Of Mice and Men

Yesterday, the hubster and I were officially inducted into the world of real Parenthood. Oh yes, that's right. We went to Chuck E Cheese.

One of the hubster's co-workers little boy was turning 1 yesterday. They invited us to join them at their son's birthday party. We were a little confused as to why a first birthday was happening at Chuck E Cheese because the last time either of us had been there, it was generally for older children. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find a toddler area there.

You know what, I'm getting ahead of myself and honestly, whats a post about Chuck E Cheese without pictures?

So, I present to you, our day at Chuck E Cheese's in pictures.

That morning, Buggy discovered a new skill! She pulled herself up in her crib. She's been doing this on and off for a few days, but she finally did it well.

And she was quite proud of herself.

Then, it was off on our whirlwind visit to Chuck E Cheese. As I mentioned earlier, we were pleasantly surprised to find a toddler area. And while Buggy is not yet a toddler (SHE"S STILL MY BABY DANGIT!) we made do. She was quite impressed with the colorful array of rides and toys in the area and even though it was naptime, decided to indulge her parents with a few rides.

Then, she posed for a few pictures with Mommy and Daddy.

Then it was time for the main event: the party. We greeted the birthday boy and took our seats at the table. Buggy had a great time watching all the kidlets running around and cheesing it up. She really wanted down to play with them, but alas, her silly little legs can't walk yet. Annoying, yes? She thinks so. Supremely. Then, the crowd semi settled down and what all the little kiddoes had been waiting for happened. The man of the hour appeared.

Buggy was less than impressed.            

She was much more interested in the pizza that the lovely servers had brought to the table and, seeing as how it was a celebration, we allowed her to have a few bites. Apparently, Buggy loves pizza. So much so, that she actually stole some from her Daddy when he wasn't looking. That's my girl! 

I have to say though, while the party was super fun, and it was totally exciting to see Buggy enjoying herself and interacting with other kids around her age, I couldn't help but feel a little morose. Buggy is 9 months old. In just a few short months we will be celebrating Buggy's first birthday, though not at a Chuck E Cheese. Exciting as that sounds, it's also quite sad. My baby is getting so big, and I'm so thankful for that because it means she's healthy and I'm doing right by her. But time is seriously flying by.

Am I denying my child?

We've decided that we aren't going to take Buggy to see the Easter Bunny. The Hubs never went to see him and I only went one time as a kidlet. It just wasn't that important to either of our families. Santa is one thing. That's a right of passage, but the Easter Bunny? Really?

Am I denying my child a basic privilege of being a kid? Should all children see the Easter Bunny (well those that celebrate Easter, at least?) Will this be detrimental to Buggy's life growing up? Will she be taunted by the Easter Bunny going kids on the playground? Will they call her "Buggy No Bunny" if we don't take her?

Honestly, all I can really remember about the Easter Bunny as a kid was that he creeped me out. Like, I needed therapy after visiting him. The whole idea of a huge Bunny just terrified me. Seriously? Just think about it the way a pre-elementary school kid would think about it. A big bunny sneaks into your house and hides eggs and a basket. Santa is cool. He's a fat, jolly man that brings presents and leaves them under your Christmas tree and eats cookies and gives carrots to his reindeer and flies happily off into the night. The Easter Bunny sneaks into your house and hides eggs! Eggs, people! Where's the fun in that? And honestly, as a kid, I thought that he came and laid the eggs in the house. Boy was I screwed up.

And have you seen some of these "Bunnies" they have at the mall? Uh, scary! I'm pretty sure Buggy would be completely traumatized if I went and placed her on a fuzzy dude's lap and backed away to get her to smile. Of course, she is my child, and will probably benefit from therapy sometime in her life, but I don't want her blaming everything on me and the one time I took her to see a giant bunny and the fact that she has no idea why but she trembles everytime she sees a person in an animal costume.

There are some cute bunnies, but the majority of these suckers that I've seen look a little iffy to me. Don't believe me? Just do a google search for Easter Bunny Mall pictures and check some of these bad boys out. Oh, and definitely have your safe search on, because there are some seriously sick people out there. Ouch!

