First Time Mommy Tips

     Having a baby young was hard. I didn't know what to expect, I didn't know how hard it was really going to be. Being a mom is not an easy job. While it is the best thing in the world, at times it can seem like a day is an eternity. Especially if you don't have your baby daddy/boyfriend/husband there to help you. I always say if I didn't have my mom and mother in law I would have been lost. Literally. I am also an independent kind of person when it comes to child. I like to do things just him and I. I guess it's that because I want him to stay my little boy forever. Now that he's 2 and 3 months were thinking were ready for another. A 3 year age gap is the perfect age gap, in my opinion.  So this next time around (no it hasn't happened yet) I am going to do things so much differently. Everyone always says that your first is always an experiment, lol in some ways I guess that's true. But anyway, here are some advise I have for first time moms. Things I wish people told me.

     1. It's going to be hard. Regardless of how good of a sleeper your newborn is, it's going to be tough to balance this new person in your life that you are completely responsible for. Your life will never be the same so make sure you are ready to take on the role of being a mom. Or even a single mom. That makes it 10 times harder if your baby daddy isn't going to stick around. I give major props to single moms because I don't think I could have done it by myself without going stir crazy.

     2. BREASTFEED! Seriously, do you know how expensive formula is?! If you're going to go organic you can add 5$ more to that price of formula every single week maybe week and a half. Earths Best Organic Formula is truly the best. Ordering it online it cost $28.15 not including shipping an handling. I know in the stores it's more. So just let that sink in. There is cheaper formulas out there but organic is the way to go. And also, it's a proven fact that breast fed babies are smarter.

     3. Diapers and Wipes. Now if you choose to cloth diaper you'll fork out a lot more money in the beginning but end up saving a lot more in the end. I've never done it so I'm not the person to ask. Making your own baby wipes with Organic Coconut Oil is a good way to save money also. Again, I haven't done it so I don't know how well they work or how well they clean the poop off.  Just something to think about. Also having to buy diapers and wipes (always, always but the biggest box of wipes possible because you use 3 times and many wipes as you do a diaper. For instance, the baby poops. So you use 7-8 wipes to clean him then only one diaper to put on him again) Remember that. We used to have to buy wipes every 3 days because we didn't catch on until he was like 3 months old. Lol

     4. DON'T BUY NEWBORN CLOTHES! And don't register for them. Unless the doctor tells you that you're going to have a preemie, don't buy a bunch of newborn clothes and register for them. Buy a few newborn outfits a few 0-3 Month outfits and a ton of 3 month outfits. I can't tell you how much newborn stuff I never even used because my son outgrew them within the first week of his life. Especially if you wash and dry them first, (which I highly, highly recommend doing!) Also don't go crazy with the blankets and bibs just yet. Newborns don't need a bib. Especially if you are breast feeding. It's just unnecessary. Until your baby starts eating solids, a burp cloth will do just fine.

     5. Breathable Bumpers is a must. All these bedding sets that come with these puffy bumpers are just asking for a lawsuit. Your baby can't really move if you put them in the crib. Even in the middle of the crib they are somewhat wiggle worms after the first few weeks of their life and they could easily wiggle up to the bumper and suffocate themselves. Babies don't know how to move away from things like that until after 6 months of their life. Despite how smart you think your newborn is, they still don't know how to help themselves. And you will sleep much easier knowing that if their little face smashes up against the bumper, they can still breathe.

     6. Newborn shoes are completely unnecessary. Like seriously your baby is going to be held or on the floor for tummy time so there is absolutely no need for shoes. And they just look dumb, in my opinion.  After 3-4 months, maybe. But seriously until they start standing on their own there is no need for shoes.

     7. Car seat and Stroller. Invest In a good one because you're going to use it every day. And also, make sure the stroller can fit in the trunk to your car. If you like to exercise then get a jogging stroller with the car seat that goes along with it. Always match brands. Never combine different ones. They are made to go together for a reason. Also, take a car seat safety class. You'd be surprised at how many people put their newborns in wrong. The hospital will help you when you leave after you give birth also.

These are just some tips from
One mommy to another. I hope they can help some Mommy's! Any questions please email me at Melissalaspata@gmail.com  I'll try my best to answer any questions!

Be a lover, not a fighter.

     Having a little boy is great. I love the dirt, bugs, and trucks.  But teaching a little boy to grow up and be a caring and loving man is another thing. I am very big on teaching my son to be compassionate. I want him to care about other people, as well as himself. For those of you who don't know the real meaning of Compassion is: sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
     So teaching a little boy how to do that is a challenge. Most boys could care less about other people and their feelings.  But I've tried my hardest to teach my son how to do so. And I think I've done a pretty good job so far. I always say I want my son to grow up to be a gentleman. I don't want him to be an arrogant person who has no regards for other people. I want him to have goals, and accomplish them and to be strong willed, but not a sexist. Hopefully, along with teaching my son how to do these things he will be successful in life and respect women as long as he lives.

Here are some tips for raising little boys to be gentlemen:

• Show him love- Not just the love between you and him, show him how to love another person. Like your husband or boyfriend. If your son watches your husband/boyfriend treat you badly then obviously he's going to think that's how a man treats a woman. I know this isn't the most ideal of examples but it probably is the most important one.
• Pets-Now this is just another example. But honestly, a dog is a mans best friend. And if you have a dog, you know this. We have a little 5 pound  Yorkie, and while he is only 5 pounds he is a lot of dog. We got our dog when I was 5 months pregnant and it was one of the best $1500 we spent. (lol) My dog and my son are best friends and I know that my son truly cares about him as if he is a little brother. I always say that when little boys grow up with a dog, they're more caring people when they grow up because they've had to watch out for them and take care of them. It also teaches boys responsibility. Which they need to learn at a young age, in my opinion.
• Manners- another BIG thing. I am very tough on my son about his manners. Even at 2 years and 3 months he knows that he does not get something unless he says Please and Thank You. I always say that manners never go out of style. Especially for boys/men. Obviously he is a little boy still so I can only teach him so much right now but I will make sure of it that he has his manners and he behaves like a gentlemen should.
• Temper-Now I know that boys and men can have a temper, believe me, I know. Especially us Italians, But learning to control their temper is something they are going to have to learn. Along the way of them learning to control their temper, its your job as his mother to teach him a few things that go along with getting mad. You have to teach him and tell him that what hes feeling is okay. Everyone gets mad, but how you handle yourself in those situations will set you apart from others. In a good way of course. Make sure you let him know that when he gets mad it is not acceptable for him to hurt himself or others. He can not break things, especially if something doesn't belong to him.

