Interview with Addie: 2 Years Old

I almost forgot to do a birthday interview with Addie for her second birthday! While she is talking very well, most of these questions are a little too pointed for her understanding, so most of the answers are me speaking for her. I have no doubt that next year, she will be spewing out answers and opinions nonstop!

How old are you?  Two. Her actual answer when asked this question is "I'm shix!" - 6. She's too smart for her own good.

What makes you happy? Getting her way. Nursing.

What is your favorite toy? Paw Patrol pups, Doc McStuffins, princess purse,

What is your favorite stuffed animal? She's actually hilariously obsessed with our plush Bowser (Nintendo villain) right now. She runs around saying "he's scary!" and "I like him!" and "where IS he?!" We can't figure out why he is so important to her, but it's really funny.

What is your favorite real animal? Dogs.

What is your favorite thing to sleep with? Mommy. She hates being covered in a blanket while she sleeps.

What is your favorite color? Pink! She'll answer this one sometimes.

What is your favorite fruit? Grapes.

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Whatever Mommy is eating and none of what is on her tray.

What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Whatever Mommy is eating and none of what is on her tray. She'll usually eat macaroni and cheese, plain cheese, shredded cheese, grapes, a carrot or two, broccoli, tomato or broccoli cheddar soup, and apple slices without too much complaining.

What do you want to eat for your birthday dinner? See above. We had chicken and potatoes for her birthday dinner. I think she ate three bites total.

What is your favorite drink? Milk.

What is your favorite dessert? Cupcakes or the peanut butter cups she mooches when Mommy has purchased them from Trader Joe's.

What is a food that makes you want to puke? Most vegetables aside from broccoli, carrots, or corn.

What is your favorite thing to do? Read books, nurse, snuggle.

What is your favorite TV show? Octonauts, Paw Patrol, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
 
What is your favorite movie? The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Lady & the Tramp (she doesn't watch them all the way through - just the nice and "not scary" parts with daddy while waiting for brother to go to sleep each night).

What are you really good at? Talking!

What is your favorite song? She's been overheard singing the Paw Patrol theme and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer a lot this week.

Who is the Coolest Person on Earth? Lincoln. She wants to do everything Lincoln does.

What do you and your mom do together? Dance in the kitchen. Snuggle for naps and nighttime. Read books. Run errands. Put on pretty hair accessories.

What do you and your dad do together? Chest bumps. Rough, crazy play. Watch movies at bedtime.

When you were little, what did you do? Fuss and cry!

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? Grandparents' houses or the zoo or the aquarium.

What do you think your parents are too strict about? Who needs to sleep all night? Or share their toys?

Who is your best friend? Lincoln.

What are some of your favorite words to say? All the words. She blows me away with the stuff she says. All day long, she talks in full sentences!
 
What is your favorite thing to do outside? Slides on our swingset or at the park.

What is your favorite book? This is tough. She really likes an Under the Sea book that her grandparents gave her last Christmas...or anything with a princess...or Curious George... She rarely turns down a book.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Something in a position of power! Or maybe something that allows her to work with animals. I can't wait to hear her real answer next year when she will likely understand this question!

Maybe it's silly to answer these questions for her, but I think it's fun to have a little piece of her life at age barely 2 recorded!





Just for fun, here's Lincoln's 2nd Birthday Interview.

Questions compiled from A Beautiful Ruckus, Ali Edwards, and Paper Nook.  Thanks!

Adelaide: 2 Years Old

Age two sounds a whole lot bigger than age one. At least, today it does.

My princess Adelaide Rose is having a birthday today. We're having a pretty low-key day. It's too cold to go to the zoo like we did last year, and we just felt like taking it easy. She's playing with new birthday toys and we're taking lots of opportunities to celebrate little moments with her. I'm big on everyday adventures and little things that I know I will end up remembering...so, I'm trying to soak up as much of that as I can while I come to terms with the fact that I do not have a "baby" currently.

Milestones: Oh my goodness, Addie. What don't you know how to do? You are proficient at running, climbing, dancing, singing....you name it, we probably do it on a daily basis around here. You're comfortable jumping off Lincoln's toddler bed, you can scale a kitchen chair to gain counter access, and I don't even always have to hold your hand when you are on the stairs.

We've finally had a vast improvement in your sleeping patterns - you now pretty consistently go to sleep somewhere between 8-9:30pm and sleep for usually at least 3-5 hours before waking for the first time. Now, most people might say that's not very good for a little girl who is two, but in our house, it is nothing short of a miracle. Once you're awake, you'll happily cuddle with me and nurse back to sleep in mommy and daddy's bed, and you usually stay there until morning. You have actually slept 9.5 hours THREE times in the last two months, so I have hope that someday I might sleep again.

We never had reflux officially diagnosed, but we started seeing a chiropractor regularly and between having adjustments regularly and just growing bigger, it does not seem to be as much of a problem as it was before.

You are kind of wishy-washy about eating right now. Some days, you like food, but most of the time you prefer to just play with it and then throw it on the kitchen floor. I won't pretend that's not frustrating! I think you're working on your two year molars, so I imagine it hurts to chew right now. We've done lots of soft foods like soup and smoothies recently, and those go over pretty well. You generally like to eat broccoli, pears, apples, carrots, chicken, tomato or broccoli cheddar soup, macaroni and cheese, raisins, grapes, and a few other things.

You are still nursing throughout the day and night. Whenever you decide that you are ready for another nursing session (often 3.8 seconds following the previous one), you sidle up to me and say "I want to nurshhh!" I think nursing has become an occupation for boredom, so I'm trying to encourage you to find other means of entertainment. Being told that you can't nurse at any given moment is equivalent to the end of the world.

Maybe your biggest milestone is your development of language and understanding. Little girl - oh my goodness! I think you know every word there is to know. You use full sentences, all the time. You know exactly what you want and how to communicate that you want it. I only have to remind you to "use words" if you are in a hysterical tantrum. When you were eighteen months old, I was listing off all of the individual words you knew - and since then, you have truly learned more than I could have imagined. I really love being able to communicate with you so well - it makes life less frustrating for both of us.

