TR had her first set of shots on Monday. She was so pitiful when the nurse gave them to her. I had to hold her legs down, which I think should not be asked of any parent. She cried and almost made me cry. She calmed down as soon as I picked her up, but fussed at me for a few more minutes before we left. The rest of the day I held her while she slept instead of putting her in her bed for naps. She took Tylenol every four hours, but was very fussy and would cry in her sleep. I felt so bad for her, but I knew she would recover and getting her shots is a long term gain for a short term loss.
I understand that many have chosen not to give their children shots based upon religious beliefs, however, this new trend of not getting shots because they may cause autism has been disproved over and over again. Why would a parent want to risk his or her child's future health of contracting a debilitating disease over false information that was reported years ago? In fact the doctor that claimed the link has since been revoked of his medical license due to his irresponsibility in reporting information that he could not prove through the necessary scientific research. Additionally, I would have a hard time allowing my children to play with some kids that have not had their shots because of the risks associated. Since TR is only 9 weeks old, she has not been inoculated from some of these diseases, and will not for another two years. Parents need to understand that they are not only putting their kids at risk, but other kids as well.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Disney
Have I mentioned that I am a Disney fanatic? I love all things Disney and would move directly to Florida to be in the vicinity of Disney World if given the opportunity. As a family, we have visited numerous times and I am always planning our next trip. This blog will be used to give advice and tips on planning the perfect Disney vacation. If you have any questions please feel free to ask! I am always willing to discuss my happiest place on earth.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Sticking to a Schedule
As reported, I have a new baby. She is 9 weeks old and is wonderful. However, I have found that it is harder to keep her on a schedule than it was for my other kids. Since TD and K are older, we are very active and not home during the day for T to take naps in her bed. Luckily, she sleeps well in her car seat. But the downfall is that she is still sleeping in a cradle in my bedroom at night. Although this doesn't bother me, my husband has a hard time sleeping through her baby transition noises.
A few weeks ago we had new windows and door installed downstairs so TD could move into that room. He has been down there two weeks now and loves having such a large bedroom with his own bathroom. T's bedroom has been set up with her crib and the plan was to have her take naps in there during the day so she could transition there at night. Since we are not home consistently during the day, T has not been able to get used to her new bed and room. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Yesterday, Big D's Aunt and Uncle came to visit. Although Big D's father's family lives in Marietta, we rarely see them. His Aunt and Uncle had never been to our home before yesterday. Big D was very close to this particular Aunt and Uncle growing up and I know he would love to have a closer relationship to them now, so this visit meant a lot to him. Ever since he and his father had a falling out three years ago, we have no relationship with Big D's father and step-mother. Mostly this is due to the actions and personality of the step-mother, but Big D has a lot of resentment towards his father for things that happened growing up. I wonder at times if Big D was drawn to me because of the relationship I have with my parents and siblings, as his relationship with his parents and sister is poor to say the least.
Last night we went to our good friends' house for a cookout. Usually at least once per month we get together with them and another set of good friends, as all the kids enjoys spending time together and the adults can gossip and have a few adult beverages. As usual we had a great time and the kids were worn out. This is also another reason why T was off her schedule, however. She did not get to be until 10:30 last night, so after her early morning feeding, she didn't wake again until 10:30 this morning. She really does great sleeping at night, and usually goes 12 hours with just one early morning feeding between 5 and 6 am. If only I could keep her routine consistent during the day!
I am a strong follower of the Babywise series of books. In fact that is how I came to start this blog. I was inspired by Chronicles of a Babywise Mom. It is a great blog about this parenting style and I encourage everyone to check it out!
A few weeks ago we had new windows and door installed downstairs so TD could move into that room. He has been down there two weeks now and loves having such a large bedroom with his own bathroom. T's bedroom has been set up with her crib and the plan was to have her take naps in there during the day so she could transition there at night. Since we are not home consistently during the day, T has not been able to get used to her new bed and room. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Yesterday, Big D's Aunt and Uncle came to visit. Although Big D's father's family lives in Marietta, we rarely see them. His Aunt and Uncle had never been to our home before yesterday. Big D was very close to this particular Aunt and Uncle growing up and I know he would love to have a closer relationship to them now, so this visit meant a lot to him. Ever since he and his father had a falling out three years ago, we have no relationship with Big D's father and step-mother. Mostly this is due to the actions and personality of the step-mother, but Big D has a lot of resentment towards his father for things that happened growing up. I wonder at times if Big D was drawn to me because of the relationship I have with my parents and siblings, as his relationship with his parents and sister is poor to say the least.
Last night we went to our good friends' house for a cookout. Usually at least once per month we get together with them and another set of good friends, as all the kids enjoys spending time together and the adults can gossip and have a few adult beverages. As usual we had a great time and the kids were worn out. This is also another reason why T was off her schedule, however. She did not get to be until 10:30 last night, so after her early morning feeding, she didn't wake again until 10:30 this morning. She really does great sleeping at night, and usually goes 12 hours with just one early morning feeding between 5 and 6 am. If only I could keep her routine consistent during the day!
I am a strong follower of the Babywise series of books. In fact that is how I came to start this blog. I was inspired by Chronicles of a Babywise Mom. It is a great blog about this parenting style and I encourage everyone to check it out!
Friday, July 22, 2011
In the Beginning.....
