A Mistake*

I sat down intending to write about my crazy experience at Big Sister's gymnastics class. Let's just say that at the time my hands were a bit fuller than my heart. However, later this afternoon, something happened that nearly broke my heart.

Big Sister went down for a nap just as Little Man was getting up from his nap. I was looking forward to the special time with Little Man. He wanted to swing, so I quickly gave him a snack and fed Baby Girl.

After I cleaned up Little Man and changed Baby Girl, we were ready. I put Baby Girl in her car seat and set it in the middle of the kitchen table. Then, I got distracted by Little Man and we headed out the door. That was my mistake.

I pushed Little Man in his favorite swing. Five minutes later I headed back into the house to make sure that Baby Girl had fallen asleep. What I found still makes me sick to my stomach.

Baby Girl's car seat was tipped over in the middle of the table, but she wasn't in it. Instead, she was laying on the floor screaming in pain. I scooped her up and grabbed the phone. The pediatrician sent us to the Children's Hospital Urgent Care.

Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. A scan showed that she was fine. Praise God.

But, as we answered the different questions at the hospital, a few words kept making me feel sick to my stomach all over again.

"She wasn't strapped in and..." the nurses and doctors all said to make sure they had the story right.

All I could do was acknowledge what had happened and hope I didn't start crying.

I did something I know not to do. In my carelessness, I endangered my child. How could I?

As I've pondered this tonight, I'm close to tears. I'm so very grateful that God watched out for my baby even when I was distracted. I'm so glad that He is bigger than my carelessness.

But, I know there have been mamas with similar stories that don't have happy endings. These are the stories that make the news. They are the same stories that used to have me shaking my head and thinking "how could that mama ______!?"

No more. Tonight, I will be praying for parents who've had their children injured, or worse, due to carelessness. I've no doubt the majority of them love their children and meant them no harm. My heart breaks for them.

At the same time, I'm going to hold my Baby Girl and once more thank the Lord for His sweet care for her. This world is full of sadness. I'm so glad today had a happy ending.


*I hesitated to post this because I worried that others may judge me. But, the fact is lives, including my own, are full of moments we wish they weren't. We all have things we wish we'd done differently. So, I've decided to post this with the hope that anyone who reads this would pray for the children and their families whose innocent mistakes resulted in stories without the happy endings.

Waking Up

Baby Girl has the sweetest temperament. After waking up, she is content to sit and coo. Eventually, she calls out. As I go into her room, I'm rewarded with this:

That smile is better than coffee any day.

I love you Baby Girl!

You know you're a mom when....

you forget to put your make-up on before leaving for church.



At this rate, I'll be wearing jammies to church when the baby starts crawling and things get even busier around here.

Two of My Favorite Things

It is a joke at our house that I think everything looks better painted black. Of course, by everything, I mean things like frames, end tables, step stools, or wall cabinets. Things like that.

In fact, the only rooms where I don't incorporate a lot of black are my little girls' rooms. And then, I just use this:

This would explain why my finger tip is looking a bit gray right now. It would also explain the various pieces of furniture laying on top of drop cloths on the floor of my garage.

On that note, I'm off to spray some more paint.

A True Conversation

Little Man and Big Sister think getting the mail is quite fun. It's probably because that is sometimes our only venture out other than the backyard.

I generally try to give them each a piece of junk mail. I'm nice like that.

After getting the mail today, Little Man watched Big Sister open her envelope. He had a little postcard advertisement.

"Help me," he said as he handed me his postcard.

"It doesn't open," I said knowing he wanted his mail to open even though it was just a piece of paper.

Repeat the above phrases 3,652 and a half times.

I was half way through saying it doesn't open for the 3,653rd* time when I had an idea.

I tore the paper a bit and asked if that was good.

"Thanks," Little Man said.

Mama to the rescue once more.



*I haven't the slightest idea if you can write a number like that. But, since I'm too lazy to look it up, it will have to do. I'm pretty sure you can still get the point.

