Thursday, October 10, 2013

A Sleeping Toddler...Is that just a myth?

Okay so I always feel when I get the toddler down that I have achieved the ultimate success.  Its been tough on her after we moved and I have found myself comforting her by staying in her room till she falls asleep.  I can get her to sleep for naps without this routine, but she likes our ritual reading and for me to stay when she goes to bed at night.  I have found myself waking up off the floor and for some reason I don't mind.  I think its the only true quiet time I have in our small apartment.  We have a heater in her room and I'm bit of a cold blooded snake and I just gravitate towards her room.

So am I wrong?  Am I going to make her the one who is fifteen years old who can't fall asleep without someone right next to her?  I sure hope not!  I want a happy toddler and as you know, toddlers are rarely happy unless they are getting their way.  I will say that we had plenty of sleepless nights because she would crawl into bed with us.  It was not working out with nursing baby and two adults in a queen sized bed.  When we had moved we honestly couldn't find her bottle which we gave her to go to bed with.  Yes, I'm a bad mommy...usually it was water or chamomile tea and yes I regret doing the easy way when she was only 8 months old.

It was kind of great that the transition to no bottle was relatively simple, but then we had the midnight and two o'clock wakeup with her crawling into bed with us.  During the move, our daughter figured out that sleeping with mommy and daddy rocks!  The one night we went grocery shopping and she literally drank almost my entire smoothie.  However, slept the entire night in her own bed.  This made me realize she was probably hungry and not getting enough before bedtime.  So we tried a few smoothies and I am no expert at making them and ended up drinking most of it, but she still slept in her own bed the whole night.

Tonight before bed we fed her some banana and almond butter which she loves, a few baby carrots, and a slice of cheese.  It wasn't an amazing smoothie, but enough to keep her in her own bed for the entire night.  A bedtime snack I don't find entirely wrong either.  I'm sure some nutritionist will tell me I'm leading my child to a road of obesity, but one its not formula and two she still has a good 12 hours before her next meal.  When she was waking up, it was a good 14 hours or more before her next meal.  I know I can't go that long so why expect a toddler to be able to do this?

Monday, September 16, 2013

Super Heroes

So where has time flown?  Oh, thats right we just moved a billion miles from anything we recognized as our home.  When you live in any one place long enough it really becomes home and I have to say that this move has been rough.  We still have boxes at our apartment and its not a lack of trying either.  We are just exhausted with trying to keep up with a toddler and a small baby.  The drive didn't seem like it was going to end and when we finally made it, it still wasn't the end.

Our toddler has been upset and trying to figure out that she must have her crib facing the door took us a couple of weeks.  Hubby wanted her to just sleep with us and I thought there is no way I'm going to have two children in bed with us.  I have heard of parents never getting kids out of their bed and I don't know how they keep their marriages alive.  It kind of scares me that our youngest is so happy and content to sleep snuggled right up to me.  I have actually been found to be pushed into the co-sleeper more than once.  She snuggles and I move slightly away and this goes on and on until I'm almost off the bed.  I need my room!

Well the diastasis recti doesn't help much either.  I literally don't have the abdomen strength to pick her up and put her back into the co-sleeper.  So this is a vicious cycle in which she ends up in our bed nursing on me all night and sleeping with us.  She used to sleep 4-6 hours straight and right before the move decided that wasn't good enough.  I love her, but I'm afraid she will be three years old still climbing into bed with us.  I scoffed at friends who allowed their kids in their beds and thought I'll never do that.  Well here is my biggest fear coming true.  Now granted our youngest is not even five months old yet so maybe I shouldn't worry yet, but I don't want to set a precedent for things to come.

Well I must get going...What always happens is someone needs something and sadly, I must stop what I'm doing and help them because didn't you know that mommies are super heroes....I just wished benefits were included!


Saturday, August 17, 2013

Moving Tip of the Week!

PURGE PURGE PURGE!  If you have been wondering what happened to me, I guess you could say I'm in moving nightmare.  I have found VHS and cassette tapes and of course thought what do I do with these?  I found one that stated my graduation date for my bachelor's degree and wondered how skinny I must have looked in that...you know those videos of pre-babies and before my life of diastasis recti and spanx.  So if you have tapes and before the technology goes completely away that you can get the video off of these tapes then start hunting for a place to get these "I wish I still looked like that" moments off of them.

I know some places charge $20 per every two tapes and I think that is a scam.  If you have a bit of geekism then invest in doing it yourself.  Its probably what we will do after this move.  I do plan to take them with me on the first journey and to make sure they get done.  The cassettes were easy and we found a device on amazon to help get the recordings off of them.  I wish I had known about it a month ago or else I think we would have been doing this, but we just came across the box I had completely forgotten about it.  Hey, at least I am selling my old stereo for $30 which of course takes up a huge cargo container.  I seriously don't need to keep something like that and technology has advanced to the point I will most likely never use it again.  Yep, purge now before you think wow why did I keep this!  Top that with now you have kids and space is a much coveted thing especially when you have two!!!

So those bottles of wine I have probably should go to good use while I'm packing!  Maybe if I convince everyone to stop by I can have a packing party!!!  Of course this probably won't happen, but its a nice dream for me.  :)

Monday, July 22, 2013

Diastasis Recti Go Away...Far Far Away!


So I used to do forestry work about a decade ago and I could lug around a chainsaw with ease.  Today though is a different story.  I am frumpy, poochy, and just feel more like Jaba the Hutt than Princess Leia.  Although I don't think I ever felt like her in the first place, but I think you get the picture.  I have found out that my muscles tore apart and its going to take some time to get them to close again.  It is called diastasis recti and you literally have no abdomen strength.  There is a hole in your abdomen muscles and your organs are exposed till you can get the muscles to bind back together.  I asked my physical therapist how long it took for her to close the gap and she admitted to me it took a year...WTF?!?  A whole year?!?

Geez this whole business of having babies definitely takes a toll on your body and if you are a man then spare me the I understand phrase.  Yes I get that you made the choice to become a couch potato and to lose your definition.  My choice was to have a baby, but not in a million years did I think it would lead to a gaping hole in my abdomen.  I guess it is more likely to occur with subsequent pregnancies and yet it is not frequently discussed amongst pregnant women.  I had never heard of it till my physical therapist showed me why I was struggling just to pick up my daughter.

Well I'm on my way to recovery and who knew that I would be pulling up a pair of spanx over my jiggles.  I certainly had no clue that diastasis recti would make me succumb to buying a pair of spanx.  I mean who wants to wear a binding like corset in this day and age.  Now I don't wear it all the time, but if I am doing a lot of activity then its definitely spanx time!  Good news is that after wearing the one size for about a week, I'm almost ready to jump into the smaller size that they have.  On a good note, I found out that wearing it has helped the gap get smaller.  I really wish I had tried it earlier and I keep telling my pregnant girlfriends that they need to think of spanx the moment they have that baby.