Welcome! I can not believe I am actually doing this, finally. I used to laugh at those that wrote blogs, thinking, they are just wasting their time. Who wants to read about someone else's life? Well, under the assumption that someone may be interested in what I have to say, here I go. It also helps me to remember my life as I document our daily activities and discuss our family. Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes with me and together we can figure this whole thing out.
Lets meet the players!
First you have me. I am a 34 year old mother of 3. You will meet them later. I currently am a stay-at-home mom by choice. My husband and I both thought it would be better if I stayed at home to raise them rather than sending them to daycare. Not to mention the cost of daycare would have been cost prohibited with our salary. So in turn, we struggle to make ends meet every month. It is hard to pay for a family of five on my husband's paycheck, but we manage and we have a nice life to boot.
To tell you a little about myself, I grew up in a small town in Southeastern Ohio and was raised by both of my parents. I have one older sister and a younger brother. Both are very successful and we still have regular communication. You will hear more about them as time goes on. My parents are wonderful, and looking back, I had an idyllic childhood, with the normal bumps and bruises of growing up. When I graduated high school I went off to college like most do. I graduated with a degree in Political Science and wanted to be a lobbyist. After working in the US Senate, I decided this was not for me and went back to Columbus. After a series of meaningless jobs, I found myself employed by Children Services. I was a caseworker, and I was good at my job. I loved my job, and the kids on my caseload. After having my first child in 2003, I attempted going back to work, but found I could not leave my son and focus on the job the way I should. It was a tough decision, but I left Children Services to focus on my kids. Shortly after making that decision, I found out I was pregnant again, unexpectedly.
When my husband was offered a job in Maryland, we decided it would be the perfect opportunity to start over in a new city and state. We soon discovered that being that far away from our family would not work, especially with two children. One week after my son turned 1 year old, and one month before my daughter was born, we moved back to Ohio, this time in North Central Ohio. This was not the area we wanted to stay either. We wanted closer to family and desired to move back to Columbus, or to either my or my husband's hometown. When a job opportunity presented in Marietta, my husband's hometown, we took it after three years in North Central Ohio. We have lived here since October of 2007, when we purchased an older home with plenty of space and plenty of projects needed.
Now lets meet the rest of the family. My husband, lets call him Big D, is 41 years old and is a college professor. He loves his job and is currently pursuing his PhD. My son, TD is almost 8 and is obsessed with sports. He plays on a traveling soccer team and this consumes a lot of our time, especially on weekends. My oldest daughter, K, is 6.5 and is a princess. Just ask her and she will tell you she is the prettiest girl in the whole wide world. She loves her dance classes and is a social butterfly. Our youngest daughter, TR, is 9 weeks old today. Although she was unexpected, I feel she is the completion of our family.
Well, now you know a little about us, and if you are interested you will continue to learn more about us as we learn about ourselves too.
Lets meet the players!
First you have me. I am a 34 year old mother of 3. You will meet them later. I currently am a stay-at-home mom by choice. My husband and I both thought it would be better if I stayed at home to raise them rather than sending them to daycare. Not to mention the cost of daycare would have been cost prohibited with our salary. So in turn, we struggle to make ends meet every month. It is hard to pay for a family of five on my husband's paycheck, but we manage and we have a nice life to boot.
To tell you a little about myself, I grew up in a small town in Southeastern Ohio and was raised by both of my parents. I have one older sister and a younger brother. Both are very successful and we still have regular communication. You will hear more about them as time goes on. My parents are wonderful, and looking back, I had an idyllic childhood, with the normal bumps and bruises of growing up. When I graduated high school I went off to college like most do. I graduated with a degree in Political Science and wanted to be a lobbyist. After working in the US Senate, I decided this was not for me and went back to Columbus. After a series of meaningless jobs, I found myself employed by Children Services. I was a caseworker, and I was good at my job. I loved my job, and the kids on my caseload. After having my first child in 2003, I attempted going back to work, but found I could not leave my son and focus on the job the way I should. It was a tough decision, but I left Children Services to focus on my kids. Shortly after making that decision, I found out I was pregnant again, unexpectedly.
When my husband was offered a job in Maryland, we decided it would be the perfect opportunity to start over in a new city and state. We soon discovered that being that far away from our family would not work, especially with two children. One week after my son turned 1 year old, and one month before my daughter was born, we moved back to Ohio, this time in North Central Ohio. This was not the area we wanted to stay either. We wanted closer to family and desired to move back to Columbus, or to either my or my husband's hometown. When a job opportunity presented in Marietta, my husband's hometown, we took it after three years in North Central Ohio. We have lived here since October of 2007, when we purchased an older home with plenty of space and plenty of projects needed.
Now lets meet the rest of the family. My husband, lets call him Big D, is 41 years old and is a college professor. He loves his job and is currently pursuing his PhD. My son, TD is almost 8 and is obsessed with sports. He plays on a traveling soccer team and this consumes a lot of our time, especially on weekends. My oldest daughter, K, is 6.5 and is a princess. Just ask her and she will tell you she is the prettiest girl in the whole wide world. She loves her dance classes and is a social butterfly. Our youngest daughter, TR, is 9 weeks old today. Although she was unexpected, I feel she is the completion of our family.
Well, now you know a little about us, and if you are interested you will continue to learn more about us as we learn about ourselves too.
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