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Sunday, November 14, 2010

Times they are a changing....

Hindsight is generally 20/20. Take for instance this quote:

"I was EXTREMELY adamant about was that I was going to make Max's baby food"

HA.. If I knew then what I know now I may have saved myself some sleepless nights and near panicked times when I thought Max was choking. Every time I make him food he coughed, choked and acted like he's about to vomit. For months I thought something was wrong with him. I talked to his pediatrician, nutritionist and even went as far to visit an ENT to see if he thought Max may have palate issues. As it turns out, Max just didn't like the food I made. At the suggestion of his nutritionist I bought some baby yogurt and he plowed through it with such vigor you would have thought I was starving the poor child. No choking, no coughing.. nothing. He squealed and squealed and practically attacked the food. After witnessing that show I decided to buy some jars of baby food to test my theory.

I offered him home made sweet potatoes and he coughed and turned red. I offered him Earths Best Organic Chicken and Sweet Potatoes and once again he practically attached the spoon. I was unaware that a seven month old child could hurt your feelings.. but he can! I don't know why he didn't like my food. I made it based on a few different instructions. I stopped adding formula and started using butter. I made it the exact same consistency as the jarred stuff but.. no dice. So I guess we'll stick to the earths best organic food. Gerber products tend to have more sodium and we LOVE LOVE LOVE the Yo-Baby 3 in 1 yogurt meals. I have Max eating pears, green beans and yogurt and apples, sweet potatoes and yogurt. He's getting so stinking big and cute that I just can't stand it.

We also had the pleasure of going to a gorgeous wedding this weekend. As I was eating my cake, my little dive bomber decided that he needed to be included in the festivities and went straight for my cake... He actually succeeded and now I fear for the worse. He also tried to knock punch out of the brides hand... I'm not sure what I'm going to do with him!

This little life we've created changes so much. I hope that I can nurture him to be the best person possible... Even if he doesn't like my food!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

10 Habits of Happy Moms

I found this on Yahoo and thought I would share..

Here are 10 things happy moms do--so remember these tips in your day-to-day life!

1. Find time for yourself
Happy moms know they deserve a little time to themselves. When you know you're going to have a little room to breathe later on in the day, it's easier to take on everything that's in front of you. Our formula? Take 2 hours out for yourself every 3 days.

2. Don't make a happy baby, happier!
We all do it...you see your baby's head at what you're sure is an unnatural angle snoozing in their car seat. You just know they'll be happier if their head was straight. So you move them. And they wake up. Then they scream. Or, you see them playing happily in the sand. You just know they'll be happier if they played on the slide. So you interrupt them and move them to the slide. And they're angry. And they let you know they're REALLY angry. Here's the thing, they were happy. It can be hard to do, but if your kid's not complaining, leave them be! Happy baby = Happy Mommy.

3. Embrace the mess
So your house doesn’t look like something out of a magazine. That just means it’s cozy! Your children have hands coated in dirt from the playground and faces coated in spaghetti from dinner. It’s not gross—it’s an adorable photo op! Life is about how you look at things. Next time that pile of laundry that’s been sitting on the chair for three days starts to get you down, just remember… it’s probably feng shui.

4. Make time for your friends
Your family can survive without you while you make time to see friends. You are a woman with your own identity and its imperative that you and that identity go out for some margaritas once in awhile!

5. Stop blowing yourself off
While you may be the one taking care of everyone, it doesn't mean you can't also get what you want. Help your family realize your needs are as important as theirs and when mom is happy, everyone is happy, but when mom is not....

6. Get in the zone
Take 10 minutes to do absolutely nothing but rest. Take a break from your day, close your eyes, breath in slowly and deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Repeat several times. Think about a place you love that is relaxing, spend 10 minutes there in your mind.

7. Remember your dreams and goals
Everyday we are encouraging our children to reach their full potential. But sometimes in the midst of being a parent we forget about our own dreams and goals. The best thing you can do to encourage a child is to lead by example –happy moms hold on to their dreams and goals and don’t let go.

8. Be lighthearted
Don't be the uptight mom. Be silly and dance with your kids to their music or tv show tunes. Be romantic and pull your partner into a waltz. Dance in slippery socks in your kitchen while making dinner.

9. Bend the Rules
One of the best parts of making the rules is occasionally breaking them. Maybe it’s taking your child out of school for half a day on their birthday, or waking them up in the middle of the night to see a sky of shooting stars. Happy moms know how to turn the mundane into fun.

10. Mind your own business
Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Stop seeking the validation of others and be confident in yourself.