Pre-Pregnancy Musings...

I know that I sound silly repeating myself over and over again, but seriously, WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE? I almost have a one-year-old! And while I won't lie and say that it's been the easiest year of my life, I will say that it's been one that I've been very blessed! I know that I've mentioned that it was difficult getting Bubha here during my pregnancy, but it also took us about 17 months to get pregnant. I look at my little guy, and I truly consider him an answer to prayers, and I think that I had to endure the struggles to get pregnant, and then to stay pregnant, so that I would have a FULL appreciation for this special little spirit that has blessed our home. 

I just wanted to post about some of my frustrations with getting pregnant, mostly because while I fortunately didn't have to get to drastic in our measures, I have had quite a few people ask me how I finally got pregnant after well over a year of trying. In January of 2007, I took my last birth control pill, and decided that I would get an IUD. I knew that this was not something that doctors usually gave women who had never had kids, but I had a few friends that got them anyway, and swore by them. So, I went to the doctor to ask for it, and scheduled an appointment, but I never felt good about it. To make a long story short(er), my husband and I decided that we would end birth control, and just put it all in the Lord's hands. 

I was totally naive to the fact that it could take several months to get prego. I just thought that I'd go off the pill and by the next month I'd be prego! :) By April, I was getting antsy, and so I went to the doctor to see what she could do to increase my chances. She put me on Metformin, which is a pill for diabetics, but has a side-effect of increased ovulation. I tried that for a few months, but nothing happened. 

My husband will confirm that my antsy-ness with conceiving kicked into HIGH gear at that point. I was constantly "google-ing" tips on how to conceive, and by the end of June, it was starting to consume me. In July, I got a call from my mom, who informed me that my family just found out that several members had a genetic disorder called, Fragile X Syndrome. http://www.fragilex.org/html/home.shtml (Go to this link to learn more). The short version is that my sister has the "full mutation" of this disorder, and it has caused developmental delays for her, almost considered autistic. We also found out that my mom, my cousin, and my uncle were all confirmed carriers of this. If you are a carrier, there is a possibility of infertility. When my mom called me I thought for sure that this is why I couldn't get pregnant. (I also had several of the other symptoms of a carrier, such as fibromyalgia.) I cried and mourned for days. I didn't know what I'd do if I couldn't get pregnant. I went and got tested and after a month found out that I was NOT a carrier. I was glad to rule this out. (I'll write more later on FXS.)

For the next several months, I had regular blood tests to test my hormone levels and everything else under the sun. I even had an ultra sound to make sure that I didn't have any cysts or anything that would cause problems. In September, I asked the doctor what the next step was, and she prescribed me Clomid. I had mixed feelings about it because I had heard negative things about it. But, I was getting so consumed by trying to get pregnant, that I started taking it. (Let me just say here that while this works for some people, it didn't help me get pregnant, or help my husband want to make a baby with me. In fact, when your husband sleeps on the couch each night because his wife had turned into a crazy, constantly crying, lunatic, it actually makes it harder to conceive - when you're not in the same room. :) 

But, to my husband's horror, I stuck out the Clomid for several more months. By the year mark since we had started trying, I was going crazy. I had so many emotional break downs. The smallest things would set me off. (And can I also just say: People, don't go around asking child-less couples if they don't have kids because they just don't like them...SERIOuSLY!) 

Every month I think that I bought enough tests to keep the pregnancy test companies a float all on my own! I would take several tests, and close my eyes, almost like that would make an extra line appear, because I wanted it so badly.  I would also like to add here that the process of making a baby was becoming more like a chore. And while I know that my husband and I have a very good relationship, between the Clomid craziness, and instructing him on when we would be trying, we started to struggle a little. 

In February, I had the dye test procedure done, and my tubes were just fine. I was almost hoping for a reason, but was glad that nothing major was wrong. I went for a second opinion and that doctor said that I was doing everything possible right now. (Again, I wanted to hear something else.)

We live in a small town, and to take the next steps of insemination, or IVF, would take a commitment of driving 1 to 2 hours each way for appointments, not to mention the costs involved. I begged my husband for us to go to specialists, but he talked me into waiting, mostly because of money. Wanting a baby so badly, I pitch the idea of adoption to him, but he said we should hold off a little longer.

