Bitten by Motherhood

I shouldn’t have exclaimed how happy I was about Angelica waking up around 8 a.m. every morning. Suddenly we are back to the 6:50 a.m. schedule. Just like that, totally out of the blue, the little peanut decided that she needed an extra playing hour in the mornings. At least that’s what I imagine goes on in her little head. My sweet child has a vendetta against sleep! It’s not the end of the world, but I was really living it up with that extra hour every morning. Umm… what can I do now? Getting her to bed an hour late doesn’t work, just makes it harder to get her to sleep. Oh the challenges of parenthood! I guess we are going to be waking up with the chickens for a while.  :)

Tags: baby, morning, sleep, waking up

It’s funny how you are trying to solve a problem in life and out of no where an unexpected solution pops up. For the last two weeks I’ve been trying to figure out what to do in regards to Angelica’s sleeping arrangements, since she’s such a restless sleeper during the night that she’s bumping herself with the crib bars.

I tried the breathable bumpers, which are great, but they don’t have any padding. So I went back to using the regular crib bumper that came with her bedding set, not recommended for this age, but I couldn’t think of anything else that would soften a blow in the middle of the night. So far this is what she still has in her crib, but it only works part of the time, since most of the time she hits the crib bars above the padded bumper because she sits up in her sleep.

Yesterday, while browsing through a friend’s baby registry, I discovered the Wonder Bumpers!

You would have thought someone should have had this idea sooner, but better late than never. I don’t have them yet because it takes a few days for delivery, but I’m putting all my eggs in this basket. They seem to be perfect for my current dilemma with Angelica since they cover the whole crib bar. Hopefully this works well and I don’t have to move her into a twin bed or something like that. We’ll see how things go… I’ll keep you posted.

Tags: baby, bumping, crib bumper, restless sleeper, toddler, Wonder Bumpers

From all the things that we have had to deal with and learn about since we had Angelica, few things have been as stressful as a stuffy nose. You feel so helpless in trying to help her… your only quick remedy is saline water and an aspirator. While things don’t get better, she can not sleep right, can not eat comfortably and constantly touches her nose in an attempt to fix it herself. You secretly wish a millions time for your nose to be the stuffed one, but that doesn’t help either.

For the last few days Angelica has had an stuffed nose. Aside from having her sleep in a 3oº degree angle, keeping any air current away from her, using a bit of baby vapor rub and the occasional saline water to loosen things up in her nose, you can’t do much more but wait. Meanwhile your little one suffers, and you can only think of how easy it would be to solve everything if it were your nose. Things like these make me wish for her to grow up fast! But on any other day, I want her to stay little and sweet forever.

Tags: baby, mommy, nose, remedy, stuffy

You would have thought things get easier as a baby grows… that’s what I expected. And in a way, I suppose I can say that’s true, but only in certain areas of life, in others, things get a bit more complex to say the least.

Angelica now sleeps through the night, has a set routine, plays by herself for a while, and has a favorite show on TV that holds her attention long enough for me to do things I can’t do with her. But on the other hand, she’s often climbing and walking on the sofa or ottoman by herself and proceeding to attempt gymnastic routines. She’s easily reaching over the counters (way farther than you would think), still loving to put everything in her mouth, getting really frustrated with her inability to say coherent words, she’s starting to test the world of temper tantrums… and the list can go on and on, but I don’t want to put you to sleep.

Of course, all these things are a part of growing up, but as a new mommy, sometimes I’m not sure what to do about them. I want her to be safe, but I also want her to feel satisfied with herself and be happy. When you have just learned to read, that’s all you want to do, you read every sign by the road, every poster, anything within sight. Now that she’s learned to reach up, run, climb and trust her body a bit more, that’s all she’s into. I’m the one that worries about the bumps on the head and scratches on the legs and wonders if she’s feeling any pain or discomfort from her mishaps. She’s not a crier nor can she verbally tell me what she’s feeling, so sometimes I’m left to wonder and investigate on my own, not always with success.

Lately she’s gotten a rash around her mouth… I suspect it’s an allergic reaction to something she’s putting in her mouth. But I am still perplexed as to what exactly is causing the allergy. She walks around on her own nibbling on so many of her toys and stuff… I haven’t been able to pin point the source. I tested the one pacifier she has left, the facial wipes, the latex nipples… nothing seems to be the culprit. I’m starting to think it’s her saliva or sweat irritating her skin with the heat of the summer. It doesn’t seem to cause her any pain nor discomfort, it’s just very frustrating to not know, aside from the fact that it’s doesn’t look too glamorous.

Recently she’s been trying to speak, with no success. She says ‘pa’, ‘ma’, ‘ba’ and ‘what’, and a lot of vowels with the right intonations of a conversation, but nothing understandable. I can see her looking at me and I can see what she wants in her eyes, they are so expressive, almost trying to make up for the incoherent babbling. I try my best to speak clearly to her, motivate her to imitate my sounds, help her say what I know she means… but nothing is working yet. I know one day she’s going to flourish in the language department, but until then, I share her frustrations. What more can I do to help my little princess?

