Friday, December 7, 2012

Maintaining your Pee Pee Bottle (P.P.B)

So the pee pee bottle is a great trick but there is some work that goes along with it. Yes of course anything that has to do with kids is work..everyone knows that lol

Soo try to remember to clean pee pee bottle  (P.P.B) after every use. Yes this goes without saying but who hasn't left groceries in the basket under the stroller.. I have soo many times, milk, eggs, you name it. So try hard to remember because if not' you will not be using that bottle for much longer.

Even if you clean P.P.B after every use, like everything else, they still have an expriation date. So dont find out the hard way like ME.

On the plane ride back home from DisneyWorld (yes we are crazy and took them -lol) My older son had to use the potty. He started to do his dance. I did not even look up to see if someone was in the restroom or not, I reached for my handy dandy P.P.B. As I unscrewed the cap of the Arizona bottle I heard a fizz sound - psssssss - and felt drops of pee/water spray everywhere. Like on my hands, cheeks and LIPS. OMG how gross but I just had to wipe off my face and let him use the potty in the P.P.B.

Another time, at a doctors appointment, I my older son started doing the pee pee dance again. The appt was for my younger son and we were already in the room soo I couldnt leave to find the restroom soo I reached under the stroller for my handy dandy P.P.B. The minute I opened the bottle the room smelled like a gross public restroom.. Really gross but I still had to use it.

A trick I have been using to make our P.P.B. last a bit longer. After I dump out the pee pee and wash it with soap and water I leave some of the clean soapy water in the bottle. I leave the water in there so when you have to use it the bottle smells like soap. The stronger the scent the better and soap is safe for the little penis that is going to be peeing inside of the bottle.

The next thing they have to invent is a pocket in a baby bag for the handy dandy P.P.B...Oh yea look out for that one

Sick Baby

So of course no one wants their baby to be sick but it happens and the first thing you should do is go to doctor. Since babies cant talk they cant let you know what is going on so dont try to figure it out on your own go see your doctor. Sometimes the doctor can not give you any medication because of babies weight, age or the virus just needs to run its course and there are no meds for it. Yes this is a real answer your doctor can give you sooo be ready.
Here are a few at home treatments you can try -
Humidifer- there are tons out there but the easiest one i have found to use and clean is the Vicks Warm Steam Vaporizer ( i got ours from Walmart for $15)
You can buy Vicks VapoSteam Liquid Medication, 8 fl oz to put in the medcine cup and this really helps to stop coughing.

Warm bath- they sell a special baby bath that is for babies with colds. Johnsons&Johnsons makes one but i think Duane Reade, Target, Rite Aid, etc make their own verisons. It is a Vapor bath and the bottle is usually green.

Baby Rub- this is the baby version of Vicks. If you baby is really little you can rub this on their feet and put socks on them. If you have a older child you can still do the feet and rub some on their chest too.

Steam room- let the hot shower run in the bathroom until the room is hot and steamy. Then sit in there with your lil one for a few minutes, the longer the better. You are basically creating a big humidifier.

Honey- a little bit of honey can soothe a throat but this one is only for babies over 1 years old. Doctors say babies cant have honey until they are one.

TLC - there is nothing like some tender, love and care to help any baby or person feel better. so cuddle with your little one and even let them sleep with you I find you can sleep better knowing your little one is right next to you.

Hope these tips work and your babies stay happy and healthy always

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Pee Pee Bottle

Ok so any moms that have boys need to listen up.. I am sure I am not the inventor of this simple trick but I am sure a big user and pusher..lol
Soo get a empty juice bottle or water bottle.. I like juice like FUZE because the mouth of the bottle is bigger. Arizona juices that cost a $1 are good too.

Once you little one starts potty training you can not go anywhere without the bottle. It is really helpful even if you are still on the pull ups stage... So if you are out and about and you see the pee pee dance starting pull over to a corner and let him go in the bottle.. This will keep the pull ups or big boy underwear clean and wouldn't get you in trouble for peeing on public property.. We are raising little boys not dogs right..lol

This even works when there is a bathroom around..People don't care..  I was at the supermarket and had a potty emergency I was without the bottle OF COURSE soo we went to the bathroom.. My son is 3 and has been doing it in the potty for a while soo he knows how to hold it .. I talk to him soo he remembers to hold it and hold it ..There was a woman there already waiting and even though it was obvious my son had to go she just dashed in the bathroom before us..smh... yup she went pretty fast came out with her pants and belt unbuckled but it risk the possibility of an accident happening..
soo the bottle is a must and when you forget it that is the time you need it the most.. So stock up when you see a sale in the supermarket and leave one in the car, every stroller and in the baby bag. It is a life saver and it really helps out in the potty training stage.

