tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49918884497071509122024-03-14T08:20:35.916-04:00Don't Lick Your SisterAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-86141350450086829982016-08-08T21:53:00.001-04:002017-02-18T17:59:36.061-05:00When Your Children See You Cry<div id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2376" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8mtXYxnyguqcnEymXTDwCzuoSEu28QdYGbPcB3xoCP00hZkwTnB-wonHno-Pl3OSXFHkdAqRetjh42YY2kATl2VxnTvAWEhMok-xTyS5ZW2uRrd3eFRXTOdOIxuxLykmijKYtVoLdpo/s1600/DSC_0431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8mtXYxnyguqcnEymXTDwCzuoSEu28QdYGbPcB3xoCP00hZkwTnB-wonHno-Pl3OSXFHkdAqRetjh42YY2kATl2VxnTvAWEhMok-xTyS5ZW2uRrd3eFRXTOdOIxuxLykmijKYtVoLdpo/s640/DSC_0431.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2377" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sometimes you just need a good cry. As Sadness from <i id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2378">Inside Out</i> says, “Crying helps me slow
down and obsess over the weight of life’s problems.” Crying can be cleansing and
it can be helpful. It can also feel downright awful, to me, if I’m doing it in
front of my children.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2379" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2380" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2381" style="font-size: small;">Last <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">month</span>, my daughter said something to me that made me
spontaneously burst into tears. And this wasn’t a super cute moment and my
sadness was surrounded by the fact that she was growing up too quickly. It’s
that, at age 3, she doesn’t have the best capacity for long-term memory and
her memory of people she once spent a lot of time with is fading. This startling
reality hit me hard</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2384" style="font-size: small;">
and the tears started flowing.</span><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2387" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>I left the room I was in with them because I’m accustomed to <span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2388"> </span>trying to keep my best face forward and I didn’t
want my daughters to see me cry. They didn’t get the hint and followed me into
the bathroom. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2389" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2390" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2391" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">“Wh<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">at</span> made you cry?” they asked, not understanding that
Amelia’s innocent question of “Who is that?” could cause the tears to flow. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2392" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2393" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2394" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">“I don’t want to talk about it,” I immediately responded, not
wanting to try to explain the hurt and pain of losing people<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. And on top o<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">f this loss<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,</span></span></span> Amelia will
soon have minimal to no memory of certain people that have been speci<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">al in her life</span>.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2395" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2396" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2397" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Their faces looked on in expectation and I quickly realized
that my response was not <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">adequate</span>. For one thing, they were very
concerned as th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ey do<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n't</span></span> see me cry often. More importantly, if I tell them I don’t want to talk about why I’m
crying, how in the world will I ever convince them to tell me why they are
crying. I immediately recovered and said, “I do want to talk about it, I just
needed a moment.” And then I told them I felt sad that we aren’t able to see
our friend and was sad that Amelia couldn’t recognize him.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2398" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2399" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2400" style="font-size: small;">I would rather my kids not see my cry. But the reality is
that I do cry sometimes. I would pre<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fer to not<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> feel sad. But, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of course, we all <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">feel sad somet<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">imes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> And I don't want my daughters to feel as though they have to
hide their emotions and pret<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">end that they aren't sad</span>. Most of all, I always want them to know they can talk with me about how
they are feeling,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> no matte<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r what</span></span>. I
want them to always know that I’m here to listen.</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2401" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2402" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2403" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The next thing my daughters did moved me even more. I may
have cried even harder. They rubbed my arm and my back. They gave me a hug. They
looked in my eyes as I told them the reason I was crying. They were caring and empathetic.
And this i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s </span>something we hope that all children can achieve.
Because if you have empathy for another, you have kindness. </span></span></div>
<div id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2402" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span id="yiv1239676831yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1467147631144_2403" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of the day there are only a few things I want for my children. Like all parents, I want them to be safe and happy and I want them to have kindness for others. If we can have these things then we have had success in raising our families. That just might mean I have to let them see me cry every now and again. I'm pretty lucky if this<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> happen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ough</span></span></span> because now I know it<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'s</span> going to mean I get a couple extra hugs.</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-10482868057105707682016-06-19T09:12:00.000-04:002016-06-19T09:53:33.863-04:00Year Three: Daddy's Favorites and Bests {According to his 3 and 5 Year Old} <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Daddy's Favorites and Bests {Year Three}
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="color: orange;">According to his 3 and 5 year old</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For the third year running I asked our girls a few questions to see what they believe
are their dad's favorite things and some of the things he does best to celebrate Father's Day.
Asking our children a few questions to learn their thoughts and opinions
about their dad on these topics is a super fun for Dad on Father's Day.
Well, at least I hope he thinks so! The first year we did this our oldest was 3 (youngest was too young to participate). This is what Autumn told me the first year: <a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/06/daddys-favorites-and-bests.html#.VYXmb1LSmGs" target="_blank">Daddy's Favorites and Best {according to his 3 year old}</a>. Last year, both girls participated and this is what they said: <a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2015/06/daddys-favorites-and-bests-year-two.html" target="_blank">Daddy's Favorites and Bests {According to his 2 and 4 Year Old}.</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was fun to see the differences in responses from this year to last. Our oldest daughter {Autumn's} responses
in the purplish pink color and our youngest {Amelia's} responses are in
blue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How old is Daddy? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">35 <span style="color: black;">(<i>this is, indeed, correct</i>!)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">10</span> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: magenta;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Favorite color: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">Orange</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Purple </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Favorite food: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">Spicy food</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Pasta <span style="color: black;"><i>(I'm thinking this might just be her favorite food)</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Favorite drink</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: magenta;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">Beer!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Beer!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Favorite song: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">Homer Simpson song </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">The Peanut Butter and Jelly Song</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chore he's best at: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">Washing dishes</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">I don't know</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best thing he makes: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hummus</span></span><br /> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Peanut Butter and Jelly and "the dip" <span style="color: black;"><i>(the dip he makes for her is the mayo and sriracha dip)</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best thing he does for you:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">Snuggles us </span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Plays with me</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His favorite thing to do: </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spending time with us </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Watching baseball with me and playing baseball with me</span> </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also want to share some of the things that I
think are the best things that Daddy does with his daughters that are so very special.</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Teaching them how to cook some of their favorite foods such as pancakes and ice cream and much more.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also allows them to help with food prep by help<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ing</span> them practice th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ei<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">r skills <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">using k<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nives<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by</span> cutting strawberries and m<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">u<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s</span>hrooms<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fixes everything: from the seat on their bike, to putting their Barbie dolls heads back on or repairing the door that falls off of the fairy doll house all of the time.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Teaches them how to play baseball. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Introduces them to foods that are way outside the "kid friendly" comfort zone and expands their food taste way beyond anything we ever experienced as children. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I
know there are many more things than this. These are just a few of the
things that bring a smile to my face as I write thinking how lucky my
daughters are to have their Daddy. </span></span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy Father's Day!!!</span></span></i> </span></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-48544815415354472022016-03-24T06:00:00.000-04:002016-04-07T02:52:43.721-04:00Holiday Guilt<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Over Whether I'm Spending Too Much </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br></i></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another big holiday is just a few days away. If the beautiful, flowering trees and all of the Easter egg crafts that are coming home from school weren't enough to give it away, it's my kids asking, "How many more sleeps until the Easter Bunny comes?" several times a day. And for me, along with the fun and excitement that Easter and Christmas bring each year, this is also just a little bit of guilt.</span></span></span><br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is what happens. I decide it will be a small holiday this year, selecting just a couple items. But then something happens.</span></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">A couple of years ago it was that my oldest decided that the one and only gift she truly wanted was a Barbie doll house. Now, the dream house was out of the question but maybe the (much less expensive and smaller) Barbie vacation home was an option. And, so, with mixed emotions I purchased the plastic house she so desperately desired. It's not that this was a massive splurge or outside of my budget. It's just that Christmas that year just got a little bigger than I had anticipated. </span></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <i><b>I just feel a little bit of guilt creeping in.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b> </b></i> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">This year, my youngest had some money she wanted to spend at the toy store before the holiday. She planned to buy herself a Princess Jasmine doll. Unfortunately, the store didn't have any. She left the store perfectly content with a different Barbie doll but that didn't stop me from doing a quick Amazon check for Jasmine. I found the singing doll (her favorite) that also came with Magic Carpet, Rajah and Abu. For $13! Clearly, this was not something I could pass up. But that also means her sister needed another item to keep things even. And she had her eye on the Lego hot air balloon while we were at the toy store so that was an easy choice.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I struggle with this and feel a level of guilt because I want the holidays to be special...but for the <i>right</i> reasons. Not because they got the one and only gift they told Santa they wanted. I want them to understand the meaning, know that it is a celebration of Jesus. I want them to know it is a time to spend with family. Christmas is the season of giving. Easter is a time of renewal and hope. </span></span></span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7oc_LTTBwW5HVh842eK5Q-mhj20SYIXbADQ7GrWWm1EwYhI4MBLFj54eizwG0y_w_eNcGMX6cpM8I7OSpSlOin1Y7rBHFfzsrKh0gKVKZxVx6iqhbZ0nxORScvUiJU84OS8AQKHRtZE/s1600/blogger-image--507978952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq7oc_LTTBwW5HVh842eK5Q-mhj20SYIXbADQ7GrWWm1EwYhI4MBLFj54eizwG0y_w_eNcGMX6cpM8I7OSpSlOin1Y7rBHFfzsrKh0gKVKZxVx6iqhbZ0nxORScvUiJU84OS8AQKHRtZE/s320/blogger-image--507978952.jpg" width="239"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I truly believe that we have it both ways right now. My oldest wanted to make the Easter Bunny a card so he knows she's thinking about him when he comes by the house (and also to make sure he hides some eggs). The girls are thrilled to make their handmade gifts for family at Christmastime. And they literally jump up and down and exclaim "Thank you!" when they open up their toothbrushes from their parents on Christmas Eve (an annual family tradition). </span></span></span><div><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><br></font>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaEhtOQE_EL3IJf7QHoZx0b_5-Q1bGWlTVUWS5HSC-lhYsYP0zkRXkuUY1uomZ3pXuQehuK8lLeXw5OmcX1xCj8eJBOvN065prMCQ0n0wTIbVEq6UpkBuzcnk1_9ncTaHWlQuKRSBn_4/s640/blogger-image--1624917891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaEhtOQE_EL3IJf7QHoZx0b_5-Q1bGWlTVUWS5HSC-lhYsYP0zkRXkuUY1uomZ3pXuQehuK8lLeXw5OmcX1xCj8eJBOvN065prMCQ0n0wTIbVEq6UpkBuzcnk1_9ncTaHWlQuKRSBn_4/s640/blogger-image--1624917891.jpg"></a></div><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Still, I find the guilt creeping in this holiday</b></i>.</span></span></span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I calculate how much I spent on each basket. Trying to decide if I should return an item. Concerned that at some point they will grow to expect certain things and maybe have a lesser appreciation for things such as toothbrushes.</span></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also think about their faces as they open up eggs filled with jelly beans and sweet tarts. The exclamations of joy when they see their baskets with the beloved Jasmine doll and Lego bricks. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Christmas is a magical time and Easter is too. I may second guess myself and I might not always be able to fight the guilt. But there is something special about the holidays. I very rarely splurge so maybe the holidays give me the excuse I need to do just that. The best part, though, is that the holidays give me an opportunity to feel the very sweet moments of motherhood. And that is something I have no guilt about. </span></span></span><br>
<br><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-3557013447881758562016-03-13T20:14:00.003-04:002016-03-13T20:14:50.319-04:00The Second Weaning Story (Part I)<div style="color: #454545;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzRz8VBkeOo8LRfDxLq38Xlkn5lEXUYKNY_nyGBQ3EuMRoLXuiotENNo9v2Mj96yrt-zBwDLDiGddMj7HbA7LZE6hJevaNoLEvJ5UfjyMu5u0L74W_2zX48eb32VEix8vMxNUgY_6rcE/s1600/0d2e2b08-41ce-438e-87c2-8f05ae054c15_zps963cb4c5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzRz8VBkeOo8LRfDxLq38Xlkn5lEXUYKNY_nyGBQ3EuMRoLXuiotENNo9v2Mj96yrt-zBwDLDiGddMj7HbA7LZE6hJevaNoLEvJ5UfjyMu5u0L74W_2zX48eb32VEix8vMxNUgY_6rcE/s320/0d2e2b08-41ce-438e-87c2-8f05ae054c15_zps963cb4c5.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is an abundance of info that can be found and that's shared regarding initiation of breastfeeding and the many problems or challenges that may occur during nursing. I am amazed on the absolute limit there is on weaning. Even though all children who begin nursing, must indeed, wean. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm sharing my weaning story to help open the communication on this topic. Because it can be a challenging, confusing and uncertain time. Just as my birth stories (which you can read <a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-first-birth-story.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-second-birth-story.html" target="_blank">here</a>) are very different so are my weaning stories. My first time weaning <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(you can read <a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-first-weaning-story-part-i.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-first-weaning-story-part-ii.html#.VuXwuEDSnEd" target="_blank">Part 2</a>) </span>happened quickly and with no issues. It really ended earlier tha<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n</span> I had expected. This is not at all the case the secon<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">d time around</span>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Weaning always begins with the introduction of any solid or liquid that aren't mama's milk. For my second daughter this occurred about 1 week before she turned 6 months old. Like my oldest, the introduction of food didn't change the amount that my baby nursed or the amount that I was pumping. That all stayed the same one year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a working mom, I lugged my pump and all the parts to work each and every day. I fretted on low supply days, cried over spilled milk and stressed over badly timed office meetings. When my baby turned one, I was ready to be done with the pump! However, my body had other plans. With my first, I was gradually getting less and less milk <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tarting ar<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ound mon<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">th 10. I</span></span></span></span> was able to simply quit pumping the da<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ft<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">er my <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">baby turned one</span></span></span></span>. This was not at all the case the second time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was always so much worry about not being able to maintain a milk supply while working full time and pumping while away from my baby. I never expected to have any problems with engorgement after a year. But that baby of mine loved to nurse and I couldn't quit my pump cold turkey - no matter how much I wanted to do so. I slowly weaned off the pump and finally stopped one month after my baby turned one. It was slow and gradual and didn't affect my little girl<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. </span>When I was finally done with the pump I was thrilled. I love nursing but I don't love pumping - not at all! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6E1ZkJya2fzQLql1ioLItDrRVh3ayW2DmFWxo-Y8eoOBTxnGkiQAyXhH2-EbErL32dc0q4i65zvEGb3vHjhmOkXVyx8voxT69zs-p1j-7PYJSsfxfxlFAvZzORM_F6cODWs5QCheFv8/s1600/IMG_2799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6E1ZkJya2fzQLql1ioLItDrRVh3ayW2DmFWxo-Y8eoOBTxnGkiQAyXhH2-EbErL32dc0q4i65zvEGb3vHjhmOkXVyx8voxT69zs-p1j-7PYJSsfxfxlFAvZzORM_F6cODWs5QCheFv8/s320/IMG_2799.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If it weren't for working and having to pump, I'm not sure my daughter would have changed her nursing habits at all after she turned one. When I was at home with her during the day, she continued to nurse at the times I would have pumped. My body made the adjustment to this as well. This is one of the many things I love about nursing - the woman's body to adjust and fulfill the needs of the child, as it's demanded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My sweet girl was a pretty poor sleeper her first year (well, she's still a pretty poor sleeper, really) and she continued to nurse frequently throughout the night. This began to wear on me and I was getting sick frequently. I decided I needed to try to wean the night time nursing which was basically just one long latch around 3 or 4 in the morning until I woke up to get ready for work. We started this part of weaning when my daughter was about 15 months old. Instead of me going in her room and then bringing her to bed to nurse, my husband went to her and rocked her and soothed her. Sometimes this worked. Sometimes it didn't. If he couldn't soothe<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> her then he would bring <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">her to bed. And once she was in bed, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">it was really hard to convince her she <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">didn't to nurse. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If a nig<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ht went b<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y without nursing <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would actually be able<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> to get r<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ead<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y and leave <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for work before my dau<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ghter wo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ke<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. This wasn't easy but if I woke her <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">up, again, I wouldn't have been able to convince her that a h<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ug and a kiss was enough.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I left the hou<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">se without seeing her and without<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> seeing me she didn<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'t miss nursing. Once <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">we had about a week stretc<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h of this, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">she was finished with her <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">middle of the night and mor<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ning <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nurses. I would have prefe<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rred her to have been able to do <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">is all b<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">y herself (without the help from me) but it was necessary for my own health<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. T<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hankfully, i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t was still done slowly and gen<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tly and she did really well with it. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">She was around a year and a half old at this point and I thought our nursing days were coming to a close. My oldest had already weaned by this age and I figured the youngest would have a similar pattern. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How very wrong I was<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">!</span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Be sure to check back soon to see how the rest of our <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">weaning story went. </span></span></span></span></i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-87419163126872318632015-12-23T12:27:00.001-05:002015-12-24T16:20:58.621-05:00When Your Child Starts Having Doubts About Santa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwg8tzawY6yuP7vDdw5cqvShkI359ancvQAaTweVBNAr3nnU3Er600-TGSkrMRNnqb03FAWrF2XXOkZZhnytJ-W1kM537TDGCiGOlKJmZtkmsHbUTiCimjWhCH44em-5X75zmiIMKYWM/s1600/DSC_0600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwg8tzawY6yuP7vDdw5cqvShkI359ancvQAaTweVBNAr3nnU3Er600-TGSkrMRNnqb03FAWrF2XXOkZZhnytJ-W1kM537TDGCiGOlKJmZtkmsHbUTiCimjWhCH44em-5X75zmiIMKYWM/s640/DSC_0600.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christmas is such a magical time of year. It is filled with special time with family and friends, lots of fun and exciting activities. There are delicious treats, Christmas carols and lights, and of course, gifts! Our family is all about the fun and tradition and all about this being the season of giving. We select a charity and give donations, we make lots of unique hand-made crafty presents, my daughters choose gifts for one another and there are gifts under the tree from mom and dad. Our family is also a Santa Claus family and our children have been raised from their very first Christmas to believe that Santa comes on Christmas Eve and places gifts under the tree too. But, now, my oldest child is starting to have doubts about Santa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This all started last year, in fact. We were at our little town's Christmas celebration. She turned to us and asked how Santa got to the celebration so quickly. For one thing, there was no sleigh or reindeer in sight and the other thing; she had seen Santa earlier in the day at a train show. Thankfully, she didn't notice that the Santas didn't look anything alike and we quickly told her that Santa travelled on his sleigh but it just wasn't nearby. She had just turned four in October so we blew it off as simple curiosity, not thinking she could possibly be truly doubting Santa at this young age. We wrapped up a wonderful Christmas in 2014 with no other questions or doubts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then came December 1st, 2015 and out came our little Elf on the Shelf (his name is Roafe). Roafe made his 2015 debut by dancing with one of our wooden figurines which allowed a solid view of his back side. And his tag. His. Tag. And moments after being reconnected with her Elf, my daughter looked up at me with puzzled eyes and asked why on Earth did this live, little man have a tag. I'm a terrible liar so my response was something along the lines of 'I have no idea' and her response was, "I think he's really a toy." Well, if he is a toy how does he fly back and forth to the North Pole and tell Santa what you want? How does he move all over the house? Yeah, that response came after I had a bit more time to think. I hoped that would be the end and we could just enjoy our little Christmas beliefs about a jolly old man and flying elves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A week later we happened to be discussing fairies. Keep in mind, my daughter's love and belief in fairies is likely stronger than Santa and the Easter Bunny combined. She used to tell us that she had fairy friends that were in her room and helped her fall asleep at night. So imagine my shock when she asked, "Are fairies real?" She actually asked the "R" question. No beating around the bush. No offer of speculation or theories. Just the question. Are they real? This time, my husband and I were both ready and responded at the same time, "The tooth fairy! Of course they're real!" She has already lost two teeth and she has two more loose right now. She looked at us and acknowledged this was clearly the truth. But, still, the next day I heard her telling her little sister that princesses aren't real. Finally, we were able to emphatically tell her that princesses are most definitely real (and could have zero guilt about the little white lies that have come with all the others).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the end, she seems to be alternating from complete belief to uncertainty. She is asking very reasonable questions or making solid statements that counter the truth. Such as the story she told us about the elf at school. They put a special seed in the Elf's snow and the next day at school "Candy canes grew WITH a WRAPPER on them." But then there are also the times I have found her having long, detailed conversations with her elf about her Christmas wishes or even what she did at school. She isn't ready to admit a full fledged disbelief and I will hold onto that for this year and hope we may even get next year, too. For one thing, I want her to hold onto the magic of Christmas. They are only small once with all the hope, delight and magic that Christmas can bring. And Santa does help all of that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a great article: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacqueline-woolley/why-the-whole-family-benefits-when-kids-believe-in-santa_b_6336940.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000037" target="_blank">Why The Whole Family Benefits When Kids Believe in Santa</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is reassuring to know it is a gradual process and it allows for some critical thinking along with the fun. At this point, I'm not ready for her to blurt it out and spoil the fun for her three year old sister. We will definitely work on making sure she knows how special it is to keep it a secret, once she does learn. But for this year (the year when I have a three and five year old) I'm going to work hard to keep it a secret from both of them. So while we were watching Goofy and they start talking about not believing in Santa on the show, you better believe Netflix suddenly "stopped working" to the point that even Daddy couldn't fix it. If she figures it out, I want her to figure it out on her own - not because someone else (or a show or movie) made her doubt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For now, I will hold onto the look on her face on Christmas morning. The moment when she steps out of her room, looks down the stairs, and sees that Santa came to visit. In that moment, I know any doubt she may have will disappear. At least for this year. And I'll know, once she does know the truth, Christmas will not really stop being magical. Because as Strega Nona says (from the book by Tomie DePaola) "Christmas has a magic of its own." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-69904284357275401532015-11-17T23:40:00.000-05:002015-11-20T22:56:42.066-05:00The Things You Never Knew You Would Say {Part 2} <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ng a mom <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">can be</span> tough<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. When kids <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">get sick it's heart wrenching. Be<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ing</span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a mom can be frustrating<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Children screaming that they don<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'t want to brus<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">h their teeth<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> at bedtime is just plain <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">aggravating. </span></span></span></span></span>Being a mot<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">her can be exhausting. </span>The sleep deprivation is like <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">no other. Being a mom is also amazing. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The love is intense<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">; that they have <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">you, and you for them. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">st of us expect all of these th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ings<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, at least to some degree. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> what I didn<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">'t expect was the hilarity that motherhood wo<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">uld <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bring. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The things k<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ids say and the things we say to the<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">m.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, I bring to you pa<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rt two of the th<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ings<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I have said to my children<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, the thing<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s that I never thought I would say<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, not ever in my life. And, of course, the inspiration behind<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> the blog name!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stop getting distracted and put on your pants, please.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did you just slip on broccoli?...Oh, don't eat it!</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where are your pants?!</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would prefer that you didn't drag your sister by <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">her</span> dress strings.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Surely you can share one carrot with your sister out of that giant pile of carrots.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is never a need to lick your pants. </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You have jelly in your eyebrows.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"> Stop throwing watermelon at your sister.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Don’t cry because your sister is throwing watermelon at you.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">If you take another bite of Play-Doh, you’re going to be all done with the Play-Doh.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">That’s why we don’t play with toys while we’re on the toilet.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You wouldn't get toothpaste in your eye if you didn't move your head so much. </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You cannot go to the bathroom with your fairy wings on because you will dip your wings in the toilet.</span></span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbBNy0dKliBdT5Wd8q79ZXyRobHxZWQK-xHZlNCEpJ8uba1L7HoWxmIMw3IptNxQa6NjEZiW6v3rW8awqlg-l2anJN8DWCur46XLOzqorSgwvtbJEAuV9WvFvYn-Ti-HkigRju1NAVv8/s1600/blogger-image--1128218109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbBNy0dKliBdT5Wd8q79ZXyRobHxZWQK-xHZlNCEpJ8uba1L7HoWxmIMw3IptNxQa6NjEZiW6v3rW8awqlg-l2anJN8DWCur46XLOzqorSgwvtbJEAuV9WvFvYn-Ti-HkigRju1NAVv8/s320/blogger-image--1128218109.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once you use your lollipop as a hair brush, we are all done with it.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't eat your lemon in the bathroom. </span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Where are your pants?</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">What have you said <span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">as a parent that you never expected? </span></span></span></b></span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";"><b> </b></span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-81034566912522743572015-08-07T22:34:00.000-04:002015-08-07T22:34:07.708-04:00Maintaining Supply While Pumping at Work {Working Moms Against Guilt} <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">World Breastfeeding Week is coming to a close and I'm sure by now most people have had their weekly fill of of breastfeeding stories and info on how to make nursing work. But, as a contributing writer for Working Moms Against Guilt I had to get in on all the fun and write a post on maintaining supply while pumping at work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was excited to learn the focus this year was Breastfeeding and Work: Let's Make It Work. Nursing a baby can be extremely challenging. Nursing and working is doubly challenging. The focus on helping mother's continue to meet their nursing goals while maintaining their career is a special and important topic to me and that was why I was happy to write about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So be sure to head on over to <a href="http://workingmomsagainstguilt.com/pumping-at-work-tips-on-supply/" target="_blank">Working Moms Against Guilt</a> to read my post! </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-8916904825775836892015-07-23T21:53:00.002-04:002015-07-24T08:57:39.279-04:009 Tips 9 Months<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite0xfFS9ICGL36GoMHCVFjY33SRXXrwjzGcr09cVJFbQsL7NvhtcuioGjGnN9X9DIM5PwbP_fJi7QrATMIj9-b0xHDgcfrt3Qxg3gsw2Z04T3aLJGNvaUmZRxrSVm_2s5X_ZT6x-leRU/s1600/DSC_0025+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEite0xfFS9ICGL36GoMHCVFjY33SRXXrwjzGcr09cVJFbQsL7NvhtcuioGjGnN9X9DIM5PwbP_fJi7QrATMIj9-b0xHDgcfrt3Qxg3gsw2Z04T3aLJGNvaUmZRxrSVm_2s5X_ZT6x-leRU/s400/DSC_0025+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nearly the moment you announce your pregnancy, you will begin to hear all kinds of advice from family, friends and strangers alike. I have learned that all this advice is usually well-intended and these advice-givers are often either passionate about the topic they're sharing or just excited for you. But that doesn't mean it's always pleasant to be the one receiving this unsolicited advice. Especially if it's way out of line with what you may have in mind for your own pregnancy or parenting style. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moms of the 21st century tend to be even less enthusiastic about advice that comes while waiting in line at the grocery store. After all, we have online articles, blog posts and tweets to turn to when we're in need of advice, right? So I was excited when I was invited to join #9tips9months with my healthy pregnancy tips from my past pregnancies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Do your research on the tests completed at prenatal visits and go to your appointments with questions about these tests. </b>There are a lot of "routine" tests completed during pregnancies. These vary from genetic screenings to early ultrasounds and everything in between. Just because these tests are available and offered, it doesn't mean you have to have them. It doesn't even mean they're necessary. I chose to limit the number of procedures I received and only completed the ones that would result in a change of my plan of care.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Flossing does a mouth a lot of good; this is especially true when you're pregnant. </b>There may be some mornings (or evenings!) that you feel so sick the best you can do is brush your teeth with plain water. Even this may gag you though. There were so many mornings that I wanted to skip brushing because it made me feel so ill. Instead of skipping it altogether though I opted to floss. In the long run, this ended up really helping my gums get stronger. During my regular dental check (a must during pregnancy) my gums didn't even bleed during my clean after all that flossing. The dental hygienist was pretty surprised since pregnancy gingivitis is so common.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Drink water!</b> Every time I
went into the midwife she would ask me how I was doing. I would tell her
something that might be bothering me. Mild cramps, headache, swelling.
