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Encouraging a Natural Sibling Bond with a New Baby

A natural sibling bond is not something that can be forced. It can, however, be encouraged. This post is sponsored by The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.

Grab this No-Stress No-Fluff Guide to New Baby Essentials

I worried the kids would have a hard time bonding with our new baby. It had been 5 years since our last baby, and I just didn’t really know what to expect. Most of the kids were excited about having a new sibling, but there were a few times they shared their worries with me. My favorite came from Lincoln

What if the baby sucks on my toys?!

It’s been 9 months since Harold joined our family, and life has been pretty blissful. Anytime the kids are feeling down, they seem to find a way to smile by spending a little time with their baby brother. The sibling bond I see each of them developing is heartwarming.

Most mornings it’s a race between the kids to get to Harold when they hear even the tiniest little peeps. The younger kids are allowed to hang out with him until Mom gets there. Their latest favorite is to climb in the crib with him. Now that he can sit up, he thinks it’s the best way to wake up too.

Venice has been allowed a bit more responsibility. Now that she’s 11, I’m working on trusting more. I’ve been hovering for 11 years, and now I need to trust that she can make good decisions. This is the first and most important tip when encouraging a natural sibling bond.

She can get him up.

Learning to trust her to carry Harold was probably the hardest part of letting go of her baby years. Teach your older kids how to hold a baby, with practice and supervision, eventually you’ll know they can safely transport baby from room to room. This becomes super helpful when I’m dealing with tantrums from other kids. Those first smiles when Harold wakes up are a treat I can’t keep to myself. By allowing the other kids to enjoy his happy attitude allows them to bond while in their best moods.

Get him dressed.

Older kids, especially my girls, love picking out clothes for their younger siblings. When they are a baby this is a great time for them to bond over fashion. Trusting their fashion sense…well, it’s pretty easy when most of the baby’s clothes already match. Even if they don’t, let them enjoy this special time. It will be something they can bond over through the years as they dress each other up for Halloween, the First Day of School, Picture Days, and just for fun days.

Even change his diaper.

Not her favorite part of becoming responsible, but an important step in learning to be helpful. I feel that changing a diaper helps kids grow close together. Sounds silly, I know, but when you have to spend time caring for someone who can’t care for their own body yet, there’s a certain love that grows.

Parent’s Choice new Premium Line of diapers has made it easier for me to trust the kids – all of them, not just Venice – change Harold’s diaper. The time-to-change indicator helps the kids know exactly when his diaper is ready to be changed. On top of the savings we get from Walmart’s diapers, this keeps us from going through diapers too fast.

Yes, I had kids claim he needed a change, just because he was crying. By showing them how the yellow line changed to blue when it needs changing, this has helped immensely. Now I can make dinner, the kids can bond with Harold, AND we can save money all at the same time!

At a fraction of the cost of other leading diaper brands, Parent’s Choice Premium Diapers offer quality and value that every parent needs in a diaper. This new line also features an anti-leakage barrier around the legs. This is KEY when encouraging a bond between siblings because NO older sibling will want to change a diaper that has leaked all over the place.

Trust me on this one – when diapers explode the kids will not change it – a problem we have not had since switching to the Premium line.

Encourage a natural Sibling Bond, by trusting your older kids and allowing them opportunities to be responsible for their younger siblings.

How do you encourage a Natural Sibling Bond?

December 18, 2017
Supporting Friends and Family suffering Infertility + Twitter Chat + Giveaway

*This post is brought to you by The Stork OTC and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own. I am not a nurse or healthcare provider. Treatment should always be discussed with your healthcare provider.

Planning for a family should be easy, but that’s not always the case. In my walk of life, I have met many couples struggling with infertility. For some it’s been because of known medical problems, for others they don’t know why they struggle conceiving.

I’ve watched the burden push friends and family away as they don’t know how to talk to each other anymore. Infertility has become the proverbial Elephant in the room for some, and they don’t know how to push it out. While I may not be able to give the best advice, I feel I’ve walked the waters of containing friendships and family peace, and would like to offer what I’ve learned. Hopefully this will help someone else.

Listen

When your friend wants to talk about their infertility – listen. Sometimes no words are needed, just an ear to hear, and arms to hug. Those two simple, silent actions let your friend know you love them and are there for them.

Don’t feel bad you have kids

While it may hurt seeing your friend hurt, feeling bad you have kids and they don’t isn’t helping anyone. Your friend wouldn’t wish her infertility on anyone else. Still invite her to gatherings, even if there will be kids around. If your friend declines though, understand. Don’t make it a big deal. Accept their decline to a party the same way you would any other decline.