So, whats the verdict? Should we suck it up and take her anyway, because its a right of passage? Or, do you agree that its not important?

We have a crawler

Buggy has learned a new skill!

And now I'm freaking out because, well, you see, we haven't baby proofed. I know, judge me now. So I'm basically following her around like a little puppy making sure she doesn't get into anything or you know, eat anything (which she did, the other day. A leaf.)

I guess we need to get a move on the baby proofing.

...and vacuuming.

9 months old!

Today is Buggy's 9 monthday. I honestly cannot believe how quickly the last nine months have flown by. I sat down this morning to fix her 9 month onesie, and I just stared at the number in disbelief.

It honestly seems like just yesterday that I found out I was pregnant, and now here she is, crawling around the house and quickly coming up on a year old. It makes me somewhat sad, and somewhat joyous.

Buggy, I love you with my entire heart, with my whole being. You, my sweet love, are everything to me. I would do anything for you, and I will always be here no matter what. The depths of hell will have to grab me and pull me under before I would ever leave you.

I love you sweet girl.

in which the poop hit the proverbial fan

Or in this case, the carseat.

It's Murphy's Law, people. You know the one. "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong". My life epitomized that today. It honestly wasn't the worst day ever, but it was one of those days where things just did the opposite of what you thought they were going to do.

You see, we got Buggy her new convertible car seat way back in December. I've been proud of the fact that I've successfully kept it clean. That is, up until today.

Her old infant car seat saw many a poopy blowout. Many. I guess that's what altitude changes driving through mountains will do to an immature digestive system. Especially one that isn't used to mountains. On our few trips to the mountains we knew when pressure dropped, because she dropped too. It was, well, I was proud of the amount that Buggy pushed out. It was a thing of beauty.

Needless to say, the infant car seat cover and the washing machine became steadfast friends. I think they may miss each other now.

When we purchased the convertible car seat, we got this lovely little invention called the Piddle Pad. It's designed to keep your expensive car seat clean and piddle/poop free. It's done it's job well. The entire time we've had it, not a blowout in sight. Not even a leaky diaper. I think it may work by power of suggestion though.

Why do I think that?

Because today when I ran up to McDonald's with my father he put Buggy in her seat. The piddle pad apparently offended him in some way, so he took it out. I felt a disturbance in the force at that moment and something told me to tell him to replace it, but I didn't go with my Jedi instincts.

So, we made the trip. Buggy enjoyed being out of the house. She sang as the wind blew through her hair, giggled at Mommy singing to the radio. General merriment abounded.

Then, we got home. And took her out of the seat. And heard a weird suction as we pulled her out of the seat. And smelled something weird.

Then I saw it...all the way up her back.

Oh yes, people. The dreaded blowout. Buggy of course, thought this was hysterical. It was even funnier trying to change a blowout with a little one who has recently learned to crawl. I've never chased a child with poop hanging off their butts until today. 

So, today was a day where I learned Murphy's Law works well. I also learned that if you ever are worried that your child isn't pooping enough, just remove the Piddle Pad. I learned that I'm better at diaper changes than I thought. I also learned my reflexes are quicker than I thought when Buggy decided that she wanted to play with the weird stuff that was sticking to her and her hands went for it. I won.

Oh, and I also learned that no matter how much poop I see or smell, it doesn't detract from my appetite if I'm hungry enough. The McDonald's was good. Very good.

So, we kind of bought a house

Yesterday, the Hubs and I joined the elite club. We became home owners. It's quite possibly the scariest thing we've ever done, other than you know, having a kid.

We are super stoked to finally have a place that we can customize to our liking. I can't wait to decorate (I have a sick obsession and passion for decor) and The Hubster can't wait to get his hands dirty with project after project (we'll see how long that lasts.) He's a pretty handy dude, so we are planning on doing most of the work ourselves.

Honestly, we can't wait. Also, I'm uber excited to do a NEW nursery for Buggy. I already purchased her toddler bedding and have the paint and decor all mapped out in my head. This is her new bedding.

From Target

I know, I know. It's almost too cute and you can hardly handle it, right? I have another obsession with owls, and Buggy's room is totally going to embrace this obsession until she's old enough to pick out her own swag.

