That’s a Wrap

January 26, 2017January 26, 2017Leave a comment

I hope that this little space called Mama Reorganized has helped you navigate through newborn life, life with 2 under 2, getting your groove back, or whatever it is that you came here to find.

As baby C is no longer a baby and is now becoming a toddler, I don’t have quite as much to report. At this age, their schedules are relatively consistent and don’t change much, they begin to be able to communicate more, and those feelings of confusion as a new mom seem to drift away a bit.

So, I won’t be posting any more monthly schedules or updates – I will however, make sure to stop by here and add new thoughts or ideas as I experience them. Now I am raising a 1 year old and a 2.5 year old, and there are many new things that we will face (we are sort of in the middle of potty training A so if I figure that out, I’ll make sure to update you!) and if I find a way to navigate it, this is the spot I will return to to share.

I think I mentioned before that I also sort of started this little side thing as an independent LipSense distributor and it has sort of taken off! I write over on that website more frequently these days, and it has been an awesome experience for me to have something that is my own without taking time away from my kids. Check it out!

Thank you so much for letting me share my life with you.

11 and 12 Months!

January 26, 2017Leave a comment

I cannot believe that baby C is a year old today!!!! He had a camp themed birthday party and it was so fun. He has changed so much – he takes one nap now, drinks milk, walks EVERYWHERE, points, says a handful of words, and is the most playful joyful little guy there is.

Around 11.5 months he dropped his morning nap (if we are driving sometimes he will fall asleep for a short bit, but otherwise he doesn’t really take a morning nap anymore), so I put him and A down around noon instead. He takes a solid 2 hour nap and wakes recharged for afternoon play.

I ran out of formula at around 11.5 months as well, so we didn’t really transition to milk – we just gave him milk and thankfully he liked it and it all worked out.

This is what I wrote on Facebook today about my sweet, sweet 1 year old:

I cannot believe my baby is 1!!!! Oh Curren…..after an easy labor the nurse put him on my chest and I kid you not, he lifted his head and looked right up at me. I almost dropped him I was so startled, and he has been keeping me on my toes ever since.

Curren liked to sleep in 2 hour increments the first 2 months of his life. I have never been so tired, but during the day when Austin was at pre-school, Curren would fall asleep on my chest and there was no place I’d rather be than snuggling him. Baby sleep bootcamp at 3 months got our sleep back on track, but you know how they say you just forget how tired you were when you have a newborn? I WILL NEVER FORGET LOL.

Curren didn’t seem like a little baby for very long….he was sitting up and crawling and trying to stand by 6 months, probably because he has major FOMO. Whatever Austin is doing, he is right next to him doing it too. They have played together every day since that age and I’m so grateful for their special bond. He wakes up every morning asking for Austin, and vice versa.

Part of him seeming to have always been a toddler baby was my fault. The days I go to work are a mad dash trying to get everyone dressed, fed, and out the door so John and I somehow stopped spoon feeding Curren food around 6 months as well and sort of left him to it. The poor kid has 2 teeth but we hand him grown up food like it’s no big deal. He complies, and I truly don’t know what I did to deserve such a special son. He has just always fit right in with our family. Whenever we go somewhere, Austin says “Come on Curren!!!” and Curren just scampers along to catch up with us.

Curren started cruising around 9 months, around the time he got his helmet to correct a flat spot on his head. His daycare teachers were actually grateful for this since they nicknamed him Evel Knievel. He is pretty much a stunt baby and is non-stop physical lol. They also call him Leonardo Dicaprio because he is the cutest dreamboat ever. Most of Curren’s pacifiers are pink (Target never has boy colors) so one of my fave questions someone asked me about him (while wearing him helmet) was if “she has seizures”. John often gives the boys baths or showers and I can’t even be around because it is the most aggressive thing I’ve ever seen!

