The Mommy Logs

Guess who's back

2010-12-20T22:51:00.000-05:00

Back again?
Mommy's back
Tell a friend!

Hey everyone! Guess what, I'm still alive. I am sooooo ashamed that I've let this blog go for so long, like honestly, totally embarrassed. It was at one time, my heart and soul, and then, well, life got in the way. We've been up to so much in the last few months, life seriously got ridiculously busy. Ironically, it seems to have somewhat slowed down here, you know, during the busiest time of the year, ha!

So, I'm back, and I can't wait to tell you of all the wonderful adventures, trials, and hysterics we've been through these last few months. We've had so much happen.

We moved into our house
Buggy learned to walk
Buggy cut her first molar (and if the other little jerks don't pop through soon, I'm going to go cahrazy)
We've remodeled
We've decorated
I've watched a ton of tv
I've learned to cook...somewhat. Well I haven't burned the house down, so SUCCESS!
Buggy speaks
Oh and I started a photography business which has been the most time consuming thing that's happened. But, its semi successful, so I say bring it!

Anyway, I hope to start updating this much more regularly. Buggy has a bedtime now, that she seems to stick to for the most part, so I have time now in the evenings to write. *big gigantic sigh*

I guess, for now, I'll just leave you with a quick peek of the Bugster now, at 17 months. She's getting SO big, people! Where oh where did that little girl come from, and where the heck did my baby go?

Shutter Love Tuesday: Laughter

2010-09-01T00:33:00.000-04:00

This weeks Shutter Love Tuesday theme is Laughter and I couldn't think of a better photo than one of the shots from Buggy's 8 month shoot. I absolutely loved this hot. It completely captured her true personality. Buggy is always happy and laughing. She's got the sweetest little spirit, and I'm completely in awe and honored to be her mommy. Still, to this day, I can't figure out what in the world I did right in my life to deserve such a precious gift such as herself.

Here's my entry for Laughter

It may not be the best photo I've ever taken, nor the best composition wise, but it's still one of my absolute favorites. :)

Leave me some love! I know I've been a really bad blogger lately, but I promise as soon as we move into our house, I'll be back to blogging more regularly!

Shutter Love Tuesday: Vacation

2010-08-10T16:03:00.001-04:00

I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger. I've been so busy, and I hate to admit that blogging has kind of taken a back seat. For that I'm truly sorry. Hopefully once we are settled into our new house, I'll be able to blog more, which will be fun because it will be close to fall and all the wonderful fun holidays! I'm super stoked for fall!

Anyway, I'm doing the Shutter Love Tuesday again. This week's theme is vacation. I'll admit, I wasn't going to enter because we haven't been on a real vacation since, oooohhhh October 2009? And well, those are just snapshots and not a whole lot of fun good photos. And since I use these challenges to practice/showcase my technique and composition, I didn't want to enter one of those.

Then I remembered a little day trip we took back in May and a few shots I took to convey movement, and going places. So, here's my entry for vacation. Doesn't it make you want to just go?

What do you think?

Also adding this to In a Yellow House's challenge "On the Road"

Shutter Love Tuesday: Wedding- I'm a top ten

2010-08-07T18:30:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone that voted on my wedding submission. I just found out I'm in the top 10 for the week. Thanks guys!

Shutter Love Tuesday: Wedding

2010-08-03T23:07:00.001-04:00

I had a real problem coming up with a wedding photo for Trendy Treehouse's new shutter love Tuesday challenge. Then I remembered the ring shot I did a while back of my husband and my wedding rings and thought it would make a good entry. So here you have it. My entry:

It's actually a shot that I took for my husband's Valentine's day gift. But hey, it works, right?

She finally has a lovey!

2010-07-23T22:27:00.001-04:00

I'll be honest, I never thought it was a big deal, but my child has never really been *attached* to certain items (besides my left boob, but hey, who wouldn't be? It's pretty fabulous) However, that all changed a few months ago, when Buggy and I were hanging with my friend B and her little girl R. R is a year older than Buggy, but Buggy's mature so she can hang with the older kids.

