Unique Children

When they tell you that no two children are a like there is partial truth to it.

Being a mother to three delightful children who I find are very unique and at the same time very similar, I can honestly say there are times when children are way to much alike.

I can count the number of ways my children are uniquely different from each other and still create an equal amount of ways they are the same (with the exception of age and gender).

I cherish their uniqueness; actually I embrace it. The similarities though make me cringe and wonder if the oldest one is passing down her bad habits. The little ones look up to their big sister and copy a lot of what she does.

Sweet sweet warm weather!

Oh how I love warm weather! It feels great to be able to put the two youngest children in a stroller and embark on a journey around our neighbourhood. This time last week was unable to do this since we only had a single stroller and my wee dude is a runner.

Over the weekend I purchased a used double stroller where I could put the little lass in her car seat and place it on the stroller and have my wee dude sit in the front. It was the best thing I have bought since finding out I was expecting the wee lady.

We were out for an hour and my son picked which direction we would turn and if we would have a long walk or a short walk. I did choose some times what way we would go so we would get home before the wee lass wanted to eat again. I would not of enjoyed the walk with a screaming hungry baby.

I am looking forward to more walks like this with my two little ones. Eventually we will even add in a trip to the park; as long as the wee dude listens and doesn't take off on me.

Woo hoo for summer!

Five weeks Already

I am having a hard time coming to grips with the idea that my youngest child is now five weeks old. It often just feels like yesterday that I was holding her for the first time. In reality though I know she is five weeks old; she is getting bigger and becoming more alert each and every day.

With this realization, I also know that my other kids are getting older. My little guy is going to be three next month and is getting taller. My oldest is going to be 15 in November and is taller then me. Makes me sad to see them growing up so fast.

I wish life would just slow down and allow my children to be children. My oldest daughter wants nothing more then to be so independent that she can live on her own without her parents. Hard to believe that in three years this could become reality as she goes off to College or University.

With my little guy turning three next month the reality of him going off to school in a years time also sets in. I worry about how he will do at school and if he will enjoy it. Yes I know it won't happen for another year yet, but still I worry about him.

Now that the wee miss is five weeks old it just means a sooner return to work for me. One that is determined by several factors and the waiting response of funding for me to remain home or the lack of and needing to return to work.

Five weeks old and already so many differences.

To breastfeed or bottle feed...

As a mom we are faced with a choice when we have children, will we bottle feed or will we breastfeed? I thought this was a choice we made until recently when several people asked me if I was breastfeeding and then got irritated with me about me choice not to and then proceeded to give me a lecture about not giving my children the best food out there.

Needless to say I was livid!

I made the choice to proactively provide the best for my children. My choice did not come lightly as it was also encouraged by my family doctor with the last two children. I find myself defensive when it comes to people's judgments of my choice.

When I had my oldest I breastfed her right from the start. She was placed in the NICU for for a week and during her time there instead of calling me to feed her, the nursing staff fed her formula. I still pushed through and breastfed her. I brought her home and for a month struggled. She seemed hungry all the time and was eating every hour. When I asked my doctor about this, it was suggested that I also pump and take supplements to produce more milk and to allow someone else to bottle feed her. Eventually I became so sore that I turned to pump on only while someone else bottle fed her.

After two months of still feeding her every hour and things not improving, I turned to formula feeding. She became a little more content and changed her eating habits. Things improved for awhile and then she got really sick. Eventually we moved her to a soy based formula. Turned out my daughter was lactose intolerant.  Breast milk was making her ill and not holding her.

When I spoke with a specialist, while pregnant with my son, they told me not to breastfed since I had so many allergies myself. I would not be able to generate milk that was nutritious for my children and in return cause them to be hungry all the time. It was after several meetings with the specialist, my family doctor and the OB's that I made the decision to bottle feed my little guy formula.  In the end he still got very sick and was put on soy formula. He ended up being allergic to milk protein and can only have goats milk.

