Easter Basket Ideas | Toddlers {boy & girl}

How is Easter already this Sunday?  I have never been more thankful that I've been picking things up here and there for the last few months!  Had it not been for that, I would be in big trouble considering we're celebrating at the lake this year and the nearest place to shop is 45-60 minutes away!  

Here is Jordyn's basket {4 and 1/2 years}

Several swimsuits Cheetah Floral Striped Purple | Carrot silverware | Flamingo chopsticks | Undies | Flip Flops | Candy | Chair | Shirt | Glass

Here is Cullyn's basket {3 years next month}

Giraffe chopsticks | Candy | Book | Glass | Carrot silverware | Chair

I realize it looks like Cullyn is getting so much less than Jordyn, but I really try to get useful things/stuff they need.  Jordyn really needed new swimsuits and they're young enough they really don't care.  Plus Cullyn is also getting these {they just aren't here yet} and Adam grabbed him a ball & bat, too! 

2013 Easter Basket | 2014 Easter Baskets | 2015 Easter Crafts

It Takes A Village

If their is one thing this year has taught me, it's that it truly takes a village to raise a family.

I didn't believe it at all when I got married.  I was all 'whatev's!' I got this!  We had our friends, but we didn't really need anyone.  Life was easy, we we're good!

And then I had my first kid, and I let my mom into the teeny tiny little village, but many of the friends went.

Since then, we've added a second kid.  We've started preschool and added extracurricular activities.  We've lost more friends {life is busy, some friends are needy, some aren't don't hold the same values, etc.} We've found our groove a bit.  Our 'new normal' if you will.

And since then, I've wised up a bit.  It took me about five years, but I now know that while we can survive by ourselves, it's really much harder and more stressful than if we let a village help.  And we thrive with a village.

This year alone we...
Switched Sitters
This involved canning our babysitter, interviewing a thousand dozen+ potential nannies, hiring a nanny, let her go, hiring our niece, starting at our current sitter.  And over this 6 months?  My mom watched the kids {24/7!} for a week each month!  And my MIL drove to Ankeny and watched the kids.  And my youngest sister watched them for a few days.  And my other sister took them a day.  Yes, we could have taken all of these days off work, but I probably would have ended up loosing my job!

Borrowed Vehicles from my In-Laws
Thanks to the transmission going out in my van, I've put more miles on my MIL's van than she has this month!  And we've borrowed by FIL's truck at least 3 times this year.  Yes, we could have rented cars for all of this, but it gets expensive to rent large vehicles from rental companies.

Moved
My parents, in laws, sister & BIL, & friend Jesse helped us move everything from the condo to the lakehouse.  This is probably a given, but we could have done it ourselves or hired movers, but then we would have probably ended up divorced, been moving for 3 years, broke!  We didn't even have to ask our parents, they just stepped in and help do the work.  My MIL also swapped cars, took my kids so they didn't have to endure moving day, made dinner for everyone help move, and then cleaned the entire lake house because I had to leave before they were done and she knew I would like have a clean house when I arrived late last night.  And she did all of this without being asked.  I am so thankful that my kids' lives are filled with such positive examples!

Dealt with Preschool Issues
I haven't shared much about it, mainly because I just haven't had time to sit down and write it, or because we haven't really found the 'solution' yet, but we have the best daycare providers and preschool teachers on the planet!  They care so much about her and her happiness.  Jordyn has recently been crying that she doesn't want to go to school {like crying the day before, the night before, and all morning from the time she wakes up until she goes to school}  Once she is there, she does great.  Her sitters have done anything I ask including talk to, prepare her for what's happening, ignore it, sit with her, etc.We've tried it all and I'm just not convinced that 'it's a phase' Her teacher is willing to do anything find the right fit for her.  Academically she's above her class, but she doesn't speak to anyone {except the teachers} the entire time!  Not even play time or gym time.  My heart can't handle that!  She is naturally shy, but she doesn't have any issues making friends at her daycare, or with our friends' kids, or when she goes to my mom's daycare, etc.  So we're going to try switching her to the class ahead {4 y/o} since it doesn't work well with our schedule for 3 afternoons a week, they said it's okay to send her just 2 afternoons a week.  And because our sitters already have 2 pick ups at the same time, her teacher is going to take her to daycare after class!  And because Cullyn needs picked up at 11:40a on Fridays and Jordyn needs dropped off at noon, they're going to take her 20 minutes early every.single.day.  Seriously, we could not be blessed with a better village.

