Saturday, August 31, 2013

Weekend Links

Hope you guys had a great week! :)  I will be taking a little vacation from blogging this week except to post the winner of the giveaway on Monday, don't forget to enter to win a weePOD potty seat! Since I won't be posting as much, I have piled up a bunch of fun/interesting/yummy links for you to delve into!  Have a great week y'all!

Funny stuff here:


Things to contemplate:

Yummy recipes:
Letters to Miley: 


And to end on a good note... the Obama's got a cute new puppy!! Awww!

 

Friday, August 30, 2013

Nap Time Craft Time: I Heart My State

When Everett was a wee little lad (and a wee little lad was he) and I had time to sew and make all sorts of crafty things, I had time to make him a few "I <3 My State" onesies (found here).  Ahhhh the days where he would sleep and sleep, those days are long gone!
Everett (2 months old) rocking the I <3 Virginia onesie
Anyways, they turned out so cute and I have been thinking about making a few t-shirts for him to wear this summer.  How adorable would it be for Everett and his little brother to have matching outfits?!  You can catch a glimpse of Nolan wearing his "I <3 California" onesie in the June and July Instacram posts! 


Here's what you'll need
  • Freezer paper (NOT wax paper)
  • Puffy paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Scissors or exacto knife
  • Pre-washed onesie or t-shirt
  • Sharpie
  • Iron
  • Print out(s) of the state(s) you want to create
    • Make sure that they are proportional to the size of onesie/t-shirt
Here's what you'll do :
Trace your state on to the paper side of the freezer paper and cut out the image. 
Now place the freezer paper shiny side down onto your fabric.  You will now press the freezer paper onto your fabric holding down for about 5 seconds in each spot.  Make sure that all of the edges are adhered to the fabric (this is important!)
Time to paint! You might want to put some newspaper or cardboard in between the layers of fabric so that the paint doesn't seep through. I started around the edges and worked my way in with the paint. Make sure to add a heart to the city you love most! 
Now sit and wait! Don't peel off the freezer paper until the paint has dried! 
Finally, once the paint has dried peel back the freezer paper and check out your perfectly painted state! Now, heat set the paint by placing a towel over the paint and running the iron over it for a few seconds!
 So that's it! Think you'll take a hand at trying it?  Let me know if you do! :) 

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

FBP: Potty Talk Part Two (Giveaway)

Welcome back to potty talk!  Last week I wrote about how I potty trained Everett and this week I am writing about how things have been going since he has been potty trained.  Be sure to head over to my blog on FredericksburgParent.net and read to the end for details about a giveaway as well as some tips I found made potty training easier! 





Read the full post here over on my blog at FredericksburgParent.net

Monday, August 26, 2013

Reflux Realities

I am really excited to have Amie from Our Little Clan guest posting here today!  Amie and I were dorm-mates during my brief (but awesome) time at Abilene Christian University and we have stayed in contact over the years.  We have a lot in common (cloth diapering, clean eating, love for the Lord) and one of those things happens to be having a baby with reflux.  

I asked Amie if she would mind writing something for my blog to help educate those who might not know about reflux in infants. Unfortunately for Amie, she has much more experience with this than I do as her son Alex has had a much harder time with reflux.  

Feel free to leave any questions or comments below! :) 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Photo found here.
Reflux is defined as the stomach contents spilling up into the esophagus. The contents may come up enough to be seen in the mouth or to be spit out of the mouth of a person, with or without force.

Any baby that spits up has reflux. But wait, don’t all babies spit up? Yes, most babies will spit up and this is technically reflux but it doesn’t mean that there’s anything “wrong.”

Most babies will spit up because the sphincter at the top of the stomach isn’t developed fully and sometimes it just can’t keep the stomach sealed up after a meal. Why didn’t God just make this sphincter fully functioning at birth? I don’t know but it’s on my list to ask one day.

Most babies fall into the category of “happy spitters”. This means that they have normal, developmentally appropriate reflux and they couldn’t care less. A happy spitter is a laundry problem for mom and dad and that’s about it. Baby is happy and thriving and completely unaware that they just covered your $70 shoes in baby puke.

Some babies however are not happy spitters. If you have such a baby, you know it. (And your neighbors probably do as well.) Infant reflux becomes a problem when baby spits up so much of their feeds that they struggle to gain weight appropriately, or may even lose weight. Some babies will maintain proper weight but are in serious pain when they reflux. Some common signs of reflux pain can include crying/screaming, arching of the back (they look like they’re doing a backbend), refusal to eat/eating excessively, and lack or loss of babbling.  If you think you’re baby fits into either of these, speak with your healthcare practitioner. This may be reflux or it could be something else, only a healthcare professional can help you navigate those options.

