K & J + 3, so far....

I've been told many times that life with 3 kids is much busier than 2. I would always nod and wonder to myself, how busy is busy? Life had gotten a lot easier since Aidan and Jana were pottytrained, esp since they are both pretty independent and can play by themselves for a while, no problem. So, pre-Cara, I had imagined this busyness would mean all that came with taking care of a newborn (lack of sleep, lots of feedings and diaper changes) and the regular stuff that came with taking care of Aidan and Jana. But now that Cara is out of the womb, I've realized that it is truly busier than I imagined, day to day. Maybe it's the fact that all my kiddies are pretty close in age - Aidan is 4 y 5 mos, Jana is 2 y 7 mo and Cara is 2 mo?

:::School:::
The busiest part of my day is getting all the kiddies ready to give Aidan a ride to preschool MWF. It seems like no matter how early I get up, I always feel pretty rushed getting them into the car. It's either Cara having another poopie or Jana refusing to get into the car with help (so it takes soo long!) or Aidan needing to pick a book so that he can read during the 7 minutes it takes to me to drive him to school. But sometimes it's the milk moustaches that I forgot to wipe or the jackets that refuse to be zipped....you get the idea. Then it's praying that I get a spot in the school parking lot (there are only about 8 spaces for 20 students) so that I don't have to schlep all 3 kids to and fro in the bitter cold. Anyhow, I'm so blessed to have another mom that volunteered to pick Aidan up for me every school day. [Although I have to admit that sometimes I feel a bit guilty for not packing him up myself so I can be there to give him a hug and ask him how his morning went and schmooze with the other moms. :( But thank goodness Aidan doesn't seem to mind and thinks it's cool that he gets to ride with a good friend of his! :) ] But with Aidan at school and Cara in bed doing her long nap in the mornings, Jana has really enjoyed her alone time with me and it's been really fun. :)

:::Naps & stuff:::
Cara has been such a good baby in terms of napping and sleeping! She naps after every feeding, which gives me a chance to hang out with the other kiddies like we used to. Maybe that's why they love Cara so much - she's giving them a gradual transition to being a family of 5. :) She also normally wakes up once, at most, twice, at night, so I'm not as cranky in the mornings. Hehe. I was a bit worried about her lack of 'waking up' at night but she's been gaining weight well, so I'm going to enjoy my sleep. On her off days when she doesn't nap so well, I find myself getting super creative with how to juggle all three kiddies. So, I've been having to pull out the ol' 'box of goodies' more often than usual and relying more on the kiddies TV time. Still doing a cross between babywise and baby whisperer with Cara and it's been really helpful in helping her sleep well and eat well! I also found a new blog on babywise, which has been very resourceful for troubleshooting - here.

::Mindset:::
Cara's not really on any type of schedule, per se, so there are times when I feel like there's not enough of me to go around. So I find myself trying to multitask like crazy and trying to figure out the most efficient way to do things, like picking out our clothes the night before or putting some breakfast out the night before, etc.. But I also feel like I'm always rushing from one thing to the next and trying to think ahead that I'm not always really there in the moment. Do you guys ever feel that way? I'm still trying to carve out some 'me time' but it's getting harder and harder. The older kids spend about an hour to an hour and a half in their rooms everyday and that's when I have some downtime to read the Word or but do some emailing and such. I find myself really needing that or else I get a bit cranky. ;) But sometimes Cara will choose that time to wake up, which allows me some alone time with her (a good thing) but leaves me less 'me time' (not such a good thing). Still trying to figure all that out. I also find myself putting off chores when they are all asleep which leaves me more to do when they are awake or trying to get some house stuff done instead of napping. Oh, to find a good balance....sometimes I don't even know what I really want to do! Anyhow...

