Some of my friends are new moms, some are about to be new moms. They have a lot of questions. Not surprising, since I'm an "old mom" and still have plenty of questions. Sometimes they ask about what they're feeling and "is this normal"? Other times they want to know "What's the best way to...?" And I gladly answer, because it's nice to be in the same time zone with most of the people I love. Or at least, sharing a continent. I'd never consider myself any sort of expert; I have no formal training, just two kids that have survived and seem pretty happy most of the time.
But if I could only offer one single piece of advice to all my new moms and moms-to-be, it wouldn't be about breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding. It wouldn't have anything to do with a sleep schedule, sleep training or sleep techniques. I wouldn't talk about my feelings on cloth diapers and disposable diapers. I wouldn't suggest when to start solids, stop swaddling, or how to handle teething.
Write everything down.
That's it. My one, solid, foolproof piece of advice that can apply to every child. You see, I've been a mom of two for almost six months now. And the one thing I know to be absolutely certain, is that every child is different. Different personalities, different habits, different ways of doing things even straight out of the womb. But I know for sure, if you don't write it down you'll forget.
I have a blog for me. I love that other people read it, and enjoy it and sometimes take something from it. But in the end, it's for me. Because a million things happen every week and I'm certain I'll remember all of them. But then I go back to a blog from when Hayden came home from the hospital and I find that I've forgotten so much. I flip through his baby book and realize I forgot how much he loved bananas at a year old, and that he used to squeal at the top of his lungs for no reason at all. I know that right now, I love the time in the middle of the night after I feed Lila, that she snuggles against my chest and takes a big deep breath before she goes to sleep. But in two years, when she's independent and potty training and learning new words, I'll probably forget. Right now, Hayden's favorite show is Team Umizoomi, and in five years when it's babyish, I won't remember how he yells "Super shapes!" with delight.
So write it down. Keep a journal, update a baby book, blog until your fingers hurt. But I promise, you'll forget the date you felt your baby move, yet you might not forget that the first time you felt him move, you were on the phone with his dad who was 3000 miles away in Afghanistan.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
New food Friday: Bananas
We figured the easiest new food to try when you're away from home is a banana. No equipment required! Lila of course LOVED it, and I love how easy it is to mash them up and feed her. It has become our go-to food when we need something to take with us that doesn't require much maintenance. She'll fit in well in this house full of banana lovers!
Beach vacation: Part 2
After some shopping and beach time, we decided to make a fun day all about Hayden. It's tough going from only child to big brother, and he's handled it pretty well. We decided to reward all his big boy behavior by taking him somewhere we knew he would love: the aquarium! And lucky for us, there's a small dinosaur exhibit at the aquarium right now, so it was win-win.
He loved looking at all the dinosaurs, and only got a little scared when they roared at him! We walked around, looking at the mermaids and fish tanks and all the fun things to see. There was even a tank where he could touch turtles and crabs, and the big tank where we could see huge sting rays and a few sharks. The big draw of the aquarium is the long, moving sidewalk that has a tunnel overhead full of fish, eel, plants and of course, LOTS of sharks!
The aquarium was a little smaller than we'd expected, but it turned out to be just enough for us to enjoy without the kids being too overstimulated. After we'd seen all the fish, we headed over to Margaritaville for some lunch. Hayden was fascinated by the people on stilts and got a pretty cool balloon-sword. Lila continued to enjoy lemons, and mom and dad got some fancy seafood dishes and adult beverages.
After some good rest, we took the kids down to the rides for a little fair-like fun. Hayden was so excited to ride all the rides with his dad!! He rode the Caterpillar coaster, some helicopters, and most exciting...the Ferris Wheel!! They waited patiently in line while Lila and I cruised around until it was finally their turn. He loved being up high and waving down to us. Such a fun night, complete with a few games and a lot of family time.
All good things must come to an end, and we returned home on Sunday after a quick lunch in Calabash to put us on the road around 3pm. It was a long, hot ride home but we had a great time in Myrtle Beach. We can't wait to go back!
He loved looking at all the dinosaurs, and only got a little scared when they roared at him! We walked around, looking at the mermaids and fish tanks and all the fun things to see. There was even a tank where he could touch turtles and crabs, and the big tank where we could see huge sting rays and a few sharks. The big draw of the aquarium is the long, moving sidewalk that has a tunnel overhead full of fish, eel, plants and of course, LOTS of sharks!