My main job is for a school district, so I have summers off. To appease my husband, and to give myself a time frame, we made a deal that I wouldn't be so consumed with trying. That I'd get off the Clomid, that I wouldn't "schedule" times to try anymore, that I'd throw all of my conceiving tips out, that I'd get rid of my ovulation calendar, and that we'd just have a normal relationship, and see how things went. If by the summer when school was out, I wasn't pregnant, then we could look into going up North to a specialist (when I'd have more time). While this was VERY difficult for me, I up held my end of the bargain.  So, at the end of February, I took myself off of the Clomid. I stopped worrying about when we tried, and just worked on having a healthy marriage with my husband. 

I did need something new to fill my once-baby-obsessed mind though, so I decided to start training for a triathlon. While I was training, I re-injured my hip that I had hurt in high school track, so I decided to go to the chiropractor. I told him that I was training for the tri, and he asked if I had kids. I told him no, but I would like to. He told me about a women that came in because she couldn't get pregnant, and after a few treatments, she was pregnant. I tried not to get my hopes up, but kept this in the back of my mind as I went to three more sessions with him. 

School was getting out, and for Memorial Day we went to visit my parents. During that time, the emotions of wanting to get pregnant took over, and it's all I could think about. I was so emotional, tired, and I felt my fibro myalgia starting to kick in while we were visiting my parents. They live in the South, and the humidity was horrible! My fingers, toes, and boobs swelled up, but I just blamed it on the humidity! :) Finally, the morning after we got home, I woke up a little nauseated, so broke my promise, and used the last pregnancy test that I had. I figured I may as well use them up, and just throw the box away. All of a sudden, I noticed that there were two lines... and to make an already very long story short, I was indeed prego!!! 

I don't know what factor finally helped us to conceive. But, I think that the biggest part was that I stopped stressing about it, and just let it happen. I had thought that I knew exactly when I was ovulating, but since high school, my cycle has always been off, so maybe we were completely missing our fertility window. Maybe the chiropractor helped too. Or maybe Heavenly Father just had a plan of his own. Anyway, that's my pre-pregnancy story - complete with a happy ending! :)

You Know You're a Mommy When...

You know you're a mommy when people ask you what kind of candle you have burning in your house, and you tell them that it's the new scent, "Puking Kid".  (This scent also comes in perfume, so that you're body and clothing can match your house.) 

You also know you're a mommy when the term "all night-er" no longer refers to fun, crazy, all-night escapades with your friends, but is now used to describe a night filled with scrubbing carpet, stripping bedding, doing laundry, and attempting to rock a sick baby back to sleep. (Can you tell that it's been a long, flu-filled week at our house?) 

Musings of a CHEAP Mommy!

Lately, I've been really trying to get creative on saving my pennies (who isn't, right?), because I'm learning that these little blessings called kids cost some money! I decided that I would list a few of my new-found "mommy money-saving tips". I have to add that if you're new to my blog, or don't know me personally, I am NOT the domestic, homemade mommy type! I HATE, HATE, HATE cooking, and I'm not crafty by nature, so for me to do these things says that I'm really making an effort, and if I can do them, ANYONE can! :) My new motto is: one person's cheap is another's "creativity!" (Disclaimer: Suze Orman, I am NOT! These may not be for everyone, but they sure helped me.)

#1- Homemade Baby Food!

I've mentioned this before in my blogs, but I can't say it enough - this saved me quite a bit of money. I recommend buying some store-bought baby food for trips, and to test out which flavors your baby likes before you load your fridge and freezer with it - but otherwise, I'm a HUGE homemade advocate. My Buhba really enjoyed sweet potatoes. So, I bought several large ones, and cooked them in the oven. Then peeled them and pureed them with "mommy milk" and/or water. (Buhba liked the milk ones better...) I then poured them into ice cube trays and froze them. At dinner time, I would pull out a few cubes and defrost them (not cook them) in the microwave. I did this with MANY different types of fruits and veggies. You can modify the thickness for your baby's age. This worked great as Bubha started getting older, and bored with runny purees.