Every response she had for me: Drink more water! And it really did make
me feel better.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Go on lots of dates, read romance novels and take long bubble baths. </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And anything else that you find relaxing and enjoyable. Yes, you will be able to do these things after your baby is born. Your life doesn't end and you get to enjoy the pre-baby activities you previously enjoyed. But it will never again be quite the same. There may be a little tinge of guilt for going out on a date or it may take you twice as long to read a book because you're too tired or you may have the entire family watching you take a bath. So enjoy the simple things we take for granted before having children. Not because you won't get to do them again but just because it will never be exactly the same once you are a mother.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Be mindful of the medications you take. </b>Some medications are absolutely necessary during pregnancy and many are very safe. But all medications have side effects and there are some that can cause harm. Be sure to talk with your healthcare providers about safety of medications as well as risks and benefits of taking and stopping medications. I chose to stop the medication I was taking before pregnancy (used for irritable bowel syndrome) and chose to have a birth free of pain medications to try to limit what my baby was given. Again, some medications are absolutely necessary so it's just important to have open communication when deciding on what is best for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Cervical checks are a choice. </b>During the last month of pregnancy your provider will likely offer to complete a cervical exam at each visit. Just because these are usually done, this is a choice! Having a cervical exam just for routine purposes is not a necessary part of prenatal care. It has been shown that these exams offer little to no true prediction of when a baby will be born and can have a negative impact (such as increasing risk of infection or accidentally rupturing the membranes prematurely). I only had my cervix checked for dilation and effacement when I was in active labor. Again, this may not be right for you and that's okay. But don't feel like you have to have a cervical check just to "see." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. Due dates. </b>Due dates are a very rough estimate and can vary by weeks for each woman. If you are getting close or past your expected "due" date, try your best not to fret about it. Your baby is going to be born. It will happen. The pregnancy will come to an end. My first was born 11 days after the due date and my second was born 5 days after. I knew that it was not uncommon for babies to come after the estimated due date. I chose to tell people I was due mid-October and the end of August so they didn't have an exact number when they started asking me if I had gone into labor. And I kept reminding myself that it is very common to go a full 14 days past the day estimated. This really helped me to prepare for a pregnancy that was longer than 40 weeks and not get (quite) as anxious while I waited.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Belly Size. </b>The size of your belly has nothing to do with the size of your baby. Some mamas carry big, some small. Some mamas carry high, some low. You may hear from a lot of people that your size is too big or small. Your health care provider will track your baby's growth at each visit to be sure they are growing at a typical rate. I happened to carry big. Very big. I had accepted this since I knew my babies were growing and healthy. What was very frustrating was when a man who claimed to be a father asked me if I was sure I wasn't carrying twins, even after he learned I was only a couple of days away from being 40 weeks. That's just rude. So just ignore the ignorant comments and remember your baby is growing to just the right size for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Your job is to take care of the baby, let everyone else take care of you. </b>Some
of the best advice that I ever got came from one of my midwives. She
told me it was my job to take care of my baby and to let my support
system take care of me. If you have a support system, let them be the
ones to bring you water and meals. Let them cook and clean and do
laundry. Do this for as long as it is feasible to you and your family.
You only get this time once. This is an important time to bond with your
baby but it is also a time that it is critical for your body to rest
and heal after completing the amazing journey of pregnancy and birth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Good luck, mama! Stay healthy and never hesitate to ask questions and advocate for yourself and your baby during this amazing time! </b></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What healthy pregnancy tips do you have to share? </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>#9tips9months </b></span> </b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-40249017420817333292015-06-21T03:00:00.000-04:002015-06-21T11:03:36.112-04:00Daddy's Favorites and Bests {Year Two}<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: orange;">According to his 2 and 4 year old</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To celebrate Father's Day I asked our girls a few questions to see what they believe are their dad's favorite things and some of the things he does best. Asking our children a few questions to learn their thoughts and opinions
about their dad on these topics is a super fun for Dad on Father's Day. Well, at least I hope he thinks so! We did this last year, too, when our daughter was then 3 and this is what she told us: <a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/06/daddys-favorites-and-bests.html#.VYXmb1LSmGs" target="_blank">Daddy's Favorites and Best {according to his 3 year old}</a>. Our youngest wasn't able to participate last year but this year she was able to join in on the fun. Our oldest daughter {Autumn's} responses in the purplish pink color and our youngest {Amelia's} responses are in blue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite color: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">Yellow</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Red</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">His favorite color is actually green. What's funny about this is Autumn actually got this correct last year.</span> </span></i> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite food: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">Pickles</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Pizza</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite drink</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: magenta;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">Beer!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Beer -"And my dad always let's us smell it." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favorite song: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;">Ducks Like Rain </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">"Just the songs he sings when I'm sleeping." Moon and Meatball</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chore he's best at: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">The dishes</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">"Clean up the dishes."</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best thing he makes: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">Macaroni and cheese and peanut butter and jelly </span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Pizza and pasta</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best thing he does for you:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: magenta;">Plays with me </span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Twirls me around, takes me to the mountains and takes me on bike rides</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His favorite thing to do: </span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Plays with us."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">"Play with me." </span> </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also want to share some of the things that I
think are the best things that Daddy, and <i>only</i> Daddy does, with his daughters that are so very special.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gives them and encourages them to try all kinds of food with him like pickles, smoked salmon, lemon, pickled beats, Gorgonzola and sheep cheese (for Autumn) and many, many other foods. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Takes them for fun rides on the back of his bike.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes sure there's sand in the sandbox, makes sure the hose is connected to the sprinkler and makes sure the batteries are always replaced in their toys. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fixes their car seats whenever the straps get twisted or they need to be readjusted. One of the many ways he works hard to keep the girls safe.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eats fresh tomatoes right off the vine in the vegetable garden each summer. Autumn asked that I add that she also loves eating fresh lemon leaves and mint right out of the garden with her dad too! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Takes them on the "daddy express" which are piggy bike rides quickly up the stairs (often times in order to prevent tantrums because it's time to go to bed). This way, we get giggles instead of a tantrum.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
know there are many more things than this. These are just a few of the
things that bring a smile to my face as I write thinking how lucky my
daughters are to have their Daddy. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Father's Day!!!</span></span></i> </span></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-38989119234196695782015-05-24T01:30:00.000-04:002015-05-25T15:18:45.697-04:00Sometimes, I Forget You're Only Four<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are so big. I do mean that in a physical sense. At 45 inches and 49 pounds you're in the 98th percentile for both height and weight. But it's more than your size. I mean it in the words that you say, the connections you make and the empathy for others that you already seem to have. Sometimes, you seem so much older. Sometimes, I forget you're only four.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But when I go to to check on you in the middle of the night your sweet face shows just how young you really are. A quiet sigh escapes your small lips while you clutch your Elsa doll close to your chest. Sometimes, you seem so much older. Sometimes, I forget you're only four. In a moment like this, while I watch you sleep, that's when I remember.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then you say something like, "The Earth is the only planet that we know has living things." And it's just hard to believe that you're not only learning more and more every day but you're remembering the things you're learning. This all seems to be happening so quickly and it makes me know you're needing me just a little less each day as you learn more and gain more independence. But then, while we're getting ready in the morning, you hug me around my neck and tell me, "I just want my mommy." Sometimes, you seem so much older. Sometimes, I forget you're only four. In a moment like this, when you tell me you need me, that's when I remember. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though sometimes I do still forget. Especially when you recite a specific house rule to your cousin such as the time you told her, "You have to taste everything on your plate by having three bites of each food." You certainly know all the rules. And you are happy to share them with both your cousin and your sister. You often sound more like an adult than a four year old. But, sometimes, you forget to follow the rules and you get told no or to stop. This causes you to slam your body on the ground and kick your arms and legs and scream. I get frustrated that a child at your age still acts like this. Because, well, sometimes you seem so much older. Sometimes, I forget you're only four. In a moment like this, when you have a temper tantrum, that's when I remember. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can become so upset and irrational in a flip of a switch during a tantrum. But in the very next moment I can hear y</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ou trying to explain death to your sister by telling her, "When you die you don't do anything. You just lay down with God." I hear you
say that and it takes my breath away. Did you hear that from someone
else or piece it together on your own from the bits you have learned
from watching ones that you love pass away? I'm not sure. But the tender
age of four seems far too young to say something like that, even if you
are only reciting it from something you have heard before. Thankfully,
these serious moments are few and far between.</span> In the next minute someone could say the words "poopy butt" and you would laugh like it's the funniest and most creative joke that was ever told. Your laughter is so pure and full of youth, even if it's only over the words poopy butt. Sometimes, you seem so much older. Sometimes, I forget you're only four.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In a moment like this, when you laugh hysterically over potty talk, that's when I remember. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZir_UOkwJlYrPenTrg9xcS3tE-9zsAvID6d-CbYJjKhs79QDk7mEu7FAPAeIRbf-D3Prw6-qb_yhlj7qa7Q9Q2GgpT3iryMtqhwFi3f9_uNGDqdsfZ2AOx03gDweUFWr7pgqEKHhr0P4/s1600/blogger-image-1069898401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZir_UOkwJlYrPenTrg9xcS3tE-9zsAvID6d-CbYJjKhs79QDk7mEu7FAPAeIRbf-D3Prw6-qb_yhlj7qa7Q9Q2GgpT3iryMtqhwFi3f9_uNGDqdsfZ2AOx03gDweUFWr7pgqEKHhr0P4/s320/blogger-image-1069898401.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I often find myself wondering where the time has gone. How did I blink and you are already four-and-a half? I will watch you periodically and remember a time, not so long ago, when you were just a small baby in my arms. Or a toddler learning how to walk and talk. Now, you are tall, rarely needing to be held and you have an ever-expanding vocabulary. While you're only four, you just seem so big.Then you remind me of just how small you really are on the days you do your own hair. You add a random assortment of hair clips and head bands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1211689548"></span><span id="goog_1211689549"></span>On this occasion you chose a Frozen hair clip, both a Christmas and Halloween clip, an owl and a fluffy purple clip. You look fantastic every time. What I love about it is that you absolutely love doing your own hair. It makes you feel pretty and grown-up. And it gives me a chance to remember just how little you really are. Even though you can easily recite the details from our vacation over a year ago. Or tell me the directions to someone's house. Or the time months ago that you accidentally dropped a hair clip in the toilet. Or, really, any other random detail that I'm not entirely certain I would remember if you didn't remind me. I can't help but think sometimes you seem older than four with that impeccable memory of yours. It also doesn't help that you have a little sister. Each day I see you both getting bigger. But at least I have a littler one than you. I guess you seem bigger because I look at your sister today and remember when you were just as little as she is now. I just keep thinking that you seem to be growing up so fast. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Sometimes, you seem so much older. Sometimes, I really do forget you're only four. Just yesterday you came downstairs wearing your fairy wings. Those wings remind me: You definitely are still my little girl. I can't stop time. I can't (nor would I want to) keep you from growing taller, learning new things and saying amazing things that make my heart skip a beat. But every time you do those things you remind me that each of these moments are short. Soon you will be off to preschool and before I know it, you will then be off to college. While there certainly are tough moments of age four, there are many more wonderful moments. These are the beginning moments of learning and creativity. These are the moments of cuddling stuffed animals and needing your parents with your every being. These are the moments of not being too big for tantrums. These are the moments of wearing twenty colorful hair clips and fairy wings outside to play. These are the moments of age four. These moments won't be here forever. And I don't want to forget that, today, you're only four. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-40292846299839757672015-05-13T21:56:00.000-04:002015-05-13T21:56:58.728-04:00Cloth Diapering: My 6 Steps<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cloth diapering really isn't that hard...no, really, it isn't!! It just take some practice and flexibility. I've been cloth diapering for almost 3 years and the way I do it today is nothing like I did it when my biggest girl still fit in the crook of my arm (or in size small diapers!). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There are so many different styles and options when it comes to cloth diapering. I can't make any promises that I would have been so successful if my cloth diapering included sharp pins and plastic pants. Today, cloth diapering is all about choices; how many layers do you want, snaps or Velcro, and if you can dream the color - you can have it. And this might be hard to believe, but I have far fewer diaper blowouts in cloth than I do in disposables. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here are my 6 steps to cloth diapering:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) Brand selection</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) What you need</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3) Where to purchase</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4) Cleaning</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5) Flexibility</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">6) Special tips </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you think cloth diapering may be for you, please read on for details on my 6 steps!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Step 1) <b><span style="background-color: #e06666;">Brand Selection</span></b>: We use gdiapers and the reason for this is quite simple. A friend of mine used them. She showed me them and gave me a few tips. Easy enough choice. I was lucky I didn't have to do hours upon hours of research for brand selection. But if you don't have a friend with a success story there are tons of blog posts and reviews on many different styles of diapers. I've never used any other brand so I don't have an opinion on the others but I have a feeling they are most likely pretty comparable in functionality and price. So just start your diaper search and plan for hours of research. Or you just go with gdiapers. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqejua8dlrBQVjKDeaE7k6sHtLjLANvH976TfHIJqrKNu27upqk8KT7v8OVTEWgsfvHW60n6mZYs4EdlGxoP60DxOou4ACoS0Ru8N13UsZ7um0JCPvoVlCOk6PIKeRnZX3lzx9uiZlTsc/s1600/DSC_0270+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqejua8dlrBQVjKDeaE7k6sHtLjLANvH976TfHIJqrKNu27upqk8KT7v8OVTEWgsfvHW60n6mZYs4EdlGxoP60DxOou4ACoS0Ru8N13UsZ7um0JCPvoVlCOk6PIKeRnZX3lzx9uiZlTsc/s1600/DSC_0270+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around 4 weeks old in size small g pants</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Step 2) <b><span style="background-color: #e06666;">What you need</span></b>: You have picked your brand and now it's time to start shopping. Prepare for the start-up cost to be a couple hundred dollars (and just remind yourself of all of the reasons you made this choice!).<br />
