A Simple Wish

I am a mommy. I have two beautiful tiny humans that I love and cherish more than anything in the world. Am I perfect? Nope, I am not. But everything I do, every single day, is always for them. And I am lucky enough that I have found the most amazing man who loves my tiny ones (who says “like” but I know he loves them despite what he says) and has three kids of his own whom he cherishes with his entire being. So between the two of us, we have 3 little him’s and 2 little me’s and an enormous amount of love. But that is not what this blog is about. This blog is probably going to be first of my blogs that you will see that I am not all sunshine and rainbows, however, it will not be terrible, just more of a to the point kind of vibe.

My divorce was not easy, nor was it quick. My divorce lasted roughly twenty months. Yes, you read that correctly—TWENTY months. Near the end, my tiny humans’ birth father began a relationship with his now fiancé. Saying I was less than happy would be the understatement of the century, but I tried to treat her with respect and be an adult; I actually appreciated when she took it upon herself to introduce herself to me—it showed a lot of character. She told me her name, that she had a son around my tiny boy human’s age and that her son also had asthma so she knew how to help my son in case of an emergency. I respected her for that, it had to have been hard for her—I know it was certainly difficult for me—but in all honesty, it made me less angry and more comfortable knowing who was around my children. Unfortunately t hat respect faded since she has shown me her true character as a person and as a mother, but that is not the point of this story. What is the point you ask?

The point of that background story is this: the love of my life and I have talked seriously about having a future together, which would mean that all seven of us, he and I and all five of the kids, would be spending much more time together. I have no problem with that, he has not voiced any concern over it, but their birth mother, however, has made it very clear that she has a big problem with me. And that makes me really sad. I would love to just be able to introduce myself to her, to say, “Hi, I am the woman that is around your children.” And she could ask me anything she wanted and voice her concerns and get it all out of her system because she really seems to dislike me to the highest capacity without even knowing who I am.

I completely understand: she is their mother and she does not want some other woman coming into their lives and trying to take her place. I am a stranger to her, and she is worried about being “replaced” and about what kind of person I am. However, that is not what I want—I would never dream of replacing her. I just wish she could see that I would never try to take her place in her children’s lives: they have a mother; they do not need another one. The only thing I would hope to let her—and the kids—know is that I am just a bonus in their lives, just another person that cares about them and their well-being, another person who will love them and be there for them no matter what.

So, while I highly doubt their mother is reading my blog, I would love to offer her an invitation to meet at a local café, buy her a coffee and let her ask me anything she wants and get out any of her concerns and hopefully ease her mind, because I know how difficult it is not to know who is around your children, I have been there. I wish there were some way that we could meet to clear things up considering the difficulties we have encountered due to the insecurities she feels with another woman being around her children. So if she is reading this somehow, I hope she sincerely accepts my invitation to get together, because I really think it may help our somewhat “unique” situation and make her more comfortable with the fact that I am going to be around for a very, very long time.

Pink Warrior: Girl Time!

So my favorite thing to do is spend time with my angels. We like to do crafts, bake, and go to the movies. I love to get to spend as much time as I can with them. So I wanted to share some yummy recipes,  fun crafts, and must see movies.

First I have 2 super yummy easy recipes for you. They are easy and any child 2 and up can make them.

***Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi Rolls***

(No fish needed unless it's goldfish)

2 tablespoons Creamy Peanut Butter

2 tablespoons Jelly, Jam, or Preserves (pick your favorite)

2 slices bread

Directions

Remove crusts from bread. With a rolling pin or large soup can, completely flatten bread.

Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of fruit spread on each slice of bread.

Roll each slice into a tight spiral. Cut each spiral into 4 pieces.

My girls love making this for lunch! 

***Munchie Necklaces*** 

(perfect on the go snack)

String, yarn, or rope

Pretzels

Fruit Loops

Regular or Honey-Nut Cheerios

Lifesaver Gummies

(You can use any snack with a hole in the middle but think of how messy they are because it is a necklace)

This is the fun part. Cut the string to a length that can go around your kids neck. Let them string the snacks on the string/yarn/rope and tie the ends together. You now have a fast easy on the go snack that isn't messy.

Next is 2 crafts for kids of any age. These are fun and wont break the bank! The first is in honor of all the snow we have had. 

***Snow Paint***

Food Coloring

Water

Spray Bottles

Remove the tops of the spray bottles and fill them with water.  Then, add enough dye to get the color you want.  I used a pretty good amount of dye to make the color vibrant and bright!  Screw the lid back on the bottle, and give it a good shake. Then outside you go to decorate your yard!

Alternative way is to put snow in a 9 by 13 cake pan and let them use paint brushes like watercolor painting.

***Windsocks***

Construction Paper or Crayons/Markets

Streamers (or ribbon. As many colors as you want)

A Toilet Paper Roll or cardboard Oatmeal Can

Yarn

Tape or Glue

Scissors

Ruler

Either wrap construction paper around your tube or color it with your Crayons/Markers. Let an adult put two holes at the top of the tube. Lace the yarn through the holes and tie it. This is how you hang it up. Then take your streamers/ribbon and cut them into even strips. You can then cut them length wise to make them skinny or leave them wide. Glue the strips on the inside bottom of the tube and let dry. Then hand then for all to see! (For younger kids I would have everything cut and prepped due to short attention span) 

And last but not least movies! Whether you go to the theater or stay on your cozy couch here are some must see movies.

 1. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 

 2.  Frozen- theater (good for boys and girl)

 3.  Turbo

 4. Dispicable Me 1 or 2

 5. Nut Job-theater

I hope these fun crafts, yummy recipes,  and awesome movies help you plan a super fun day with your kids. Also if you have something fun comment and let me know. I am always looking for new things to do with my girls!

The Nanny Chronicles

As a single working mother with two small children, I obviously need to find reliable, AFFORDABLE, child care. Someone I can trust with the two tiny loves of my life. In my search, I had to take into account that I cannot truly afford a regular day care setting without assistance, and since I do not qualify for day care assistance due to my “income” (which is BS by the way….no way people can make what I make, feed their family, pay for insurance, child care and all the bills without assistance…) I had to look for a caregiver to come into my home to do what I cannot do while I am at work—mainly: take care of my clones.

So it started in September of 2013. I decided to use a popular website to look for child care. I paid the fee and posted an ad seeking a nanny in my area. My ad read:

I am looking for someone to provide love and care for my two beautiful young children in the {my local area}. You will be watching and spending meaningful time with my son, age 5 years old, and my daughter, age 3 years old. Son is in Kindergarten and will be in school full-time. Daughter will be home throughout the day and would love someone to do activities with her - both playful and educational!

This would begin {on the date}!

Hours should be stable and consistent as I just began a new job. Days worked will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (day off Wednesday) with no weekend hours. Hours would be 6:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. There is zero tolerance for tardiness. Responsibilities will include:

-Waking kids up in the AM to get dressed/brush teeth/eat breakfast
-Getting son on/off bus
-Before school/after school care for two young children
-Day-long care for youngest
-Housework during nap time
-Help with snacks/meals (breakfast, snacks and lunch)
-Help with kindergarten homework as needed (son has a book to read aloud daily, as well as flashcards that need to be reviewed daily).

