Persevering Momma

Taking The Day One Spoon At a Time

Second Pregnancy Woes for the Disabled Mom

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Getting pregnant when you have a little one in the home can be a very exciting adventure, but as a disabled mom it does come with it’s own worries. While I have figured out ways to adapt and care for a child on my own (when I have to be alone); I haven’t figured out how to handle two children on a daily basis. There are many new fears that come with being pregnant and bringing another life into our family.

Caring for a toddler while pregnant.

The first big fear is casting for my three year old son as the pregnancy progresses. Will he step up and start climbing into his car seat without being lifted or will I still need to carry him? I know the third trimester is the hardest for me and during that time I’m afraid I’ll struggle to lift and carry him when it’s needed.

All I can hope for is that I can continue to do everything like normal and hope that on the days that I’m struggling my son will notice and help make things a little easier for me.

Traveling with Two Kids

I am not afraid of going anywhere when I have someone with me, but I’m afraid of what it will be like to get around with two little ones. Do I need a double stroller? Will my son cooperate when Baby is being held and he has to walk or ride in the cart?

I know most moms worry about these things, but I worry a little extra because I know I can’t chase down my toddler on a normal day and definitely won’t be able to do it with a baby in tow.

Bring on the new adventure!

Car Seat Safety With Chicco

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This is a sponsored post thanks to Chicco for National Baby Car Seat Safety Week.

Over the years so much has changed in regards to safety in vehicles. One thing that is constantly changing is car seat safety for children. There are now many laws and recommendations on how to keep your child safe while traveling in the car.

The new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation for keeping children rear facing until they max out on height and weight for their current car seat. I do believe in this philosophy and made sure that my son was rear facing past two years old (while it wasn’t as long as I really wanted I was pleased to have him rear facing until 2.5 years old). No matter what car seat or booster your child is in it is important to make sure that the car seat is installed properly and that your child is buckled in properly as well.

Car seat safety

Secure Car Seat Installation

Using LATCH vs Seat Belt

When you installing a car seat in your car you have to choose between two options for the installation; you can use LATCH (LATCH stands for “lower anchors and tethers for children.”) or the seat belt for the installation. Both are great options, but there are a couple things to note. Most car seats only allow LATCH installation for children 40lbs or less which means that you must use the seat belt installation if you child exceeds this limit. Another thing to note is that it is not safe to install the car seat using both the LATCH and seat belts at the same time.

Both of these options are equally safe, but you will want to choose whichever option works the best for your vehicle. This means that you should have a tight install and your seat should be level. If your seat is forward facing you will also need to secure the top tether which means placing it in a seat that has a top tether anchor available. (This is not something that is always set up for every seat in your vehicle. You will want to check your car manual to see where your available top tethers are located.)

The Inch Test

You may have heard people reference the inch test. This test is very important in making sure that your car seat install is done properly. In order to perform the test you will need to install the seat and with your non-dominant hand you will grab the belt path on the seat. You will then give the seat a gentle tug (like that of a firm handshake) and if the seat moves less than an inch then you have a good install. If the seat moves an inch or more then you will want to continue to tighten the seat into place.

Having a seat installed tight enough is very important if you were to get into an accident. This will ensure that your child is the safest and will help to reduce the motion of the seat during an accident.

Getting Help

If you have questions or want hands-on assistance, SafeKids.org can help you find a car seat checkup event in your area or contact a local child passenger safety technician (CPST). You can also get in touch with a nearby CPST via www.nhtsa.gov.

Car seat safety

Car Seat Expiration

Car seats often have their expiration dates in similar locations on the seats. I have snapped pictures of the expiration dates on a variety of car seats that we own to show you just where the expiration date is located so that it may make it a bit easier for you to find on your car seat.

Car seat safety
Graco Extend2Fit manufacture label on the back of the seat. Car seat manual states that the seat expires 10 years from date of manufacture. Nice and easy math!

If you are still struggling to find the expiration date on your seat you should check your car seat manual because they will show you where the date is on your seat.

The Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat

We have used a variety of different car seats and car seat brands with our son over the years and Chicco is included in that bunch of car seats. My sons newest seat is the Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat. This was an upgrade from an old seat that got damaged during our move a couple months ago.

I was unsure about switching to a Harnessed Booster, but he was just turned forward-facing and exceeded the minimum requirements for this seat. I love that this seat is an easy install in my 2016 Ford Escape so that if it needs to be loved it can be without much difficulty. My son also loves the attached cup holders and the arm rests.

Previously in my car we had a Diono Radian with one hanging cup holder that always got detached by my lovely son. It also had no side which was nice for me, but he disliked that he had no arm rest to use. He now has arm rests and two cup holders.

Chicco MyFit Harness + Booster Car Seat shown with the folded (collapsed) cup holder.

One thing that many people like about the Diono is the fact that without the cup holders the car seat is slimmer than others and can fit 3 in a row much easier. This Chicco Seat has cup holders that fold in so that you can save space and fit more seats in one row than you can with other seats. This definitely is a perk for large families. The fact that this seat is also lighter than some seats like the Diono is a huge perk to me because I could barely lift the Diono seat to love it if needed.

Overall I would say that this seat really makes me feel like my son is safe and is accessible for him as well as for me! A huge perk for someone who struggles with car seats on a regular basis.

How do you keep your child safe in the car?

Where Does The Time Go? Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy!

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Today is your birthday, little man, and today you turned 2 years old. I can’t believe that it has been two years since I first held you in my arms.

You were so tiny, and were my precious little baby boy. My heart burst with joy when you were born. I never knew I could love someone so much that it felt like my chest was going to explode.

But time has flown by and you are no longer my little baby boy!

You are now my rambunctious little toddler that is really starting to learn and explore the world around him. You no longer cling to me to do everything for you; instead now you want to try to do everything by yourself.

