Do you have ramblings, musings, contemplations and other such thoughts that you want to share with the world? Do you blog an want to reach a different group of readers that might be interested in what you have to say? Do you not blog but want to share something with the world anyway?
I'm looking for guest bloggers who want to post on (natural or conventional) parenting, diapering, breastfeeding, cute children stories, or even controversial topics such as religion and politics (or both). Yes, I said controversial topics. I'll even accept entries of controversial children topics, like vaccinations and circumcisions.
Rules: your posts must be well thought out and grammatically correct. You must not be offensive or rude or mean. You can be cute and funny or you can be serious.
Interested? Leave me a comment or email me (christiner (at) diaperparties (dot) com).
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Shopping
Audrey loves to go shopping. I'm not sure why, because she's usually stuck in the stroller or cart and is bored, but she loves the excitement of going out. When we go to the mall I wear Annie in one of my many baby carriers and Audrey gets pushed by Daddy in her umbrella stroller.
We then hang the shopping bags from the handles of the stroller. It has a tendency to get heavy, but as long as Audrey remains IN the stroller, it stays upright. Well, usually. One day it was particularly heavy and she did fall backwards, but all the bags cushioned her fall. The look on her face was priceless .... I totally wish I had my camera with me.
At any rate, among other things, she's learned about shopping from us. So when she got a doll stroller from her Aunt Becky for her birthday, she was all to excited to push around her doll and hang her new Dora shopping bag from the handles and go shopping around the house.
We then hang the shopping bags from the handles of the stroller. It has a tendency to get heavy, but as long as Audrey remains IN the stroller, it stays upright. Well, usually. One day it was particularly heavy and she did fall backwards, but all the bags cushioned her fall. The look on her face was priceless .... I totally wish I had my camera with me.
At any rate, among other things, she's learned about shopping from us. So when she got a doll stroller from her Aunt Becky for her birthday, she was all to excited to push around her doll and hang her new Dora shopping bag from the handles and go shopping around the house.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Carnival of Breastfeeding - Nursing Styles Between Siblings
Welcome to June's Carnival of Breastfeeding. Inspired by Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog again, I'm writing about nursing styles. Specifically how the two girls compare (and contrast) to each other.
I thought on this topic for awhile before deciding to write on it. I'm not sure that I remember Audrey's nursing style well, or that Annie has had much time to develop one. Laying in bed feeding Annie last night I reflected on how Audrey and I nursed in the middle of the night and how I've had to learn different techniques for this one.
I have never taken any breastfeeding class. When pregnant with Audrey, we couldn't afford more than one class, and we decided that a birthing class was more important that a breastfeeding one. I was praying that Audrey and I would take to it naturally. And we did. We had minor issues with a latch in the beginning. Josh and I worked very hard at establishing a good latch in the hospital, and he continued that help when we got home.
When my milk came in I was so engorged after several hours (Audrey started sleeping through the night really early) that all Audrey had to do was stick out her tongue and it would drip into her mouth. After a little bit of that, she was able to fully latch on and get some good hind milk. When she started eating overnight again, I started to nurse her in the side-lying position. Overnight, Audrey was very much a eat until I fall asleep kind of nurser. Then she'd wake up in 20 minutes and be hungry. She had many battles of, "I'm tired and hungry and I don't know which is more important." Heck, now as a toddler she has the same battles.
She was rarely a comfort nurser. Only when she had injuries, and that was rare. She wouldn't nurse because she was teething. She was a cuddler, though. And she nursed to go to sleep. Falling asleep nursing was the only way I could get her to sleep.
Annie (who will be 6 months on 6/3) has some similar styles and some different style. Annie figured out how to latch on really quickly. We never had latch issues. However I think some of that is me, and having had more experience. The two hospital experiences were completely different, but so were my deliveries. I think that the drugs I was given with Annie had a direct correlation to her eating in the hospital.