:::Ah, Laundry:::
I've also been finding myself almost tied to the washer and dryer lately. I mean, I'm actually the type that loves doing laundry but even for me it's getting a bit old - sheesh! From having 2 kiddies already, I remember that having a newborn means more laundry but I forgot just how much more! :) The washer I have is a front-loader, which has been making the laundry problem worse. It's not cleaning my cloth diapers as well as when I had a top-loader, so I've been having to run more cycles and thus, be in the laundry room more...blah. Plus, even though it says super capacity, it really doesn't hold that much clothing. So on top of having more laundry in general, I'm having to run more loads of normal clothes and go back and forth between the laundry room and whatever it is I'm doing all day long. [Note to self: If I ever get to buy a washer, I'm getting a top-loader without an agitator.] Anyhow, I've almost started to question if I should even keep up with cloth diapers since I hafta do an extra load every other day but then when I look at the fact that I've only bought 1 pkg of newborn dipes and 1 pkg of size and didn't even use up either of those pkgs yet (and Cara's already 2 months old), I feel a bit better. But I love having the disposables around to give me a much needed break sometimes. :) And I've discovered some new detergents since having an HE machine - Nellie's Laundry Nuggets and Maggie's Soap Nuts, 2 great alternatives to your traditional detergents. Very environmentally friendly - hope to do a review sometime soon! :)

:::Out & About - Not!:::
It's sad but I have not yet braved going grocery shopping by myself and here's why. Before with two, I used to have Jana on the top section and Aidan in the bottom because he likes sorting out my food and putting them in piles for me. But now I'm running out of room for food with Cara in tow. I thought of wearing Cara in a baby carrier but because it's frigid out, I didn't want to take her out of the carseat to put her into the Bjorn/sling/Ergo in the cold....and there's no place for the carseat in the cart, anyhow. Still working on convincing the other 2 to walk by the cart & not run off. ;) Plus, Cara really dislikes being in the carseat for some reason so leaving her in the carseat is not really an option. Anyone have any ideas on how to remedy this? I've been looking for one of those stores that have babysitting but still not sure if I want to leave the other 2 just yet. Sigh. So for now I go by myself (which is a treat!) and rush home so Kev can get some relief. :) I am getting a bit of cabin fever with all this staying at home (but it's so much easier) but I hope to be getting out more once it warms up a bit!

:::Carseat update:::
Oh, an update on the 3 in a row in the back of the CR-V thing. [I have 2 Sunshine Kids Radian 65s and 1 Graco Snugride.] It's working great and having Aidan in the middle really helps. He gives us updates on Cara and doesn't poke her. Hehe. He's also good at giving her the pat-pat, to help calm her down sometimes. The 2 older ones don't seem to mind the 5-point harness and it is so much easier to buckle them in that way. Not quite sure what to do when Cara outgrows the infant carseat - will keep you all updated! :)

:::Final thoughts:::
It has been really busy having 3 under 5 but really enjoyable at the same time. It's been refining me further as I relinqish more control and learn to trust God. I'm leaning on God more with the everyday stuff (ie. how to get things done better & faster, how to discipline the kids yet show them I love them, trying to figure out my goals with the kiddies, etc), which is very humbling. But I do praise God for this season and pray that I will learn the things God wants me to learn and also be able to raise Godly kiddies in the process. :D

Kids really DO say the funniest things!

I mean, I've always known the above to be true, but lately, my 'walkie-talkie' kids have really cracked me up! Here's a sampling:

Scene - Aidan is busying making pretend chocolates for all of us.
Aidan: Mommy, I finished making some chocolates for you!
Me: Aw, thanks, Aidan - what kind are they?
Aidan: They're the yummy kind with fiber - I know you like fiber!
Me: Er, you're so thoughtful!! :) Hehe!
[In my past professional life, I was a registered dietitian and I guess the kids have caught on to the fact that I like fiber - LOL!]
Aidan: I also made some for Cara to eat.
Me: Oh yeah?
Aidan: Yeah, and they are made with 'mu-nai'* because I know that's Cara's favorite.
Me: Wow, you thought of everything (stifling my giggles)!
[*Mu-nai is breastmilk in Chinese.]