I guess the point of this whole post was to inform you that you'll probably be seeing a lot of decor minded posts so get ready. I can't wait!

Withdrawals

Hi my name is Mana, and I haven't kissed my baby since Wednesday morning.

I'm going through withdrawals.

And crying.

A lot.

I married the right man, for sure!

The hubster earned some serious brownie points today, people. I mean some SERIOUS brownie points. He has taken care of Buggy by himself all day long (except nursing sessions.) As well, he also did 3 loads of dishes (things really backed up around here lately,) 1 load of laundry, swept the kitchen floor and he made dinner.

And by dinner I don't mean mac and cheese out of a box. Oh no. He made steak, garlic mashed potatoes with a brown onion gravy, green beans and crescent rolls. Also, he made me hot tea with dinner.

How amazing is this dude?

And now, I'm listening to him sing Buggy to sleep down the hall.

This is love.

I've decided I could never be a doctor

And not just because I didn't go to medical school, because honestly, if the kids on Scrubs could do that, so could I. However, the reason I could never be one is the facemask. The bane of my existence.

I first used it Thursday night when I nursed Buggy. Consquently I almost had a panic attack. Apparently, I have slight claustraphobia, or something like that. I felt like I was being smothered. I freaked the eff out. Seriously.

It's gotten a teeny bit better with each consecutive use but I don't think the Mask and I will ever become bffs. In fact, I can't wait to kick it to the curb. Which, will hopefully be soon, because today I don't feel like death warmed over. I merely feel like death! Yay! And my fever isn't 104 its only 101! Yay!

I just hope this mess is gone asap. We have Buggy's 9 month photoshoot coming up next weekend.

Day 3: The Swine Flu continues

Warning people: this post could easily be titled "in which I whine incessantly" so if you don't want to read my whining, look no further.


Seriously people, just kill me now. I feel like the walking dead. I'm having a moment right now where I actually feel like I can sit up, mostly because it hurts my head to lay down for too long.
Last night was, in a word, horrid. My temp spiked to close to 104 and I froze and then burned up and then froze again. Seriously, I shook so hard our bed was creaking. The bed probably was excited because it honestly hasn't creaked that much in a long while, if you catch my drift.
I barely slept. I tossed and turned until around 4 this morning. Just in time for Buggy to wake up and want fed. So the Hubs went and got her out of the nursery while I "prepared."

My nursing preparation these days consists of blowing my nose to get rid of any drippies, putting my sexy respiratory mask on and then sanitizing my hands with hand gel.

So I prepped like I was going into surgery, mask and all (did I mention the mask is like uber sexy?) and the Hubs brings the Bugster in. She gets one look at me and just cracks up laughing. Apparently, my child is to the point now where if something looks funny she laughs. I'm so glad that I was the subject of which she first showed this skill. Bravo Buggy. Way to make Mommy feel awesome!

So I nursed her for about 20 minutes, expecting her to pass out with her typical late night milk coma, but alas, last night was the night she decided she wanted to play! Oh yay! So the Hubs, being the super awesome dude that he is, took her back to the nursery to rock her so I could sleep. Which while a super brilliant plan, didn't work the way we thought. She laughed, she babbled, she yelled and consequently, he was unable to get her back to sleep and wanted to bring her back in to nurse.

So, I prepped again. He brought her back. I nursed and she finally passed out...at 5 am. 15 minutes before the Hubster had to get up to get ready for work. Poor hubs.

So back into the crib she went.

My dad watched her today for me while I wallowed in bed like a dying hippo moaning, and coughing, and sneezing, and groaning.

Around 3ish, I had to get up out of bed. I just can't stay in bed all day. Plus, like I mentioned before, my head seriously starts pounding if I lay down too long. I went out and prepped and nursed the Bugster again (not the first time of the day, cool it) while my dad ate lunch, then I ate a quick bite, hopped online to announce the Little ModChic winner (Congrats, again Mungee's Ma!) and was back in bed snoozing when the hubs made it home.

My temp has consistently stayed at 101 all day, so I'm expecting at least another night of high temp spikes, but from what I've read online, this only lasts 5-7 days. Perhaps I'll be on the mend soon enough. I sure as hell hope so.

