Wake Up Moms!

  Quite a few people have asked my opinion about the now famous Time article about attachment parenting.

 

   Why? I don’t know, maybe it is because I am a mother. Maybe it’s because I always seem to have an opinion. Maybe its because I am a mother who always has and opinion. That’s probably it. Whatever the reason I would like to say that this response by Michelle Littlefield on Moms in Maine is my new, official response. Yep, I am ripping it right off of her (and giving her full credit of course). I think we all know I have issue with the mean mommies of the world, but by god this woman is 100% completely right, we are fighting the wrong fight!

 

 

   Go, read it right now. Then sign the PETITION.

A Few Friday Randoms..

1. This has been by far the craziest few weeks since Aiden was born. I have had a feeling things were “off” with him for a while, as my usually happy boy was getting fussier more often and for longer periods of time. A lot of small things weren’t adding up, and even though our pediatrician was insisting nothing was wrong and that all of his ailments were typical baby things he would grow out of, my mommy alarm was going off. We made the decision to switch to an entirely new pediatric practice and had our first appointment on Wednesday. Two days later and I can confidently say it was the best decision we could have made. The new doctor we saw was wonderful, and immediately diagnosed Aiden with both severe reflux and a dairy allergy. New (super expensive!) formula and a prescription for Zantac have done wonders already! I’m dealing with and processing the guilt for not figuring this out sooner, especially now knowing the obvious symptoms that he was having that I never realized. Mama guilt is no joke, but I’m trying to focus on being grateful that our guy is feeling better than ever!

 

2. In addition to all of the baby craziness this week I also decided to take on two big mother’s day projects! Both of which I thought would be easy and quick and instead turned out to be super time consuming. Cranky baby, plus two overwhelming projects means I didn’t get much sleep this week. I hope to share both completed projects with you next week, you know if I actually pull off getting them completed.

 

3. I started Weight Watchers again. Something has to happen about this baby weight I’m still dragging around. Ok, let’s be serious, some of it is PRE-baby weight, but still it has got to go. I haven’t decided if this is something I am going to openly blog about, but if anyone is interested..?

 

4. House projects have pretty much come to a screeching halt around here. I’m obviously still planning them, but with other crazy projects (see #2) and all extra funds that are normally designated to fun projects and decorating now going to the previously mentioned SUPER expensive allergy formula, things are on hold. Hopefully our insurance will cooperate sooner than later (ha!) and start picking up the costs of that stuff so we can start getting back to the fun stuff!

 

5. Fifty Shades of Grey; worth the hype? My Kindle is empty but I am wondering if this book is worth it or just been talked up. Thoughts?

 

So, how was your week?

The State of Our Stairs

   We have a serious situation going on in the main hallway of our house. Maybe pathetic is a better way to describe the area you first see when you walk into our little home..

 

 

   BOOOOORING! View from the front door on the left, and from the kitchen on the right. Not exactly screaming warm and comfy is it? No, it looks more like we just moved in. If you remember what it looked like when we did move in, very little has changed.

 

 

   Yeah, same dingy carpet, same strange border/molding situation. I did paint it (Toasted Almond by Valspar, color matched to Behr Premium Plus) and put up a gallery wall going up the steps, but it still isn’t anything special. In fact the frames are a set you can buy at Michaels and were put up approximately 30 minutes before our housewarming party began. Every single one has one of our wedding pictures in it. Vain much? I am also shamed to say that curtain rod has been up for OVER A YEAR now, and still no freakin’ curtains.

 

 

   Please don’t get me started on the brass light fixture either. It makes me want to cry. Big brassy tears straight out of the 70s. And no, I didn’t even try to take a good picture of it, no amount of photography skills will make that thing look good. Bleh.

 

   It’s time we try to make this area look a little more presentable. Originally we didn’t mind the border/molding that was happening. It goes all the way up the stairs and top hall as well, but now it makes me angry. I don’t have a real reason why, I just can’t stand it anymore. I know it’s going to be a huge undertaking to actually get rid of it. It seems to be a raised wallpaper border surrounded by molding that, and judging by the way the former owners did things around here it is probably super glued to the plaster walls. So removal is in more of the long-term plan. As for now this is what I am thinking..

