the second time around...

I've noticed lately that things are a bit different with baby #2.

The second time around...

I waited until the LAST minute to get maternity pictures done. There wasn't that insane need to get pictures done like I felt the first time. And by last minute, I mean the morning before I went into labor. Here's a few of my favorite eyecatchdesign pics. I'm in love...

I leave the pee pee diaper on a leeetle bit longer. A penny saved is a penny earned. (You know you do it too)

I don't look in the mirror from the chest down. With baby #1 you're fascinated horrified with what's going on in the belly region. With baby #2 you just don't wanna know.

I don't freak out when 5 days go by without a poopy diaper.

The second time around...

I'm taking in the newborn moments with a vengeance, because I know how fast they grow up.

Although I'm ashamed to admit it, and as much as I'd like to lie and say I have, I haven't started exercising yet. 

I let my baby sleep through the night much earlier, i.e. no waking her up to eat on a schedule... Why mess with a good thing? 

I still have a good cry quite often, but for mostly different reasons than the first time. With the first baby, emotions were brutal-feeling trapped, loss of freedom, loss of being the center of my husband's attention, experiencing weeks of pain like I'd never felt before with a vaginal birth recovery and breastfeeding, etc. This time around, it's more like exhaustion, frustration, inability to get anything done, etc. I still feel trapped, because I'm not able to take both kids out by myself yet, but it helps that we live in the middle of nowhere and it's not like I can just hop in the car and go to the mall like I could when we lived in the heart of Dallas. I've learned to be more content at home, I guess.... 

The second time around....

I feel like I know a little better what to expect and think. I CAN survive on very little sleep. Nursing WILL stop hurting. My hormones WILL settle down. My husband DOES still think I'm beautiful, stretch marks, jiggly parts and all. My body WILL recover. It WILL be hard. And most importantly, this IS what I'm supposed to be doing right now. Being the best mom I can be. 

We already have all the baby "stuff" from baby #1, and it feels like a huge relief to not think about what I need or have to spend the money to get it.

We do the good ol' "flip flop." When chasing around a crazy toddler gets tiring and frustrating, sitting on the couch with a sweet helpless baby is just what the doctor ordered. Then, when that gets boring/tiring, the toddler is ready and waiting to wear you out, and then it's baby time again! It's like a strange but fun/tiring but invigorating roller coaster.

See? It IS fun to have a toddler! 

THE BIRTH was b.e.t.t.e.r. They say it's faster and easier with the second, and for me, it sure was (time-wise, anyway). Birth story to come, I promise, but I just haven't found the energy to organize those crazy hours on paper yet. I'm also still gathering and sorting through pics. Sneak peak below. Major props to my bestie Heather who pumped out her story so nicely and quickly. She also does this with thank you notes.

Trapped in bed waiting for them to admit me to the stinking hospital...they had to make sure I was in labor. Hah. 

Speaking of thank you notes, if you are one of the lovely and wonderful women who gave/sent me a present for Hallie, I have my notes nicely stacked up on my desk, patiently waiting for me to stuff them in envelopes, stamp, address, and mail. I feel bad about it every day. Then I start gathering the wherewithal to knock 'em out. But then the baby has an explosive diaper, or Asher starts trying to eat permanent marker and I forget all about them. And this happens EVERY day. I think I will have to pay a babysitter for a whole day to watch both kids in order for me to get them done. Thanks for your loving patience! 

Happy Tuesday night. :)

Summer time design

It's springtime, and there's nothing like a little sunshine, clear blue skies, and ice-cold strawberry lemonade to inspire a room like this~

You can find the Texas print here!

Isn't this rug to die for?

Gotta love these simple and elegant french chairs. They're even on sale!

Another wonderful sale item- this rustic/industrial coffee table.

And it wouldn't be complete without a splash of teal! Paint a piece of your own furniture to add some whimsy and character!

Need a design consult? Email me at carolklayton@gmail.com!

~Happy Tuesday~

Life lately...

