Mother, May I...Yes, you may!

This has been a fun month for me. I had grand plans, I'm sure later I will still share my favorite things I have found to help with motherhood. But for now it's time to end this series.

When I was a new mom nine years ago I was so overwhelmed. Taking care of a child was not hard-no that's the easy part. I wasn't prepared for how exhausted my body would be after delivering a child. Or how absolutely bone tired I would be after nursing every other hour all night long for 5 nights in a row-but still have to be alert and attentive so my baby didn't get hurt.I didn't know that I could actually be touched too much in one day. I wasn't prepared for my heart to grow and be so mesmerized by a sleeping baby. Then she started to grow and things got a bit easier-we both adjusted to each other and then we wanted another baby-because they are just so fun.

Then my little guy came along. The pregnancy was great, everything and everyone was healthy-but the placenta was in the wrong place-so a c-section was ordered. All went well, but again I wasn't prepared to handle two small children. I felt guilty because I couldn't hold my second all day long like I did my first. I didn't bond immediately with my newborn-it worried me. My second baby was SO loud and high pitched compared to my first. He was hungry ALL the time! He wouldn't take a bottle and only wanted mom. It was a long first year. We didn't want more children. We felt our hands and hearts were full.

Once my little guy could talk and was potty trained I felt a huge burden lifted and actually wanted another child. To our surprise it took us 5 months to get pregnant-something that didn't happen with the first two. Then our little girl decided to come a month early. She was a tiny little thing and ended up in the NICU for 6 days. By 4 months she was had actually grown so much she was off the charts in height and continues to shock us with her growth.

Love those chubby fingers and hands.

 She was a good baby-and then we discovered she had curly hair! She is our little spitfire-and guess what? I'm not so stressed about parenting now. While I was in the hospital with her I knew that there was one more waiting to join our family. Just 22 months after our third we welcomed a perfect little girl. Thinking I had this newborn thing down we weren't prepared when we found out she wasn't getting enough food. She didn't gain any weight her first month-After lots of doctor appointments, a round of mastitis, and samples of formula our baby started gaining weight. It was so scary. She's still a little on the small side compared to her siblings, but it's nice to have a little baby after having really big ones.

Enjoy the beauty your child create.

Here are 10 truths I have found while parenting:

1. I know that temper tantrums are usually just phases. Most things your child is going through are really just phases. You don't know it until you look back at pictures and realize your child hasn't played with his beloved Thomas for months.

2. Sleepless nights are not the end of the world-and most people really don't care that you only had 2 hours of sleep. 

3. Enjoy those little years-everyone says they go fast. But when you are in the thick of it you think those people are crazy. Trust me-once your first starts school you will wish those first five years back.

4. Life does get easier with each child-if you have built a good foundation. Brushing teeth and bedtime used to be such a hassle with our oldest two-but the now the youngest two think it is so fun and just jump right in line to get their teeth brushed.

5. Most children take about three days to adjust to something new. Like: crying it out, potty training, any new schedule. If you can stick it out and be strict about something new-give it a few days and suddenly your child will adjust.

6. Listen to your gut. You're the mom-not your friends, or your mom, or the internet, or well meaning strangers-Listen-if you think something is wrong with your child do something about it. If your doctor thinks your crazy get a second opinion.  When my kids are sick and I can tell that something just isn't right and I take them to the doctor--7 out of 10 times they have an infection and need meds. If your at a playdate and your gut is telling you this isn't right for your kid-make up some excuse and get out of there. My oldest loved playdates-my second just clung to me the entire time. We stopped going to playdates for a while, he was happier and I was happier.

7. Get outside with your kids. We've worked hard to make our backyard beautiful and safe for our family. Most of the time I send my kids out back to play-I try to get out there as much as possible. I'm not a hovering type of parent. So when I go out and they are playing I will weed the flowerbeds or tend to the yard. During the summer months and any time it's warm enough during the rest of the year we try to take evening walks. We have a special spot we walk to as a family. It's a time that is free from distractions and allows us to be together and enjoy nature.

8. Change your perception of reality and perfection. I remember being a grumpy person when I didn't get enough sleep, my children were fighting, my house that I had just cleaned was in ruins, and my husband wanted more attention. I was mad that life wasn't fair. As I was working out one morning I had the realization hit me-If I don't change my attitude about my life I will always be grumpy. So I changed- suddenly having children was not a burden. Changing endless diapers and wiping faces and hands was not a burden. Yes, my house was never perfectly tidy-but it will be someday when my kids are older.

 I needed hooks in our drop zone-it's not pinterest perfection...I love it! The kids put their backpacks up and it has helped control the mess.

9. Keep your expectation high for your children. Children are amazing and resilient. They can also meet high expectations. Yes they are children they can't sit still for hours on end-but they are smart and amazing. If you expect your children to be loud, messy, and picky they will be. If you expect them to be obedient, tidy, and well mannered they will be. There is a caveat: know your child-don't expect so much that they are crushed with perfectionism. 

10. My mother often says this: this is their first time being a child and your first time being a parent. Learn together and be open with your feelings, frustrations, and your love. Sometimes a long hug will cure all.

 I'm not a perfect mother, but I try to be the best mother for my children.

This picture is from mother's day-it's one of my favorite of my children.

Mother May I...Baby Shoes

When it comes to baby shoes I really have to put limits on my spending.  There is just something about those chubby little toes.

For this post I've separated the shoes into crib shoes (aka non walking to toddling) and to toddler shoes. All of my children have worn each of these types of shoes-obviously my little guy has had to have his own handsome shoes. We love them and I recommend them to anyone who asks. All of the shoes mentioned below come in boy and girl options-I just picked girl shoes to show this time.