The aquarium was a little smaller than we'd expected, but it turned out to be just enough for us to enjoy without the kids being too overstimulated. After we'd seen all the fish, we headed over to Margaritaville for some lunch. Hayden was fascinated by the people on stilts and got a pretty cool balloon-sword. Lila continued to enjoy lemons, and mom and dad got some fancy seafood dishes and adult beverages.
After some good rest, we took the kids down to the rides for a little fair-like fun. Hayden was so excited to ride all the rides with his dad!! He rode the Caterpillar coaster, some helicopters, and most exciting...the Ferris Wheel!! They waited patiently in line while Lila and I cruised around until it was finally their turn. He loved being up high and waving down to us. Such a fun night, complete with a few games and a lot of family time.
All good things must come to an end, and we returned home on Sunday after a quick lunch in Calabash to put us on the road around 3pm. It was a long, hot ride home but we had a great time in Myrtle Beach. We can't wait to go back!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Beach vacation: Part 1.5
I had pictures from the beach on a different camera, because I didn't want to get sand in my nice one. But the kids both had a good time in the sand and sun!
Hayden walked down to the water all by himself to get water for his sand creations. I couldn't believe it!
Little miss was waiting patiently for us to set up her shelter from the sun!
Go Hayden!
Waking up after a long nap on the beach.
Love my sweet sweet babies!
Hayden walked down to the water all by himself to get water for his sand creations. I couldn't believe it!
Little miss was waiting patiently for us to set up her shelter from the sun!
Go Hayden!
Waking up after a long nap on the beach.
Love my sweet sweet babies!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Beach vacation : Part 1
July 4th in this family means the beach, now that we're back in the states! This year the 4th fell in the middle of the week, which made things a little trickier but we made it work. We left at around 4am on July 4th to avoid the traffic on the 3rd, and the kids slept the whole way. Leaving in the middle of the night has its advantages, other than traffic and sleeping kids...our a/c was out in the car, so it was a much cooler ride! We got to the condo, unpacked and settled in and decided to spend the day relaxing. We knew this year was going to be a lot different, having an infant, so we decided to let the kids' schedules dictate what we did and how we did it. It was very refreshing, to be completely on our own time and at the same time, meeting the needs and wants of the kids.
Lila, by nature, is a good night sleeper but not a great napper. She decided at 2 months old that her bedtime was 7pm so we were not sure at all how the beach was going to affect that. It turned out to work perfectly! We were busy bees during the day, and she took great naps! A two hour nap in the middle of the day paired with a late nap meant that she was still ready to go for our night activities. We walked down to the beach around 9pm on the 4th to watch the fireworks and the kids had a blast. Hayden asked every night for the rest of the trip to see more fireworks. He loved the lights and the noise of it all, and Lila didn't seem to mind the chaos. What a different baby she is from Hayden!
We ended up only making it down to the beach for about a half a day of our trip, which suits me just fine! I don't care for the sand and the waves, but our beach tent kept Lila cool and out of the sun, and gave me a place to stretch out without the sand. Hayden did much better this year than last year! He was terrified of everything last year. This year he walked down to the water himself, even getting to his knees without holding a hand. And he let Jay take him way out and play in the water. Our big boy is growing up!
We made a stop at one of our favorite restaurants, Hamburger Joe's, on the way to Barefoot Landing. Lila had her first taste of lemon and Hayden ate half an order of onion rings with his hot dog. Success all around! We got there just at the right time to beat the crowd, and enjoyed some shopping after our bellies were full. We had a great time, and Hayden found a few things to keep him busy as well...
Lila, by nature, is a good night sleeper but not a great napper. She decided at 2 months old that her bedtime was 7pm so we were not sure at all how the beach was going to affect that. It turned out to work perfectly! We were busy bees during the day, and she took great naps! A two hour nap in the middle of the day paired with a late nap meant that she was still ready to go for our night activities. We walked down to the beach around 9pm on the 4th to watch the fireworks and the kids had a blast. Hayden asked every night for the rest of the trip to see more fireworks. He loved the lights and the noise of it all, and Lila didn't seem to mind the chaos. What a different baby she is from Hayden!
We ended up only making it down to the beach for about a half a day of our trip, which suits me just fine! I don't care for the sand and the waves, but our beach tent kept Lila cool and out of the sun, and gave me a place to stretch out without the sand. Hayden did much better this year than last year! He was terrified of everything last year. This year he walked down to the water himself, even getting to his knees without holding a hand. And he let Jay take him way out and play in the water. Our big boy is growing up!
