I've been reading a book called The Happiness Project and I love it! It's a very inspirational and motivational book. I barely got through the first two chapters before I was cleaning out closets and writing my "twelve commandments". It makes you realize a lot of things about yourself, your family and your friendships. I'm at a point in my life where I want to be true to myself and my family (Tim, Austin and baby #2). I don't want anything or anyone in our life that cause negative feelings, stress or that only drain and never give back. So far this book is amazing and it has already improved my outlook, my attitude towards friends and family, my marriage, and my goals as a Mother. A peak into what I'm doing:
My very own "Twelve Commandments"
1. Don't complain about it unless you can do something to fix it.
2. Know that people are going to disappoint you, but choose to get over it.
3. Be Jessica and don't apologize for it.
4. Do what ought to be done.
5. Enjoy the journey.
6. Get back to basics. - "treat others the way you want to be treated"
7. Smile more.
8. Remember the 80/20 rule. - "80% of success in life is just showing up"
9. Go outside and play with your children every day. - some times the hardest part of a day is getting out of bed
10. Act the way you want to feel.
11. You don't always have to be right.
12. Love more, nag less.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Austin's Big Boy Room!
Well, we went for it! Saturday we drove out to Barton Creek Mall to do some shopping for Austin's Big Boy Bedding! I'm super excited about the cool suffer theme bedding that I found at PotteryBarn kids. I really didn't want to have to re-paint his room so it took some time to find something that matched just right. The colors all came together and it looks great! But even better yet...he loves it too! After we got home Daddy took apart the crib, moved the full size bed from the guest room to Austin's room and attached the headboard. Austin was so excited to see the big bed in his room! So that night..we hoped for the best lol. My little sweet boy did AWESOME! We read our story and both Tim and I laid him down and said goodnight. We closed his door and stood there waiting...for something to happen I guess LOL. But nothing did! He had obviously gone right to sleep. We both just looked at each other and said "Ok that was way too easy!" LOL But so far he is doing great! Going to bed right away, sleeping through the night, and waiting till we come get him out of bed in the morning. I'm so happy we decided to make the switch before the new baby comes. I don't want to do any major life changes for Austin right after the baby is born, so if we had waited it probably wouldn't of happened till he was three! So..everything is going great in the Molepske House! Now it's time to start picking out stuff for the new baby's room and get to painting! =) fun times!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Big Boy Bed?
So I've been reading up on what Babywise has to say about moving your toddler from the crib to a big bed. I'm considering making this move with Austin this weekend. There are pros and cons to it, but my biggest motivation is that I hate the thought of loosing all of my guest beds! At least this way we will be able to keep the full bed for when my Mom comes to stay with us after the baby is born. I'm hoping that if we move forward with this that Austin will make the transition smoothly. But if we are going to do it we better do it now so that there is plenty of time to work out any issues before the new baby comes! Sooo..that MIGHT be my mission this weekend. Plus if I do that I get to buy new bedding for him which will be fun! LOL wish us luck!
what does Babywise say? this is from the Chronicles of a Babywise blog that i LOVE!
For many Babywise moms, the transition from a crib to a bed is much easier than they anticipated. That is how it was for us with Brayden. We moved Brayden from the crib to a twin size bed when he was 21 months old (but close to 22 months old). At the same time, he also moved to a new room. It was shortly before Kaitlyn was born, and I wanted him to be fully adjusted before Kaitlyn came along to sleep in the crib.
I was nervous. I didn't want him to get out of his bed and play instead of sleep. We moved him over, and things went smoothly. We had no problems. A Babywise child typically has little difficulty (relatively speaking) with this transition because he is trained to obedience. He is required to obey mommy all day, so why should night be any different? It isn't.
On Becoming Toddlerwise Tips
Toddlerwise talks about this transition starting on page 135. Here are some highlights:
Typically happens between ages 18-24 months.
The only thing that holds your child in bed to sleep is your word. There are no longer physical boundaries. Your word needs to be obeyed in the day if you want it to be obeyed at night.
Moving to a bed is a freedom. Be sure your child is ready for that freedom.
You can include your child in purchasing the new bed and the sheets etc. (although we didn't do this; we already had it all).
The child can help set up the bed and make the bed.
Do it on a night when Mom and Dad can both be there in the morning to make a big deal out of the transition.
Do not allow your child to get out of bed without your permission. Teach them to call to you when they want to get up.