      

Try these few tips and see if they help. I know from experience with my son that these tips and tricks work. I hope they can help some other moms. And don't forget, kids are sponges. What they see is what they become. BE A GOOD EXAMPLE AND ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR CHILD.

Check It Out!

Hey everyone! So I know my last post was a little different than usual, but there was a reason I did that. Nico and I, along with other mommies were featured in a magazine! All about pregnancy. Its a very informative magazine and I advise all new moms and pregnant women to read it! You might learn something new or it might answer a question that you were somewhat embarrassed to ask. Please click this link http://chicasmag.blogspot.com/ and take the survey once you're done reading it. Enjoy!!

Welcome to the Mommy Club

At what point do you realize that not only are you a mother,  but you're a MOM. Whether you want to be called a mom or not, you are one now. You're going to walk around with spit up on your clothes and your hair looking a mess because you have a kid and you really don't care how you look. Truthfully all moms out there can admit to running to the store for milk with your pajamas on and you honestly could care less. Hoping not to see anyone you know in the process, of course. But really, not saying that once you become a mom you have to let yourself go, because I don't agree with that at all but honestly you had a kid and your life is changed...forever now.

People say that having a baby is easy, and yes they're right. HAVING a baby is easy, sort of. Taking care of a  baby is the hard part. Luckily newborns only drink breast milk or formula, and you know what's awesome? Breast milk is FREE! If you choose to breastfeed your baby will be smarter later on in life. It's a proven fact. Formula fed babies grow differently than breastfed babies also. I am a huge believer in breast feeding and even though I had a hard time with it, I did it for as long as I could.

Becoming a Mom

When you are pregnant you have all these thoughts running through your head. Like what kind of mom are you going to be? Are you going to be a cool mom? Or a strict mom? And honestly, you don't know what kind of mom you're going to be because you have no idea what your baby is going to be like. For instance, what If your baby has colic and they just cry all the time...are you going to be able to handle that? Or are you going to go crazy?

  These are the things you have to ask yourself before you give birth. Even before you have unprotected sex ask yourself if you're ready to be a mom, If you even second guess yourself, please don't have unprotected sex. There are enough babies born into this world whose parents can't even take care of themselves let alone an infant, or child for the next 18+ years.

But I say this with the utmost respect, Welcome to the Mommy Club. The club where coffee is your new best friend and sleep is your long lost lover. (That you'll eventually meet again..hopefully) The club where you cry over everything and nothing is in its place. Get used to it. Your a Mom now.

The Terrifying Scream

There is nothing more terrifying then when your child gets hurt, especially when it's something this serious. My heart still aches just talking about this but I feel the need to share this with all of my readers.

The scariest moment of my life. When my 2 year olds head is split open and there is blood everywhere. My heart sank right away and I thought I was going to get sick. I started to hysterically cry and shaking like you would not believe. We got his things together and I put him in my car and drove like a crazy person to the hospital. The longest car ride of my life. My sister in law was trying to keep my son awake because we didn't know if he had a concussion or not. A few minutes later we arrive at the hospital and I took my son out of the car and ran into the hospital and screamed "2 year old with a serious head injury we need help now!" They took us back right away thank god. He wasn't crying but I was. The nurses put this numbing cream on his head before they even looked at it really just to stop the pain.

He did not like the numbing cream

     So rewind a few hours my son was playing with a snow globe that he always plays with, I was downstairs and my sister in law was watching him. I hear my son crying and I was just thinking to myself oh he just fell he'll be okay in a second then when I still heard him crying and my mom say "Melissa get his things together were going to the hospital" I thought to myself, oh my God what the hell happened? My mom pulls the towel off my sons head and there is a gaping hole in my child's forehead. He split his head open on the snow globe as he was trying to lay down with it. It all happened so fast there is nothing I, my mom, or my sister in law could have done to stop it. It was just a freak accident.

     So back to the hospital, my husband arrived and my son could not have been happier to see his daddy. I was so relieved that my husband was there I just hugged him and broke down. Our poor little baby has a huge hole in his head and is going to need stitches at just 2 years old. So a few minutes later they bring the papoose in (basically a straight jacket for a kid) and strap him in and start stitching him up. I couldn't look, I just held his feet and hysterically cried. My husband was up by his chest helping the doctors hold him down. I was too much of a mess and I didn't want my son seeing me like that because I knew it would upset him even more. The doctors put 3 inner stitches in to close the wound and 7 outer stitches in. He actually fell asleep as they were stitching him up. That helped me calm down a lot as well because he wasn't screaming and crying for me anymore. So after they stitched him up and everyone was out of the room we woke him up and he was terrified. I guess he forgot for a second what happened then remembered and started crying again. But after a few minutes he was fine. He got stickers and lollipops galore! He was a happy camper after that.

 

Day 1 with stitches

The first time he saw his stitches Day 2

He looked a little silly with a huge band aid on his head for 10 days but it was worth it.

    The next 10 days didn't get any easier either. We had to keep it covered at all times and put what we call "magic lotion" on it. Really just medicine, but telling him it was magic lotion made it a lot easier to get on and off. We were leaving for the shore on Saturday and this happened on a Tuesday morning so leaving for the shore just got a whole lot more difficult. But we managed. Nico had a great time down the shore. He got his stitches out 10 days after it happened and his scar is looking better and better every day. I am so thankful that he is okay. I thank God every day that it wasn't worse. Even though it was really bad, it could have been worse.