When I found out I was having my youngest daughter, I had yet another choice to make concerning her feeding. I had to decide if I was going to start with regular formula or go straight into feeding her soy formula based on the outcome of my two oldest children. My husband and I started her off on regular formal and at a week old she was showing all the same signs as my oldest two of an allergy or intolerance to milk. We moved her to soy formula and are now finally seeing improvements at four weeks of age.

When someone asks me if I am breastfeeding and then the get defensive over how I am not providing my child with the best. I have to keep a level head and just smile and politely tell them that I am providing the best for my children because of health reasons. I even had a doctor tell me while at the hospital that the possibility of a third child having the same issues was next to impossible... well I wish she was right, but all three of my children have issues with dairy just like their momma.

Flexibility is Important!

Over the last four weeks I have had to make major adjustments to my life and daily routines. Not only did I have to make these changes for myself but for everyone else in the house as we all adjusted to life with our newest family member.

I use to tell people that I was flexible...

I now realize that I was not. I was more set in my ways then I realized. Over the last four weeks I have released control to others and have adjust to things not being done when I want but rather when they can be done.

I no longer worry that the house is a mess because I have two little ones to look after with different needs at different times. If I have to skip breakfast to make formula and bottles, then I have to do what is necessary.

I have become less rigid in my daily life and more flexible, but not for myself but for the sanity of my family and children. They have taught me that you have to think outside the box and be flexible otherwise the day is stressful for no reason.

Happy Mother's Day

May your day be filled with relaxing and memory making!

Grumbles... Hand Foot Mouth Disease... blah!

I being an educator, I am well versed in illnesses that children can contract. While I was in college taking Early Childhood Education, we had to create health information sheets for parents that would explain various illnesses and diseases. Each fact sheet would have how the child came into contact with the illness, symptoms, treatment and duration.

Never though had I come into contact with a child who had an illness other than a cold, flu or chicken pox. My oldest never had more then a cold or the flu, other than when she had her appendix removed. I even took her to chicken pox parties in hopes she would get it, but that never happened.

Today, I am dealing with hand foot mouth disease that my middle child has some how caught. He is having a hard time understanding why he cannot touch, kiss or breath on his little sister and my heart breaks for him. He is the second child at his providers home to break out in the virus this week. He started off with a sore throat for a few weeks, then a high fever on Sunday and then a sore mouth on Tuesday. Today he has spots on his feet and hands.

I am overwhelmed with all of this.

Looking after the two young ones and dealing with illness is very hard. My little guy is a social bug and not being able to go and play with his friends or hold and kiss his little sister is making him moody and out of sorts. I am constantly telling him to not touch things that are used with or for his little sister with little success.

Lysol wiping everything also is proving easier said then done when the little guy wakes the baby up every ten minutes and then touches the stuff I just cleaned and runs away.

I can honestly say that I cannot wait until this is all over with and my house can return to normal!

Thrifty mom

It is funny how over time we change our ideals on what should be bought brand new and what could be bought used. How we look at what we have and make sure it is still good and has lots of use in it still. We do this with everything we own; shirt and pants when worn out we toss it or turn it into something else or in my case my oldest daughter takes clothing I am getting rid of and claims them as her own.

I have done this with baby items. Deemed what was usable from others and what we must have brand new. Have I always done this? Not a chance. I must admit I do love new stuff and would rather have everything new. With that said though, there are things that are better off left used and reused until it is no longer possible.

With my oldest, everything had to be brand new. I avoided using anything that was given to us used. Looking back, I was stupid. People were giving us their used items for free and I wanted brand new. I did use a swing that was given to us since it became a life saver since she wanted to be held all the time and would hardly nap even at a month old. I had used clothes given to us, but I would opt for new clothing when dressing her. Senseless amounts of money was wasted on something she out grew faster than I could keep up, or it was destroyed by gross spit up.