A few favorite things that you're saying these days:
-"Not worry, mama" or "not worry, brother."
-"I want to read a book a' (with) you!"
-"Where's Inky go?"

You love singing, too, and know at least some of the words to several of Lincoln's favorite songs - Deep and Wide, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Paw Patrol (the theme song), and probably others.

You love coloring (especially with markers), playing outside (the sandbox and slide in our backyard have been your most recent favorites), going for walks, riding in the Ergo, blowing bubbles, and doing anything Lincoln does.

Loves: Currently, you can usually be found carting around the four plush Paw Patrol pups in our collection, plus a few other stuffed dogs. Sometimes Doc McStuffins and crew are along for the ride. You're obsessed with our plush Bowser right now, too.

You like wrapping blankets around you while you're playing, but you dislike being covered with one while you're sleeping.

You can pretty much hold your own with Lincoln these days, but you know that if you start screeching, Mommy will have to come find out what's going on. I think you use that to your advantage pretty frequently. You love playing with Lincoln, though - in spite of your apparent dismay whenever he runs too close to you or snatches away a toy.

 You have been choosing Daddy to snuggle with over me sometimes, and I think it's sweet. You guys have your own special time when you play and watch movies at night while Mommy puts Lincoln to bed. I usually make it downstairs just in time to see you cuddle up with Daddy. So sweet. You ask about Daddy when he is at work or in another room, even.

You love animals and playing dress up and being girly. You have started to pick out some of your own hair accessories each day. I love that you love wearing the bows that I make for you!

One of the cutest things you do is singing "dance together" and twirling around the room with Mommy, Daddy, or Lincoln. The song is found on your Minnie-rella DVD and you think it's the greatest thing. You also like Ring Around the Rosey and the Hokey Pokey.

Hates: You're getting just a little bit better about meeting new people and exploring without mommy. You've hated the church nursery for months and months, but this week you got to move up to the "big kid" class and you just walked in the door happily - then cried when we had to leave. You prefer to warm up to people slowly - if a new person tries to talk to you, you're very shy and usually try to hide.

You still are not a fan of having your teeth brushed. After your dental ordeal earlier this year, I don't really blame you. We faithfully brush your teeth every day. And weirdly enough, you don't hate vitamins! You beg to take your multivitamin "bears," bone/tooth support supplement, and chocolate-flavored cod liver oil. So weird, kid. Really - so weird.

Like most toddlers, you don't like it when you don't get your way. We are working hard right now on learning about obedience and consequences and the like. I won't pretend that that has been fun for any of us.

You seem a little bit frightened of the Abominable Snow Monster in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - but you also like to tell us "he's not scary!" so I'm not sure what's going on in your head.

Weight/Height: I think you weigh a little over 30 pounds and I know you have gotten taller because you have no real problem wearing size 3T leggings and jammies. Your clothes are overall a mix of 2T-3T! You're in size two AppleCheeks cloth diapers. I've toyed with the idea of starting potty training, because I think you can do it....but I have not psyched myself up for that process yet.

If your 2-year molars don't come in soon, I think we are all going to lose our minds! Those mean teeth have been trying to pop through for ages.

You finally have a fair amount of hair, and it's coming in so adorably curly! I am going to cry buckets whenever we have to cut some of your hair, little girl. Buckets.


Last night, I tried to take in every little sighing breath, every squirm and wiggle as you made yourself comfortable in my arms in our now-squeaky rocking chair. Saying goodbye to age one is hard...it's the definitive end of the "baby" stage and you're telling me often (both visually and verbally) that you're a big girl now. You don't have to be too big too fast, little princess. Really. Stay small just as long as you can.

I love you.
Mommy

Nursing Tank by La Leche League Intimates {Giveaway}

I don't know how to be a breastfeeding mom without nursing tank tops. True story. I have literally worn one every single day since I learned of them back in 2011. I have a pretty large collection at this point, since I've been nursing for more than three years.

If you're a nursing mom and have yet to add a nursing tank to your wardrobe, do yourself the biggest favor ever and buy one RIGHT NOW. Seriously. You'll thank yourself!

Nursing Bra Express

La Leche League Intimates Nursing Tank Giveaway

Hosted by: mama pure

Sponsored by: Nursing Bra Express

Nursing tanks are a staple wardrobe piece for any breastfeeding mama. They easily allow you to expand your wardrobe when wearing them under other tops you already have by allowing easy access for baby while still covering your midsection. The Nursing Tank by La Leche League Intimates is soft, breathable and comes in a variety of colors and sizes from S-3XL. It retails for $38.50 (ARV). Read the full review at mama pure.

When looking for a wide selection of nursing bras, tanks, apparel and other breastfeeding accessories be sure to visit Nursing Bra Express! They carry an amazing range of sizes and the top brands in nursing wear.

Giveaway

Nursing Bra Express is generously giving away a Nursing Tank by La Leche League Intimates. This giveaway will run from 10/16 at 12am EST through 11/1 at 11:59pm EST. It is open to the US only. Void where prohibited. Please use the rafflecopter below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This blog was not compensated for promoting this giveaway and is not responsible for prize fulfillment. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or any other social media. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this giveaway or the Milk Makin' Mamas Event please contact Laura at www.mamapure.com.

Lincoln: 3 1/2 Years Old

Somehow, I managed to completely miss Lincoln's half birthday this year. I think that means childhood is speeding by too fast, so someone please send a memo to this little man to quit growing so fast already. I know he won't listen to you, but it's worth a try!

I don't even know where to start...it seems like the past few months have held some of the biggest leaps in Lincoln's life. And while that's a good thing, it's just hard to believe how much (and how quickly) he is changing.

Lincoln, you talk so much now. It is a constant chatter - to yourself, to mommy, to Addie, to anyone who will listen - or your toys if no one will. You have a strong opinion about most of the everyday decisions in life (such as when to get in the car, brush your teeth, eat your dinner, put your plate in the sink, pick up your toys) and you're starting to come up with excuses like "I'm busy right now" or "Not yet" when asked to complete a task. You're able to tell us a lot more about what you're feeling - "that makes me sad!" or "I'm fwustwated!" - which is very helpful to us as parents, especially after your speech delays that had us all confused and frustrated at one another when you were younger. One of my favorite words right now is "willn't" - it means "won't." I told Daddy not to teach you the real way to say it.

