Tuperware Giveaway on New Mommy Oasis!

Who loves Tupperware!? We are excited to announce that this week is Tupperware Giveaway Week! You have the opportunity to enter to win a $25 Tupperware gift certificate & a Shape-O Toy for your little one!

In honor of what Tupperware helps us do best…COOK, we are having a week long recipe exchange on NMO!

Click Here to post a recipe and enter the contest.

Its just one of those days....

Long nights of breastfeeding and soothing a cranky teething baby, wait, toddler has really got me down in the dumps. I think its just going to be one of those days. Those days when night just becomes morning and you give up trying to get them back to bed and give in to the daylight.

After one of these nights I spent a better portion of the morning trying to wrangle Odesa into a new diaper. I finally got the old one off & after 15 minutes of wrestling gave up on getting the new one on, it was time for a break-before one of us lost it. I left her in the play room (which is attached to the kitchen) to get a glass of orange juice. I was gone less than a minute and returned to find a pile of poop but no Odesa! I immediately paniked-where could she have gone, there is no way she could have climbed over the gate to go upstairs could she! Then I see it- a trail of poop & little wet pee foot prints going to the kitchen. Somehow she managed to silently follow me to the kitchen & there she was, on the kitchen rug- torso, legs and feet covered in poo. While I am grabbing my daughter I realize I left our french bulldog in the playroom-with the poo! I carry my 23 pound daughter in one arm and the 22 pound dog in the other, at this point all 3 of us now need a shower. Half way up the stairs the doorbell rings, I ignore it, I'm not expecting anyone & I am not in any shape to talk to whatever door to door salesperson is out there. I get to the bathroom & turn the bath on, as I head to Odesa's room to get us all undressed I hear the doorbell ring again. I look out the window & there is a dish network van parked out front. OMG I have totally forgotten the cable guy was coming this morning! I quickly grab Odesa, leave the dog locked in her room & run to the door before he leaves. Forgetting there is pee & poo all over the floors downstairs I slip & go down hard but luckily save Odesa from any injury. I grab some towels from the laundry room & quickly throw them over the messy areas. I let in the cable guy and mutter some apologies as I attempt to clean up the mess downstairs before he realizes it's poop. Finally-the floors are clean, Odesa is happy and the cable guy is doing his thing. Now time for her bath-OMG I left the water running upstairs! I get to the bath tub just in time to stop the flood. After some drying & draining we are in the tub & clean as a whistle. Off to her room to get her dressed & restart our day. I open her door & there is my poor french bulldog laying in the middle of Odesa's room, she has rolled & jumped around & now Odesa's room is covered in poo. Oie! Yup, its now officially one of those days!

Sleepy Wrap GIVEAWAY

New Mommy Oasis proudly announces a Sleepy Wrap Giveaway!!!

One lucky NMO fan will win a Sleepy Wrap baby carrier! To enter, do the following and please leave a separate comment on the Sleepy Wrap GIVEAWAY article for each entry!

1. Tell us why you would like to have a Sleepy Wrap baby carrier!

2. Follow NewMommyOasis on Twitter- if you are already a follower, then leave a comment letting us know!

3. Become a NewMommyOasis.com Facebook Fan- if you are already a fan, then leave a comment letting us know!

4. Tweet about this contest using (RT @NewMommyOasis Sleepy Wrap GIVEAWAY! http://bit.ly/ax6r0U #babywearing #newmom #giveaways)- you can tweet about the contest once a day, and leave a comment for each tweet!

5. In the NMO Forum, add a new topic or respond to an existing one!

Remember to add a comment for each entry to count towards the final drawing!!!

All entries must be in before 11:59pm PST on March 19, 2010. One winner will be selected via random.org and announced on March 20, 2010. The winner will be notified via email, so please make sure your email address is correct. The Giveaway winner will have 48 hours to respond, if no response is received, then another winner will be selected. We will not share your email address with any third parties.

Letting go

Madison has just recently turned 13 months and with that in the last month she has also started walking, everywhere. At first she just started out walking between me and my husband and then she got braver and learned to turn she would go to something in between us. Then we found her getting braver and braver, taking steps on her own. But with all of this I have learned she wnats her independence. She wants to be free to roam around the house and do as she pleases!

I have learned I have to accept the fact she is not a teeny tiny baby anymore. One that I can just cuddle and hold all day long. That's about the last thing she wants right now! Mike, my husband said to me last night, " Cut, the strings and let her go!" Meaning let her do her own thing. if she falls let her get herself back up. Let her be independent!