Transportation is a must with 3+ years' experience preferred and copies of license and current insurance will be required upon hire. Must be a non-smoker since both children have asthma triggered by smoke. Online reference check availability would be great! We also have a puppy that needs to be taken outside every so often and she is very small and lovable. Contact me for more information today!

So the first time I posted an ad I got 11 applicants. They all got a follow up message that went something like this:

Thank you for your interest in the nanny position! I am currently scheduling immediate interviews. As stated in the job description, you would need to be to work by 6:30a at the very latest on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays with every Wednesday off. The job currently pays {insert rate here}. I was paying an in home provider {much lower rate} but since my son started Kindergarten we now need someone to come to our home. The pay is based on the fact that whoever I hire will only have 1 child 90% of the time who will be taking a 2-3 hour nap every day, and all the essentials for both of the children will be provided. I am a single mother trying to make ends meet so there is not much wiggle room on pay rate unfortunately and I will understand if you are unable to take the position based on this. However, as circumstances change (i.e.: I get a raise), you will be offered a chance for a pay increase, so please keep that in mind as you make your decision! If you are still interested in the position I would like to schedule an interview with you this weekend. You may reach me through {insert contact info here}.

I interviewed 4 of the 11 applicants and hired the one I liked the best. MISTAKE. She had a 2-year-old daughter who was cute but very misbehaved, especially compared to my children at that age. She was not very bright; she called me 6 or 7 times a day asking me questions about the smallest stuff, including how to turn on the TV. I came home a couple of times unannounced to kind of surprise her and check in: every time she was laying on the couch sleeping; the last time I did it, both her 2-year-old and my 3-year-old were coloring on the walls with crayons. I made her wake up and clean the entire nursery. I am not sure why she chose to share this story with me but she had to tell me about the time she locked her keys, cell phone and NEWBORN in the car on a HOT SUMMER DAY. I am trusting you to look after my children, why would you think that you should tell me about a time your baby could have died due to your negligence?? The straw that broke the camel’s back? We discovered she had been DRINKING ON THE JOB. I put the ad back up that night.

The second time around, same ad, same follow up message, 11 applicants; I interviewed 2 of them this time and chose one that I really liked and seemed very hands on and qualified. There were some concerns at first but we made sure we covered them in the interview and she assured us that they would not be a problem. Well, she lied. Those issues became such a burden that they escalated to her mother thinking it was alright to get in my face one morning while I was trying to get ready for work. This girl had been bringing her younger sister with her without giving me notice—expecting me to supply food for yet another kid—and did not have her own transportation—which we covered in the interview and she assured us she would have. Her mother had a fit over one day, which happened to be my birthday, because I had to leave the girl at my apartment while I went to pick up my son’s fundraiser from school before they closed. I put it off as long as I could wait, but when her mother did not show up on time, I had to leave. When her mother got in my face about it, she made it a point to tell me, “Just because she’s 18 does not make her grown. I would never leave your children unattended like that! She should not have been here alone!” To which I had to respond, “Lady, she is 18 years old, she is here all day alone looking after young children, so being here without the young children should not be any different. Obviously being 18 does not make her grown since she is having her mommy speak to her boss. And I would pray to God that you would not leave my children unattended, they are 6 and 4!!” I then told her I was getting ready for work and refused to be late and walked upstairs into my apartment….where I proceeded to tell her daughter—and her younger sister—to get out and not to come back; I called off work that day and the ad was put back on the website.

The next time around, not as many applicants, But I hired a great one! She was amazing: although a little late most days, she did everything I asked and the kids adored her. Until one day she was 5 minutes late and I got a text: “My car will not start.” I thought to myself, “ok, I will give her a few minutes, she will get a jump from her mom or dad—or a ride—and be here in a minute.” As soon as I thought that, I got another text: “I will not be able to make it today, I am sorry.” So I called her and offered her a ride since she lived just two blocks away. I begged her to let me come pick her up and she argued with me, telling me it was too much of a hassle and she did not want to be a burden. We hung up with the understanding that she was going to find a ride and be on her way. Not two minutes later, my phone was ringing again with her number on the screen only when I answered it, it was her GRANDMOTHER. She informed me that my nanny had an ear infection and would not be able to come to work that day; I informed her that an ear infection was not an acceptable excuse to miss work and to make sure to tell her granddaughter that she was now unemployed because she could not take some ibuprofen and get to work. I again had to call off work and the ad went up for the fourth time.

How does the saying go?—the fourth time is the charm? No? Well thank goodness because the fourth nanny was just about as weird as they get. Not in a horrible, leaving-my-kids-with-a-psycho kind of way, just socially awkward. She interviewed very well but once she started working for me, she was increasingly strange. She became weirdly attached to my puppy and would not let her come to me or let the kids play with her and she would just hang out even after I told her she could go home. There were mornings she would just sit on couch and stare at the wall until the kids got up. She also never did things that I asked her to do the “right way.” The kids’ bed was never made and the nursery was never clean, their toys were always just in a pile instead of put away and the kitchen was always a mess. (In her defence, my kitchen is usually a mess anyway. But part of her job description was to clean it and it never happened.) This nanny was the first that I did not fire; she gave me her two week notice for medical reasons. The ad went back up.

FIFTH ROUND INTERVIEWS! This time, I offered interviews to only five girls; only two showed up for their interviews. I hired the sweetest girl ever and so far, things are going FABULOUS with her! She has a great attitude, she does what she is asked and the kids love her. But since this story so far has been about the struggle I have had to find this fantastic girl, let me tell you about a bullet I dodged during this fifth round stage. I had an interview lined up with a 53-year-old woman. Yes, 53 years old. We messaged back and forth; I told her the hours and the pay rate—just as the message above states—and asked if she was still interested. She said YES. So when she did not show up for her interview, I called her. To my surprise, she was asleep! So she asked me about the hours and the pay again and when I told her, she tried to negotiate with me! Without even coming in for the interview!! I was shocked. I politely declined and we hung up. Later that night on the website, I rated her with 1 star; to me, a no call-no show for an interview is rude and unprofessional—this woman deserved the single star, especially being 53!! A few nights later, at 2:30 in the morning, she emailed me cursing me out, telling me I bashed her on the website!

Now, readers, I try to be a nice person, especially to strangers and most especially to my elders. But this woman pushed my buttons and I had to put her in her place. After she sent me her nasty message, I made sure to reply:

1) I did not "BASH" you on anything. I simply gave an honest rating on my experience with you. I did NOT write a review; the website generated that on its own since I left it blank. If you have a problem with what was written on my behalf, take that up with them. The one star rating was given due to your lack of punctuality responding to me and your lack of dependability. If you would like, I could go back, remove my rating and right another, stating how you agreed to the hours and pay by saying you were still interested and then flaked on me on the phone.
2) Not that I owed you an explanation what so ever, I gave you one anyway, letting you know that I am a single mother trying to make ends meet at a new job and unable to offer {what she demanded}. At the end of that email I asked if you were still interested. You stated you were. If you were not interested in the position but chose to say you were: that is YOUR fault, not mine; you should have taken that opportunity to say "Thanks but this isn't a good fit for me," and saved us both a lot of wasted time.