Spring has Sprung!

It doesn't get much better than being able to be outside in the morning while wearing shorts and tee-shirts.

The sunglasses are compliments of mama. The same mama might just have to be nice enough to buy them their own.

Of course, in the time that I've posted the above picture, both children have found the mud. Perhaps it would make more sense to say Spring has splattered.

Mmmmm, mud!

Happy Spring!

Curiousity Gets a Finger Bit

As I loaded up the car to head out for errands, I heard a cry.

And, as any mother of young children knows, there is a cry and a CRY. This one was the latter. Big Sister was in pain. It turns out Little Man had bit her finger.

After everyone was settled down, I asked Big Sister what exactly happened.

"I put my finger in his mouth," she replied as if I should have already known.

Sometimes she seems so smart. And then there are the other times.

You gotta love a 3-year-old!

Proof

I always knew my husband would be a great dad. Here is the latest proof that he is indeed the best.

This box housed our new hot water heater. Now, thanks to my husband, it is a fun playhouse for Big Sister and Little Man.

My sweet husband put it together after the children were in bed. He even reinforced the box with pieces of wood. He did all this despite a heavier than usual work load.

Check out the details.

Apparently Little Man likes the windows.

Are they lucky kids or what?

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Uh-oh, but what if there isn't a mirror on the wall? And I'm out with the children. And, I'm a tad concerned that my mascara has started to run a bit.

I have two options.

I can simply swipe my fingers under my eyes and hope for the best. Or, I can corral my three children into the nearest restroom, so that I can have a peak in the mirror. Now, I'm not a germophobe, but I know my children and know they will want to touch everything in the restroom. So, I go with the first option.

As soon as we get back to the car and everyone is settled, I quickly glance in the mirror to see if my face looks a bit frumpy. This time I'm okay, but will I be next time?

A true frump-fighter would carry a mirror in her purse or diaper bag. Do you?

I'm off to find one so that I never have to rely on a stranger to tell me there is spinach in my teeth or that I strongly resemble a raccoon with the way my eye make up is looking.


Be sure to visit Fussy and Friends for more tips.

Only if It's Permanent

I experienced a first today.

As I trudged through the grocery store parking lot, a man asked if I needed a hand. Most people tell me I've got my hands full.

Apparently, pushing a stroller, pulling a cart, and keeping track of a preschooler and a toddler, who were both walking, looked like a bit much.

I politely said something like no thanks and I'm used to it.

But what I thought was, "yes, I'll take an extra hand, but I need it to be a permanent fixture. Preferably on my right side. That would be most helpful, thanks."

I Hope They Never Visit

Though it seems impossible right now, eventually my children will grow up and leave home. And when they do, I hope they never visit.

Now before you think I'm a horrible mother who can't wait to be rid of her children, please allow me to explain.

I have a dear friend who still "goes home." She is a grown woman with a husband, children, and a home of her own. In reality she has two homes.

At first, this seemed strange to me. I mean, if I tell you I'm going home, I'm referring to the place where I reside with my husband, three children, and a dog.


My friend talks about both her home and the home she spent her childhood. The fondness she has for her childhood home is obvious.

Now, please don't think I didn't have a lovely childhood. I did and my mom worked particularly hard to make it that way. But, my parents were divorced when I was 12. We moved across the country when I was 15. Neither of my parents live in the town where I was born.

But, I know I am loved by both of my parents. I am blessed.

Now, back to my point.

My friend wouldn't dream of missing a holiday at home. Her husband is okay with this. I assume this must be because he too knows a "home" when he finds one.

My husband and I have to choose from which of four sets of parents and step-parents we're going to visit. One set lives near the beach and another near the mountains. The other two live near each other and close enough for us to visit in a weekend. We've got plenty of vacation spots, but only one home.

We may or may not always live in the same house, but it is my hope that both my husband and I will create a loving home for our children no matter where we live.

