Bedtime Routine for multiple kids sharing a room!

It has been important to me to get my boys on a bedtime routine that works for us while sharing a bedroom. They currently have the largest room in the house. It's a HUGE room! We would have used it as a master bedroom, but the closet was small and no master bathroom. By them sharing a bedroom this frees up a room to use as a playroom. I was determined I needed a playroom in our new house because I didn't like all the toys in the living room. 

I wrote a post here about hiring a sleep coach. One of the best things I did! This helped get us on a good bedtime routine. When I was first working with Cash to go to sleep we had a quick routine. I would hold him for a minute, lay him in his bed and leave the room. After 6 weeks of him putting himself to sleep I decided it was time for both boys to go to sleep at the same time.

This is the bedtime routine that works for us. 

6:30-6:45 pm Bath time and pajamas

6:45-7:30 pm Snack time, vitamins and a show

7:30-8:00 pm We read a story, I rock Cash for a few minutes, G lays in his bed, then I rock                          G for a few minutes after Cash is laying in his bed. G recently told me he likes                        it when I rock him too. Hey I am going to do this for as long as possible. 

8:00-8:15 pm I sit in G's bed while they fall asleep. Sometimes this only takes 5 min and                              others 15 min. I enjoy this time sitting in there with them!

The boys each sleeps about 11 hours a night. Cash then naps for 2-3 hours each afternoon. This schedule works great for us. Both boys put themselves to sleep quietly. Cash doesn't even cry at this point. After I rock him, I lay him in his bed with his blanket and pillow. Once in awhile he was jabber, but for the most part he lays and is asleep within a couple minutes. I have sat with G as he goes to sleep since he started climbing out of his crib at 19 months old. I've thought maybe I should stop, but you know what he will be 10 before I know it and won't want me sitting with him. I am just going to soak up this time and enjoy it. 

Kids thrive on routines! This routine has helped us set the expectation for our kids and makes night time much smoother. What is your bedtime routine?

I broke down and hired a sleep coach!

I broke down and hired a sleep coach!  My boys as babies were never good sleepers. Cash was the worst! G got to the point he would wake up 1 time a night, take a bottle and go back to sleep. Cash has required to eat around the clock every 2-3 hours since he was born. 

When Cash was 18 months old I stopped breast feeding. He would still wake up 1-2 times a night and wanted a bottle. Then he went through a HORRIBLE period where he wouldn't go back to sleep until we rocked him back to sleep. We spent about 3 weeks dealing with this. We tried laying with him, he wouldn't sleep in our bed, so he would just play. We broke every "rule" out there just trying to get this kid to sleep. I tried to let him cry it out and he would scream for 2-3 hours. He wouldn't let up. It was a freaking nightmare! 

I asked some friends for their advice. One of them suggested hiring a sleep coach Sleep Happy Consulting. I had thought about it, but seriously what could this person do that I couldn't? I just didn't think they really could help me. I was desperate though, so I started looking for one. I checked out Sleep Happy and one other company. Sleep Happy offered a FREE 15 minute consultation. I checked her calendar to see what appointments she had available and thankfully she had one for that day during nap time. I signed up! 

I also started following Sleep Happy on Instagram just to see what this chick was all about. I read some of her posts, watched her stories and tried to get whatever tips I could get. I was hoping I could get all the tips for free without paying for a consultant. lol I'm just keeping it real folks! I am frugal and I try to save a buck anywhere I can! 

My 15 minute call with Jessica was great! I hired her on the spot. She sent me a questionnaire and we scheduled a time in the next couple days to do our 1 hour call.  Sleep Happy offers packages from $135 for a one hour call all the way up to $1650 in home coaching. I decided to go with the one hour call to start and add on if I needed further help. During our one hour call I took over 4 pages of notes!

