More Great Mama Blogs & Updates

You may have noticed that I've added a couple of new favorite blogs on my sidebar list. Modern Alternative Mama and Keeper of the Home are both written by Christian women who I've grown to respect in the short time I've been reading their blogs. I've been very interested in staying as healthy as possible throughout this cold and flu season (more so than normal this year, with H1N1 flying around and affecting *many* families I know and love) and they have provided an abundance of information regarding natural methods to staying healthy. I also love that they are both natural birthing/homebirthing, breastfeeding, cloth diapering, organic eating, crunchy moms who happen to love the Lord! Their pages are full of wisdom and information....I highly recommend them!

Its been almost three weeks since Alayna stopped nursing. She still asks many times every day and I always give her the same answer: "I love you so much. I'll give you hugs and cuddles and kisses. You are such a big girl and you don't need nursies any more." I wonder how long it will take until she stops asking. Sometimes it breaks my heart, but I know its for the best. Of course, Cade is fighting some sort of flu bug or something and has been nursing almost nonstop so my boobies haven't really felt much difference! (Also makes it hard for A to see C nursing so much too.....).

Bedtime battles are getting MUCH better! We're trying very hard to have a consistent bedtime routine and I'm happy to say the older kids (Gavin and Alayna are ususally both in bed by around 8 or 8:30 now (yay!).....so much better than the 10 to 11 pm deal we were having for so long! Cade is still a work in progress as far as sleep goes....of course, he's dealing with sickness at the moment and I know that always disrupts sleep.....some day it will all be better, I know!

One last thing, I'm reading another great book! This is another of the great Dr. William Sears books (written along with his wife Martha) called The Successful Child. I've written in the past how much I love Dr. Sears and I also really respect his advice. I've always subscribed to the attachment parenting philosophy, but its so easy to get frustrated, beaten down, doubting myself and wondering if I'm ruining my children by not being more firm, more consumed with punishments and "teaching my kids a lesson". I'm learning that my relationship with my children *does* matter in the long run and its not just about immediate results....my investment in them will reap dividends later on as they turn into well adjusted adults. If you want to be encouraged in the direction of attachment parenting and get some great practical ideas for the day-to-day issues that come up as mothers, I highly recommend this book!