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They grow up so fast.
Last night I weaned Maya from her last nursing session. She had been down to just nursing before bed for a couple of months now. It had been part of her bedtime routine for so long (her whole life!) that I was a little scared to stop just in case my perfect little sleeper became a not so perfect sleeper as a result. Luckily I think it will all work out ok 
Deciding to wean her was not a decision I was able to make easily. A couple of weeks ago I started to feel like I was ready to be done breastfeeding. Maya was only nursing for about 10 minutes max before bed but often spent the whole time fidgeting and playing. It was a nice way for her to wind down for the night but I didn’t feel like she needed it anymore. When I put her in her crib after nursing her she is wide awake and has been falling asleep on her own at bedtime and naptime for months now. The hard part about taking the plunge was that I knew she still enjoyed that time at the end of the day, and so did I. Breastfeeding has always been our quiet time together, our “just the two of us” time. I’ll miss that.
So, yesterday I put on a regular bra (first time in almost 20 months!) when I got dress in the morning and said “Ok, today is the day.” I took Maya to the book store and we picked out a new bedtime book. When the time came I had her kiss the kitties and Daddy goodnight like usual and we went into her bedroom. She asked to nurse by signing and I said “No, honey. Mommy’s milk is all gone. Instead you can have some of this milk (I gave her a small cup of milk) and we are going to read your new story.” We sat down together in our regular chair and read the story. She took a couple of sips of the milk but wasn’t all that interested (she isn’t a big milk drinker). She loved the story. When I was done reading she asked again to nurse and I explained again that “mommy’s milk” was all gone, she was ok with that. I gave her an extra big hug and kiss and laid her down in her crib. She didn’t cry at all, she just talked to her stuffed animals for a few minutes and then fell right to sleep. However, I almost cried. I’m sure if my husband hadn’t been sitting in the other room I might have. I was definitely ready to be done, but at the same time it sort of felt like it officially made her no longer a baby. Now, I know that we still might have a few rough nights ahead where she won’t be quite so understanding, but I’m thankful for an easy first night and so proud of her.
I am so proud of myself for making it 19 months (almost 20 actually). When I was pregnant I knew I wanted to nurse at least 12 months and then wean slowly from there. That is exactly what I did. After a little bit of a rough start we both got the hang of it and it was a wonderful experience. My breastfeeding experience wasn’t without it’s challenges, including a clogged milk duct I could have done without, but it was a wonderful experience.
My hope with sharing my own breastfeeding stories here is that I will inspire women who can breastfeed to give it a try. I hope that by reading my story and learning from my experiences someone is able to get over a breastfeeding hurdle and stick with it.
Here’s to 19 months (+) of successful breastfeeding.
When it is nasty and rainy outside kids can get antsy, any parent who has tried to entertain a bored child on a rainy day can attest to that. There’s something about not being able to get outside and burn off some energy that makes them go crazy. It is hard to keep them entertained with all their usual toys, games, movies and books. So what is a parent to do? Rainy days are just a part of life, how can you make them fun for the kids and easy on your sanity? Try a rainy day toy bag.
What is a rainy day toy bag you ask? Well, it is basically a bag of toys that only come out on rainy days. Since the kids don’t get to play with the toys all the time they feel like they are a special treat and will work wonders on curing their inevitable rainy day boredom. My good friend, Heather, recently became a stay at home mom and babysitter to a couple of kids. She told me about this rainy day toy bag idea and I thought it was a great idea. I’ve even seen it at work at her house and it does a great job of keeping the boys entertained. I’m going to put one together for Maya.
What you put in your rainy day toy bag will depend on your children; their ages, activity level, etc. You want to make sure you are putting in items that will keep them entertained, be fun for everyone, and can be played with inside (of course). Here are a few suggestions:
- Board Games. This is a great idea for older children and will occupy them for quite a while.
- Crafts. Things like paints, cut & paste stuff, coloring books. Really any craft that is age appropriate.
- New coloring books and crayons, markers and colored pencils.
- Books.
- A new movie they haven’t seen before or that you know they really love.
- Inexpensive toys.
- Cards that say “Let’s make cookies” or “Let’s bake a cake”.
I would recommend hitting your local dollar store to see what you can find. The stuff in the rainy day toy box doesn’t have to be expensive. The idea is that it is new stuff to the kids so they will have a great time picking out what to play with. If you have multiple kids in your home consider letting them take turns picking out the rainy day toy that way everyone gets a turn to pick out something that will be fun to them and share it with everyone else.
Do you have a rainy day toy bag? What sorts of things do you put in your toy bag? What things have you found to be the most successful with your kids?
