How to Survive Being a New Mommy

Being a new mommy is one of the most wonderful and terrifying feelings in the entire world! You have grown this little person inside of you for 9 months and now they are in your arms. 

If you are anything like I was you are probably over the moon happy that they are here but scared out of your mind about what could happen. I was that mom because when SJ was a few hours old my Dad was holding her while rocking back and forth. The nurse walked by and instantly stopped. My new mommy nerves started going all crazy! She had told my dad to stop rocking for a second because she didn't like the noise coming from SJ. She then took SJ to the nursery so her Pediatrician could look at her who was still on the unit. 

The doctor came in after a few minutes which seemed like the longest amount of time ever! Told me that SJ would have to stay in the nursery at night because of the way she was breathing. They weren't worried but they just wanted to monitor her. The doctor told me she thought it was due to her little face being squished during delivery. Thank goodness she was perfectly fine but it didn't stop me from being super scared of very little thing. 

I have a few tips that helped me get through being a new mommy when I was scared out of my mind! 

Enjoy being a Mom.
       I know that is probably a given but I have to say it. You don't get this time back with your kids. You will blink and they will be packing their car for college. Just soak up every single second of holding them, feeding them, and all of the baby things they will do. Don't worry about holding them too much everything will adjust itself later. You will not worry about how much sleep you have gotten while you are kissing their little fingers and toes. Take lots of pictures! That always made me feel so much better! I don't know why but it did.

Sleep whenever you can
        I am sure you have heard this one before but seriously sleep whenever you can! It will help you keep your mind a little bit. If your hubby decides to take a night shift LET HIM! You are not a bad mom for needing someone to hold the baby while you take an hour nap. It will be fine and they will okay being held by someone else. If the baby is napping do not worry about the chores that need to get done. You most likely don't have the energy to do them anyway. 

Take people's help

     This one was the hardest for me to do because I have always been the one to take it all on. I had to swallow my pride and ask for help a few times. Whether it was when my dad asked if I needed him to cook super for us so we could rest or when my mother in law offered to hold the baby while we slept. I also asked my sister lots and lots of questions while I was nursing and she helped me as much as she could. She was currently living in NYC so a phone call, text, Facebook, or Skype was about all we could do since she couldn't be there in person. It honestly helped me be able to take on this new life. It also made me realize that I wasn't alone. 

Don't stress about the housework 

       Being a new mommy is stressful enough that adding another worry will just make you go crazy! It will be okay if your laundry isn't folded and put away while you are trying to get this new mommy gig down. If someone offers to help you...TAKE IT! You honestly will be too tired to deep clean the whole house so just do what you absolutely need to get done. Save your energy for the screaming baby who has their nights and days mixed up. 

Take a shower!
       Seriously girl TAKE A SHOWER! It will help you be able to cope with the fact that you are absolutely down right exhausted. You might even get five minutes of sleep while you rinsing out your shampoo and or conditioner. Actually possibly both. Plus who doesn't feel a little better after they have clean hair? I know I feel like I can take on the world! 

Watch Netflix
      Laying on the couch, sitting in the recliner, or laying in bed is the perfect place to try to figure out this new life you have been thrown into. Watching a series that you have been looking forward to is the perfect way to do so. I went through One Tree Hill when I was adjusting after SJ was born. Honestly I used Netflix a lot when Bug was born. Not for me but for the children. I watched a lot of Octonauts, Little Einsteins, My Little Pony, Tinkerbell, and Dinosaur Train. It helped my older children chill out when Bug decided he didn't want to sleep the night before. I am probably a horrible mom for letting my children watch TV for as long as they did but hey they are just fine and more important they are still ALIVE. That is really what matters. 

Eat whatever you want
       Do not worry about trying to get back into your pre-pregnancy jeans, or shirts, or shorts, or even your underpants. There will be time for you to start eating healthy and working out. If someone wants to bring you a pizza, eat the whole darn pizza! You are going to need that food to cope with the baby that is fighting sleep. Or the one who screams through their ENTIRE bath which causes your body to react and you have a wet shirt. And not one that was wet from water. Sometimes a cheesy burger is all you need to deal with the craziness that has taken over and will never go away. 

I hope these tips help you deal with being scared out of your mind. I will tell you it does get a little easier...slowly...then someone throws a wrench in your plan and your life is crazy again but in a different way.

Just remember IT IS WORTH IT!

The Chronicles of Kindergarten

It has come....the evil word has hit....not just school but KINDERGARTEN!!!!

Does this business ever get easier?!?