You are definitely no longer a baby. Sometimes when you're sleeping, I'm reminded of what you felt like snuggled up in my arms as a tiny newborn, but it has gone by so fast. I can't believe it. You're about 90% potty trained after a long struggle (still need to work on nighttime),

You want to help mommy and daddy do everything. If we say no, you cry as though your heart is broken into a thousand pieces.

I didn't think the day would come, but you don't play with cars and trucks the way you once did. Don't take that the wrong way - you still like them, but now there are schemes and plans and adventures happening when you do decide to sit down and play with your overflowing bin of cars. I want to hop back in time for a day and drive cars with you endlessly, mindlessly, for the sheer joy of seeing the wheels turn. I wasn't planning to cry while writing this post...but it's too late, now. I didn't know how much I would miss having little cars strategically lined up across the entire couch for days on end.

You love reading right now. Your favorite books are Berenstain Bears, Little People Lift-the-Flaps, and all of the tiny lift-the-flap board books (especially classics like Two Bad Mice, Peter Rabbit, and the like). I can sometimes find you with a stack of books, just reading to yourself, and that makes my heart smile. Even busy little boys can love reading, buddy.

We started preschool a few weeks ago, and while we may be a few days behind at the moment, you (for the most part) love it. You memorized Genesis 1:1 ("in the beginning, God "macrated" the heavens and the earth), learned to draw 0's and 1's, and love the color blue. Some of your favorite school activities are coloring with markers, playing the apple tree counting game, and putting stickers on your daily chart. I'm excited about homeschooling, because right now you have such an enthusiastic desire to learn.

You are no longer nursing. We hit the milestone of weaning a few weeks before you were three and a half. I had a lot of mixed feelings about it, but I was starting to feel pretty worn down from nursing two kids for almost two years, and you more or less forgot how to latch (which meant it was painful for me). For the last few months, you nursed maybe once every other day or two. It wasn't very difficult to distract you from the idea once I decided that we had probably reached the end. I am proud that we nursed until you were well over three years old, and will never apologize to anyone for it.

You are always up for an adventure, and if mommy gets dressed before 10am, you chirp "Mommy! Where we going today?!" Some recent favorite adventures were to Texas to visit your baby cousin Jackson, Deanna Rose Farmstead this summer, to see your first musical - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Coterie Theatre, and to ride Thomas.

You know all the basic colors and some others like silver and gold. You can identify most shapes without blinking. You can count almost to twenty and recognize at least 50% of the alphabet letters (and know a lot of their sounds - you definitely know the sounds of R, S, and T). Daddy thinks you'll be ready for basic math skills in the next few months. When asked your name, you can recite your full name - but still consistently tell people that your name is Inky. And I love that.

Your favorite TV show right now is The Octonauts, and "Captain Barnacles" is your second identity. You have declared Addie to be Peso, Mommy to be Dashi, Daddy to be Shellington, and mommy's parents (Bun and Pa) to be Kwazii and Inkling. There are some days that both you and Addie only refer to me as Dashi. It's kind of hilarious. Your Sunday School teacher even recently wrote "Captain Barnacles" on the paper you brought home from class. When you got to meet the Octonauts, though, you were scared out of your mind! I love to hear you sing - you know a few real songs, but usually just string words together in song.

You and Addie remain best pals, but now that she's old enough to (sort of) fight back, I am playing a constant referee. You guys are constantly chasing, pushing, poking, sitting on each other...and so on. You also fiercely love each other and can't stand it if the other gets to do something without you.

Your sleep pattern has improved a lot since we started chiropractic care earlier this year. At the beginning of the year, you ended up in our bed every night - usually by 1 or 2am. Lately, you've been sleeping through the night (from about 8:30pm - 7:30am) or at least only waking once or twice - and staying in your room after waking. Until we get you potty trained at night, we'll probably deal with this for awhile. But overall - it's much improved and you are getting better rest.

Food is a battle, unfortunately. After Addie's early childhood tooth decay, I have been extra cautious about what we are consuming and have been watching your teeth for any signs of decay. You have a couple of spots on your front middle teeth that are showing some early markers for caries, and I can't even stomach the idea of going through another dental surgery in our family right now. So you are on a very limited diet of only whole foods with limited grains and dairy, in an effort to stop and hopefully reverse the decay before it progresses into a large problem. You are taking a multivitamin and cod liver oil supplements daily, and don't fight these as much as you did at the start. Eating veggies is a battle, but Daddy taught you "the water trick" (or, swallowing a small piece of food without chewing) and now I can get you to eat a few bites at each meal that way.

You have a mix of clothing ranging from 3T - 5T. Most of the new shirts I'm buying for fall are 5T and the pants are 4T (though they are a little long still). You weigh about 40 pounds and will actually stand on our scale at home now to see the number.

I don't have words for how much I love you, and I hope that you know that even when your frantic, headlong enthusiasm frustrates me or scares me to death.  We're running toward age four at a very unbelievably fast pace, and while I'm so excited to watch you learn and grow and fly...it terrifies me, too. I don't know how to be a four-year-old's mom yet. I guess we'll just take it one day at a time, when we get there.

You're my very favorite boy - and it melts my heart when you tell me that I'm your favorite girl, too. I hope I get the privilege of holding that title for a long, long time, Lincoln.

I love you,
Mommy

6 Things I Hate About Breastfeeding

What, you thought I would just tell you 5 Things I Love About Breastfeeding and go on with life without a mention of the not-so-delightful things about nursing? I tell it like it is, friends. I love breastfeeding. Like...I LOVE it. But I'd definitely be lying if I said I had never been annoyed with one thing or another about the breastfeeding journey. So here are the not-so-glorious things!

6 Things I Hate (or at least strongly dislike) About Breastfeeding

1. Nursing Hickeys. These tend to happen in the middle of the night when it feels like your eyelids are literally peeling off your face and you just don't care that the baby is hungry again. You get her latched (you think), and collapse back into your dreams of a place where bedtime is 4 o'clock in the afternoon, then wake up in the morning to find a bruise far more alarming than any actual hickey you ever got from kissing. Bright side: at least you don't have to hide this one with a turtleneck!