Now there are exercises you can do to help heal and I wear the spanx when doing them.  I kind of visualize the muscles coming closer together as I do them.  I can't help, but think "knit faster, knit faster."  A girlfriend of mine suggested kayaking and I thought wow I don't have the abdomen strength to do anything like that.  I sometimes have to ask my husband to pick up our infant daughter from my arms and then help me up off the floor.  Yeah, diastasis recti is no joke.  So back to the exercises I'm rocking right now and I admit I don't find myself dedicating the time that I need to.  I am just that busy most days.  If you google Sahrmann exercises, you can find a plethora of information or watch the exercises on youtube.  Best part is if you are a LOTR fan then you can conjure up the name it closely resembles.  I swear I wondered what my physical therapist was saying the first time she pronounced it.

Anyway, please don't think you are some badass who can skip to exercise five before you complete the first one.  This is not a race and as I said before diastasis recti is no joke.  If you have ever done the 100 in pilates then the first step of moving your tummy to the ground should be an easy concept for you.  Trust me I'm a long way off from ever doing those 100s.  However, I'm not afraid to admit I'm not ready to do even one pilates move.  You just had a baby so please be easy on yourself.  I think this is even harder because we know how we once were.

Yes a long long time ago...


Monday, July 15, 2013

Too Much Stuff Part 2!

Okay do you remember where I spoke about having too much stuff?  I am blown away at how much stuff I truly do have!  So about a month ago we got news we would be moving due to my husband's job.  It has been about four years since we have moved anywhere and its amazing at how much has been accumulated in that time frame.  I decided this month that I would spend trying to clear the clutter before taking the ceremonial moving step and taping a cardboard box and coming to terms with packing everything I own.

Now you might be saying, but ahhh just throw it in a box Kerri, who cares about how you pack.  Well I could do that, but then the move takes twice as long to accomplish
and then there is the unpacking on the other side.  I have done quite a few moves in my time and this time I truly want to be organized.  I want to pack the items I truly want in my life.  The things I do not are either recycled, trashed, or given away to people.  We had a garage sale a couple of weeks ago and I realized why I haven't done a sale since 2007.  It is a lot easier to just give it away!!!  I had a girlfriend who wished me luck because she said she was done with the haggling and being petty over small items.  Overall it was a good sale and we were able to get rid of things.  HOWEVER...you had to know that was coming!  However, there was a gal who was bound and determined to get a brand new maternity gown for a dollar less.  I finally sold her the item, but in all honesty I wish I hadn't.  She was that snooty I could have gotten it cheaper at such and such store kind of person.  What a pain and I seriously feel sorry for the kid she is going to have.

No I'm not sorry I just said that either.  This is the truth blog so I will go ahead and admit it.  Some people were not meant to be parents I don't think.  Anyway, back to my move.  Since we plan to go galavanting across the country I want to get rid of items.  Yes, I have been giving things away free on a website I'm a member of.  Well problems crop up on that site too.  People want you to drive here or there for them to get something free or even worse never show up at the agreed location.  One gal who failed to show up wanted another item I had posted and I politely told her that I was planning to give it to the next gal in line on the forum.  She was upset about it and I told her I had held the first item for three days and she failed to come pick it up.  Seriously, why would I waste my time in trying to give her another item?  So there you go.  My horror stories about giving away something for free.  I do think that when the times come, I'll just make a large run to Goodwill, but I had wanted to give to people in need first.  Why does that have to be so difficult?!?

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Summer Colds & Bullies

Why must these things be even a part of our lives?  If you have children, I think getting the cold is a sure sign you are a parent or at least work around parents.  When we didn't have kids and hubby worked in the office he would still get a cold and bring it back to me.  Well last week was a killer and I'm not sure even as I type this how I survived.  I was miserable and I know I went through a couple of boxes of Kleenex.  I learned a long time ago that instead of suffering the raw I blew my nose too many times look was to get the kleenex with lotion.  You also don't know how bad colds can be till you are in the middle of suffering from one.  I could barely skype that week because it made me so dizzy.  I was lonely, in the middle of trying to just survive with two little ones, and I wanted my own mommy.  I even told my mother that she should fly here just to take care of me.  Hubby tried as best as he could to give me breaks and to let me sleep if he came home for lunch, but I felt I could go to bed and stay there the whole time.  However, as a mom you just can't.  Kudos to those moms who have to stay on bed rest  during a pregnancy and have a toddler at the same time.  I honestly don't know how they do it.  My toddler tore my house apart and I didn't even have the energy to stop her.

I am just now catching up on laundry and yes I still did my towels on Monday.  For those of you just reading this one page then you should go back to tips of the week because that is the day I picked to always wash my bathroom towels.  I think it is important even when you are sick to try to maintain some level of sanity because it will just be worse when you wake up from your cold induced state.  I knew the moment I started to feel better was when I started to clean the kitchen.  It had looked like a mini bomb had gone off that whole week while I was out.  No I hate to admit to that of course, but this is a mommy truth and I would hate for you to think I'm perfect.  Ha!  Didn't I tell you once about how I couldn't see how all these mommy blogs make themselves out to be so darn perfect looking?  Well no mommy is perfect and if I ever come across as a know-it-all then call me out on it.

Hey, we could go back to the days of MTV when they actually played videos and had The Real World
with that guy named Puck keeping it real for us.  Please don't make me use their tag line of the series, but hopefully I keep it real enough on the blog that you aren't screaming FAKER as you read my last sentence.  Anyway, you should look up what happened to Puck.  I can't say I'm too surprised by how his life has turned out.  He did antagonise the guy who was terminally ill and I can't say I feel sorry for Puck at all.  I do believe in karma and although it might take a few years, it will eventually happen.  Case in point, I had a classmate while growing up who was just mean mean mean.  She tormented me and excluded me from all those reindeer games.  Well I have found out she got a divorce because she was cheating on her husband and her kids really weren't too happy with her.  I chalk it up to karma and how she treated not only me, but others around her.  Funny she even told a mutual friend of ours to tell me hello and I thought wow miracles do happen!  Although I don't foresee us singing kumbaya with one another anytime soon.  It is hard to shake the memories of torment that I had to endure from her and others of her ilk.