After his stitches were out

His scar is looking better and better every day. I will be putting a mixture of coconut oil and vitamin E oil on it every day until its gone or pretty much gone. 

Going Green

     So I know I haven't posted anything in a while, we were getting ready for my sons 2nd birthday party, so needless to say we were extremely busy. But a few weeks before that my sister in law sent me this email about GMO's. So after reading that email I was disgusted. Seriously GMOs are in EVERYTHING! Its really a shame because not only are GMOs bad for adults, they're extremely bad for kids! For those of you that don't know GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. And what it is, is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. Organisms that have been genetically modified include micro-organisms such as bacteria and yeast, insects, plants, fish, and mammals. GMOs are the source of genetically modified foods, and are also widely used in scientific research and to produce goods other than food. So needless to say, they're just bad for you. 
     So I have always tried to not eat like crap and I don't want my kid eating like crap either, so a few years ago I went to beauty school up in Marlton, NJ and its right across from Whole Foods and we went there a couple times for lunch and I knew it was all organic but I never knew about GMOs or anything obviously until a few weeks ago. So then I also heard about Trader Joes and I heard some stuff was cheaper than Whole Foods so I figured I'd try Trader Joes first just to see what all the fuss was about. And let me tell you, I am totally loving Trader Joes. Okay I'll admit it, I'm kind of obsessed with that place. I go there at least once a week and its a good 45 minutes away from my house and honestly, I don't care one bit about spending the extra money on gas because its totally worth it. I first only went there to get the oh so fabulous coconut oil that I'm 100% obsessed with then while walking around the store I realized how cheap things were, and all Organic too! I was amazed. So after looking around at all the food they have this little section of beauty products like Shampoo and Conditioner. So I was looking at this one shampoo by Trader Joes and its called Nourish Spa, so I started reading the ingredients and on the back of the bottle and it says Enhanced with organic botanicals, it does not contain laurel/laureth sulfates. And I was amazed because 1. Its organic shampoo and conditioner and 2. It doesn't contain harsh sulfates! SCORE!! As a hairdresser I know that sulfates are bad for your hair because they take out the natural oils in your hair and it can cause hair to become dry and brittle. So after reading all the ingredients on the bottle I was sold. Now theres only one thing stopping me from buying it, the price. So here it is ladies......$2.99  I kid you not! $2.99 for a 16.9 fl oz of organic sulfate free shampoo! And the conditioner is the same price and same size too! Best Find Ever!

 

Shampoo

Conditioner

     And let me add that it smells fantastic and works amazing. Sorry for the half used bottles but I'm seriously obsessed with this stuff. I highly recommend this if you're having trouble with your hair and don't know what to do about it. Try this for a week and I promise you, your hair will feel and look better. Don't forget to comb your hair in the shower! My secret trick to smooth healthy hair!

     So back to the GMOs...here's a list that my fabulous sister in law sent me of everything that has GMOs in it. Please don't hate me for sharing this but hopefully you'll think twice next time you go to shop rite 

So gross right?! Read up on GMOs and you'll know why so many people have switched to organic GMO free food. 

Encouragement

Having a little boy is amazing. Even though he loves bugs, dirt and cars, that's the fun of having a boy! And also the love of sports. My son is obsessed with baseball. He plays baseball probably about 3-4 hours a day. He's had a tee for about 6 months now and he is absolutely amazing at hitting the ball off the tee. He has always had a love for baseball. The past few days he's been trying and trying to hit the ball by throwing it to himself. And yesterday, he mastered it. I seriously could not believe my eyes when I saw him throw the ball in the air and hit it. It was absolutely amazing to see the look on his face. I know he felt like he was on top of the world. But I have to stress this one subject, encouragement. The most important thing for a toddler is to feel like they are doing something good. Especially when they start knowing right from wrong. There are so many different ways to encourage your child. It doesn't matter how you show them that your proud of them, just do it. I like to use words like-

• Good Job! -it doesn't matter if they miss or they hit it a mile far, make sure you tell them they did a good job.
• Try Again- at first when he would miss hitting the ball he would freak out because he was getting frustrated and I seriously had to get down to his level (another important thing, always get on their level so your talking to them not at them.) And I had to tell him that it's okay to mess up. Everyone messes up and and everyone misses sometimes. Alls you have to do is Try Again! And from then on every time he misses I always say to Try Again. And he says it too.

And also, Just get excited, seriously-they are kids and anything and everything they do is amazing. Whether you say Yay, Awesome job or Good hit I always make a big deal when he hits the ball. Even if he only hits a piece of it. He's my son and he's the best little boy ever. I am so proud to be his Mama.

