A Mommy....Even At Night

I easily hear my child especially when I’m sleep….

When I first became a mother, I worried that I wouldn’t wake up at night and hear when my daughter needed me….and that was an honest concern of mines! I knew that before children, when I was tired, I would be sound asleep once I hit the bed! The first couple of weeks home with my newborn, I barely got any sleep…not because of her keeping me up, but because I didn’t want to risk the chance of her needing me and I couldn’t wake up easily….

...mini heart attack..at 2 am lol

Sooo...I'm writing to you from a state of no sleep...a zombie mommy...eyes open but half closed at the same time. I've been up for about an hour now..my daughter started crying around 2:30 am and I thought she wanted to nurse..

Flashback to Back To School Days

In honor of this wonderful time of the year that all parents look forward to, I thought I would share my favorite back to school memory.

My children aren’t old enough to go to school, but I can tell you that I can’t wait for them to experience it!

Driving Me Crazy….But I Wouldn’t Change It

On days when my toddler seems to drive me crazy…which is often, I stop and think about life before her….how boring it was. It was like clockwork…doing the same thing every day at the same time, no excitement at all. Working all day – from sun up to sun down….that oh so boring life!

New Foods + Toddler = A yes yes or no no?

 What I did to get my toddler to take interest in other foods besides cereal.

Easy. I sat her down, looked her in her eyes and said…”you will eat what I cook.” And she replied, “yes mommy.” –Wait, I wish it was that easy and simple. Wouldn’t all our lives be easier?!?!?!?!

Trying to get her to eat real food other than cereal…that was and still is a complicated task, but she’s coming around….slowly. Now she loves breakfast foods such as pancakes, waffles, French toast and of course, fruit, but that’s plain (& very yummy) and doesn’t always have the nutritional value that I would like.

Pinterest was a life saver, besides the fact of it being very addictive! I found so many kid friendly recipes and ways to make breakfast and include veggies! I even started experimenting on my own and created some yummy zucchini carrot strawberry pancakes! (Don’t worry, I’ll post the recipe soon J )

But how I really got her to start trying new foods was to let her taste different foods off of my plate. I laughed when I realized that she’s more likely to experiment on my plate than hers with the EXACT same items! Huh??? Who knew?!?!?!?!

So now, every time I’m eating, she comes up to me and eyes my plate, then asks “what’s that?” I respond and if it sounds appealing enough to her, she asks for some.

Ohhh…how I long for the day when anything can be cooked and she’ll eat it.

What special techniques did you use to introduce new foods to your child?? 

(All suggestions are welcomed as I’ve just begun this long, long journey)

Growing up but staying young

It's almost like a contradiction....grow up but stay young...it reminds me of when people say never loose your youth, which I've heard so many times. 

Over the past 7 years I've found that I've grown so much as a person. First of all, its weird for me to say that I graduated high school seven years ago...I feel so old (even though a lot of you are like what???? You're young! Ha ha) and it is simply amazing to see the change. I wish I would of documented everything back then, but while everything is still fresh on my mind. In just seven years, I had a couple of different jobs, was in college and was trying to find myself....who I am, not really realizing that I had found me but was maturing over time. I also met the love of my life, which came a couple of months after I had told myself that I would focus or look or accept any other relationships. Thinking back on it, I was 'swept off my feet' and I didn't know it.... And even after a couple of years of dating we became really serious and had our first child together....

Even with all of the changes and causes for me to mature I know for a fact that I haven't lost my youth...some people focus so much on rushing to grow up not taking the time to cherish every moment...I realized that yes, I do want to grow up and it will happen eventually but I need to enjoy my life..and that's what I've been doing ever since. 

Being a mother of two children, I found it to be important that while I am teaching and disciplining them, I also have to enjoy life with them. With my oldest daughter before the younger one came, we would always do fun activities together. I would run around with her at the park, pretend to play store, have a tea party or picnic, jump on the bed and even when we go to Chuckie Cheese, run around and play in the ball pit with her. I wanted her to know that yes, I am mommy but I will play and get silly with you...it was only right and honestly fun. 

As a mom...if there could be any advice that I could give other new mothers, it would be to enjoy life and have fun with your children. Don't get too caught up in being a "grown up". 

What did mommy say???

So…I know all of you ‘moms like myself’ have experienced a time when your child has wanted something, whether it’s a toy, treat such as candy, cookies or chips. Well…what do you do when they continue to ask for it when you’ve already said no?????? What about when you tell them no and they ask their father???

