Tag: mom life

Raisins almost killed my dog!

Momma Bear

Monday morning comes around and as I’m following my still sleepy toddlers into the living room, I realize that there’s a bunch of raisins on the carpet and a large bag not too far away. I really thought nothing of it until our dog, Bunny, began throwing up and having diarrhea everywhere. I am not kidding it was on the walls and everything, super terrible. I rounded up the kids into their playpen, cleaned up the messes, and began googling, “ what happens if my dog eats raisins?”, and my heart stopped. Apparently, raisins and grapes are the worst things for dogs, other than chocolate of course. The internet basically was telling me that my dog was going to die because the raisins cause dogs’ kidneys to begin failing which ultimately leads to organ failure and death. I was freaking out. All the while trying to keep my cool because my two year old, Luna, is super observant and always watching every single little thing I do, and she was so worried already! I called my husband at his work and quickly explained the situation. He ended up rushing home and we made a emergency visit to the veterinarian, thankfully they were able to see her that very same day. Due to COVID we were not allowed inside the veterinarian’s office so they just took her by herself as we watched anxiously. It took them a while to come talk to us but when they finally did they said they had to take some blood samples and hook her up to an IV to replenish all the fluids she had lost and prescribed her three medications. They explained how if we had not brought her in that day, she definitely would not have made it to see another one. We were all so incredibly relieved to know that our Bunny was going to be alright. We ended up spending close to $300 that day for them to save her life…but it was honestly worth it. It was worth seeing my kids’ smiles when we brought her home and told them she was going to be ok. The kids love her so much and they are always hugging and kissing her, I can not imagine a world without Bunny. She really does bring so much joy into our home. I’m not going to lie though, it is tough having a dog with two babies under three years old but it’s all worth it in the end. Right now she is still on antibiotics, and a pasty medicine that’s supposed to help with her stomach lining if there was any damage done. Bunny is peeing regularly but she has not pooped yet which is a little nerve wracking honestly, but all I can do for now is keep a close eye on her. Moral of the story is: DO NOT LEAVE RAISINS OUT, they are TOXIC to dogs. I am so grateful to Valley Animal Hospital for saving our pup!

Two months sober…& counting..

Momma Bear

This is me checking in, just filling you in on something personal. Two months ago I found myself in a situation where I had been in many times unfortunately. Hungover and regretting my decisions or the things I said the night before, I decided it was time to change, seriously. Being a new mom is a wild experience and it has its roller coaster ride of emotions but there is something about my little girl that just pushes me to be better. I don’t know if it’s because she reminds me of a miniature version of myself, before the world messed me up and I realized the cruelties of life, but I just refuse to mess her up. I took it upon myself to stop drinking COMPLETELY for her. If me not drinking means that she will never taste a drop of alcohol until she is 21 or older then I will gladly do it. I refuse to let her go through all of the things I had to go through because I started drinking at an early age. I refuse. Well anyway, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it has been the easiest of journeys…it seems almost as if life decided to throw all these obstacles at me as soon as I decided to quit drinking. We decided to move a week before Christmas and I swear it has probably been the most stressful time. I had a panic attack in the process of all this and we had family over during Christmas, in this pandemic, and everything has just been freaking me out to the max. I have always had anxiety and depression since I was a teen but I had always coped with it, I guess, or actually hid behind alcohol and substances. Now that I have decided to try and live a healthier lifestyle, the universe decides it’s got jokes for me…being sober is HARD I’m not going to lie. I am not going to tell you that it gets easier as the days go by , as others would like to say, it doesn’t. Every single day you will be faced with stresses, issues, and people that you just want to run away from… but hang in there, please. I have not relapsed, nor do I intend on it. I have had so many opportunities to do so, or even just moments where I have felt like saying “fuck it , I deserve a drink!” , but NO. I refuse to go back, I have come such a long way and my baby girl is so proud of me. I am so proud of me. Every day is a decision made, and I am in control. Mental illness is real, don’t ever let anyone make you feel broken…

How to help a constipated toddler

Momma Bear

This is something that my poor little girl has been battling since we began potty training her. There is something about going number two in the potty that just freaked her out, she would always tell me “mama my poo poo hurts” and it would hurt my soul because I didn’t know what I could do to possibly help her out. I would give her more fiber rich foods and more juices the way the doctor advised but nothing ever seemed to work. I attempted to give her prune juice or even baby food but the prune flavor and that never ended well, just a huge mess everywhere from Luna fighting me away. I was losing patience, I needed answers! We always ended up with my little one in tears because she would be too scared to even try to go potty anymore. One day my husband recommended we try Miralax, it’s an OTC laxative, and I honestly was very hesitant. One day I decided to cave because my little girl had not been able to go potty in almost four days and it was unbearable. I gave her just about 1/5 of the lid that comes on the bottle and mixed it with about a little under a whole cup of water, just enough for her to actually drink. AND IT WORKED! I was a woman on the moon! I was so happy! It was short lived, however, when I realized I couldn’t be giving my baby this medication every single time she was constipated. So my panic kicked in again. Then it hit me, my mom had told me a long time ago that pink salt mixed with water and a little bit of lemon was the best remedy for not only constipation but for relieving headaches! The next time my little one was having trouble going to the potty I was actually excited to try my mom’s home remedy. I filled her little sippy cup with a combination of warm and cold water, mixed in a pinch of pink Himalayan salt, and squeezed a lemon in there. I gave it to Luna with caution and a straight face because she is way too intelligent for her own good and if she saw any doubt in my eyes she wouldn’t drink it. She chugged it down and said it was so yummy thank goodness. Well, within the hour I saw her hurry over to her little potty and she was so excited that she was able to go without any pain or problems! I was soooo happy and it’s been a couple months now that I have been sticking to this remedy and I could not be more grateful to have listened to my mother! I also really upped my little girls water intake as well as fruits such as grapes, blueberries, and apples. (Just a few of her favorites) Oh and by the way, apparently bananas are not helpful with constipation at all. As a matter of fact, they make things worse! I had no idea and I definitely cut out bananas at least for a while.