Stomach Bugs Are No Fun

I know I haven't written anything in a little bit we've been sick with the stomach bug. First Nico then me. (I'm still getting better.) Taking care of a toddler when their sick is no fun. Not for you, not for them. And the stomach bug is the WORST! The throw up, the poop. It's horrible. If your child has never had it please count your blessings because it is by far the most horrible sickness a baby/toddler can get. Other than serious stuff of course. And not to mention that it runs through your whole family like wildfire. It's dangerous for babies and toddlers especially because of dehydration. When their sick they don't want to drink or eat and if they do drink they just throw it up anyway so the seriousness of dehydration is major. This was the problem we were having this time around with Nico. He couldn't keep anything down for more than a half hour. And the fever. If they can't keep medicine down then the medicine can't do it's job and take the fever down. So this is where you have to call the doctor. Nicos fever was up to 103.7 because he could not keep any Tylenol or ibuprofen down. So that's when we took him to the doctor because I wasn't chancing it. It's dangerous for kids under three to have a fever higher than 103 degrees.  (If your baby is under 3 months old and has a temperature of 100.4 call the doctor right away. I'm no doctor this is just what I've read and what I've been told.) But anyway we headed over to the doctor and they did a total exam and Nico was crying but not really any tears were coming out so the doctor said to us "I think you should take him over to the hospital and try to get some fluids in him."  Immediately my eyes start to well up and thoughts start rushing through my head. I'm thinking to myself an IV in my kid? Hell no! There's no way they'll get one in him unless they knock him out first and that is for sure not happening! So we leave the doctors office head over to the ER and we have no idea what we're in for. They took his height and weight all that stuff took his blood pressure and he was screaming while they took it so it was off the charts then they were worried about that, so were taken back into a room and the doctor comes in and says that they want to try to give him Zofran. Now for all you mommys out there who were seriously sick throughout your pregnancy (like me) you know what Zofran is. That magic little pill that made you not throw up. (for the most part.) So the nurse gives us a pill. Now I don't know about your kid but I sure as hell know mine doesn't know how to swallow a pill! And I don't want him knowing how to do that yet!  But seriously, a pill. To a 22 month old. Are you nuts? Like no way. So we fight him and we get some medicine in him and then he falls asleep and the doctor comes in and says "okay so we're gonna try Pedialyte mixed with apple juice to disguise the taste of the Pedialyte." So we mix it together and we put some Liquid Zofran in with it, I don't know why they couldn't have just given us liquid in the first place but whatever. So he's drinking it and he's starting to get some color back in him and we are so relieved. Thank god. NO IV! Yay! So after an hour or so and no throw up for Nico the doctor comes in and gives us a prescription for liquid Zofran,  liquid ibuprofen, and Tylenol suppositories. We haven't had to use the suppositories yet and hopefully never will but the doctor said they're good to have around for times like these when he can't keep anything down but doesn't have diarrheal yet.
    Fast forward about 5 hours and the throw up starts again. So we mix the liquid Zofran in with some apple juice and he drank it and it was okay for a little bit then the diarrheal started. My poor baby, can't catch a break. It was horrible. But I went with my sister in law up to Trader Joes and got their Organic Virgin Coconut Oil for his diaper rash from those damn wipes and it took it away literally over night. I was amazed. So of course after that I put it on his butt until the diarrheal stopped. He actually asked for it because it soothes the rash instead of burning it like the diaper rash creams do. Believe me I will never buy another diaper rash cream again. There is so many chemicals in wipes and diaper rash creams! It's insane!

BEST STUFF EVER!

I'm not sure if you can use it on kids under one, I would definitely check with their doctor first. Because it is from a coconut and if your child hasn't had coconuts yet you don't want them getting an allergic reaction in their diaper and you not noticing for hours! But if your child is over one and has had coconut and they have diaper rash I would seriously consider this stuff!  

     Another thing I did for my little man was once he could keep liquids down for more than a day but the diarrheal was still pretty bad I gave him a little bit of Rice Milk. It helped a little bit and it didn't make him sick. He drank it and it stopped the diarrheal for a few hours so the coconut oil can do its job and heal his little butt. Before when Nico had the stomach bug he was only 10 months old and it was horrible. I actually boiled rice and made my own rice water because babies under one cant have cows milk. 

     So what I did was I got the Boil In a Bag rice KEPT IT IN THE BAG because its just easier, and I boiled it for about 10 minutes until the rice was cooked and the water looked really milky. You don't want to boil it too long because if the rice sits in there too long the water will get too think. If this happens just use regular water to water it down. Then I added a little bit of sugar to the rice water to give it some kind of sweetness so he would drink it and believe it or not, back then he drank the whole damn bottle and wanted more. I was shocked. It took his diarrheal away within an hour. It was amazing. I knew I wasn't going to get so lucky this time because he was much older and much more aware of what hes drinking/eating. That's why I went with the Rice Milk.

     But needless to say, now Nico is all better and I was sick for the past 3 days and its sucked. My husband has been great and has been taking care of Nico so I can rest, thank God. I just hope my husband doesn't get sick now. I hope some of this can help some mommys out there! 

How Much is Too Much?

So I haven't posted in a while, Ive been so busy with birthdays, parties, and getting ready for summer time. (working out lol) The weather has been so nice we've been outside just about every day! Its been great! But on another note, I've been thinking...How much TV should kids really watch. I mean honestly, lets be practical. When you need to empty the dishwasher or throw a load of clothes in the washer, you put your kids favorite show on give them a snack and juice so you can get some stuff done. Everyone does it. Well everyone I know at least. Maybe its just my generation but I honestly don't see the problem in letting my child watch TV. Hes 22 months old and he has a TV in his room. Its on a timer usually and he watches his favorite shows to go to sleep. Some people don't agree with that, and that's fine. You raise your kid and Ill raise mine. We'll see whose kid turns out better in 10 years. Anyway...letting your child watch TV isn't a bad thing in my opinion, as long as you monitor what he watches. I got lucky because my sons favorite shows are Little Einsteins, Super Why, Sesame Street, and now Henry Hugglemonster. He likes other shows too but those are his FAVORITE. I don't mind letting him watch Little Einsteins or Super Why all day if he wanted because

1.  Little Einsteins is educational. It teaches children classical music and art and I swear to you, it will make your child smart. My son is so intelligent its unbelievable.
2.  Super Why is all about the alphabet and reading, and honestly, I know that's where my son learned his letters from. He has known the whole alphabet and the sounds of the letters since he was almost 21 months old. I do work with him with his letters and sounding them out but I'm only so interesting lol. He would rather watch Super Why for a half hour then sit and say all the letters to me over and over again.
3.  Another thing I did was download the ABC GoGo app. Its mainly for boys I think because its all planes, trains, and automobiles. And my son loves it. He asks for it. I don't let him play with my phone without me being right there. I personally don't want him knowing how to work my phone yet, I mean seriously hes only 22 months old and he knows how to go to his folder and click an app that he wants and that's enough for me. I don't want him knowing how to text, or make phone calls this young. I want to keep him young for as long as possible. Hes my first baby and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. 

