Adjusting from one child, to two.

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When you have your first child although it can be scary, it’s full of excitement. It’s full of new adventures and endless love. The great thing about having your first little one, is the fact that it’s the first, there’s only one. No one really talks about what it’s like having two or more than one. You always hear how hard it can be, or how tired you will be. But honestly, when i had my first child. It was pretty easy compared to what it is like now, raising two babies.

The transition from one baby to two is pretty hard, or at least it was for me. Especially with breastfeeding. I have a one and a half year old and a now almost 2 month old baby. When my second child was born, after we got home it was so hard for me to adjust for a couple different reasons. Breastfeeding is very painful at first, and it’s super demanding. You have to constantly sit down every 2-3 hours and feed baby or pump and hope that your toddler is satisfied or distracted until you’re done. Breastfeeding is also painful every time at first. It also makes your body cramp, and for me after having my second child, the cramps were unearthly painful. I really didn’t think i could continue to breastfeed because i was in so much pain. Both of those things combine, on top of not getting any sleep, and having to chase a toddler around after just having a baby made my world chaos.

I really though for a couple of weeks that i was going to lose my mind, it was the first time ever that i had felt completely defeated regarding motherhood. I was so upset and tired, really questioning myself and if i was able todo this. As if i had any choice, haha. But it was really hard for me for awhile. Eventually i adjusted to the loss of sleep, breastfeeding became easier and the cramping stopped. It was still hard because the schedule i had with my toddler was out the door. He wasn’t napping, didn’t want to sleep in his crib, and i felt absolutely awful for the fact i could no longer give him all my attention. I was heartbroken. Because i knew he just wanted the attention. Which made it even harder to reenforce the schedule.

Right now, after adjusting things still get hard. I still have my mini breakdowns and i still stress out from time to time. At first it was figuring out how to balance two children, and now i’m trying to make those little times for me to regroup. Like taking a shower alone, or riding to town alone, or just walking to the mailbox alone. Just to give me that short amount of time to breath. It’s important to have that. Mother’s and father’s need that. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for needing a second to just breath.

Having children is really an amazing thing, it’s a beautiful experience. But no one prepared me for the adjustment of a second child and having them close together didn’t make it easier. And i’m still learning, it’s still hard. Time is now divided, i get very little time to myself, if any at all. Dishes don’t get done right away, laundry sits awhile before it gets folded, toys may sit on the floor a little longer, and the list goes on. But i really couldn’t imagine my life any other way. When times get hard, when i feel like i’m at my breaking point i just remember they are only little once. And i know before i even realize it, that this time will be gone.

So to all those stressed momma’s out there, ones who are going through this, who are about to, let your toddler crawl in the bed with you. Hold that newborn a little longer. Enjoy watching your toddler run around playing with everything they can get their hands on. Because as hard as it might be in that moment, it will end. You’ll find time for a little break. And everything will be okay. Although having another child, is an adjustment and can be hard it’s such a blessing.

Seven symptoms you should know about pregnancy! What i experienced!

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I am a teen mom, i got pregnant with my son when i was 17 years old. So finding out for me was a huge surprise. After i found out i was pregnant, a lot of girls would ask me questions or advice. Not knowing what the symptoms of pregnancy are, or how they could even get pregnant. So i want to list a couple!

I found out i was pregnant either Christmas eve or Christmas, I woke up and took a pregnancy test and it came back positive. I was in complete shock, because i wasn’t expecting it. The only reason i was able to know when to test, or if i should even test is because i tracked my period. I wasn’t on birth control, i hated how it made me feel. So because of that i wanted to pay more attention to when my periods were supposed to come.

So my first “symptom” was a missed period. Now i know that for most women/girls, they are worried and wanting to know way before their period is even supposed to come. But because i had never been pregnant, i wasn’t really aware of what signs to even be looking out for. This should be the biggest red flag, if you aren’t sure of anything else!

After my missed period is when the real symptoms followed. A huge sign of pregnancy is morning sickness. Now most people think morning sickness is only in the morning, hence the name. No. Morning sickness can last all day, it can be all night. It’s different for everyone, but most of the time if you have morning sickness it’s all day. It was so awful for me, had i not been tracking my period the morning sickness i had would have defiantly been a big indicator for pregnancy.

What followed the morning sickness was food aversions, nothing sounded good. And if it did, the second it was put in front of my face i was on the verge of throwing up. I lost so much weight in the first trimester because of these two. Now keep in mind, for some women morning sickness and food aversions may never happen. But these two symptoms are very common, especially in the first trimester.