A Journey in Speech Therapy

D3 has had a rough time with his speech for a while. He started speech therapy last year around this time which I have seen a great improvement in his vocabulary. If you want to read more about where his journey started read What Did He Say?!?!

I have been so focused on his speech that I haven't noticed how smart he is and the things he has learned. I was able to see all of that this week. D3 had a screening for his preschool. I was a little confused as to why he would have to do that because he already has an IEP.



When we got there they were running a tad bit behind so D3 and I had to sit for a little while. He was a good little trooper while we were there. I had a notebook with some pens and highlighters in my bag so he just sat there and colored until it was his turn

Fortunately for us we did not have too wait long!

He went inside this small room that is used for Sunday school since his preschool is in a church. He sat in this little blue chair while I sat behind him in a green arm chair.

His teacher proceeded to go through 4 test. She asked him to count as high as he could. He clear as day said ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, FIVE! Okay okay we need to work on some of his numbers but hey he got 8 out of 10 right! For a lil guy who couldn't even say nine last year we have made some significant progress.

The next three test he had were all timed. His teacher explained that she did not think he would get all the answers 100% right or any of them for that matter.

The first test he did was that he had to identify the number which he saw in the book that she had. She flipped over the first page and demonstrated for him what she wanted him to do. He quickly got the hang of it. The first number he saw was a one which he could identify quickly as well as the next three numbers. He then saw the number 18.....EEEKKK that's a big number. He just looks at her and shrugs his shoulders and says "Me No Know!" She told him that was fine because it was a BIG number. When he got a few more numbers in the teens he told her that it was a ONE and a TWO when it was 12. He is so stinking cute!

The third test he had to complete was to point which bunch of dots had more in it than the others. My little man only got two wrong! How stinking smart is that kid!!! Some of those were so hard for a 3 year old.

The final test D3 completed was counting all the dots which were on the page. Oh boy where there a lot! He looked at the page and said WHOA! It was actually quite cute and made me as well as his teacher giggle! She demonstrated for him what he needed to do then allowed him to get started. He only had 30 seconds to do this test. I am not sure how long he had for the others but it seemed like a lot longer. He started counting the dots in the top row then went down the border then across the bottom row and then followed in a creative pattern. His teacher let him know that he was the first one to count the dots in that way. She also told him she was proud of him because she heard him say some numbers in the teens.

I guess all the counting has done some good!

When it was time to go D3 ran up to his teacher and gave her a huge hug!!!

This brought tears to my eyes. He has made me so proud with how much he has learned in the short amount of time. His speech has doubled in that short time. I still have to pinch myself to remind myself how far he has come.

He is really an amazing little boy.

He makes me smile at how well he has done.

Have you had a moment when your child made you smile and cry at the same time? Have they surprised you at how much they knew? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

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Interview with a PreSchooler

Last week I had sat down SJ while D3 was taking a nap or supposed to be taking a nap and asked her 15 questions before kindergarten. I thought why not do the same for him since he is going to preschool again this year.  

Let me tell you coming up with some questions for D3 was hard! I even had to ask for help from friends. 

Back 2 School

I have been dreading SJ going to Kindergarten. I don't know how I am going to deal with her being gone ALL day long. However it is a milestone that I am more than proud of her for reaching. 

SJ and I had some mother daughter time going through her school supply list. We even went to Walmart just the two of us. She loves when she gets Momma time because it doesn't happen as often as she would like. That is something I am working harder on for not just her but all the kids. 

A Playdoh Alternative: Cloud Dough

SJ and D3 have always liked to play with messy things. I on the other hand do not like being the one who cleans up the mess. I am trying very hard how to come up with new ways to hone in on their creativity. I was able to find the recipe for fizzing cloud dough from Powerful Mothering on Pinterest the other day.

It is perfect for us since everything I used was already in my cabinet. 

1 cup of flour

1 cup of baking soda

1/4 cup of vegetable oil

Food coloring

Now I did it a little different than the recipe I found for a few reasons...my kids can't agree on one color between them. If I allowed SJ to choose everything would be pink and sparkly. D3 would have everything blue. Special K would probably have it be purple or black....depends on her day. Also I decided to not color it completely so my kids could search for the different colors that are within the dough. 

All I did was mix the baking soda and flour together then added the oil. When I added the oil I used my hands to mix everything and pinch the oil that bunched together. I then added drops of pink, purple, green, and blue food coloring directly to the dough. If you have the powder dye you could use that instead. If you want the dough to be all one color you would then add the coloring to the oil before mixing. 