Life lately...

Mother's Day was a special day... I got to celebrate being a mom of two precious children (still hard to believe), and we dedicated Hallie on Sunday evening at church. She and I spent the morning getting all dressed up and of course, she helped me pick out her outfit.

Asher decided that during the dedication would be a great time to run to and fro...Yep, that's my boy.

Our church showered Hallie with lots of special gifts.

I made a chocolate caramel trifle and strawberry watermelon lemonade for Mother's Day dessert. Oh my goodness...deliciousness. 

My sweet husband surprised me with my very own herb garden bed. He built it the day before and wouldn't let me outside...had me a little worried but the end result was absolutely perfect. Rosemary, cilantro, basil, and thyme, here I come!

I so enjoy sweet moments like this where Hallie actually likes being in her sling and falls asleep. It doesn't get better than this. 

And to end this lovely week, my wonderful friend Heather had her baby! It's crazy to think Parker and Hallie used to be living inside us just a few days/months ago...

Enjoy your weekend!

AP/BF/COSLEEPING/SAHM --w/e ttyl!

In the spirit of Mother's Day......

Have ya'll been reading TIME mag lately? Or noticing FB posts about breastfeeding? Or reading articles about attachment parenting or co-sleeping?

It seems like EVERYWHERE you look, someone has an opinion about how a mom should be a mom. Good grief, women sure have strong opinions about such stuff. Me, I do ma own thang. Sure, I have read Dr. Sear's books, skimmed through Babywise, even tackled the one chapter about sleep training in the Mayo Clinic's Complete Book of Pregnancy and Baby's First Year. And perhaps the way I do things has something to do with what I learned from those wise ol' owls. Guess I should admit here that I'm not innocent of having no strong opinions either, ha ha. Sry about the double negative. 

Still, I will not label myself an "attachment parenting" (AP) parent. I'm also not a non-AP parent. I'm a CP parent. yep. I like that. The way I am and my personality and my own personal mothering experiences have created my very own "Carol" way of parenting. CP. It's really not that genius of an abbreviation. I'll admit, I spent about 2 minutes trying to come up with something more brilliant, but nothing seemed to represent Carol Parenting more than CP. duh.

If you'd like to be learn more about a CP parent, read ahead:

Breastfeed. Give it a whirl. It may or may not hurt. Just know if it does, it won't last forever. And when a friend asks you what your schedule is or how often your baby nurses, tell them you really have no idea, you don't have a schedule, and that it works! 

Do it wherever, whenever you need to! Hooter hider all the way, (minus inside my own house), and when you've got a handle on BF, decide how you feel. I like to think I became a BF expert when Asher was 6 weeks old, and I went on a weekend women's retreat and suddenly had to nurse in a huge room full of women (and men-the husbands were the ones cooking, serving, etc). Talk about trial by fire. Yes it was awful at first- embarrassing, hard, annoying.. when your nursing cover only covers your front and your back is totally exposed because when you lift the front of your shirt up, the back automatically comes up too. Plumber's crack anyone? And yes, I did choose to wear a cover. New mom, room full of strangers, baby who takes a while to latch and not wanting to flash the entire room trumps my womanly right to BF uncovered.                                                                                                                                       But, when your friend asks how it is with the second baby, tell them about how you can whip out a blanket, boob, and go on about eating your cheeseburger and fries all in a matter of seconds. The table across from you never even saw it coming. Yes, it gets easier, and yes, I still do use a cover in public. Yes, I believe it's natural, and yes I'll try to nurse as long as I feel it's necessary, but no, I don't really want to expose myself to the world, even if it's for a good cause. Sometimes I feel like I've reached the point of completely not caring about it, but then I see so and so's grandpa across the way, or my husband's boss, and I'm glad I chose to cover up. Call me shy. Again...just another woman's opinion. 

Have you been there? I have.  Just print these out and have handy in your wallet to share with the offended person next to you. Maybe it'll bring a smile to their wrinkled-y face. 