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Here's your shopping list:</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">~Minimum of 6-8 diapers: </span><span style="font-size: small;">For me these are g pants. Since gdiapers come in size small through extra large we have 8 in each size except for extra large we only have 2 since our toddler is day time potty trained and only wears a "sleep diaper" now. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">~ Plastic snap-in liners: I recommend 2 snap-in liners for every g pant plus 2. i.e. for 8 g pants I have at least 18 snap-in liners. Please note - not all brands have this middle layer. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> ~ Inserts: This is the part of the diaper that actually catches everything. I recommend combo of cloth and disposable inserts. With gdiapers the disposable inserts can be composted (pee only), flushed, or thrown in the trash if you are outside of the home. We buy these by the case. Then I also have 12 gdiaper brand cloth inserts and about 8 Gerber brand that were home sewn (by a friend) to fit gdiapers. Now that the baby is older we all use the g cloth liners (these go over top cloth inserts) and make clean-up much easier! </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlxQVxdcZBdvT3xJ42jdRUzPb6IrIkdgCfVST_HGaw1YTIsIu_xw7T5OZPZRQfxVarCfjYb60td_wQz0M5fKoVoPAajlsbX-F92UuE2XDjBCRZJ4Jaa_K8qeJ5KV_KPijzykW9_-hlqk/s640/blogger-image--1345620688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlxQVxdcZBdvT3xJ42jdRUzPb6IrIkdgCfVST_HGaw1YTIsIu_xw7T5OZPZRQfxVarCfjYb60td_wQz0M5fKoVoPAajlsbX-F92UuE2XDjBCRZJ4Jaa_K8qeJ5KV_KPijzykW9_-hlqk/s400/blogger-image--1345620688.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Everything you need can be seen here on my changing table</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Left Back: disposable inserts </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Left Front: assembled g pants + </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> extra un-assembled pants </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Center: extra snap-in liners and seventh generation disposables</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Right Front: cloth inserts</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Right Back: g cloth liners</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Step 3)<b> <span style="background-color: #e06666;">Where to Purchase</span></b>: When we first started using gdiapers the majority of my purchases of the g pants and accessories were at <a href="http://gdiapers.com/" target="_blank">gdiapers.com.</a> I bought some g pants and most of my disposable inserts at the local baby superstore. Nowadays our local stores seem to be phasing gdiapers out of their product line-up so I haven't had much luck with store purchases recently. I usually order something from <a href="http://amazon.com/" target="_blank">amazon.com</a> at least monthly anyway so it was pretty convenient to start shopping for my diapers there. Amazon has a much lower minimum purchase requirement for free shipping than <a href="http://gdiapers.com/" target="_blank">gdiapers.com</a> so that became my next favorite. You can also sign up for recurring purchases through Amazon and save a couple dollars but this never worked well for us (we always seemed to find ourselves with either an abundance or too few diaper inserts at any given time).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My favorite online shop now is <a href="http://diapers.com/" target="_blank">diapers.com</a> because you only have to have a $35 minimum purchase for free shipping and shipment is 2 days. I also subscribe to gdiapers e-mail and like gdiapers on Facebook so I'm always aware of sales, new products, or promotions. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Step 4) <b><span style="background-color: #e06666;">Cleaning</span></b>: Figuring out the easiest and most practical way to clean cloth diapers is something I <i>have </i>spent hours upon hours researching. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's what I use to clean my diapers: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">~ A sprayer that attaches to the toilet for cleaning. It seriously makes the process immensely easier! Just do an Amazon search. It cost around $50 and took my husband about 3 minutes to install. These things get a LOT of use and reviews of the most popular brands have reports of them wearing out. I'm already on my 2nd one. Check the details but most companies will replace them so just save your package materials. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">~ Five gallon plastic bucket from the hardware store kept by the potty. No, it's not the fanciest thing but it's cheap and functional. Mine in in a corner and not super noticeable. There is some odor associated with the bucket and I have read others use a wet/dry bag so the diapers can "breathe" and there's less odor. It is often trial and error of what you prefer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">~ A wet/dry bag to keep in the nursery in which to put the compost-able diapers. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After the diaper change: If it's a disposable pee only I toss it in my compost bag and if the liner or pant is soiled with pee I just hang them over the side of the hamper to air dry and then wash with all the rest of the clothes. For poopy ones I take it directly to the bathroom and spray off any poo and as much pee as possible and then toss them in the bucket until it's full for laundry day. If you're going to flush the disposable inserts you'll also want to keep a swivel stick by the potty. We store ours in our toilet brush holder. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On Laundry Day(s):</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I used to wash ALL the diaper layers in their own separate diaper load. But for the 5 months that I had 2 kids in diapers I was doing far too much diaper laundry and it suddenly occurred to me...all of their clothes are covered in pee, poop, spit-up, and who knows what else so I just started washing the snap-in liners and 'lightly' soiled pants with the regular laundry (as mentioned above) but I still choose to do the cloth inserts and poopy snap-in liners in their own load. I've had the most success by the following method:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you think you have a small load of diapers use enough water for a medium load; if you have a medium load then use enough water for a large load, etc. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Then do:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">- cool rinse</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-warm wash using just your regular free and clear laundry detergent (no specialized and expensive cloth diaper detergent required!)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-cool rinse (ensures all detergent out of diapers)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's all it takes to clean them!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5) <b><span style="background-color: #e06666;">Flexibility</span></b>: As a working mom it has always been important to me to be flexible with cloth diapering by knowing that there are times that I will still use disposable diapers and I certainly don't beat myself up about choosing to combo diaper in this way. The majority of the time we cloth diaper. At home we primarily use cloth inserts with the g cloth liners over top. Once your baby starts on solids these top liners are an amazing feature to help with easy clean-up. For sleep we always use disposable inserts because the cloth inserts just don't cut it for our heavy wetters while sleeping. We're very lucky that the girls go to an in-home child care setting (and the provider happens to be my closest girlfriend) so she has been completely open to cloth diapering. She uses the gdiaper disposable inserts and even sends home the pee only ones so we can put them in our compost. And we use our cloth diapers most of the time when we are out and about, as well. We just keep a wet dry bag in the diaper bag at all times. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But there are the the times that we grab a disposable instead. We use seventh generation diapers (which are definitely our favorite disposable). The truth is that sometimes I get behind on my laundry and I need to use a few disposables while I get them washed. Also, when I have a sick kid with diarrhea I opt for alternating between cloth and disposable. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We also chose to use disposables while in an airplane flying across the country or going to the pumpkin patch where there are only port-a-potties. I'm really okay with those choices. We have also successfully cloth diapered every single time we have gone on vacation - including camping at 7 months, hiking through the woods multiple times, 4 hour road trips, and while 3000 miles away from home.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">6) <span style="background-color: #e06666;"><b>Special Tip</b><span style="background-color: white;">: </span></span>The biggest mistakes I have made while cloth diapering was using bleach and vinegar as cleaners - both of which wear out the plastic liners. I didn't use bleach regularly; only when they were badly stained but it dramatically shortened their life. </span></span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fit Tips</span></span></b></u><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">: </span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-After putting the diaper on lift the edge that goes around the leg and make sure the snap-in liner is laying in the groin right where undies would lay. Otherwise, the baby will get nasty red lines on her legs.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">-My kids didn't last long in size small g pants but when we tried medium on them they were HUGE. We learned an awesome tip of using the medium g pant but the small liners and inserts. These were a perfect fit!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The snap-in liners stretch out relatively quickly (average length of use is 9-12 months) but the g pants last a long, long time. The Velcro and snaps may wear out but you can get a repair kit from <a href="http://gdiapers.com/">gdiapers.com</a>. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cN0DY0BiSloiI64d9twxHPDj-_OC3unsrVs6vf54z1wcKLFhYV8I9WZ_XPNXxK01DdFTV1kClgZbXTMop7TjI5y0OuhPLSrTatDB44PJmRosnDm4q9JLsnFZJlb9KoKR0l29I0ELRI4/s1600/blogger-image--295907693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-cN0DY0BiSloiI64d9twxHPDj-_OC3unsrVs6vf54z1wcKLFhYV8I9WZ_XPNXxK01DdFTV1kClgZbXTMop7TjI5y0OuhPLSrTatDB44PJmRosnDm4q9JLsnFZJlb9KoKR0l29I0ELRI4/s1600/blogger-image--295907693.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">These diapers were worn by 3 girls and then handed down to us from my husband's co-worker. They're now on our second girl. Sure, the Velcro was replaced by purple and black thread, the gs are falling off, and the leg holes are stretched out. But they still work just fine and we also plan to pass them down. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you do go with g diapers their website has great info and videos on sizing, loading, flushing, and much more. <span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So that's absolutely everything I know about cloth diapers! If there are any experienced cloth diapering mamas out there reading this, please share any tips or advice you have learned. Even though I've been cloth diapering for nearly 3 years I'm always looking for ways to improve it. Also - please feel free to ask any questions if you are planning to cloth diaper! Other moms asking questions is how I learned most of the above! </span></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-60440747498456557852015-05-06T23:17:00.003-04:002015-05-06T23:17:44.948-04:00Now A Contributing Writer!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am thrilled to share that I am now a regular contributor to the working mom blog, <a href="http://workingmomsagainstguilt.com/" target="_blank">Working Moms Against Guilt</a></span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been following this blog for quite sometime and to actually be a part of it now is so, so exciting!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It all started when I wrote about a common struggle I have about going out on date nights. Despite my desire to want to go out on a date, I still had a lot of guilt about out</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wrote <a href="http://workingmomsagainstguilt.com/" target="_blank">I Still struggle With Date Night</a></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as a guest contributor and soon after that, I became a regular contributor. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wrote my first official post as a contributor, <a href="http://workingmomsagainstguilt.com/childhood-dreams/" target="_blank">Dream As Big As A Child </a>last month and I 'm having a blast writing for this site. I look forward to writing many more posts about motherhood, especially the guilt that is often associated with mommy life. I hope you will follow along with me on this new journey! </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-58546473395393201732015-04-26T23:08:00.000-04:002015-04-26T23:08:06.083-04:00Back In The Day<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2537" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2536" style="font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2535">A version of this phrase was uttered by my 4 year old
recently, although her version of it was ‘Back in those days.’ It reminded me
of the times we would hear about grandfathers talking about back in their day
when they walked to school barefoot in the snow, uphill <i>both</i> ways. With my parents it was things such as cars without
seat belts, smoking anywhere and everywhere (including hospitals!) black and
white TV and having your telephone line shared with at least 3 other families.
It got me wondering what are some of the things I will say to my kids about
what I had <b>back in my day.</b></span></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2540" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2539" style="font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2538"><b>Bar soap</b>: My home
was built in the '50s and both the bathroom sink and bath tub have a little
rectangular spot to place your bar of soap. Something that there is little chance my children will ever use since the wonderful invention of liquid hand
soap and body wash. Never will they have the experience of the slimy bar of
soap with hairs from someone else’s body stuck all over it. </span></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2543" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2542" style="font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2541"><b>Projector Screens: </b>Today,
you just connect your lap top to the flat screen TV and go through your Power
Point presentation. At least, I’m guessing that’s the way it is. I've been out of college for almost 10 years and I'm guessing a <b>lot </b>has changed in that time. Maybe now each
child just gets e-mailed the presentation and they look at it together on their
individual iPads. I’m sure the current set-up has plenty of technical difficulties
but they don't include burnt out light bulbs or someone using a permanent
marker directly on the glass with a foul word or picture. </span></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2546" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2545" style="font-size: small;"><span id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2544"><b>Phones with Cords: </b>Most
of us don’t even have land lines these days but, if you do, they are almost all
cordless phones. I have still seen phones with cords in some places of business
(including at my own job) and places like schools. It’s hard to imagine cords with phones will remain even in those locations for much longer.</span></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2478" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2480" style="font-size: small;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2479"><b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2570">Dial-up Internet</b>:
My husband and I now get upset if the internet is even running slowly or if we
have to go restart it. We now have a complete expectation to
not only have internet access everywhere we go, but to have it <i>fast. </i>Even though we were raised in a
generation that you had to wait for the connection every time you wanted to chat online and you could only connect <i>if</i> your mom wasn’t talking on the
phone (which could last hours!). I think in the end this is a valuable lesson in
patience. Maybe it’s a good thing, after all, that our service does need to be
restarted periodically just to remind us we are in a much better time.</span></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2476" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2475" style="font-size: small;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2474"><b id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2473">Watching shows when
they air: </b>There was once a time that we needed to know what day and time a
show was going to air so we could make plans to be home to watch it.
Eventually, we were able to at least plan to ask our parents to put a tape in
and record it if we were running late. But we all know the success rate of VHS
recorded shows is comparable to that of recording songs of the radio. </span></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2500" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2499" style="font-size: small;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2498"></span></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2455" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2454" style="font-size: small;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2453"><b id="yui_3_16_0_1_1430102738861_2569">Newspapers and mail</b>:
Right now, newspapers do still come in print and mail is delivered 6 days a
week. But at the rate we’re going, I’m not sure how much longer this is going
to last. Kids are reading textbooks on their iPads and a postage stamp is 48
cents with the constant threat that the prices will rise and weekend
delivery will cease. My kids are still quite young so I’m betting both of these
will be a thing of the past by the time they are writing their own story of
things from their childhood. </span></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2464" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2463" style="font-size: small;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2462"><b id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2472">Walking family to the
gate at the airport: </b>This one is pretty sad for me. There’s something really special about
being able to walk with your loved one to the gate and then waving to them as
they board and then watching the
plane take-off. It’s just not as special when you say your goodbyes right
before you remove your shoes. I hope maybe this one will change someday.</span></span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2439">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></div>
<div id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2469" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="yiv7117139067yui_3_16_0_1_1429120949591_2470" style="font-size: small;">This all leaves me wondering what things will my children be
telling their children? Will they tell them there used to be cars that ran on only gasoline, that
people used to smoke cigarettes and maybe, even, that there used to be world
issues like people being homeless and hungry. Whatever it is, I’m sure the
newest generation is going to invent, prevent and eradicate some pretty great
things.</span></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-77238789455694890362015-04-10T23:21:00.002-04:002015-04-26T23:09:26.108-04:00Preparing Kids For Swim Lessons {Guest Post} <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Summer is just around the corner, which means there will be lots of swimming at local pools and trips to the beach for many of us. I have a guest post from Kaitlin who writes for </i><a href="http://www.anappleperday.com/" target="_blank">An Apple Per Day</a> <i>sharing some of her tips for pool safety and getting kids started in the water.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When our boys were little, I had a lot of
items to plan and think about. One of them was swim lessons. Our family would
be going on beach vacations, and some day I want to own a house with a pool.