Today marks the day when I will hold you tight and let you start to learn to do more things on your own, but still offer my hand to be held when life is still too tough.

You will always know that I am here to help you and here to hold your hand when things get tough.

Even though you are getting older and more independent I want you to know that in my heart you will always be my little baby boy!

Momma loves you, baby boy!

How To Survive The Terrible Twos

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If you came here hoping to really learn some magical trick to help you survive the Terrible Twos then you are sorely mistaken because you won’t find that here, not really anyway. Here are the new fun tricks I’m putting forth into my life while I deal with my son now that he has turned into a Terrible Two Monster. (Yes, yes, I love my son, but seriously sometimes he is a monster.)

Pretend your child doesn’t exist.

This may sound a little extreme, but when a Terrible Two tantrum hits sometimes you have to just keep going on with life like nothing has changed.

Now, my son has a slow-motion tantrum that he thinks will get him what he wants, but it never works and makes me want to laugh. He will slowly lay down on the floor and then start screaming. It is very much an act that often leads to him rolling around on the floor as well as screaming. He has only done it once in public and quickly stopped when I continued to walk in the store. I’m thankful he is clingy because walking away really worked for us.

Invest in soundproof headphones.

Ok, so I don’t really use soundproof headphones, but some days I wish I did. My son yells and screams while refusing to sleep and it makes me wish I could drone out the noise. An overly tired boy just doesn’t know when to quit and it just rubs my tired nerves the wrong way sometimes.

Wine it up.

This will make me sound like a drunk, which I’m not, but a nice glass of wine or a cold beer helps end a long day of Terrible Two antics. I find it calms the frazzled nerves and keeps me a little more level headed when my son decides he is too good for sleep.

Note: This post is meant to be funny. Please don’t get offended because sometimes we all need a little humor in our lives. (I know I do!)

7 Halloween Animated Movies For Toddlers

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Some of these Halloween animated movies were provided to me free in exchange for a sponsored post thanks to NCircle Entertainment.  This post also contains affiliate links.

Halloween is my favorite time of year and because of that I am always eager to share my love of Halloween with everyone that I know. Last year we dressed up my son, but he was too young to really appreciate or understand the Holiday and that is why we are changing things up this year. He is a toddler now and that means I get to start introducing him to the super cute kid Halloween animated movies out there. This is my suggested list of movies for toddlers. (You can add in some of the more big kids movies, but these are great.)

 

Houdini

Twelve year old Harry has lived and breathed magic since his early childhood. The problem is that his hometown, Appletown, is not the best place for his natural talent to blossom. Although he rehearses endlessly in his parents’ barn he realizes that his dream is just that a dream. One day Harry catches the glimpse of a chance: the New York mayor has announced a magic competition due to the official opening of the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, there is a slight problem with this competition, in order to try out one must be trained by a real magician. Poor Harry doesn’t know a single one. Until Harry s father runs into the magician, the Great Tesla, in town and Tesla promises to see Harry. Despite the young boy s lack of knowledge Tesla spots talent, creativity and boldness in Harry. He decides to give him a chance and invites him to his own home, accompanied by his niece, Beth, and his assistant, Amrold. Tesla will teach Harry the basics of magic, his tricks but will also test him. Will Harry be strong enough to become a true magician?

 

Sid’s Spooky Halloween

It’s Halloween! Join Sid and his friends as they discover how bats catch mosquitoes, why spiders are expert engineer web builders, and how skeletons make up the foundation of our bodies. The kids dress up to celebrate Halloween at school, and Teacher Suzie leads them in a special Halloween parade song to show off their costumes! With Sid the Science Kid, Halloween can be spooky and scientific!

 

 

 

The Cat in the Hat Tricks or Treats

A new spooky adventure this DVD brings, with the Cat, Nick and Sally, Fish and the Things. Meet the eeriest critters you’ve ever seen, arrived just in time for Halloween. There will be lots of tricks and of course, lots of treats, to share with the animal friends you will meet! There’s coconut crab, spider monkeys and bats, and plenty more fun with the Cat in the Hat.

 

 

 

 

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween

Cat In The Hat: Knows a Lot About Halloween – DVD – The Cat in the Hat takes Nick and Sally on the craziest Halloween ride filled with howlers and shockers and scary fandangle’s, big laughs and music and fun from all angles! Their fright-filled adventure takes them deep into the Oooky-ma-kooky Closet where Nick and Sally discover the very best Halloween costumes ever. The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween DVD Features: Rating: Not Rated Run Time: 60 Minutes Genre: Children/Family

 

 

 

Pocoyo Boo!

Join Pocoyo and his friends on seven playful adventures. Whether it’s playing a new game called Boo!, enjoying a monster mash party or pretending to be Godzilla & King Kong, every day is fun & engaging with Pocoyo and his friends!  This is great fun if your children are huge Pocoyo fans! You can never have enough of your children’s favorite characters.

 

 

 

 

Doozers Spookypalooza

Welcome to Doozer Creek where the Doozers live! They’re green. They’re cute. They’re three inches tall and they’re full of energy, ideas, and enthusiasm! It’s Spookypalooza! The time of year when all Doozers get together to spook each other. The Pod Squad makes the spookiest pumpkin ever a cool Pumpkin Doozer made by stacking three pumpkins together. But when their new invention starts rolling all around town, the Doozers have to find a way to reign in their spooky creation! Enjoy four STEM-based adventures with the Doozers!

 

 

 

Scooby-Doo Pirates Ahoy!

Scooby Doo and his friends go on another adventure, but this time they get all wrapped up in a Pirate adventure.  It just doesn’t happen to be a whole lot of fun for Scooby and the gang.  Watch the movie to see what crazy antics the gang get into this time.