Happy New Year~Start Over

Happy New Year to all of you!

I came across this great little poem by Woodrow Kroll and I felt very compelled to share. It's a great way to get your mind in the right place especially when you are having a tough day or going through a difficult situation. It's called Start Over.

START OVER

When you've trusted God and walked his way
When you've felt his hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way ...
Start over.

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why ...
Start over.

When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through
And you're all alone and it's up to you ...
Start over.

When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren come along ...
Start over.

When you've prayed to God so you'll know his will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still ...
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill ...
Start over.

When you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it ...
Start over.

When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you ...
Start over.

Starting over means "Victories Won"
Starting over means "A Race Well Run"
Starting over means "God's Will Done"
Don't just sit there ............ ..

START OVER


~~Woodrow Kroll

Reflection of a New Mom

I am a stay at home mom and love every minute of it.  My 2 month old has no choice but to find me amusing all day long.  I have his undivided attention at all times and absolutely love it.  He coos at me and sometimes even finds me funny and will give me a big smile.  He is all mine until Dad comes home.  I have never seen something more beautiful than the looks and smiles he gives his dad after not seeing him all day.  If I am changing his diaper and Dad is in the room his eyes are stuck on him.  Dad and baby spend lots of time together at the end of each day.  Dad will walk him around the house and stop at every fan (because right now that is his entertainment) he just loves fans. Why do babies love fans so much? They don't even have to be on! Fan or no fan, my husband has ways of soothing the baby by rubbing his hair in such a way that I can never seem to get just right.  It is so nice to see the bond that they have and to see what a great dad my husband has become.   

Jessica Peterson

I think most moms can admit that there is nothing cuter than their babies feet.  Well, what happens when your beautiful baby has the case of stinky feet? When I was pregnant I thought about his adorable little baby feet and the day I would finally get to kiss them! Now that he is here I get to kiss those cute square little feet whenever I see them, but I was in for a surprise when I noticed he has stinky feet!  Wow, I didn't know babies had stinky feet!  Maybe it's because I always have him in socks so his feet don't get cold! He was 5 weeks old when I first noticed this and I just couldn’t believe my own nose so I asked my friends and family to confirm my smellings.  To my surprise everyone confirmed I wasn't imagining it.  My enhanced sense of smell wasn't lying to me.  Although he has a very mild case of smelly feet I have come to accept his stinky foot syndrome and still kiss all over them but thought it to be funny that at 5 weeks old my baby has stinky feet. Fittingly, he wears his stinky onesie well and with pride. LOL

Jessica Peterson

Introducing a new Mom Blogger for A.B. Baby Boutique

I am proud to introduce you to our newest Mom Blogger Jessica Peterson and her beautiful family! She will be blogging about her experiences as a new Mom, sharing stories, trials and funny blurbs. Feel free to comment and share, laugh, cry, understand & relate as she shares bits and blurbs of everyday life as a Mom! Read her first post below:

Hello my name is Jessica. I am 32 years old and 7 weeks ago I finally got the dream job that I spent 9 months dreaming about. I am finally a M-O-M! So far I have made it through jaundice, formula troubles, projectile vomiting, constipation and now I find myself having to choose how to vaccinate my son. With autism being talked about more and more these days and the speculation of vaccinations possibly playing a part in it, I decided I owed it to my baby to do some research on my own. I have chosen to use an alternative vaccination schedule which will only allow him to receive 1 shot that contains aluminum at a time. Aluminum seems to be what some doctors are concerned about infants getting too much of at one given time. He will still receive all of the vaccinations that are recommended but will have them split up to where he will have to get them once a month instead of every few months. That part of it I do not like but I do feel that we are doing the best we can as parents on our part to hopefully prevent Autism. There has to be something we are doing different that wasn't done when I was growing up because it seems like autism is everywhere. Maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe it is in what we are eating now with all of the added hormones, but either way, with a healthy diet and the alternative vaccination schedule I can do my part in preventing this from happening to my son.

We have a winner for the 1st What's Your Story drawing

Back in September we asked you to share your parenting and life as a Mom stories. We also told you that we will put all entrants names in a box and select a winner. Well with the help of my wonderful assistant Susy we have selected a winner.