More than anything, I wanted to ensure my kids were safe around the water. So I
talked with the kids when it was time for swim lessons.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Start with the fun</b>. I had a lot of great
times when I was growing up, hanging out with my friends at the community pool.
I knew that payoff would grab the attention of my boys, so that’s where I
started. I told them that when they learned how to swim they opened a whole
world of enjoyment, and that they would have as much fun as I did when I was a
kid. They were intrigued when I talked in those terms. I wanted the whole water
experience to stay positive, so I talked up that part a lot. Here are some
great resources with more thoughts about kids and swim</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">lessons:</span>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">● <a href="http://blog.poolproducts.com/swimming-pool-safety-building-layers-of-protection/" target="_blank">Swimming Pool Safety: Layers of Protection</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">● <a href="http://www.anappleperday.com/pool-safety-for-kids/" target="_blank">Pool Safety For Kids: Everything You Need To Know</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">● <a href="http://pool.ro/2012/09/how-to-teach-a-petrified-kid-not-to-be-afraid-of-water/" target="_blank">How To Teach A Petrified Kid Not To Be Afraid Of Water</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Don’t scare them</b>. It’s just a reality that
there are inherent dangers with being around the water. I didn’t want to the
boys scared of the water, so I had to be diplomatic when I talked about my
safety concerns. I told them that I wanted to have them learn how to swim
correctly, so they could have the most fun. I also wanted them to learn how to
keep themselves safe in the water – like always swimming with a buddy, and
following pool rules which were intended to keep them safe, while having a good
experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Don’t tell, show</b>. My older son was a natural
water baby, so he was ready for lessons as soon as he could start. I had
explained to him what the basic stroke was, and swung my arms in a basic crawl
motion to show him what he would be learning. But I knew that he’d get a much
better idea of what a class involved if I showed him. I had checked with the
swim school I planned to use, and they were glad to have us sit on the
sidelines to watch a lesson. As we watched the instructor take the kids through
a series of exercises to learn the same movement I’d been showing him, I
quietly explained what that motion would allow him to do. He was smiling and
excited, and I knew he was ready.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Kids are different</b>. My younger son was a lot
more hesitant about the whole water experience, which I could tell when he was
nervous and anxious as a baby during bath time. I had to assure him more, and
reinforce the ultimate payoff – the fun of the water – before he became convinced
about the whole process. I didn’t take him to the swim lesson initially. We
just sat down and I asked him how he felt about swimming. He said he was
concerned, and I could see anxiety in his eyes. I finally got him to say what
worried him, and he said he didn’t know if he would be as good at swimming as
his brother. We talked more, and I assured him it was not a comparison, but we
just wanted him to enjoy the water. After several
of these discussions, he was finally ready to hear what swim strokes were
about, and from there we sat in on a class, and he was ready to take lessons. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As I watch the boys in the water, I smile at
how relaxed and confident they are, and what strong swimmers they have become.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Kaitlin Gardner</b> started </span></i><a href="http://www.anappleperday.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">An Apple Per Day</span></a><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> to
explore her passion for a green living lifestyle, and healthy family</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> living. She and her husband have just moved
to rural Pennsylvania, where they enjoy exploring the countryside to discover
interesting and out</span> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">of
the way places. She is also learning how to paint watercolors</span>.</i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-47883053828309034202015-03-28T22:31:00.002-04:002015-04-21T22:28:15.759-04:00Being Accepting, Including of Barbie<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyQvVTNRhkmIqSf8uuKPrLw2Pqdev9LQE3PUgE37z53KDICLSjrpWNmnQjFUndEZjJclGBaz6LOOOWIHTHWxzaSs5fEnhOtNMx1WuKUf4AiowP9yke2di94daxFKQoziXin9G76kvdTE/s640/blogger-image-1615786513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyQvVTNRhkmIqSf8uuKPrLw2Pqdev9LQE3PUgE37z53KDICLSjrpWNmnQjFUndEZjJclGBaz6LOOOWIHTHWxzaSs5fEnhOtNMx1WuKUf4AiowP9yke2di94daxFKQoziXin9G76kvdTE/s400/blogger-image-1615786513.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For about the first two years of my daughter's life, I chose all of her toys. Well, me and our other family and friends that purchased toys for her. And almost every single one of those toys were gender neutral. I don't really think this was intentional. After all, there were lots of different people making purchases during those first birthdays, Christmases and so on. In those first two years, we don't really know specifically what a baby is going to like so gender neutral toys are a common choice. There were all different kinds of blocks and stacking toys. Puzzles and books. And lots of Little People. Because what kid doesn't love zoo and farm animals or a school bus? The only exception to this is we did begin a collection of baby dolls around age one. But even without dolls, her teddy bears and other stuffed animals had already become her babies. Or her "sweeties" as she called them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The more I think about it though, it wasn't just about the toys. My daughter got her first real illness (a GI bug) when she was 15 months old. That's when she saw her very first full length movie. She watched <i>Happy Feet </i>because she loves penguins. But it didn't stop there with gender neutral movies. The next ones she watched were <i>Nemo, The Lion King </i>and<i> The Lorax. </i>Not a single princess movie in sight. And, truthfully, this was not an accident. In no way did I feel the need to feed my very young daughter movies about getting saved by and then married to a handsome prince. I had intentions of limiting princesses as much as I possibly could so that I did not have a princess-obsessed daughter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Until my daughter came home from daycare and she was talking all about Cinderella and Aurora, Belle and more. She was learning about all of the princesses from her BFF at daycare. She spent all day with this little princess-obsessed girl and there was nothing I was going to be able to do or say to stop her interest (and love) for princesses from growing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I didn't fight it. This is what she was interested in so I accepted it. Embraced it, really. I even bought <i>Frozen. </i>Because, really, how could I have resisted the Frozen craze? My oldest was Elsa and my youngest was Anna for Halloween last year. My idea. Then they both enjoyed a lovely performance of Disney Princesses on Ice. It was fun, and they loved every minute of it. We are now the owners of not only <i>Frozen, </i>but also <i>Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, </i>and <i>Tangled </i>along with a few <i>TinkerBell </i>movies. We fell into our princess entrenched lives. Almost every day, the girls come home from daycare and change into dresses so they can play princess together. We officially have princess-obsessed girls and I have completely accepted this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I was still not quite prepared for Barbie at age four. However, my daughter's friend (also age four) asked for a Barbie house for Christmas. My daughter heard her describe it and she wanted one too. Now, I don't give in to my children's every wish but this was the <i>only </i>item she was asking for last Christmas. And she never changed her mind. That was the one thing she wanted. I had hoped to hold off on Barbie a little longer, but I also believe in Christmas magic. I bought the house (be it the less expensive vacation home version) and a few dolls. I also went to my crawl space and pulled out a few on my own Barbie dolls that I had saved and a bag of clothes. Christmas was magical, just as you can imagine. Today, she tells people her favorite Christmas gift was not the house, but her mom's old dolls. Inside that old bag of clothes of mine was a Barbie wedding dress. She has seen the pictures of her dad and me on our wedding and knew all about weddings. She asked for a boy Barbie right away. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And here we are at Easter already. As I went down the toy aisle at Target, I looked for items my girls would want to fill their Easter baskets. And I came across Ken. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TuKCvWiKqIzLaygr-34BYWAHdl0zbPGHyZ7QHrzCSRMO1p6OgXImhph1Xv7_eqO1Pu-lSfFzbiHu5oLxvkLlARbU-iWaerNa1bLmN-eG1vqU6gmjT84oItYCEaVvhN6I9SmyMspar6g/s640/blogger-image-1680555693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TuKCvWiKqIzLaygr-34BYWAHdl0zbPGHyZ7QHrzCSRMO1p6OgXImhph1Xv7_eqO1Pu-lSfFzbiHu5oLxvkLlARbU-iWaerNa1bLmN-eG1vqU6gmjT84oItYCEaVvhN6I9SmyMspar6g/s400/blogger-image-1680555693.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I couldn't help but cringe as I placed him in my cart. Here I am, encouraging my daughter to play marriage with dolls with the most perfect of hair and smallest of waists. And if she isn't playing marriage, she is dressing her Barbies in gowns to go to the ball to meet the price. And so I placed this in my cart too.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkepeKGyVBjfFMVRYuDY39_QMnc4BRaXNUijL3w6U_pGaV0GFMcy0zj11KQ_Z5STdohx4qRUS51Tfou3rKCIz3p6Mn3S9TNa5wMMxw3A5B8xAjonRHri0YJNi5vU6RC9Ma2FI_XbON9o/s640/blogger-image--852501290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkepeKGyVBjfFMVRYuDY39_QMnc4BRaXNUijL3w6U_pGaV0GFMcy0zj11KQ_Z5STdohx4qRUS51Tfou3rKCIz3p6Mn3S9TNa5wMMxw3A5B8xAjonRHri0YJNi5vU6RC9Ma2FI_XbON9o/s400/blogger-image--852501290.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And I cringed again. Not just for the short skirt or stiletto heels that complete the ensemble. But for the fact that I was encouraging this play by purchasing it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It never bothers me when my daughters play house with their baby dolls and one pretends to be the mom and the other the dad. But yet I was once resistant to characters in distress on a screen. And now I'm cringing at the idea of these little plastic dolls in their hands. But this is what she likes. This is what makes her happy. Who am I to not encourage and accept it? This is the whole of who she is. For now, she may be influenced by the toys her friends like. Or she might just really like dressing these dolls and using her imagination. Either way, it's fantastic fine motor practice. And it's highly unlikely she will grow up thinking that being saved by a man is her destiny. I certainly didn't. Despite my love for princesses and Barbie dolls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My oldest daughter's Easter basket this year will contain Ken and ball gowns for Barbie. And it will also include a sketch book to fill with her drawings and those ball and Velcro catchers because she absolutely loves baseball. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-sQLEMG8X0SkE11Bo3PCKxARLfkMGLeDEHcNM0XnJYaSPnXmGi_2mTYbYAcwKu6paaGAXSC7H1MyYZlTrXL4KM9VX7LRbFIgkEKOouzS37YALk6mwUr_sSDQsbrVE4JyQ0h0CjUNaWc/s1600/blogger-image--1718943816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid-sQLEMG8X0SkE11Bo3PCKxARLfkMGLeDEHcNM0XnJYaSPnXmGi_2mTYbYAcwKu6paaGAXSC7H1MyYZlTrXL4KM9VX7LRbFIgkEKOouzS37YALk6mwUr_sSDQsbrVE4JyQ0h0CjUNaWc/s1600/blogger-image--1718943816.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My youngest daughter's Easter basket will have a Thomas activity book and wooden train because that's her thing this year. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQWk4tKITJ9kpVKEcOWBQDvoAUSrwOz-aUmXe0fXdOuTuwyzT6zfbl9f2Fuv1AFYC6mjpzFDikHTwT3R8V2l_awHjVApyvd04mgMXr1zKCvWBGBEPspi0A0luFxljxQAmo1Mn-E9W-QU/s1600/blogger-image-1132872264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQWk4tKITJ9kpVKEcOWBQDvoAUSrwOz-aUmXe0fXdOuTuwyzT6zfbl9f2Fuv1AFYC6mjpzFDikHTwT3R8V2l_awHjVApyvd04mgMXr1zKCvWBGBEPspi0A0luFxljxQAmo1Mn-E9W-QU/s1600/blogger-image-1132872264.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They are both at an age now where they get to choose what they watch (when given TV time) and what to play with. These happen to include gender neutral toys as well as toys that are targeted specifically towards<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> girls and specifically towards boys. And I'm proud to be raising girls that see no limitation to what they can watch or play with. Or where their imaginations can go. That perspective is what's really going to influence their future. Not fairy tales or pretend marriages.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">My oldest enjoys playing with Barbie dolls but she also has a book about space that she carries around like a teddy bear. My youngest loves trains but also adores TinkerBell. They will both play in the mud and let bugs crawl on their arms and they will almost always be dressed like a princess or a fairy while doing this. I may still cringe, just a little, at Barbie's clothing of choice while she's on her search for a man. But I also accept that my little girls have an imagination and a choice all of their own. And I would never want to restrict that</span>.</span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-86308130296042694042015-03-18T08:03:00.001-04:002015-04-23T22:10:09.676-04:006 Advantages of Not Being a First Born<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrrgFb5xat00fX2wqrCa1p60sWuGAx11N7xBqnUzNZkfxj02J4T9a5N1JjxK_pvoqrgX18PzLPFEhS77GmwZU_OUs7qRbKVMIa8-mt-PxncYLe_lzxhyphenhyphenHBTFRrP2Z9aP2iSASO5E5Jv4/s1600/DSC_0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrrgFb5xat00fX2wqrCa1p60sWuGAx11N7xBqnUzNZkfxj02J4T9a5N1JjxK_pvoqrgX18PzLPFEhS77GmwZU_OUs7qRbKVMIa8-mt-PxncYLe_lzxhyphenhyphenHBTFRrP2Z9aP2iSASO5E5Jv4/s1600/DSC_0647.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>We often hear
about how the first child initially gets the parents’ undivided attention, a
baby book filled with specific details as each milestone is met and,
apparently, much cleaner pacifiers. But there are several advantages of not
being a first born.</b></span></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">1. Less time spent conducting parental
research</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I wish I
could have gotten paid for the amount of time I have spent researching
child-related topics. Before they’re even born, I spent hours on <i>Consumer Reports </i>searching out the best
crib, car seat, etc and then there is an immense amount of things to choose such
as a birthing center, pediatrician and daycare. You, hopefully, get all of
these things resolved before the baby comes and you get a break from research
mode. And you do get to focus on the baby instead of researching the different
colors and textures of baby poop, right? Before you know it, a new stage comes
and you realize you have absolutely no idea how to introduce solids or begin
the potty training process. With the next child; the crib and car seat are handed
down and this baby is going to go to the same doctors and schools. As crazy at
it seems, this opens up a fair amount of free time. Number 2 may not get as much one on one time with mom and dad, but we’re also not spending hours on
research and trying to learn that size 3 month baby clothes typically fit a
baby under 3 months old. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2. More TV time.</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">No matter
what amount of television your first child watches, chances are, your second
child is going to watch more. My first didn’t watch much TV at all until her
sister was born. During my maternity leave, I let my toddler watch Sesame
Street every morning. This was for my survival. And theirs. You can hold off on
TV for a while, but once it’s introduced, it’s not as easy to take it away. So,
the younger child is getting far more doses of screen time and at a younger
age. And I am quite sure as she watches Frozen for the hundredth time, she is
quite happy about this.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">3. Sweet treats</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When we went
trick-or-treating with our first when she was 1 year old we went to a few neighbors’ houses
and collected a little candy. For a couple nights, my toddler got to enjoy them
and then the rest magically disappeared. This does not go over so easily with a
3 year old. She knew she went to more houses and she wants the goods! And when the
3 year old is demanding the M&Ms she worked so hard to get, you know the
little sibling is going to do the same. Again, you’re not going to hear any
complaints from the child as the chocolate is running down her face.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">4. More enrichment activities.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">These can be
as simple as home-made crafts or helping with meal prep. Once the older child
is doing these exciting activities, the younger child doesn’t want to be left
out of this fun. And for this, I became eternally thankful for washable paints.