Scene - Jana is in trouble again for breaking one of Aidan's creations and she is just about to be put into time out.
Me: Jana, you know you're not supposed to break Aidan's creations, even if he's not playing with them at the moment.
Jana: I know, but, oh, mama, I love your hair!!!
Me: So, now, you're going to be put into....huh? What did you say?
Jana: I love your hair, mama!
Me: Oh, thanks...erm, you still have to go to time out, though.
Seriously, where do they learn these things?! :)

Cara is obviously not talking yet but has been cooing and making the cutest noises! I love it when they get to that stage - it's so fun. :)

Stuffety, stuff, stuff :)

I couldn't really think of a clever title for yet another mish-mosh post, sorry! :) Anyhow, onto the good stuff (hehe)....

Cara had a bit of a tongue-tied issue (or an ankyloglossia issue) when she was born. She was latched on ok with her mouth take in most of areola but doing it kinda funny, she took in a lot of air when she fed (she burped so loud in the beginning she would wake Kev up!) and she wasn't wetting her diapers very much. Even though I remember getting sore a lot in the beginning, it was nothing like I had experienced previously. And I remembered that there is not a whole lot of colostrum in the beginning but to have several dry diapers in a row was concerning. So, after a trip to the pediatrician and voicing my suspicion, it was confirmed that she was a bit tongue-tied. We made an appointment with a pediatric surgery for the end of the next week for an evaluation. When the day came, Cara ended up getting her frenulum clipped and it was so sad to see! But after she was able to latch on (it took her a while to latch with the local anesthesia and the ability to stick out her tongue more), she nursed happily! I do thank God that I heard about this condition from several friends, so I can be more aware of it. But if the above symptoms happen to you, definitely get it checked out! It will save you and your baby from undue pain and stress! [I would have to say that while doing my research, some articles say that some tongue-tiedness is not severe enough to warrant clipping and that the frenulum can stretch to accomodate, so definitely get an accurate evaluation.]

Our church here has been such a blessing since we've joined, esp since we've had the baby. Not only do they do a birth announcement in the bulletin but they have been cooking meals for us for a whole week and will continue to do so for another week and even sent flowers! This time around, I've really appreciate the meals so much - with taking care of 3, I'd have to admit that getting meals ready are towards the bottom of my list! LOL! These women at NC4 go above and beyond just a dish - we're getting complete meals with sides and dessert/fruit. And it's been so great getting to know some of these moms that I don't know so well before. Plus, when you're not able to go out as much, it's just nice to get visitors! :) We are definitely feeling very loved! So if your church doesn't have a meal thingy for moms of newborns, you should start one! [BTW, if anyone has any good casserole recipes or quick, easy meals, please email me! :)]

It's been getting colder here and with all this dry air and the heat blasting indoors, the kiddies' skin are really dry. Jana even developed some rough patches on her body! The lotions we've had didn't really do a thing and we were already using California Baby's Sensitive Body Wash with no fragrances or dyes in it. But ever since we discovered Mustela's Stelatopia Line, it's been so much better. We use the cream wash, the body cream and the milky bath oil for them. I've even bought some of the no-rinse cleansing water for baby Cara since I try not to bathe her everyday. I would love to not bathe the older ones daily but even now they get pretty dirty...hehe. I'd hafta admit that it's kinda pricey but if you wait for sales at Bath & Body Works, it's not too bad! [While doing my research, some people even say that when they use this line, their kiddies with eczema don't even have to use the steroid creams anymore.] I've even been stealing the cream to use on my hands since my hands are getting so dry and chapped from washing them so much and it's definitely helping. Anyhow, just a little FYI. :)

This Christmas, with Cara's arrival and out moving back to the North, we've done all of our shopping online and it's been great! We thought about going last Saturday after going to the DaVinci Center but just seeing all the cars sitting there trying to exit off of Route 22 made us change our minds. We still have to get on those Christmas cards, though....maybe we should order Happy New Year cards from Costco instead? Hehe...

Anyhow, we hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a relaxing time getting ready! :) Cheers!

Some random things since Cara's arrival...