After everything was mixed together I separated the cloud dough into two boxes. I don't have a sensory box for them which would have totally worked better. It was just something I have never put on my list of things to purchase. It will be now! There was one for SJ and one for D3...K was at her moms so she didn't get to join in the fun. 

I gave them each a tablespoon and some Playdoh molds then let them go to town!

SJ did a very good job about keeping the cloud dough in the box. She really liked using the PlayDoh molds for stamps and didn't care to get too messy with her hands.


D3 wasn't so good about keeping the cloud dough in the box....you can't tell in this picture but he got it all over his legs and the ground. Good thing I was thinking for once and had them do it on the tile so it would be easier to clean up! Yay for this momma!!! He loved putting his hands in it and squishing it.

When it was time to clean up I brought out white vinegar and poured it on their cloud dough. I explained to them that the fizzing which occurred was a chemical reaction. They could honestly care less and just wanted to play with it. However D3 did want me to keep putting the vinegar all over his cloud dough. I didn't get a picture of the reaction due to my hand being all doughy and not wanting to make a mess on my phone.

I will be making this again for the kids. Next time I will make two different batches. One for each kid. I will also make the dough completely one color instead of speckled. They didn't really care about the color specks and would of enjoyed it all one color.

Over all this sensory activity taught the kids different textures, a chemical reaction, and allowed them to be artistic. It was also edible if Bug happen to get some in his mouth! It was an A in my book!!!

Do you guys have any sensory activities that you particularly like for your kiddos? If so leave me a comment and let me know about it!


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Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I have always enjoyed going to baseball games whether they are little kids t-ball or major leagues. I even asked to go to a minor league game for my birthday when I was in grade school. It was one of my favorite birthdays prior to having my kids. These birthdays are the bomb.com if I do say so!

Quote of the Week #4

I remember being 22 and not having a care in the world! All I had to do was finish my degree and work so I could pay my rent. I didn't have any little humans pulling at my pants to give them some milk or kiss a boo boo. Those days were super easy! But was all the partying and not caring worth it? Probably not....

Being a parent is the hardest work I have ever done. You don't get rewards or prizes for the work you have done. If you do it probably comes in the form of a dirty diaper. You aren't recognized for the late nights and early mornings because you are expected to "work" those hours. 

There are so many days when I would like to throw in the towel because the baby has been up since 3 am or the 7 year old continues to give me attitude.

The worrying about whether I am making new the most epic mistake of the year, scared that something is going to happen to my babies, or even the times when I want to pull my hair out because I have listened to the same gosh darn movie for the thousandth time is totally worth the hugs I get at bed time. It makes the kisses seem sweeter. It is something I wouldn't change for all the money in the world. 

Linked with: 

Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Last week we received SJ's paperwork for Kindergarten. I almost cried! I am not kidding! I seriously had tears well up in my eyes because I realized how big she is getting.

This was SJ's 1st day of preschool last year and I cried leaving her.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Me

Thank you to Katie from Growing Up KaterTot for tagging me for "10 Things You Didn't Know About Me". I am really enjoying getting to know other bloggers and learn about their adventures. 

So this is how it works.....
The Rules:
Link back to the blogger who nominated you & answer her ten questions.
Add the badge (below) to your post.
Write your own ten questions & tag ten bloggers to do the same.
Simple as pie right.....

Here are Katie's Questions
1) Do you have kids? How old are they? I have 4 kids. My oldest daughter is 7, my middle daughter is 5, my older son is 3, and my youngest son is 1. 
2) What is your favorite day of the week? Any day that I don't have to go to work and am able to spend it with my kiddos is my favorite. Those don't happen very often but they are usually on Saturday. 
3) What's the last vacation you took? A real vacation?!? That would be two years ago when we went to visit my family in Colorado. My husband and I spent a weekend in Kansas City this June but I don't really count that as a vacation.
4) Would you ever go sky diving? Somedays I think I would. Other days I am way too scared to do it. So I guess it would happen to depend on the day. 
5) Describe the prefect evening at home. I think a perfect night at home would be a pizza and movie night. We would all enjoy watching a movie with the lights off while lounging on blankets with our pillows all fluffed up. There would be bunches of snacks that I very rarely let my kids eat. We have had one of those nights and SJ ended up with a stomach ache because she ate to many Oreos. It was probably still the best day even though SJ's tummy hurt. 
6) Do you have any pets? Do I have any pets....oh goodness do we have any pets. I have a dog, 3 turtles, a fish, 2 rabbits, and 6 chickens. Well I guess one of the rabbits isn't a "pet" and neither are the chickens because my husband has them for food reasons. I still get attached to them. 
7) What is your favorite holiday? Christmas would have to be my favorite. My family has always had amazing traditions that I love keeping with my children. 
8) What is your favorite non alcoholic beverage? Vanilla Dr. Pepper is my all time FAVORITE. I have recently been addicted to making my own drink mix with the strawberry syrup at the fountain with Mt. Dew. Or a Ice Green Tea with Peach. Okay so I don't really have just one.  
9) What's your favorite thing about blogging? Getting to connect with all sort of different people. I have been welcomed with open arms from all of you other bloggers that it has been pretty awesome!
10) Dress or skirt? Both? Depends on what I am doing....I really like long maxi skirts but then again I really love maxi dresses. 

