If your household is anything like mine, there are some picky eaters that you are always trying to please at mealtime. One kid doesn’t like broccoli, the other doesn’t like tomatoes, etc. It can make meal planning a frustrating task to complete EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. LOL
Grace………………..>>>>>>>>>
Give yourself LOTS of grace as you transition into a new norm. Having a new baby in the house is like having a long lost relative from another country come to live with you. You don’t know their routine, they are needy because everything is new, they can’t do things for themselves, they may have their day and night backwards because of where they are from or time change is an issue for them, they depend solely on you and your company until they are ready to branch out and do things on their own.
YIKES right!?!
When it comes to cold weather, staying inside seems like the best option when littles are present…especially newborns. The weather has been unbelievably cold in Ohio this winter and leaving the house just isn’t doable…nor am I excited to do so. I would have to get 3 kids bundled tightly, spend 30 minutes loading them into the car and getting them buckled into their carseats, etc. In other words, no thank you! LOL
I know for me and my household, we love starting fresh for the New Year. New goals, new attitude and the excitement of what the new year will bring. Sometimes, the start of a new year means the beginning of new healthy habits…such as setting BIG goals or healthier eating and exercising. This year, having a new baby in the house and having fallen off of the bandwagon with healthy eating, I want to incorporate a “clean eating” habit into our new year goals. This means eliminating anything processed such as lunch meats, cheeses, chips, etc. Instead, my plan is to make all of those things from scratch. Sounds awful and time consuming right?!? —————–>>>>>>>>>WRONG!
Sometimes I look at my kids and think to myself, “What am I supposed to do with these little ones to entertain them?” I always want fun traditions around holidays and I put pressure on myself to make sure I do so. New Year’s Eve is one of those holidays that I want to start some family traditions but haven’t quite yet. It doesn’t have to be jam packed, but having something “to do” sounds fun. I want my kids to look back on their childhood and remember the things we did each year repetitively. I decided to do some research on what other people do for the holiday and this list is comprised of some of the things I plan on incorporating into our own family traditions. Feel free to comment below with some of your own family New Year’s Eve traditions.
Finding the best sugar cookie recipe can be quite the challenge. I find that the cookie is either too doughy, tastes too much like flour, the kids won’t eat them, or you have to refrigerate them so long and the dough comes out rock hard. I found a recipe ( I wish I could claim it as my own) that is FANTASTIC and I had to share it with all of you because it is just that good.
I LOVE traditions…especially around the holidays! Our family has started some pretty neat traditions that I think are worth sharing. From spending a day baking Christmas cookies to packing the kids in the car and driving around looking at Christmas lights, we have started some traditions that I simply cannot go a season without.
I know for me and my household, getting the baby to sleep through the night as early as possible is KEY to everyone being happy and content on a daily basis. That being said, I have incorporated the book On Becoming Babywise into my parenting style. For the first 2 kiddos, it worked like a charm and they were both sleeping through the night no later than 9 weeks. You heard me right…no later than 9 weeks!!! It was FANTASTIC! It takes work and dedication but by following the “rules” laid out for you, you too can have a sleeping baby in no time. With my third, we are starting the implementation process this week and I plan on documenting how it goes throughout the sleeping journey.
It is no surprise to people when you tell them that you have a newborn at home and are lacking in the sleep department. It is a given and expected in the early stages of infancy. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to function on little to no sleep. And forget about giving attention to your other kiddos when feeding time happens every 2-3 hours and the lack of sleep has affected your ability to function.
Prior to giving birth to my third daughter, I had made the decision to attempt breast feeding once again. In the past, breastfeeding came very “UN-naturally” to me and by the third month of my first and second daughter’s life, my milk supply had all but diminished. I found breastfeeding frustrating, painful, and difficult. I truly believe my attitude around breastfeeding is what either made my experience a success or a failure. So this time around I have made it my mission to embrace the messy, focus on keeping it simple, and feed this baby like my life depended on it…or die trying.