As a mommy, I worry about this for my own kids because I don't want it to happen to them.  I want them to grow up without the teasing and torment that happens so often in schools.  I don't think adults are necessarily blind, but sometimes we are so overwhelmed with just trying to make it through the day especially when we are sick that we fail to see what is truly happening in front of us.  I am sure it is a crossroads that will come up and how I answer their questions I don't know yet.  I spent a good decade doing martial arts and a little part of me wants to teach them how to defend themselves against bullies and when you should just walk away.  I know I started out whining about my summer cold and it materialised into whether or not I will teach my kids how to kick ass and take names instead.  However, sometimes thats what blogging is all about and both colds and bullies ruin the fun albeit just in a different form.  I suppose as a mommy, I probably shouldn't have used that word up above either, but come on I said I wasn't perfect and when is kicking someone's derriere sound tough?  HA!  I can guarantee you it doesn't.  Say it out loud if you don't believe me.  Did you do it?  Well I have a little while before I decide if I need to teach them those things.  Right now they need my love and for me to laugh with them as they swing and use the slides in the park.  One mommy moment at a time.  I'm afraid I'll blink and I'll be at their high school graduation next.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Stolen Moments

As chaos reigns, steal a moment.  That is my best advice this week.  The other day while our little girl was at the table making another mess and the baby in her bouncer, our paths crossed for just a moment and my husband and I hugged.  It was probably the best moment for me.  Don't forget you have a partner in crime and you NEED one another.  I don't want to be an empty nester looking at this person beside me and finding myself that I don't know him any longer.  These are what those stolen moments are for.  It still might happen to us and I hope it doesn't, but I'm going to do my best to prevent from saying "I don't know you and I don't love you anymore."  How cruel would that be?  You just spent a couple of decades raising children together and now you don't have anything in common.  We found common ground before children and survived quite a few years without them so its important to me to keep that connection alive.  

Now you might scoff about one simple hug, but it can truly save your sanity and connect you to the person you decided to marry.  Now I don't always listen to when I need to slow down and to provide that loving support.  I'm frantic to solve the chaos going on at that very moment.  However, the other day proved to me that I still need those moments and I'll try to accept them more.  Thinking of hugs, I enjoy reading Dear Prudence and there was a woman who was getting hugs from a co-worker.  She said her husband never wanted to provide any cuddling and she resorted to accepting hugs from another man.  I think this is a dangerous realm for her to be in and I'm glad my hubby still wants to give me a hug.  It made me realize how lucky I am!  So steal a moment away with your spouse and enjoy it even as chaos reigns around you.  The house isn't on fire so go ahead and get your hug today!!!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Tip of the Week

As Moms, we sometimes mistakenly drive around parking areas as if we are cruising the boulevard in the old days when we were young, dumb, and single.  Instead of checking out who else is driving their vehicles, we look longingly at other vehicles to see if they are going to pull out of a parking spot closest to the store.  Wait though!  Just wait!  Seriously, why are we checking out the areas closest to the store?  Those parking spots shouldn't be even in your Mom Radar.  The ones you really should be coveting are the ones closest to the cart holders.  Okay so you might just leave the cart wherever if you are a Mom and don't want to leave the kids in the car to put the cart away.  However, this truly solves your dilemma in regards to making sure the ever patrolling public doesn't accuse you of being a bad parent and you can truly place the cart where it belongs.  Btw, bonus points if you can find a cart holder that has a couple of clean carts in it so you can put the kids right into the cart and push them into the store!

Friday, June 14, 2013

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

As I navigate the waters of having two children under the age of two, I'm besieged with a constant
messy house and trying to survive on very little of sleep.  I keep hearing how children will be different and it is definitely true.  Our toddler never slept and did not need to be held.  Well during my pregnancy with this last one, I seem to recall telling hubby that I wanted a cuddler.  Wow wow wow and wow!  I should eat my words right now.  Our baby wants to be held all the time...literally ALL THE TIME.  Someone told me they got their business started while holding their baby, but I think the game changes when you have two of them.  I have wanted to blog and the other day I tried writing a post.  Really I did.  I got the title completed that you see and two words, "As I."  The baby started fussing and I had to stop.  Although if it comes down to it, I think my kids are more important than my so called feelings on a blog.  This isn't Doogie Howser where each episode you learn a lesson about life.  I believe there was a 90s show called my so called life too.  Claire Danes I thought was in that one.  I'm so sleep deprived I'll let you research that one.

Yes, I'm very sleep deprived and instead of blogging I'll go and lay down to take a nap.  Naps are rare because when one sleeps it seems the other wants to be awake.  It is a tiny miracle when both are down at the same time and trust me I try to navigate this.  The newborn who rarely wants to be put down gets
heavy at times and I just need to rest.  It is so crazy how different they are.  I did read how newborns have the inability to comprehend you just put them down.  They cannot tell if it was 30 seconds or 10 minutes.  All they understand is they are not being held any longer.  It really is the syndrome of What Have You Done For Me Lately.  Those moments I desperately crave just two minutes by myself.  Case in point, I have been trying to have a decaf cup of coffee this whole week.  I need maybe three minutes to grind the beans, steam the milk, make the brew, and pour it into my coffee mug.  Sounds very simple, but for a new mom it is NOT.  Not at all.  I can down a good cup of coffee in just a couple of minutes and even trying to juggle the kids, but it takes concentration to actually make it.  Sadly it took me till today to find the time.

Well I am blogging for a brief moment and I am amazed I am actually working on a new post.  Things I took for granted especially when I just had one baby in tow are now long gone.  I think all mommies should feel like Gollum saying "Precious" when there is just a smidge of peace.  Last night at almost midnight, I thought I would have a chance to write a condolence card and guess what?!?  Hubby kept interrupting me discussing such mundane things as how he added more water to our cat's food dish so she would eat the rest of her meal.  Yes I am being quite serious.  I think your spouse, children, and even pets have this innate sense of when you are trying to accomplish something without them.  They can happily spend hours in the same room with you not chatting with you very much then all of a sudden when faced with that you are not 100 percent focused on them, they strike.  Have we been reduced to hiding in places our families can't find us?  One mom told me today she shuts the door to the bathroom to get little things done.  I don't want to resort to that.  I want them to respect that I am not a door mat and for them to not fall into the same trap as my newborn.  See What Have You Done For Me Lately Syndrome doesn't just affect the very young.  It strikes at any age...

Now with this video I'm not trying to insinuate the rest of your family are sneaky little hobbits and you as Gollum, but dang the part where he says "he wants it, we needs it, must have the precious" is how I basically feel about alone time!!!  Ha!


Thursday, May 23, 2013

I Hate Goodbyes

Where has time gone?  I know it has been a little while since my last random thought and maybe its a good thing I haven't been on.  Seriously!  Last week, our sixteen year old kitty went downhill quickly due to kidney failure and on Thursday we decided to put her down.  It was probably the most difficult thing I have had to do in about five years.  My husband travels for his job and so I literally spent almost every single day with her.  I was completely crushed I had to say goodbye and if you have lost a pet you have had a long time, you end up grieving for them.  I am still grieving for her, but the reality that she will never be here again is starting to sink in.  I know this is not the most happy post, but I think I needed time away from my blog and to come to terms with everything.

Her litter mate stopped eating for two days which did not help and only started when we came back from the vet office without her sister.  I have been trying to give her extra attention and to make sure her appetite is back.  They had a love hate relationship which I found entertaining.  They could sleep next to each other and later they could fight and hiss at each other like crazy.  If you have never heard a cat fight, the best way to describe it would be a bar brawl at full tempo.  Although my favorite fight scene would have to be between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant in Bridget Jones's Diary.  Most fights are not so comical, but this one is.  I really am going to miss the ruckus that my two fuzzballs would make when attacking each other.  They never harmed each other and in sixteen years I never had to take them to the vet for their love fights.  It was love, right?!?

