the mimic

As we all know, there comes a time in a babies life when she starts to mimic. It starts in a beautiful manner- mama smiles at baby, baby smiles back, mama jumps up and down screaming, She smiled! She smiled! and then proceeds to be a goofy mess as baby continues to mimic her smile.

Baby starts to mimic sounds- ooh! ah!. We play peekaboo together, take turns clapping, making faces together. All harmless, good, old-fashioned baby and mama fun.

But at some point, it takes a sinister turn. You drop a cup and yell, Fuck! Baby jumps up and down yelling Fuc! Fuk! Oops. You slap a fly off your other child and baby turns to slap her too. Oops. And then there is just the annoying- I hand you the spoon and you hand it back to me. Over. And over. And over again.

I'm not sure if this falls into the sinister or the annoying. Whatever it is, it's not something that I want Baby S to continue, but it seems to have lodged itself in her little memory bank for the time being. What happened was this- after nursing, she grabbed my nipple with her sharp little claws. I yelled, Ouch!. Apparently, this made quite the impression on her. She then grabbed my nipple again and yelled, Ow!. And then she did it again.

Perhaps I shouldn't have laughed. That was probably the kicker. As much as it did hurt (those claws are sharp!), it was really pretty funny. What the heck was going on in her head? This is what you say when you grab mama's nipple? I tried grabbing her nipple just to show her that it hurts, but I forgot that she feels no pain. She thought this was hysterical, and responded by grabbing my nipple again. OW!


Here we are, three days later. For the past three days, she periodically grabs my nipple (hard) and yells Ow!. The memory on this kid!

Of course, it might go away if I could stop laughing.

sick babies

Sickness has a way of mowing down families. First one person, then everyone else follows like dominos.

The past seven days have been a textbook example of this. Since I work in an elementary school, I am the number one bring-er home-r of germs. Kindergartners seem to delight in sneezing in my face, throwing up while we are packed into the tight little elevator, rubbing their snotty nose on my belly as they swoop in for hugs. You'd think that I'd have built up a pretty crazy good immune system... and maybe I have, but this last bug was a bulldozer that crashed through the immunity wall.

I blame my co-worker. No kids, she's always stressed out over her job and getting things done. I walk in on Wednesday (late, as usual), and see her practically crying because she felt sick but felt bad about not coming in. I quickly pushed her out the door and assured her that I would be fine, all while trying not to breathe her airspace.

Too bad we work in a small office. 

the breast buffet

As Baby S gets older, her mind is maturing. Gone is the simple mind of the newborn. Her thoughts and actions become more complex with every passing day. You can see her looking at things, working out ideas in her head, making connections. Things that existed on their own now exist in a state of being in connection with other things.

Along with this comes options. For example: I know this (broccoli) is food, and I know your tortilla chip is food, so why eat this broccoli when I know you have tortilla chips in the kitchen, mama?

The same rule applies to my breasts. Being content with just one breast? Please, mama, that is sooooo six months ago! Baby S now wants the breast buffet. I must have both breasts out and readily available as she is eating. She eats for a couple of seconds from one breasts, stops, pulls back to examine her food, and switches to the other breast. Sometimes she doesn't switch- after contemplating both breasts, she decides that she was enjoying the one that she was on and continues to drink there for a couple of seconds. Of course, that doesn't mean I can cover up the one that she is not working on at the moment- that elicits an indignant grunt as she stops to pull up my shirt again.

What is this all about? Options? Choice? The realization that I have two breasts, all for her? Whatever it is, I don't know why I even bother with a shirt when it's feeding time anymore.

review: naturepedic and sk naturals

For over a year now, Baby S has slept in my bed. Cuddled up next to me throughout the night.. although lately, more often than not, I wake up with a foot in my face.

The time has come. Time to talk about moving her to her own bed. Don't get me wrong- I have loved this year of co-sleeping. As I have said many times, breastfeeding + co-sleeping = best friends (check out my tips for co-sleeping with a newborn). Co-sleeping puts you in the perfect position to sleep and feed through the night. This would have been a much more tiring year without it.

But all good things must come to an end. Truth be told, Baby S is still nursing quite a bit throughout the night, so I'm not totally ready to give it up. But Daddy is starting to push it more, so I am opening up to the discussion. We are moving in May, so Toddler B will be moving to a toddler bed in her own room, and crib space will be opening up. Like I said, I am opening myself up to the discussion, but no promises have been made.

peek-a-boob

Baby S has a new game: Peek-a-Boob.

