Bye Facebook!

I'm, how do I put this, a bit of a Facebook addict (wow, ok that was kind of hard to admit).  Allow me to elaborate...


If I see a notification on my app on my phone, I HAVE to check it.  Somebody responded to something I posted or commented so it's pretty important you know.


As if that's not enough, even if I take the notifications off my phone and remove the app, I STILL have to check every minute (ok, maybe not that much) to see if perhaps I do have any notifications.  


And then, I have to make sure that I catch up on my News Feed.  Cause, you know, I might miss something.  And I can't miss out on something (a cute picture, a giveaway, a good article).  


I've tried to cut back the amount of time I spend on Facebook.  I've tried to set certain times.  It works for a short while.  But I always find myself back in the same spot.  I don't want my kids thinking Facebook is more important than them.  And as hard as it is to say, it's starting to become that way. And, I need to simplify my life right now.  With two small children, and hopefully in the future we will have more, I need to focus on what's really important.  And Facebook is not one of those things. I have enough to accomplish in a day without being on Facebook.


I have been thinking about all of this for a LONG time.  I never thought I could actually delete my account.  I'm on it WAY too much.  And my family members can see pictures of the girls and our family and keep up with what's going on.  And I've found some good deals because of Facebook and sold a couple of things because of Facebook.


But then I realized, all of those things are still possible without Facebook.  There used to not be Facebook....remember?  I mean what on earth did I do with my time before that?  


Honestly, I think for me, there's always gonna be a "Facebook" in my life.  There's going to be something else I wanna spend waste time on that has absolutely no eternal value.  I'm not saying every little thing I do should have eternal value.  But when it becomes an idol to me, and other responsibilities get ignored, it's a problem. ("Hold on honey, just one second let Mommy just respond to ONE more post!")  


I've been thinking about these verses recently:

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. - Mark 9:43-47

I'm not saying getting on Facebook is a sin.  But for me, this concept of being so radical as to cut off a part of your body because it's causing you to sin makes me think; well, if I can't seem to get control over it, it'd be best to cut it off and be done.  I'm sort of a person who is all in or all out.  Apparently, it's just too difficult for me to "dabble" on Facebook. 


There are other reasons I've decided to delete my account.  One being I feel it's a source of  stroking my pride.  "Ohhh, 25 people liked that comment, article, photo, etc - look at ME!"


Another is that I thought to myself, if I had known what I know now about Facebook (not only how addicted I am but also how they keep changing things and absolutely invade your privacy), would I still make an account when I did several years ago.  My answer?  No.


I remember hearing of people going on Facebook "vacations" and thinking, "Wow, good for you!  I wish I could do that.  I wish I could get out".  It was like I felt like I was sucked into this black hole of social media.  


Believe me, it's REALLY scary for me to delete my account.  I feel like I'm, in a sense, deleting a part of my life.  Plus, I am a very social person and I LOVE to feel like I'm connected and involved in others' lives.  (but I can still do that through texts, emails, and phone calls)  I do feel like I'll have a great sense of relief once I do delete my account.  No more pressure to comment, catch up on news, etc.


I will still blog.  And I now have Instagram to post pictures that don't make it on the blog. So...keep in touch, k??  ;)

Oh Summer Time

Ahhh summer...can you please stay a while??? A long while??? I like you.

Peach Pickin

Isn't summer great?  There are SO many things to do outside...and several fruits available for some pickin!


We drove about 45 minutes to this place yesterday.  Kaylee did great.  Rilynn, not so much.  I think she got a bit itchy...and she's sort of a drama queen anyway.  


Here was our afternoon...

Snagged that lil baby back pack at a thrift store - came in very handy for peach picking!

No shame - get that peach Ri Ri!

 Profile of my sweet Ri

This one looks good!

She kept tossing the peaches in the basket and bruising some.  So we told her to gently put them in the basket.  So, she did.  :)

KayK pointing to the peaches

She kept asking for more (her sign language for "more" is clapping at this point)

I'm really not a mean mommy.  She was filled with drama.  After this episode, I let her ride in the stroller and sip on some water and everything was fine again.  Sometimes you just have to laugh to keep from going crazy right??  :)

Best seat in the house!