Buy a side rail for the bed for your child's safety.
My Tips:
Be sure your child has something familiar to carry over to the new bed. You want to be clear that this new bed is where your child now sleeps. Brayden had a few stuffed animals that he slept with in his crib. He also had his blankie. I put those on his bed with him to sleep just like he had in his crib.
Have a naptime and bedtime routine. Singing a song, reading a story, etc. Whatever your routine is, it will help signal your child that it is now time for sleep. See this post for more: Sleep Routine: http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/2008/01/sleep-routine.html
Get a side rail for sure. This helped me feel much better about his safety in the night. I also put a pillow at the foot of his bed, and a pillow between the side rail and the pillow at the foot of the bed just to help have a boundary. He has never fallen out of bed (his bed is against a wall).
If you put the bed against a wall, you might need to roll up some blankets to put between the mattress and the wall if there is a gap.
I have said it before, but if you read stories, I recommend not reading them in the bed. We used to do that. Bedtime ended up being dragged out. Kids are very good at lengthening out the time of the bedtime routine. We read stories in a recliner--and we also have a predetermined number of stories that will be read.
Give lots of praise for obedience and show a lot of excitement over the transition. I know I was emotional, but I didn't show that to Brayden.
Staying in Bed
If your child gets out of bed after you instruct him not to, evaluate yourself and see if there are parenting gaps you need to correct.
When your child calls out to you, respond. You want to reward him for listening to you. I can see some kids calling out after a few minutes and declaring the nap over. Respond and inform him that naptime is not over yet, that he needs to sleep, etc.
Toddlerwise says to initially instruct your child to not get out of bed until you come get him. So how long is initially? Toddlerwise doesn't say. Brayden is almost three, and I still don't allow him to get out of bed until I come get him. I know Brayden and know that sleep is absolutely last on his list of priorities. If I allowed him to get out of bed on his own, I think he would get up and play with his toys instead of sleeping. Things might be different with Kaitlyn since she loves to sleep. For now, Brayden still stays in bed until I get him. I can see him moving in the direction of being ready to take that responsibility on himself, but he isn't ready yet. You will have to decide when your child is ready. Of course you want the day to come when your child gets up on his own. He needs to be completely ready to take a nap, then get up. Not lay for a while then get up and play.
What do you do if they get out? Brayden never did this until several months ago. He went about a year without ever getting out of his bed without permission. I went in and told him he needed to get in his bed. I then told him he needed to stay there until Mommy or Daddy came to get him. I then put him in his bed and left the room for a few minutes. I went back in and he was in his bed. I praised him for obeying and being a good boy and got him out (it was the end of his nap). This happened a couple of times (seemingly randomly). It seems to be fine now.
Whatever your rules will be for staying in bed, decide on them before you move your child over so you are ready if you are faced with your child getting out on his own.
what does Babywise say? this is from the Chronicles of a Babywise blog that i LOVE!
For many Babywise moms, the transition from a crib to a bed is much easier than they anticipated. That is how it was for us with Brayden. We moved Brayden from the crib to a twin size bed when he was 21 months old (but close to 22 months old). At the same time, he also moved to a new room. It was shortly before Kaitlyn was born, and I wanted him to be fully adjusted before Kaitlyn came along to sleep in the crib.
I was nervous. I didn't want him to get out of his bed and play instead of sleep. We moved him over, and things went smoothly. We had no problems. A Babywise child typically has little difficulty (relatively speaking) with this transition because he is trained to obedience. He is required to obey mommy all day, so why should night be any different? It isn't.
On Becoming Toddlerwise Tips
Toddlerwise talks about this transition starting on page 135. Here are some highlights:
Typically happens between ages 18-24 months.
The only thing that holds your child in bed to sleep is your word. There are no longer physical boundaries. Your word needs to be obeyed in the day if you want it to be obeyed at night.
Moving to a bed is a freedom. Be sure your child is ready for that freedom.
You can include your child in purchasing the new bed and the sheets etc. (although we didn't do this; we already had it all).
The child can help set up the bed and make the bed.
Do it on a night when Mom and Dad can both be there in the morning to make a big deal out of the transition.
Do not allow your child to get out of bed without your permission. Teach them to call to you when they want to get up.
Buy a side rail for the bed for your child's safety.
