Naptime Blog

…OK, well I’m really not ready.  But that is what their invitation sent.  Just mailed them out today.  I still cannot believe how fast time flies.  I remember my daughter’s second birthday which was six years ago already.  She woke up on the morning of her second birthday chanting “Happy JULNA day!”  Back then it seemed every day was Juliana Day, as she was my only child.  And now I have four.  Two of those four are turning TWO years old!

It feels like a few weeks ago Paul and I were planning our wedding.  We tried for a year after we got married to become pregnant, and when the sonogram showed twins, Paul had to lift my chin up off the floor.  I didn’t think I could survive a twin pregnancy, but I did, and they were the cutest little pair of cuties ever!  I cannot imagine my life without them!  These two little characters are just that.  They are always full of laughs and make everyone who comes in contact with them laugh, too!  Even when I want to run away from the chaos, I still have to sit back and laugh at these kids. 

Anthony loves to strip.  When we took them to see Toy Story 3 last week, he slowly and steadily took off one sneaker, then the next, followed by each sock (“dock”).  I didn’t realize he had slinked out of his shorts as well, and slid down on the floor to eat the popcorn he dropped a few minutes before!  When I picked him up to stop the popcorn eating fiasco, he just looked at me with those adoring eyes and said “Mommy, CAN I HAVE MORE POPCORN PLEASE!”  OK, it actually sounded more like “MaMa!  Corn!  Pease!  More!!!!”

Louis is a self-proclaimed vegetarian.  Yep, not even two years old and already deciding he will not eat meat.  OK, so that is NOT entirely true.  He will eat Grandma’s meatballs, chicken nuggets and hot dogs (“Ott dugs”) and occasionally I try to sneak in a slice of ham or a bite of a piece of steak.  One evening, I forced his little mouth open and made him eat a piece of London broil.  The child smiled, saying “MEEEET!!!  Noo-Noo (what he calls himself, his version of Lou-Lou) eat MEEEET!!!”.  He chewed and chewed for TEN minutes.  Then, as soon as Paul and I turned to eat other to talk, he took the piece of meat out of his mouth and back into his dish!  When we told him to eat the meat, he told us “I DID!!!!!”  and when I told him he needs to swallow it, he answered “I CAN’T”

Yes, they certainly keep things interesting around here!

So, as we approach the terrible twos (and debatably we already did!), I am planning my sons’ second birthday party.  We’re not having a big party as we did last year:  some family and friends in our yard.  The theme is Sesame Street, and I am going to decorate the yard, have Elmo make a guest appearance, and have the kids swim in the kiddie pool.  We will barbecue and have cake and cupcakes, and my boys will get to hear everyone sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to them!  They love to sing it to everyone else, and every time I say that it is THEIR turn, they grin from ear to ear.  My twins are turning two.  I’m sure it is going to be a fun ride!

Jennifer Nevadomski
Paul’s Wife
Mom to: Juliana, 8 – Louis and Anthony, 24 months – Joseph, 10 months
www.nevaland.com

Jayce is almost 18 months. Because I am in my mid 30’s now, I feel like my clock is ticking LOUD! My husband & I both want to add to our family and were trying to figure out the best time. Our oldest son is 10 and we both want to try again. I have had my fair share of high-risk pregnancies and I don’t want my age  to be another factor in my high-risk situation.  Many parents say that there is never a perfect time, I just want a smooth transition.

I also wish for a happy & healthy baby, and a little girl wouldn’t hurt

http://www.pregnancy-period.com/best_time_to_get_pregnant.html

~Shanta

As I sit at a local bagel shop enjoying a cup of coffee and a hot toasted bagel slathered with cream cheese, I reflect on life goals.

Don’t many of us have the dream of working our way up through school and the corporate ladder? We are taught that hard work and determination will help us attain goals of the perfect job on our preferred rung of the ladder. A big office with a comfy chair and a huge window with the perfect view is part of many of our plans. But, what happens when you climb that ladder, arrive at your preferred destination and realize you want something else?

Although I was never management and didn’t aspire to be, I was slowly climbing that ladder and enjoyed learning new things. When I found out I was expecting my first son, I figured I’d stay home with him for 12 weeks then pick back up where I left off before maternity leave.

Yeah, not so much.

