L2's Birth Story

Im going to preface this by saying if birth stories or bodily functions aren't your thing you may want to move along...

Our sweet second son was born in the early morning hours on November 26.  He was 4 days past his due date and each day that passed and he was still inside we became more and more anxious and ready to meet him.  I tried every old wives tale in the book to try and get him out, he had his own plan and when he was ready boy was he ready!

I went to bed the same as any other night wondering if this would be the night he would decide to make his debut.  Around midnight, I was woken up by some moderate contractions that felt like bad menstrual cramps and I started to time them, they were 2-4 minutes apart…from the start.  I laid in bed for about an hour and around 1 AM they were becoming such that I no longer could just lay in bed.  I didn't wake up the hubby because I thought this could go on for hours so why not just let him rest.  I went to the living room and sat on an exercise ball and watched Real Housewives of Atlanta and debated folding some laundry to pass some time.  The contractions though became pretty intense to the point that I couldn't really focus on the show and decided around 2 AM to go wake up the Hubby and inform him of what was happening and that I was going to take a bath to maybe help the pain.  I was having to focus on breathing through them at this point and while the bath did help, things became very intense very quickly.  The contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting about a minute or minute and half at this point. I knew that seemed close and they seemed pretty powerful but once again I was induced and had an epidural the first time so I really just thought this is how things were for a good while...

At 254 I texted the hubby from the tub to call our Doula.  He called her and she was quite hesitant that we wanted her to meet us at the house, she asked him three times as she lives an hour away and we live 40 minutes from the hospital.  He told me that she kept asking him if we wanted her to meet us at the house and we both thought that maybe she was telling us we were too early in labor and needed to wait as I had barely been in labor for 3 hours.  She told us to call back when we saw any bloody show or felt pressure.  well…no sooner did he get off the phone with her and relayed the message to me I turned around in the tub and saw blood…he called her back to let her know and I told him he also needed to call the doctor.

The doctor told us to get to the hospital immediately and we called the Doula back to tell her to meet us at the hospital.  By this point it was 3AM and the contractions were such that my body was shaking and all I could do was focus on breathing through them.  Things were happening FAST we jumped in the car and rushed to the hospital.  

We live about 40 minutes from the hospital but also live right by a toll road that takes us straight in to the hospital, its almost always vacant especially at 3AM.  The hubby was driving about 90 mph and once we exited to the road that takes us in to the hospital he ran Every. Single. Red-light which we got every light red of course.

I could not sit all the way down in the car and no sooner did we get in the car I had the intense urge to push…By this point I couldn't even tell you about the pain because all I could think about and focus on was breathing to resist the urge to push…I was not going to have a baby in a car!!  The thing though is if your body wants to push it will I felt something coming out, it wasn't a head though and I really started to freak out.  I was a mess!! Poor hubby was probably having a heart attack too!

We pulled up to the valet at the hospital and got up to the triage floor, by this point I was a screaming freaking out mess because I knew this baby was coming…and fast…when we checked in at the desk it was now 354…

I got in to the triage room, they informed me that what I felt was my intact bag of water which was on its way out…they got me on the bed and within seconds there was about 8 nurses and 4 doctors.  Someone finally realized the hubby was still not there and ran to get him. He got in the room as I was starting to push, I pushed twice and he was here!!! The time was 359!  I barely remember them putting him on my chest and seeing him for the first time, I think I was kind of in shock at this point.

The whole birth process was such a whirlwind, I couldn't believe things happened so fast!  It really was surreal, I had always heard of people having fast labors and had always wished for such but as the whole thing was playing out I really just couldn't believe this is how MY labor was unfolding.

After the fact, they took me to a delivery room and cleaned me up, started an IV and then did all the admission paperwork hehe.

There were several things that had God written all over them, truly God's hand was in this birth.  If it had been any other time of day, we would have been in traffic or there would have been too many cars on the road to drive 90 mph and run every red light, we ran right past a cop in our neighborhood, he didn't stop us, The weather was horrible it was raining and there was so much water on the road its a miracle we didn't hydroplane and crash.  The fact that it was a mere 9 minutes from when we pulled in to valet until L was born, if we had stopped at any red lights or hit any traffic whatsoever he would have surely been born in the car!

 I really wanted an unmedicated natural delivery hence why we hired a doula…I certainly got my unmedicated delivery and just knowing I did it all on my own without even the help of a doula is so empowering.

Even to this day, I can't believe I am no longer pregnant and that our sweet second son is here! I still can't believe how fast he came! 