If you have a reflux baby, or like me you have a GERD baby (severe pain with reflux), there are things that you can do to help. Some of these are specific to formula-fed babies, some to breastfed, and some will help any of them.

  • (Breast or Bottle) Smaller feeds more frequently. Breastfeeding moms can work with a lactation consultant on setting a good feeding pattern, most seem to do well with feeding from just one breast per feed. Bottle feeding moms can try to feed fewer ounces per bottle but feed more often. Speak with your doctor before changing feeding habits, especially if baby isn’t gaining well.
  • (Bottle) If baby is bottle-fed, you can thicken their formula or pumped breastmilk with rice cereal. This is pretty heavily debated among moms and doctors, but the idea is that the cereal will help absorb acid in the stomach and will make the milk heavier helping it to stay down. You may need to get faster flow nipples for your bottles or they will get clogged. Just an FYI- It does not help baby sleep through the night one bit.
  • (Breast or Bottle) Keep baby elevated for 30 minutes after each feed and in severe cases, limit horizontal time to just tummy time and keep tummy time short. (Babies still need tummy time so work with your child and your doctor to make sure they get to use their muscles.) You may also want to elevate the head of baby’s crib. You can put lifts under one end of the crib or use a wedge.
  • (Breast or Bottle) Some reflux babies have milk or soy intolerances. If you or your doctor suspect such an intolerance you can eliminate these foods from baby’s diet. Breastfeeding mothers would need to eliminate all dairy and soy from their diets. Formula-fed babies can go on a hypo-allergenic formula. Very rarely, some babies will have an intolerance to human milk and can do well on the hypo-allergenic formulas.
  • (Breast) There are positioning pillows that a breastfeeding mother can use to keep baby at an upright angle while nursing. I don’t have any experience with these, but they might be worth looking into.
Some babies will continue to have reflux problems even with all of these measures being taken. Your doctor may suggest putting such a baby on medication. They make infant versions of Zantac, Prevacid, and Nexium. These drugs can be very helpful for some babies. They are weight based and may need adjustments as your baby grows.

For most babies, the reflux gets better around 6 months when they are sitting up and start eating solids. Some babies will keep going with the reflux for a full year.

We’re going on ten months. It’s been a long journey and at first it seemed like our whole life revolved around reflux: when to give meds, how long to keep upright, trying to squeeze in tummy time before the next feed, mixing bottles, and washing burp clothes. Now, we’ve got it down and it’s just a part of life.

I give Alex his meds with his first bottle of the day. Each bottle gets mixed with the cereal and when we go out we fill the formula container with formula and cereal so it’s all ready to go. I know when he’s going to be hungry and plan to make sure he’ll be upright for at least half an hour after. When he sleeps I can tell the difference between a pain episode and him waking up. I no longer cry when he wakes up in pain, but comfort him and love on him and try to get him to drink some water. I no longer apologize for the spit-up on my clothes when I get to work; it’s my badge of honor as a reflux mom.

If you have a reflux baby I can honestly say, I feel for you. I’m so sorry you and your little one are having to deal with this, but I can also tell you that it gets better, or at least easier. You learn to keep up with the meds and refills. You learn baby’s cues on when they’re going to spew and you get pretty fast at dodging it. And even though we aren’t there, I hold out hope that they all out grow it one day and this will just an embarrassing story to tell some future girlfriend.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Letters to Everett: 8/22/13

Dearest Everett,

You just turned 27 months old and I am not going to lie buddy, this last month has been one of the most challenging months we have had together.  We have been going through a rough time in the afternoons (see posts here and here) with you and are working on some different strategies to help make things go more smoothly.  
We are giving the "tia" (television) a much needed break and are only turning it on for one show everyday.  You have actually started interacting with the shows on the tv. When the Little Einsteins ask you to pat your lap you happily oblige, and when Mickey Mouse asks you to repeat him, you yell "oh toodles!"  I never thought that kids actually responded to the cartoons but you do and you love it! Since you haven't been watching as much television these days, it is really helping you to play with your toys a lot more! You have started to use your imagination while you play and it is fun to watch the things that you come up with.  
You have been requesting to be held pretty much 24/7 these days and the only way I have been able to keep you happy, keep Nolan happy, and still get things done is to wear you.   I am still a beginner when it comes to wearing you in the wrap, but you are getting used to it and are becoming more and more happy to be wrapped up. 
You are really vocal and enjoy learning new words.  You have your own way of saying things and it is so cute to hear you coming up with new sayings.  Here's a list of new words and funny sayings from this month: 
  • Pwease, yup, nope, ya sure, okay, farp (fart), greer (come here), oh man, fick (fix) it, hay-lp (help), mayonnaise
  • Daddy you're crazy
  • Ride 'em cowBOY
  • Hold you (Hold me) 
  • Erre E is (Here he is)
  • Don't like it
  • In a minute
  • I did it! (See video below!) 