Try out co-sleeping. Then buy this bassinet. haha! No, really, try it all out and see for yourself what you want to do. I tried CS, not because I wanted to be cool or follow some book, but because I wanted to feel that special closeness to my baby as she gently snores next to me and cuddles sweetly all night. Well in my case it was the opposite. I'm a light sleeper so every move made me jolt, every coo and cry kept me from truly falling asleep. And if you're like me and my husband, we like to SPRAWL. I'm talking, every square inch of our queen size bed is filled with a leg or arm or ample bosom. There just wasn't room for all three of us. CP's, let your baby sleep in this awesome portable bassinet. Haul it around with you as you travel from room to room, it's that easy. Or leave it in the other room. Whatever. When you feel it's almost time to transition to the crib, just move it into the hallway at night. Then scoot it closer and closer to the nursery. Eventually it'll just make sense to move baby into the crib. CP style!

Wear your baby. It's fun! Do it when you feel like it! Try out a sling. Try out a baby katan. Or try a moby wrap. I've tried and used all three. Sometimes I don't feel like toting around baby in the carseat, so I stick her in my sling. Sometimes baby hates the sling, so I tote her around in the carseat. Some days I hold baby a lot, some days I let baby chill out in her awesome portable bassinet. YES, another plug for above bassinet. I don't do it because I believe there is NO other way than baby-wearing. And I don't feel guilty when I let her chill away from my body. She is perfectly loved and cared for. 

Yes please get your baby when it cries. But wait just a minute or two to make sure baby really is awake and needy. It took a few "chill out and relax"'s from Chris to really make this a habit. And it makes sense. Especially at night, I used to jump up at the very inkling of a cry, only to find out he was still asleep and just making his own soundtrack to a  dream. If it's going on a minute and there's still noise, it's milk time. If not, I give myself a pat on the back for not picking up baby and waking him up when he wasn't planning on waking up at all. 

Give yourself a break. If you're stepping into the shower and baby starts crying, take the stinkin' shower! Chances are, you really are stinky, and you really need that shower. Baby will live, I promise. Again, I normally move the bassinet into the bathroom so I can see her and make sure nothing crazy happens like she suddenly learns to run and escapes out the back door, but unless you take 45 minute showers, baby will be fine. 

STACK FEED. According to CP, moms (haha..aka me) wake baby up and nurse at 6 pm, 7 pm, 8 pm, 9 pm, and 10:00 pm, and then put baby TO BED. For 7 hours! Yes, my 7 week old is sleeping for about 7 hours straight now. She has been for 3 weeks. (And if your schedule gets off because of community group or date night or grocery run, you just do the same thing, starting at whatever time you get home or get a break). I'm sure stack feeding was invented or discovered before I supposedly invented or discovered it, LOL, but with my first child, I quickly and naively figured out that the more frequent feedings he had in the evening, the longer he slept at night. Genius. Obviously a newborn will still need to eat frequently day and night, but when the newborn-ness starts to fade a bit and they get a few more weeks of life under their belt, stacked feeding really helps lengthen your much-needed nights of sleep. 

Get out. Don't let your baby keep you in. This is easier said than done with 2 kids. But really, the first was  waaaay harder for me, way more emotional, and it was much more essential that I get out and about and not stay holed up days at a time. Yes, you may get looks from old women who think it's next to heresy that you brought your 4 week old baby to the antique store, and that you're wearing her in a, dare I say it, sling! But you just smile and say she's been to the hospital and survived it, so she's looking forward to being in a place with less sick people. 

And that is all, folks. CP in a nutshell. Take it or leave it. Really, leave all expectations and guilt at the door when you bring baby home. Life will become full of trial and error, tears and laughter, and joy as you figure out the perfect way to parent your baby. Just please think twice about showcasing your almost four-year-old boy nursing to the whole world...he may or may NOT appreciate it when he's older and has friends with opinions. Just my opinion..........

Go forth and rock it, mamas!