Peek-a-Boob is an exciting off-shoot of the good old standby Peek-a-Boo, played with her good friend Ms. Boob.

How does one play this, you might ask? Easy. Best played while mommy is laying on the bed. Lift up shirt, see boob, yell excitedly and bounce around. Perhaps nip in for a quick drink. Then cover boob with shirt, bounce for a couple of seconds. Maybe roll around and laugh, or play with a toy for a second. Then lift up shirt again, laugh excitedly and repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

Woe to the mommy who thinks that the covering of the boob means that Peek-a-Boob is done. Snapping shut the nursing bra could result in cries and agressive pulling of the bra until the boob is revealed once more. Like, what were you thinking, mama?!? This game should be played for hours! I say when the game is done! We must play Peek-a-Boob all day!

Or at least until something else distracts me.

review: apple n amos toys

Hand Kite in Fly Me Alice

What is your take on toys these days? Me personally, I try to avoid the lights and sounds. As a friend of mine recently said to me about a singing Elmo that she was trying to get rid of (with no luck), "These toys should come with free therapist and hospital trips for how many times they scare the shit out of you when you run into them in a dark room at night."

It's true- an annoying monkey toy that my mother gave us (thanks a lot, grandma!) almost caused me to break a leg after giving me a heart attack one night as I went to the kitchen for a glass of water.

This is why I love finding toys that entertain without batteries. Toys that activate children's imaginations. For Baby S's birthday, we received two of these hand kites from Apple N Amos, an Etsy shop specializing in wood toys rooted in Waldorf and Montessori teachings. A mom and pop shop, their toys inspire imagination and play in a way that singing Elmo never will.

Easter Egg Basket

Baby S and Toddler B love these hand kites. The ribbons are hypnotizing and silly to them. They like to make them wiggle and shake. Of course, the wooden circle is a great teether for Baby S! She is also starting to realize that she can wave the kite to make different movements of the ribbons.

Older kids get this of course- at the birthday party there was a lot of movement inspired by these kites. I also saw imaginative play involving gymnastics, birds, and airplanes- imaginations were running wild!

Check out Apple N Amos's full line of toys on Etsy- party favors, the Baby Apple collection, memory games and more!

I received goods or services in exchange for this review. The opinions are all my own.

breastfeeding inspiration

Togo Mother Breastfeeding- Luca Gargano

review and interview: regal cottage

Baby Ball Toy- Let's Join the Circus

Successful first birthday party, check!

People came, tostones and cake were eaten by all, presents were opened, messes were made. My little baby is now officially one year old.

It took me a while to figure out what to give her as a present. I wanted it to be special and something that would last- something that she could show her daughter one day and say, "Grandma got me this for my first birthday." I also wanted it to be something that she would play with- not another thing that would sit on the bottom of the toy bin.

I finally settled on this ball from Regal Cottage. The ball is made from a rare vintage circus print, vintage chenille and organic cotton. It is about 9 inches across and has a fun little bell inside. As Baby S is just beginning to discover ball play- rolling, throwing, hugging- this toy was a hit! We have already had quite a few sessions of family ball throwing time- everybody laughs and loves it. The print is also super fun to look at and she loves it's different textures. Birthday present success!

Matryoshka Plush

Regal Cottage offers a variety of fun eco-friendly plush toys made from organic fabrics, repurposed vintage fabrics and designer fabrics. I also had my eye on these sweet little matryoshka dolls.. maybe a future purchase?

Regina shares some of her breastfeeding and mothering experience with us:

I have four kids ages 3, 6, 9, and 11. I am really proud to say I breastfed all four of them! Surprisingly though, my experience with each of them was totally different, but that's how kids are. Each is a totally unique individual-even when they are tiny little newborns!

one year of breastfeeding

Today, Baby S is one. One year old. One whole year of holding, cuddling, snuggling and kissing. One whole year of being in my heart. 365 days of living and breathing... and breastfeeding!

So where are we at this huge time marker on the breastfeeding front? In a very different place than we were 364 days ago, for sure. Back then, I was still unsure, not so confident, and scared. Now? Breastfeeding has made me feel better about who I am. I have spent 365 days feeding my baby MYSELF. Nourishing her MYSELF. I have KEPT A BABY ALIVE. That is bad ass!