2. Nursing Covers. I started out loving these things. I had about four. I collected them because they were so cute. Fabric is ridiculously adorable these days, so you can find (or make) a nursing cover to match your nursery or your car seat or your clothing or anything that strikes your fancy. And that's great. But what's not great is trying to get your kid to actually eat under one of these things. This photo is me in the hospital, attempting to latch Lincoln (who didn't know how to latch) in a pile of Boppy and hospital gown and super cute green floral nursing cover. He was less than 24 hours old. Do you know what I wish I had instead? A photo of his sweet little face while he was attempting to nurse in his first day of life.

I'm a really really modest person. Honest. I nurse in public constantly, but I do not flaunt anything and I would be surprised if anyone has ever actually caught a full glimpse of skin as my kid latches. I'm not comfortable with people seeing my breasts, so I've learned that there are better ways to nurse without using a tent over your baby's head. When you're nursing a small infant, you really need two hands to do it right. That means you need three hands if you also have to hold the nursing cover out of the way to see what you are doing. Show me a mom with three hands and I'll gift her all these covers I have cluttering up my house.

If you want to nurse without a cover, just do it, mama. Let's start a revolution and actually let the newest generation of children think breastfeeding is normal because they see it happen. I don't want my kids to be shamed if they try to peek under a nursing cover to find out what the baby is doing. If they can see the baby, they'll just accept it and go on with life.

(I'm going to write another post on this subject as it seems I've been holding onto some pent-up anxiety about this....!)

3. Gymnurstics. I actually laugh at the antics of a nursing toddler most of the time. But sometimes, you really just want to be able to sit down on the couch and have a soothing moment with your child without her toe up your nose. Be considerate, little person. You certainly throw a big commotion if I try to pry anything out of your snot-crusted face. Mommy knows how to blow her own nose (point Mommy!).

Photo from my post about
Addie's Early Childhood Caries (tooth decay).

4. Tiny Teeth. When you decide to nurse past six months, you're going to encounter some of these bad boys. I've been pretty lucky - Addie has never been a biter, and Lincoln only thought it was funny for a few weeks. Some babies apparently belly laugh because their mama sounds funny when she screams after their tiny teeth have tried to take a not-so-tiny bite out of her.

A baby with sharp little teeth clamping down on your breast is seriously more painful than stepping on 1,000 LEGOs the wrong way.

Lincoln is almost weaned. At the end of nursing him, his latch became very lazy and each session was an experiment in how much can I take and tiny indentations in my skin. Not fun.

5. "Are You Stilllllllll Nursing Him/Her?" What, this kid attached to my chest right now? Yup. Still nursing that one. I thankfully don't get this one as often as I expect it. But it annoys me because - really - it doesn't matter if my child is six months or one year or two years or five years old, the decision to nurse him was mine and it was hard and I feel guilty enough about everything else I'm doing as a mom already. I don't need you to give me snarky words about how I'll ruin him for life, because it's proven I won't (at least not by breastfeeding him). This is something I am doing right and when I get nagged about it, it may just provoke me to nurse this kid until college. Take that.

6. Pumping. There is something inherently wrong with strapping a contraption to your body, then being happy as it suctions the life milk out of you. When I quit my part-time out of the home job, I was so done with pumping. And I only worked like 10-15 hours/week. Full-time working mamas and exclusive pumpers, you all have serious dedication and you win all the awesome points of the day.

Is it a bad thing that I wrote far more about the things I don't like than I did about the things that I do like? Whoops! What about you? If your kids were breastfed, what was your least favorite thing about it? No judgement!

5 Things I Love About Breastfeeding

I had great intentions of posting a breastfeeding related article every day of World Breastfeeding Week 2014. If you don't know - that was August 1-7. That week was really crazy for me between two big performances with my drama students and a trip to Texas to visit my brother.

Maybe next year I'll post on time, right?

Happily for me, August is also Breastfeeding Awareness Month - so I decided to go ahead and share a few of my breastfeeding-related stories before the month is up. You can hop over to Mama Pure to read my Tips for Tandem Nursing, too!

Today, I thought it would be fun to tell you some of my favorite things about breastfeeding! Here they are - in no particular order. 


5 Things I Love About Breastfeeding!

1. It's pure magic when it comes to getting babies to sleep. Sure, I was advised many times to not let my baby fall asleep at the breast because she'll become dependent on it. Well, speaking now as a mom whose kid is dependent on nursing to sleep...it's not such a bad thing. Trying to get her down for a nap or nighttime without nursing means hours of screaming and hysteria. Pop her on to nurse and she's calm in two minutes. I'll take the latter option, thanks.

2. It's so much easier than any other method of feeding baby. When I was pumping for Lincoln (I worked part time when he was a baby), I hated dealing with the zillion pieces of my pump and the bottles. I can barely keep track of what day it is. Making sure enough milk was readily available was sometimes a nightmare. I've never used formula, but I am certain I would have left my house more than once without all the necessary tools to feed baby. This week, I've forgotten to put shoes on my kids three times when we've left the house. Mom brain is serious.

3. It gives me time to cuddle with my very busy toddlers. Tiny little babies are usually pretty snuggly. Toddlers usually are not. At least, they're not in my case. Addie enjoys a good snuggle more than Lincoln, but a nursing break guarantees a few minutes of close contact where we can regroup and just be with each other during a busy day.

4. It's an effective birth control method. Really. Obviously, you can't trust it forever (and don't blame me if you read this and find yourself pregnant because you thought I told you it was okay). But I didn't get my fertility back until Addie was 14 months old. That's over a year of period-free life. If that doesn't convince you to give breastfeeding a try, I don't know what will do the trick.

5. It helps mom lose baby weight (and more). This one is not true for everyone, but for me it's been ahhhh-ma-zing. I currently weigh twenty pounds less than I did when I found out Lincoln was on the way. I halfheartedly attended a weekly workout class for a few weeks when he was a baby. Sometimes we go for family walks in the evening. Aside from that, I have literally not done any structured exercise AT ALL in four years. Part of this may be due to my better eating habits and the fact that I'm constantly chasing toddlers around - but how cool is it to be able to say "oh, I'm burning calories right now" while I'm writing this blog post? Making breast milk=automatic extra calories gone.

