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Browsing category archives: joys of toddlerhood

Rainbow Birthday Cake

I know it’s been a while since my last blog….at least 6 months….but life sometimes gets in the way. I have been very busy chasing around 2 children under the age of 4, planting a huge garden (over 20 tomato plants!), moving wood chips to my flower beds (150 feet of flower beds!), numerous vacations, and so much more! 
I am hoping to post some of the projects I did this summer in the future. For now, I am celebrating this little girl’s 2nd birthday! She is my smiley, crying, barefoot, dancing, giggling, yelling, tickling, chocolate eating, thumb sucking little girl Remy! I forget how little they are when they are born 🙂

 *Photo by Adara Photography 

 *Photo by Adara Photography 

For her 1st Birthday I went with a Pink & Green Princess theme. This year I wanted to do a rainbow theme, so here is her 2nd birthday cake! I threw in a My Little Pony, just because it seemed fitting. (Too bad I couldn’t find a Rainbow Bright figure!)
 I used the Pillsbury Bold Funfetti Cake mixes to create the colors. I had to split the orange and blue to make the colors red and purple. I frosted each layer and really felt that if I did the outside it would be WAY too much frosting.  
I added a #2 to the top for her birthday!

The top is made with Nerds and Rainbow Twizzlers, carefully held in place by toothpicks. 
Here’s the back of the cake:

Here is how the cake looked once we cut into it. (Sorry for the blur, I was a little in a hurry trying to serve cake before the ice cream melted.)
Overall, I think it might rank up there with some the best cakes I have made! Thanks for checking out our blog and look for more of my summer projects coming up!


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Organizing Jigsaw Puzzles

Part of my New Year’s Resolutions was to organize my house better. As a parent to both a three and a one year old, the constant battle we are having are toys. However, the worst of all the “toys” are the millions of jigsaw puzzle pieces that we own.
This kid of mine LOVES puzzles:
With puzzles comes all of these annoying boxes that become very hard to store, lose shape which causes pieces to fall out of the side, and then we have lost pieces. 
One day as I was on facebook, I saw an ad on the side for a photo box organizer. (Like the one time I actually look at that sidebar!) It was something similar to this:
I had an idea that this might be just what I need to organize these puzzles. This box opens up and contains little boxes (originally designed to hold 4″x6″ photos) but all I could think of is PUZZLE PIECES!
Let the puzzle organization begin! I first decided to make sure all of our puzzles had all their pieces. We put them together and I marked the back of each puzzle with a different symbol. If they ever get mixed up, it will make it easier to tell them apart. 

Next, I took all of the puzzle boxes and scanned the image. (You could just cut the box instead, but I wanted it to be more uniform.)
I printed the images out and trimmed them up.
Then I affixed them to the inside of each box and filled them with the jigsaw puzzle pieces.
The results are wonderful. All the puzzles fit great and it’s a nicely organized way to keep the puzzles together.
Looks a bit more organized to me, how about you?
One problem area of my life solved! If you have a great toy organization tip for kids toys I would love to hear it, just comment below!


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Losing The Baby Weight With The Second Child

This has been the post I have been dreading the most about writing. I have not had any time over the last few months to really post as much as I would like, but this post has been weighing on my mind  —literally. It’s the dreaded “losing the baby weight” post.

If you follow our blog regularly, you know that I was SOOOO good about documenting this baby weight battle with my first child. (Read previous posts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8). At the time I wrote the final post of this series Aiden was 9 months old and I weighed 124 pounds. I had lost 46 pounds in 9 months!

Here’s a nice before and after pic:

As of right now, my daughter Remy is 9 months old and can’t be any cuter!

However, being that this is now my second child I wanted to confirm the rumors that are true….losing the weight with the second child is harder! At least it seems that way!

There are a number of reasons I think it seems harder…sleep deprivation, chasing around two kids, lack of time, lack of energy, and honestly I love my nightly glass of red wine with chocolate! Whatever excuses I want to give you, the honest truth is I just decided not to put the pressure on myself the way I did with my first child. My mother always told me that it takes you 10 months to put the weight on and it will take at least 10 months to take it off. I decided to take it easy this time around, spend more time with my kids instead of time with my treadmill, and try to eat healthy most days.

I started out this pregnancy weighing 8 pounds more than my ideal weight and ended the pregnancy at a whopping 181 pounds. With the help of myfitnesspal, endomondo, total insanity, p90x (parts of it), and a few other workout videos I can say I am getting there! I may not be as far as I was the first time around, but at least I am working at it and focusing on not putting too much pressure on myself. I currently weigh 133 pounds. And for those math majors out there, that’s a lost of 48 pounds which is surprisingly more then I lost with my first at this time. (BTW, this was a surprise to me as I wrote this post!)  I still have a good 13 pounds to lose to be back at my pre-baby weight, but I am not sweating it (except when I workout!)