3) For your information, if you would have chosen to go through with the interview you would have noticed that my contract offers a lot that many other families don't even consider: paid holidays, vacation time, a raise after 90 days, money for gas for field trips/eating lunch out, etc.... I also don't take taxes out so it's not like you would be losing money from every check. There is a lot more in the contract, however, since you are no longer a candidate, or even worth consideration, I am not going to waste my time.

4) Interestingly enough, I offered you an interview on Sunday at 11am. As someone who says they are a member of {a well-known church in our area}, when I called you at 11:15 and it sounded as though you were sleeping, I question your "honesty." Also an interesting find, a man I work with informed me today that you were supposed to have an interview with him on Saturday and flaked on him as well giving him the exact word-for-word excuse you gave me. I'm sensing a pattern here.

The rating I gave you was honest for my experience with you. At 54 I would expect more professionalism, maturity, responsibility, as well as better grammar, spelling and proper English. I would think that with your family connections with {a VERY famous Presidential family she claims she belongs to}, your two degrees and your previous work experience it wouldn't be too difficult to find work. If or when you do reply to my rating, I will happily reply to it and include a screen shot of our conversation where you said YES to still being interested in the position after getting the details of what I needed. We have hired an outstanding nanny, thank you. Good luck finding work.

See what I did there, readers? I was “mean” to her without cursing, or calling her names—unlike what she did. I was not “nasty” (per say lol) and while I was sarcastic, I think I got my point across. *The love of my life likes to call these kinds of messages (I write them often) my “thanks-but-go-eff-yourself” emails.* And I think he is right. But it needed to be done. The woman was very nasty. And seeing as how she handled the interview she was supposed to have with one of my coworkers exactly the same way, I am confident that she is a con-artist and should not be trusted with children.

But as I said before, we have found an amazing nanny! And until there comes a problem with her, and I pray there will not be!, I believe our search is over! Have any of you ever had a problem with a care giver for your tiny ones? Leave your stories in the comments!

Sweet Candy: Eating Right!

It's common during Thanksgiving & Christmas to eat foods that you wouldn't normally eat, which in moderation is ok, depending on what it is. But what some people don't realize is how much food affects us mentally, emotionally & physically. These past few months, I've had some really upsetting things happen in my life which caused large amounts of stress, and I started eating comfort foods. I didn't gain much weight because I'm constantly on the go, but I noticed a drastic difference with my emotional & mental health. I was very irritable, depressed, & crying—almost constantly. My teeth were very sensitive and I was getting cavities and my energy was, well, there was none. I had no energy. I was exhausted. And as if that weren’t enough, my skin started changing & looking old. I finally had enough! I was tired of crying all the time & barely having strength to do normal house duties. I wasn’t enjoying life at all. I decided to return to a diet that really helped me 2 years ago. Back then I was trying to lose weight. I lost 15 pounds on this diet. It's not a crazy diet where you have to eat only lettuce & water for excessive amounts of time; it's a 40 day health experience. It boosts your immune system, balances hormones, and increases energy amongst other things. I have been on the diet less than 1 week and I have been sleeping through the night again, I have a lot of energy, no brain fog like before & I feel so much better. I haven't cried once!! I feel amazing! I really encourage you ladies to treat your bodies well. We will all be happier, healthy moms if we really try to eat right. I wish everyone tried this diet, because it's the only one that has worked for me & really helped my mind. I know many people that have benefited from this. Take care & cheers to good health!

The Nursing Nurse: Tummy Trouble!

Hello Readers!

Abdominal pain in our tiny ones can be eluding. How do you know if your little one has a medical emergency, a virus, or just wants a day off from school?

First off, it's hard to tell what is really going on with your tiny one when they say their tummy hurts. Young children tend to use the word "hurts" for pain as well as nausea. It can be hard to tell whether your little one is in pain or actually nauseous...but most of the time you will know soon enough.

Every parent is worried about appendicitis when their little one is having bad abdominal pain, and you're completely justified! Appendicitis is scary, and can be life threatening if not treated. Appendicitis is treated with surgery. If the infected appendix is not removed, it can rupture causing toxins to leak throughout the body, and then you have a big problem.

So how do you know when it's time to rush them to the ER?

Appendicitis usually comes along with extreme pain, fever, and vomiting. The pain usually starts at the umbilicus (belly button) and moves down to the right lower side.

The pain of appendicitis is excruciating. Your child will be guarding that right side like their life depends on it. An easy test you can do to see if they have peritoneal inflammation is ask them to jump up and down. If they can't do that without extreme pain, suspect appendicitis and head to the ER.

Another common cause of abdominal pain in children is constipation. Children should have a bowel movement at least every 2-3 days. Sometimes when children are constipated, stool will leak out around the big bulge of poop and it will look like diarrhea. It won't be a large amount and the child may not even feel it happen. If you are noticing small amounts of diarrhea, it is probably constipation and not diarrhea. If your little one is having trouble with bowel movements, prune juice or over the counter Miralax works great.

Here are some warning signs that you need to head to the Dr or ER:

-Blood in the stool or vomit -Clay colored stools -Vomit that looks like coffee grounds -Unable to keep fluids down for over 24 hrs -Severe, unrelenting abdominal pain

Keep those tummies healthy!

Pink Warrior: The Fear

I have a few fears when it comes to my kids and my cancer. Some of my fears are silly and some are downright frightful. Sometimes I just don’t know how to handle the feelings I have. We will start out with the silly one.
My treatment right now consists of 2 meds and there are very little side effects. I have a burst of energy the day after because of the steroids they give me but then I have a bad crash. I get really tired and have absolutely no energy. The fear I have is that I will have to go back on the heavy drug. When I’m on the heavy drug I lose my hair and drop a lot of weight. I also get very pale and you can tell I’m sick. I am afraid my girls will be ashamed of the way their mom looks. I fear my youngest (6) will be afraid of the way I look, like she was when I was in the hospital. I hated to have them see me like that and the look of sadness on their faces.
The second fear I have is that I will get sick and the court will take my kids and place them with their father. Some are thinking, “why would that be an issue?” Well I would only see them on his time because that is how it was when I was in the hospital. In the 6 months I was in the hospital I saw them a total of 4 times when they were with him. If I end up back in the hospital I will see them a lot less, if at all. I’m just fearful of losing my kids, that would crush my heart.
My last fear is the one that is frightful. I’m afraid of death and leaving my girls. I know that someday I will get the diagnosis but I just hope that it is very far away. I am afraid of leaving my kids motherless. Yes their dad has a girlfriend but she is not someone I want raising my girls. She is the reason their dad and I are no longer together. She thinks it is ok to be close friends with someone for 10+ years and then sleep with their husband. Her morals and way of thinking are not what I want for my girls. Yes they love her but they don’t understand what she did. If I die I have the fear that they will end up on drugs and pregnant at 16. I hope that I live long enough to raise my girls the right way. I hope that I can teach them the important things and how to be good, respectful, successful women. I am also afraid that if I die anytime soon my beautiful girls will forget me. I know their dad wouldn’t keep my memory alive. He wouldn’t tell them happy/good stories about me. He would never tell them what a good person I was or how much I loved them. He wouldn’t talk about me at all. My girls are 6 and 8 and they need their mom. I just hope I am wrong about him.
By no means will I ever give up my fight. I will do anything and everything to live for as long as I can. Yes I have been putting together letters, pictures, birthday cards, and videos for my girls if something were to happen. Also they will have this blog to read (thank you SMU) when they get older. But who’s to say their father (he hates me with a vengeance) will give the stuff to them. If I were to pass away he would make sure his "slore" would become mom. That just makes me sick. So I pray daily for the good lord to keep blessing me with life.