I can't believe it's been almost 4 weeks since Cara's debut!!! Time flies when you're busy! :) I've been so blessed as to have my parents here til last Friday to take care of me and the other 2 kiddies, so it's been not as stressful. Kev then took off this past Monday and Tuesday to help me with the transition and then my mother-in-law was here from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, so tomorrow will be the first day that I have to take the other 2 kiddies with me when I drop Aidan off at Montessori! We'll see how it goes. I have a game plan ready - we'll see if the kiddies cooperate.

Today was actually the first day that I've been home with the 3 kiddies myself and it went pretty well - thank the Lord! Cara is still sleeping a lot during the day, so I just shifted things around so that they all got some attention. Hehe. Plus, Aidan is pretty good at playing on his own and taking care of his own needs (ie potty, eating) - and he's been a great help in helping Jana when she lets him. :) Jana has been on a 'do-it-myself' kick, which makes everything take extra long! I know once this 'practice' phase is over, she'll be so much more independent, but when Cara starts crying or Aidan really needs me, I really wish she would let me help her sometimes. Just a little confession. :D But at least she's getting pretty close to being able to go potty all by herself....I don't always trust her with the wiping, though. Anyone have any tips on making sure they wipe well?!

Cara is the cleanest baby I've ever had! I can count on ONE HAND the number of times she's spit-up when I'm burping her! [I still remember with Jana, I used to burp her with a burp cloth over my shoulder or draped in front of her and having to change that burp cloth many times a day. ] And because her umbilical cord fell off around day 7, I got to cloth diaper her from that day on and she's had only 1 little leak since then! And I've really enjoyed cloth diapering her - still loving my Loveybum fitteds and wool covers. I've also discovered BubuBebe fitteds, MaiMaiBB Fulled Ewe covers, and Little Boppers fitteds that have been working great. And I realize that I really prefer wool covers over PUL once since I've been able to reuse them maybe times before having to wash them. Anything to save time these days! :)

I've also been finding myself using Swaddle Designs swaddle blankets on a daily basis, along with the Aden + Anais muslin swaddling blankets. They truly rock!! They're really big enough to do a 'good burrito' and Cara loves being swaddled! I know I kinda sound like a commercial for them but honestly, they don't even know I have a blog. LOL! :) [Note: the remainder of this paragraph is mainly meant for female eyes - they speak of undergraments. So, feel free to skip it if you're one of my male readers. :D] As for me, I've discovered nursing bras that don't let the nursing pads show through!!! I finally found them and these are it. (I love how you can take out the lining if you don't need it.) But anyhow, this site has a great selection of nursing bras, even not-so-mommy looking ones and free shipping! And I appreciate all the personal comments on the fit of each bra - very helpful. :) Definitely check them out if you're in need of a good-fitting undergarment! :) Sorry if this is too much information! ;)

Lately, I've been thinking about my interests and realized that I haven't been fostering any of the old ones I used to have: photography, playing my flute or guitar, reading and drawing. It's kinda sad but kids are definitely more, how should I put it, urgent. So I've been re-evaluating what I should do to nurture my interests and found myself interested in different things - I guess it's a different season now, eh? I'm thinking about getting a basic sewing machine and learning how to do some simple projects. Anyone have a good, inexpnesive machine to recommend? I'm also thinking about borrowing a bread machine and making some bread from scratch. I soooo enjoy bread that's fresh out of the oven and love how I can add different things (flax meal, wheat germ, etc) to it to up the nutrition. We also recently bought a digital SLR, so I'm looking forward to relearning the basics. Then, hopefully, you will enjoy some great pics of the kids soon! :) And in the near future (once Cara is weaned), I'd love to join a community band/orchestra and get back to playing my flute. Anyhow, those are my short-term goals for now. Have you, fellow mamas, been thinking about what YOU like to do for fun recently?

Alrighty, I should get to bed before Cara wakes up again. :) You know how it goes....g'night!

