@Boba Baby Carrier 3G {Review}

Love. I'm in love. No, seriously... I am. With this baby carrier. It's amazing. And cute, versatile and comfortable. Now I've shared my love of baby carriers and babywearing before. I own quite a few and have shopped around for the perfect one for each stage in my children's lives. I love carrying my babies close and thought that my Ergo was the end all and be all of baby carriers. Until I met Tweet, my new Boba baby carrier.

Why am I so smitten you ask? It's the little things. The way the bottom strap contours up and around my waist instead of going straight around. The fact that I can put the hood into it's little pouch instead of having it hang down in the front. Or the fact that the gorgeous pattern can be seen when the hood is in use and when it's put away. Oh, and one of my favorite things... the pockets on the bottom of the carrier. So convinient for my keys and cell phone when we're out and about.

There are so many great features on this carrier. I think that the folks at Boba thought long and hard about what they wanted to include in this perfect carrier and they hit the nail on the head. I have been amazed at the response I've had from other mamas who I've shared my Boba with. Most are eager to try it on and test it out and I think I've created a few converts in the two short weeks I've had it. Here are a few other reasons to love the Boba Carrier 3G:

Hanging out at Sea World

How to Use It

The Boba baby carrier is an all-in-one system that doesn't need to be tied, twisted or folded. To hold your infant in a front carry you simply adjust the straps to allow a snug fit, snap the waist strap along your waist, hold your baby against your chest, bring the carrier up over the child's back, put your arms in and buckle the top buckle.

You can then adjust the straps and tightness to your comfort level making sure baby is snug and secure. And if you are using the back carry there are these nifty foot straps that allow baby to rest his legs by putting his feet in the straps instead of having them hang down.

And if you have a newborn (7-15lbs), you can use the Newborn Hold. No insert or special instructions needed! That means you can wear your baby with the Boba Carrier 3G from birth (7lbs) to toddlerhood easily! How awesome is that?

Disclaimer: I received a Boba Baby Carrier 3G for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

EcoNuts {#FluffyXmas Sponsor Spotlight}

Eco Nuts™ was conceived as a company that could transcend the cleaning industry in becoming a leader in environmentally responsible practices. They are environmentally friendly in their operations and socially responsible in dealing with our customers, partners and suppliers. All of their products are cruelty and paraben-free, vegan, tested only on humans, and utilize recycled or recyclable packaging!

I received a sample package of EcoNuts soap nuts at the #hautegreen Social Hour back at BlogHer'11 and fell in love with it's simplicity and ease. I just had to toss the bag of soap nuts into my wash and let them do their thing. I didn't have to worry about measuring out the liquid detergent, pouring it in and waiting for the machine to fill/agitate a bit before adding in the clothes.

The best part about EcoNuts was the fact that I could use their products not only on my cloth diapers but my other laundry as well. EcoNuts are very versatile when it comes to laundry and it's because it's so gentle on fabrics. EcoNuts is safe to use on the kids and our clothing (including my baby's clothes), the sheets and towels as well as our beloved cloth diaper stash.

I have to admit that I was a little hesitant about using them at first. I really didn't think that a bag of soap nuts would actually be able to get our clothes clean. But I tried them none-the-less. The first thing I washed were my darks. When the clothes came out of the wash they passed the sniff test! And when I got them out of the dryer I knew they were clean. Next we did whites. A few of my whites (read: my son's shirts) needed a little boost and I confirmed that OxyClean is ok to use alongside the EcoNuts.So with a boost of OxyClean the next load came out perfectly clean AND white.

I also wanted to try the nuts out on my cloth diapers. Since I heard about EcoNuts at a cloth diapering event I knew they were CD friendly but wanted to see for myself if they were a great solution to our detergent needs. I've had many mamas in search of the perfect CD friendly detergent ask me what I use. And now I have a product I feel 100% comfortable sharing with them. Not only did my diapers come out clean, we didn't have the leaking/absorbency issues that we did every once in a while when using another liquid detergent. Using the soap nuts meant no detergent build up and no need to strip our diapers! Although I still do so every 2-3 months just to ease my mind.

EcoNuts doesn't just sell soap nuts, they also sell liquid detergent and an array of cleaning and natural bath and body products. So if you're looking to do away with the harsh chemicals found in most brand name household cleaners and are in need of an alternative, eco-friendly method instead check out these awesome products!

A little more about EcoNuts packaging:
EcoNuts strives to have as little impact on the environment as possible with their packaging and products, and that means no plastic in every instance it can be avoided. Whenever possible, EcoNuts incorporates recycled, repurposed, sustainable and organic materials.

Every box of Eco Nuts™ purchased is one less plastic detergent bottle, and their goal is to remove 1 million plastic bottles from ever making it into a landfill or using precious resources in order to recycle that plastic.

Why Aluminum?
The choice of recycled carboard for the Eco Nuts™ is obvious, but we reviewed and settled on aluminum to contain our liquid. Aluminum can be recycled endless times – over and over again. It is more energy-efficient to recycle aluminum than ever before.

Aluminum can recycling saves 95% of the energy needed to make aluminum from bauxite ore. Energy savings in 1992 were enough to light a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years. (Can Manufacturers Institute 1993. The Great Aluminum Can Roundup.)

We want to promote and support the recycled aluminum industry in the United States. It conserves energy as well as supporting small towns that depend solely on the aluminum production plants. Without those plants, thousands of people would lose their jobs.