Sweet Candy: Unwelcome Attention

Lately several men have been trying to get my attention. Which at first was flattering. Now it's getting annoying. I'm not interested & even if I was, I'm too busy right now. One of the men that works at my company happens to be one of these men, so we often run into each other during the day. I don’t like him. I think he's sleazy and haven't had a good feeling about him since the very first day. He makes inappropriate comments, including things about my toosh! So I tried to deter him by being a little cold, ignoring him, not smiling when he's around, etc...but it seems to make him try harder to get my attention....So readers, what are your suggestions?? I think telling him to stop talking to me, would just cause more problems. Leave me your advice in the comments please!

Pink Warrior: Fighting with Fatigue

So today I woke up and didn't have any energy. I just wanted to lay on the couch and sleep! Then I remember I'm a mommy. So I get up and wake my angels for school. I go into the kitchen to put a roast in the crockpot. Ugh... I don't have potatoes. So I tell my dad I have to go to the store. Then I go to get the girls up again. I tell them that I'm going to the store and want to play a game with them. While I am at the store, they are to get dressed and whoever gets done first wins. So off I go to the store which is only 2 minutes away. I walk in and the smell of fresh donuts hits me. I get my potatoes and they are on sale. So of course I go to the bakery. I buy donuts for my girls, dad, and myself. I get to the car and it is having trouble starting. I am sitting in the parking lot begging the car to start. Thank goodness it finally does. I get home and my angels are waiting to tell me they won. I can't help but laugh because they are in cute dresses with sweaters, leggings, and boots. They made sure to have everything done so they could win. I smiled and told them that I got them a special breakfast. They got excited wanting to know what it was. When I told them it was donuts, which is a treat because they don’t get them often, they started jumping for joy. So I give them their donuts and go fix the crockpot roast. I do their hair and my smallest angel is wearing her glasses that she got the day before. She looks super cute! She is worried that the kids will make fun of her so I let her take her Angry Birds case to school. It is time for the bus and off they go with their grandpa to the bus stop. Finally I get to sit back down. My body remembers how tired it is and I crash. My eyes close for a minute and I end up taking a 2 hour nap. I wake up to the phone ringing. Now I am sitting here wishing I had more energy. I just want another nap but I am waiting for the girls to come home wishing it wasn't dance night. They have cheerleading and hip~hop class tonight. I love to watch them dance but I just don't have the energy. Well I will fight the fatigue and get them to dance. When we get home they will do homework and we will have dinner. Then it is showers and Sprout on tv till bedtime. I love my angels and will push through fatigue for them. Hopefully tomorrow will be different and I do chemotherapy on Thursday. I am strong and I got this. It's all in the life of a mommy with cancer! :)

Before and After

Perfect children: is there such a thing? If you ask someone who does not have their own children yet, I am sure they will answer in a way that makes you reminisce about the days before your little bundle of joy was Earth-side, when you thought for sure your children would always be little angels and would never secretly wipe their messy mouths on your shirt while you were not looking or wipe ice cream covered hands on your freshly washed jeans or sneeze in your just washed hair. Personally, I always thought that I could raise children based on how I was raised; my parents must have done a pretty good job since I am a pretty good person, right? Wrong. Rules have changed, and people are uptight about parenting the way they did “back in the ol’ days.” But I am here to offer some comic relief to this topic! I was an expert on raising kids before I had my own—and then I found out how wrong I was. And boy did I get the surprise of a lifetime! Here are some of the before thoughts I had before having my tiny ones, along with my thoughts now. Enjoy!

1. I will never get annoyed by my children and I will NEVER yell at them.
Do not get me wrong, my tiny ones are the light of my life. But. Sometimes. I cannot hear myself think. So mommy has to go into the bathroom and close the door—which thankfully has a lock on it—and read a Cosmo or something. Sure the kids knock on the door. I just tell them I am going potty….and then I sit there and eat my Skittles and read my magazine and check out my social networking pages for a good 15 minutes until my sanity returns and I can breathe at a normal pace. And never yelling at my kids? HA. Now, I am pretty patient. I do my best to just talk to them and keep my cool. But if there is one thing I hate, it is repeating myself. And after I have told tiny boy human to stop picking on his sister 43 times, I have to raise my voice due to my deminished mental stability. Trust me, kids will not listen and you will yell. It happens. Not often in our house, thank goodness, but probably enough to let the neighbors know when NOT to knock on the door asking for some sugar.

2. My house will NEVER look like that.
If you took all of the stuffed animals at Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Build-A-Bear and the next top three stores in the U.S. that sell stuffed animals, it would still not equal the amount of stuffed animals my tiny ones have accumulated in 6 years. And that is just stuffed animals. Let’s not forget about the toys that I put together only to have torn apart again in a matter of just seconds the next morning. Carpet? Try clothes and blankets. Do not get me started on blankets—we have a giant box still packed with blankets from when we moved into our apartment….8 months ago….on top of all of the 36 blankets that are on the tiny one’s bed. Literally. 36. Have you seen that meme that says “Cleaning your house while your children are awake is like trying to brush your teeth while eating Oreo’s?” Well, it could not be more true. I am pretty sure that my house would not be clean even if I sold all of our belongings except our beds and 8 outfits for each of us.

3. I will never leave the house looking like “that.”
For the people closest to me, they know that my appearance is everything to me. It is who I am. I was raised that your appearance does not only represent you as a person but also reflects on your family. But there are days. So many days. I am tired and my kids are on my last nerve and I have things to get done without enough hours in the day. Who cares if I didn’t bother to brush my hair and just put it up in a half bun hot mess? No make-up? Pshh, yesterday’s flaky mascara will do. Did I forget to brush my teeth?—Oh well, I think I have half a stick of gum in the bottom of my purse somewhere. I will say, however, that I have never forgotten my shirt. And for that, you should say thank you.

4. My kids will never behave that way in public.
Behave, by definition according to Merriam-Webster, means to act in an acceptable way; to act properly; to act in a particular way. In the case of being a mommy, it means you will not have that tantrum in this store, thank you very much. But sure enough, my tiny angels who could do no wrong hit two-years-old and instantly became the shrieking banshee’s that we all cringe at in the store. The one tantrum with ear piercing cries that you would swear were being brought on by your baby being chased down the baby food aisle by the giant tarantula from Harry Potter. And when that happens, we leave the store.

5. My kids will not eat crappy food.
When they were infants, I only bought them organic, jarred baby food. As they got older, they always had fruit and veggies and every meal was well rounded and included a cup of milk. And now they are 6 and 4. And neither of them want anything but Mac n’ Cheese. If they pass on carrots and cherries, but gulp down Mac n’ Cheese and mashed potatoes, I’m ok with that. I will say that there are times few and far between that I can talk them into eating some peas or asparagus or even some grapes, I count that as a victory, even if it’s just a bite. Just a bite and I can sleep guilt-free.

6. My kids will listen to me.
I honestly believe that children do not develop the actual capacity to listen until they are 19 years old. Sure they can hear us just fine. But to them, we might as well be Charlie Brown’s teacher mumbling every word.