Why I chose to stop drinking.

Momma Bear

This isn’t one of my favorite topics to write about because it’s very real for me…but I feel like it’s necessary. Alcohol has never brought me anything good, it has always led me to some sort of problem in the past. Well, ever since I met my husband and we started building our little family I definitely slowed down and even cut out liquor altogether just because I noticed that it wasn’t even worth it anymore, I needed to be 100% for my kids. Well ever since I had my second baby, Noah, my alcohol tolerance has shot down to zero basically. I had been sticking to wine only lately because it seemed like that’s all I could handle but recently, that’s been changing. I noticed that if I ever surpassed my two glasses of wine I would get a strong buzz and would wake up with really bad headaches the next day. If I had a headache then I felt like I couldn’t be the best me I could be with the kids and I didn’t like that. Well, this past weekend my husband and I were able to get away with the kids and my mother in law and we took everybody to the beach. We had the best time but I feel like because I had a couple drinks it led up to probably THE dumbest fight of my life. I ended up getting overly upset because my husband gave our dog, Bunny, the last of my two year old’s beef jerky sticks when we got back from dinner. It had definitely been a stressful day with the drive, the kids, & the dog and I think that one little thing made me just blow up. I ended up making a huge deal out of something that honestly should not have been that big of a deal. I made a mountain out of a mole hill as others would say. Well, anyway, thankfully I quickly realized that the reason I felt SO angry and annoyed was mostly because of the alcohol intake. I hated myself for a moment, I felt like I had ruined the night, the weekend! My husband and I sat quietly in the dark and I gathered myself and put my ego aside, I sincerely apologized to him. I thanked him for being so patient and loving with me, he truly has been such a good partner throughout all of this and I refuse to lose him or my family because of my old ways. I had an epiphany that night that showed me that everything bad I ever got into when I was young, was because of the alcohol. I could keep putting the blame on others or I could start taking responsibility for myself. It was time to make a change, a change I could not bring myself to do before. I really disliked myself that night because that is not the type of person I wanted my children to grow up with so I made the decision to just cut it out of my life. Thankfully that night did not turn out as bad as it could have and I was able to salvage the weekend. I know it has only been a week but I am serious about this next step in my journey. I even read that some people are allergic to alcohol and it causes their hair to fall out, so maybe it will even help in my case with alopecia. Every day is a battle but my family is worth the fight. They are my reason. “One is not enough and two is too many.” , is a quote that always stuck with me…& I intend on sticking with this decision. Someone once told me that alcohol is meant to celebrate something, not just drink it simply just because, and that’s the level I aspire to get to. I will only, MAYBE, enjoy a drink when I have something to celebrate such as my birthday or an anniversary; other than that hello sobriety!

