Words Of Wisdom From My Grandma

I found this sweet picture while I was looking through my photos and I thought these words of wisdom were the perfect way to start the weekend...

Swaddling blankets aren't square

Don't stress about folding them perfectly because it's a waste of time and energy

Always write names one the back of pictures

You think you will remember, but you won't 

Be willing to give away anything in your home - except your tooth brush

Things are irreplaceable, people and memories are not; however, as a nurse and mom of five she must encourage strong oral hygiene 

Happy Friday!  (Not that a Friday with little ones is different than any other day of the week, but have a happy one none the less)  

Oh The Places My Laundry Will Go

I recently saw the most beautiful picture on Instagram of two little ones playing in a clean, perfectly decorated living room.  I looked around and what I saw was nothing like that picture.  If you came to my house at anytime during the week, you are likely to find huge piles of laundry waiting......

.....waiting to be washed

.....waiting to be folded

.....waiting to be put away

I have found that having a baby leaves my laundry in limbo for days.  When I was once able to do four or five loads of laundry in a day, I now struggle to finish one.

I realize that picture on Instagram could certainly be an exception because we all want to show off the good stuff and I want to high-five that mom for having her $&/% together even for a moment.  But my reality is messy and, lately, I am ok with that.  I have found more important things to fill my time so forgive my mess and be warned if you come to visit, it won't be a clean house, but it will be a playful house!

A Letter To My Pre-Parent Self

Dear Little,

You will never believe this life in a million years. You are working so hard to make a name for yourself, to prove yourself in the professional world and in the blink of an eye will leave it all for late night feedings, dirty diapers and sweatpants.  You are a good friend and you go above and beyond to check in with the ones you love, but wait to see who returns that same effort when you have nothing extra to give...you will be pleasantly surprised.  You thought it was great "easing into marriage" when you only saw your husband on weekends, but without notice you will be thrown into a full-time marriage as full-time parents and realize you have a lot to learn.  Your passion for planning the next big trip or opportunity will be replaced with a desire to plan each day to ensure your baby has exactly what she needs to be happy.  Your house will not be clean, you will not always be clean and your excitement might be waiting for your husband to get home from work or learning your mom is coming for the day, but you will figure it out.  You won't remember a month and a half of your life because of the hormones in your own body that turned against you and you will wonder why you made the choices that brought you to this point.

But after the chaos, upset and confusion you will come out on top.  You will realize a piece of you was missing and you never even knew it.  You will realize you are the most selfish person, but you will learn selflessness and you will do more inside the four walls of your home than you could ever imagine.  This life isn't anything like you imagined.  It's hard, ugly, heavy and exhausting but, it's also amazing, beautiful and more than you deserve.  Most days you will think you have nothing left, but just in that moment God will give you a burst of energy to make it through.  Thank goodness this life isn't what you planned...you would have missed out on the good stuff.  Remember little, the best is yet to come!

Dirty Little Secrets of Parenthood

Sometimes I exaggerate the last time my baby woke up in the middle of the night or the number of times to my husband so he feels bad for me. He'll jump out of bed and let me sleep a little longer, if I've had a "rough" night... I'll do anything for 30 more minutes.

-mom of a 5 month old

If I have to choose between going to the bathroom or sleep, I always choose sleep.  It's amazing my bladder hasn't burst.

-mom of two, ages 2 and 1

I never folded baby clothes.  They were so little and didn't wrinkle so I just kept them in the 'clean' laundry basket.  The only problem was when my mother in-law came over and wanted to do laundry - I couldn't tell her one basket was clean because she would never approve so she always ended up washing and folding it all.

-mom of two, ages 11 and 8

I work from home so some evenings I tell my husband I need to catch up on work in the office, but instead of doing work I secretly hide out and watch netflix.

-mom of two, ages 3 and 1 

The Sweetest Place on Earth

What better way to spend the day than with my favorite people (minus a few) and all the chocolate you could ever want, need or imagine?!  Hershey Chocolate World is the most wonderful place because it is the perfect day trip, it is family friendly and it is free!  We started out with the tour of how chocolate is made which ends with a free chocolate treat - Kit Kat was the pick of the day.  Then we had lunch (make sure you have a chocolate milkshake, but skip the pizza) before riding through the tour for the second time - when you have a three year old with you, all the rules go out the window.  Next we shopped for chocolate goodness, which was eaten up before a picture was taken, but trust me, the chocolate covered pretzel rolled in candy bars was worth the calories!