I think I could write at least another fifty reasons why I love breastfeeding, but those are some of my favorites! Did you (or do you currently) breastfeed your kids? What's your favorite benefit from your nursing relationship?

Note: Mamas who have chosen or have had the choice made for you to use formula or otherwise feed your child, please know that I love you too. I'm blessed to have been able to breastfeed both kids in spite of a difficult start, and I know that I had it easier than a lot of you! I'm not judging. Honest.

On Having A Lot To Say

Oh, hi there. It's me. Reporting back to this little blog for one of my "yes, I'm still alive - just in a really busy season at the moment" updates.

I sit here with a paper schedule before my eyes of sixteen posts that I had intended to publish before the end of July. That clearly did not happen.

It's the middle of World Breastfeeding Week and I haven't posted anything about breastfeeding even though it's one of my passions.

I'm behind on paperwork for my drama classes, my Etsy shop, and this blog.

The kids are asleep right now, but they are not super content to play by themselves during daytime hours. And when they are, I'm typically trying to climb out from under the sea of laundry and dishes.

It's just a very busy time of life...and we're not even starting school this year!

I have a lot of aspirations about what this blog may become...what the handmade market could hold for my future....how I'll eventually (probably) own my own theatre someday. But these days and nights and weeks of exhaustion make it tough to open my eyes to greet a new morning - much less make a five- or ten-year plan.

I'm going to do my best to get back to at least semi-regular blogging again. It seems to come in waves for me and I'm ready to ride the writing tide back in now. I miss writing. My brain hurts when I don't make it spit out words that may or may not be read, since I doubt most of you are still reading at this point of this super random post. There are only nine things left on yesterday's goal list before I hit the few blog tasks I had hoped to accomplish. And my email is down to a manageable fifty messages in my inbox, so maybe I'll be able to knock those out in the morning and get to work.

But who am I kidding? The kids went to bed late, so there's a slight chance they might sleep past 7am. Which means, I'm sleeping too.

And I'm not feeling guilty about it. At all.

Judge Not

I don't engage in mommy wars. Life is too short to argue with other moms about the choices they make. I advocate for things I am passionate about (example: breastfeeding), but ultimately, if you choose to formula feed your baby, I'm not going to give you a hard time about it.

Sometimes, though, people don't have to tell you their judgements in words. You know what I'm talking about? That old lady who gives you the stink eye at Target because your kid is trying to climb on the conveyer belt. Or the mom who watches you, eyes raised, as you wrangle your kid to the car after only fifteen minutes at the park.

I'm sure I've been guilty of this silent judgement, too. But I'm declaring to all of you: my readers, my family, and myself: it has to stop.

There is no way for you (or me) to know what is going on in these situations you encounter with perfect strangers in your community.

My son runs away from me in parking lots. The last time I took my kids to the park, Lincoln refused to listen to any of my requests to stay near me. He preferred to run across the park and climb on rock structures - far out of my reach should he fall. I got death stares from other parents because I followed him around and insisted that he stay within a 10-foot radius of myself and Addie. We finally just left the park because I was too stressed out about him running off and ending up in the street. I'm not sorry I made this decision, because the last time I gave him the opportunity to explore on his own outside my circle of trust, I almost lost him.

I haven't told many people (in real life) that my daughter had oral surgery to fix her badly decaying teeth. I fully admit that I was the judging mom about early childhood tooth decay the first few times I heard about it. I thought...really...who doesn't brush their kid's teeth and feeds them enough junk food and juice that their baby teeth start to crumble? But then it happened to me: the mom whose kids never drink juice, never eat ice cream, and consider an animal cracker a respectable cookie. And now I realize, it was so unfair of me to blame another mom for this sort of thing. Because chances are, she - just like me - spent weeks crying and feeling like a failure because she didn't know what she did wrong.

I don't know what my next controversial mom thing will be. But in the meantime, I'll be doing my best to smile at every single mom I encounter - regardless of how her kids look or behave. She is probably beating herself up about something and friendly support is something I can do.

Have you ever felt judged for the choices you've made as a parent?

Adelaide: 18 Months Old

Today, my little girl is closer to age two than age one. Yesterday, she was eighteen months old.

That thing they say about time going by too fast is absolutely true. It seems like maybe I'm dreaming - maybe it's a year ago and she's only six months old? It doesn't seem like she was born yesterday, but it definitely doesn't feel like we should be creeping up on a second birthday, either.

We've absolutely seen a massive increase in personality in the last few months, and I want to capture some of it here, before I forget.

Milestones: You have mastered running in recent weeks. You and your brother terrorize each other running circles around the house. You're also gaining confidence in climbing, walking down stairs, and leaping off of Lincoln's toddler bed.

Sleep is still a complete disaster. I've started to be suspicious that maybe we have been dealing with silent reflux for the last year. It would explain a lot of things about your moods, habits, and especially sleep. The next time we are at the pediatrician, I will definitely be mentioning this to get their thoughts about it. I'm not in love with the idea of you being on a daily medication unless it is absolutely necessary, but there aren't a lot of other treatment options for reflux, so we'll see.

You will eat just about anything, though you do have some preferences. You especially love broccoli, apples, pears, peaches, carrot straws, grapes, chicken nuggets, raisins, applesauce, broccoli cheddar soup, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, and cheese of any kind. You don't seem to have the same need for starchy foods that mommy does - you'll take or leave bread, fries, or baked potatoes.

You nurse throughout the day and night and seem to think it is ultimately your right to have access whenever needed. You beat on my chest and demand "Nuh!" and wail piteously if you are told no.

When you turned one, you were just starting to babble some "real" words. Oh my goodness. The list of words you know now is definitely more than I can count - but here are the ones I can remember.

Mama, Dada, Bun (my mom), Pa (my dad), Nana (Andrew's mom), Papa (Andrew's dad), Ad (yourself), Ing-ing (Licoln), chair, ball, Doc, "meemie" (Lambie), Belle, princess, mermaid, car, bath, flower, bird or sometimes "tweet-tweet", shark, fishie, Pooh, choo-choo, "Mah" (Tramp from Lady & the Tramp), colors (crayons), blue, block, turn (as in "my turn"), shoes, bow, cup, "who-who" (owl), "uh-huh" and "uh-uh" for yes and no, awww, and eyes.