I know this month might have been a little more rough than most but I am working on being the best mom I can be which will require a lot of patience on both our parts but I know we will figure it out.  I love you more than you will ever know! 

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma
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For Letters to Everett, click here
For Letters to Nolan, click here

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

FBP: Potty Talk

No pictures while I'm on the potty!
A little while ago, I mentioned in this post  that we had started potty training/learning with Everett and I am proud to say that he has been day-time cloth diaper free since then!  Sure, there is an occasional accident but for the most part he is a "big boy potty" user full time these days.  

Everett had been telling us when he needed to go potty for a few months prior to Nolan being born but I had continued to hold off on training him. Because we had previously fiddled around with Elimination Communication, Everett was already familiar with sitting on the potty and knew what the potty was used for.  I was still a bit worried that if we potty trained him before the baby was born that he would revert as soon as Nolan made his entrance.  

Once Nolan was here and Everett continued to show interest in going to the potty Tyler and I decided to go for it.  So, how did we do it?  Bribery my friends, pure bribery. 

Read the full post here over on my blog at FredericksburgParent.net

Monday, August 19, 2013

Letters to Nolan: 8/18/13

Dear Mr. Nolan,

What an exciting and eventful month we have had!  You are becoming more and more alert every day.  You have such a happy and fun personality.  You still love to look at the ceiling fans and start chatting away when anyone looks at you. You really like to talk and I haven't the slightest idea who you get that from. :)  
Your photo was in the newspaper this month! 
You are settling into a routine and seem to be doing really well with it.  I don't have to work very hard to get you to take a nap, you just sleep when you are tired!  You are still napping three to five times a day, some of the naps are only about 30 minutes long while others are an hour or more long. 
Your favorite way to nap, I call you my little "green bean!"
You are still nursing every two hours or so throughout the day and will sleep for anywhere from four to six hours at night.  You are still taking a paci and sometimes when we give it to you, you drift right off to sleep.   
Hanging out with brother! 
We have been doing tummy time a lot more frequently now and you are starting to tolerate it more these days.  You really like to kick your feet, I think that you want to run before you even crawl.  You don't have a lot of arm strength yet but we are working on it! 
You have a wide range of emotions!
You are growing a lot faster than your brother did at your age!  At your two month well check you weighed just under 13 lbs and about a week ago you already weighed 14 lbs and 9 oz! I love all of your rolls!  You are such a cute and handsome little dude! 
Sitting in the bumbo like a big boy!

Here's what you've been up to this past month: 



07/22/13: First trip to Chatham
07/25/13: First time to nap in the crib
07/26/13: Grew out of 0-3 month clothes (into 3-6 month clothes)
07/27/13: First MLB game (Nationals vs Mets)
07/31/13: Weighed 14lbs, diagnosed with pink eye, found paci by yourself, started wearing size 3 diapers
08/02/13: Slept for a stretch of seven and a half hours
08/04/13: Slept for a stretch of nine and a half hours
08/05/13: Started blowing bubbles
08/06/13: Got your photo in the newspaper at the Big Latch On
08/08/13: First time riding on mommas back in a wrap
08/09/13: Weighed 14lbs 9oz, started wearing amber necklace

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,
Momma
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For more Letters to Nolan, click here
For Letters to Everett, click here

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Weekend Links

All the hype about the Royal Baby has started to calm down.  Here are a few posts to check out if you're missing the action:
Have Mercy! Jesse and the Rippers Reunite! Can this please be real life!?

Did you play Oregon Trail as a kid?  I could never ford the stinking river! Ever wonder how it got started

A billboard that can produce clean drinking water from air?  Genius! 

Check out my guest post over at Our Little Clan about being a former Drama Momma. 

Let's Get Physical (Physical!) Ways to get out and get active with your kiddos.  


Enjoy your weekend! :) 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Mommy Thoughts (Part 2)

More mommy thoughts... 