Now the FDA has approved The Stork – an OTC conception aid. Making it more affordable for couples struggling with infertility to improve their chances to have children. It shouldn’t cost a fortune to conceive.

The Stork OTC can be used if you’ve been diagnosed with infertility, have tried months without success, or simply want to conceive more quickly. The Stork OTC uses cervical cap insemination – an established effective technique for infertility issues.

Purchase The Stork OTC

Join The Motherhood and The Stork OTC for a mini twitter chat.

The next chat is this Tuesday 9/22 at 1pm ET

We’ll be talking about more ways you can support friends and family suffering through infertility.

Follow #TheStorkOTC

Check out these other resources for more information on infertility

When Infertility Strikes

Mother Daughter Dynamics during Infertility

Infertility Etiquette

GIVEAWAY

Win a trial of The Stork OTC

enter via Rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 21, 2015
Healthy Child Healthy World with Seventh Generation
*Last week I had the opportunity to speak with representatives from Seventh Generation, Healthy Child Healthy World, and The Motherhood. Compensation was given. All opinions are 100% my own*

I just have to share this video with you all. It brought back a lot of memories of my childhood before making me realize just how different the world has become for our children.
Staggering, isn’t it? I remember going out and running through our wooded backyard without a care in the world. I often went outside without shoes on, and it was OK!

What really got me thinking, though, and really re-evaluating the everyday products I buy and use in our home was this next stat –

In the European Union 1,328 chemicals have been banned from use in personal care items. Only 11 have been banned OR restricted in the US.

Isn’t that crazy? At first you might think, those Europeans just like to restrict things, they’re overly cautious. But really let’s think about it. Surely with a 1,317 difference, there’s got to be some more substance to it.

I know I’ve shared multiple “green” cleaning products with you in the past, but truth be told, my absolute favorite cleaner is Hot Soapy water. I find it just does the best job, and it truly is the safest to use around the kids.

I found a few more of these studies to be quite interesting and thought you’d like to look over them yourselves –
- In a study of 10 minority newborns, more than 232 chemicals were found in the umbilical cords! Did you get that? Our babies are being exposed to hundreds of chemicals before they’re even out of the womb. Scary
- In a study of 10 children’s face paints, all 10 tested positive for lead. Hello! You have to sign forms when buying an old house to make sure you’re aware that lead could be in the walls, but hey, let’s go paint some lead on our kids face. Sounds about right to me.
- Studies have found flame retardant, Bisphenol-A, and other environmental chemicals in breast milk Great, breast is best right? but how much are we losing that with the addition of chemicals into our lives.
- Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled children’s toys and jewelry for high lead content. Shouldn’t we test this before we buy it? Before we expose our family to potentially dangerous chemicals?
Knowledge is power right? I hope that this knowledge will inspire you to take action as well.

These are some great things you can do in your home, but if you’d like to get involved on a larger scale, I encourage you to reach out to your local Senators and urge them to pass the Chemical Safety Improvement Act.

Did you know that the law regulating chemical use in our everyday products has not been updated in over 35 years?! Seriously, I think that’s a bit long. We live in a constantly changing, and growing world, not to look at something so crucial as the way we use chemicals.

You can follow this link for more information on this Act and how to contact your state Senator.
November 12, 2013
My Baby Prince is 1
Exactly one year ago today, I had just finished a major crying take pity on me episode in my doctors office. I was closing in on a week past my due date, and I was miserable. I was done, and I wanted my baby in my arms. My doctor must have taken pity on this crazy pregnant women, because only seconds before he was very closed to the idea of getting things started the way I KNEW and WANTED it to happen. *For the first time in my life, I realized crying actually works*

I don’t do needles unless absolutely necessary, and I don’t do Pitocin because my body goes into shock. I do things almost completely naturally. The one problem I have is that my water never ever breaks on it’s own. Finally convinced that I needed this to happen RIGHT NOW, he sent me over to the hospital, and said he’d be there in a few hours. Hey, at least things were rolling along.

