Thursday, May 29, 2014

Disneyland wrap up


So about a week ago we were in Disneyland. Little man had an absolute blast. He loved every minute. I think I have created a monster. Because in all honestly he would much rather be in Disneyland over any other place he could be. This was our last trip with our annual passes before they expired. Also, our last trip for a while.  So we made sure little man had as much fun as possible. Now I will say having been to Disneyland a million times, ok maybe not a million, but quite a few times I have many different tricks we use. This time being pregnant was so much different. You get tired a lot faster. I sat a lot. Also, you can basically only go on kids rides. Which honestly I was ok with. Because that meant I got to enjoy more time with little man. So as I do a wrap of this trip I am going to throw in a couple little tricks we have always used. 



So fun little tid bit, if you have the Disney rewards visa debit card or credit card there is a picture experience just for you. It is in California adventure. Over by the monsters inc ride. Here you get to take a picture with a character. You also walk away with a free 5x7 of the experience. You can go as many times as you like. They usually have 2 characters that rotate every 30 minutes. It goes from 10:30-1:30.  While we were there it was Minnie and Stich. You can have as many people as you want in the photo. A great free keepsake. I love free.


The train is not only a great way to get around but, it is also a fun ride. It is sure to make any boy happy as you can see from little mans face.
Naptime can be handled one of two ways. Leave and go back to the hotel. Or do what we do. I brought a very lightweight sheet, and our stroller that reclines. When it came time for nap I found a spot I could sit with him. He had been up since 7 so it wasn't much of a fight. Drap the sheet over the stroller and it is now dark enough to keep him asleep.
Mickey and the magical map show. Very worth it.
Also worth it the look on his face when he got what he wanted. 

Buzz light year, he loved it. I loved the snuggles. 
The family couldn't have done it without them helping in carrying and pushing the stroller. 

A happy boy in cars land. 

Tips:

1) Food/snacks. We always pack a ton of snacks. From granola bars, trail mix, fruit snacks, even candy. That way we always have something to hold us over. Food can be pretty expensive so this can help cut down on the price. Because you are always hungry from all the walking and waiting. Snacks are especially helpful if you have a small child. Little man last time we went was so worried about missing out on something that snacks were really the only way he ate. Also, you can and should pack a lunch. I like I said food is expensive. This time we packed pb&js, chips and applesauce. A lot cheaper than 40 bucks for a family of 3 for lunch. Disneyland does not have a problem with you bringing in food. So do it. Even packing just one meal will help save money.

2) Water. You have a couple of options. You can bring your own. You can bring a reusable water bottle they have tons of water fountains. You can also get a free cup of ice water from any restaurant. This is what got me through this time with being pregnant. Whenever we ate even if we got a soda or juice I still asked for a cup of water. The ones they give you are small 8oz ones but you can ask them to give you a bigger one without any trouble. Use this. Because one water bottle from them runs about 3.00. 

3) Get there early. The park when it first opens is pretty slow. Unless of course it is the summer. Usually though by 10 it's start to fill up. By noon it is usually about as busy as it is going to get. So if you have something you are dying to do get there early. 

4) Shows are the way to go. Disneyland is amazing with their parades and shows there is always something to watch. We always show up at least 45 minutes early. For parades about an hour. For fantasmic 2-3 hours. Anything you will be sitting for you should plan on getting there early. It was interesting to see just how quickly the sitting for fantasmic filled up. By about 7:30 there were no sitting spots left. That show doesn't start until 9. So you can see you want to get there early. 

5) Parade and show times are the best time for rides. If you didn't get to the park early these times will be the best time to ride things. Fantasmic, any parade and the fireworks draw big crowds. Meaning the wait times go way down. Do plan on having a hard time getting to the area but once there your wait will be a lot shorter.

We had a blast. It is so important to have good memories. This is a great memory for all of us. Remember to have fun and don't stress. 

Be the best mommy you can be.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Pregnancy hormones.

My sweet husband has had to put up with a lot lately. From some normal pregnancy symptoms to some pretty scary ones. He has been my rock. Always willing to lend a hand. Always there to calm me down. He is has made all the meltdowns easier to bear. 

Speaking of which can we talk about pregnancy hormones. Oh my goodness the past few weeks I have cried at the drop of the hat. Not just your few tears here and there. But full on uncomfortable sobs. It isn't pretty. It also doesn't take much to reduce me to tears right now. It could be a commercial, or a tv show. Heck the other day I cried because I couldn't figure out what I wanted to eat. I was so not prepared for this. I know I got emotional with little man, but I do not remember being this emotional. The kind that you can't hold back no matter how hard you try. It is terrible. 

But what I have loved is the fact that my husband is so supportive. He doesn't look at me like I'm crazy. He is there for me. Even if that means just sitting next to me and letting me cry it out. He is also very good at making sure my little man gives me lots of loves. With this roller coaster of emotions I have been on it has been a great opportunity for him to learn emotions. He knows when mommy is sad. When mommy is happy. Also sadly when mommy is mad. He also knows what will always make my mood change. Sweet hugs and kisses from him. I am so blessed that both of them can help me get through these crazy pregnancy emotions. 