Anyway, I have traveled down memory lane these past few days and I think the memory that keeps coming back is the one I was making a road trip from Colorado to Texas.  I had a jeep back then and it was loaded to the gills with even the spare tire on top.  I probably looked like a traveling hoarder although in reality I was just a college student headed home.  The two fuzzballs were with me and I was traveling 80 mph when all of a sudden my passenger back tire comes flying off past me.  I watched it go up the side of the on ramp and stop.  The jeep literally just came to a halt and I think I was in complete shock.  Apparently, the people who had rotated my tires did not tighten the lug nuts back on very well.  I heard quite a few times from people I was lucky my vehicle did not roll over and that I survived.  Well all three of us survived that day.  Now I have to live without one of those kitties and this just proves to me we went through so much together.




Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Random Thought of the Day

Yes, I think I have more random thoughts these days with having a newborn than an entire paragraph.  I am still trying to remember my name at times.  If sleep deprivation equaled love then I would definitely win the love award for the year.  Seriously!  What do you call sitting up trying to not doze while you put your daughter back to bed?  You know the head bobble that we all do as parents.  I think last night I might have gotten a full hour of sleep and I'm not sure how I functioned without coffee.  Maybe my body remembered what it was like just a year ago.  I am abiding my time to actually finishing a whole tv episode without falling asleep in the evenings.  Yes, I know I will get achieve a whole hour someday again.  I have so many Dr Who episodes to catch up on though that I'm not sure if I'll get through them before summer is officially here.  By the way, who is NOT loving the new Dr Who?  I really miss those Ponds.  I think I miss sleep more though!

Saturday, May 11, 2013

The New Parent TV...Baby Monitors

As a new mom, I researched baby monitors very carefully and finally threw my money down on a product called AngelCare Baby Movement and Sound Monitor.  It got great reviews and I kind of ignored the not so positive reviews on Amazon.  I should have read them and I wish I had.  As I recall, the monitor was closer to 200 dollars when we purchased it.  They no longer cost that on amazon anymore as I have noticed.  It is probably because they are too complicated to use.  Hubby even said he considers himself a pretty savvy technical guy and I would have to agree with that, but when something frustrates him then its definitely not a good product.

So what was frustrating about the AngelCare you might ask.  Well we were definitely excited when we got it.  It was the after getting it that was when the trouble started.  We had a heater in her room and a sound ocean machine to help her sleep.  We didn't think those would be an issue, but the AngelCare was so sensitive that it picked up the slightest noise and we had to go back to looking at the settings.  We fixed the setting so it wouldn't pick up the ocean sounds and heater and go off, but then you couldn't hear it at all.  We would test it and couldn't hear the other even speak in a reasonable tone.  So it was either going off all the time or not going off at all.  By the way, when it starts beeping, it is the most irritating sound.  

With all the hassle of trying to set it up for sound level, we did not even make it to the motion detector phase.  Although some of the reviews of having to turn it on and off in the middle of the night because you picked the baby out of the crib to change their diaper made me realize it was not the most convenient monitor.  Amazon was fantastic about having this item returned and it is one of the reasons I enjoy shopping with Amazon.  I had waited quite some time to finally box it up and send it back and Amazon did not give me any grief about it.  

Our next baby monitor was the Motorola 3.5 inch video screen with night vision and zoom.  It did not have the baby motion detector, but definitely had video which AngelCare did not.  I absolutely loved it!!!  Now the life of the battery is not my favorite part of the Motorola baby monitor and they really need to increase battery life because it seemed like I was always grabbing the electrical adaptor for it and plugging it into an outlet.  You can definitely get another battery which is something I need to do now, but sometimes you just don't have the time or keep forgetting you need to get one.  

We started using it right after we stopped using the co-sleeper in our room and put her in the crib.  So far it has been going strong for almost a good year.  I have had no issues with it and yes I can hear the heater, but its not so sensitive that it the only thing I can hear.  It is more of a background noise and the sound of my daughter is very clear on the Motorola.  The video is the best part I think and we watch her with this parent glee and it has become our newest entertainment.  There are buttons on the monitor so you can position the camera and keep up with your young ones movements in the crib.  Our daughter was not a fan of the music option on the monitor, but maybe yours will enjoy it.  Of course they have a volume control and I believe we have ours set on the second lowest one and that is enough for me to wake up.  I am a pretty light sleeper so it really depends on how deep you sleep.  Motorola even has a walkie talkie feature on it so if you need to speak to your child through the monitor you can. Overall, a very cool set up for us.

I recommend this baby monitor pretty highly.  However, I have a friend who purchased one through Babies R US online and paid for it by a paypal account.  Motorola guarantees the purchase for a year.  Well Babies store only will accept returns I believe for 30 days after purchase.  Her Motorola worked great for awhile then started to have lines at the top of the screen where she can no longer see the temperature setting on it.  Motorola had been giving her a bit of a run around because she used her paypal account.  Well finally I took it upon myself to get a hold of corporate regarding my friend's issue and they did help her with this issue, but it should not have taken this much effort to get such a simple issue fixed.  So if you plan to buy their baby monitor I would NOT use paypal as a form of payment.






Wednesday, May 8, 2013

You Must Do This!

I have been quite sick with the stomach flu this past week.  I'm just starting recovery mode as of today and life with a newborn and toddler have been crazy.  Sleep deprivation, fevers, and intestinal upset have been what I'm working with.  I thought I would be blogging to help the sanity with having two babies, but with the added benefit of the stomach flu I was barely holding on.  Of course I blame going to the pediatric clinic a billion times so the docs could tell us my daughter was under her birth weight.  Breast fed mommies I am sure have been pressured just like we were to supplement and that is another issue I'll have to address.  I so wonder what people did a hundred years ago when formula wasn't available.

Anyway, I digress about the real reason for this post and what I find very important this week.  Since I was in the germ filled pediatric clinic I have thought what other germy (yes that was not a typo) things we come into contact.  I just saw a news program too about this same subject.  They were discussing how often we clean our phones.  They found some nasty germs on user's phones that they had collected.  I didn't think much of it and never cleaned my phone.  Well after getting the stomach flu, I took a damp cloth with some soap and wiped my phone down.  If you do clean it, don't go drenching it with water.  I don't want to be the cause of your phone to kick the bucket.  However, do look up the best way to clean your phone and then clean it.  I really think this is important and you should try to get it done today.  I might not be able to save the germ filled pediatric clinic, but I can save your phone!  Right?!?

Friday, May 3, 2013

Life has definitely changed!!!