Cara's Birth Story

It all started around 4:30am on 11/7/08. I started getting contractions that would wake me from my sleep and really grab my attention. I was so excited because this was the first time that my baby was "late" - it was already 3 days AFTER my due date. I know that due dates are only approximations but since my other 2 were early, so we were especially excited to finally meet Cara. ;) Since I didn't want to go to the hospital too early and wait around, I decided to try to sleep. I slept a bit on and off but around 7:30am, the contractions got close enough that I wasn't able to sleep anymore. I labored at home for a few more hours and took a nice, long shower that helped soooo much. When the contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart, we decided to pack the hospital bag and head on over. [I know, the bag should have been packed and ready a while ago...hehe.] After arriving at the ER, they sent us to the triage room for some monitoring and I was promptly admitted. We were really excitedly and called some family members to start praying for a quick labor and delivery.

I was really blessed with excellent nurses this time around, who worked with me and encouraged me. I was also assigned a student nurse who was sooo excited because this was her first time assisting with a birth. She even stayed past her assigned time so she could see the baby being born and almost cried when the baby emerged. :) I also felt blessed because her instructor was a midwife - I had wanted to go with a midwife from the start because of my VBAC status but the closest one to me was too far - but there I was, getting one anyhow! Even though I wasn't technically her patient, she advocated for me to be able to experiment with different alternative pain-relieving techniques. It was really neat! My doctor was also really great. Even though I was a VBAC #2, he let me walk around, take a shower and try different things that I didn't get to try when I was laboring with Jana. [Back in Jersey with Jana's birth, I was strapped to the monitor from the moment I got to the hospital and had to stay in bed most of the time, so this was a welcomed change. :)] Kev also helped so much in giving me lots of massages and applied counterpressure when I needed it. He was the best coach and encouraged me so much!

Anyhow, I ended up doing lots of laps around the maternity suite to get things moving. I was making great progress, dilating and effacing well until 9cm. I got 'stuck there' for a while and got really tired, esp with no food since breakfast - and it was already 6:30pm. Finally, I opted for the breaking of my bag of waters, which only helped a bit. As the night wore on, I decided to get some pitocin to help me dilate but not before I got an epidural. [I had pitocin WITHOUT an epidural last time and I really don't think I would ever do that again!] I've heard so many people rave about epidural, so I thought I'd give it a try. :) Man, it definitely works to numb you up, esp your legs - I had what I call 'pillow legs' for a long time even after they turned it off. I was really thankful for the epidural since it gave me the chance to rest and regather myself to push. So, shortly after getting the pitocin, I reached the magic 10cm and began the hard work of pushing. I had ask my OBGYN to promise not to do the episiotomy, so he really worked with me to stretch out the perineum and I had barely any tearing this time around!!! Anyhow, after about 2 hours of pushing, I saw Cara's head emerge [I had a labor mirror] and at 11:51pm, she finally made her debut! :) [I had also asked to see the placenta again this time since I had no recollection of what it looked like last time from being so tired out - it's really interesting looking!!]

It was such a different experience from last time - I can honestly say that I had a good experience giving birth! Having a supportive husband, a supportive staff and a supportive doctor really made all the difference. Maybe next time I'll get to use the tub and skip the pitocin/epidural all together but I really can't complain. ;) The whole having a baby experience from the pregnancy to actually giving birth is truly such a miracle - I'm in awe of it everytime! :)

It really made me think....

Ever since we got satellite TV with a DVR included, I've been taping episodes of 'What Not To Wear' almost daily. I've always liked makeovers and things of that nature, so that's what initially got me watching the show. Plus, there are many moments in my life, esp after having kids, that I've felt so frumpy and sloppy (and hope that no one is taping secret footage of me for the show! LOL!) that I felt like I needed some tips. Anyhow, I've gotten into the habit of watching an episode every other day, if not everyday and something started to click in my head: there is truly a strong connection between how women dress and how they feel about themselves. It seemed like such an obvious thing but I feel like I'm now starting to get it FOR ME.

I used to think that what you wear on the outside can't really, truly affect how you feel on the inside. I mean, of course the occasional sweats and ratty tees are still totally ok but I really had no idea that wearing clothes that fit can change the way you feel about yourself - to a point where you might be motivated for real change. Sorry if this is very convoluted - maybe if I give a personal example...