 

 

1. Update the gallery wall (source) I’m over the matchy-matchy black frames. I’m thinking spray paint and Ikea frames are both in my future. And I think it is a given that more than our wedding pics need to be displayed.

 

2. New rug (source) I love Dash & Albert rugs, we have two already that still look brand new and one was a floor model before I bought it! These colors really tie in from the rest of the house too. I would rather just a 2’x3’ in front of the door, but hubs is pushing for a long hall carpet.

 

3. Storage! (source) The little pile of junk that happens behind/next to/in front of the door isn’t cute. I think something like this will fit right behind the door, but would require us to pull off some of the molding. If the wall is destroyed at least it would end up hidden behind this, right? If not I would at least settle for a mirror and ledge combo for keys and things.

 

4. The long overdue curtains (source) I LOOOVE the striped curtain look, the question is do I try to be crazy and paint them (like this?), or suck it up and just sew those suckers up? This is where I think I can win my rug argument, too many stripes?? Do you see why the rod is naked, I still can’t decide.

 

5. Red door. Period. (source) This is happening. No question, I’ve already bought the paint. For now I’ll just deal and spruce up the existing sad door until we can replace it with something that has more glass like this one to brighten things up. A good seal would also be a nice upgrade from what we have now.

 

6. Obviously a new light (source) I’m not sold on this one, but we have to do something. I keep hoping I’m going to run across something perfect for cheep-o but no dice yet. The clearance isn’t great either, so as much as I would love a chandelier, something semi-flush is as low as we can go.

 

   The rug on the stairs will stay, it is in decent condition, it just needs a serious scrub down. I do like the look of naked stairs, but I’m pretty sure I would bust my face going down them too fast in socks. My clumsy self needs traction.

 

   Did I mention the budget for my little hallway makeover is next to nothing? I still can’t wait to get started, anything is an upgrade at this point!

The Finale – Bump Watch 2011

   Last you saw me things were looking pretty large. So large in fact I was sure there was no way I could possibly get any bigger. I was wrong, so, so wrong. (Feel free to click back right here to see the bump that scared the kiddos on Halloween.)

 

 

   See week 36 up there? That was Thanksgiving, I was so confused why I kept spilling food on my belly. I guess being a foot away from the table might do that! And to think I was still walking around wondering if people could tell I was pregnant.

 

   Those pictures are fun, but I have to say week 40 is by far my absolute favorite of the bunch..

 

 

   I’m so glad that I followed through on this project, and can proudly say I only missed one week (damn you week 32, damn you!) I owe my hubs a huge thank you for humoring me with this whole thing too. His job as camera man wasn’t always fun, especially since for every weekly pic you see, there were anywhere from 10-40 outtakes that the crazy pregnant lady vetoed!

 

 

   Don’t worry, this is not the end of my weekly picture taking plans. As always, I am behind on the new project, but updates are coming!

Baby Products We Love : The First Four Months

   Granted we have only been doing this parent thing for a few months, so experts we are NOT. But, we do happen to have a little expert living among us. That’s right, our little mister is quite the expert on what works for him. Here’s how things tend to go around here: I do hours and hours of research when I think we need something. For example, swaddling blankets. I read everyone’s advice and opinions and decide on our best option, then purchase. In the case of the blankets I decided on the famous aden + anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets.

   So little man comes home, and we swaddle him up. Within moments he had pulled a little Houdini and busted out of the tightest swaddle any man has ever made, hit himself directly in the face, and woken up screaming. Product research fail. So we have started listening to the expert, even when he disagrees with my research. The only problem is, every baby is different. So I’m going to give you all my big fat non-expert opinions, and you can take them or not. But maybe your little expert will agree with my little expert and we can all be happy, because you’ve got to start somewhere right? Ok, so let’s get to it.