Sure, I've had support, but when it comes down to it, I did it. Together we have navigated those fears and anxieties to come to a point where breastfeeding is the most natural, easy thing in the world. It has given me so much more confidence in myself, period.

330 days ago, we were breastfeeding pretty much around the clock, spending hours at a time in marathon nursing sessions on the couch. Now? The sessions are pretty spread out. We wake up and nurse. Maybe a little snack mid-morning (more like she sucks for a couple of seconds between playing). A little after lunch suckle and then I'm off to work. She eats 2-4 ounces while I'm gone, and then nurses when I get home for a while. Some nursing after bath time before bed... and then anywhere from once to once an hour overnight (I think depending on her teething schedule). The more she eats, the less she nurses- but she's not giving it up anytime soon!

the nursing games

I think that when most people think of breastfeeding they picture a little baby sitting quietly while the mother holds him, both in comfort with a look of peace on their faces. And yes, that's what it's like sometimes, especially those first couple of months nursing your newborn. But as baby gets older (and squirmier), unless baby is really hungry, odds are that they are not going to sit still.

Yes, they'll attempt to eat, but they won't sit still. New moms, don't feel bad if you can't picture it, because I had no idea about this either. I had seen some moms talk about the "toddler olympics" or "nursing olympics", but I couldn't really picture it in my reality.

Somewhere around 8 months, Baby S turned into that distracted add-ish little creature that she is now. Can't keep her mind on something for more than a couple of seconds (unless she's playing the "I drop something and you pick it up" game). Every week she comes up with a new event for The Nursing Games. These are her favorite to date:

1. Breast Archery
Best played with mommy laying on her side, and baby sitting up. Baby stares at breast, gauges the elements (distance, mommy mobility at the moment, wind speed). Suddenly, the arrow is released, and baby shoots face forward to the breast. Will she get a successful latch, or hit side boob and have to suck and move until she hits nipple? A perfect 10 will be rewarded with a 5 second suck before repeating.

interview: BitchinStitches411

Boobie Beanie

Meet Sara, the mama behind the shop BitchinStitches411, maker of fabulous boobie beanies for infants and adults as well as other bits of crocheted fun! 


What was the inspiration behind the boobie beanie?
I was inspired to make the boobie beanie after nursing my daughter in public a few times and getting a few people who were unintentionally staring. I thought, how funny would it be to give them something to look at. Pop a boob hat on my daughters head and see who notices! I got some great responses, all positive! :)

What are your thoughts on nursing in public, and those that think mothers should be covered up (or not nurse in public at all)?
Nursing in public is a very natural thing for a mother to do. Your baby needs to eat when she is hungry! I have always covered up because I am more comfortable that way but I think women should nurse however they feel comfortable, covered or not. The media is saturated in half naked women and no one bats an eyelash. But you put a nursing mother on a bench in a store and its a big deal? I sure don't think so!

Tell us about your own breastfeeding experience.
Before my daughter was born I was determined to nurse at least a year but when she finally came we had a VERY rocky start! I had very sore and cracked nipples and I had a hard time making enough milk. After a lot of practice, Fenugreek, and tears (both mine and my daughters) we were finally successful! But, honestly, it was about 9 weeks until we really had the hang of it.

Do you have a personal nursing in public story?
I have nursed in public many times and have never really had a bad experience. No particular story stands out but i did get some chuckles and double takes with the boobie beanie on my daughter head!

Any advice for mamas that want to start their own shop or business?
Take it slow. Start small. I went from having one or two items on my Etsy site to 19 currently. I have so many more ideas for other hats i would like on the site but I am almost overwhelmed with orders now so i dont really want to add to it. I always get order out within one to three days, though!

Thanks Sara! Check out her boobie beanies, Brobee and Foofa hats, baby apparel and more at her Etsy shop: BitchinStitches411.

ch-ch-ch-changes

As Baby S creeps up on the big ONE (!), I've been noticing some changes.

They probably started about a month ago as she began to be interested in and eating more and more solid foods. Now that she is eating three meals a day plus a snack, her nursing habits have changed. Mainly, she doesn't breastfeed as much.

