If you hold a baby too much you'll spoil them and other bullshit myths.

If you hold a baby too much you'll spoil them and other bullshit myths. 

As a mother of ten children I have heard every bullshit myth out there (don't get me started on the pregnancy ones). I have been told if you do this or that something horrible will happen.... yeah not so much! The reason this is on my mind is my husband keeps commenting that I have spoiled the baby because she cries until she's picked up therefore I must have held her too much, right? WRONG (Done in my best Trump voice)

Some babies just need an extra bit of comfort and security. I have held all my children just as much as babies and they were not all cling ons. My new baby is for sure a lot more clingy than the others, but come on all she knows is mommy is safe and she wants to feel that comfort all the time. She'll out grow it as she becomes more curious an mobile, just like most other clingy babies do. I think I'll just enjoy these first few months where all she wants is cuddled and loved on! Those days pass too fast. 

So please hold your baby when he/she wants held. It's great for bonding and trust building! Don't let yourself get overwhelmed though. My gram always told me sometimes they need to cry, it's good for the lungs (another myth, but hey, got to get stuff done!)

Another bullshit myth is babies who hit milestones faster are smarter. I can assure you from experience not true. I have seen some babies who walked at ten months they grew into some dumb ass teens and adults. Not saying my own kids because we all know mine are the smartest, best looking, gifted...moving on. 

So when you are listening to that mama brag how her son is saying mama at 8 weeks old and all your daughter can do is drool just remember that baby saying mama has just as great a chance at dumbasshood as any other baby. Side note if you're the braggy mom just don't no ones impressed! 

Baby walkers and jumpers help babies to walk faster. Nope, sorry guys this one is also false. In fact it can make them walk later (trust me not always a bad thing). If you are hoping for an early walker do not invest in these products. However, I will say I own them and I am not ashamed. I have to get the dishes done, right? She'll walk at some point. It's not a race. 

Another myth that drives me crazy is all the crap about teething. Baby is drooling TEETH, baby has a rash TEETH, baby has a runny nose TEETH! For the love of God people at what point is it not about teeth? Every time someone says something about must be getting teeth I want to scream damn, my six year old must be getting teeth, my 17 year old must be getting a damn mouth full as cranky as she is! Teeth are just another thing that will come when they do. Babies don't need all those gels and tablets to "help with teething" if your baby has a low grade fever and seems uncomfortable a dose of baby Motrin or Tylonal  will do the trick teeth or not. Again this is not necessarily something to be in a hurry about. Mom's usually figure that out the first time your skin is pinched between those sharp little baby teeth! 

These are just a few of the myths I have heard and they seem to be the most common. What are some baby myths you have heard? 

Review: Qyqkfly Girls Lovely Princess Knee High Unique Cute Christmas Owl Boot Tube Socks

I love Christmas socks. I feel like they are essential to the perfect Christmas outfit. They can't be ordinary socks however, they must stand out and demand attention. They must have colors that pop and a design that wows! These socks have both those qualities and more. I love the bright colors that go perfectly with the season. The cute owls are very detailed down to the pompom on their hats. They are absolutely adorable!

These socks are not only unique and cute, but they are soft and comfortable. They don't have a thick bulky seam, which is important in kids socks. That makes these even better for kids with sensory issues. They fit very well without sliding down as well. They are not overly tight though, so they do not leave dents in the kids legs. 

These socks don't fade or run in the washer, which is also a huge plus. That means they will last a good long time. My kids and I will be enjoying these socks for many, many years to come! 

Overall these are an excellent product at a great price. They would make a great gift or as something to wear for ones self. To learn more or buy Click here

I received these to review. My opinions are honest and my own. 

Baby Bandana Bib Set 4 Pack for Girls - Giggle

I always found baby bibs to be kind of cheesy. They were all basically the same. They either said something like I love (add a family member here), had pictures of fad characters, or were just plain and bland. I was however, thrilled to get to try these bibs. They have a more modern look and feel to them. I mean come on who doesn't love a bandana. They are so cute on babies and dogs too. (note these are not designed for dogs, but I may have tried one on my cat).

