And no, this post isn't about those desires. Get your head out of the gutter.
I've always had the desire to be a mother. It was always the strongest desire that I held. In fact, when Carl and I got married, we didn't get the usual "Wait a while!" speech from any family member, because I think they knew it would fall on deaf ears. We both desired children SO much.
Now I have my girls (well, almost the plural), and I couldn't be happier. But I've noticed some other desires creeping up in my life.
1. I want to write a book. This is a desire I've had for a while, but it's really been surfacing recently. I have SO many story ideas, from science fiction to chick lit. I have a hard time sitting down to write though, even when I WANT to write. I had a professor in college named Dr. Starr, and he always said that when the story was right, you wouldn't be able to ignore it. Maybe my story just isn't there yet.
2. I want to have a restaurant. This one has been popping up in my head even more, especially when I'm out in town and hear people lament how they wish we had a good, sit down restaurant where they could get GOOD country cooking. That's exactly what I want to do! Make country food, from scratch. Seasonal food that changes with what's fresh. Home-made pastries and desserts, hand breaded chicken fingers, hand cut french fries.... I'd be open five days a week with a limited lunch menu, and two-three days a week with a dinner menu. Can you tell I've thought this out? I have a lot of issues cooking when I'm pregnant, so I haven't been in the kitchen a lot recently, but I'm starting to itch to get back in. Food calms me, and I don't mean that EATING food calms me. I mean that cooking it calms me. It mellows me. It makes me happy. I love coming up with recipes and cooking for crowds. I hate dishes though, so that might be a problem. I know nothing can happen on this desire until my girls are older though!
3. I want to be a doula. This is something I've held close to me for a while. I LOVE the idea of helping someone through this amazing time in their life. I LOVE the idea of using my knowledge to make someones journey easier. I LOVE the idea of being there to see beautiful babies enter this world. I didn't use a doula with either of my pregnancies, but if we had lived far away from family, I probably would have. My momma acted as my doula (in addition to my wonderful hubby) as far as being supportive and being my advocate. Before I determined that nursing was not a career choice for me, I wanted to go as far as becoming a midwife. Now I'd be more than happy to settle for being a doula!
4. I want a farm. This is one that could be achievable in the next few years with a little investment. We have the land for it, and my mother shares my desires. I would love have a cow, a few goats, and chickens. I'm so very intrigued by the idea of raw milk and would LOVE to serve it to my entire family, but we have no dairy producers anywhere near us. I'd also love to make my own cheese (see desire #2!), both cows milk and goats milk. I would ADORE to be as self-reliant as possible. It may be something we try and achieve (especially as the economy continues to tank) in the next few years.
I have desires, but I have my biggest desire already. I'm the Mommy to an adorable, hilarious, loving little two year old, and soon-to-be Mommy to another darling little lady. I think it's good to have desires, or dreams, that keep you learning. Education isn't about academia, it's about learning. I want to continue to learn as much as I can about each of my desires and implement them as I go.
What are your desires?
Oh! And if you leave a comment, PLEASE make sure your email address is listed in your profile or list it in your comment. I want to respond to you, but if I don't have an email address, I can't! I need to make the switch to Wordpress....
Showing posts with label growing up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label growing up. Show all posts
Friday, December 16, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
I'm totally going to jinx myself... (sleep post!)
About two weeks ago we moved a twin mattress into Keevia's room and put it on the floor. That night she climbed up on it, laid down, said night night and closed her eyes. I asked her if she wanted me to lay down with her and she said no. She went to sleep that night by herself in her dark room. And the next day for naptime. And the next night. And the night after that. No tears.
I was in SHOCK. This is the child I have to snuggle to sleep, that usually takes from 20 minutes to over an hour. We put the twin bed in so I could lay down with her and then get up when she fell asleep (usually goes faster than me rocking her in the living room).
The 4th night we went to my husbands parents and spent the night. I laid down with Keevs and got her to sleep in the room we sleep in. She went down easy, but slept really poorly that night.
The next night we were back home, and when I suggested she go to bed, she started screaming. I ended up rocking her to sleep that night and several nights after. A few times she fell asleep sitting up in my lap. Then I started laying back down with her.