How do I feel about this? It can go either way. On the con side, I worry about her nutrition more. When she was exclusively breastfeeding I didn't even think about it. I eat pretty well and take my pre-natal vitamins, so she was getting everything she needed from me.

Now? I've already told you- I'm lazy. Can I be trusted to give her what she needs three times a day? Well, I'm getting better at it, especially now that she eats almost everything that we do. And she is still getting breast milk at least 3-4 times a day and during her nightly marathon sessions.

On the plus side, it's easier to go out with her. Not that I mind nursing in public- what I mind is stopping.  When I'm out, I like to get things done. And when you waste all your time actually getting 2 little ones into their winter gear, packing the diaper bag, getting yourself ready, and snapping them into car seats, there's not much time to actually be out before lunch/ naptime/ dinner. When I shop, I want to shop, not stop every hour or so to nurse.

Now, without all the stopping, I can hit two thrift stores in one outing! (Did I tell you I had a vintage shop on etsy? Check it out- Mama Luna Star Vintage) I can't complain about this. Today when she was thirsty I let her play with her sippy cup in the cart as I rummaged through bins. That definitely wouldn't have happened with my breast!

Of course, now my purse has a layer of crackers, fruit snacks and apple cores lining the bottom. And it doesn't get washed nearly as much as my breast.

breastfeeding humor

Source

Even toys know that breast is best!

review & interview: achessmore design

Vintage Birthday Invite and Tags- Dear Little Dear

Baby S is about to turn one! Holy crap, where did the time go? 

And of course, as time just seems to fly by, I always hit the point where I say to myself, Crap. Um, I really need to get birthday invites out NOW. And this is her only first birthday ever and it needs to be super duper special! I don't want some crap from the dollar store written in my crappy handwriting forever enshrined in the baby book!

Luckily, I happened across AChessmore Design, a cute little online shop run by graphic designer, illustrator and work-at-home mama Amie Chessmore. 

This is the adorable invite (at left) that Amie designed to look fabulous for years to come in the baby book (of course, this is the generic version- I don't want to post our invite and have every crazy on the net knocking on our door asking for cake! But you get the idea.).

The best part: for a wait-til-the-last minute mom like me, Amie makes it easy. I picked my invitation, sent her the info that needed to be on it, and she quickly sent me a PDF file of my invite and thank you tags for the goody bags. We printed them on our own printer (they look great!), addressed them, and sent them as postcards. One-two-three-party! 


*Note- the post office has changed their definition of a postcard (seriously). A 5x7 will not qualify for postcard stamps, so if you want to pay a lesser stamp charge, use a 4x6 size (which Amie can provide!).

Amie, mother of two girls (A, almost 5, and V, almost 2), shares some of her wisdom and experience as a breastfeeding and work at home mama:

Dinosaur Birthday Invitation and
Matching Thank You Note-
Rock and Roar

Tell us about your personal breastfeeding experience:
I always knew I would nurse my babies and I never had any worries about doing so even though I heard so many stories of struggles and was given so many papers on proper latching and clinics in my area that would help. As I hoped, my babies nursed instantly and without any issues. In fact, besides the initial soreness the physical aspect of it was pretty seamless. What I didn’t anticipate was how I would mentally feel about it all.

one of those nights

Last night was one of those nights. You know- those nights, the nights that you get into bed thinking, Yes! I'm getting under the covers at a decent time. I'm going to get a good night's sleep!


Then... no.

Baby S decided that it would be one of those nights when she MUST HAVE A NIPPLE IN HER MOUTH. Why? I have no fricking fracking clue. She's 11 months old, for cripes sake! She hasn't had a "I'm going to eat all night" night for quite a while.

I think. My memory doesn't function too well anymore. Brain too filled up with Goodnight Moon, laundry and cute baby faces.

Anyways, by 7:30 am my breasts felt like 2 deflated old balloons and she was still sucking. The child couldn't possibly have been getting anything out, but still, she was attacking me like a rabid little spider monkey, feasting on the breast buffet. Right, left, right, left.

Well, whatever. We're awake now and she's started her day (albeit somewhat crabbily). She's chewing on an apple wedge and looking for mischief. Me, I'm just going to chalk it up to the almighty terror-causing teething bug, and leave it at that.

And drink a crapload of water.

always a yes

Baby S has learned how to say no. This "no" can look a couple of different ways:

-a small head shake
-a big, affect the whole body head shake
-pushing my hands away
-shoving my hands away
-a small "ah"with a smile and head shake
-a large scream with a full body head shake and throwing whatever is next to her.