When we got home we had a hard time getting any sleep. She would wake up and need to eat almost instantly. For about 4 weeks I slept on my back with her attached to me eating. She would lay like that all night. She couldn't figure out side-lying yet. That was our FAVORITE nighttime nursing position. If we were lucky and could sleep detached, I would physically sit up and nurse her in a cross cradle position. But that was difficult while recovering from a c-section.
As time went on she got better at sleeping and no longer needed to nurse all night long. One big distinction between the two girls is bedtime. I could easily get Audrey to sleep by nursing her. Annie very rarely falls asleep nursing. Now when she wakes up in the middle of the night we can do a side-lying position to nurse, but she doesn't like it much. I don't know if it's because she can't see my face or can't find the nipple, but she really struggles with it. She still prefers to lay on my chest with me on my back. But she's just getting too big for that.
Like Audrey, Annie is not a comfort nurser. She hasn't had any major accidents to speak of yet, so I can't address that aspect, but she doesn't nurse when she's teething. She is also a big cuddler. It's hard to tell when she's hungry because cuddling usually will calm her down significantly.
On a slightly different but related topic, the girls use different pacifiers and bottles too. We got lucky with Audrey that she took the first bottle we gave her. She took any bottle we gave her. She liked any pacifier too. But Annie was tougher. She wouldn't use the same type Audrey used, either bottle or pacifier. We went through the different style pacifiers the hospital sent us to find one that she liked. With bottles I had to go to Babies R Us the week before I went back to work to find a bottle that she tolerated. We found a couple that she likes. But what's even more curious than the bottle is who is feeding her. She won't take a bottle from anyone accept me and daycare lady. She won't take one from Josh or Kymi or a friend from church. It's odd that she lets me give her a bottle though. I suppose it does help save the frozen milk if she is willing to hold out until I get home to feed her.
I look forward to seeing how the two girls vary their nursing style as Annie gets older. I wonder if she'll be easily distracted by noises as she pays more attention to her surroundings. Will she care about solids or will she just want the breastmilk?
Please go check out the other Carnival of Breastfeeding Posts by following the links below.
Breastfeeding the Second Time Around
Second Time's The Charm - (1/6/14 update: link removed due to redirect to inappropriate content.)
Seven reasons why breastfeeding is usually easier the second time around
Lessons Learned
Carnival of Breastfeeding the Second Time Around
Totally different and completely the same
Tandem Nursing
Once More With Feeling
I thought on this topic for awhile before deciding to write on it. I'm not sure that I remember Audrey's nursing style well, or that Annie has had much time to develop one. Laying in bed feeding Annie last night I reflected on how Audrey and I nursed in the middle of the night and how I've had to learn different techniques for this one.
I have never taken any breastfeeding class. When pregnant with Audrey, we couldn't afford more than one class, and we decided that a birthing class was more important that a breastfeeding one. I was praying that Audrey and I would take to it naturally. And we did. We had minor issues with a latch in the beginning. Josh and I worked very hard at establishing a good latch in the hospital, and he continued that help when we got home.
When my milk came in I was so engorged after several hours (Audrey started sleeping through the night really early) that all Audrey had to do was stick out her tongue and it would drip into her mouth. After a little bit of that, she was able to fully latch on and get some good hind milk. When she started eating overnight again, I started to nurse her in the side-lying position. Overnight, Audrey was very much a eat until I fall asleep kind of nurser. Then she'd wake up in 20 minutes and be hungry. She had many battles of, "I'm tired and hungry and I don't know which is more important." Heck, now as a toddler she has the same battles.
She was rarely a comfort nurser. Only when she had injuries, and that was rare. She wouldn't nurse because she was teething. She was a cuddler, though. And she nursed to go to sleep. Falling asleep nursing was the only way I could get her to sleep.
Annie (who will be 6 months on 6/3) has some similar styles and some different style. Annie figured out how to latch on really quickly. We never had latch issues. However I think some of that is me, and having had more experience. The two hospital experiences were completely different, but so were my deliveries. I think that the drugs I was given with Annie had a direct correlation to her eating in the hospital.