/whine.

Little ModChic Giveaway Winner!

Well ladies and gents, the giveaway is closed. Thanks to all for participating.

And the winner is....

Comment # 21. And when I scroll down to comment #21, I see it is Mungee's Ma!

So, Congrat's Mungee's Ma! Expect an email shortly!

and the verdict is...

Well I've been a bit out of comission the last few days and today I found out why. I have the swine flu. Awesome, right?

Now I get to take robitussin, and tylenol as well as wear a mask when I nurse Buggy. I'm staying away from her as much as possible. My father is helping to watch her during the day so I can rest as much as possible. Thank God for him. He's been a blessing.

Prayers would be greatly appreciated that Buggy not get this. I really don't want my little one to suffer like this.

Also, remember to enter into our Little ModChic giveaway. It ends tomorrow at noon!

Good luck everyone!

Had an interesting kind of morning.

I was trying to take a nap because I'm super sick and my dad was watching Buggy for me so I could sleep. The doorbell rang, and I slowly rolled out of bed and stumbled to the door to find no one there. However, I saw, in the road, a little tiny girl. Just sitting there, in the middle of the road, in her pajamas.


So I went outside and walked over to her and asked her if she had rang the bell and she just looked at me and that's when I realized she was basically a baby. She stood up and told me that her feet were hurting her because the flip flops she had didn't fit and she had taken them off. So, I looked up and down the street and there was no one out there except an electric truck. I asked the little girl if she wanted to come in with me for a little bit and I picked her up. The electric truck drove down to me and the worker said he'd been the one to ring thinking she was mine. I told him no, but I was taking her in to call the police.

So, in we came and I set her up with some of Buggy's toys to play and called the police. They were sending someone out. About half an hour later, there was a commotion outside and I saw this woman come tearing out of a house further down the street, so I ran to the door and opened it. She ran straight for us and then collapsed on our porch because I'd brought the little girl to the door. Mommy and baby were reunited, and I swear I broke down. The relief and anguish was so hard to see on her mom's face. So I invited her in for a bit to sit and calm down because she was shaking so bad and the little girl wanted to play more.

Apparently, she just turned 2 and learned a new skill this morning: she learned to unlock the door. Mom had laid her down for a nap, and went to take one as well and little girl decided she wanted to go out to play and let herself out. Mom woke up and immediately called the police to report her missing, and they told her that I had her down here.

I'm just so thankful that I found her and was able to get her instead of someone else, you know? Not only that, but she had been in the middle of the road and people literally tear down this road like nothing. Just the thought of what could've happened makes me so sick.

When we move, one of the first things we'll be doing will be to install a deadbolt higher up on the door!

Please let this be a PSA to make sure that there are locks on your doors that your children can't reach. I don't want this happening to anyone ever again!

:(

Layla Grace passed away this morning. Possibly around the time I posted my other post regarding prayers for her.

Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.

laylagrace.org

Please pray for Layla Grace

I'll be honest, I can't bring myself to fully read their story, but the newest updates break my heart. As a parent, my worst fear is something happening to my child. I literally don't think I'd be able to go on. Which is a big reason why I can't read the whole story. I empathize too easily with people and end up feeling their pain as if it was my own. I can't even begin to imagine the terror and pain Layla's parents and sisters are feeling right now.

Layla is slowly passing away. She has a neuroblastoma. There are no more words needed. Just prayers.

If you'd like to read more about little Layla's battle visit http://laylagrace.org/. You can also donate to a fund set up in her name.

Reader Question: Breastfeeding Advice

I recently received my first ever reader question. I thought that I'd post it (with permission from the reader of course, I'm not rude) so that if anyone else has a similar question, they might find our conversation helpful.

Ashley asks:
I have a 15 month old son - who I breastfed for about 5 months - and I am currently expecting our second child.


When I was browsing your blog, I read your post about "The Breastfeeding Mom's Arsenal" and found it very helpful (and accurate - we adored our Boppy!).

