It Takes A Village - Do You Have One?

The other day I was ready to crack. It was one of those days where I could feel the proverbial noose tightening and I felt like I was going to explode. My eleven month old son, Colt, cried nearly all day. ALL. DAY. And the last thing in the world that he wanted was me. And all he could have was me. So it didn't make for a great combination. My ears felt like they were going to bleed from listening to his loud screams and nothing I was doing was comforting my little man. He wanted what he couldn't have - and was throwing a fit. Haven't we all been there before?

In that moment, I knew that I needed my village. I needed the people in my life who love and care for my family to step in and lend a hand. That is how the saying goes, right? "It takes a village to raise a child". And step in they did. My father-in-law offered to hold Colt so I could go lay down and collect myself. He could see that I needed a break. So without hesitation, I took him up on that offer to go recharge my batteries for a bit.

So it really got me thinking about that concept of a "village". And what does a momma do when she is at the end of her rope? What if she doesn't have a village to turn to? What then? Here are my thoughts.

Your village is the people in your life who love you and your family. They could be relatives like grandma's, grandpa's, aunts and uncles. Or it could be friends who have become like family. Or it could even be someone who has come along side of you to offer mentorship and guidance. Your village is the people in your life that you can turn to with no strings attached to ask for help and a soft place to land when things get overwhelming. If you are a momma, your village usually loves your little ones just as much as you do and they willingly step in to help shelter, protect, and care for your littles just as you would. I live with my village. We are staying with my in laws while we finish renovations on our house so my village is as close to me as one can get. That's not to say that they are always around. No, they have busy, full lives and there are many times where it is just my kids and I at home. But more often than not, my village sweeps in when I am at the end of my rope and offers me time to be alone and refresh myself. Your village cares for your little ones just like you would. They love on you and they love on your littles. 

Don't be afraid of that. Let them help.


So what if you don't have a village? 

What if family lives far away and you just don't have the friends to lend a hand. I get that. I am in Canada while my parents, sisters and my dearest of friends live in the States. It's a hard road when you don't have that physical presence of the people you love so much. That's why it's important to find people. You've got to make friends. It's not easy. I get that too. Trust me. I'd rather stay home, curled up on the couch reading a good book than out making new connections. I 100% get it. But it's vital. It's vital to your emotional health as a mom and as a woman. Plug into your local church to find a group that would work for you. Join your local MOPS. Search your community website for programs in your area. Join a club. Find a group of people you will connect with. Dare to reach out. 

Be brave, momma. It's not easy but it will be worth it. 


Find those things that will feed and soothe your soul - if only briefly. For me, I laid on my bed and popped in a DVD of one of my favorite TV shows that always makes me laugh. I turned on a fan to drown out the noise from the rest of the house and let my village take care of my babies for a half hour. When I'm alone, I still do a form of this - only I put my baby in a safe spot like his pack n play - and recharge for a few minutes. It's vital. I have to or momma will explode. 

Maybe you've got your Bible and some notecards of verses that lift your soul on standby. Maybe it's a few select songs on a playlist that take you to the feet of Jesus where he can fill you back up. I've always said that God hears the cries of a desperate mother. He loves you so much. Let him fill your weary self back up. 

"He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart. He gently leads those that have young." 

 - Isaiah 40:11 -

You've got to erase the mommy guilt that says you need to be hands on at all times. If you are about to break, you've got to be okay with putting your littles in a safe spot and taking some moments to recharge. 

It's vital to find time for this on a regular basis. Maybe it's a coffee date with yourself each week where you can go get lost in a book at the local bookstore. Or maybe it's dessert with a friend after the kiddies are in bed. Maybe it's escaping to have a luxurious bath a few times a month. Whatever it is - you've got to allow your village to be with your little ones and you've got to put yourself in the priority seat. You need it momma. And your babies need you to do it too. 

Hope For a Weary Morning

My daughter is sick. She's not been herself the past week. Twice now she has thrown up everything in her tiny two year old body. I'll spare you the details of her sickness but just know that we are low on bed linens and I'm low on energy. Did I mention that my husband is sick too? As I type, he's curled up in bed resting. Aubrey is eating an apple and watching "Max and Ruby". I'm sucking back the last bit of my lukewarm coffee. I completely forgot that I had brewed myself a cup and things took me away from drinking it right away. When I rediscovered it, I decided to drink it anyways. Keurig cups are way to precious to waste. Earlier I discovered that my Diet Dr. Pepper that I had placed in the freezer yesterday to get col had exploded in the freezer. Cleaning up frozen pop was not on my agenda today.