Now another symptom some women may or may not have is tender breast. I defiantly did. But i was also an athlete and thought maybe my sports bras were to tight or it was just my period coming. Which is a common mistake women make. A lot of pregnancy symptoms are nearly identical to period symptoms, that’s why some women don’t notice them at all. If you do have tender breast, make sure you’re aware of how long it last. If it last for more than a couple days to a week, it’s better safe than sorry that you take that pregnancy test.

These were the first four were big ones in my first pregnancy, and if you have read my other blogs, you may know i am pregnant with my second baby! And i was even on birth control this time, haha. And i had NONE of the symptoms i previously listed. But i knew something was off, when i had a lot of gas. Now this one might be gross but it’s true. One day i had crazy gas, i knew something was off because that is not a problem i normally have. I thought maybe it was something i ate, but after some research i found out it is or can be a sign of pregnancy. Your uterus expanding for the baby, causing you to have gas. But even then i still didn’t think i was pregnant. I took a few pregnancy tests, more than one over a course of a few days and they were all negative.

I still kept an eye out for things until i was supposed to get my period, but after a couple days to a week i started having awful hot flashes followed by small cramps. I still thought it was just something i ate, or maybe i was just having a bad day. They lasted all day long, until i decided to go get a pregnancy test and take one. Surely enough, it was positive. I was very early, but the test somehow picked up the hormones. My second pregnancy has been completely different from the first, so if you don’t have the same symptoms as i did or as the internet says that doesn’t mean you’re not pregnant. Everyones body reacts differently! So make sure you are keeping up with yourself and your sex life!

And remember if you are trying to get pregnant or think you might be, make sure you wait the recommended time before you take a test because if you take it to early it will be negative even if you are pregnant. And even then, sometimes you have to go to the Doctors and get a blood test done for them to be able to see if you are pregnant or not. Like i said everyone has different symptoms and everyone will have a different experience, so make sure you pay attention to your body! I hoped this helped and i hope everyone out there is being safe and smart!

A Christmas Reminder!

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It’s November and we all know what that means, the holidays are approaching! Holidays with babies, toddlers and especially kiddies can be so much fun.

We like to keep Christmas alive with holiday traditions and time spent with family. Every year, ever since i was a little girl someone in my family made Santa and Christmas come to life! Whether it would be dressing up as Santa and running around the house, calling the phones pretending to be Santa, or tracking Santa online. Christmas was alway so special to me, the house full of decorations, the games we would play, the Christmas songs we would sing every year, and just the warm nights spent with family.

As Christmas gets closer, i want to restore the fact that Christmas isn’t just about gifts. It’s about Jesus, the baby in the manger. And if you aren’t a religious person, it is a special time to spend with family regardless.

If you do have kiddies, please make Christmas as special as you can. Not everyone has the means to buy countless gifts, but the memories are what these kids will keep with them forever. I’ll tell ya, i can’t remember what i got on Christmas as a child but i do remember all the fun things we did together as a family. I was so blessed to have a family who made Christmas so fun and special for me, i get to now do that for my younger siblings and my own children. There is nothing like making memories with your family. Moments you know you will hold close forever.

I know Christmas can be stressful, so to those parents out there who maybe can’t afford the biggest Christmas this year, that is OKAY! Just make it fun, make memories and enjoy the time you have with your family. Because soon enough, those babies won’t be babies anymore. Santa won’t be real and all you will have, are those memories.

So remember, enjoy Christmas. Spend time with your family. And make it fun! I hope everyone has happy holidays!

A stressed mom/student..

As a mother who is also a student, i find it hard to always find a good or helpful balance between parenting and finding the time to be a good student.

It is 11:48pm and i am studying for a test i have at 10:30am tomorrow morning, stressing about passing so i don’t have to take it again. Being a student and a parent at the same time is a very hard thing todo, is it impossible? No. But it defiantly takes a person with a lot of self control. I find myself half studying a majority of the time, and saying “well if i pass, i pass” but i know if i fail and have to retake the exam it will only set me back. And that is the most hurtful thing to my time.

I wonder constantly about ways that could help me balance the two. But when my LO is sleeping i am doing house work. And it’s only after my fiancé get’s home that i get that i am able to give studying my undivided attention. But then i struggle with a break, who want’s to spend all their time constantly going? I need to know all the information for my tests, or be able to take this practice test but i can only do it in a room by myself in complete silence but every parent know’s that is just nonexistent when you have children, especially toddlers.

For all my mother’s or father’s out there, who are also full time students where do you find the time? How do you find that balance, between your child, your home, your schoolwork and yourself? There has to be a schedule or tricks that help to make these schedules easier.