EcoNuts' Commitments:

• To lead by example with socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
• To use only sustainable, non-toxic ingredients with zero hazardous waste generation.
• To offer superior quality in all our products and packaging with environmental integrity.
• To provide excellent service to our customers, vendors, employees and the community.
• To support local and global charities, environmental and community groups to the best of our ability.

Purchase and Giveaway Information

EcoNuts can be purchased on their website or on Amazon. You can also check out EcoNuts on facebook and twitter where you'll hear the latest on sales, product information and much, much more! There's currently a sweepstakes and photo contest going on now. You can enter to win a box of EcoNuts and some cloth diapers too!

EcoNuts has generously offered to include a medium size box of EcoNuts soap nuts (that's 100 loads worth!) in our Merry Fluffy Christmas giveaway package. How awesome is that? Not only do you have a chance to win cloth diapers, wipes, wipes spray, and dryer balls but you also can win soap nuts too! Remember to come on back to the blog on December 1st to start entering this amazing fluffy package.

Disclaimer: I received a trial size package of soap nuts (10 loads) from EcoNuts at the #hautegreen Social Hour for review purposes only. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own. I only promote products I believe in 100% and will always disclose this information to my readers. The Amazon link above is my Affiliate link.   

The Willow Store {#FluffyXmas Sponsor Spotlight}

Catherine Bolden, founder and mom behind The Willow Store, created this company in 2005 to share her dedication and respect our Earth, for our children and our reusable future. All of the products sold at The Willow Store are ethically manufactured in the US, they strongly support small business, and living wages. The Willow Store chooses only the highest quality materials, and organic whenever possible, sourced in the US whenever possible.

Catherine was kind enough to allow me to review the wool dryer balls found in her store. Now I'm pretty familiar with dryer balls and have been using a set I received from an Etsy seller. However over time we've actually lost them due to a certain 2 year old who decided they were his balls and were for play, not for the dryer. Luckily I now have a new set of three dryer balls that I love just as much as the other set. Maybe even more since they're slightly larger.

The dryer balls were different from the ones I owned before. For one, as I said before, they were a bit larger. And second, I didn't have to wash them before use. I just tossed them in the dryer and hit the start button. Super easy and no prep is always good in my book. I've been using the dryer balls for about 2 weeks now and they've kept my clothes soft and fluffy and my cloth diapers feeling great. I love the fact that they're great for all cloth. And I especially love how soft they make our sheets. Another added bonus is that they've helped speed up the dryer time for my comforters and large blankets. Not sure how but they dry a lot faster! 

Do you use dryer sheets and fabric softener?  Have you ever noticed a film like feel to your clothes after using these products? That's the chemical residue that makes your clothes feel soft. And it can be pretty irritating if you have sensitive skin. Wool dryer balls are the natural solution for softening your clothes without chemicals. Made completely from US wool, they help your clothes (and cloth diapers!) tumble dry softly, and reduce the drying time by up to half. To use, simply toss 2-3 balls in your wet dryer and start. No need to remove them from the dryer when you are done, just keep them there for the next load!

The Willow Store's dryer balls are approximately 9” circumference (about the size of a tennis ball). You'll want to use 2-3 balls for fastest drying. These won’t harm your clothes or cloth diapers at all. The balls are 100% wool, so some natural pilling may occur over time but all you have to do is pick it off and continue use. These balls are available in natural cream or hand dyed in a variety of colors. The colors are safe for any color laundry, the dye used is fiber reactive, and will not bleed onto your clothing. And the best thing about them is that they last for many years and you don't have to continue purchasing dryer sheets!

Purchase and Giveaway Information

The Willow Store has kindly offered to include a set of wool dryer balls to my Merry Fluffy Christmas package and I couldn't be more thrilled. Not only will my package include cloth diapers, wipes, wipes spray, and inserts but it'll also include the items needed to care for your cloth diapers as well. Now I'd say that's a pretty great package!

To find out more about The Willow Store please visit their website. You can also find them on facebook and twitter where you'll always hear the latest on sales, new products and much more!

Disclaimer: I received a set of wool dryer balls from The Willow Store for review purposes only. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own. I only promote products I believe in 100% and will always disclose this information to my readers.  

Best Start Birth Center {Review}

When I learned that I was pregnant for the second time I knew I wanted to pursue other options when it came to where I gave birth. The experience I had with my son was not my ideal situation and I wanted to make sure that I did everything possible to make sure I would receive the birth I dreamed about. Yes, I know that sounds crazy but I just knew I could give birth naturally with no intervention and wanted those around me at that time to believe so too.

I went in search of a birthing center that not only allowed for a natural birth but was also covered by my insurance. And that’s when I learned about Best Start Birth Center. Best Start is the only state-licensed, nationally accredited, free-standing birth center in Southern California. That means they are not part of a hospital or HMO. They are a private practice owned and operated by midwives. They have physicians associated with the practice whom we consult with and refer clients to as needed, but they are not here for deliveries -- it is the midwives who do the deliveries. Best Start is also the only state-licensed, nationally accredited facility in San Diego offering Water-birth.

When I went in for my first appointment I was immediately set at ease. I received a tour of the facilities, met a few of the midwives there that day and got to know the reception staff and nurses. I would come to find out that they are a tight knit group who work very well with each other. Every time I called in or had a question or concern at an appointment I was quickly helped and given great information and answers. I never felt like my concerns weren’t important nor did I think that anyone was hurrying me up or brushing me off. I was important and they cared as much about my pregnancy as I did. My best interest was their concern.

