I was watching my girls laughing and interacting on the floor, while I was sitting on the couch with my laptop in front of me and phone in my hand, so it was very fitting when I came across an article that almost brought me to tears.
How to Miss a Childhood by Hands Free Mama. This post was really a slap in the face, a wake up call, because I knew I had to change my ways so that I could be a better mother to my girls.
I have always said that our world is so incredibly driven by technology, that it seems like we are watching our kids lives more through a photo lens, an iPhone, or a computer, than in real life. I have definitely been guilty of allowing my phone or computer take priority over my children, and when I put those words together in a sentence, it really makes me want to throw up. That just sounds horrid.
I have said multiple times to my husband, we need to change, we need to put down the electornics and interact more as a family, and he agrees, but somehow, we both go back to our electronic world, be it the computer, phone, iPad, kindle, or television.
May I add, that we have the two most adorable girls in the world… so how can we possibly be staring at an iPhone when we are sitting on the floor playing with these girls? It just makes me so angry, that I have let myself fall into this pit of electronics.
I would like to share an excerpt from the Hands Free Mama blog; it is a recipe that you may want to take out of your cookbook.
How to Miss a Childhood
*Keep your phone turned on at all times of the day. Allow the rings, beeps, and buzzes to interrupt your child midsentence; always let the caller take priority.
*Carry your phone around so much that when you happen to leave it in one room your child will come running with it proudly in hand treating it more like a much needed breathing apparatus than a communication device.
*Decide the app you’re playing is more important than throwing the ball in the yard with your kids. Even better, yell at them to leave you alone while you play your game.
*Take your children to the zoo and spend so much time on your phone that your child looks longingly at the mother who is engaged with her children and wishes she was with her instead.
*While you wait for the server to bring your food or the movie to start, get out your phone and stare at it despite the fact your child sits inches away longing for you talk to him.
*Go to your child’s sporting event and look up periodically from your phone thinking she wont notice that you are not fully focused on her game.
*Check your phone first thing in the morning … even before you kiss, hug, or greet the people in your family.
*Neglect daily rituals like tucking your child into bed or nightly dinner conversation because you are too busy with your online activity.
*Dont look up from your phone when your child speaks to you or just reply with an uh huh so she thinks you were listening.
*Lose your temper with your child when he “bothers” you while you are interacting with your hand-held electronic device.
*Give an exasperated sigh when your child asks you to push her on the swing. Can’t she see you’re busy?
*Use drive time to call other people regardless of the fact you could be talking to your kids about their day or about their worries, their fears, or their dreams.
*Read email and text messages at stoplights. Then tell yourself that when your kids are old enough to drive they won’t remember you did this all the time.
*Have the phone to your ear when she gets in or out of the car. Convince yourself a loving hello or goodbye is highly overrated.
Follow this recipe and you will have:
*Missed opportunities for human connection
*Fewer chances to create beautiful memories
*Lack of connection to the people most precious to you
*Inability to really know your children and them unable to know you
All I can say is, it is time for a change and I have taken the first step by creating a basket by the door called, “Don’t Miss Your Life.” In the basket, you can drop your iPhone, TV Remote, iPad, Kindles, Computers or any electronics that may take you away from the one thing that we all say is more important then anything, our family!
Sure, we all have to work, and we have to respond to important emails as soon as possible, but when you have to get up to take the phone out of the basket, you are making a conscious decision to do what you have to do with your electronics versus sitting there with the phone in your hand waiting for the beep. Once you’ve done what you needed, return the item to the basket and enjoy your family… not just your kids, these apply to your spouse too!!
My girls are growing so incredibly fast, and there is nothing more important then being together. as a family All I want to say is, Don’t miss your life because your phone beeped, you have a new word to play or drawing to draw, you need to check everyone’s facebook status, respond to an email, or get lost on Pinterest. All of these choices are up to you.
I know I do not want to live with regrets and I definitely do not want to miss out on any more of my life then I already have.
UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS JANETT!! You have been randomly selected! I will contact you regarding your prize! Thank you to all who entered!
There is no doubt that I love all things Disney and I am stoked that I now get to share my excitement of Disney and Disneyland with my girls!
When I learned about the new website, Disney Baby, that launched earlier this year, I couldn’t help but get excited! If you are a Disney fan, you have to take some time to check out this site.
Disney Baby offers essential products for Getting Ready for Baby, The Nursery, Dressing Baby, On-the-Go, Mealtime, Playtime, Bathtime and Baby’s Firsts.
In honor of Mother’s Day, Disney Baby has created a special tribute video featuring magical moments between moms and their babies, tied together with some of Disney film’s classic family moments. (Adorable!)