Jessica gave us a schedule, jobs for the boys at night, signs to hang in their room with their jobs, and gave me confidence to make this all work. I was nervous! I figured the first few nights would be rough, but so had the past 18 months. lol 

The first night I sat both boys down, told them their jobs and then told Cash he would have to start going to sleep on his own in his own bed. Mommy and Daddy would NOT be coming into his room until morning. I told him he was safe, it was important everyone got sleep to grow, be healthy and to be happy. He kept shaking his head no when I said he had to stay in his bed. lol 

The first night was rough, the next night was better and after that he cried himself to sleep and stayed asleep. For me by spending the money on getting some help made me stick to the schedule and stay strong. It has totally changed our lives! I wish I had hired her back when he was 6 months old and we had moved. I can't change the past, but I can sure recommend Sleep Happy for all my friends with babies!!! 


Sleep Happy Consulting

Package 

Bike Rides

Growing up I spent HOURS riding my bike. I wore my tires down until they were balled. I loved to rid. As long as I could be outside I would ride my bike up and down our dirt road. I still LOVE riding bike! It's one of the things that can make me smile and relax me, so quickly. 

G outgrew his bike, so we bought him a new one recently. I also found a used bike since we didn't bring my old one from CA. G and I have loved going for a bike ride around the lake. The hard part is we can't go in the morning when it's the coolest. I have been searching Facebook Marketplace to find a bike trailer. I found one this past week. I loaded up both kids and off we went. Holy cow! Hauling 50 pounds of kids is a great workout for your legs! We made it around the lake one time before I had to go in. It was also 98 degrees outside. Cashy was singing away though on our ride! G will be able to ride his bike in front of us for our early morning rides in the future. 

My parents bought G this little Radio Flier trike for Christmas when he was a year old. When he opened it he gave the box a big hug and LOVED that trike! Now Cashy is big enough to ride in it and boy does he love it. If everyone goes outside he starts yelling that he wants to go outside. He knows if we take him out back we will put him on the trike. 

I have also been going on walks around the lake with the boys. G rides his bike and I push Cash on the trike. Houston heat is no joke! We make it around the lake once and will usually stop at the play ground for a little bit. Then it's home to drink a gallon of water! 

When we first moved into our neighborhood I struggled with how quiet it was. It was eerie to me. In CA we lived on a pretty busy street. Now that it has been a few months I LOVE how quiet our neighborhood is! I love that we can walk around without worrying about traffic. The lake is great to walk around. There is plenty of shade through the entire neighborhood from all the trees. The only thing I wish we had was a neighborhood pool. I feel there are always some trade offs though. You can't have everything, so we will find splash pads to visit in the summers. 

It's very nice to go out for a bike ride or walk and not stress about G staying right beside me. I lived in the country with absolutely no traffic until I was 16. I was able to run and play all day. I like that the boys will be able to go fishing at the lake, ride their bikes, and have space to run and play. 

Cashy - 10 Months

It's hard to believe this little guy is 10 months old today! He has brought so much joy to our family. The moment he was born there was an instant connection between the two of us. He has been the biggest mamma boy since he was very tiny. I have cherished that too! 

He sure loves his brother and daddy. Even though he is a mamma boy he refuses to say mamma. He says dada all the time. Actually every morning he gets up he looks for Art saying dada. Some days it's almost like he is telling me stories about Art. He will be jabbering away talking about dada. So adorable!

He wears 12-18 month clothes

Size 3 diapers

Crawls & walks around furniture

Favorite foods - bananas and sausage are his very favorites! 

We were shopping the other day. I picked up a package of chicken and apple sausages. He started SCREAMING. He wanted to eat one right there. He is WAY picker as a baby about food than G ever was. G wasn't picky about any food at all. G ate anything and everything until he was about 2.5 years old. Cash is not that way. He wants color and flavor with his foods. He spits things, refuses to eat, yells and is very vocal when it comes to food. 

If Cash sees a bottle he thinks he needs to have it even if he just finished eating. He can drink 4 ounces in 2.5 minutes. I should enter him into one of the baby bottle drinking contests. lol

Each day before Cash goes down for a nap or bedtime G has to give him a hug and kiss. G and Cash just adore each other. They are the sweetest together. G might get jealous at times, but he has never been mean to Cash. Cash giggles so much watching G. At this point Cash is 20 pounds and G is 32 pounds. One day Cash got on G back. G was yelling mom get Cash off me I can't move. bahahahha oh boy!