I can tell you that even though my daughter isn’t two yet, I’ve experienced this MANY times!!! And she does it ALL the time and I catch her 95% of the time.

So the other day, Kay wanted a cookie. I explained to her that if and only if she finished ALL of her lunch, she could get a cookie….BUT she didn’t. She ate half of her lunch, pushed it aside and asked for a cookie. My response: “No. You didn’t eat all of your lunch. Finish eating and you will get a cookie.” She sits there for a couple of minutes then proceeds to push her plate back further onto the table.

I walked back into the kitchen and apparently, her father walked downstairs. I heard Kay and her father talking, but I couldn’t hear exactly what was going on. Then, he came into the kitchen and grabbed 2 cookies. I followed him out of the kitchen and as he was about to hand her the cookies I said, “don’t give her a cookie.” He asked why and I responded “she didn’t eat all of her lunch and I told her to finish but she refused.”

He gave me a look that said “sorry I didn’t know what occurred before I came downstairs” and reiterated to Kay that she needed to eat her lunch before she was given any cookies.

And…just like that----Kay used her daughter powers to try and get what mommy said she couldn’t!

Score:

Mommy – 1

Daughter - 0

Crying Over Spilled Milk! ---No, Really!!!

Now, all mothers who have used the breast pump before, you can relate and know what I mean when I say “crying over spilled milk”. No, I’m not talking about the popular saying, but the real action of crying, waterworks, red eyes…etc. And this picture I found on Instagram is such a TRUE STATEMENT!!!!

So I’m in my prime nursing days since giving birth only a little over a week ago. With my first child, whenever I pumped, I produced a lot of milk! Even so that in the first 5 minutes of doing so, I filled the containers. When the containers are full, if you are still expressing milk, it starts spilling out. So you could imagine how much attention I gave to my sessions.

There was this one time when I was pumping, I noticed my storage containers were getting full so I looked around for some more to use. When I found two more, I turned off the pump and quickly replaced the full containers with empty ones, placing the full ones near my pump. As I turned around to quickly begin pumping again, I knocked over both of the full milk containers. Yes, I started pumping again, but boy did I cry! It was devastating at the moment even though some may say it wasn’t a big deal, but it was to me!!! My husband had to calm me down and eventually I was fine even though I got so stressed out in a matter of minutes!

My advice would be to make sure you have everything in reach when you have your pumping sessions to prevent any accidents from occurring!!!

                                              Love,

                                                A mother who has spilled milk

Paintin’ N’ A Tastin’

This is the perfect solution for toddlers who love to paint but constantly put their fingers in their mouth 

Homemade Edible Paint

Ingredients:

Plain Yogurt

Kool Aid Packets

Paper Plate

Spoon to Mix Paint

Paper

Your Toddler’s Hands

Instructions:

Put a spoonful of yogurt on the plate; depending on how many colors you want, make sure you leave space between each little yogurt drop. Add kool aid, about half a packet to one of the yogurt piles and mix until it produces the color you want. Repeat until all of the colors you and your toddler likes are created.

Once every color is created, you’re done and it’s time for your toddler to explore!!!

I loved this little project because you can also use it as a time to learn; identifying colors, smells, tastes and mixing to get other colors!

Now, I will tell you that our fingers ended up being stained, but don’t worry! You can easily remove kool aid stains on your fingers with any toothpaste! (Really!!! Any kind works!!) And most importantly, it’s safe for your little one’s skin!!

School of Mommy

Yesterday as so many children headed back to school so did my toddler….the school of mommy J. I made it my business to spend a couple of months planning out activities and setting learning objectives that I wanted her to accomplish each month. When I was pregnant with her, I worked at a preschool as a 2’s teacher so I was already familiar with what she needed to master according to her age.

Since toddlers seem to have a really short attention span, we only spent about two hours focusing on learning. (To be honest, every moment is a learning opportunity, so it’s important to take every chance you get to teach J).

The first activity was days of the week. I made a sentence strip out of card stock paper which says: “Today is _______”. I used Velcro and made rectangles that had each of the days of the week on them. I went over the names and we talked about what the day was.

The second activity was weather. I also made a sentence strip for the weather in addition to creating a sun, cloud and rainy cloud. First we reviewed the types of weather then we looked outside and saw the sun, so she put the sun on our little weather strip.

