My Sophia keeps waking up scared! - Real-Life Super Mama Wisdom:

I left the following comment on

The Busy Budgeting Mama Facebook Page

and I realized that many of you are in the same boat as me....
Trying to figure out the best way to deal
with a toddler being scared at night!

Sophia used to be a pretty good sleeper. 
But I think since the move...and operation
"get sienna to sleep through the night"...
she got all out of whack. 
Lately she's been having the hardest time going to bed..and STAYING IN BED. :)
I wouldn't mind if she just crawled into our bed like she occassionaly does..but she usually cries out for us(sad)..and wakes up sienna...(they share a room)
and that starts the never ending cycle of getting them both back to bed! 
Some nights are better then others.. Last night....was NOT one of those nights.
We've been trying a lot of different things: praying, night lights, story time, the noisemaker/projected picture on the wall gadget we have.....


Sophie goes to bed with the picture
of her with her guardian angel...
(our pastor gave it to her last christmas because it looked like her! so sweet.)
Ben told her one night that her guardian angel will be there with her to keep her safe so she doesn't need to be scared.... Well that worked one night...
She woke up and the first thing she told me in the morning was that her guardian angel
didn't come! she didnt' see her! haha..it was so cute..
we told her she just went back to heaven as soon as she woke up. :)
We are gonna keep trying...and use some of your GENIUS ideas!

All of these girls commented on The BBM Facebook page..

and wanted to contribute their thoughts..

Join the conversation

and Leave a comment below!

Thanks for sharing ladies..

I really think it's so important for us to band together, 

share our mama wisdom, encourage and support each other!

Be sure to Like The Busy Budgeting Mama Facebook Page

and join in the mama chit chat!

SHOCKED by People's negativity towards having Baby #3

So I left the following comment on
The Busy Budgeting Mama Facebook Page
and it started a firestorm of chit chat about
how so many of us are faced with negativity when talking about a baby #3. 

My thing is...I just don't understand it..I would never tell someone YOU NEED TO HAVE A BABY! haha....so I guess I don't see why people have this passion in them to say

NO! two is enough! or HAVE ONE MORE FOR A BOY THEN THAT'S IT!....

My babies are more than a check list to me..they are people. I'll be the first person to say some days are hard..just today ben and I were like..oook..time to convince one of the grandparents to move here..haha. 

But our children are such blessings to us.

And one thing i've learned in life...is that you don't always see the big picture,

but God does. And He has a plan for us.

Plus... I was a third baby..and if my parents didn't have me..

I wouldn't have my girls..etc etc..

All of these girls commented on The BBM Facebook page..
and wanted to contribute their thoughts..

Join the conversation
and Leave a comment below!

It's pretty amazing hearing all of your stories..it shows how many of you are going through the same things! You guys are awesome for lifting each other up like this..helping me especially! I always think about how yes some days are tough but how other days are so easy..it comes in waves. and I can't wait for the day all my kids will come over with their babies(God willing) and I can sugar them up and send them home. ooh how the tables will turn. haha. ;)

Some of the mamas mentioned above have
blogs.. you can check them out below!
Jen - Imanimama.com
Valerie - Blanqi
Jeanne - The Common Sense Mama
Art for Little Hands
Creative Mommas
Megan - Our House of Pink

"Top Mama Must Haves" Series DAY TWO

Blog shout outs:

(thanks for contributing girls!)

Sabina from Blanqi

maria from Enjoy this moment..for this moment is your life

I am going to be trying out some of these items that

these mama's mention! thanks girls!

Do you have any must have mama items you want to share?? I want my blog to be a place where we support each other and help each other be the best mama's we can be..so please share!

Real Life Super Mama Wisdom - "Top Mama Must Haves" Series!!

Blog shout outs:

(thanks for contributing girls!)

Anna from In Honor of Design

Laura from House of Holkers

Sarah of TimWill

Jen from ImaniMama

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more Real Life Super Mama Wisdom! It's been fun to see what my friends pick for their favorite mama must haves!

 learn something new every day. :) 

I think we can all use some tips and tricks when it comes to parenting! maybe these items are ones you know and love...or maybe you have some must haves yourself. 
please share!!