Do you know what was on my agenda?

Working out. Making a turkey dinner. Doing some business organization  Planning for my upcoming Scentsy party. Relaxing after an exciting but busy weekend. Getting ready for this weeks birthday celebrations. Going to an Eric Church concert tonight.

Most of that isn't in the cards today.

I was threatened to feel angry about that. But there was a very comforting Bible verse that soothed my soul today.

I'm thankful for social media. This morning I've already connected with four mom friends who have sick little ones. I came across that Bible verse because another mom of a sick little posted it. It was like water for my weary soul. I felt such peace reading it. Soaking it in. And I had to pass it along.

Today isn't what I planned. Today is going to challenge me to be more "on call" than I wanted to be. I'm playing nurse, doctor, wife and mom today. I can't promise that I won't get to the end of my rope today but I will rest easy knowing that there is peace to be found in this process.

Wishing you a happy day friends.




(P.S. Feel free to share the above image. I made it for y'all.)

Hey Y'all!

Hello everyone!

How are you on this beautiful day? Today here in Northern Ontario, Canada, the weather is cool and crisp. The sun is shining and it's a quintessential beautiful day.

Today Aubrey and I went to the most adorable birthday party for my friend Christine's son. He turned a year old a few weeks ago. The theme was "mustaches". Once she puts together a post of all of her amazing party plan skills, I'll be sure to link you to it. It's amazing what this girl can do! It was also fun to get together with a wonderful bunch of friends. Our kids are all around the same age ranging from 8 months - 3 years. We've watched everyone grow up together. It was truly a wonderful picture to see all the kids gathered around the table eating and then doing a painting project. It was such a wonderful day.

With this cooler weather, my mind is turning towards Fall. I've already began to make plans for all of the things we will do these upcoming months. I've got my Scentsy Pumpkin warmer going warming the most delicious scent - Caramel Pear Crisp. Wow, it's so unbelievably good. It has me pining away for sweaters, crunchy leaves and getting all cozy bozy.

I've taken quiet a bit of a blogging break and I'm ready for that break to be over. I'm ready to start connecting with all of you again. I've missed y'all so much! This time of year brings new beginnings and I can't wait to start a new beginning with this blog and with all of you. Yeah!

My kiddo just woke up from her nap. The party totally wore her out. I'm off to kiss her cheeks! We'll chat soon!

Grace

This day sits with a weight on my shoulders. It's as though I can physically feel it pressing upon me. My eyes are heavy and and my body tired. I've been fighting off a cold/sore throat/sinus issue for well over a week now. Monday it landed me in a clinic for some relief. Tylenol, Tylenol - that's all I seem to hear anyone say to take. It's taken me nowhere closer to recovery.

My 16 month old has been testing the boundaries lately. This week it's been coming to a head and through the tantrums, crying, pinching, hitting and her constant throwing of anything within reach, I hear God whisper "Grace. Grace."

I've found my work load piling up as the last thing I want to do is anything that involves thinking. My mind is so cloudy with sickness that to think straight and longer than a few minutes just makes my head hurt all the more. But I have a large Scentsy fundraiser happening and I've got to think clearly. I've got to stay focused, sharp, professional and organized.

And he whispers "Grace. Grace."

The dishes haven't been done for days. They cover every available surface. I've been too sick to even think about touching them and no one else has made the move either. Did I mention there is no dish soap? I couldn't even do the dishes if I wanted too.

"Grace."

I'm surrounded by others and all I want to do is be alone. Still living with my husbands family, sister and brother and today is a day where I would like to be in my own world, with my own things, doing my own thing. And that reality is so far away that it almost makes me cry.

And yet he whispers "Grace."

2 Corinthians 12:9 has been on repeat in my mind. It's as though I can hear the Lord whispering this in my ear.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” 


My grace. It is sufficient. For YOU. For when you are completely undone, my incredible POWER is perfect. And that POWER will carry you. It will make you well. It will sustain you when you feel like you can't go on. And it will give you the GRACE to give others that same kind of grace - when you don't want too. When you feel like you can't. When it does't seem fair or right. MY GRACE will cover you. And my power will be perfect when you are weak. Because when you are weak, I am STRONG.