I don't know if she was scared of her bed, or her room, or whatever, but even with me laying down with her she would scream. Now, as I'm sure you all know that I am VERY against cry-it-out when it comes to baby (BABY as in 2-6 month old baby) being in a room by themselves, in the dark, "teaching" themselves to soothe to sleep. I've never been against in-arms crying however, and we've done it numerous times over the past two years. Laying down with her, with her sobbing, is the same to me as me holding her and her crying. So for about two to three nights, I laid down and had her cry for 5-10 minutes until she gave up and decided Mommy meant business and it was bedtime. She'd then drift off to sleep. The 4th night there was no crying.
Night 5 I tucked her in, and then sat at her feet. Crying started again, I soothed her, talked to her, sang to her, and 15ish minutes later she FINALLY calmed down, then fell asleep a few minutes later. Night 6 she cried for about 5 or so minutes, then went on down. Night before last she cried for a minute or two, wanting me to lay down with her. I kept telling her I was sitting at her feet and wouldn't move til she fell asleep. She went down pretty easy. Last night I told her it was bedtime and she set off for her bedroom. I went to fill up her sippy and she popped her head out of bedroom door and said "C'mon Mommy!" I told her to go climb up in bed and I'd be right there. When I went in, she was snuggled on her pillow. No tears. I stayed in there 5-10 minutes, then I told her night-night and went in the living room. She drifted off on her own.
I plan on keeping it up... we're doing so well right now, and I'm so happy about it. I honestly won't do anything different with number two. The only reason I made a push for getting her to go to sleep on her own is that my back cannot take packing her 28lb dead weight, especially with a burgeoning belly. I didn't figure we'd be going to sleep on our own quite yet, but I'm pleased with it!
Now to just tackle potty-learning!
I was in SHOCK. This is the child I have to snuggle to sleep, that usually takes from 20 minutes to over an hour. We put the twin bed in so I could lay down with her and then get up when she fell asleep (usually goes faster than me rocking her in the living room).
The 4th night we went to my husbands parents and spent the night. I laid down with Keevs and got her to sleep in the room we sleep in. She went down easy, but slept really poorly that night.
The next night we were back home, and when I suggested she go to bed, she started screaming. I ended up rocking her to sleep that night and several nights after. A few times she fell asleep sitting up in my lap. Then I started laying back down with her.
I don't know if she was scared of her bed, or her room, or whatever, but even with me laying down with her she would scream. Now, as I'm sure you all know that I am VERY against cry-it-out when it comes to baby (BABY as in 2-6 month old baby) being in a room by themselves, in the dark, "teaching" themselves to soothe to sleep. I've never been against in-arms crying however, and we've done it numerous times over the past two years. Laying down with her, with her sobbing, is the same to me as me holding her and her crying. So for about two to three nights, I laid down and had her cry for 5-10 minutes until she gave up and decided Mommy meant business and it was bedtime. She'd then drift off to sleep. The 4th night there was no crying.
Night 5 I tucked her in, and then sat at her feet. Crying started again, I soothed her, talked to her, sang to her, and 15ish minutes later she FINALLY calmed down, then fell asleep a few minutes later. Night 6 she cried for about 5 or so minutes, then went on down. Night before last she cried for a minute or two, wanting me to lay down with her. I kept telling her I was sitting at her feet and wouldn't move til she fell asleep. She went down pretty easy. Last night I told her it was bedtime and she set off for her bedroom. I went to fill up her sippy and she popped her head out of bedroom door and said "C'mon Mommy!" I told her to go climb up in bed and I'd be right there. When I went in, she was snuggled on her pillow. No tears. I stayed in there 5-10 minutes, then I told her night-night and went in the living room. She drifted off on her own.
I plan on keeping it up... we're doing so well right now, and I'm so happy about it. I honestly won't do anything different with number two. The only reason I made a push for getting her to go to sleep on her own is that my back cannot take packing her 28lb dead weight, especially with a burgeoning belly. I didn't figure we'd be going to sleep on our own quite yet, but I'm pleased with it!
Now to just tackle potty-learning!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Toddler Reset Button
Toddlers have tantrums. That's no news to anyone. My toddler is getting especially good at the foot stamping, head thrown back, screaming her head off tantrums!
The past two days, Miss Priss has decided that naps are for losers. Therefore, this is what I see a lot.