#2 - Homemade Diaper Wipes

Before you roll your eyes and think that I've gone totally crazy, let me tell you, these work GREAT for babies up to about 6-7 months. I got this recipe from one of my friends, and it worked really well. Get a good brand of paper towel (don't scrimp on this!). Cut the roll in half, leaving in the cardboard center. Put the half in a tuperware container. Then mix a solution of 1 cup hot water, 1 TBSP baby oil, and 1 TBSP baby soap. Mix it together, then pour over the paper towels in the container. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then pull the cardboard center out, and pull the wipes out from the center. Cover when not using. I loved the smell of these (before use of course), and loved how long they lasted!

#3- Return, Return, Return

I'll admit it: I don't get attached to items very easily at all. I hate keeping things things that I don't use, and I'm not a person who will hold on to something "just in case I need it with baby #2" several years down the line. Bubha got soooo many cute things from people, but he just grew too quickly to use them all, so I'm not ashamed to say that I did return some of the items we got that I didn't use, or had too many of.  Some places require receipts (which some givers include), but places like Wal Mart allow you to return items (from their stores of course) without a receipt. (There are limits to the amounts you can get back, and the amount of times that you can return so, ask your local WM before returning.) Anyway, it's not that I didn't appreciate all of the things we got, but you can ALWAYS use cash... 

#4 - Sell What you Don't Need

Some of the items that we used, but grew out of, I have taken to sell back to stores that buy gently used kids clothes. I liked Kid-to-Kid. Understand that by NO MEANS will you get rich off of this, but it will put some extra cash in your pocket, and give you some extra room in your kids' closet! (Before everyone thinks that I'm a heart-less mom that has no sensitivity, I did keep a bunch of outfits that had sentimental value to me!) :)

#5- Buy Kid's Clothes Post-Season

I am sooo turning into one of those good bargain-shopping mommies who have to brag about their great bargain! I've learned that there are AMAZING sales on clothes for kids at the end of the season (yeah, I'm a late bloomer). Last month, I went to the Children's Place online, and found great deals on clothes for Buhba for next spring and summer. For the same shorts that I paid $10 for last summer, I got two pair online for 99 cents each! SERIOUSLY! I got 11 items for less than $40 (with tax and shipping and handling). I also got the clothes part of his Christmas all done! It can be difficult to guess his future size, but I can't feel that bad if something that I paid 99 cents for ends up not fitting. (I'll just revert back to tip # 3 or #4 at that point! LOL!)

Happy Savings! 

The MAGIC Book!

I have found it! More valuable than gold: my baby's book has real, honest-to-goodness magical powers! :) Well, okay, that may be a stretch, but for the time that this book keeps my Buhba busy, you would think that it really did have magical powers. Seriously, how many toys (or books, none-the-less) can you say will keep a (hauling aka) quick-crawling, nine-month-old still for 5-10 minute increments??!??!?! This cute little Sesame Street Halloween book (with flaps) was given to us by my mom on our last trip to visit her in September, and since then, we've read it several times a day! Buhba loves it so much that he will seek it out when he's playing on his own, and sit and turn the pages and flaps by himself - seriously for up to 5-10 minutes! (It's amazing how much you can get done in that time when you're not constantly saying, "NO! Don't touch that!" or "No, don't eat the dog food!") Not to mention the fact that it has survived so much "love" from a nine-month-old - MAGIC, I'm telling you! :)  

You know You're a Mommy When...

You know you're a mommy when you look in the mirror and realize that birds aren't the only things going south for the winter, but some "key" parts of your body are also following the migration patterns...if only it was just for the winter, and things would perk up in the spring!!! :)

That Bites! LITERALLY!

I have been MIA for a while, but with good reason: I now have a baby who All OVER THE PLACE! :) In August, Buhba started the "roll-where-you-want-to-go" stage, test-driving crawling occasionally; and at the beginning of September, he just started doing it; currently, he's no longer crawling, but hauling (which is my new term for very speedy crawling!) and now there's NO stopping him! I love watching him explore his environment, but of course, NOTHING is safe now. Our poor dog is having anxiety because Buhba always seems to get to the dog's dish and mix the food with the water. We may have a chef in the future! :) Anyway, as all of you veterans know, chasing a mobile baby is a full-time job in itself, so please excuse my lack of blogging!