It is my prayer that my children will grow to have families of their own. I pray they build homes full of love, laughter, and wisdom. But, I also pray that when they talk about coming to see their old mom and dad, they say that they are going home.

No, I hope they never simply visit. May they always come home and think, like our ruby-slipper- wearing friend, that there is no place like home.

This post is being entered at Scribbit's April Write-Away Contest.

A Glamorous Side of Motherhood, or How to Remove Foreign Objects from Your Child's Nose

It was bound to happen sometime.

The first time we were in line waiting to make our purchases at Target.

Suddenly, Big Sister was grabbing at her nose and looking a bit panicked.

It was a raisin from the trail mix. I knew better than to ask why she did it. The raisin was there, her nostril was there too, so why not?

Fortunately, I simply massaged the raisin out of her little nose. It popped right out and I was sure she'd never do it again.

I'm sure that is the part of the story that my veteran-parent friends laughed at. I really thought that would be the end of it.

The second time it was a small rock. Again, I was able to massage it out of her nose. This time I also put her in time-out. Apparently, the pain in her nose wasn't enough to stop her.

The third time was a charm. It was an eraser. The kind that is at the top of a mechanical pencil.

The kind that is perfectly shaped cylinder.

The kind that doesn't want to budge when gently massaged from the outside of the nose.

The kind that causes a two-year-old much pain.

So, I tried using a bulb syringe. The eraser still didn't budge.

I was stumped. I thought we were headed to the doctor.

But, I decided to call my friend, a mom to four, first. If anyone had experience with removing objects from noses, surely she did.

And, here is the works for me part. She suggested that I put a straw in my daughter's nose and see if I couldn't get it to move down a bit by gently sucking on the straw.

In my eagerness to avoid paying a co-pay to look like a parent who doesn't supervise her child, I didn't think twice. I simply grabbed a straw and had at it. I forgot the gentle part.

The eraser came out and so did a bit of um, nasal drainage.

That last part still makes my stomach turn.

But, it worked for me. Though I'll probably only do it again if the object lodged in my child's nose is both poisonous and on flames.

Please visit Rocks in My Dryer for more tips.

Haircuts

If I didn't act quickly, Little Man was going to need some of Big Sister's bows.

Before:

And, after:

He looks like quite the little man now. And yes, he is every bit the trouble that this picture implies.

I love you big guy!

Oh, and we wouldn't want to leave out Big Sister.

She hopped up in that chair like a pro. Then, she promptly stared at her reflection with complete satisfaction. She was quite proud of being a big girl.

I love you too my little princess!

All the Time I Need

I just started reading a new book. I noticed that in the dedication (don't you always read these?) the author thanks a friend. Specifically she thanks the friend for reminding her that "I have all the time I need to do what God has called me to do."

So true.

Apparently there are days around here when God doesn't call me to take a shower or go to the bathroom without a munchkin underfoot.

However, there always seem to be plenty of opportunities to snuggle with my little ones.

Good thing they don't seem to care if I stink.

Fashion Fiesta with the Mom Uniform

One of my favorite reads, Big Mama, is hosting a Spring Fashion Fiesta. The idea is to post our Mom Uniform. What do we really wear?

So, I'll confess I use the term fashion very loosely. Here is the picture for proof.

The outfit on the left is what I wear around the house. And to be totally honest, sometimes I wear it to the park, grocery store, or a play date.

Simply multiply that graphic tee by 3, maybe 4, and you've got my casual wardrobe. Once summer hits, I might toss in a tank for variety. Exciting huh? The shoes are knock-offs, but very, very comfy.

The outfit on the right is what I wear for pretty much any other occasion that requires me to look presentable but casual.

Multiply that black shirt by, well, a lot. They all look a bit different, but they are all pretty much black.

I wish I could say multiply the jeans by a lot, but sadly, I've yet to squeeze into the rest of my regular jeans. (Baby Girl is two months.) So, these jeans are pretty much it.

The shoes are some basic black flats which do not at all look like they belong anywhere near warm weather. But, they match and sometimes that is all I can manage.

