Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Next Week

Next week is my last class this year for Baby Sign Language Classes. Be part of this new trend of talking to your baby before they can talk. I have to say it is the most wonderful feeling in the world to be able to know what your baby is talking about. They feel so confident and proud when they can ask for something and you can reach over and get it for them. Or when they can just tell you a story and you can talk about it with them. Their little face just lights up and it will make you light up inside.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Free Meet and Greet

Free Sticky Hands meet and greet tomorrow 9:30am -11am at Family Center. No need to register. Learn about baby sign language and socialize with other parents. For parents and babies under 12 months. www.stickyhands.ca
Family Center located at
Abbotsford Community Services
2420 Montrose Avenue
Abbotsford, BC V2S 3S9
604.859.7681

Just a cute story

It is very often that in the middle of the night my little 5 month old would wake for a feeding. I would try to wait him out a bit and sometime he would fall back to sleep and sometimes not. I bring him into bed with my husband and I and I feed him and then he lays with us a while. After a bit, mostly because I was too exhausted to move anywhere at the time, I put him back in his bassinet. Well, last night was one of those mid-wake nights. I tried to wait it out a bit, hearing him fuss and complain a while... but then he decided enough was enough and he started to wail and cry. I fed him up and he was very nosy about it, slurping it up like a hungry calf. He fed a long time and my husband woke and we lay there enjoying our quiet family morning. When he was done he rolled over and normally he would just fall asleep but today he lay back... stretched his little body out and in the dead quiet he goes, "yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! So satisfied... it was the funniest thing we ever heard. He sounded like a satisfied 4 year old after we told him we were going to DisneyLand. We laughed so hard we woke up our two year old... and well that was that for sleep. But so funny.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thankful

Well, I am Canadian, but I am still bombarded with the states and their thanksgiving advertisements. Because of this I have been thinking about what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for technology. I love that my dishes wash themselves in the dishwasher, my clothes go for a ride in the washer and dryer, my favourite shows can be taped and wait for my presence to resume, my phone & computer connect me to loved ones and keep me in the loop of the outside world. Skype allows my sons to visit their grandparents up north. I love technology.

This last one is especially true for the stay at home parent. I use to chat about the daily news in the lunch room with my colleges in the Langley School District when I was working outside the home. I'd even get a chance to read a newspaper or listen to the news on my way in on the radio. Now I listen to "Zoom, zoom to the moon and Over in the Meadow." My newspaper is only used to cover the floor so the kids can paint or carve pumpkins.
The internet has allowed me to still have adult conversation on forums I enjoy. It lets me twitter about who wants to be in politics and where to buy the latest of this's and that's. Facebook keeps me in the mommy world and lets me buy crap online I don't need.
All seriousness, I love technology and I am thankful it is in my life.
The time saved from doing washing by hand or dishes all night allows me to have time to wrestle with my two year old or blow raspberries on my babies tummy. I can cuddle with my hubby and watch Dexter online while my self cleaning oven does the 'dirty' work.
Thank you technology for giving me time and connection with family.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Nursery Rhymes

Isn't it funny how nursery rhymes seem almost unimportant until you have children. Then they become baby kryptonite! If you want your baby to stop screaming, crying, whining, melting down... just start singing.
It doesn't even matter if your bad at it. Keep going... don't stop.
Not only will this sooth your tearful baby, but it will calm your heart as well. You can be soooo annoyed at your whiner and frustrated with your crying baby, but if you start singing and you don't stop. You find you stop feeling angry, and start feeling happy. Start dancing too, it throws the kids off enough for them to forget why they were crying and it gives your neighbours something to laugh about when the walk by your window.

The most fun times in my life is when I watched my mom or dad be really silly. Give them a great memory, calm your own spirits and make your babies laugh.

Here are a rhyme to get you started.

Sign for CROCODILE (hands together & open them like the jaws of a croc opening and closing)
Sign for SLEEP (hands together and rest your head on your hands)

Crocodile, crocodile, nip your nose (CROC sign and use it to nip at babies nose)
Crocodile, crocodile, nip your toes (CROC sign and use it to nip at babies toes)
Crocodile, crocodile, swim around (CROC sign and swim it around in the air)
Crocodile, crocodile, ly right down (CROC sign swimming around and SLEEP sign)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Third babies get little journal room

Poor third child... I checked out my journal today. And yes, it is true the more children you have the less info you put in your diary about the experiences. I feel bad for Baby Nash today. I haven't written anything in my journal for over 3 months. I need to start, so maybe starting here isn't a bad idea. So bare with me while I gush.

My heart feels like it may explode from the love I have for this little 5 month old. He is so sweet. His smile melts me, his giggles make me giggle, his eyes soak love and show love so deep I could drown in his love.

