You are unbelievable

One of my favorite most relaxing past times is to take a nice shower then get into the jacuzzi tub with an amazing bath bomb from LUSH.  Now doing this is a luxury and few/far between since I have two children one of which never sleeps all night BUT I will take it when I can get it!  No LUSH did not pay me to say their product is the most magical at home relaxation staycation item on EARTH but if they want please please you can!!!  

This particular bath bomb is my personal favorite called twilight and it makes my skin feel so soft plus doesn't cause my highly sensitive skin have any problems.  They are super simple to use just toss it in and relax!

Just look at beautiful foam:

Didn't win the Super Bowl BUT...

We are going to Walt Disney World!!! 

My husband and I have been contemplating and debating on what age our kids should be before we go to Disney.  We literally have discussed it for a year now and after a test run to Dollywood we booked our first family trip to Disney for 2014!  Though we have six more months approximately before we leave we (being crazy like we are) have already started planning.

First, one of my friends (matron of honor in fact) gave us the name of an awesome Mickey Travels agent who is totally free BUT worth millions to help with planning our trip!!  She has given us some great tips as well as other friends on Facebook! Plus I've been reading blogs and other tip planning websites to make sure our first trip keeps us coming back for more!  After we booked the trip I've even started looking for sale items Disney related to stock up on before our trip to keep the kids busy in restaurants/lines, to dress up our room a little more disney, make memories plus build excitement for the trip, and gather/save on items we will need to travel with.

Here are a few fun items the kids and I have been working on prior to our trip:

1. For about $50 we went to Joann's fabric and selected fleece to make both kids a tied Minnie and Mickey blanket.  My sister-in-law told me how to make it and it is super simple plus fun and my sweet boy picked out the cutest printed Disney fabric for one side then my mother-in-law and I matched the backing fleece to them. (See bottom of pic below)

2. Mouse keeping tip envelope to leave tips for the house keeping because after reading what all they do for us they should get a little tip each day.  My son cut out the pieces of paper and we made a cute craft project out of it! (See top pic below)

3.  Pillowcases - I found some super cute Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse pillowcases online that I think will be a nice touch to make sure we keep our pillows different from the resorts! Here is a link to the mickey ones I found - Disney Mickey Mouse Standard Pillowcase Black/Red/White

http://amzn.com/B005KLUG7G 

4.Christmas stocking stuffers thus far (since my kids cannot read I can post this now) I got a cute Mickey night light and lanyards for each of us to keep important stuff plus a few fun items for the kids in the coin purse at the end! Here is the link to the lanyard - Disney Set of 2 Mickey and Minnie Mouse Lanyards with Detachable Coin Purse

http://amzn.com/B00CXXYHQA  then here is the night light Disney Mickey Mouse Night Light

http://amzn.com/B004QQWV24

That is all we have finished/bought thus far but we plan on making a countdown chain about 10 days worth (not to draw it out too long), fun daily toy bags for each kid to open before we go to the park (mostly so they do not ask for 100 toys inside), and a few cute shirts for them to wear during the week!  I only plan on buying small fun item to fill the bags with plus glow stuff as other fun things for them to play with during the week!

We are super excited and my four year old keeps asking if we are going today!  :-). If you have tips or neat craft projects we can do that will be useful to take on our trip please comment below!!

Nursing A Baby

Nursing your baby or formula feeding is a very personal choice or you might have no choice and cannot nurse but it all comes down to what is best for your baby and you!  My babies and I might not get through delivery without staples for me and a scary time in the nursery for them but when we connect we really connect with serious bonding time nursing!  I try to let my babies nurse as long in age as they want for my son he went till he was 21 months (yes almost 2 years) and so far my daughter is still going strong at 3 months+ days!  

I have been wanting to do this post for a long time but I have been afraid of giving people the wrong impression.  I am not trying to shame you if you couldn't or didn't want to nurse your baby this post is just my experience and what I have learned along the way that might be helpful to people currently pregnant or already have their baby who have asked me questions.