7. I will never negotiate with or bribe my children.
Screaming in the store? Mommy really needs to buy these groceries to feed you and your brother dinner for the next week so please eat these fruit snacks and stop crying so I can get this done without having to leave the cart where it is to just walk out and prevent other shoppers from buying ear plugs. Negotiate? I prefer to call it: learning to make smart choices; it makes them successful at being independent in the future. Or at least that is what I want them, and you, to think. In reality, negotiating gets me my way because I only give them options that make me happy. For example, if Tiny Boy Human wants to play the Wii, he has to give me 20 jumping jacks and 5 minutes of preschool yoga. If he doesn’t, I get to finish reading my book for my Ethics class while he plays princess castle with his sister. It is a win/win: he gets some exercise in before being a couch potato playing video games, or his sister gets to dress him and have a tea party….either way, I still get to read my book.

8. I will never be late, ever.
My children are only fast when it is on their time. Potty break? Stop short of being totally finished, pass on toilet paper and pull up your pants in such a rush that they are all bunched at the top in a folded over kind of way that makes them 3 inches shorter at the bottom and rolled up with your underwear. Bedtime? Chase the puppy around until she hides in her crate and pees and starts crying and then start wrestle-mania in the hallway. Time to get your shoes and coat on to leave? Suddenly it is like they have begun walking through quicksand. Backwards. On their hands. While limping. And using a cane.

9. I won’t let my kids stop me from running errands.
Going to the bank requires more preparation than moving across the country! It is exhausting. Sure we try to schedule things around nap time—excuse me, REST time; God forbid I say the “n-a-p” word around my children!—but it is not always possible! Sometimes I do not know how I am not in therapy for some of the experiences I have had while running errands with my children. Or in jail. There was an occasion….it was rough….we are not going to relive it.

10. I will not allow my children to watch TV.
“TV will make them lazy!” Nope. It will keep them out of my hair. I am not afraid to admit this to you all: TV is a magical device that I use daily to get stuff done. I can turn something on that beautiful 47” box and they will stay out of my kitchen while I am making dinner! It is fantastic! I will say that my tiny ones have to exercise daily for the use of their video games and such, so I do not feel AS guilty about letting them watch so much TV. Ok, I do not feel guilty at all. That thin screen has helped me keep my sanity more times than I can remember.

Becoming a Parent has changed my mind about so much. I have learned that patience and endurance can be tested to its breaking point and then pushed even further. And that you will survive it anyway. Now, if you will excuse me, I think I have some dried mac and cheese dried in my hair so I believe I will turn the TV on for the tiny ones and grab some solitary silence in the shower…or at least until they start knocking on the door in two minutes asking me for juice. Leave some comments! Tell us what your thoughts on having children would be like and how they have changed since you welcomed your tiny ones into the world!

The Nursing Nurse: Teeth!

Hello Readers!
Today we are going to talk teeth. I think many of us take our teeth for granted. Remember, you only get one set of teeth! Most babies will have a few teeth by the time they reach their first birthday. The first teeth to pop up are usually the central incisors, which are the two middle teeth on the top and bottom. Dental Care Through the Ages You can start caring for your baby's gums immediately. After nursing or feeding, it's good practice to wipe your baby's gums with a washcloth to get any leftover milk or food residue off. Don't feel bad if you never did this, it's not essential, just a good start to getting in the habit of dental care. As soon as that first tooth erupts, you need to start brushing. Brush your baby's teeth once or twice a day with a soft bristle infant toothbrush or finger brush. Many baby's will enjoy chewing on a toothbrush; which is also a great way to get them used to a toothbrush. It is safe to use a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste, about the size of a grain of rice. Make sure it is toothpaste made specifically for infants. Once your child turns two years old, you can start using fluoridated toothpaste. Make sure you use toothpaste that is made for toddlers. Use a small amount of toothpaste, about the size of a pea. You need to brush for them, as they are too young to properly clean their teeth the way they need to be cleaned. Brush twice a day, after breakfast and before bed. Children can't effectively brush on their own until they are around 7 years old. When they are younger, you can let them brush and then finish up by brushing for them. As soon as they are willing, allow them to practice brushing their teeth. Children should see a dentist for the first time around their first birthday. It is good to get established and have your baby's teeth checked, even if they only have one. Flossing before adult teeth come in is up to you. Dentists will recommend flossing baby teeth, but there is no solid evidence to support that it does any good. If anything, it will form a habit of flossing for them when they are older. Once they start getting their permanent teeth, kids should begin flossing. Recommendations say twice a day, but kudos if they do even once a day!
Never send your baby or toddler to bed with a bottle or cup. The absolute worst thing you can do for their teeth is allow milk or juice residue to sit on their teeth all night. Milk and juice should only be served with meals. Water is the drink of choice throughout the rest of the day. Don't allow your child to carry a cup of juice or milk around with them, again the residue sits on their teeth causing decay. If they insist on having a cup throughout the day, fill it with water only. Children should not be drinking more than 4-6 oz of juice daily, if any. Juice is not essential to the diet, and I generally recommend to parents not to serve juice at all. Also, NO POP!! When your little one gets a loose tooth, DO NOT yank it out. No pulling, tying a string to the door and shutting it, none of that. It is not necessary and you could do damage to their teeth and gums. Allow the tooth to fall out naturally on its own. Yes, the child can wiggle it, that won't hurt them. If they happen to swallow their tooth, don't panic. It's not dangerous to them and will pass safely in their stool. The mouth is a very vascular part of the body, meaning it gets lots of blood flow. Your child will bleed what seems like a lot when they lose their tooth. Don't worry, it is completely normal and expected. If your child knocks out a tooth, call your dentist immediately, and keep the tooth in a glass of milk until you get in to see them. You should see them immediately after the tooth is knocked out. Don't have any milk? Water with a little bit of salt will work too. Remember, getting cavities filled, crowns, root canals, and teeth pulled is very traumatic....for adults. Imagine what that would be like for your child. Not to mention, dental insurance often does not cover the full price of extensive dental work. Do them (and your bank account) a favor, take good care of their teeth!

Pink Warrior: I'M selfish?

Why is it so hard to be the bigger person and turn the other cheek. God knows I try and most of the time I succeed. But when I am attacked as a mom I just can’t turn the other cheek. This is what I wish I could say to my ex and he actually listen. I know I said I wouldn't talk about him but if I don’t get this off my chest I just might EXPLODE!

I wish you would just stop calling me selfish, petty, and childish. I have been over our divorce for a long time. You divorced me. You’re the one who wanted a different life so please go live your life and leave me and mine alone. You no longer have a right to know my business. The only part of my life you have a right to know about is the girls. MY CANCER IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! I don’t have to tell you anything. If it directly effects the girls I will gladly let you know. I have conversations with the girls about it and you don’t know what goes on in my house. Whenever I do tell you what is happening you twist it around. Prime example is when I first told you the cancer had returned and I was going to fight it you called the girls school to tell them I was dying. All you could talk about was how YOU wanted to tell the girls I was dying. So why would I tell you anything?