And your story about finding a good bra made me laugh. I am also very well endowed and never really did find a good nursing bra the first time around. I would really like to change that this time. So I guess I was wondering if you could recommend anything or at least tell me the best bras you came across so I can try to check them out. I only had a couple with my first son and they were both terrible - either too tight and uncomfortable or too loose and absolutely no support....
 
Hey Ashley! Thanks for emailing me. I'm glad you found my post about breastfeeding to be informative and accurate.


Yes, its totally true. The nursing bra was probably the hardest peice of clothing I've ever had to find. I tried all the brands that I found recommended like Bravado and Medela and none of them worked. They didn't support at all, and I felt like an oompa loompa walking around in them. Now don't get me wrong. I have a Medela one that I still wear occasionally as a sleep bra if my nursing tanks are in the dirty clothes, but luckily those times are few and far between.

The bra that I have is the Goddess Nursing bra. Doesn't that sound lovely? The Goddess? Let me tell you though, it's not sexy at all. But honestly, its given me the best support and I don't feel like I'm being weighed down in the front because it holds me upright. I was only able to order two because my shop told me they were out of stock. However, I just did a quick google search for you and came across it at this site. http://www.mommygear.com/goddess-original-nursing-bra.htm It does say that it was discontinued but I think they still have some sizes in stock. Like I said, it aint pretty, but it gets the job done, which as a nursing mom, is all we can really hope for sometimes. Now, if that one doesn't have the size you need, this one doesn't look too bad. It's their newer version, and honestly if I still had 6 months or more to go, I'd probably order it, but I think the 2 I have will hold me through until Buggy weans. http://www.mommygear.com/goddess-comfort-zone-nursing-bra.htm

And I cannot stress how amazing the Target nursing tanks are. I'll admit, I'm a fluffy girl, and I didn't think that I'd be able to fit into them because, hello, fluff and spandex don't mix, but they fit amazingly and are so comfy, and I may never go back. I wear one everyday and I sleep in them too. They are my must have anymore. Definitely check them out. The Bravado tanks, Walmart tanks and a few others didn't fit me right and I felt self conscious in them. However, the Gilligan O'Malley (Target) brand fits without being too tight, and they are a little bit longer, so they hit at my hips and not high on my waist.

My suggestion is, if you have a lingerie shop in your town, to check it out. Most of the time they deal in a lot of old lady stuff, but sometimes they will have the items that are needed. Check them out and see if they have nursing bras in stock, if not, have them size you and then have them order you one in the next size up so that when your milk comes in you aren't squeezing into the bra.

Good luck and congratulations on your second little miracle!
 
If you have any questions or comments regarding my posts or just in general, feel free to contact me at mommylogs@gmail.com.
 

Erin Go Bragh!

I got my newest order from Little Mod Chic the other day and couldn't wait to try it all on Buggy. I ordered this entire outfit based on this idea for pictures for St. Patrick's Day. I was SO pumped to take the pictures of Buggy, that I got up, got her all ready, set up my backdrop, and even coerced the hubster into helping a bit. I was so excited. We dazzled Buggy all up, and set her down, and

nothing.

She was having NONE of the photoshoot. I mean, seriously, none. I took about 150 shots, and most of them were either of her crawling away or of her with her hands raised wanting to be picked up.

I did manage to get a few decent shots, though. These are basically it though. I'm hoping to try it again.

Oh, and for future reference. Beaded necklaces when wet, will smear all over...and stain skin. Just thought you'd like to know.

You can't really see, but I dolled Classic Pooh up with shamrock barrettes on his ears.

Here's where she started trying to get away.

I wrangled her back with the beads. Then we noticed they were smearing, and quickly took them away. She got upset, and turned away from us.

Probably my favorite.

Thanks to Little Mod Chic for the adorable bow, headband, babylegs and tutu! You rock, Ruthy!

I miss the Olympics

I do, I really do. At least then, there was something interesting on tv most of the time. I love the Olympics. However, this year, I especially loved the commercials.

You see, some people watch the Superbowl for the commercials. I do that with the Olympics. Don't get me wrong, I love the actual Olympics, I mean, who doesn't? This year was full of drama and Shaun White's hair. Honestly, have you seen that guy? Where does he get the volume? I want his hair.