On top of that, they are offering an OC Family reader a special giveaway!
I am very excited to share with you this adorable giveaway from Disney Baby, that could make the first Mother’s Day extra special for a new mom or expecting Momma!
Introducing the Winnie the Pooh Bouncer, a $50 value, that will go to one lucky OC Family reader!
This adorable Winnie the Pooh and Friends Bouncer features 7 melodies with vibration and a toy bar with 5 interactive toys. With Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends joining the fun, your baby will love playing in this bouncer. By Kids II.
We had two bouncers when my girls were little and we loved them! At least for my family, the bouncer was one purchase we could not have been without!
I absolutely love this Winnie the Pooh Bouncer and I am so excited that one reader will win it!
To Enter the Contest… Simply leave a comment below telling us why you’d love to win the Winnie the Pooh Bouncer. It’s that easy!
Winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday, May 8, just before Mother’s Day! Good luck everyone!
The Up Up and Away Kids Consignment Sale has been a huge money-saver for our family! Having twins is double the blessing, but also double the expense. It is amazing how fast babies grow out of clothes, gear, and toys!
I found Up Up and Away one year ago, when I was pregnant and decided to volunteer. You may remember my post on OC Family last May.
During that time, I was one month from delivering my twin girls, and I left the sale with some great bargains!
Changing Table for $27.50
Fisher Price Papasan Cradle Swing for $45 (Retail: $160)
Fisher Price Papasan Bouncer for $20 (Retail: $60)
Bumbo Seat for $10 (Retail: $40)
Evenflo Monitor with Intercom for $15
IKEA Frog Bathroom Organizer for $5
At the last sale in February, I picked up two Playskool Step Start Walk N Ride cars for $10 each. (Retail: $30)
The Up Up and Away Kids Consignment Sale happens four times a year and the next sale is coming up this week! Shop for furniture, strollers, car seats, high chairs, toys, clothing, shoes, play mats, swings, bouncers, games, books, movies, and more!
I spent three hours on Saturday volunteering and was impressed with the high-quality inventory we were checking in! Every item that comes in is inspected for the “used but excellent” quality standards.
This will be my first congisnment sale where I will not only be a shopper but a consignor as well!
The quarterly consignment sale is such an awesome idea, and not only a great way to make a little money by selling items your kids have outgrown, but you can also save up to 90% off of retail prices. If you have kids or know anyone with kids, this is one sale you definitely don’t want to miss! Here are the details for the upcoming sale:
Follow Up Up and Away Kids Consignement on Facebook, to stay up-to-date with all of their upcoming sales. If you are interested in volunteering, or if you are interested in consigning in the next sale, you will receive a pass to enter a private pre-sale, and have first dibs on all of the great bargains!
We are so thankful we found the Up Up and Away Kids Consigment Sale last year and look forward to visiting and consigning with them going forward!
Every mother has an opinion on sleep training and the best way to get their baby to sleep. There are plenty of books on how to teach your baby to self-soothe themselves to sleep and how imperative it is that you do not rock them to sleep for too long.
Well, I rocked my girls to sleep for almost 9 months, and they are the happiest, most loving babies I have ever seen! After 9 months, I decided they were finally old enough to begin to teach themselves how to go to sleep on their own.
I was never a fan of “crying it out,” for babies under six months old. I just feel that when they are so young, babies do not understand how to “teach” themselves to go to sleep, and I did not want them to cry to the point of exhaustion. If they were crying, it was because they needed me and I did not want them to feel like I was abandoning them.
Newborns cry for a reason, because they need something, and sometimes that need is just to be held. A newborn baby is not old enough to understand cause and effect, and at such an early age, they are not crying to manipulate their caregiver.
It is just my personal opinion, that I could not let my baby cry themselves to sleep for at least the first six months. It tore my heart out to hear my baby cry and I always wanted them to trust that I would be there, whenever they needed me. Now that they are older, and are beginning to understand cause and effect, I am ready to let them go to sleep on their own.
As always, the twin factor definitely makes things interesting. If we had just one baby, we may have stopped rocking them to sleep around 6 months, but I was always hesitant because when one baby cries, the other baby cries, and that raises another question, should we separate them into two rooms so they do not wake each other up, or do we let them get used to their sister crying? We decided to keep them together in the same room when we finally decided to stop rocking them to sleep, and it was a great decision for us!
So, yes, for the first 9 months of their lives, we rocked them to sleep for every nap and every bedtime, and I do not regret that choice at all. Of course, I had some people tell me that rocking them was the wrong thing to do, but for me, I still believe it was the right thing for us. Every family has to do what is right for them and their own family. As with everything in parenting, what works for one family, may not work for anther.