Motherhood!

A little over a year ago my friend Chelsea asked if I would take some pictures with G for a mother's day promotion she was doing. Free pictures...of course I will do it! I was 5 months pregnant at the time with Cash. She wanted me to wear white or light colors. What you don't see in these pictures are the numerous dresses I ordered and outfits I tried. I ended up just using stuff I had. I used a belly band to wear my regular white pants. I never imagined how much I would cherish and how special these pictures would end up being to me. 

These pictures are some of my very favorite pictures of G and me! When I see them I just smile even a year later. They were laid back, we had fun in the flowers. At one point G wasn't sure he wanted to take anymore pictures, so we just started goofing around. 

These pictures are motherhood to me! When I look at them this is how I feel about being a mom. I struggled for so long to just become a mom, then it happened and the amount of love you can have for one person is crazy. I didn't worry if I could love a second child. I knew that love would come. It's amazing the type of love you have for your first and then a whole different type of love comes for your second. Your heart grows again with each child. You develop different types of love for each of them. 

I spent 6 years struggling to have a baby. It was a loooong 6 years! It was exciting, but scary when I would get pregnant. Excited that maybe this was the time, but terrified I would see blood. Even when I was pregnant with G I felt this one was going to make it, but I still worried in the back of my mind a lot. It took us awhile to decide on a second child. I didn't expect to deal with loss again. I had 2 miscarriages after G. I was told G was a miracle and I would most likely never have another child. That was heartbreaking to me. I spent almost a month mourning the loss and the fact I wouldn't have another baby. I felt like cancer once again was robbing me. Then I got pregnant....I didn't tell Art for a few days. I cried when I saw that positive test because I had just went through a miscarriage and I was told I would just keep having them. I wasn't sure I could handle it emotionally or physically. 

Weeks went by and nothing was happening. I finally went to the doctor and there was this amazing little flutter on the screen. My miracle little Cashy! It shouldn't surprise me that my boys are so strong willed because they have been fighters from the start. 

Motherhood is this dance in life where you are trying to balance so many things. All moms are working moms. The majority of moms keep their families running. Our world would not be running without the women juggling!

Nanobebe Feeding Products

Recently I was asked to review NanoBebe bottles and breast milk storage bags. I was excited to try these items with a new baby due any day. The items actually arrived a couple days after little Cash was born! When he was first born he struggled with jaundice really bad. We had to give him additional feedings to help with the jaundice. I really wanted to just breast feed him and not have to give him a bottle. We had to give George additional feedings when he was battling jaundice too. George decided he liked the bottle much more than the breast, so he would scream hysterically for the first 4-6 weeks if I tried to nurse him. Cash latch was really good from a few minutes after he was born, so I didn't want to mess that up. 

We did end up giving him a bottle after I would breast feed. He had a little bit of formula until my milk came in. My milk came in really quickly. I had extra milk from day 3 on. It has gotten to the point I am pumping about 10oz of additional milk a day. When I had G I would try not to pump too much. This time around I am just going to stock up my freezer with the additional breast milk because I know there are times when your body doesn't produce as much. We will use all this milk, so I am not going to stress if I am making too much. 

The Nanobebe bottle is the 1st bottle created especially to protect the nutrients of breast milk. It also has a familiar shape to transition from breast to bottle. Nanobebe has bottles, breast milk bags and a freezer organizer, bottle drying rack, sterilizer, warming bowl and pacifiers. I love the break milk bags! They are easy to pour milk in and out of. All of these products can be bought at Buy Buy Baby and Target. 

Here are the breast milk bags in their organizer nicely staked in the freezer. They fit right on top of the boys pizza box. lol

You can save 20% off your order from NanoBebe by using code ihelpmoms.

Preparing for Baby on a Budget

We weren’t planning to have any more children after G. I got rid of everything. Then we decided to have 1 more. Our friends and family were super generous and bought us everything you could imagine for G. The child has never wanted for anything.  I had every baby gadget imaginable. 

