So, I’m going to share with you some of the things that I have learned in case you are ever in this position with your child, or even yourself!  Please note that my experiences are both with facial lacerations in the forehead region so other areas of the body may have different protocol.

First, if you have any doubt in your mind whether or not the injury may need to be stitched, go to the Emergency Room.  If a wound does require stitches they must be done within a certain amount of time, generally six to eight hours, but the sooner the better.  It’s also important to control the bleeding as much as possible by putting pressure on the wound.

When you arrive at the emergency room, be sure to tell the intake person about how the wound happened, whether or not the person lost consciousness, and the severity of the bleeding.  They should ask you most of this anyway, but be sure to volunteer it if not asked.  Then you will have to wait which is the hard part.

Once you are taken back into the room, be sure that you or your child are being treated by a doctor and not just a physician’s assistant or nurse.  In the case of a facial laceration, or would in another very obvious/prominent area of the body, you may want to seek more than one opinion on it’s treatment.  This is a piece of advice that I wish I had known before taking Nora in.  Also, if the wound is going to require stitches you always want to ask for a plastic surgeon to perform them whenever possible.  Remember you are the patient/parent and you have a right to ask.

Whatever the case may be, stitches, Derma-bond or just a dressing, be sure to care for it properly when you get home.  When Brinley had her stitches we had to put an antibiotic ointment with a band-aid on it for a week and then we had to take her in to the doctor to have the stitches removed.  For Nora’s Derma-bond we were told not to put any type of ointment on it and not to get it wet for the first 24 hours.  So be mindful of the proper care because it’s not always the same.

When I took Nora in to see her pediatrician for her follow-up visit, that is when I found out that I should have gotten a second opinion on the way in which her wound was treated.  Her pediatrician felt that since it was a facial wound that it probably should have been stitched.  Though he didn’t see the wound fresh so he couldn’t say that matter-of-factly.  It killed me to know that I may not have done the right thing for her but I really had no idea that I should have pushed back.  Lesson learned.

The most important factor in minimizing scars though, is the care that comes after the stitches are removed or the Derma-bond falls off.  The number one most important thing is to make sure that you apply sun screen to the area every single day for at least a year.  Even if it doesn’t seem sunny out or it’s the dead of winter, the virgin skin can still burn very easily.  You also want to massage the scar to increase the circulation and help promote healing.  It is recommended to use vitamin E oil and massage it into the scar.  It’s not known whether the oil itself helps diminish the scar or if it’s the massaging.  Maderma or some other scar reducing ointment is also recommended.

I am happy to report that Brinley’s scar from almost two years ago, where she received six stitches, is hardly visible at all.  Granted it is in her hairline, but it still healed very well.  Only time will tell with Nora’s but I have very high hopes.  It already looks 100 times better since the Derma-bond has fallen off.  In fact, we were at a BBQ this past weekend and no one even noticed it.

Every time I think about one of my girls being “scarred for life” it really eats away at me.  But I heard something on the radio this weekend that made me look at scars in a bit of a different light…. “A scar is like a tattoo, but with a much better story.”

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and I do not claim to be one.  I also don’t play one on TV.  The advice given above is based solely on my experience of having two daughters who have both visited the ER and were treated for facial lacerations.  Please be sure to seek your own medical advice from a professional.

Anyway, I was standing there in my towel drying off from my shower.  I dropped the towel, was standing there naked and about to pull on some clothes.  She looked up at me and made a strange face.  Then she said to me:

“Mom, how come you still have boobies if you don’t breast feed Nora anymore?”

I took all I had in me not to burst out laughing at her.  But I didn’t want to feel ashamed or embarrassed or like she shouldn’t ask me those types of questions.  I love how inquisitive she is but sometimes a child’s innocence is sheer hilarity.  I held in my laughter and attempted to explain to her that once you have boobies, they never go away (for the most part) even after you finish breast feeding a baby.  She seemed satisfied with that answer, thank God, and just said, “Ok, mom” and scampered out of the room.

Anyway, another added bonus of “knowing” them is that they were gracious enough to share with us pictures of how the home looked when they purchased it.  This was very neat to us.  It has also allowed us to see how the home has evolved over the years.  It’s quite awesome.  As I mentioned before, our house was built in the late 1960’s so even though it’s new to us, it’s not really new.  The previous owners had the glorious job of removing all of the old wallpaper and painting all of the wood trim white.  Both of which I am extremely grateful for!  When we moved in, most of what we did was cosmetic.