Heres my son at 21 months old saying his alphabet. Im using the ABC GoGo app on my iPhone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mAYmnLFfMc

Adventures in Motherhood

So remember how I said my son has only a few foods that he'll eat? Well I don't know what came over him within these past few months, but hes been eating everything. Things that he never ate before, he now eats. He would still prefer eating his favorites like cauliflower, broccoli, peas, corn, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, pizza, bananas, yogurt and sometimes noodles. But the thing is with my son is that he'll eat anything sweet. He would eat a whole box of fruit snacks if I let him, (which I never would, just saying.)  So recently these "green smoothies" have been all over Pinterest, and I think they look good. And I know my son will drink them if I tell him that its a milkshake, so I did. This morning he had his first "green smoothie" and he loved it. Drank the whole thing for breakfast and morning snack. He actually asked for it for his morning snack! If your having trouble getting your baby/toddler to eat anything healthy you might want to give this recipe a try!

Ingredients

• ¼ avocado
• ¼ c blueberries
• ½ banana
• ¼ c baby oatmeal (iron fortified)
• ¼ c whole milk yogurt
• 1 tsp flax seed meal
• ¼ c water
• 2-3 ice cubes

So that's the recipe that I found on Pinterest, and I'm a simple girl, and so is my kid. So I got rid of just about   everything except the fruit and milk. Here's my recipe if you don't want to get that complicated. lol 
Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado
• Almost a whole banana
• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup whole milk

I personally think that the frozen blueberries substitute for the ice cubes, and the whole milk substitutes for the water. I think I might add the Chobani Vanilla yogurt next time too for some protein. But either way, if I tell him its a milkshake, hes going to drink it. Which is good for me. Until he realized theres no ice cream in there.
Also I actually got this idea from one of my clients, since my son wouldn't eat carrots he loves soup so I boiled carrots in chicken broth until they were just about falling apart, then with a slotted spoon I put the carrots in the blender then added teaspoons of chicken broth until it came to a liquidity substance and I put it in the soup that was already cooking and the carrot broth as I like to call it, basically disappeared in the  chicken broth and added flavor, color and some nutrients. I did this 2 weeks ago and I just made another batch of his soup, without the pureed carrot broth, just whole carrots cut into dime size pieces and he actually picked up the carrot and ate it. So maybe the flavor or the carrot broth made him realize that carrots aren't so bad and he tried it and he loved it. He ate all the carrots out of the soup. Like I said before, never stop trying to give your child new food. One day they'll like it, another day they'll hate it. All depends on their mood, but it never hurts to try.

The Toddler Years

Okay so is it just my child or are the toddler years the hardest. Forget getting through the infant stage, that's so easy. All they do is sleep, eat, and poop. Literally. I personally think that after 18 months they become little kids. And they say no and scream and kick like there's no tomorrow. They don't want to get their diaper changed all they want to do is play. All the time. Maybe it's just my kid, I'm not sure but if you're having trouble dealing with a toddler and you're at your wits end just remember. They're only kids. They are testing you. Here are some tips that I wish someone would have told me 7 months ago.

• Invest in magic erasers. Seriously. They're going to get a hold of a pen or pencil and go to town on the walls, floor, themselves, Everything and anyone who is in reach of them. My son recently just drew all over our white walls with orange colored pencil and the magic eraser took it off within seconds. I was so relieved. So then I went to town scrubbing all the walls in my family room, needless to say, I need more magic erasers. lol

• Relax. Just relax. Take a minute and lock yourself in the bathroom and just breathe. I know being a mom is hard. Believe me I know. But you have to just breathe and relax. And remember, they're only kids.

• Don't stress over your child not eating. So what If all they want is goldfish crackers for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Believe me, not many kids eat a well rounded meal. Even though we try and we make a ton of food for them to just spit out and say no. I used to worry myself sick because all my child ate was broccoli, peas and corn. Now he's added cauliflower and chicken nuggets to his diet. And some other foods lol. The only advice I have for that is to get the PediaSure drinks and see if they'll drink them. My son loves the chocolate ones and I feel so much better knowing he drinks one every other day, most of the time. And don't stop introducing new foods. You'll be surprised at what they like.

• When all else fails, take them outside. Let them get fresh air and I promise you, they'll be happy and so will you. Fresh air does amazing things for kids. Let them play as long as you can. You'll be surprised at how your child's attitude changes after they are done playing outside.

• Try to enjoy your time with them while they are young. Every once in a while there will be a moment and you'll wish it could just be like that forever. I know I have those moments just about everyday. My son amazes me every single day. I remember when I graduated high school my mom and dad saying that I grew up so fast and I could never understand them, until now. My life is flashing before my eyes and as much as I love being a mommy to a toddler I just cant help but to think to myself...Wow it feels like he was just 6 months old, just starting to crawl, and now hes talking in almost sentences. I seriously have no idea where almost 2 whole years went. It is absolutely crazy how fast time goes by when you have a kid. I just want to freeze time and have it stay like this forever. 

But unfortunately, I cant freeze time. As much as I try, I cant. The first 5 years of your child's life have the most impact on them. They may not remember everything when they get older but the more time you spend with your child within the first 5 years, the closer you will be with them throughout their whole life. Read this article for more information  http://www.factsforlifeglobal.org/03/

Little Kids are Mean

My son and husband are in bed and I have to share this because I'm still so confused myself.
Today Nico and I went to the park by our house, a new park that we've never been to before and Nico was having an amazing time. We brought a ball and he was playing soccer, it was a blast. The park was not crowded at all. There was probably about 15 people and kids there so I was happy. I hate overcrowded places, they stress me out. So there was this little group of three boys and their moms. And Nico was being the friendly little boy he is and he goes up to them and says "Hi I'm Nico" and they said hi and that was about the extent of it. Then Nico started to run all over the place and the three little boys were following him, probably because he had a ball. So the little three little boys started to get too far away from their moms so the moms called them and they started running back, and Nico didn't even notice until a minute or two later. So Nico turned around and started running the other way, it just so happen to be towards the jungle gym (which was the same place the three little boys were headed) so were walking, well Nico is running and were probably about 20-30 feet behind the one little boy with his mom and I was in front of Nico because I turn around and walk backwards so I can see Nico at all times, and the one little boy turns around and says "Stop following me" so I immediately picked my son up and gave a loud "pssshhht" and said to Nico "its okay bud you don't want to play with those mean kids anyway, you're too nice for them" and then we went on our way playing and such. But I'm still thinking, was that little boy talking to me? Or was he talking to Nico, because I was in front of Nico so he might have been talking to me, but honestly I was blown away. Not only at what the child said but the fact that the mom didn't even say anything to him or turn around and be like I'm sorry he doesn't know what hes talking about. Like honestly, if that was my kid I would be embarrassed as hell. I just fear for my child in this crazy fucked up world we live in today. I am such a over protective mother I just feel the need to keep my kid away from the outside world, but I know I cant, I don't want him to be antisocial. But I just felt the need to share this because I just want to make one thing clear...