Got to think of something like this for little girls.. when I have one I will def let you know what works

Parent Lingo

So as a parent you are going to do soo many new and crazy things that are somewhat unexpected. Like name crazy, funny,not so nice things that your child(ren) does. Here is some parent lingo that you only understand once you are a parent and your child does these "wonderful" things to you.

Stiff as a board - when a child makes their body straight and stiff, like a board, making it impossible to sit anywhere (train, bus,, stroller, lap, etc)

I was introduced to this while I was prego with my first son. I was watching a couple with there child, it was nice at first but then it got ugly and scary. I immediately thought I am not going to teach my baby how to do that but you know what I found out they are born knowing how to do this..lol

Spider walker- when you lift a child that does not want to be lifted up and they throw them backwards as if they are going to walk like a spider.

This is not fun at all but it happens when toddlers are involved in something they shouldn't be or you have to leave you current location. Just be strong and if you don't want to get kicked hold child away from you or my fave throw them under your arm

Siren Yell - this is a ear piercing yell that can make you deaf. There is nothing you can do to turn it off but if it makes you feel better tell you child to stop over and over again.

My second son does this all the time since he is not speaking in sentences yet. He gets mad and just yells and yells. The most recent time he did this was in a restaurant I heard nothing else but his scream because I was holding him. Everyone stared but i kept calm because I knew nothing I did would stop this siren yelling and he would stop somehow someway. I offered him some of my meal and it kind worked. As he chewed come grains of rice he fell asleep again.

Statue - a toddler or preschooler who does not want to leave their current location will freeze like a statue and not move even if you pull them

To a onlooker this is pretty funny but to the parent that is pulling the statue not so much.

Neck Brace - this when you child wants to give you a big hug and squeeze you but they only thing their arms can wrap around is your neck

This is actually nice for a few second but then you might start to get dizzy so be ready to relocate arms to around your torso.

Jumping Bean - baby bounces the bottom half of their body to be picked up.

Babies are born knowing that this means they will get picked up. I don't know how they know but they do and it always works.

This is all I have for now but more to come :o)

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Helper or Slave??

Big brothers and sisters are the best helper we have but there is limit of help they should do?? I had my two boys very close together, like Latin twins close - 11mths apart, to avoid the helper complex.
I had a great notion that if they were two babies in the house the older one wouldn't have to be forced the help with their young bro or sis. I didn't want to teach the older sibling not to have a baby at a young age by showing them the hard work that a baby entails.
I have seven brothers and sister (yea big family) and I helped out with my younger siblings but not enough to feel bothered by it. My younger brother helps with our younger twin sisters and he is very bothered by it. He told me once he doesn't wanna do anymore favors for his baby sisters. His mother would always say can you do me a favor please? Ever since this comment, I swore my kids would never feel this way. Yea one of those promise every non-mother makes before she becomes a mom.
-F.Y.I half those promises have been long forgotten and broken.. It happens no reason to cry over it.. You cant make real promises about something you know nothing about. Motherhood is a job you learn about once you have the job. Hands on training is the only real way to learn
So this was one of the reasons for my Latin twins but guess what my older son does help me out. He loves to help out to because I am grateful for his help and I try not to over do it. An example of how he help is the morning pamper change. Now my boys get up at 6am (yes feel my pain - lol), I would like to sleep longer but it doesn't happen. My little ones favorite time to poop is in the morning soo 90% of the time he is pooped before we get out of bed. Before I got hip to this am poop I open the pamper to find a huge mess and my son was wiggling everywhere. In the efforts not to get poop EVERYWHERE I ask my older son to get me the wipes.. I said Pamper change emergency..lol He ran and go the wipes, aquaphor and the new pamper. This was GREAT and big help.
Soo now this is how he helps me out. He likes to do it, yea sounds like I am making it up but one morning my fiancee was home and he got me the wipes and pamper and my older son freaked out.. He was sooo mad his father helped me. He felt like his job was stolen, crazy and a little funny. I tried to calm down by saying we had teamwork today but since he is at the independence stage this didn't work. His father doesn't mind letting him help out with this at all. It is his job for as long as he wants it.
I think this type of help is fine but I don't ever want to get to the point where he is the only taking care of his baby bro like changing his pamper all by himself, feeding him, dressing him. That won't be fair, at least I don't think so.
So we all need help but just keep in mind of who's help you are getting a lot of :o) Helping is a chance to teach listening skills and following directions skills but just remember to not over do it because your little one will let you know..

Monday, October 29, 2012

To Teach or Not to Teach ?? BIG Question..

