Friday Favorites--My Favorite Post About Infant Sleep and Scheduling

When my little P was an infant--I became the master Babywise type mom. I totally believed wholeheartedly in scheduling you baby's day. I believe that P was a much happier baby because she was thoroughly rested. I also believe that she learned how to fall asleep. Even though, this may seem like an easy skill--it's not necessarily that way. I had the hardest time falling asleep well into adulthood. My child doesn't have any issues with sleep, and I believe it stems from the techniques I used in her first year of life.

One of my posts about scheduling is my most pinned post from Pinterest. That is why I have decided to write this post. I can totally understand why people are drawn to my post--all new moms are desperately searching for anything to help them sleep more!

Below I have linked my favorite posts on sleep training and sample schedules that I used for my daughter.

I would love to hear about your sweet babies and what you have found to work for them. My husband and I are currently considering and planning for Baby #2 and I need to re-learn all over again!

1. How To Get Your Newborn On A Schedule

This post is a general tips and tricks post on how to start out. It includes the basics of how to start as well as addresses some FAQs.

2. Why I Did Cry It Out

This post is on one of the most controversial parts of sleep training and scheduling--cry it out. I try to talk about it in a humorous way. I know that lots of parents have a hard time with this, but I swear that it works. I include some tips and tricks in this one as well.

3. Sample Schedule Posts

Below I have linked my daughter's sample schedules for her first two transitions. These should help you moms out there that like to be prepared for the future.

Weeks 7-10

Weeks 10-15

4. Introduction of Solid Foods With Scheduling

When I introduced solids her schedule seemed it change a bit. It definitely make life a little bit more difficult.

5. Schedule from 6-9 Months

After starting solids my daughter's schedule held steady for a long time. This was the longest stretch that she went without changing it up from time to time. She became pretty predictable and oh-so-happy!

I hope you enjoy these posts!
Caroline

How I Put Together A Girly Paw Patrol Birthday Party

Disclaimer: I was not compensated by any of these shops. All opinions are my own entirely.

My daughter is obsessed with Paw Patrol. Therefore, there was little question as to what theme her 4th birthday party would be. I love planning her birthday parties. I take great pride in how they turn out. It's a definitely labor of love, but I won't pretend that I don't enjoy every minute of it.

I made a good deal of the decorations for her birthday party using my Cricut Explore (you can buy yourself one here.) I would also like to include a shout out to all of the other vendors that helped make this party PAW-tastic!

Planning a Paw Patrol party of your own? Then, you are in the right place. I would love to hear your ideas as well, who knows, I might be able to use them for her next party!

Birthday Banner

I have made birthday banners for my daughter's last 3 birthday parties, and the one I made this year is my favorite by far. It was very intricate and time consuming, but that made it more rewarding to hang up in the end.

As mentioned above, I use my Cricut Explore for all my paper projects. I get most of my cut files off of Etsy. I LOVE ETSY! Like--I really love it. If you are looking for cute Paw Patrol cut files simply search Paw Patrol SVG files on etsy and you will have all that you ever dreamed you could find.

I got the Paw Patrol font here.

I got the "pup tag" shape for the banner here.

I got the paw patrol faces here.

The faces are the most challenging to create. There are layers upon layers of paper. I took the files above and actually merged a ton of the layers...and it was still quite a process to assemble them. Imagine a tiny jigsaw puzzle. That is what it was like--but in the end it looks so good and you just can't buy anything like this without breaking the bank. To tie it all together I just used a roll of jute and a hole puncher. Simple as that. I think the jute makes it look a little vintage.

If you would like for me to do a tutorial on how to use the Cricut Explore to create images like above, then leave me some comments.

Centerpieces

These centerpieces were made from the same pup faces and pup tag files linked above. I secured them to dowels with a hot glue gun and placed them in painted mason jars filled with craft paper shreds. The end result is too cute for words. The little chalkboards were placed randomly on the mason jars as well.

Entertainment

When kids first entered the party they were directed to make their own pup tag. I took the same pup tag cut file from above and cut several on white cardstock. I punched two holes at the top and created a necklace with jute. The kids colored their own "pup tags" and wore them around their necks for the rest of the party. BUT I did not get a good picture of them--drat! BUT in the picture above, my daughter is wearing her creation!

I also printed Paw Patrol coloring sheets from this site. and had them on the tables with crayons for kids to color before/after/during cake.

What really made the party entertaining was the fact that we hired a performer to dress up as Skye and Chase. The performer made balloon animals and did face painting. It was a hit! I highly recommend it.