I’m going to share with you bits and pieces of the house as it has evolved through the years.  First we’ll visit the living room.  I call this room the conversation room.  It’s attached to the dining room and off of the kitchen.  We don’t have a TV in this room and it’s used more for sitting and talking or reading.  Our computer nook is also here though our laptop floats around the house with us most of the time.  Anyway, here is what the room looked like, sans furniture, when the previous owners first purchased it a little over five years ago:

It was carpeted, had dingy walls and the window casing appears to be beige.  What you can see is that the bay (or is it bow) window is a huge focal point.  What you can’t see is that there is a beautiful fireplace on the wall to the right of the window.  Otherwise, pretty basic and boring.

Here are the pictures of the same room from when the previous owners lived here:

Here you can see the work that the previous owners put into the room.  They put a fresh coat of paint on the walls, painted the trim and window casing white, removed the carpet and refinished the hardwood floors.  They did an amazing job!  You can also see that fireplace that I was talking about.  And notice how the window lets in a TON of natural light?!  I love it!

When we moved in, we originally had our sectional in this room.  It didn’t fit and was too overbearing here.  We intended for it to go in the family room, but that room was a work in progress and we needed a couch somewhere!  Once the family room was finished, we moved the sectional down there and were left with an empty space.  The girls loved it because it meant more room for them to run around in and create a mess, but we knew it was temporary.  Eventually we purchased furniture for the room and I’m happy with how it’s coming along.  Here are pictures of how the room currently looks:

I took these pictures at night so there’s no sun coming in through the window but you get the idea.  We’re planning to paint the wall behind the love seat and the wall where the fireplace is a lighter shade of green.  We are also currently looking for a new, larger area rug.  I’m sure I’ll put some pictures or something on the mantle eventually and I have to do some decorating in the desk area (pictures/cork board/etc).  Oh and we need to get a more beefy looking curtain rod.  The one that is there looks a bit too wimpy for the window.  Other than that, I’m pretty happy with how it’s coming along!  What do you think?

When I was a kid, it seemed like everyone called their grandparents some slight variation of Grandma and Grandpa.  Maybe it was Grammy and Grampy or sometimes Nana and Papa or even Ma and Pa but nothing too different from that.  Until I was pregnant with my first child I never gave much thought to what my children would call my parents and my husband’s parents.  I guess I just assumed it would be some variation of the above.  But then, at some point I came across a whole phenomenon where people would ask their parents what they wanted to be called.  I’m not sure if this was always the way things were and I never realized it, or if it was something new.  So, when I was pregnant with Brinley, I had the talk with my parents.

With my father (technically my step-father, but he raised me) it was a no-brainer.  He would be Grampy in homage to my late grandfather.  I knew the decision wouldn’t be as simple for my mother.  To most, my mom is considered a young grandmother.  She’s young at heart, on top of fashion and pop culture and looks amazing.  So it was no surprise to me that she decided to pick something different as her grandmother name.  After a little back and forth she settled on Mimi.

Before my mom chose this name, I had never heard it used as a grandmother name.  When we were discussing it, my mom told me that she had a friend or something that went by Mimi and that she liked it.  So it’s not that I thought it was completely original or anything.  However, since becoming a mom I can’t even tell you how often I hear grandmothers referred to as Mimi.  Yesterday alone I heard it twice within two hours.

The first one was at the doctors office yesterday morning.  We were in the waiting room with a few other people and there was an older woman with a toddler.  The toddler kept mumbling something that I couldn’t quite make out but started with ‘m’ and each time she said it the older woman would go to her.  Within a few minutes Nora started yelling, “Mimi, Mimi!”  I looked around thinking that maybe my mom was in the office for some reason (there are other doctors offices in the building) but didn’t spot her.  I just brushed it off until I realized that she had understood the other toddler girl’s toddler-speak and that she had been calling the older woman Mimi.  After we left the doctor’s office we did a little shopping.  We were in the Carter’s outlet and I was inundated with adorable little girl’s fall clothing.  Nora was in the stroller and Brinley was holding my hand as I got lost amidst a sea of coordinating tunic tops and leggings.  Then it started again.  “Mimi, Mimi!”  Again, I looked around to see if my mom happened to be in the store as well, but she was not.  I realized that Nora was referring to a woman who was shopping near us.  She could only see the back of her and she had blonde hair like my mom.  I laughed and said to Nora, “That’s not Mimi silly!”  To my surprise, the woman turned around and said, “Actually, I am Mimi, just not her Mimi.”