Five on Friday::New Introductions

I have definitely neglected this space over the last month and half or so, life has just been crazy between working and getting ready for our new bundle.  I plan to be back though and have lots of things to share!

{ONE}
I thought I would jump back in to blogging by introducing to you our new sweet addition! 
Meet our sweet L2, he came in a hurry on Nov 26, I will reserve a special post for his birth story because its quite a story! He was 8 lbs even and 21 inches, slightly bigger than his big brother was at birth!

{TWO}

LIfe has definitely been an adjustment to say the least! I seriously forgot how little newborns sleep at night and how often they want to nurse!

{THREE}

We brought him home the wednesday before thanksgiving which was a huge blessing, I hate staying in the hospital so one night was enough for us!! I simply adore his coming home outfit, its so sweet and the material is SOO soft!! 

{FOUR}

His game day outfit for last weekends game when our school UTSA played LA Tech.  My friend gifted us this onesie and the bow tie comes off and is interchangeable.  

{FIVE}

Big bro L has been loving his "baby brother" He loves to kiss him and help me pick him up, its cute how affectionate he is towards him.  We have been having some attachment issues where he wants to be with me and have me hold him and do everything for him all the time.  Were trying to find the balance which I know will come with time.  I will say though I am loving my extra big boy cuddles!!

Five on Friday

I can't believe we are here on another Friday!! I'm so looking foreword to this weekend so lets get started!!

My mom (in the middle) who I think is pretty awesome is graduating from her Masters program this weekend!! I am so proud of her and can't wait to celebrate this accomplishment with her this weekend!! This was us in April at the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC...and a little 10 week old Baby L2 :) Considering this was POST race don't my mom and Gram look awesome?!

We met with our Doula this past week...I feel like such a crunchy granola using one, but I really think she will be a key player and HUGE support for my desire to have this baby au-natural this go round.  She is so calm and gentle in her demeanor I really am looking foreword to working with her!

We haven't made too much more progress on Project Nursery... While me and L are out of town this weekend the hubby will have a little to do list of things he needs to get done so I can finish cleaning, organizing and decorating. I know what we have left to do wont take long but knowing that we only have 4 weeks tops is starting to freak me out!!!

Our neighborhood had their annual pumpkin festival and we decided to try and beat the rain and go.  L had a great time this year and even rode the little pony without crying! He could have browsed the pumpkins all day.  They had some food trucks out there and we ate at this one called Bernie's Burger Bus and it was amazing!!  The weather is finally starting to cool of a bit here and its amazing!!

Two of my best friends and sorority sisters threw me the most precious shower last weekend.  I want to dedicate a whole post to that because all the food and decorations were just so cute! Im so thankful and blessed to have such sweet girls in my life!!!

33 weeks

Who am I? Two posts in one day?! I know its crazy but I am actually 34 weeks today so I wanted to get this post up before I've missed my opportunity.  

I can't believe I am already 33 weeks, I honestly still feel like I am in the 2nd trimester and am maybe in a bit of denial that I only have 42ish days left!

I have been feeling great and for the most part haven't even been that tired, until about 9pm then I get tired and want to just lay down.  I have had some crazy hip pain on the right side and I think its because little man loves to lay on the right side...like all. the. time! The good news is as of my last apt at 32 weeks he is still head down so I am praying he stays put! That in itself has made this stage of the pregnancy very different from last time.  Im not used to feeling so many feet kicks because with L1 they were all bladder/cervix kicks which hurt like crazy! Now I get to feel his little feet stretching out its so fun.  The downside though is his head on my bladder makes me have to pee ( or think I have to) any time I go from sitting to standing or vice versa hah.

We took a tour of the hospital and I am loving it so much more than the last place I delivered.  It helps that the unit is only a year and a half old but it is also very family friendly and I am hoping we have a fantastic birth experience there.

We hired a Doula this time around and we have our prenatal appointment with her this week.  I am so excited about this, we met her when we interviewed/hired her and have been in contact since but this will be our big meeting and then we just wait for the big day!!

Five on Friday

We are making great progress on the nursery!! A little sneak peak, all the walls are done and curtains, now we just need to put furniture together, clean out the closet and put things in their place! Im so excited and happy with how things are coming together.

How cute are these little outfits?! I have been doing some shopping for baby boy and can't wait for spring to roll around so he can wear these precious little clothes! 

