Monday, September 29, 2008

Please Research: Election

The upcoming election is drawing near. The issues are hot. The debates are intense. Do you know who you are voting for? Do you really know where the candidates stand? Remember, your vote will help to choose the next leader of our great nation. Please take the time to research BOTH of the candidates, so you really know who you want to vote for. Both The Official John McCain website and The Official Barack Obama website are easy to navigate and very informative. Plus, you can be assured that, coming from the official sites, the information is correct. I wouldn't trust the information from any other place.

And, because this blog is about mothering/parenting/children, I would especially encourage you to research where each candidate stands on issues such as marriage, families and abortion. Please look at where McCain stands on abortion and marriage, etc. Conversely, also make sure you are aware of Obama's views on the topics of abortion and family.

Above all else, I stress the importance of an informed decision. Make sure you are voting for whom you believe is the right choice for you!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Bad Mom Award

I am starting another repeat title, because I know stuff like this will happen often: I have officially experienced feeling like a HORRIBLE mom. Which is major, because I didn't even feel like a horrible mom when Children's Protective Services showed up at my door (long story there...and a possible future "Bad Mom Award" post)!

I was holding Bug on my lap while sitting at the computer, and he was bouncing up and down. Then, he leaned forward...very quickly. I wasn't able to catch him quite in time, so he whacked his little face into the edge of the desk and acquired his first black eye. It's really just below his eye, and it doesn't look TOO bad. But, way to go me, right!?! Every time I look at him now, I feel so sad because of the desk shaped imprint on him little cheek! It is pretty small, but he has a small face, too! Bug was such a trooper, though. He cried for only a minute...while I was frantically getting myself prepared to nurse him back into a happy state of bliss. After nursing, he was just fine...even with the bruise! Breast milk is magic!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

I can nurse anyway I want to

My poor son is incredibly patient with me.

Hubby, Baby and I were all laying in bed the other night. I was laying in the middle (that's where I have to be if the boys are going to share me nicely), on my back. We were just talking and enjoying our "before bed" quality time. Bug had been so tired and hungry, but he always perks up when we get to the bed, because he knows that he will get fed and put to sleep. Well, I was kind of delaying feeding Bug, mostly because I knew I would probably fall asleep while nursing, too!

Because I was -obviously- taking too long, Bug decided to roll over onto his stomach and was holding his little head up high, looking at his mommy and daddy. He raises his eyebrows, like they will help him hold his head up higher, and stares at his parents, trying to convey the message--Time for Bed! However, because Bug wasn't fussing yet, Hubby and I kept talking and enjoying our time together.

Then I felt something bumping me. I looked over at Bug, and he was trying to latch onto my breast! He obviously didn't care that he was laying on his belly, he didn't even care that my shirt was in the way! He just wanted to nurse. So, being the kind mother that I am, I figured I would let him. I pulled my shirt out of his way and helped him just a little to latch on, and he started sucking away! It was just so hilarious that I had to laugh. When I laughed at him, Bug pulled off and looked at me with such an innocent face that I had to laugh even more. Apparently, Bug just decided that his momma is crazy and laughs all the time, because he latched on again and when right back to nursing. Of course, that made me laugh even more....I guess my laughing was quite the distraction, because Bug pull off again to see what was so funny. He was being so patient with me, and he was so hungry, I decided that I would roll over and feed my poor son in an easier position. I wonder what nursing will be like once he gets even more mobile!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Hubby Time!

I LOVE my hubby more than words can even say! That means it's a bummer to me when I can't spend quality time with him because of Bug. That also means that I try to get in time with him in whatever ways I can. I know most of you moms out there have struggled with "hubby time" ever since you had baby #1. I'm not sure, but I suspect it gets even more difficult with subsequent children. It is so important to maintain a good marriage in order to be a good parent. *A side note of complete seriousness: If you are having marital struggles, please take a moment to consider ways to fix the problems, even if it means counseling. Our world is too full of divorce and other diseases of the family. Protect the sanctity of the family! It is too precious and too important!!!!! This should probably be put into a Please Research post, which I may do in the future, but please know: creating and raising righteous and successful families is one of the most important things we will ever do in this world! The LDS church has a Proclamation to the world concerning the family. It is something that everyone should read, even if they aren't members of the LDS church. The Family: A Proclamation to the World

One way I have recently found to get some fun time with my wonderful husband (whether or not Bug is around) is to play Truth or Dare. This can range from funny dares (I dared my hubby to wear our son in a baby wrap at the grocery store...even though he thinks wraps are girly) to more intimate dares (get creative...sometimes the sexy can even be hilarious!!! and that's ok)! The same goes for the Truths. Get to know him better, even if you have been married for years. Don't get offended, though. Keep this game light and fun. I had such a blast, and so did my husband. He wants to play all the time now! It was a chance for us to be goofy, and show our love. I was cracking up laughing nearly the whole time. I really felt like it was a great bonding experience with my other half! Give it a try!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Bumbo is NOT a toilet trainer

When I was a young girl, I hated babysitting. I always figured that having my own kids would be tons different, because I wouldn't have to worry about doing things the "right" or "wrong" way...I could just parent my own children exactly how I wanted. And, you know what, I was right! Another thing I always thought when I was younger was that diaper changing would be the worst part of being a mom. Well, in that case, I was wrong. Diaper changing is probably the easy part!! Erm, well...most of the time.

My wonderful husband, bless his ever-patient heart, bought some more diapers for our baby's busy bum. And, I blame myself completely, he bought a super cheap brand. He did this for two reasons: 1. They're cheap! AND 2. They don't support vaccines! My preferred brand of Pampers spent the month of August using money from packs of diapers bought to send vaccines to pregnant women. I know I don't agree with vaccines, but I have my reasons for wanting those wonderful diapers. The first reason is that, with the cheap diapers, I can't tell when Bug's butt is wet until my lap is also! They are so thick (which is very deceiving, because you would think that would keep them from leaking as much...I hate to break it to you though, they probably leak more than any other diaper!) But, I can handle urine leaks, especially baby ones, because baby urine isn't as bad as adult urine. And even adult urine isn't too bad, unless it's leaking when it shouldn't be, which I may or may not have had experience with in late pregnancy/early postpartum.

Anyway, the real kicker for not wanting cheap diapers comes from the other form of excrement my son so generously produces. Breastfed baby poop, as I've said before, is not 100% disgusting. I think that is a blessing from God, because He knows how often parents end up with poop on themselves. So, I had Bug in a cheap diaper, and had him sitting in his Bumbo chair while I prepared my lunch. I heard some poop noises, but thought nothing much of it. Bug has pooped while sitting in his Bumbo before, and the only problem it caused before (while he was wearing my beloved Pampers) was that the poop came up around his male parts and I had to use an extra wipe or two to get the job done. However...in the cheap diapers, I should have expected a much more disastrous result. When I pulled Bug out of his chair, there was poop ALL OVER his butt, completely covering the bottom half of the outfit I had just put him in 15 minutes earlier. Luckily, the Bumbo wipes clean fairly well, and we have a gazillion onesies for Bug to wear. Needless to say, I made a call to my hubby to pick up some non-cheap diapers on his way home from work.