Some friends come and go, and lives change.  We no longer have 50+ friends, but I'm so blessed to have a rock solid village right now. Even if that only consists of my family {including my mother & father in law}, our  kids' sitters & teachers, the a dozen friends. Life would be so much harder without these incredible people.  When you find people that love your babies like your own?  Grab on and don't let go!

Link Love

I've been collecting a few of my favorite links from around the web...

Des Moines, IA is Really the Best | I couldn't agree more.  & now that there is a chance we'll be moving away from the city, I'm realizing it even more!

Random Questionnaire I Found Funny | I have a few friends in advertising, so I thought this was cute

On Treasuring Every Second | For real, it goes so fricking fast!

How To Write A Condolence | I had to use this recently when a co-worker lost her 26 year old daughter. Good advice--wish I didn't have to use it. :(

Date Your kids | We all know how I feel about dating your kids, but this is just too sweet!! {all the heart eyes!}

Keeping Your Home Tidy | Most of this stuff I already did, but I still found a few tips especially helpful!

It Goes Fast | Have I mentioned how fast kids grow up ;) This is a great visual to remind us just how little time we have to show our children what they need to learn.


Another Parenting Post | Okay, my last parenting post.  This one is fun to read when you're feeling guilty for not being the 'perfect' mom {in today's eyes anyways} #OurKidsAreGonnaBeOkay

A Mother's Schedule | What being a SAHM is really like. ;)

We Got This | Paragraph 3

53 Books You Won't Be Able To Put Down | Some I've read, some I want to read {Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher}, some I have no interest in reading...I just love book lists.

Teachers & Students | A peptalk I think all kids should hear at the beginning of the year. :)

No Kids

Written late 3/11

As you've heard by now, we're done with our sitter.  My mom was supposed to take our kids next week while our {now former} sitter was on spring break, so we just bumped it up a week.  I can't go into specifics on the old sitter yet {for legal reasons} but know that we interviewed a few potential nannies tonight and I have two more on Friday.  I'm 95% sure we've found our match {pending background checks, a  test run with the kids, etc.} and I couldn't be more excited!  So say a little prayer for us as we finalize things.  God-willing, we'll be back to a new normal routine soon!

In the meantime, I'm so extremely blessed to have parents that will take our kids with a phone call.  I know many kids go with grandparents for an entire summer, but I must say, I'm so ready to get my kids home!  I've cried every single day they've been gone.  The goodbye was brutal on me, but it's even the little things like walking into a messy playroom, finding a picture Jordyn drew, hearing a kid at work giggling, etc.  I'm so thankful for FaceTime, but tonight was hard.  It's bittersweet actually.

Luckily, Adam and I have been super busy this week, so I haven't had the time to dwell that they're gone.  I'm trying to find the positive out of this situation, so here are a few things we've done since the kids have been gone…

Ate dinner at 9p--on the couch

Got our taxes done

Went to lunch together

Picked up a winters' worth of dog poop

Interviewed several nanny candidates

and we have a happy hour and dinner out scheduled for tonight

I've also done a photoshoot, stayed at work late, squeezed workouts in the morning, ran outside without worrying about a sitter for the kids, and caught a cold.

While we undergo this transition it will be stressful, but we're very anxious for this new opportunity.  We were more than ready for a change.

My 5 Biggest Time Savers...

The following are all mentioned in terms of parenting, because that's where I use them most, but they could all be applied to 'non-parent' lives as well...

Now that school is in session and we're all getting into routines again, I thought I would share five places in our everyday life where I save myself a few minutes...

Fold Laundry While Watching TV | I can't tell you the last time I sat down and watched TV without folding laundry {or editing, but since most of you aren't photographers, that wouldn't apply!} I pretty much do a load of laundry each night.  It works great for us, because I pretty much only stay up long enough to fold one load of laundry after the kids go to bed, before I go to bed.  :)

Clean The Bathroom While The Kids Are Taking Baths | We bathe our kids every other night, so one {or two} nights a week I use this time to clean the bathroom.  I usually have just enough time to clean the mirror, dust, and scrub the counter, toilet, & floors before one of them is ready to get out. On the rare occasion they're playing really nice together and behaving {not wrestling in the tub, taking toys from each other, or dumping cups of water onto the floor--true story!} I'll also use the time to tidy our room {which is connected to the bathroom}.  Also, now that they're a little older I use the other bath night {or two} to put clothes away or unpack bags from the weekend. {again, within eyesight of the bathtub}.  And I'm always listening for it to get quiet--quiet is rarely good in our house! :)

