Why is it that everytime I am nursing my baby, my toddler seems to know that it is her time get into something.  She knows mom is busy at the moment and she likes to get into anything she can.  Today was another such example.  I was at playgroup with the kids, and had to take a break to nurse the baby.  My older child decided it was much more fun to paint her skin than it was to paint paper.

Me……”Painting is for paper!!!”, across the room.

Natara…..Looks at mom, grinning and shows me her paint-filled hands.

Me…”Oh Brother”.

She became picasso and started moving her hands all over the easel with blue, green and red paint.  Thank god I had put a smock on her.  However, that paint wasn’t so washable.  My child still has green stained hands and a green stain on her cheek.  I am sure people think I don’t wash my kids.

I really didn’t stress too much at the time, because with an 18lb  baby attached to my breast, its a little difficult to dart across a room filled with toddlers and deal with a paint-filled mess.  Besides, she had such a smile of pride on her face, and it is important for children to express themselves through art, as well as explore different textures.  So I figure, let them discover.

I am always looking for things to do as a family.  I think it is important to sustain a strong family bond of love, support and bonding.  My 3 year old LOVES SHREK, so tonight we all played Shrek Lotto.  We all had fun, and she ended up winning the game.  She was so thrilled to play with us.  The look of excitement on her little face just made my heart soar.  Because she won the game, I brought out the “goody bowl”.  This is something that I implemented when I was potty training her.  She was able to pick out a treat, between a hot wheels car, dora socks, or dinosaur stickers.  She picked the Dora Socks and was so excited.

Spending time as a family doing these easy, low cost things at home just make you cherish every moment you have together as a family and thoroughly enjoy being around one another.

My 3 year old daughter is always difficult to get to eat her vegetables.  Like many three year olds, she is as stubborn as an Ox.  Sometimes when she is lacking in her vegetable intake, I puree some butternut squash, sweet potato or finely chop up some green beans and mix it in with her favourite pasta dish.  It works wonderfully with a tomato or a rose sauce.

That being said, I am also a firm believer in continually putting vegetables on your child’s plate because if you continually expose them to vegetables, they will be easier to eat vegetables later in life.

It always amazes me how hungry you can get just by nursing a baby.  I know I am not alone, because many friends of mine have expressed the same feelings.  I know that nursing your baby does burn more calories (I have heard 500/day more) although I can’t remember the precise number.

Today I was so hungry I was getting the shakes.  However, my baby girl is a “healthy” weight.  My neighbours call her “moose” and she loves to eat.  I just couldn’t get enough food today….pizza, milk, salad, chicken, cookies, you name it….I want it.

One thing I love about nursing a baby, is that I don’t stress about the calories that I consume because I figure the baby requires those calories for growth.  It is the only time in my life that I never really worried about what I ate.  What a wonderful thing….to be fully content with what you eat.  More people should be happy with what they eat.  Like I always say to my husband, “the way to someone’s heart is through food”.

At least, thats the way to my heart.

It never ceases to amaze me how many strangers come up to me in stores just because I have young, cute children.  One day when I was at the mall, some strange woman who looked dirty and disheveled approached me and touched my baby’s face without even asking me.  My baby was only about 6 weeks old at the time.  It really freaked me out because god only knows if she washes her hands regularly, and babies are so susceptible to infection.  What kind of person touches someone’s child without even asking?  How rude!

Today I was shopping and had numerous people come up to me, one asking me if I was “trading her in”.  I smiled and said “I am keeping her, thanks”.  Another person came up to me and started talking about how my baby was communicating with her.  The next was the cashier who thought my baby was fussy because she was too warm.  Actually, I felt like saying, its because she is hungry and tired.  Whatever, everyone’s a critic I suppose.  Isn’t it great when people who have no kids, give you tips on how to raise yours??

Its just so funny, because if I had a dollar for every person that approached me because of my kids, I would be rich.

Any mothers out there discouraged with the way their abdomen looks post pregnancy?  Of course you are.  I don’t care what people say, no matter how much you work your abdominals, you can’t get rid of that stretched skin.  It just isn’t natural for skin to stretch that far out and then come back, unless it has the elasticity of gumbo.  I hate the way my abdomen looks after buttoning up my jeans.  Tummy tuck please!  Your whole body shape changes.  Your hips widen to prepare for the birth of the baby, and they never go back.

And as for the stretch marks…..I used that coco butter lotion from 8 weeks on and I can’t even count the marks.  I call them my “marks of achievement” for giving life to two beautiful girls.  I figure, the amount of women who try for years to get pregnant, or for the couples that can’t have children, I really should call them “marks of achievement” because I am blessed to be able to bare two children.

I guess a one piece bathing suit will have to do!!!