People think that stay at home parents and students don’t have it as hard as working people, but in some way’s it’s harder. And no, not every stay at home parent or student is just sitting around and not doing anything all day. Then both consist of a lot of attention and time, especially when you are doing both. Stop shaming parent’s for not working, stop shaming students for being students and stop making it seem impossible for the parent’s that are trying to better their education while taking on everything else. All we need are ways to make it a little more easier, or less stressful i should say.

Crazy Lady Freaks Out over a Teen Mom?!

One of the most wonderful things about parenthood is there is no “right way” todo it, as long as it works for you and your kids. There’s so many opinions, myths, and do’s and don’ts. But really as long as it works for you and it’s safe for your kids who cares what anyone else thinks!

As a young mother people who don’t know you, assume you must have absolutely no idea what you’re doing. And then even sometimes people who DO know you, think you need all 105 of their opinions. And with that follows all kinds of opinions and people telling you what you’re doing is wrong. And it’s hard to always keep your composure and ignore those people. Well i’m here to tell all those first time moms, it’s okay to parent YOUR way. It’s okay to ask for help, to take advice OR it’s OKAY to ignore all the opinions that get thrown your way.

As long as your child is taken care of, fed and clothed you won’t ever hear me throwing out opinions UNLESS someone asks. Which is what a lot of other people should be doing, now don’t read this and think if a child is being hurt, is in danger, or being neglected you should just keep to yourself. Most defiantly speak up!

I watched a video about an incident that happened the other day involving a teen mother of two. Her whole family took a trip to the grocery store. She sat in the backseat of the car with her infant and toddler while her husband went inside to shop for groceries. She posted pictures of what her car looked like and what she looked like sitting in the back seat with the two children. You can clearly see through the windows of the car, as there is no tint. You could clearly see the car was on and she states many times to the security that came to check on her multiple times that she was fine and the A/C was on.

But because this girl didn’t look 30 or older, the woman assumed she was a child and that her and the other two babies were trapped in the car with the A/C off. She was causing a huge scene in the store, even after she was told the kids and the woman in the car were fine. She then proceeds to call the police. After she was told the woman in the car was the mother of the two children, she pulled out her phone and started to video yelling that they were bad parents. How were they being bad parents? Not really sure. How do you even react to a situation like that? Especially when you sit in your car with your children to make the shopping trip easier? But instead you get a crazy lady causing a scene for her facebook page.

The woman never walked up to the car she stood from afar and spied on the car. If i see children in danger, locked in a car, with no A/C i’m not going to stand from afar and wait for someone else todo something about it. She didn’t even bother asking the woman IN the car (the mother) if she was okay or needed help. If you see someone that is in danger, or think someone is in danger always do what you can to help. But even AFTER security told her multiples times that they were fine she continued to act insane. The cops arrived and nothing happened after that because they confirmed the lady was crazy and it was a waste of a 911 call. Not only did she upset that mother, she made herself look like fool and most importantly wasted a 911 call that could of taken time and officers away from a real life threatening situation.

Now i know if i saw kids, especially babies sitting in a car i would double check to make sure there was an adult or an older sibling in the car with them. Because to many children are dying in cars. But sometimes you have to swallow your pride and admit you’re wrong. If she was truly worried about the safety of the people in the car after she saw they were okay, and/or was told by the security who checked on them multiple times and talked to the mother in the car, that they were okay. I would go on with my day.

Moms, please don’t let situations like this get to you. There really are people in this world who have nothing better todo than cause a scene for attention or views online. Put your kids first and never let anyone make you feel like you are bad parent. I don’t know what i would of even done in this situation, and i hope the young mother isn’t to bothered by it either. Just be respectful of others.

*DISCLAIMER*

If you see a child(ren) locked in a car, Please do what you can to help them. Call 911.

If you see someone in danger, Please do what you can to help them. Call 911.

Helping someone who truly needs it, is NOT being nosy.

1st Birthdays!

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My sons first birthday is next month, i’m excited because it is his first birthday and it felt like this time has just flown by so it’s exciting to celebrate how much he has grown. With me having some baby siblings i’ve attended some first birthdays and everyone does it differently. The first birthday is pretty much for the parents, and the family as your LO doesn’t really know or care about what is going on. But as he has grown bigger, he is in need of some new things. So instead of just buying here and there i figured i would get them a birthday gifts. So i do plan on getting him some gifts.

I’m not sure if i want to throw a big party and invite friends and family, go out some where or just have a family birthday party.

There’s all kinds of fun ideas, but i see no point in spending hundreds of dollars on something he won’t even remember. I want it to be fun, i want him to kind of understand or know that, that day is special for him.

