My Two Cents

Although your appetite doesn’t always seem to agree, you only need an extra 280 calories a day when you are expecting. That's about 5 and a quarter Oreos!  Yes, I did the math!

Baby powder is great for removing small pieces of hair from skin after a haircut or granules of sand from feet when leaving the beach.

To loosen earwax for easier removal, use a nose aspirator and gently squirt peroxide into the ear canal before a bath or shower.

If you find that you are cold after you eat, it is because much of our blood is rushing to our stomachs to help with the digestion.

My grandmother told me this long ago, which was confirmed in the hospital when my son was born but…URINE IS STERILE.

It takes 21 to 30 days to break a bad habit. So it is safe to assume that it takes 21 to 30 days to develop a good one.

Just when you are ready to throw in the towel because you feel like what you are saying is not getting through, your child will demonstrate that they understand.

Boys who respect their mothers respect their wives.

Mothers who demonstrate confidence and respect themselves raise daughter who are confident and respect themselves.

90% of what we worry about doesn’t happen.

A baby is only considered a newborn for six weeks.

A baby’s smile, giggle or gentle touch at the end of a hard day, makes any bad day seem far, far away.

You can never, ever hold a baby too much or give him too much love.

What’s your “Two Cents”?  I’d love to hear them!  Please send to JodiCiampa.FOMTA@gmail.com.

Girl Glue - The Glue that Bonds Us

Girl Glue is a special bond mothers have that connects us as one. It is a bond that does not discriminate or have barriers. It is a bond that only a mother can relate to and needs just one component to make it strong and everlasting. It needs a woman who has devoted herself to nurturing, caring for and cherishing another for the rest of her life. This bond spans From One Mother to Another and is held together by the glue that unities us. Girl Glue – It’s a bond that means you will ALWAYS have someone by your side no matter what.

Happy Mother’s Day to All of You

Whom I Am Honored to Have By My Side

Belt ‘Em!

My third blog has been posted to the HuffPost Parents Website! 

Please join and leave a comment! Thank you so much!  

Jodi Ciampa

For those of you who are still dealing with this issue and just aren’t sure, here are the facts about car seats!

Knowing how to properly install our car seats always baffled me.  To this day, I still do not completely know how to install one.  My husband had always done it because I didn’t feel confident doing it myself.  The one time I did, my daughter ended up being snug in her seat for two days without “it” being seat belted to the car.  I also never really knew when to change from the infant carrier to the toddler seat or booster.  Our pediatrician and local police department recommended keeping them in each stage until they just can’t fit anymore.  They are safer and assured to be developed properly for the next seat.  Definitely ask your doctor and read the manual that comes with the car seat but this is a guide for you to follow.  If you’d like to have the seat evaluated, call your local police station.  They will teach you the proper technique and answer all your questions.  Some stations even have specific days set aside for car seat installations.

               

• Stage 1 - Use the infant carrier, (rear-facing- facing the back of the car), until your child is 20 pounds.
• Stage 2 - The toddler seat, (forward facing), can be used until they are about 30 pounds or it is too tight to buckle, but keep this seat rear-facing if your child is under 12 months to assure proper development of the neck muscles. 
• Stage 3 - Use a booster seat, with the regular car seat belt until their weight is at least 80 pounds or they are 8 years old.  Be sure that the seat belt is in the locked position and rests over their shoulder, not across their neck. (To ensure the seat belt is locked - after hooking, extend it all the way out and then release it over your child.  It will lock automatically.  This will keep them stationary while you are driving.)  
• Stage 4 - At 80 pounds plus, your child can sit without a booster and in the front seat although it is safer in the rear.

Can You Accept What is Out of Your Control?

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You’d think after all this time, I’d learn!

One of my “better” qualities is that I am an anal-retentive person that has to be in control and I don’t have a problem with that.  I believe mothers have to be in control so your children (and household) don’t get out of control.

In order to “keep order” I feel I must reign over every situation and behavior that I can, like eating, sleeping, friends, language, wardrobe, etc. – the important aspects of your children’s lives.  But recently, after nine years of being a mom, I have come to the realization that there might be a few behaviors and situations that I have no control over.

• Children pick their noses.  You can tell them over and over again to use a tissue but their fingers seem to work so much better.

• Objects other than food and toothbrushes find their way in your child’s mouth. Toys, rocks, crayons, Play-Doh and fingers, especially once a booger is on it - many, many things you’d expect and some that you wouldn’t.  It’s a waste of time to get aggravated, angry or try and stop it.  Unless, your child is in danger, pick and choose your battles.  A little “dirt” is actually good for them.

• Your baby will inevitably poop right after you’ve just changed them.  I learned with my second not to change her right after she awoke.  I began waiting until after she ate breakfast.  It saved me from having to change her twice in a matter of 20 minutes.

• Little boys touch themselves.  That’s it.  Enough said.

• Your children are going to learn the words “HATE, STUPID and SHUT UP” and other word they aren’t supposed to say.  Their friends will use them as well as age appropriate television shows and movies.  All you can do, if they do use them, is explain that they are inappropriate and reprimand them if it continues.

• Children will ask the same questions repeatedly to the point of annoyance.  I’m not quite sure if they forget, want to hear themselves talk, think you can’t hear them, assume the answer will change or all of the above.  It’s like nails on a chalkboard.  Learn to tune it out.