I decided this round we didn’t need everything. There are so many things you use for a few months. I decided there were 2 things I felt had to be brand new - a car seat and crib. Car seats are non-negotiable for me. Amazon sells open box car seats. They are brand new but the box could be damaged. I was able to buy one for less than $50. The box was fine too. The car seat was completely wrapped up, box unopened and in great condition. The same car seat cost $150 at Target. 

I wanted a gray crib. I added 2 of them to my Amazon wishlist and watched the prices. I was able to get one for $100. I bought a brand new mattress at Babies r Us with a coupon when they were going out of business for $40. It was when they still accepted coupons. 

Crib

Car Seat

I wanted to show you were you look for the used & new options on Amazon. If you are using your Amazon App you will find it below the Add to Cart. If you click on the Used & New option it will show everything available at different price points. Be aware you may have to pay for shipping with some of the sellers. I always look for items Amazon is selling with Prime. Sometimes they get returns or the boxes just get banged up. As long as the product is fine I don't care if the box isn't perfect. 

I wanted a Rock n Play, bouncy seat, swing, play mat and double stroller. All these things I didn’t need brand new. I started looking on Facebook groups early on, so I had plenty of time to wait for a deal. I found a bouncy seat and baby gate for free. I got a Rock n Play and play may for $5 each. I REALLY wanted a 4Moms swing. This was a want not a need. I kept watching for one and found one for $50 in perfect condition. I was able to get a sit n stand Joovy stroller for $40 and a snap n go car seat stroller for $20. 

G still uses the stroller a lot. I feel we will need a double stroller. I will want to go on walks, to the zoo and outings. So the Joovy has an option to sit, stand and for a baby. There are so many double stroller options out there. I make Art crazy with how many strollers we have. All of them serve a purpose. You can't use an umbrella stroller on a hike and I don't want to use my Bob stroller when I am going shopping. 

A friend has a bumbo, bassinet, and exersaucer for us. Friends have given us clothes, bedding, blankets and swaddles. 

I have watched stores/online for diaper and wipe sales. I’ve been stocking up when I find a good deal. I don’t want to buy too many newborn diapers only because I don’t know how big the baby will be. 

We’ve really shopped on a budget for this baby. He won’t be using this stuff that long, so I don’t feel we need brand new stuff. We also are for sure done with having anymore babies after this little guy.  Physically I just can’t handle another pregnancy. This one has been really hard on me. I’m soooooo thankful for this little guy and I would happily do it all over again. 

What are your must have baby items?

Colic Game Changer!

I have been thinking about writing a post on colic for over a year. Long before I ever got pregnant with baby #2. When G was a baby I remember when his colic started so vividly. It was on Halloween. My mom had left on October 30 after being with us the month. I spent the entire day holding him as he cried. Finally in the evening he was able to release some gas and was so happy. I was exhausted! Over the next few months the colic only got worse. 

He would be colicky in the evening from around 4pm through 7 or 8pm. It was rough! Once I had gone back to work I would come home and hold him for hours. I would try not to move him once I would get him in a position where he wasn't crying. Occasionally the colic would let us if he sat in the Bumbo chair. Whatever position relieved his pain I would try to leave him as long as possible. 

I tried numerous gripe drops. Colic Calm was my favorite. It helped some times to help relieve the colic for G. It would help the colic from screaming to just fussing, but it didn't take the colic away for him.

I started taking him to the chiropractor maybe when he was about 2.5 months. At 3 months old I added a probiotic to a bottle once a day. I bought Flora Infant's Probiotic at Whole Foods or Sprout's. It was in the refrigerated section by the vitamins. I would not recommend buying this online. I would go to a store and buy it from the fridge section and keep it in your fridge at home. I started off with maybe a 1/8 of a teaspoon once a day and worked up to 1/4 teaspoon. Between taking him to the chiropractor and the probiotics it was a TOTAL game changer!!! 

We went from screaming between 3-4 hours a night to laughing and cooing within 1-2 days. If he skipped a day or two without probiotics his poor little tummy was in trouble. Once he was a year old he didn't require it anymore, but I still continued to give it to him. I noticed what a change in his health. If he didn't have a probiotic he would get sick. Probiotics are so important for a healthy gut! I will be starting the new baby out on a probiotic from day 1. I will have Art bring some to the hospital after he is born. I will add the probiotic to a bottle of breast milk each day. I also take a daily probiotic myself.