At that point the woman and I got into a mini conversation about the evolution of Mimi and how she hears it all the time now even though she became Mimi seventeen years ago.  And here I thought my mom was being original….

Image credit: zazzle.com

Now I’m looking forward, in some ways, to the end of summer.  It’s been very hot and humid and that’s getting old.  I prefer the cool, crisp mornings of the fall.  And I look forward to the changing leaves, apple picking and cider donuts.  I’m also looking forward to more routine in our days.  Summer is lots of fun and it means many spontaneous outings and vacations, but it can get a bit chaotic.  By the time the end of summer rolls around there’s a sense of boredom and redundancy in our days.  We’re all ready for a change.  New clothes to wear, new meals to make, new places to go.  And most importantly, time to head back to school!

Brinley is entering her second year of preschool this year.  She’ll be going three mornings each week.  I’m not sure who is more excited about it – me or her.  She really misses school and all of the fun things that she does there.  She loves being around her friends and doing all sorts of activities.  She’s been asking for a few weeks when she will be going back.  For me, it’s a mixed blessing.  I’ll miss her company and the lax attitude of summer.  I’ll miss being able to take our time getting out the door in the morning and sitting around in our PJs just a bit too long.  But at the same time, we’ll have more routine once school is back in session.  Three mornings a week we’ll get up, get dress and head off to school.  Once Brinley is there Nora and I will have some one-on-one time together to do some of the fun things that Brinley and I used to do.  I’m really looking forward to that. I used to dread this time of year but now I’m welcoming it with open arms!

I say this with mixed emotions.  Most of me is completely hating the rain right now, but the homeowner, lawn owner part of my really likes it.  It means our near lifeless grass which we’ve watered (according to the water ban) with no avail, is now getting a grand old drink and beginning to look green again.  But this is day four of rain and the girls and I are beginning to go stir crazy.

Over two of the past four days we’ve visited malls.  And apparently so did everyone else.  They were both crowded and filled to the brim with kids of all ages.  We got some shopping done and had some delicious lunches in the foot court, but we also had some too close encounters in the play areas.  See, I’m used to going to the mall in the winter during the week when there is no one there except for me, some old ladies, and a few other SAHMs.  So, going to the mall int he summer when school is not yet back in session is a whole ‘nother beast!

Our mall’s play area looks a lot like this one:

It has a little club house with a slide and a tunnel and then 2 or 3 other climb in/sit in play structures.  The flooring is soft and it’s enclosed with benches.  The sign at the entrance specifically states that the area is for children under 42 inches tall and that children must be supervised by a parent/adult at all times.  However, no one mans the entrance or makes sure that people abide by these rules.

So, on Monday, we ate lunch and then hit up the play area.  It was teeming with children of all ages and heights.  I knew it wasn’t going to be an enjoyable time.  Just as I was about to scoop the girls back up and leave, a boy, probably 8 or 9 years old and well over 42 inches tall, clotheslined Brinley and she fell to the ground.  He kept right on running.  No one stopped him or came over to see if my kids was ok.  I took the girls out and went over to the “Member Services” booth.  I asked the lady working there if anyone checked up on the play area to make sure that people were playing by the rules.  She was very nice and said not typically but that if I had a problem that she could call the security guard over.  I said yes, please and left the area to do some shopping.  When we returned to the play area it was much more calm and the girls got to play for a little bit.

Today, we went to a mall again (I know, I know but sometimes you just gotta get out of the house!).  Again, this mall was crowded but I expected it after seeing the mall on Monday.  We did a little shopping and then went to have lunch.  After lunch we went to this mall’s play area which is almost identical to the other one.  It was pretty crowded but most of the kids seemed like they belonged there.  I decided to assume the role of “play area police” today.  I wasn’t mean or rude, but I stood watch near the slide for a bit.  Kids have a hard time waiting in line for the slide and I was simply there to help them remember to take turns.  (I was also watching out for Nora as she climbed the stairs.)  So anyway, Nora made her way up the stairs and then down the slide.  Once she got to the bottom she was so proud.  She stood up and started clapping.  Within a fraction of a second, one of the too big kids ran by her and stiff armed her to the face.  She fell and he kept right on running.

