I am sure you know the saying “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”  There is some truth to that, but I think the saying should go “if a baby isn’t happy, Momma isn’t happy, and thus, no one is happy.”  Moms and dads have such a difficult job.  While it is true that not everyone in the family will be happy all of the time, parents do their best at trying to at least maintain a semi-peaceful environment.

Check out this postpartum grocery list to keep everyone well fed and happy!

Don’t miss these adorable fall baby photoshoot ideas!

Back when our oldest was born, we were younger and had extra energy to devote to him and his needs.  We were overjoyed with this sweet little one and were amazed at how much love he brought into our lives.  I remember holding him for hours and also, being very overwhelmed.  We were very anxious first time parents and I was constantly second guessing my mother’s instinct.

When he was about 2 months old, he became colicky.  We had been supplementing breastfeeding with formula, but something just was not right.  He would cry in the afternoons and was just miserable.  I felt defeated.  A few weeks later, I changed his formula to a gentle version and within a few days, he was much better.  My smiley baby  had returned and while he still was not sleeping well at night, his daytime giggles and interest in the world around him made us happy!

Through the years, we have had three boys and they all came with their difficulties.  We just had to find out what made them “tick.”  We found out what made them happy, what annoyed them, and what they flat out did not like.  This was a bit trying at time, especially as it became three people we had to please.  

What have been our go to solutions for the boys?  Simple things that made them happy as babies, and as they grew?  I have thought about it a bit and these are it!

Music

The boys all loved music and they still do.  There were certain songs that we could play when the boys were babies that made them stop and listen and if they were crying, would hopefully tone it down to just a wimper until we got to where we were going in the car or until we could switch activities.  Our oldest loved “The Wheels On The Bus,” the middle son loved Keith Urban and The Wiggles songs, and the baby of the family stop and listened every single time we played “Let It Go.”  Go figure!

Activity 

Sure, a baby cannot get up and go for a run, but changing the baby’s activity helps so much.  If he is not happy, sometimes he was just bored and wanted a change of pace.  Through the years, this has remained true.  If the boys are all fussing and fighting playing with blocks, we would change it up and play a board game or start painting together.

Going Outside

Babies love being outside.  Little boys love being outside, too!  Some days, it was and still is the magical cure all for our kids!  No matter what they are doing, they just love being outside.  We started taking “family walks” when our oldest was a baby and still do to this day.  If the weather is good, we are headed outside.

Hugs

There is nothing better than a hug from Mommy and Daddy for a little one.  Just being close to family is so awesome and it immediately helps them feel better.  Skin to skin contact is important for newborns and continues on throughout life.  All three boys still come and snuggle up to me and it comforts both of us.

Sleep

I am in a love hate relationship with sleep.  I love getting sleep.  I hate it when my kids do not sleep when they are supposed to.  The feelings are still raw because our almost 3 year old sometimes still does not sleep through the night. So.  Do all you can to ensure your little one is getting enough sleep, but ultimately, do what is best for your family.

Food

One of the most frustrating things when the boys were babies was not being able to tell if they were truly hungry or not.  I think I probably offered the boys food more way more often than they needed it because I just did not know.  Forget the feeding on a schedule thing, too, because my kids hated feeding schedules.  They wanted to eat when they were hungry!  (Don’t we all?)  I still struggle with food when it comes to my kids because I want them to eat food that is good for them when I prepare it, but due to different lunch times for all of us, sometimes we just are not hungry at the same time for the same thing!

What are your tricks for keeping baby happy?  I’d love to hear about unique ways you kept your little ones happy!