• Kids are sponges. Whatever you say your child will absorb and they will use it. Sometimes its not in a good way. Sometimes it is. Parents really don't understand that their child/children hear everything they say and they take it all in. Everything. So be careful of the words you speak, you never know which ones you'll have to eat.

If you're ever in an awkward situation with your child and you don't want to make a scene or embarrass your child, just walk away. Like I did today. I could have easily started an argument with that mom about her child saying that I or my son was following him, and honestly if I was any younger, I probably would have but I am a grown up now and a mother. And you shouldn't act like a teenager if your a mom (even if you are a teen mom because your a mom first.)

Lessons

     So tonight, my husband gave my son a full cup of juice without a lid because he's been doing really good drinking out of a cup and not spilling it. So my son picks up the cup looks at it, and dumps it all over the ottoman and rug In our family room. ( I know he shouldn't have a cup without a lid but honestly he does such a good job drinking it like a big boy I didn't see the problem. Partially this was our fault for giving it to him that's why he didn't get punished too much.)  but I freaked. He got his hands smacked (not hard) and got put in time out until my husband and I were done cleaning up the mess. He cried the entire time and honestly, I think he needs to learn that way. I won't put up with this terrible two shit. I will nip it in the bud before it even starts. I'm raising my son to be a gentleman. Not an asshole. I want a woman to want to be with him one day and I want him to know how to properly treat a lady. So after we were done cleaning up his mess I told him to come over here and I sat him on the couch and I talked to him. I said "Nico I'm sorry for smacking you but you can not dump your juice. Ever. If you ever dump it again you will be punished longer. Do you understand?" And he did the little "uh huh" thing. So I guess he understood. Guess we'll see next time he gets a cup of juice without a lid.
Some people say that "time out" can't start until the child can fully understand what your saying but honestly, I know that Nico can understand just about 90% of what I say to him. So I think time out is perfectly fine. He sits on the step. Time out chairs don't work. They think it's funny to sit on them or they think it's a game.

     Tips on how to make time out meaningful. And work.   

•      Stand your ground. Make sure that where you put them to be in time out, isn't a fun spot. Pick a step or corner that nothing is in.
• Don't let them get up. Seriously. Every time they get up put them right back until they sit still for more than a minute.
• Be stern. Do your mom or dad voice that scares them. If you don't have one, start. I swear by this. When I say my sons name in that voice he knows he did something wrong.
• Don't be too mean about it. I mean honestly, most of the stuff a toddler can do isn't that big a deal. It's a learning process. They're testing you. And you need to Win. You are the parent. Not a friend. 
• Don't beat your child. A little smack isn't bad but don't be whaling on them. Other wise you got a problem and you need to get some help.

Make sure you explain to them what they did wrong. It doesn't matter if they're 9 months or 2 years old. A child understands more than you think. And you need to make it clear that their behavior is unacceptable.Honestly I don't care if you take these tips and apply them but I know for sure that my son will know right from wrong and he will not be the kid that no one what's to have over because he makes a mess of their house or he's rude.  I hope this can help someone. If not, sorry.

Words of Wisdom

     As I'm sitting here thinking about what to clean next, a thought came into my head. And I wonder why. Why girls/women get pregnant. Most is because they want a baby, some is an accident, and some people are just crazy I guess. Thinking about this I simply mean like why do some girls get pregnant to try to 'save a relationship' because most of the time, it doesn't work. Some girls think that if they get pregnant, the guy/father will stay with them. And honey, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if hes gonna leave your ass hes gonna do it no matter if your pregnant or not. A baby will NOT save a relationship, it will only make it HARDER. Even when your married and plan to have a baby its still going to put a strain on your relationship.  I know that my first pregnancy wasn't planned, but I am in a committed relationship and we were planning on getting married anyway. So the point I am trying to make is to think. Please just think before you have sex without a condom. Or if your not on birth control. If you think you cant get pregnant, your probably wrong. I've noticed that there was a "baby boom" within the last couple years, so I thought that sharing this would maybe make some women think if they're not trying to have a baby anytime soon, dont have unprotected sex. Simple as that.

Fast Forward

Let's fast forward. So now my son is almost 22 months old. He's fully potty trained (during the day at least) besides nap time and bed time. And he runs around our house with no diaper on. And when we do have to put a diaper on him he freaks. But whatever. 

So a few days ago my sister in law to be and Nico and I went to Nordstrom Rack. And Nico was miserable. He wanted to run around and I do not allow that because there are too many crazy people in the world, so I held him almost the entire time and he screamed his head off and honestly, I don't care. Because I know that he's safe in my arms. The looks that people were giving me were absolutely ridiculous. Like seriously, back the fuck off of me and my kid, I don't care that he's ruining your shopping experience. Get over it. He's a kid. So after I seriously couldn't hold him any longer I put him down and he was fine. He was playing in the clothes rack and he was happy as can be. Until I picked him up five minutes later because I'm a crazy mom and I constantly think people are going to take him from me. ( I watch way too many scary movies and tv shows about kidnappings and shit like that) 

But needless to say when you're out with your child and they are miserable do what YOU think is right. Don't bother looking around and wondering what people are thinking about your screaming kid because if they are looking at you in 'that way' they most likely don't have kids. Shame on them. 