The third activity was my name is. I spelled her name out in big letters so that she could clearly see each letter. We went over each of the letters in her name and practiced saying “my name is kayleigh”.

The fourth activity was ABC and letter recognition. We used simple alphabet squares as we recited ABC’s, I used the letters to show Kay the name of the letter and what the letter looks like.

The fifth activity was reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. This is a wonderful children’s book that was one of my favorites when I was in kindergarten! I am sure your toddler would love it as well J.

The sixth activity was an arts and craft project related to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. We made a coconut tree using letters of Kay’s name. She used glue to place the leaves on the tree as we recited the letters.

The seventh and last activity was naming body parts. I had these body part cards that show each of the body parts, the basic ones. We identified different body parts on the cards and I had her find where they were on her own body.

Needless to say, she was happy and excited about what we learned and even spoke about it. Today, I’ve prepared more activities to do with her and I will continue to work with here every day until she’s ready for school!! 

Never Underestimate the Power of a SAHM

Being a SAHM is an incredible job that is fulfilled with rewards. This is like a full time plus a part time job --- no kidding. I mean of course there are times when I’m not as busy, but I am always occupied! :-)

First of all, just because I’m a SAHM does not mean I sit around all day eating bon-bons and watching my shows; while this seems nice, it’s actually far, FAR FAR from reality. Not only am I taking care of the kids: which includes playing with them, entertaining them, feeding and bathing, not to mention one who is potty training, but there are other tasks that have to be done around the house. Cooking meals, washing dishes, laundry, picking up toys, cleaning bathroom, mopping and sweeping…etc.

I can’t even explain to you how fulfilling it is to be with your children and actually be able to watch them grow before your eyes. I wasn’t always a SAHM, I worked 2 months as a temporary receptionist five months after my first daughter was born and while it was nice to work, I couldn’t stand it! My baby was still young and trying to keep the milk supply was hard. Eventually I took a break again after the position ended, but found a full time job a couple of months later. I worked at this place for almost a year and again worried about my milk supply, which was struggling because I couldn’t create that same relaxing environment. I wanted to have my child on breast milk as long as possible.

Eventually I found out that I was expecting again and stopped working a couple of months before I was due. I spent that time focusing on my daughter, teaching her and simply spending time watching her grow because the months before were very hectic and I felt like I didn’t have control over what was going on. That was on top of me being upset that I saw her early in the morning and then again at dinner and bedtime. I just couldn’t do it anymore!

I love being a SAHM and I wouldn’t change my situation for anything in the world……..

Wait---------maybe once both of my daughters are in school, but I still wouldn’t want to spend long hours working in an office environment.

Oh my gosh! I think my favorite channel is Nick Jr…

As I am writing this, it’s about 5:50 ish am eastern time…I woke up to nurse and as I turned the television on I immediately turned to channel 256… What’s 256 you ask??? Well….it’s Nick Jr. No, my toddler child isn’t up, she’s knocked out snoring and everything in her bed. I began to hum the theme song to Team Umizoomi and I stop and realize that I didn’t channel surf, but I automatically knew what I wanted to look at without thinking about it.

Ever since Kay was born our television was programmed to Nick Jr – all day, all night, every hour, every minute, every second.

I can admit that when I’m not watching television, I find myself humming a song from one of the many ‘oh so cute’ kiddie shows, but did I mention that I know most of them word for word??!?! I think it's time for me to attempt to go back to sleep.....

Hello, my name is Ashely and I’m addicted to watching Nick Jr.

Is Your Breast Milk On E?????

With my first child, breast milk seemed to flow like a never ending river, but then it started to slow down tremendously and to be honest; I wasn’t ready for it to! Looking all over the internet and asking around, I was DESPERATE to find a product that would help stimulate my milk supply and bring my “river” back.

I found several methods that when I combined them, they helped to bring back my supply so I was happy again!

One of the first methods was drinking about 5 – 6 cups of fenugreek tea (hot) a day. Now don’t worry, this tea is completely caffeine free. You should be able to purchase fenugreek tea from your local health food store or even from Amazon.com (for a really good price J). The taste does take some getting used to, but after awhile, it’s not that bad. I must say that it does make your breast milk smell like maple syrup, but it’s completely harmless to your baby!