My Questions for You: 
1.) How many siblings do you have? 
2.) How did you meet your significant other?
3.) What is your favorite season of the year?
4.) Would you rather eat your favorite food every day for the rest of your life or drink your favorite drink? 
5.) Do you like salty food or sweet food?
6.) What different countries have you traveled to?
7.) What book are you currently reading?
8.) What did you want to be when you grew up?
9.) What is your favorite movie?
10.)  Heels or Flats?

Those I tag are......

Go Geek Mom
mylittlecheekymonkey
Reflections From Me
Days in Bed
Get Out Mama
The Joy of 5
Domesticated Momster
Monkey and Mouse
Emma's Mamma
Guilty Chocoholic Mama
Let me know if you all decide to participate so that I can read your answers! 

My Favorite Ways to AVOID Housework

You all know those days when you have a sink full of dishes and a shower which needs to be scrubbed. As well as the other THOUSAND things which are on your TO DO list let alone not pulling your hair out. Those days for me are usually when the baby decides to stay up all night or the toddlers got up at 4 am instead of 6. You know when you pull an all nighter but they aren't the fun ones like when I went to College.

Quote of the Week #2

My Dad's 59th birthday was yesterday July 25th. He spent the day working, attending Saturday night mass with me and my kids, and supporting the Ulster Project by attending the Blarney Sampler. He really spend his day helping me wrangle my kids and telling them to be quiet.

Dad has dealt with so much in his life. Probably more than I know about and that is ok. It may not be fair but unfortunately that is life.

My mom got breast cancer when I was in Kindergarten and passed away when I was in second grade. He raised three little girls on his own for a very long time until he remarried. My dad had to sit by while he watched us hurt because we were without our mother. There was nothing he could do but hold us and cry. He is the strongest man I know! Dad had to go back to school at night so he could give us a life he thought we deserved. My dad made sure our lives remained the same. He made sure we still did the things we loved. Not many men could of stepped up like he did.

This quote is perfect for him! 

I use the things he taught me everyday. 

He taught me how to love even when they don't deserve it. 

He taught me how to work hard. 

He taught me that honesty is the best policy.

He taught me to pray when you aren't sure what to do.

He taught me that dance parties are the best when getting ready for school.

He taught me how to reach the stars.

He taught me that popcorn makes everything better. Don't ask...

I may not remember spending his birthday together but I will remember him teaching me how to be a good person. I will remember him telling me he is proud of me for finishing college in 4 years instead of messing around. I will remember the hugs he gives me every time we leave each other. There is no way I can forget the look on his face when he held my children for the first time. His heart is one of the things that makes him such an amazing man. I am forever proud to be his daughter. 

Linked with:

5 Things I Learned Nursing

Not everybody can nurse their child and not everybody wants to. That is totally fine! It is your choice and I support you!

There were some days I wished my husband was the one who did the nursing so I could get a good nights sleep! I wasn't that lucky though.

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Oh my goodness!!! Thank you so much Katie of Growing Up KaterTot for nominating me for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. I am seriously speechless because this is the beginning of week 2 of my blogging adventure. I am truly blessed that other amazing mommy bloggers believe in me. 

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award is passed from blogger to blogger as a way to get to know one another and meet new friends. 

Quote of the Week

Since I am so new at blogging with this post only being my 4th I started reaching out to other mommy bloggers on Social Media. I joined The Mom Bloggers Club and started following other moms.

What's this about?!?

Oh my goodness! Thank you for clicking whatever link you did to get here! It seriously means so much to me that you would take time to read this crazy shenanigans of a blog I am writing. Fun fact about me...my grandmother used to always say shenanigans so now whenever I hear it or even say it I think of her. Sometimes I am scared I am turning into my Irish Catholic Grandmother. Yup scary thought.