I love naps. It’s no secret. I still take a nap, at least once a week, whenever possible. One of the best pieces of advice I received as a new mom was to “Sleep when baby sleeps.” I have now expanded that to “Sleep when any child is sleeping.” Here’s the kicker though: there are no newborns in my house, so I don’t really have an excuse for taking a nap other than the fact that I just like sleep. Maybe I’m just one of those people who requires more sleep than others. It could also be that I’m simply

I first heard about baby sign language from my sister. She gave me a book on the topic when Vicki was 4 months old. I didn’t start signing to Vicki for another 3 months after that. And then we couldn’t stop.   Baby sign language revolutionized how I was able to communicate with my daughter. Before she could vocalize her wants and needs, she could sign them to me. I had her signing “more” and “please” by the time she was 8 months old and, to this day, I can cut off a cry or a whiney voice by asking

With the arrival of Baby #4 looming on the horizon (that Halloween due date is approaching more quickly than I’d like… thankfully I have a history of sailing right past that due date and having baby hang on for as long as possible), I’ve started to think about getting my freezer ready. While my husband is wonderful and more than willing to cook when he’s called upon to do so, that’s not normally part of his household contribution. I mean, he basically does everything else so it’s the least I can do. Witt that in mind, I’d like to have

Before I share my story, let me tell you a bit about myself. I am not a parent. I do not have any children of my own, but I really enjoy being around kids and like to babysit.   So it’s Saturday night and all my friends are out enjoying themselves while I’m … BABYSITTING. It’s okay. I made this choice. I wanted to babysit for my friend and co-worker, Melissa. I even volunteered myself for the job.   I get to Melissa’s house around 6pm, just like she instructed. I walk in, say hello, then run off with my

Oh the joys of the first born baby! Remember how you kept little charts and records of when they ate, how long they napped and every time they pooped? Honestly, I don’t really remember doing it, probably due to sleep deprivation, but I do know I found my little notebook that documented my firstborn’s first weeks several months later. It was in my own handwriting, so I must have done it. Somewhere along the way, life happened and I began to forget about diaper changes amongst all the other parenting duties. The thing that makes cloth diapers different than disposables is

When I take out my children for a few hours away from home, I often long for Mary Poppins’ bottomless carpet bag full of necessary items. Keeping little ones entertained at a restaurant, family function or public venue is usually a monumental task. With little ones, it can be hard to keep a well stocked diaper bag while also keeping the items inside fresh and interesting. With a few kids and many outings under my belt, I have a few tips to share if your diaper bag needs a refresher or you are just beginning to venture out with an inquisitive toddler.

The first thing that my husband and I did after getting our first apartment together (almost two months after we actually had gotten married, thanks to being stationed at first in two different states by the Army) was get a dog. We adopted Gunner, a 1-ish year old shepherd/hound mix, from a local shelter. He was adorable and HYPER. We literally wouldn’t let him sleep during the day so that he wouldn’t run into windows and walls at night. After a few months he settled in and calmed down a bit (naps were now permitted) so naturally we got another