Christmas

As I sit here preparing for the upcoming holiday, I realized a few things. I have taught my kids about the holidays the way I was taught with a spin. I sat them down and explained about Jesus and why we personally celebrate. I also explained to them that the way we celebrate actually derived from Pagan holidays. I explained why we use the tree, what the star means and what each of the traditions mean. When I was a kid, we were taught about Jesus and god and Santa Claus. I prefer to give my kids as much information as possible and allow for them to decide what they believe. I have read a few articles over the last month trying to persuade parents from teaching their kids to believe in Santa. Me personally, I believe that kids should all have a certain amount of magic in their lives. Magic and imagination allows the kids to shape the way they will be. I am in my 30s and I still believe in magic. I still have hope that there are things out there that I can not explain. I say to you parents that it is perfectly okay to allow your child to believe in magic and fairy tales. Sometimes the world can be a dark and horrifying place. Giving your kid hope that there is some kind of light out there that is always there.

*Update* 
Teaching a four year old about Christmas for the first time is an adventure. They are little sponges at this point. It was easy to teach him the different reasons for celebrating. I recommenced this for everyone. 

Feeding Time

There's a lot of debate about when yo start solid food, how much to give them, and even possible allergies. My answer to these will always be the same. All kids are different and you are the best judge of went they are ready. No matter what anyone says or how much research you do, every milestone is up to you.

The best time to start solid foods is around 4 months. Some doctors will advise to start earlier if they belive that your baby needs additional calories or nourishment.  If your baby us still hungry after a full bottle consistently then starting some sort of foods would be recommended.

Start with some with some sort of cereal (rice or oatmeal). It should only be a few spoonfuls and it should be a very thin consistency. You can mix in breast milk or water and a little bit of formula. After a few days you can adjust the consistency. At the start of feeding you only want to feed them solids once or twice a day. After a few months, you can slowly move them to three solid meals a day. 

When starting any new food try a spoonful or two mixed with a little cereal. This way you can find out if they have any allergies after a small amount. Starting a new food once a week or once every few days is best. That way your baby has time to show any signs of allergies.

Signs of food allergies are:

- Hives or welts
- Flushed skin or rash
- Face, tongue, or lip swelling
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea
- Coughing or wheezing
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of consciousness

Meal time routines should always be the same. Usually, you would feed before giving a bottle or breastfeeding. Make sure, when you can, that you are in a calm, quiet and comfortable environment. The calmer the environment the smoother meal times will be.

Of course, there will be the days when things are crazy and hectic. There will be times that baby wants to throw the food or cup. This is time for you to collect yourself and be calm. Yes, it's frustrating. The calmer you are in dealing with the situation, the less likely it will be to happen again. This is a phase that every kid goes through. Stick with it and it will get better.

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

I know it's been a while since I posted. It's been crazy since school started back.  I've been researching and developing a new post. It should be posted today or early tomorrow.

Thanks for sticking with me ;)

Learning to Self Soothe

This is the first truly hard part of patenting. This is where we have to do what's best for our kids in the long run. Not everything that is right is easy.

Starting at around 6 months kids start to find their voice. Parents should be able to distinguish between cries. As silly as it may sound, kids have a slightly different cry for everything. You should be able to determine when they are solely crying for attention. The idea is to slowly get them to be able to soothe themselves.

At nap time, feed the baby and get them to where they are just about asleep. Take them and lay them down at that point. Pat their back or turn on light music and get them to sleep. If you wait until they are already asleep you risk waking them up. Also, they will start having trouble falling without being held. When they wake wait a minute or two before heading in. If you go rushing in immediately it's teaching them that crying gets mom to come rushing in.

Starting a bedtime routine around this time makes the process easier. Start by doing the same process every night. This is hard when you have to be away from home or when you have company over. My routine was the same for all three kids. I fed them their evening meal, by this time they were on rice, gave them their bath and a bottle. If they wake in the middle of the night, I would change them, feed them and back to their bed they went. This is the same, wait a few minutes before running to them.

