The first
time I became pregnant I was only 19 years old and I didn't think too much
about the different decisions I’d soon have to make and how people would judge me
regardless of what I decided. At that
point in my life I made my decisions based on what I knew. When I got married and got pregnant with my
two daughters I was faced with those decisions all over again and this time I
put much more thought into the decisions I made and I made the choices that
that were right for me and my family at the time.
Over the
years I noticed that many of the people judging others for making the “wrong
choices” or the less popular choices were those that haven’t had children
yet. I also noticed that when they did
get pregnant and had children they quickly realized that many of the choices
they thought they would make or hoped to make didn’t fit in with what life had
in store for them. We need to stop
worrying about the decisions others make and only worry about what is right for
us. With that being said, we also need
to stop being so hard on ourselves when the decisions we make our not exactly
in alignment with the plan we originally had.
Four million toddlers will embark on potty training each year.As a mother of 2 toddlers still in diapers, the thought of potty training has made me a bit terrified. My 3 year old is finally starting to show signs of readiness. Over the past year we have tried a few different potty training methods passed down for older generations all without success. Many of my siblings, cousins and my older children were potty trained by age 2. In most Hispanic families potty training usually begins at an early age. Hispanic moms often feel pressure from friends and family to potty train their child as early as possible but don’t understand the process so they stop once setbacks occur. I learned with Bella that every child is different and you really have to look for the signs and try not to force them if they aren't ready. She was so reluctant to use the potty and we didn't understand why. A few of the signs we are currently seeing in Bella now are her telling us immediately when she's peed her diaper, whining whenever she is uncomfortable in a soiled diaper, sitting on her potty before taking a bath, and even following my husband and me to the restroom and clapping for us when we are done. In the past, she did everything to avoid anything having to do with being potty trained.
When I was contacted to participate in the "Madrinas del Baño" campaign I was super excited because the timing was perfect. Pull-Ups has recently created Every Flush so parents and their kids can celebrate "every flush"! Every accomplishment on the potty deserves to be celebrated and encouraged. The Pull-Ups Website offers the Pull-Ups Every Flush tools where parents can customize a digital celebration as a reward for successful flushes. And to make it even more exciting, parents can now download the new Big Kid App for both Android and iOS devices. The app allows you to scan specially marked packages of Pull-Ups for an interactive 3-D experience as a reward for big kid success! Pull-Ups offers tips, tools and resources to help make potty training a fun and successful experience.
As a Madrina del Baño here are some of my tips for potty training the reluctant child.
Be sure your child is ready. Forcing a child that isn't ready makes the experiences a fearful and unpleasant one and you will only find yourself getting frustrated due to lack of success all while setting your child back even further.
Celebrate every attempt. Just sitting sitting on the potty is a huge step for your little one. Let them know how proud you are of them for trying.
Do not scold them for accidents. It's okay for your child to have accidents. In fact, expect quite a few accidents for the first few weeks.
Coming from experience, if you notice your child complaining of a belly ache they may be suffering from constipation. Peeing on the potty is scary but pooping is a whole lot scarier. Many times kids will try and hold it in causing them to become constipated. If you think this might be the case you can try calling your pediatrician. With that being said, focus on your child peeing in the potty before pooping.
Spend a week fully dedicated to potty training. Be prepared with sweet and salty snacks and plenty of liquids. Make sure you always have reward treats for every successful attempt.
Sit him or her on the toilet every hour for 10 minutes and bring toys or some kind of entertainment for them. I bring the iPad or I have even put the potty in front of the TV. Some kids need privacy so pay attention to what works for your little one.
Make every success a huge celebration. Call daddy at work, grandma at home or anyone else you can think of.
Please follow me for the next 2 months as I plan on tackling potty training for the 5th time. My plan is:
To tackle this challenge with 100% dedication and commitment because I know this time she is ready.
