Night-time feedings suck. There’s just no other way to put it. It’s no fun at all to be sleep-deprived and there is nothing appealing about constantly being woken up in the middle of the night.
But (FYI, there is always a but)….
I’m all about trying to make the best out of bad situations. Which is why I’ve figured out something that actually makes my night-time feedings much more pleasant. These feedings have become my time to read mommy sites online. Multitasking at its finest, obviously.
The Internet has basically become my lifeline to the world of parenting.
I don’t know any mom who isn’t constantly online — either trying to figure out the best products for every single situation that arises, or checking to ensure baby is meeting important milestones, or maybe just connecting with other moms. The Internet has become the new town square and mommies are reaping the benefits.
Which is exactly why I was so eager to share my love affair with the newly re-launched Playtex Mommyville site when they asked me for feedback. It is a one-stop online destination for moms who want information, advice, and easy solutions for both the joys and challenges of motherhood.
My favourite way to get information is going online because it’s quick and easy. I don’t have to wait for someone to get back to me or have to go anywhere to get an answer. And another bonus? The Internet doesn’t judge you. Even when you type in, “What happens if I accidentally just let my daughter drink water out of the same cup that my cat was furiously lapping water from? Is she going to get some crazy cat disease?” Not that it’s ever happened to me. But if it did, I could go online instead of asking friends who might get all judgy and grossed out.
Mommyville provides you with real answers from real moms in their Mommytalk section. Questions such as, “How much caffeine do breastfeeding mommies allow themselves?” Seriously, now that’s a good question. I get worried with my own occasional cup and it’s a relief knowing I’m not the only one sneaking some into my day.
And who hasn’t looked up symptoms when her child is feeling unwell? It’s the first thing I do when my daughter is sick! But what usually happens is that I get a boatload of completely disturbing information that scares the bejesus out of me and half of it is untrue. That’s why I especially love Cindy’s Corner on Mommyville, where their registered nurse provides advice that is both accurate and reliable.
Another thing I really enjoy about the Mommyville site are detailed reviews on essential items such as bottles, meal time products, and pacifiers. You can actually get extensive information before spending any of your hard-earned money. I think I went through dozens of pacifiers with my oldest daughter – I wish I’d had this resource back then!
Speaking of my oldest daughter, have you ever forgotten the lyrics to a lullaby you just sang a few days ago? I’m not sure if it’s mommy brain or just my bad memory, but it happens to me all the time. Last night, I couldn’t recall the words to Hush Little Baby, which is my daughter’s favourite nighttime song. The song she just absolutely had to hear last night. The song I couldn’t freaking remember the dumb words to. Argh. Thankfully, I was able to go on Mommyville where they have lullaby lyrics posted right on the site in the Mommy’s Little Helpers section. How insanely brilliant is that? It spared an epic meltdown at my house, that’s for sure.
There are some things in life that I would be a mess without — coffee, ballet flats, carpet cleaner. But hands down, one of the most important things in my life right now is my laptop. It is my lifeline to the world of parenting and makes me feel less isolated, especially when I’m just at home with my babies. That’s why I’m thankful for mommy sites like Playtex Mommyville (and of course YMC) that make me realize I’m not alone in this parenting game. Even if it does require an Internet connection.
This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Playtex.
www.mommyville.ca
© 2014 Energizer. Playtex and other trademarks are owned or licensed by Energizer or its affiliates.
I try to be fair with both my daughters but it’s not always easy. It’s not my newborn. Infants are easy. As long as they're fed and clean, they’re happy. Toddlers, however, aren’t quite so easy. In fact, toddlers can be much more demanding. Mine is, that’s for sure.
The fact that my toddler is so much more demanding of my time than my infant is a huge source of guilt for me. I’m very cognizant of the second child syndrome and am trying very hard to not be another one of its sad statistics. But it’s just so hard! It can sometimes just be simpler for all of us to put the demands of my toddler ahead of my easygoing second child. Poor baby.
This is one of the reasons that I don’t mind the occasional sleepover at her grandparents for my toddler. They love to have her over and it’s also a nice break for her. More importantly, it allows me to spend some quality alone time with my baby daughter. Yay for grandparents!
I feel like second children just don’t stand a chance sometimes. I remember when my first was born, I would spend all day holding her, staring at her little face, and being in awe at every little thing she did. That’s just not a reality with the second child because now I have to divide my time amongst two children. When my toddler is at her grandparents though, I have the day to just cuddle my youngest and revel in her new-ness.
It’s all about the baby on these days.
I don’t worry about getting extra chores done or cooking an elaborate meal or paying bills or any of that. I spend it with my new daughter who is going to be an infant for only so long. I spend longer bathing her and marvel at every adorable fold of her pudgy body. I make time to give her a baby massage that she just loves. I nap with her sleeping on my chest because nothing beats the feeling of your infant peacefully lying on you. I take about a thousand pictures of her to make up for the days I’m too busy with her older sister to remember to do just that.
It’s not easy to balance my time with both children but I’m trying my hardest. And sometimes, a bit of alone time with one is just what’s needed for both me and my new baby.
Spill it! How did you get alone time with your second baby?
My toddler still takes a nap every afternoon. I would lose my sanity without that nap. It’s like a little slice of quiet in an otherwise chaotic world. That being said, I go to great lengths to ensure that this aforementioned nap takes place. What that means is that I have to often get creative and figure out ingenious ways to entice her to lie down.
One of my favourite ‘tricks’ is to promise my daughter a bedtime story at nap time. This entails lying down with her while I make up a fun and entertaining tale that is long enough to make her sleepy. This story must always involve a princess named Seanna and it must always be a one-of-a kind original edition.
This princess is quite the character. She loves to play with pink ponies in her kingdom of fairies and butterflies. She has a house full of dogs that love to play basketball with her and a cat that knows how to talk. The princess goes on the craziest adventures that get crazier as the story goes on.
You see, there’s a slight hiccup in my strategy. I’ve mentioned how the story needs to be long enough to make my energetic toddler sleepy. Well, the thing is that her not-so-energetic mother usually gets sleepy a lot sooner than she does.
And when mommy is tired, she starts to make no sense. This results in a princess that becomes increasingly erratic in her behaviour. The princess goes from enjoying a nice pony ride in the country side to folding laundry for a newborn baby after cleaning the bathtub and paying overdue bills.
As mommy gets drowsy, the stories change from fun and games to household chores and to-do lists. It’s quite the phenomenon and one I’m sure that most tired parents can relate to. I bet there’s more than one parent who has gone from talking about dragons to some nonsensical gibberish in their half-asleep state.
The worst part is when your toddler looks at you with utter confusion and asks you why the princess decided to go to the bank. It’s definitely no fun when you have to then spend the next ten minutes explaining exactly what a bank is.
And the cycle continues when the bank morphs into the computer repair shop about five l-o-n-g and tiring minutes in.
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