Now if Brinley, who is almost four, gets bumped into a little too roughly I usually let her work it out and things are fine.  But it’s a different story when a 7 year old boy stiff arms your 15 month old daughter to the face.  So, I did what any other mean concerned mother would do.  I stopped the boy and told him that he should slow down and watch where he was going.  I reminded him that the play area was for small children and that if he was going to play here he really had to be careful.  He apologized.  I’m not sure where his parents were but within a minute or two he was gone from the play area.  I win!

So, yes, I’m THAT mom.  I refuse to stand idly by and watch my sweet little bruiser girl get stiff armed to the face by a boy who is clearly too big for the play area.  I just wish some parents would be more responsible.  I know the day will come when my girls are just on the cusp of being too big to go in the play area.  They’ll beg to go in and I’ll have to tell them no.  Rules are rules.  And they’re there for a reason. ::Stepping down from my soapbox::

It’s crazy how much she wants to be just like her big sister.  Last night, Nora really proved just how much she wants to be like her big sister.  You see, a little less than two years ago, Brinley had her first visit to the ER.  She fell and hit her head on a wrought iron fire place basket and wound up with six stitches right in her hairline on her forehead.  Nora wasn’t yet born back then, but she was with us through it.  She was a mere 8 weeks along in gestation.  I know she was taking note of it all.

How do I know this?  Well yesterday we had a BBQ.  It was raining so it turned into an indoor event.  After we had enjoyed our food we headed down to the family room to play some Guitar Hero.  The kids were making a phenomenal mess with the toys and the adults were taking turns playing Wii and supervising the kiddos.  It was just about 7pm and we were getting ready to call it a night when we heard a loud thud.  We all turned toward the direction of the sound and saw Nora face down on the brick fireplace hearth.  I ran over to her and turned her over and she had a gash on her forehead that was bleeding a lot.  I picked her up, brought her upstairs and put pressure on the wound.  It just so happened that we had both a doctor and a nurse in the house.  Once the bleeding stopped, both doctor and nurse had taken a quick look and Scott stopped vomiting (he has a weak stomach at the sight of blood), we got in the car and headed to the hospital.  We left Brinley home in good hands with our friends.

Now I am not a fan of Emergency Rooms at all (not that I can imagine anyone is).  The wait is always very long and it’s no fun to see all of these sick/hurt people waiting for care.  But I have to say, it was as good of an experience as a visit to the ER could possibly be.  We were in and out of there in less than an hour and a half.  Nora, unlike her sister, did not require stitches.  The doctor was able to use Derma-Bond glue to close the wound.  Though both girls hurt themselves on or around a fireplace and had their wound on the same side of their forehead, Brinley’s was up much higher near her hairline while Nora’s is more right in the front of her forehead.  It fits her personality.  She’s a bruiser.

She will not be out done by her big sister!

Well, yesterday I pulled into the drive-thru on my way out for the day.  I don’t usually look at the menu because I always get the same thing.  But this time a rather large poster caught my attention.  I looked up to see a phrase that said something along these lines “The best of both worlds – chocolate and coffee together.”  And right there was a picture of a mocha flavored iced coffee.  Now I’m not really one to try new things and I love my iced coffee so much that I’d hate to sacrifice such a thing by ordering something new and then not liking it.  But, for some reason, I decided to give it a try.

That was a mistake.  And not in a bad way.  It was TO.DIE.FOR!  I can’t believe it took me this long to try it because it was amazing.  I love chocolate almost as much as I love coffee so putting them together was sheer perfection.  I’ve had mocha flavored drinks in the past but usually they’re too overwhelmingly mocha-y for my taste.  I prefer to actually taste the coffee in my drinks because I love the flavor.  I don’t just drink coffee for the caffeine, I drink it because I truly enjoy the taste.  So now I’m in big trouble.  Yesterday Scott informed me that we need to cut down on our Dunkin’ habit because it’s getting a little crazy. (He’s just as much an addict as I am.)  Apparently we’re spending about $80/month to support our addiction.  That’s on top of the coffee that we already drink at home.  Yikes!  Not to mention, all that sugar and milk is probably not helping in the fitness category either.

Any suggestions on a less expensive, more healthy addiction that’s just as delicious?