The other day we watched a studio c sketch, it seriously made me feel a little better. You can watch it here.http://youtu.be/FMU7UVFDqO0  They did a sketch on how pregnant woman have the power.   Pregnancy is crazy! You honestly have no control over your emotions and at times you feel a little crazy. I try my hardest to not get upset but sometimes you just have to give into the hormones. 



At times I want to buy this shirt for my husband. But he has been amazingly understanding. I can't thank him enough for being there for me. But I know this is only temporary. I know that in the end it is all worth it. Those simple statements make it a lot easier to hadle all the emotions.

Be the best mommy you can be.




Friday, May 9, 2014

What I want.

With Mother's Day being this weekend it has made me think a lot about the kind of mother I am. I have been given the most precious gift. My son. Plus, another baby on the way. There are times when I feel inadequate. I feel like I could never teach him all he needs to know. That I'm not giving him all he needs. Which as a mother can be one of your biggest fears. In the pat few weeks I have seen him grow into a young boy. No longer the baby I rocked to sleep. He is independent. He knows how to ask for things. He can figure out how to fix something. He is no longer the little baby I did everything for. I am ok with that. I have raised an amazing young boy. 

There are moments with him that to me are the "pay off" moments. These are the moments that take my breath away. That make me feel like all the hardwork I am putting in is worth it. They are moments that he does something that I didn't think he realized the importance of. 

A few weeks ago Ben was out of town for business. I had mutual so I took little man with me. He sat and played quietly with me, until one of the big boys came over to play with him. He then played and ran around with him the rest of the activity. When it came time to say the closing prayers he was at the opposite side of the room. I looked over to see he had knelt down and folded his arms for prayer. He sat there quietly through the whole thing, and gently said "amen" at the end. This was one of my moments that took my breath away. I immediately started to cry. To me that was proof that he was listening and learning. Even when I thought my efforts at having a nice family prayer were so difficult. He amazed me by knowing what to do, even without be asked. 

Another one of these moments came just a few nights ago. I was laying on the couch and he brought me my water. So using that as a teaching moment, I said "thank you so much for thinking of me". To which he responded "it was my pleasure." I have no idea where he learned that from, but it was so adorable in his toddler voice. I just picked him up and gave him a big hug and kiss. It proved to me that even though I feel at times like I am not doing all I should, I am doing enough. 

I have been blessed with an amazingly sweet, caring, and polite young man. He is always willing to help. He is always learning. Even when I think there is no way he could, he does. Because even though I may feel like I am failing, he shows me that I am doing enough with his actions.

He is going to be the best big brother. I can not wait to see how much he loves his little sibling. Though I am nervous I will fail him when this new one comes a long I know I have given him the best parts of me I have to offer. 

As Mother's Day was approaching I of course thought of what I wanted as a gift. Then a thought entered my mind, which made me rethink all that I wanted. I no longer want a gift. I have been given two of the greatest gifts I could have ever asked for, my children. I will be spending my Mother's Day feeling one move around inside me, and one snuggling me on the couch. "I already have more than I deserve. I have a life, that's good." I have one perfect son. One perfect husband. One perfect baby to me. To me I am so blessed I could not ask for anything that would make me happier than them. 



  
Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there. Hug your children extra tight. You have been given an amazing blessing. Know that you are doing enough.

Be the best mommy you can be.


Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Have you laughed today?

I have been a little MIA lately. As most of you know I am pregnant with our second child. Little man is so excited. This has been a very exhausting and sick couple of weeks. I had no morning sickness with little man. This one is a different story. But more on that later. 

Today I want to talk about the power of laughter. This morning as I was making breakfast for little man I got a little preoccupied. I didn't really pay attention to what time I put on the microwave. I went to grab the milk to get that for little man to find that the gallon we had went sour. So I started to dump it out and grab the new gallon. At this point little man started yelling mommy! The microwave was leaking out smoke. I immediately jumped to open the microwave door. Placed the plate under the running water, and ran to open the sliding glass door and window. All while holding little man who was choking on the smoke. I calmed him down and handed him his milk. Then I went to grab the plate of now black pancakes. I began to pick up the pancakes to only discover that they had melted pancake sized holes into the plate. I tossed the now ruined plate into the garbage and began to make new pancakes. What is the point of this story? I could have chosen to either yell and scream and be upset. Or chosen to laugh. I chose to laugh. Because seriously how ridiculous is it that I burnt microwave pancakes. I am not embarrassed at all. Because to me this was a teaching opportunity for my son. So many times we are so quick to be angry. What would happen if we laughed at every mistake we make? 

I make it a point to laugh daily at one mistake I make each day. We chose how to react. Laughter is a much better option to tearing ourselves down. This choice will not always be easy, there are still times when anger is my first reaction. But we should laugh. It is good for the soul. I believe it also shows our kids that it is ok to laugh when we make a mistake.  Isn't that the whole point? I challenge each and every one of you to laugh daily. It will be amazing what happens if you do. 

If laughing at your mistakes isn't you thing, that is totally fine. But atleast find something to laugh at each day. Even if it's YouTube videos. Or making silly faces with your kids in the mirror. 

Be the best mommy you can be.