You also will recite the sounds of lots of animals - woof-woof (dog), moooow (cat), mmmm (cow), quack-quack (duck), tweet-tweet (bird), ssssss (snake), ooh-ooh, aah-aah (monkey), roar (lion, tiger, dinosaur), "who-who" (owl), and more that I can't remember.

You also tell me when you are pooping. The look on your face is priceless. I'm hoping this means potty training you will be easier than it is for Lincoln.

You recognize items in books or in our house and point to them when prompted. You can stand on your tiptoes to peek out the window at a firetruck with Lincoln. You like to scribble with crayons. You understand simple instructions, even if you don't like to listen. You love going down slides (and shouting "help! help!" when you get to the top but can't quite get your feet positioned correctly. You love to dance, especially with Mommy and Lincoln.

Loves: Your favorite toys are your two plush Doc McStuffins, plush Lambie, and plush lamb that you think is another Lambie. It's actually getting to the point where your refuse to do anything without all four of these toys and that's getting ridiculous.

You love playing with Lincoln and roughhousing with him as much as possible. You're not quite big enough to keep up with him, but you try your best - and if you don't get a turn at something, heaven help us all.

You really miss Daddy when he is gone at work and ask for him throughout the day. You like to snuggle with him when he comes home and while Mommy puts Lincoln to bed at night.

You like going to the park and going for walks in the stroller (usually). You love all the animals at the zoo! You also really like your headbands and ask for a bow if we leave the house and you don't have one on your head. I'm a proud mama.

Hates: You still only have a few people in your circle of trust - grandparents, Daddy, and sometimes other kids. Other than that, you don't love interacting with anyone else and you greet anyone who tries to approach you with a scowl. You especially hate the church nursery.

You hate having your teeth or mouth touched. I have another post in the works to talk about our ordeal with early childhood caries - or dental decay - at your extremely young age. Sigh! You've been poked and prodded in the mouth a lot in the last couple of months, and you clam your lips shut if anyone even comes near your mouth now.

You don't like to be told no, and we've had some pretty epic toddler meltdowns over this recently. You're kind of grumpy for mommy a lot of the time, but as long as you get to nurse frequently, you are not too whiny.

Weight/Height: At your pediatrician's visit last week, you weighed 27 pounds, 10 ounces (95th percentile). You're 32 1/2 inches tall (75th percentile). You're wearing almost entirely 18-24month and 2T clothing! You're in size two AppleCheeks cloth diapers.

You now have 12 teeth (4 front on top and bottom plus 1-year molars), but you're working on all four eye teeth. They are worse than molars! Of your 12 teeth, 4 of them are decayed....unfortunately probably past the point of us being able to fix them without a dental procedure. I want to elaborate on this, but it will turn into another novel - so I'll save it for a new post later this week or next.

Your hair is coming in finally, in little tufts that stick up all over your head. I'm holding out hope that we can do real pigtails soon! Every time I've tried so far, you have not been pleased about it.


I'm in shock that it's almost time for me to start planning a second birthday party, but that seems to just be how life goes! I'm so blessed to have this beautiful girl as my own, and every day I cherish her more. I'm holding her tight - trying to keep her little for just a little while longer.

Undercover Mama Breastfeeding Tank Giveaway {Something Special For Mom Hop}

I'm so excited to share today's giveaway with you! Undercover Mama is my favorite breastfeeding accessory. I did not receive anything from them to post this giveaway, but they are graciously providing the giveaway prize. I wear Undercover Mama shirts every single day. Literally. Every day. They're amazing!

 

Welcome to the Something Special for Mom Giveaway Hop hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network. Mother's Day will be here before you know it, which is why a group of fabulous bloggers have come together to share gifts and giveaways that are perfect for the special lady in your life! Be sure to hop around to them all, including the Grand Prize of a $100 Gift Card to aka originals! Enter to win the hand stamped jewelry Grand Prize here.

 

Breastfeeding moms, let's talk about fashion. Yes, there are some great clothing options out there these days. Thankfully we're not still in the dark ages when it comes to practical clothing designed for mothers with nursing babies. But what I've discovered is that a lot of times, the really nice nursing clothes have a high price tag to accompany them. I simply don't have the budget to purchase a complete wardrobe just for breastfeeding - especially because a postpartum mom has a body that is constantly changing sizes!

I've been nursing for over three years straight now, and by far, my favorite find for making breastfeeding easier - whether at home or on the go - is the Undercover Mama.

This nursing tank is designed to attach to your favorite nursing bra. You wear it under a normal, non-nursing shirt. The Undercover Mama keeps your skin covered when you pull up a shirt to nurse - but allows super easy access because it's clipped onto your bra. It could not be any more simple.

Undercover Mama is my go to gift for any new mom who is breastfeeding, and I have a secret desire to own one in every single color available. Right now, I have Black, Blueberry, Cream, Gray, Lime, Red, and Brown. Next on my list is definitely Emerald. Or Navy. Or Pink! I've found that I prefer a size smaller than my "normal" size. I like my undershirt to be fairly tight, to keep any extra post-baby skin in place. Make sure you check the size chart before ordering to ensure you get the size you need.

 You can find out more about this awesome company on their website. Make sure you follow along on Facebook and Twitter for contests!

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win a an Undercover Mama nursing shirt of choice! This giveaway will end on May 15 at 11:59pm CST.  This giveaway is open to US readers only.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well.  All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Once you have finished entering my giveaway, hop on over and enter to win the Grand Prize! Then hop around to enter all of the other fantastic giveaways, too!

So Easy Being Green, Viva Veltoro, the Blogging Mamas Network, and the Something Special for Mom participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations. I received no samples or compensation for featuring Undercover Mama in this giveaway. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Mom-Friendly Businesses & Attractions: They're Important

Before I had kids, I heard moms talk about how difficult it was to get out of the house with little ones. I thought they must be crazy. I had worked as a nanny and managed to get everyone out the door on time. I guess I was over-confident, because once I had the kids of my own (and the accompanying sleep deprivation), I heard myself saying over and over "it's easier to just stay home."