What are some good ideas? How did you celebrate your LO’s 1st birthday?

I think people take the first birthday party for granted, no your LO won’t remember much or any at all so you really shouldn’t spend hundreds of dollars, but it is a special day for the parent’s and the family and when they get older they will get to hear those stories, and those memories, and see those pictures. You don’t have to throw a big party or buy lots of gifts for it to be special. When it turns into it being all about those things, it loses how special it is. Because it’s about them and how you treat them, 1 year old or 50. That day should be special.

Comment down below if you guys have any fun ideas, or what you have done for your LO’s first birthday!

Is your LO, TEETHING??

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Hello mommas, and/or dads! Is you baby teething and you aren’t sure what todo? No worry! Neither do have of us parents!

I have a almost 11 month old son, he started teething around six months and that’s defiantly when it was the worst. He was cutting teeth on the bottom and he was in some real pain. We tried everything, but he was still up all night crying.

Now all babies are not the same, so not every trick will work for your LO. But it never hurts to try. The first thing i got was the Nuby All Natural Teething Gel, it worked good. But it would only last for so long. After that i started to give him Infant Tylenol, and that helped a lot! But i didn’t want to be giving him Tylenol all day long, so I also bought The Nuby All Natural, Teething Tablets. These are also awesome, and you really can’t give them to much. They are easy to give the babies and they really do help.

My son never really liked teething rings a whole lot, but some babies love them. So defiantly try some of those. Leave them in the fridge for a couple hours, let them get cold and sometimes they will work wonders. We also bought a lot of teething toys with bumpy edges, those really helped us. He loved to naw on them, they really helped! I just don’t think my son was a fan of the cold. Haha.

And a scary part of teething, my son would not eat, i guess it hurt to suck on the bottle. So if your LO isn’t eating, don’t freak out. If they are old enough for baby food, spoon feed them that. That’s what we had todo. But if they aren’t just let them drink from the bottle as much as they will. Do not let your baby not eat, that is not healthy for them.

Pop-sickles and cold, yummy things they can suck on or chew on help a lot. It will distract them and also numb the pain. We always have a pack of pop-sickles in the fridge just incase. It’s also smart to keep some pacifiers in the fridge or freezer for your LO to suck on. And honestly some babies don’t want a teether, or a pacifier. Sometimes my son just wanted to chew on something soft, a t-shirt, blanket, towel, etc. So maybe have one on standby as well.

Teething is no joke, for you or baby! And somethings may help and somethings may not. But please don’t let your LO, sit in pain. It WILL get better. Just remember they don’t want to keep you up all night, they don’t want to keep you from sleeping, they are just hurting and sometimes the only soothing thing is their momma. So make sure to hold your LO close and give them all the love possible!

Why Do You Do It? Writing at it’s finest.

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As days and nights went on, as i struggled to face my emotions, as i took on new situations i didn’t know how to handle i found myself writing a lot. Like in a journal, something i could express my feelings to while keeping everything private. It has worked for me, for a long time and it even still does. But i find myself asking a lot of questions when i write. Who will answer them for me? That’s when i decided a blog could be a easier way to ask questions and receive advice, without having to face that feeling of being worried or nervous as some people are when you talk in person.

I try to post what i want to talk about as well as what i think people would be interested in reading. Because if you are just typing to type chances are people won’t read it. I’ve always loved writing, i’ve always loved typing away on my laptop but writing just for yourself isn’t always pleasing. Blogging has allowed me to be able to express myself and enjoy writing more than ever.

There are a lot of people who will never see the deepness in what someone writes, the emotion behind it. It’s not always easy for some people to understand how others express themselves. I love reading people blogs, especially the ones i can relate to. So if you are struggling to write, think of things people can relate to. Or dig deep to find that emotion and write about it. Some one will appreciate it! We all have different experiences and if we actually listen to one another it’s amazing to see the world from a different perspective.

It definitely is scary to jump into something new, i didn’t think i’d have any followers or any people even looking at my blogs, let alone reading them. And even though i only have a couple followers and i only get a few views it makes me so happy to know that people are interested in what i have to say. I hope if you are wanting to start a blog, you do it. I hope that you read this and it gives you the courage to start whatever it is you’ve been putting off. Life is to short to sit in fear of failure. Take that first step, i promise you won’t regret it!

A Pregnant Forth of July!

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As the Fourth of July approaches, i hope everyone in this nation knows and appreciates what the fourth stands for. I hope you are all spending it with loved ones and enjoying the freedom we all have.

