Mommy Tag

Because it's not just kids who like to play.

My friend Sarah tagged me days ago and I am just now emerging from The Cold/Sinus/Cough Monster That Won't Go Away (it's still hanging around, but at least I can BREATHE now), so I'm just getting around to this.

I'm going to tag two other moms I know who blog: Kami and now, Kitti!

Here ya go!

1. How many children do you have?

One, with another on the way!

2. What are their ages?
Jacob will be 19 months old on Thursday. How time flies! His baby brother is due on February 5, 2009, so I'm somewhere in the sixth month, 22 1/2 weeks pregnant.

3. What time do you start your day?
Usually between 6:30-7:30, with an occasional sleep-in until 8am. (Jacob slept until 8:30 this past Sunday morning! Woo-hoo!)

4. What do you eat for breakfast?
Lately, I've been trying to eat more protein, so I've gotten hooked on making my own homemade version of an EggMcMuffin -- English muffin, egg cooked in a ramekin in the microwave (be sure to spray liberally with PAM and cover it while cooking!), a slice of cheese, and sometimes, Canadian bacon. It didn't help that I had a whole package of English muffins left over from a brunch. It's either that or scrambled eggs and toast, or oatmeal. On weekends I might make pancakes.

Bonus: Jacob enjoyed eating scrambled eggs for the first time last week! I'm not sure why he wouldn't eat them until now, but I'm just glad he sticks his fork in his mouth and says "Mmmm, mmmm!" afterwards.

5. Do your kids watch TV?
See, Jacob doesn't really watch TV. It's always been there in the background, from when I was nursing him his first year or if we're at the grandparents, so he mostly just ignores it. We still try to make a habit of keeping the TV cabinet closed during the day, though. However, since I've been so sick lately, a few kid programs have snuck in: Curious George, mostly. (He says "Monkee!" whenever he sees that it is on.) But he won't sit still for more than 10 minutes at a time, even if he does have his milk cup!

6. What are their favorite activities?
Jacob loves playing with his blocks (of many varieties) and a car set we got from a friend. He's also taken an interest in "ba-ball" (his word for football) and we will go outside behind our apartment building and kick and throw around his little GT football. He likes to color, too, and this week he's been really into "mak-ers" (markers).

7. Do you get a break during the day for some you time?
Yes, I get a nice break during our morning walks while Jacob is happily buckled into his stroller, and I enjoy the few hours during Jacob's middle-of-the-day nap. (His naptime is sometimes the only chance I have to take a shower.) Lately, though, I've been using his naptime to take a nap myself!

8. How do you end your day?
I usually tutor online in the evenings after Jacob goes to bed, and then Gaines and I will watch one of our favorite TV shows, like Pushing Daisies, or something on a DVD. Then I'll read for a little while before finally falling asleep, while Gaines studies.

9. What is your best parenting advice or tip?
For young babies...you cannot love them/hold them/cuddle them too much! If they trust you when they are little, they will be more independent when they are older. (Or so I've heard! I'm still waiting to see how this all turns out...)
For toddlers...Be consistent with your boundaries, but make sure they are flexible enough so your kids can still explore and experiment and learn about their world within those parameters.

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