Photo by serialmommy

My back never hurt more than when my kids were babies and I had to pick them up all the time.

Mr. Bad Back himself, my husband, constantly scolded me: "Stop bending over; lift with your legs!"

It's one of those tasks, those parts of motherhood that seems so natural and basic that you don't even stop to think about whether you are doing it correctly. But you should definitely think about it, trust me.

Here are some back-safe reminders when picking up babies and small children:

Photo by evaphi329

When my kids were babies, there were two times of the day that I lived for -- my husband coming home from work to relieve me and naptime.

I still remember the day that each of my kiddos dropped their naps completely -- my son was about 3 and my daughter was 1 1/2 -- ACK! That was a dark day ...

Photo by MissDipper

My friends and I were talking the other day about all the big babies born these days. My friend IRL just had a 10 pound baby. A co-worker had an 11 pound baby! Everyone is always wowed but thrilled when a big baby comes into the world, because most times it's a sign of health and thriving.

Imagine a baby being born at a little over one pound. That's what Derek, son of Preemie Moms group owner MissDipper, weighed when he was delivered by emergency C-section 16 months ago.

November is Prematurity Awareness Month, a time to remember that not all babies come into the world when they're supposed to, and that not all moms have the birth of their dreams. Here's MissDipper's story so we can all understand premature birth and some of the struggles that these moms go through a little bit better.

Photo by StarrMom2Xander

Carrying my babies up and down our slippery wooden stairway was always one of my biggest new mom fears. There were a couple of near misses, but we made it to toddlerhood unscathed. I'm making up for it now. Just the other day, I sledded down the last few treads on my butt. I'm just so klutzy.

natalies_mama's husband did fall down the stairs the other day with their 2 1/2 month old daughter. Their stairs are carpeted but narrow, and her husband is tall. Every time he ventures down with the baby, she holds her breath and listens.

The other night, that ended with tumbling and her husband crying out.

Photo by ilovemyjo2

A weekly post to help us get to know some of our CafeMom cuties ...

How long does she sleep at night?

Her sleep schedule is GREAT. She will go down for the night around 9 p.m. and then not wake up until 5 - 5:30 a.m. for a bottle. Then she goes back to sleep for about another hour. She takes a nap around 10:30 a.m. - 11a.m. for about an hour. She would sleep longer, but I have to wake her up to take her brother to school. She takes another nap around 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. for about 30 minutes and then we start all over again.

Photo by MarMAMAeast

LilSugar tipped me off to this funny observation from a mom of three kids about the differences between the first, second, and third babies.

Your Clothes:

 1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN
confirms your pregnancy.

2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.

3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Photo by Medela/Hydro Gel Pads, $13 for four

As most moms who breastfeed know, sometimes you get sore nipples, engorged breasts, and the occasional infection. Ouch! So to help you breastfeeding mamas conquer the pain, I've rounded up some links:

Lots of men, who are used to being the bread-winners, have found themselves playing Mr. Mom due to layoffs and cutbacks. Here are some links I love that welcome these men to our world:

Photo by BusyBee908

Obviously, what goes in baby's mouth is important (minus the dog food, insects, and crayons). Here are some links I love that are for just for their tummies:

Michael Jackson's death has me thinking I should hurry up and name a legal guardian for my daughter just in case both my husband and I die. According to news reports, Michael Jackson's mom has legal custody of his three children; if she dies, then Diana Ross will take custody of Jackson's kids.