It was pretty hot.  So I rolled us under the water hose that was watering the trees.  I thought it'd feel good and Ri would like it.  Guess I was wrong.

Just in case you can't see how much Ri wasn't pleased with our trip under the water hose, here's a close-up

Ri really wasn't miserable the whole time.  When we got in the car, I asked if she had fun and she said yes.  :)  


Septtro made two pies and a cobbler today and we STILL have leftover peaches!  And my kitchen smells delicious!!!

My Top 25

I read this the other day and decided I should record some for myself.

I don't think any mother can deny our job can sometimes get overwhelming.  One thing I'm learning is to change my attitude and perspective.  These little years go by so quickly.  One day, I'm gonna look back and say, "Oh I wish my kids would still...."  

So I'm going to try to be intentional about cherishing every moment I can!  Man...I hope they know how much I love them!

I'm still learning, mind you.  And I'm also human.  So I won't always get it right.  But I want to cherish as much as I can!

So here it is, my top 25 things I'll miss someday...

1.  a sleeping baby/child (really, is there anything more sweet?)

2.  covering up a sleeping baby/child with a blanket

3.  two of my kids wanting me at the same time

4.  wrinkled up noses 

5.  shoes on the wrong feet

6.  hugs...long hugs

7.  brushing tangled hair

8.  open mouth, slobbery, and teeth-filled kisses

9.  small, chubby hands

10.  small, chubby feet

11.  being followed, even into the bathroom

12.  nursing

13.  baby wearing

14.  cleaning up messes

15.  tiny socks that get lost

16.  loads and loads of laundry

17.  not sleeping all night

18.  kissing boo-boos, even pretend ones

19.  using (cute) cloth diapers 

20.  made up words

21.  wanting to be carried 

22.  bed sharing with a tiny person who takes up a ton of room

23.  noisy car rides

24.  eating a meal with several interruptions 

25.  feeling needed

I'm sure I'll think of more as soon as I post this.  But at least I've recorded some.  

What are yours???

Officially a Big Girl!

Tonight was a very exciting night in the Sene household!!  One of my friends gave us a toddler bed they no longer needed (thank you!!).  It's a Disney Cars bed and, at first, I wasn't sure about not having a "girly" bed.  But we were also given some princess sheets that Ri was extremely excited about.  And she couldn't stop talking about her new bed!  She kept laying down and saying "night night".  

Last week when we were at the beach, Ri slept on the floor on a sleeping bag and she's slept on a foam mattress on the floor at my parent's house for a nap.  So not being contained wasn't new to her...but having an actual bed was.

Helping Daddy put her bed together while Kaylee watches.

 looking at her princess sheets

proud big girl! (somehow she looks like she's 6 to me in this picture!)

 "night night!"

Kaylee moved to the crib.  She's always slept in a pack and play so this was a big night for her too!

My lil climber!  I think they'd sleep in the same bed if I let them. :)

So far tonight, I haven't heard a peep!  I don't know if they were that worn out from all the excitement or what.  I expected a lot of chattering.  Hopefully, they will both sleep soundly in their "new" beds!

Then and Now

I mean, I know everybody, including myself, says how quickly time flies by when you have kids.  But it's SO true! I mean, how was this an entire YEAR ago??

We got that lovie for Kaylee last summer when we first visited St. Simon's Island (big thanks to my friend Meredith!!!)

It's become her favorite thing.  I was hoping to get another one at the same store but they were out.  Here's our picture from this year. :)

Blackberry Pickin!

Today was our first day back from the beach.  And it was our first official day together as a family for the summer!!  There are blackberry bushes all around our house.  So we went out to take advantage!

Heading down the road with Daddy to hunt for our blackberries!

Daddy showing Ri how to look for the ripe berries

She kept picking the red ones - quickly realizing they didn't taste as good

testing out a few before saving some for later

It didn't take long before her shirt had to go.  Blackberries make not so fun stains.  I love that she's still young enough to do this.  :)

Taking a quick break

Running to show me her findings!

Showing me the berries she found.  Notice her hands are stained  :)

Kay playing in the road.  

