It is no surprise to people when you tell them that you have a newborn at home and are lacking in the sleep department. It is a given and expected in the early stages of infancy. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to function on little to no sleep. And forget about giving attention to your other kiddos when feeding time happens every 2-3 hours and the lack of sleep has affected your ability to function.
Prior to giving birth to my third daughter, I had made the decision to attempt breast feeding once again. In the past, breastfeeding came very “UN-naturally” to me and by the third month of my first and second daughter’s life, my milk supply had all but diminished. I found breastfeeding frustrating, painful, and difficult. I truly believe my attitude around breastfeeding is what either made my experience a success or a failure. So this time around I have made it my mission to embrace the messy, focus on keeping it simple, and feed this baby like my life depended on it…or die trying.
I was stricken with sadness yesterday when I heard the news that a friend of mine had a son who passed away. It completely caught me off guard and left me at a loss for any type of comforting word or gesture. I followed this friend on Facebook and was utterly impressed and overwhelmed at her thankfulness for the community she had surrounding her. Her faith is strong and her friends are making sure she is being cared for.
My older sister underwent a double mastectomy yesterday to get rid of the cancer she has lurking in her left breast. When I asked her how she was doing prior to the surgery and post-op, she was extremely grateful for the surgeons who can help her heal and guide her on the road to success. She leaned HEAVILY on her faith, friends and family to get her through the tough times.
Stuck, Trapped, Inevitable, Worrisome, Excited, Nervous…
It seems that the days before giving birth to a new little addition to the family can cause some pretty intense feelings…and as you can see from my personal list, the feelings aren’t always positive. In fact, I feel like this subject isn’t talked about as much as it should be. I know when I was feeling this way with my first born before giving birth, I felt guilty admitting I felt this way.
Have you ever heard of “Safety City?” It is a week long summer camp many cities offer to teach kids road safety and fire safety. The program is detailed, aggressive with content and effective. My 5 year old daughter attended this past summer (it is a program for children entering kindergarten) and to this day still sings the songs and jingles they taught the kids.
I am nearing the last two weeks of pregnancy and the desire to have this baby sooner than later gets stronger and stronger with each passing moment. I find myself feeling trapped and at a loss of control when it comes to my own body. Some may call it a depression, I feel it is more of a fear of the unknown. When is this baby coming, will everything go as planned, will the baby be okay, will I be okay?
It was a SHOCK to me when I found out that my first born was late to the game of getting her teeth checked by the dentist. I thought for sure waiting until she was almost 4 years of age was “safe” and what every other parent did. What I didn’t realize is that all of my other mommy friends had been taking their littles to the dentist starting at a very young age…say…18 months. YIKES! This made me think and reevaluate when the right time to take my second born would be. I did some research and found some answers to many of my unanswered questions. What better way than to compile all of my questions and sought out answers here to help someone else who may have those same questions.
We have all done it. I know that with my youngest, between play dates and extra-curriculars, we were always on the go. I dealt with meltdowns, tantrums, etc. just to fulfill the daily activities I had planned. Don’t get me wrong, I love to stay busy, but when it came to my second daughter, I decided to change the schedule up a bit. We have played more at home, said “no” to more play dates than “yes,” gone to less scheduled activities and enjoyed being each others’ company. The conclusion I have come to is that tantrums are less frequent, meltdowns are non-existent, and the one-on-one time I am getting with my second born is priceless.
I have written it before and if you have followed along with my family’s story, you know that we have a 3 year old daughter who struggles with a sensory processing disorder. We have spent HOURS figuring out her quirks, what works for her, how to best support her and what to do next to continue her “therapy” at home.
Family meals should feel more like bonding opportunities than chores or ordeals. But to make mealtime more positive, you have to serve foods that both meet your kids’ nutritional needs and are tasty enough for children to actually eat and enjoy.