First up crib shoes:

Crib shoes are the shoes with a slim soul. Some experts say you want your children to learn to walk barefoot--but for those of us who live in a cold climate we need to cover their toes.

Pedipeds Originals:

• Some of my favorites. They are so cute. They come wide-but you don't have to order in wide. The maryjane strap is positioned well so it doesn't cut into the babies leg.
• They have boy and girl styles
• The quality is amazing
• Style: they have some fun shoes and also classics
• The price isn't too bad for these $35

Freshly Picked Moccasins:

• Cute! These are a lot like robeez..just cuter and a classic.
• Warm. These keep toes and feet warm
• Hard for baby to pull off. When they are the right size a baby has a hard time pulling these off.
• Leather! These just get softer with use.
• Price. These are on the high end for price at $60 a pair-but you can find knock offs for around $15. Just remember you pay for what you get.
• Unisex: if you get a brown or bronze it would work for a boy or girl-making these great to pass down to siblings.

Once your baby starts to walk then run you should move up to something with more of a soul-unless you are going to clothe them in moccasins for the rest of their life. Your child will need to get used to a thicker soul-and as their foot develops they will need more arch support. I call these baby shoes-the souls are super thick but they give good support.

Squeaky Shoes-Sophie's Chiq Boutique

• Squeak! As your toddler runs away from you give them a little freedom with a squeaky shoe. On the normal shoes the squeakers are removable.
• Leather-most of the shoes on this site are leather
• Price.  Most of the shoes are $15
• The toe box is wide-great for those wiggly toes
• Cute! Check out the site and see the cute options
• Boy shoes too! I bought several pairs for my boy-he was a runner. He got a lot of compliments because his shoes were very cute.

Stride Rite Booties-

• Classic-I've pictures of myself in shoes like these when I was a baby. Stride Rite has a lot of different options for the white bootie.
• Leather-Once again, leather shoes are great. They last forever, can be polished, mold better to the shape of a foot
• Wide-these come in wide widths. Three of my four kids have wide feet-one has thick feet. Stride Rite has a good selection of wide shoes.
• Price: $44. Not too bad. Just check in on black friday for the best deal of the year.

Mother, May I...Strollers

After a recent trip to my mothers house I realized how much I like my particular double stroller. We have a double sit-n-stand stroller. We didn't take our stroller on the trip, but borrowed a different double stroller from my mom's neighbor. We were grateful to have a double stroller, but frustrated at how wide it was-we couldn't get through a few doors, and I hit my toddlers finger into a door jam trying to get through a door.

For those of you in the stroller market my advice: if you only have one child but are planning on having more sooner rather than later by a cheap one seater and save the big bucks for a double stroller. My first two are 2 1/2 years apart- my last two are only 22 months apart. We had a nice single stroller-loved it-as soon as we had two children we never used the single stroller again.

I don't have the BOB stroller-if anyone wants to give me one I would love it :D We do have a Sit N Stand-and have used it for 6 years now. Here's what I like about these two strollers:

1. The Baby Trend Sit N Stand Double Stroller:

• Flexible: Both the front and back seats and be modified to hold infant carseats. The back seat has a harness strap-great when you have a toddler and a baby. When your older child is big enough remove the canopy and seat cushion for a bench seat. The then will be rear facing and have a foot rest-they can get on and off but have a parent right there pushing the stroller to make sure they are under a watchful eye.  Think of going to the zoo. Your little baby can't run up to the exhibit, but your three year old can and will want to. Instead of climbing in and out of a stroller they can simply jump off the back. There is a strap across the back to keep them safe and somewhat contained when needed.
• Canopy: The canopies are sturdy and can come off both the front and back.
• Trays: both trays can come completely off-great when you need to clean. I had to take the front tray off when I wanted to fit the stroller in the trunk of my corolla.
• Weight: It's not too heavy, but it's not light weight.
• Folding: It does fold down-but its a double stroller and it's not tiny. There are other double strollers that fold down more compactly. 
• Weight limit: it can hold two children up to 50 lbs each-you will have awesome core muscles if you are pushing around 100 lbs of children.
• Wheels: the wheels are 8 inches in diameter and don't need to be inflated.
• Narrow: as mentioned above this is a huge selling point for me. This stroller is long and narrow-I have never had a problem going through a door-other than holding it open trying to get a long stroller through. After experiencing a stroller that was too wide-I would go for a front and back double over a side-to-side
• Price: $214..I paid just under $200 for this stroller 6 years ago.

2. The BOB Revolution Double Stroller:

• Smooth: This stroller is so smooth. With the big wheels and suspension system-makes it sound like car. If you are into really long walks or jogging this might be your best bet.
• Accessories: Good and Bad. It has a lot of accessories that you can purchase. A cup holder, a carseat adapter, rain cover, snack tray, handlebar console. The fact that you have to purchase these in addition to bothers me a bit. I can see the carseat adapter and the rain cover-but a cup holder? If you're going jogging you probably need somewhere to put your water bottle.
• Easy Fold: Some comments say it's easy to fold, others say it's too hard. I generally keep my kids in the car while I get my stroller out, and put the kids in the car while I'm folding it and putting it away. 
• It's wide-yes it will fit through most doorways-but you have to go slowly to make sure you don't hit the doorjam and wake a sleeping baby.
• Price: $536...people love their BOB strollers    

I would love a BOB stroller just for jogging-but probably would buy another Sit N Stand if I ever buy another double stroller.