When we got home we had a hard time getting any sleep. She would wake up and need to eat almost instantly. For about 4 weeks I slept on my back with her attached to me eating. She would lay like that all night. She couldn't figure out side-lying yet. That was our FAVORITE nighttime nursing position. If we were lucky and could sleep detached, I would physically sit up and nurse her in a cross cradle position. But that was difficult while recovering from a c-section.
As time went on she got better at sleeping and no longer needed to nurse all night long. One big distinction between the two girls is bedtime. I could easily get Audrey to sleep by nursing her. Annie very rarely falls asleep nursing. Now when she wakes up in the middle of the night we can do a side-lying position to nurse, but she doesn't like it much. I don't know if it's because she can't see my face or can't find the nipple, but she really struggles with it. She still prefers to lay on my chest with me on my back. But she's just getting too big for that.
Like Audrey, Annie is not a comfort nurser. She hasn't had any major accidents to speak of yet, so I can't address that aspect, but she doesn't nurse when she's teething. She is also a big cuddler. It's hard to tell when she's hungry because cuddling usually will calm her down significantly.
On a slightly different but related topic, the girls use different pacifiers and bottles too. We got lucky with Audrey that she took the first bottle we gave her. She took any bottle we gave her. She liked any pacifier too. But Annie was tougher. She wouldn't use the same type Audrey used, either bottle or pacifier. We went through the different style pacifiers the hospital sent us to find one that she liked. With bottles I had to go to Babies R Us the week before I went back to work to find a bottle that she tolerated. We found a couple that she likes. But what's even more curious than the bottle is who is feeding her. She won't take a bottle from anyone accept me and daycare lady. She won't take one from Josh or Kymi or a friend from church. It's odd that she lets me give her a bottle though. I suppose it does help save the frozen milk if she is willing to hold out until I get home to feed her.
I look forward to seeing how the two girls vary their nursing style as Annie gets older. I wonder if she'll be easily distracted by noises as she pays more attention to her surroundings. Will she care about solids or will she just want the breastmilk?
Please go check out the other Carnival of Breastfeeding Posts by following the links below.
Breastfeeding the Second Time Around
Second Time's The Charm - (1/6/14 update: link removed due to redirect to inappropriate content.)
Seven reasons why breastfeeding is usually easier the second time around
Lessons Learned
Carnival of Breastfeeding the Second Time Around
Totally different and completely the same
Tandem Nursing
Once More With Feeling
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Smells
Smells never cease to amaze me. Specifically the way in which they bring back faint memories. One tiny whiff of something can rush an old memory to the forefront of your thoughts.
*Fresh cut grass reminds me of marching band.
*Vaseline intensive care lotion reminds me of an ex-boyfriend's house.
*Talcom powder reminds me of my car accident.
*The smell of spit up (and believe it or not breastmilk poop) remind me of my baby girls --- and I so LOVE those smells.
*The smell of some petroleum-based oils reminds me of valve oil and therefore all my band experiences.
What smells bring back memories for you?
Lunch Run by roosachristine at Garmin Connect - Details
This is a test of sharing my Garmin activity on Blogger.
A little funny.....
Josh and I watch(ed) a show on A&E called Intervention. It's a really interesting show about real-life interventions. I learned a lot about addiction and treatment and such. During the actual intervention, family members read letters that they write to the addict explaining that they need help and why and so on.
Audrey's pacifier usage was driving me crazy one day and I just had enough. So I wrote this little funny for her.
3 months later I am pleased to report that Audrey Grace is pacifier free. She doesn't use it for sleeping, she doesn't walk around with it, she can entertain herself just fine without it. She doesn't steal Annie's anymore.
I'm so happy and proud of my little girl. She has learned that we won't give it to her, she doesn't try to sneak one, and she's OK with Annie having one and not her.
Audrey's pacifier usage was driving me crazy one day and I just had enough. So I wrote this little funny for her.
My dearest Audrey Grace,
I am your mother and I want nothing but good things for your life. I can't help but sit back and watch you constantly hurt those who love you most.