I know many people that are able to do this, don’t get me wrong, but having a baby changed something in me. I would come to work every day, longing to be elsewhere. I longed to be home holding my child and watching him grow. I couldn’t see a way to make that work so I continued working, but then came our blessed surprise. When my first born son was only a few months old, I found out I was expecting my second son. Out of necessity, I became a stay at home mom when he was born (we couldn’t afford two in daycare). In hindsight, this was the best decision for us. We didn’t know then that my oldest son would have so many health issues and need the intensive therapies that I drive him to several times a week.

I have never really looked back. The good thing is this. I am still able to do things I love. I blog, I do freelance work and guess what? I have a corner office with a view… right here at my favorite bagel shop that offers free Wifi. I sit here blogging and working while my oldest son is at his summer morning speech / preschool class and my youngest is spending a few hours with his grandparents.

That ladder may not always take us where we think it will, but if we follow our heart and go with the flow, it can lead us to where we should be.

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

So the question is:  In my attempt to become a Crunchy Mom, will I end up Crunchy Granola or Nestle Crunch? 

There are some things I know my husband and I are not going to change (nor would we if we were back in certain situations) but there are some things I would like to say will stick.  If you went down a list of things that might get me to be known as a crunchy hippie mom, most of them are just not me…

• Home birthing:  I would have loved the opportunity to give birth to my children at home in the tub.  But considering the fact that my water broke with my oldest and after fourteen hours without dilating, increasing the risk of infection and increasing the risk of harming my child, I went the C-Section route.  Three times.  The risks associated with a VBAC were just not worth giving it a try.  So home birthing would have never been an option for me.
• Holistic Medicine:  I guess I would consider trying anything, but I tend to think I would always go back to modern medicine.  And I do not manage pain well.  Moms who give birth with no pain meds?  Hats off to you.  I will take my drugs anyday.
• Exclusive breastfeeding:  I give credit to those mothers who can do this.  I tried.  But being available every three hours round the clock for 2 years and be the only one who could feed my child was just not cutting it for me.  I did do the tandem nursing thing a few times with my twins, but look:  After nine months of a pregnancy, I need my body back and my rest to be a good mother to my children.  That’s just me… to each his own (or her own).  I nursed each of my kids for 3 months, supplementing all the while. And they are happy, healthy children.
• Co-sleeping:  Literally?  No way.  Each of my children were in our room in their OWN bassinets for about 3-4 months after their births.  I felt comfortable knowing my newborns were close by and that I could get to them quickly if needed.  But then they moved into their own rooms with their own cribs.  My three boys (all within 14 months of age) all share a room.  We have three cribs in their room.  So if that is considered co-sleeping, then I guess I’m in.  Otherwise, my husband and I believe the only people in our home sharing a bed is him and I.
• Baby wearing:  I have tried this.  I tried to wear my twins in two carriers at the same time; I nearly chopped my head off.  I tried to wear my youngest so that I can have two free hands to tend to the toddler twins;  he is too active and I was scared he might fall out if I bended over to get one of his brothers.  So yes, I have tried, but I am not a big fan of baby wearing. 
• Not vaccinating:  OK, now this one I take personally.  As a biology major in college, I am all too aware of the many communicable diseases out there.  Yes, smallpox is not a life threatening disease because we haven’t seen it in years.  But guess what, Moms?  All it takes is one child to catch the disease from somewhere (possibly visiting another country), bringing the disease back to the U.S., other non-vaccinated children catching it, and then we have a deadly epidemic.  I have researched the vaccines recommended for children in the U.S., and I can’t see how the small risks could possibly outweigh the benefits of vaccinating.  All of my children have received all of their shots on schedule.  If my child catches a new strain of something he or she has been vaccinated against because other parents chose not to vaccinate and a disease has mutated, that is irresponsibility on our part as a society.  Medicine and technology advancements should be utilized when available all across the board.
• Not circumcising:  I have to admit, I was on the fence with this one.  I thought about not circumcising.  In the end, it was my husband’s decision for this one, as he has “that part” and knew better than me.  We circumcised all three of my sons.  I cried all three times as they were brought into the nursery for the procedure.  But I know it was the best thing for our family.  One day I might write more about my husband’s reasons and why we circumcised.  I have no regrets.
• Being against crying-it-out:  All four of my children have been STTN (sleeping through the night) since before they were 2 months old.  I could not possibly function if my children were two years old and still waking up crying in the middle of the night.  My children are very good night sleepers (not the best nappers, though), so I have been very lucky.  When they wake in the middle of the night crying it is usually because someone is sick or some other extenuating circumstance.  But if one of my children got into a habit of waking nightly crying, you can bet he’d be crying it out until he realized nighttime is for sleeping.
• Cloth diapering:  I will gladly buy the most environmentally friendly diaper they sell, but I will NOT cloth diaper.  I do laundry for six, and that is about 15-16 loads per week…  I will not wash diapers on top of that.  Besides, I’m not that much of a SuperMama… sometimes I can barely stand cleaning butts, never mind the diapers that the butts were on.
• Diaper-less:  I battle one of my twins regularly when he decides he wants to strip down and be natural.  After one such occasion of him stripping with poop in his diaper while he was playing with his twin in their corral, I have certainly decided “diaper-less” is NOT for me.  Thank you very much.
• Home schooling:  Another one you can keep.  I believe the socialization and the benefit of learning as a group of peers is invaluable. 
• Gentle Disciplining:  Yes, we tend to do a little of this, and I do not believe children should be hit, save a gentle spank on a diapered tushy or a little tap on a hand that just stuck a key in an electrical outlet to remind him that this is not something we do.  I try to reason with my children and distract them from certain behaviors.  But I do not see how you can distract or reason with an 8 year old who rolls her eyes and opposes every possible suggestion you give (Did you know the sky is orange according to tweens?  Can’t imagine what color it will be by the time she is a teen!).  For those parents who do, kudos to you.  For me, I know a stern raised voice works wonders.  I also think that respect for authority means that a little fear needs to be in place.  I do not want my children to be afraid of me.  I do, however, want them to know that there are unpleasant consequences in life (prison, fines, losing possessions, etc.) and being fearful that these unpleasant things might happen to them will help them to stay away from certain behaviors.
• Organic food and clothing:  So, this one I can try.  And I plan to.  I might meet some resistance from my husband and some other members of my extended family, but I am going to give this one a fair shot.  I’m not too thrilled with the idea of pesticides and chemicals in our food anyway. 

