The difference one year can make.

For the past three years my family has been taking a mini-vacation to Indianapolis for Memorial Day weekend. My husband goes to the Indy 500 with his uncle and some family friends while I get to visit with extended family that we do not get to see very often. We stay with my husband’s aunt and uncle who own a couple acres in Indy as well as a pony, a horse, some dogs and a cat. It is a regular petting zoo for my toddler who wants to touch everything.

Memorial Day Plans

I will be away from the computer for the next couple of days, but will be back to posting on Tuesday hopefully with pictures and stories to share. I am taking a mini-vacation/road trip this weekend to visit family in Indiana. My husband will be going to the Indy 500, which he is very much looking forward to.  I will be playing with all of the children and visiting with family we don’t get to see very often. I am very much looking forward to this trip and a long holiday weekend of family, food, and fun!

How are you planning on spending this Memorial Day weekend?

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Friday Fun Pic: Week 3

In this picture I am holding both my son Steven (little boy with the white pacifier on the right) and my niece Abby (little girl with the green pacifier on the left). Abby is our little miracle baby in the family. First of all she is a she, which is HUGE for my mother-in-law. She really wanted a little girl to dress up and be girly with. Second Abby was born prematurely in January at 32 weeks. She is such a sweet and beautiful little girl. As a mother of two boys I am constantly awed by how dainty she is. I love babies! I love holding both my son Steven and my niece Abby. They cuddle and I rock and soon we are all ready for a nap. Is there anything more precious than a sleeping baby?

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Road Trip

As I finish doing the laundry and get ready to compile my list of packing necessities, I am starting to get a little anxious about my first road trip with both a toddler and a newborn. What to pack? How to deal with meltdowns in the swagger wagon? How to schedule travel timing to coincide with the nap schedules? AAaaahhhh! There is so much to think about and I haven’t even started to pack.

It’s Raining. It’s Pouring.

I woke up this morning to a thunderstorm. There was some loud thunder, a little bit of lightning, and a lot of rain. Although my plans for the day did not include rain, the rain did not ruin my plans.

Most of the time I look at thunderstorms as Gods way of saying I need to make today a pajama day. On a typical rainy day I curl up in my pajamas and drink coffee and watch my toddler destroy what order I had previously restored to my home. It is quite entertaining.

Time! Time! Who’s got the time?

Every mommy needs some ME time. It doesn't matter if it is going to get a pedicure, taking a shopping trip, dinner and a movie with girlfriends, or simply taking a quiet walk around the neighborhood by yourself. Every mother needs some kid free time to regroup and relax.

Over the hills and through the woods to the Pediatricians we go.

My newborn son Steven just had his 2 month wellness checkup at the pediatrician’s office this last week. Although he is only 6 weeks old we wanted to get his first round of immunizations before taking him on a mini family vacation to Indianapolis this next weekend. I was discussing with my mother-in-law how the appointment went when she suggested I write a blog post about what one should take with them when bringing their baby to the pediatrician. Here is my checklist:

Product Review: Udders Covers Nursing Cover - Maria

When I had my first son I was nervous about breastfeeding in public. Instead of purchasing a nursing cover I hid out in bathroom stalls and changing rooms when taking my son out on shopping excursions. Now with a toddler and a newborn I can’t hide out whenever my newborn needs to eat. 

My toddler is too active a child to stay in a stall or changing room without trying to crawl out or open the door. I am more comfortable with the idea of breastfeeding in public so long as I can stay covered. Let’s be honest, bathroom stalls are gross and uncomfortable places to try and breastfeed. I don’t eat in public bathrooms, why should I expect my baby to eat in one. This time around I need a nursing cover.

Moving On Up

My husband and I made the decision to transition our toddler into a “big boy” bed instead of purchasing a new crib once the new baby arrived. We read up on how to transition a toddler into a big boy bed. There were a lot of conflicting ideas about when to make the big move and how to keep your kid in their bed.