After I had Aidan, I went back to my pre-preg weight in a few months without doing much. But I didn't gain much excess weight because I was so busy at work I could barely get time off to eat and I took the stairs all the time. Anyhow, fast-forward 2 years and I'm preggers with Jana. Because of my experience carrying Aidan, I thought I could eat whatever I wanted but, unfortunately, I was proved wrong. Doh! I ended up gaining more weight than I wanted to and really had to work to shed the pounds. Not easy since I barely had any time to myself from taking care of the expanded family. But I put off buying new clothes because I didn't want to waste any money buying clothes that I would only wear for a few months since I just did that buying some new pregnancy clothes. So I wore sweats all the time and if I did buy anything, I bought more stretchy clothes that were super comfy. [Now, this was hardly the way I dressed before I got pregnant. I would like to think that I had somewhat of a style or just that I wore things that fit me. ;)] I started to care less and less about what I wore...or so I thought. But looking back at my journals, I really didn't like the way I looked and was almost in denial that I had to work at getting back to my normal weight. I was waffling between giving up and sweeping it under the rug. Anyhow, then I saw an episode of 'What Not to Wear' on moms and the things that Stacy and Clinton (the hosts of that show) that said to these women I found were true of me. I realized you can't keep waiting til you lose the weight before you find clothes that fit because it might just sabatoge whatever motivation for change you had. And that finding clothes that fit make you look slimmer and can increase your motivation ...and that's exactly what happened to me. It was almost like dressing myself the size that I was reminded me that I can make myself look good and even though I might look ok now, I can look even better....it reminded me of my potential! :) Especially when Kevin gave me the ok to buy some key piece in my current size and then gave me compliments when I actually wore the style that I used to pre-preg, it really boosted my self-esteem! :)

Anyhow, it had always amazed me how much better these women felt about themselves just after a few days of getting the right clothing, getting style tips, and getting a complete makeover. It's like super intense therapy but you get a whole new wardrobe out of it! :) And so many of them have breakthroughs during the show about why they dress the way they do, whether it'd be a weight issue or self-esteem issue. It's so interesting to see how self-esteem issues can manifest in so many different ways - dressing really loudly or in muted colors only to blend in. But when they saw how good they can look, even with the problems areas that they felt they had, their thoughts about themselves changed dramatically. And I'm sure hearing experts talk about "your small waist, beautiful skin" and such doesn't hurt, either. :) And after discussing this with my hubby, I think he summarized my thoughts well: Some people dress confidently because they are confident. But some people need to see their potential with some outside help to become that more confident person.

Before I end this entry, I wanted to share about some books that I thought was great for getting to know what fits without having to go on the show:

The Science of Sexy by Bradley Bayou - hilarious title but has a formula to help you figure out your shape and how to best dress it
Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide To Finding the Style That's Right For Your Body by Clinton Kelly and Stacy London - by the host of TLC's 'What Not to Wear' and has their cheeky humor; also has a list of essentials of men and women
The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia - it wasn't as practical per se but gave me an idea of what inspired people in the fashion industry re: what they wore
The 5 Minute Face: The Quick & Easy Makeup Guide for Every Women by Carmindy - I really have no clue about makeup and rarely wear it - but for special occasions, I needed some guidance; an easy read

Welp, thanks for reading what's on my mind tonight! :)

How I've changed as a mom....

The fact that I'm having another baby soon has made me more contemplative and self-reflective lately. I realized that being a mom has changed me in a lot of ways, some good, some bad, and some I have yet to digest. But I figure I would write down some of my thoughts of how I changed personally BEFORE baby #3 comes, so I can have a point of comparison for later on. :)