My Tips:
Be sure your child has something familiar to carry over to the new bed. You want to be clear that this new bed is where your child now sleeps. Brayden had a few stuffed animals that he slept with in his crib. He also had his blankie. I put those on his bed with him to sleep just like he had in his crib.
Have a naptime and bedtime routine. Singing a song, reading a story, etc. Whatever your routine is, it will help signal your child that it is now time for sleep. See this post for more: Sleep Routine: http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/2008/01/sleep-routine.html
Get a side rail for sure. This helped me feel much better about his safety in the night. I also put a pillow at the foot of his bed, and a pillow between the side rail and the pillow at the foot of the bed just to help have a boundary. He has never fallen out of bed (his bed is against a wall).
If you put the bed against a wall, you might need to roll up some blankets to put between the mattress and the wall if there is a gap.
I have said it before, but if you read stories, I recommend not reading them in the bed. We used to do that. Bedtime ended up being dragged out. Kids are very good at lengthening out the time of the bedtime routine. We read stories in a recliner--and we also have a predetermined number of stories that will be read.
Give lots of praise for obedience and show a lot of excitement over the transition. I know I was emotional, but I didn't show that to Brayden.
Staying in Bed
If your child gets out of bed after you instruct him not to, evaluate yourself and see if there are parenting gaps you need to correct.
When your child calls out to you, respond. You want to reward him for listening to you. I can see some kids calling out after a few minutes and declaring the nap over. Respond and inform him that naptime is not over yet, that he needs to sleep, etc.
Toddlerwise says to initially instruct your child to not get out of bed until you come get him. So how long is initially? Toddlerwise doesn't say. Brayden is almost three, and I still don't allow him to get out of bed until I come get him. I know Brayden and know that sleep is absolutely last on his list of priorities. If I allowed him to get out of bed on his own, I think he would get up and play with his toys instead of sleeping. Things might be different with Kaitlyn since she loves to sleep. For now, Brayden still stays in bed until I get him. I can see him moving in the direction of being ready to take that responsibility on himself, but he isn't ready yet. You will have to decide when your child is ready. Of course you want the day to come when your child gets up on his own. He needs to be completely ready to take a nap, then get up. Not lay for a while then get up and play.
What do you do if they get out? Brayden never did this until several months ago. He went about a year without ever getting out of his bed without permission. I went in and told him he needed to get in his bed. I then told him he needed to stay there until Mommy or Daddy came to get him. I then put him in his bed and left the room for a few minutes. I went back in and he was in his bed. I praised him for obeying and being a good boy and got him out (it was the end of his nap). This happened a couple of times (seemingly randomly). It seems to be fine now.
Whatever your rules will be for staying in bed, decide on them before you move your child over so you are ready if you are faced with your child getting out on his own.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Austin's Birthday Party!
What a weekend!! Friday we found out we are expecting another baby boy, had dinner with my parents..a late dinner with Tim's parents lol and made 50 cupcakes and a cake! Sat was the big party! The park was sooo beautiful. Everything was so green and the entire park was covered with bluebonnets. The weather was awesome and everything turned out just the way I wanted it! I could not have asked for a more perfect day! We had tons of friends come (some who had multiple parties and events that day! what troopers!), Both sets of parents, My grandmother and of course Aunt Kristin who is Austin's Godmother. It was really amazing how many people came to show there love for our family and to celebrate Austin's Birthday. We are so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives. We took tons of pictures so I am posting the link to all of them but here are a few of my favorites =) Thank you to everyone who shared this special time with us!
http://gallery.me.com/scott_f#100517
http://gallery.me.com/scott_f#100517
19 weeks
IT'S A BOY!!! yes, we are having another boy! I am soooo excited! Once you have your first baby I don't think you care too much about the sex, you really just want a healthy baby. During my pregnancy with Austin I just knew it was a boy the entire time. With this one I had this overwhelming feeling the last few weeks that it was a boy..turns out I was right! I cannot wait to have two boys! Ausitn will be an amazing big brother and I'm really looking forward to watching them play together and become best buds! Boys are so sweet and love their Mommy so much that my heart just melts when I think about how special it's going to be having two boys! Ahhh i'm just so excited!! HEHE! I told Tim at the Dr's office..."we just make Boy babies!" and my Mom added over the weekend..."you make pretty boy babies!" LOL I remember how perfect Austin was and just can't wait to see what this one looks like. I'm beyond excited and just can't wait till he gets here!