3 hours and a little after my water was broke, I was holding a beautiful baby boy in my arms. After 3 girls, I still couldn’t believe this little boy was ours. We’ve had our ups and downs, and plenty of learning curves with a boy over the past year, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

A few highlights from Prince L’s first year:
- at 1 week old our basement flooded. My first day at home alone with all 4 kids. We also found out this day Daddy would be changing jobs.
- at almost 3 months old we gave you a baby blessing at the LDS church.
- You took your first road trip at 3 months old to beautiful Washington. You didn’t much like the car seat or long drive.
- At 4 months old we moved homes, from northern Utah to south/central Utah. It’s been quite the weather change, but you love being outdoors, so it works.
- Without my consent, at 8months old Daddy gave you your first haircut. It was an almost immediate change from brown to blonde as well.
- At 9 months you had your first chest x-ray to decide if your concave chest (pectus excavatum) would be causing any problems. You look good.
- At 9 months I also began feeding you anything and everything under the sun to try and put on some pounds. You didn’t gain much from 6 months to 9months, and it worried mommy (still does). Looks like you’re just going to be another fast metabolism little guy like your sisters Princess V and R.
- At 11 months your sister pulled you down the stairs (of which you’ve been climbing too early for my liking), and you bit through your top gums. We believe this aided in your top teeth coming in so soon.
- We began weaning to a bottle full time at 11 months due to your top and bottom teeth breaking through. You and I enjoy our time together so much more now.
- Shortly before your first birthday, you were mentioned (not pictured) in the local newspaper with your sisters at an Easter Egg Hunt.
The time has gone by too fast, and now my little Prince is 1 years old. No longer a cuddly baby, but a growing, eating, climbing, screaming, handsome little man. Everyone says he looks just like Dad – but to me he’s his own person, with his own little personality. I don’t know if we’ll have any more kids, so for now I’m enjoying every moment, every cuddle, every hour of sleep you let me have.

Just do me a favor, and don’t start climbing out of your crib yet, I’m not ready for that!
April 9, 2013
4 Things to do Before Bringing Home Baby {Guest Post}

Pregnancy is an exciting time, but there are several tasks to take care of before bringing your little bundle of joy home. So here are some of the most important things you will want to handle ahead of time. When you are ready before the birth of your child, you will enjoy the final weeks of pregnancy more and be more relaxes when it’s time to deliver your sweet baby.

Baby Clothes and Bedding

You know how important it is to have the crib and changing table for your baby, but you also need a collection of clothing and bedding. Multiple sets of sheets and changing pad covers should be on hand because they will be changed often, and so take the time and wash all bedding and clothing in a safe, gentle detergent like Dreft to protect your baby’s skin.

Hygiene and Diapers

Babies go through an incredible amount of diapers, so if you are going to use disposable diapers, you can start stocking up on a range of sizes before the baby arrives, but if you choose cloth diapers, you can make arrangements with the cleaning agency before the big day. Other items you should have on hand include tear-free shampoo, body soap, the baby bathtub, hairbrush, baby nail clippers and some soothing baby body lotion with lavender to help fussy babies relax.

The Full Nursery

You want your little one to have a beautiful, welcoming nursery, and that includes having the nursery painted, but paint fumes can be harmful to your little one, so the room should be painted a few weeks ahead of time. The fumes can also be harmful to pregnant women, you should also avoid the fumes (and stress) by hiring a professional, like a Boulder painting contractor, to paint the nursery.

Set up the Kitchen

With the nursery painted and decorated, clothing in the dressers and hygiene supplies in the bathroom, it’s time to turn your thoughts to the kitchen. Even if you are breastfeeding your child, you may still require special equipment for pumping and storing the milk, but if you are not breastfeeding, you will have bottles to sterilize, as well as liners and nipples. Organize the baby feeding supplies in your kitchen by finding space in the cabinets and setting out any special washing or drying racks.
Once the baby is born, you won’t have much extra time for setting up the nursery, washing all the clothes and finding space for bottles in the kitchen, so take care of these chores now to ensure that your baby’s room is ready for your little arrival. You will be able to relax during the final days of your pregnancy and the first few days that you are home with your baby.

Author Bio
Melisa Cammack is the mother of three, soon to be four, is an interior design enthusiast, and hopes to soon be a published book author.

January 16, 2013
Worrying Never Helps

I had plans for a different post today.

I was going to show you some of the fun decorating we’ve done in our house. Followed by some pictures of the furniture remodeling I have planned for this year.

It was all going to come after I finished my morning plans. Take care of kids, start laundry, clean kitchen, take Prince L to the doctor.

So I did all that. And after leaving the doctors, I spent my time researching, spending more time with my kids, and just worrying. Well, worrying doesn’t do anything productive, so I’ve finely decided to change my post today – since I haven’t taken any photos yet, and the day has gotten away from me.

