It’s absolutely insane to me, how quickly they grow. Because this little bundle of happy is eleven now. No, I can’t breathe.
I know all the parentals out there can relate. It’s unreal. Bittersweet. Almost unfair that they grow so fast. And then a relief as they become their own little people and you step back and just hope you’re doing something right.
This sweet ballerina is eight. I have to stop and think about it when people ask me how old my children are. I’m always about two years behind.
And this little stinker is seven. Make time stop. The days are long, but the years are short.
I know I’m totally biased, but couldn’t you just eat them up? Those eyes are for real y’all.
When they were little, we totally had our hands full.
I could barely keep up. No, really. It was too much some days. And again, if you’re a parent I know you can relate. It’s a full on, tackle-the-things-you-can in between stolen moments of actually appreciating where you are, when you’re in the heat of just managing the littles.
When I first found out I was pregnant, I kind of freaked out a little. Okay. ‘Kind of’ would be an under statement. Aiden was a real surprise. There’s a lot of personal things behind this story, one of them being Jamin’s childhood cancer that we thought would be an issue down the line {his chemo treatments were supposed to affect that, and we were told it may not happen with all things family}. So let’s just say we were stunned. We were on a family ski trip, and I wasn’t feeling well… like in a way that wouldn’t go away, unwell. The kind that told my instincts to freak out and go get a pregnancy test. We’d had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, and I still remember the cheesecake I’d had that night – funny the little things you’ll remember- when I told Jamin something was up. At first, he kind of thought I was being dramatic. But when that little line showed, I couldn’t believe it. Neither could he.
And suddenly, everything was a huge deal. Cold turkey with the no coffee thing. No sushi {broke my heart}. All the vitamins and double checking my list to make sure I was doing them right. Freak out and call the doctor. Fifty times. I wouldn’t even eat lunch meats. I measured my water intake. I purchased every pregnancy book I could get my hands on. I’m sure I was a real joy to be around as the overly anxious first timer.
But remember, we were with my entire family on a ski trip. And I wouldn’t even ski. I refused to, even though my doctor said it would be totally fine. I was over the top. I suddenly had this tiny life growing inside me, and it was like I was hyper aware with all things spidey senses. I felt vulnerable in a great big world, and it was my job to protect this tiny life with everything I had.
It immediately changes your perspective on everything.
Looking back, if I could have been a little more laid back, {for instance, not rushing to the emergency room to confirm it with a blood test for starters} I would be. Yes, that is hilariously embarrassing. But I was high on those pregnancy hormones with the delicate combo of the completely unexpected, and no one could tell me any differently. I was a force to be reckoned with.
So I’m grateful to say I got two more chances, and I was a little more laid back. Though with every little addition, it’s basically the same. I must confess, I think to survive I even had a leeeeettle bit of caffeine every now and then by the time no. 3 came around. Looking back, if I could tell my 25 year old self with that first baby to totally chill, I would. Not with being over diligent, but with all the over the top worrying. And anxiety. Because pretty soon, we did have our hands full. Especially when total surprise no. 3 rolled around.
Take that, cancer.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The memoirs they’re sure to write about us, are another story. I’m bracing myself now.
But why the overload of adorably delicious baby photos and maybe a little TMI? Because it’s fun to take a trip down memory lane. It’s amazing to look back and see a plan that’s bigger than us, no matter what your story looks like. And because I know you can probably also relate to the over the top new parent thing.
That safety thing…It hits you like a freight train from the beginning.
It’s baby safety month, and we want to talk a little bit again about that cause that’s important to us. We know as a parent, it’s our number one job to keep little ones safe. If we can help spread the word to one family and prevent a tragedy, then it’s totally worth it.
Because it only takes a split second for lives to change.
So we’re teaming up today with the American Cleaning Institute and talking to parents about the importance of laundry safety and keeping the home a safe place. A topic we’re truly passionate about.
Liquid laundry packets are amazing, but are also highly concentrated and should always be stored up high in a safe location, away from children.
Accidents involving young children and liquid laundry packets are continuing to occur. The American Cleaning Institute conducted a consumer survey and found that 61% of parents are storing detergent packets in-sight and in-reach of young children.
That’s not good.
This is something we didn’t even think about, until we heard about what’s happening.
Today is just a little refresher on things we want you to know.
- Put those liquid laundry packets up and out of the way. It’s best that they’re kept up high, just like any other cleaning product, and out of reach so that little kiddos aren’t even tempted. Locking them up and out of the way when little ones start exploring is really the best way to ensure they don’t get their hands on them.
- Make them impossible to access by your children. You never know what they can get into. It’s a great thing to stay diligent in your home.
- Download ACI’s fun activity sheet for educating little ones on what is safe to play with in the home. It’s a good idea to go over it with them, to help them understand. It’s important to never take anything for granted.
- To review the basics, this is a quick tips poster here to help spread the word.
- The American Cleaning Institute is making it easy to help inform others. You can take ACI’s KEY Pledge to a safe laundry room and routine, to be automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win a $2,500 gift card for a laundry room makeover!
- The more your friends and family know, the better. So share it all, wherever you can!
We truly hope this helps spread the word, to keep little ones safe in the home.
:: This post was brought to you in partnership with American Cleaning Institute. All opinions are 100% ours. Please read our full disclosure pertaining to partnerships here ::
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