Along with the new mode of transportation, Buhba also got two, new shiny teeth at the end of September. And boy, I've had a few incidents where I have been VERY, and I mean VERY aware of his new pearly whites! On one occasion he was irritated when I was nursing him, so he bit down...HARD! EWWW! My first instinct was to flick him, which I did, and later felt bad about (don't call the authorities, I don't abuse my child!!!). This didn't help anyway, but only made a game of it, because then he looked at me, laughed, and did it again! I pulled him off and after a few minutes latched him back on. Big Mistake! At my poor nipple's expense, he continued this bitting and laughing game, so we were DONE for the afternoon! For some reason, it hasn't happened since (knock on wood!), but we'll see how it goes from here on out. My goal is to make it to his birthday (just his first birthday, none after that!), but if he keeps taking chunks off my feeders, there may not be anything left to feed him with! :)

Ode to "Third-Day Hair"

Oh Third-Day Hair...how I appreciate you. While some may turn up their noses at you, and think that you carry the stigma of laziness and uncleanliness, I however, realize that you are the official hairdo of busy, hard-working mommies.  I turn to you when time does not permit me to wash my hair, blow dry my hair, and style my hair (after three days), because I'm late for a meeting, trying to rush out the door, and it's more important that my little boy looks cute. You may be third string on the hair line up, Third-Day Hair, but teamed up with baby powder to make my look less oily, it is you that I count on to pull my "I'm a mom, so I don't have the time to do my hair" look together. While we met for a period of time back in my college days, it has been in the last eight months that I have really come to know your qualities, and how you help to make my life as a mommy just a little easier. (Please tell your kin, "fourth-day hair" and "fifth-day hair," and even "sixth day hair," that it's not that I don't appreciate them, because I do, but it's just not as socially acceptable, and while I won't say that I haven't met them, I try to draw the line (even if it means going to bed at 2am) so that I can avoid them.) And that's why I appreciate Third-Day Hair...

Mango Smoothies for Buhba

Those of you who know me, know that I am NOT a little domestic mommy. I hate, repeat HATE to cook, and I'm not so good at being crafty, and such. However, since I'm doing my best to be frugal, I decided to take a stab at making my own baby food. So far, over the last few months, I've done really well with pears, yams, bananas, and carrots (if I do say so myself!). Tonight I tried a new recipe, and made several weeks worth of "mango smoothie" for my Buhba (inspite of my last post about orange foods!). I actually copied Gerber, which I like to do a lot. I will buy one or two of their jars, and test them to see if Buhba likes them before I go to all of the trouble of making them. (Fortunately, he's not really disliked any food yet!) Anyway, the ingredients in this mango smoothie had of course mangos, but also apple juice. So, I got a bag of frozen mangos, and unsweetened apple juice and pureed it in my blender to a smoothie consistency. After that, I poured it into ice cube trays and froze it. After it's solid, I put the cubes into zipper bags, and when it's time for Bubha to eat, I take two-three cube out and defrost them (NOT heat them) in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Ta-Da! For the same amount of money as two servings of store-brand baby food, I made several weeks worth! Look at me, I'm growing up! Ha Ha!

My Son: Future Oompa-Lumpa?

I read recently about a condition called, "carotenemia," which is a condition in which a child's skin starts to take on a yellow/orange tone. This is due to feeding your child too many yellow and orange foods. (I'm not making this up!) Since then, I've been in a panic, because I've been VERY aware that the majority of foods which Buhba eats are yellow or orange (mostly the latter). Blame it on my choice of colors, or the lack of baby foods that appear in colors other than yellow or orange; but most of the time, Buhba's diet consists of yams/sweet potatoes, peaches, carrots, squash, mangos, pears, apple sauce, and other items in this pigment family. I've been trying very hard to expand our options, but seriously, other than green beans and peas, what options do I have? I'm open for suggestions - and soon, because I'm concerned that one morning, I'm going to wake up to an Ooompa-Lumpa, singing witty little songs about chocolate factories, instead of my sweet little boy! :)

Treasure EVERY Moment!

