American Baby - The Dog Days of Motherhood

For all those moms out there of the human and canine variety alike - check out the article from the April 2009 issue of American Baby called "The Dog Days of Motherhood". It'll make you laugh if nothing else. I tried to find a link to it but could not.

Solid Foods - UPDATE!

So we've come a long way from several months ago when I was struggling to get my baby (now 9 months old) to eat solid foods. She loves her food now! A friend suggested I try mixing everything together - cereal, veggie & fruit - sounds disgusting I know - but it worked! She's been eating great now for the past 2 1/2 months or so. She has moved onto puffs and Cheerios as well as drinking water from a sippy cup. She is in food envy in that she is very interested in what the rest of us are eating and wants to try some. I let her try tiny bites of things here and there to give her a taste but still a little nervous about letting her try other fingers food at this pointing. Soon enough!!

The "Potty Fairy" Has Come

O.K - So I'm trying a new thing for trying to get my 2 1/2 year old to have some interest in using the potty - The Potty Fairy! Hey - I've heard of the Binky Fairy so why not the Potty Fairy? My toddler was just about to get into the tub when she announced that she had to go "poo poo" so I told her to grab a book and sit on her potty to go (she was already in her birthday suit so let's see if it'll work this time?). While I washed up her younger sister, she sat and read her book (her beloved "Good Night Moon" which is now drying out since it ended up in the tub by accident right after), my girl when potty all by herself! We praised her afterward and told her "Great Job" and all. Then, while my husband got her dressed into her PJ's - I snuck downstairs with the baby to write a letter to my toddler from the Potty Fairy saying what a great job she had done and to keep up the good work! I had bought some small items in the dollar section at Target for small prizes for these type of situations so I choose a small book that she could keep by her potty to read next time she went. Hopefully this is the beginning of something good - we'll see! Now my only problem will be how to explain why the Potty Fairy will stop coming around once she is fully potty trained!!!

Toddler Sleep Issues - A Phase??

I'm wondering what this new phase my toddler is going through...

We put her to bed (usually without argument) around 8:15-8:30pm every night - but she does not fall asleep until 9:30-10:00 pm most nights (like tonight - she is still awake right now doing whatever possible to not sleep!). She sings to herself, she calls for "Dadda & Momma - I lost my binky!" after she threw it on the floor. Or "Dadda! Momma! Where are you?" I don't get it. She sleeps fine throughout the night once she does fall asleep but it's like she can't get herself to sleep for a good hour after she is put to bed.

There are so many phases to children these days - I never know what's going to pop up next!

A Day in the Life of a Working Mom

5:15 am - Have 1st cup of coffee and shower/hair/makeup/dress before kids wake up

6:00 am - Baby wakes up - change diaper - feed bottle - have 2nd cup of coffee - start load of laundry

6:15 am - Let dogs out, get fresh water, feed them - empty dishwasher if needed and if time

6:30 am - Get toddler up - talk and play with girls for a few minutes before the crazy morning continues

6:45 am - Get girls dressed

7:15 am - Get toddler milk - let dogs out again - clean up kitchen - switch laundry from washer to dryer

7:35 am - Drop girls off at daycare

7:45 am - Leave for work

8:25 am - Arrive at work

1:00 pm - Lunch - 1 hour to myself!! Eat, check email, check facebook, check blogs, study for CB exam

2:00 pm - Back to work

5:00 pm - Leave work

5:40 pm - Arrive home - play with girls until dinner

6:00 pm - Dinner

6:30 pm - Clean up from dinner, fold laundry

6:45 pm - Baths and pajama time

7:15 pm - Bottle for baby, Milk for toddler, Sprout Goodnight Show

8:00 pm - Bedtime!!

8:05 pm - Get any other "to do's" done before bed

8:30-9:30pm - Read in bed - pass out from exhaustion depending on the day