The park is, of course, closed this time of the year, but the outlets are right down the street so a quick stop was mandatory.  If you have the chance to visit Hersey definitely stop at Chocolate World - and call us to meet up because we love a good excuse for some chocolate!

Guest Post || Pediatric Nurse and Babywearing Mama

I’m Kaitlin, mommy to Aidan, my 10 month old little spitfire.  He is both my greatest blessing and greatest challenge.  Parenting is not at all as I had envisioned it before I had a child of my own.  It has tested and stretched and grown me more in the last 10 months than I could have EVER imagined.  One of the many new things I’ve learned since becoming a mom is the art of babywearing.

Babywearing is my favorite parenting tool.  In the beginning, Aidan was colicky and cried for hours and hours.  It always started around 5 p.m., right as my poor husband was getting home from work.  We spent days and days walking up and down our downstairs hallway bouncing and shushing to no avail.  I received a baby carrier at one of my baby showers.  Exhausted and frustrated one night, after trying everything I knew to soothe him, I decided to put him in the carrier. After getting him in and adjusted, something amazing happened.  He stopped crying.  He snuggled in and fell asleep.  It became a nightly ritual.  Something that dependably soothed him, even at his fussiest.

When I was on maternity leave and needed to get some things done around the house, babywearing allowed me to have my hands free.  I could fold laundry, do some dishes, and maybe have lunch.  Poor Aidan often ended up with crumbs in his hair from whatever I was snacking on.  

Eventually, as he got older I got up the nerve to run some lengthier errands on my own.  Even through grocery shopping and Target runs he was happy as a clam in the carrier.  I’d often get some stares and lots of “they didn’t have those when I had kids” comments from passersby.  Little did they know that women have been wearing their babies since the beginning of time.

As I went back to work and spent long hours away from my sweet baby, babywearing became a tool to reconnect with my baby.  No matter what things I encountered at work (and being a pediatric dialysis nurse I can see some sad things), coming home and wrapping my baby up with me was good for both of our souls.  Snuggling up with him melts away all the stresses from my day and allows us to make the most of the short time we have before bedtime.  When he presses his chubby little cheek up against my back, everything is right in the world

 

If you’re interested in learning more about babywearing, check out this site to see if there’s a chapter of Babywearing International near you:http://www.babywearinginternational.org/about-bwi/chapters/.  At the meetings you can learn about safe babywearing, different types of carriers, and even get help with babywearing from volunteer babywearing educators.  Chapters even have lending libraries so that members can borrow carriers for free to try them out.

My Baby is Spoiled

I hear the phrase, "if you do {such and such} you will only spoil her", too often for my liking.  At first I just got so annoyed because it was always advice I did not want or ask for.  Now, instead of getting upset, I embrace it.  I am proud to say I am the mother of a completely spoiled 7 month old!

She is picked up every time she cries

She knows that, when she is in need, someone will come to her aid.  She trusts her parents and thinks the world is safe.

She is fed on demand

She is able to nurse as needed - whether she is hungry, tired, overstimulated or just in need of some cuddles.

She is held during most naps

She needs sleep to stay healthy and strong, but she has a hard time staying asleep during nap time if she isn't being held so the people she trusts help make sure she gets the sleep she needs.

She is carried at least part of the day

The days are long and sometimes it nice to just be close - baby carriers were made to make that dream a reality.

She has every toy she wants

She has toys for teething, toys to reach new milestones and toys that teach her and, so far, hasn't complained.

If spoiled means a well-adjusted, healthy baby who knows she is loved and can trust those who care for her, then I am proud to say my baby is spoiled!  I do not think that our way of parenting is the only way or the best way, but it feels right to us so we are going to stick with it.  If your way looks different, but your baby is loved and cared for then keep up the good work!!!!  I think the world would be a better place if it was full of spoiled infants.