Cake

All of my daughter's birthday cakes were made by Shakeata. She is my mother's friend, and she outdoes herself each a every year. I highly recommend her. She is in the Atlanta area. You can contact her here.

Food Labels 

I made the food labels using Picmonkey. I love this site! On Picmonkey you can create your own printables in your own colors. My daughter wanted a girl birthday party, but she loves Chase. With Picmonkey I was able to make my own invitations in girly colors and with a girly style. I was unable to find anything at a store that would work. The dog bowls was an idea I got on Pinterest. I found these bowls on Amazon!

For the Paw Patrol images I searched google images for Paw Patrol transparent background. I found the ones that I liked, and saved them to my computer. Then you can just upload them as your own overlay in Picmonkey and voila!

Birthday Outfit

The adorable birthday outfit I found on Etsy. You can visit the shop here. They did such a great job, and I thought my girl looked so cute. Everyone at the party commented on her outfit and bow! It was a hit--even if she didn't like it!

There you have it! I enjoyed creating this party almost as much as my little P did. Are you planning a little one's birthday party in the near future? I would love to see what you come up with! If you would be interested in an in depth tutorial on how anything was made, then say so in the comments!

Caroline

Happy 4th Birthday P!

1/13/18

Dear Piper,

Every year I write you a letter on your birthday, and each year I am shocked with how quickly the time escapes me. It seems like I have just celebrated your 3rd birthday, and you are FOUR today. Four perfectly amazing years with you in our lives. They went by so fast.

Your fourth year hasn't seemed like a big year of physical changes. When I look back at pictures from last January, you look essentially the same. However, you are a much taller and leaner version of your three year old self. Your eyes look like they are still in the process of turning brown, but the green is hanging on for now. Your hair is long, thick, and wavy--you get so many compliments on it from strangers. And that smile could break any heart...or every single one.

This year has been a year of intellectual leaps for you. You have really grown your vocabulary. Every week you will surprise me with a new word or phrase--each one making you sound more grown up than the next. I can't help but laugh at those little sayings that you still get wrong. Like one of your best friends, Hadley--you say "hab-ley." These phrases are more few and far between these days. You are no longer a baby with baby talk. Instead, you frequently tell whole stories that make total sense. I both love and hate that! You are dramatic, animated, and talk with your hands. You are such a little woman. I am not ready to see you that way.

We traveled a lot over the last 12 months. You took two cruises, and visited Disney World for the 3rd time. You rode in an airplane for the first time. You are so brave, and are still my favorite little traveler. You played in the ocean, and rode the Tower of Terror too. Whenever I doubt that you can do something, you always prove me wrong. You love adventure and thrills whether it is water slides, roller coasters, or rides. You learned to swim this year with minimum struggle, but you are very cautious in the water!

You are still a really picky eater, but we do feel that we have made some progress in the last year. Your favorite meal is still Cheerios (you used to call them Chee-dots, sigh) and milk. Your daddy says you're just like Jerry Seinfeld. You love spaghetti, but have recently chosen to forego the meat sauce, choosing plain buttered noodles instead. Your a bread and dairy lover. You will eat a lot of fruits, but essentially no veggies. We are working on that.

Over the last few months you have fallen in love with PJ Masks and Paw Patrol. You love to watch the shows and even just watch people play with toys on You Tube. Daddy and I don't understand that last one much, but it's your thing. Anything with these characters on it is a hit for you. That is why your birthday party next weekend is Paw Patrol themed. You will play for hours with the figurines and dolls--making up your own scenarios and dialogue. I am amazed at how active your imagination is at your age.

While you love these super hero toys, you are also really girly. You love when I paint your nails and let you wear makeup. You even got your own make up for Christmas. One morning before school we had to make a detour to the playroom for you to put on your makeup. So cute! You also love to dress up in Princess dresses, crowns, and shoes, and play around. Usually you will be happy to do your rendition of "Let it Go" for anyone who asks.

You love to learn, and therefore love your school. this is your third full year at Camden Academy. Your teacher is Ms. Megan. She has taught you so much...like letter sounds and how to count to 100. You are always excited to go to school and see your friends. You are interested in learning and love to come home and share what letter sound you did today. I hope you keep this quality always.

Each holiday season with you gets better and better. Even though we were all fighting a cold this Christmas break--we still made the best of our time. I love to see the holidays through your eyes. It brings a whole new meaning to this time of year. This Christmas you finally got into some of our favorite Christmas movies like Home Alone 1 and 2 and the Santa Clause. I am actually really sick on Home Alone at the moment with as much as you wanted to watch it.