Being a mom of one -
1. I became more environmentally-conscious, esp as I take out a bag of diapers every other day to be disposed of in the landfills. [Note: Totally a personal conviction that I only applied to myself.] And when Aidan started chewing everything, I started to think about the chemicals I cleaned with and started researching more natural ways of cleaning, as well.
2. I was a nap-nazi! :) Almost everything revolved around whether Aidan could take a good nap or not. I got annoyed when he didn't get a good nap or when circumstances prevented him from even having one. My main thought was that if he didn't nap well, MY day didn't go well because he was grumpy or fussy. A valid point but I think in retrospect, it prevented me from doing some things that I wish I could've done. I did have days that were just for me when I got to do things when I wanted to regardless of his nap schedule but on other days, his naps took precedence. Thank goodness he had a pretty good schedule, so I did go out when he was supposed to be awake! :)
3. I made charts and list of when he hit his milestones - our calendar was covered with what Aidan did. :) I also had a mega chart of when he slept, how long he slept, when he ate, how often he poo'd/pee'd til he was about ONE - it was a masterpiece! LOL!
4. I discovered how much I could care for someone I had only known for a bit. :)
5. Because Aidan was such an easy-going and happy baby AND I did a modified version of Babywise with him, I totally believed in the Babywise method and touted it to anyone that asked. I had no idea that it doesn't work with every baby. Oops. ;)
6. I took advice from trusted sources pretty seriously and tried to do everything by the book - giving veggies first, tummy time everyday, baby sign language, blah, blah. But, thank goodness, early on, I had people in my life who were moms of many kids give me advice as well - this helped broaden my thinking a bit at the time. :)
7. I learned how important it is to still have 'couple time', even though taking care of Aidan took up a lot of time. We went out on our first date within 2 weeks of him being born. Having in-laws 7 minutes away really helped! :) Even so, sometimes we would forget and months would pass before we would go on another date...

Being a mom of two-
1. Naps are still important but now that I have 2 schedules to contend with, I realized that Jana would be ok even if the naps were interrupted sometimes. I also try to schedule their naps together, so that I would have some 'peace and quiet' time for me - and those weren't exactly the times that they were super sleepy. :P What they say is true, parenting became more relaxed for me (though I thought I was pretty relaxed before...;)). Maybe the fact that less things are in my control that made me decide to be more relaxed! :D
2. I did the modified Babywise method with Jana, as well, but she didn't sleep through the night as early as Aidan did. New conclusion: This method doesn't work the same with every baby. :)
3. Cloth diapering and being more 'natural' became more fun! Girly diapers are like girly clothes - so much more to choose from and more fun prints! :)
4. We tried to record all the milestones for Jana, as well, but started falling behind when the busyness of just taking care of the kiddies took over!
5. Jana didn't love solids, so I ended up giving her fruits first *gasp* - but she turned out to eat a bigger variety of foods than Aidan..hehe.
6. I started to understand what my priorities were and tried to manage my time better, esp with 2 vying for my attention. I also knew that I needed something other than mothering in my life as an outlet of sorts. So I joined the condo association board in my neighborhood for a start. Still trying to revive my interests and make time for those.
7. I continued to be more open-minded about how others parent and learn from the moms that I'm friends with but are so different from me. I also learned to take things less personally, esp when others make comments about my style of parenting. But that's so hard because when you stay-at-home and parenting is "all you do", it almost becomes a reflection of who you are...at least that was subconsciously how I felt. After praying about this a lot, I felt like God was saying that you can do only the best you can and leave the rest up to Him. And children are going to be children, no matter what we do - they are going to have their quirks, their bad days, but also days when they are so lovable! :) Plus, you are not just a mom but so many other things as well....that yes, being a mother is the prominent thing in this season because we have kids but that I have to keep growing as a person, too.

Anyhow, all this to say that mothering showed me who I really am as a person (all the good and bad) and stretched me in ways that I didn't know I could be stretched. I definitely do enjoy it and am looking forward to see what other ways I am refined as I become a mom of three. I've been told that this transition is a real doozy, so please pray for us as we embark on that journey in a little over a month! :) Feel free to share your thoughts, too!

A bunch of fun sites for deal-lovers!