So you see, this "no" has different degrees of "no-y-ness" (Yes, I know that's not a word, but you get the idea). And this "no" is coming out more and more. New food? No. Mama wants to change my diaper? No. Mama wants to put some clothes on me so I'm not running around naked in the freezing cold? No. Mama's trying to buckle me into my car seat? No. And so on... we are running full steam into toddler-hood!

But there is one thing that she will never say "no" to, and that is breastfeeding. Never, ever has she refused the breast. She might take a couple of sips and then wriggle away, but she always has to take a little bit if it is offered to her. And who can blame her? "Hey there, come get a little cuddle and something sweet in your mouth." Would you say no?

Thanks breastfeeding- in a growing world of toddler "no's" and tantrums, you always get me a "yes" and a snuggle.

new mom roasted fennel and artichoke hearts

What is New Mom Food? Think about those first months with a newborn- frequent, long feedings. The feeling of not having time to do much but still having some of that nesting instinct. And if you have other kids? Forget it. There's not enough time in a day. So you need recipes that are good, low prep, and easy.


This is a recipe that I tried today and loved. I found it in Martha Stewart Living- what you see below is my version (because I can never follow a recipe exactly, of course). This dish is one of my favorite types of dishes- extremely easy to make, but can impress because the ingredients are uncommon and it looks pretty when done. Perfect as a side dish or as a dish to bring to a potluck or dinner. People will wonder how you ever had time to prepare such a fantastic dish- you can just shrug and smile. 


New Mom Roasted Fennel and Artichoke Hearts


Ingredients
1 fennel bulb (just the white part, not the fronds), cut in 3/4 inch wedges
1 can whole artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

breastfeeding with a machete

What an incredible image! From the Worldwide Movement Against the Belo Monte Dam Project in Amazonia.

The Belo Monte hydroelectric dam project on Xingu river in Brasil is in danger of destroying more Amazon Rainforest and indigenous tribes. Click on the link above to access the facebook page or check out the Amazon Watch page for more information.

review & giveaway: green eats

As you all know, Baby S has begun her forage into the wide world of solids. At 11 months, she is still quite partial to the breast, but in her quest to put everything known to man into her mouth, she has decided that some food should end up in there as well. At the moment, she favors finger foods (cut up sweet potato, banana, avocado, broccoli), apple cores, raw cucumbers, puffs, little crackers, and small amounts of purees.  She also loves drinking water from a cup.

When Toddler B began to eat solids, we began tackling an issue that many parents face in these days of scary chemicals and toxic materials- what do we feed her with? Plastics scares me, I can never remember what numbers are good and which numbers are bad. We went with ceramics for a bit, but broke every cute little dish.

I started doing some research, and found that one of our favorite companies, Green Toys (their tugboat is the best bath toy EVER), had recently added a tableware line for kids, Green Eats. All of Green Eats and Green Toys products are made from recycled milk jugs. The plastic is high-density polyethylene (HDPE), one of the cleanest, safest plastics around. No melamine, no BPA, no phthalates, no PVC, and has no external coatings.

i give milk in odd places

Baby S turned 11 months today. 11 months of breastfeeding- almost one whole year! How is it that I still am surprised at the odd places I find myself breastfeeding in?

Before beginning my breastfeeding journey I figured that I would end up nursing in places other than the couch. Maybe the floor, or in a store, or sitting outside. But now I am realizing that there are even odder places- like under the dining room table.

Tonight it was the tub. Toddler B and Baby S were engaging in their nightly splash-war ritual (Toddler B is Splashwoman Supreme, Baby S, her over-eager sidekick). Suddenly Baby S stood up and started whining at me with a sad look on her face. Hmm, I thought, that looks like an "I'm hungry" face. I leaned over the tub and raised my shirt. Her face lit up, and she came to the side of the tub and started to drink.

So here I am, leaning over the tub, boob in her mouth, trying not to get splashed in the face by Toddler B. Hysterical. And Baby S didn't just want a sip- she was in it for the long haul. Finally I got sick of the weird body contortions and took her out of the bath to eat. And got myself completely soaked in the process.

Where will it be tomorrow? Under the sink? In the closet? I'm not ruling anywhere out from this point on.