</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">5. More night-time snuggles.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We did a
little time “crying it out” with our first child. I also made absolute certain
to put her straight to bed as soon as she was finished with her last feed of
the day (because I fed into the belief that I might spoil her at bedtime and
she would never be able to go to sleep on her own if I rocked her to sleep). With our second, I was
terrified that the baby’s cries would wake her older sibling and then we would
have two tired, screaming children on our hands. So when those cries began to
escalate, there was no hesitation in holding, hushing and rocking her. Anything
to make sure big sis stayed snoozing. I was also much less afraid of spoiling
my littlest baby. I figured they’re only small enough to hold in your lap for
so long and if I did spoil her, I would work through that later. I have spent
endless hours just snuggling my sleeping baby (and now toddler) and I have no
regrets.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">6. A little more confidence. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">No matter how
prepared I thought I was with all that research I mentioned, it didn’t quite
prepare me for parenthood. I wasn’t totally lacking for confidence but, like
many parents, I wasn’t always certain I was doing it right. Okay, I’m still not
certain I’m doing it right. And I know I’m definitely not doing it all right
all of the time. But, at least the second time around, I have an idea of this
parenting thing and I have begun to learn what might work and what definitely does
<i>not </i>work for our family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>It might be
true that the second child mostly has hand-me-down clothes that are covered in
stains made by their older sibling, you are constantly calling the child by the
wrong name and there are a few hundred less pictures and videos. But the second
child really does have some pretty awesome advantages.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>What did I miss? What are some other
advantages of not being a first born? <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-81430799656408178532015-03-14T21:56:00.000-04:002015-03-15T22:09:42.266-04:00The First Weaning Story (Part II)<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Welcome back to my first weaning story! Click here to see<a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-first-weaning-story-part-i.html#.VPd7wCzSlmY" target="_blank"> Part I</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During my daughter's first year, she was receiving two bottles of expressed milk per day at daycare and getting breast fed 3 other times. Yes, only getting breast milk 5 times per day. This does see low but she was growing and thriving and remained in the 90th percentile, so it was definitely enough! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After my daughter turned 1, we were done with the pump but not done with nursing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since my supply was getting less and less for 2 months prior to my daughter's first birthday I really couldn't get rid of the pump quickly enough. I introduced my daughter to cow's milk soon after she turned 1. I did this by replacing one of her bottles of expressed breast milk with 3 ounces of cow's milk in a sippy cup. My daughter had already had practice with water in a sippy cup and she rarely turns down any food or drink so this was no issue at all. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Even though I had used a lot of my frozen milk supply in the last month, I was extremely fortunate to still have some left. I was able to still give my baby one bottle of expressed breast milk in her bottle while she was transitioning to cow's milk. I continued this until my frozen supply was depleted. This took a couple of weeks so we were fortunate to have no issues transitioning to a 2nd sippy cup of cow's milk to replace the bottle. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One month after I stopped pumping I decided I was ready to see if we could stop our morning nursing session, our first feed of the day. I had been waking up in the 4 a.m. hour for over a year to nurse for 40 minutes and I was so very tired. I actually had to wake my daughter to nurse her. I would nurse 20 minutes on each side and then put her back in her crib. My husband would then get her ready for daycare after I left for the day. So, I just didn’t wake her. I don’t love that I actively weaned the morning feed. But I also believe a mother’s health is important and stopping that morning feed so I could get a little more sleep was something I needed to do to keep myself healthy. My daughter never woke up, never asked for it. I never had to tell her no and I had no engorgement. I was happy to not have any issues which certainly helped with dropping this nursing session.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At 13 months of age that left my daughter only nursing twice a day. Right after I got off work and before bed. Except for that week I took off work to celebrate Christmas. She started nursing 5 times a day again, just like she used to when she was under 1. It was pretty wonderful, actually. We were home together and having lots of snuggles. If she asked to nurse, we nursed. I loved every minute and I'm pretty sure she did too.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In fact, it was that week that I took a pregnancy test. I laid the test on the side of the tub and then my daughter asked to nurse. Forgetting about the test, I started nursing her. After a few minutes I told her to hang on and ran upstairs to find a big positive! I came back downstairs and sat down to continue nursing. My 1 year old daughter, completely unprompted, lifted my shirt and kissed my belly. I was blown away. Of course, I hadn't told her. I had just learned seconds earlier. We were trying for a second child, but I didn't expect to succeed on our first try so I was reeling from the surprise. This little connection between myself and my two babies made me know it was going to be okay, no matter how anxious I was feeling in that moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We had a wonderful Christmas and I returned to work the next week. My daughter returned to her previous nursing sessions of immediately after work and before bed. However, only a couple of days into the week she didn't ask for milk when I went to pick her up at daycare. I felt a little sad but I thought she would ask the next day. She didn't. At 14 months, almost exactly 1 month after we dropped the morning nursing session, my daughter weaned herself from another. In fact, outside of that week during Christmas, once my daughter dropped a nurse she never once returned to wanting to nurse during an old time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I cherished my night time nurse with my daughter, as it was now the only time she was nursing. I was thankful to not have any pain while nursing during pregnancy. It did seem that something was changing with my milk though. I know now that pregnancy can cause significant decreases in supply and taste changes. I didn't necessarily realize that at that time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One night, when my daughter was just about a week shy from turning 15 months old, she didn't ask to nurse. Since she didn't ask, I didn't offer. I read her a book, rocked her, sang to her and laid her in her crib. I went downstairs. My husband gave me a questioning look, surprised to see me downstairs so quickly. "She didn't ask" I said and I cried. I expected her to ask tomorrow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She didn't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">She didn't ask the next day either. It was hard. I thought maybe I should have offered. I should have made sure she was ready to be done. But I had decided if she didn't ask then she was telling me she was done. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We had a great journey. Just under 15 months. But I was still sad. I enjoyed nursing her and she enjoyed nursing so much. It was hard to believe this journey had ended. I had another baby growing inside of me, though. I knew that baby would be born in 7 months and nurse too. I think that was the easiest way for me to accept that my first nursing journey had ended. Gently and sweetly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I would love to hear your weaning story! I'm accepting submissions for guest blog posts of your story of gently weaning your little one. Please send an e-mail to sweetandhappygirls@gmail.com with your post submission!</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-19258964760620926342015-03-09T02:00:00.000-04:002015-03-09T02:00:08.225-04:00Our Favorite Children's Books: Goodnight Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">There's nothing quite like a good night time routine with the kiddos and one of the best parts for our family is the stories right before bed. Here are a few of my family's favorite bed time stories.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Such a simple, cute story about the bed time routine. Two little ones walk through each step of getting ready for bed and these are almost in identical order that our family does our night routine. And on top of it, the little girl has blonde, curly hair just like our oldest. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is just one of those classic stories we all remember and love. My girls began some of their first memorization "reading" with this story. Plus, finding the mouse on every page is an added bonus!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This picture book has a few words but most of the story is told by my girls' description of this mischievous gorilla and all his zoo animal friends. Finding the mouse with the banana on every page following his gorilla pal throughout the book gives them extra laughs. On nearly every page they also search for the balloon and moon and we are able to talk about the balloon getting smaller and smaller each time we turn the page. This book always gets the girls laughing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This sweet book says time for sleep or time for bed on each page with beautiful illustrations of a parent and child animal on each page. It's adorable and I especially love the end, again, because the little girl at the end looks just like our oldest child. It's not so much that I love blonde, curly hair children but my daughter loves seeing a child that looked like herself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This story is similar to the one above but by the beloved author of <i>Goodnight Moon</i>. Each page is illustrated with a parent and child animal as they snuggle in closely, ready for sleep. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What good night books help your little ones snuggle in and get ready for a sweet night of sleep? </span></span></i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-61095036011311394692015-03-04T12:07:00.000-05:002015-03-19T14:10:25.877-04:00The First Weaning Story (Part I)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was pregnant with my first
baby I decided my goal was to nurse for at least one year without supplementing
with infant formula. (If this was not your goal, please don't think I am judging you. This was just my personal
goal.) I went to a breastfeeding class offered by my hospital but they teach about initiating breastfeeding. No one ever seems to talk about weaning; how it happens, why it happens, what to expect.<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> And just as pregnancy and birth are very unique to each woman, so it weaning. This is my first weaning story.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I technically began weaning at 6
months when I<a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/04/introducing-solids.html#.VOVcECzSlmb"><span style="color: blue;"> introduced solids</span></a>. Nothing really changed at
this point because my baby didn’t change the amount she was nursing during this
time. This was intentional since I knew all my baby needed for that first
year was breast milk and I was relatively cautious about giving her too much
table food because I didn’t want to take any risk of it affecting my milk
supply.</span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When my baby was around 10 months
old though I began to notice that my milk supply while pumping was dramatically
decreasing. This didn’t initially present a problem because I had previously
been pumping <i>twice</i> the amount of milk my baby was taking in her bottles
at daycare. So at this point, I was just pumping the amount she needed daily which
really didn’t seem like a problem at all. I was actually saving time but not
having to freeze so much milk. (And I would certainly call having to take the
time to freeze extra milk a good problem to have.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Throughout the next month my supply
continued to drop, though. I tried my best to continue with at least her daily
demand. But at that time, I was a nurse working in an intensive care unit. My
pumping times were getting pushed back later and later and my time spent
pumping was getting shorter and shorter. Around the time my baby was 11 months
old I realized that it was taking 2 pumping sessions to pump what I would
typically get in 1. And this was still not enough to feed my baby. I went to my
deep freezer and counted each and every package of milk I had so carefully frozen. I had enough to
feed her one bottle of frozen milk a day for the next month. I decided to take
a risk and I dropped to only one pumping session during my 10 hours away from
my baby. My baby only took 2 bottles at daycare so one would be fresh, one frozen. I knew dropping to one pump was a <i>huge </i>risk. But I simply could not afford to
take the time away from my job duties to pump twice for the same amount of milk
I could yield in one pumping session. And I counted my blessings that I had a
huge stock in my freezer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I just needed to get through one
more month of pumping once a day. I know this plan could have gone badly. I
could have lost the ability to pump any milk at all during my time at work. I
was worried about it, for sure, but at the same time, I was confident I would
make it to a year. I had made it to 11 months and had such a short time left to
go.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I won’t pretend that I didn’t sigh a
huge sigh of relief when my daughter reached her first birthday. We had made
it. We made it to a year. Despite working full time and having some definite
supply issues, we had made it! And, yes, I was happy to have succeeded. But I