Boy, am I having a hard time with that! As much as i want her to grow up and turn into a independent lady of her own. I also want to hold her back and keep her little forever. So I am slowly letting her free and letting her roam and become the toddler that she is! But it is going to take me sometime before I can officially cut the strings! They are sort of torn and frayed right now!

Dove Sponsorship of Moms Group!

I am so excited to announce that the moms group that I organize, The New Moms of South Orange County, is being sponsored by Dove Deodorant!

As new moms we can all relate to feeling the pressures of motherhood. There are so many demands on all of us- being a wife, learning what it takes to be a mom, working outside of the home, the list goes on and on! Dove has always been a supporter for real women and who is more real than the New Moms in our group!!!

Thanks, Dove, for your support!

Great Book

We have quite a few books that we read regularly to Brett. Some at bedtime and some when she walks over and backs herself up into my lap. There are a few favorites that we each have but this particular book was given to her for Christmas and it has become one of my favorites.

It is not a traditional board book but the pages are thicker and withstand her turning them.

It is a cute story about loving your baby no matter how good or bad he/she is. It rhymes and it goes through many different body parts, that are fun to point out on your own child.

I just wanted to share because I really do love this book.

Sick Baby

So today is/was Mike's last day of the time he took off of work for the rest of his paid family leave time. We have had such a busy week full of errands and Dr. appointments and Disneyland that we decided we would treat ourselves to a nice sushi lunch today. Mike goes up and orders our food and I start feeding Madie in the high chair. Suddenly, after like 5 bites of food she starts throwing up. This is the first time. I have never handled throw up very well, so my first time handling as a mom I was not quite sure what to do. I started consoling her because it scared her and she was crying. I was cleaning her up while trying to hold back my own vomit. Fortunately, Mike took the tray which had the brunt of the vomit on it and washed it and flushed it down the toilet. Poor Madie was just beside herself. She had it on her glasses and everywhere. I just felt bad the first time she throws up she has to do it public in a sushi restaurant. So we cleaned up as best as we could, and got our food to go.
When she is sick with a cold and a cough and some sort of other bug it breaks my heart. She is always full of smiles and laughing and talking to herself. That not to see her smiling makes me sad. I just want to take the sick out of her and be sick for her. She does not understand to drink something or to brush your teeth to get the throw up taste out of your mouth.
There are so many things that you just don't think about when you are prego. This for me about how to handle the first time she throws up in public was one of them!

Hobbies

Before, Madie was born I used to love to go ride bikes, play tennis, and scrapbook. Those were just a few of my hobbies. My Saturday mornings were spent at the gym or outside.

Today while I was in the shower and Mike was finishing getting ready to play golf I realized that those things I once called hobbies I no longer do! My hobbies now are taking care of Madison and going to playdates and Gymboree and swim lessons. Things that revolve around Madie! When I do manage to get some time away. It is mostly a date with my husband a movie and dinner and or a Mom's Night out with all of my mommy friends. Or I guess now time by myself is even sneaking down to the market f0r 15 minutes to pick up something we need for dinner. While Mike watches Madie! I can't tell you the last time a whole afternoon was devoted to me and doing something I used to love to do!

Don't get me wrong I love staying home with Madie and it is the best most rewarding full time job there is! But every once and awhile I would just like 5 hours to go and cruise the mall, finish up a scrapbook, or start a scrapbook on a vacation we took last summer! The time it takes to play 18 holes of golf, err well I guess it's 19 holes including the bar! Just a little time for me!

Who Knew?

So today is London's 10 month birthday and I can't believe my little baby, born early through c-section and lost a pound in the hospital, is now a 22 pound, 30" tall soon to be toddler! Boy does time go by fast when you have a baby and you are enjoying everyday of their little life. It's been great to stay home with him and encourage his development, watch him learn and discover new things, watch him change and show his little personality. How great being a mom really is! I can't describe in words how seriously fortunate I am!

I always knew being a mom was the one job I always wanted, the job I was destined to have and it really was.... I knew it would change me but I didn't know how much. I'm a different person now- things that concerned me before I want nothing to do with now and those things I never thought would be important to me are! Who knew?