Book Appointments In The Car | Utilize car time!  I use Bluetooth {speaker} in the car to book appointments and reorder prescriptions while stuck in traffic {or at stoplights}.  With a family of four {plus a dog on several medications} we're constantly at appointments {eye, medical, dental, vet, specialists, etc.} and filling prescriptions.  Bonus for me, Adam drives 99% of the time when we're together, so I use that time to respond to emails and make phone calls.

Listen To Books While Working Out | I talked about this one here, but it had to make this list.  I would probably read 5 books a year if it weren't for listening to books on my kindle.  I listen to books while running {bonus::makes the time go by 462864286 times faster!} and also while I'm driving to and from work and photosessions {the kids aren't in the car}.  Also listen to books while editing client photos, but again that won't apply to most of you.  Because of this, I've read over 80 since January.  Best.invention.ever!

Prep The Kids Clothes For The Week | This one is so easy and is such a time saver for us!  Sunday night, when I would normally lay Monday's clothes out for the kids, I grab clothes for the whole week. Takes me like 5 minutes longer, but saves me at least 20 minutes a week.  I happen to have an old locker room wire basket that fits the weeks clothes just perfectly.  I was forgetting to lay clothes out some days and letting the kids {Jordyn} pick out their outfits each morning is a battle I don't have the energy to fight takes forever.  Doing this all on Sunday saves me {Adam} about 5 minutes each morning {& 5 extra minutes in the morning is a big deal!}.  *One suggestion is to have the weather forecast ready {especially this time of the year} or to have a bonus {warmer/cooler} outfit in the basket for the days the weather changes.


>>What advice do you guys have for making the weeks go by smoother?

This & That {v.19}

Did this:
Had our first ice cream from the ice cream truck
Celebrated Cinco De Mayo with friends
Spent time grilling and going to the park enjoying the nice weather
Enjoyed Mother's Day
Went to the Farmer's Market for the first time this year
Made Sushi
Ran 10 Miles 
Had a picnic with the kids at the park
Grabbed the kids out of bed at 11p last night and went over to Ashley & Myles' house because of the tornado watch :(

Instagrammed that:

Potty Trained @ 2 Years

I tried to crop & blur out the graphic parts {I don't need my daughter hating me in a few years, or any creepers looking at my kid!}

When I potty trained the twins {back when I was a nanny} I basically went 100% big girl panties, took them potty every 30 minutes, & bribed them with m&m's for doing well.  They were 2 1/2 and responded well to this because they really knew what was going on.  But, for the next year, if I didn't ask them if they had to go potty, they would still have accidents.

When Jordyn was about 18 months I tried this method with her {she was a bit young} and I don't think she 'got it.'  In an effort not to traumatize her {& make me go crazy--especially since Cully was a NEWBORN!} we decided to wait and try again later.

Just before her 2nd birthday {about 22 months} we bought pretty panties, potty training books, a ring for the toilet seat & a kids potty.  The weekend after her 2nd birthday I knew I was going to try again.  After a couple of months with two kids in diapers, I was very anxious to transition, plus my goal was to have her 100% potty trained by summer.

::the Process::
I read a little and decided to try the 'naked method' this time.
We made sure to pick a weekend that we didn't have much planned.  We started on a Thursday after daycare and didn't leave the house until Monday morning.  I bought a little potty to keep in the living/dining room area.  We stripped her down {to nothing} and gave her a sippy cup.  The idea is to wait until they feel like they have to go potty as opposed to keep asking them--this worked well for us since Jordyn refused to sit on the potty if she didn't actually have to go.  We spent the next 72 hours keeping one eye on Jordyn at all times.  We read lots of books and stayed close to the potty.  There was one little accident where she pooped on my floor--not the first time, she did it as an infant too--but other than that she didn't have an accident on the floor at all.  As soon as she felt herself start to go she ran over to her toilet.


