Being a stay at home mom!

I'm back!!!! Something a little crazy happened the other day, and I was not able to log on to my blog at all. My wonderful husband fixed it for me, so now I can write again! So...as I was sitting and feeding Noah yesterday, I caught the tale end of a Dr. Phil show. The show was all about moms who were so tired of their kids that they were ready to leave their families. I only saw one lady, but her story really reminded me something important that we all have to remember: As mothers...it is important for us to remember that we have to raise our children in a way that allows us to take time for ourselves, so that we don't go crazy. Not only did this young mother have no house rules for her children to follow, but she also felt guilty every time she spent time away from her children...so guilty that she thought she was a terrible mother. I will be the first one to say that I love my children with all my heart, but I do have to spend time away from them from time to time. My advice for any mom is to check out preschools and send your children for a least a couple of mornings a week. It is amazing how productive or even relaxing that three hours can be! Also, Adam and I have been very lucky to have two sets of parents who are begging to babysit the grandchildren! If you have these type of people in your life, allow the children to spend the night with them from time to time, so that you can have time with your spouse! If not, save money to hire a babysitter for the evening at least once a month. Finally, please please please find other mothers to have regular play dates with! It is amazing how nice it is to have grown up conversation after being with babies and toddlers all day! Once again, I love my children, but I have to say that we all need little breaks from time to time or we will lose our minds!

"God works all things together for the good...."

Good Morning! Well, I finally have time to post again....Rayna is at preschool and Noah decided to take a nap in the swing we borrowed from our pastor's family (Thanks Pastor Michael!) I have no advice today...just a prayer request and praise! If you know my family at all, you know that Noah was born in June, 6 1/2 weeks early and spent 13 days in NICU at Athens Regional Medical Center. Of course it was a stressful time, but I could get through it by placing my hope and joy in Christ. Well, as I sat out at a friend's yardsale on Saturday, I saw a lady walk up looking at Noah and me. She asked about him and told me that her daughter had just had a baby 3 weeks early who was in the NICU in Athens and not doing well. I have been praying that God would show me how I could use my experience there to reach out to others and point them toward Christ. I got the lady's phone number so I could check on the baby, and I'm planning to get together a little care package for her daughter as she deals with this situation. I am praising that God has given me this opportunity, and I am askung for prayer for baby Braydon. I am also praying that God will use me and my own experience in this situation.

Mother to Mother

My first piece of advice as a mother of two...create a bedtime schedule and follow through. We started Rayna on a flexible routine as soon as we brought her home from the hospital. By the time she was a month old she was sleeping at least 6 hours a night. Now that she is two, she is very used to her bedtime routine. Our routine is simple...bath, cup of milk, prayers in the bed, one bedtime story, hugs and kisses, and then goodnight. She knows that she is not to get out of bed until morning. Has she ever tried to throw a fit to avoid bedtime? Of course!!!! Still, my husband and I put her back to bed repeatedly without giving in until she figured out that we were not going to budge. We are now working on a routine with Noah. Due to the fact that he was premature, is he eating more often; therefore not sleeping through the night. Still, I am trying to be consistent and get him into a routine. Pray for me as I work on that!
My question to you... What are your bedtime routines? or Do you even think bedtime routines are important? I look forward to sharing ideas with you!