Advice for a new mom

UPDATE:
I WON!!! Read about it here!
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I have an odd fascination with Brooke Burke. I don't know why. I guess for a celebrity, she seems somewhat down to earth and as hands on as she can be, as a mom. I've been entering contests on a website she helped launch called Modern Mom. Why, I don't know. Maybe I'll win some cool stuff sometime. Although I doubt it. A recent contest asked for advice for a new or expecting mom. I thought I'd share what my entry was.

You are about to embark upon the most insane, joyful, rewarding, exhausting and meaningful journey of your life.

Embrace every moment and experience of pregnancy and the early days with your infant.

Record as much as you can--

through photos, blogging, journaling, baby book, scrapping, video etc.

Trust your instincts. Take everyone's advice and your own research and combine it into what works for you and your baby.

Find ways to take care of yourself, not just the baby.

You have to feed your own soul in order to give 110% to your baby.

Give yourself permission to be frustrated and overwhelmed

and at your wits end. We all go there.

It doesn't make you a bad mom or love your baby less.

It means you are human!

Accept help, but also create your own boundaries.

Look at every day a the best day of your life--

whether it was full of poop and spit up, or smiles and coos.

You are blessed to be a mom.

I'll let you know if I win!

I'm just sayin'

It doesn't get much cuter than this folks.



I'm just sayin'.

(and yes of course, that's still the potty chair in the background.)

Yup

Gracie is a little firecracker.

Case in point. Conversation last night, after she left the bathroom when I was asking her to come back.

Me: Gracie, come back to the bathroom (x18)

Gracie: (no response)

Me, after following her into the bedroom: Come here for your diaper. You need to listen to Mama and obey. Look at me and say "yes mama."

Gracie (said with attitude): Yeth (she can say yes, but when she has an attitude, she likes to slur. I don't know why.

Me: Really, is it going to be like this? (said somewhat to myself as I finally got her diaper on her)

Gracie: Yup.

Even Miss Rose laughed at her response. She's giving me a run for my money!

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On another note, I have a slight addiction to entering contests online for baby stuff. It seems like one of these days I will win. So here's a shamless plug for another entry. (I really want to try out the muslin blankets that are part of this giveaway)

Win a Sakura Bloom Ring sling and Aden and Anais Swaddling Blankets from Nature's Child - Wholesome goods for Mothers and Babies

Stay tuned tomorrow for another post that is contest related.

Blogger's Block...

I seem to have some blogger's block right now. In fact, I probably have too many topics I'm interested in blogging about. And I don't have the mental capacity to tackle them.

Photos are fun to share as well!


My babies...my little girls...I usually don't dress them in matching clothes, but these were hand-me-down gifts, and I couldn't resist!





Bean proudly showing off his "world's greatest dad" paper badge on Father's Day! Usually he works his part-time job on Sunday nights, but he took the day off and we got to enjoy an entire Sunday as a family. It was just as much a treat to us as it was to him. I, of course, had to be at church at 7:30am that morning--but as a gift to Bean I asked a friend to hang with the girls at church so he could enjoy a few hours at home alone.


Lily is SO cheerful sometimes. She just loves to smile. She had her 4-month appointment this week (although she's almost 5 months!) and is growing well. Over 13lbs now and 24inches. She's actually a bit short right now! Maybe she'll be the one to take after mama because the other girls are tall so far.








If I knew photoshop, I'd definately mess with this photo. Miss Rose posed there herself, and she just has so much joy in her face. And yes...that's Bean's shadow as he takes the photo!






Have a wonderful weekend!

I'll keep trying

Lately I've been feeling that some of my discipline hasn't been getting through to Miss Rose. We keep having the same problems over and over. She can be very ungrateful. She chooses to focus on what we said "no" to, quickly forgetting all that we've said "yes" to. And the complaining and the whining. It never ends!

So today, when faced with an ungrateful, complaining child, I decided to try a new method of discipline. I never want to discipline just for the sake of discipline. It needs to be a learning process.

After multiple warnings, a spanking was imminent. The story of the ungrateful lepers that Jesus healed came to mind. I found one of our Children's Bible's in order to have a lesson before the spanking this time.