There you have it--my momiform (yes, I made up that word). Add a little toddler snot and some baby spit-up and my accessories are complete. Well, except for the ginormous diaper bag carrying everything I just might need.

Be sure to visit Big Mama to see hers and others' closet contents. Have fun!

Truer Words Were Never Spoken

Or printed on a t-shirt.

I'll give you one guess as to who wears this shirt.

Yup. That's right. Little Man.

And here is the proof that this shirt should belong to him.

This is Little Man attempting to squeeze between the stair posts ON THE SECOND FLOOR. And that is why you see a piece of wood fastened to the post.

Before his daddy attached the wood, Little Man was able to squeeze half his little body through the posts. Then he screamed because (thankfully) he couldn't get the rest of his torso through the posts.

Ah, the mind of a two-year-old boy is fascinating, and I must say, a bit foolish.

It's no wonder my daily prayers for this little guy focus so much on safety. And, of course, that he'd grow in wisdom.

It's Probably My Fault

I foolishly washed the kids' winter coats. I thought I could store them in bins in the basement, because, you know, it is April.

That is probably why we have a chance of snow and a high of 44 degrees predicted for Saturday.

If you live in the Midwest, I'm sorry.

Um Yeah

Yesterday, I got my sweet Little Man up out of his crib after his nap. He is my snuggle bug. It was no surprise that he buried his little head into my shoulder and...

blew snot all over it.

Then to add insult to injury, he surveyed his work.

He seemed satisfied.

Nice.

Free Music

What are the chances?

After writing about NKOTB, I discovered, via Rocks in My Dryer and Big Mama, that I could get a free CD. But, I don't mean to mislead you, the free CD is not one by NKOTB. It is a Matt Maher CD--even better.

Check it out.

http://www.mattmahermusic.com/blogformusic/

Seriously Silly

I sat down to write a more serious type of post. But, before I did, I checked my email and had one titled "NKOTB lives 4ever." (If you don't know what that means, we so would have not been friends in seventh grade.)


Here is what my dear friend said:

I had to send you this- look it up asap- it will change your life!!!!

http://music.msn.com/music/blockwatch?GT1=7702&silentchk=1&

A changed life? Not so much. A very big laugh just when I needed it--yup!


Uh oh, looks like I can't be friends with Blogger spell check. It didn't recognize NKOTB as a word? What? Seriously.

Setting the Pace

The other night my husband came home and looked around the house. He then looked up at me and told me he was proud of me.

Was it the beautifully set table with a homemade meal that made him proud?

Or, was it the immaculate house?

Or, maybe it was the happy state of the children?

No, it was none of these things.

It was the fact that the house was a mess. It looked lived-in. The funny thing is, I was proud of myself too. It meant that I had focused on all of the right things that day. I had set the right pace for my family.

It reminded me of a post I wrote and never published. I wrote it before Baby Girl was born. Maybe I knew that I'd need the reminder all the more as we adjusted to life as a family of five.

Here it is:


I used to run several different road races, usually 5Ks and the occasional 10K. I'm a bit competitive when it comes to running (well, at least I was when I actually ran). I was always looking to better my time. I always liked it when the race included pacesetters. These runners carried a sign with them telling what pace they'd be running. I usually tried to be somewhere near the seven-minute-per-mile pace, probably something I'll never see again, but I digress.

I've learned that I'm the pacesetter for my family. I've also learned that I strive for a sub-seven-minute mile while my family is more interested in hanging with the walkers. This means that my efforts to have everyone fed, dressed, and ready for the day by dawn, aren't really very appreciated.

So, I'm realizing that while there is nothing wrong with getting a head start on the day and trying stay on top of things, I need to stop and take a look and see if my family is with me. They usually aren't. I typically lose them somewhere behind a hill of laundry or an impossible to-do list. They want to stop and take in the scenery. I usually miss the scenery as my eyes are set on the goal, always the goal.