Curren lights up when he sees me or John and says Mama and Dada all day long. He can also say outside, hi, bye, he can wave, he says Austin, he likes to point at things, and he signs for all done. I love when he says Austin’s name and Austin lights up and tells me, “He said Austin!!!!” He loves to play independently, he loves to wrestle and laugh with his brother (they totally do that sibling thing where you just look at each other and laugh for no reason), he loves to eat, sleep, and nap like a champ, and when I tell him not to do something, he likes to do it anyway, look me directly in the eyes, and laugh.

No matter where I take Curren (the zoo, Target, out to eat, the mall, Sea World) he is always stoked and loves to look around and flirt with everyone. (Except pretty sure he ruined a bunch of people’s dinners at Paradise Point on Christmas – that was one dinner he despised).

Since Curren is my second, I had the experience to know how fleeting the first year is and I’ve soaked in every single part of it. I have wanted everything to slow down and this will always have been one of the most magical years of my life. Curren has such a fun, spirited, and unique personality, the kind that is clearly a gift from God. I love everything about him – Happy 1st birthday Cur Cur.

9 and 10 Months!

November 25, 2016Leave a comment

I forgot to post a 9 month update because our schedule is still the same, and it is the same at 10 months as well. I imagine it will stay this way until 1 year, when he will switch to 1 nap. I’ll have some figuring out to do then because at daycare his nap will be at 11:30, but I still like to have both kids nap at the same time so I might try to get them both as close to 12 as I can – we will see!

The last 2 months have been awesome. C’s personality is growing each day, and I love watching him play with A, play with toys, say “mama” all day, and be the cutest! We are happy with 2 kids and feel our family is complete, but it is definitely this age when I’m like, “I want all the babies!!”

At 10 months I threw away C’s bottles and he now uses sippy cups. I find the transition earlier helps because they aren’t super attached to the bottle like they are later on. Not that there is a problem with bottles, I just find drinking out of a cup is easier, especially at restaurants and on the go 🙂 Here is our schedule for 9 and 10 months….copied and pasted from 8 months with the only difference being a slightly later morning nap.

Time	Activity
6:30am	Wake, new diaper and clothes, 6-8 ounce bottle, cereal, playtime
9:00/9:30am	Nap 1
10:30am	6-8 ounce bottle, new diaper, fruit or veggie (trying new foods every few days), playtime
12:30pm	Nap 2
2:30pm	6-8 ounce bottle, new diaper, playtime
5:00pm	Dinner (fruit or veggie)
6:00 to 6:30pm	Bedtime routine: 8 ounce bottle, bath, night diaper, pajamas and pacifier, snuggle and story, sound machine on, lights off, kisses and crib

8 Months Old!

September 26, 2016Leave a comment

Not a lot has changed again since last month, which is really nice for this organized mama. The boys and I have a great routine down which makes each day so fun for all of us. Baby C finally got 2 teeth, and can sit like a champ. One day I looked over at A and C playing together and C was just sitting there all proud! Yesterday he even pulled up to stand by himself. He is sooo motivated to be like his big bro.

He got a helmet to reshape the flat part of his head (6 months of occupational therapy helped his neck tilt but there was not much we could do about the flat spot). He has been a trooper and will likely have to wear it for a couple of months.

Overall C is doing awesome and it is such a blessing to watch him grow and to see his silly personality continue to emerge. He loves to be held, to play with his brother, and to be in the mix 🙂 Posted schedule below but it is exactly the same as last month!