To no longer put diapers on her but only Pull-Ups. I will remind her that big girls wear big girl Pull-Ups and use the potty
I will celebrate every flush and record every accomplishment because every try deserves a little celebration. I know there will be successful times but I also know there will be accidents; and that's okay.
Despite the challenges ahead I am dedicated to staying positive and supportive throughout her potty training journey.
Like many of you I stayed up last night to watch the Oscars with my family. I used to hate anything that wasn't a music award show but I have grown to really appreciate some of the amazing films that have been released over the last 5-10 years. After seeing Reese Witherspoon on the red carpet just 4 months after giving birth to her son, Tennessee James, looking curvy and fabulous, I thought about how it could fun to do a post highlighting all the celebrity mom bloggers that keep it real. I love when these "glamorous" movie stars can open up and show us a whole other side to them. Just like us they are mothers that would do anything and everything for their babies. They have similar struggles that we have (with a little more help). They deal with the ups and downs of breastfeeding, losing the baby weight, miscarriage, potty training, having to go back to work after maternity leave (yes, not quite the same) and sibling rivalry issues, etc... I do realize that we may not be able to relate to them on all levels but it is fun to see their perspective on the issues that we too face daily.
Here are some of my favorite mom blogs in order from my most favorite to my least favorite:
I have been taking some time off from posting every day to think about what direction I want this blog to go in. With the name "Boogies N Boo-Boos" I don't think I can steer too far away from the "mommy blog" genre but that's okay because it's who I am and a large percentage of my content will be about my kids and the chaos of parenting. But I am more than just a mom; as my children grow older and mature so do I. So please bear with me as I switch things up a bit every now and then as I try to figure out where my heart and soul belong in this world of blogging :)
After a pretty uneventful weekend I was stumped over what to post this morning. I started thinking a lot about myself and the things that make up who I am. I titled this "10 Things You Might Want to Know About Me" but I am revealing 15. I thought naming it 15 might scare you away. Ha ha
1. I have to be the first to read my newspaper or magazine or heads will roll! There is nothing worse than someone mixing up pages, taking their favorite sales ads or ruining a good article.
2. I eat my scrambled eggs dry. If they are wet in anyway I just might puke. It's bad enough I'm eating a chicken embryo.
3. I met my husband at work. He was my boss ;) Some said it was just a fling and wouldn't last but here we are 5 years later married with 2 beautiful girls.
4. I am originally born and raised in Chicago (not the suburbs). I am currently living in St. Louis, Mo.
5. I have always dreamed of creating my own nail polish line. Pretty ironic considering I never wear any polish on my hands.
6. I partied my ass off in my 20's and early 30's! It's something others may have judged me for doing but I will never ever ever regret a single day of it. I met so many amazing people, had so many unbelievable adventures and created a lifetime of memories! I could write a best-selling novel based on my those years.
7. I wish I had more patience and didn't judge others so much. I always have an immediate feeling of remorse afterwards.
8. I have 2 children from previous relationships. I became pregnant with my almost 18 year old son on prom night (awesome). He is currently living in Arizona with my mother as he finishes up his senior year and prepares to go to the US Army this fall. I also have a 14 year old daughter who attends one of the country's best high school IB programs.
9. I'm only 5'0 tall. I'm tiny but I pack a big punch!
10. I hate syrup on pancakes or waffles. I put it on a separate plate. If it touches and makes my pancakes soggy then my whole day is ruined.
11. I became a homeowner last year. All I want to do is decorate but I truly suck at it!
12. I miss my family and friends back home so much I spend at least 20 minutes a day crying about it. I love where I am but it doesn't feel the same not being able to share it with my loved ones.
13. I'm a total hypochondriac. I am on Web MD constantly. lol One day I'll be right.
14. My dad past away last September. (Read Post) He took a huge piece of my heart with him. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss him. My husband lost his dad exactly 1 week after I lost mine.
