Opinions

To all people with young kids who know everything about parenting, and to all people without kids who know everything about everything, LISTEN UP..

Advice can be very helpful, when asked for. I am not too proud to ask for advice. I realize that I have a lot to learn from other mothers. If I feel like something I'm doing isn't quite working (which happens a lot), or I'm wondering if how I feel about something is normal, I seek information from other people who may be going through the same thing.. to make me feel BETTER (better being the key word here).

Opinions are not helpful, when telling someone that how they are parenting is not correct or not how you would do it. NOT. HELPFUL. If you are a mother, you should know that we question every little thing we do. Is this the right thing? Should I be doing something differently? Should I let go a little? Should I hold on tighter? Day care? Stay at home? Ignore? Attention? Nature? Nurture? The list goes ON AND ON AND ON. So, my question is, if you know this and if you have had these insecure or guilty feelings that come with being a mom, why would you make another mom feel bad about the way she has chosen to parent? Maybe you don't know her reasons.

Ok, maybe you don't know MY reasons. Maybe I don't even even know my reasons, but I don't want opinions that make me feel like a bad mom while I am trying to figure it out. And if you didn't have TWO kids at the same time, then please don't tell me that I am doing something wrong, because you just don't know what it is like. I am not saying that what I deal with on a day to day basis is any more difficult than anyone else- I am NOT saying that. Just DIFFERENT.

I know there are people who think I am too restrictive, too routine, too attached and some on the other hand, who think I am too lenient, to relaxed, too detached. I understand they have their opinions based on their experiences, their kids, their basic opinion of me, etc. But the fact is that I prayed for kids for almost four years and the blessing that Nate and Lilly are is not lost on me. I know that even in a mountian of stress, there is always joy where my kids are concerned. I pray every day that I am making the right decisions, and that even when I make the wrong ones, they will always know and feel that they were absolutely the most important and best thing that ever happened to me. Which is, I think, why it hurts when anyone questions my (our) parenting decisions.

I am learning a lot, and one thing I have learned is that every child, every parent and every day is DIFFERENT. Just when you think you have it all figured out, the whole game changes and you have to adjust. I will always be here for my friends/family who have kids and find themselves questioning decisions like I have. But I have learned that I should never make any of them feel like they are not doing it right, or give them a hard time about it. Because they are doing the best they know how to do for their children.

I know I am just venting. But if you know a mother who you think is potty training too late or too early, or doesn't discipline the way you think she should, or doesn't feed them the food you would feed your child, think twice before you judge her. Her situation may be a lot different than yours and none of her decisions mean she loves her child any less than you do.

Sorry this was ALL OVER the place! This rant is not because of any one specific thing anyone has said to me, I have just been thinking about this for a while and finally had to let some of it out.

So please let's just support each other and help each other instead of judging, mmkay??

Long Time, No Blog!!

So sorry about the lack of posts lately. Things have been crazy around here. I am amazed every day at the little people Nate and Lilly are becoming right before our eyes! They are learning so much and becoming more adventurous. They have been testing their limits with us every day!

Okay, so there has just been too much going on to talk about everything since my last post, BUT what I can do is post a bunch of pictures!! I am enjoying my camera again!

Oops- these two are from my cell phone. We went out to eat last weekend and tried to put them in booster seats for the first time instead of high chairs (COMPLETE FAIL!) They didn't want to stay in them, they wanted to switch seats over and over, they were sliding out of them.. It was not a very pleasant experience!
Daddy helping Lilly color her menu.

Some pictures of our big kids in their back packs- ready for school!

They have really been enjoying the new "school", by the way. It is working out well, which is a big releif for me!

Obviously, September is still warm in Texas!

Pigging out on breakfast Saturday morning

Last weekend we tried "piggy tails", (or "doggy ears" as we used to call them). It was SUPER CUTE!!

Making Daddy put some chapstick on her..

Sitting and reading peacefully (if only this would have lasted a little longer!!)

They love pretend cleaning!

We broke out some fall decor, including Mr. Scarecrow, whom they have grown quite fond of!!

Nate is also very fond of his cars! He loves playing with them, especially up on the couch like this..
Lilly has her purse on her arm and she's getting baby ready to go..

First she had to change baby's diaper. I guess even baby DOLLS always mess their diapers before you're about to leave to go somewhere?!?

Nate playing with cars up by the TV.. while holding on tightly to his huge teddy bear and silky..

Lilly likes to crawl up in this chair and play on the key board..

Taking a break.. (see his cars next to him on the arm of the couch?)

And now that the beautiful (and so much more tolerable) fall weather is here, we are in our new pants and new shoes..(well, at least they're new to us.. most if the clothes are from my sisters' kids!! We got so lucky!)

Telling me about an airplane he heard/saw up in the sky..

Also, now that the weather is nicer, they NEVER want to go inside when we get home. Lilly loves to climb up in my seat and hang out!!

I got in the next morning and my brights were on, wind shield wipers were on high!

I loved these sweet overalls..

Pink Eye, Angry Fits, and Separation

POOR THING!! :( I took these pictures with my phone in the waiting room.