Here’s the brand I purchased and loved below:

The second method was to eat old fashioned oatmeal cooked with milk frequently. It’s important to remember to purchase “old fashioned” and not the “quick oats” or “instant” because the other types do not work as effectively. But I ate oatmeal every time I was hungry and this was in addition to the main meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The third method was to eat lactation cookies, munching on them as snacks throughout the day!

Here’s the recipe:

Lactation Cookies

1 cup butter

1 ½ cups brown sugar

4 tbs water

2 tbs flaxseed meal

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 cups oats (thick cut)

1 cup chocolate chips

2 – 4 tsps of brewers yeast

Mix all ingredients until a cookie like dough forms. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dough in medium sized balls on cookie sheet. Bake 8 – 12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.

***Brewers yeast and flaxseed meal can be found at your local health food store***

The fourth method was to either attempt putting my baby to my breasts; if exclusively pumping or have my husband mimic the baby. Yes, I know I laughed when I was given the advice to do so too! But to be honest, it actually worked because your breasts don’t know that a grown man is “breastfeeding” and not your baby. So the same motions helped to stimulate and get my milk flowing.

Of course remember to always get plenty of rest when you can and drink lots and lots of water! And don’t stress out! Everything will be alright, trust me!

J

 

Going in circles :-)

So......I've been trying to work on shape recognition with Kay and she's been doing sooo incredibly well!!!

Today as we were going over her shapes, I thought I would try something different from the norm and ask her to draw a circle.

She took a couple of crayons and to be honest, I wasn't really expecting to see circles but I didn't want to underestimate her either.

She began to move her hand with the crayon in a circular motion and as I looked down. I saw circles....

I couldn't be happier as this is a major milestone that I didn't expect for us to reach yet, but the earlier the better :-).

                       - proud mommy

Breastfeeding…the Painfully Wonderful Experience

Before giving birth to my oldest daughter, Kay, I was determined to breastfeed. I was taught that breastfeeding was the best and healthiest option for my baby. So I was excited. The first time I breastfed was a different experience than I had expected. While it was lovely and an amazing thought to know that my body was able to produce nutrients for a living being, I was not aware that it would hurt.

I had a c-section with my first child as well because at the last minute, even after I’d dilated 8 or 10 centimeters, she’d managed to turn herself around. But I didn’t realize how much breast feeding affects the area where the incision was made. Whenever I would put my daughter to my breast to nurse, I would feel a pain, not only in my breasts but around the incision area. One of the lactation nurses at the hospital explained to me that when you’re breastfeeding, your body contracts and you can really feel it when you’ve had a cesarean. I remember being in pain so bad to the point where I was in tears. I honestly felt like giving up at one point, but then I realized and remembered that this wasn’t just for me, breastfeeding was for my daughter’s health.

I will be completely truthful and admit that it actually took a couple of months for me to get use to breastfeeding. By then, I had a couple of techniques that I would use while breastfeeding to make it a less stressful situation:

1.    

          Eat and drink water while breastfeeding

                                 i.            As long as the baby was positioned correctly with pillows and one arm providing support, I would have a hand free to do other stuff. Having water near, as well as keeping your body relaxed, hydrated and your mind off of the nursing.

2.  

          Create a relaxed environment

                                 i.            I would love nursing while laying in the bed, being completely surrounded with pillows, music playing, the lights dim and even lighting a candle.

Even now with my second daughter, I still cringe a little, but now that I have more experience with breastfeeding and how to properly do so, it seems like a piece of cake.

If you’re a new mother and planning to breastfeed, remember:

• ·         It’s very important to relax
• 
  
• ·         Stay hydrated
• 
  
• ·         Try to nurse in a quiet room
• 
  
• ·         Consult a lactation specialist if needed or go online and chat with someone at the La Leche League www.llli.org

      

-                                                                                                          Breastfeeding Mom :-)

5 Days after C-Section...Out & About

 Yesterday was the first day since my c-section that I went out (other than the trip home from the hospital). I know, I know…I should be taking it easy and believe me, I have been. But we had an appointment with Alanna’s doctor; the first appointment, and of course I’m thinking what?!?!? Already?!?!!? It seems like with my first child, the first initial appointment took forever to come and honestly, I can’t remember exactly when it was!! But, everything went well and we were already familiar with doctors, so it was an easy process!!

