Really America?

Mother and child. 

It is a gift that can't be compared to any other,

and any mother can tell you that it is a life changing experience...for the better.

So I am baffled at all the media lately,

especially about breastfeeding.

Mainly because I just can't seem to understand what the big deal is.

Perhaps it was always in the media, but now that it affects me I am hypersensitive to it.

Either way, what in the world is all the hype about? 

Women have been having babies and nursing for thousands of years without any problems,

yet now the media is portraying it as some kind of phenomenon, to be ashamed of.

In such an advanced society we live in, I am stunned to still see articles such as this in the media.

Read it and you will find that military moms dressed in uniform are being shunned because of breastfeeding. 

Really America? 

 Don't we have better things to stress about?

The truth is, it angers me and saddens me all at the same time.

Women should be able to feed their children naturally,

without judgement, without criticism, and without the feeling of shame.

I urge you to take a boob...I-I mean stand.

If you are a nursing mom, nurse on.

If you are a bystander, take the high road of encouragement,

because being a new mom is tough enough.

We don't need one more thing to worry about.

 

 

 

 

Hump Day Happenings

*Solid foods have REALLY changed the cloth diapering experience.
 I am on a mad dash for these Diaper Liners.

*Tiny is getting to be not so tiny anymore and she's really taking a toll on my body.
Getting to soak my tired achy body at the end of the day is one of my favorite things (although I don't get to do it nearly enough anymore). Bath Bombs from Lush are a must for these times!

*Love beer? Feeling wild? Try out this banana bread beer. You will be pleasantly surprised!

*We are on to our new food adventure. Hopefully these oats will be a big hit.

Happy Hump Day!

Food Faces

 Food.

 Most of us have a love-hate relationship with it,

or if you're like me, 

a love relationship with it all.

 But our tiny on the other hand,

 she's just not sure what to think.

So I'll quit the typing,

and let her face do the talking.

(My personal favorite)

Oh tiny,

one day you will come to love this new food sensation,

but until then....

you are giving us some serious laughs,

and some interesting new diaper surprises.

I could live without these new peanut butter poos,

but the faces, 

well those I could never live without.

 

Un-Fashion Friday

Some days are just easier than others,

and although I had the best intentions of getting together a Fashion Friday for today,

It was thrown out the window washed down the drain last night,
 as I sat soaking in the bathtub, reading a book,

 and drinking a glass of wine.

It. Was. Divine.

And I recommend trying it.

I leave you today with this amazing  pie that I could only make in my dreams.

                                                                                                                        Source: Pinterest

I hope you have a wonderful, terrific, relaxing holiday weekend.

Half A Year

Dear Lucia,

Today you are 6 months old. I'm not exactly sure how it all happened.

People tell you time flies, and they aren't kidding.

These past 6 months have been the best, most entertaining, filled with love months,

I have ever experienced.

I have never laughed or loved anything more. 

I am in AWE of how much you have grown and changed.

When you were a itty bitty baby I would always secretly pray you would stay that way.

But now I find myself feeling the same.

Each stage seems better than the last.

You are a happy, content, sweet, baby.

You adore your papa and your dogs.

You are sitting up, rolling over, have no teeth yet and you aren't sleeping through the night yet.

 I assume it's because you are so busy thinking about what you will do next.

You are coming into your own personality,

many times reminding us of our own traits, but we know you are your own being.

You are slowly introducing us to who you are....and we can't get enough.

In honor of your half birthday, which I plan to make a tradition,

we gave you your first taste of food.

You were less than impressed.

Truthfully, that's just fine with me.

I'll admit I am not ready for you to move on yet.

What we have right now is perfection in my eyes.

I love you.

You will always be my tiny.

Hump Day Happenings

*Having a little girl has turned me into a headband fanatic and I can't get enough of these Birdie Baby Headbands. Check out her Etsy store here. Just be careful, they are addicting.

*Dealing with a dairy allergy doesn't mean you have to give up chocolate syrup or sundaes.

 Ah!laska's Chocolate Syrup is my new Dairy free obsession and is the perfect addition to my occasional daily coconut milk sundaes.

*Cloth diapering led me to this amazing wet bag discovery. They hold everything from wet diapers to wet bathing suits and are the perfect addition to my diaper bag. A MUST have in my opinion.

*Tiny has got the jumping down! Check out her moves.

Insiders View

I feel like I have entered a part of my life that I always admired from the outside.

But I am no longer an outsider looking in.

I have evolved into an insider of the mommy play dates.

I used to see mom's sitting in the park with their babies,

laughing, chatting, sharing a picnic, playing.