I have seen your biky usage affect your life negatively in the following ways:
1. We can't understand you when you talkyoull
2. You are always out looking for the binky, whining until you find it
3. When it falls on the ground, you put it back in your mouth with no regard to germs ro cleanliness
4. At some point your teeth will be misshaped and you'll need braces.
Will you please get treatment today?
3 months later I am pleased to report that Audrey Grace is pacifier free. She doesn't use it for sleeping, she doesn't walk around with it, she can entertain herself just fine without it. She doesn't steal Annie's anymore.
I'm so happy and proud of my little girl. She has learned that we won't give it to her, she doesn't try to sneak one, and she's OK with Annie having one and not her.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Happy 2nd Birthday Baby Girl
My first born. My drama queen. My beautiful baby girl. Today you are two years old. You make me laugh every day. You make me cry, every day. You don't know how much I love being your mom.I love watching you try to play with the big kids. I love watching you figure something out and seeing the smile on your face when you realize you can do it. You are so proud of yourself.
You have a huge heart that loves to love.
You love to interact with the world around you.
You love to cuddle with your momma.
You love your baby sister and I know some day you'll be able to show her all about this world and tell her all the mean things that mom and dad do.
You love your big sister and love that she plays with you on your level.
You love to watch your big brother play his drums and his guitar. You are so proud of him.
You love to sing and dance to your daddy's drumming in church.
And that singing and dancing is going right up to God. You truly make a joyful noise to the Lord. Especially with your voice. I love to hear your 2 y/o song medley when we drive home from work. From "Jesus Loves Me" to "Circle Song" to "Twinkle Song" to "Rejoice," with an occasional "God's Army," "Noah Song," and "Crazy The Lord," tossed in. It warms my heart and soul to see my baby girl praising God at such a young age.
Thank you, Audrey Grace, for being my daughter. Happy Birthday!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Cloth Diapering in a Pinch
As moms we use anything we can find that will work if we don't have the exact item we need. We use blankets and shirt sleeves for burp cloths. We use burp cloths for blankets. magazines become books. Napkins become hats. You get the idea. Whatever it takes to get the job done. This is even more true for diapering, and cloth diapering mamas are very creative.
Last night Josh, the girls and I went to the church for a quick surprise birthday gathering for a friend. We were only going to be gone an hour, maybe 90 minutes. I put both girls in clean diapers before we left. I even contemplated not doing a diaper for Audrey, but she had had a bad accident day apparently. I didn't take the diaper bag with me. Not 10 minutes after we got to the church, just before the birthday boy arrived, Audrey pooped. And it was obvious. Everyone was making jokes about it. We stuck around long enough to yell surprise and eat a piece of cake, then I whisked Audrey off to the bathroom. She sat on the toilet and went potty and I cleaned her poopy diaper up. But we had no spare diapers. Normally I wouldn't even bother putting a diaper on her and just let her wear her pants loosely since she just went potty and we were going home. But she wasn't wearing pants. She was wearing a skirt. And I couldn't bring myself to let her wear no diaper in a skirt sitting in a carseat. Can we say OUCH? and AWKWARD?
So I did what any CDing mommy would do. I took off my top t-shirt (YAY for my foresight to wear layers yesterday), folded in fourths, and laid it in her diaper cover.
Josh was very confused as to what Audrey could possibly be wearing since we brought no spare diapers. He smiled at me when he realized what I had done.
When we got home and undressed to take a bath, my shirt was dry and no worse for the wear.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Marriage book of Evidence
So I read a blog the other day that really just rubbed me the wrong way. I fully believe that it was in tongue-and-cheek style and was not meant as seriously as I am going to present it.
The writer said that she wanted a marriage book of evidence to use as proof. When she and her husband were frantically looking for something and it turned out he had lost it, she wanted to record this and both sign it as evidence in the future that he was the one who lost it, not her.
And while this was meant as a light hearted comment, and I normally hold this writer in very high regard when it comes to certain topics, I just couldn't accept this as a healthy thing.
