, pushing another button and then the doors open and we are at a new place. He would’ve done this for hours. He also loooves the ramps they have for people with wheelchairs, strollers and walkers. He adores going up and down them.
The boys had a wonderful time this weekend doing all of the above. They do not get tired! As for me… I’m utterly exhausted and couldn’t be happier!

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

I can’t believe how much a child changes in a year, especially in the first year. I was looking at old videos from daycare and I came across his first steps. I struggle with staying home or working. I feel that Tristan is better socialized at daycare then just at home with me. So sometimes I will miss milestones.  That is okay with me. Most of the time Mrs. Cora (Ma ) to Tristan gets them on camera. So I am sharing vintage Tristan today, his first steps. 

looking-back-video

 I almost cried when Tristan said Ma Ma. But I did cry the other day when I was tucking him in and I said I love you and he pulled out his pacifier and said I love you right back. It melted my heart and I picked him up and held him so tight. I don’t want to miss a thing with him and I love seeing him grow.

I had a person tell me something once and I have never forgotten it. She said “You have a baby now and his needs always need to come first. Pick him up, love him and hold him. You will never get this time back with him. In one hour he will be one hour older and tomorrow he will be 9 days instead of only 8. Enjoy this time.” It is true. We will never get the past back, cherish your children.

-Chrystal

Before, I could do whatever I wanted with Shaughn and it wouldn’t effect him. He’d let me put hats on him, wear cute and silly outfits, or do other funny things but now that he’s older he has formed his own opinion about things! Hats, he yanks them off. Funny outfits, he pulls at them. He also knows what he wants, and gets frustrated when we don’t understand him. He points with his pointer finger and babbles, and if I take too long to bring whatever it is he’s “talking” about, he starts to almost growl and then get upset. I know every child goes through the development of learning and wanting to communicate but sometimes I feel so bad because to him, he’s thinking that he’s speaking our language and then looks at us after his speech as if he’s thinking “Hel-lo?? Why aren’t you moving?”

He knows what he wants and he tries to tell us and we try to understand him. When he is full or just done with his meal, he puts his hand up to prevent the spoon from getting any closer then looks at his sippy cup. I realize what he’s looking at and give it to him and he’s happy, then he looks at the food when he wants another bite. We’ve been keeping up with him pretty good but sometimes its hard to decipher. Some things I know spot on, for instance he shows so much excitement when he hears the bathtub running so I know he loves it. He giggles and leaves his mouth wide open once he sees me take out his toothbrush, so I know he enjoys that. When its time to cut his nails, before he would sit there and watch me do each fingernail and toenail…now, he flips out and screams! I’ve never ever accidentally hurt him with the nail clippers, so I don’t know why he now hates it. All these opinions, I can’t keep up. I don’t want to upset him but sometimes I just can’t decipher him. At the same time, I am glad that he does have his own opinion on things, it shows his personality which I always love seeing. I just hope I get better at this mind reading!

-Krystle