Now after we had planned to just stop by Target and pick up a couple more items for the kids, but it turned into a mall trip. Any other time, I love the mall…I love to shop, but yesterday…the mall was not my friend. We were out as a family and the baby was with us so you already know people wanted to talk and look at the baby, but I wasn’t all for standing around talking. My husband went into a couple of stores and I made him promise that he could go into different stores if only and I mean only if there are comfortable seats somewhere near or in the store. I was so serious too!! So he kept his word and when we were almost done, I started having pains near the incision. Stopping to wait until the pain eased up, I said a quick prayer asking God to please please please help me through the rest of this once joyful now painful shopping trip and he did.

When we were checking out in Target the cashier told me congrats and asked how old she was. I said a couple of days, her face was shocked and she said ‘oh my gosh and you’re up and out??!?!?’ I smiled and said yes…..

Today I’m tired but trying to get back into the swing of things..but the journey of taking care of 2 under 2 begins…all suggestions, comments and advice is welcomed J

First Dentist Appt :-)

My daughter’s first dentist appointment was back in June of this year and it was…….unbelievably calm. Now when I’d spoken to other parents, they described their child’s experience as being “horrifying” with screaming, yelling and kicking – something that I had begun to prepare myself to brace for! But no, not my toddler, not Kay.

So we went in, signed in and Kay went to play in the waiting room. Only waiting about ten minutes, I was already nervous as I watched other children leave, some happy and others were clearly upset. Finally our names were called.

She sat so patiently in the chair waiting for the dentist to check her teeth and look, I was able to snap photos as waited:

Even once the dentist came to check and clean her teeth, she cooperated. Since she loved the dentist so much, they rewarded her with toys: a tea set, teddy bear and sunglasses. Now I only hope and pray that these trips continue to be peaceful!!!

♥ Mom who doesn’t like the dentist herself!!

And….we’re home :-)

We were released this morning right before noon. And I can’t even tell you how excited I was to leave!! I mean, I enjoyed my stay because the hospital was really nice!!! I’d known a couple of the nurses from when I had my oldest child, so that helped to make an even more home like feeling at the hospital. I woke up this morning early, laid in the bed for a while and watched television. Funny enough, A Baby Story was on TLC. Eventually, I got up, washed up and put on real clothes – yay!! Hospital look out the door! – no messy pony tail hair or plain hospital robe! I put on a really cute but comfortable dress and prepared to leave…

This was the first time in a long time that I actually got some rest. That relaxing, peaceful feeling that goes on for hours…something us mothers can’t always find, especially when we feel like we need it the most. While I had numb legs and sore incisions, I still appreciated the calm, serene mood, almost like a spa pregnancy without the massage (which was definitely needed!).

One of the first things that I couldn’t wait to do was eat food…like real food!! Being on an iv for a day, then a clear liquid only diet for another day…you could understand my hunger! Now, I’ll admit that the hospital that I stayed in had pretty good ‘hospital quality’ food, especially breakfast, but there’s nothing like a good ol’ home cooked meal!! So..the first meal I had was my mother’s fried chicken steak and gravy…let me tell you it was ooooh soooo yummy!!! I honestly savored every single bite and I mean EVERY SINGLE!!!! I have to get her to write down the recipe so I can share it with you all J

I’m excited to see how this first night will turn out…two kids..under the age of 2…one can talk and one can make sounds…hmmmm….someone pray for me J But now I am realizing how important it is to make sure that your other child (children) does not feel left out….and of course that’s a another topic to discuss...but I will get back to my infant and toddler as I just heard my toddler tell my infant, “eat baby eat”…who knows what that could mean J haha….

-          New Mommy (Again)

C-Section Was A Success

The baby is here!!!! Bright and early yesterday morning my second child,Alanna, was born at 8:22 am.

As the nurses helped to prepare me for surgery, I became nervous and anxious - I just wanted to fast forward to the part where I enjoy the baby....not all of this other stuff.

The room I stayed in felt and looked like a bedroom, it was comfortable and seemed soundproof, which was A major plus!! It had a rocking chair, extra chairs, paintings and a flat screen tv, among other things.

Now, I'm on the road to recovery from the c-section and it has been a difficult task to do. I will be honest and say that once the numbness completely wore off, I felt like someone was constantly stabbing my lower abdomen over and over again. I was very stiff and thankful for the "leg sleeves" the hospital provided which helped to keep the blood circulating and massaged my legs for over 24 hours.

The first time I had to get out of the bed I could of sworn that my feet had cement blocks on them. I felt dizzy, uneasy and so much pain, but I know in order to recooperate, I have to take baby steps to get back to being 100%, well close.

