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.