I know I know you probably think I have stopped blogging for good, but trust me I just became a smidge more preoccupied.  Yes, all my time has been devoted to finally giving birth to a tiny precious baby girl.  I promise once the constant check ups on her weight and life settles down here, I'll be back to more of a regular basis.  Well I'm counting on being back!  I'm hoping to sound just as coherent as I did before too.  Sleep deprivation has become the norm these days and when I have a free moment, naps are on the agenda.  You might be wondering if I'm happy and yes I am.  All the struggles of her putting on weight and lactation consultants overstepping their bounds cannot put a damper on our joy of having a new baby girl.  Ha I'll have to blog soon about that lactation consultant!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tip of the Week

Lets go through our wallets this week.  I'm game to see what receipts I no longer need.  Are you?  Now I didn't say go crazy and dump out your entire purse.  Lets save that for another rainy day.  Our wallets seem to start bursting at the seams the longer we put off this tiny small chore.  That person who gave you their business card in hopes you will call them might be stuck in there and it is probably never going to happen.  Now if your wallet has seen better days, I give you permission to find yourself a nice Fossil wallet.  Okay guilty as charged!  I'm a bit addicted to Fossil, BUT and here it comes...I have had my own Fossil wallet for about five years and its still in good shape.  There is no need for you to toss or replace something that is still useful just because you crave buying something new.  Anyway, if you are like me you become a bit attached to it and prefer to know where you usually put that coffee punch card.  Have fun getting rid of receipts and other useless items that you no longer need!

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Vitamin C packets as Juice?!?

Have you led your kids down the path of sugary sweetness that knows no bounds?  Are you amazed by them begging for the good stuff?  I, myself, never got juice as a child and I'm lucky that it was not a staple in our diet.  However, hubby's mom bought it for them all the time and he says he craves sugar as an adult as a result.  So is this true?  Will giving your kids what you think is an innocent drink of juice lead to problems later in life?  Our daughter loves water which I'm very happy to oblige.  I don't think kids get enough of just plain simple water.  I was watching a friend's little girl one day and another mom offered her some apple juice.  I regretted giving it to her and realized that sugar is in everything, but its up to us as adults whether or not we are going to give it to them.  As my hubby just stated "juice is soda without fizz."

My best advice is to not give into those darling little looks and smiles.  You don't have to buy it just because they want something off the grocery shelf.  My earliest memory in a grocery store about juice is my mother getting cranberry juice off the shelf and me begging her to not buy it.  I had a kidney infection I think and to this day I still am not a fan of cranberries.  Thanksgiving meals where they serve that glob of cranberry sauce was never very appealing to me.  Now my daughter loves dried cranberries  and that is fine with me.  Most cranberry juice though is filled with sugar and if you are looking to help your kidneys then you need to look closely at what you are buying.  Knudsen's has one that is called Pure Cranberry and wow that stuff is definitely something to desire.  Hubby drinks it just fine though.  I, on the otherhand, have to down it when I need some in my system.  It is literally that bitter and so if you have a nice glass of cranberry and it tastes yummy, it is probably loaded with added sugar.

Besides preventing colds, vitamin C though helps with your kidney and bladder system and to flush out
any impurities.  I drink one packet of emergen-c packet every morning and I think this helps me to have the most energy and if you are low on iron, vitamin C is your ticket.  It actually helps your body to absorb the iron your body needs.  People with anemia who are reading this could probably go into deep detail about iron and vitamin C and the absorption rates.  Anyway, these little packets give me enough vitamin C and yes I have been using them while I have been pregnant and it has helped with my energy level.  Now here is my warning about vitamin C though.  Of course there has to be one!  Please be careful about how much you are getting especially while you are pregnant.  Too much vitamin C can actually cause miscarriages from what I have read.  I think you have to be in the 3000-5000 mg scale though for this to occur.  Yes, sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

Kids too have a recommended amount and yes we give our daughter some of the vitamin C packet and we do call it juice.  It is loaded with vitamins and she loves it.  We do dilute it more than what it calls for and it can take her a couple of days to finish just one packet.  The MAXIMUM dose you can give a toddler is 400 mg and so please be aware of how much you are giving your child.  Also you don't have to give it to them every day.  The safer recommendation is to use the kids version of emergen-c and so you know you are not overdosing your child.  If you are trying to switch your kids from sugar laden juices, maybe try the packets to see if your little one will take a liking to that instead.  It is worth a try!

The paleo world is all about not giving into sugar and processed foods and I think its rather genius for them to promote vitamin C as juice.  They are not setting up their kids for failure and a lifetime of craving for sugary drinks.  Now I would be a hypocrite if I didn't admit drinking soda as a child, but we didn't get it very often.  I think it was easier for me to quit them than my husband.  We tried the Atkin's diet about a decade ago and I was able to kill that habit for good.  Remember that diet?  Well it served at least one purpose and got me off the soda drinks.  Now I admit I have craved root beer in this pregnancy and have indulged here and there, but of course I have to buy the one that is all natural without any preservatives and is filled with spices and herbs.  Most root beer on the market has high fructose corn syrup, but Virgil's Root Beer does not.

The best part about about not buying juice or pop for your kids and yourself besides your health would be the extra money you will be saving each week.  How much money do you put down to buying that kind of stuff?  Say you buy two gallon apple juice containers for 4.50/piece each week at your local grocery store.  One month that is 36 dollars of pure sugar down the drain or even more frightening to think about it is 432 dollars a year.  Trust me I can find better use for that money than buying juice with it.  In comparison, the vitamin C packets cost about 8 dollars for a 30 day supply and that is if you are using it on a daily basis.  A year supply of vitamin C will cost you 96 dollars instead.  Doesn't that sound more of a win win situation for you, your budget, and your child?



Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Tip of the Week

I posted last week about how we make our daughter pick up the food she throws down on the floor.  Tip of the week comes from another savvy mommy that is a very good friend of mine.  I remember questioning her before I became a mom myself about how to keep up with the amount of food on the floor.  She told me to not give your child more food than you're willing to clean up.  Makes a lot of sense huh?

Well are you battling a whole table with a spilled glass of milk?  The simple solution is to cut it in half.  You might be pouring more milk or water for your child, but its better than cleaning up an entire glass in case they spill it.  Yesterday, we gave our little girl water and her glass was only about quarter of the way full.  After her third glass, she spilled it on the floor and was able to help hubby wipe it up.  So think small increments with your little tornado and yes thats about what you can call them when it comes to creating food disasters!  We all know they are highly skilled in these techniques.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

What happened to my floor? Oh that's right I have a toddler!

Are you tired of wiping up the floor after your toddler?  No pets to chow down on all the yumminess that a toddler finds interesting to throw down to that floor?  Well I wish I could claim that I came up with this moment of brilliance, but I can't.  I read where one mom was making their toddler pick up all the food that was thrown down to the floor and that it was a slow process, but that it worked.  I have to say that the amount of food getting thrown has diminished greatly since we started just a few days ago. She throws the food and we will immediately take her out and make her pick it up.  Yes you have to be diligent about it.  The first time she was not happy about it, but seemed to understand what we were making her do.  We even made her do it at a restaurant the other day because we don't want her thinking that any place is exempt from her behavior.

Kids are so smart that its not too early to start teaching your toddler these small techniques.  Now you still probably have to wipe up the floor since it won't be super clean.  Your toddler can help in that task as well and yes it will take more time with them helping, but that is how you teach them to do things right.  I might be a bad parent for starting my kids out so young, but I have seen teenagers who expect their Mom to clean and do everything for them.  I don't want to be THAT mom.  Do you?!?