I wonder at times if maybe he had a reaction when I ate dairy. I am not sure. I didn't even know that I should try to eliminate foods from my diet to see if it made a difference. Looking back now that I eat Paleo grains and dairy cause me a lot of problems. I had asked his pediatrician if he had reflux which the doctor didn't think he had. 

This is my recommendation for anyone dealing with colic or any type of stomach issues with their infant. A probiotic won't hurt anyone. If you have to give other medicine the doctor recommends a probiotic is always helpful too! 

It’s a BOY!

We are getting another son!!!  

When I first got pregnant I really wanted a boy. Then G realized I was having a baby he insisted it was a sister. For months I heard it was a girl. I started to think we were having a girl. I was a little shocked to hear it was a boy lol

I asked G the other day what should we name the baby? He said "ummmm how about we name him Jesus? I really like Jesus. He so nice." He has been calling the baby Jesus. 

We can't wait for our little boy to get here! 

Miracle!

Last week I announced on social media that we are expecting a baby in July! We are so very excited! 

This baby is a true miracle and our rainbow baby. I haven't shared on my blog about wanting another child or our struggle. We had been told by numerous doctors G was a miracle and we probably never would be able to have another one. I went through a period of where I was grieving. It was a very difficult time for me. I feel I haven't been able to make very many choices when it comes to my health. They have all been made for me over the past 5 years. 

I am so very thankful for little G. He is seriously the brightest miracle in my life! 

I found out I was pregnant right before Thanksgiving. I honestly didn't have much hope this pregnancy would continue.  A lot was going on right then. I had my sister coming to visit. I was going with my mom to Mayo Clinic for some health issues. I just tried to continue with life and I would go to the doctor after to see what was going on with the pregnancy. I didn't tell anyone I was pregnant. I just didn't want people worrying or giving me their opinion on things. This one wasn't planned at all and was a surprise. Yes, Yes, I know where babies come from and how they can happen. lol  I am not going into the details of the 6+ months before, but there wasn't much hope. 

We waited awhile to tell family and even longer to tell our friends. 

G felt he had to tell everyone! He was with us at a doctor appointments when the doctor was talking about the baby and we could hear the heartbeat. G says momma open your mouf let me see that baby? He thinks the baby is the hangy thing in the back of your throat. lol

He then went to school and told everyone he was having a baby sister. He told the people at Sonic when we got our soda water he is having a baby sister. I had my friends little girl with me the day I picked up G from school, so his teachers thought that is who he was talking about. 

He has been so excited. He keeps asking hasn't the baby been in your belly long enough?

At night he will pat my belly. He said I need to pat the baby, so it won't cry and go to sleep. 

What will little Post be? Boy or Girl? We will find out later today!

Brushies Review!

G LOVES to brush his teeth! He will brush his teeth numerous times per day. He doesn't like a lot of help either. I usually can get him to let me do a quick brush to make sure he is getting all his teeth.  At our last dentist appointment they told us to make sure we are brushing his gums and teeth. It's important to get all the food off both. 

I was excited when I got the opportunity to try out Brushies. The book is adorable and the brush is super cute too. I love that they are designed and manufactured in the USA! I love supporting companies who support US! 

The board book is adorable with a really cute story! The little finger puppet brush is super cute! The bristles are very soft. I like they it's a character too. We play little games to brush after G eats. He thinks it's funny to bite my finger. At least with this my finger is protected some lol

Brushies recommends starting to brush babies gums as early as 4 weeks old to start the routine early on! 

Brushies are very affordable and would make a great baby gift or birthday gift! We will be adding these to our next gift ideas! 

This post was generously supported by ihelpmoms.com, a professional resource for mothers!

Monday Thrive!

Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday weekend. 