Who knew my life would seriously change so much- that staying at home everyday talking to a baby could be completely fulfilling. Who knew? And who knew I would be happy cleaning the bathroom on a Saturday night so my son could take his first bath in the big tub instead of going out partying or hanging out with friends! That a walk at the mall with other moms and their children would be the highlight of my week! Who knew? I never thought I would be so happy just taking care of and loving this little man I call my son!

I feel so complete while I lay next to him sleeping, looking so angelic with his little lips puckered and face so sweet! I always knew I would be a mom, that it was the one goal I was determined to achieve. I knew it would make me happy, I knew it would be awesome, fun, and fulfilling. But I never knew how much it would really mean to me, how incredible it truly was. I never knew how emotional I would get looking back at his short but amazing life so far. And I never knew what a blessing your own child really is to you! That this precious little being could fill my heart with such love and happiness that I have never experienced before! It's simply amazing! London is my everything and I love him more then life itself! Who knew?

Lost Items

I am constantly finding items that I have "lost" in places I certainly wouldn't have put them. Now that Brett is walking she can easily pick something up and walk with it. I have found the Desitin in the hallway, a shoe in the kitchen, etc. Most recently, I found a wooden salad fork server in my closet, under some of my shoes!

One of Brett's favorite things to do is take things out of where they are nicely stacked. If I let her walk around in a store she will find shirts stacked on a shelf and QUICKLY remove them all and throw them on the floor. Her favorite thing to do at home is go to her changing table where all of her diapers and neatly stacked in a diaper organizer and throw them on the floor. Other times she goes to her dirty clothes hamper and removes the clothing. Sometimes though she takes the diapers from the diaper organizer and walks to the hamper and puts the diapers in the hamper. Usually I am there when she does this and, when she is distracted, I remove them from the hamper.

Well, last night I was doing her laundry. As I was putting her clothes in the washing machine I found a diaper. Phew- close call, I thought to myself. Ha! When the load was done I was putting the items in the dryer. I noticed that there seemed to be some paper or something in the washing machine. Then, low and behold, I found a diaper! Yep, I had missed one. It was quite 'full' but seemed to handle the wash well, minus few pieces that had torn off.

I can guarantee that I will take a better look through the hamper next time for any items that shouldn't be there!

Freezing Time

As we drove away from Molly's friend's birthday party (yes, her social calendar is more fun than mine!), I watched her in the rear view mirror nuzzle into her car seat and peacefully fall asleep. My eyes suddenly filled up with tears. I realized that my baby is growing up and I SURVIVED!

About 6-8 months ago, all I wanted and prayed for was to make it to this point in her life...to survive those first few months and experience this fun part in her life when she's finding her personality and experiencing life! I remember driving home from Gymboree with her screaming/crying herself to sleep and now she does it all on her own!

I so desperately wanted us to be able to push fast forward to this point in her life and now all I want to do is figure out how to freeze time!

First Year

I can hardly believe that the first year has come and gone so quickly. My little baby girl, the girl that I carried for 38 weeks, delivered with relative ease and who cried for the first four months is now a happy little walker who brings joy to every second of my life.

There were times in those first few weeks that I thought "why did we have a baby? what were we thinking?" These thoughts then turned to thoughts of "why is she crying all the time? what can I do to help here?" This went on for FOUR months. Then, as I've mentioned before, the doctor suggested I stop taking my prenatal vitamin since I was breast feeding and, kazaam! No more crying. She was then a happy baby girl.

It was so fun to watch her lift her head, learn to roll over in one direction and then another. Then, to get up on all fours and rock back and forth wanting to move, but not knowing how. So quickly, at almost 7 months old, she started crawling. As the weeks went on she got faster and faster. Boy, was that a life changer! She became verbal, she laughed at things and cooed constantly. I began enjoying her more and more every day.

It's not that I didn't enjoy her for the first few months, it was just a lot of sitting around for me, which was a huge transition from my hectic career that I had just left. Now, I never get to sit still! She has been walking since a little before her year birthday and she never stops. I follow her around and watch as she discovers new things around the house every day.

I love every moment of this new life of mine. I love watching her as she learns to walk. She looks like a drunken soldier most of the time (or the bride of frankenstein) and it makes me laugh. I love to hear her try to repeat words that I say. Dog is aga. Cat is ca. Duck is duh. I understand her little language and it is our special language for this short time.

I even love when she misbehaves. I am so fascinated with her mental development. I know I should be mad when I tell her not to throw her food on the floor and, instead of listening to me she looks me dead in the eye and drops the food once again. She is testing me and, instead of getting frustrated I laugh. I know, not the best form of discipline but I can't help it! i just love watching how she thinks things through!

