Monthly Archives: January 2015

Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep My Sweet Toddler!

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Quinn Wide Awake

Quinn Wide Awake at 4:45 am

Many parents struggle with getting their babies to sleep through the night, but my husband and I were the lucky ones who had our little girl sleeping through the night by the time she was four months old. We developed a schedule that has been working for a good while. She would consistently have her bath around 7:00 pm, get her bed time story around 7:20 pm and be in bed no later than 7:45 pm. In the morning, she would wake up anywhere between 6:00 am to 7:00 am. A couple of months ago, Quinn actually started sleeping in until around 7:30 am, sometimes 7:45 am. However, most recently, my 20 month old’s sleep habits changed. She went from sleeping in to waking up even earlier. Lately, at bed time, she’s very alert, ready to play and is certainly not eager to go to sleep. She will fuss about it some and eventually doze off maybe 15 minutes to a half hour later. In the morning, she has been waking up around 5:00 am, sometimes earlier. Though she is usually content and will remain calm in her crib until around 6:00 am (I watch her on our dropcam), I wonder if this change is attributed to her getting older and a reminder to me that my little girl isn’t a baby any more.

Any thoughts? Suggestions for getting my little girl to sleep back to sleeping in until 7:00 am? I’ll take 6:30 am!

All the best,

Tanya

Ready for Your Close-up Baby?

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Quinn Ready for Her Close-up

Quinn Ready for Her Close-up

There is a possibility that my 20 month old little girl has had more photos taken of her than the average person does in a lifetime. Yes, I am guilty of being one of those gushing parents who doesn’t want to miss a moment and refuses to let any chance for a photo opportunity pass them by. Actually, for the first year of Quinn’s life, she had an average of five pictures taken a day just to have a record of how quickly she was growing. Within the past couple of months, Quinn has been taking selfies and has become intrigued by the camera. She now likes posing for pictures and will eagerly say, “Cheese!” On some occasions, she will get as close up on the camera as possible to either smile or grab the lens as if she is saying, “No more pictures please!” Is there such a thing as taking too many pictures of the precious little girl you love so much who is constantly growing? I know some people say they do not waste their time taking pictures because they are too busy enjoying the moments, but she’s growing up so quickly, and I just want to capture those moments and enjoy having photos to accompany those fleeting moments which will one day be distant memories.

All the best,

Tanya

Let’s Hit the Gym Baby!

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Quinn Having Some Exercise Fun

Quinn Having Some Exercise Fun

At the start of every new year, gyms near and far can count on a serious surge of new members looking to get in shape. While some people are looking to lose weight, others just want to get moving because it helps with endurance and one’s quality of life. This rings true not just for adults but for children as well. When my little girl was just two months, we started doing the “Happy Baby Workout” to not only assist me with getting back my pre-mommy figure back but for us to develop a bond. As soon as she was old enough, at around nine months, we enrolled in mommy and me classes at “The Little Gym” and have consistently enrolled in a weekly class for a little over a year now. Quinn absolutely loves it, and I love watching her walk across the balance beam, with my help of course, and attempt to do the forward rolls at home that she practiced in class along with climbing and crawling through obstacle courses.   Perhaps your new year’s resolution on behalf of your young child is to get him or her moving or to have some time together to bond as parent and child. I would highly recommend this company to anyone, especially those who would like their toddlers to interact with other toddlers if they are not in day care like Quinn.

Best regards,

Tanya

Mommy’s Going to Work it Out Baby!

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This post was originally on my Journey of Anonomz blog, but I decided to repost it through Mommy’s Baby Steps for those new moms trying to get in shape for the new year.

All the best,

Tanya

Journey of Anonomz

Tanya H. Franklin & Quinn Franklin doing Happy Baby Workout Happy Baby Workout: Lunges

In my previous post highlighting some tips and information that has been helping me as a new mother, I mentioned finding ways to exercise to get back that pre-pregnancy body or to get in even better shape.  I am almost 5 foot 11 inches, and my pre-pregnancy weight was 155 pounds.  I gained about 35 pounds and have since lost 22 pounds.  I am grateful that I can fit back into most of my summer clothes, but that “jelly belly” was left behind and needs to get toned.   Though baby Quinn and I go for walks and even light jogs most recently with me pushing her in the stroller (she will be eight weeks tomorrow), we’ve been experiencing a lot of hot and humid weather and thunderstorms where I reside, right outside of Philadelphia, PA. This makes it difficult to always go outside. Also, I…

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What’s Eating You Baby?

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Quinn Eating Her Grilled Cheese Sandwich With Baby Spinach and Tomato

Quinn Eating Her Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Baby Spinach and Tomato

A few of months ago, I had a conversation with a mother of a two and a half year old, and she was sharing with me how her little boy has become such a picky eater. Getting him to eat any “healthy” food choices, outside of certain fruits, has been an ongoing battle. It was then that I knew my days were numbered with my little girl’s (who just turned 20 months yesterday) willingness to eat new and healthy foods. Within the past month, she has become more vocal, saying, “No,” shaking her head, shoving the spoon or fork away if my husband or try to feed her or even putting her hand over her mouth to show her disdain for certain food choices. Sometimes, she convinces me that she is just not hungry, but then my husband may have something “not so healthy” in addition to our meal for dinner, and Quinn will cozy up to him as sweet as can be and say, “Please.”

On one hand, I am excited that Quinn is becoming her own person and standing her ground, but on the other hand, I want to ensure that she is receiving the proper nutrients. Fruits are no problem, but veggies are getting tricky. So I’ve been getting clever with her meals. One of her favorites (I hope it stays this way) is grilled cheese with baby spinach and tomatoes. Another is mac and cheese with added broccoli, which she will ask for by name.  I have a feeling that I’m going to need to compile quite a few healthy meal selections as Quinn’s taste buds change or she refuses a meal choice. If you have any healthy options that your toddler loves, please feel free to let me know.

All the best,

Tanya