Monday, April 8, 2013

When You Love Someone

If you have been reading my blog then you know I have been venting about complete strangers and the issues of being almost 9 months pregnant.  However, there is a tenderness I feel about the baby I am carrying I cannot even describe.  There's a song that I listen to almost nightly that says it best.  I listened to one when I was carrying my daughter and I don't know if you have a song you relate to when you are pregnant, but one pops up that I have to listen to often.

All other songs kind of either fade in the background for me or I find them to be irritating to listen to.  I would prefer silence over those songs any day.  This song makes me smile and I'm reminded how much in love I already am.  My husband told me he loved our daughter more and I replied, "well I hope so!"  I know he loves me, but our children have a hold on us that we sometimes can't define.  If a robber pulled a gun on you and your spouse and gave you the choice, you would have to have a moment to decide who was more important.  Its not like that when it comes to your child.  There would be no hesitation or choice who you would save.

So back to the song and yes I'm listening to it now.  It is by Bryan Adams "When You Love Someone."  I prefer the MTV unplugged version of it because it has a certain rawness that I just love.  

When you love someone 
You'll sacrifice 
You'd give it everything you got 
And you won't think twice 
You'd risk it all 
No matter what may come 
When you love someone 

Those are the lyrics that literally sing to me.  I'm not sure if its the universe aligning with you to fall in love with this little human being that you really haven't seen yet.  It is there for me that I would risk it all for my baby.  I will fight to make sure things are perfect for him or her.  Best part of this whole process is I am waiting to see if we have a little boy or girl.  Some people say will tell you it helped them to bond with their baby while waiting, but I have had no issue in not knowing.  Remember the joy as a child when you told someone something so good that they squealed in delight?  We have gotten away from little things like that and so I hope my friends and family will revel and delight in the fact that they might have guessed the baby's gender correctly.  My husband disagree this time with me what we are having and so I think there will be a touch of who was right teasing going on.  Soon so very soon we will have the reveal and trust me there will be lots of love in that room when our little one is born.

Enjoy another movie memory lane with this video!



Thursday, April 4, 2013

Random Thought of the Day

I had a mom yesterday tell me that if she got her kids fed, bathed, and down for naps then she was doing a good job.  I would have to agree.  I think we put too much emphasis on being that perfect Mom.  I hear about how other moms have all these hobbies and activities and I really don't envy them.  My battle is to keep up with the housework on a daily basis which by the way is sliding fast the closer I get to having this baby.  Do we like to brag about ourselves especially on our blogs and how seemingly perfect we are?  If we really looked at ourselves with a microscope, would we be happy with the results?  What dark secrets do we hide from even ourselves?  Sometimes its hard to admit we have faults and maybe that is why I write about mine.  Okay maybe not all the time!  ;)

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Tip of the Week

Are you battling a clogged toilet?  It is pretty easy to get too much toilet paper stuck into one especially if you have a very curious toddler.  I have taken the steps of keeping this door shut by the way.  Anyway, a very simple technique is to pour some dish cleanser into the bowl and add hot water.  Sometimes I don't even have to use the plunger to solve the problem.  Now word of caution I have heard that you can crack the bowl if you use too much hot water.  My best advice is to keep the water in the bowl to more of a warm level.  I have never had issues and the more difficult clogged toilets you can pour more soap in.  Pretty simple.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Crowded Elevator No Thank You!

As a pregnant woman, a crowded elevator is the last thing I want to be on.  I once was on an elevator
with a dog and the smell was so pungent that I literally had to get off on the next floor.  I was pregnant with my daughter back then and everything smelled so strong.  I learned my lesson and so this time around if I see a packed elevator, I'm not going to squeeze into any space.  Women who bathe in perfume or the cigarette smoker is so common these days that my stranger radar is on high alert when I see a crowded elevator.  On top of that, I kind of like to avoid the trivial conversations that seem to occur on these minute trips too.  I'm almost 9 months pregnant and no I do not feel like discussing my due dates and to make polite conversation at the moment.

I know I know people are trying to be polite, but remember my Valentine's comment about me being a raging wildebeest?  Well when you start packing on the baby weight and can barely manage to get out of the chair, your last concern are polite conversation with complete strangers.  People will tell you are glowing, but sometimes thats not how you feel at all.  The back pain, the waddling, the constant hunger, the varicosity issues, and the swollen feet are just a few of the daily joys of pregnancy.  Top that with a toddler in tow and you have your hands completely full.

I guess I'm telling you all of this especially if you are pregnant that you should know your limits.  What can you handle for the day?  If a marathon shopping trip while pregnant does not sound appealing, why say yes to that friend of yours?  It is okay to say no and mine is crowded elevators.  My husband did tell me there was plenty of room and maybe there was, but six people on an elevator is too crowded for me.    I chose to do it my way.  I decided I would go on the very empty escalator that was so nice and roomy!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Tip of the Week

As a mommy, my car looks like a mini-bomb went off in it.  I admit I give my daughter her favorite mango snacks while we are in the car and so I'll find those mango bags in the car of course usually empty.  Well I have started to realize I miss my cleaner looking car so in a quick inspiration, I decided I would get rid of the trash every time I filled up my car.  Now I do I have the recyclables and I just put those together and when I get home, I put those in the recycle bin.  All the other items though end up in the trash before I get home.  If I have time, I take inventory how many diapers I have and try to reorganize her little go bag in the car.  I am not suggesting spending a lot of time on cleaning out your car, but 2-3 minutes each time does add up and should help with your sanity.  As for getting the carpets vacuumed, the last time I went for an oil change they did that for me.  They didn't get every nook or cranny, but it definitely looks a lot better than it did before.  So take two minutes while you are pumping gas, grab the trash and toss it.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Excuse Me

Yes, I'm not sure why people have a hard time with this concept.  Its as if you are asking them to save the earth by saying this one little phrase.  There was a woman hogging the aisle in front of the register where people normally come and go.  I walked by her and politely said excuse me and she did move a little forward.  She still had a good 3 feet between her and the person in front of her.  When I came back with what I needed it looked as if she had taken one large step back making the space crowded again.  I said excuse me and she did not move, I said it again and she still did not move, and so finally I said excuse me with more emphasis and she barely took half a step forward.  I said loud enough, "really?"  What a flipping #$#%#$#.  You get the picture!  Maybe it was due to her perfect outfit she could not get any closer to the register and the person in front of her.  As she climbed into her new SUV, I couldn't help thinking that maybe karma would catch up with her today.

So why did she not move?  Did she think that a pregnant person walking a toddler could squeeze in the small space behind her?  As I start feeling as if I'm more of a waddling duck than a svelte sexy beast, I realize I need more space to waddle.  It is amazing to me that a little future 8 pound baby could make doing the simplest tasks so difficult.  Pulling out the laundry from the washer to the dryer is definitely a challenge these days.  I really cannot wait to be agile again.  It doesn't help either that our laundry space is tiny.

