My mom is cooler than Martha Stewart... for real.

I called my mom one day and was telling her about all these super cute crochet hats that I see in infant photography pics. LOVE them, but they're expensive! Especially to buy several of them. So I ask her if she can make one. "I don't know, I will try." She says... and then she BLOWS me away with making the CUTEST hats you've ever seen! Here are just a couple! Mom, you are AMAZING!!! Thank you for my first crochet lesson today and for being so willing to dive into helping your daughters with whatever we feel passionate about!!

You smooch your babies with that mouth?

Ok so as a mom I am sensitive to what people say around my little ones. I'm likely to reach for soap if you have a potty mouth in front of my bunch! But another thing that makes me crazy is how people talk about their children, in front of their children!

I was shopping with all three kiddos a week or so ago and a woman with one kiddo said, "You must be brave to take all three kids shopping by yourself!!" I replied that although it can be difficult, I am proud of my kids and their general good manners. She went on to tell me all about what a nightmare it is to shop with her kid and how awful he can be.... Lady, you're kid is listening to you... every word. As you are ranting and raving about how awful he is, he's standing there patiently. I believe that kid has much better manners than you seem to have.

We all need to vent about our lives, but not in front of the little ears that God has given us. It was a reminder to me to watch what I say all the time. I remember my mom talking to another mom one time. The woman said, "THREE teenagers?!?! What's that like?!" and my mom said something like, "It's wonderful." That left a major impression on me. Thanks for that mom.

Weaning.... or not.

Isn't it funny how God helps us grow? Before I was a mom I remember saying a lot of things like, "Well, I'd never let my kids do that!" or "I'll never do this or that!"

One thing I used to always say was that I would not be nursing my kids till a year and I certainly wouldn't nurse any longer than that! My first baby had issues with a milk allergy and I got so nervous about everything that I switched to formula at 6 months. (I know now that there are things I could have done, but it's ok!)

Then came baby #2. I remember our pediatrician asking if I was only nursing and was pleased when I said yes, the benefits are HUGE. I was so glad that I was nursing when at 2 weeks old, my little spiderman got RSV and was hospitalized. It was horrible. There just are no words to describe that experience and the understanding that babies die from this virus. My little man was probably the only baby in history to actually gain weight during this trauma! I attributed that to the frequent nursing and apparently the very high calorie milk that I make! HAHA! My boys are big boys and by the time they're 9 months old they look like they're a year! They also both walked at about 10months so I was afraid of looking like I was nursing my babies well beyond the necessary time!

Anyway, he nursed till right about one year and it was lovely. Here I am with my baby girl, she's 13months old and shows no signs of wanting to wean. She is so little and sweet and such a mama's girl. Although I am so ready to have my body back to myself for a while, I am counting my blessings that I can nurse my babies and that it has been an amazing experience. I know that not all mommy's get to experience it.

So, I certainly feel like every time I say, "I will Never....." then inevitably it will happen. So, just to put this out there, "I'll never be a millionaire who lives on my own private island!"

Mom Hands

I was doing the dishes this evening and turned to put a dish in the dishwasher, my 4yr old reached up to wash his hands and yelped! "Mom! That is way too hot!" I remembered that same scenario when I was a kid. I used to think there was something wrong with my mom's hands that she could stand the water that hot! I believe I just earned a mom medal of some sort... cool.