Each time I went in for a prenatal appointment I would see a different midwife. They do this so that you get to know each midwife at the practice. The midwives rotate who is on call so when you go into labor you don’t know who’s on call until you call in. As luck would have it the only midwife I didn’t get to meet due to schedule conflicts (I always had to make my appointments for certain dates and some midwives were off on those dates) was the midwife who would deliver my daughter.

But that wouldn’t matter. From the first few moments I met Brita on the day I came in to deliver my daughter I knew things were going to be ok. Throughout the birth both Brita and her birth assistant were reassuring, calm and empowering. I wasn’t sure if I could get through my natural birth without my trusty doula and best friend by my side (like at my son’s birth) but with these two women I knew I could. Every step of the way they were there to guide me. They offered me different suggestions and positions and never once said I had to do anything. They let me decide what I felt most comfortable with and when I needed direction the most they helped me out.

As soon as my daughter came into the world I knew I had made the right decision in going with Best Start Birth Center. She was immediately placed in my arms and was allowed to stay with me for a bit. Then she was taken to be measured and weighed while I delivered the placenta. I then tried to get her to latch on before handing her over to Daddy while they sutured me up (yup… I tore!). The whole time we were there after giving birth she was in the room with us either in my arms or in Daddy’s arms. My son came to visit two hours later with my mother-in-law with lunch in tow and four hours after that we were headed home.

Two days after I gave birth a nurse came to my home to check on me and the baby. She offered help with breastfeeding and gave me great suggestions for different foods to eat, teas to drink and how to overall care for myself while caring for a new baby. At my 6 week check up I was greeted by congratulations and smiles while everyone oohed and aahed at my new daughter. I felt as if I had come full circle from the first time I visited the birthing center seeing the new mom next to me waiting for her 6 week appointment. If I decide to get pregnant again I will more than likely be turning to Best Start to deliver my third child.

To read my full birth story go here. And if you are considering a birthing center for the birth of your child and have more questions please feel free to contact me at any time!

Sign4Baby Sign & Play Class {Review}

My Background in Signing

Gorilla

My first signing experience was in the 3rd grade (my FAVORITE year of school out of the lot of them). My teacher had (has... I'm sure) a deaf sister who taught at a school for the hearing impaired and wanted to set us up with pen pals for the year. She assured us that if we kept at it and learned a few signs we might just get the chance to meet our pen pals in person at the end of the school year.

So as the months passed we learned the alphabet, learned how to say "my name is" and learned a few more signs including the Pledge of Allegiance and America the Beautiful. And as promised we were able to meet our deaf pen pals at an ice cream social at the end of the year. It was pretty fun being able to actually practice our signs and it was pretty funny when we got quizzical looks and our pen pals grabbed our hands to show us the correct way to sign. Out of all that was learned that year the only thing I remember is the alphabet and how to say "My name is".

My First Experience with E
But because learning sign language had such an impact in me at a young age and sparked such an interest I knew I wanted to use this form of communication with my children. So even before my son was born I started trying to learn simple signs. My sister in law passed on some baby sign language books that I read from cover to cover, practicing every once in a while and I received a Baby Einstein sign language DVD for my shower from my husband's cousin.

One of E's favorites when he was younger - Music

But by the time E came I was so exhausted from just figuring out the whole how to be a mother thing that I didn't start regularly signing with him until he was about 6 months old. Sure I signed nurse/milk and diaper change every once in a while before that but never with any real excitement for him to learn. As he got closer to the one year mark I knew I needed a better way of communicating with him so we started signing more frequently.

Bear

And we started to go to Sign4Baby's Signing Story Time at the local libraries. E would get excited to play with the other kids in class and loved listening to the stories and dancing to the songs. At the end of each story time was a special treat. He got to play with the bubbles Joann blew to the kids! That just made everything even better. Going to the story time events helped me expand my signing vocabulary and in turn I was able to teach E more and more signs. And between 15-18 months his signing vocabulary (and speaking vocabulary) exploded. He would sign when he didn't know a word to let me know what he wanted. And sometimes he'd sign along with whatever he was saying to give greater emphasis on the word. Communication was getting easier!

I joined Sign4Baby's playgroup on Meetup.com so I could keep up with all of the fun signing events. I started seeing a monthly zoo trip included on the calendar so we started to go with the group to the zoo to learn more signs as well. Since E is very interested in animals I knew this would go over well. And it did! He loved learning more animal signs just as much as I loved teaching him. 

My Experience with M and Sign4Baby Review

Time/Watch

When M came into our lives I knew I wanted to sign with her as well. But I wasn't quite sure when to start. A few months ago I saw a special being run by Sign4Baby. If we signed up for classes by May we could get 12 classes for the price of 6! Now that's an awesome deal! I talked about the deal with my mother in law (she was already a fan of Sign4Baby's facebook page and had seen it also) and she surprised me by purchasing the classes as a gift to M.

So at the end of May, just shy of turning 6 months, we started our Sign4Baby sign classes at Java Mama. In the first six week session we learned about:

• animals
• family
• colors
• feelings
• play time
• weather

And two weeks into the second six week session we've already learned about first signs and food. And a representative from Happy Baby even came in to help teach us about healthy eating for baby and toddler. We're going to be learning about bath and body, diapering, getting dressed and meal time in the coming weeks!