Maybe I'm venting about one stupid person of the day though.  We all run into them from time to time and we constantly think about if we could have done something different.  What if I had said "entshuldigen Sie bitte" which means the same thing, but in German? Would saying it in a different language had made more sense to her?  I'm thinking not, but hey next time I run into some snobby middle-class #$%$#%, I'm going to try it!  Now I have heard some people think the phrase "excuse me" is considered rude.  Where I grew up it was considered something a polite person would do.  It is better than elbowing someone as you walk by and saying "oh my apologies, I didn't see you hogging the aisle at all!"

I was once in the library where there are rows upon rows of glorious books hogging the shelves.  I was in the back looking at this one small section of books when this lady came and stood right next to me.  She was actually almost physically touching me as I stood looking at this one small section.  I was dumbfounded she had the nerve to do such a thing.  She was a bit older so maybe space was a new concept for her, but I couldn't help thinking she didn't have much patience if she needed to look at the same section of books.  I would have loved to have heard "excuse me" then.  Yes, I enjoy my space and no I'm not a hugger and when someone is breathing down my neck anymore, I have no issue in asking them if they could step back a bit.  I do use my favorite phrase in asking them, but for whatever reason people get offended when you ask them politely you no longer want to smell their breath on your neck.

Sometimes the smell for a pregnant woman is so strong, you are ready to heave ho right there in the aisle and yes, I have used that so they are less offended.  However, if you are not my husband I do NOT want you touching me.  Best line I ever used when I was working in retail was "excuse me you are invading my territorial bubble."  See thats what I need to start using again after all these years.  Maybe thats a funnier way of saying "hey dude step back before I punch you."  See I knew my venting would lead me to greater insight on something!  I actually got the line from a movie called the Frighteners with Michael J. Fox.  It is not exactly said this way, but I made the line my own and no one was ever offended by me saying it.  They were just made aware they were too close for my comfort and come on its better than the Dirty Dancing line of my space and this is your space line.  Best part of this scene is they actually use the words, "Excuse Me!"






Thursday, March 21, 2013

Silence is Golden

Have you ever seen the movie, "French Kiss" with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline?  Meg Ryan is speaking with the concierge and she bluntly asks him "Do you enjoy being that rude? Because when you do that, it just gets underneath my skin and it makes me... completely insane."  He replies with, Thank you, madam, for the fascinating lesson in our cultural differences."  I absolutely love this scene.  The concierge is completely deadpan when he delivers his comeback to a stressed out Meg Ryan.  We have all been stressed out at one time or another and someone who is so cool, calm, and collected just makes us completely insane.

Besides the composed person which can drive us batty are the ones who whistle randomly.  These whistlers will not even have a song you can recognize either, it is just random notes.  I was in the store last week and thought I had moved away from the offending whistler when I find her following me down the aisle.  I look back as if she had startled me and all she does is smile at my little girl and passes on by with no concept that I crave SILENCE.  Yes silence...its what most moms dream about.  We have all run across the loud cell phone talker in the store and it is amazing what insight you have into their lives by listening to their one conversation.  It has been proven that when we get on the phone our voices will rise thus making the whole store privy to our life.

So back to silence.  I read once where people are uncomfortable with silence and being by themselves.   Are we not happy with ourselves?  Do we need constant interaction?  I was telling my husband how I had run into a mom at babies play group who basically told me her life story in a matter of an hour.  I don't even think she came up for a breath of air.  I literally could go into deep detail about why she stopped nursing at four months, how horrible her birthing experience was at the hospital, and some of her adoption history.  Hubby told me she is probably lonely and yes thinking back I would have to agree.  However, I really don't have the energy especially being pregnant for people who have energy vampire sucking skills.  They can be quite draining and you do feel bad for them, but you realize that you can't be their listening box.  You just can't!!!

Now what is hard is how to outmaneuver these vampires and to slip away easily.  Maybe you need a drink a water, bathroom break, or to check on your child.  Those are I think the best excuses to get away. However, these vampires are tricky and can easily rope you into another conversation.  So try to engage another parent in a discussion and if you have to go into something crazy such as hyrdoponics or the latest craze in kombucha fermentation.  Yep I think those subjects could be effective in creating distance.  Do I need to add links in the how to make kombucha?  By the way, I do think homemade is definitely better than store bought.

Anyway, silence is golden and if you come up with how to handle the whistlers, please let me know.  I am so tempted to tell them they aren't very good at it.  Maybe then just maybe they will get the hint that silence is the ultimate mommy heaven.  Well unless you like the music group Garbage and enjoy one of their classics and you guessed it "Silence is Golden."




Monday, March 18, 2013

Tip of the Week

Do you have pets?  Are those cute little creatures destroying your sanity now that you have little ones?  Well if you said yes then you wouldn't be the first or last person to think "why in the world do I have animals anymore?"  I used to dote on my two cats and they got rather spoiled to say the least.  Its not their fault we had kids, but the time I have for them diminished significantly.  The moment I sit down on the couch one of them wants to be in my lap and I admit I don't want anyone or anything to be on me when I finally get a much needed break.

Well as we prepare for the next baby and pull out the baby things, our one cat seems to enjoy the Arms Reach Co-Sleeper we plan to use.  Now some of its my fault for allowing the cat to be in it after we were done using it for our little girl.  My thinking back then was well at least I'm getting some sleep and the cat is not walking all over me on the bed.  She did not even sleep in it for very long either.  I cleaned it up and got ready to move it out of the bedroom when we found out we were expecting again.  Fast forward to now where we made it all comfy for the next baby and the cat is in love with it again.  I couldn't stop the cat from sleeping in it and I tried covering it with my old bathrobe and that I think just made it more enticing.  I had heard about how cats will sleep in cribs and have heard about babies being suffocated.  I don't know if any of those are true, but I know I don't want the cat in the co-sleeper where the baby sleeps.

After catching the cat in there for the third time in one week, I had HAD IT!  I knew I better stop the behavior quickly before the new baby got here and I did not want to spend a lot of time cleaning the co-sleeper again.  I asked around about what I should do and someone told me to use tin foil in the sleeper and that would keep the cat away.  I was quite happy to try anything.  Lo and behold, it WORKS!  I can see where the cat has tried once to get into it and apparently did not find the tin foil to be comfy at all.  So that is the tip of the week.  If you are struggling to keep your pets out of the crib, try laying tin foil down.  I plan to use the technique if I have to when the baby arrives.  I really don't want to buy another baby gate to put on our bedroom door.  I already feel like the house is one gigantic maze with gates all over.  Best part of the tin foil is that its cheap and can be recycled when you are done using it!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Coconut oil...Ooh la la

Wait did I just make a hint about coconut oil being used for THAT?!?  If you make that leap of what I am referring to then yes I in fact did!  If Victoria Secret models can parade down runaways and give the glimpse of what regular men will never have then we can be honest about this subject.  Although how in the world did Marko Jaric ever catch Adriana Lima, I will never understand.  Have you seen him lately?  He is not exactly Gerard Butler in 300 or Bradley Cooper so how in the world did he get her?!?  Anyway, I digress and need to get back onto the real subject of coconut oil and its ummm many uses.