Oh and let’s talk about activities for the girls.(This is where he says I am selfish. This is where he says I don’t love the girls.) You crab about how I don’t go to bowling and Kids Workshop at the Gathering Place (a center for families fighting cancer). First when you asked about bowling I said they could do it but I didn’t want to be responsible for transportation. You knew that and then 2 months into it you explode about how I won’t drive them to bowling. And let’s talk about the Gathering Place. You pulled me out of the hospital to take me to court because you wanted them to go. Keep in mind not even an hour after I left the courthouse I was back in the hospital. YOU wanted it and now it is overwhelming so you have to crab about it. You can’t guilt me into doing what you want anymore. If I could go to the Gathering Place I would. Let’s not forget who is the one fighting for their life here. There are days that I have to force myself to be ok and get the kids ready for school. I spend the day nauseous and completely sick. Then the girls come home and my job as a mom starts. There is homework, dinner, and showers. And added in there the sibling drama. On the days I am ok I can go downhill real quick. I never know how the day will go. As time passes I get stronger and have more good days. Let’s also not forget I cannot drive the highway. Both of the activities you have them in require the highway or a super long drive. I have put the girls in dance and plan on letting them play soccer. And then you want to say they can play soccer as long as it doesn't interrupt Your Visitation. And I think it is wonderful to have them in activities that don't revolve around my cancer. They are 6 & 8. They don’t need to have to deal with the cancer all the time. And because these activities are so close if I do get sick my parents can take them. So all in all I think I am doing my best and if you don’t think I am go F**K yourself. The End!

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. I would like feedback from you all as moms: what are your thoughts? I just don’t feel like I am being selfish, petty, or unloving to the girls.

Pink Warrior: Fighting while Mommy

I found out at the end of January 2013 that my cancer had returned and was now stage 4 (in my lung, liver, and the lymph nodes of my stomach). I have spent most of 2013 in a hospital room with lots of time to think about what I am going to do. 

I wake up day and night thinking about my little ones and what will happen to them if mommy doesn't fight to stay alive for them. Then I break down and think of the things I would miss out on if I didn't fight (both proms, graduation, weddings, grandchildren, maybe even great grandchildren).  Then I start thinking of plans I have and want to make. I have so much to live for and I don't want my time to stop. 

I have a wonderful support system. My parents have stepped in and help get them to and from school.  They are doing all the the things I should be doing. May god bless them!

As for the other parent, their BF, I thought he was going to be supportive.......

I thought he was going to have my back (like he said he would).......

I guess I was wrong about that and about other things he has said.  Oh well guess I will pick those battles as they come.

A little about my past history,  back In 2008, I had stage 3 Breast Cancer.  I went through the double mastectomy, chemo, and radiation.  Then the wait for the 5 year "your good" check up.  But mine never came. On January 1st I was diagnosed with pneumonia. It didn't get better and I started not to be able to eat or drink and then was so weak. I went to see a doctor for my stomach and he did a CT scan and there it was... mets in the liver. After several tests and painful waiting they now knew what was wrong with me. So now I am fighting cancer again.  I hope I can be here for my children to grow up. I go for chemo every 3 weeks for the rest of my life and I am okay with that. ANYTHING to be here for my little angels!

So if I could give advice to moms everywhere it would be 3 things......

1. Hug tighter and longer!

2. Make memories not plans....

and 3. Don't take anything for granted. Life's to important to be stressed all the time.

The Nursing Nurse: The Flu!

Hello Readers!

Let's talk about the flu. First and foremost, let me say it is NOT too late to go get your flu shot! Flu season is expected to run through early March this year. The shot takes about two weeks to take effect. No, it will not give you the flu, that is impossible. The flu shot is a dead virus. A dead virus can't make you sick! Some people may get a slight reaction (most don't), but however bad you think that reaction is, it is nothing compared to the actual flu. Also, go get your kids the flu shot too!

The other most important thing you can do to prevent the flu is wash and sanitize your hands every chance you get! Did you touch the gas pump? Sanitize. Did you touch a door handle? Sanitize. Shake someone's hand? You get the idea!

Now, let's talk about what to do if you do get the flu. First of all, if you get the flu shot and still get the flu, it does not mean the flu shot is ineffective. The flu shot protects against 3-4 different flu viruses, including H1N1-which has already killed several people, most of them young and healthy. There are several different strains of the flu, the shot protects against the most common strains. You may be one of the unlucky ones who get an uncommon strain.

So, you get the flu. How do you know if you have the flu virus verses the rhinovirus (common cold)? You will most likely have some or all of these symptoms:

-A fever, possibly a high fever -SEVERE body aches, especially in your legs -Cough with chest congestion -Nasal congestion -Possible nausea/vomiting -Possible diarrhea -Headache -Extreme fatigue

Now remember, the so called "stomach flu" is not the flu at all, it is known as norovirus. If you have norovirus, you will have about 24-48 hours of the worst vomiting and diarrhea of your life. The flu shot does not protect against norovirus, because it is not the flu.

Unfortunately, because the flu is a virus, an antibiotic will not help. What you need is:

-Tylenol or Motrin for fever and body aches -Lots of fluids (water, Gatorade....stay away from pop or juice) -Sleep. A lot of sleep.

There is one medication that might decrease the severity of your symptoms or shorten the duration. It doesn't work for everyone, and can cause nausea and vomiting (it did for me personally a few years ago). It's an antiviral drug called Tamiflu. If it's something you're interested in (if you get the flu), you can call your doctor, as it is prescription only.

Don't worry if you can't or don't feel like eating, not eating for a few days won't do much harm. On the other hand, not drinking WILL: so make sure you are getting lots of fluids.

Sometimes, the flu isn't something you can sleep off at home. Sometimes it is much more serious and you need to be either hospitalized or seen by a doctor. If you have any of these symptoms, you need to go to the hospital the second they start. Many of the people that have died from the flu probably could have been saved had they went to the hospital sooner.

-Shortness of breath or trouble breathing -Fever of 104.5 or higher -Unable to keep any fluids down or not urinating regularly -A blue color to your lips, around your belly button, or in your finger nails. This is known as cyanosis which means your body is not getting enough oxygen. It is very serious.

What if you're nursing and have the flu? Well, there is no reason you can't breastfeed because you have the flu. You will not pass it on to your baby through breast milk (but it can be passed on through kissing/touching, so save the kisses and sanitize your hands). The only concern about nursing while you have the flu is the fact that you're taking Tylenol and Motrin around the clock. Although Tylenol and Motrin are completely safe for babies (disclaimer: Motrin is only safe after 6 months old), big doses can be hard on their little livers and bellies. You would probably be fine to nurse even with the Tylenol and Motrin around the clock, but my personal decision for when I had the flu was to nurse every other feeding (and alternate with formula) instead of every feeding just because it made me feel more comfortable. If you or your child gets the flu, whatever you do, do NOT send them to school or go to work! You need to be fever free for 24-48 hrs WITHOUT the help of Tylenol or Motrin before you aren't at risk of infecting others!

I hope this info helps you if you do end up with the flu like I did (I did get my flu shot, but probably was one of the unlucky ones to get a different strain). Stay healthy Readers!