I feel like between work and getting things in our house in order its been nuts around here lately.  This guy has been so hilarious and sweet through all the crazy.  I feel like his vocabulary has exploded in the last two weeks and he is always cracking me up with the things he says these days.  He had just eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in this picture and was being silly before I had to run off to work.

According to my countdown app I have 42 days to go!! Thats so hard to fathom for me because the end of November seems so far away! I know with how busy our schedule is in the next month it is going to fly by!! We really still have a lot to do but thankfully this pregnancy has been nice to me and really has been a breeze so far which is a huge blessing in so many ways. I did my 33 week update here...I know two posts in one day...who am I?!

Tomorrow some sweet friends are throwing me a baby shower, or is it a sprinkle when its baby #2? Either way, Im so so grateful for them to offer to do this and so excited to see so many friends I haven't seen in so long!

Day 3:: Bath Time

Look at that its day three and I have already missed day 2.  Oh well sometimes you get busy with Life and things like blog posts just don't happen.  We had such a full day yesterday and before I knew it I had to go off to work.

One of my most favorite parts of the day is after bath time.  We always pull L out of the tub and put him on our bed and its almost like a switch is flipped and he turns to crazy boy! I don't know if its the cold air or him hangin out in his birthday suit but he just goes crazy and it cracks us up every night!

Its one of the things I miss most when I go to work.  There is just something about a fresh smelling baby after a bath that is irresistible! He just laughs and laughs and is so ticklish and throws himself all over the bed.  Its these moments when he is so carefree I wish I could just freeze time and preserve his carefree spirit.  

Then, just like that we say its time for milk and stories and he jumps into my arms and we cuddle on the couch reading story after story.  Its such a sweet family time and my favorite part of the day!!

Day 1::Being Present in the Little Things

My goofy boy being so silly

Today was such a great day.  I actually woke up early and had some quiet time which I really think improves the whole rest of the day.  Having quiet time with God as well as time to plan out what I need to do during the day helps me to feel less frazzled and distracted the rest of the day

Part of my devotion this morning really struck me and I thought was so fitting with the topic I chose for this challenge.  It was talking about noticing God in unique ways and it said "We often encounter God when we pay attention to what's going on around us." I think this is so fitting in my pursuit to be present and just enjoy life.  Its so easy just to go about life and not really notice what we are doing or seeing.  I mean I have seriously driven home from work before and as I pull into the driveway think that I don't really even remember getting from point A to B.

As we were driving to our baby appointment this morning it was made so clear how beautiful the clouds were.  It was clearing of a rain storm and we were approaching Houston and the clouds were just incredible and fluffy and beautiful.  For me its noticing those little moments that are little reminders of God's greatness.

We had a great appointment and saw that baby L is still head down which is a huge blessing, I hope he stays that way! We then went to Ikea to purchase some furniture and it ended up being on sale...another little blessing!!

The smile that melts my heart multiple times a day!!

I had such a great day hanging out with my people.  My hubby is off work all week and my little guy is just so full of energy and personality these days I loved just a regular 'ol day of hanging out!  Even though we were busy and running errands it didn't feel stressful or busy it was just enjoyable which is what this is all about!

31 Days of LIfe::Presence not Perfection

The challenge is to write everyday for the month of October.  To chronicle my life, thats what this blog is about anyway.  Life tends to get in the way and get busy and distracted.  Its easy to get going 100 miles an hour and forget about being present.

This 31 days is about being present, a reminder to be present even if the circumstances aren't perfect.  

Quiet time with the Lord, just do it, it doesn't need to be at the quiet hour of the morning with coffee and a comfy chair, that would be perfect but so often I don't do things because the circumstances or perceived outcome won't be what my mind believes is perfection.  

Outings and activities with L once again so often I don't do things because I can't pave a perfect set up for whatever situation.  This is my last full month with him as an only child.  Our world is about to have some major changes and I just want to be present and cherish these last days of a family of three.  

Thats what this is about. just doing, and being regardless of if it ends up being a perfect picture.

I feel like I have let too many things become neglected because I am waiting for that perfect scenario or outcome.  I need to be present in the moment let God lead me and stop trying to plan it all, all the time.  I look foreword to where this challenge and journey lead me.

I will add each days links to this post as they go live.

Day 1: Being Present in the Little Things
Day 2-3: Bath Time

Nursery Inspiration for Baby #2

crib/bunny/bumper/fabric swatches

chair/alphabet print/sunshine print

dresser

Here is a little collage I put together with either things we have already purchased or things that are simply an inspiration to what we plan to buy or do.