Diarrhea is one of those things that every parent will have to suffer through at least once with their baby or toddler. Whether your little one has the flu, a stomach bug, or a case of the runnies with no determined cause every child seems to get diarrhea at some point. Being the diaper changer of a little one with diarrhea isn’t much fun. With poop in every corner and crevice, not to mention often on clothes and up their backs it can be a messy undertaking. A baby with diarrhea often isn’t too happy themselves, and can you blame them. Doing your best to treat their diarrhea and keep them dry and comfortable will go along way to dry their tears.
Diarrhea is defined as loose, watery stool that occurs more than 3 times in a 24 hour period. With infants it can often be difficult to decipher the difference between a regular bowel movement and actual diarrhea since their regular bowelments are often loose and they go so often. If in doubt give your child’s pediatrician a call. If your child had other symptoms along with the diarrhea, like vomitting or a fever you should give your doctor a call as it may be the flu. What you need to watch out for with diarrhea, no matter what the cause is, is dehydration. If your child doesn’t get enough fluids he or she may become dehydrated.
So how do you treat diarrhea in an infant or toddler?
FOOD
- Keep them hydrated with lots of fluids. Keep breastfeeding or bottlefeeding your baby. Supplement with pedialyte (an electrolyte maintenance solution that helps prevent dehydration).
- Stick with a bland diet. Most pediatricians recommend the BRAT diet for babies and toddlers with diarrhea. Bananas, Rice, Apples and Toast. Avoid anything that will upset or irritate their stomach.
- Many pediatricians also recommend yogurt (with active cultures) as cultures in the yogurt will help kill bacteria in the digestive tract.
- Change the diaper immediately when your child has a bowel movement to help avoid additional irritation.
- Use plenty of diaper rash ointment to help avoid diaper rash.
- Clean and dry the diaper area thoroughly before putting on a new diaper.
- Avoid using baby wipes as they can irritate the already irritated skin, instead use a warm, wet cloth.
- Decreased urination.
- Dry eyes, or crying with little or no tears.
- High fever.
- Sunken abdomen, eyes or cheeks.
- Dry skin, mouth and tongue.
- Lethargy.
- Your child is under 3 months old and has diarrhea.
- Diarrhea persists for more than 3 days.
- The stool contains blood or pus.
- Your child has a fever and is vomitting.
- No urine for more than 6 hours.
Excercise is a very important part of a healthy pregnancy. (Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any exercise program during pregnancy to be sure you have the a-ok.) Exercising during pregnancy can help with so many of the common complaints that women have during pregnancy, particularly those of late pregnancy. Staying fit and in shape is also thought to help with labor and with postpartum recovery.
As important as exercising during pregnancy is it is also important to take a lot of extra care and caution during hot weather. A run in the middle of the afternoon is probably not a good idea but there are many exercise programs and ideas that you can take full advantage of when the temperatures start rising. Here are a few suggestions on fun, safe hot weather exercises for pregnant women (again, don’t forget to talk to your doctor first to make sure it is okay for you to exercise during your pregnancy):
- Hit the gym. Not only is it air conditioned but there are a ton of different types of workouts available. You can work on cardio and weight training all from the comfort of the air conditioned indoors.
- Swim. Swimming is a great form of exercise during pregnancy. Not only will it keep you cool but it helps take the extra weight off your joints for a little while. You can simply swim laps or you can enroll in a water aerobics class.
- Enroll in an aerobics class. This will allow you to exercise in the comfort of an air conditioned building. There are usually pregnancy specific classes available so be sure to ask about them.
- Take up Yoga. You can either enroll in a class or purchase a video that you can do at home.
- Walk outside. Be careful if this is your prefered form of exercise. Time your walks for the coolest parts of the day and bring water with you to stay hydrated.
- Purchase a few exercise videos that you can do at home.
No matter what form of exercise you choose to participate in during the warm summer months the most important thing to remember is to stay hydrated. Staying hydrated will allow your body to cool itself more effectively and help you avoid getting overheated. Also, make sure you don’t overdo it. Know your limits and remember that you may not be able to do as much when you are pregnant. Wear loose, comfortable clothing when you exercise. If you are worried about exercising during your pregnancy or want to know what forms of exercise are best for you be sure to discuss it with your doctor.
Have fun and stay cool.
I wanted to take a moment today to wish all the wonderful fathers out there a very Happy Father’s Day. I hope you have a wonderful day hanging out with your families. Remember how important you are each and every day and how loved you are by your children.
Happy Father’s Day!!