::the Rewards::
When she peed, she got to get an m&m or a marshmallow.
When she pooped, she got a dum-dum sucker {her Grandma got her started on this bad habit!}
The first few times we definitely FaceTimed family and did happy dances and high-fives {I think she was too young to care about sticker charts or little gifts as rewards}


::the Results::
She has had less then a dozen accidents in the six months she has been potty trained

::the Good::
1.  She was 100% potty trained at home within 3 days.
2.  So quick & easy!
3.  No stress!

::the Bad::
1. convincing her to put clothes on to leave the house for the next two months {not a huge deal, but a little annoying}
2. getting her to use the bathroom when she had panties on {we had to remember to ask her}
3. She was only 90% at daycare & 50% at grandma's the first month or two {I'm not sure if it was because she was too busy or because she didn't have enough time to get to the bathroom and get undressed since she was used to no 'prep time' at home.


::Recommendations::
1. Make sure you have three full days to dedicate to this
2. Buy coloring books, books, fun panties, sticker charts, a new potty chair, etc. to make it fun and keep you entertained for 3 days! :)
3. If you're particularly concerned about your carpet, I would recommend laying a large blanket/old comforter on the floor
4. Push fluids, the more they drink they more they will pee and get the hang of it
5. Try to make it as fun and stress free as you can.  Although it's really simple to us, it's totally new to them


::Noteworthy::
Pooping::    She has always been a heavy wetter and a 'regular' girl {she's gonna kill me when she reads this someday!} She went poop in the potty from the very beginning.  We did have one incident where I thought maybe she had a UTI {she was going pee ALL THE TIME and something just felt off} so I took her to the doctor.  As it turns out, I assumed she was pooping at daycare and daycare assumed she was pooping at home and really she was extremely constipated {the x-ray showed her filled from her pelvis to her chest--poor baby!!}.  So she now takes Miralax with her milk once a day.

Sleeping:: We have never put a diaper on her before nap time and she only woke up wet once {at grandma's}.  I always take her potty right before she lays down though.  We always put her to bed in a diaper.  About 1/2 of the nights she wakes up dry {mainly if she doesn't drink milk/water after supper}.  I always try to push fluids though, so we don't cut her off at a certain time.  I think this summer we will start cutting liquids two hours before bed and transition her to big girl panties 100% of the time.

Breastfeeding

For a mom that thought she wouldn't get any milk, this brings tears to my eyes.

Let me start this post by saying I never wrote anything about my breastfeeding experience with Jordyn. At the time is was just too raw and I wasn't about to talk about it let alone write it for the world to read.

Looong story {kinda} short, my plan was to breastfeed until returned to work and then pump and bottle feed.  I hadn't researched much, so I just assumed I would deliver her, my milk would come in, and we would all live happily ever after.  And then I delivered her and my milk didn't come in.  I tried to nurse her and she got a {very} little bit of colostrum {like a few drops!} and then we started her on formula {so she didn't starve!}.  I continued to pump every 2 hours for 20 minutes thinking I would eventually get something.  Over the two weeks I pumped, I produced less than 3 ounces.  It made me really depressed and eventually Adam made me realize it wasn't worth it.  Jordyn was happy and healthy with formula and it was better for everyone if I gave up.  {I was so, so emotional about it.  It wasn't my 'plan' and I hadn't prepared myself not to be able to breastfeed her.  But he was right, it was better for everyone that I just focused on keeping us all happy}.

Fast forward a few months and I was pregnant again.  I knew I really wanted to breastfeed {or at least attempt} again this time.  So, I researched what my options were.  I knew that even though I never produced milk with Jordyn, their was still a chance I could this time around.

I delivered Cullyn and we immediately had skin to skin {kangaroo} time and I tired to nurse him.  My milk didn't come in while I was at the hospital, so I did was is called S&S feeding {thanks to the two AMAZING nurses I had}.  I don't remember what it stands for but basically we formula fed him through a tiny tube.  The bottle of formula was hooked up by my shoulder and a long, skinny tube ran from there to my nipple.  Cullyn then 'breastfed' but it was formula.  This was perfect so that he learned how to latch and suck for when my milk came in, but he was still getting formula {and I knew how much}.

While waiting for my milk to come it I was better about drinking lots of water and consuming enough calories {something I wasn't great with after delivering Jordyn}.  I also took Fenugreek tablets three times a day and ate lots of granola to help my supply.  Luckily, I did get some milk {about 4-14 ounces a day}.  It still wasn't enough, so we were supplementing with formula.  Unfortunately, my supply never picked up no matter now often I pumped or how much water I consumed.