Poor little Lilly came down with an eye infection Monday. We noticed one of her eyes was a little watery, but sometimes that just comes along with allergy issues, so I didn't think much of it. After hearing from our sitter that it had gotten worse, I went and got her (and Nate.. big mistake) Monday afternoon to take her to the doctor. For some reason my pediatrician was closed with no information about on-call doctors (?), so we had to go to Urgent Care. I thought that maybe since it was a new place, Nate wouldn't associate it with painful shots and freak out and scream the entire time we were there. I was wrong. Apparently he can smell a doctor's office from a mile away and he was not happy. Meanwhile, Lilly, who was the one who didn't feel good, waited patiently. It was only when the doctor started poking and prodding and getting up in her face that she cried a little bit, just for a second. Nate just didn't understand the fact that NOBODY was looking at him, touching him, talking to him, or going to hurt him in any way. He didn't get it EVER, the entire time we were there. I wonder if anyone else has kids who are this terrified at a doctor's office?? The nurses were looking at me like I was stabbing him in the eyeballs. I don't blame them, because that's kind of what it sounded like, with the volume and intensity of his screaming. I consider us lucky to not have to go to the doctor very often, but this is the reason they think when we DO go, that we must be getting shots! Ugh!

I digress..

So back to Lilly.. I stayed home with her yesterday and although her eye was a lot better, she got a nasty little cough, poor thing. I kept giving her cough medicine and everything seemed to be better by this morning, thank goodness. Now we wait and see if Nate gets anything. This is usually how it goes!

One more thing, yesterday when Lilly and I stayed home, Brian took Nate to the sitter's by himself- this was the FIRST day Nate and Lilly have ever been apart all day! They were both upset upset at first in the morning, but it was nice to be able to give her the attention she needed and cuddle with her. Nate did really well at the sitter's, except for the part where we forgot his silky at home and he sucked on his arm during nap time to comfort himself. There is a nice little hickey just above his hand on the outside of his arm.. Has anyone ever heard of a kid sucking on his ARM instead of his thumb? I hope this was just a one time thing!

"Sorry, Mommy"

A few nights ago, Nate was in my lap and somehow, while he was flailing his arms around playing, he hit my pretty hard in the eye. I didn't really react, except to kind of cringe and grab my eye for a minute. I don't even really think I said "ouch". There was a lot going on, it was noisy, and I just figured since there was no bleeding or bruising, I should just move on. A few seconds later I noticed Nate was staring at me, just looking at where I had been holding my eye, and watching me for any further reaction. And all of a sudden he said.. "Sorry, Mommy".. plain as day, clear as a whistle, sweet and sincere as he could be. Brian and I always say "Say you're sorry" when they accidentally (or purposefully!) knock each other over or something, but Nate has never said it like that, on his own and associated with something he thought he did that hurt me.

SO SWEET.. MELTED MY HEART and I wanted to remember it.. :)

I'm doing something new! (Just this one shameless plug!)

It’s a candle… It’s wickless… It’s flameless… It’s...

Scentsy!

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Visit my website: http://www.iheartwickless.com/

Lindsay Pierson
Independent Scentsy Consultant
http://www.iheartwickless.com/
lindsay@iheartwickless.com
"Candles that make scents!"

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I just wanted to post these random pictures I took with my phone this week. I get to pick my camera up on Tuesday- YAY!!

Playing with pots and pans again.. It's kinda loud, but whatever keeps them happy!!

Lilly got the broom out of the closet and was just sweeping away!! So funny.

I am really glad it's Friday. This has been such a long week, and I can tell the kids feel the same way. Last night was a scream fest from the time we got home after work until the time we put the kids to bed. Every little thing was a battle (that I L.O.S.T every time). I am hoping that it is just a little phase, that they are trying to adjust to the changes just like I am. I'm really looking forward to just being with them this weekend and all of us just relaxing and having fun.

Hope everyone enjoys the long weekend with their families!

Changes..

Last Friday was a very sad day... Our last day with the babysitter we have had since the kids were four months old. She only keeps them until they're two, so we found another in- home daycare and started the kids there this week (after we met with her, we visited several times before to try and let the kids get used to her and her home). We liked her because it is an in-home daycare (with less kids), which is what we are used to, but she also has an educational curriculum and activities where they are learning new things.

I can't go through the gamete of emotions I have felt and am still feeling, but I think I can at least finally write a short post about it!

On Sunday, I was talking a lot about "school" and trying to get them pumped up about the new change and being able to play with kids their own age, etc. So we went to Target to get them some cool new back packs. You can't see Nate's, but his is Elmo, of course. Lilly's is Dora even though she had never watched the show!

(Sorry about the phone photos- still don't have my camera)

My sweet babies are getting SO BIG..
Too cool for school in his sunglasses..

I am so sad to be going through this change for so many reasons, but excited for them to be learning new things and having so much fun with other kids their age. The first few days were really hard (mostly for me) but they really seem to be adjusting and having fun. When I drop them off now, they just run straight for the toy room to play!