Ok, that's it gushing over. But seriously, this little guy is awesome. He hasn't rolled over, sat up on his own, or crawled yet. He is grasping objects pretty quickly, manipulating his pull down vibrating toy, turning pages on his exersaucer, pushing himself up off his belly, back crawling with his feet, and making all kinds of conversation. The best part though is Nashville finally showed me his first sign. UP

He puts his hands up when I go to get him from the crib. He puts his hands up when I ask him, "Do you want upie?" I show him my hands up. He mimics me. He puts his hands up when I walk by his play mat and he's telling me with arms he wants up. If I don't stop he reinforces this request by a little scream cry complaint. So cool. Geran's first sign was MILK at 5 months and Nash's is UP.

I am sad to see a lot of Geran's signs leaving as he talks so much more each day. He will be two and a half in December, but talks like a 3 or 4 year old. I beg him to sign to me, like trying to hold onto his baby-ness, if that's a word. But alas, he is growing older each day and with that he uses less and less signing. Luckily I have baby Nash to relive the amazing world of signing baby. I am so excited for our journey together and I know Geran will help on the way. He always signs MILK to Nash when he cries. Geran knows what's going on. So cute!

Hope you will enjoy the journey with me.

Check out my website for class information if your in the Abbotsford area.
www.stickyhands.ca

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Treadmill weight loss or headache?

Why do I feel like I am running around on a treadmill not getting anywhere? I mean I am sure running on a treadmill may help me loose a few pounds and therefore I could be doing more of it, but I mean as a mother and a business owner, I often feel I am running around and not getting any results. I work through my day trying to keep up.

I keep up with channel updates on the computer such as twitter, blogging etc, keep up with household chores, keep up with business stuff, keep up with children, keep up with friends and family, just constantly keeping up.

Today I realized that is my lack of routine and procedures. Large, successful companies have procedures, they have routines and they often write these down for staff to follow and check off throughout opening, during and closing procedures of their day.

Why am I not doing this at home? I know I only have two kids under 2, but does that mean we can fly by the seat of our pants and just chase our tail and try to get things done and survive the day. I feel this way too often. I took one small step to change this tonight. I made a nighttime routine. I mean we do one already, not always in the same order of course. We always end up brushing teeth, having a snack, going potty etc.

How healthy is this for our kids? I was reading online about how routines are vital to the development of children and how having a night time routine triggers parts of the brain to help produce melatonin to get our body ready for bed. Children especially crave routine and they will have better sleep in the process. Read more on my favourite website for new parent information:

http://www.babycenter.ca/toddler/sleep/bedtimeroutines/#10

So tonight I wrote down the nighttime routine. I wrote PJ's, Brush Teeth, Book etc... and then beside each word I put a picture of a cartoon signing that word. (the SIGNING mom I am) www.stickyhands.ca That way my son can read what each one is, as he knows all the signs. He loved it! We tried it out tonight and he felt so proud that he could tell me what was next.

Just like adults children crave predictability. Remember your first day or week at a brand new job. You didn't know the routine, you felt like a fish out of water wondering what to expect next? After a few weeks, it felt better to know where to have your lunch, what time work starts and ends, who to go to for questions, and where to store your lunch. In fact after a month, adults pride themselves in knowing the procedures at work and are apt to want to help out new comers and show them the ropes.

Why would children be any different. They crave that same routine. I saw the pride in my son tonight when he could tell me what was next on his bedtime routine. We keep it in the bathroom as most of the routine is in there. I also laminated it so it would last longer than just paper.

Maybe this small change in my home life will spill over and we could get a routine for mornings or even midday. I am thinking about having some goal setting and weekly planning on Sundays to help get through the week more smoothly.

Then I can take that treadmill time I was wasting running around on deadlines and use that time to play with children, spend more time with my hubby, or heaven forbid, take time for me!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Sign Language for naptime with toddler

Now that I am a mom of two under two... I have discovered something... my two year old's version of 'an inside' voice or 'baby is sleeping' voice is NOT the same as my adult version.

I was thinking, why not use sign as a special discussion between my toddler and myself while baby is sleeping. This way he feels included and all grown up, cause he doesn't nap when baby is napping, he gets to hang out with mommy even if it is practicing his inside voice with signing.

Teach important words for this special time, like:

blanket
quiet
love
book
baby
light
sleep
tired
mommy

You can play with dolls and have your two year old put 'his baby' to sleep and tell mommy to be quiet with sign language. Remind him when you enter the baby's room, to only use sign and tug on each other for attention. He'll love the game.
You can lay baby down and ask for "BLANKET" in sign. Let your two year old put the blanket in the crib.
Ask him to sign "NIGHT NIGHT BABY" and "LOVE" and "SLEEP"
You can sign "LIGHT OFF" and then pick your two year old up to shut off the light. Sign "THANK YOU"

Be sure to tell your toddler how proud you are that he is such a 'BIG BROTHER.' Remind him baby's don't know how to use inside voice or sign language, you need to teach your little brother this. You're very important to his family.

It is a great opportunity to help your toddler feeling included and important, especially with new babies in the house.

Use these dictionaries to find new words that work for your family.
http://www.signingsavvy.com/
http://www.babysignlanguage.com/dictionary/