I pumped for four weeks, but one weekend we went back home and I wasn't good about drinking enough water or taking the pills and totally dried up.  It was still sad, but I wasn't completely devastated like I was the first time.  I'm thankful I was able to give him what I was and know that it was better than nothing.  Even though I still wasn't able to breastfeed as long as I wanted, I will still try again next time in hopes that I will produce even more.  {Who knows, maybe by our 5th kid I'll actually be able to breastfeed the entire first year!} :)

On a positive note...I no longer have to hold my arm in front my my chest when I shower {does the pain of the water hitting you ever go away?!} and due to my severe lack of supply, I never experienced 'drying up' like everyone talks about.

J's Eats [12-16 months]

This is a few months ago, but many of you asked what things we fed Jordyn during the transition to table food.  Obviously this is just a small sample, but here are a few things I picked up during a Target run.  Most of these are snacks.  Since she doesn't eat any meat yet {not by our choice!} so we typically give her a fruit, a vegetable, and snack{s}.  We don't have Jordyn on a specific diet, but we do try to watch her sugar and carb intake.  For somethings it happens to be organic or all natural, for other things the off brand is our preference.

A. Mini sandwiches

B.  Fruit cups

C.  Craisins {all flavors} and Blueberries

D.  Fruit strips

E.  Fruit Bars {these are Granola bars -- we just started them at 16 months}

F.  Raisins & Yogurt covered raisins

G. Goldfish crackers

H. Greek yogurt

I. No sugar added applesauce, Mandarin oranges, & Peaches {she never cared much for pears}.  No salt added Peas, Green beans, Corn, & Lima beans.

Baby Sign Language



Via

Jordyn and I have spent the last two Monday nights at our local library taking a Baby Sign Language course.  When I tell people this I get very mixed reactions.  Some people think I'm crazy, some have never heard of teaching a baby sign language, and others swear by it. 

I'm not taking it to turn my kid into a genius [she already is...totally kidding!] I just love exposing her to all kinds of environments.  At this point this course is the most structure she's had.  I love seeing her sit nicely with kids her age and watching her interact with them.  So far she's taken baby swimming lessons [at our YMCA], attended Zoo Tunes [at the Zoo], went to Story Hour [at our Library], and now Baby Sign Language Class [also at our Library]. 

So, am a I crazy for dragging my 12 month old to all these things that she won't even remember?  Or am I doing a good thing by spending quality time exposing her to new things?  What are you thoughts, I would love to hear!

A Tidbit for New Mamas...

I already let you in on one of my secrets, but here's another...

Does your child have a yucky diaper rash that doesn't seem to go away with Butt Paste or Desitin?  This is what our pediatrician recommended and it worked like magic!

1 oz. Lotrimin [Anti Fungal]
1 oz. Neosporin [Anti Bacterial]
1 oz. A&D Ointment
1 oz. 1% Hydrocortisone Cream [Anti Itch]

Mix together, pat dry, and apply 4 cream times a day.  Also air your baby out for 10 minutes, 4 times a day.

Disclaimer: I didn't say this was cheap & I am no physician!  :)

I'm Going To Let You In On A Little Secret...

Baby Monitor

BEST APP FOR A MAMA!

Download this app on a smartphone [they make it for both iPhones and Android phones].  Take you phone off sleep mode... set the sensitivity level... and enter the phone number [land line or cell phone] to call.  If your baby cries the phone by the baby will call you to let you know.  

PERFECT for the lake house traveling!  Thank goodness for technology...what did parents do before?! :)

Giving up my 'Mom of the Year' crown already!

So you're newly pregnant and looking through all of the brochures the doctor sends home with you.  You go to the website and sign up for them all, afterall you know nothing about this stuff they call parenting..

Fast forward 20 weeks or so you flip through your calendar as you do every Sunday night and realize you have your 'class' Monday.  Carseat safety class that is.  Feeling a little intimidated you walk into the hospital alongside your husband.  You start making jokes about how you can't believe you're going to this class and can you believe how we're turning into 'those people' yada yada yada.  

And then...you do the only thing that seems reasonable...

Turn the other way and power walk out before anyone notices

Yep, that's what we did Monday night.  We took one look at the Power Point on the screen and bolted!   

Go ahead...judge...it's okay! :)