My son was ornery this morning to say the least. My breaking point occurred not when he jumped around in a fit when I had to get ready for work, or when he clenched his teeth and squeezed my arm in frustration, or when he told ME to go to time out, or when he wouldn’t put his clothes on, but when I accidently mixed up the dog’s pills. The dog who should have gotten bladder meds got allergy meds and vise versa. Already late, I had to call the vet to confirm I wasn’t going to kill anyone before heading out for the day. Not that big of a deal in itself, but messing up something I could control really pissed me off.

Of course Tavin wouldn’t corporate getting in his carseat because he didn’t want his rain boots to fall off (yes I live in Arizona and it’s August, but you did hear the part about him being two, right?) so I have to lift him up over my big, huge pregnant belly and get him strapped in. Of course I then start crying and my 5 minute makeup job is also a complete bust.

Now it’s not just about my sucky morning, but the fact that this baby in my big, huge pregnant belly is coming and I now realize there is no way I can do this! The tears turn into sobs. I can’t expect Tavin to act like he’s 25… he was having a bad day for his own reasons and his little mind can only cope with so much before acting out. The scary part is when this happens again 3 months from now there will be ANOTHER little person needing my attention and what the heck do I do when they both are freaking out at the same time?!

I realize I am being dramatic at this point so then I just start feeling sorry for myself. These stupid pregnancy hormones are making me cry off all my makeup! A two-year-old “broke” me! He is getting faster and I am getting slower so physically he now has the advantage. I’ve lost control!

As I’m crying my son breaks his silence since getting in the car and says, “Mom, it will be okay. You’ll feel better” …The same thing I tell him when he has an owie.

HOLY CRAP I can’t do this.

My husband pointed out how different our first OB appointment was from when we went with our first son, Tavin. This time when they gave me that big purple baby bag I was sort of embarrassed by its obviousness and when we were walking out into the waiting room we were already talking about what to make for dinner and chores to finish that day… a far cry from the ear to ear grin and kissy-faced couple we were two and a half years ago.

Yes we were trying and yes we have no idea what we are getting ourselves into! Some days I think, what the heck did I do?! Other days I get all goo-goo ga-ga over the fact that my new baby has now surpassed the size of a grape and has fingers and toes!

I know this is going to change my work/life schedule and I also know that the only way to figure out what the new schedule will be is practice. I’m assuming that there will be less time for everything. Ok now I’m freaking out again!

It’s so crazy the mixed emotions I have. I’m all in love and all scared all at the same time.

I understand getting creative with how you get your child to behave because every kid is unique and what they respond to is unique. It takes time and practice to find out what works and just when you think you got it, you have to change your strategy again. Remember, discipline is supposed to help your child correct his or her behavior, but they can’t do that if all they take away from the ordeal is fear.  The goal is to get them to UNDERSTAND what they did wrong and why… not submission.

For more ideas on how to discipline, here are what the experts say. I know all of you have your child’s best interest in mind and commend you for your hard work trying to raise kids who are upright and healthy. It’s not easy, and no one said it would be. Discipline is the hardest part of parenting.

My husband, from Day One of me having Jake has been hands-on and involved in his upbringing. This wasn’t just important to me when I was sleep-deprived and emotional, but even more so as he’s grown into a walking, babbling, getting-into-everything toddler. As soon as my husband gets home, its “Jakey Time.” Not only has Jake become a Daddy’s Boy, but my husband seems to eat up the attention and fun, but short times they spend together. Every night, he is on bath duty and helps him brush his teeth, get into his PJs and reads him books before bedtime. Granted, I get the PJs and night time diaper out and tidy up the crib, but its the Daddy and Jake Show each night. Its a great bonding time for them.

On weekends, especially now that I am pregnant and more tired than usual, my husband will play with Jake so I can take naps. He feeds him, packs his bag if we are going to run errands and most importantly, (LOL) he will change poopy diapers. Even when we are out and about, my husband has no problem grabbing Jake and the diaper bag and changing him either in the bathroom or in the car.

I’ve met moms recently who carry the brunt of all the work with the baby. The husbands sit back and don’t blink an eye. They don’t step in to really do much at all and you can see the frustration and tiredness in the mother’s eyes. Recently, I even heard of a dad who admitted to work colleagues that he screwed up diaper changing with their newborn in hopes that his wife would just take over. It worked and he’s never changed a diaper since and the kid is almost six months old. He’s also never put the baby in the car seat or stroller himself. Really? Really? Come on! I really do think raising a child is a team effort of both parents. I’m glad my husband agrees and shows his agreement through his actions.