 

 

Miracle Blanket Since we are on the subject of swaddling, let me profess my love for the appropriately named, Miracle Blanket. We would literally spend ten minutes wrapping the man like a burrito, so tight it was questionable if his breathing was affected and in two minutes flat a tiny hand would emerge from said swaddle. No bueno. Enter Miracle Blanket. Even Houdini is stuck in this little baby straight jacket, comfy, cozy, and fast asleep for hours. Baby loves swaddling, Mama loves sleeping. Its a win-win.

 

Nosefrida Or as we call it in my mommy group, THE NOSE SUCKER. Yes, in all caps. Those stupid bulbs they give you in the hospital don't hold a candle to this thing. Sure, the idea of sucking snot out of your kids nose isn't a fantastic one, but it can't get in your mouth. And unlike those bulbs, you can CLEAN this thing. If I don't want the snot in my kid’s nose, I don't want it hanging around my house later. Yuck. Plus its super satisfying to see something coming out. Ah, motherhood and the joys of snot. Bonus, A doesn't scream bloody murder when I use this. Hell, he barely notices.

 

Cooshee Changing Pad I hear that some kids are good with their pee. They go in their diaper, and after their Mama changes it, they go in the next one. Aiden, however, did not get the memo on how this all works. He thinks it is better to not only fill every single diaper to the brim, but also pee while one diaper is being removed and the other is being put on. While we are working to get this operation down to a 2 second switch, things happen and every so often their is pee all over the changing table. And the wall. Sometimes the floor. The kid has range. If I had a "regular" changing pad with a cute little cloth cover, it would spend its entire life in the washing machine. Instead I keep Clorox wipes on hand, all I have to do is wipe this pad off and in minutes we are cleaned and ready for the next attempt at containing the urine. They say babies this young don't know better, but I am pretty sure he is laughing at me. Especially that one time it almost hit the ceiling.

 

Hygeia EnJoye Breast Pump Breastfeeding didn't work out for us for a number of reasons (reasons which we will save for another post, on another day) but none of those reasons included a lack of milk production. So I made the decision to join the club of mamas known as "exclusive pumpers". Luckily I had bought this pump before I delivered from a pal who didn't end up needing it anymore. That is one of the bonuses, Hygeia is the only brand of pumps that are FDA approved to be used by more than one user. So I got a deal, and can resell it later. Since I am cheep, this makes me happy. I also think it is pretty close to being as effective as the hospital grade monster I was using before we came home. And since I was definitely too cheep to spring for the rental, it all worked out!

 

Dr. Brown's Bottles We started with the cheapest bottles we could find with the same nipples A was willing to use in the hospital (my cheapness is becoming a theme here, no?). All was well for a while, until we realized the large amount of screaming our little man was doing had a lot to do with the large amount of gas he was holding in. Poor little gassy boy. Lesson learned, the expensive bottles are worth every freakin’ penny. Less baby gas = less baby screaming. Yes, they have a million parts to wash, that’s why we now own a ton of them. And I took my Mom’s smart advice and went ahead and bought the large 8oz size off the bat. That way I didn’t waste money buying the 4oz size he would grow out of. Cheep again. Damn.

 

Aden + Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets Wait, didn’t I just say these didn’t work for us? They didn’t, not for swaddling. BUT they are pretty fantastic for damn near everything else. Covering the car seat, warming him up, propping him up for his newborn pictures (yeah, we did it). I carry one in the diaper bag because they roll up pretty small and don’t take up space, but then are HUGE to lay down anywhere and everywhere. It doesn’t hurt that they are super soft and come in the cutest prints. The stars from the “Oh Boy!” set is my personal fav.

 

BumGenuis One Size 4.0 Cloth Diapers (Snap) I could (and will) write an entire book about my cloth diaper love. But let’s sum it up for you here, we have yet to have a blow out. Or a leak. Of any kind. Yes, I did just knock on wood. Everyone thought I was crazy for getting on the cloth train, even B was pretty skeptical. Now he writes Facebook statuses about which color Aiden has on that day. B’s favorite part? No rashes or irritation on little man’s behind like we had from the disposables in the hospital. I figure keeping his but clean and comfy is the least we can do for him. Bonus points that the snaps make fitting them really easy and the colors are way cuter than any disposable diaper any day.