If you have those times where they are fussy and nothing is wrong, this is where the hard part comes in. You feed them, change them and pat their back until they fall asleep. Then, as soon as you leave the room they are wailing. Let them cry for a few minutes before you go back in. I'm not talking about letting them scream their heads off.  I'm talking about giving them a few minutes before going back in. They will start to settle on their own. If after 5 minutes they haven't calmed, then you go in. After a few times they will start to learn to calm themselves faster. If you believe that something is wrong, yes go in and check. If you know nothings wrong, wait.

I've read several articles on both side of this issue. (I'll have to put the links down below.) I've seen where there are so many people discouraging allowing your kids to cry. I honestly stand firm behind the opinion of teaching your kids to self soothe. They need to learn little bits of independence. Running every time a kid cries only teaches them how to get your attention. The cries stop being about something wrong and turn into ways to get you to pick them up. Do not get me wrong, I am all for snuggles and lovey time with your babies. When it's time for love and snuggles, go for it. When it's time for bed, it's time for bed.

If you have another opinion or something you wish for me to read, please comment below. I am always up for reading articles. I am always up for a good debate.

Sleep Training

Sleep training starts from the moment you bring your baby home. Every time you lay down your precious bundle to rest is another chance to teach them. To lay them in their bassinet, crib, or playpen when they sleep teaches them where they should sleep. This also helps later when you change them from bassinet, to crib, to bed.

Personally, I do not believe a child should ever be in the bed with their parents. I know this works for some people and that I'll probably get comments stating as much. From what I have seen, and read, a bed should be a parents retreat, the one place that is sanctuary for them. I am not saying that there won't be nights of nightmares or tummy aches and days where you want or lay around with them on your bed. These days should be limited and children should be put back to their own bed whenever possible.

The easiest way to get them to sleep in their own place is to start as a baby. When they are close to asleep lay them in their crib or bassinet and pat their tummy or back until they are asleep. This mimics when you pat their back as a newborn and will ease them off to sleep.

Routine is key, find a bedtime routine that works for you. Mine was always bath, evening bottle (or breast) and then bed. This slowly changed as they grow older. Try to keep it as close to the same time every night. Set an alarm if needed to keep you on track. Sometimes things happen or you're on vacation.  On these nights, try and find a way to keep them wound down enough so that they will be able to sleep when you can get them down.

I am a firm believer in letting them cry it out. I will probably go into this more in another post. (I could seriously go into this for a while). Bed time is where this is the most important. This is where you have to tough through and let them cry. Of course your baby wants to be held. It helps no one but you by giving in every time. The older that they get, the harder bedtime will get if they don't learn to self soothe.

Switching them from crib to bed is one of the hardest hurdles. They now have free roam to get up and down whenever they want. Try not to get too upset when they want to run and giggle. They won't understand when you get angry. The best thing that you can do is to let them put themselves into the bed and tuck them in. They are going to get back up, they are going to run. It's human nature for them to do so. Try just taking them back to bed and tucking them back in. Say as little as possible except "Goodnight" and give them a kiss. The excuses that come at bed time are the most extensive. Make sure that you note what the most common are and get all of those things out of the way. Let them know once you leave the room, it's time for them to be asleep.

You as a parent need your time of the day to breathe and relax. This comes back to what I said in the beginning. When I'm done for the day I want to curl into my bed next to my husband and relax. The best advice I can give for bedtime is be firm, stay strong and don't give in. Bedtime shouldn't be a battle, it should be a time of peace. The happiest moment of a parent's day is looking upon their sleeping child and knowing they have a few moments of peace.

My 3 Pregnancies

So, my last few posts were a little on the negative side. I figured that I would come on today and give a different view on pregnancy. I don't want anyone to think that I am solely negative when it comes to pregnancy. Let me give you a different view.  Whether you found out by peeing on the stick and waiting for the result or from a trip to the doctors office, you are pregnant. Congratulations, you have created life! Let's just skip over the logistics on how you got to this point (wink wink). From the first day that you find out that you are pregnant your whole life changes. After that moment everything you do and every decision that you make affects not only you but the child's life as well.