What The Hell Just Came Out Of Me?

So remember how I said my postpartum recovery sucked? Well here's what happen. After I got all stitched up and everything it was fine. The normal amount of blood, I guess. Every time I went to the bathroom I just bled so much. And the thing that no one tells you, is that when you are ready to take your first after birth poop, take some pain medicine before. Especially if you got stitches like I did. That first poop is terrifying because there's still so much blood (well at least for me there was) and I didn't know where anything was down there! Like seriously, I had a belly for the past 9 months!
So it's been about four weeks after I gave birth and the blood is still coming out like crazy. And I was breast feeding so the blood was suppose to be starting to stop around 4-6 weeks. So then it's six weeks after I have birth, and still so much blood. And now I was starting to get cramps. And I knew it wasn't my period because when your breastfeeding you don't have a period. So I call the doctor and she says that maybe I just have a lot of blood left in me and it's not as much as I think it is but it was. So now it's 8 weeks after I gave birth and I'm still bleeding! I was starting to get worried. So a few days later I was getting ready for work my mom was on her way over and I stand up to go get Nico and all I feel is major cramps. Then (thank god I had a pad on) I feel something coming out. (Down there!) and I rushed to the bathroom and it already came out on the pad. It seriously looked like a piece of an organ! So I start crying and I'm like "what the hell is that!?" So I showed my mom (so gross I know but seriously she just watched me give birth) so I call the doctor and I'm like "so something just came out of my vagina and it looks like an organ." So the doctor says "come in right away, and bring whatever came out of you" so I put it in a plastic bag and got dressed, my mom stayed with Nico thank god, and I went to the doctor. So I get to the doctor and I show her what came out of me and she says "I can honestly say I've never seen anything like that in my life" and immediately  I thought I myself oh my god it's like an alien or something!!! Like I was seriously terrified. So they send it out for testing and a few days later I get a phone call and the doctor says "it was the lining of my uterus that you shed when you have your period. It all accumulated in one spot and then came out all at once." Which to me makes no sense because I thought that when your bleeding no matter what the shedding/lining is coming out. But whatever. So I go and get an ultrasound (an internal one too) and there's nothing left up there now that they can see. So then a few weeks later I stopped bleeding. So needless to say, I'm kind of scared to have another baby.

Scared...

So now that Nico is here, he's home, he's healthy (Thank God) I can honestly say that I was terrified. I knew what to do in every situation but I was just scared. All the time. I didn't want to leave the house, ever. If I didn't have to leave believe me I didn't. I wanted to stay inside with my little man. Partially because I'm such a nervous wreck all the time but also partially because I didn't want him getting sick. I was a very very sick baby from just a few weeks to a few months old,  so I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. I can honestly say that I had a little bit of post partum depression. Nothing serious, I didn't have bad thoughts or I wasn't going to hurt my new baby nothing crazy like that I was just so scared to leave the house. Especially with Nico. I think I got over that around when he was 8 weeks old and I had to start getting ready to go back to work. I was also breastfeeding. Which I am a huge believer in!  I pumped and pumped and pumped. I had a difficult time with it but I still did it as long as I could. I wanted him to have as much breast milk as possible. Especially because they say it helps with losing weight and we had our wedding just 12 weeks after he was born. Being a first time mom at just 21 years old was scary, to say the least. Thank god he was an amazing newborn and just slept all the time. We really lucked out!

He's Here...Now What?

So after he was out and I got all stitched up, I was thinking to myself, okay here here. Now what do I do? My husband and I were in awe, to say the least. We could not believe that we made him. He's all ours now. Right away I felt my maternal instincts kick in. I knew this is what I was meant to do my whole life. I was meant to be a mom. I was terrified and excited at the same time. Now I was responsible for this little human being. My husband was great. He changed all the diapers while I was recovering in the hospital, and after of course. But I didn't change a diaper until he was about a week old because I was in so much pain and bleeding so heavily. (This was just the beginning if my horrible postpartum experience) so while we're in the hospital so many wonderful people came to welcome our new baby boy into the world. It was amazing. Then a few days later it was time to leave and go home and be parents. For real. Being in the hospital was easy, everyone was always there and the nurses were amazing! (By the way when your in the hospital take everything, diapers, wipes, blankets, formula, everything. They will restock it every time they come in to check on the baby and you.) Now it's time to take our baby boy home. The most nerve wracking car ride you will every take by the way. I think we did about 30 mph the whole way home and didn't care one bit. Thank god the hospital put the carseat in for us and showed my husband how to do everything otherwise we still might be there today (Just Kidding Babe!) 

ITS SHOWTIME!

WARNING! GRAPHIC TEXT BELOW!

So after 12 hours of this horrific CervaDil thing was in the doctor took it out then about an hour later comes and checks me again and says "okay well now your 2 centimeters dilated." I was in complete shock. I thought I was going to be at least 4, but no. I was 2 stinking little centimeters. I was so pissed off I was about to just start pushing. I was in so much pain and so tired I knew I wasn't going to be able to give birth anytime soon if I didn't get some sleep. So after all that bull crap happened I was finally in what they call "Labor" like seriously I thought I was in labor for the past 13 hours but no I wasn't, that was called preterm labor. Yea stupid I know but what are you gonna do. So when they finally moved me into the Birthing Room, I demanded an epidural. I needed to relax and get some sleep or else I knew the most horrible thing was going to happen...a C-Section. and I was not having that. So they finally gave me the epidural and I finally fell asleep for 4 blissful pain free hours. It was like I died and went to heaven. I was so relieved. Then the nurse comes in and breaks my water and then I finally started to dilate. when she broke my water I was only 3 centimeters and an hour later I was 7, then another hour later, IT WAS SHOW TIME! 10 centimeters and I was oh so ready to push this baby out. so I started pushing, now keep in mind that it was my first baby and I was scared, I mean who wouldnt be. I didn't want to do the unthinkable, poop. So gross. And I wasn't pushing fully for the first few pushes because I was so afraid to poop. I kept asking my husband "babe I didn't poop right?" and he said "no babe but just push dont worry about pooping just push him out" so after that little pep talk, I did. I pushed my hardest. and I hear my mom say "he has hair!" and that gave me more incentive to keep pushing and I pushed and pushed and he wasnt coming out. so they had to do it. They cut me. Ugh my other fear. They cut me down to almost my butthole. So so so gross. espeicially for me, I was only 20 years old and my vagina was ruined. Forever. But after they cut me I pushed and his head was out. then the doctor tells me that the cord is wrapped around his neck and she was going to have to cut it so he wouldnt be strangled. so she cut the cord and I pushed one more time and HE WAS OUT!!! THANK GOD!!! Nico Joseph Laspata was born at 6:26pm on June 8, 2011. It was the most magical moment of my life.

