{breastfeeding} tantrums and other things i am learning to deal with

so this post is a little more personal than i would like it to be, namely because i really don't like sharing with the world about nursing my baby girl....nobody (especially guys) want to hear about it. i get it.
i don't nurse in public (not that there is anything wrong with that though) and rarely do you catch me talking about it in front of anyone. BUT i am making an exception because i have learned a lot about it in the past few days even though i feel like a seasoned pro after successfully making it to the 1 year mark with my first baby and 9 months and counting with this second baby, i have figuring out their was some tweaking that needed to be done to our meal plan for sweet little kenna.
as i mentioned in my last post, keniston has been a difficult baby. cries all the time, needs to be held, up all night, yadda yadda yadda. she has been to the doctor...i've been on the phone with the nurses for months now, and no one seems to know what is up with this little babe. well i finally figured it out today....i was starving the poor child. i broke down, bought formula and gave it to her. i felt like someone buying something illegal when i went in to walmart at 11 pm last night to purchase it. i didn't want anyone to know i was buying it. sounds silly i know but i have been under the "breast is best" spell for years and although i still totally agree with that i have a revised version...."don't starve your baby is best". It doesn't rhyme but you get where i'm going with it. Seriously though, why did i have no clue she wasn't getting enough milk?!??
since giving her the formula, it's been like having a different baby in our house. she didn't cry AT ALL today and she slept thru the night last night. SUCCESS! Look at this sweet happy baby:

i guess what i am getting at is that i should have been tuned into this a long time ago and i feel awful. parents lead a life of guilt and it stinks but i guess that's just how it's going to be. thankfully i figured it out now and maybe now we can get on track. now if i can just get karlie back on track....
tantrums. i'm not a fan and i don't know how to deal with them. everyone talks about the "terrible twos" but what about the "terrible three and a half"!!!! it's been horrible. like dealing with a teenager. i did come up with a seemingly good idea that works for her though. instead of throwing her in time out or getting a spat on the booty, i am trying to catch her before she gets in trouble. when she starts misbehaving i tell her to get a puzzle and go to the "quiet time spot". she isn't allowed to get up or talk and she has to stay there until i tell her she can get up. think of it like a pre-time out. i didn't think this would work but it totally has.....as long as i am tuned into her behavior and don't let her get to the point of getting herself in trouble.

always on the move!

being a parent is hard. it used to be so easy with just one child. she was pretty well behaved in her early years and we devoted every waking second to entertaining her and making sure her needs were met. now, well....not so much. it's hard with 2 but it seems like it's getting better/easier. she has been a huge help with keniston and i truly mean that. i absolutely hate the days that she is at school because keniston isn't as happy. plus it's nice to say 'hey, get me a diaper. throw this away. where's her paci?"

LOVE that they are making the same face.

she loves kissing her reflection in the stove. so cute!

  so yes, today was a good day in my book. we had a major breakthrough and i feel like i am slowing regaining a little freedom around the house. i even had time to do a project that has been on my list of things to do since we moved in. Here it is:

i've had this frame hanging empty for the past few months. i knew exactly what i wanted to put in it but i hadn't had the time to put into it. overall it took me about 2 hours to do it. i really love how it turned out. one step closer to being done with my bedroom!! i have a wall of frames i will be doing next on the other side of the room. then the west elm diy headboard. and i should be done with projects. then i have to wait until keniston moves outta our room so that i can put a couch and mirror where the pack and play is currently sitting. might i mention she doesn't technically sleep on the pack and play but in it. confusing? let me clarify. she got so used to sleeping in those little hammock like baby sleeper thingys (i have no clue what they are actually called!) and she refuses to sleep in anything else. she's entirely too big for it and it was getting a little dangerous so i put the hammock inside the pack and play so that she could safely sleep in it. i'm pretty sure her legs are going to start hanging off the sides of this silly sleeper but hey, i'm tackling one ordeal at a time. so now that we are sleeping and eating and not crying maybe, just maybe she will transition to the crib. fingers crossed!!!!