1 Corinthians tells us that marriage keeps no record of wrongs. OK, not marriage directly, but love. And since marriage is founded on love, marriage keeps no record of wrongs.
So even a lighthearted book of evidence to laugh at is a record of wrongs. Who knows when remembering a silly thing that was lost will come back to cause pain, anguish and sorrow at a later date.
I don't want a book of evidence, except the one with our family photos. A book of evidence of our love and our success as a family. Evidence of God's work in our lives.
The writer said that she wanted a marriage book of evidence to use as proof. When she and her husband were frantically looking for something and it turned out he had lost it, she wanted to record this and both sign it as evidence in the future that he was the one who lost it, not her.
And while this was meant as a light hearted comment, and I normally hold this writer in very high regard when it comes to certain topics, I just couldn't accept this as a healthy thing.
1 Corinthians tells us that marriage keeps no record of wrongs. OK, not marriage directly, but love. And since marriage is founded on love, marriage keeps no record of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13:5 "...it keeps no record of wrongs."
So even a lighthearted book of evidence to laugh at is a record of wrongs. Who knows when remembering a silly thing that was lost will come back to cause pain, anguish and sorrow at a later date.
I don't want a book of evidence, except the one with our family photos. A book of evidence of our love and our success as a family. Evidence of God's work in our lives.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Happy Birthday Jenni
Today is our friend Jenni's birthday.
We love you Jenni! Thank you so much for being a part of our family. You have blessed us beyond belief and we are so grateful for you!
We love you Jenni! Thank you so much for being a part of our family. You have blessed us beyond belief and we are so grateful for you!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mommy and Me Monday - Mother's Day
We had a lovely Mother's Day in our house. After church we got to go home and the girls both napped. Audrey napped for THREE hours. We watched some TV, I enjoyed an episode of Blues Clues with Audrey. And we had a nice dinner.
Audrey colored a craft in Sunday School for me, and on Thursday last week she brought home a beaded bracelet that she helped make in daycare. I was very blessed with these gifts, even knowing that she had help making them. I hope I remember this year forever, as the first year I received gifts from my daughter.
She and Josh also came home with some beautiful pink roses on Saturday morning. I am told that she picked them out from all the red roses that were at the florists.
Audrey even wished me a Happy Mother's Day several times; she also wished a Happy Mother's Day to Josh, Andrew, Kymberly and Annie. And tried to give her Sunday School craft to a man at church. She brings me so much joy!
Audrey colored a craft in Sunday School for me, and on Thursday last week she brought home a beaded bracelet that she helped make in daycare. I was very blessed with these gifts, even knowing that she had help making them. I hope I remember this year forever, as the first year I received gifts from my daughter.
She and Josh also came home with some beautiful pink roses on Saturday morning. I am told that she picked them out from all the red roses that were at the florists.
Audrey even wished me a Happy Mother's Day several times; she also wished a Happy Mother's Day to Josh, Andrew, Kymberly and Annie. And tried to give her Sunday School craft to a man at church. She brings me so much joy!
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| Me and My girls |
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| Sleeping Baby ... don't move, she might wake up. |
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| My Mother's Day Loot |
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| Sunday School Craft |
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| Bracelet from Daycare - yes, Audrey played with it and broke it. It's still special. |
Monday, May 2, 2011
April's Winner
And the lucky winner of April's Giveaway for a Swimmi Swim Diaper is ......................
SARAH!!!
Email me with your size and print options.
Congratulations. And thank you to everyone who participated.
I am taking May off from a giveaway. I will resume in June.
http://www.everythingbirth.com/Bummis-Swimmi-Cloth-Swim-Diapers-BMS0060-p-Cloth-Swim-Diapers.html
SARAH!!!
Email me with your size and print options.
Congratulations. And thank you to everyone who participated.
I am taking May off from a giveaway. I will resume in June.
http://www.everythingbirth.com/Bummis-Swimmi-Cloth-Swim-Diapers-BMS0060-p-Cloth-Swim-Diapers.html
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