Everett is still very cranky and irritable every single afternoon.  On the days that he naps he is slightly less cranky but still in an overall unhappy mood.  He will ask for something and then change his mind as soon as you have started to get him whatever it was he was asking for. 
My cute Captain Cranky-Pants and
his sidekick Baby Messy-Pants

Here's what a typical afternoon looks like at our place: 
He wants to go outside, no now we have to go back inside inside right now! Tears and screams.
Hold me!   
He wants to eat fruit snacks, no now he wants cake, no now it's cereal, now it's nothing because we have gotten too close to the high chair and he is freaking out.  Tears and screams. 
Hold me! 
He wants to go potty, NO POTTY MOMMY! (Imagine a flailing and screaming two year old.) 
Hold me! 
He wants to watch tv, not that show, or that one, or that one.  He only wants to watch the one he's seen about ninety times. (This is not an exaggeration.)  Tears and screams. 
Hold me! 

Tyler and I are trying our hardest to work with him on his wants and needs but end up being so frustrated. We do try to accommodate his requests but it is hard to know what we should let him dictate and what we get to decide.  Sure, it's acceptable for him to want to watch a show (his favorite right now is Mater's Tall Tales) but how many times do we have to watch the same show over and over (and over and over) again before we say no.  Is it not okay that Tyler and I want to watch one of our own shows every once in a while? 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE MY KID.  He is such a sweet little dude and I would do anything for him which is why I want need to find out a way to help him through this.  I just don't know what happens every day around 4 o'clock to make him act this way and I don't know what to do about it.

Here's what I do know: 
  • I know that he wants more attention
  • I know he is tired, especially if he hasn't napped all day
  • I know he has a new brother that takes time away from him
  • I know that he is a toddler and has huge emotions that he doesn't know how to handle

There are two approaches that we have tried for all of this hoop-la- the first, ignore it; the second, give him whatever calms him down.  For obvious reasons neither of those are working and neither of them will produce a happy and well adjusted child.  

I have posted about these struggles in some of the groups that I am in on facebook and have received some really great advice.  I am so thankful to have such a great community of mothers that I can speak freely with.  These women are all living life in a way that is like-minded to mine and I know that the suggestions and tips they offer are heartfelt. 

Two things that we are really going to be working on are giving Everett one-on-one time and a schedule that he can learn and anticipate every day.  It isn't going to be a strict schedule, but something like this: 
  • Wake up
  • Eat breakfast, brush teeth, get dressed for the day 
  • Morning activity
    •  Play dates, play at the park, story time, run errands, etc. 
  • Lunch time 
  • Nap time
    • Quiet time if he refuses to nap
  • Snack 
  • One-on-One time with Daddy/Mommy
    • Playing outside, crafts, etc. 
  • Dinner
  • Wind down time
    • Watch tv, go for a walk, etc. 
  • Bath, brush teeth, jammies on
  • Bed time
So here is hoping that this will help.  I am planning on making some sort of poster that has all of this written out so that Everett can see it and know what we are doing.  I am not really sure if this will help him with his afternoon crankiness but it's worth a shot! 

What are your thoughts?  Is it going to get easier?! 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

FBP: Distractions

I started this blog as a way to document the day to day happenings of life and also as a way to keep our families up to date with the boys.  I am so thankful that I did because time is going by so so so fast and it is not stopping. It seems like just last week Everett was born, then all of a sudden he turned one, then two, and wasn't Nolan just born yesterday?  I am lucky to have some sort of journal that I can go back to and remember what it was like when the boys were little and to show to them when they get older.

Read the full post here over on my blog at FredericksburgParent.net

Monday, August 12, 2013

The ABC's of the Not So Average Momma

A. Attached or single? Attached at the hip to my wonderful hubby
Sometimes I've got little ones attached to me too!
B. Best friend? Lucky to have a few
C. Cake or pie? Cakes, cup cakes, cake pops.. the list can go on
D. Day of choice? I love Sundays because I am doubly blessed with church family time and our personal family time
E. Essential item? The diaper bag (can you tell I'm a mom?)
This guy requires a lot of stuff!
F. Favorite color? Teal
G. Gummy bears or worms? I like the clear gummy bears best!
H. Home town? Houston, Texas
I. Favorite indulgence? Blue Bell Ice Cream
J. January or July? July- bring on the heat! 
K. Kids? Love mine!
L. Life isn't complete without? Love- whether it be from my hubby, kids, parents, etc. 
Love
M. Marriage date? 06/07/08
N. Number of brothers/sisters? 1 sister (Herbalicious) and 1 brother (June) 
O. Oranges or apples? Honeycrisp apples! Can't wait until the next Apple Festival
P. Phobias? The dark for sure- I've been rocking the nightlight since 1987!
Q. Quotes? "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Ghandi
R. Reasons to smile? Too many to list.
S. Season of choice? I love the rejuvenation of spring, the warmth of summer, the crispness of fall, but above all I hate dislike the winter most! 
Summertime and the living is easy
T. Tag 5 people: Jess, Tyler, Amie, Tiphany, Krystal
U. Unknown fact about me? I try to live life in a "fish bowl"... so I don't think there's anything unknown
V. Vegetable? Broccoli 
W. Worst habit? Biting my nails/cuticles, getting distract... squirrel, letting my OCD drive my actions, staying up too late blogging... 
X. X-Ray or ultrasound? I guess ultrasound because in the past that meant there was a little dude in there for me to see! 
Y. Your favorite food? My mom's lasagna 
Z. Zodiac sign? Pisces- just keep swimming! 