There are quite a few things I really love about this set. They are easy to hook. I don't have to worry about accidentally tying it too tight or no valcro to get all ruined and stuck on everything. These bibs have button and are adjustable to two different sizes. I used my 6 week old as a model and they fit her pretty well.



I also couldn't be happier with the absorbency. My daughter spits up a lot and these keep her clothes from being soaked or stained. that's a huge plus for me as baby clothes aren't cheap! It also saves me on running even more laundry! Speaking of laundry these are a breeze to wash and so far they have come clean every time. These are very well made so I am hoping that over time the colors don't fade a whole lot.

 These bibs are made of a very soft material. I was pleasantly surprised how soft in fact. I can see an older baby using this as a lovey. Usually you get comfort or absorption, but not both. That is another very unique feature of these bibs! Plus the designs on them are wonderful. They are easy to match up to outfits and they look great. Her first time wearing it I had two people ask me where we got them from!

Overall these bibs get Mother's seal of approval. They are well made and durable. They do the job intended perfectly all while being stylish. It doesn't get much better than that. These are perfect for any new mom to buy for herself or to receive as a gift! These would be a great gift for a baby shower.

To learn more or buy some for yourself 

Click here

I received this to review. All opinions are mine and mine alone. 

Women's Fashion Long Shawl review.

I was thrilled to get a chance to review this beautiful scarf. It has the look and feel of cashmere without the high cost! This is an affordable gift anyone will love. I live in a very cold area so warmth as well as style is important. This scarf provides both.

As soon as this came in the mail all my teen girls starting trying to put claims on it. This easily could have turned to a violent battle with the winner claiming the scarf as their trophy, but I ended it quick by telling them the queen (that would be me) had already laid claims.

I love to wear my scarfs in many different ways. This one was easy to wear around the neck for warmth, wrapped for fashion, or used as head cover for windy days. It is easy to change up and has enough weight it stays in place nicely. This scarf has a lot of length to it which helps it be so versitile.

This would be a great girl for secret santa's or to give to a special woman in your life. It's high quality and will last a good long time. It's thicker material keeps it from wrinkling so it's ready to wear anytime. I also love that this can be worn with a dress or jeans equaly. It's also something that would be loved by people of any age.

If you are looking for a gift under $11.00 this holiday season look no further. To learn more or buy Click here

What I know about millennials

I am climbing up on my high horse this morning to get a few things off my chest. Everyone is talking about generalizing whole groups of people, yet one of the biggest groups being torn apart right now are millennials. People are calling them "special snowflakes", "wimps", and "cry babies". Sounds to me like what the older generation would say about my generation as kids. Yes, generation X. The generation of I don't give a fuck. I think that many people have forgotten about the men and women who are running this country right now. Many of these men and women were hippes. You know, the people they called wimps and cry babies in the 60's. The men and women who often stood hand in hand while beaten, abused, and threatened. You know the people who stood against what they say as injustice.... umm... we are not seeing snowflakes, we are seeing a group of young people fighting for what they see as probable injustices that will happen. Now I'm not going to sit here and defend if there is validity to their fears or not as that is not the point of this post. The point is these kids are standing up for what they really believe in. Isn't that one of the things us as parents always hope our kids will do?

Being a mom of so many kids I have had many, many of these millennial children come through my home. My kids are so different I've had every clique here as well from the geeks to the jocks. I will say a few things I notice about these kids. They are damn hard workers. I see facebook posts daily of these kids asking where is hiring. When I was a kid me and my friends hopped from one job to the next. These kids have learned job loyalty. They are working at one place often through college! I remember my grandfather telling me there is no quality better than a hard worker. I see that with these kids. SO when people say "Oh this generation will be living in their parents basement" I think of a few things. One, that will likely happen because no one can afford to live on their own anymore" and also didn't my generation invent the basement dwelling?