So, the first year was a learning experience for all of us and I am so excited to see what this next year brings!

When will being mommy feel right?

The first couple of months after Noelani was born I experienced the "baby blues". I questioned whether I was suited for this new role in my life. At the time I didn't understand just how much my life was going to change. Like many first time moms I was overwhelmed, sleep deprived, and clueless. After talking to fellow new moms I realized this wasn't so abnormal. It was comforting to know I wasn't alone.

Almost 10 months later, I am once again going through similar emotions. I'm still overwhelmed at times and definitely sleep deprived. I find myself questioning just about every little thing I do, whether I'm caring for my baby correctly or not. My confidence level has dropped, and more often than not I feel as though I don't know what the hell I'm doing. When Noelani smiles at me, I can't help but smile back at her. Yet I feel lost inside, like I'm crumbling. And sometimes I feel a disconnect. I'm still not comfortable with this identity of being "mommy". This is heartbreaking for me.

I know I will keep smiling and hold myself together for the sake of my baby. I want her to grow to be independent and confident in who she is. After all, she is the light of my life and there is nothing that I would not do for her. Somewhere along the line I hope to feel "normal" again. But in the meantime, I will try to not take for granted all the precious moments that are happening before me.

I've been hesitant to share how I feel, for fear of being judged by others. But I am thankful for the opportunity to share here.

What did you do all day?

I love when people ask this question…. Because it insinuates that the role of a mom is this mysterious, “cake-walk” , “no-brainer” job that doesn’t require a whole lot of skill- a sort of vacation- a step down from a “real job”. It’s a common perception, I guess, of those who haven’t walked in the shoes of mom, stay-at-home or working mom alike. It’s the vision of a mom, casually waking up at 9:00am- hanging out in pjs and watching Lifetime television all day, a few diaper changes here and there but that’s about it. And the best part- those social gatherings we go to with other moms- you know, the ones where we sit around the couch while our children play so independently in the play room while we sip on tea and eat biscuits together and gossip for hours about the latest news. Only to go home, turn down the beds at 6:00pm and our job is done for the day. It really does sound easy.
Well, now that I’ve had 11 months of experience on the job, I’ll have you know that the skill requirements of a mom (the patience, organization, time management and selflessness), would blow any corporate company guru out of the water. I really think the best place to look for a potential employee who can multi-task, handle stressful meetings, meet deadlines, schmooze upset clients, facilitate team building activities, work all hours of the day and night (without a lunch break) is from a pool of moms- because that is what we do EVERY DAY. And the best part--- we will smile while on the job (whether we are happy are not- because we want everyone else to be happy) and we won’t ask for pay!!!! We will clean the floors because, “what’s a little dirt on the floor”, we’ve seen much worse. And we can handle those painful long hours- that’s nothing compared to 24 plus hours of labor. Lastly, we’ll take only a few hours of sleep before we are back at the job again.
Organization is one of the most important skills I’ve learned in my journey of motherhood. If I’m not organized, I wouldn’t get anything done. Lists go in and out of my purse on a daily basis. I am constantly doing a mental check, “bottle-check, diapers- check, back-up food-check, toys for entertainment-check, umbrella in case it rains-check (even though it never rains). My organizational skills have gone borderline neurotic. At the grocery today, I realized that everything I put on the conveyor belt had to be placed in a certain order. All meats in one section, fruits and veg all together, box food- same area and so on. It was nuts- but it was just my mind in constant “mommy do-or-die” organization mode. As a mom, your mind does not stop-all day. And really, it doesn’t stop at night either.
So anyway, to answer your question, what did I do all day? Well, unlike you, I don’t have time to sit down and talk about it- I’m still working and have a very important job to get back to. Catch me in 18 years and I’ll share with you the role of a mother.

Great Book about Development

A friend of mine in my moms group recommended this great book about the emotional development of your child. I purchased it this week and just received it. I opened it and cannot put it down. It is written by a pediatrician and, after reading as few as 10 pages, I feel less concerned about Brett and her 'personality.' I maybe shouldn't make a recommendation before reading the entire book, but it is a book that you may pick up and put down during different ages and stages of your babies life. Check it out!