Friday, August 9, 2013

Instacram: July 2013

I love being able to share my photos so easily with Instagram! Check out what I've been up to this month! 
Are you following me yet? 
Find me: NotSoAverageMomma

Top Row:  1.) Best friends,  2.) Nolan checking out the world,  3.) A series of photos taken by E,  4.) E playing with daddy,  5.)  Exploring the rocks
Middle Row:  1.) Sticking his tounge out,  2.) I see you!,  3-5.) Photos from the National's game that we all went to
Bottom Row:  1.) God bless Texas!,  2.) Everett stuffing in some pizza, 3.) Pretty kitty,  4.)  The boys at the farm,  5.) Nolan and Grandmother (Ya Ya) out on a walk

Top Row:  1.) A pretty butterfly in my parents front yard,  2.) Tyler and Nolan laying around,  3.) Senic Round Hill VA,  4.) Always sleepy,  5.)  Marley and Everett at the Bug Box
Middle Row:  1.) My little chub chub,  2.) The boys passed out in bed,  3.) One of Meme's fox visitors on her back porch,  4.) Everett (in the highchair) and Tyler both playing on their phones, 5.)  Back of camera view of a family photo my dad took of us
Bottom Row:  1.) Back of camera view of a photo I took of E,  2.) Modest mister, 3.) E's first push pop,  4.)  Nolan's eye color is changing,  5.) Everett loves his little bro

Top Row:  1.) Everett's first cone at Carl's Ice Cream (he ususally gets a shake)  2.) A morning photo shoot,  3.) Rosie the Riveter left her mark on my sock,  4- 5.)  Shots of me getting my latest tattoos
Middle Row:  1.) Sleepy Nolan,  2.) Nolan and his paci,  3.) Side by side of my dad and Everett wearing glasses,  4- 5.)  Everett and his new favorite obsession- glasses!
Bottom Row:  1.) Cute puppy celebrating Independence Day,  2.) Where's my parade?, 3.) Greensboro NC fire truck,  5.) Put em up! 
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For more Instacram posts click here
Thanks to Jess for the original inspiration for this post! 

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

FBP: Why All the Drama Momma?

You know that look you get from other moms when your two year old won’t cooperate and throws a tantrum, your three month old is crying because he wants to nurse, and all you want to do is get the heck out of the grocery store but you can’t because you’d like to have food to put on the table at dinner time?  You know the look that says “Wow, she doesn’t have it together.”  


Read the full post here over on my blog at FredericksburgParent.net!  This post was also featured on Our Little Clan!  Be sure to head over to Amie's blog and check out what she and her family have been up to! 


Monday, August 5, 2013

Checking out the Farm

This summer I am trying to get out in the community and check out all of the fun things that Fredericksburg has to offer.  As part of this "quest" I have started a play group and we each take turns picking the location.  One of our most favorite places that we have found is Braehead Farms off of Tyler Street.  The farm just opened to the public this year and they have some really fun things for the kids to do there.  

The "barn lot" as they call it has tire swings, sand piles with trucks, slides, pedal tractors, and lots of fun animals to see and even some to pet.  We had a group of eight adults and nine kiddos at the farm and the kids loved running around and playing with each other.  

There is an admission to the barn lot ($5 for 3 years and up) but I think it is well worth it. We could have stayed and played out there all day.  They have picnic tables as well so next time we will definitely pack a lunch and make a day out of it! Check out the pictures I took while we were there!

The kids loved the sand pit, not sure how much the mommy's liked it! 
A cute little chicken


Running through the fields!
Everett and Kristian, little best buddies!
Running to see the pigs!
Checking out the pig shaped bench!
One of the pigs! 
Checking out the chickens....
Kristian was the "chicken whisperer," they loved him! 
"Look at the goat Everett!"
Micah, Kristian, and Everett checking out the goat
Just a boy on the farm! 
To read more about the farm opening click here! Be sure to like the farm on Facebook here