Here are the things that worked for me to get started and keep going:

-STOCK UP- Before you have your sweet baby start using lanolin (about a month early) it will help get you into shape, purchase a breast pump and buy a good one the high price tag will save you tons of time in the end I love love medela freestyle double pump http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/products/category/breast-pumps I bought with my first baby, get several bottles with whatever system you use and at least 6 of the accessories that attach to your breast so you do not need to wash one every two hours, several good nursing bras for day and some wireless comfortable ones for night in a slightly bigger size than you wear near the end of your pregnancy, also it is good to get several nursing nightgowns that have low neck lines (not slits) for easy access during night feedings, breast pads are a must to prevent leaking in your clothes, and finally you will need a few day nursing tops just to wear around the house.

-PUMP PUMP PUMP- After your baby is born try to nurse your baby every 1-2 hours if your baby latches good and only attempts to nurse every two hours then pump after he/she is done.  This should help ramp your milk up!  If your baby needs formula to supplement for them to maintain weight ask for a sucking catheter to place on your nipple so the baby is still sucking on you

-LATCH- make sure your baby has a good latch that doesn't sound like a loud sucking sound because if they do not latch properly they are getting air and/or they might be pinching your ducts causing you to have a clogged duct (not fun)

-Burp your baby every time you switch breasts and after nursing plus some babies might need to be burped during one breast if they start showing signs of being fussy while sucking 

-DRINK and EAT.  Make sure you have a glass of water everywhere you go!  With my first baby I actually landed back in the hospital a few weeks after we got home because you can dehydrafe so quick nursing.  When my kids are under six months old my house looks like a glass of water museum I have so many sitting around.  It is also very important to eat a balanced diet of fresh foods and not starve yourself to drop the baby weight.  I love oatmeal (not the instant kind) and ate it a lot some say it is good to encourage a healthy milk supply.  I've also heard of a dark beer but I never tried that so I'm not sure about that rumor.

-Focus.  Focus on your baby even thinking about how much you want them to eat well can get your milk to let down quicker. Also focus on making sure you start with a different breast each time you sit down plus you need to track the time you feed your baby even if you are like me and allow them to nurse on demand it is important those first few months to know how often they want to eat.

-Get Support!  Since your husband or significant other is not doing the feedings they can still support you by telling you how awesome you are doing, by bringing you water, by making you a snack, and by bringing you frozen peas/ice packs/ heating pads to help if you do experience pain (which don't be alarmed it only lasts a short amount if time)

-Ask someone.  I always find it helpful to ask someone.  Do not be afraid to call a lactation consultant, phone a friend, or chat with a family member about it because you might be surprised to get very candid and helpful tips!

-Position is a personal choice because it is however it is most comfortable for you and the baby.  Since I had an emergency csection everyone thought I should do what they call the football hold but my babies and I hated that so I like the cradle hold.  Here is a link that discusses each hold http://youtu.be/s1gmBVrwAs8 

-RELAX.  I'm not a calm indivdual so it is hard for me to relax but when I'm nursing I think some angels are hovering around helping because I am always relaxed nursing.  I find a nice chair preferably with arms and rocking ability then snuggle the baby I love so much!

-HOLD.  I think it is so helpful, now that I had a baby that got acid reflux, to hold your baby after nursing and burping in an upright position for at least 10-15 minutes especially if they have fallen asleep because it does help their little bodies keep their food down better.

-ENOUGH- How do you know your baby gets enough to eat.  The main ways you know is if they are calm and seem content after eating, they almost fall asleep, and they have a good amount of wet and dirty diapers throughout the day

-ROUTINE- My routine is around the time I think the baby will want to eat I grab a cup of water, make a little snack, make sure the phone/remote is near me, grab a light blanket if the baby doesn't already have one, sit in the recliner or glider, and start nursing then burping 

I think this is the main questions I'm asked all the time, but this post might evolve as more question arise or when I actually read this post back to myself later realizing I forgot several good tips!  I just finished putting both of my babies down for a nap and holding my three month old because she just nursed so I'm sure when I proof read this I will find a ton of errors as well but hopefully you will be able to get the main points I'm making here.

Witness my fitness - post #8 Just Run

My favorite stress buster and workout is running!  I am not super placement ribbon fast anymore but the open road with music in my ears equals peace and tranquilly.  I have ran most of my life and I had a phase where running was not my favorite at all but I did it to stay in shape to do other sports.  Of course I am not a professional trainer or runner but a few things have helped me love running.