I suppose I could demand that they train harder, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they aren't the ones that are missing anything. We are blessed that our life has so few demands outside of home right now. There really is rarely a reason to be in a rush. I know the time will come when we do need to pick up the pace. I suppose it is my job to equip both myself and my family with the skills to run faster when needed, but to know that it is more than okay to stop and savor the blessings of life.

I'm slowly, very slowly, learning to find balance in this area of my life. Maybe one day I'll even find the courage to throw away my running shoes and permanently replace them with some walking shoes.

Sunday Night Lessons

I learned a couple of things tonight.

One is that it is a bad idea to leave a binky on Little Man's dresser. This is especially bad if it is in plain sight at bedtime. Despite having gone over 48 hours without a binky, he will want it and will protest loudly when I leave the room with it.

The other is that the Hollywood Movie Association isn't interested in my opinions. At least that is what the lady who called on the association's behalf thinks. She said she needed a moment to get my opinions on some movies coming out later this year. I simply told her I might not be the person to ask since I hadn't seen a movie in years.

That was a slight exaggeration. I did see one of the Bourne movies this past year. The fact that I can't tell you which one it was should clue you in to my lack of movie knowledge. I guess she was wise to hang up.

So, yes, those were the important lessons I learned tonight. Now it is time to get ready for another week, not that I do anything to get ready for another week. Well, except to hope that it doesn't start with a screwdriver melting in the toaster and having to call my neighbor to pull a tick off of me. But that is a story for another day.

I've Been Tagged

Lisa tagged me with the 7 random things meme. I've been slow to play along since I've done this one before, but I thought I could certainly find 7 more random things to share. You can find the rules and my first 7 things here.

1. My right foot is bigger than my left foot. Exciting huh?


2. I've been either pregnant or nursing for over four years now.


3. I don't like syrup on my waffles.


4. I do like syrup on my pancakes.


5. I used to have a pierced nose.


6. Back in my college days, I studied abroad in Costa Rica.


7. I once met Marc Summers, the host of Double Dare. Anyone remember that show?

As a side note, I just checked the spelling of Marc Summers and learned that Double Dare was ranked #29 out of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of all time. Ooh, now I'm practically famous since my 10-year-old self shook his hand and got his autograph.

Read about my famous friend Marc's show here.

Clearly, I need a hobby.

That's it for now. Thanks for tagging me Lisa.

Oh, and since I'm being a lazy mama lately, I'm not going to specifically tag anyone. So, if you're reading this and have a blog, consider yourself tagged. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know you played along. If you do, I'll be sure to visit.

Drum Roll Please

The Binky Boy is binkieless. And yes, I'm pretty sure I made up that word.

How did we do it? What was our strategy for weaning our almost two-year-old son off the binky?

Mama was lazy!

It was nap time and I knew we'd left his binky somewhere in the aisles of our beloved Target. I also knew there was probably one lurking in the family room beneath his pile of cars or under the couch cushions. However, it was nap time and mama wasn't about to delay it any further.

So, I told him we lost it and he could only have his lovey. He didn't even protest.

The lesson I learned is that sometimes it pays to be lazy.

Up tomorrow: Stores That are Open in the Middle of the Night and Sell the Same Type of Binkies that Lazy Mama Tossed in the Garbage

And, if I don't get to post that because he actually gives up the binky, well then here's to hoping potty training is so easy!

The Dreaded Diaper Bag

Lately, I've come across a couple of posts that cleverly describe how to make the "mommy bag" work. By the "mommy bag" I mean a purse that is large enough to carry both baby's and mama's essentials. I loved these posts.

I'll have to keep them in mind a few years from now. Today, I'm talking to the rest of us. That is those of us who still need to haul around a diaper bag.

I have two in diapers. And, since all three of my children are three and under, I still carry quite a bit with me. It will get worse before it gets better since I don't yet carry snacks and a cup for Baby Girl.

However, needing to carry a diaper bag is no excuse to be frumpy.