These kids are facing pressures we never had to and they are getting through it! They have pressure to be the best in school so they can get into the best college and get a good job and have a family and do better. Yes, I purposely made that a run on sentence because I imagine they hear that as run on phrases from everyone in their lives. This generation has a higher rate of cancer, autism, and so many other conditions we never thought of. They will be the ones to find the cures. This generation has to find the solution to the environmental catastrophe of our forefathers. Steven Hawkins said yesterday humans have 1000 years to find a new home planet so lets add that to their list as well. Starting to feel like a heavy load yet? Well, lets keep going then, okay? Let's add onto the pile on this generations shoulders, threats of war and terrorism.  I know I didn't have to worry about going to the mall or a theater when I was a teen. Oh wait. they also have to worry about dying in the classroom. They even have lock down/in drills!

People we are not raising snowflakes! We are raising a generation that is going to change the world. They are going to fix the mistakes we and those before us made. They are working to defeat racism (part of the reason they protest) because they don't see the world we all saw. They see people! This is the most culturally and religiously blended generation since the early days of immigration! These kids have a deep love for adventure and the unknown. They want to learn and embrace the differences in each other not be scared because they are different.

In the end I will embrace this generation of snowflakes. I will watch hopefully as they age and grow into adults that will hopefully being us into the utopia we have all been searching for. Imagine this could be the generation that finally sees world peace because they are willing to fight foe it. Maybe instead of calling them names and assuming they are worthless we should listen and learn.

I am ending this with the words of the wise Bob Dylan:
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Preparing a young child for surgery

Preparing a young child for surgery

In the past two weeks we have had two children have surgery. One a minor, emergency surgery, the other a planned eye surgery. The emergency surgery was to have a loop put into an abscess on my 7 year old. After it was all said and done I noticed a huge difference in how well my four year old did, who was a hundred percent prepared than how my seven year old did who was not at all ready. I hope this post helps parents prepare young children for surgery to make things easier on both the child and the parents.

A couple days in advance of her surgery (Young kids have short memories so we waited  few days before to start talking about it) we began talking about what was going to happen. We explained to her what the surgery was for: Taryn, the doctor is going to fix your eye that doesn't work so well. We told her we'd be going to the hospital and her doctor would be there and he would take very good care of her like he always does. She was only concerned with the fact she'd have to ride an elevator. She is so scared of elevators! We assured her it was a short elevator ride and we'd hold her. We explained as simply as we could to make her understand each step we'd go through. Mind you I asked a lot of questions so I'd know. We told her she'd go with the nice nurse and they'd put a mask over her mouth and nose and she'd go to sleep. When she woke up her eye would be fixed and mommy and daddy would be there with her. We told her we'd have surprise eggs there waiting when she woke up. We also got her a plush My Little Pony to take in with her. She seemed to understand and we kept reminding her of everything all the way up to the morning of.

We were thrilled when she was in great spirits the morning of her surgery. She was excited to see each nurse and doctor that got us through all the processes of checking in and prepared. Our Children's Hospital is amazing and really helped her feel comfortable and happy. She was given so many stickers I thought I'd have to buy a album for them. Her procedure was on Halloween so everyone was dressed up that made her even happier. Things went just as we had explained them to her so she had no fear as the nurse led her off to the OR and away from me and her father. I think I suffered more through that than she did.

Two hours after she left us we were taken back to the recovery room to wait for her to wake up. I was thrilled she woke up just as happy as when she went in. She drank juice, played with her eggs, and watched TV until it was time to go. I am happy to say that her surgery was a success and her eyes are fixed!

So in the end I highly recommend explaining everything to your child, even if they are very young. Make sure the understand and are ready because after all us adults want to know about any procedures we will get as well.

Side note: Taking pictures and videos when kids are still a bit stoned afterward is perfectly acceptable and encouraged ;)