Seeing the World Through the Eyes of a Child

When I look at my 9 month old son, I am amazed by the beauty of his view of the world. He smiles at everyone he meets, laughs when he sees a light turn on and squeals for joy the second I open the front door to take him outside. He wakes up every morning with a huge smile on his face, all ready to start his day. He gets so excited whenever I read him his favorite book, and I love to watch him stare in awe at all the bright colors and pictures on each page. He loves to give high fives, hugs and kisses. He is absolutely fascinated by the world around him. Owen is so full of life, always smiling at everything and everyone he sees. In Owen's eyes, he is surrounded by this perfect world where everyone is equal. His view of life is such an inspiration to me, and a daily reminder of what life is really all about.

I love to look at the world through Owen's eyes...there is so much happiness, peace, equality, love, joy and laughter. I stay at home with him full time, so most of our days are spent playing, laughing, reading, singing, and taking walks around the neighborhood. Then, when I take Owen out in public, the harsh reality of the not-so-perfect world around us sets in. Being only 9 months old, it is unfortunate that he is already surrounded by a world of judgment, comparisons and criticism. I must say that the biggest shock of motherhood to me has been learning just how judgmental people can be of a little baby, and I've struggled with trying to not let these judgments bother me.

Owen happens to be tall for his age, which didn't come as a surprise since my husband and I are both tall, so naturally Owen will be tall as well. Because of his height, from the time he was just three months old, I have endured many hurtful, unwanted comments about Owen on a regular basis from both acquaintances and strangers alike. As a mother, there is nothing more heartbreaking than to have to listen to people criticize my baby. Whenever anyone tells me that Owen is too big for his age...he is huge...he is the biggest baby in the world...he is a giant...he is so big he will grow up to be a monster...I need to stop feeding him, or asks me "When he is going to stop growing," or "What on earth are you feeding him," I struggle to fight back the tears. Then I always end up breaking down and crying to my husband later on, once I am back at home.

Owen is the light of my life, and I am so incredibly blessed to have a perfectly healthy, happy baby who is thriving...there is no greater blessing than that. I've tried for many months to not let what other people say about Owen bother me, but the truth is, my heart continues to break every single time. The more he grows, the more remarks I receive on how he is just "too big," so there are some days when I just never ever want to leave the house again, in order to avoid it all. I'm sure the people making these comments don't mean any harm, but it upsets me a great deal, nonetheless. I've tried to grow a thicker skin and brush these comments aside, but that's easier said than done. When the critical comments are sometimes being thrown from left and right, it's extremely difficult to not be affected by it. The hardest part is seeing Owen with a huge smile on his face as a person is making one of these hurtful remarks. It's just so sad for me to see that Owen is already surrounded by so much judgment and criticism, yet in his eyes, everyone is equal.

If only everyone could take the time to put the judgment aside, stop comparing how we and our children measure up to one another and view the world the way our children do...what a perfect world it would be if we could all see the world through the eyes of a child.

Pregnancy War Wounds

After my daughter was born, I thought I got away with minor pregnancy “war wounds”. Besides a few extra lbs, a separation of my stomach muscles, a c-section scar and a few dark spots on my face, I didn’t have a whole lot to complain about. Three months after she was born, I went to get my hair done and my stylist asked me if I lost any hair yet? “What?” I asked confused. “I’ve never heard of anyone losing their hair”. She went on to tell me that, about 3-4 months after childbirth, many women loose hair, and some loose a noticeable amount. “Ha”, I thought, “one more war wound I escaped”. And besides, even if I did lose some hair, I thought I’d hardly notice it since I have so much to begin with.
2 weeks later, it happened. I literally woke up one morning to find my hair had fallen out—and A LOT of it! I had the receding hair-line of a 55-year-old man! My hair-line was gone! It was so bad that I couldn’t wear my hair up without having someone in my family, so eloquently ask, “What happened to your hair??”
But it turns out, losing my hair wasn’t the worst part- it’s now the re-growth that has become my worst enemy. The re-growth of my hairline now makes me look as if I have stuck my finger in a socket. And there are several hairs that won’t do anything but sprout out like two bull horns on the sides of my head! I’ve tried hairspray, gel, everything- but these bull horns aren't going away!
Who would have thought that after 1o months post-childbirth, I’d still be battling pregnancy war wounds? Well, now that I think about it, I still have 5 extra lbs, I still have that darn dark pregnancy line down my stomach, I still have separated stomach muscles and I still have dark spots on my face… you know what, OH WELL! -I call it the initiation into motherhood.. you aren’t admitted without a few war wounds.

