A SALE A SALE!

SO I reached 3000 sales on Friday night in my etsy shop!  It's hilarious b/c I remember thinking "when I get 1,000 I'll be so blown away."  And here I am, at 3033 and just 20 million times happier with my job than I ever thought possible.

So I like celebrations and wanted to celebrate this milestone.  Until Tuesday morning I will be having 15% off ANY THING in the shop ... invites included!  WOO HOO!

Just put in coupon code 3000SALES and you'll get the 15% discount.  Guys, think anniversary, birthday parties, etc.  The coupon is even for custom orders so do you have an invitation or birthday party for a kiddo that you've been wanting to throw and can't find just the right thing?  Well, USE ME people! :)

Just click here.  I have TONS and TONS of new stuff in the shop and basically live here on this computer so write me and I'll get back to ya in a flash.

Much love and have a great weekend!

Here's the link for the shop btw:

www.laceyfields.etsy.com

Questions Answered (kinda a serious one)

I haven't written just to catch up on life in over a month.  That's horrible.  It's not that our lives don't have things going on in them. It's just that we're busy and when we do have a break we've been watching West Wing on Netflix together.  It's our thing and we have SO much fun with it! :)

I should start this post off by saying I don't think I'm a know it all.  AT ALL.  I mean, AT. FREAKING. ALL.  I actually think my life is a mess on a regular basis.  We really live a day by day life here.  If I can get through the day in one piece, kiss my husband and girls often, and go to bed with a smile on my face I consider it a success.

But in just the matter of one week I got two separate reader emails (didn't even know I had readers anymore!) asking me two things.  I won't say names for sake of anonymity. The first reader said:

"I have two kids and I feel like I'm about to pull (out) my hair!! You're always commenting on how well behaved and easy going Liliana and Gloria are.  Any tips?  I just don't know what to do and I feel like I'm losing it at times.  On an unrelated note, what's the name of the bedding you used for Gloria?  I want to use it for my two girls beds."

OK first off ... I have felt like pulling my hair out TOO many times to count.  Seriously, it's TOTALLY what Moms do.  TOTALLY appropriate to cry and pout sometimes.  It's frustrating, it's exhausting.  BUT ... I do feel like my adjustment to #2 was about 40 billion times easier and it's b/c I learned a few things along the way (and am still learning everyday!)

Second, it's Kumari fabric collection (just google it).  I'm still IN. LOVE.

OK now for the parenting rules we have (again let me reiterate, I am NOT an expert.  Every parent is TOTALLY different and I truly respect each way of doing things.  This is just what works for US!!! Might not work for you and that's OK!  Just wanted to put that out there)

(1) WE. ARE. STRICT. with the "no addiction" philosophy.

We are truly SUCH strict parents (and have actually been criticized for this before).  I refuse to let my kids get "addicted" to anything ... TV shows, pacifiers (even poor Gloria who LOVES hers gets her taken away and might fuss for it, but she's learning too bad so sad), toys, etc.  We actually learned that from my godsister.  We think her & her husband are pretty much the best parents on the planet and they taught us that.  Nothing is worth getting addicted to.

We're just strict in general actually.  Liliana has known what time out is for a LONG time.  She rarely gets it any longer (MAYBE twice a month?)  She has had one full on temper tanrum in her life.  It was at home (thankfully).  We just left her alone, went to another room, and told her not to come in that room until WE were ready to see her again.  OH MAN.  Cue 15 minutes of crying.  That was over 6 months ago.  She learned her lesson.  I'm sorry if that sounds cruel.  It's what works for us.  We treat Liliana and Gloria not like babies but like humans that are still learning on a daily basis ... HOWEVER they understand SO MUCH MORE than we give them credit for!  We don't take back our rules and make exceptions saying "oh well she's sick!" or "she's tired."  These are the rules and she has learned to hadle them.

That isn't to say that they're angels all the time.  GOODNESS NO!!!! That wouldn't be normal!  But overall, we have a system with the two of them and while we're still learning everyday, we're pretty solid right now (I'm sure I'll be changing my tune when she gets her terrible 3's!)

(2) We are a team:  sometimes Evan and I (VERY rarely) disagree on little parenting things, but we are a team about it.  Case in point.  Last night around 7:30 Liliana asked me for some more milk.  We were about to go to bed and so I told her no.  She (like the stinker she is) went and asked Evan shortly thereafter and he hadn't heard and told her yes.  I quickly told him I had said no.  He didn't question, even for a second, and said "Liliana, we say the answer is no."  She didn't try again.  She knows we're a team.

(3) We urge independence.  Evan and I adhere to the Montessori way of teaching b/c it has worked so brilliantly for Liliana and we plan on putting Gloria in a Montessori school at 18 months too.  It urges them to be social, to learn consequences, and most of all, independence and pride in themselves.  Liliana at 2.5 was completely dressing herself and would say "I'm so proud of myself!" That is a BEAUTIFUL thing to teach your kids ... pride in themselves.  She didn't want to do it to make ME proud, but to make herself proud.  I want her to go through life like that in general.