The class is not only fun and educational but holds M's interest the whole time! Between reading stories, talking about the signs and how to incorporate them into our everyday lives, and singing fun songs (sometimes getting up and dancing too!) it's hard NOT to learn what Joann is teaching. And I'm pleased to announce that M has signed her first sign! She's starting to sign dog regularly. She has been showing an interest in the milk sign as well if she wants to nurse. She giggles, laughs and starts pulling at me when I ask her and do the sign. So I know she's catching on!

I definitely know I couldn't have taught my children all they know about sign language without Joann's help. I have come to find that the structure of the classes is a must for anyone who wants to teach their children signs. I know from experience how hard it was to teach E signs with just signing story time and meetups alone. And with the aid of songs, books and other educational tools, Joann provides all of the resources a caregiver would need to aid in the development of their child's vocabulary and communication skills.

Dance!

By adding the classes with Joann to our arsenal of sign language tools I know that M's sign vocabulary will not only improve but will more than likely start developing sooner than her brother if not only for the fact that she's seen other mamas and babies sign every week since she was 6 months old. Plus after these 12 weeks of classes I can continue to learn from Joann since I won 6 MORE weeks of classes through the Baby Bump and Beyond's blog! I'm hoping to wait a bit before jumping right back in since our schedule has been very full this summer but can't wait to start again.

I recommend Joann's Sign4Baby classes to anyone who wants to take the next step in teaching their child sign language. She is just a wonderful educator who not only gives you the signs but teaches you the skills to best present the signs to your child so that they watch and learn from you. And I cannot wait to see what M's going to sign next! Below are a few photos from our last Sign & Learn session of the first 6 weeks. All families and children photographed agreed to have their photo posted on my blog :)

Snacks are always welcomed

Exploring is mandatory

Plenty of toys to aid the children in learning

Building blocks ... a must-have sign in this house

Colored scarves help aid in teaching the colors of the rainbow

Parents are encouraged to sign along

M LOVED watching Joann sign and sing

My Weight Loss Journey through Miscarriage, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Now I know I've posted about losing weight and being on Weight Watchers before but I looked back and didn't see any recent posts on my goals and my progress thus far. So I thought I'd update the blog with my journey and progress.

When I first started Weight Watchers after gaining 30 or so pounds after my miscarriage I felt strong. I felt like I was finally in control of my body, and more importantly, my emotions. I lost almost 25 pounds and a little over 10% of my weight. I was on the right track. Then I found out I was pregnant with E. And even though I was so happy to be pregnant, I was also a little resentful because I really wanted to get to my goal weight before starting a family. I wanted to be healthy before I brought a little one into our family.

And then I had my beautiful baby boy and the weight didn't matter. Sure I went back to Weight Watchers right away at 6 weeks post partum to begin the journey again but that didn't last long. It took until E was 10 or 11 months old before I finally jumped back on and got serious. When I started again I was nervous. Nervous that adding exercise and losing weight would somehow affect my milk supply. I would push myself too much and wouldn't be able to be successful in nursing my baby. So I quit. And waited till I was comfortable enough with a. being a mom and b. starting to work on myself again.

And if you know me you know what happened next. After 3-4 short months back on track I got pregnant. Again. Thus began the process all over again. Once M was 8 weeks old I felt strong enough to start the Weight Watchers journey again.

I officially started Weight Watchers again on January 31st, 2011. And since then (25 weeks/6 months have past) I've lost 16.6 pounds. This time around  I have no worries about my milk supply being affected. I was in it for the long haul and had the resources (and confidence) I needed to continue breastfeeding.

I am losing on average about 2/3rds of a pound a week. And I'm pretty darn certain that the reason why I am losing this way is because I am breastfeeding. My body is just holding on to everything. It doesn't want to let go. So in order to get a jump start on this next phase of weight loss I've joined the YMCA (after a bit of a breakdown with E in the midst of his awesome two-year-old attitude - might have had something to do with our potty training fun) and am now getting to the gym about 4-6 times a week! And wouldn't you know? My supply hasn't been affected in the least!

Even though I'm exercising regularly and getting back on track I still don't feel successful yet. I haven't seen the change I've wanted for myself and my body. So as I just posted I'm going to invest in a few shapers like Yummie Tummie products to make my body do what I want it to do for now until I start to feel better in my body again. That way I still feel confident in my body enough to continue this journey until I reach my goal.

I am open to any and all suggestions to further aid my weight loss journey. If you've set a goal or created a plan I'd love to hear it! I think that Weight Watchers is the easiest program for me to follow but if there are any snack or meal suggestions please pass them on :) And I'd love to hear about your journey too! Support is something that has been key in this journey for me. 

I'll leave you with the most recent family photo (from Ms 6 Month mini-session) by the wonderful Tessa of Grin & Share It Photography... you won't be seeing that round face again! I hope I look just as fabulous for M's 1 Year photos as I did for E's :)

Baby-Led Weaning {Ditching the Purees}

Miss M has been interested in our food since she was about 4 1/2 months old. I knew she was ready for solids when she started lurching for our spoons and plates and trying to snag what we were eating. So I started her on purees and she seemed to be into it. But she never seemed to be interested after taking about a tablespoon of food. She was much more into gnawing on the spoon. So I started researching and asking around and found the answer I was looking for. Baby-led weaning.