Luckily, when Scott and I discussed having children (even before we were married) we both felt strongly that I would become a stay-at-home-mom.*  Even so, when I was pregnant with Brinley we discussed how this would impact us financially and whether or not we could make it work.  We weighed the cost of daycare vs. me losing my salary and agreed that we could, in fact, make it work.  Although I pretty much had my mind made up about the whole thing even before I was pregnant, it was still very difficult leaving a job that I absolutely loved, teaching.  Not only did I have to leave lots of amazing colleagues and an extremely admired principal, but I had to say good bye to students that I had made very strong bonds with.  Hard stuff I tell ya!

Anyway, once I resigned and said good bye to my friends, students and paycheck, I was ready to face the reality that I dreamed of.  The day Brinley was born my life changed forever.  I no longer had a commute, a boss, or a job.  It was both fantastic and scary at the same time.  My days included changing diapers, folding tiny laundry, and watching her sleep.  I loved every single second of it.  There were days when I missed going to work and having adult interaction but with time, that faded.  I’ve almost reached the point where I’ve been a SAHM for as long as I was a working woman.

Now I have two amazing daughters and my life as a SAHM is exactly what I imagined it would be.  We’re busy girls and have lots of fun together.  I do lots of cooking, cleaning and chauffeuring and I love it all.  But sometimes the person who is really the key in making this all happen gets overlooked or under appreciated.  Quite often people will tell me that I am an awesome mother and that I really seem like I’ve got it all down (and I’m very flattered by all of that).  But the job that I do would not be possible without an extremely supportive, hardworking, and never doubting husband.  He is my rock, my lifeline and my best friend.  So just remember, behind every amazing stay-at-home-mom there is an equally, if not more, amazing, hard working, unselfish husband and father.

*Just because I feel strongly that being a SAHM is right for me and my family, I realize that it’s not the right decision, for whatever reason, for every family.  I am in no way trying to start a SAHM vs. WOHM debate.  The End.

You see, on Thursday Brinley asked me if she could have a sleep over at Mimi’s (my mom’s) house.  I’m not sure if the idea originated in Brinley’s mind or Mimi’s but that’s a moot point.  She’s slept there a few times before when Mimi was babysitting but this was the first time she had asked to sleep over just for fun.  After running the idea by Scott, I said that it was ok.  We were already out shopping with Mimi when the idea came about and it made no sense for me to go back home and get her an overnight bag so we did what any bargain shopping mom would do – we went to the clearance rack at Kohls.  After picking out some princess pajamas and an outfit for the next day we made a pit stop at the car to get her some underwear (I always keep a few spare pairs there in case of an accident).  And Mimi has a toothbrush for Brinley at her house.

So we left the store and I took Nora while Brinley went with Mimi in her car (she has a carseat in Mimi’s car too) and off we went our separate ways.  When I got home, Nora was ready for a nap.  I put her in her crib and felt almost at a loss for what to do.  Usually when she’s napping I spend alone time with Brinley playing games or doing things that Nora makes impossible.  But I didn’t have to do any of that.  So what did I do?  I cleaned the kitchen and swept the floors and did some laundry – boooooooring!  Then I caught up on some blog reading while waiting for Scott to get home from work.

When Nora woke up from her nap, we played and I made her dinner.  She was a joy.  She never whined or cried or screamed.  When Scott got home from work we hung out, just the three of us.  Now of course we missed Brinley but it was really nice to spend some quality alone time with just Nora.  We put her to bed and then watched some TV.  She slept until 8:45am!  When she woke up we brought her in to bed with us.  Then we all got up and had breakfast.  She was a peach the entire time.

This made me realize something.  Nora gets a bad wrap.  And it’s because of Brinley.  They’re both amazing, wonderful, smart kids but when they’re together they get on each others nerves and often bring out the bad side in one another.  Nora is always getting into Brinley’s projects and Brinley is always touching and taunting Nora unnecessarily.  Good ol’ sibling rivalry.  Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of times when they’re loving on each other and playing really well, but those seem to be overshadowed by the times when they’re annoying each other.

It was really awesome to be able to focus on just one child for a little while.  Brinley had our undivided attention for 2 years and 8 months before Nora came into our lives.  Nora has never had our undivided attention.  I realize that is what happens when you have more than one child but it makes me feel a little bit bad for Nora.  It will be nice when Brinley is in school this fall three mornings a week and I get to spend some one-on-one time with Nora.  I’m sure she’s going to love it!