I think that sometimes as mommies, we get into shark mode: we just keep going through the motions in order to survive the stressful days. I know that there are days where I think, "okay, if I can just make it to 1pm" and try to find something to distract Buhba while I get work done. Then it's "okay, if I can just make it to 3pm..." and I don't take advantage of the time that I have to be a mom to such a wonderful little spirit. Last night, I read the blog of a young family who's eight-month-old son is losing the fight to cancer, and the time that they have left with him is quickly running out. I don't remember the last time that I cried so hard while reading the tender, heart-breaking words that these young parents wrote to inform people on their son's deteriorating condition. As the mother of a seven-month old, (heck as a mother, period), my heart just breaks for this family! I can't even think about losing Buhba! I vowed last night that I would stop just going through the motions, and appreciate EVERY SINGLE minute that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with my son; and start to welcome and embrace the responsibilities and challenges that come with this calling.  Today, when Buhba started screaming in Walmart, I let out a sigh of frustration, but quickly thought to myself, I'll bet that this poor mother who is losing her child would welcome a fussy baby in Walmart! So, I quickly picked up Buhba and held him close to me for the rest of the trip. I guess my point is that we just never know what life will bring, so my goal is to not take this time with my son and husband for granted ever again - no more shark mode - I'm going to treasure every moment! 

What a Difference a Year Makes!

My husband is an assistant football coach at a local junior college, and with football season in full swing, I'm having some serious flashbacks of last year's season. Has it really been a year ago this month that my husband started coaching, and that I was put on bedrest at 14 1/2 weeks along in my pregnancy? It hardly seems real as I look at the healthy, little seven-month-old who loves to give out slobbery kisses to his mommy and daddy, asleep beside me (okay, I admit, sometimes I give in and like to lay him down and snuggle with him in my bed when he naps :) . 

NOTE: If you were watching a TV show of my life, now would be the point of the wavy screen and the flashback sounds... :)

I'll never forget the day that I started having very hard cramps and my stomach went rock-hard. I looked up at my husband in horror, "Honey, I'm not sure but I think that I just had a contraction!" From that point on, it was strict bedrest, and lots, and lots of trips to the doctor's office and later on lots of trips to the hospital. 

I remember listening to my hubby's football games on my laptop as I lay in bed, and feeling the baby kick as the announcer got excited because our team made a touchdown!  I would always would look forward to the weekends because of the football games, but most importantly, it meant that I had kept Bubha in one more week, and every week meant a better chance of survival for our little guy! 

Some times I have flashbacks to a year ago feeling like I am still on bedrest and teetering on the verge of insanity from laying in bed all day :) I would literally countdown the hours until hubby got home from work each day, so that I'd have something to look forward to! 

This year has flown by! That time in my life seems so short now, now that I have something (actually someone) so wonderful to show for it! 24 weeks of bedrest doesn't seem like a very big deal in the grand scheme of things. I know that I've been so blessed because I know that some women unfortunately go on bedrest with less fortunate outcomes. 

The Story of Buhba's Bath and the UnWelcomed Visitors

This is a story about a little seven-month-old named, "Buhba" who loved to take baths. One night after a VERY long day of traveling, Buhba's mommy put him into the tub for what she thought would be a short bath. Buhba's mommy had just started washing his head when Buhba looked up at her with a funny look on his face. It was at that second that Buhba's mommy realized what this look meant, but she was too late. She looked down to find a VERY un-welcomed "visitor" in the tub floating along the side of Buhba's rubber ducky and other bath toys. 

Buhba's mommy panicked and grabbed a naked Bubha out of the tub so that he wouldn't "play" with the "visitor", and set him on the carpet in the hall, just outside of the bathroom (so that he wouldn't fall over and crack his head on the bathroom tile), while she started the process of "fishing" the visitor out of the tub. After she caught the visitor, drained the tub, got all of Bubha's toys out of the tub, cleaned the tub, and ran fresh water, Buhba's mommy picked him up off of the carpet to finish up his bath. But to her horror, smashed in the carpet and all over Buhba's backside were more, VERY large "visitors"! Buhba's mommy tried to hang him over the toilet to "brush off" the "visitors", but that just made a bigger mess and she just had to take the still-naked-boy into his room to get some wipeys. Finally, when he was cleaned up, Buhba finished his bath, and his mommy got some stain remover that she had purchased for doggie accidents to get the leftover "visitors" out of the carpet! 

That night Bubha had sweet dreams, but his mommy spent half the night scrubbing the carpet (which finally came clean thanks to a great new product!).           THE END!

To Alternate or Not to Alternate...That is the Question...