I put away the purees I made and wiped off the food processor. M's first real experience with baby-led weaning  was with a food she was used to... apples. I just sauteed them up so they were soft and diced them up. I don't think I made the pieces big enough so I stopped after a few tastes. Here are a few pictures from her experience :)

She did really well picking up the pieces with her fingers so I gave her a few puffs to practice with. Then I started thinking of what I was going to serve for dinner. And I figured carrots would be good to practice with as well. I made sure to keep them in stick form so she could grab onto them and gnaw little pieces off. They were a hit! She loved it and the mess she left proved that she had a great time as well.

Since that first day we've offered her a little of whatever we're having at each meal. Sometimes she just plays with the food and other times she eats a bit. She's really good at chewing with her gums! Definitely surprised me with how well her gums work to chew.

And she's doing great with her sippy too. She still uses it mostly as a teether but she does get water out of it every once in a while. Friday night we had pizza so I made her a deconstructed pizza plate of sorts. She got to taste olives, a bit of mozzarella, some steamed broccoli and pizza crust. She looked like she thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the family meal. I wasn't too sure about the cheese since she seems a bit young to have it but we've had no problems so far.

I really think this is not going to be easier for us in general but it's less stressful, in my opinion. I never worried about how much E was eating when he was on purees but I did start to worry when he started eating table food since I didn't think he was getting enough. Now I know it's all just practice at this point. Her main nutrition still comes from my breastmilk and she's getting really good at playing with her food :)

It Aint Always Rosy {Breastfeeding}

Breastfeeding

I have had a fairly easy time breastfeeding. My children, from the start, had a great latch and breastfed well. And they seemed to really enjoy breastfeeding. There was not something I did, or read, to allow for this. It really was just the right combination of everything that allowed me to continue to breastfeed with ease. And because it was so easy for me I just kept going.

I had to introduce a bottle to my son fairly early on. When he was only two days old I was told I had to supplement with formula until my milk came in due to jaundice. He had no problem taking the bottle and nipple confusion was non-existent. He took a pacifier, he breastfed and he took the bottle. It was pretty awesome. Then he gave up the pacifier at 9 months. And only wanted me to soothe him. It was hard. But we got through it. And now, even though I am not breastfeeding him anymore, he still rubs my arm to soothe himself.

When my daughter was born I just assumed she would take a bottle as well. Trying to figure out our lives after we brought her home we just forgot about the whole bottle thing until I started pumping when she was about 3-4 weeks old. I wanted to start a freezer stash for when I went back to work so I started pumping once in the morning. I asked my husband to give her the bottle when I was out for a bit one evening and came back to a screaming child. She had refused to take anything from the bottle.

We thought it was a fluke. So we continued trying every few days and she never seemed to take anything from the bottle. I was starting to get worried when my return date for work fast approached. The day before I was scheduled to come back to work I tried the bottle again. And she took 1.5 ounces!!! I was relieved. And I happily left her with my husband for the day. And she didn't take anything from him so he ended up coming to me at lunch for her to nurse. And so it continued.

The two days I worked she would hold out until my husband, mother-in-law and aunt-in-law brought her to me. I couldn't handle it any longer and decided we would be better off if I was home with her 100% of the time until we could focus on other foods for her main source of nutrition (solids are not the main form of nutrition for infants until they hit 12 months, formula or breast milk should still be the main portion of their diet). So I have actually quit my job to feed my child.

I don't know what would have happened if things didn't go well with breastfeeding from the start. I really didn't have a large support group of lactivists around me when I came home with my son. Sure there was the friendly internet but I didn't feel like I had a buddy right next to me whom I could confide in for help. I think I felt more of the opposite. Those around me were more willing to encourage me to throw in the towel and start formula. I'm not sure if I'd push forward and seek the help I might need if I did need assistance or if I had problems I couldn't figure out the answers for.

I now know that I need to be more open about my knowledge of breastfeeding, my experiences and the research I've done. I want new mothers to feel empowered, not scared to admit that it isn't as easy as everyone makes it to be. I want new mothers who run into problems to know that if they truly want to exhaust all resources before throwing in the towel then there's someone here for them to help them along the way. I also want new mothers to know that they AREN'T horrible parents if they choose to formula feed. That is their personal choice and no matter what the story is behind it they should not be chastised or feel bad about their choice.

It Aint Always Rosy {Co-Sleeping}

Co-Sleeping

From the first night I brought my son home I really had no idea how the sleeping thing would work. I mean I had an idea that he'd eventually sleep in a crib. Cause all babies sleep in cribs, right? But I had the pack n' play set up in our room for at least the first few nights. I had heard that it would be easier for me to sleep if he was in the room with us. Especially if we were breastfeeding.

So we came home. And my baby slept in my arms. Literally in my arms. I slept sitting up those first few nights. I really didn't feel like I could put that little angel down. He was so tiny. How was he going to sleep without being right with me. Maybe it was just because he was a part of me for so long and I didn't want to let that go.

Then because we were successful in breastfeeding I just kept him in our bed at night because it was so much easier than the thought of actually having to get out of bed and get up in the middle of the night. Plus he was a pretty good sleeper and hardly woke up to nurse when he was hungry. None of this hours of no sleep. He'd wake up, fuss a bit, nurse and fall back to sleep. I didn't know why everyone else said they were so exhausted during the newborn stage.