Just say no to bags like this:

And this:

And most definitely this:

If the diaper bag proudly displays a cartoon character, or any character for that matter, do not carry it. If someone gave it to you, it does not matter. Life is too short to carry such silliness.

By the way, you will not be fooling anybody if you carry something like this:

Animals that don't have their own television shows are just as bad as those that do. Again, just say no.

So, what is a mama to do? That's easy. There are plenty of diaper bags that don't look versions of your preschooler's backpack.

Check out this one:

Or, what about this:

Or this:

Or maybe this: (It's less than 20 dollars!)

Look how fun this one is.

Finally, here is the one I'm sporting these days. It might be a tad frumpier than the rest, but it does what I need it to do. I especially love that I can easily fit cups for my older children in the two side mesh pockets.

As you can see, the options are pretty much endless. No, these bags aren't as cute as carrying an over-sized purse, but the over-sized purses will still be there when the diaper days come to an end.

But, if you'd still like to try avoiding the diaper bag (and I'm sure I will make a few tries myself) be sure to check out this post at June Cleaver Nirvana, and this one at Musings of a Housewife.

If you'd like to find out where to buy these bags, just click on the images. Of course, I didn't provide links for the frumpy bags. Did you really think I would?

Please don't forget to visit Fussy's place for more tips from Fussy and her friends.

Two Months Later

They all finally looked at the camera!

Little Man, Baby Girl, and Big Sister

I love you!

Aren't Little Brothers Great? Except When They're Not

Imagine, if you will, that you are a 3-year-old little girl. You are playing in your pink room with your favorite little doll. You've just fed her with her little "juice" bottle and lovingly tucked her in with her little doll blanket. You then occupy yourself with your dress-up jewelry.

Suddenly, your little brother appears at your door. He enters the room with drool dripping from his chin and snot dripping from his nose. (He is teething, not that it matters to you.) You can't help but notice that he somewhat resembles the mean kid from Toy Story.

He walks into your room completely oblivious to your precious doll who is clearly
napping on the floor. He accidentally kicks the doll on his way to see what you are up to. As he reaches the place where you are playing, he yells, "What's that?" and tries to grab some jewelry. Mind you, he doesn't really care about the jewelry, he'd rather play with his toys. However, if you have something, he wants it.

So he gets a fistful of jewelry, and of course, makes it nice and slimy. Nothing like drool and snot to make those plastic pink pearls shine!

You assess the situation and decide, quite understandably, that it is not to your liking. So, you let out a rather loud whine.

But here is the kicker, your lovely mama tells you to shush and "just work it out." She goes on to suggest that you simply tell your brother "No thank you." As if that will stop anything. Couldn't your mama just come and help you out, or at the very least swipe at the boy's nose with a tissue.

Well, you're in luck because your lovely mama actually took the time to play with you in your room. She was in your room to witness this scenario. She now realizes that your little brother really can be quite a challenge. She also had a few flashbacks of her little brother terrorizing her precious little dolls.

She remembers that being a 3-year-old princess isn't as easy as it looks.

It Worked for Me (Nursing Tips)

This week is WFMW Greatest Hits Edition. I'm supposed to re-run my favorite WFMW post.

I originally posted this a few weeks ago. Baby Girl is still a great littler eater. In fact, she is quite pudgy! But who can resist rolls of baby fat? Too cute! I wish the same could be said for the roll around my tummy. Oh well, here is the post:



As anyone who has a newborn knows, babies eat a lot. Right now, I spend quite a bit of my time feeding a my little one and I don't mind a bit. Well, occasionally those middle-of-the-night feedings are a bit taxing, but other than that, time spent nursing is some of my favorite time of the day.



Since I've spent the past four years either pregnant or nursing, it dawned on me, I just might have a bit of knowledge to share about nursing. I simply want to share what works for me when it comes to nursing. This isn't anything new, just the things I would have like shared with me.