The advice on when to move ranged from transitioning into the big boy bed before the new baby comes to waiting until your child is climbing out of their crib, and everything in between. We waited to transition William, my toddler, into his “big boy” bed until Steven, my newborn, had been home for about a month or so.

Friday Fun Pic: Week 2

We did not purchase new furniture for our newborn. Instead we transitioned our toddler into his “big boy” furniture and moved all the baby things into the new nursery. The diaper changing station is no longer in William’s room; it is now in the nursery. Our goodnight routine starts out with diaper changes in Steven’s nursery where William like to play hide-and-go-seek right. He loves that he can crawl under the crib to hide. In this Friday Fun Pic William is hiding from having to go to sleep. I would love to hear how your little ones avoid bedtime?

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Sibling Rivalry

Worried about how your older child is going to react to you bringing home a new baby. I wasn’t just worried, I was terrified!

When I first brought my newborn home my toddler was completely disinterested. The new baby did not faze him in the slightest. I think this was because daddy and was home to play with him during the day and my mother came to visit to help me with recovery. We had people coming to visit and play with my older son, so there was no need to pay too much attention to the new baby. When people went back to work and stopped visiting my toddler started wanting more and more attention from mommy. My fear of sibling rivalry was now front and center.

Coffee makes me a better mom.

I am the mother of two very handsome little men. My oldest is two and my youngest is six weeks old. I should be a pro at all things baby, having experienced them before. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

They say that each pregnancy is different, each labor and delivery is different, each recovery is different, and each child is different. This is not a lie. The saying is either completely true or my brain has blocked what life is like with a newborn. Either case is completely feasible.

Getting Back My Body!

I am looking forward to my 6 week checkup this Friday. I know, not something you typically hear. What normal sane person looks forward to going to the lady doctor and being examined? Well… I do! Here is why: Once I get the okay from my doctor  I can start my fitness journey back to my pre-pregnancy body.

Product Review: Baby Trend Navigator Double Jogger Stroller in Sonic

My mother-in-law bought this stroller for me after I gave birth to my second son. I was worried about how I was going to handle both my newborn and my toddler on outings by myself. I wanted a stroller that would accommodate both my newborn in his infant carrier and my toddler. I wanted a side by side stroller because my toddler has a tendency to kick whatever is in front of him and I also wanted him within easy reach, just in case…

Hello summer, my old friend.

To me the beginning of summer is not a date on a calendar or the first time I get to wear shorts and a tank-top. Summer has begun once I have gone to my first garage sale.

Old Toys Made New

I recently pulled all of William's infant toys out of storage for my newborn son Steven to be able to use. Because William has not seen these toys, they are all brand spanking new to him again. Therefore they MUST be played with extensively even though they are way too small for my toddler. In this photograph my toddler William has decided to wear the tunnel as a mask and run around my dining room table trying to scare daddy. Hysterical!

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Lamaze Northern Lights Crib Soother Review

There are two ways to work this soother. It can either be a child activated soother by pressing the little soft ladybug on the front of the soother or it can be turned on by the parent by pressing both the music button and the light button. The music button turns on either three classical melodies or sounds of nature and can be placed on either a soft or loud setting. The light button simple activates or deactivated the glowing lights in the soother. The Northern Lights Soother has something that I have not seen in any other soother, the ability to hook up to an mp3 player and play my music. This is a very cool feature. There is a cord located at the top of the soother and even a neat little pocket to hold your mp3 player on the back.

Trial and Error

Do you ever feel like you have no idea what to do? Join the club. I feel this way especially when my newborn is crying and I have no idea why. At least my toddler is learning to express himself using words. With my newborn I live by trial and error. As a mom of two I have learned to take deep breaths and keep moving forward. As Dori in Finding Nemo would say, I “just keep swimming.”

Mastitis & Breastfeeding Problems

Breastfeeding issues are a little odd to discuss with just anyone and when I started having problems this time around I had no idea what was wrong with me. I was scared and didn't have a clue as to what I could do to make myself better; that is until I spoke with my mom. Who would have ever guessed that my mother would be a wealth of information about all things mom (note a little sarcasm).