1) I wrote a blog post that will come out on Friday about potty training G. I had 2 things on my new years resolution list that I wanted to complete for G. Potty training him and taking away his bottles. I was happy to put check marks by them now that they are completed. I expected it to be a horrible week once we took the bottles away, but honestly it was only 1 horrible bedtime. The rest of the time if he got upset I was able to distract him. I also thought maybe he would drink less milk without a bottle. Turns out we have been going through more milk. One of the reasons I waited so long to take away his bottle was because I felt he needed the extra calories from milk. 

2) Summer vacations are already starting! Have you bought sunscreen for this summer? Even if you are staying home this summer you will still need sunscreen. BeautyCounter's sunscreen does not have any harmful chemicals and it is safe for the entire family! I keep the stick in my purse, so I have sunscreen with us at all times. Protect your skin! 

3) What did we do before there was Google or Youtube? I use Google a bazillion times a day.  I recently bought a stroller second hand. I needed to know how to fold it, move the seats, and even how to open it once it was folded. I was able to Youtube all the instructions. 
I have used a Bob Revolution Stroller since G was born. Well let me say I have had like 5 strollers. Over time I have gotten rid of some. The first one I bought was a Bugaboo. It was my dream stroller. Once I had it for a year I got rid of it. I liked it, but I liked my Bob and Maclaren a lot better. 

I have been babysitting for a little baby for a couple weeks. I like to go on walks. I needed a double stroller, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one. I had thought about buying a double Bob. I ended up finding a Phil & Ted double jogger stroller for a steal on a mommy board. Well this stroller is a game changer. I am going to sell my Bob. If you end up needing a double stroller the Phil & Ted is worth very penny. I suggest looking for a used one if you can find it. They run over $500 plus extra for accessories. 

One thing I love about the Phil & Ted is the fact I can use it as a single stroller or double stroller. If I have an extra child with me I can add on the seat, but if it is just G & me it can be a single stroller. I would happily have a garage full of strollers. My husband on the other hand is not happy with me and all my strollers. I do keep it down to 2 strollers now. At one time we did have 4 strollers in our garage. 

I won't be getting rid of my Maclaren! I will keep that one until G no longer needs a stroller. A friend graciously gave me that one and it's one of my favorites. It is a fabulous stroller once your child can sit up on their own. I love that it is compact, doesn't take up much trunk room, but is very sturdy. I hate cheap flimsy umbrella strollers. 

4) I have been on the hunt for some "mom" shorts! I don't want some frumpy shorts that make me look 60, but I need them longer. I am not comfortable with super short shorts. I wanted distressed denim shorts. I tried some on at Target that looked awful! It was nice to be in regular sizes, but just because something fits doesn't mean you buy them. They just weren't flattering at all. The price was nice, but the rest of them looked awful. 

I love how American Eagle jeans fit me. I ended up finding a pair online that I ordered. They are skinny bermuda distressed denim shorts. I ended up going to the store recently. I like a lot of their clothes, but I felt like a granny in there. All these young kids who were like 12-18 years old were crammed inside the store. I think that is a store I need to visit on a Monday evening when the mall is empty, so I don't feel so darn old. lol  Check out their jeans! They really fit amazing.

5) I changed my name on Instagram to MrsPost08Blog. I am considering changing my blog name to MrsPost08 Blog. I realized recently that I don't even have my blog name on the top of my blog anymore. I have called it Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant for the longest time. The name change just seems more fitting these days. I am going to be working on updating the look of the blog in the near future. I would love it if you would follow me on Instagram! 

No More Ba Ba's!

The day has finally come to take away G's bottles. No mommy judging here folks. Yes, I 2.5 year old still had a bottle up until now. He LOVED his bottle. Like he would dance around when I would make them. The boy has been potty trained for awhile, but still had a bottle. He was at the point he could make his own bottle. 

G would have bottles throughout the day, nap time and bedtime. I didn't limit how often or how much he had. He only got almond milk in them. The boy thinks sparkling water is juice, so he didn't get juice in them. Most of the time I would give him one if he asked unless it was right before a meal. He had a bottle day 1 in the hospital. My milk hadn't come in and his sugar was low. I didn't freak out about it. I knew I would nurse and it would all be ok. 