Pixie Mama: Lady Bit PSA

Ok readers, This one is more about me and less about my mini me. I was informed that I may have Endomitriosis about April of 2013. I was surgically diagnosed October 2013. I have been on large amounts of birth control and hormones since. They recently told me to stop my meds and to try for a baby (mini me is so on board about this he keeps running up to my belly petting it and snuggling it saying "lub baby"..... nope not yet kid." The fear for my doctor is that I am 25 with only one baby. She is afraid of me missing my chance at another one. The meds were not suppressing it like they should. I'm 4 months after surgery and its already back. I can understand why she feels the way she does. Love and I want another baby bad so we are trying. The Endomitriosis makes it hard to try though. I'm often in too much pain or it hurts to "do the deed" then there is the weight loss i'm having from being off the meds. I gained a lot and now i'm dropping it like nothing. The problem you may ask? My boobs are always the last thing to go. Looking at my old photos you would never guess that at one point I was 200lbs. They pulled me off the depo and I started dropping weight like nothing. I was almost in a E-cup at that point. The pain I went threw waiting for my boobs to shrink was horrid. I spent weeks in bed on my heating pad cause it hurt to move. I've always had back problems, I only shrink down to a D. That is as small as I get. 100lbs and still a D. My back is starting to hurt with all the weight loss. Now its not the weight loss that is hurting me so bad. Hormones make me gain, always. When i'm off hormones the weight just starts dropping and I eat a lot less. Because of the rapid weight loss I end up in pain. This time will be different. I'm doing back strengthening workouts so this will hurt less. I guess my whole point behind this is rapid weight loss is not always the way to go. It can cause a lot of physical problems. Some more damaging then others. I don't get the really damaging stuff. Yes my back is a little screwed up but that's about it. If you look it up there are worse things that can happen to you. Also if you are having concerning things going on with your lady parts, even if it is pain out of the norm, GET IT LOOKED AT!!!!! Its the best thing you could do for you and your babies! love to you all and best of wishes from the pixie and mini house hold!

Answered Prayers

My children receive health insurance through the state. We used to get food stamps but I started working and no longer qualified, so they were cut but we got to keep the insurance. On Friday, November 1 2013, around 6pm, I tried to pick up my sons prescription. They told me it would be nearly $400!! I asked why my insurance wasn't applied and they told me it was no longer valid. I was so confused because our cards didn't have expiration dates on them or anything and I hadn't received anything in the mail about our insurance being cut. And of course it was too late to call because all of the involved agencies were closed for the weekend already.....not that it would have mattered in the case of calling my agency: there is only one phone number to call the call center and it is busy from the time the center “opens” to the time it “closes.” You can’t get through, it just rings busy; trust me, I have tried MULTIPLE TIMES.

The following Monday, November 4, 2013, I went to the county agency to figure out what happened. And while we’re at it, let’s apply for food stamps again since I am in and out of temporary positions and struggling a little bit; I mean that’s what it’s there for, right? To temporarily help struggling families through rough periods until they can do it on their own? Anyway! After EIGHT HOURS, they said they had sent me something in the mail (to this day I have still not received anything from them) requesting some info and they never got it so they ended our benefits. I asked what they needed; turns out it was something I had turned in WEEKS prior to this, I even had a receipt that they had scanned it into the system!! They said there was one more thing--that I left, picked up, and brought immediately back--and that after that it would take 10 working days for everything to be back to normal. 

Wednesday, December 11th 2013, came around and still no phone call, letter, smoke signals.....and still no insurance. So that morning, I called off work and went to the agency yet again. I sat there for FIVE HOURS for them to tell me that the case worker wasn’t there and that they were going to have to have him call me. In the meantime, they gave me a pamphlet on financial aid for health care….wait, wasn’t that why I was there in the first place?! 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014, came this week and I had to call off work due to my Nanny having a mental breakdown very last minute. Since I was already awake, dressed and had my coffee in hand, I figured what the hay, let’s go to the agency AGAIN since the insurance had still not been taken care of. I sat there for THREE HOURS this time, finally got called to the counter and the man asked me what was going on….even though I had already told them at check in. I explained EVERYTHING and he said he was going to call my caseworker to get some info, just to have a seat. About ten minutes later, he called me up again only to tell me that my caseworker was teaching a training class but would be calling me THAT DAY to get things straightened out. I got no call. 
Wednesday, January 15, 2013 came around and my phone rang with an unknown number. I almost didn’t answer it. But I did and it was my caseworker’s supervisor and he told me that he was just touching base with me and wanted to call me on Thursday morning to review what is in the computer already and then process our benefits. I was a little annoyed that I had to wait AGAIN for a call instead of doing it right then and there, but agreed to an 8:30am phone call. 

Today is Thursday, 16 January 2014, and at 8:53am, my phone rang with an unknown number. I immediately answered even though I am at work. The same supervisor was on the line and he was really nice, unlike the majority of people who work at the agency. When all was said and done, he backdated our insurance to November!—AND—we were approved for the SNAP program (food stamps) and that was backdated to November as well!! I can’t tell you how much stress was relieved in just a twenty minute phone call. My son has been without his medication for so long, we’ve avoided the doctor on multiple occasions because of this, I was scared of debt from two unavoidable ER visits and I could barely afford rent, let alone our other bills, because I was really worried about feeding my tiny humans. So thankful for this help. Words cannot express my gratitude.

We're looking for YOU!

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The Nursing Nurse: Time to Panic?

Hello readers!
I'm here to give you some valuable info on when you need to call the pediatrician (or nurse practitioner ;)) and when you don't.
1) Your 4 yr old wakes up with a 103 degree fever at 4am. You need to rush to the ER, right?
Wrong. Break out the Motrin (or Tylenol), give them a dose (5-10mg/kg for Motrin and 15mg/kg for Tylenol), and check their temp again in half an hour. Has it gone down at least half a degree? If yes, you're golden. Continue dosing them every 6 hrs for Motrin and 4 hrs for Tylenol, and if they don't improve within 2 days, call your doc. If no, check them again in 20. If it's gone up, go ahead and call your doc.
Almost always, your child's fever is caused by a virus and all they need is an anti pyretic (fever reducer), rest, fluids, and TLC. Save your time and only take them to the Dr IF:
A) They aren't improving or have gotten worse within 48-72 hrs.
B) Anti pyretics are not bringing their fever down.
C) They haven't been able to keep food or water down for >24 hrs.
D) They are floppy like a wet noodle and their coloring looks grey or really pale.
E) Your motherly instinct is telling you something is not right. ALWAYS trust your gut.

2) Yellow or green snot automatically means a bacterial infection, right?
Wrong. If you see yellow or green snot, it does not automatically mean your child needs antibiotics. If your little one wakes up with a cold, give it a few days. It is most likely a virus and will clear up on its own. If it has been over a week and you haven't seen any improvement or they have gotten worse, make an appointment, they might need antibiotics. I have many parents bring their kids in on day 3 of a cold and think they need antibiotics. I never give them out on day 3 unless the kid is pretty sick. Save your time, give it some time before going to the doc.
Another big one I hear is that parents automatically think pneumonia when they can hear mucus when the child coughs or they can feel vibrations in their chest. Being able to hear/feel mucus, though troubling, is actually a good sign. It means their lungs are moving the mucus and they are able to bring it up. Worry when your child has a cough and isn't able to bring up any mucus, though you can still hear it. Pneumonia happens when mucus sits in the lungs and isn't able to be brought up.
**side note: If your child has asthma, chronic lung problems, or recurrent bouts of infection, take them early verses waiting to see if it clears up. These kids are more prone to bacterial infections and pneumonia that require antibiotics**

3) I should always alternate between Tylenol and Motrin.
Wrong. There is no clear evidence to support this practice, and it increases the risk of accidentally giving your child too much medicine. It is much easier to choose one or the other and stick to every 4 hrs for Tylenol or every 6 for Motrin. There is no proven benefit to alternating between Tylenol and Motrin.