So there you go baby girl. You are the apples to my applesauce. The sunshine to my cloudy day. You make me so mad I could spit, and yet make me laugh till I pee my pants a little. Your hugs and kisses are therapeutic, and I have been practicing saving the sound of your Love You Mommy's at each age. I know one day you won't say it so freely and I'll need those memories. I say it every year, but I am so lucky to be your Mommy. I am so proud of you each and every day. You are my greatest adventure.

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” 
― Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!

Love,
Mommy

Should We or Shouldn't We?

I feel like I have been writing a lot lately, but this blog is taking so many turns down many different roads. I am struggling a little bit with the blog's identity. Which could stand to reason that I am also struggling with my own as well.

For as long as I can remember life has felt like a blur from one big event to the next. I am always looking forward to the next milestone and the next big thing that life has to offer. Now that I am 30--It seems that those major milestones are fewer and far between. I struggle a bit with my path in life.

Don't get me wrong I love my life. I have a great husband who is an excellent partner in life. I have a beautiful little girl. I have a job--all I can say about that one. I have a small group of friends. I have a larger group of mommy friends. I have a million hobbies and interests. I feel like I am in the best shape I have been in in years. Yet--I still seem to be in the midst of uncertainty.

I think in part it is because of this deadline that I have had in my mind. It always comes back to Baby #2. Ever since P was one I have been obsessed with this struggle. Will we or wont we? Should we or shouldn't we? Can we? What if we can't? Do I really want to do this all over again? Maybe I don't want to do this all over again? I definitely don't want to do this all over again! OMG I really want to do this all over again!

I will admit that it probably consumes me in a slightly unhealthy way. I think about it way too much. I worry about it. I dream about it. I think I might have a problem.

I had made up my mind that 5 years is the cutoff. I do not want my children to be more than 5 years apart in age. Now that P is 3, and really almost 3 and a half, that deadline is drawing dangerously close.

What I used to be able to push in the back of my mind and say--"I'll just think about that later. We have plenty of time to debate it. " We really don't have that luxury of time anymore. To be completely transparent--we still go back and forth on the issue a lot.

If you are new to the blog then you know that my husband is less than convinced that our family needs to grow. I am pretty convinced that it should. We have been that way for the last 3 years. But even I find myself wavering over the last month. I see all of his points and he sees all of mine, but it just comes down to good old fashioned difference in opinion. And I mean all the way to the gut. I just want another, and he just doesn't. Simple as that.

When I think about having to go back to work this time (I stayed home with P for 18 months) I wonder if I will be able to mother that way. But mostly I worry about my P. I love her so completely that I agonize over something that will so indefinitely change our relationship. She has been the center of my universe for so long--how will she react to having to share that universe? Will I be able to love the second as completely as I love her? I think I can, but it is scary.

I am feeling the pressure myself, so I know that J is feeling it doubly and I really, and honestly do feel bad about that. BUT have you ever wanted something so badly that you can't imagine your life without it?

That is how I am. I have pretty much convinced myself that I will never be happy if I CHOOSE not to have another child. If I tried and couldn't get pregnant--I think I could live with that. But not trying--I think that is what I will be thinking about on my death bed. I will be sad that my child grew up alone, and that I never got to experience that bond with a second child.

I often use this blog as a way to process feelings, and that is clearly what is happening right now, so just bear with me. I have a recurring nightmare. It is horrible and I don't really want to type it out because I am afraid that it will come true. It is totally irrational, but I think it has something to do with the whole second baby thing.

Let's just say something horrible and tragic happens to P in this nightmare, and I am left childless at an age where having more children is impossible. The horror is too much to even imagine. the loss unbearable. But that is a mother's fear--that we will lose a child. I can't help but think that this is my mind processing these feelings over having another child. It is totally irrational but it is so real.

Am I the only one? Am I crazy? Someone please tell me that I am not. I swear there are moments when P is being horrible that I think that I wouldn't never do this again, but 2 seconds later I am day dreaming about another little pudgy baby with green eyes and brown curls. Lord help me. Lord help my husband!

Someone help me out and tell me I'm normal!

Caroline

Trips with Toddlers

When my daughter was a baby I avoided taking her out for long periods of time. When she was breastfeeding--it just felt like too much of a hassle to take her anywhere. I got real anxiety at the thought of taking her on a long car ride by myself. I would stress over what would happen if she cried, or was hungry. I avoided taking her anywhere overnight until she was 6 months old. AND that trip was so awful that she didn't go anywhere again until 14 months.