"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

And that power is carrying me through today. It's a minute-by-minute kind of thing. That amazing power is keeping me in a place of complete dependency on Him because I can't get through it alone.

His Grace.

His Power.

Together.

Helping Me.

Be Strong.

The Sweet Pea Project

I've tried to write this post numerous times. My words seem so inadequate because I am not good with them or expressing what I truly want to say. I fall so short in trying to convey the importance of things sometimes and I want to give this post the kind of care that it deserves.


You see, I have this incredible opportunity to contribute to one of the most touching things I will ever be a part of and I have the opportunity to share that with you. My hope is that you'll give me just a couple minutes of your time to share with you about the Sweet Pea Project and the incredible work that they are doing for families who have had a baby loss. I promise that your heart will be touched when you hear about what they do.


I was pregnant with my daughter, Aubrey, in 2010. It was the most exciting time of my life as I planned and prepared for her arrival. I had wanted to be a mom for so very long and when I found out that I was pregnant, I think it was truly one of the happiest days I'd ever experienced in my life. To know that new life was inside of me was incredible. Around that time, I had no less than 20 friends who were also pregnant. Many of my blogging friends were pregnant too and it was a fun time to be surrounded by so many who knew exactly what I was going through. It was during that time that I reconnected with a gal I went to high school with, Nerissa. She was a grade ahead of me but we shared a theater class and she also sat at the lunch table across from me. Our high school was small so we all seemed to know each other. We had a few mutual friends and it was nice to reconnect with her via Facebook.


Nerissa was in that group of people that I knew who were pregnant. Tragically, her son, Holden, died at just 38 weeks. A full term, sweet, beautiful baby boy who could have thrived in the outside world, passed away. And it ripped open his mother's heart. I remember hearing about Holden's passing and my heart felt like it broke into a million pieces. I was a new mom and I knew that I would be utterly devesatated if something were to happen to my daughter. I couldn't imagine my joy over her birth being shattered by her death. And I hugged my baby tighter wondering why I was so lucky. It didn't seem fair.


Through this terrible time in the life of Nerissa and her family, I've had a small chance to get to know her heart better and to listen to her share about her sweet boy. She is a mom who will not let the memory of her son die. He was a person who lived, who left an imprint and who had his mom and dad wrapped around his little finger. I love that I've got to know a little bit more about Holden through Nerissa's stories of him.


Today is Holden's birthday - April 13th. To honor his precious life, Nerissa is organizing a blanket and book drive in his name. Everything will benefit the Sweet Pea Project who's sole mission it is to help parents and families deal with the loss of their baby. They offer comfort, support and guidance during this time of incredible sadness and loss. Here is a bit about why they collect blankets.

When a child dies before or shortly after birth, the parents leave the hospital with broken hearts and empty hands.  The loss is amplified by the fact that there are often very few tangible items to remember the child by.

The Sweet Pea Project collects blankets to donate to hospitals and birthing centers.  The blankets are lovingly wrapped around these precious babies and then given to the parents to keep.  So far, the Sweet Pea Project has donated over 3500 blankets to grieving parents. It is our hope that the project will continue to grow so that every parent who faces this profound loss is given a soft blanket to snuggle their child in, and remember their child by.

Here is what Nerissa is going to do for the Sweet Pea Project:

Basically what I will be doing is collecting blankets and monetary donations. The SPP distributes the blankets to hospitals and birthing centers. A family like ours is then given their choice of blankets to wrap their precious baby in. After they say goodbye for the final time, they can then take the blanket home where it becomes a tangible memory of their child, something their baby actually touched in their short time on earth. Monetary donations will be used to purchase copies of the founder's (Stephanie Cole) book "Still to be distributed to my local hospitals. 

The Sweet Pea Project guidlines for blanket donations are as folows:

• ANY brand new baby blanket. 
• Handmade blankets must be made from fleece, flannel, or cotton. SPP discourages donations of crochet or knitted blankets because of the extremely delicate nature of a stillborn baby's skin. While it may feel soft to us, the fibers of these blankets can actually cause tears or abrasions on a stillborn baby's skin. If that is the only type of blanket someone is able to donate, the SPP asks that it be made out of the special baby yarn. 