4) CT scans, MRI, and X-ray
The docs in the ER tend to get a little "scan happy." These scans expose your little one to a lot of radiation, and while sometimes they are necessary, they aren't always. For example, if your child hits their head, they only need a scan IF:
A) They lost consciousness for any amount of time
B) They are confused or disoriented
C) They vomited one or multiple times
D) They have severe swelling or bleeding from the injury
Most likely they have a concussion and although there is nothing that can be done to treat a concussion, a scan will check and make sure their is no bleeding in the brain, which is life threatening.

5) Diaper rashes.
There's nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain, so it's important to know when your little one's diaper rash is more than a diaper rash. Could it be a yeast infection? Here's how to tell.
A) If the rash is fold sparing, meaning it's not present in the folds of your baby's grown, it is most likely just a contact dermatitis that can be treated with Desitin or Butt Paste. If it is present in the folds, it is most likely yeast and requires a Dr. visit to get prescription cream, most like clotrimazole.
B) If you've tried Desitin, Butt Paste, powder, corn starch, standing on your head....and none of that has worked, it's probably yeast.

There's a lot more to cover, but for now I will leave you with those tips. I hope I helped give you some more knowledge and peace of mind about getting your little angels back to health. Remember, always trust your instinct. If something is telling you "this isn't right" then it probably isn't. Always better to be safe than sorry!

PLEASE BE SURE TO READ OUR DISCLAIMER REGARDING ALL MEDICAL DECISIONS. THIS IS A BLOG, NOT A DOCTOR'S OFFICE! ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR OWN PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN!

Toe Jam

A week ago, I cut the tiny human's toe nails; I have been doing this for almost six years now and have yet to cause any harm to my children. I clipped Tiny Girl's toes, she never wiggles, and her toes were perfect. The kids went to their BF's that night (Friday) and while I was supposed to get them back Sunday night, we encountered blizzard conditions and our city was put on a level three snow emergency, meaning no cars were legally allowed to be on the road, so my babies had to stay at their BF's house. It was very hard for me to wait until Wednesday night to get them back.....but I was very happy to see their smiling little faces.

Things seemed fine; BF did not say anything had happened with my tiny ones, there was no illness and no injuries while in his care--or at least not that he either a)knew of, or b)cared to share with me. So everything was normal Thursday and Friday. That is, until Friday night. Tiny boy human suddenly could not keep down any food. He was violently ill for hours, and then into Saturday morning when he continued throwing up well into the day. Once he was able to keep food down, I thought for sure everything was calmed down and we were out of the bad luck woods. Boy was I wrong.

Saturday night, I put the tiny humans to bed. We have a routine where I ask them what the bed time rules are and they recite: "Don't talk, don't play, don't get out of bed, go sleepy ni-night!" (The don't get out of bed part means they are not to be messing with the dvd player or TV.....of course they can go potty whenever they want!) So when I heard them talking in their bedroom well after bedtime, I went in to check on them. I was not surprised to find my Tiny Girl in just her pull-up (if you have read some of my previous blogs you understand that my daughter is like a little nudist!) and she was playing with her feet. I told her she needed to get dressed because it is winter and it is chilly and I wanted her to stay warm. She replied by telling me she could not put her jammies on because "this hurts." I was confused and asked her what hurt and she held up her foot. I turned on the light and examined her foot and I was horrified by what I found.

Her big toe was completely infected! It was like it had been clipped more after I had done it, or that it had been picked at around the cuticle. It was so infected that she would not let me or the Love of my Life touch it; it took both of us to hold her down and comfort her to even get a good look at what we were dealing with. After 20 minutes of her screaming and crying, trying to wiggle away from us and applying anti-bacterial cream and a good bandage, I finally was able to get her calmed down and get her back in bed.....after she told me that it happened at her BF's house. I suspect she was picking at her toe and did not want to tell anyone for fear that she had done something wrong and did not want to get in trouble.

After she was back in the nursery and the Love of my Life and I were settled back in the living room, I cried. I felt like a terrible mommy!! I did not see it before then because I lay the kids' clothes out for them and they get dressed on their own and since they have very bad eczema, they only get baths every two or three days to prevent further damage and drying out of their skin. So I felt awful that my beautiful princess was in that much pain for who knows how long and did not say anything to anyone. And of course, with my extreme anxiety, I started thinking of the "what-if's;" what if she had not told me and I had not caught her?--the infection could have gotten so bad that she may have needed it amputated! What would I have done then?? It would have broken my heart so much if anything had ever happened to her!!

However, the good news is that her doctor put her on antibiotics and told us to soak it in warm water and epsom salts and apply anti-bacterial cream with bandages and to just keep an eye on it. With all of that, her toe should be better soon and it will be as if nothing happened! Until then, I'm just hoping she is not in too much pain!

New Year, Big Changes

It is a new year and you know what that means, resolution time! I put a lot of thought into resolutions that would be easy to keep. I do not want to be that person who puts out resolutions and then breaks them in February. So, after a lot of consideration, here are my resolutions for 2014:

*EATING*
The love of my life and I have taken to "clean eating" and regular exercise. We actually decided to try it as part of a group that my cousin was running on Facebook as a Beachbody Coach. So far, we are 4 days in and things have been pretty easy going....although it does seem like we spend most of our day prepping food. So I think on Sunday I will spend the day prepping our food for the week and it will be much easier. I think since we are in our first week it will be difficult but after three or four weeks, it will become second nature!
*SWEARING*
I swear. I have my entire life. I cannot remember a time when I have not had a little potty mouth. Even around my tiny humans....but they have never repeated me because I have taught them well and they know better. That aside, I have decided that I will stop cursing. It is a lot harder than you would think! But I have been very conscious of it and I feel like even if I have not completely stopped, I have done a very good job of keeping to an extreme minimum.
*FAMILY*
I have decided to build (or maybe re-build) relationships with many of my family members who, throughout the years for whatever different reasons, have become distant or not as close as we once were or as I wish we were. So I have sent out friend requests to many of my family members on Facebook (for the ones that were not there already) and I am hoping that with that small step, we will be able to start keeping in touch better and begin that way. My hopes are that I will be able to share my life with them through social networking: status updates on how things are (good and bad), pictures of my tiny humans, and messages to catch up with each other. My thoughts are that this will lead to more phone calls/texts and visits, ultimately equaling more time together and better, stronger bonds!
*SCHOOL*
I am continuing my psychology degree. By this time next year, I should have my degree! I am anxious about doing well in my classes but I am excited to get this done and finally graduate. I am half way through my program and I cannot wait to start a career doing something I am really interested in instead of just going from temp job to temp job!

So now that I have put my own resolutions out there for you all, I want to know what yours are! Since we are already going into the second week of the new year, have you broken any of them yet? Let us know what you have put out in the universe and are hoping to accomplish this year!