TuscMoms.com

Last week we went on vacation with our 2 year-old son and 5 week-old daughter to the beach. And it went so much smoother than I could have imagined. I believe this had a lot to do with the baby gear I chose this time around. In other words, the Gear Gods are finally with me for child number two. When I had my son 2 years ago I carefully researched all baby gear before purchasing. Yet I wound up with a lot of gear I wasn't happy with. This first-time mom dutifully read all the product reviews by other parents on store websites. If enough people were unhappy with a product, I'd change my mind for fear I'd be joining their griping ranks. Well, I joined their griping ranks anyway. That fabulous stroller I test-drove in the store? Too heavy. That baby carrier that got so many great reviews? Not comfortable.

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My son Jack is 2. And most days I think this is a fun age. One reason it's so fun is because I hear things like this on a daily basis. "Turn on the sunshine, mommy!" (Translation: Open his blinds) "What did I say in my mouth?" (Translation: Why are you laughing at me?) "Can I have white trees?" (Translation: Cauliflower)

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My daughter is 3 weeks old today. So I've officially been a mother of two for almost a month. Here is what I've learned. You know you have two kids when... - Within a 15-minute time period, you change one poopy diaper, a poopy outfit, two pairs of wet underwear and two sets of wet sheets. - You have to grocery shop early in the morning before your husband goes to work - You are so tired on said grocery trip that you leave the trunk to your SUV open on the way home and your groceries fly out onto the road

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My beloved Conan was running late the other night due to Wimbledon coverage, so I caught the beginning of Letterman instead. And as he went through his famous top 10 list, I began thinking a good topic would be the top 10 fun things about giving birth. You see, I've learned something in the past week. Giving birth doesn't have to be all gloom and doom until the baby comes out. There are moments that can absolutely be relished along the way. Of course, I would never have made this post 2 years ago after the difficult birth of my son and long hard recovery. But after the smooth and quick delivery of my daughter 8 days ago, I realize that some births can be downright ... dare I say it? Fun. So here I go, in the spirit of Letterman. The top 10 fun things about giving birth...

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In this era of reality TV, it has become sport to scrutinize families. And these families, who are already dealing with a lot of strain (their unusual status is what put them on TV in the first place) receive extra pressure because of it. Reality TV parents of sextuplets and twins Jon & Kate of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" on TLC have just announced they are splitting up after months of very public marital strain. TLC stands for The Learning Channel. So maybe we can learn from this. It seems producers have, since they've quickly put the show on hiatus. A good move, in my opinion. But what have we learned as consumers of media?

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My life lately is a series of nesting and resting. My body is officially out of my own control (even more so than in the obvious way as I stare down at my 9-months-pregnant belly). Like a robot, I move toward my linen closet at the crack of dawn and start taking it apart. Most people are in their beds snoring and I'm surrounded by towels and linens in my hallway, on a mission to make room for my new baby's things. The next day I can barely place dishes in the dishwasher I'm so exhausted and unmotivated. And so nothing gets cleaned. A day or two later, I'm scrubbing my fridge at 6:30 a.m., hesitantly peering into leftover containers and surrounded by jars of barbecue sauce and pickles (both of which I've eaten massive amounts of in the past 9 months) from an uncomfortable position on the floor. Next, I'm face-down on the couch praying for the labor Gods to take me.

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