Nerissa will also be accepting monetary donations to her PayPal address. For every $5 donated, she can purchase one copy of Stephanie Cole's book "Still" to donate to a bereaved family to try to help them so they don't feel so alone. This book is a short read, so not overwhelming for someone in the depth of grief. Nerissa said it helped her feel much less alone. Through this book she started connecting to people who she could really talk to and could understand her feelings of despair, longing and anger. She said this book was one of her lifesavers. 


Let's help get this book in women's hands!




I would love to see Nerissa have an outpouring of love just flood her mail box and her pay pal account. I know that $5 can be a lot of money to some and to others it's a small drop in the bucket. Maybe don't have that coffee at Starbucks this week, or put off that craft project until next week. Maybe buy one less bag of chips or package of cookies and use that $5 to truly make an impact. Let's do what we can for Nerissa, for Holden, The Sweet Pea Project, and families who are dealing with one of the worst tragedies a family could ever face. Please feel free to Facebook, Tweet, and share this blog post so we can keep the word going. 




To donate a blanket please mail them to:


Nerissa Tiffany
PO BOX 74
Saegertown, Pennsylvania  16433




To make a monetary donation or to find out more information, contact Nerissa at dreamersdisease@yahoo.com.




To find out more about the Sweet Pea Project, please go here. 

Kool-Aid Playdoh

I am constantly searching for new activities to do with Aubrey. She's 14 months old and is really starting to explore her surroundings with major curiosity. I'm putting together activities to help her develop her motor skills and to expand her sensory. And hey, we just need a bit of fun around here too!


I recently made Aubrey some playdoh. And oh we had fun! I made sure to make the edible kind in case she decided to pop some in her mouth...which she did. But it didn't taste good so she made a funny face and out it came. 


So here are the instructions for Kool-Aid Playdoh!

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons of Cooking Oil
• 1/2 Cup of Salt
• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup Boiling Water
• Kool-Aid Packets
• Food Coloring (If you want a rich color to your dough)

Add one packet of Kool-Aid, one cup of white flour, 2 tablespoons of oil, a half cup of salt and one cup of boiling water to a large mixing bowl. The dough will be H-O-T so I used a spoon to mix the ingredients. When the dough cools enough, use your hands to knead the dough until the color is consistent and the dough is formed. (This is the fun part!) 

I stored our Playdoh in plastic baggies. They kept for several weeks! 

Aubrey got a big kick out of the playdoh. We really had a lot of fun with this activity. And it was SO quick. It took just a few minutes to make!

My only word of caution about this playdoh is to watch it around your dogs. There is a high salt content which can make your pooches upchuck if they ingest it. We had lots of brightly colored piles around the house. Ew. 

Dressing Your Truth - It's Changed My Life

Have you ever experienced something that has changed your life? Well, in the past few months, I have. But it was only when I decided to commit myself and not just flake through it. But first, let me give you a little background.

I've struggeled since childhood to love my appearance. I was always got caught in the comparision game even at an elementary school age. My clothes weren't as cool, my hair wasn't as great, I wasn't as tiny, my teeth were crooked...and on and on the things I said to myself went. It's truly been a struggle for me in every way. It probably didn't help that I was drawn to more of a "different" kind of style. I remember once writing in my journal about why it wasn't fair that I didn't like crew neck sweatshirts like all of the rest of the girls. I loved my second hand tee shirts with funny sayings. My favorite was "Bald is Beautiful. God only created so many perfect heads - the rest he covered with hair." I loved that shirt! I didn't fit the typical mold and though I loved putting my outfits together, I so often felt out of place.

When I was in my first year of Master's Commission, I had a real struggle with myself. I was in a new place, a new city, surrounded by people I didn't know, who were dripping with talent, experience and style. I felt like a schmoe - whatever a schmoe is. And finally one day, after realizing that everytime I looked in the mirror, I was picking out my flaws. And I stopped. I stopped to look at myself. To truly stare myself in the eyes and see who I was. I looked at my lips. I looked at my eyes. I looked at my nose. I stared at myself. This was my face. This was my body. THIS was my physical apperance. This is how God created me. Perfect in his eyes.