Lets be rational.  If you were not made in a petri dish then you were conceived the old fashioned way.  I know its hard to fathom our parents ever doing things like THAT, but come on you got here somehow.  So how did I ever come across coconut oil making a leap from the frying pan into the bedroom?  Well that is an interesting story in itself.

Now we all get colds, viruses, and infections where we must seek out medical attention.  After the birth of my daughter, I came down with an infection and I kind of blame it on her long 23 hour birth.  In fact, many women struggle with these infections and I had no idea birthing a baby could run you so ragged that you are more susceptible to colds, UTIs, and yeast.  Well I tried the holistic approach and could not overcome my illness.  It did not help that the usual handy tinctures I would have reached for to help me, I could not even use because I was breastfeeding.

So I landed in the doctors office not once, but three times to be exact.  If the doctors had just listened to me as the patient, I would have been able to overcome my illness with one round of antibiotics.  Instead, they kept upping the dose and changing the antibiotic on me.  I told them what antibiotic served me well in this situation, but nope I'm just the patient and don't know anything.  Well I came down with a yeast infection for the first time EVER and it was absolutely miserable.  The over counter stuff does nothing to cure it either, it just masks the symptoms.  I went to the supplement store completely embarrassed that I even had to ask them for a good probiotic that would help me.

The gal at the store wasn't even fazed by my question and even suggested a few other remedies and one of them being coconut oil.  I thought it is worth a try and at that time, I would have done anything to clear it up.  So besides hating the doctors for not listening to me, I was also sleep deprived due to having a new baby.  It was not a great time for me.  However, there are good things that can come out of bad situations and this was one of them.  I had no idea that coconut oil was so versatile and so I started to research the benefits of coconut oil and how it was anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral.

Well lo and behold, I came across websites with people professing their love of it in the bedroom.  WHAT?!?  Are they flipping nuts?  I mean seriously don't they make stuff specifically for that kind of fun?  You can't go a week where you don't see the commercials for those proclaiming that this one kind of gel will rock your world.  However, if you have ever looked at those ingredients on those gels they aren't exactly natural.  So toss those chemicals out and grab that coconut oil to spice up your fun in the bedroom.  If you are trying to get pregnant, it will not interfere either as some lubricants can.  If you are reading this because you so desperately want a baby and are looking for ideas how to not to kill off those precious swimmers, then trust me and go with the coconut oil.  It is definitely cheaper than anything they try to market to you online.  I hope my one little suggestion will give you what you so desperately desire.  I've been there and the road is not easy.

Besides the bedroom excitement, I have come across information that it will help with scars and stretch marks.  I wish I had known about it when I was pregnant with my daughter too.  Stretch marks plagued me during my pregnancy and I made my own concoction which ended up costing me a bunch of money.  It did not help at all and my belly looked like a red roadmap.  This pregnancy I decided to try coconut oil based on the reviews of some other pregnant ladies and it is absolutely amazing.  It is healing the scars from the previous pregnancy and preventing new ones from developing.  I am sure I will get a few stretch marks as I get closer to my due date, but so far the coconut oil is staving off most of them.

I do have pregnancy brain again and a couple of weeks ago, I grabbed a hot handle on the stove causing me to burn my finger. Hubby thought I was being real brilliant by the way.  I iced it and hubby said to me more than once that it was going to blister.  I think he sounded like a broken record at that point.  After icing it, I thought what do I have to lose and I grabbed the coconut oil and kept putting it on the burn for most of the day. BAM it was gone and it did not burn or hurt much at all.  This should have blistered and I agreed it looked bad.  I had no problems with my finger the next day and you could not even tell I had burned it.

So overall coconut oil rocks!  I ended up buying a rather expensive brand of coconut oil at the store which I will share with you.  I really true believe you get what you pay for when it comes to quality.  The one that was recommended to me is the Garden of Life brand.  It is Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and 100 percent organic.  I will probably stick with this one brand due to how well its keeping the stretch marks at bay.  However, amazon has a great price on it too!  Check it out and my best advice is to google coconut oil and to see the many benefits that this little oil provides.  I even read how one mom uses it to brush her little girl's teeth.  So just like vinegar, coconut oil has hundreds of uses too.


Monday, March 11, 2013

Too much stuff!

I have been discussing with friends and there is a common theme that we own too much stuff.  It does not help that I'm in my nesting phase of the pregnancy and feel overwhelmed with how much we own. However, it takes time to get rid of things and with a toddler it is almost impossible to spend quality time going through necessary paperwork to get rid of.  We actually had the babysitter here for a couple of hours so we could accomplish some of those cleaning tasks.  Yes, we have tried to do it while she is around, but its almost impossible to get the task you set out to do completed.

Mine is mostly paperwork and its a constant fight to keep it out of the house.  If you go to a show or any event, someone is handing you pieces of paper which you bring home.  You might be interested in the article, but who has time to read it when you have a toddler running about?  I would rather read a good book if I have the time and that hasn't happened lately I can assure you.  I am too busy trying to prepare for the next baby and the thought I am going to have to devote time to get my hospital bag ready is somewhat daunting these days.

So why do we all have too much?  I think letting go is the hard part.  I found myself having moments of doubt about letting something be recycled or tossed into the trash.  I forced myself to get rid of a couple of items and when I saw the results at the end, I was definitely happy with the decision.  Now there are clutter books being constantly written and we spend lots of money trying to gain insight on how to declutter.  A few years back I got rid of all those clutter books taking space and it felt pretty freeing.  I did go to the library and read Don Aslett's "Clutter's Last Stand" and I have to admit it was probably the best declutter book I have ever come across.  I cannot tell you how much junk we got rid of and sold that year because of that book.  Don't worry it will be in the spoken mommy store if you need it.

Now you will regret a few things that you parted with and that is normal, but 99.8 percent of the items you will get rid of you'll never remember them.  Don't let that .02 percent ruin a good toss.  Yesterday, we remembered a nice stainless steel pot that we received as a Christmas gift and we never used.  Yeah it would be handy now, but it is not going to stop me from purging things I never use.  I hope the gal I gave it to found some good use out of it.  She was pretty happy when I gave it to her so I'm betting these past few years she most likely used it more than I would have.  That is my consolation during this whole process.

Now another item I plan to get rid of soon is the Black and Decker weed eater we bought a couple of years ago.  We bought a new electric one a couple of days ago and bam I love it so much.  It edges like no other and actually works!  I'm not messing with the length of the string constantly and spending all my time fiddling with it.  Time as you know is precious.  There are a couple of other items in the garage that need to go too.  Most of us have garages so we can leave our 30,000 dollar vehicles out in the street while we fill our garages full of junk.  It is nice to park both our vehicles into the garage, but its a tight fit and I'm going to have to find time to go through that here soon.  Hospital bag first though!