From my own experiences, I started feeling things from a few months in. It started out feeling as little bubbles or flutters in my belly. I started gaining weight with all of my pregnancies early on. All three of my pregnancies were very different.  I experienced very different things with each child. Some of the things that I experienced I had never heard of before. I read books, talked to other moms, and spoke with doctors. Everyone had different opinions and ways to handle what I was going through. In each situation, it was up to me to wade through the tons of advice and find what was ultimately was good for myself and my child.

With my first pregnancy, I gained a lot of weight so it was good that I was able to work out and walk all the way up to when I had him. The only pregnancy ailment that I had with him was horrible acid reflux. I drank milk like it was my job and always had a jar of pickles in the house.  We were originally were going to wait to find out what sex the baby was but due to my mother sneaking a peek and giggling, my husband and I couldn't help but look. Each day from that moment was focused on picking names, buying clothes, and prepping our lives for our baby. I had read the book "What to Expect When You are Expecting" so many times from the time I found out that I was pregnant. To be honest, when I was pregnant with my first baby it helped so much that I bought the next two books. The check lists in this book, I still suggest to women to this day. I went into labor with him 5 times before finally being induced with putossin. After, delivering an almost 10 lbs baby we found out that he was severily over cooked.

My second pregnancy was vastly different. We had decided to have another baby and started trying soon after moving into our own house. I found out that I was pregnant at only 6 weeks along. I was considered a high risk pregnancy due to my thyroid issues. I started having horrible morning sickness soon after finding out that I was pregnant.  I wasn't able to walk as much as I did my first pregnancy, but I did pregnancy yoga every night before bed for the first 6 months. By my 7th month, I was carrying too low to be able to continue to work out. I went into labor a month early and brought her home a few days later.

My third pregnancy was a nightmare from the first day. The fact that I was pregnant and had a life in my belly were literally the only good things. I found out I was pregnant by getting horrible morning sickness. Imagine the worst stomach flu you've ever had and then stretch it out over a few weeks. Then, anything that stayed down gave me heart burn. I was high risk from day due to my thyroid. I also developed preeclampsia early in my pregnancy. Around 5 months, i develooed a horrible case of shingles. Couple all of this with the fact of working 40 hours a week in a Bakery. I tried everyday to find one positive thing. I would focus on a project for the baby or buying something for the baby. By 6 months I was on bed rest and then my 8th month was spent in the hospital. The day I was released to go home my water broke and 18 hours later we had a bouncing baby boy.

Being a parent, is one of the craziest feelings that there is. You're happy and excited at the possibilities that are coming. And yet, you are terrified at the aspect of having to be responsible for someone other than yourself. All that you go through when you're pregnant, all of that stress, melts away the moment you set eyes on your precious baby.

Pregnancy Ailments and Home Remedies

Note: These remedies are my own personal experiences  and the experiences of those close to me.

These all present themselves at some point during pregnancy. They can range from a mild case to horrible fires from hell in your stomach and throat. There are plenty of over the counter or prescription drugs that can assist. Me personally, they either took too long to work, didn't work at all, or I didn't want to take too many due to being pregnant. The only exception was TUMS, I ate those like pez some days. I found a few things that helped and were all natural.

Morning Sickness

• Ginger -- Anything with ginger in it helps. Me, I kept ginger ale near by with all three pregnancies. I had some at home, some in the car and some at work. Not only does it help with morning sickness but it can also help with indigestion and acid reflux as well.
• Marshmallows -- These actually work for upset stomach and for acid reflux. The marshmallow works to coat your throat and ease your stomach.
• Very small snacks -- This sounds nuts when all you want to do is throw up but it works. Find one thing that stays down and buy a bunch. So what if the only thing you can keep down is cheetos or cocopuffs. You have plenty of time to eat healthy when you can stand the smell of food.