So, if you are pregnant or single and hope someday to have a supportive husband at home…really talk about and see how they react to the parenting roles. It will save you a lot of stress that you don’t need. I love you, honey! I am one lucky WAHM!

My son is not sick often, so when he is I sorta, um, panic a bit. Last night his cold turned into a barking cough, drooling and wheezing. Scary! I called our doctor’s triage line and they were on the fence of whether or not this could wait until morning. Basically I needed to take him in if his wheezing got worse. Then my mom came over (a respiratory therapist) and listened to him and wanted me to take him in… keep in mind she is also Grandma. But after the false alarms before, I was wondering if there was anything they could do for him that couldn’t wait until morning.

So, I didn’t take him in. I just gave him some Ibuprofen to reduce the swelling in his airway like the nurse told me and brought him in my bed and listened to him wheeze thinking, “What if I’m doing something really wrong here and he’s depending on me to save him and I’m not doing anything? What if he ate a foreign object and it’s blocking his airway? What if he’s allergic to the medicine I gave him earlier?… and on and on… Until the wheezing finally stopped.

He woke up happy as ever this morning (still barking) and we took him to the doctor where they gave him a steroid shot to help him fight off the suspected culprit, croup.

Obviously everything turned out OK and I’m proud to say I saved us a $100 dose of Ibuprofen at the urgent care, but I can’t help wondering if I’m the only one who doubts my parenting decisions and if those motherly instincts are really worth listening to? They can’t always be right, can they?

This is a subject where even the dads are weighing in big time from “I was circumcised and our kids should be too so they don’t feel different” to sort of a masculine movement to “take back our penises!” If you ask a man, he has a stance when it comes to his son and in an way, that puts us moms in a tough spot if we disagree.

What if you want to consider one way or the other and it goes against what your husband wants? Or what if you have one circumcised son and one who isn’t?

Some may argue to just leave nature alone and let the boy decide for himself when you deem it appropriate. This could be a good idea, after all, he’ll get anesthesia for the procedure and he’d be making his own decision. On the other hand, circumcision has been known to have some preventive benefits against STDs, AIDS and penile cancer. Not to mention it has been so commonplace in infants and our culture here in the United States for so long that, what if he gets bullied? Furthermore, what kind of psychological effect might this have on a teen boy who wasn’t circumcised and then decides to do so at a ‘mature’ age?

There sure is a lot up for debate (much more than mentioned above), a lot unknown and the statistics are reportedly changing. I really hope you do your own research, talk to your pediatrician and keep an open mind on both sides of the argument to make the best decision for your baby.

As I finished up this post, I wanted to find a true and recent account of what is actually involved in a routine infant circumcision procedure, but all seemed to be very slanted one way or the other so at last, I found this segment by ABC News which doesn’t seem to be bias and is not graphic at all, to hopefully spark your own research and discussions. What a big decision for moms today…

I’ve totally got the Christmas blues and I’ve been trying so hard to fight it off, but when this stupid craft (that I was so excited to do with my son) backfired, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. THIS is the stuff that matters at Christmas time, not  the fuss over decorations, shop till I drop and all the other nonsense we’ve turned Christmas into. BUT when you try to squeeze in the stuff that counts, it’s never going to turn out right because you’re rushed, it’s bad timing (because it’s the only time left) or whatever else. I’m done. Not even sure if I’m wrapping the gifts…. DONE!

PS- I’m writing this in the heat of the moment so at the very least cut me some slack if you’re about to lecture me.

I really, really want to have a positive outlook here, but I am flat out burnt out. I want to cancel EVERYTHING! Moms, how the heck do you keep Christmas enjoyable?

Get the picture? Yeah, I hated that thing. I have been on the pill since puberty because my period would debilitate me. Now, my hormones debilitate me. I mean, drop your keys in the wrong spot and you better watch out. Next thing you know I’m cleaning toilets and bitching about how dirty the house is. BUT, as soon as I recover, I’ll love you more than you can handle.

Did somebody say, crazyperson? Here!

You’re probably wondering why I’m torturing my husband this way… Well, we are going to start trying for number two in a couple months and last time I went straight from the pill to the pre-natals which I hear isn’t the best way to go about things. Hopefully the next pregnancy will smooth out the current hormonal kinks… we’ll one can only hope.