The moral of this story for all you second time moms out there is:

You will lose the weight.

Focus on eating healthy, take your kids for walks to parks (far away), and reward yourself periodically so you don’t deprive yourself and binge. You will lose the weight!


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DIY: Valentine’s Day Heart Bird Feeder

Is there anything sweeter then a little boy and his Grandma?? Or in my son’s case his Farmor? There is! And that is watching them make these super cute heart shape bird feeders together!
Here is what you need to make these super cute bird feeders —btw a GREAT gift idea for Valentine’s Day! 

1 1/2 cups of birdseed
2 (1/4 oz) packages of unflavored gelatin
heart shaped cookie cutters
cooking spray
wax paper
twine

Step 1:  Mix 1/2 cup of water and gelatin together in a bowl.

Stir until dissolved.

Step 2: Pour in 1 1/2 cups of birdseed.

Step 3: Measure about 7 inches of twine out and cut it.

Tie the twine in a knot to make a loop.

Step 4: Lay heart shaped cookie cutters on some wax paper and spray with cooking spray.

Step 5: Fill the cookie cutters half full of the birdseed mixture.

Step 6: Press the birdseed down into the cookie cutter.

Step 7: Lay the twin loop on the birdseed.

Step 8:  Top the twine with more birdseed until cookie cutter is full.  (Look at those cute little hands!)

You will end up with a couple really cute heart-shaped filled cookie cutters.

Step 9: Let the cookie cutters dry for a few hours and then gently unmold the feeders. Let the birdfeeders dry for another 72 hours until hard.

 Step 10: Find a nice spot, preferable near a window, to hang your finished heart bird feeder.

And enjoy the view as you show the birds in your neighborhood some love!!!

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Baby 2.0: Being A Mother Of Two Children

It’s been officially one month since we brought home our second child Remy. It feels strange, because I can honestly say that it hasn’t felt like it’s been a month. Things have been going pretty good, but you can tell by my lack of blogging that I have been a little busy. With that said, I have been pretty good about responding to the random emails I get from a number of friends asking many questions— such as “How are you doing?” “Are you getting sleep?” “Are you going insane yet?” and more along those lines. I love the concern that my friends have and thought I would write a blog about the most common question of all,  “What’s it like having two kids?”  Well here it goes….

The Second Is Easier
I know this one is a HUGE statement to start out this blog, but I really feel (and might regret) saying that so far having a second child is easier. I say this because you aren’t as jumpy or as clueless of a parent the second time around. I remember when we first had Aiden and any little noise he made would send me running over to the bassinet. You aren’t familiar with nursing (which I can say now I have had two kids, Aiden was SUPER hard to nurse) and you just aren’t accustom to all the other things that come with a baby (burping, diapers, crying, and lack of sleep.) With the second one, it’s just like a repeat, especially if you are like me and can remember doing it with the first one not very long ago. Now, I should also say that God has blessed me with not one, but two calm babies with quiet cries– who enjoy sleeping.  This could change any minute with her and I might regret writing these words because she is only a month old, but so far she has been an easy baby to have.

The Balancing Act

It’s somewhat of a balancing act to have a 2 year old and a 1 month old. As an only child your toddler is use to you praising every little accomplishment, laughing at all the silly things they do, and comforting every little noise of frustration they might make. When the second child comes along, it’s hard to be there to “reaffirm” every little action he or she makes. Between lack of sleep, nursing a newborn, changing multiple diapers daily, and trying to maintain your household it becomes very hard to notice every little movement the first child makes and give them the praise you use to. They notice this and it’s hard for them to understand. I know it’s very hard it is for him to comprehend having a sibling this at this age, so I try to make my best effort to give him my undivided attention between all the other activities going on around the house. Even if it’s yelling “Good job buddy!” all the way across the house, he hears me and notices that I am noticing him.

Super Powers

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With the second child comes a type of parenting super power you never wished you had so much with the first— the ability to not just protect one child, but now two children. It sounds easy enough, but you never realize until you bring home child number 2 that you might have to protect them from child number 1, especially a toddler! My toddler is all boy….loud, hyper, rough, and dirty. With the new baby around, I have to make sure he understands he can’t be so rough with her and it’s very difficult for him to understand. The other day I turned my back for a second and he was trying to shove a bottle into her mouth. (It was seriously a second– I walked 5 feet from the table to the kitchen.) He has a habit of shoving a stuff in her face and yelling “THANK YOU BROTHER” as he things he is being helpful. Although you can’t really grow eyes in the back of your head (which would be nice), I now have to learn to scan the room for any “harmful scenarios” that could take place between a toddler and a baby. He is learning not to be as rough with her, but he still has to be reminded once in a while.