With my son, the only new items we bought was a crib, matrices, dresser and the odd clothing items like shoes and hats. I welcomed every used article of clothing, toys, and baby equipment we would use. I did buy new bottles and nipples since it concerned me to use those that were given used. Even at three years old, he wears used clothing because lets face it, he is a boy and gets dirty and blows out the knees. He does get new items occasionally, but he also has become a thrifty shopper and enjoys such stores as Value Village and used children's item stores for those cool finds.

Now with the youngest, I have even gone to the extent of buy others used stuff through buy and swap groups, used children's item stores or posting want adds. I bought new bottles and nipples and every penny that I save goes into an envelope for use on diapers and formula. We did buy a new swing for her since Wal-Mart was having an insane sale and a used swing was the same price as a new swing. We are reusing the crib we had for my son and buying her a be dresser.

Over the last 15 years I have really changed. My frame of mind is no longer on brand new items but rather saving money and going the route of used items. I have become frugal. I will seek out any means possible to gain a dollar that can be used on other items.

I am not afraid to admit that I am thrifty and now prefer to buy used whenever possible.

Sick little ones

Having sick little ones at home is always heart breaking. I feel terrible that they are sick and long to take it away so they feel better faster.

Since last night my little guy has had a fever. He was up all night because of it. He complains of a sore throat and tummy as well. I feel helpless as I have no idea what is wrong and offer lots of fluids and temporary pain relief.

Now today, we add into the mix vomiting.

*sigh*

Now add into the equation a three week old baby who also needs my attention. As well,  company on its way that I could not get a hold of fast enough to let them know about the little guy being sick.

This is going to be a long and interesting day.

Single Parenting

I have to commend single parents and the trials they go through each and every day parenting on their own. They have no one to assist with late night feedings, the nightmares of children, feeding older children or providing time for ones self.

Now with that said, I often feel like a single parent even though I am married. My husband works long hours in a job that is very demanding on the body. When he gets home he is tired and just wants to eat and relax on the couch. He often wants to go to bed early and recently informed me his sleep was more important.

Makes me furious. Prior to that comment, he was willing to help during the night whenever I needed it. I would get scolded by his parents concerning his lack of sleep and how important it was for him to get it. That I should not be waking him up to help with the kids in the middle of the night.

So my sleep is not important?

I may be home looking after the children, but correct me if I am wrong, but is my sleep not important as well. If I am tired, how can I look after the children effectively?

In the end, I will put on my big girl panties, suck up my pride and do what I need to do to provide for my family even if it means I am sleep deprived and so tired my children suffer because of it.

Perhaps being a single parent is better than being a parent with a partner who is absent, but still present in the home. I am tired of the comments that are flung my way... "Suck it up", "Man up", "What is your problem", "Grow a pair and do what needs to be done", "You're psycho", and now the new one "My sleep is more important" all drive me to want to be a single parent.

Blissful sleep

I long for blissful sleep... sleep that goes uninterrupted for a full 8 hours. Having children does not allow for this. I love my children to bits, but sleep deprivation is something I can do without!

With my oldest, she was fussy all the time and did not sleep much until we figured out what was causing all her issues. Then she became the queen of the five minute power naps during the day and slept a solid 7 hours at night by the time she was three/four months old.

My second child had a very predictable schedule that started from day one. He slept peacefully and seemed to enjoy his sleep a little to much. He napped beautifully, but had issues with sleeping through the night. Beck he is nearly three years old and is still waking up lots during the night. 

*sigh*

My third, is all over the map when it comes to sleep and creating a routine for her. While in the hospital, I swear I got more sleep then I have since coming home. There is no pattern to what she is doing with wake and sleep. We had a few nights were she was awake from 12-3 or 4-6. We even had a night were she was so fussy she was up from 12-5:30. That made for a long night and even longer day.  Now last night was even more curious.... she last ate at 9pm and was laid in bed. I anticipated being up in a few hours to feed her, but did not get up until 2am. Fed her and put her back to bed, ready to wake in a few hours, but again I was surprised when she woke up at 7.

It was a welcomed night of rest and one that I do not anticipate happening again soon.