It was an eye opening experience for me to actually see myself as I truly was. Later that day I had a long conversation with my Director of our Master's Commission team. He helped me realize I was a person who had a lot of "trophies" but lacked the knowledge of who I truly was to help walk in that truth. See, I was my high school prom queen. I had won first runner-up in a beauty pagent at our county fair. I had been the leader and president of a number of groups. I had a ton of friends. It wasn't like I was stuck in a corner isolated in my life. I had a vibrant, active, full life. I just had this incredible internal struggle. My Director gave me a list of scriptures that eventually helped changed my life. They were Bible verses that specifically show us who God says we are. I challenged myself to read a scripture a day and to concentrate on living that out. I would pray over the verse, journal about my thoughts and speak it forth all day long. It was truly, truly life changing. And God began to really erase those dark areas of my heart that had been shrouded in insecurity. Just a couple of weeks ago, Christine and I were talking about our weight loss journies, and she said "I never hear you say anything negative about yourself." And I don't. I've been changed from the inside and it's a stronghold that has been broken. My prayer and challenge in this life is to help other women break that in themselves too with the truth of God's Word.

Enter a few months ago.

My mother-in-law came across a program called "Dressing Your Truth". She had been blog reading and came across one woman's experience with this life changing program. And from that instant, we were hooked. Dressing Your Truth can best be described as a makeover program that teaches you how to highlight your natural beauty so you look amazing and feel great. It's absolutely changed my life. Before, dresssing was a struggle. Now it's freedom and I'm excited about creating outfits. I've learned how to purchase clothes and wear my hair that honors my true beauty. I'm finally wearing all of my clothes because I've gone through all of the clothes that don't honor me anymore and what I'm left with is stuff that truly highlights who I am. I'm excited to get dressed. I'll tell you two quick stories and then I'll share with you how you can find out more about Dressing your Truth.

Story #1: A month or so ago, I took Aubrey to our local science center for an outing. We met up with two friends and their kiddos. I was dressed in a white long sleeved tee shirt, jeans, and had on a gold/pearl necklace with a big white flower pinned to it. (The same outfit as in the photo above - but with the addition of the flower. Like in the photo below.) Nothing spectacular - and in fact, probably not as stylish as the fashion industry would have you think. In fact, the two girls I was with would probably have been considered much more stylish. They were both dressed head to toe in black. They had on tights and knee high boots and killer accessories. They really looked great. But as we were walking down one coridor of the science center, one of the workers looked right at me and said "Wow! You look amazing!" I honestly thought she was talking to Aubrey as she was decked out pretty cute and I looked down at her and smiled. But the woman was looking at me! And I sort of fumbled and said "Oh, me?" And she said "Yes! You look so great!" I was quiet shocked honestly but accepted her compliment and beamed. It felt really good. I felt bad that the comment was said right in front of the other two moms, but I knew that DYT was changing how others saw me.

Story #2: I had an appointment at the bank to open a new bank account for Scentsy. As I approached the desk to tell them I was there for my appointment, the woman's eyes sort of lit up and she said "You are so beautiful!" It again, took me aback, and I told her how kind she was to say that. But she kept going on about how great I looked. Mind you, I wasn't in anything spectacular. A pretty white coat I bought at Old Navy, jeans, my purse, my hair done - really that's all you could see. But everything was honoring my type of beauty. As I waited for my appointment I even sent out a facebook update about how you should always compliment someone when you admire what they are doing/wearing because you never know how you could make their day. Later at that same appointment, I had the same sort of experience with the girl opening my new account and from the woman who approved my identification. At the end of my appointment, all three women were gathered around the check-in desk raving about how good I looked. It was unreal.

I tell you those two stories to share with you how life changing this program has been for me. And honestly, that's just two stories out of a host of situations where I have been stopped and complimented. It's not because I'm wearing something super fabulous or expensive. No, most of my clothes come from Old Navy. My jewelery is mostly from Walmart. I'm still a stay-at-home mom who get stains on her clothes. It's not that I'm drop dead gorgeous. Hello, no. :) But I've learned to take the beauty, the energy, the personality God has given me and use them to truly draw out my own beauty. This program has been life changing for me. I am confident inside and out. Finally, my outside matches my inside.

Dressing Your Truth has changed my life and the lives of countless other women - and men! I can't tell you what it's done to my marriage. I finally am at a point where I understand Shane and he gets me. It's incredible. This fall, my mother-in-law and I head out to a Dressing Your Truth confrence; Be You, Be Beautiful. I can't wait!