Hi all: I know a lot of you like deals and I wanted to share 2 different types of shopping sites with ya. The 1st type is the A-Deal-A-Day sites. I haven't heard of these websites til this year and I think they're getting popular really fast. Now I know why! ;) The premise is that they offer one deal a day at a great price and stay 'open' until the deal is over or the item gets sold out. Pretty interesting concept, eh? I've only made one purchase at the first site today so I'll be back to report on how it all went. But after doing some online sleuthing, they seem to both get good marks for follow-through and customer service (with the first site being touted with even better cs then the second). And, yes, they both have RSS feeds so you can be notified when they have a new deal! :)

Anyhow, without further ado, here are 2 sites:

MamaBargains (sometimes has more than 1 deal a day)

Baby Steals

Another type of a shopping site I've discovered are these invitation, member-only sale ventures. These sites offer special pricing on usually quite expensive designer clothing for a set amount of time and sometimes, it becomes very reasonable. :) Some of them offer kiddie clothing, too. Anyhow, I haven't purchased anything from these sites but have been simply observing and doing some research. :)

Here are some of the ones I found:
Gilt Groupe
Rue La La
Hautelook
The Mini Social (I think it's just for kiddie stuff)

If anyone has any experience with either of these sites or have another site to recommend, please let me know! :) Happy browsing!

Has anyone read this book?

I've been reading "Positive Discipline" by Jane Nelson these days and it's been a great read so far. The funny thing is that I didn't even know about it to look for it - I just happened to pass by it at our local library when the title caught my eye. Some background: I've been having discipline issues with my kiddies and my current methods have worked but seemingly only for the short-term and has almost made me not enjoy my kiddies as much. :( So, I've been looking for something else and praying to God for wisdom. So when I read the description of the book at the library and it says it's "the classic guide to helping children develop self-discipline, responsibility, cooperation and problem-solving skills", I figured, what's not to like, right? So i checked it out :) Plus, those qualities are truly some of the things that Kev and I want for our kids - we want them to grow up to be responsible, conscientious adults who love God, love others and love themselves. [We've been talking about some goals we want for our kids lately, anyways - what a coincidence!]

Though I've only read 2 chapters, I've already learned so much and gotten many insights - it's very encouraging! I've also implemented some new discipline strategies and it's really resonated with the kiddies, too - how exciting! :) Anyhow, I'm curious if anyone else had read this before and, if so, had any feedback for me. I will do my best to update you guys on what I've learned when I have more time to digest it. But looking forward to hearing from you! :)

What this preggo mama really loves....

....is my new handvac. :) Yes, my hubby loves me and he ordered me the Bissell Featherweight Lightweight Vacuum a few weeks ago. Hehe! Not having to bend down very much but still have a clean, crumbless floor for a few hours everyday is such a wonderful thing. Even the kids have really taken to it and are fighting for the chance to use it - and of course, I let them! :) Anyhow, just wanted to put in my plug for it.

I'm also really loving the Belli line of skincare for preggo and nursing mamas (though I like it so much that I want to use it afterwards as well!). I found it while I was searching for something that has a refreshingly light scent that will also quell my itchy preggo belly. With every pregnancy, as soon as I hit the 3rd trimester, my belly starts to itch. [Sorry if this is too much info!] But anyhow, in the past, cocoa butter made me a bit nauseous and my DHC Virgin Olive Oil was a bit too pricey to rub all over my belly. So, I went online and happened upon this line. It's supposed to be super safe for baby and mommy and the belly oil and lotion really did the trick! It is a bit pricey but they were having a major sale a while back that I thankfully caught. :) [I think it's on sale at drugstore.com right now.] I'm also taking my flaxseed oil and dandelion root capsules to hopefully quell the itchiness from within and reduce any swelling - we'll see what happens! So far so good, though!

And lastly, these 2 sites have been a godsend: Safe Mama and ZRecommends. The mamas behind these sites do lots of reviews and investigation on what's safe and what's not for families with young children. For example, they were way ahead on the whole BPA issue and Safe Mama came out with a 'cheat sheet' of which bottles and sippies were BPA-free, which was so helpful. And they are not alarmists but do good research on what they report, which is refreshing. :) Anyhow, check them out!

Alrighty, happy reading (and surfing)!