1- If it is not hard at first then you are doing it wrong.  Anytime you are doing something new or just starting a workout routine after taking a break it will be hard.  Just know it will get better and stay focused on why you are putting yourself through a tough workout.

2- Be prepared!  If you start off with a marathon after just one week of running you will at minimum fail but most likely get a serious injury in doing so.  In fact, you should start crawling before you walk then think about running.  I always start by walking a mile then increasing speed after a week then jog finally running a slow pace and so on.  I only increase my miles by half a mile after I feel comfortable in that one mile first and I decrease my speed when adding distance as well.

3- Be Equipped!  Some sports you can grab any pair of shoes, clothes, and skip warm ups, but if you are not equipped with the proper gear plus good stretching warm ups you have a higher rate of failure and injury.  Things you must have include a GREAT sports bra, a expensive plus PERFECT pair of shoes, good socks, compression shorts/tights/capris, and running tops.  Normally I would say go for the bargain but please do no go for the cheap for this because it really makes it easier to run plus most importantly safer.

4- Stay hydrated and nourished. If you have no gas in your car it will no run so why do you think you can on very little water or food?  At first I even walk with water bottles with me to drink along the way then as I increase speed I'm normally drinking and eating more during the day because my body knows it needs it.  

5- Tune in!  I love jamming out to songs that move me!  Sometimes I listen to songs I normally Iike to listen to then most of the time I listen to songs I do not normally listen to but they have a fast beat or rockin hard drum that makes me want to run faster and faster.

6- Be safe!  When running on roads like I do you must be safe.  Always run against the flow of traffic so the driver sees you and you can see the drivers.  Watch where you run to avoid streets with sex offenders or other locations known for crime so you are not putting yourself in danger.  If you are running at night at the very least wear reflective tape or get a safety running vest so cars can see you.

7- Encourage or be encouraged!  Join a running group to motivate you and keep you focused.  Call a friend you know runs and ask if they want to run with you.  On the flip side create your own running group or ask someone you know might want to start running to start with you.

8- Get checked!  Before starting any fitness program go to your doctor for a complete checkup and discuss your plans with them.  Not only will that give you a baseline to start from but it will also give you a gage of your current fitness level.  

9- Stay focused!  Concentrate on why you decided to start running.  My reason is that I want my children to see their mommy cares about her health they should too plus I want to be heathy so I can take care of my family!

10- Believe!  Believe in yourself give yourself a pep talk during the run know you are getting better and doing great!  Do not let anyone or anything get in your way!  I just checked my newsfeed on another social media outlet last week and a friend of mine posted something about seeing a person running at 250+ lbs but she respected him because she saw him walking at a higher weight months before so she respected him for his determination and belief in hisself!  

I think ten is good for now!  More on running I'm sure later but I hope you enjoyed my list please add more in comments if you have more too!!

Before Delivery & 7 weeks After

I recently had several people want to see some before and after shots so here goes:

Below is my second pregnancy before delivery at 36 weeks pregnant on the left and 7 weeks after delivery on the right

Below is my first pregnancy before at 41 weeks pregnant and after at 8 weeks

The biggest difference I see here is that with my first pregnancy I was smaller to start with and during I didn't gain as much weight because I was more active. With my second pregnancy I was less active due to complications then I was also bigger starting weight as wel where I took hormone therapy combined with fertility treatments.  Several differences but all in all it seems very similar on how I started dropping weight.  I am now 10 pounds away from my pre pregnancy weight after 7 weeks from my second csection YAY!!  Just hope this coming week I am cleared to get moving by the doctor but I have a feeling he is going to get mad at me for doing too much yesterday :-/ oops!!!

Recipe for healthy kids

After watching a CNN Anderson Cooper video today of a two year old child having a  sippy cup of coffee every morning since she was 9 months old with her mother then getting "Tinker Tea" which is tea, pixie sticks, and Mountain Dew I had to write this post!  I'm not a perfect mom and my three year old has had pizza from a box, a yucky hot dog (which thankfully he didn't love), cake, cupcakes, and the like BUT for the majority of the time I do give him healthy food during meal times.