I guess it is pretty safe to say you will never see me become a crunchy hippie mom, however, I do think our family has a lot more room to “Go Green”.  Therefore, I plan on taking the next few weeks to use less paper plates and eat more organic.  I’m already recycling, but I can be better with reducing and reusing.  And I am going to consider buying more eco-friendly cleaning supplies as well.  I plan to take you all along with me…  Stay tuned for more on “THE NEVALAND FAMILY GOES GREEN”.

Jennifer Nevadomski
Paul’s Wife
Mom to: Juliana, 8 – Louis and Anthony, 22 months – Joseph, 8 months
www.nevaland.com

One night my son was playing along in the house when he hit his head pretty hard on a piece of wood from our computer table, and started crying a lot. Shaughn isn’t a cryer really and if he hurts himself he will get right back up and dust it off, but this time it hurt and you could tell.  I rubbed his head and he calmed down. There was a little bit of a bump afterwards but he was fine and his behavior was fine and normal.

Two hours later was his bedtime and he went to bed easily like usual. The next morning he was just very strange while I was getting ready for school. He was wimpering and laying anywhere I put him crying. I placed him on the bed while I was changing and he was just limp almost. Very very odd behavior and unlike him. The first thing I thought of is the night before and how he hit his head. Hoping there was no connection, I wanted to be sure and take him to the ER, so I called out of school and went straight there. They brought us in right away, started asking questions about losing conciousness, etc. I told them he didn’t lose consciousness and he wasn’t throwing up he was just very odd and for it to be the next day after that head injury I wanted to be safe. The doctor comes in, with an attitude that he thought I was a loony, and asks me “So you brought your son on because he’s misbehaving?” I wanted to cry! Of course I did not bring him in here because I can’t discipline my child, I brought him here because he has no behavior. I have been with my child every day of his life and know that not once has he ever acted the way he did that morning. He then asks me what I wanted to do and informed me “we could do a cat scan but he will be exposed to radiation which can stunt his cells” Right, because that’s what I want to hear. My mother called her friend in NY who is a doctor and reassured her that having a catscan would eliminate the question of any head trauma or brain swelling and that it wasn’t going to be damaging to him. I thought this over and decided to go with the catscan. Thank goodness, everything came back normal, but its better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to my child.  Have you ever had an experience like this where it seems the pediatrician has poor bedside manner or made you feel like you were going nuts?