I wanted something very soft and soothing, we did dark and bold in L1's room which I love his room but wanted to go a different direction this time around.

The light blue is the paint color it's Valspar Sweet Slumber and it will go on the top half of the walls and then we will be doing white bead-board on the bottom. The grey and stripe fabric is going to be curtains and the crib skirt and possible a window valance as well.  I cant wait for the walls to be done next weekend so I can start putting furniture together and getting things up on the walls etc.  We have less than two months now...its crunch time!!

Some images I found that are kind of my inspiration are as follows

Traditional Kids

Gorgeous nursery from ontobaby.com

Baby L#2 Update

Well folks, here we are...30 weeks and well into the third trimester! This pregnancy is flying by so fast I feel like I can't even keep up!! My new little man will seriously be here before I realize it!

I really feel like photos don't do my size justice, I just feel twice as big as this picture makes me look! Maybe I really am not that big but looking back at pictures I feel like this was my size around 35 weeks with L1.  It frightens me to think how big I could get this time around!!

Things have been moving along pretty uneventfully thank Jesus! Pregnancy is one part of my life I like to keep a little boring.  We had an appointment today and My Dr. said everything looked fantastic and was coming along perfectly.  He doesn't seem to think I will go all the way to my due date...we shall see...I have it already in my head I will go past my due date.  You cant be disappointed if your already convinced otherwise.  We are planning on doing things VERY different this time around and I am actually a little excited about the whole Labor and Delivery time, I know I'm crazy!! Little man just needs to cooperate and flip himself right over though I think he may take after his brother in the breech until many many weeks aspect!

I have had a serious sweet tooth lately, like all I can think about it cakes and sweets and more sweets.  I have tried to make a conscious effort to eat more fruits and veggies and healthy things, its just an ongoing process.

We have finally started to purchase items for the nursery.  My vision is slowly coming together and after the first weekend of October when we get the room more together, I think things will come together quickly after that point.  As of this moment by looking in our house you may not even know we have another on the way!!

Working while pregnant continues to be a little more difficult this time around than last, There are some nights I get off and my body just aches and all I want to do is lay down immediately! My hopes is the stress of work will help my go into labor though when the time comes!

Big brother L is such a trooper aside from his I want to be carried everywhere which thankfully he is not doing as much anymore.  He knows where baby brother is and at the church nursery on sunday was trying to feed everyone with a bottle he found, the teacher gave him a doll and she said he fed the baby for a good while.  This is funny to me because I have never shown him this and we don't even have dolls and bottles in our house! I think he is going to be a fantastic big brother, I just CAN. NOT. WAIT. to see him grow into this roll!!

Things I said I'd Never Do::52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose

This prompt is a good one.  Before we become parents we have this grand idea of how we will parent.  We envision our kids being the perfect ones and are so quick to criticize what we see others doing.  Once you become a mom, the game changes.  You realize that everyone has their days and while yeah there are still things I see and I know I will never allow such a thing to occur being a mom is humbling experience. I cant think of too many but the ones that come to mind were things I was very adamant about pre-kids.

1. Do Cry it Out

I always thought I wouldn't be the mom who did this, it seemed cruel and cold.  Well...que six months old and still waking to eat every 1-2 hours...yeah I was over it.  I still say I wouldn't do it before 6 months but in reality choosing to do this was one of the best parenting decisions I have made.  By six months L was waking so often and wanting to eat so much at night we were wearing thin.  I talked to his pediatrician and made sure there were no health issues that could be causing this and with her good graces we did it.  It was rough.  It was not fun.  But I loosely used the Mom's On Call method and within three nights he was sleeping 12 hours.  There were still nights he would wake up here and there but they were few and far between.

2. Have a Child Who Throws a Fit in Public

yeah this one... I swore it would never happen to me...big fat WRONG.  It has happened I mean the full on laid out on the floor screaming fit.  We quickly left the store and even still when he has his moments I don't subject others to his carrying on.  We leave.  Nothing is so important at a store or restaurant that we need to stay and allow that behavior.  Kids do this and I think you can teach them its unacceptable but it still happens from time to time.