Yes you do you have to literally explain EVERYTHING to them. You are responsible for teaching them EVERYTHING. This is good and bad at the same time.
I am soo grateful for teachers because I cannot imagine doing it all the time for everything, like math, science, reading, writing, etc. I collect box tops of education to help schools because if it was only up to parents had to teach all of the things teachers do i dont think children would not be soo bright.
I recently started doing workbooks at home with my three year old. I am doing it to keep his mind busy and growing and because daycare is like $775 a month soo I have to do this myself until public school.
Do you know a child is not born knowing how to hold a pencil?? Yes I did too but I had NOOOO idea how freaking hard it is to teach and explain.. yea these are the things that you dont think about when you think about having a baby right..lol
I guess I dont have to teach him right but why not.. I think my kids can be even better than me and my fiancee. So if me teaching them to use a pencil at home helps them stay ahead in school I will def do it and I know it will be worth it..

Sometimes using this, teach them every single thing scenario, to your advantage can be a wonderful thing. For example, not teaching them that gum is for chewing but simply little balls that you can roll around. This does get interesting if the child licks them or has wet hands and the gum stains their hands but you can use this time to be super creative.
Chewing gum is not sometime they have to learn at three years old. There is tons of time to chew gum. So when you have to explain crazy things that you don't know how to explain remember that sometimes there are things you don't have to explain yet :o)
While you are prego there should be a page in the prego journals or week by week books where you can start trying to explain things like what is being disrespectful or why you have to nap when you are growing up??
There are Soooo many different things that you have to figure out how explain in simple terms because if you use a word they don't know now you got off one explanation for another. So be thankful for teachers and children's TV.. These things help raising children a little easier :o) These shows have thought out tricky explanations and made songs to help you work through them.

A show that I use all the time is Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood on PBS Kids.

Smart Mouth or Learning??

Soo my three year old is a very verbal child.. Lately, he has started talking back which is crazy. I thought this started at 5 or 6 so this is very unexpected.

Sometimes he is talking back and needs to be put in check but other times he is just saying the solution to the problem at hand.
Example, of needing to be checked. I say "Eat your food and then have some juice." He says "Mom I want drink and then to eat". I say "No eat more then drink" He says "NOooo drink." This can go on all night. I feel that this needs to stop at the first answer.. what a mom or dad says has to be respected or else the roles will be reserved and then I see long term problems.

Example, of a valid answer / solution to a problem. I say "You are spilling rice all over the floor and I just finished vacuuming the floor." He says "Mom you can just vacuum again." Now this seems like a smart mouth answer but it is true if the floor is dirty you can just vacuum it again. Which happens more often then I would like..lol.

So this is a time where a parent has to take a step back and remember they are speaking to a child, no matter the age of the child, and not a grown up. He is giving me a logically solution to a problem that I gave him. This is what all the childrens programs are teaching the kids, problem solving. Since we are used to dealing with adults being rude or dicky you first react is to get upset, or at least mine is. You have to take a step back and say OK he doesn't know he is hurting my feelings or treating me as if I have nothing better to do then to vacuum after every meal, so you have to explain it to them.

Looking at things from another person's point of view is a hard task that some people never learn but at this age it is not possible yet. Child psychology proves this fact.

So take your time to think before you punish or yell at your little smart kid. This is not easy but after your done yelling at think about what happened later you will feel bad. So stop and listen and then explain and explain. Use some show examples if that helps, I use them all the time and sing songs.

and remember we want our children to use their words and not hit and yell so you know what we have to do the same.. lead by example..

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Enjoying Motherhood for the 2nd time

Recently i was told I seem that i am not enjoying motherhood as much as i did when my first son was born.. I find this to be very true but as I sit and try to think how it can be possible for me to do this i have come up with this..

You can not enjoy motherhood as you did when you only had one baby.. things are different because you have two babies and life going on all at the same time. With one baby it is you and the baby u take care of all its needs and then your needs follow. With two after you are done with their needs there is usually no time or energy left to think about yourself so then you start to get angry because you are no longer you.. or at least the you you used to be pre two babies or any babies ago. how can u find more energy or make extra hours in the day to find that joy again.

So I will try my best to smile more and take as many pictures as i did once upon 11mths before our new bundle arrived but I am not going to fool or trick myself into thinking it is ever possible to feel as you did when you first child was born. It is the newness and unknown of having a baby for the first time it is the first high you ever had, that first kiss, that first drink or that first dance.. you can have a million after but since it is not your first it will always be different and never like the first..