We made a stop at one of our favorite restaurants, Hamburger Joe's, on the way to Barefoot Landing. Lila had her first taste of lemon and Hayden ate half an order of onion rings with his hot dog. Success all around! We got there just at the right time to beat the crowd, and enjoyed some shopping after our bellies were full. We had a great time, and Hayden found a few things to keep him busy as well...
Sunday, July 1, 2012
My funny boy
He loves to wear mommy's shoes. At least he has good taste!
He still loves to help mommy cook! Last weekend we made waffles and he ran upstairs to find his pig whisk. You might remember this from last summer, the toy he picked out at Bed Bath & Beyond and slept with for at least a month. Now he's combined it with his love of cooking and voila! Perfect little helper.
Did I mention how much he loves his baby sister? Thursday morning he ran into my room at 530 to wake me up saying, "Mommy! Lila's crying!" So I got her up, changed and fed her. While I was feeding her he said, "Mommy, why you not come get her when she was crying? Why I have to wake you up?" I'm not sure, but I think he was calling me a bad mom. I told him I didn't hear her and he seemed okay with that. But he's quick to let me know when she needs something!
Baby gear
Babies need a lot of stuff; this we knew from Hayden. We also learned how quickly they grow and change, and don't need some of that gear anymore. Luckily, we kept almost all of his big stuff, and Lila is enjoying all the worn-in toys that Hayden enjoyed as a baby.
The bouncy seat, or spider chair as we call it, was a source of comfort for Hayden, lulling him into nap after nap as a baby. Lila has napped in it, but didn't really care for it as a newborn. Now that she's bigger, she loves to sit in it and try to reach the spiders to put them in her mouth. She's a pro.
The exersaucer is another piece full of toys that Lila wants to put in her mouth. This is most useful in the kitchen, where she can watch me cook and clean but be a safe distance from anything that can hurt her...and still be entertained. The dogs don't quite know what to make of it when it's in the kitchen.
WHERE would we be without the bumbo seat?? Since she wants to be mobile, she doesn't like to be on her back for very long. She can't see everything that way! So we put her in the bumbo in the middle of the bed, or in the bathroom floor while I'm getting ready. Or, when we're blow drying her hair. Yes, you read that right. She gets the crazy hair which can easily be tamed with a round brush and the warm setting.
Recently we started putting the bumbo in the playpen so she can use this cool toy, a gift from my friend Jordan. It attaches to the playpen and adds a little stimulation to the prison-like mesh walls. But since she can't sit up yet, playpen + toy + bumbo = more stuff to entertain (read: more stuff to put in her mouth).
Last but not least, our friend the jumperoo. Some of you will remember the hours of fun this was for Hayden, and so far it seems like it will be no different for Lila. She's not quite tall enough for it yet, so we put her baby quilt under her feet for a little more length and she goes to town! She likes the ducks that spin and the book that flips but her favorite is the little tomato that's attached because (you guessed it) she can put it in her mouth.
The bouncy seat, or spider chair as we call it, was a source of comfort for Hayden, lulling him into nap after nap as a baby. Lila has napped in it, but didn't really care for it as a newborn. Now that she's bigger, she loves to sit in it and try to reach the spiders to put them in her mouth. She's a pro.
The exersaucer is another piece full of toys that Lila wants to put in her mouth. This is most useful in the kitchen, where she can watch me cook and clean but be a safe distance from anything that can hurt her...and still be entertained. The dogs don't quite know what to make of it when it's in the kitchen.
WHERE would we be without the bumbo seat?? Since she wants to be mobile, she doesn't like to be on her back for very long. She can't see everything that way! So we put her in the bumbo in the middle of the bed, or in the bathroom floor while I'm getting ready. Or, when we're blow drying her hair. Yes, you read that right. She gets the crazy hair which can easily be tamed with a round brush and the warm setting.
Recently we started putting the bumbo in the playpen so she can use this cool toy, a gift from my friend Jordan. It attaches to the playpen and adds a little stimulation to the prison-like mesh walls. But since she can't sit up yet, playpen + toy + bumbo = more stuff to entertain (read: more stuff to put in her mouth).
Last but not least, our friend the jumperoo. Some of you will remember the hours of fun this was for Hayden, and so far it seems like it will be no different for Lila. She's not quite tall enough for it yet, so we put her baby quilt under her feet for a little more length and she goes to town! She likes the ducks that spin and the book that flips but her favorite is the little tomato that's attached because (you guessed it) she can put it in her mouth.
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