 

JJ Cole Car Seat Cover Most people have heard of JJ Cole’s Bundle Me, which goes under the baby and keeps them nice and cozy. But when I was having my car seat installed the guy doing the check warned me that those aren’t as safe for the baby in the car(something about the material being between the safety of the seat and the baby’s body) and since I was almost 40 weeks pregnant at the time and convinced I might just kill this kid on accident by using the wrong thing, I returned it. Well it took one trip out of the house with A and a stupid blanket that blew off of him every time we got out of the car for me to start exploring other options. I picked up this car seat cover and it hasn’t come off his seat since. He’s warm, it doesn’t blow off, and I feel better about the safety thing. I have also recently become paranoid that he is going to over heat or freeze at any moment so the fact that it opens and closes with a quick zip help keeps my crazies at bay.

 

Moby Wrap The rubik’s cube of baby carriers. The first time you put it on you will feel like you have just conquered the world. Always a good feeling for an overwhelmed new mama. Aiden loves this thing, he gets nice and cozy in there and almost always falls asleep. And I get two free hands to fold laundry, or write blog posts. Priorities people, priorities. 

 

Baby Connect for Android When you are in the hospital with your newborn, or when you go to your first few pediatrician appointments, if you are like me you are a frazzled mess. And everyone keeps asking you ridiculous questions like how many times has your baby pooped three days ago, or how many ounces he ate at 4pm last Friday. They might as well be asking you to solve the hardest math problem on the planet because you can’t even remember if you brushed your teeth that morning. Just me? Whatever. Luckily I downloaded this app (and had hubs do it too) right before Aiden arrived and we started using it on day one. Now, B stalks us from work to see what we are up to with it, and since it works on the computer and iPhones/iPads also, when Aiden stays at his Gemma’s house she can put his info in from her iPad. Unfortunately I still have trouble remembering if I brushed my teeth.

 

Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper As a Mama who values her sleep this thing was a lifesaver in the beginning. I know, every parent values an extra five minutes, but I am talking about the extra 30 seconds that it would have taken me to walk to Aiden’s room in the middle of the night when all he needed was to have his paci put back in his mouth. I was not about to give those precious seconds up. It was so nice to just roll over and there he was. The Co-Sleeper is similar to a pack and play, except the top sleeper part is a solid bed surface with a side that comes down to be at the same level as the parent’s bed. And since after having a C-section it was nearly impossible for me to lift him from certain angles, it was really nice to have him literally within arm’s reach (get it- ha!). Roll over, check baby, roll back over and Mama is back to sleep. (As a side note, they sell a mini version of this item as well. We opted for the full size since it will convert to a regular pack and play later.)

 

   What products can you not live without? Anything you thought you would love and ended up hating? Ok, better yet, suggestions for us on items we HAVE TO HAVE for the coming months..?

 

 

*I was not paid or perked to review or try any of the above products, these are just my own personal opinions.

April – Photo-A-Day Challenge

   I’ve always wanted to document an entire year with one photo each day. I think it is such a cool idea to look back at such small things that made up a year in your life, as opposed to just looking at the “big stuff” that would normally photographed and scrap booked. I liked the idea so much it’s even number thirteen on my Thirty Before 30 project. Unfortunately, I suck at it. I think I took three pictures in January. Fail. So I decided to jump on the bandwagon of Fat Mum Slim’s Photo A Day Challenge. I work better with structure apparently. I’m so proud that I made it through April without missing a day! I hope me posting this won’t jinx my progress, we all know follow through isn’t always my strong suit after all..

 

 

   Fun, right? Is it obvious that I am slightly obsessed with my little guy? I tried really hard to not make every picture of him, but even his diaper bag managed to sneak in there..

   Are you taking photos everyday? Follow me on Instagram (user name: thefetchinglife) to see more of my crazy photos, and of course that cute face! And of course so I can stalk you back, since I’m only a little addicted.