Don't get me wrong I love both my boys equally if that is possible and i am happy i have two because that was the plan but since you already know they will cry they will poop the mystery is gone and with it went the feeling of enjoyment 24/7.. I enjoy it when they laugh and are funny but not soo much when they misbehave and make messes.. is that bad does that make me a mean mom or a bad person?? Who would enjoy yelling or cleaning something over and over again??

being a mom is all unknown you don't know what type of child God gave you. You have to learn and sometimes it is hard but if you stick with it it will get easier (or so i am told) but it gets really freaking hard when you add more than one to the mix. They can write millions of books on being a mom and a how to be a good mom too but you won't get it until the baby is here and the baby turns from a baby to a toddler to a pre-schooler to a pre teen then teen then adult and then you will see the person they are and if you helped them to become the best person they could be..

So to all the moms do your best and find a way anyway to be happy with you first and then the rest is easy but like RuPaul says (i know a drag queen as a reference) Love yourself or else how in the hell is someone gonna love you.. If you find that way share it with a friend and they they can share it because we are raising people.. The bum on the street's mom stopped trying the killers mom didn't work harder OUr kids are going to be the people that are on the trains and buses with you that are shopping in the stores with you soo do the best job you can so this world can be a better place.

Happy Mother's Day

Sunday, April 15, 2012

New Mom Tips - Changing Poop

Ok soo here is a tip that may seem very DUh but in the moment you should remember this blog..Soo when you little one decided to poop super crazy style have everything ready before you attack the situation.. So have the wipes, new pampers (sometimes you think that they are done but they just want a new pamper soo have two just in case), ointment, a toy to keep your little one busy while you wipe and wipe and sometimes if you know in advance it was a super poop bring a plastic bag to put all the mess in..
So when you are getting ready to clean the mess up don't put the mess in arms length of your baby yes duh but sometimes you forget..i sure do all the time.. i would recommend putting it behind you or very far from the baby..cause they get creative and make their foot stick to the pamper and then the mess is everywhere..
Soo yes a word to the wise don't just place the pamper where you think is good Think before you place dears.. Next time we will talk about changing crazy poop pamper outside when there is NO changing table in the restroom.. that would be tooo much for one blog

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Multi-Tasker

Soo there is a lot to be said about multi-tasking..especially as a mom..ok a parent..cuz good dads do their fair share.. IN order for me to go anywhere with my two boys.. i have to multi task out the butt..or we will be in pjs all day long..
So I dress them first most of the time.. but if they entertained with the TV (aka bff) then i will try to get ready myself.. but these guys are glued to me so it is only a matter of time before one finds me and the other is not too far behind.. soo it is like a 5 min window to do everything.. i am talking using the toilet while brushing your hair and gargling with mouthwash cuz u know there is no time to brush ur teeth if u ever wanna leave the house and be on time..
Leaving the house is one example but how about when you wanna cook a meal for ur hubby or yourself cuz heating up nugget and frozen veggies gets old fast..lol you have to cut and stir while two little ones are hanging on ur legs pulling your pants down..so here is the picture pants half down puling them up with one hand stirring with the other while you almost trip on all the seltzer (my fave drink) bottles on the floor because this is what they want to play with NOT the 100s of toys they have in their room
I hope that it will get easier leave the house.. but i don't see that happening anytime soon soo i will continue to overwork my brain and do 100 things in a mater of one hour just soo they all get done

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Mom Tip -

When you are alone watching the kids or kid.. and you feel like you need to get things done but the lil one(s) wont take a nap then just wear them and work..lol
I do it all the time.. put on the baby carrier, snugli strap-on whatever you call it..and keep doing what you have to do..
My youngest is teething soo he is super super cranky sleeps but wakes up yelling i have dishes to do, floors to mop my teeth to brush and the cable guy coming in two hours soo i cant sit and cradle him the whole day.. soo I put him in the Ergo baby carrier we have and did the dishes..As i do the dishes i sway from side to side and he is out..
It is the best way to give them the warmth and attention they need but still get somethings done..

Please don't cook or use strong cleaning chemicals while you have them in the carrier.. I know that is obvious but i am just putting it out there :o)

Stay tune for more tips..

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Children are lil MOnSteRs

yes i think soo .. Super Cute ones.. but they are
Soo Monsters you are scared to hear the roar.. I am scared to hear my babies cry because it means i have to get up and do a task even if i only got one hour of sleep.
You don't want a monster to see you soo you hide from them.. I hide from my babies when it is time to make a bottle or a meal.. if they see me the crying aka roaring starts..
You would not disturb a sleeping monster right.. I will tip toe and do a mission impossible move to not wake up my babies.. OMG it is a team effort to get them to go to sleep soo to wake them up is just plain crazy
Monsters are messy eaters right.. Well my babies get food everywhere.. it is crazy the places i find food..

Monsters or not i love them to pieces.