MommyJoyCorner

We are a family of 4 with two little kids under 6. Due to Covid, there are fewer options for little children to play in the outdoors. Parks are still a bit risky in my opinion due to the uncontrolled manner in which kids touch or run around the play area structures.  In past few weeks, we started exploring hiking areas around South Bay as a family. Turns out, our kiddos though youngest is yet to turn 3 love hiking and the woods. We pick hikes that are shaded and typically try to limit for a less than 3mile hike. But we did do a 4.1mile loop recently and both kids were champs at completing it. Let me share more on some of our favorite hikes so far.  Uvas Canyon County Park : This one tops the list as it is a beautiful trail with many little waterfalls and bridges. Sounds of water makes the hike very soothing and the little snack breaks by the water falls are fun for the kids. Visiting 'Uvas Canyon County Park' requires reservation ahead of time as the park is controlling amount...

While it is very exciting to have a new baby home, it can also be tricky to manage a toddler around the baby. Here are a few things I tried that made it easier to handle the two munchkins at home. 1. Prepare the toddler mentally while you are still pregnant Throughout my pregnancy, I spoke about the baby to my toddler. This got her very excited and she started speaking about the baby to all her friends and teachers at her school as well. As we got close to due date, I explained how the baby will still be very little and will take a while before she can play with him. 2. Shower toddler with loads of hugs and kisses Most toddlers need a lot of attention and love to keep them away from tantrums. Any lack of attention generally leads to a tantrum in seconds. While it can be quite choatic with a baby around, make sure you can manage a quick hug and kiss whenever you see the toddler wanting extra attention. 3. Ensure one parent is always dedicated to the toddler As we have two kids...

I am sure many of you have heard the 'Hush Little Baby' rhyme. I always wondered if the list of things mentioned in the song ever made any difference to a little baby.  So here's my take on the rhyme based on real life experience;) Hush, little baby, don't you cry. Mama's gonna check if your diaper's dry. And if that diaper looks all good, Mama's gonna burp you like she should And if the burping still makes you weep, Mama's gonna try and rock you to sleep. And if the rocking does no good, Mama's gonna check if you need some food And if the feeding doesn't sound right,  Mama's gonna make it sound like its night And if pink noise is not your choice Mamma's gonna sing in her not so great voice And if the lullaby doesn't make it fine Mamma's gonna try again for her sweet child so fine!

Surprise surprise! I am pregnant again:) Things are so very different this time around!As they say, no two pregnancies feel the same but 'boy oh boy', was I in for a surprise! My first pregnancy was a breeze with no nausea or any other problems whatsoever. But this time, a lot of things happened very very differently.  Nausea I did not have any nausea the first time around. But this time, it was pretty bad in the first trimester with every morning starting with me puking water out. I gradually started to spread my meals into multiple snack portions and that helped me eat better. Weakness I had extreme weakness for nearly 2-3 weeks in my first trimester which made work very difficult. In fact, I had to inform my manager about me being pregnant just so she does not think I am slacking at work! Anemia Apparently, many suffer from low iron during pregnancy and I luckily did not have this in my first pregnancy. This time around I had to take the iron suppl...

While delivering a baby can be quite a scary thought, the very first week after a baby is born can be extremely challenging. While the new mommy needs a lot of rest to recover physically, she also needs to care and provide for the tiny little baby who is so dependent on her to feel secure and get adapted to the new world outside mommy's womb. I am lucky to have gone through this experience twice so far and below are a few things that I wish I knew to be better prepared for that first critical week with the baby. Hospital Stay I can only speak for the hospitals in California Bay Area but I am assuming it is similar for most hospitals across USA. Hospitals here believe in preventive care and hence run a bunch of tests with careful and frequent monitoring done for both mommy and baby throughout their stay at the hospital. Here are the bunch of tests run at the hospital. Jaundice Check Baby is monitored for jaundice by observing any yellowish skin discoloration and with blo...

Traveling with a baby is a whole new experience. As a first time parent, the idea of traveling thousands of miles with your infant's movements restricted can be quite terrifying.   We had our very first trip planned to India around the time my daughter turned 15 months. The longest trip we had taken before this with our daughter was the 2.5 hours trip to nearby Napa Valley. So naturally, I started reading up online on the things I need to carry in the flight and for our stay outside the comfort of home. We did a few things to prepare well for our trip. Also, we were visiting quite a few places during our  India trip due to personal reasons and this made it a little more stressful. Recommended Do's: Carry loads of baby food for the flight and your travel around your destination country. Depending on what your kid is interested in, new toys, books or video games for the flight. We are still on track for keeping our daughter away from all screen time till she turns 2 a...