As P got older though, the more she craved adventure, and the better traveler she has become. I know that if I have another one--I will need to find that balance of being able to provide structure without making myself crazy. I do believe that a lot of my issues with travel with my daughter were self induced. I just wasn't flexible enough. I was too caught up in her schedule and nap times to have fun.

However, traveling with toddlers can make even the most confident parent fret a bit.  We are taking three vacations this summer, so here are a few tips that I have found to help while on trips with toddlers.

1. Understand going in that bed time will be later
When we go to Virginia every summer, we do a great job getting P to bed on time each night, but when we were at Disney--she was going to bed at all kinds of crazy hours. I used to try to fit our schedule around P's nap and bed times. It is just too much. You will not be able to accomplish what you need if you are tied to a 7:30 bed time. Let it go. I promise that they will go back to their normal bedtime when you return home. Kids are smart enough to understand that there is a difference when you are away from home.

2. Understand that nap time may not happen
At this stage in the game (P is three years old) we are really struggling with nap time anyway. For this reason, I am already mentally preparing myself for the fact that P might not take naps while we are on our vacations this summer. Children (especially toddlers) are creatures of habit, so one little difference could really throw them off. I know that P usually sleeps well at our place in Virginia, because the room is very dark and similar to the environment that she has at home. BUT our cruise for this summer is likely to be a whole different story. I'm not going to worry about it. I know that she will need to sleep later in the mornings to make up for it, and I will try like hell to make sure that that happens.

3. Bring as many comforts from home as possible
Since my daughter is such a product of a strict schedule and environment--I always try to bring as many comforts from home as possible when we travel. This includes all 35 of her stuffed animals (I'm not kidding). If we have room and it can be done, then I bring them. On the list of things that I normally bring on trips with us: her comforter, pillow, stuffed animals, sound machine, monitors, potty seat, and potty stool, and countless of her favorite toys. Obviously if you are going by plane, then it might be different. We will see how P does on the cruise without her potty seat. She will go on public toilets, but protests without it at home and on vacation at times. It should be interesting.

4. Figure out the bed situation
Up until last summer, P slept in her pack n play on vacation, but once we moved her to her toddler bed at home--we knew she was not going to take to that sleeping arrangement on vacation anymore. When we went to Disney last September, I actually bought a toddler cot that she could sleep on. It was adorable, and she slept on it at my parents maybe twice. When we got to our condo at Disney she was so excited to sleep in her own bed in her own room that she actually spent the whole week sleeping in the full sized bed in her room. She didn't want to even look at that cot. This has become a bit of an incentive for P on vacation. Since she sleeps on a smaller toddler bed at home--she looks forward to going on vacation to get to sleep in the "big girl bed." Hey--Whatever works.

5. Bring medicines and other items for emergencies
Now when I say emergencies I don't meal real ones. I mean scrapes, and sniffles. I try to bring any medicine that P has ever needed in her three years. I am a firm believer in Murphy's law (what can go wrong, will go wrong). I like to live in the know. Before A trip I pack the following: eczema lotion, glycerin suppositories (because kids get constipated on vacations), miralax, tylenol, ibuprofen, band aids, benadryl, ear drops, saline spray, boogie wipes, and rubbing alcohol. You just never know when something may be needed.

Preparation truly is key with my little one. I try to keep as much structure in the chaos as possible, and usually she does a great job.

Happy Monday!
Caroline

10 Things I Didn't Know Before I Became A Mom

While I did a ton of research while I was pregnant there were still so many things that I just didn't know before I became a mother. I was terrified that I didn't have the, "mom gene." It sounds cliche, but I truly believe that your instincts do just kick in. After a few weeks I felt pretty confident that no matter what P did, I would be able to deal with it successfully.

Nevertheless, there are still things that I am finding out each year that I didn't know before I became a mom. I catch myself saying, "that would have been nice to know before it happened." If you are about to become a member of the mom club then check out my list. Maybe you are better than me and you already knew a lot of these, or maybe you are like me and you were completely caught off guard.

1. How to swaddle a baby

I seriously had never even heard of swaddling before I started reading about night time sleep for infants while I was pregnant with my daughter. I definitely didn't know how to do it well. It took me several weeks to get it down, and by then she was ready to move on to one of the velcro swaddles. Do yourself a favor and learn this before your baby is born so you can get some practice in. Here is a nice diagram above.

2. If you breastfeed your period may not come back until you stop

I about had a heart attack when I didn't have a period after my daughter was born. Once I stopped the post partum bleeding I expected to have another period in 30 or so days. I didn't have my next period until my daughter was a year old and I was weaning her. My doctor laughed when I called and left a message thinking that I was pregnant again.