He ended up with jaundice pretty bad. We gave him bottles of pumped milk to make sure he was getting enough milk to get the jaundice to pass. He ended up LOVING bottles and didn't want to nurse. I had to really work with him to get him to nurse. He would SCREAM his head off because he wanted a bottle. Once he was able 6 weeks old it clicked and he nursed until he was 15 months. 

I pumped until he was a year old and gave him bottles. Once he was a year I switched him over to milk. I would nurse him when too until we weaned. The kid has had bottles his entire life. I was the one not wanting to take it away. Art on the other hand was ready to take them away. I told Art we would take it away on a Friday that way if we needed a nap from late night or middle of the night crying we could take one on Saturday and Sunday.

I didn't want to take them away because I have felt this might be my only baby. I wanted him to be a baby as long as possible. This year though he started sleeping in a regular bed, potty trained and will be starting preschool. The time has come that the bottle needs to go. A couple days before we took them away I stopped giving him a bottle during the day. I also would talk to him how his bottles would be going away. Bottles were for babies and he needed to give them away now. 

I knew though the first day was going to be awful! I figured the first day he would cry throughout the day. He ended up falling asleep in the car for his nap. I was able to move him inside and he still napped for awhile. When he woke up from his nap he normally wants a ba ba. I gave him a cup of milk and he happily drank it. Probably only the 2nd time he has drank milk out of a cup. If I gave him a cup in the past with milk he would say no ba ba. He would refuse a cup of milk. 

Now let's get to bedtime. Oh lord! He loves his bottle of milk before bed. We read a couple books, he has his milk and he goes to sleep. We have a good system down. I knew bedtime would be rough. He went ballistic that I tried to give him a cup of milk for bed. He was screaming no babies take ba ba. more ba ba. I showed him how there were no ba bas in bottle drier, dish washer or fridge. It went on for an hour. Finally he crashed. He woke up at 5:30am asking for a ba ba. I told him sorry we don't have any.  I offered him a cup of milk, he drank a little and went back to sleep within 15 minutes. 

He asked for a bottle the next day. I would say sorry no bottles. He usually went to do something else. He had a couple cups of milk. One time he had a major meltdown crying for a ba ba and for tv. Neither of which were an option at the time. Over tired and change is rough on my kid. Nap time went a lot smoother. He took a cup of milk and crashed. A couple days after his bottles were taken away he was really upset. He was crying and VERY dramatic. He told Art all my baba's are all gone. whyyyyyyy whyyyyyyy!!!! He was crying, big tears just so upset as he said whyyyyy whyyyyy. We didn't laugh at the moment, but later we were cracking up after he went to sleep. It was so dramatic and hilarious. 

If I had to do it all over again I would have taken the bottle away when he was a year old. At one I would have just offered a cup. I just was worried he needed the extra calories. He has been such a skinny kid. I also wanted to keep him a baby for awhile too. I don't regret letting him keep his bottle. I just feel it would have been an easier transition at one than at two and a half.

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post No More Ba Ba's appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant. 

My heart was stolen!

I love looking back at pictures of my little man! It is amazing to watch him grow. Each morning I look at TimeHop an app on my phone over the years social media postings. My favorites of the pictures from the past 2 years of George! At times it's funny to see what we were doing or just how much he has changed. 

6 months

1 year

14 months

19 months

2 years! 

What a little stud! This boy makes my heart so happy! 

We have entered the lovely two's! The other day was an epic day! He was furious the bananas in the house were green. He wanted a banana. Finally I gave him the entire bunch, so he could see they were all gross. He pulled each apart examining them to see if one was yellow. He yells BROKE. Later in the day I find every single green banana in the garbage can. When I found them I just had to laugh. I had expected that day to be horrible because he had to get a shot plus his blood drawn. To my shock he sat there perfectly calm when he had his blood drawn. He didn't cry or anything. I felt so proud of him. He was not too happy over his shot a little later. I bought him some yellow bananas later in the day. 

I try to take him with me to my doctor appointments, blood draws and he sees me give myself a shot often for MS. I tell him these are things we do to stay healthy. I also try to explain to him before hand what to expect. Normally it helps him, so he doesn't get so upset. 

He keeps us on our toes and keeps us laughing every single day!