3. Go in Public with  Mismatched Messy Child

Once again motherhood put me in my place.  Is it something that happens often? No, but sometimes you just need to run to the store and kids are messy creatures.  It happens.  We were quite the scene at Target the other day, all I could do was laugh about it.  I had gotten off work and swapped cars with the hubby and had to stop at Target for a few things.  Most days when we have to swap cars like this the hubby has fed and dressed L for the day.  Of course not this day.  I was weary and had clearly worked all night, L still had his footie jammies on, his hair all over the place and dried snot on his face. Yeah we had run out of wipes and I literally had nothing to clean him with. It was a scene and then he caused a scene such as mentioned in #2 as we were leaving.  Yeah it was fun.

4. Give my Child Fast Food/Junk

I always thought I would not be the mom to give my child sweets or junk food.  While its not the norm I do give him cookies and we do frequent the drive through from time to time. Not McDonalds though, I really hate that place. He really prefers healthier foods though and whenever he asks for a snack it usually is some kind of fruit. I think you have to have balance and the occasional junk will not hurt them. Plus, I love how happy he is when I give him a few cookies and chicken nuggets :)

5. Let my Child Watch TV More Than X Number of Hours

Well, this one went out the window long long ago!  TV, movies, and iPad are my lifesavers!! There is no way I could get half of what I do done and also work night shift without the above items.  He actually has learned A LOT from the ipad games and who doesn't love to just sit and watch TV I mean I know I do so why should I deprive my child of that? In all fairness I'm not raising a lazy couch potato we do play outside when the weather allows and read a lot of books but sometimes you just need technology!

Five on Friday

It's friday and for me it actually is a friday! That's not a common thing but I work tonight then me and the little are headed to San Antonio to spend a little extra time with my parents.  My mom is awesome and this is her last weekend before her last class starts as she finishes her Masters!! 

Lets jump right in to my Five on Friday this week...

{ONE}

I made this recipe this week for a friend who just had a baby and just went ahead and made a double recipe and we ate it for dinner ourselves.  It was so good and easy and is a "make ahead" meal so I plan to add it to my list of recipes to make for our freezer in preparation for our new addition.  This recipe was a sure winner and I know this because L asked for seconds and ate it twice the next day as leftovers!! The link is here -->> Kraft Recipes

{TWO}

This bad boy, the 4moms Mamaroo, is on the top of my wish list for this baby!! I plan to sell the swing we have because I am not a fan and I have heard so many rave reviews of this thing I am eager to get one and try it out! Obviously the baby would be trying it out but you get the idea :)

Mamaroo

{THREE}

My sweet lovebug has a cold, he woke up the other day super congested and hasn't been himself the past few days.  He is such a trooper though and still is such a sweet boy and continues to sleep good at night.  We have the head of his bead elevated and broke out the coolmist humidifier.  He should be on the mend in no time!

{FOUR}

As I had previously mentioned, all of L's baby clothes that were light colors had these old yellow stains on them that made their debut after being stored in a box for two years.  I was able to get them all stain free! I soaked them in a TON of oxyclean in the bathtub for about three days then hung them in the sun to dry.  They need washed in baby soap to soften them up but they are all back to their stain free self!! 

{FIVE}

I just finished a fantastic book that really sucked me in from the first pages.  Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman It was so very good and if your looking for a quick read this would be my recommendation!

The Best Coffee Cake

I hosted play group at my house this past week and I wanted to make a little something to share with everyone.

I made this coffee cake and it was AWESOME! I deviated some from the original recipe but I seriously probably ate half the cake the day I made it!

Honeybun Cake
original recipe is from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 boxYellow Cake Mix
4 whole Eggs
1 cup Sour Cream
¾ cups Canola Oil
1 cup Light Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
2 cups Powdered Sugar
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

By hand, blend the cake mix, eggs, sour cream, and oil until well-incorporated. The mixture will be pale yellow; it’s okay if it has some lumps! Then set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon until well-blended; set aside.

Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 9×9 pan, spreading the batter out into a thin layer. Add half of the swirl mixture to the top, covering the entire layer of batter. Don’t be alarmed if it looks like you’re over-saturating the cake—it’ll taste great! Pour the rest of the batter on top, and spread the batter until the cake is even. Top the cake off with the rest of the swirl mixture. With a knife, swirl the batter until you create a beautiful masterpiece (I always pretend I’m a barista pouring cream into a cappuccino because I’m really nerdy like that).

Place the cake into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze**. In a bowl, mix the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until glaze is of desired consistency. When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately pour glaze onto the hot cake. You might have to pick up the cake and tilt it to spread the glaze evenly. Let the cake sit for a few minutes so the glaze can set and serve warm or at room temperature.

