Must have's with a toddler and new baby!

Boy O' Boy! 

Life with two boys is such a crazy fun adventure. 

I really can't imagine it any other way.

But I will be the first to admit that there are some wonderful baby items

we wouldn't make it a day without. 

Since Having Aidan I have made the wonderful jump into cloth diapering.

I will post more on this soon. But we simply couldn't live without

some of our favorite wahm diapers we have found. 

Love our Calico Sunshine!

Calico Sunshine is by far everything wonderful when it comes to fluff!

The quality is the best and Ashley is the sweetest wahm ever.

I See France is new to our stash and was introduced to me by a friend .

 Such cute prints and very trim for my little guy.

The most recent that we have received is also proven to be a favorite go to is,

Dippee Dypee. She makes some wonderful fluff and I am hoping the training 

unders we also got help us get our toddler in gear for potty learning.

Something else new to us since having Aidan is baby wearing.

My oldest was never a fan but Aidan loves it and thankfully so.

Chasing a toddler with a newborn has proven challenging at time.

Our Ring Sling has been a lifesaver and I would be lost without it. 

There are so many choices out there for baby wearing. 

I needed something reasonable and functional and wraps just aren't my cup of tea.

I discovered Willow Tree Ring Slings from another wahm and fell in love.

I adore all she stands for and her product had outstanding reviews as well as 

an awesome price point! We love ours!!

The iPad is something else that has been great while I nurse Aidan.

I loaded tons of learning games and puzzles on there so Clayton can sit 

with us and I can still play with him while nursing the baby. 

It makes it easy for me to help him still feel included and keep him entertained.
Some of our favorite Apps are Woozle wood puzzle, My Very First App, and Seek and Find.

Sleeping is always something that is proven to be difficult with a new baby and 

with Aidan having reflux that has shown to be more difficult this time around then 

with my oldest. In a mommy group I had seen people rave about the 

Rock n Play's. They were out when I had Clayton but I hand't heard of them.

Boy am I thankful I got one this time around.

Since we started putting Aidan in it to sleep we get some 4 to 5 hours spurts of sleep.

Now every night is different, but he sleeps so well in it. 

It it about level with our bed and makes night time breastfeeding sessions so simple.

close by while mommy does laundry

And of Course the number one thing to help with a new baby is the entertainment 

of your toddler! Aidan is mesmerized by Clayton. 

He loves his big brother and could watch him for hours.

And Clayton is such a wonderful big brother. He is so attentive and sweet to Aidan.
I try to make sure to include him as much as I can and it really helps. 

Oh and we couldn't make it thru one day without tons of cuddles, kisses, hugs and love!


The products and wahm's I mentioned are in no way reimbursing me or am I receiving 
anything for sharing the information of their products.
 I simply love them all and wanted to share them with my readers! 


Ashley 

Guest Post: What Being a SAHM means to Rachael McAdams

I am super pleased to have the very sweet Rachael with us today to tell us about 

her life at home with her precious twins!! 

Rachael loves to write and share her stories. 

She hasn't developed her blog yet but is in the works and I am very pleased 

to have her share with us here today! 

You can follow her on Twitter @livealittlenyc.

So make sure to go and check her out!!!

What being a SAHM means to me and advice for new moms

No matter how much you try to prepare for being a stay at home mom (SAHM),

 you don’t know what it will be like until you are home with you baby…

or in my case two babies!

 Some days it is tough, but most days it is wonderful. 

Like most things in life, it is what you make of it.

I know many mothers struggle with the decision as to whether or not to stay home. 

“Can we afford for me to stay home” versus “I don’t want to go back”

 often looms heavy when maternity leave comes to an end. 

It makes it even harder to go back when you are

 sleep-deprived but happy about what being a new mother means to you. 

Everything is still so new and beautiful; you never want to be without your babies.

 The small laugh of my twin girls was such a wonderful sound – 

I could never get tired of it!

There are some women who feel like they need to “defend” their decision to stay home.

 My advice to you is this – don’t. 

Everyone’s decision to stay home or not is a very personal one and you owe no one an explanation. Ultimately it comes down to what will be right for you and your family.

 What I can say is that for my family it has been the absolute 

right decision and we have never looked back!

There are days I fall into a chair after my babies are asleep feeling completely exhausted;

 surrounded by baby toys and bouncy seats and wondering if I am ever going to get things organized. Most days, however, I try to enjoy each moment, no matter what is going on, 

and remember that a time will come when my two little babies will be adults and

 I will wonder where the time went!

A day in our home is more than likely very similar to other families with small children and a SAHM. Wake up early, start a load of laundry, change diapers, prepare bottles, get the husband off to work, make some coffee (I am a Starbucks coffee kind of girl);

 the day is off to its usual busy start. 

Depending on the day, there could be a baby music class scheduled, 

or just a walk outside if the weather is nice.

 Like many new moms, my mother gave me some advice and
 I have tried hard to remember it.

• Sleep when the baby sleeps. This is a biggie. Rest when they rest and be thankful for it when you can get it.

• NEVER wake a sleeping baby. No matter who comes by for a visit, if your baby,

or in my case babies, are asleep, let them stay that way.

• Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses. 

Just because things are hectic doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself.

 Take your children outside and play with them in the park. Read them stories.

 As we’ve all heard, in the blink of an eye they will go 

from crawling around the living room to graduating from college. Make sure you enjoy them as much as you can.

• Take lots of photos! Thanks to digital cameras, so many people today are trying to get that

 “perfect” photo and delete the ones that are “less than perfect.” 

Don’t delete them! Think about when you were little;are your favorite photos the ones that are staged?

 Or the ones of you having a water fight in the kitchen with your little brother shot by your grandfather…until your mother caught you? Those candid shots are the best ones to use to make neat little items from;
for either your family as gifts or just for yourself! 

For example, everyone has an iPhone or smart phone today;

 so use one of those cute and silly shots and make a custom iPhone case with it.

 I really like all the different ways you can create iPhone cases on Tiny Prints’ website.

Like I said, at the end of the day, the decision as to whether or not to 

stay home is very personal and isn’t one to be made in haste. 

You need to talk it out with your family and think about both sides of the equation. 

What I can tell you is that I have never regretted the decision. 

To me, being a mom is the most important job I could ever do!

 

Thank you so much Rachael for joining us and I hope to have you back again soon!

Much Love,

Ashley