Time	Activity
6:30am	Wake, new diaper and clothes, 6-8 ounce bottle, cereal, playtime
8:30am/9:00am	Nap 1
10:30am	6-8 ounce bottle, new diaper, fruit or veggie (trying new foods every few days), playtime
12:30pm	Nap 2
2:30pm	6-8 ounce bottle, new diaper, playtime
5:00pm	Dinner (fruit or veggie)
6:00 to 6:30pm	Bedtime routine: 8 ounce bottle, bath, night diaper, pajamas and pacifier, snuggle and story, sound machine on, lights off, kisses and crib

Lips by Nic

August 5, 2016August 5, 2016Leave a comment

So I tried this lipstick called LipSense a couple weeks ago and I am completely hooked. It is water-proof, kiss-proof, and smudge-proof; pretty much everything I need as a busy mom. I found it through a random girl on Instagram, loved the product, and then thought, if this random girl online could sell to me, certainly I could do this too! To sign up as a distributor you pay $50 and then get 20-50% off every single order so it was a no-brainer for me (considering how much time, and money, I spend at Sephora!)

To try this magical stuff out, a starter kit is $55 and includes a lip color of your choice, gloss, and a remover (if you are a reader you know I’ll hook you up with a discount though!) You won’t hear me talk about lipstick again on here because I like to keep this baby related (though what is a better mom-hack then a lipstick that doesn’t come off?) so you can find me on Instagram @lipsbynic, you can join me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/lipsbynic/, or you can shop on my site at https://www.senegence.com/lipsbynic.

Shop

July 28, 2016August 1, 2016Leave a comment

I love to share things I’ve created to keep myself organized so that you can be an organized mama too!

Check out my Etsy Shop to snag templates for toddler meal ideas, wedding planning, baby showers, newborn life, and more!

Visit my LipSense Shop called Lips by Nic for the most unbelievably long lasting lipstick and gloss you will ever find. I smother my babies with kisses and am shocked at how absolutely nothing gets on them!!

And for those workout-loving mamas-to-be (or friends looking for the cutest baby shower gift ever) you can find custom designed tank tops here 🙂

Save

Summer Break!

June 27, 2016July 10, 2016Leave a comment

I am off work for the next two months and am so excited for this summer break. 3 summers ago I was planning a wedding and got married, 2 summers ago A was a bitty newborn, and last summer I was pregnant, we bought a house, and moved (A was the best helper). This summer is my first with both my boys and I am excited to go to the beach, the zoo, the playground, swim class, and on family vacation!

We are going to be staying at a beach house for almost a week and we actually haven’t traveled with both kids yet; when A was a baby we went on vacation a lot. C was born in the middle of winter and we didn’t really plan any getaways. So I’m going to do what I’ve always done, which is bring pretty much everything and try to make the rental as comfortable as I can, and hope for the best! One of my main goals is (obviously) to make sure both boys can sleep comfortably – we have found that bringing a sound machine, familiar books, etc. help a lot. We will keep our mid-day nap at the house since they will definitely need their rest during the day in between beach time, but some of C’s other naps will be more on the go. My other main goal is safety – I’ll make the rental as safe as I can, and will likely utilize pack and play/pop-up play yard to keep the kiddies contained when I need to. Overall though, I am just excited to get away from chores and spend time relaxing with my family in the sunshine. We are taking family pictures with J’s extended family, my sister is staying with us, and it’s going to be awesome!

I love to print out my packing list so that I can pack over the course of a couple of days when I have extra time. Below is a sample of my packing list for the kids (also if you want to check out baby C’s 5 month schedule, click here!)

Toddler	Baby	Gear
7 night diapers 25 day diapers 7 swim diapers Pack of wipes Sleep sack 4 pajamas 1 Shoes 3 socks 4 shorts 7 shirts 2 swim trunks 1 jacket Water bottle Snacks Monitor Sound machine 2 bedtime books Stuffed animal Owl light Blanket Comb Toys/books	7 night diapers 30 day diapers 7 swim diapers Pack of wipes 4 pajamas 7 onesies/shirts 3 shorts 2 swim trunks 1 jacket 4 bottles Box of formula 2 bibs 2 pacifiers Monitor Sound machine Toys Fox lovey	Thermometer Tylenol Baby oragel Nail clippers 2 pack and plays 3 sets of sheets Packed diaper bag Monitor/charger Double stroller Carrier Rock and Play Car seats

Update: The first 2 days of vacation went great – both kids napped and slept well at night in their pack and plays, and we were able to stick close to our regular schedule while still getting out of the house and enjoying the beach. Unfortunately though baby C got sick for the first time ever, and he was in a lot of pain. I have never seen him so upset 😦 It was chaotic the rest of the trip, but such is life. Overall though I feel more confident in traveling with our #2andunder and am super glad I packed that Tylenol!!