I would like to give some tips and tricks for some mommas for the fourth! I unfortunately, was eight months pregnant when the Fourth rolled around last year. We were at a little local festival, and i had my baby sister with me letting her enjoy the games and rides. It was a struggle, haha. It was very hot and i was walking all over the place. But i had fun, and even though it wasn’t completely comfortable the whole time i’m so glad i went! So to all my pregnant mommas, don’t count yourself out! Go and have fun! But make sure you are prepared for the many things that will try to make you uncomfortable.

Make sure you wear something comfortable and something that isn’t to hot. Because walking around super pregnant in the dead of the heat is no fun.
Make sure you have comfortable shoes, and even if you don’t plan to be walking around being pregnant and having comfortable shoes on anyway is a must.
Wear your hair up, or wear a hat! It’s so hot in July, and it’s better to be comfortable as possible.
Stay hydrated, this one is very important. Being pregnant, you must drink plenty water. Even if you’re not outside. So make sure you and baby are cool and hydrated!
Bring snacks or have money for food. You never wanna be stuck somewhere and pregnant hungry, it’s not good for anyone. Haha.
Bring chairs or make sure you have somewhere to sit!
And always be considerate of where you are, because the loud sounds of fireworks or music can damage babies ears even in the womb.

There’s probably plenty more tips or tricks, but these were just some i learned from my own experience. And either way it’s always good to be prepared when you go out. You can never be to prepared when pregnant or with babies. There’s nothing you won’t need, haha.

I hope everyone enjoys their 4th, and stays safe!

My Pregnancy Symptoms? How well do you know your body?

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So ever since i found out i was pregnant, girls have come to me asking me how i knew i was pregnant and what todo to find out if you are. I’ve had a lot of people message me, with their pregnancy scares and weird symptoms they’ve experienced wanting to know if it could be pregnancy or not. I even had one young lady message me and ask me how to get pregnant.. Yes. I know. Unfortunately she got no reply.

I’ve never been one to judge or spread rumors. So i think i was someone that people felt they could trust with questions like that, which was cool. But it really showed me how so many young women, know little to nothing about their bodies. Or how our cycles work. Now, given everyone is different and we won’t all experience the same things with our bodies but i think understanding the possibilities is something we should all do.

When i found out i was pregnant, it wasn’t from me experiencing any symptoms or noticing anything different. It was because i knew that my period was a day late, and decided to take a test. A lot of my symptoms didn’t come a long until later. But like i said it’s different for everyone! So just knowing the simple early pregnancy symptoms could potentially help you or someone you know.

One of the biggest symptoms i experienced and is very common, is morning sickness. I was sick all day, every day. I lost so much weight and it couldn’t eat anything. It was honestly pretty awful. And then because i was so sick all the time, i was so tired. My body was so weak and tired. That’s where i would say fatigue, was my next noticeable symptom which is also a very common one. Followed by fatigue i got pretty bad headaches which can be another symptom, but i wear contacts and glasses so it could have been from those. I just remember having bad headaches all day. Another very common early pregnancy symptom, is sensitive breast and/or darkened areola. But, your breast can also become sore or sensitive when you are on your period. So keep that in mind.

A lot of people will say you won’t crave stuff until later on in the pregnancy but that isn’t always true. Right before i found out i was pregnant i was craving white rice and tomatoes. Which isn’t to weird for me because i love those foods, but it was pretty random. So random food cravings can be a symptom for pregnancy! Along side those weird food cravings, i had terrible heart burn. Now this only really occurred for me later on in my pregnancy but you can have heart burn in early pregnancy, so don’t count it out. And the symptom that will haunt you and irritate you for the next nine months and even after, is urinating more often. I know it’s silly, but it really is a symptom for early pregnancy!

Now there are so many more symptoms that women will experience, but i did not experience these during early pregnancy so i don’t have much to say about them. Like, spotting, constipation, bloating, etc. It really is an endless list, and it’s different for every woman. So if you feel off, and you think you may be having some of these symptoms as well as there being a chance you could be pregnant, don’t feel scared to take a pregnancy test or go to your doctor. Some woman experience symptoms right away and some don’t for weeks. And even if there’s no way you’re pregnant or are trying to get pregnant, it’s a least good to know the symptoms!

I know this wasn’t super detailed with information, so if you’re curious to know more definitely go check out some websites! “The Bump”, is a great pregnancy app/website i used through my whole pregnancy. Helping me keep track of how fast baby was growing as well as a place i could ask questions and look stuff up. Catching pregnancy early on is much better for you and baby, as well as catching anything such as a sickness, disease, etc. early. Be aware of your body and if something seems off don’t be afraid to check it out!