Enjoy The Moments

In all the not so fun times of adding a second baby, it’s important to remember to enjoy the moments with your kiddos especially in hard times. I found at first I was becoming very frustrated with having two kids. It gets overwhelming to change 7 “stinky” diapers in 2 hours or have your toddler mimic the cry of the baby at the same time to get attention. Not to mention the hormone fluctuations that come with just having a baby. Life can be hard adjusting to two kids and I found myself yelling more and honestly most of the yelling was directed at my toddler. Not screaming or anything like that, but just yelling “No” or “Timeout” louder. Let’s face it, toddlers do naughty things because they don’t know any better and they are learning. I had to stop and remind myself that at this moment– the moment when I have a 2 year old and a 1 month old– will never happen again! This is the only time in my life when my kids will be this age. I don’t want to feel like all I do is yell at my kids. I don’t want my toddler to learn yelling is the way to handle stress. I don’t want the baby to grow up only knowing a mother who yells. It’s important to realize that these “hard time” are not really hard. They are uncomfortable moments, but will for sure make good memories some day. It’s important to keep my cool, control my emotions, and speak in a normal voice for the benefit of all of us.

Ask For Help

This one is a given. With the second child, you have less time to get things done like you use to so asking for help needs to be done. I don’t think I have every had a problem asking for help when I have needed to. I am one of those people that speaks their feelings, so asking for help just comes naturally to me. I have no problem asking my Mom to watch the kids or the husband to vacuum the living room, but I have now found a new resource of help— my toddler. Toddlers LOVE to help out with anything they can and I take full advantage of it! Aiden enjoys getting the burp rag, throwing the diapers away, getting my water bottle, unloading the dishwasher, and even burping his sister (which he has learned to do gently.) It makes me happy (and sad) to see how much he is no longer by baby but a helpful little boy that LOVES to help his Mama out!
Well that is how being mother of two has been going for me. Times aren’t perfect always, but we are learning as each day goes by…and WOW is time flying by! I can’t believe it’s already been a month! 

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The Joys Of Toddlerhood Part 1

My son is officially 15 months and 2 weeks old today and more active than ever! Usually, all you hear about the toddler years are the fighting, yelling, and the naughtiness of a toddler, but I wanted to write a little short blog on the joys of toddlerhood.
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Every morning when I go in to pick up my son from his crib, he has such excitement on his face. I would like to think that the joy is to see me (and some might be), but I think the majority of his excitement if for all the new things he knows he will learn that day. It’s amazing to think that a short 15 months ago he was just a little baby that would barely move.

Each morning we wake up, take out the dog, make our hike down the stairs to put food in the dog bowl, and make the great climb back up the stairs to begin the day. (I like to think the climb up the stairs is his little version of Mt. Everest.) He makes me coffee (well I set it all up, he pushes the button) and I usually make him oatmeal. With spoon in hand, in about 30 minutes, he has managed to eat half of the oatmeal and use the rest for a nice moistrizing facial mask.

After breakfast, the day goes pretty much on a schedule. We play, he naps, eat lunch, play again, nap, play, dinner, and bedtime…you get the idea. Our days are somewhat of a routine but the moments when we play are the best and they change daily. He has almost mastered the names of all the animals in his books. (Well, he can’t say them, but I can ask him and he will point at the picture.) I can ask ‘what sound does a snake make’ and he will boastfully respond “sssssss” or ‘what sound does a piggy make’ and he will give me the biggest snort you have ever heard from a little boy. We are still working on the sound a duck makes, but all he can muster is a “duck duck” instead of a “quack quack”, I am sure those “q’s” are a hard one to learn.

He loves to watch the birds on our bird feeders and giggles each time a new one flies over (counted 11 the other day!) We walk up and down our driveway, which is almost a quarter of a mile each time. He has mastered the log roll, working on the somersault, and hopefully we can start the cartwheel soon. He’s a tough kid who falls down on his face several times a day and makes little sound if any. He carries his monkey everywhere he goes and says “hot” at anything that is Mom’s food. We read about 30 books a day and he makes engine noises while playing with his trucks. He points at everthing, claps for himself when he does something he is proud of, and runs around the house like a little maniac.
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I still look forward to when he learns to use his imagination, which he has not quite grasped the concept yet. (I made him some x-ray glasses out of Duplo blocks yesterday and he was not impressed.) There are moments of the beginning temper tantrums, him shaking his head “no”, whining, and picky eating which I am sure will get worse before they get better. I have responded calmly and cooly and hope to keep that up.
Despite the bad moments, all the fun moments of watching him learn, explore, and experiment are worth every penny. I hope this posts makes you look forward to your little one reaching this fun toddler stage or makes you remember when your child was his age. I understand these years are some of the best you will remember and I hope to relish in the moment while I have it.

“For infants and toddlers learning and living are the same thing. If they feel secure, treasured, loved, their own energy and curiosity will bring them new understanding and new skills.” – Amy Laura Dombro


I leave you with this video of him I find hilaroious. We took him to the Children’s Science Museum and he learned that if he jumps on the scale he can make the needle move. We had quite the laugh watching him.


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