Don't worry, I was right there.  And we live on a pretty slow street.  :)

She likes to play in the dirt

One day, very soon, I'm gonna miss this view

And this one too

Having a grand time!

Blackberry-stained face and a seed stuck in her teeth - you know she had a great time!

We didn't quite have enough blackberries for a blackberry pie.  But Septtro mixed in apple and peaches and it made quite the yummy cobbler!!

To the Mom Like Me

I think it's safe to say, before I had Rilynn, I hadn't a clue what I was in for.  I wasn't sure what I was doing.  Sometimes I still feel that way.  The one thing that I try to remind myself and that I try to encourage new moms to do, is to trust the God-given instinct He gave mothers.  It's there.  I promise.  (I thought people were nuts when they kept telling me to trust my motherly instincts)

Also, along with these instincts, there are certain things that just work for my family that might not work for others.  And THAT'S OK.

There's just always been this one thing we did with Ri that I wish, looking back, I didn't.  I don't carry any burden of regret. It's more like "oh, bummer..."

I wish I never made her cry it out.

Before I proceed, let's expand on what I mean by "cry it out"; because I think this means different things to different people. For me, I feel it means to purposely allow your baby (and I mean baby, not approaching a year old) to cry...even hard at times...in the hopes they'll learn how to self-soothe.  This is done at times when there is nothing else keeping mom (or someone else) from holding the baby.

I thought that if I wanted a well-adjusted, independent child, I HAD to let her cry it out.

A few things I've learned:

1.  Babies are needy.  They're born that way, and by design.

2.  Babies can't talk.  They can only communicate through crying.

3.  There are plenty of opportunities for a baby to "cry it out" when mom can't hold baby, especially if this is a subsequent child.  For example, mom REALLY needs a shower or mom may need to eat something before she passes out.  There are many other examples, but you get my point, right?

All this to say, it doesn't bother some moms as much to let their babies cry.  And THAT'S OK.  I'm a big believer in doing what's right for you and your family.

So anyway, with Kaylee, I tried doing things a little differently.  When she was two months old and I'd put her down in bed for a nap or at night and she'd cry, I'd pick her up and try again later.

**Let me say and be very clear, if there was a point where I felt overwhelmed, I did put her down.  And she did cry until I could gain my composure.  Let's remember it's safe for both mom and baby to take a break if needed.**

I soon discovered she didn't require as much sleep as I thought.  Usually, I'd try again later and she'd gladly take a nap.  In fact, I noticed that she never seemed to cry when I put her down at night - only at nap time.  This was probably due to the fact that she wasn't always tired and ready for a nap.  But by the end of the day, she was ready to sleep.  And then, I started nursing her to sleep for nap times. And guess what?  She didn't always need to nurse to sleep like I thought.

Pretty soon, I stopped looking at the clock before I fed her.  I started offering her to nurse whenever she was upset.  If she was just tired, she'd actually push me away.  Or she may nurse and fall asleep and then I'd put her in her bed.  Sometimes she just wanted to be held, so I held her.  Because I wanted to.

So, back to my title: Dear Mom Like Me,

IF you don't want to, you don't HAVE to make your baby cry when you could otherwise comfort them.  It won't ruin them forever.  In fact - and if you're like me, this is for you - it made me less stressed out when I didn't try to adhere to what my friends or books were saying but simply did what I wanted to do at that particular time...what I thought was best for both myself and my baby.

Sure, I understand all babies are different.  And perhaps when the baby is older, there may be a habit or two you may need to break.  But every parent probably has a habit they will eventually need to break their kids of (sucking thumb, using a paci, having to have "white noise" to sleep", gotta be dark to go to sleep, gotta have a night light to go to sleep, etc, etc).

There does come a point where they won't need those things anymore.  But in the beginning - IF you want - hold that baby!  Nurse them to sleep.  Let them take a cat nap on your chest.  Enjoy them! - do whatever you (and your husband) feel is best.  Who knows, maybe you are like me and you'll find yourself less stressed and enjoying those first few months more than ever before!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go get my daughter's "lovie" off the clothesline so she'll take a nap.  :)