Heartburn, Acid Reflux, and GERD

• Eat Small Meals and Eating Slowly -- These are the first thing that nay book, website, or doctor tell you to do.  These do help alot with acid reflux and GERD. Eating five small meals a day can help with keeping the acid at bay. As we all know sometimes when you're pregnant you eat way too much. So, let's move on to things that help quickly when it comes on.
• Ginger Ale -- This eases the heartburn and any other stomach issues that come with it.
• Marshmallow -- Eases the acid reflux and coats your throat as well.
• Pickles -- I always kept a jar of dill pickles (the bread and butter don't work) handy. These would ease the acid so quickly. They don't soothe your throat but they definitely calm the beast in your stomach.
• Milk -- Not only does milk calm the acid but it also can soothe your throat and belly. Make sure to only drink about a cup. I usually just drank some with some cookies lol. Drinking too much can cause you to get a stomach ache or indigestion.
• Apple Cider Vinegar -- In extreme cases, if you're just out of pickles, or if you just want to try something new. Take one tablespoon of vinegar and toss it back. This works rather quickly, but tastes awful.

Mainly, eat what you want! You are the one that has to go through 9 months of swelling, puking, heart burn and everything else you can think of. You should not feel guilty because you are craving fries from McDonald's. I ate what I wanted to with all three of mine. I also had mommy shakes in the morning and healthy food all day. I also walked and did pregnancy yoga. Remember to enjoy what you can!

Pregnancy Woes

Ok, so let's start with pregnancy. No amount of reading, stories from other moms, or videos can prepare you for the "joys" of being pregnant. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of good things about pregnancy, but that's another post. First, comes morning sickness. I have never heard anything more improperly named. We should just call it HOT DEATH since it lasts most of the day and it makes you feel like curling up in a ball in bed. If you read the "pregnancy books" they will tell you that it's usually only during the first trimester. While most of the time this is true, some cases it can last the whole pregnancy. (Honestly, I might just make a whole post about this.) There are many home remedies for morning sickness that truly do help. Even if you are lucky enough to skip morning sickness (pray that you do) there are still a vast amount of hurdles to overcome. Second, we have heartburn or acid re-flux. In my experiences, it can be caused by anything. Literally, one time I burped and I got acid re-flux. Milk and pickle juice (not at the same time) are your best friends for this. Next we have swelling, aches and pains, bloating, diarrhea, and peeing our pants. You also can get gestational diabetes and preeclampsia (high blood pressure). These should be tested for and taken very seriously. Ok, so what books and no one else tells you is that you can get Shingles while pregnant. This, my friends, is a game changer. There is nothing like this feeling. Take the worst rash, poison ivy, whatever, and now imagine lighting said rash on fire. Yes, there are creams that "help" but pretty much you're on your own. I'll make a post about helpful remedies for all these later. The main issue is that during your pregnancy most people don't give a crap about how you're feeling. You are just a human incubator and they worry more about the baby than you. Just remember, from this point on, everyone will tell you what you don't want to hear. You will have more advice than you know what to do with. My advice, write it all down and save it for later. While it seems crazy now, sometimes trying something outside the box will save the day.

Welcome to My Page

Hello and Welcome!

 Let me start by introducing myself. I am a stay at home mom of three. I have been around kids since I was little. I grew up babysitting for everyone in the neighborhood, my little brother and sister, and I got certified in Early Childhood Education when I was still in high school. Since I was 18 I have been a parent and run daycare out of my home. I have seen just about everything that you can see. That being said, I am here to offer advice, tell stories of raising kids, and share any life hacks that I have come across. This will range any where from childcare, cleaning, running a household, working while being a mom, being a mom with cancer, and maybe even some tips on keeping mommy happy. Feel free to send me ideas on things you would like to see. I hope you enjoy my page!