Thanksgiving!

With Thanksgiving fast approaching (as in this week) I thought it was appropriate to write about how Thanksgiving is different now with a baby.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. Something about family getting together, lots of yummy food and basically enjoying everyones company is just great. Last year was our first Thanksgiving with Jase and it was definitely much different then past ones. Last year we were dealing with naps for Jase, when did he need to eat, who was keeping him happy, ect. Years prior my main worry was making sure I tried all the appetizers and had my fair share of wine. Overall, I'd say last year was a success. Jase was cranky when dinner time came but he ate a bit, let me eat a bit and then napped before we went home.

This year I am all sorts of excited! We are hosting this year (our first time hosting with a child) and I think Jase being older and eating all "big boy" food now it should make it really fun! He is down to one afternoon nap and if his schedule isn't too messed up with having family here he should be waking just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. This year I'm looking forward to Jase trying lots of new food and maybe enjoying a glass of wine as well.

What are your favorite things about Thanksgiving with a child? Does anyone have fun traditions or super yummy food dishes they always make?

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!  

<3 Lindsey

Should I stay or should I go?

Sorry mama's I forgot to write my blog for yesterday! I've been sick, my daughter has been sick and my husband's been out of town so my whole week has been thrown off :( Anyway, back to the topic!

Lately, I've been having some trouble with my job. My boss doesn't treat all of her employees the same and I'm tired of seeing others moms with young children call in due to their illnesses and not being able to do the same when my daughter is sick. There have been times where I didn't have a babysitter and tried to take a vacation day and was told "no". I'm tired of being taken advantage of and because of this my husband and I have been seriously thinking about having me stay home.

 

While this has been something I've wanted to do since my daughter was born, I still have some serious doubts about it. How do you mamas feel about spending money if you're not contributing financially? Right now I'm bringing a paycheck home...if I want to run by Starbucks I will without feeling guilty. I know there will be times we'll have I say no to thinks and I'm ok with that, but until I find another job we will be a one income family....will we be ok??

For those of you mamas who stay home and only have your husbands income, how do you do it? I know there are things we can give up like cable, Wi-Fi, cell phone plans, but how else can you save money? A lot of our bills are things we can't get rid of like student loans, car payments, house payment...we have a small house so our PG&E is never that expensive which is a huge blessing. What are some tips and tricks that work for you? 

Please give me any and all advice you may have...my plans are to formally quit in January so I've got some time to get a plan together :)

Co-Sleeping

When Zoë was first born, I had absolutely no intention to co-sleep. For the first five months, she slept solely in her bassinet. I was working at the time, though, and as her sleep schedule changed I found myself more tired in the middle of the night, so when she awoke I would pick her up, bring her to our bed (half asleep) and fall back asleep as she nursed.

There were nights I tried my hardest to be conscious enough to put her back to bed, but then the next night I'd be too tired to realize again. Now, she almost solely sleeps in our bed. It's gotten to this point where I can't fall asleep unless she's next to me. I realize this basically guarantees that I'm going to have a hard time switching her to her own bed when she's older, but for now, it isn't hurting anyone. It's like being a little girl again, sleeping with my favorite doll.

Toddler Tantrums

Well, I've realized that my one in half year old is the kid who throws himself on the floor when he's upset... I fear for the time this happens in the middle of the grocery isle!

I have no idea how a child learns this behavior as Jase has no older siblings to mimic and he's at home with me mostly not a daycare to learn this behavior. If you follow me on Instagram you would know I posted this picture the other day:

Let me tell you about our morning to put a little perspective on the tantrum. Jase had been cranky for about an hour and I knew we needed to get out of the house. He had a cold, but I had errands to do so out we were going. While I was getting things together and totally keeping a close eye on him he got into his diaper bag and found a container of veggie sticks. Since his appetite had been so poor this week I just let him snack while I finished getting ready. Well once I was ready to leave I needed to take the snack away, cue toddler crying screaming. Nothing like the desperation cry of a toddler when you take away food to make you feel like mother of the year. But we don't always get what we want, and this is something we need to teach our kids, right. And for goodness sakes we weren't going far and he could have his snack once we got to our first errand. Try explaining that to a one year old...So came the tantrum.

Right now we basically ignore these tantrums when at home (where he usually throws them), but I can't really walk too far away from him when where in public and I do take into consideration where we are when he throws one for how I deal with it at that moment.

Tell me how you deal with tantrums. I know I'm in for it as he gets older so I need all the advice I can get!