In my opinion a recipe for a healthy kid is as follows:

-love and affection

-sleep 12 hours at night 1 hour day

-fruits, veggies, and the right balance of the other stuff in moderation 

-exercise including as much fresh air as possible

-hand washing lots of hand washing

-brain workouts requiring focus

I'm sure if I had more time I could come up with a few more and in no way are my kids never sick but since I've been a stay at home mom the number of times we have been sick has drastically reduced to a few minor sicknesses per year (thank the good Lord!).  Sometimes you just cannot protect them because something's are completely out of your control!  

I am truly sad very sad about this poor child on the video and very sad that toddlers and tiaras have yet again disgraced parenting and what people think of pageantry as well.  

If you wish to watch the video here is the link:  http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/10/ridiculist-coffee-for-kids/

Stay At Home Mom 102

I am NOT an expert at being a stay at home Mom let me begin with that information.   I'm getting the hang of it and as of April I just became a stay at home Mom of two so just when I thought I had things under control I am back at square one.  This is my attempt to highlight a few things about being a stay at home mom of two or one that I had to learn.  My experience has brought me full circle from a working Mom then a stay at home mom of one for around two years and now a stay at home mom of two for several months!

I must put a confession in here that I was a working mom who thought stay at home moms had it easy so easy, but very quickly realized stay at home moms work harder than anyone.  Much respect now that I'm wearing the stay at home mom shoes!  The job pays good with kisses and the benefits to my kids are excellent but it is a twenty-four-seven job that gives no sick leave, vacation, or security of knowing what your job description will be since it is written and rewritten everyday.

 Here is a short list of my experience:

-Never wear black... wait... never wear white... Wait... Umm just NEVER wear nice clothes because no matter the color you will go around all day getting so dirty by the end of the day it is hard to tell what  color you are wearing!  For example, it isn't just the milk the baby spits up on you it is the jelly from lunch too plus chalk from sidewalk coloring oh and the snot from an allergy nose ... you get the picture!

-If it is quite run call 911 because it is an emergency!  Your toilet is filled to the brim with something like toilet paper plus the bathroom hand towel and/or a magazine.  You go to change the babies diaper things get quite your 3 year old has made a 5 ft tower from cushions and proceeds to climb it and jump onto your hardwood floors almost hitting his head on the ceiling fan blades!

-Do not sit down it is counter productive because as soon as you do someone needs something, has to go to the bathroom, starts crying, wants food, and/or wakes up from sleeping.  Just stand at all times!

-If your children wouldn't nap during designated nap time mentally prepare for all out war, tears over everything, and don't forget to feed them dinner early so they hopefully get a little full to go to bed early :-) right!!!

-Have several changes of clothes for the kids because one or two sets will need to be washed within the first few hours of the day 

-If you have something nice lock it in a safe till the kids are in college and never buy nice things just hold off till later in life when you might keep it nice for a few minutes

-If you want a clean house shell out the money for a clean house just again get mentally prepared that in 1 hour or less after the cleaning service leaves things are back to disaster zone so just realize it is materialistic so it is not important

-Take showers at 3am or an insane hour when the kids finally go to sleep so you can be clean for a few hours till they wake up

-To get anything accomplished during the day other than feeding the kids, dressing the kids, redressing the kids, getting the kids down for nap, and doing several activities with the kids you MUST plan it.  For example Monday can be dusting the house and cleaning the floors day, Tuesday can be grocery day, and so on but just realize that some days maybe no day will work out as planned.

-Meltdowns will happen and might happen often just remember to stay calm the room will feed off of anger or fear so stand your ground change the subject and learn to read a potential meltdown and avoid it next time if possible

-remember you are human some days you will feel like you have damaged your kids beyond repair or you are the worst mother in the world or you are frazzled too much and need a timeout yourself

-recharge your batteries which is easier said than done I am not good at doing this at all (ok never really) but I'm learning it is important to get out as an adult sometimes wear nice clothes and discuss something other than mickey mouse adventures - like I said I know this is important just hard to plan all the logistics plus actually walk out the door without guilt

I could go on and on about the things I've learned and I am still learning more everyday.  I would NEVER trade this time for anything and I know I am going to be incredibly sad when the house is clean and quite because the kids are gone to college.  I also know that I feel more like myself with my kids because they bring out the best me!  All in all it is the hardest job but the BEST job I've had or will ever have in my life!  I am very grateful that I can be a stay at home Mother!

http://pinterest.com/pin/31243791134790334/