may have been even happier to know that I was done with that pump! I
desperately wanted to treat my pump the way they treat the copy machine in <i>Office
Space. </i>Instead, I spent hours sanitizing and storing each pumping part,
bottle and nipple and then carefully packed them away. I jokingly told my husband
at the time that I told the pump as I was packing it away <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Good-bye for now, I will see you again in 9 months.’</i> Little did we
know, this wasn’t too far from the truth as I was, indeed, pregnant one month
later. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But this is not the end of my first
weaning story. It is only the end of my first pumping story. Since my expressed
milk supply had been diminishing over the last two months I had absolutely no
trouble with engorgement after stopping that final pump. When she turned 1 we
were done with the pump, but not with nursing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span button="" create="" data-pin-color="red" data-pin-config="beside" data-pin-do="buttonPin" pin="" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" url="http%3A%2F%2Fsweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com%2F2015%2F03%2Fthe-first-weaning-story-part-i.html%23.VPd5sSzSlmY&media=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-IuA2csPng2M%2FU5R9ZLSDH_I%2FAAAAAAAABBE%2F_SfpOYbqoN0%2Fs1600%2FDSC_0063%2B(5).JPG&description=The%20First%20Weaning%20Story%20%23breastfeeding%20%23weaning" www.pinterest.com=""><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_red_20.png" /></span></span></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Be sure to come back soon to read Part
II of the first weaning story on the series of <a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/p/weaning-from-mommys-milk.html" target="_blank">Gently Weaning from Mommy's Milk.</a></span><o:p></o:p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I would love to
hear your weaning story! I'm accepting submissions for guest blog posts
of your story of gently weaning your little one. Please send an e-mail
to </b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-29924024449275905452015-02-26T01:00:00.000-05:002015-03-04T16:18:47.897-05:00Frozen Hot Cocoa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPB7HCK4GSFiB3TKKHTAdpTzxXnMMfkU7ajEsSRIgTt-Z3NZJk52I03SmuKzftoIVkJoRm90Snhdnl9E-SRDsJgVXQ57kORBMjXVPmOjxw6n47uX-vi_IBmESfGSGbqEpEFF9OU96LeLo/s1600/blogger-image-849337565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPB7HCK4GSFiB3TKKHTAdpTzxXnMMfkU7ajEsSRIgTt-Z3NZJk52I03SmuKzftoIVkJoRm90Snhdnl9E-SRDsJgVXQ57kORBMjXVPmOjxw6n47uX-vi_IBmESfGSGbqEpEFF9OU96LeLo/s1600/blogger-image-849337565.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One day last week I was just scrolling through my</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook feed when I saw a photo of blue hot cocoa with blue sprinkles! It was Frozen themed hot cocoa! I immediately new my girls would love it. I mean, how could they not? It was Frozen and chocolate! And then my heart sank. We have recently started my youngest on a dairy-free diet due to several issues she was having with dairy. As I read through the instructions I realized I wouldn't have necessarily wanted to spend the time melting down white chocolate and adding it to the cow's milk, anyway. I thought for a moment and decided </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we could easily make this special treat and keep it dairy- free. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our version of the hot cocoa is just hot coco - as in coconut milk! It's still a super sweet treat, lots of fun and actually</span>, <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">quite healthy! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's what you'll need:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-sJp38DMBEZwU-_Btfkpj727QXIlxVkzEP0yWlkWYNM4gE-kwLEONVxAYoNcGm3xJuCSZe3OkGB8qRY8ggiNcQtftfuDHVgWtovjcMvWQqH7kIYjAHAaJayNteeRW_Wmh5KuOzfeyNY/s1600/blogger-image-196589372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-sJp38DMBEZwU-_Btfkpj727QXIlxVkzEP0yWlkWYNM4gE-kwLEONVxAYoNcGm3xJuCSZe3OkGB8qRY8ggiNcQtftfuDHVgWtovjcMvWQqH7kIYjAHAaJayNteeRW_Wmh5KuOzfeyNY/s1600/blogger-image-196589372.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 4 ounces of vanilla flavored coconut milk (I recommend Silk brand)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- 1 drop of blue food coloring</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- mini marshmallows</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- blue sprinkles</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-bjQV94TU2TM-6JDX-mBoXaT7LUxmmxVyoF25DwrKTHO2Rp50Z_eNp7QSdmp3uTn5fk2wFVlZFqPzPJjtrqIOQDhyAfzYUtFoPTdIWPvhO1idoQy5Bg9h4OshjL-hSsQhj4QGixyYpY/s1600/blogger-image-1378291265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-bjQV94TU2TM-6JDX-mBoXaT7LUxmmxVyoF25DwrKTHO2Rp50Z_eNp7QSdmp3uTn5fk2wFVlZFqPzPJjtrqIOQDhyAfzYUtFoPTdIWPvhO1idoQy5Bg9h4OshjL-hSsQhj4QGixyYpY/s1600/blogger-image-1378291265.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a lot of hard work of building a snow man and attempting to eat all of the snow in our front yard, my girls were ready to come inside and enjoy a warm drink. First, we heated the coconut milk to a good temperature for a 2 and 4 year old (either in the microwave or in a sauce pan on the stove, your choice). Then, add one drop of blue food coloring to the heated coconut milk. </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggxsk2kgvnUGNHLYgGvnUucQ5OlCFyVs3srACzuNjI1mgJKpmGiYdHV3PQt-nxo_Fo8yZykmUJc05pJnQY8A7KR-PuItoGg2bKvh3XkAQi5AehbpSaPItCzaftYHHbzJXT_Mo2WCq4v8/s1600/blogger-image--544298321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggxsk2kgvnUGNHLYgGvnUucQ5OlCFyVs3srACzuNjI1mgJKpmGiYdHV3PQt-nxo_Fo8yZykmUJc05pJnQY8A7KR-PuItoGg2bKvh3XkAQi5AehbpSaPItCzaftYHHbzJXT_Mo2WCq4v8/s1600/blogger-image--544298321.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQuE8f0AHMNzqEtuovVVXHpSLkd0w11gYyqdkj7G5IzOiiajbvgEp9FhpBhy8059A0ohf_tMKPDU3as72ivIJF-gouKFzeblau7T_QAJZZ1JQ6v90fi_Uk_doELUmS13ACkmjOlxd8Io/s1600/blogger-image-907490518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQuE8f0AHMNzqEtuovVVXHpSLkd0w11gYyqdkj7G5IzOiiajbvgEp9FhpBhy8059A0ohf_tMKPDU3as72ivIJF-gouKFzeblau7T_QAJZZ1JQ6v90fi_Uk_doELUmS13ACkmjOlxd8Io/s1600/blogger-image-907490518.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Little hands having lots of fun stirring in the food coloring. I was surprised that one drop was all that was needed to make this pretty Frozen blue color.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, add the delicious mini-marshmallows. I think half </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of them went into the glass and the other half</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">went directly into their mouths! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKg7d-RPvwVeAXkV3xx0kdJHvxd4RcWfqCICARc5jsUb3XTVCctiq_ipx05iRxmKt4f7JMvzcwt04vHRhrsTw6-0O7VFfmYdEdWXit9uKoMLl8aPX3SIxEtCdwynePtysu9mufElWqJU/s1600/blogger-image--1325563842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKg7d-RPvwVeAXkV3xx0kdJHvxd4RcWfqCICARc5jsUb3XTVCctiq_ipx05iRxmKt4f7JMvzcwt04vHRhrsTw6-0O7VFfmYdEdWXit9uKoMLl8aPX3SIxEtCdwynePtysu9mufElWqJU/s1600/blogger-image--1325563842.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>Next, add the blue sprinkles. We really lucked out because we had sprinkles from Christmas-time that were just the perfect blue color and another kind that were blue and white snow flakes. I'm sure any blue sprinkles would work just fine and be super cute. Please note that close observation of the sprinkling is encouraged or half of the container may end up in the glass (that may or may not have happened to us!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And the final step is the taste test!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My girls absolutely</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">loved making and drinking this delicious (and super healthy) hot "coco." I'm so happy we were able to find a way to make this dairy-free so my little Frozen fans could enjoy it! You may have noticed several different outfits and that's because we have done this a few times now because they enjoy it so much! </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-zMvKWTYYSFbBNES_uLi06dDKGY4CwcJnPq0ONPwJbU4KcU4DQWiAa8-luyisuZ7r5eCUeC7tGzZV1H-UQSPmKGldb5C0A6bNQvY8_vAcop_kuei61hu__V14MZCqeOVdTk2SUR9xWA/s1600/blogger-image--40079737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I hope your little snow bunnies and Frozen fans will enjoy this as much as mine do! </b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Will your family try this? If so, let me know what they think and what changes you made! I always love hearing other people's variations on fun food and drinks! </i></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-5189742448424595872015-02-20T22:22:00.001-05:002015-03-19T14:11:11.753-04:00I Nurse My Toddler Because<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I recently came across <a href="http://wendywisner.com/" target="_blank">Wendy Wisner's</a>
wonderful blog. Wendy has a beautiful way of describing motherhood and
I was moved when I came across her post <i><a href="http://wendywisner.com/2014/12/16/i-nurse-him-because/" target="_blank">I Nurse Him Because</a></i>, in which she describes the
reasons she nurses her toddler son. </span><o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">While the entire post was great, what really struck me was this statement: </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what feels right to us, and many more mothers and children than you might expect.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When I thought about that, I
couldn't help to think how true a statement that likely is. I, myself, have
found out mothers I know personally had nursed their toddlers, but at the time,
I had no idea.</span><o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> What's most interesting to me
is that I consider myself a breastfeeding advocate, someone who openly talks
about breastfeeding and the normalization of nursing. When my children were
under a year old I definitely spoke very openly about nursing. It was occurring
quite frequently so the topic would naturally come up. I also talked openly
about pumping at work, proudly placing my expressed milk in the public
refrigerator. I nursed in public, sometimes with a cover but most of the time,
without. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When my daughter was under
two, I still talked about nursing her but much less often. Maybe that's just
because I was nursing less often? I’m not sure. I might say something about
being glad she was still nursing because I was able to calm her down with my
milk after having to give her a breathing treatment when she was wheezing. Or I
would mention my anxiety about going out of town without my child and not
nursing during that time, concerned about how she would do. Once she was over
one year old I only nursed at home or at the homes of close family and friends.
Never out in the true public but this was mostly because she was no longer nursing
when we would be out during the day.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now, my daughter is almost
two and a half. And I rarely, if ever, talk about the fact that she's still
nursing. If it comes up in conversation or if someone asks I will, of course,
still talk about it. But not much more than that. I did write about it on my blog in my post <a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2015/01/for-last-5-years.html#.VOVVQizSlmZ" target="_blank">For the Last 5 Years</a> but I
didn't even share that post on my personal Facebook page. It's not at all that
I'm ashamed of it. I guess it's just not something our culture entirely accepts
and I have no desire to feel judged for something that I feel is completely
natural and normal. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">However, the world can't know
it's completely natural and normal if it's not ever seen or discussed. So, this
post is motivated by Wendy's words about her reasons for nursing her
toddler and my acknowledgment that nursing a toddler is happening more than you
might think. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt;">I
nurse my toddler because...</span></b><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She asks. Each night,
right before bed. She used to say "mil! mil!" and now it's "I
want mommy's milk." Sometimes I will ask her if she would like to just
snuggle instead and she says "no, milky."</span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I can. I am so fortunate
to still be able to nurse as I know very well that many women have struggles
that don't allow them to nurse to their goal. I surpassed any goals I may have
had and I feel fortunate that I can still nurse.</span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When she falls asleep
while nursing she looks exactly the same today as she did on the day she was
born. </span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In the busy, loud and
distracting world we live in I am able to slow down and connect with her in
this way that only I can.</span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She still likes to be held
and snuggled a lot. I can't help but think that if we didn't have our extra
snuggle time together at bedtime nursing she may want to be held even more
during the day. She then might miss out on some of that independent play time
where she can just be a wacky little toddler. </span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It's warm and cozy and
makes us both happy.</span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In a way, it makes me feel
like I am stopping time, if only for a short moment each evening while we are
together.</span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I can ask her what it
tastes like and she can respond with answers such as bana, pea soup, pancakes (sometimes
blueberry flavored) or "just milky." Whatever she answers, it makes
me laugh and she, in turn, laughs too. </span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I can remember a time when
her tiny, little body was brand new and her arms, legs and fists were still
curled up tightly and her whole body laid right at my rib cage. Now, her legs
are long and stretched out alongside my legs and I can see just how much my
body has nourished her body. </span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When she gets sick (which
has been often) sometimes my milk is the only thing she wants and I am able to
hold her close and make her feel better. </span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It's so much easier today
than it was in the beginning: There are no issues with latch or positioning.