15. If I could sew my iPhone to the palm of my hand I probably would. I think I need iPhone Rehab.
Boogies N Boo-Boo's is so excited to be a part of another amazing giveaway. Please remember to enter daily to increase your odds of winning. Please share this awesome event with your friends. Welcome to the iPad Mini Giveaway!
Today we are excited to give you the chance to win an iPad Mini!
iPad Mini 16gb Wi-fi
Giveaway ends March 15th, 11:59 pm GMT.
OPEN WORLDWIDE
Your choice of colour (White/Black)
To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below! It's up to you how many entries you do, but bare in mind the more you complete the better chance of winning!
Disclosure: I have received no compensation for this post. Any opinions are my own and may differ from your own. Please contact ohsoamelia@gmail.com with any questions or if you would like to take part in the next big event.
With all the chaos going on over the last 24 hours I completely forgot today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. I haven't begun thinking about what I am going to give up until now...that's where this post comes in. Here are some ideas I just thought of.
I was talking to my Riley yesterday afternoon when all of a sudden she starts projectile vomiting. It was so unexpected. She continued to vomit a few more times and then just started crying. I felt horrible. Was it something I fed her? Was it something I ate and passed to her in my breast milk? I quickly took off her clothes and threw her in the tub. Bella walked in and "helped" me clean up and then jumped in the tub with her sister. I was going to take a drive to Target but soon after pulling them out of the tub she threw up again. And again as I was getting her dressed, and again downstairs. Okay, now I knew we weren't going anywhere.
The last few weeks have been extremely stressful for me. The girls have been a bit more out of sync with one another than usual and they have really been exceeding my limit on their new favorite word, "No". The dog is like a giant bowling ball and my kids seem to be the pins. Every 10 minutes he will run at full speed straight into one of them sending her flying across the room. The toy box in the playroom has been turned upside down more times than I have liked and it has been a struggle getting them to clean up after themselves. Riley, my 19 month old, seems to want to nurse more than ever these days and it's making absolutely crazy. Maybe it has all been in my head but lately I just feel more on the verge of a major breakdown than ever.
It's finally done. I finally completed my first furniture makeover project. Okay, it's not completely done because I still want to either stain or paint the legs. The tiny piano bench that sits in my foyer was something we brought over from my father-in-law's house after he passed away. My husband thought it was great just the way it was (Men!) but I immediately saw it had the potential to be awesome. Why did it take me so long to complete such a simple project? Because I have 2 little monsters that rarely leave me alone. Oh, and let's not forget my pain in the butt puppy and needy hubby. I needed a staple gun and like most moms I put everyone else first (can you picture the halo over my head?). My mom was kind enough to buy me the stapler I needed and so ran off to pick up the fabric the first chance I got ... over one week later!
In less serious news, my newest obsession is Ryan Gosling. Yes, I've always found him attractive and downright sexy but lately this attraction has escalated to a whole new level. Obsession. I find myself doing Google Image searches more often than I probably should. I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to just him. Is this an illness? Maybe. If so, I don't want to be cured.
Okay, I don't mean to imply that I am not currently serious when it comes to blogging. I actually give this blog a lot of my heart and soul. When I first started my blog it was more of something to do on the side for me. I never realized how much there was to it. I put the blog on hold after getting pregnant with my fourth child. Now that I have started blogging again I have discovered a whole new passion for it. I love it. I love being able to say whatever I want to say. I enjoy being able to connect with other parents and being reminded that I am not alone in some of my day-to-day struggles. I love that I can consider my blog a job since sometime being a sahm can make me feel like I need more (controversial statement, I know).
So starting this weekend I am going to look into learning how to Boogies n Boo-Boos all that it needs and deserves to make it to the top. I want to find online classes to help grow my blog. I want to learn how to write posts that stay true to who I am while attracting others who are interested in reading what I have to say.
If anyone has ever taken any classes or read books on this subject please comment and let me know what steps I should take next.
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