A lot of people have gone out of their way to rub it in that their kid slept through the night at 1 month, 2 months, 3 months old…OK my son decided to give us a full 8 hours when he was about a year old. (I am not kidding)

After trying all the tricks, swaddle, rice cereal in the bottle, music, fan humming, sleeping at an angle; it was actually a animal nightlight from Grandma that did the trick for us. Whew! That hurdle has been cleared! Unfortunately sometimes it doesn’t get any easier when they’re toddlers to get them to go to sleep and stay asleep (in their beds) until morning. Share what has worked for you at night time as well as for naps. Other Moms in the MIX will appreciate the feedback!

So this is the time of year for the “LIST.”  The list of who was the craziest, who was the break out star, who made more money, who was most searched etc etc.  But my favorite list so far has to be the “quirkiest” celeb baby names of 2008.  We saw Gwen Stefani deliver Zuma.  Ashlee and Pete Wentz welcome Bronx and Nicole Kidman said hello to her Sunday Rose.  Honorary mention to “Honor” of the Jessica Alba offspring line.  Who do you think went a little too far this year with naming their children?  Have we made peace with Suri and Apple after the latest wave of baby lunacy?  I hope so!

 As much as I heart Gwen Stefani, I think Zuma is quite strange (especially on a boy) but I totally loved the name Harlow Winter Kate.  Chime in on your year in review of 2008 Celeb Baby Names.

I know as a Mom, we have moments as parents where you just don’t feel like what you are doing is right or “enough” for your kids.  I saw this in Parenting Magazine and instantly felt better.  Wanna add a reason why “you are a better parent than you think you are.”  Sound off!!

Here are 10 reasons you are a better parent than you think you are: (from Parenting)

1.      You are the best mommy or daddy in the world for your child - Regardless of what the experts or anyone else says, in your child’s eyes you are their one and only. If you can live up to that kind of love and acceptance, you’ll be happier for it.

2.      You trust your gut - Most of us try not to get too worried or upset by the proliferation of news stories about lead-poisoned toys or tragic stories of kidnapped children, but it’s not very easy. When push comes to shove, your gut can be your guide. If you feel more than a tingle of doubt, you’ll do the right thing by your child. You’re wired that way.

3.      You give the best love you know how to give - Love isn’t perfect or always kind, but you want to be a good parent and you try every day to be the best parent you know how to be.

4.      You feed them every day- Not always meals with enough vegetables or fruit, but you feed them, and you worry about their health. And that makes you a good parent.

5.      You smile at them, beam even, and they make you proud - When you smile at your child (and you know you do, often) you are transmitting your love and tenderness. Kids are sponges and they feel every iota of that sweetness.

6.      You teach them about wonderful things — You fill their heads with the wishes of childhood — Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and other wonderful creatures. Even if they don’t believe you, their eyes light up with the spark of imagination.

7.      You love them unconditionally, even when you don’t like them very much - Most kids know that you love them no matter what. Even when they have tantrums in the grocery store and hit their sister or brother and refuse to eat their dinner. Even then you love them deeply.

8.      You comfort them when they’re scared - Monsters, bad dreams, and things that go bump in the night hold no power over the comfort of your arms and your murmured reassurance.

9.      You want your child to be happy - Almost more than anything else, you want to see evidence that your child is happy, well-adjusted, and secure. You want this for them more than you want it for yourself.

10.  You are their one true love - For so many years, you are your child’s sun, moon, and stars. You are the keeper of their small open hearts, their only one. This essential truth, when fully appreciated, makes parenting the most fulfilling thing you’ll ever do.

Pat yourself on the back, mama and papa. You’re doing a great job!!

Another unwed, teenage Mom story..only this one does not belong to Jamie Lynn Spears, this one is a heartbeat away from the White House.  What??  You didn’t hear??!!

Here is the headline from CNN today:

When Sen. John McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, announced that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter, Bristol, was pregnant, the news prompted a big response from the community. Many say the issue is a personal matter, while others say that the pregnancy deserves public attention.

Yes it was the EPT test heard round the world!  GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin’s daughter who is a 17 year old and just started her senior year in high school is 5 months pregnant and Palin’s camp was quick to say the 2 teens would indeed wed after the baby arrives.  Maybe Alaska is more like Louisiana than we all think!

So the firestorm around whether this news should or should not effect Palin’s nod for VP seems to be growing by the minute.  Of course the Republicans say it doesn’t matter and applaud the teen for keeping her baby but some conservatives belonging to that party are having bigger issues with this teenage pregnancy on the grounds that it does not fall in line with conservative beliefs and values.

For the record, Obama 100% believes the pregnancy should not effect Palin’s bid for office.  I personally agree with Obama and this should not keep Palin from running for office..HOWEVER with a touch of conservativeness on this exact topic in my blood,  I’m not sure any family leading my country sets a good example when their unwed teen gets pregnant.  C’mon!  What if one of the Bush twins would have gotten pregnant in the White House as unmarried teens?!!   I guess they can play the “Palin is just a regular person” card but I don’t want a regular person making decisions for my country.  I want an outstanding, role model, high standards and morals type person.  I want her family to be an example of what other families should strive to be.  If not..why aren’t my next door neighbors running the country?  Cheering on a kid that gets knocked up does not resonate with me.  Sorry!

Agree?  Disagree?  Your turn to sound off!

OK so the big story everyone is talking about is the teenage girls in Gloucester, Mass where these young girls agreed to get pregnant at the same time and help each other raise the babies.  Shocking as this sounds, there are many more women in the US over the age of 18 who do NOT want babies but get pregnant anyway.  Read this new survey and then tell me if you think unwanted pregnancies are on the rise or the decline or are women being more irresponsible during pregnancy in 2008.

HALF OF AMERICAN WOMEN WHO DON’T WANT TO GET PREGNANT WILL HAVE AN UNPLANNED PREGNANCY:

–A new study (–by the Guttmacher Institute in New York) found that every year, HALF of American women who would rather not get pregnant will have an unplanned pregnancy.  (!!!)

–Birth control isn’t 100% effective to begin with . . . but some women forget to take the pill . . . or they use contraceptives improperly . . . or they don’t even use a form of birth control.

–That means that every year, about 28 MILLION women are at risk of getting pregnant with a kid they don’t even want.

–We also heard about a different survey in Australia that said that 1 in 3 women drink . . . while pregnant.

–93% percent of those women said they knew alcohol consumption could lead to birth defects . . . but most said they would STILL partake in adult beverages anyway

My dear friend of 10 years emailed this and after reading it, I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. As you all know, I’m a mommy now!  And while there is nothing as fulfilling as my little boy, there’s also nothing that prepares you for being a parent but it would have been helpful to have this info before motherhood.

If you have friends or family members that are having their first baby, you really need to pass this along to them.

Enjoy your kids!
_____

Lesson 1
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel…
1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)
2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.
4. Set the alarm for 3AM.
5. As you can’t get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.
6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.
7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.
9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (wo rk hard and be productive).
Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 2
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.
1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.
Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 3
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don’t think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don’t look like that.
1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.
3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.
4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 4
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice).
If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week’s groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 5
1. Hollow out a melon.
2. Make a small hole in the side.
3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.
4 . Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.
5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.
6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.
You are now ready to feed a nine-month-old baby.

Lesson 6
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying ‘mommy’ repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each ‘mommy’; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 7
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt-sleeve, or elbow while playing the ‘mommy’ tape made from Lesson 6 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.