And the winner is..................................

Kim I. with her touching story about her experience with co-sleeping. You can read Kim's Story Here. Congratulations Kim you are our first winner!

We still want your stories so please share! The next winner will receive a Magnetic Fridge Grid Pad to keep track of all of your families chores, appointments and activities. This handy pad has a magnetic strip to easily post up on your refrigerator. The undated 7 Colum Weekly Grid Pad comes with 52 weekly pages.

Some Useful Ways to Use the Fridge Grid Pad

• Family Member's Routines & Activities
• Home Projects
• Meals
• Personal Goals
• Work Projects
• Clients
• Personnel
• Lesson Planning
• Family Chores

When is your due date?

Tell 'em when your due with one of these super cool Due Date necklaces from Go Belly Go. Each necklace is made of polished nickel and strung on an 18" sterling silver chain. Each necklace is adorably packaged in a keepsake tin. A staple item to wear every day as the belly blooms. After the baby arrives,engrave a special message on the back for Mom like baby's name and birthdate!

We still want to hear your stories and parenting experiences...

We have created a place where moms alike can share and read about these times in a way to help and encourage one another during this journey we call parenthood. We are looking for all types of stories from the most challenging and trying times to the silly and lighthearted. Each entry enters you into a Product Giveaway or Reward! If you have a story to share, send to kristen @ abbabyboutique.com. The first giveaway will be held soon so get your stories in to qualify!

To read some of our current submissions click here.

You can give a Mammogram for FREE

Did you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month? The Breast Cancer site (www.breastcancersite.com) is having it's 6th Annual Pink giving away Challenge! What this means is if they get 500 clicks during the month of October their premeir sponsor, bare necessities is going to fund an additional 200 mammograms to help women get the care they need. All you need to do is visit the breast cancer site and click on the click to give button. Tell just 10 friends about this and encourage them to do the same. I did and I hope you do too, it only takes a second!

What is your story?

The A.B. Baby Boutique is looking for your stories about being a parent for a new resource section of our website. We know that parenting can be both rewarding and challenging and therefore, we are creating a place where moms alike can share and read about these times in a way to help and encourage one another during this journey we call parenthood. We are looking for all types of stories from the most challenging and trying times to the silly and lighthearted. We will be launching this new section in the coming weeks and will be offering giveaways and rewards for your stories.

Here is how you can share your story

Simply Email your story to Kristen@abbabyboutique.com. If you wish to remain anonymous, please note that at the top of your email. We are looking for real life stories, by real Moms and Dads that you are willing to share on our website. By sending your story you will be entered into the weekly or monthly drawing. We will welcome as many stories as you wish to share. Each story will be given a number (in order of entry received) and this number will be placed in a hat to be drawn at random. Each week or month (depending on the prize) a new group of prizes will be presented for the winner to choose from.

Here is a list of categories to help you get some ideas and please feel free to come up with your own ideas as well:

Accomplishments, Adoption, Attachment Parenting, Autism, Co-Sleeping, Baby Wearing, Blended Families, Breastfeeding, Challenges, Cloth Diapering, Elimination Communication, Fatherhood, First Day of School, Finding a Babysitter, Nanny, Grandparents, Home Schooling, Loosing the Baby Weight, Loss, Milestones, Miscarriage, Multiples, Parenting, Post Partum, Potty Training, Pregnancy, Raising Pre-Teens/Teens, Step Parenting, Trying to Conceive, Vacationing with the Family, etc.

We look forward to reading and sharing your stories and hope that these stories will touch one another and make us all smile and help one another in difficult or troubling times.

All the best,

Kristen Lemoine,
Owner, Artist & Mom
A.B. Baby Boutique
http://www.abbabyboutique.com

Elimination Communication

A dear friend of mine is expecting her baby girl possibly sometime next week. She called me to ask for some help in designing some underwear in newborn size. I potty trained both my boys at an early age (but not this early) by using regular underwear with them instead of the pull-ups. She plans to try to teach potty training from the day of birth and does not wish to use diapers at all if she can master this technique. This is very new to me and I believe it is called Elimination Communication??? She informed me that for a window of time in early infancy a baby can learn to control their bowels by alerting the parent of discomfort. She fears that with diapers and the way they are made today with the ultra absorbancy and all this makes learning to potty train more difficult because the child does not realize they have the discomfort at the initial time the diaper is soiled and thus has a harder time associating the discomfort with the actual soiling. After all they know how to let us know that they are uncomfortable by crying or fussing.