 I always thought to myself "that looks like something I could enjoy".

And I can now say it really is something I enjoy.

For me, it is a beautiful thing to have other mom's to enjoy this ride with.

I could never have imagined the joy these picnics would really bring to my life though.

Seeing Lucia happy, makes me happy.

It really is that simple.

 Watching her make friends,

seeing her smile at the trees blowing in the wind,

is all it takes to make my day.

As the seasons change,

friends are added.

And suddenly my tiny has been replaced by the tiniest. 

(don't worry Lucia, you will always be my tiny)

And these meetings are serious business.

friendships are in the making,

and memories are being created.

And that my friends,

is what this wild ride is really all about.

Enjoy The Ride

Oh the joys of experiencing firsts.

Tiny tried out her first swing,

and she was thrilled.

She loved the breeze tickling her nose and toes.

And though she was slightly slow to warm up,

she quickly experienced the love affair so many children feel,

between them and the swing.

I have a feeling I will be hearing "push me, higher" in my future.

Enjoy the ride my sweet girl.

For life is short,

and the ride is sweet.

A New Kind Of Partying

Phew. What a weekend full of parties and celebrations.

From train rides to pool parties,

it was a jam packed weekend full of family fun.

 We started the weekend with the cutest train party I have ever seen.

 Equipped with a "real" train and all.

 Tiny was 5 months shy of her first train ride. 

One day tiny, one day soon.

 All Aboard (except tiny).

 Of course it didn't stop us from taking a ride.

A quick nap...

and we were off to the next party,

ditching the train for the water.

It was a partying, laughing, good time, train riding, pool swimming kind of weekend.

They aren't the kind of parties we used to attend,

but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 How did you spend your weekend?

 

 

 

Friday Fashion

We have a jam packed weekend full of celebrations,

and everyone, including tiny will be dressed in their go to party outfits.

These adorable outfits from Mud Pie are sure to do the job.

I'm a sucker for ruffles. 

They scream party,

and the way they sway back and forth, 

makes anyone want to dance.

Now off to find our dancing shoes.

Happy Friday.

 

 

 

Hump Day Happenings

  *While searching the internet for a remedy to my hormonal, post-pregnancy oily scalp issue, I came across the No poo method. I don't know if I can make it...but I think I'm going to give it a try.

Read more about it here and here.

*SeaSnax are my new go to snack. These seaweed snacks are healthy and tasty! Check em' out.

*Tiny has really taken a liking to this adorable pacifier holder from bunnies by the bay. It was given to us by a dear friend, and has become one of our must have items.

*As a lover of mani/pedis (which are rare these days), I have been pleasantly surprised...and shocked really, at how wonderful gel nail polish is. It doesn't chip and you can literally dig through your purse for your keys and do dishes the moment you leave. Just be sure to put skin protection on your hands before putting them under the UV dryer.

*Photo courtesy of Pinterest*

Meet Winter

Our family recently took a day trip to the nearby Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

It is no SeaWorld, but it is home to a dolphin just as famous as Shamu.

Meet Winter.

Winter the dolphin.

Winter is an incredible animal with a tremendous love story.

She is a humble dolphin,

and hasn't let her recent stardom in Dolphin Tales go to her head.

 She is a dolphin that defies all the odds.

 

Winter, like so many animals, 

suffered entanglement among fishing nets which unfortunately caused her to loose her tail.

But it never stopped her from receiving love.

She receives dolphin therapy every day,

beginning with a stretch.

 and with the power of the human mind,

they created a prosthetic tail for Winter.

(I know...seriously cool right?)

A True Dolphin Tale,

of love and compassion.

And of Resilience in it's fullest form.

Though it would take a lot to break this dolphins spirit.

Tiny was just as enamored by the dolphin miracle,

 and fun was had by all.

If you haven't seen the movie Dolphin Tales yet, it is a great, inspirational family movie for all ages.

Simply The Best

Yesterday we celebrated the ultimate hallmark holiday,

Mother's Day.

Before days with our tiny, I couldn't understand why my own mother loved this day so much.

But now I get it. 

Motherhood is the hardest, most rewarding job I have ever had,

 and every mother no matter their situation, deserves to be recognized. 

Motherhood keeps you on your toes. 

It's not for wimps!

It is a never ending journey that is full of twists and turns,

leaving you to find your way,

 and decide which roads you will take to raise your children to be the best they can be. 

That is why as I sat at the dinner table last night watching a 3 year old boy lick ice cream off the table and the other crawling underneath,

I simply laughed.

 I never judged.

(I admit I used to judge)

Because motherhood is hard.