• You will definitely be spit up on, thrown up on, coughed and sneezed on (with and without food) peed on and pooped on.  Your child will get up early on the mornings you can sleep in and will sleep late when you get up early.  They will also take a four hour nap the day after you’ve rushed around cleaning the entire house during their hour and a half nap.  It’s just the way it goes.

• Children are going to pick up germs.  I wouldn’t keep your child in a bubble or purposely expose them to certain people or places but don’t make yourself crazy trying to figure out where they came from.  By the time you figure it out, they will be healthy again.

• At least once during the time your child is in diapers, you will find poop under your fingernail and have no idea how long it has been there, and it is almost inevitable that your child will poop while you are giving him a bath.

• It is much more convenient for children to wipe their hands and noses with sleeves instead of the napkin or tissue that is within arm’s length.

• Be prepared to find items squirreled away in the oddest places.

• Kids are weird.  There will never be an explanation for everything they do no matter how hard you try to find one!

Equalization of the Ages

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Age is Just a Number When It Comes to Being a Mother!

            Remember when you were growing up and 30 seemed so old?  Or when you were in high school and the thought of dating a college boy seemed so far out of reach?  Well, when it comes to having babies, there is no greater equalizer.  That’s why I call motherhood “Equalization of the Ages”.  Whether you are 20 or 40, having your first baby or fifth; when it comes to raising children, every mother is “ageless”.  

            Some of my dearest friends could not be further apart in age, yet my life would not be the same without them.  They have all given me immeasurable strength, at one point or another.  A dear friend of mine who is 73 has been in my life for 22 years.  I met her when I was 17 years old.  She has seen me through the ending of my teens, dating, marriage and now, motherhood.  Her knowledge has carried me through numerous triumphs, trials and tribulations and she has always been such a positive role model to me.

Then all the great friends who are such huge part of my daily life; I don’t think I could function if they weren’t here for me.  Some I grew up with and others I met through my children, but we all have a common bond and there is at least a 10 year age span between us.  Our children are basically the same age so we are experiencing the same highs and lows together.  Despite where we live, whether it is 2 minutes or 2 hours, in desperate times (which include complaining about our husbands) we are there for each other in a flash. 

It is so comforting to have trustworthy and reliable confidants around when you need an extra hand, listening ear or someone to laugh with.  So believe in the saying, “age is just a number” and it couldn’t be truer when it’s From One Mother to Another.

Are You A “Look At My Ring” Friend?

Thanks to all my friends who got me through a long, hard winter!

Are you a “look at my ring” friend? 

Every girl needs one.  Every girl should be one.  Every girl ought to have one.   

Are you a “I hate my haircut” friend?

A “I’m feeling fat” friend?

A “let’s have tea” friend? 

Are you a “pee with the door open” friend? 

A “bring a bottle of wine and share my leftovers” friend? 

A “tell me that I’m cool” friend?

Are you a “can I borrow a pair of shoes” friend?

A “go along with my crazy scheme” friend? 

A “my house is your house” friend? 

Are you a “put my kids on the bus” friend? 

A “take my daughter to school” friend? 

A “bring my son to the pool” friend? 

Are you a “trust you with the lives of my children” friend?

A “send flowers cause I’m proud of you” friend? 

A “call me, text me and email me anytime of day” friend? 

Are you a “I’ve got your back no matter what” friend? 

A “pick me up when I am down” friend? 

A “tell me everything’s going to be OK” friend?

Are you a “you’re not a bad mother” friend? 

A “I know you can handle it” friend?  

A “give me hope, strength and restores my faith” friend? 

Are you a “I’m here to listen and validate you” friend? 

A “I appreciate and accept you” friend? 

A “I feel safe telling you my most inner thoughts and deepest fears” friend?

Are you a “I know you will always be there” friend? 

A “sister” friend? 

A “soul mate” friend? 

Are you a “friend till the end” friend? 

Are You A “Look At My Ring” Friend?

Every girl NEEDS one.  Every girl SHOULD BE one. 

Every girl OUGHT TO HAVE one. 

I’ll be yours…will you be mine? 

Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew!

You May End Up with a Stomach Ache!

           

Let me first take a minute to describe my personality to you.  I am a boringly practical, admittedly cheap, annoyingly organized, anal retentive, schedule oriented, neat freak of a person; but I believe these “qualities” help to keep me somewhat sane.  I plan ahead but can only manage a few days at a time.  I can do it all, just not all at once.  I handle life on a smaller scale.  This way when the day feels like it is out of control, and it often does, I still know where everyone and everything is, I know what’s going on and can feel slightly less stressed.  I find when I have a lot to do and don’t have a chance to regroup, I get very overwhelmed.  Let’s face it, then accept it - even if you have a good husband (and I really do), one that helps out (and I emphasize the word helps), IT IS STILL ALL ON YOU. 

So after all the cooking, cleaning, shopping, planning holidays and birthdays, and just plain old daily care, we should be entitled to Mother’s Week, not just Mother’s Day.  And moms that work on top of it all, you should get a whole month to yourself!  My advice to you is not to conquer the world all at once.  Don’t overbook yourself with parties, play dates and social events.  Know your limitations.  Focus on what is happening in the present – maybe a week or a month ahead, not six months.  Now that I have two school-aged children who are “involved” in extra curricular activities, I try to make my “To Do” lists realistic so I can actually get everything done in one day.  I still feel like I am going round and round, but I do find that I have more time to take a small break to think once in a while.  I can savor a moment or two with my kids or myself.  If you can take life in pieces, you will most likely feel better.  You may then be able to give 100% of yourself to one situation as opposed to giving 20% of yourself to 5.