Bringing Home Baby #2-My Mama Reflections

In some ways these past few days have been in slo-mo but then again i feel like
they have just flown by!! it's a strange sensation. 
But no matter what.... they have been full of amazing moments!! 

Every pregnancy, child, mama experience is different....

but here's my personal reflections on motherhood the 2nd time around!

1. My contractions from nursing are wayyyy more painful then with sophia. and i hear that is normal. but normal or not.. i don't like it haha. and i just have to keep telling myself that it's good and helping me get healthy and skinny again! 

2. I feel like a pro compared to the last time. so much more secure in how i handle everything when it comes to baby. Nursing was easy the first time (thankfully!!) and it has been just as easy this time around.

3.As far as sleeping sienna is a much better sleeper than sophia. she actually likes her bassinet and i can nurse her and place her right back in..she falls back to sleep in 2 seconds compared to sophia who took some convincing. i'm sure it is mainly because of her temperament, but i bet she can sense how we are not stressed and more comfortable. plus i think we are just used to not getting sleep from sophia...so any sleep is wonderful. hehe.

4. I'm way more realistic about how my body was going to look post-baby.....i'm trying to remember when the "tum tum" went away with sophia.. i'm going to try and document it this time because i think it'll help keep me focused and motivated to get fit. i'm not going to be a crazy exerciser...(nursing and chasing a 2 yr old should help...) but i am going to actively try and get in shape unlike with sophia where it just kinda happened. 

5. I'm lovingggg having the girls together. sophia has been extremely lovey and that is the only "difficulty" we are having right now with her. she doesn't know her own strength and her "moochies" can end up being a little strong. haha. but she means well and is getting better every day with how she interacts with her.

6. in the morning she usually calls from her crib "mommyyyy...dadddy..." just sitting and waiting for us to acknowledge her presence and come get her haha. but the first morning home my went to get her and heard "mommyyy...daddyyy....babyyyyy..." when she told me that it melted my heart. snuggle time in the morning has been double the fun now that we have two cuties. :)

7. I realized that i call out for ben a lot right now...sophia now calls to daddy from her high chair.."binnnnnnn" haha. she is my echo. i also realized that i say "she's so cuteee" a little too much. haha. sophia is our little parrot. 


8. trying to do etsy orders while on pain medication is a little risky..sent a girl chocolate bar labels instead of the water bottle labels she ordered..haha. luckily she was nothing but sweet and completely forgiving since i just gave birth 24 hours earlier. :)


9. I really feel like things have been wayyyy easier than i thought they were going to be! It probably is because sienna is such an amazingly easy baby...but things are just flowing.. and even with the sleep deprivation and soreness....i am so happy. feeling very blessed and so peaceful with where we are in life. 
if you are nervous about having a 2nd baby..don't be... it's amazing. 
and that is coming from an exhausted-just gave birth-mama. ;)

ok i could go on and on but i'll stop..:) thank you for all the wonderful kind words and congratulations.. i really loved checking my e-mail and seeing your comments.. i am so happy to share our joy and celebration right now with you all!! 

My next task is finishing planning sophia's 2 yr old birthday party and sienn'a baptism. (we are doing a joint celebration so out of town guests can attend both!) i'll keep you posted on all the fun details!! you know me..i can't do anything small.. i've been collecting cereal/other boxes for sophia's sweetopia supermarket for weeks now. cause seriously...you can't have a sweetshop theme without a sweetopia village that has a supermarket full of play food!! come on! ;)

 

Real Life Super-Mama Wisdom: Going from 1 baby to 2 babies!!

This is a new feature i'm going to be doing on my blog.. 

here's some tips and lessons learned from some great girls i know!

 this topic is on my mind right not with us expecting baby #2.. so this one is for all you girls pregnant the 2nd time around like me or for those of you thinking about it!!

be sure to visit the blogs of some of these lovely ladies!

Maria

Laura

April's

have any mama wisdom to share?? leave a comment with your best advice and lessons learned.. i would love to know your thoughts on this.