Anyway, R has this Pooh bear lovey blankey thingamajiggy. And she is obsessed with it. Like, homegirl won't put it down for a second. Buggy was intrigued with the PBLBT and held it for a moment, but was kind of ambivilent about the whole thing, honestly. But it occurred to me, as I watched R slip, fall, cry and subsequently be soothed by the PBLBT that, if Buggy were to get hurt in the future, she doesn't have a soothing item except for the left boob, and hey, I'm all about nursing in public but even I think it might be a smidge odd to plop the boob out for a comfort squeeze when my kids 3, ya know?

So, I set myself on a mission to find Buggy a lovey. We tried everything. A traditional blanket? No thanks. A sweet little bunny lovey blankey thingamajiggy? Meh, whatevs. A weird satin doll with no face? Uh, yeah right.

Nothing worked. Homegirl just wasn't feeling the lovey.

That is until a few weeks ago when she saw something in the playroom/sunroom at my parents' house and fell in love. She's completely attached to it, and plays with it on the floor, hugs and kisses it, and heck, even has to sleep with it.

What is this magical item, you ask?

A Big. Freakin. Plush. Wolf.

See?

Why, yes, it is bigger than she is. But, the kid loves it. I can't get it away from her.

I guess my quest is over. But dude, how the heck will I pack this thing when we go on vacation?

Trendy Treehouse: Shutter Love

2010-07-06T18:45:00.000-04:00

A few of my friends recently aimed me in the direction of this awesome blog called The Trendy Treehouse. Every Tuesday, the host a contest called Shutter Love in which they give you a theme and you enter a picture that goes with the theme. It sounds like fun to me!

So I present you my very first Shutter Love entry. This week the theme is July 4th, and what better photo of mine that symbolizes July 4th, than my very own Buggy!

So here goes nothing.

My entry:

The beautiful Bugster rocking the red, white and blue. Happy Fourth!

Oh, and I should say that votes are counted by comments on their blog, and maybe mine, I'm not sure, so show Buggy some love! Comment and vote for her. :)

I'm thinking this is going to end up being a weekly thing for me. Because hey, I love photography, and I love contests. This is the best of both worlds!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T00:20:00.000-04:00

I want to wish all my readers a happy and SAFE 4th of July. I hope everyone has a great time and stay safe. Remember all the people who have fought to defend our country and our freedom.

Birthday Bonanza! part 2

2010-07-03T22:38:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday we had Buggy's first birthday party. It was a blast! We even got to have it in our new home. Now, mind you, we haven't moved in over there yet and there's still work to be done in the bedrooms and bathroom, however the living areas are complete. Thank the good Lord on that one people. I was going to be crushed if we didn't have her party there.

Anyway, I just got permission from my fabulous friend and photographer J. Halstead to post some of the pics she took from the party, so without further ado I present to you Buggy's First Birthday Party.

I made all the decorations for the party. We based the "theme" off of Buggy's party dress which was all polka dots in bright fun colors. So I made dots for everything. I made a super cute Happy Birthday banner out of coordinating dots and hung it on our "fireplace" in the living room where the party was held. Super cute, eh?

Then I made a banner with her month photos that I've taken. We started at a newborn photo and ended with her 1 year photos that I took a few weeks ago. I coordinated the colors of each dot to match the birthday banner. This was a big hit! Everyone loved looked at Buggy through the year.

And here's my Buggy before the party showing off her adorable dress, and the "theme" of the party.

We set up the dining room area as the food station. I had planned on making all the food for the party, but with starting up my own photography business and working on the house, well those plans kind of fell by the wayside. Publix however did a fantastic job! Ha!

Publix also made the birthday cake for the guests to match the theme (see the middle tier) and gave us a free smash cake for Buggy to dig in to.