There are no middle of the night wake-ups. No pumping. I can even go out for an
evening and not nurse and there's no engorgement, no danger of losing my milk
supply.</span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">It's about her and me. </span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">There's no way I'm going
to look back on this time and think 'I really wish I would have had less time
nursing her, holding her, rocking her." There's no way I'm going to have
any regrets. </span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She's not done yet. She's
not ready to be done so I'm not ready for her to be done. We're just not done.</span></i><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">That is why I nurse my
toddler. And it’s completely natural and normal. </span><br />
<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-19957745152933750492015-02-10T03:00:00.000-05:002015-03-22T22:33:20.479-04:00Reasons the Infant Stage is Great<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The newborn stage is pretty tough. It's all brand new, all unknown. And newborns do a lot of crying and a lot of eating which comes with lots of diaper changes. And all these things occur <i>around the clock! </i>Which, of course, leads to intense sleep deprivation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But there are a few awesome benefits to that first stage of life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Their smell.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">They just smell so good. I feel like I could just sniff the top of a baby's head for hours on end and never grow tired of it. My lips touch the top of their soft head and I breathe in their baby scent and it just makes me happy. Truth be told, this actually goes past the first year.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>They are immobile, and therefore, relatively safe.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least, for the first few months of the infant stage, they're immobile. You can lay that sweet baby down on a nice, clean blanket in the middle of the living room floor and then you can safely go to the bathroom. <i>Alone. </i>If you have pets and are fearful of the whole 'baby on the floor' thing, there are a host of other places you can lay your baby down and they are usually safe and content while you take the 3 minutes you need to go potty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>There are a bunch of fun-filled items that also keep them safe. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Within a few short months, they do begin to do some rolling, around 6 months they are sitting up and shortly after that, those babies can move! I'm all about tummy time and making sure there's lots of opportunities for baby stimulation, but sometimes, we need a shower or to just empty the dishwasher. There are so many places for infants to safely have fun! The vibrator seat that can be moved from room to room and fits perfectly, even in the smallest of bathrooms when a shower is desperately needed. Then, there's also the play pen, the swing, the jump-a-roo. Each of these comes with bars with dangling toys and buttons to push that turn on lights and music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Their food. </b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They do eat a lot but it's the same food on the menu every time. Whether it's breast milk or formula, you don't have to do any meal prep and there's no worry about a picky eater. Sure, they start eating some solids around 6 months but this is not mandatory to ensure they live, so it's really no big deal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The pumpkin car seat.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is one the best modern inventions. This thing can easily be carried around: brought inside so the baby can be strapped-in in the warmth of a home, taken into a store and placed in a shopping cart, into a restaurant and sat on a stand while you enjoy a meal out. It even fits perfectly into the stroller so you and the baby can see each other during a nice stroll. And if all that wasn't great enough, it's by far the safest car seat on the market! </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial;">The tiny clothes.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The clothes are just so teeny, tiny and adorable. And they have the cutest little things on them like ballet slippers on the feet of sleepers and ruffles on the booties. Every now and again I will come across an impossibly small sock in one of my kids' dresser drawers. I will hold it up and look at it, remembering when their feet were small enough to fit into that tiny sock. I should probably do something with that single sock but instead I put it back in the drawer, knowing that I will come across it again on some other day when I need to be reminded of just how small they once were.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Infant smiles.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The very first smile is so sweet, it melts your heart. You soon learn that nearly anything can make a baby smile; from you simply walking back into the room or even just covering your eyes while playing round after round of peek-a-boo. There is nothing easier than getting a magnificent, toothless grin out of an infant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>All those snuggles.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A baby is perfectly content to just be held for hours upon hours. It's true this can be rough when it's an absolute demand and not a choice (you know, at 2 in the morning which also includes pacing). But, still, all those baby snuggles are the best. They will eat on you, sleep on you and, well, poop on you all day long. It's complete happiness holding that warm, little baby in your arms. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm now past my children's infant stage so that probably makes it a lot easier for me to look back on it and remember some of the little benefits that come along with this stage. Because, yes, it's true there are lots of questions and challenges, uncertainties and never-ending sleep deprivation that comes with the infant stage. But, all of these things, along with getting to meet that sweet baby and getting to watch her personality emerge in that first year, are simply great! </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What did I forget? What are your favorite parts of the first year? </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Edited on 2/17/15 when I found my paper notes on this post and realized I had not completely finished writing this post! I didn't want to leave these out so I added them to the original post and there are officially more than 6! Probably many, many more I'm still forgetting!</span></span></i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-45612733155372083102015-02-04T23:15:00.000-05:002015-03-19T14:12:05.936-04:00Our Favorite Children's Books: Winter Time<a data-pin-color="red" data-pin-config="beside" data-pin-do="buttonPin" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com%2F2015%2F02%2Four-favorite-children-books-winter-time.html%23.VNgc4CzSmGs&media=http%3A%2F%2Fi818.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fzz108%2Fsweetandhappygirls%2F1534f5b2-807f-4abb-a8a0-7e94fac94625_zpsd71ce00b.jpg&description=Our%20Favorite%20Childrens%20Books%3A%20Winter%20Time"><img src="//assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pinit_fg_en_rect_red_20.png" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The snow is falling all around the country and schools are being closed for plummeting temperatures. We are certainly in the middle or winter! And on these super cold days, I love to snuggle under a blanket with my girls and read a few of our favorite winter stories.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGPH4iUiTAAQC37GqjBEbabVZtbhGtJ8MpR9Zj8_td8WFJxkSmViBkWbfAFSUzLPNHuje2ZpDA13Ia8HaQ9u92gV3Hwqt16czKlDhHqJ-jP3Z39KMy-WUESTfW7zk7UaXzqL3PyD4LFU/s640/blogger-image-1131860116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqGPH4iUiTAAQC37GqjBEbabVZtbhGtJ8MpR9Zj8_td8WFJxkSmViBkWbfAFSUzLPNHuje2ZpDA13Ia8HaQ9u92gV3Hwqt16czKlDhHqJ-jP3Z39KMy-WUESTfW7zk7UaXzqL3PyD4LFU/s400/blogger-image-1131860116.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My oldest daughter has had a love for owls from a very young age, so a story about going out "owling" in the ice cold is a perfect story for my family. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WFOEN-k7j9rhZdBmTXqSKapvsP6Z8Rp4LEihHzl0VpUacUhd3wHIVvIHIKtLryPGgMKcIbxxp5yXZ29jiZPXHefC09p33QYm6Fwqvwcz5HY0LkKbF96qduZAV5UsGh0fSobN0GMTbc0/s640/blogger-image--240034365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WFOEN-k7j9rhZdBmTXqSKapvsP6Z8Rp4LEihHzl0VpUacUhd3wHIVvIHIKtLryPGgMKcIbxxp5yXZ29jiZPXHefC09p33QYm6Fwqvwcz5HY0LkKbF96qduZAV5UsGh0fSobN0GMTbc0/s400/blogger-image--240034365.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I absolutely love this story. All of the pictures in the book are photographs and the author creates an imaginative story with the beautiful images he captures. It is such a unique book and reminds me of the many wonders of childhood. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM3xKn6e8M3AGDU62hkpdg-S7EaV7C-3mpvdySuNXwi75gclbuYxKD1LE_ENseO2Oy1MpTjqODgxv1iE0lozXkwtqDtjMTBsOP7KGd3W124YhcD485kG17Sy2Zt3ghVJTKY5Sxx_PUSs/s640/blogger-image--1391319763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM3xKn6e8M3AGDU62hkpdg-S7EaV7C-3mpvdySuNXwi75gclbuYxKD1LE_ENseO2Oy1MpTjqODgxv1iE0lozXkwtqDtjMTBsOP7KGd3W124YhcD485kG17Sy2Zt3ghVJTKY5Sxx_PUSs/s320/blogger-image--1391319763.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one is just a simple lift the flap board book, but my baby girl just loves to read about the snow in this book! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUTv4lS78EcYylcFHhaTgtFCj_LFWqCHOUGtvj1eCX6YX7C24vRSlscjwWvRGc3LnESmlLTaV4iJMWw658yELAtyVYq5BEaHX3AY4yvEyr51he8I2oyXbTHtL6Qm3GFGSBD5M_wWcfbk/s640/blogger-image-1809030337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUTv4lS78EcYylcFHhaTgtFCj_LFWqCHOUGtvj1eCX6YX7C24vRSlscjwWvRGc3LnESmlLTaV4iJMWw658yELAtyVYq5BEaHX3AY4yvEyr51he8I2oyXbTHtL6Qm3GFGSBD5M_wWcfbk/s400/blogger-image-1809030337.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A great learning book that discusses the unique qualities of snow flakes and the differences between snow and other forms of precipitation. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXjux7JsSLnuuHO2aLaT8lNl0yDLH31fbRL4QE5auEi4xr11LV5eSD7P3aAg8YGKoBvy4iCIpU0lz1V0zaa45dYtASTIwkfatIEh_Kb-OjC9z2IJNlVE0M3dHCGiJOM3wx9PFnXy7dBw/s1600/blogger-image-355530128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXjux7JsSLnuuHO2aLaT8lNl0yDLH31fbRL4QE5auEi4xr11LV5eSD7P3aAg8YGKoBvy4iCIpU0lz1V0zaa45dYtASTIwkfatIEh_Kb-OjC9z2IJNlVE0M3dHCGiJOM3wx9PFnXy7dBw/s1600/blogger-image-355530128.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You just have to love Clifford the Big Red Dog. This one is a story of Clifford and his doggy friends and a lesson of not missing out on the fun we can have just because we are afraid of something new. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBPyQbsSHDV02Q6xhrx634KZEPsJ2ZNnQuObutsvYll2_fj6QVbkeQoyHKXRZRgh7-FchOUslwOQkYd_zUeHysZ-QhAyfPziH6bQffA8s8FxTXk_-DUTQVblHcKOtX-Kv2kcxaeiuLig/s1600/blogger-image-1920034280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBPyQbsSHDV02Q6xhrx634KZEPsJ2ZNnQuObutsvYll2_fj6QVbkeQoyHKXRZRgh7-FchOUslwOQkYd_zUeHysZ-QhAyfPziH6bQffA8s8FxTXk_-DUTQVblHcKOtX-Kv2kcxaeiuLig/s1600/blogger-image-1920034280.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This book is one of my all time favorite children's books. My oldest daughter has also always had a love for penguins. This book is an adorable rhyming story about of all of the things penguins can do. There's also some great info at the end about all different kinds of penguins for added learning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you stay safe and warm this winter while snuggling and reading with your little ones! What are some of your favorite winter books to read to your children this time of year? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also - if you happen to have any snow coming your way, be sure to check out my <a 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target="_blank">snow ice cream recipe</a>! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-58868699310610536992015-01-29T23:31:00.000-05:002015-03-19T14:11:38.994-04:00For The Last 5 Years<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have used my body to nourish another human being for the last 5 years...straight. It's not something I planned or predicted. In fact, if you would have told me 5 years ago that I would be using my body to nourish a child for 5 years straight, I'm not sure I would have even believed you.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that is exactly what happened. In January of 2010, I became pregnant with my first child. I was pregnant with my first baby for</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">41 and a half weeks and had her in October of 2010. That sweet girl came into the world and changed my life forever. Changed my life in ways that were unimaginable. She started breastfeeding within minutes of being born and she nursed with gusto from that point on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In December of 2011, when my first baby was 13 months old, I found out I was pregnant with our second child. It was at this point that I was actually pregnant and breastfeeding at the same time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My oldest, Autumn, weaned completely about a week before she turned 15 months old. (Her weaning is a story all of it's own.) I went on to carry her little sister for over 40 weeks and had her in September of 2012. That's when I began my not-yet-ending nursing journey with my 2nd baby. My husband and I would joke about which baby liked to nurse more. Since my youngest, Amelia, initially only nursed in 5 minute increments, I was certain it was her big sister that loved it the most. The baby seemed to nurse for its necessity, while Autumn seemed to just live for those extra snuggles. That all changed though. Once Amelia was a little older, she begin to nurse for much longer sessions and has continued nursing for a much longer time. We have had more hours worth of snuggles than I can possibly count.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, at almost two and a half years old, Amelia is still nursing. I, again, never really expected to be nursing a 2 year old. I also never really put that much thought into it. She only nurses once a day at night time. I will ask her if she is ready to be done with mommy's milk and she tells me no. She is not ready to stop. There was a time a few months back that I thought she was almost done; she was nursing for shorter periods of time and not asking every night and I was a little sad. But then she suddenly went back to her normal nightly feeds. She asks me each night to go sit in the chair that I have been nursing her in for over 2 years. When I ask her if she wants to snuggle, she says, "no, Mommy's mik." The good thing about this is that I know I won't be as sad when she is ready to be done. It will just be time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had the privilege to use my body to provide nourishment to Autumn for 2 full years (9 plus months of pregnancy and nearly 15 months of breastfeeding). And I have had the privilege to use my body to provide nourishment to Amelia for over three years now. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Five years. A woman's body is truly an amazing thing. I never knew what this body was capable of. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to do this as I know that so many women are unable to do it. I also promise I'm not bragging and I know there are many women who would never want to do this for 5 years straight (which is perfectly reasonable). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am just happy and proud that I have been on this amazing journey with my girls.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15849934465838013720noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4991888449707150912.post-80400102361017455982015-01-24T14:48:00.003-05:002015-01-27T22:16:51.841-05:00Top Posts of 2014<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow! The last couple of months have turned out to be really busy for my family! First, the entire family got sick with the flu, then we had a fun-filled but very busy Christmas and finally the big challenge of touring preschools for my daughter's first year of school next year! (And - WOW - I was not prepared for what a process that would be, but that's another story). With all of this plus just normal life, I have found myself more tired these days and going to bed earlier. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
saw the idea on a fellow bloggers site to share the most viewed posts of the year. I love the idea
so I thought I would share too but for the above reasons, it's a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> little delayed. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here they are: My fans (okay, my
family and friends) favorite posts of 2014!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/01/15-things-ive-learned-since-becoming-mom.html#.VMPoOsnSmGt" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learned Since Becoming a Mom</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I knew I would learn a lot in motherhood, but I had no idea that these kinds of things would be included in the list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/07/crib-safety_3.html#.VMPrY8nSmGt" target="_blank">Crib Safety</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I wrote this post because I feel that I see pictures far too often of babies in cribs that aren't following all of the crib safety guidelines. I frequently see car seat safety tips (which is, of course, very important!) but I have never seen my facebook or twitter feeds have tips on crib safety - and our babies spend a lot of times in there! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/07/welcome-back-to-parenthood.html#.VMPrwsnSmGs" target="_blank">Welcome Back to Parenthood</a></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After a wonderful kid-free vacation with my husband, I was quickly reminded of the "joys"of motherhood!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSYPIt7PgP6EwxjpT0IXN01e9DLzDSd-NzhDGCvEUkDhI9EH18MTbfmnzd-EvIuqQ7S9zBqkEQ91Rgm8NEC_jaP4oGgMMKYGUr10QGtAyuYr0pslieH0yhQcJm-zi1bdyso40-qBxSRg/s1600/blogger-image-1586998172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSYPIt7PgP6EwxjpT0IXN01e9DLzDSd-NzhDGCvEUkDhI9EH18MTbfmnzd-EvIuqQ7S9zBqkEQ91Rgm8NEC_jaP4oGgMMKYGUr10QGtAyuYr0pslieH0yhQcJm-zi1bdyso40-qBxSRg/s1600/blogger-image-1586998172.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/06/theres-way-more-to-her-than-her-hair.html#.VMPw18nSmGs" target="_blank">There's More to Her Than Her Hair</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">My daughter's hair gets a LOT of attention. And I will admit it, her hair is beautiful. But I never would have expected her hair to get quite the attention that it gets. So, I just wanted to share some of the other amazing attributes my daughter has. Because there is so much more to each of us than just our looks.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqnYkyNnDvvJiH1QRNyjd127zdoMG-XMv6jNVUKnwr3vvbLuJhtk3815kHixzSKLVVUJuHHo0_Elsk5HaDj_O-UCiGB34ewZEEjtu6FugVsw-qcoF2NMisEf7ZmB19NI2PsZegxpSlmo/s1600/blogger-image--1856056798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqnYkyNnDvvJiH1QRNyjd127zdoMG-XMv6jNVUKnwr3vvbLuJhtk3815kHixzSKLVVUJuHHo0_Elsk5HaDj_O-UCiGB34ewZEEjtu6FugVsw-qcoF2NMisEf7ZmB19NI2PsZegxpSlmo/s1600/blogger-image--1856056798.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/05/weaning-is-not-on-light-switch.html#.VMPxs8nSmGs" target="_blank">I Weaning is Not on a Light Switch</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Weaning doesn't typically happen over night or occur just because a child reaches a certain age. This is a topic I feel very passionate about and this is to be the first post for a series (but I have yet to get that series started - in time, I will!).</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_4TvF7KBk_5ILjvOa7Bw94YIyHfqk8qX-axS1-Psz0BwJCCluJMFU4B2UY8XIYMLm9poD8NRLAqTH7-1JXoTDKR54xdmJ-O_b_geNIPcI__90UMHkbdnLoTJEUwTXoi5ORI0BWTE-2w/s1600/DSC_0063+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_4TvF7KBk_5ILjvOa7Bw94YIyHfqk8qX-axS1-Psz0BwJCCluJMFU4B2UY8XIYMLm9poD8NRLAqTH7-1JXoTDKR54xdmJ-O_b_geNIPcI__90UMHkbdnLoTJEUwTXoi5ORI0BWTE-2w/s1600/DSC_0063+(5).JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And just for fun, these are my 2 personal favorites of 2014:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/02/still-my-baby.html#.VMP2bsnSmGu" target="_blank">Still My Baby</a></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://sweetnessandhappiness.blogspot.com/2014/04/breastfeeding-doingwhatsrightforyou.html#.VMP2vMnSmGt" target="_blank">Breastfeeding: The Case for Doing What's Right for You</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to this new year!</span></div>
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