And I started feeling a bit weird about still having him in bed with us. So I tried to transition him to the crib. I guess I didn't try hard enough. I read that starting with naps first might be the best way to go. So I would put him in his crib once he nursed himself to sleep (or I rocked him to sleep). But he always seemed to wake up 1/2 an hour or less later. That didn't seem right. So after a few naps like this I went back to having him nap in our bed or in his swing. 1-2 hours... much better!

I would try to transition him every few weeks but he never seemed to want to stay in his crib long. He much preferred our bed. What I didn't realize was that I was hardly helping him in this transition. When he was younger I didn't really put him down. Ever. So he got used to needing me to soothe him to sleep. So I just gave up on the crib and said we were going to co-sleep. Then he started getting bigger. And my husband didn't feel comfortable in bed anymore. He'd wake up with a foot in his back and only five inches of bed to lay on. I understood and started looking into alternatives.

So at 15 months our son transitioned from our bed to his own twin bed. In his room. And it worked great for the first few days. He napped perfectly in there. And would call out to me to pick him up when he woke. Nights were a bit different. He would sleep until 3am and then would wake and call for me. I'd either bring him into bed with us or fall asleep with him in his bed.

Today he sleeps in his room. But he usually ends up crawling in bed with us at around 3am. And even with the second one I never quite figured out how to transition an infant to the crib. I did get a co-sleeper though so I try and remember to put our daughter in there for 1/2 of the night. And I promise I'll try better to transition her to the crib. Maybe...

The New Food Pyramid

I know everyone's probably already seen the new food pyramid. Or should I say the new food plate. I'm actually really happy about it. I have already decided that I want to do my best to educate my kids about the food they eat as well as nutrition and exercise in general.

Last year we took Ethan to go pick apples and I plan to do so again this year (with Molly too!). I also want to go berry picking next year as well with both kids. And Joseph and I are already planning on building a raised bed for a vegetable garden. I think that getting my kids involved in the preparation of the food we eat might help them not only understand where food comes from but also get interested in eating the right kinds of food.

You don't know how excited I get when I put a chicken nugget, bowl of fruit and a french fry in front of Ethan for dinner and he goes for the fruit first (C'mon! No judging. We went to Chick-Fil-A for dinner the other night). Or when I ask him what he wants for dinner and he says broccoli. Yes, some nights he asks for fruit roll ups or ice cream for dinner but for the most part he is really good about eating a well balanced diet. And I'm happy to say that he's also started eating more than just hot dogs and bacon for protein.

And I believe that starting young will really help us in the future. If you've always had access to fruits and vegetables wouldn't you be more inclined to choose them when planning out your meals at a restaurant or when you want to make a meal for dinner.

Now I'm not knocking sweets or fast food (obviously since I just admitted to serving Chick-Fil-A nuggets and fries to Ethan) but I really think that we need to start working on moderation and variation. I'm on Weight Watchers. My goal every day is to eat at LEAST 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. That means my breakfasts, snacks, lunches and dinners all contain at least one serving of fruit or veggies. And I've been really working on including a variety of vegetables to our every day routine. Not just salad or broccoli.

So when I see the new food plate I get excited. I hope that when my kids take a nutrition class or learn about healthy eating in school (do they still do that?) that they will just hear what they already see at home. And if you have any ideas or suggestions on how to continue down this path I'm all ears!

Messy Baby Take Two

I don't ever remember E being as messy as Miss M seems to be with her food at this age. I mean, he was quite the messy eater when he got older but he was all about just getting as much food in his mouth as possible when he was this age. Miss M... well, she has better ideas :)

She will literally pull the spoon from out of our hands and try to feed herself. This leads to food being splattered on me, her and any surrounding area. It's pretty darn comical to watch. I'll have to have Joseph record it the next time. We just keep forgetting to grab the video camera. But here are some still shots of the end product...

Love her!!!

M's First Meal

So first a confession. We've given M food two other times. First, two weeks ago she went for my banana. Like lunged for it. She saw E and me eating one so she wanted in too. I proceeded to give her about 1/2 a tablespoon of banana mashed up. Don't worry... I gave it to her the next two days too just in case there was an allergy.

Then on Cinco de Mayo we went to our favorite mexican restaurant, Tio Leo's, and I enjoyed an enchilada, rice and beans. Well, I gave E half of my rice and beans so she saw not only me but E and Daddy eating the same thing. So again she tried to lunge for my fork as I was eating. I stopped her and put her in the high chair they gave us for her (first time in a high chair!). I took a small amount of beans on my finger and gave it to her. She gobbled them up! And kept asking for more by opening her mouth and shoving my finger in her mouth.

So, we knew it was time to really start solids. And last night we did. I started with just a teaspoon of oatmeal cereal and 1/2 to one ounce of breastmilk (hey, it's not being used anyway!). Well... she loved it! Ate the whole thing. Even took the spoon from me at the end since obviously I wasn't giving it to her fast enough :)

My Babywearing Journey - The Road to the Perfect Carrier

I knew when I first started reading about babywearing that it would be something that I'd want to try out. I stocked up on 2 Hotslings before E was born (one was given to me as a gift and the other I purchased) and was able to borrow a Snugli from a friend who received two at her shower.

Then I had E. And it got a little difficult after 3 months to get comfortable (and get him comfortable) with the sling. He also didn't seem to be too comfortable in the Snugli. He was a chunker.