Buggy had a BLAST opening her presents

But honestly, had more fun chowing down on her cake. The kid loved it! We put her in my old highchair from when I was a baby (the same for her cake smash on her actual birthday) and decorated it with matching balloons and polka dots in coordinating colors (I promise, I don't have a problem with coordinating haha)

then we let her go at it...

She even posed for a quick rare photo with mommy

Happy First Birthday Buggy! Mommy loves you!

Birthday Bonanza! part 1

2010-06-28T23:36:00.000-04:00

Whew! That was a busy week, people! As you all know already, Buggy turned 1. Lets all pause for a great big Awwwwww.

Awwwwww.

Okay, now that that's over its on to the fun part of the post. Pictures!

Wednesday was her birthday and we had a grand ole time. The hubster took the day off and we, along with my parents, took Buggy out for a birthday lunch. We dressed her up in her birthday finest (1 onesie, tutu and crown, heck ya!) and set off for a delicious lunch. We had a great time. Buggy really enjoyed talking to all the people around us and telling them all that she was 1 by holding her finger up and saying "Uhhn." Apparently she can say "one" who knew?

Afterwards, we came home for the much anticipated cake smash. She posed for a few pictures with mommy and daddy, played with the cat and daddy, and then we stripped her down for the cake smash.

Buggy literally loooooved the cake. I mean, ecstasy people. Pure ecstasy. She was basically in heaven. Also, my girl? Totally not afraid to get dirty. Gotta love that. We took her out into the yard (easy cleanup!) and plopped her down in my old (antique?) highchair, put the cake in front of her and just let her have at it. She did not disappoint.

Clean Baby meets cake

She faceplanted several times!

Oh, Gosh, Mom, this stuff is soooo good.

Sharing with Daddy

and giving Mommy birthday kisses

The end result

All in all, I'd say Buggy had a pretty spectacular first birthday. We had her party on Saturday, so stay tuned for that awesome recap.

Seriously people, I can't believe my baby is 1! If you still have an itty bitty, hug them tight tonight. Time goes way too fast to not cherish those baby moments.

Happy Birthday, Buggy!

2010-06-23T09:37:00.000-04:00

Today is my little girls birthday! I can't believe a year has gone by already. I swear I just had her.

Buggy you have changed my life completely and for the better. I can't imagine life without you and I feel so honored to be your mom. I love you more than life itself and I can't wait to see you grow and see the girl you become. Everyday just keeps getting better.

While I may cry a bit today, I'm not sad you are growing up. I love the little girl you are becoming. I do miss the sweet snuggly baby you once were, but I wouldn't change our time together for anything. This past year has been the best year or my life and I'm so incredibly happy to have these beautiful memories for the rest of my life: bringing you home from the hospital and sleeping with you on my chest in the recliner for the first 3 weeks because I was too scared to put you down, watching you roll over for the first time and the shock that ran across your face, you sleeping in the pack n play beside me at Christmas while your lullaby CD floated throughout the house, you learning to crawl, talk, eat. All these memories will be cherished throughout my life, and I feel so blessed to have experienced them with you.

Buggy I hope you have the best 1st birthday ever. I know we don't have much, but what we do have is love, and we have an abundance of that.

Happy birthday baby girl!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T16:58:00.000-04:00

The Mommy Logs would like to wish a Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! I hope that today is a wonderful day with your families.

And to Buggy's daddy, I love you and thank you for all that you do for Buggy and me. Thank you for taking the time to play with Buggy and for all the work you are doing on our new house. We love you more than anything and can't imagine our lives without you. Heck, Buggy wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, and that is what I am most thankful for today.

Thank you Hubster.
Happy Father's Day.
Love,
Me

5 days until Buggy is a toddler

2010-06-18T23:05:00.000-04:00

*hyperventilates*

Seriously people, I can't believe that in 5 days I will have a toddler

5 days!

