Why I Don’t Make My Toddler Say “Please”

I thought parenting would be easier. I mean, I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t know how hard. I thought things were cut and dry. I thought timeouts were as simple as putting the kid on a chair and setting a timer. I thought if I fed my kids fruits and veggies from the start they would eat healthy. And I thought I’d make my kids say “please” and “thank you.” Continue reading “Why I Don’t Make My Toddler Say “Please””

Babywearing with a G-Tube

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I looked forward to being able to babywear #2. I hadn’t really cared to wear my first and later wished he’d gotten used to it. You know, it’s hard to cook dinner with a 20 pound toddler who insists on being held on your hip grabbing everything!

When a 39-day NICU stay ended in my baby being able to come home fed only through his g-tube, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to wear him. I didn’t know how I would be able to do anything with a toddler and a tiny baby who needed so much extra attention. I asked the NICU nurses if I could wear him. They had no idea what I was talking about, but they said that if it was like tummy time and put pressure on his stomach, it should be avoided. Continue reading “Babywearing with a G-Tube”

5 Tips for Exclusive Pumpers

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There are a lot of reasons you might exclusively pump, and each reason will have it’s own set of circumstances. For me, it was the NICU. Then my baby came home on a g-tube unable to have anything by mouth, so I continued to exclusively pump for several months.

Some days I enjoyed pumping. Some days I hated it. Some days it was a nice break. Some days it was a nuisance. I never expected to exclusively pump. In fact, I breastfed my first for 20 months without ever using a pump. This time has been very different. Continue reading “5 Tips for Exclusive Pumpers”