From talking to other Mommies, it’s evident I’m not the only one on this boat. As I mentioned before, it’s part of growing up. Nonetheless, every Moms shares her babies’ frustrations… no matter how normal the problem at hand may be.

Tags: baby, frustrations, growing up, mommy, mother, rash, talking

Recently I’ve been struggling with Angelica and her new food preferences. The days of purees are surely becoming the past, anything that looks too creamy is instantly pushed away. Purees were great, my Mom would load them with nutritious stuff, I wouldn’t have to worry about her not getting everything she needed. But now, I find myself struggling to come up with meals that are not too mushy, yet are easy to chew and swallow. I’ve cooked all sorts of things, from meatballs to filet mignon… in my desperation, any descent suggestion for a meal has been tried. Fortunately, I found I few winners that have gotten a big yay from my piccolina. So before I turn this post into a book, here’s a list of the links to the miracle recipes:

• Dad’s Meatloaf with Tomato Relish
• The Classic Cuban Picadillo
• Slow Cooker Pot Roast (I do season it a bit more than the recipe calls for)
• Chicken and Vegetables with Herbs
• Chicken Stroganoff

I will keep adding more recipes as I keep experimenting with different dishes. Hopefully my bossy toddler has more yays than nays for me!

Tags: baby, food, meals, mom, recipes, toddler

When I was pregnant, I ran around looking and shopping for all that stuff needed for the baby. You know, all the cute stuff that excites any woman and keeps her entertained for those 10 long months of waiting. I went on matching everything to the theme of my nursery, putting little tiny adorable outfits together, getting all sorts of super duper gadgets, picking a great stroller and finding a diaper bag that would match it. Yes your read it right, I thought matching the diaper bag to the stroller would be a good idea, since I figured, it would be hanging off of it most of the time. So I proceeded to get one that was striped with the colors of the stroller I had chosen.

After I had my baby, it didn’t take long for me to hate that horrid diaper bag. Stripes! I hated the stripes! The bag looked clownish and I always felt so informal, far from chic, no matter what I was wearing. That’s when I realized that what I truly wanted was a diaper bag that didn’t look like a diaper bag. I wanted (and still feel this way) a diaper bag that allowed me to be a Mom, but still let me look glamorous. I started browsing around until I found the perfect bag for me, but in the process, I stumbled upon quite a few places where you can find a beautiful diaper bag that looks amazingly stylish. Here are my top picks:

www.nestdiaperbags.com

They have great diaper bags in many colors and styles. The one pictured is the Grommet, one of my favorites.

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www.serenaandlily.com

Love the collections they have. They also offer matching clutches and changing pads for each of their totes. The one pictured here is the Caravan Gypsy Tote.

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www.miabossi.com

Definitely on the expensive side of the scale, but truly glamorous. They have beautiful bags that could fool any fashionista. Many of their collections come with metallic embellishments… who doesn’t like a bit of shine here and there huh? The one pictured here is the Reese Gold Glamour, a splurge for sure, but very worth it.

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If you are a Mom in need of a little pick me up, I certainly recommend you treat yourself to a new diaper bag. Of everything you will ever buy, it is the one thing you will use the most. Plus it is so nice to be able to walk around with something that compliments your outfit (assuming you are getting out of the pajamas to go out) and that you can feel great to show off. And if you are a Mom-to-be, trust me when I tell you that you won’t regret getting a diaper bag that matches your personality and not your baby’s color scheme. I wished I could have known that before spending double the money on it.

Tags: chic, comfortable, diaper bag, glamorous, mom, mom-to-be, stylish

• Your index finger has ever been dipped in poop while checking a diaper.
• You don’t remember how blow-drying your own hair is like.
• You have peed while holding a baby at least once.
• You know how to snooze while breast-feeding.
• You are an expert when it comes to using a nasal aspirator.
• Your neck and shoulder are almost naturally attached from holding a phone with no hands. (Thank God for blue tooth)
• You are accustomed to making a fresh pot of coffee and always managing to drink it cold.
• You know what it feels like to hold pee in for 4 hours straight.
• You know what is like to only shower every other day.
• You love it when you are able to have dinner after the baby has fallen asleep.
• You have ever burst into sudden singing to the tune of “Yo Gabba Gabba” without any kids around.
• You have ever been woken up by a foot on your face.
• You have ever applied eye shadow with a wet eye brush full of saliva.
• You have stopped using your old alarm clock since your new one cries louder and has no snooze button.
• You have ever been terrified of buying grapes, peanuts or raisins.
• You are accustomed to buying clothes without trying them on first.
• You have ever skipped a meal simply because you forgot.
• You have started referring to your husband as “Daddy” or “Papa.”
• You run around with a bag that would make any weight lifter cry for mercy.
• Your life has ever depended on finding a binky.
• To you, road rage is driving with a colicky baby in the back seat.