So I started researching other methods of babywearing. And the one that seemed the most  feasable was buying a wrap. I didn't get a Moby Wrap but I got something similar made by a WAH mom. It was basically 6 yards of jersey knit cotton cut in 1/2 lengthwise and serged on the edges. A DIY moby wrap. But so much easier to have someone else DIY it :)

And this worked amazingly well for a few months. I felt comfortable, E felt secure and all was right with the world. Until it got super hot. So we stopped babywearing as much and got some good use out of our stroller. Then the day came when the Ergo went on sale on BabySteals.com... again.

See, I missed it the first time because I was too slow to order. Then I saw it again and didn't think Joseph would go for paying $70 for a baby carrier. I waited till they were still in stock the next day on the website before even bringing it up with Joseph. And he said if it's easier on you, go for it! So I did! And my Ergo was delivered about 3 weeks after I ordered it (maybe a bit longer due to the large demand and mass quantities being shipped).

And ever since I opened that package and tried it out I've been in love. The ease and use of the Ergo is just fabulous. It's light, sturdy and keeps me and my babies cool or warm depending on the weather. I could wear E in front or on my back depending on where we were and, during my pregnancy, how big I had gotten. I think I carried him on my back up until I was 30 weeks pregnant. And I only stopped because he preferred his stroller or walking to being worn.

With having a newborn again I didn't know what I would prefer. Or what she would prefer. E was awesome and never minded being carried but I had heard stories from friends about their efforts to wear their babies with no luck. The babies just weren't having it. So I asked for an Ergo Infant Insert for Christmas (and received two!) and hoped for the best.

When we went on our first few outings with Miss M I chose to use the same sling I used with E. And she didn't complain one bit. Then I tried out the Ergo with the infant insert. It was pretty nice. But I didn't quite like the insert. So when Miss M started showing signs of having good control of her head and neck I tried the Ergo without the insert (I think it was around 8-10 weeks?). She did great!

And I haven't used my slings (or the Snugli) since. It's been Ergo all the way. But since Miss M is a heck of a lot more petite than her brother I may have better luck with the Snugli if she prefers to look out. She keeps trying to crane her neck around to see what's going on when she's wide awake and not as snuggly. So we'll see...

Miss M's 2 Month Well Baby Visit - A Recap

So apparently Molly is going to BF till she's three...

I brought up the fact that Molly is refusing the bottle. She said you can't force it and reassured me that she wouldn't starve. Some babies have no problems going 4-5 hours without the bottle and some will even wait till their mom's get home 8-9 hours later until they realize that the bottle isn't the devil. Or they'll continue to refuse the bottle for 8-9 hours and than get their days/nights mixed up and will sleep through the day and eat all night. OY!

So after telling me all this she then asks how long I plan on BFing. I told her I plan on going until she weans herself just like I did for Ethan. She said that I should prepare myself to BF till she's in preschool because from how she's acting now she will probably prefer the boob over everything else (she also refuses pacifiers but uses her hands to self soothe when I'm not nursing). And that mixed with my not wanting another one will probably allow my body to continue producing milk as needed.

But even though all of the above sounds crazy if we make it past a year of BFing than I have no problem continuing until she's ready to wean. Even if this means 2.5-3 years. 3 years will be my limit though. I know I will need my body back by then. I just pray she doesn't give her dad hell when he watches her when I go back to work. And luckily I only work out of the home 2 days a week. I foresee stress in my near future!

Oh, and her stats:

10lbs 13oz - 50th %tile
23in long - 75th %tile

and I think her head was 15.5in which is 50th %tile

So all in all a good appointment. She also will most likely have eczema like her brother and dad but we're ready for it and know how to treat it. And she's super strong. She was holding her head up like a champ when the dr put her on her belly for tummy time. She was straining up with her head to see me past the doctor :) Love her.

The World of Breastfeeding

Now that Miss M is two months old I feel comfortable talking about our success (and failures) in breastfeeding. Miss M is completely different from her brother in many ways and eating is one of them. Now she's a champ at latching and sucking just like he was but she's not as driven by hunger (or she's more successful at nursing long enough to get enough hindmilk to fill her up). She lets me know when she's hungry but she never acts ravenous like E did. I can let her go 2-3 hours and she'll let me know by her facial expressions and coos when she's ready to eat. Her brother wouldn't let me go much past 2 hours for the first two months of life much less past 1.5 hours!

Now the problem comes with her taking a bottle. I feel totally fine leaving the house for 2-3 hours at a time while Joseph watches her but anything beyond that and I have to rush home. Sometimes she doesn't even last that period of time for him and is screaming by the time I arrive at the front door. She has only once successfully taken a (pumped) bottle and that was two ounces from me when I decided to try on a whim a few Fridays ago. She has yet to take another and is quite irritated that we keep offering it to her. I really hope she starts taking it soon! I have started a pretty good freezer stash for when I return to work and I don't need the added stress of her not eating to add to the craziness of returning to work...

Another problem we've run into is Thrush. She's basically had it since day one. It's a yeast build up in the mouth and hasn't quite effected me the same as it did when Ethan had it (oh the excruciating pain!) and I think we've managed to keep it under control. But we've been giving her medication for it since she was a week old and it's still there! I HATE yeast! I'm hoping we can clear things up at her next pedi appointment this week.