How to survive with a toddler and an infant

Momma Bear

Let me just say something right now, it is NOT going to be easy juggling a sassy toddler and a newborn baby, its just not. Unless you are super rich and have the money to have nannies then it just definitly will not be a walk in the park. However, I have been blessed to be doing this for nine whole months now and I am just going to give you guys a few tips and pointers from what we do in our daily lives. My little girl is two years old and I swear she is the sassiest little thing I have ever met and my baby boy just turned nine months and he is the sweetest, most loving baby ever. Before Noah was born we really focused on getting Luna prepared for the big change. We would always read books to her about being a big sister and how much fun they were going to have together. Another thing that really helped was we would play with her with her toy babies and pretend it was her little brother Noah. We showed her how to rock the baby, change his diaper, sing to him, etc. Luna was very little at the time she had just turned one year old but she is so smart she understood what was going on. Also, make sure to enjoy and savor every single moment you have left with your first little one because believe me, those moments are going to change and you will miss spending more time with just that little one. Once Noah was born the day came for little Luna to meet her baby brother at the hospital and we made sure to have a present ready for her when she came in. It may sound ridiculous, but make sure that anyone that comes to the house to see the new baby brings something for the older sibling, anything at all! Just make sure they bring a gift for the brother/sister so they do not feel left out or jealous. Another really important thing is to make sure that you or your partner are not carrying the new baby when the older sibling comes in for the first time because it could instantly set the tone for jealousy or resentment. Make sure the baby is in the little crib or even a car seat, however you want to go, just do not let them see you holding them as their first memory of their sibling. As soon as I saw my little girl walk through the door it took everything in me not to break down and cry. I missed her SO much and I knew that her young life was about to change forever, OUR lives had changed forever. Her daddy picked her up in his arms and showered her with hugs and kisses and brought her over to me to say hello and I just hugged her with all of my might. Our little baby princess had instantly become a big sister and it was no longer just three of us, there were now four. Her daddy carried her over to where Noah was sleeping in his little glass crib from the hospital and introduced them. It was such a tender, loving moment because she saw him and said “awwww how cute”, and tried to stroke his baby soft cheek. We were so relieved! The moment was over quickly because she soon became more interested in the hospital room and exploring and of course she wanted to go look for some pickles down in the cafeteria because they are one of her favorite snacks. It was not until we came home that the tough stuff began. Luna was so used to it being just her and it took a while for her to get used to sharing her mommy and daddy. There were many nights where we would ALL cry because it was so hard the first month trying to give Luna as much attention as we could while also making sure the baby was ok. To make matters worse my husband ended up getting sick, TWICE. Before we even left the hospital he ended up getting gastritis somehow and I had to go to my moms with my newborn baby and my Luna, it was THE toughest thing I ever had to do. It didn’t end there though. A couple weeks later he ended up getting the FLU!! So there we go, my kids and I, back to my mother’s house to hopefully avoid getting sick as well. Unfortunately, Luna ended up also getting the flu and Noah, being only less than two months old, got bronchiolitis. Craziness! Keep in mind this was all in December, so we spent that Christmas and New Years without him and it was very tough on all of us. Anyway, thankfully we made it through and everybody was ok in the end. Things I did learn were that babies cry, they are going to cry, its normal, DO NOT freak out. When they are both crying and freaking out I just take a deep breath and count to three, then I attend to whatever is the most urgent and then on to the next one. For example, if Luna is screaming because her YouTube Kids is not working and Noah is screaming because he wants a bottle or he had a blowout then I will probably tend to the baby first because his condition is a little more drastic. Also, it will take a while, probably a month or two, but I promise things will get better. You will be able to figure out their little sleeping schedules and try to synchronize them around the same times so you can give yourself some time to do whatever you need to do. SNACKS! I can not stress that enough. If going out with two babies for sure snacks are a necessity. I always pack two or three of Luna’s favorite snacks and a couple Mum Mum cookies for Noah, he LOVES those. When packing the diaper bag make sure that you pack EXTRA, even if you think you aren’t going to need something, you will. I also make sure to carry around some crayons and a little sketchbook for Luna because she loves to draw pictures so if she’s getting crazy in the car I just give her that and she just starts drawing and I would much rather her do that than watch YouTube all day. Now, I told myself that I was not going to let her watch YouTube and all that etc but girls, believe me that it will be necessary every now and then when everyone is losing their minds or for example in the mornings when I need to make breakfast I will put something on the TV for Luna like Blippi or Frozen, whatever and it gives me the time I need while Noah is in his bouncer just watching me. He is happy to be in the bouncer or the Mamaroo as long as he can see me, if he can’t see me then he will start losing it. Since Noah was born he was a little bookworm, his Nana would always give him those little soft books for babies that make crunchy sounds and they can chew on them. He LOVES them. I also make sure to make time in the day, if not every day at least every other day to read to the BOTH of them. Just because they are new babies it does not mean that they do not like to hear you read and it will help them develop their vocabulary quicker. When the pandemic hit, things got harder of course because we can’t really take the kids out anywhere cool so we had to find ways to entertain them at home. Luna really likes hands on things like Play-Doh or water painting, also they have little craft kits like at the dollar store and her and her daddy made a super cool wind chime and Luna got to paint it herself, it was so cute we still have it outside. They also made a really cute bird feeder that Luna keeps outside her window and every day she goes to her room to check if any birds ate the oof and something always does, she gets so happy. We also picked up the sport of lizard hunting. If it’s nighttime we give her a flashlight and she goes exploring the night for bugs and lizards and she has such a blast. Noah is the best baby because he never gets fussy or needs too much attention. As long as he is fed, clean, and not sleepy then he is golden. A bouncer is a must for the newborn stage and as they get a little older I highly recommend a walker or the walkers that stay in place. Get it or you will never get anything done. Do you like to shower? Get it. I also figured out that if I put Noah in the bouncer then I am able to shower with Luna and it is such a big help because that way we both get to shower and she gets a little one on one time with her mommy and that really makes her so happy. Which brings me to my final point, make sure to give the older sibling individual attention every day. Even if it is fifteen minutes a day, make sure to do something with just the older one because believe me they miss their mommy and daddy being only theirs even if they do not show it. That one on one time is gold for them. Last but not least, try not to stress too much and do not let anyone else’s advice get to you. You are a great momma and you are doing amazing. Do not worry! Everything always gets easier I promise. Just enjoy every single moment with your littles, “they will never be this little again.”, as my husband always tells me.