<3 Lindsey

Stuffy Noses, Coughing, and Sleepless Nights

It's that time of year again...cold and flu season. Hate to be a buzz kill after Randi's post about the holidays, but it's true! Don't get me wrong, I'm super big on the holidays, but it's almost inevitable that our little ones will get sick this season. Zoë and I really don't even get out much, but we've both caught colds already. 

When we're out, I do my best to keep Zoë from touching communal things, especially during this time of year. As she's gotten more mobile and fast, however, it's a little bit harder. I also like to keep these Johnson's hand and face wipes on me. They seem to be the only baby wipe with any anti-germ assistance that are also alcohol-free. Keeping things out of her mouth is another difficult thing, but at this age, you just have to watch 'em like hawks.

Zoë got her first flu shot last flu season. The first one required two injections: the initial and then the booster. Now, however, she only requires one like we would as adults. I can't stress this enough... GET YOUR FLU SHOT! If you have a Costco card, their pharmacy only charges $14.99 and you don't even have to worry about insurance. You can also check your local health department, pharmacies (even those located in grocery stores), and of course your doctor's office. Keep in mind that for the first two weeks after you get your injection, you are still vulnerable to catching the flu. If our babies can get immunized, we can get ourselves immunized for their well-being and our own. 

Now that she is sick though, there are a couple of things I like to keep in my arsenal to help us through it. First, a nasal aspirator. My favorite is this one. If you've ever heard of the Nosefrida, it's similar to that, but more cost efficient and, in my opinion easier to use and clean. I've tried both, but after seeing how much it'd cost to continue buying filters for the Nosefrida, I decided to go with the BabyComfyNose. It is a little strange at first...essentially sucking the snots out of your child's nose, but you get over it. 

Another thing I use is saline spray. You have to be careful, though! Some of the saline sprays out there (including Little Remedies) have preservatives in their that can actually work against clearing the baby's nasal passages. I use Boogie Mist. 

I know I may seem like one of those moms who acts like a know-it-all, but believe me, the only thing I do know is that I do NOT know it all. I am fortunate, however, to have a pediatric nurse practitioner for a mom. You all have doctors of your own, though, and they know your child better than my mom or me, so if you have any questions, please direct them towards your health professional. Either way, best of luck to you all during this cold and flu season!

xxo. Christina

It's the Holiday Season

This is my absolute favorite time of year! The weather starts changing, Christmas is getting close, ahh makes me so happy! As a kid my family established several traditions that we still to this day follow...we always had to wait until everyone was awake on Christmas Day to open our stockings, we read the story of Christ's birth from the Bible, and then it was present time! Because this is my second time around celebrating Christmas with a child of my own, I'll be asking for lots of advice from all of you!

It can be a little difficult celebrating the holidays with all your family, and that is something I struggle with figuring out. How do I make time for my husband, daughter and myself but also celebrate with our families? We have the three of us, my side, my husband's side and then with my mom's family and dad's family! Everyone's got such different schedules, some prefer to celebrate on Christmas Day, on Christmas Eve, and others don't care at all! How do you figure out time to celebrate with everyone and not feel like anyone got ripped off? 

This will be the first year that I feel like my daughter will actually understand what's going on so I definitely want to be able to celebrate on our own! My plan is to wake up Christmas morning and celebrate with Russ and Emery before heading over to my parents and celebrating with them and my sisters. 

Now that I have my own little family, it's time to establish our own traditions. Of course I'd like to incorporate some from my childhood, but I'd like to start new ones too! What are some things you do with your families? Does anyone use Elf on the Shelf yet? Do you have gifts from "Santa"? Share some Christmas traditions you do! 🎅🎄🎁

Being a Stay at Home Mom

When Scott and I married and talked about having babies we also talked about if I would work or not.  We decided that if it was finically feasible for us, I'd stay home with the babies while they were little and once they were in school we would decide if I'd go back to work or not.

We are lucky enough that I am able to stay home with Jase and be his mommy and his teacher. Before  actually become a SAHM I didn't really understand what it involved. I honestly thought it would be easy, man was I wrong. There's so much to do when there's a little running around. Tasks that seemed so simple before kids now take so long. For example doing the dishes. With my child it's hard to do dishes when he's awake. He has yet to understand not to pick the plates up and drop them or not to touch the knives. Right now it's easiest to wait until he's napping to do some tasks. Or that vacuuming will take way longer with a toddler following you around, tripping on the cord and standing right in front of you basically wanting to get run over from the vacuum.

Among all the chores that us moms need to do theres the whole reason we're at home with the kids, to raise them. Wow, I didn't realize how much pressure I would put on myself for raising my child. I constantly wonder if I'm doing the right thing. Am I reading enough books to him, letting him play outside enough, is he talking enough, communicating right and on and on. I think the pressure comes mostly from the fact that is Jase ever falls behind the only one I have to blame is myself and I defiantly don't want to fail my child.