I've found out, however, in the past day, that if you head off the tantrums, that they don't seem to be as bad. Oh, they still happen, but instead of being 30 minutes of inconsolable toddler drama, it usually is only around 5. I'm sure that this distraction method is also common knowledge!
The majority of our tantrums are caused by teething right now. It can be expected! When you have 6-7 teeth coming in at once (I'm not real sure of the number, she never opens her mouth long enough!), it's difficult to be good all the time! I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of our amber teething necklace.
Anyway, with the teeth kicking our butts, tantrums are running high. Our current way of making them go away? Well, it has me handing in my AP card.
Step 1. Get a orange Sherbert Push Up. Feed to child.
Step 2. Turn on Wiggles.
The sugar revs her up, the cold soothes her teeth, and the Wiggles make her zone out. Once she "resets" herself, she acts normally. There are other reset methods we use as well... change of scenery, stripping off her clothes, tickling her when she tries to throw herself backwards off my lap...
What is (or was) your toddlers reset button?
The past two days, Miss Priss has decided that naps are for losers. Therefore, this is what I see a lot.
The majority of our tantrums are caused by teething right now. It can be expected! When you have 6-7 teeth coming in at once (I'm not real sure of the number, she never opens her mouth long enough!), it's difficult to be good all the time! I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of our amber teething necklace.
Anyway, with the teeth kicking our butts, tantrums are running high. Our current way of making them go away? Well, it has me handing in my AP card.
Step 1. Get a orange Sherbert Push Up. Feed to child.
Step 2. Turn on Wiggles.
The sugar revs her up, the cold soothes her teeth, and the Wiggles make her zone out. Once she "resets" herself, she acts normally. There are other reset methods we use as well... change of scenery, stripping off her clothes, tickling her when she tries to throw herself backwards off my lap...
What is (or was) your toddlers reset button?
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
The one where I stuff toys down my bra....
I'm posting about Blair a lot today, but y'all, she's hilarious. She recently wrote a post about toy scalping. You should read it. In the post (if you're lazy and don't want to read it....)she talks about her sons attachment to a stuffed monkey, and her desperate search for a standin monkey, you know, in case monkey ever bit the dust.
She found one. On Ebay. For $75. Yeeks.
I wrote this little bit of wisdom on her blog:
"I WISH my child would take a lovey. At this point I would pay $75 for her to! Her lovey is my boobs. I’m not joking. Her hand shoots down my shirt whenever she’s tired, feels stressed, is hurt… ANYTHING. And she has to rub them to go to sleep. We’re working on going to sleep on her own in her crib, and I currently have to pull my bra off, lean over, pull my shirt down so my boobs are exposed, and let her rub them to go to sleep. We’re trying to get pregnant… I don’t think haulin’ a pregnant belly over the crib railing is going to work."
And y'all, I so would. We're almost weaned (yes, don't worry, a post is coming about that later), but she has to rub my boobs to fall asleep. She worries them just like some kids worry a lovie. If she's sleeping with me, that's what she goes to to comfort herself. It doesn't usually bother me, but when it takes her upwards of 45 minutes to fall asleep... I think I'm going to scream.
Plus, we really are trying to get her to go to sleep in her own crib. We're currently waiting on the 6-7 teeth she has coming through to show themselves though, because, well, that's just mean.
Meet "TipTop" which is obviously going to need a new name soon.
I have decided that this is going to be Keevia's lovie. I scored it on Amazon for like $7 (I was trying to get my free super saver shipping, as I stupidly let my Amazon Mom Prime run-out, LAME!).
I'm going to be desperate about this y'all. I'm going to sleep on her sheets. I'm going to stuff this little fellow down my bra and make a BIG DEAL about it when it gets here. I'm praying she takes to it. She loves her pacifier and her Mommy. I want her to love a stuffed animal as well.
So yes. I'm desperate. I will stuff random things down my bra for them to have that magic momma scent. I would crawl into her crib if I thought it would help. Or, you know, if I thought I could get back out.
Anyone have any ideas for a name for this thing?
She found one. On Ebay. For $75. Yeeks.