The Time Is Near

WARNING!! THESE NEXT FEW POSTS MAY BE GRAPHIC FOR SOME PEOPLE, but for me, it really happened.


So fast forward to June 1, 2011. I was only 4 days away from my due date. And I was feeling nothing. Nothing at all. No contractions nothing. It was horrible. And it was hot. I was miserable, I couldn't sit still but was so big I could barely do anything else. I seriously thought I was going to give birth to a ten pound baby that's how big I was. It was bad. So I wake up on June 5, 2011. My due date. I went on with that day, my bag was packed. I was ready. But he wasn't. No way was he ready to come out. So I had a doctor appointment the next day and I was so ready for him to come I even brought my hospital bag to the doctors office just in case! So she checks me and says "oh your just about one centimeter dilated" and I was like "I'm what!? One centimeter! You've got to be kidding me!?" She said "nope, your just about one" and I thought to myself. Oh my god. I'm going to be pregnant forever!!! So after that disappointing experience we talked about induction. And I said yes! I don't care what you have to do as long as I don't have to get a c-section I'm all for it! So she said they have to call me later and see when the next available day is. And I thought to myself, oh my god they might not get me in for another week!! Are you kidding me! So we left, me in tears telling my husband to just drive me to the hospital and I'll fake contractions until he comes out!  I was so ready beyond belief. So we get home, and a few hours later my phone rings and it's the hospital saying they have an available date on the 7th to come in and they'll start my induction process. I immediately said "yes ill be there!" So we had one day really to get everything ready.
And then it's the 7th at six o clock at night and we show up to the hospital and I have no idea what's going to happen. Sometimes things can go quickly sometimes things take a while. So we're waiting and I got all hooked up to the monitors and everything, all my IVs and everything and the doctor comes in and says "okay so since your not dilated at all really were going to put this thing (CervaDil) behind your cervix and it's going to help you dilate." And I said "okay whatever you have to do" not knowing that this thing was going to be more painful than actually giving birth. This little tiny thing that had medicine in it to help me dilate was the worst thing ever invented, I swear. That whole night from 8 o clock pm to 8 o clock am was the worst experience of my life. Those 12 hours were worse than actually pushing my son out. I didn't know if I had to poop, or throw up or pee. I was shaking from the pain it was so bad and of course I couldn't get an epidural because then it wouldn't work for my actual birthing process, so I just had to grin and bare it. And alls I did that whole night was toss an turn and I think I got about two hours of sleep that night. Man was I exhausted. And I didn't even give birth yet!!!

Swollen

So by this time (around 7-8 months) I was pregnant. Way pregnant. Belly popped, feet are extreamly swollen,and when I say swollen I mean like 3 times their normal size. Its starting to get hot out and I was starting to get uncomfortable. I was ready for the baby to be here. But obviously I still had a few months to go. I was still working two 12 hour days and one 8 hour day. It was starting to drain me. By that time in my pregnancy I just wanted to be a lazy pregnant lady, but that wasn't going to happen. Not no way in hell. We had to start getting things ready for the baby! We set up his crib and his dresser and changing table it was so cute! To think that our little tiny baby was going to be here in just a few months was an overwhelming feeling. But we were ready for the challenge. And a challenge is was going to be.

Packing On The Pounds

So finally after being almost 6 months pregnant I finally got a belly. I was so excited. Partially because I finally started to eat because I stopped throwing up so much, and because the baby was growing and growing! And boy, so was I! After the 24 week mark I started to pack on the pounds. And I wasn't happy about that at all but I wanted a healthy baby. And I didn't care as long as my baby was healthy. I thought to myself, oh I'm going to lose the weight right away (because that's what everyone told me) but I was wrong as so were they. (Now my son is 21 months old and I'm still struggling to lose the weight.) Pregnancy is a wonderful thing. It's scary and beautiful all at the same time. It's unexplainable how you feel when your pregnant. To know that a little tiny human is growing inside of you. It's crazy. I still don't understand how a little tiny egg and a little tiny sperm make such a beautiful and wonderful baby. But it's amazing.

It's A....

So fast forward a few weeks, a lot of throw up, and a lot of sleep it was time to find out what we were having. I always wanted a boy first but obviously I didn't care! As long as its healthy! So we invited my mom and my mother in law to go with us to the ultrasound appointment, and I was so nervous. I wanted a boy so bad but I didn't want to make it seem like it. See around 14 weeks we went and got the ultrasound to make sure the baby didn't have Down syndrome, and it didn't of course but I wanted to get the tests done anyway, the ultrasound tech said that she saw a little tinkle bird in there. And she wasn't positive but she was pretty sure. So we kind of already knew but we still weren't 100% sure! So at the appointment, when we went back in the room and she puts the warm jelly on my belly and starts looking around and she goes "yup it's a boy!!" And we all screamed "yes!" We were so excited beyond belief! We were having a baby, not just a baby but a baby boy! And we decide on a name. It was going to be Nico Joseph. We were so happy we cried. It was amazing.

This is 14 weeks pregnant, before we knew it was definitely a boy.