So, I just read somewhere that I should be feeding Buhba several different types of food at each sitting. I don't do this. I just get one container (or two helpings of my homemade babyfood) out and feed it to him. I do change up what he eats at each sitting/meal - but I don't really see the point in getting out a ton of food for each meal. My thoughts are that it may confuse him and his little taste buds. However, if the magazine says this, then perhaps it's the hard and fast rule for feeding - and I'm the only one not doing this??? I'm new at this stuff! I just don't want to make a mistake like this, and have Buhba grow up and be messed up as a result of my lack of alternating :) I'm finding that there's a lot of pressure with these decisions, you never know what ones will scar a child! ha ha...I can just picture it now. He's sitting on a therapist's couch saying, "Doc, I think that the reason I have relationship problems now is because my mom didn't alternate the number of foods I ate at each sitting when I was seven months old." You just never know... :)

Five Things I Learned While Traveling with My Baby

My husband, "Buhba," and I went on a business trip to Omaha, Nebraska, and below are five things I learned while traveling with my baby.

#1- Carrying a baby through an airport or having a baby at a business conference is just like carrying around a large neon sign with the words "Please stare at me" on it. 

Not that this is necessarily negative attention. I know that it's just because my kid is so cute, (no, I'm not modest NOR biased!) but it still makes me self-conscious. It's all I could do not to stop at every mirror or window and check for food in my teeth, or see if my hair is doing something weird. Some people act like they've never seen a baby before!

#2- There are no boundaries when it comes to babies and strangers.

The lack of boundaries I'm referring to is on the strangers' ends. I can't even count the number of people who just walked right up to Buhba and started pinching his cheeks, holding his hands, or putting their face right up in his. Again, I tried not to mind too much, because I know that there's just something about babies that makes just about everyone all gooey :) But, because I'm a little bit of a germ-a-phob, I was half-tempted to hold out a bottle of Purell, and make them use it before proceeding to touch the baby. The straw that broke the camel's back was when my husband was checking in to the hotel and a guy with a beer came up and started grabbing my baby's foot, and playing with his toy, and rubbing his head. A little too friendly for my taste. Hey, Mr. How would you like it if I just came up and grabbed your beer bottle without asking?

 

#3- If your baby is well-behaved in public, it reflects well on you.

I guess I never processed this before I was a mommy, but I got to see it first hand this weekend. Buhba was awesome on the plane, and nearly perfect at the conference that we went to. He usually is pretty mild, and used to spending a few hours with me at the office, so I didn't think too much of it. But, it took me by surprise when several people came up to us afterwards and told us how calm and mild-mannered Buhba was, and how they didn't even hear him during the conference. They continued on to say that it must be because we're "awesome parents." I wasn't about to argue with strangers and to tell them the real reason: that Buhba is just a really good baby :) I saw the flip side of this scenario when a poor couple with twins sat in front of us on the plane, and their babies were having a hard time, and screaming and crying most of the trip. I could see several people roll their eyes, and turn away from them. I felt like pinching Buhba just to have a distraction for the poor family!

#4- A tired, overstimulated baby = 2am and 5am scream fests.

Just to assure people that my kid isn't perfect, I added this one. While we were in Omaha, we did a little bit of walking around the city, when we weren't at the conference. Add to that a flight, sitting for long periods of time, a lot of new sights/people and long days, and we had one overstimulated boy! Buhba was so exhausted at nights that he fell right asleep. I knew that this could go one of two ways. Either he'd be so tired he'd sleep right through the night, or because his sleep schedule was so outta wack, he'd scream all night long. Unfortunately, I was right on the latter. 

#5 - Athletes/Celebrities are no intimidation when it comes to a mommy on a mission!

When we got on the plane to fly to Omaha, I looked up to see Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz boarding. I'm not a huge Jazz fan, but all I could think about was how cool it would be for my baby to have some kind of autograph or something for when he was older. So, when we got to baggage claim, I took Buhba, and walked up to Deron who was innocently waiting, and listening to his iPod. He had no idea what he was in for. I tapped him on the shoulder, and he pulled out his earphones, looking a little irritated. "Hi," I said. "Can I take a picture of you?" "Huh?" he said, looking a little more irritated. (I think that at this point, the average person would have walked away, but not me!) "Could I take a picture of you holding my baby?" Silence. He just starred at me. I think he thought that if he didn't say anything I'd go away. Nope. I just stood there with Buhba and smiled. He looked at me and finally said, "I don't like babies." To which I responded, "Even really cute ones like mine?!" Finally, he cracked a smile and agreed to the picture. So I handed him my most prized possession, and grabbed my phone and started snapping away. I got two good ones. He ended up being really nice, I'm sure that he just wanted to get away from crazy people like me, but I was on a mission! Mission accomplished! 