2 Years Old and 4 Months Old

May 31, 2016June 27, 2016Leave a comment

20160623_070049

Last week my sweet boys turned 2 years old, and 4 months old. Both ages are pretty special right now – they laugh and smile at each other all the time! It is so cute. A likes to push C around while C lays in his Rock and Play, and C likes to watch A play while C does tummy time.

I don’t get to say I have #2under2 anymore, and I will miss that – I can’t believe how fast they are growing! Raising two little ones close in age has been a blessing to me.

Here are a few of my favorite things about my 2 year old 🙂

Every morning during breakfast he looks outside and says “outside, ball” – if he could play outside from sun up until sun down, he would.

He moves non stop during the day, but always finds time to give me hugs and kisses, and to sit on my lap so that we can read books.

When I tell him it is naptime or bedtime, he happily runs up the stairs, turns on his sound machine, and gets ready for storytime.

When J drinks a beer, A gets excited because that means they get to go hang out in the backyard together.

Whether it has been 5 minutes or 5 hours of being away from me, when he sees me he immediately lights up and says “mama”!

He makes running errands easy – whether it is the doctor, the dentist, a haircut, Sephora, my little buddy is always such a good boy and makes friends with everyone he sees.

J is a superhero to him – they are best pals and A copies everything he does; they workout together, go in the jacuzzi or the ocean together, kick the soccer ball together…It is the cutest.

He loves his brother and always asks to see him first thing in the morning.

When he wakes up, he grabs his book and sits in his crib reading.

He eats man-sized portions of food. When we go out to sushi, he eats all the edamame before anyone else can get some, and then proceeds to shove spicy tuna rolls, philadelphia rolls, he doesn’t care…anything, in his mouth. When other people see him eat a giant portion of mac and cheese, I can’t tell if they are amused or horrified. At home, all he asks for are healthy foods – he loves blueberries, apples, bananas, brussel sprouts, avocado, and eggs the most.

When I tell him it is time to go on an adventure (ie anywhere) he grabs a truck and is ready to go.
He loves to learn new words, play with trucks, kick the soccer ball, and look at books.

Sleep Regression

May 23, 2016June 17, 2016Leave a comment

sleep-regressions-e1410202783594

I posted about baby C’s sleep training and how he started sleeping from about 6:30pm to 5:30 or so am; J and I were so proud and thought, “okay we did it, we sleep trained, all done!” C slept through the night for about 11 hours uninterrupted each night for about 2 weeks. Then, he started waking in the middle of the night again. I went right to him to comfort him each time and before we knew it, we had regressed a bit. I was teaching him that I would run right in, instead of giving him a chance to practice his new skill. Oops! Before we knew it, there were challenges at bedtime, in the middle of the night, and early in the morning.

It took me about 2 weeks to acknowledge this, and I felt bad for how much I must have been confusing him. Bedtime had improved and while he still cried when I left the room, it usually was for 10 minutes and then I would check on him and he would fall asleep after that. Then all of a sudden one of our bedtimes involved 3 hours of crying on and off. I now see that not all babies are unicorns like A and that some might need more practice and that sleep learning is really an ongoing process. I know baby C will not cry at bedtime at some point, and that he will learn to fall asleep on his own in the middle of the night again, so here was my plan (at 16 weeks) to help him practice these skills as best I can:

Nights:

Put in crib after bedtime routine with pacifier
If crying starts, wait 10 minutes and replace pacifier
If crying continues, wait 15 minutes and replace pacifier
If crying continues, wait 20 minutes, go in and replace pacifier
Repeat this process for any night wakings until 6:15am
**remind yourself, you are teaching him an incredibly valuable life skill. If you start picking up/rocking/bringing to bed (unless sick or something wrong), you are not giving him a chance to practice or learn, and you are just going to confuse your little guy

(Note: I talked to the sleep consultant again and she really recommended starting with the 20 minute wait time, so a few nights in I listened to her 🙂 )

So I was prepared going forward with my plan in hand – here’s how it went:

Day 1: Bedtime was at 6:30pm – cried for 10 minutes, one check, then slept until 5:55am. Cried for 10 minutes, did a check and turned on mobile at 6:05am – no crying after that, out of crib 6:25am 🙂 A successful night!

Day 2: Bedtime was at 6:30pm. C fell asleep all by himself, with no crying, for the first time ever! But…woke up at 2:25am. I waited 10 minutes, checked and gave pacifier. Started crying again; I waited 15 minutes, checked and gave pacifier. Fell asleep until 3:30am and woke again. Waited 10 minutes, checked, waited 15 minutes checked, set timer for 20 minutes but at 18 minutes….he fell asleep on his own until morning. Baby C fell asleep on his own twice, he is learning! It was a hard night and I didn’t sleep much and felt awful the whole time, but counted my blessings for the health and safety we had while J was out of town. Talked to sleep consultant and she said that waiting 10 minutes is interrupting C more than helping him…

Day 3: Bedtime was at 6:30pm. He started crying shortly after I left the room – more of a fussing/crying. I set my timer for 20 minutes this time…at 18 minutes I went upstairs to get A’s bath ready and heard…silence. I peeked in and he stopped crying, looked around for a bit, and then closed his eyes and fell asleep…..until 6:30am! That is the latest he has ever slept in by himself, and he woke up all smiles.

Day 4: No crying at bedtime! Woke at 4:30am…2 rounds of 20 minutes of crying 😦 then asleep until morning.

Day 5: 10 minutes of crying at bedtime, fell asleep on his own. Woke up at 12:30am, cried for 20 minutes, fell asleep right after I went in to check on him and slept until morning.

Day 6: No crying at bedtime! No middle of the night wakings until almost 6am!

Day 7: 20 minutes of crying at bedtime 😦 Checked on him and he fell asleep right afterwards. Slept until morning time!

So 4 out of 7 nights there were no night wakings at all. 3 out of 7 nights there was no crying at bedtime. Our progress is going slowly, but it is there!

Day 8: 10 minutes of crying at bedtime, fell asleep on his own before check. Slept all night until 5am! 2 rounds of 20 minutes before checks, fell asleep for a while longer, turned mobile on and got up for the day at 6:30am.

Day 9: 5 minutes of crying at bedtime, fell asleep on his own. Slept all night until 6am!!! Woke up and didn’t cry!!! Talked to himself until 6:15, then I turned on his mobile until 6:30am.

Day 10: No crying at bedtime! Slept until 4:50am…cried 20 minutes, gave pacifier, fell back asleep until 6am – turned on mobile and he played until 6:30am.

Day 11: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 12: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 13: 20 minutes crying at bedtime, check, fell right asleep. No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 14: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

So in week 2, 5 out of 7 nights no night wakings (an improvement from last week). 4 out of 7 nights no crying at bedtime (an improvement from last week).

Day 15: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 16: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 17: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 18: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 19: No crying at bedtime! Night wakings at 3, 4, and 5:30…what the heck? I think he did not get enough milk during the day 😦

Day 20: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 21:No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

In week 3, 7 out of 7 nights there was no crying at bedtime!!! 6 out of 7 nights there were no night wakings! An improvement again in both areas from the week before.