I sat with Miss Rose and explained we were going to read a Bible story before the discipline and then we'd pray together. I read her the story.

Her response, while in tears, "I know that story, and I don't understand what it has to do with my problem."

Well then.

I confess, I was unable to contain myself. I tried to keep it in, but I giggled a bit. And had to gather myself. At least she knew the Bible story was supposed to be applicable.

I explained how she needs to be more grateful. I think she got it.

If not, well, I'll keep on trying.

He's her daddy

Yesterday Miss Rose and I went out to do some errands, including Father's Day Prep. While at Nordstrom Rack I asked her to stand in one spot while I checked out some flip flops (one thing for him, one for me, right?!) She picked up some Converse ankle socks that happened to be to her left and asked if she could get them for Daddy. Not a bad choice since he never buys socks for himself, and he loves his Chucks.

I agreed--yes, great idea for Daddy. Miss Rose proceeded to pick up a box that was to her right and say "or we could get him these." Um no dear, Daddy does not need boxer briefs. And please quickly put the box back and let's go before we have to discuss male anatomy while in Nordstrom Rack. You know what the photos on those boxes look like... Thankfully we made a clean getaway!

If she had it her way, Miss Rose would have given Daddy his gifts right when we got home, but I talked her into waiting. But first thing this morning she wanted to give him the socks--so of course I let her.

After church this afternoon she was ready to give him the tongs we bought (ours recently broke and we do a lot of grilling, so they are necessity) and then she spotted the card she picked out for him and insisted on giving it to him without signing it. And she was thrilled to present him with the "World's Greatest Dad" paper medallion she made in Sunday school.

Who needs wrapping paper, big presentations or even to sign the card? He's her daddy. And it's Father's Day. And she can honor him however she wants. It's special not because of the packaging, but because it truly came from her heart.

I just wish this weekend came from her bank account too, not ours. It's been very fun and very special...but a birthday and father's day made for an expensive weekend. As Bean always says, "it's just money, and we can always make more." We may be eating beans and rice and peanut butter and jelly a lot the rest of the month! But it was worth every penny.

The best years of my life

I turned 32 yesterday. I don't feel like that much of my life has passed. Yet I look around me, and it certainly has. Babies who were born to friends of mine around my high school graduation are entering high school this year. It doesn't seem right!

I couldn't have asked for much more on my birthday! It started the night before when I decided to make a "birthday eve" cake, because I needed some chocolate. My favorite homemade cake came out wonderful and after sharing it with family, friends and construction workers--it was gone in less than 24hrs!

My "middle sister" came to town the night before and stayed with us. She is my favorite running partner. We managed to get Miss Rose to ride 4 miles while we ran (and I pushed the little ones) at the Lake. Miss Rose was quite done by the end, but she was a real trooper. And instead of the June gloom that persists today, yesterday was sunny!

Aiden Hawk (to compliment his brother Talon Steele), my newest nephew was born on my birthday. My sister in law's doctor scheduled the c-section for that day, and so they went with it. I got the pleasure of going with him for his first bath at the hospital. So sweet.

Bean had something in the works for quite a while. My "little sister" came also to see the new baby and celebrate with me. The sisters, Bean, Lily and I piled in the car and headed downtown. We ended up at Old Spaghetti Factory (another favorite ) for dinner...and slowly my closest, longtime friends (well a few were missing!) showed up for dinner and then we all went to a baseball game. It was such a special time and meant a lot as most of them had to travel 90miles to celebrate with me.

My husband, my family, my nearest and dearest, I am blessed.

There is a local radio show I have been listening to since elementary school. They sign off their time slot saying "this has been the best day of our lives."

I wholeheartedly echo that about each day and year of my life. Sure there are difficult times and moments. But I love my life. I love every minute I spend with my children. I love the husband God blessed me with who spoils me rotten--even though I never want him to. I love every time I get to pray with someone in my job and see their life changed. I love my friends, new and old.

Every year has been, and will be, the best year of my life. Because God has blessed me richly in so many ways.

Oh yeah. Bean let me order something I've been drooling over for my birthday. I'll share it with you when it arrives! The man truly does spoil me :)