-Krystle

Juliana is a HUGE help around the house.  She keeps her brothers occupied while I am busy.  She helps me when I am short-handed (which happens often with 3 babies under 2!).  She is very good with the boys and loves them dearly.  But she is always in the middle of something she isn’t supposed to be into.  For instance, I am always finding various concoctions in my refrigerator that she puts together as a snack.  She took various sprinkles, lemonade or some other juice, milk and cookie crumbs and made some frozen ice pop thing last week.  Gross.  Actually, I didn’t even have to look in the freezer to know she made something.  There were crumbs and puddles everywhere in my kitchen:  cookie crumbs, sprinkles, milk and juice puddles; spoons and bowls were in the sink, and when I went to get ice out of the freezer, my freezer door began to leak some half liquid/half solid drips.  This was all done in the few minutes that I was folding laundry in the next room.

I can always tell exactly where Juliana has walked in the house, and this is obvious by the various drops of her items around the house:  books, pencils, crayons, dolls, school papers, snack wrappers (and she has been told a million times to eat only at the dining room table) and more.  Yes, I try my best to be aware of what she is doing at every moment, but let’s face it:  I have three other kids (little guys who eat and poop a lot!), a house to keep and a job to do from home.  I always try to be sure I have an eye on her, but she still manages to get into trouble. 

I enjoy having Juliana home from school.  I enjoy having someone to talk to that uses complete sentences, I enjoy having that extra pair of hands which enables us to get out and about, I enjoy lounging with the kids and not having to rush to make a bus or be on a schedule to get her off the bus after school, and I enjoy not having to do homework and projects and all the extracurricular activities that come along with the school year.  I also very much enjoy my daughter’s company and having her home.  But just as that final day of school was about to end, I cringed, wondering how am I going to manage for two and a half months with her getting into everything, all day, every day?

I know I will have to be more vigilant with watching every move she makes.  I know I have to monitor her every activity with more of a watchful eye.  I know we will have a great summer with swimming, playing, taking trips and entertaining.  I just hope Juliana manages to stay out of too much trouble this summer!

Jennifer Nevadomski
Paul’s Wife
Mom to: Juliana, 8 – Louis and Anthony, 24 months – Joseph, 10 months
www.nevaland.com

This is the 1st year that my baby (Bog boy) was old enough to go away for camp. We decided to go with 4-H because of their good history and reputation. The camp is about 4 hours away from our home AND we can have no contact with him. They will only contact us in the case of emergency, so I really don’t want to hear from them with bad news. I thought that I would be the cry baby when he pulled off, instead it was my husband who was a little teary eyed. I think he was more proud of our accomplishments as a young family, being able to send our son off for camp.
Our youngest son Jayce has just started to notice that his big brother is not around this week. He walks around the house calling his name, it’s really adorable.

At this point, mid-way through the week, we ALL miss him pretty bad.

~Shanta

Hello everyone!

So, here’s my question for today. What is your favorite leftover lunch? I have found that, many times, leftover lunches are some of the yummiest meals.  Being summer, I don’t want to heat up the kitchen more than necessary, so I’ll make a big batch of whatever it is I’m cooking and repurpose it throughout the week.

Recently, we had brisket for Sunday dinner. We ended up having a lot left over so I have been coming up with leftover lunches all week. My favorite so far is stuffed baked potatoes. I took one large baking potato, wrapped it in saran wrap and baked it in the microwave until tender (I used the potato setting on mine). After that, I took some leftover brisket, chopped it up and mixed it with my favorite barbecue sauce. I then warmed the mixture for about a minute in the microwave. I split the potato and added a little butter and cheese then topped it with the barbecue mixture. On top of that, I added a dollop of sour cream. I have had similar at barbecue restaurants but I saved a lot of money by doing this with leftovers. If you prefer, you can add some green onions. Stuffed potatoes are also delicious with barbecued or roasted chicken or sausage.

Another thing I have done with the leftover brisket is chop it up and make a sandwich on a hamburger bun with a little barbecue sauce and sliced pickle. My husband really loves this easy lunch. And, believe it or not, my boys really like barbecued pizzas. I will use barbecue sauce instead of pizza sauce and top with brisket and cheese.

I know a lot of people entertain during the summer and sometimes cook too much food. What is your favorite recipe to repurpose or change up leftovers?

Shannon
Potamus Prefers

http://www.potamusprefers.com/

I had the pleasure of chatting with Joan Lunden, as recently launched Joan Lunden Home on QVC on May 12.  Joan shared with me insight on motherhood, being a successful career woman, and so much more.