The one thing in common

I had a hair appointment today. I had not gotten much sleep so someone else playing with my hair and the peacefulness was making me quite sleepy. So needless to say, I did not have much to say! Then she asked me if I was tired, and I said yes my daughter had gotten up at 5:45 and would not go back to sleep! She laughed and asked me how old my daughter was and then told me all about her daughter. We talked for the next hour as she did my hair about our daughters. It made the time go by so much faster than reading a magazine about the Gosselin's or Angelina Jolie! As I walked out, she told me hopefully you will get more sleep tonight! I laughed and smiled and said, "I hope!" When I was sitting in my car it made me realize how many times there has been silence some where and then Madie will smile or greet the room with her "Hi!" and conversation starts. Whether it is about her or someone else's child or grandchild. They always break the ice for you. Yesterday, at Kohl's Madie had the three people in front of us smiling because she was smiling and babbling to them. It has just made me think most women and even most men at one point in there lives have children. it's one thing everyone or most everyone can relate to! Everyone loves to share stories of their own children as we do of ours! So I guess I should offer my daughter a thank you and tell her thanks for making standing in line where ever I drag you to a little more bearable and a little more fun!

House Changes

Have you noticed yet how much your house has changed now that you have a baby? I don't mean the feeling in the house (though that has really changed, too), I mean the way your house looks.

Before we decorated for Christmas my husband and I went through all of the toys around the house and put everything that was no longer age-appropriate into garage storage. This really made me look around and see the change our house has gone through over the last year.

When you first move in to your home with your husband (or significant other) you are so excited to make it your own space. You spend time picking out the colors, the decor, the furniture. Then, you get pregnant and slowly things change. We live in a two bedroom condo so for us the second bedroom turned from an office to a nursery. Then, you have a baby shower and you start purchasing things; so you have a swing in the master bedroom, a bouncy chair in family room and a baby bath on the spare bathroom counter. Once your baby arrives some of the artwork that you worked so hard to pick out for your home is quickly replaced with pictures of your new favorite person.

Next comes even larger things - you get the exersaucer, the Bumbo chair, the bouncing chair in the doorway and maybe even a walker. These things are large and take up quite a bit of space. Some furniture may even be moved out to make space for these items. They are also helping your little one gain strength in their legs which means, now that they are pulling themselves up, you need to clear off the tables. Those beautiful candle holders, picture frames and magazines get put away.

Once the crawling begins you babyproof. Things are now looking more plain in your home and you have the safety devices around- the bumpers on the edge of the fireplace and coffee tables, electrical socket covers, and cabinet locks. The most obtrusive are the gates. Boy do those change the look of the place!

Now, as my is daughter getting older we have so many large toys around. The things that she can pull herself up on, the basketball game, and things with wheels to help with walking: the house is evolving as the baby is growing.

As I was cleaning up toys tonight after Brett went to bed I just kept smiling because even though the house looks so different than it used to it has the best feeling in it now. Such love and happiness fill the house as our family grows together. Who cares if my trinkets are no longer on the tables- I'd rather have my baby girl and trip on toy!

The Last Year

Madison is about to turn one next month and mike and I have been talking about how kids really do change your life! For example, our Netflix movie which we used to love to watch on the couch after a long day of work on a Friday night, had fallen into Madison's toy box with out realizing it. Madison pulled it out, and I thought to myself wow when did we get that. We had had it since November 30th! Over a month had gone by and we had not watched it. It used to be those things would not last a week in our house. I wonder how long it would have sat there unless Madie had found it! Another one, our living room furniture. We have a small condo so our main living space is the living room. Which is now Madison's playroom. I think every time Madison gets a new big toy another piece of furniture leaves the room to make room for her toys!It used to be mostly our stuff with the swing and the pack and play. She grew out of those and then the toys came and slowly took over our living room! Here's a great one, last night we had a date night. We went and saw a movie and had a nice dinner. Between my mother and law calling and us calling, the night still revolved around Madison! We took a small trip to Vegas last month and decided to bring Madie along . The once 4 hour drive out there took 7 hours so Madison could get out of the car and you know see us for awhile and get some fresh air!

I love my life now and would not change it for a million dollars! I love staying home with her and taking care of her. It is really just amazing how your life in every area really gets changed forever! But do I care when the last time I watched a Netflix movie was or do I care how many toys are in my living room? Nope, not one bit because this has been an awesome year!