A few weeks ago, we decided they were old enough to understand that once they were in their crib, it was time to sleep. The first couple of days were the hardest, and the first night was the absolute worst, because I have never let my babies cry without consoling them.
The first night, the girls cried for about 12 minutes total until they finally fell asleep. We did go in their room during that time to rub their back and give them a hug and reassure them that it was okay. Each night, thereafter, for the next couple of days, the time drastically decreased, and now when we put them in their crib, they usually go right to sleep with little or no fuss at all.
I’m sure we could’ve had the same outcome of the girls falling asleep on their own, if we attempted “sleep training” months ago, but I was just not ready to do it nor did I believe it was the right thing to do during the first few months of their lives.
Honestly, staring down at my little girls, asleep in my arms each night, was an incredible feeling. I loved rocking my girls to sleep and I am so glad that I will always have those memories to cherish.
As with every parenting decision you make, whether it be breastfeeding, sleeping habits, pacifiers, routines, homemade food, etc, someone will think (and probably tell you) that you are doing it absolutely wrong.
I am still learning to take all of these opinions with a grain of salt, and no, it is not always easy. As a stay-at-home Mommy, I always want to make sure I am doing what is best for my babies. But knowing that there are people out there, who think I am doing everything wrong, or even watching other Mommies handle things with ease that I am in constant stress about, can be very overwhelming at times.
My most recent struggle is the transition to solid foods. The girls are nine months old and the internet tells me that they should be able to handle most any food now. Well, we are not there yet.
Both girls had a very bad gag reflex to the point that anything that was not puree, would make them throw up. I could prepare a thicker puree or offer oatmeal and everything was fine, but chunks, small pieces of food, small bits in a puree, all would lead to a meal disaster. I was beginning to think the girls would be eating puree foods in college, and then I wondered, could this be my fault?
After a lot of patience and spending 3 hours a day in our high chairs, the girls have made big advancements over the last two weeks. They have graduated to mashed potatoes, cheese, yogurt, deli meat, bananas, avocado, bread, pancakes, and oh yes, Gerber Puffs. I think they would live on Gerber Puffs if I let them.
I am finally starting to feel good that they are eating a little bit more food in addition to the purees, but we are definitely not on the page of, “they can eat anything,” yet.
So, the next dilemma begins, we are still eating very soft food because I am very paranoid about choking, and now I need to be creative and find time to prepare 3 meals a day. No, I am not organized enough to have a freezer full of food that I can just pull out, but maybe one day.
People often tell me to just feed them what I’m eating, but between bad timing and sometimes forgetting that I need to feed myself too, it has not been working out that way.
I know that, in time, I will figure this out, but right now, I am completely overwhelmed with meal times. Not to mention, I am spending an insane amount of my day in the kitchen between preparing meals, three 1-hour meal times, and cleaning up, I think I may just sleep in there too.
I remember being overwhelmed when I was first by myself and I had to figure out how to feed both girls a bottle at the same time but I figured it out. Then I was stressed that they were not eating solids when they “were supposed too,” so at 5.5 months we began eating oatmeal. I had to figure out how to feed them purees at the same time and that was even harder, and twice as time consuming, but I figured it out.
Now, I feel like they are “supposed” to be eating more finger foods, and I am very stressed out about what and how much, and this is 3 times more time-consuming, but I am hoping this is just another challenge that I will figure out too.
So, I may not be doing the “right” thing in other’s opinions, when it comes to figuring out the whole solids situation, and yes, I do stress about it way too much, but I am just trying to figure this challenge out too.
I think the important thing to remember is, they will not be eating purees in college. (I hope).
On Saturday, the girls will be 9 months old! I cannot even believe it!
Everyone always told me to enjoy every moment because it will go by so fast. I remember thinking 6 months ago, I cannot wait for them to get bigger, and be more active, so we can enjoy more activities together, because the first couple months were extremely hard.
Now, everything is happening so fast, I am in shock! Literally, they are doing something new every single day. I am so lucky that I get to be with them each day to watch them grow, but seriously, they need to stop growing for a just little bit!
In the past month alone…
They have each cut three teeth! Two on the bottom and one on the top!
They learned to crawl. Not quite in opposite directions, more like on top of each other.
They learned to stand up by themselves!
They started to attempt solid food (non-puree). We are taking this slow because any texture makes them throw up. . . but they do have a love for Gerber Puffs!
They have graduated from the infant seat in the kitchen sink to the bath seats in the big girl bath tub!