Mom of Seven
Joan Lunden has seven children, three older daughters and two younger sets of twins.  As we both have multiple children who are close in age (her two sets of twins are only two years apart), Joan and I discussed how the children interact with each other.  She shared how her four little ones are each other’s friends and how it is like a daily play date in her house! 

Joan reminded me (and all moms!) not to be so hard on myself as a mom.  She said as moms, we can’t be everything everywhere.  Her three older daughters now say that their mother is their inspiration, and that they value how she has made a successful career and always managed to be at the important events in their lives.  One of her daughters actually works for her and helped design her new linen line!

Joan says that the topic she often discusses with women is focused around the question: “Now that we have it all, how do we do it all?” She says that women and mothers of today need to be creative and utilize all their skills, and they have to constantly reinvent themselves.  She stressed how it is never too late in life for a new venture; the key is to actually go out and do it!  And that is what Joan is doing with Joan Lunden Home.

Joan Lunden Home
Joan wanted to offer a line of home goods and linens which was affordable yet pretty like designer lines.  Just because we live in a time where ‘many American families are on a tight budget shouldn’t mean that our homes can’t be pretty! How can you get a fresh look without spending a ton of money? The best way is to change your linens or your bath towels or your tabletop.’  Joan wanted to be able to offer a line full of ‘no-brainers’ including: easy care products, machine washable products, linens that won’t bunch up in one place, oversized sheets to fit today’s mattresses, the ability to mix and match in different rooms with interchangeable patterns to suit the mood!  And this is exactly what Joan Lunden Home offers.  Because she’s made her living in television, she finds it fitting to launch the line on television.  QVC will offer Joan Lunden Home, and the bedding sets will be available in retail stores later this summer. 

Joan’s life is an amazing story.  Having been the longest running host in the history of morning television, Joan has covered so many worldwide events in 26 countries.  She has covered five U.S. presidents and five Olympics, as well as countless historical moments.  While she has spoken and written about many of these moments, there have been many private moments that she was unable to take a camera crew to.  For instance, during her interview with the Bushes in The White House, Mrs. Bush invited her into their private living quarters.  While of course she was not able to film in their bedroom, she recognizes that visits such as this is what her fans would have loved to be a part of.  Being in morning television for so long, she was in the homes of millions of Americans every morning, and the relationship with her fans has become such a “familial” one, that she wanted to be able to share more of the private moments from her fascinating life in return.  As each of Joan’s bedding lines tells a story, Joan has been able to share those moments that she was not able to capture on television.

The bright blues and yellows in the Stockholm Collection is reminiscent of Joan’s trip to Sweden and her interview with King Gustaf.  The Kenya Collection is reminiscent of Joan’s travels through Africa. 

What’s Next for Joan Lunden Home?
Joan Lunden Home will be introducing a towel line and throws, more pillows, and then adding tabletop linens.  The throws will be extremely soft and comfortable like baby blankets for adults.  The different printed pillows will be suitable to stand alone or for mixing and matching, and will be great for the bedroom, the living room or the family room. 

What’s Next for Joan Lunden?
Joan’s husband, Jeff Konigsberg, owns and operates summer camps for children.  Joan has spent a number of summers at a camp in Maine.  The rejuvenation she experienced from these summers inspired her to create a weekend getaway for women to take their own “time out” from their hectic lives for themselves.   This year, Joan Lunden’s Camp Reveille will take place Thursday, August 19 – Sunday, August 22.  We will certainly be re-connecting with Joan after the launch of Joan Lunden Home to discuss this amazing women’s retreat more in depth, as every mom can certainly use a weekend for herself!

Jennifer Nevadomski
Paul’s Wife
Mom to: Juliana, 8 – Louis and Anthony, 22 months – Joseph, 8 months
www.nevaland.com

We always wanted a family dog that would grow up with Shaughn and us and just be a great addition. We came across a 4 year old Border Collie named Zappa, who lived next door to my parents. He is fully trained, wonderful with Shaughn and loves to swim. Zappa has been everything we were looking for in a family pet and when we found out his owners were looking for a new home for him, we thought it was good timing and for us to adopt him.  My husband , I can’t tell if he really likes the idea of having a dog or not, he doesn’t say much and I’m left to try and read his mind. So far it seems to be working out well and now I start a job on top of school ,  so I personally won’t be spending as much time with the 3 of them as I would like but hopefully it can still work out. How did you go about finding the perfect family pet for your home?

-Krystle