Our doctors visit was a routine well child check. Prince L is 9 months, and we’re in a new area, so I thought it best to get him in and check how he’s growing. He’s also had a cold, and some pretty terrible nights of screaming that have put me in tears myself. I wanted to have his ears checked as well, in case the cold had caused an ear infection.

The good news – he doesn’t have an ear infection….yet. It’s close to becoming one, so I need to get him better before it goes there.

The worrying news – he’s dropped significantly on the charts in his weight. In fact, thinking about it, I think he weighed the same today that he did at his 6month check. He was born in the 90th percentile, and had slowly come down to the 70th. Today however, he was down to the 5th-10th percentile. His height has continued to be consistent however (90th percentile…big kid).

I love our new doctor. He always has a smile, and completely listens to the 3 Princesses voice their concerns for little brother, and tell him all about their princess dolls, while at the same time actually doing his job of checking up the patient. He reminds me of our very first family doctor – and yes, I did ask him if I could pack him up in a box and move him with us. I liked him that much. So I am very happy to find another doctor that makes me feel secure in my children’s health.

So the new course of action – Calorie Packing my little guy. I’ve had 3 kids who have all grown steady, and could follow what the books say on when to feed certain things. Prince L is going to be different. He’s going to get everything we eat, but in smaller bites, and sometimes mushed up with my baby food grinder. I seriously love this thing by the way! All parents should have one.

And the news kept coming…… Our previous doctor found the abnormality, during his 4 month visit – a concave chest (I’m refraining from pictures here, because it can be quite the shocker if you’ve never seen this). At the time, he wasn’t worried, but wanted to keep an eye on it. Well then we moved. Our new doctor has requested we get a chest X-ray done. He said it’s pretty normal to do, so he can see just how far in his chest goes, and whether it might be causing some of the weight problems. More than likely it’s not, but later on it could also cause some heart problems, so it will be nice to know the extent of his abnormality. I am worried though. I mean, have you ever tried to get a 9 month old to sit still? Not to mention I’ll probably have 2 of the other kids with us as well.

But worrying really never helps. I just need to move into action. For the sake of my little boy, I can’t let the worry of what may happen, what the final outcome may be, cripple me from making the changes necessary for him.

Did you all read my book review yesterday? The book is called Goodnight, Brian. It’s a very touching story of a little boy who isn’t thriving, and instead getting poisoned from the “special” formula he’s taking. It takes so long to find the problem, that the boy ends up severely disabled with a diagnosis of never being able to walk or talk. After reading that book, and then being given the news that my boy is not gaining weight, was a bit distressing to say the least. If I learned anything from the book though, it’s that love can conquer the impossible. I am now officially done worrying, and moving on to lots of loving!

January 15, 2013
First Haircut {Wordless Wednesday}

I’m one of those lucky moms who give birth to hairy babies. They always have a head full of hair. Prince L was no exception. Being our first boy, meant a haircut sooner than our girls got. Sunday night, Prince L had some Daddy bonding time. Mark was needing a haircut, so he cut his own hair, and decided what the heck. Prince L is now sporting a cool dude haircut, that really makes him look more boyish, and older.

It would also appear that his hair is going blond now. Maybe it’s just the lighting on short hair though.

January 9, 2013
2012 A Year IN Review

2012 was quite the year around here. Looking back I wonder how we made it through intact, but here we are. It’s 2013. As part of our New Years Eve Celebration, I asked the family what some of their favorite moments were from the year.

From Princess V “Watching TV”. This amazing event is probably due to the fact we didn’t have television service for 1/2 the year. I somewhat miss those days.

From Princess C “I love everyone”. Well gosh Princess C we love you too.

Princess R and Prince L didn’t have much to say on the topic.

For me the highlights of the year were

Remodeling the kitchen

Giving birth to Prince L

Moving

Selling our home and Buying a new one

Yes, we finally closed on this house, and have moved in. It’s been crazy, but worth the wait. I also see another kitchen remodel in our future….

January 2, 2013
Juppy Momentum: The New Baby Walker {2012 Holiday Gift guide}

Unlike traditional baby walkers The Juppy is a parent assisted baby walker which eliminates all of the dangers of walkers with wheels. The unique design eliminates the problems associated with similar products for example other parent assisted walkers do not have the crotch piece which is essential in keeping your baby from involuntarily lifting its arms. No more falling down stairs or reaching for dangerous objects because The Juppy requires your assistance at all times- The Juppy is easily transportable- It fits in your purse- It’s easy for grandparents to use- No assembly required- Suitable for boys and girls- One size fits all (baby weight not to exceed 35lbs). Made from 100% cotton that is machine washable.