I wrote this little bit of wisdom on her blog:
"I WISH my child would take a lovey. At this point I would pay $75 for her to! Her lovey is my boobs. I’m not joking. Her hand shoots down my shirt whenever she’s tired, feels stressed, is hurt… ANYTHING. And she has to rub them to go to sleep. We’re working on going to sleep on her own in her crib, and I currently have to pull my bra off, lean over, pull my shirt down so my boobs are exposed, and let her rub them to go to sleep. We’re trying to get pregnant… I don’t think haulin’ a pregnant belly over the crib railing is going to work."
And y'all, I so would. We're almost weaned (yes, don't worry, a post is coming about that later), but she has to rub my boobs to fall asleep. She worries them just like some kids worry a lovie. If she's sleeping with me, that's what she goes to to comfort herself. It doesn't usually bother me, but when it takes her upwards of 45 minutes to fall asleep... I think I'm going to scream.
Plus, we really are trying to get her to go to sleep in her own crib. We're currently waiting on the 6-7 teeth she has coming through to show themselves though, because, well, that's just mean.
Meet "TipTop" which is obviously going to need a new name soon.
I'm going to be desperate about this y'all. I'm going to sleep on her sheets. I'm going to stuff this little fellow down my bra and make a BIG DEAL about it when it gets here. I'm praying she takes to it. She loves her pacifier and her Mommy. I want her to love a stuffed animal as well.
So yes. I'm desperate. I will stuff random things down my bra for them to have that magic momma scent. I would crawl into her crib if I thought it would help. Or, you know, if I thought I could get back out.
Anyone have any ideas for a name for this thing?
Friday, March 11, 2011
My poor girl...
My poor sweet girl. This is how I'm seeing her a lot today.
We've been having sleep problems for a while now. Absolutely fighting going down like it's no ones business. I've been miserable, questioning my parenting choices... questioning, well, everything. She would usually (not always) sleep once she went to sleep, but getting her to sleep was a war. Finally we discovered that Daddy can get her to sleep much easier than me. For whatever reason. So we're going with it.
Last night she was SO fussy. I knew she was overtired, but she was just unconsoleable. My mom was holding her, and I happened to glance in her mouth (as she was screaming, I might add).
Low and behold... I see that her molars. MOLARS are swollen. Now, this may not be a big deal for most parents of 16 month olds... but my kid and teething are kind of different. She didn't get her first tooth until she was 1 year, 10 days old. Then she got three. Right now she has 6 teeth. Three on the bottom (two bottom middle, bottom right) and three on the top (same configuration). Her fourth "front" tooth is coming through on the top. Her bottom "front" tooth has no inclination of coming in. Like, at all. But whatever.
So, I was shocked that her molars were swollen. Then, I examined closer.
Her molars aren't just swollen. Her bottom molars, bottom eye teeth, top eye teeth, and possibly her top molars are all swollen. Y'all, that is 8 teeth. AND she still hasn't gotten that top front tooth through.
My poor, poor girl.
We gave her Tylenol last night, and she slept from 11pm-5am in her crib, then came in bed with me until 9am. It was blissful.
Baby snuggles are my favorite.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Potty Learning
I usually blog at night, and have "scheduled" posts for the next day. It means the posts usually happen in the morning, and I don't have to worry about posting during breakfast and such. Works for me! Since our internet went out though, my schedule has been kind of upset.
I actually had an entire different post planned, which will still probably take place tomorrow. But, last night, my little girl did something that changed todays plan.
MY SIXTEEN MONTH OLD PEED IN THE POTTY!
Who me?
Now, I know that she's not going to be prancing around in underwear next week. But it's a step.
I subscribe to potty learning instead of potty training. Training makes me think of dogs, and I don't like thinking of my kid as a dog... so I call it potty learning. I am teaching her to use the potty like a big girl, not training her to do so (and training, in my opinion, insinuates discipline, which I don't think has a place ((or has a very small place)) when it comes to using the bathroom).
My husband thought I was crazy when I purchased Keevia a potty chair right after her first birthday. "She's too little!" he exclaimed, "She can't even walk yet!"
"I know" I replied, "But I want her to get used to it." And that's exactly what we've done. We're getting used to the potty. Every night, when I'm running her bath, I strip her off naked and put her on the potty, and ask her if she needs to pee. Some nights she sits there happily, some nights she fusses as soon as I put her on there. I usually leave her there for, oh, 20 seconds if she fusses, then help her off. I never want to force her, or make her be wary of the potty. If she's happy, I let her sit there until the bath has ran. I'm not even that consistent about it. We bath at Mamaw's house once or twice a week. Sometimes she and I take showers together.