They started interacting with each other! They wake up in the morning and talk to each other instead of scream. This is nice!
They truly are best friends and they always have each other’s back!
These past nine months have certainly flown by and it’s hard to believe I was holding two five pound babies in my arms last June. I love watching them grow, explore and interact. Being a stay-at-mom and owning my own business, may be hard at times, but the amount of satisfaction and joy they bring me every day is indescribable.
The feeling over being overwhelmed is often described by new mothers. Constant worry if they are doing what is best for their baby, like how much should I feed them, how much should they sleep, when should they start crawling, and the list goes on.
Since I work from home and am a stay-at-home mom, it is just the three of us for the majority of the day. I definitely experience being overwhelmed at times, especially when it comes to getting out of the house.
Getting out of the house when you have one baby can be a daunting task, but getting out with multiples can be even more intimidating.
I try not to let those feelings keep me from leaving the house. The fact remains, I need to leave the house for the sanity of all of us.I have met up with a few new mom groups in the area, met friends for lunch, gone shopping, gone to the park, attended mommy and me classes and even a caught a movie during parent movie morning; but let’s face it, getting out of the house is always a chore in itself.
In order to leave the house, I need to be fully prepared. In a perfect situation, I like to head out between the girls’ nap schedules, and after they have eaten a meal, although, that does not always happen.
The back of my car literally looks like Babies R Us threw up.
*I have the Baby Trend Double Snap N Go to accommodate the two car seats for ease and convenience, without having to unbuckle the girls…
*The Baby Jogger City Mini Double, for taking the girls out of their car seats and taking a stroll
*The single stroller, because sometimes we just need a single stroller
*The Baby Bjorne, for carrying a baby that may be a little fussy
*Two high chair/shopping cart covers in case we need to use a shopping cart or go to a restaurant.
*Oh, and I can’t forget to pack the diaper bag!
Yes, this is why I am a minivan mom.
As hard as it is to pack the girls up and go, it is a great feeling of accomplishment to know we can do it and there is nothing holding us back.
There are always going to be activities that become a lot more complicated to do with twins that a mommy’s of singletons may be able to do with ease. Something as simple as running into the post office is a chore for me since I can’t just throw a baby on one hip and run inside. There are even going to be activities I can not do by myself like taking the girls to a swimming lesson.
Some days, we can get up and go, and other days are more of a struggle. I have encountered the days where going out does not seem worth the hassle and sticking to the routine at home is more like my security blanket.
There may be no more simple trips to the grocery store, running to the post office, or meeting a friend for lunch, but I try everything I can to not let myself feel restricted to the house, and no, that is not always easy.
Milestones are an important part of your child’s development and a huge celebration for the parents when they see their baby sit up all by themselves, or roll over for the first time.
Sometimes, parents can get caught up in milestones, and I admit that I am guilty of this offense. One important rule to remember in parenthood is not to compare your baby to other babies because all babies develop at their own pace.
While this is a good rule to follow, sometimes it is hard to remember.
Of course, every parent wants their baby to excel. You can go online and read pages of literature, blogs, or forums on when your baby should sit up or crawl or get their first tooth. If that date passes by and your baby has not reached that milestone, you can really feel discouraged.
Yes, this happens to me, a lot. I know the importance of never comparing babies, but I do attend a lot of classes, play groups, and meet-ups, and I see a multitude of babies that are the same age as mine or younger, who have hit important milestones weeks or months before my girls will.
Never compare your babies to other babies. I understand the concept, but I still get a sick feeling in my stomach when I feel like my girls are behind the curve.
They do not go to day care or have a nanny. They are with me 24 hours a day, so I feel like their ability to hit their milestones on target, falls completely on my shoulders. If they don’t crawl what they are supposed to crawl, or walk when they are supposed to walk, I must be doing something wrong.
So many thoughts race through my head as I sit in a class and watch a baby who is 8 weeks younger then my girls crawl by me. Is there something I should be doing differently? The guilt piles on.
My girls are my world and we absolutely love play time! When we are home and they are not sleeping or eating, we are almost always on the floor playing! In fact, I probably have the most content, happy babies in the world, and for that, I am truly blessed.
The girls will be eight months next Friday. They are not crawlers, although Katelyn is starting to skooch. They can sit up by themselves if you put them in that position and they are more than content sitting and playing in one spot for a while.
When they are around other babies, they turn into observers and just like to sit and watch. My girls are just extremely mellow babies and simply do not have the desire to move around from one place to the next, just yet.
I’m sure when I look back in a few years; I will be counting my blessings that I had two amazing babies who were just content and happy, simply playing in one spot.