You Know You're a Mommy When...

You know you're a mommy when you no longer have direct conversations with your husband, but rather you use your baby/child as a communication avenue for indirect conversations. For example, "Buhba, tell daddy that he really should load his own dishes in the dishwasher." or "Daddy do you want to take a turn changing my dirty diaper for a change?" (this is said in a high-pitched baby voice of course, because it's the baby talking, mind you). 

Bebe Gloton : Healthy or Creepy?

As I demonstrated in a previous post, I'm pro breastfeeding (but certainly not to the point of judging others who choose not to). With that said, I think that the new "Bebe Gloton" goes a little too far. 

Check out this new doll:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32314995/ns/today-parenting_and_family/

While I do have to admit that after watching my mom nurse my younger siblings, I secretly (as a 5 year old) took my beloved Cabbage Patch, Aubrie Ann, into my bedroom and lifted up my shirt to mimic what I saw my role model doing. And, surprisingly enough for my five year old mind, nothing happened! 

I think that it is perfectly normal for little girls to want to do what their moms do. Even as young girls, the nurturing side of us come out, it's how we're wired. I think that its healthy for moms (if they choose) to let their kids know that this is how some babies get their food, and to help them understand that it is natural. However, I have to say that I think that this doll is creepy! (I don't know any other politically correct way to say that!) Also, if little girls grow up thinking that their breasts will develop into flowers (like the vest that comes with the doll) no amount of therapy will help when, as an adult, they are actually nursing their new baby, and the pretty flower is replaced by chapped, bleeding nipples, and saggy, milk-filled breasts! :)

I'd love to hear other takes on this. Moms of young girls, would you buy this for your daughters?

You Know You're a Mommy When...

You know you're a mommy when you look in the mirror and think "I won't wash my hair today" to make getting ready for work faster.  But then you panic because you realize that you don't remember the last time you washed your hair, but you're guessing that it's in the neighborhood of four days or so...and then you decided not to wash it anyway!

Thank You Card Etiquette

I'm very blessed, and when my little "Buhba" was born, I received an OVERWHELMING amount of gifts from friends, family, neighbors, old teachers, etc. - you name it. We received so many gifts that up until the last month or so, we probably only spent $50 or so on clothes for our little guy. How blessed are we!?!? The only downside (if you can call it that) is that I'm a firm believer in the "Thank you" card. I did fairly well and finished about 30 cards two months ago. I sent birth announcements with the cards, and vowed that I'd finish the last 30-40 before Buhba turned six months. Well, in less than two weeks, he'll be seven months old, and they are still not finished. I'm torn because I really want these people to know how grateful that I am for their kindness and for the love and support they showed our family, but it's almost getting to the point of "too little, too late". I don't know what I'd say on the cards at this point: "Dear so-and-so, Remember seven months ago when you gave me the cute little outfit for my baby that he grew out of about five months ago? Well, you may not remember, but thank you. And by the way, here's a birth announcement that looks nothing like my little guy now."? I'm a HUGE "to-do" list writer, and this item is on my daily to-do list, but on top of working two jobs, being a wife and mommy, and trying to sell a house, it just hasn't been crossed out yet - I'm estimating it to be a two day project. I'm very interested to hear other's views about "the thank you card!"

Hair Today...Gone Tomorrow!

I am intrigued by the transformation that my hair has gone through since I've had my baby. For starters, I swore up and down while I was prego and recouping from a horrible, HORRIBLE haircut that I would be growing my hair out long again. That didn't last very long. Buhba was born in January, and at the end of April I chopped several inches off.  I then re-swore (is that a word?) to myself that I wouldn't cut it again, but yet, I see cute little "mommy cuts" and I envy how fast those moms must be at getting ready in the morning, and how little up-keep a short cut would be.  So, we'll see how long I last before the next cut.  The other thing is that my hair is falling out.  Not shedding (anyone who has ever lived with me, knows that I shed. Heck, anyone who has ever worked with me, stood by me in the grocery checkout line, or even passed me at a red light is probably well aware that I shed. I joke that I could never commit a crime because my dark brown hair would be a dead give-away!) Anyway, about four months after I had Buhba, my shedding turned from a little bit falling out here and there to leaving a trail behind me where ever I go! If you ever need to find me, just follow the hair trail...kinda like a fair tale for frumpy mommies! Seriously, I stare at myself in the mirror each morning expecting to find bald patches (you should see my bathroom floor - or my shower drain...just ask my hubby who has unclogged it several times in the last few months!). Anyway, I heard that this was the norm, but my "norm" is already shedding, so I'm worried that my post pregnancy shedding may just do me in to having to purchase a wig!

