Adventures in Motherhood - Two is More Than One

So it's been about 3 months since I last posted. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of blogging but I seriously have been overwhelmed abundantly blessed by two little boys. The Bear is 2 and yes I do hope to post about his birthday just as soon as I organize my thoughts and receipts. We went Cars themed and it was super fun & a little crazy. But that's another blog. Today's work of genius is inspired by my new title of mom of two. I knew this was true before I even started having children, but two is so different from just one. As I'm sure you've noticed, I'm all about creating Top 10 lists. So here they are the Top 10 ways having two is different from having one.

Top 10 of Having 2

1. You have to play man-to-man defense. Gone are the good old days when you can defer to dad when your munchkin gets snotty. Dad's hands are already full with the other one.

2. Going any where by yourself is a thing of the past. You might as well kiss goodbye ever going to the bathroom without an audience ever again.

3. Love rage. Where your older one loves the younger one so much they just can't contain themselves. Usually ending in some form of little brother getting hit and crying.

4. You base your wardrobe on how accessible the girls are and how easily you can hide spit up, peanut butter, and miscellaneous stains. Let's face it, clothes are only good for covering up the necessities & as an extra burp rag.

5. Your older child is suddenly so big. It's like a woke up one morning and suddenly my 2 year old could to everything!

6. Your older child is suddenly incapable of doing anything. He can do everything. Include choose to NOT do the things you know he can do.

7. You don't document every little thing about blessing #2. I've been good about writing down measurements and trying to note milestones but we'll see how long even that lasts. (I have also failed to purchase/create a baby book for the little guy).

8. You feel most proud as a parent when they are both napping simultaneously. I'm enjoying this right now and yes, I'm very proud of myself. Thank you very much.

9. You don't breathe easy until 8:00 p.m. Bedtime is my favorite time of day.

10. You love just as much but different. This was one thing I was very worried about. The Bear has been such a joy and I was seriously worried that I wouldn't know what to do or how to love my second baby as much. But it's just something you do. It's truly amazing. I love the Bear for who he is and I love  my little Tiger just for who he is. 

Well that's it. My top 10 when it comes to having two. Probably not exciting but it is to me. Life with two little guys is challenging every day but I wouldn't change it for the world. 

My Pinterest Addiction

So like every other girl/woman (yes, I'm finally beginning to consider myself a woman) in the world, I have a Pinterest account. To be accurate I'm a bit of a Pinterest addict. I will sit for minutes hours on end pinning away finding ways to clean my house, make my baby cuter, and fix the perfect meal. But this evening as I was drudgingly cleaning up my kitchen (no amount of pinning makes that easier), I got to thinking. How many of those hundreds of pins will I actually bring to life? To go a step further, how many have I actually done? I had to give myself a few criteria: 1. It couldn't be something from my own blog and 2. It couldn't be from homemadeginger.com because I've been doing her stuff long before pinning become popular. With that set, I looked through all my pins and came up with the rather short list below including my graded experience.

1. DIY T-shirt scarf: D-
    It wasn't an epic fail but it was pretty close. I didn't use a shirt without seams, mistake #1, and I think I cut the strips too thin. All in all I might do it again but I don't have enough clothes to experiment too much.

2. Repurposed Plastic Closures: A+
    It's hard to mess this one up. You basically take those plastic tab closures, attach to electronics cords, and label with a sharpie. Great way to know what cords are what.

3. Yarn Mobile: B
    I did this in varying sizes for my son's mobile over his crib. The small versions turned out good but the larger ones have started to unravel.

4. Microwave Potato Chips: A-
    They taste good, come out crispy, but to it takes a lot of potatoes to make a substantial serving.

5. Razorback Subway Art: A+
    The pin actually takes you to someone's Etsy site but my husband and I managed to put our efforts together and create our own version of this. Sometimes all you need is a little inspiration.

6. 2-Minute Mug Brownies: A++
   This alone is worth Pinterest existing. Best thing ever!

7. Crispy Sweet Potato Fries: B-
    Don't get me wrong, these tasted good and everything but I was really hoping for crispy as the recipe claims. Maybe it's just my oven but rather than getting crispy they just started to over brown/burn on one side. I think I'll stick with my unhealthy fried version.

Well there you have it out of almost 350 pins I've actualized 7 of them. Sad but true. So I'm curious, how many of your pins have you done?

My Top 10 Must-haves for New Baby and Mom

So that little bundle I made the post-partum pads in preparation for finally arrived and only 51 hours of labor! With his arrival, I got to thinking about those "essentials." You know the handful of things that actually make life possible after the baby comes. So now that I'm a mom of two and a total baby expert (*extreme sarcasm*), I thought I'd pass on all my matronly wisdom in the realm of stuff you'll need. So here are my top 5 baby and top 5 mommy must-haves.

*I should note (not that it matters) that I have in no way been compensated by the makers of any of these products to promote their wares.*


Baby's Top 5
1. Swaddling Blankets: I'm not talking those little receiving blankets. I mean the stretchy cotton, baby burrito-style wrapswith the velcro. Because let's face it the worst thing is trying to rewrap a screaming baby at 2 a.m.

2. FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers: Obviously this one is a little taste specific, but now that I'm on cloth diapering baby #2, I can say these are by far my faves. Sturdy snaps, adjust to fit my newborn and my giant two-year old, and clean up great.

3. Moby Wrap: I say Moby because it's what we have but truly any baby carrier will do. I'm not really one of those huge proponents of baby wearing (yes, it's a thing), but it's nice to be hands free when doing things around the house.

4. Soothies Pacifiers: Not much to say other than they may not be the cutest but they do the job the best.

5. Aveeno lotion and wash: I love Aveeno for myself and love it for baby. It's mild, has a pleasant but light scent, and it feels good on mommy's skin too!

Mommy's Top 5

1. Medela Tender Care Lanolin: If you are nursing you are going to want lanolin. I love Medela brand because it comes out smoother and softer than other brands.

2. Post-partum Pads: Check out my previous post for more info. Basically it's soothing relief to your lady parts.

3. Medela Double Electric Breast Pump: If you're not needing to pump because you'll be away from baby, this fancy one probably isn't necessary, but I'm sure glad I have mine for when I head back to work.

4. Mascara: If you don't get to put any other makeup on before leaving the house, or even at home, put on some mascara. It always makes me feel a little more put together. I love Maybelline Define-a-Lash.

5. Mug Brownies: I discovered this recipe on Pinterest a few months ago and the two of us have become good friends. Put 1/4 c. flour, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 2 Tbs. cocoa powder, an pinch of salt in a mug. Mix. Stir in 2 Tbs. milk and 2 Tbs. oil until it's a thick paste. Microwave 60 sec. That's it!

Well there you have it. The products I love for mommy and baby. Obviously there could be many more and are that I love, but these are the ones I am loving right now.

Here's the inspiration behind this post. Pretty cute, huh?

Postpartum Care

Just a few weeks from delivery date and we are in full prep mode! That includes prep for my own care as well as baby's.

If you've had a baby or even if you haven't, you probably know, have read, or have had the life scared out of you by other moms about what things are like postpartum (aka after a wonderful baby the size of a melon pushes forth from a part of your body that went from being the width of a finger to being the width of a DVD). In a much understated word...OUCH!!

Now that that's been explained, it's time to talk about taking care of afore mentioned traumatized nether region. To avoid being to graphic let's just say that things are not so pretty. Lots of swelling, extreme tenderness, and let's face it the biggest period you will ever have. At the hospital they usually provide you with some stylish mesh panties courtesy of Victoria's Not-so Secret and a giant ice pack/mondo pad. Truth be told I greatly appreciated every bit of aid I got in the hospital. They may not have been pretty but the soothing relief was much desired. Sad to say they do not send you home with a month's supply of these ice pack pads, that's where the Pinterest-coined "padsicle" comes in. 

So for all you moms-to-be out there, enjoy this quick and worth while tutorial that quite literally came to my rescue. It may have even been more helpful than all those wonderful meals I didn't have to prepare myself...well at least tied for first.

Step 1: Gather your materials

• Mondo pads: As in the longest, biggest, most absorbent pads you can find. Some moms suggest the incontinence pads but I'm all about Always brand extra long, overnights. The best part is it's not super bulky and they re-wrap easily (an important thing to keep in mind for this project).
• Witch Hazel: Usually found in the first aid type stuff in the pharmacy near rubbing alcohol.
• Aloe Vera Gel: The same stuff you rub on your skin after a sun burn
• Small Spray Bottle: Used to dispense the magic concoction onto the pad.
• Foil: You'll probably have this lying around the house

Step 2: Mix it up

Mix 1/4 c. of the witch hazel with a 2 tablespoons of the aloe gel in a bowl. Carefully pour into the spray bottle. I would make at least a double batch for a full box of pads. Any extra you may have can be stored in the fridge and used as a soothing spray during potty time.

Step 3: Spray it on

You'll need to carefully unwrap the pad and gently remove the center plastic that covers the adhesive on the wings.

Now spray a good amount (enough to sufficiently saturate) of the mixture onto the center part of the pad. Basically you want the part of the pad that will make direct contact with your sore lady parts. Be careful not to spray the adhesive on the wings or else they won't be sticky anymore.

Step 4: Wrap it up and freeze

Once you're pad is sufficiently dampened, carefully replace the plastic coving the wing adhesive and gently wrap the pad back up. Cut a sheet of foil that will completely wrap the pad.

Next wrap it up like you would a foil pack, sealing the ends.

Now repeat the above steps with each pad. Once finished put them back in the original bag/box and pop in the freezer. 

Step 5: Enjoy soothing relief for your aching lady parts

Once you run out of the few ice packs the hospital sends home, use one of these "padsicles" instead of a regular pad. It will not only take care of flow issues, but provide the soothing relief of cold (frozen) and gentle healing properties (aloe & witch hazel). 

I went through about two boxes of these with my first baby. I made up one ahead of time (about 3 weeks out) and made another one when I realized I was going to need more. Hope this helps. I know I appreciated having them ready for me when I got home.