I went searching online and most places had the same lines over and over, so I decided to make a list out of my own experiences as a Mom. I will keep adding more as they pop into my head. Hope it made you smile!

You may also like “Mom Facts & Figures”

Tags: mom, poop, time, you know

Some days you see a glance of your old life, that is your life before being a Mom, pierce through. Is not that you would rather go back and do things differently, I can’t imagine life without my baby girl. But you realize that you can still return to how you were before kids in due time. Now that Angelica is getting more independent, loves to be cared for by other people besides me and has an easier schedule, I have found myself with more time to do the things I used to do without a care in the world. This past Saturday I went shopping all afternoon. I only bought a few things, but I was able to peruse quite a few stores without feeling rushed nor distracted.  It was wonderful to have a little time for myself, to find something pretty to wear that makes you enthusiastic about going out, to come back home and find everyone doing great without you. I’ve also realized that I’m back to taking long showers, taking time to fix my hair, putting on make up to go out… this is all coming back, slowly but surely, and I’m a better mom because of it. I’m happy about life, make plans all the time to go out to the park, the beach, to dinner… constantly thinking of new experiences for my family to grow closer together, to build memories. I am realizing that getting in touch with Lydiam, not the mom but the woman, allows me to contribute more to my family life. So for now I can not be completely who I used to be, nor do I want to… but gaining a few things back into my life sure gives everyone around here better days.

PS> I’m forever grateful to my mom and to my husband for allowing me to have my precious ‘me’ time.

Tags: kids, life, make up, mom, shopping, shower

Why is it that moms attack moms on social pages, blogs or chats? It is pretty common in some popular online groups I’ve visited. Sometimes the post originator even mentions the bashing frenzy about to begin (in response to the post) in its main content. Of course, not all moms behave in such disgraceful ways, but more than a few certainly do, and they sure make a negative statement for us all. When did it become Ok to insult someone else just for having a different view from our own?

We all see the world in our own way, have different ideas, opinions, and experiences. We are all free to voice them and talk about what we think is right… but no need to mistreat someone else in the process. If the goal is convincing others of your own views, insults sure won’t help you succeed. Yes, I know is easy to feel strongly about breast-feeding, or extended rear facing (car seats), even about some baby bottle that has been great for the baby, but by no means does it make it the one and only right path for everyone else. If a mom decides to formula-feed or use disposable diapers, that’s her choice, agree or not. A mom different from you is not a bad mom.

Mamas of the world! Make your words be heard (or read), just don’t do it by destroying someone else’s voice. Act so that you never have to be ashamed of yourself, so that you never have to hide your true self from your own children.

Tags: attacks, breast feeding, erf, groups, insult, mom

I got curious this weekend, since it was a long weekend and I had extra help, and started searching online cool data about Moms, like numbers, facts and general information. Here is what I got:

• There are 2 billion Moms in the World , 82.5 million in the U.S..
• Average age of new moms is 25.1 today, it used to be 21 in 1970.
• Today moms average 2 kids, in the 1950s: 3.5 kids and in the 1700s: 7-10 kids.
• 55% of mothers with infant children in 2002 were employed, down from the record 59 percent in 1998, the first significant decline since the Census Bureau began collating such data in 1976.
• 63% of employed women with infant children are college-educated.
• 40% of annual births are the mother’s first. Another 32% are the second-born; 17%, third; and 11%, fourth or more.
• 4.0 million women give birth annually, approximately 425,000 are teenage (aged 15 to 19) mothers.
• The proverbial “first word” of an infant often sounds like “ma” or “mama”. This strong association of that sound with “mother” has persisted in nearly every language on earth.
• Moms, on average, have changed 7,300 diapers by baby’s 2nd birthday.
• Moms take about 2 minutes, 5 seconds changing a diaper (adds up to three 40-hour work weeks a year.) Dads take less time changing diapers, but they probably skip the butt cream!
• The average preschooler requires mom’s attention once every 4 minutes or 210 times per day.
• 88% of the laundry is done by moms, totaling 330 loads of laundry, which is about 5,300 articles of clothing each year.
• Moms least favorite chore: Vacuuming the stairs (Mine would be doing dishes)
• Mother’s Day is the busiest phone day, totaling at 122.5 million phone calls.
• Most popular day to give birth: Tuesday (Funny because I did have my daughter on a Tuesday)
• Moms give birth to 105 boys per every 100 girls. (We just want to make sure the girls have enough possible-husbands)
• The average weight gain during pregnancy is 30 pounds. (Add 20 more and you got mine, yikes!!!

You may also like our page “Mom Quotes & Proverbs”

Sources: Wikepedia & Happyworker.com

Tags: data, facts, figures, mom, mother, statistics