You Know You're a Mommy When...

You know you're a mommy when the word "blowout" is no longer used in reference to a huge sale at your favorite clothing store at the mall, but rather a massive outpouring of baby poop that covers your child from butt to neck, and induces dry-heaving, and vomit-like reflexes! 

My Inhibitions: If Found, Please Return!

Lost: My Inhibitions

Last Seen: Sometime around Sept. 2008

If Found, Please Return ASAP!

I feel like like I may need to post this flyer in my home, and perhaps wear it on me when I take my baby, aka "Buhba" out in public with me. 

I may need to retrace my steps to remember when I have last seen my inhibitions. I remember having them most of the time before I was pregnant, but I think that somewhere around the time I started having contractions around 14 1/2 weeks, they picked-up and left town. They pretty much had to leave because from that point on, I was being "checked" by various people (after "Buhba" finally got here I think that I counted over 20 different nurses and doctors)! 

Then there's labor and delivery - yeap, my inhibitions, didn't even come back for a visit: not even a card or gift. And then when I was learning the ins and outs of nursing, my inhibitions completely disappeared, and there's been no sign of them since! 

If you came to visit me during "Buhba's" feeding time during the first few weeks, chances were that you were going to get a show - at the time I was way more worried about making sure that my little guy would catch on to feeding, than worry about if people were seeing "the goods!" 

I figured that after a few months of this, my good ol' inhibitions would return, and I'd back to my old, private, self.  Well, not really.  I swore up and down that I'd never be one of "those" woman who nursed in public, well, I am. Sorry, I can't help it. Let me clarify, I ALWAYS have a blanket, but I have been known to have feed my little guy at the Cheesecake Factory, Famous Dave's, at the pool of the Monte Carlo, and various other places. I may just have to come to the realization that my old friends, my inhibitions, may just not be coming back...but if by chance, you do stumble upon them, please return them to me - there may be a reward involved! :) 

Mommy of a Six-Month-Old or The Newest Star of "Punked"???

Right now I'm laying in bed, and it's hitting me that my little baby is six months old! That's right, I'm the mommy of a rolling, babbling, sitting up, solid-eating (and solid pooping), smiling, beautiful, little boy! 

About 15 or so months ago, I remember laying in bed, praying that God would bless me with a little soul, and now, here I am.  My life has changed entirely: my once clean, perfectly organized home is now cluttered with toys, dirty diapers, un-matched baby socks, and coupons for diapers and such; a shorter-cut bob has replaced the shoulder-length head of hair I once used to sport; instead of cute necklaces or accessories that accent my outfits, my new fashion is now a milky-colored spit-up spot on my clothes; when I sit at the computer to do various work duties, I have a baby whose wobbly body makes typing a workout; and lastly, where I used to see black numbers on my bank account, I now see red. But I can honestly say, without a doubt, that being a mommy is worth every change or small sacrifice I may have made. 

However, I am still trying hard to figure out where the heck the last six months of my life went. I somewhat recall the doctor handing me a crying baby, covered in a jello-like substance, but everything else from that moment on seems to be a blur. It really is a cruel joke that life pulls on new moms. After nine months of creating a human, several hours of delivering that human, and then long, sleepless nights of ensuring that that little human's needs are met, our mommy brains go into autopilot, and mentally, nothing is absorbed.  However, everything else around us (including that once-little-human) continues to grow and change.  I am wracking my brain to remember my little "Buhba's" first smile, first babbling, and other firsts, but they slip my mind. I'm still waiting for Ashton to jump out of the closet and tell me that I've been "Punked", and that my little six-month-old is really still a few weeks old! Any time now, Ashton...I'm waiting...