After experiencing NurseMaid’s elbow in two of my children as we attempted to help them walk, I was thrilled to see something safe and easy to use for walking assistance. You can read my full review HERE.
Last month Juppy introduced the new Juppy Momentum. Here is what they have to say about it:

We were already the best, now we are even better. The Juppy Baby Walker is designed with safety and comfort in mind; safety and comfort for both you and your child. The Juppy builds confidence in your baby and teaches balance while allowing you to maintain your natural posture. You will never have to bend your lower back while teaching your baby to walk. The Juppy has easily adjustable straps that accommodate your height whether you are 4’11” or 6’11”. The Juppy comes standard with soft hand grips that are strategically placed to provide optimum benefit for your hands; a color matched state of the art zipper is located at the rear of The Juppy for the purpose of safety, easy access and exit. You will find two Velcro straps that overlap the back zipper which again shows our commitment to providing you the safest and most practical baby walker on the market.

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You may be asking yourself “Why would this be a good gift to give?”

When my babies are first beginning to move around, I find expensive toys are just that – expensive. As a mom we get a lot of toys given to us that never get played with, or tossed to the side after a few days, or even broken. At such a young age, something like the Juppy is a perfect gift to give the baby learning to walk. Mom will love getting something useful and safe to enjoy with the baby, and from my own experience, baby will enjoy it too.

WIN IT

I’m giving away a Juppy Momentum in your choice of color with a name embroidered on my 2012 Holiday Giveaway. Check it out to see all the other prizes you could win!

December 3, 2012
Learning to Walk with a Juppy

BACKSTORY!
When Princess C was learning to walk, we had a middle of the night emergency scare. Before bed Mark and I had been helping her walk between us. I don’t remember how exactly it happened, but we had been holding on to her hands, and I think she began to fall, and a quick jerk was given to catch her. It resulted in something called Nurse Maids Elbow. She began crying, so we thought maybe she had just had enough of walking. But after trying to get her to sleep, and her constantly crying, I noticed she wasn’t moving her arm. As any good mom, I freaked out, and told Mark I was taking her to the ER. A simple twist of the arm and elbow, and she was suddenly fine.
Over time, it continued to happen, and we quickly learned when teaching our kids to walk we had to hold them under the armpits, not by the hands.
Because of this incident, I am really cautious about how we hold our kids. Especially while learning to walk, holding under the arms was the only way, but it was also quite uncomfortable for us and them. Bending over, trying to hold them up straight, it was pretty exhausting.

I was so excited to get the Juppy Baby Walker! It takes the awkwardness out of helping kids to walk. Plus, it doesn’t put any pull on their arms, anywhere! No elbow pulling, or even under arm pulling! I think it’s got to be my favorite feature of the Juppy! Prince L likes it too.

See in the bottom left there? He still isn’t so sure about bearing his own weight. It’s much more fun to bounce up and down! So for now, I’m calling this our portable Johnny Jump Up. (Another product I absolutely love, and so have all the kids.)
That’s OK though, because now I can let Prince L jump safely with the Juppy! And eventually, as he gets used to putting his feet on the ground, this will be a lot of fun to take to parks, and while visiting family over the holidays! Especially over the holidays! We usually visit my family, and packing for 6 for a couple days, can get pretty bulky. The Juppy is lightweight – 8oz – and can fold up pretty compact.

BACKSTORY #2
This one goes way back. Back to before I was born, or possible when I was just a newborn. My older brother was in one of those old school walkers with the wheels. Someone was pushing him around outside on the sidewalk. When my mom pulled him out, his toes were all bloody! Obviously, those walkers weren’t meant for pushing your child around in, but it happened anyways. That story alone has scared me away from ever using those with my kids.

A few things I didn’t like –
– For Prince L, I felt we could have done without the back zipper, but I can see it being needed for older, larger kids.
– I didn’t really care of the make of the carrying case. It is silk, but also kind of stiff. It just doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the product.

Overall though, I’d say the Juppy is the safe and natural way for kids to learn to walk, while saving moms back and baby’s elbows and toes.

SALE ALERT

The original Juppy is on sale for $19.95 WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

This sale is to make room for the new Juppy Momentum.

Curious as to the difference? The Momentum has been improved with velcro straps over the zipper for extra security, and more comfortable straps for the parent to hold.

Follow Juppy on social media

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Blog

*I was provided product to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own and honest. I received this as a member of Business 2 Blogger.

November 6, 2012