It requires every ounce of your attention,

and some days are just simply better than others.

Luckily for me, 

yesterday was one of the better...

or possibly the best!

Dear TIME

As I experience my first Mother's day today,

I can't help but get all sentimental. 

Motherhood has changed me, and anyone for that matter who has ever had a baby.

But with the recent TIME article,

I find that mother's don't always get the credit or attention they deserve.

Rather then building each other up, articles like this have us tearing each other apart.

I have learned that motherhood is not a one size fits all experience.

What works for me, might not work for you...and that's OK. 

That's what makes everybody unique. 

How boring would it be if everyone was raised the exact same way?

With that said, I came across this "Dear TIME" letter from mommy blogger over at Mommy Om.

It pretty much sums it all up. Take a look for yourself.

To all you Mom's out there, 

no matter what parenting style you choose,

Happy Mother's Day!

May your day be filled with joy and love.

Friday Fashion

 I am counting down the days until my first Mother's day.

Not because I love presents (although I do love presents),

but because I am consumed with excitement for when my tiny and I can dress in matching outfits.

These adorable matching dresses are from American Apparel and the best part...

the adult version is on sale for $20. 

Laundry Fun

Yesterday I wrote about my recent purchase of Wool Dryer Balls and I am happy to say...

they have arrived.

I knew exactly what was inside the package hanging outside of my mailbox from the pungent monkey fart smell.

Yes I said monkey fart.

 It was one of the many scents available to try and since it made me giggle, I had to try it.

It's fruity and smells exactly what you would think a monkeys fart would smell like after eating lots of tropical fruit all day.

 Ok...I'm giggling again. 

Something about that silly "F" word that gets me every time.

It's surprising what makes this stay at home mom laugh these days.

So here they are ready to do their job on my tiny's diapers.

I haven't had them long enough to say if they really cut my drying time in half,

 like so many say they do, 

but I can say that they left my diapers smelling fruity and feeling fluffy and soft.

And the best part is knowing they are naturally free of any chemicals.

To give them a try, check out CleanSpryia's Store on Etsy.

Not only was she a pleasure to work with,

but her dryer balls were recently featured in Martha Stewart's May issue of Whole Living

How cool is that?

Hump Day Happenings

Wednesday Happenings...

Here's what's been on my mind lately:

 (and a cute picture to go along with it)

*If you have had a baby, hopefully you didn't experience this. It's called diastisis recti and unfortunately I need to get to work to fix it.

*These AMAZING chocolate bars keep me sane. Though I've eaten a whole bar in record timing, One, two three pieces a day keeps me a happy mama.

*Anxiety? What anxiety? I'm addicted to Bach's rescue remedy. Whether it's mind over matter or not, I believe it works...and that's all that matters. You've gotta try it.

*Babies aren't suppose to read right? Well that's not what your baby can read thinks. We are giving it a try (but what our tiny would really rather watch is this).

*In an effort to free our laundry of chemicals, and make our cloth diapers smell like monkey farts, I recently splurged on these wool dryer balls and am patiently impatiently waiting for them to arrive. Updates to come.

Happy Hump Day

This I Pray

I have never known a love like this,

yet I struggle daily with an ever consuming, anxiety filled heart.

Motherhood has turned me into both the best person I never knew I was 

and the person I never thought I would become.

Ever since tiny arrived I have been dealing with anxiety. 

Anxiety was always something that came and went in my pre-baby life, but this is different. 

My brain has changed to see everything as a lurking danger. 

Traveling, a favorite past time, seems downright hazardous.

The thought of flying is enough to make me weak in the knees.

My previous lead foot while cruising down the road doesn't seem so important,

and the many things I used to laugh at my mom for worrying about,

 have somehow crept their way into my mind. 

I want to teach Lucia to embrace life.

Not to fear it.

Which means only one thing...

 I am going to have to get a hold of these new fretful feelings.

I pray each night that God will protect our new family of 3. 

A gift he has so graciously given,

 now leaves me so scared it will be taken away.

I pray that our family will continue to grow in love.

I pray that God will continue to bless us and keep us healthy.

And in the meantime,

I'm giving this a try.

Any other mama's out there feeling the same way?

Wet

 It's official friends.

We have a water baby.

In the past she winced and screamed if the water wasn't a perfect 78 degrees. 

But the conditions must have been to her liking because she loved it.

 She spent most of her time "chillin".

I often wonder if her love for water has to do with how she entered the world,

going from water...to water.

 A little help from her cousins,

and she will be swimming in no time.

but until then,

a little floating in the pool is all these tiny feet can handle.