So, if you're interested in learning more about DYT, there is an awesome offer happening right now. You can get the Beauty Profiling Course (where you learn about your specific type of beauty) for FREE. Normally it's $39. And, once you learn what your type of beauty is (there are 4), then you take the Beauty Profiling Course to learn what clothes, colors, fabrication (and more) is best for your type of beauty. It's been the most freeing thing ever. The course is on sale for $99 until March 31st. It's normaly over $250.

So, if you're like me and you've ever experienced insecurity - or if you're moving through life and people just dont' "get you", I would encourage you to look at Dressing Your Truth. It's changed my life inside and out.

And P.S. If you go through the course - I am a Type 1. The Bright, Animated Woman. :)

Splish Splash

I've mentioned before that Friday night is Craft Night with my friend, Christine. This girl needs to start a blog. Seriously, you'd flip for what she creates and decorates. She's amazing.

A scene from Craft Night - Paints, Art Supplies, Tulle, My Laptop, Beverages, Snacks and the Baby Monitor. We're all set! 

So, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to personalize this little bucket that I snagged for Aubrey at the Target Dollar Spot when we were in Pennsylvania for Christmas. It was only 50 cents and I wish I had bought quiet a few more!

I decided to use it to put in Aubrey's bathtub toys. She love playing in the tub but because we aren't living at home, I can't quiet keep all her toys in the bathroom like it would make sense to do.  So, instead, every night I bring them back and forth from her room to the bathroom. This little bucket just makes that process cuter.

I cut the vinyl using my Cricut Expression and adhered the words "Splish Splash". I think it turned out pretty cute!

Here is a picture of Aubrey because I just can't get enough of her!


And yes, I am one obsessive momma because I dry each and every toy before putting it in the bucket so that they won't mildew or have stinky water collecting in the bottom of the bucket. I am that mom - always have been, probably always will be. :)

Aubrey's Play Yard

While we live at my inlaws home while ours is being renovated, we've had to come up with some creative solutions for our ever growing little girl. For most of her life (until she was 9 months old), she shared a room with her Daddy and I. Then my sister-n-law moved out and Aubrey was moved into her old room. But, it was still not a space for her to daily play. Grandma long before had become creative and used a kiddie pool to contain Aubrey's toys...and Aubrey! It worked wonderfully until Aubrey started standing up and then the pool became unsafe for her.

We then graduated to a play yard. This worked so great for a few months but again, Aubrey was growing bigger and was practicing her walking skills.

The set up in the middle of the living room. We later cut the mats down around the play yard and filled the gaps inside the play space.

Last week we added more panels to the play yard, some new mats, and created a nice, big space for Aubrey to play in. It's WONDERFUL. She just plays and plays and plays. She truly loves it in there.


Here are some photos of her current play yard and a little personalization project I did to help make the space more "her." (I apologize for the lighting and quality. They were taken with my iPhone at night. Unfortunately, there was no way to photograph the play yard in the day light without it looking a wreck. :) )

I purchased these buckets at the dollar store. There were only two white ones though so I'm on the lookout for one more to complete the set.

I set up my Cricut Expression and began cutting out some vinyl letters for Aubrey's buckets. I used the font "Pharmacy".

This bucket says "Aubrey" with butterfly's before and after her name. Unfortunately it was really hard to get a shot of the entire name. 

"Toys" with stars before and after the word. 

Aubrey's Play Yard Set Up. We moved the couch and love seat to accommodate they play yard. It now takes up the back half of the living room. It's in a perfect nook! And yes, her grandparents are amazing for suggesting we create this space for Aubrey and for giving up so much of the living room for her.

If you happen to purchase these panels, the instructions will tell you that you cannot set up a square/rectagnle with them as having the panels not on an angle will make it much more wobbly. And while we found this to be the case, the play yard is supported on each side by walls, side tables, a couch and a love seat. My welder Father-in-Law is also in the process of fashioning stability bars to also add strength. Aubrey hasn't had any issues and she generally never hangs on the walls anyways, but we certainly want this to be a safe place for her.

Hooray for having a place that my kiddo can have a blast in so mommy can get a few things done during the day!

Mommyhood: Surviving On Little Sleep

I started this post months ago. It's been kicking around in my Drafts on my Blogger dashboard. Well, today I need this post more than ever. I figured I'd brush the dust off and start putting into practice what I wrote those few months ago. The bright eyed mom at the time knew that the mom running on three and a half hours of sleep would need to reread this post. Let me set up my coffee IV drip and I'll finish up what I started. It's going to be a looooooooooong day.