Night before last (Tuesday night), I sat her on the potty and she fussed, so I got her back off and went along running her bath. I moved my foot a little and noticed that rug under my toes was wet... sure enough, after looking at her legs, I saw that my little stinker had promptly peed all over the floor. So I simply said: "Keevia, did you pee? It's okay baby, but when we have to pee and we don't have a diaper on, we pee in the potty, not on the floor. Let's get in the bathtub." I threw the rug in the wash and bathed my kid. After setting her out of the tub all sparkly clean, she took off, naked, towards the living room. I followed her, then went into the bedroom to get a diaper. I heard Carl go 'Uhoh Mommy! She just pooped on the carpet!' I came out of the bedroom going "REALLY? Really!!!" and then noticed he was laughing, he told me he was joking, then I looked down. "Well, she didn't poop, but she did pee!" So I repeated my little "We pee in the potty" spiel.
Fast forward to last nights bath time. Per usual, I stripped her down and plopped her on the potty, then went about getting the bath temperature right. No fussing! Once I got the temperature situated, I turned around and she signed "All Done" and held out her arms, and I got her off the potty chair.
And the rejoicing began.
So where do I go from here? I'm just going to keep on keeping on. We're learning the "potty" sign, and I ask her when I go in the bathroom if she wants to sit on her potty. I know we're months away from truly being "learned", but hey, a step is a step.
I honestly never thought I'd get so worked up over a little pee.
I actually had an entire different post planned, which will still probably take place tomorrow. But, last night, my little girl did something that changed todays plan.
MY SIXTEEN MONTH OLD PEED IN THE POTTY!
Now, I know that she's not going to be prancing around in underwear next week. But it's a step.
I subscribe to potty learning instead of potty training. Training makes me think of dogs, and I don't like thinking of my kid as a dog... so I call it potty learning. I am teaching her to use the potty like a big girl, not training her to do so (and training, in my opinion, insinuates discipline, which I don't think has a place ((or has a very small place)) when it comes to using the bathroom).
My husband thought I was crazy when I purchased Keevia a potty chair right after her first birthday. "She's too little!" he exclaimed, "She can't even walk yet!"
"I know" I replied, "But I want her to get used to it." And that's exactly what we've done. We're getting used to the potty. Every night, when I'm running her bath, I strip her off naked and put her on the potty, and ask her if she needs to pee. Some nights she sits there happily, some nights she fusses as soon as I put her on there. I usually leave her there for, oh, 20 seconds if she fusses, then help her off. I never want to force her, or make her be wary of the potty. If she's happy, I let her sit there until the bath has ran. I'm not even that consistent about it. We bath at Mamaw's house once or twice a week. Sometimes she and I take showers together.
Night before last (Tuesday night), I sat her on the potty and she fussed, so I got her back off and went along running her bath. I moved my foot a little and noticed that rug under my toes was wet... sure enough, after looking at her legs, I saw that my little stinker had promptly peed all over the floor. So I simply said: "Keevia, did you pee? It's okay baby, but when we have to pee and we don't have a diaper on, we pee in the potty, not on the floor. Let's get in the bathtub." I threw the rug in the wash and bathed my kid. After setting her out of the tub all sparkly clean, she took off, naked, towards the living room. I followed her, then went into the bedroom to get a diaper. I heard Carl go 'Uhoh Mommy! She just pooped on the carpet!' I came out of the bedroom going "REALLY? Really!!!" and then noticed he was laughing, he told me he was joking, then I looked down. "Well, she didn't poop, but she did pee!" So I repeated my little "We pee in the potty" spiel.
Fast forward to last nights bath time. Per usual, I stripped her down and plopped her on the potty, then went about getting the bath temperature right. No fussing! Once I got the temperature situated, I turned around and she signed "All Done" and held out her arms, and I got her off the potty chair.
And the rejoicing began.
So where do I go from here? I'm just going to keep on keeping on. We're learning the "potty" sign, and I ask her when I go in the bathroom if she wants to sit on her potty. I know we're months away from truly being "learned", but hey, a step is a step.
I honestly never thought I'd get so worked up over a little pee.
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