But I digress. Commercials, that's what we were talking about. I had many different favorites, but there were a few that really stood out to me.

So, without further ado, I present to you, my top 3 favorite commercials of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.

#3: Dan Jansen- Visa


Honestly? Oh my goodness! I don't know what it is about this commercial, whether its the despair after the fall, or the end with his little baby Jane. Maybe it's because Jane reminds me just so darn much of Buggy. Either way, I"m still a sopping emotional wreck when I see this commercial. That's a good thing. Really. It is.

#2: Coca Cola


It's a coca cola commercial, so you can be sure its going to be good, but this one takes the cake. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. And it's really for a stupid reason. It's the guys face when the coke is knocked out of his hand. Did you see it? That was hysterically awesome. It's like "Ahhhh, refreshing coke." crash "Asdjaohfn!" Awe.Some.

#1: P&G Thank you Mom




Okay, so technically, it's a tie for #1. I couldn't choose between these two. They are both so powerful, and beautiful, and moving, and I just. cant. decide.
Never have I ever felt that moved by a commercial. P&G took something as epic as the Olympics and showed it through the eyes of, not the competitors, but of the ones who love them most: Mom. It wasn't really until these commercials that I truly felt part of the elite. I knew being a mother was special, but as I saw these for the first time, I looked down into my little angels face and I truly felt special. Here I am, raising a whole other person, shaping her to become what she one day will become. What's more amazing than that? Not skiing down a hill. Not doing a triple axel in front of millions. Nothing. Raising a child, and caring for that child so much to give of yourself completely, is THE most important act anyone can do, ever.
So, P&G, you say "Thank you, Mom." Well I say, Thank YOU, P&G. Bravo!

Riddle me this

Think she'll hate me in about 13 years for this outfit?

Free Swag: Little Modchic Boutique!- Closed!

Alright people I'm super excited about our newest giveaway! A lot of people are constantly asking where I get Buggy's hair bows and headbands and hats. Well, my wonderful friend Ruthy has a super cute little business called Little ModChic. She makes the bows and you can get the coordinating headband or hats from her as well.

First, let me tell you a little bit about Little ModChic.

My amazing friend Ruthy is the owner and designer of Little ModChic. I came across her a few months back, and fell in love with her hairbows and flowers. I purchased a few from her, and loved them so much, that I bought a whole bunch more. Buggy gets so many compliments on her chic little hats and headbands, and Little ModChic totally supports my hairbow addiction!

Then, I found out she made baby legs as well and I. Was. Stoked! I love baby legs. If you don't know what a baby leg is, it's basically little leggings that they can run around in (or squirm around in- for those little ones among us) and be warm without the hassle of pants. Plus, they are awesome as knee guards for when baby starts crawling. I'm sure you could even add little brooms to the side and baby could be your own personal cleaner! I kid, I kid.

...or do I? :)

Anyway, on with the giveaway info:
The contest will be open for one week, until next Friday, March 12, 2010 at noon. After the winner is announced, they will have 3 (three) days to contact Ruthy through Little ModChic on Facebook or myself to get your order in.

Prizes:

This giveaway is for an uber adorable babyleg set from Little ModChic. For the fashionable little ladies, a bow/headband and babyleg set, and for the little boys of our group, a cute tie onesie with babyleg set. You get to choose the pattern and colors!

How cute is this onesie for a boy?? Buggy so needs a brother!

The winner will be chosen through random.org. Also, you can have up to 5 entries, which means 5 chances to win an adorable babyleg set!

Now, for the rules:

1. You must visit Little ModChic on Facebook and then post a comment below telling me what your favorite item is including an email address so that I will be able to contact you when you win. The contest will be open for one week, until next Friday, March 12, 2010 at noon.

Additional Entries (post a seperate comment for each entry explaining what you did as well as your name/email address):

2. Become a Follower of The Mommy Logs. Just click the Follow me link in the Followers section to the right.

3. Become a Fan of The Mommy Logs on Facebook.

4. Become a Fan of Little ModChic on Facebook.

5. Vote for the Mommy Logs at Top Mommy Blogs and Top Baby Blogs!

Got it? Alright!
Ready! Set! GO!