How far along are you? 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I have gained some finally! But over all I'm still negative 8 lbs for the pregnancy. The dr. told me that he was a little conserned and really wanted to see some weight gain the next time I go in...first time in my life anyone has told me to gain weight! LOL i thought it was kind of funny
Maternity clothes? oh yes! it's so strange to me how much my belly is growing but I still haven't gained weight! oh well! Baby must be doing OK in there! LOl
Stretch marks? well duh..but those are from before haha
Best moment this week: wow...that is a hard one. This weekend has been amazing. We had so many wonderful moments that we got to celebrate with all of our wonderful friends and family!
Movement: oh yes! this one is a mover and a shaker! he just lovessss to jump on my bladder! LOL
Food cravings: nothing too crazy lately.
Gender: It's a boy!!
Labor Signs: nope!
Belly Button in or out? still a flat innie
What I miss: I miss that newborn phase and I'm so happy we are about to experience again. I just love it when they are so tiny and just sleep all the time and want to cuddle!
What I am looking forward to: Planning his room decor!
Weekly Wisdom: Try to be a possitive person. Some people always have some sort of advice or critique to share that they think everyone should follow just because thats how they think...and it's always so nasty and negative?! who wants to be that way? not me! I'm in a happy happy place in my life right now and I hope my attitude towards others shows it.
Milestones: Belly is showing, we now know the sex (yay!), he is kicking all the time, and i'm almost half way through my pregnancy!!
Current Projects: I've got to get shopping! LOL I'm excited to start picking out stuff for his room.
How far along are you? 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I have gained some finally! But over all I'm still negative 8 lbs for the pregnancy. The dr. told me that he was a little conserned and really wanted to see some weight gain the next time I go in...first time in my life anyone has told me to gain weight! LOL i thought it was kind of funny
Maternity clothes? oh yes! it's so strange to me how much my belly is growing but I still haven't gained weight! oh well! Baby must be doing OK in there! LOl
Stretch marks? well duh..but those are from before haha
Best moment this week: wow...that is a hard one. This weekend has been amazing. We had so many wonderful moments that we got to celebrate with all of our wonderful friends and family!
Movement: oh yes! this one is a mover and a shaker! he just lovessss to jump on my bladder! LOL
Food cravings: nothing too crazy lately.
Gender: It's a boy!!
Labor Signs: nope!
Belly Button in or out? still a flat innie
What I miss: I miss that newborn phase and I'm so happy we are about to experience again. I just love it when they are so tiny and just sleep all the time and want to cuddle!
What I am looking forward to: Planning his room decor!
Weekly Wisdom: Try to be a possitive person. Some people always have some sort of advice or critique to share that they think everyone should follow just because thats how they think...and it's always so nasty and negative?! who wants to be that way? not me! I'm in a happy happy place in my life right now and I hope my attitude towards others shows it.
Milestones: Belly is showing, we now know the sex (yay!), he is kicking all the time, and i'm almost half way through my pregnancy!!
Current Projects: I've got to get shopping! LOL I'm excited to start picking out stuff for his room.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Happy Birthday Austin!
Two years ago today I had already been at the hospital for almost 24 hours. They had induced me because my blood pressure was just too high and they wanted to get the baby out. Well, 7 hours later they decided it just wasn't going to happen and they rushed me in to do a C-section. I remember being so scared. I didn't know what to expect and a c-section was NOT apart of my birthing plan. But as soon as they pulled Austin out, we heard him cry, and they showed him to us, my life changed. It's the most amazing thing in the world, and you just can't explain how wonderful it is to someone who hasn't been there. To be in so much pain, to be so scared and in a second it all changes. All I needed was to see his face and I was in love. The love a Mother feels for her baby is unmeasurable. The pain was gone, my fears were gone and all I cared about was him. That was the best day of my life. He has grown so much in the last two years. He is a fun loving, adventurous, happy, loving little boy. He is smart, funny, and always has a smile on his face. He can brighten up the worst of days and make perfect strangers smile and laugh. Austin, I love you more than you will ever know! You are my sunshine and my baby always! I love you! Happy Birthday!!
Love,
Mommy
Love,
Mommy
MIA
By the time I get my computer back I will have tons of updats and pictures! Sorry I've been MIA for a while but we've been super busy and I've had to borrow Tim's computer when I want to get online. I promise to update soon!
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