Now the yeast isn't hurting her. She probably doesn't notice that anything is off or different but when that yeast goes to me and starts to build up or worse, create an infection, then I'll be in a world of hurt. Itching, burning pain. Yes, it's treatable but I want to prevent it from even happening! So I'm currently taking probiotics and eating yogurt every day to build myself some resistance from it. And hopefully this is transferring to her through my breastmilk.

I have been really lucky with these two wonderful children. Breastfeeding for the most part has come quite naturally to them and with the help of nurses, lactation consultants and friends I've grown to be very educated and confident in breastfeeding. I nursed E until he was just over 18 months and hope to be as successful in breastfeeding Miss M. We'll start with the same goals I set for her brother in that if she makes it to six months we'll try for a year and if we make it to a year we'll leave it up to her to decide when she wants to wean. I pray that things go as well as they are now and am prepared to do what I can to keep it going. Now we just have to work on that darn bottle!

Molly Claire's Birth Story

I woke up at 1:45 on Tuesday morning to Ethan crawling into bed with us. I fell back asleep but at 2:30 I woke up again with some back pain. I couldn't fall back asleep so I went to play on the computer. I started to feel contractions so I started timing them and was surprised to see that they were 3 minutes apart.

After 45 minutes I called the midwife on call to let her know what was going on. I was surprised to have her answer right away and she didn't even sound tired. I would later find out that another woman was in labor with her first and had arrived at 1am that morning. She told me to continue to time them and when they continued to stay 3-5 minutes apart for a full hour to call back.

They continued so I woke up Joseph and told him I was going to take a shower. Ethan woke up and wouldn't go back down so he and Joseph started watching Madagascar 2. I called the midwife, Brita, again and mentioned that they weren't super intense. I also told her about my 8:30 appointment that morning and we both agreed to just have me come in then to see what was going on. She also assured me that she would be at the center so I could come in at any time if things changed.

By then it was 5am so we called Ann, my MIL, to see if we could drop Ethan off at 8am before my appointment and started getting ready for the day. We called Ann back a few minutes later to see if she could come pick Ethan up instead of us dropping him off. I continued having regular contractions and they started to feel a little more intense.

Ann came by at around 6:30 and Ethan was ready to jump in the car. I guess he knew what was going on to a degree and had no problem heading off with Grandma. Or he knew Papa was at Grandma's and he wanted to play with him. He kissed us goodbye and was on his way...

By 7:50 we were in the car heading to the birthing center. On the drive over the contractions got more intense and maybe 2-3 minutes apart. But they were definitely bearable. We circled around to find un-metered parking since we didn't know how long we would be there. I checked in at 8:30 and waited for the midwife. She was still with the woman who was in labor.

She came and got me at about 8:45 and had me pee in a cup. Then she measured the fundal height and checked Molly's heartbeat. She then checked to see how dilated I was. She exclaimed "Wow!" And I asked if she felt Molly's head thinking she was just responding to how low she was. She them told me I was 8cm dilated and fully effaced. OMG!

She admitted me at 8:50 and showed me my room. She asked if it were ok to have me in the back room since she had to go from the woman in the front room to me and going up the stairs may be harder. I had no preference and didn't mind at all. She then asked if I wanted a water birth and I said I would try it. But when she drew the bath and I got in she quickly realized that I was too tall for the tub in the room. She assured me that we could move upstairs if needed and I told her that it wasn't a problem.

I got out of the tub and started having contractions one after another with maybe 30 seconds of reprieve in between and asked the labor assistant when Brita was going to check me again. She ran to get Brita (she was w/ the other laboring woman) and when Brita checked me I was at 10. I quickly got on the bed to allow them to check the baby's heartbeat since they couldn't find it while I was swaying at the bedside trying to get through the intense contractions.

Brita also told me the only thing holding back Molly was my bag of waters so I asked shat would happen when she broke it. She smiled and said that as soon as I started pushing the bag should break on its own.

By this time I really don't think I knew exactly how close I was to having this baby. I got on my hands and knees and began pushing with the next contraction. Next thing I knew my water broke. The midwife asked if this was how I wanted to push her out and I told her I had no clue. She tried to get a reading on the Baby M's heartbeat but couldn't find it in the position I was in so she asked if I could turn around for just a second. I got slightly on my side and put my leg up on her shoulder.

I was ready to push this baby out and push her out now. I started pushing and the midwife asked if I was pushing with a contraction. I told her I had no idea when the contractions were coming, I just needed her out now. She than felt my stomach and would tell me when to push. She and Joseph both told me how strong I was and how close I was to meeting my daughter. The midwife asked if I wanted to see or feel her and I quickly turned her down quickly (I guess I am pretty mean and snappy when I am in pain) and just wanted to focus on pushing.

I felt the midwife's hands and didn't understand why Molly wasn't out yet. Later on I would find out that the midwife just wanted to help prevent any damage with her coming so fast. I finally was at the point where her head was crowning and with the burning ring of fire I felt all I could think about was getting her out. With two pushes after that she was out. As soon as her little body was out, she was on my chest. The midwife looked at the clock and told us she was born at 9:45.

I was shocked at how fast it all went! In less than an hour from being admitted I was holding my little girl. The midwife later on mentioned that she thinks my body just went for it after she told me I was 8cm since I had such a huge grin on my face after she told me.

Molly latched on as soon as she cleared out her lungs with some screaming and nursed for a good 30-45 minutes. I had a 2nd degree tear so as I got stitched up Joseph got some skin-to-skin time with Molly. More to come about big brother Ethan meeting his sister for the first time...

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