**I did not make the glaze because I couldn't get my powdered sugar container open and it was still so good! The recipe above is edited with the changes I made, for the original recipe click the link above!

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose::My Goals for Motherhood

Being a mom as fun and great as it is truly is a huge job.  Not only do you have this cute little mini to play with and ogle over but you have the responsibility to raise them to be a strong upstanding citizen in the future as well.  That is huge.  So much of what your mother teaches you sticks with you for ever.  I find myself time and time again saying and hearing from others "Well when I was little my mamma..." or "My Mamma didn't raise me to..."

When L first came along there where times when I would sit and really think about the responsibility I had and how big a task I have before me.  It can be overwhelming at times really.  Thankfully I have a great God to guide me and a strong support system to back me up.  The saying "It takes a village to raise a child" is a true one in the sense that no, the village should not be raising your child but they are a crucial piece of your support system.

There are a few key things that come to mind as far as my goals in being a mother to these boys...and any future children we have.
One thing that is most important to me is to raise a son who turns is a strong christian man who is honorable, selfless, and has a tender heart for others.  This is huge and not something I can do on my own as a mother.  I pray every day that God will guide me in raising this kind of son.  We live in a society where if you don't have strong beliefs and values you will fall for anything and I hope to instill in him from an early age a good set of values and beliefs.  So much of what we are as an adult is not taught to us but embedded in us over time during our formative years.

There have been several days while at the park a parent has asked me if L has siblings because he shares so openly or commented to me how sweet he is with younger children.  I love this and while I know he has his moments where he doesn't want to share I have witnessed his gentleness time and again with babies and other children where he openly offers the toy he is playing with and is just so sweet to others.  This is something I hope never changes and I know when this new baby comes he will have a period of adjustment and attention seeking behavior I hope he is just as gentle and kind and open  with his brother as he is to the others he is around.

Another thing that is so so important to me is to raise a child with manners.  I read a post recently that was oh so so true and I want to print it and highlight it and hang it on the fridge from Kim at The Nurtured Home about children and their manners these days.  We have from before L has started talking and eating much other than soft baby food taught him please and thank you and that what is offered to you is what you eat and if you don't like it then you will eat more at your next meal.  This is how I was raised and this is how my children will be raised too.  You need to respect others and be grateful for what they do for you.  You say yes ma'am and sir to your elders unless they give you permission to call them otherwise.  We also behave in public and if meltdowns are had then we leave.  There is nothing I need so bad at a store or restaurant that my child can act a fool and think its ok. we have changed our food to take out and left stores before because of this. It irks me more than anything to see rude children, rude children turn into rude adults and Ain't nobody got time for that!!

I was at a playgroup once a while ago and everyone had kind of brought along their own food for themselves and their children and I sat down with L on the floor and we were eating our food and this little girl who I had never met kept wanting a bite of my chicken burrito.  Her mother kept saying no and next thing I know this child has her mouth on MY burrito taking a bite!! I was seriously blown away, this child was old enough and I couldn't believe she helped her mouth to my food... a child I don't even know! I'm all about sharing, but come on!

I could go on and on with things i.e. goals I want for my children but I think the third and final big one is that I want my children to feel loved and well cared for. This one is an easier one to accomplish as I think it comes down to motherly instinct.  I will say though it saddens me when I see parents yell at their children all the time and get ugly at them yes, children can get on our nerves but I feel if you communicate with your child as you would with an adult maybe they wont say "mom" twenty times before you answer them or ask you the same question twenty times.  We aren't there yet in our development, but, I do know that going back to infancy I took on a pretty laid back approach to mothering L. When he was hungry I fed him even if it was every 45 minutes during a growth spurt or rough day and if he wanted to be held I held him.  Thank God for the Moby because there were days I couldn't put him down.  Even now, there are days I have nearly been late for work or things just didn't get done because L just wants me to sit and hold him.  I will, I feel like we all have rough days and as a toddler if you wake up grumpy and mommy holding you makes you happy then thats what he needs at that time.  So dinner didn't get made before I left for work or the kitchen didn't get cleaned those can wait, one day he won't want me to hold him.  I think feeling secure is more important than dishes or dinner.

This goal often puts my own needs and desires on the back burner for a moment and the selflessness of motherhood comes to the front but I would do it time and again if it means raising a well adjusted child who feels secure and loved.  I also feel like I have to say there is a fine line between this and being a helicopter parent which I am not.  I feel in order for a child to be adventurous and well adjusted outside the home they need to feel secure and cared for when their  needs arise.