In my three years of mothering, I've learned that there are some places that are more mom-friendly than others. And if I get up the guts to leave my house with my little people in tow, you can bet you'll find me at one of those places.

What makes up a mom-friendly space? It really doesn't have to be much. A free sample from the bakery at Target goes a long way in keeping the peace while shopping. A place to change a diaper saves everyone from a potentially terrible experience. A chair to sit in while nursing a baby, if (like me) you aren't always talented enough to nurse a child in a baby carrier. Since I've been nursing for over three years now, that one is especially important.

My kids love adventures, and I love seeing the world through their eyes. But Lincoln is a very spirited child, which translates into a lot of time spent chasing after him in stores and parking lots and parks. He's learning that he has to stay with me, but it's a slow process for sure. So for now, we're sticking to locations that I know well.

One of the best spots we've recently found is the Mom Room at the Kansas City Zoo (in the new Penguin Plaza building). It features a little cushioned bench, toys secured to the walls, board books, plush toys, and a lock on the door. Places like this are ideal for an adventuring mom and family. Being able to change diapers without worrying that someone will run away is awesome.

I have no issue nursing in public anymore - I don't even carry a cover with me, because I know Addie won't tolerate being closed in to nurse. That doesn't mean, however, that I'm not still a very modest person. I don't appreciate nursing sessions when she is distracted - which is most of the time - because she doesn't mind if passersby get an eyeful. A little private space like this one (or the one we found in Branson) is perfect - whether for nursing or bottle-feeding moms, or to soothe a cranky child to sleep, or just take a break from an overwhelming adventure.

I am so appreciative of the businesses that specifically think of moms when planning their shop or attraction designs. Happy moms equal happy kids, and that leads to a higher rate of happy adventurers in everyday life!

What's your favorite "mom-friendly" place to visit?

Lincoln: 3 Years Old

Three years. Three.

Three, somehow, seems so much bigger than two. I'm doing my best, as your mommy, to appreciate the milestones. But, little boy - my heart aches just a little bit every now and then to hold my first tiny baby - yes, you just after you were born or even when we found breastfeeding to be a struggle.

I remember when you turned two, I thought the time had flown by. This year went even faster, so I can only assume that's going to be what I say every single year from now until forever.

You learned a lot this year. We went from hardly any communication to having real conversations all day, every day. It is amazing to be able to talk to you and have you respond. Yes - even when the only response I receive is negative.

This year, we had fun. We struggled and laughed and grew together. When I look at you, I see a little boy - but even a few months ago, you still had some baby expressions. Those are very fleeting now.

One of the biggest moments this year? Your coffee burn. As traumatic as it was, it really only set you back for a little while. You've more or less forgotten about the incident - at least, I hope you have. We said goodbye to your pacifiers, but vehicles like trucks and trains and cars are all here to stay - probably forever. 

We had ups and downs with reading after you destroyed some library books, but thankfully lately you love it again. We have our battles about food - sometimes you love things and sometimes you completely refuse to eat. Since Daddy and I are both super picky, we aren't really sure what to do to encourage you. We'll work on it this year. You are still nursing, though it's down to once or twice a day. I can sense the end is coming, because you don't always remember to ask. I know I'll be sad to see the end of a milestone, but I think I'm okay with it.

You had a blast adventuring with us - also known as, running around at top speed while we try to keep up. Some of our favorite adventures this past year were apple picking, visiting the pumpkin patch and corn maze, and the Enchanted Forest. We wore the cutest Halloween costumes. And we took a magical Christmas trip that is probably going to become a family tradition.

You know pretty much every color and you no longer pronounce "yellow" wrong. You are great at identifying shapes, too - square, circle, star, heart, triangle, rectangle, and even harder ones like oval. I love all the things you say. We are starting to really work on letters and numbers.

You can almost quote Ephesians 6:1 by yourself, and can repeat Philippians 4:13. I need to make recordings of these verses before the way you say them changes, because it is precious. Your favorite shows right now are Little Einsteins, Scooby-Doo, Doc McStuffins, and Paw Patrol. You've recently started singing and it blows me away with cuteness.

You love your sister desperately. If you don't know where she is, you say "Mommy, where's my Addie go?" You almost always refer to her as "my Addie." I think it is the sweetest thing ever. You spend much of your time torturing her, too - but you two are really good friends at heart.

Sleeping is....interesting. You usually go down to sleep around 8pm and sleep for at least 4-6 hours before waking. Sometimes you just wake up once and go right back to sleep. Sometimes you crawl in bed with us. Sometimes you're up multiple times. And on occasion, you even sleep in your own bed until 8am. That's happened twice in the past year, if memory serves me correctly. You don't nap unless we are in the car too late in the afternoon or you are sick.

You are wearing 4T shirts and 3T pants. There are a few size 5 pajamas that have found their way into your drawer as well - and they fit you just fine. That's crazy! You weigh 36 pounds. We've been doing some serious potty learning in the last few weeks - but that's a long story that deserves its own post.

I know there are more things I could say - more stories I could tell, but these are the few that have left the biggest impressions in my mind.

We love you so much, Lincoln. It is still unbelievable to me that I have the privilege of being your mommy. You make me crazy, but you inspire me, as well. I live for the moments where you wrap your arms around my neck and squeeze soooo tight....for the whispered "I love you, Mommy" at bedtime. You are amazing, my wonderful, precious son.

Let's tackle age three with all the enthusiasm we can. But, please try to slow down just a little so Mommy can keep up.

I love you so much, sweet boy.

Love,
Mommy

A Winter Wonderland of Babies {Giveaway Event}

Is there anything better than a sweet, squishy newborn? I don't think so. I couldn't pass up the chance to celebrate the upcoming arrival of some new little ones - and bring you a great giveaway in the process! Keep reading for an amazing set of prizes up for grabs! Part of the prize pack is from AppleCheeks cloth diapers - my absolute favorite brand. If nothing else, enter for the chance to win that!

A Winter Wonderland Of Babies Event Is HERE! We get to CELEBRATE all the new babies in our lives!