I think it takes a really disciplined parent to attempt this. I wish I could say that I would try it but in all honesty, I think I would quit or lose my mind trying! I would love to hear success stories or stories of unsuccessfulness, opinions and comments. I find this a very interesting topic and would love for comments!

My Choice to be a Stay at Home Mom by Denise Vetter

The decision to stay at home is harder for some than others. There are so many reasons why we should or why should not stay at home. For me it was a matter of the heart. I had tried to have children for ten years. Then finally I was blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Three years later a beautiful baby boy. Two years later, to my surprise another beautiful baby girl . Pretty good for someone who thought she would never have any children.

My husband was a Police Officer when the children were babies. His job entailed different tours of duty. So there were times when our days were nights and our nights were days. Special details would take him away for a few days and I would take on the job of a single mom. Throughout the years I questioned my decision to stay at home Usually this would come over me when money was tight. But I always felt my family came first. Days when there was not enough time, not enough energy and not enough money, would make anyone wonder why they made such a choice.

We are all faced with these things.

There was one thing I knew I had plenty of and that was LOVE. That kiss goodnight - that smell of powder so soft and sweet. I can still see those tiny hands and tiny feet. For they are my precious stars that still shine so bright in my heart. They are life's true miracles...

Note: It was in 1976 when I made the decision to be a stay at home mom. When women's lib was at its peak. Most of my friends juggled both worlds. Some had to - others wanted to. Me, I'm forever grateful. I heard my little one's first words (even though they all said DADA first) and I held out my arms while they made their first steps. Yes, I was fortunate to be with them in all their ups and all their downs. Of course none of this has anything to do with being a good mom. It is just a benefit that we choose to make. One that we will always remember and know one can take away. Before I forget, I have two new shinning stars glowing brightly in my heart. Andy and Brennan my grandsons. I do believe moms and grand moms have endless love...

Mommy Brain

MOMMY BRAIN
If you've left the crayons to melt in the car,

And forgotten just where the car keys are,

There's a perfectly good way to explain:

You see, you've come down with "Mommy Brain.

When you're not sure where the past 8 hours went, or whether the phone bill check's been sent,

If you've left the laundry drying in the rain,

It's just---you guessed it---Mommy Brain.

If you find yourself chatting for hours on end

About diaper prices with your cyberfriends,

You've just caught a particularly virulent strain

Of that affliction known as Mommy Brain.

If you left your bags at the grocery store

Or completely forgot what you went there for,

If you called the cat by your baby's name,

You can bet that Mommy Brain's to blame.

And if you know the words to "Goodnight Moon" by heart,

Or you study your sleeping babe like a work of art,

If you're always surprised by how time is flying,

And the thought of that first birthday starts you crying...

It's unavoidable girls, and I feel your pain

For I, too, suffer from Mommy Brain.

But I'll admit one thing---of this I'm sure

I hope they never find a cure.

- Carlotta Eike Stankiewicz

Just a cute thing

I love being a Mom. I have friends that don't have kids that call me their birth control. I am serious! It is funny but I can see where they are coming from. Sometimes my kids can drive me up the wall. Like us, kids are not perfect! Meltdowns are common, spilled drinks and an occasional crayon scribble or sharpie (EEK) on the wall are common too! Temper tantrums and fits do come with the territory but there are also many more moments of joy and laughter. These little miniature people can perk you up on a bad day and bring you to tears of laughter! They don't make you want to rip your hair out ALL the time! No matter what kind of day you are having, one look from your little person can make up for all the yucky things that a day can bring!

What sparked this post? While visiting family in South Carolina this past Labor Day weekend, my youngest son said " I am going to live forever because I pray a lot and I eat healthy!"

That one little phrase made my day!

I love being a Mom and I love my kids! I would not trade them for anything in this world!