my {one} piece of motherly advice

I'm not usually one to give motherly advice.  Granted, I've only had one kid too...but there is one piece of advice that I took and followed through with, that I want to share with every Mama, Mama to-be, Mama to-be-one-day out there!!  I am lucky enough to have an aunt who has seven kids {YES, SEVEN!} and she gifted me with this book before I had R.  If I was going to listen to anyone about how to get a child to sleep through the night...it was going to be her!

You always hear new moms complaining about their newborn waking in the middle of the night to eat, play, or just to hang out!  That is probably one of the hardest things you have to deal with when you have a newborn...we all need our sleep!  But wouldn't it be nice to know how to get them to sleep through the night by before they are 12 weeks old?!  HECK YES!!

{ENTER Babywise}

It is a type of "sleep training" for newborns in which you have them follow a schedule of sleep time, feed time and wake time (in that order).  This creates a routine for newborns and allows them to learn what is coming next within their day (and night).

Following Babywise, R was sleeping through the night at 7 weeks.  There is some question about a newborn sleeping through the night and not getting their nightly feedings, but that is up to you and your provider.  There were times early on when he wasn't gaining weight and I did have to wake him to feed him, but it was so nice when he didn't need those feedings and was already "trained" to sleep right through the night.  (We're talking 10 PMish--7 AMish)

I personally have never talked to any other moms that followed Babywise that told me Babywise didn't work for them (even though I could be wrong...I JUST HAVEN'T TALKED TO THEM!)  I know Mama Laughlin used it with both of her boys and swears by it as well.

This is not only great for working moms (who have to go back to work around 8 weeks) but also SAHMs!--Who doesn't want a solid nights rest!?

You can find the book on Amazon, or WM.com for less than $10 and I am here to tell you--it will be your best investment!

I don't say all this to sound bossy, or like I know everything BECAUSE I SURELY DON'T.  I make failures every day when raising, talking to, and disciplining R!  But I know it worked for US and it can work for YOU too!

If you've used it...let me know if it worked for you, or if it didn't!

If you plan on using it or want to know more about it from a first hand experience, feel free to e mail me and I'd be happy to answer any of your questions!

Happy Wednesday friends!

How baby things have changed!

As I was strolling through the baby section at Target this morning, I saw SO many things that I wasn't familiar with!  Yes, my baby will be four in September, but could things have really changed that much since he was a little bit, and I shopped in the baby section at Target on a weekly basis?  Yes, they have!  Even right after he was born, stuff came out that I was like, "Oh man...I wish that would have been around when Ryder was born."  Things are constantly changing, and I'm sure they will be even more different my next time around!

I've always loved this Boon grass drying rack...So cute & practical!  They are actually on sale this week!

 & these "Twigs" that you can stick in the grass to hold bottle nipples and lids etc...pretty cute!

 This were brand new right when Ryder was born, and you couldn't find there very many places.  Now, they are every where, and I think they would have been great for a little one!  Especially since wipes easily dry their skin out..these are perfect and nice and gentle on their soft skin.

 Let's talk about these cool little boogers!  So jealous of the Mama's these days that can just hand these to their kids in the grocery store & call it dinner!  Nope...didn't have these "back in the day"!  ;)  I like the wide variety of these, that you can buy them in organic if you want, and the convince of them!  They've been around for a while now...but they're still cool!  

& how about these mounts you can put in your cabinets to hold all those pouches?  Even better!

But what if you want to make your own baby food, but want the easy accessibility of the travel pouches?!  Well, there's something for that too!

This little machine helps you fill up your own pouches, with your OWN baby food!  You can buy the new pouches at Target as well!  I seriously love this!  I made a lot of R's baby food, and want to do so again in the future.  This is the best of both worlds!

I know this was a random post...but I am just amazed!  This was also for all you new Mama's out there--enjoy what's out there these days and get all this cool stuff since I couldn't!  :P

Call me CRAY-ZEE!

Some of y'all might think I'm CRAZY after reading this post, but it's the truth!  Okay?  Deal with it!  :P

With a lot of bloggy friends have SECOND babies...I can officially say that I have baby fever.  Not just because they are having babies, but I feel like Ryder is growing up too fast & getting too old & he "needs" a sibling to be close in age.  

One problem.  No hubby.  No potential hubby.  That's a pretty large problem to have.

But...I want to remember feeling the way I do now, when everything is in place for me to become a mommy again!  =)

As much as I say I want another baby, I think I mainly want another because of Ryder.  I want them to be close in age.  Brother or sister.  But then when I really think about having to take care of TWO...I freak out & change my mind.  Probably because I take care of ONE by myself.  I think my mind automatically thinks of taking care of TWO by myself, even though that's not actually how it's going to be.  

I also find myself thinking that the next one will hopefully & probably be a breeze (even more so than Ryder) because since he was 4 months old, I've taken care of him on my own.  I don't even really know what it's like to "share" the responsible in the house hold with a toddler.  

Kind people offer to help me at restaurants for example when they see me juggling a high chair creased in my elbow with a tray full of food in my hand, a backpack on my back, & a toddler on my hip...but probably sounding very rude, I say, "Oh...I think I got it.  Thank you though."  I truly do mean that.  I do have it. I do it all the time.  I have learned to do things this way.  It's not that I think I'm too good to have help, but it's just easier to do it on my own sometimes (key word...sometimes).  

Even though I have a lot of things I need to accomplish first before welcoming another baby into the world, I can dream right?  Hopefully one day it will come true, & I will be able to provide Ryder with a sibling.  I can only imagine his joy & excitement in having a little brother or sister.  I want to be able to provide that for him!

Bloggy friend Mama Laughlin, announced a few weeks ago she is expecting #2!  I couldn't be happier for her & her hubby, but with her first child, Tucker & Ryder being born on the SAME day...I feel like I'm behind!  :P  They are shooting for an 11-11-11 baby to follow in Big T's footsteps of 9-9-09!  ;)

Everyone has different timings for having children in their lives, so that's what I have to keep telling myself!  Whenever I do have another baby & a sibling for Ryder, that will be the perfect & right time for me.  For us.  

Any who...you can say I'm jealous or just a pathetic single mom who LOVES being a Mommy!  It's not that I'm not fully satisfied & happy with my sweet boy, but I want to share that bond with another sweet muchin'!  Yes..I'm only 21, so I have time...but...you get what I'm sayin'!

& just for kicks...the cute little items I saw on recent shopping trips did NOT help!!  &...it's mostly girl stuff!  :O  Since Ryder I have always said I am SOOOO glad he is a boy!  I don't know why...but I've also always thought I would be so happy being a mom to just boys, but from the looks of these ADORABLE clothes, I probably wouldn't mind having a little girl to dress up!  :P

 {I almost CRIED when I saw this!!}

 {romper!}