Day 22: No crying at bedtime! Night wakings at 3 and 5…fell back asleep from 6 to 6:45am.

Day 23: Started crying at bedtime and was refusing parts of bottles during the day…offered 3 more ounces and he fell right asleep. No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 24: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 25: Started crying at bedtime, fell right asleep after 2 more ounces. No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 26: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 27: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

Day 28: No crying at bedtime! No night wakings! No crying in the morning and slept in past 6!

5 out of 7 nights no crying at bedtime, and 6 out of 7 nights no night wakings.

We are all sleeping so great now and getting the rest we need 🙂

Health Goals

May 10, 2016Leave a comment

ANTI-CANCER

I have been thinking a lot lately about what I could do for myself and my family to help prevent cancer. My mom died from cancer and it really shook me up. I know we can’t control this entirely, but there is so much information out there about steps we can take to lower our risk and I’ve been reading more about this recently. I’ve also been listening to the book The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson and while I’m only halfway through, the main gist is that every decision we make compounds over time; maybe small decisions seem insignificant on a daily basis, but they really add up. Anyway, it made me think that I often say that I want to be healthy/in shape, but every day I make a poor decision that doesn’t take me closer to my ultimate goals. So while I tell myself that I deserve a sugary latte, what harm is one little latte, I am really getting further away from my goal a little bit at a time. I don’t want to be like that anymore! I am instead beginning to make very small positive choices for our health, specifically to lower our cancer risk.

A site I visit often is the Environmental Working Group. You can research thousands of different products to see what chemicals are in them and what the risk factors are. A rating of 1 means the lowest risk. If you click here, you can type in your body wash, or baby shampoo, or whatever and take a look. (I’ve been using Honest shampoo/body wash for both kids and ThinkBaby sunscreen for A as a result). I haven’t switched everything over yet, but I’m working on it – so far I have new shampoo, self tanner, body lotion, and body wash and next up I hope to find a replacement for my deodorant and toothpaste, as well as a new kid toothpaste.

Next up is the food we are eating. There are a few things that we already do at home that I am happy about – our fruits and veggies are organic, and we do not eat any foods made with white flour. However, aside from that I have gone way off track for myself and am disappointed. When I did a Whole 30 and for almost a year afterwards, I was very mindful of eating clean, avoiding added sugar, and checking labels. Lately I have been relying on convenience foods more often, drinking nasty sugary coffee drinks, etc. So while I am still researching to find what the best foods I should be feeding my family with are, here are a few of the immediate changes I am making starting today:

Drink coffee black and try to replace with green tea instead.
Make a big smoothie for breakfast to include organic fruits such as cherries and green powder and share with A.
Avoid red meat and stick with chicken/fish instead.
No more sugary Starbucks drinks. It is simply a bad habit at this point and not something I truly enjoy anymore – stick with apples and blueberries for sweets.
Have a veggie with every meal, such as broccoli and brussel sprouts.

Here is a link from the American Institute of Cancer Research that I enjoyed about small steps you can take to reduce your cancer risk. Here is a link to their recommendations for top foods that fight cancer.

Lastly, I’m going to continue to make sure we all get movement. Shockingly, this is an area that I am doing pretty well in. I take 2 60 minute exercise classes a week, and walk for 30-45 minutes 2 times a week. J works out at least once a day and is a great role model for us. A moves non-stop, and I am super happy with my decision to keep him away from screen time for as long as we did (he started watching 5 minute You Tube videos around 18 months, and at 2 years old I limit him to 2 20 minute shows a day, well most of the time – it isn’t the act of watching TV that I care about, but rather the playtime and exploration that is NOT happening when plopped in front of the screen for too long). I asked J to help me do some ab exercises for a few minutes at night, and I’d like to take evening walks again with the family like we used to.

I am going to make these things happen by thinking before I make a choice: is this going to take me a step closer to, or further away, from my goals? If you have any anti-cancer tidbits you want to share, let me know!