Mother stuff I've learned so far..

Mother's day is coming up. In honor of that day, I thought I'd write out what I've learned so far in my short 3 years of mothering. I still feel like such a newbie! I thought this would be fun, so here goes:

• Try to nurse every three hours or longer. It helps them to eat a full meal and not just snack, but be mindful of growth spurts. That throws everything out the window for a few days:)


• The 'womb' bear was a great thing to have. (Teddy bear from Walmart that makes the heartbeat sound that the baby hears inside you) I would put it in the crib and turn it on quietly for the babies to fall asleep to, when they were really young. Later, I would play some nice church music for them.


• Put the baby asleep awake. Goodness, this is a huge help. Don't get me wrong, I love snuggling and holding my kids, but I do it mostly when they are awake. When I put them to bed, I would hold them for a few moments, and put them down awake. It made life tremendously easier for the baby to learn to fall asleep on his own.


• Don't let the baby get overtired. Watch for the signs, such as a yawn or rubbing of eyes. I read this from the Baby Whisperer book As soon as I saw rubbing of eyes, time to act! I would put them to bed immediately. An overtired baby is the worst. Last week, I thought Kevin was ready to stay up later. He seemed to be ok, but I guesss not. I put him to bed closer to 7pm. He stayed awake for the next hour and a half talking, crying, moaning. The next night, I put him back to bed at his usual 6pm. Not a peep afterwards. Yes, avoiding overtiredness is a huge blessing.


• Schedule, schedule, schedule. Many friends mentioned the importance of a regular feeding, napping, and bedtime schedule. Huge help. When the baby cried, I knew why. Either he was hungry or tired (until darn teething came later) There's usually no guessing. I did naps at the same time every day. This means, I would work around the naptimes doing shopping, going out, etc. The babies were so much happier if they got their rest. Now, we have quiet time from 1-4pm daily. Bliss. Kevin still takes 2 naps a day. Ethan will play in his room, listen to music, but lately he's been napping on the recliner. (He could nap in his bed, but he prefers to nap face down with legs hanging off the chair. Its so funny find him that way:) Consistent bedtime routine, reading some books, say prayers and good night. I am very, very blessed to have it this easy: The boys go to sleep at 6 and 7 pm, and sleep all night till about 7am. Its incredible. People have asked me "How??!!" I think its the consistent daytime schedule, maybe? We have to sacrifice some evening events, such as church activites, but its worth it.


• Hanging blankets over doors avoids smashed fingers.


• Making Ethan eat snacks at the snack table keeps the home cleaner.


• Having gospel pictures in about every room of the house makes teaching the gospel easier when you're passed out from exhaustion on the floor, playing with the kids. Brings the spirit, too:)


• Teaching sign language sure helped with communication before talking came around for the babies. "Signing time" DVDs are fun.


• Door knob covers reduces the amount of toilet paper dumped in the toilet.


• Pick your battles, and reduce the stress fast.


• Be careful with too much TV. I love the good, educational stuff. We watch Little Einstiens, Seasame Street, Word World, on TV. Ethan's new favorite movie is Bambi. Everytime the deer bolt from the forest because of 'man', I tell Ethan' Their mommas said 'its time to stop playing and come home':)


• Introducing Primary songs early has been wonderful. I play the CD, and Ethan sings along.


• Prayed, prayed, prayed consistently as a family, and sweet, spiritual tender moments happened with boys.


• Don't even think about leaving the house without drinks and snacks. (I guess a diaper would be good to bring too, :D) It really does help avoid a meltdown in the store.


• Lately, giving choices has helped the relationship between a toddler and a parent. Thank goodness for the Love and Logic book for younger years.
• Take time to realize (Ah, Colbie Cailiat:) that its so important to play, hug and cuddle with these sweet kids. Toddlers sure can get emotional. Sometimes, Ethan just wanted to be held, for who knows why. I just stop and we 'have a hug'. Very enriching.

There is so much more I could write, but what are some good things you have learned so far? Share:)