Joy Of Momma Joyner and Mama On A Green Mission are both welcoming their 3rd babies in the next few weeks! Along with a wonderful group of bloggers, they want to offer ONE WINNER an awesome Prize Package full of great items for Mama, Baby, and even for Siblings!

The Prize Package Includes:

Halo - Swaddle - $38

Pish Posh Baby - OiOi Diaper Bag - $130

Undercover Mama - Nursing Tank Top - $25

Boba - 4G Carrier - $128

Live Clean Baby - Tearless Shampoo & Wash, Moisturizing Baby Wash, Moisturizing Baby Lotion, Non-Petroleum Jelly, and Moisturizing Bar Soap - $35

Fairhaven Health - Milkies Milk Saver, Milkies Freeze, and winner's choice of Nursing Postnatal or the Nursing Blend - $90

Making Mama's Milk Cookies - 1 Month Supply Of Cookies - $48

Wink Shapewear - Ultimate Belly and Hip Shaper - $50

Avent - 2 Bottles and Double Electric Breast Pump - $230

Tiny Love - NEW Gymini Developlace - $80

Woolino - Swaddle and Hat - $70

Kolcraft - Contours Clasique 3-in-1 Bassinet - $200

Build A Bear - Gift Card - $25

Envie de Fraises - Nursing Top and 2-pack Nursing Bras - $105

Pink Blush Maternity - Nursing Dress - $35

Kerrific Kerr Online - Burp Cloth Set - $43

Tickety Toc - DVD - $10

Applecheeks - Applecheeks Bundle and Wet Bag - $40

Red Barn Cloth Diapers - AI2 Diaper - $24

I See Me - Hello World Book - $30

Little Me - Sleeper and Coming Home Outfit - $50

Swaddle Designs - Crib Sheet and Ultimate Receiving Blanket - $55

Delta Children - Multi-Bin Organizer - $30

Tommee Tippee - Complete Starter Kit, Pacifiers, Teethers - $118

Wee Urban - Romper - $28

Simple Wishes - Hands Free Pumping Bra - $39

Infant Lane - Pajamas - $60

Lalaloopsy - Lalaloopsy Babies Doll - $20

That's a Total Prize Package Value of $1,836!!

Giveaway

Ready to enter? It's simple! Just fill out the Giveaway Tools Form below. There are plenty of entry options, and the more you do, the better your chance of winning!

The A Winter Wonderland Of Babies Event Prize Package is open to all legal residents of the United States who are 18-years-old or older. This event will run from 12:00am EST Monday, January 27, 2014 through 11:59pm EST Friday, February 14, 2014. Best Of Luck!

Entry-Form

Joy Of Momma Joyner, Mama On A Green Mission, and all the participating blogs are not responsible for the fulfillment of the prizes. The sponsors will send the prizes directly to the winner. We are also not responsible for any unfortunate accidents that may result from the use of any of these products.

Which Yogurt is the Best Greek Yogurt?

Disclosure: This Greek yogurt taste test was sponsored by Yoplait, but I was asked to honestly express my opinions. I'm pretty picky when it comes to food, so you know I only share what I really think!

I don't like to try new foods. When I was little, my grandpa would actually pay me every time he got me to try a new food. Since we are trying to eat whole foods and re-think our food choices in general, I like to think I have made some strides in the right direction. But one thing I have never been thrilled about trying is Greek Yogurt.

I used to be a yogurt junkie. I ate two or three cartons of Yoplait every day (Blackberry Harvest? um, yum). But then Addie came along and I had to quit eating dairy for several months since she was exclusively nursing and had a sensitivity. And, along with many other things, my yogurt addiction just kind of fell by the wayside.

So when I was invited to participate in the Yoplait Greek Taste-Off, I thought it was a good opportunity to re-introduce yogurt to my life - and go straight to the healthier Greek version. Yoplait has asked consumers across the nation to test their own Greek Blueberry Yogurt against Chobani's Blueberry Fruit on the Bottom to see which one is better.

Yoplait is on the left, Chobani on the right.

I saved these two yogurts for dessert one evening this week, and sat down to the important task of deciding which one is more awesome.

I am meticulous about my yogurt consistency - it has to be very smooth with few or, even better, no chunks at all. The first point went to Yoplait because even from opening the packages, it was apparent that their blended variety fit my specification more closely. I stirred both of them up for good measure, and set to tasting. Yoplait vs. Chobani - which would it be?

The Chobani was the first yogurt I tasted, and I immediately noticed the Greek taste. It was not as overwhelming as I expected, which was good - but I could definitely tell it was different than the "normal" yogurt I am accustomed to eating.

Around this time, Lincoln popped his head up next to the table and said "What's in there, Mommy?" He slid his chair next to mine and proceeded to help me taste-test.

We each took a few bites of the Chobani before switching to Yoplait. And when we did make the switch - wow! I was amazed at the difference in flavor.

Yoplait's Greek Blueberry yogurt is far sweeter than Chobani's Fruit on the Bottom. I thought for sure there would be a corresponding sugar content on the label to explain this difference, but that was not the case. Yoplait features no artificial sweeteners or flavors, real fruit, and comes in a 5.3 ounce cup of goodness.

From that point on, it was a fight to get another bite in for myself.

Pardon the serious spaghetti face!

I have to honestly say that after this taste test, it's a lot more probable that some Yoplait Greek Yogurt may end up in our next grocery purchase. I do wish that there were an organic, certified non-GMO version available, but at least I can feel confident that this is healthier than some other options! My kids thought this was the best treat ever, so wait until they find out it comes in flavors like pineapple, tangerine, coconut, and cherry! They'll be thrilled (and possibly refuse to eat anything else ever again)!

My final decision was this - I would definitely reach for Yoplait on a grocery store shelf first. The sweeter taste sold me! I love that it is a Greek yogurt that doesn't completely taste unlike other "normal" yogurt varieties. Take the taste challenge for yourself - and let me know which one you like better!

Disclosure: This Greek yogurt taste test was sponsored by Yoplait, but I was asked to honestly express my opinions and all views expressed are my own. For more info, you can read my Disclosure Policy.