I have to admit that I missed being on the internet, blogging and tweeting but I am enjoying being a "new mom" again.

...The Night Before She Arrives......

I am excited, overwhelmed and a little bit anxious…I can’t wait for my baby girl to arrive!!!!!

This pregnancy did not last fast at all, unlike my first one, which seemed to drag on and on and on and on…. But I’ve been counting down the days and thanking God that everything is normal and my baby is healthy!!

I can’t wait to capture Kay and our new baby girl’s first meeting…it will be a sweet, teary time that will definitely be captured by video and pictures…and added to their baby books.

This is really a real feeling…that I will no longer have one child, but two…and its simply amazing! I just ask for your prayers over the next couple of days J

-          New Mom (again J)

What’s in My Hospital Bag.......

…As I prepare for my c-section tomorrow, my bags are packed and ready!!!

Here’s what I have in my bag…… and its a lot as you can see :-)

• ·         3 – 4 loosely fitting panties
• ·         3 loosely fitting dresses
• ·         Loosely fitting pajamas pants
• ·         Nursing tank tops
• ·         2 pairs of non-skid socks
• ·         Flip flops
• ·         Contact nipple shield
• ·         Baby’s “Take Me Home” Outfit
• ·         2 onesies
• ·         Bibs
• ·         Burp cloth
• ·         Baby socks
• ·         Baby bow
• ·         Tooth brush & toothpaste
• ·         Lotion
• ·         Deodorant
• ·         Body brush
• ·         Scarf
• ·         Comb
• ·         Brush

What things did you have in your hospital bag???

Potty Training

Being pregnant and almost due, I found that I was in a rush to begin potty training my daughter! She’ll be the big 2 in September and while I had planned to get an early start before, of course things did not go that way!

I’d bought her potty training books; an Elmo one that’s really good and helpful because it not only shows Elmo going to the potty, but has sounds as well. (Here’s what the below)

She had her potty, which was a Summer Infant Step-By-Step Potty and a very good price! It was really cute that the potty resembled an actual toilet, yes including its own flushable wipes and toilet paper holder. (see picture and link below)

Summer Infant Potty

Side note: I would definitely recommend purchasing this one as it was very easy to use because it came assembled. All you had to do was clean it and it was ready for use!

So….when I took out her potty to initiate the “meeting”, she was actually interested! I’d placed her directly on our ‘big people’ toilet before, with help of course, but within a couple of days – ( 3 to 4 to be exact), she started using the potty!!! Day by day, I’ve begun to use various “potty” terminology so that she’s able to associate certain words with the potty.

One piece of advice that I can give you would be to take your child in the bathroom with you. Yes, I know they like to touch and mess with everything, but trust me, I did this and believe that this is one of the main reasons why my daughter was so interested in “peeing in the potty”. But show and explain to your child what you do, step by step and how to properly wipe themselves, flush the toilet, etc. Help ‘going potty’ be a known and not foreign subject to your child.

Another helpful technique that my mother taught me was to sit her on the potty near the television and/or her toys so that she can be engaged in fun while trying to succeed at a major task – going potty. She also stays occupied and you’ll find that you won’t have to say “_____, sit back down on your potty”.

Now I know that I must be blessed with this process being so easy, but for those of you who are struggling with helping your toddler to potty train, don’t worry!!! ….there is light at the end of the dark tunnel, really!! Hopefully my story will help you in one way or another J

What's for dinner tonight....BBQ Fish

BBQ Fish

Ingredients:

4 Pieces – Tilapia

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Lemon

Jack Daniel’s Hickory Smoke BBQ Sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Rinse off tilapia

Place in glass dish

Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning over tilapia

Cut lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the fish

Cut up the half of lemon into pieces and place in the dish

Pour BBQ sauce over the fish

Cover and seal with foil to keep the fish moist

Bake 30 – 45 minutes

Let’s be honest, when my mother first gave me her recipe, I was thinking BBQ & Fish?!?!?!? Is that a possible combination??? I was so use to BBQ chicken and beef, but the aroma this dish gave off was simply….amazing…mouth watering!!!

Painting With The Earth

This is a fun activity to do with your kids, especially the younger ones!

Materials:

Paint Brush

Construction Paper

Plastic Cup

Plastic Spoon

Water

Directions:

Take your child outside with the plastic disposable cups and plastic spoons. Fill the cup with dirt, as much as you need. (You can also use this time to talk about nature; makes it not only a fun activity, but a learning experience)

Once inside, grab construction paper, white or light colored paper shows up best, paint brushes and water.