(4) Stop comparing.  I used to compare myself with other Moms and other women.  I've stopped doing that and it's just been great.  I don't care if other kids are doing something or if other Moms think it's horrible that I don't cloth diaper, breastfeed, etc. We parent the way we parent and you know what?  We think being parents is absolutely a blast!

(5) Kids come #2.  This might sound like marriage advice, but I mean it as parenting advice.  Evan and I ALWAYS make time for each other.  No kids in our bed ... ever.  We've never had them crawl in to bed with us (that was Evan's rule that I agreed upon and I'm so glad we did).  Liliana knows that Mommy and Daddy are crazy about each other and I think she likes seeing that.  It means family.  It means love.  She sees it on a daily basis (maybe too much b/c she has been known to pinch my butt and say "nice booty!" so we're having to change some of our PDA, haha).  HOWEVER in all seriousness, these signs of love and affection have made her so affectionate with friends and more importantly, her sister.  Never hits, never pushes, etc.  Only kisses, hugs.  You learn from example.

OK ... I think that's long enough for now.  The second question was about marriage ... and how to keep it happy!  I'll write about that next time (might be a month until then, sorry!  But I promise I'll get around to it)

My 8 month love.

Gloria:

A week late writing this, but nonetheless, it's here.  This month has just been another month of blasts with you.  You continue being so much fun as a baby and developing so darn much! Let's see ...

you said your first sentence "Hi Dad!" You're waving now.  You clap along to songs or to anything really.  You wave whenever anyone says "hi" to you and say hi in response.  I don't remember your sister doing this that early.  I think you learn so much from her!  You're not crawling quite yet, but still get around a room in a heartbeat either by rolling everywhere or scooting your way along.  You're getting on all fours so I don't think it'll be long before you're officially crawling.  Even though you aren't crawling I also wouldn't say you're not mobile.  If I turn around for one second you're on the other side of the room! haha.

One thing I can say about you is you love toys!  I know that sounds weird but your sister really didn't react to her toys.  You, on the other hand, will sit down in front of a toy and play with it unprompted for 45 miuntes without issue. 

You're a big fan of food!  Still probably not as much as your sister, but you LOVE your veggies and would eat the entire container in one sitting if we let you (we try to make it last 2 meals just for budgets sake).  You like your puffs and eat those when we go out to restaurants on our Friday weekly go out night. 

You've graduated to the highchair and carts at restaurants and grocery stores.  I feel like this change in a parents life is substantial and so liberating!  No more carrying around a car seat.  It's just amazing.  I don't even really carry a diaper bag with me b/c you're so predictable in every sense of the word.  It's awesome.

You've also started bathing with your sister by having you both sit in the tub.  Until you were 7 months you sat in your own tub for some extra protection but now you two have the greatest time!  Liliana politely asks if she can rinse the water off your head and you just giggle and love having that water over you, just like your sissy.

You're still an awesome sleeper.  We read you one book, give you kisses, and put you in your crib and don't here a peep until 12 hours later (or more).  Most (like 99%) of the mornings you don't even cry.  We just walk in to your room and you giggle and say "Hi!"  SO easy going.

You are a TALL TALL kid!  You're in 9-12 month clothing and are growing like a weed.  You're still in size 3 diapers and I don't think we plan on changing that any time soon, but we usually just do it when we start having leaking issues, which fortunately we haven't.

A big big change?  You have 2 teeth and got them RIGHT after your 8 month birthday.  Funny story ... we were eating dinner and we had to give you the pacifier TWICE (which for most babies is nothing, but for you that's rare b/c you usually just sit there playing and talking to us during our meal).  Daddy looks in your mouth and says "no wonder you're fussy!  You just broke a tooth!"  An hour later I wanted to take a better look at the tooth and BOOM there was another one! :)  TWO tooth Gloria!  How exciting! This is definitely earlier than your sister (she got hers at 10 months).  Mommy has read in numerous articles that the later babies teeth the healthier their teeth are and my pediatrician said that tends to be true.  Your sister has GORGEOUS teeth so here's hoping that 8 months for your first chompers give you those healthy teeth too! :)

We love you baby girl!  You are such a joy in our lives and oh by the way ... you have that Daddy of yours COMPLETELY and 100% wrapped around your finger.  He often tells me "Baby (in reference to Mommy), this is my girl!  I just love her SO SO much!  I have such a big soft spot for her."  His favorite thing is just rubbing your face up against his and you ADORE it, giggling away grabbing on to his finger.  Beautiful to see such love.

Oh and your sister continues to be SO great with you!  She's only kind, never jealous.  Always sweet, never mean.  It's honestly my favorite thing seeing you two together.  I can't wait to see your relationship blossom more and more each month.  Liliana lives her day for you and always wants to play with you, asks for you, etc.  Her world revolves around you and vice versa.  You're already connected in such a special way.  What a blessing.

Love you lots,
Mommy