Preparation
I've prayed for each of my children before they were born. I even prayed that they would be good little eaters and that nursing would be a sweet time for both of us. I'm certain this is the most important thing I did to prepare for my little ones. I also took a one-time class at the hospital. Reading about nursing was also helpful. (I like What to Expect When You're Expecting, The Nursing Mother's Companion, and Baby 411.)



Support
I had a friend, an experienced mom of four, who helped me. She answered questions and even came to the hospital to share her expertise. Lactation consultants helped, but nothing can replace a trusted friend.



Supplies
I've stuck to the basics in this area. I stocked up on nursing supplies before the baby was born. This included nursing bras, nursing pads, and lanolin in case I got sore from nursing. I haven't been a big fan of the different nursing pillows, including the Boppy, but that is simply a personal preference. As for the other supplies, I've found Lansinoh nursing pads to be the best. I'm also a fan of Target's nursing tanks and bras. The prices and selection have been just right.



The only other nursing product I've used regularly has been my nursing cover. I love that I can secure it around my neck and not worry about it slipping down. This is especially important as babies become more active and therefore more prone to kicking off the blanket. Truly, this product has made nursing in public much easier.



Pumps
I used the Avent Isis hand pump with my first two children. Neither of them consistently took a bottle. In fact, my son never took a bottle. I attribute this to the fact that I didn't pump regularly and therefore didn't give him a bottle regularly. My daughter also had a bit of an aversion to the bottle for the same reason. The pump worked just fine, but it wasn't convenient when giving a bottle several times a week. I've found that in order to get a baby to accept the bottle, she should initially get a bottle at least three times a week.



So far, Baby Girl is taking the bottle. This has been possible because I'm now using the Medela Pump in Style pump. I was fortunate enough to borrow one from a good friend. But, I can tell you that they are worth the price. Everything is so much more convenient. It is not a coincidence that Baby Girl takes a bottle. This is great as things come up that I'd like to do with my older children and it is nice that Daddy or someone else can feed Baby Girl. The book, The Nursing Mother's Companion, gives an excellent overview of the different types of pumps. It may be a tad dated, but I found it answered all of my questions.



Miscellaneous
I determined ahead of time the places I was going to nurse. For me it is a comfy chair in the family room or the rocker in the nursery. (And, you know, sometimes the van, park bench, corner at church, etc.) I made sure that I had a table nearby for water, a book, magazine, burp cloths, and anything else I found I needed while I nursed. It might be useful to have a basket containing all of these things and then any place could be your nursing spot.



If you have older children at home with you, it might be beneficial to make sure they have something fun to do while you nurse the baby. As both the baby and I have gotten better at nursing, I've found it nice to read aloud to Big Sister and Little Man as I nurse. Then, we all have time together and no one feels left out. But, I must confess, part of the reason I enjoy my nursing time, aside from holding my little one, is the fact that I get to read. I always read so much more when my children are young enough to nurse. After that, I'm too busy chasing them to read much more than the cover of a magazine.



These are the things that have worked for me. I truly feel blessed to be able to nourish my little ones. It is quite the privilege!



Be sure to visit Rocks in My Dryer for lots of helpful hints.

Happy Two Months Baby Girl!

Where is the time going? You're already two months old!

This has been a big month for you. Smiling and occasionally cooing have become some of your favorite activities.

Little Man and Big Sister still love on you all of the time. Little Man in particular has really taken to you this month. He likes you to sit in your bouncy seat so he can sit beside you and "play" with you.

Daddy is also quite fond of you. He frequently looks over at you and smiles while saying "She's so cute!"

Other than sleeping and eating, bath time is your favorite activity. It immediately calms you. However, you rarely get too upset. In fact, I can tell sometimes that you are uncomfortable due to what seems to be acid reflux but, even then, you hardly cry.

You are getting bigger everyday. I've already packed away all of your newborn clothes and some of your 3-month clothes. I know it is a good sign that you are growing so well, but it still makes me a bit sad. These months go so quickly and I want to treasure every moment.

I suppose that sums up your second month. We love you Baby Girl!