Pour a little of the dirt onto the paper. Using the paintbrush, dip it in the water and paint on the paper.

The dirt should turn into “paint” and make a cool painting!

My daughter loved this activity, as you can see from the pictures below! We talked about the colors of the dirt, texture and what it's used for. 

Teaching Your Toddler About Their New Sibling “To Be” (When you’re expecting)

As soon as I started showing, I began to teach my daughter about her new sibling. I know a lot of people, including family members and friends, said that she wouldn’t understand, that she’s “too young”. BUT I have reason to believe otherwise.

Every opportunity I had, I would bring her along with me to my gyn and sonogram appointments. I even showed her pictures of the sonograms and explained that it’s a baby and yes it’s in mommy’s tummy.

So…for those of you who are expecting little ones and already had toddlers, here are some really good tips for teaching your toddler:

·         Show your child sonogram pictures

·         Take your child to your doctors and sonogram appointments

o   Let them see the screen as the nurses “check out” your baby

o   Let them hear the baby’s heart beat

·         If you have infant baby dolls, show your child and let them practice using diapers and bottles

·         Most importantly, let your child be involved

Do you have any tips or advice for teaching your toddler about the new baby?

From Our Bed Back to Her Own: Transitioning my daughter back to her own bed and not feeling guilty

Well, I have to be honest, since my daughter was an infant, I’ve loved resting with her…that oh so addictive yummy baby smell. – Hey, I know I’m not the only mother who is in love with the smell of a baby!! But as my daughter got older, she somehow got on a schedule of laying with me when it was time for her to go to sleep at night.  Of course I wouldn’t tell her no because whenever she laid with me, she was knocked out within minutes, sometimes seconds- I couldn’t complain.

But I will admit, after a couple of months it got bad…to the point where she didn’t want to be put in her crib at all! That not only affected our cuddling and intimate time, but made it so that we barely laid together at all.

To make things even more complicated, I was expecting again! I wanted to cuddle at night so my hubby could rub my back, tummy and feet, but with a 1 year old in the bed with you, that was not going to happen! We were faced with a top secret (sort of) special task – operation get Kay to go nite-nite in Kay’s Bed! Now, I will admit that this was not and I repeat WAS NOT an easy task!

It took night after night of attempting to tire her out to the point where we could put her straight in the bed. Finally after months of trying, she is in her own bed – no if, ans, or buts about it! Every night I say “time to go nite-nite in your bed” and she gives kisses and we put her in the bed and she sleeps ----ALL NIGHT!!!!!

…I feel so accomplished and I’m glad that this hurdle is over…

…now on to the next one J

Mommy vs Daddy: Round One

….Procrastination….Oh how it annoys me!!!

….(sigh)…As I come to you from a place of annoyance and frustration, I have to tell you that I can’t stand procrastination! That is one of my biggest pet peeves, of course among other small things. Now, I’m not saying that I haven’t procrastinated before because that would be a lie, but once my family “begun” I did my best to not do so in any way. Well my wonderful “husband” on the other hand….

First let me start off and say that my mother was and still is very VERY organized! I learned from the best, very best! She taught me how to manage my time and plan out my day so that everything that needs to get done is done and its either before it has to (if it has a deadline) or right on time- NO EXCUSES!

From all of this, I learned that men procrastinate way more than woman do- it’s the truth! And when you throw kids in the scenario- well that just further proves my point.

The picture above seems so accurate especially on a Saturday. Now of course the lists are different in the matter of tasks to do, but they’re still things that need to be done.

I feel like this topic will always be one of my pet peeves and with me having two daughters, I will be sure to teach them how to be organized like my mother taught me!!

                         Love, Procrastination-Free Mom

A Twist On Breakfast ♥

This is a fun alternative to the simple and plain cereal and milk or waffles / pancakes that your child normally has for breakfast! It’s also very healthy!!

Breakfast Kabobs

Ingredients:

Waffles (I used Eggo Frozen Strawberry Waffles)

Banana

Strawberries

Grapes

Plastic Skewers

Directions:

• While your waffles are toasting, cut up the bananas in thick but bite sized circles, the same with the strawberries

• Once the waffles are done, cut up into small triangles

• Then, begin to put the kabob together, starting with a piece of waffle, then fruit following.

                                                  Enjoy!