It is hard to watch babies who are younger than yours hit their milestones weeks or months before your baby does, but I know it is important to not let that make you feel guilty. I know that is something I need to work on.
At least for me, after having a baby (or in my case babies), losing the baby weight is always in the back of your mind. Finding the right workout, support, energy, or even the time can be very stressful. When you do find the time, it raises the question, who will watch my baby when I am working out?
I was watching the news on KTLA a couple of weeks ago, when I came across an interesting segment that caught my attention!
A new class called Sling and Dance, a unique workout for new moms. Your baby actually becomes your workout partner, so you not only get to bond with your baby, but also find the time to get a great workout during the day!
After watching the news, I knew I had to try this class out for myself.
Sling and Dance is very new and currently there is only one location in Orange County. With increasing demand, they are expecting to expand! The class I attended was at Granola Babies in Costa Mesa and currently is offered every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Check Granola Babies for their complete class schedule.
I have to say, Sling and Dance was awesome and my baby and I had an absolute blast! It not only felt wonderful to finally workout but I felt so good about myself after the class.
Yes, you will get a good burn! Doing squats and boogying down, with an extra 17 pounds on you, will definitely do the trick! My baby loved it!
Babies love movement and it appears to be very soothing to them. All of the babies in my class enjoyed the dancing and not a single one fussed.
I am definitely looking forward to this class again. A great workout, bonding with your baby, meeting new moms, and getting out of the house…all in all, this class was a huge hit in my book!
Although this class may not be twin friendly, since it would be very hard to dance with two babies, let the baby who is not in the sling watch the class and switch the babies half way through. There is so much going on, that even the baby who is watching, will still have a good time!
All you need to join the class are your baby and your sling or carrier. Get ready to dance, laugh and bond… I know I sure did!
People always tell you to cherish every moment with your children because they will grow up in the blink of an eye.
When the girls were first born, I could not wait for them to reach the milestones, like smiling, rolling, and even walking. When I look at how far my girls have come in the past six and a half months, tears of joy come to my eyes because they are growing so much every day.
When I was little, my parents had my first baby shoe bronzed to preserve a memory. I wanted to find a special way to capture my little girls. My husband and I started talking about the possibility of making hand and footprint impressions and began to do a little research online.
After doing a little more research, I was stoked, and called Elsie Holdridge, owner and ceramist of Precious Hand / Footprints, to book an appointment on November 5th!
Elsie was absolutely awesome! A true pleasure to work with and she worked so fast with the babies. We are so incredibly happy that we went to Precious Hand / Footprints!
We told her that we wanted three plates, one for us and two were Christmas presents. We were concerned that they may not be done before we left for our Christmas trip. Elsie made a special note on our order form and when they were ready on December 2, she not only called me, but sent me a picture text of one of the plates! Talk about, going above and beyond for customer service!
Precious Hand / Footprints has been in Orange County since 1991, over 20 years now. They will work with you to make sure you get exactly what you are looking for!
We had the girls impressions taken when they were four months old, but you can get them done as soon as you leave the hospital!
Impressions are done by appointment only. Here is all the contact information you will need:
Precious Hand / Footprints
28362 Marguerite Pkwy., Suite #4
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
949 364-3659 www.PreciousHandFootPrints.com
Your babies will not be small forever, but their impressions will last a lifetime!
Introducing the Winnie the Pooh Bouncer, a $50 value, that will go to one lucky OC Family reader!
Every mother has an opinion on sleep training and the best way to get their baby to sleep. There are plenty of books on how to teach your baby to self-soothe themselves to sleep and how imperative it is that you do not rock them to sleep for too long.
It is just my personal opinion, that I could not let my baby cry themselves to sleep for at least the first six months. It tore my heart out to hear my baby cry and I always wanted them to trust that I would be there, whenever they needed me. Now that they are older, and are beginning to understand cause and effect, I am ready to let them go to sleep on their own.
My most recent struggle is the transition to solid foods. The girls are nine months old and the internet tells me that they should be able to handle most any food now. Well, we are not there yet.
People often tell me to just feed them what I’m eating, but between bad timing and sometimes forgetting that I need to feed myself too, it has not been working out that way.
Yes, this happens to me, a lot. I know the importance of never comparing babies, but I do attend a lot of classes, play groups, and meet-ups, and I see a multitude of babies that are the same age as mine or younger, who have hit important milestones weeks or months before my girls will.
My girls are my world and we absolutely love play time! When we are home and they are not sleeping or eating, we are almost always on the floor playing! In fact, I probably have the most content, happy babies in the world, and for that, I am truly blessed.