Source Unkown



We've all had those nights where our little one would not sleep and you as the diligent, awesome, attentive mother that you are stayed up right along side them. Or, that pillow you were using to cover your ears from the wails just wasn't filtering out the sound like you'd hoped.

I'm joking.

Kind of.

We've all had a sleepless night..or two...or five months worth...  Last night was one of those nights for me. We are currently sharing a room with Aubrey due to a home renovation so there is no option of trying to bear through her night waking/screaming. And, she's teething. She was screaming and crying and eventually I was too. It was a rought night. I gathered a combined 4 hours worth of sleep last night. This momma is tired! Oh those sleepless nights!


So how do you survive the next day?


Coffee
Was there any doubt that this wouldn't be on the list? I mean, really. I was never much a coffee drinker until I became a mom. I don't even order a coffee drink at Starbucks! But I've found that starting my day with a warm cup of joe gives me a fresh burst of energy to get me through the first few hours of my day. Then I employ some other tactics so I'm not a slave to caffeine. If you're not a coffee drinker - what about some tea? Like Green Tea. I believe there are energizing properties in tea that can help you through those sleepies.


Stay Hydrated
And I'm talking about good old fashioned water here. Skip the pop and skip the third and fourth cups of coffee. Pop is loaded with sugar and after that initial energy burst, you are pretty much guranteed a crash. And that's the last thing we want! Fill a glass full of ice water and sip away. Staying hydrated will keep you fresh and ready. Don't skip this one!


Shower
I know what you're thinking. You want to head straight back to bed as soon as you can but I promise that a quick shower will rejuvinate your body and mind. It's amazing what that blast of water can do. If you really want to skip this step in favor of a nap, I'd encourage you to take a quick, hot shower and then take that nap. Clean skin and fresh hair will help you sleep a whole lot better. Promise!


Take a Power Nap
A power nap can be from 10-15 minutes - sometimes even 5. Don't make it longer than 20 minutes though as I've read that your body starts going into REM sleep and you will actually wake up MORE tired. We don't want that! If you've got the time during the day though to commit to an hours worth of sleep, I'd definatly take advantage of that. If you don't though, just stick to twenty minutes or less. I love to wear those sleeping masks that help filter out the light.


Exercise
Exercise is pretty much the first thing that I kick off the list when my day is too busy or I'm way too tired. But in reality, exercise gets your blood pumping and your heart racing. It's ENERGIZING! Exercising releases feel-good endorphines that leave you feeling great. Even if it's just a walk around the block, try to make some time for exercise.


Eat Right F and V's
Have you ever watched the show "Deadliest Catch"? It's a show about crab fisherman. I have to admit that it's one of my favorites but to see how the men punish their bodies to real in a bunch of crab leaves me cringing sometimes. They survive on little sleep - sometimes they are up for over 48 hour straight. Crazy. One thing that they do to stay awake is eat. They eat huge, calorie laden meals to trick the body to stay awake. I'm not suggesting to load up your plate with more food than you can possibly eat in a sitting, but I am saying that when you are tired your body thinks it's hungry. I've been up since 4 am. It is now over 8 am. I should have had a little breakfast hours ago. Load up on fruits and veggies for healthy, sustaining fibert that will keep you feeling full longer and power you up with energy for the day. And don't forget some protein too! Think chicken and eggs. Yum!


Accept Help
Sometimes this can be very hard as Mom's to do. But if someone is willing to step in and give you a hand today, accept it graciously. Maybe you can drop your precious darlings at your neighbors house for a couple hours for twenty bucks. It could be money well spent if you are able to catch up on some much needed rest. Or maybe those loving grandparents would like to visit with their cutie pie grandkids for awhile while you take a rest. Or maybe it's the arms of your partner that will reach in and give you the break you need. Whatever it is, if you are lucky enough to have the option, take it.


So there you are, friends. A few ways to stay up in a sleep deprived state. As I was updating my facebook status at 5 am, I was amazed at the other mom's who's little ones weren't sleeping this early morning. Must be something in the air. And also as a little UPDATE, Aubrey is now sleeping in her room for 12+ hours a night...that is when she isn't teething!!


Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to load up my IV again......ZONK.

Walking

These precious feet made their first steps on Sunday. They walked right to Daddy. It was the most exciting thing! The next day she took a few more steps. I'm so excited to see where those little feet will take her in this life!