3. Newborns can have tylenol, but not ibuprofen.

I bought a bunch of medicines before my daughter was born, and when she started teething at 4 months of age I reached for the ibuprofen, and while reading the dosage I realized that infants cannot have Ibuprofen until 6 months. What??? Seems like that would be something the doctor would be sure to stress at one of those first visits. Tylenol only until 6 months! I never use Tylenol. I don't think that it is very effective, so I just didn't even think about it. Who knew?

4. Brush up on early childhood development

I'm a teacher, but I teach high schoolers. I have essentially no knowledge about what is typical or atypical behavior from babies and toddlers. ZERO. Therefore I was really stressed out that my baby was progressing too slowly. When one of my mommy friend's baby rolled over at two weeks, and mine did not roll over until 5 months--I thought for sure something was wrong. it would have been much better to read official articles on expected windows for milestones like crawling and walking BEFORE I had my daughter. Knowledge is power and it can save a ton of stress.

Now that my daughter is 3, I still find that there is so much that I do not know about her development. When I see her around other kids her age or I talk to her teachers at baby school--I sometimes get fears that her development may be lagging in an area. As a mom, we have a tendency to over react, and I am REALLY bad about that. I tend to take it personally when I shouldn't. It is just so hard not to. I find myself calling my mom (who has an early childhood degree and has taught 3 and 4 year olds for years) a lot with questions relating to P's development. Usually she tells me that I am crazy and that she is right on track. 

Sometimes I wish that there was a parenting class that you could take where they would tell you things to watch out for. I just feel like there is much more awareness now about cognitive and developmental delays, and I just don't feel like I would notice a delay even if it was there staring me in the face. I want to protect my daughter and support her in any way that I can, and these types of things scare the crap out of me.

5. Teething can cause cold like symptoms

When my daughter started teething and was running a low grade fever for a week solid--I rushed her into the doctor thinking surely something was wrong. I had no idea that teething can exhibit all kids of symptoms like congestion, and fevers. Who knew?

6. You are never out of the woods with night time sleep

I used to think that once you got your newborn to sleep through the night that it meant that they were able to consistently sleep through the night. I had no idea that you have to LEARN to fall asleep.  That it is a skill. I had no idea that she would continue to go through sleep regressions (didn't even know there was such a thing), wake up when she was overly tired, or sick. CRAZY.

7. That I would literally have nightmares about tantrums in public

If you missed my post on tantrums from Wednesday, then you can read it here. Toddler tantrums are my number one fear these days. Public toddler tantrums are my very own version of hell on earth. I knew that kids threw tantrums,  but having never remembered throwing one or seeing one myself--I had no idea the level of mortification that they can cause on the parent's part. Am I the only one?

8. Kids use car seats until they are 8 years old or 57 inches tall
I am all about safety, but I just didn't realize that car seats would be a thing in my life for 8 years. I don't remember sitting in one myself past 4, although I can't really trust my memories from that age. In addition I didn't realize that there were so many different stages of car seats. If I had I would have bought the Graco one that grows with them. I probably will if I have another.

9. How truly important a good support system is
I had heard "it takes a village" my whole life when it comes to raising kids. However, you just do not understand the true meaning of that phrase until you actually have children. It is so important for you to be able to take a moment to breathe. You need people on your side. Even if they are just someone to bounce ideas off of. It can make such a difference. I joined a Mommy and Me class when P was 2 weeks old. I still talk to a lot of those mommas. I am so grateful for their friendship.

Family is also so important. I want my child to have influences outside of her parents, and my child has her own little village of fans. It is so important to us and we could not do it without them.

10. There is no limit on love
I used to think that I knew exactly what my capacity for love was. I prided myself in being emotionally intelligent. I thought I loved deeply and fully. When I had P--my whole world changed. I no longer felt like I knew anything about love. She taught me that love means so much more. It exceeds exhaustion, frustration, grief, and anger. I love that little girl more than I love anything else in this world.

I occasionally worry that I would not be able to love another child like I love her. But the other night I was thinking about when I was pregnant with P--how I would worry that I might not love her. Thinking about how I feel about her now only confirms what she has shown me in her short three years of life--my capacity for love is endless when it comes to my children. Whether it was 1 child or 5--my ability to love would multiply with each one. I am certain of it.

I hope you enjoyed this list. I am feeling led to leave you with this quote:

"making the decision to have a child--it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body"

How very true these words by Elizabeth Stone are.

Happy Friday!
Caroline