For the most part, I try to not be TOO hard on myself and realize that I am very lucky I get to be home with Jase. I try to remember that when Jase is learning new things I get to be home to witness them, no matter how soon or how long those new learned things take.

*This post is not to compare working moms to stay at home moms, both of these jobs are hard and come with compromise*

<3 Lindsey

Disneyland Tips for Infants and Toddlers

So, it turns out that Randi and I were at Disneyland at the same time, but had no idea! Like Randi and her family, we are big Disney fanatics and I have been my entire life. I'm that person who sings along at the parade, dances like she's a character, and looks like an adult who's forgotten she's an adult. Anyway, since Randi already touched base on what it's like doing Disneyland with a toddler (which, by the way, is just about the same as how our experiences have been), I decided to share some tips to make the trip a lot easier.

I thought about going into what to pack, but I think that list can vary a lot by your baby's age and other factors so I'm going to go ahead and skip that. The first thing I want to mention is the Baby Care Center. There is one in both parks at the Disneyland Resort. In Disneyland, it is located at the end of Main Street on the right if you are looking at the castle tucked away just before the first aid center. The California Adventure location is at the start of the Pacific Wharf, closer to Cars Land. If you need to pump, they have a space for you. If you need to breastfeed and prefer to have some privacy, they have a space for you. They also have toddler potties (super cute, b-t-dubs), high chairs, changing tables, and a small play area. For parents who may have forgotten something, they have bottles, wipes, diapers...I think even food, but I haven't forgotten those things so I'm not entirely sure on the full extent of their inventory. 

My next tip is to do your research! Go to the Disneyland website and see what rides and attractions are available to you. The website does a great job of explaining what every attraction has to offer. If you make a plan before you get to the park, you'll be able to get more done and enjoy your time. You'll also probably save your legs and feet from exhaustion by mapping everything out. Of course, keep in mind that infants and toddlers have their own agenda, so be flexible and don't stress! Disneyland is meant to be "The Happiest Place in Earth!"

Now, there are those rides that our little ones obviously cannot ride, but that doesn't mean you can't! Consider bringing the grandparents along. If they choose to pass, however, have no fear. There are plenty of rides that offer a "parent-swap" option so that both parents can ride without having to spend forever in a line...twice! There are also single rider options. I would suggest using that option first because the chances are pretty good that both of you will get on the ride faster than if you waited in line as a family and then did the parent-swap.

My last tip is about the characters. Depending on the age of your little one, they may or may not be comfortable with the characters. Also, they may be fine one trip and the next be completely not okay with it, so just keep that in mind. There are character sightings throughout the day throughout both parks. At opening of both parks, there are usually a good handful of characters in the Main Street and Buena Vista Street areas, for Disneyland and California Adventure, respectively. Keep in mind there will be lines. You can also meet Minnie and Mickey in their houses located in Mickey's Toon Town in Disneyland. Again, there will be a wait. If you have the luxury, I recommend a character breakfast. Goofy's Kitchen located in The Disneyland Hotel has the best selection of characters. There are several other locations in the resort that offer character dining also, though.

Anyway, I hope this information has helped you! If you have any other questions, please ask! I love talking Disney!

Picky Eaters

From the time Emery could start eating food, even baby food, she loved it all! She'd eat anything and everything you put in front of her. Now that she's gotten a little older that has changed completely! What happened to my good little eater?! She turns her nose up at things that used to be her favorite, her food preferences change daily...I have no clue how to keep up with this child and get her to eat.

I started panicking, thinking she's not eating enough, what if she starts losing weight, will her immune system crash and she get sick all the time....can you tell I'm a first time mom?? After a few hours of being in full panic mode I realized that if she's hungry, she will eat. I just needed to figure out how to make it appealing to her. 

So, I did a little reading and found out that maybe she's bored with how her food is presented to her. Instead of cutting everything up into little pieces, I started giving it to her how I would eat things. She gets her own silverware and plates/bowls to eat out of, something we started awhile ago but now she's able to handle better. I even started putting her food in little containers so she could choose from them on her own. Slowly my little eater started coming back. 

I was feeling so good about myself, woohoo I figured out how to get Emery to eat! Then BAM she started getting more teeth and her appetite was gone again. We have done this roller coaster eating thing for the last 8 months!! Every time she gets teeth, her appetite goes away and then comes back completely different. Please tell me I'm not the only mama dealing with this!! 

What do you do for your picky eaters? Do you just present the same food until they give in and eat? Do you change everything completely and try new foods until they eat? Please give me any tips or tricks that work for you!