Where has this past year gone? I look at my little girl and can't believe that she's been here for a year, and yet, it also feels like she's always been here. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her, and can barely remember life before her. It's like she's always been a part of me (which I guess biologically speaking, a part of her HAS) and yet, she's only been on this earth for a year.

So in honor of the BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE, I present a glimpse of vintage Buggy:

Yup, thats the little Bugster fresh out of Mommy. Gosh, I can't stand it. She was so leetle! My how she's grown.

And you know what? I wouldn't trade anything for this amazing year we've had. Seriously, best year of my life.

Buggy is going to be one!

2010-05-28T11:56:00.000-04:00

I know, it's crazy right? But it's true. Buggy will be turning 1 next month!
*passes out*

It seriously feels like just yesterday I was puking my guts up everyday, eating only carrot sticks, and feeling a little person squirm around in my innards. Its hard to believe a year has already gone by.

So, you know what that means. PARTY TIME!

And to get the party started off the right way, I, of course, had to make super duper cute invitations. But, alas, what picture to use for the invitation? So I decided to toss Buggy's actual birthday outfit (not her party outfit- that will be a surprise for the guests) on and run her outside for a quick photo session. She performed phenomenally in front of the camera and I got some amazingly adorable shots, but one in particular for her invitations.

Oh and the coup de gras? Her invitation:

Floor refinishing 101

2010-05-16T22:33:00.001-04:00

So, as some of you know, we just recently purchased our first home. It had awesome old hardwood floors, and we knew when we purchased it that with a little elbow grease, them bad boys could really shine! So, we decided to have them refinished.

Then, we found out that it would cost between $3000-$4000 to have them professionally refinished. Now, the hubster is a super duper do it yourselfer, so he decided that he could do them. Of course, he's never done anything like that before, but hey, how hard could it really be? After a looong discussion and him explaining that it's really very simple; just sand, stain and poly and your done, I agreed to let him and my father in law do the floors. He assured me it would take 2 weeks, tops.

They started the week after Easter.

And just finished yesterday.

That's right folks, almost 2 months! Definitely not as quick as he made it sound at the beginning. However, there is only so much that you can do on the weekends and weeknights only. And only one to two people doing them, so I guess it wasn't that big a deal. We don't have a time limit to be in the new house, so why not take as long as it takes, right?

And I have to admit they look fabulous. I'm so proud of my hubster. He's a fantastic guy, and not a shabby floor refinisher either! Need proof?

When we bought our house. I loved the floors then. They weren't that bad...

In hindsight, I can see how bad they were originally. And the photos really don't do them justice. They looked worse in person. Lots of dark stains, cuts, scratches and blemishes. Not so hot.

Then, he sanded. I actually was able to help sand one day, but most of the time I had to be at home with Buggy so she didn't breathe in the sawdust.

I actually contemplated just putting a poly on the unstained wood, because I liked the bare feel. It was bright and light and airy. The hubster stained a closet with the stain we had chosen to see how we felt about it, and well, we loved it. So, he went with it, and stained and poly-ed. I have to admit, I am in love with our new floors.

We also didn't have transitions between the different floors in the house. Basically we have a tiled entryway, but there wasn't a threshold between the tile and wood. There was just an unfinished drop off edge to the tile. That definitely won't do with a little Buggy running around the house, so my father in law made us custom transitions. How pretty are these? Awesome, yes?

All in all, I'm super duper happy with our floors. It took For.EVAH. But, totally totally worth it. I'd love to hear what you think!

Editing to add that we only spent right around $700 for this project. So we saved AT LEAST $2300 by doing them ourselves.

Boogie Wipes Winner!

2010-05-16T20:54:00.000-04:00

Boogie on down! Congrats to comment number 15!

aka

MUNGEE'S MA!

Email me in the next 2 days, so you can recieve your Boogie Wipes.

Congrats to you and thanks to everyone who entered!

PR: How do you make a tissue dance?

2010-05-10T21:41:00.000-04:00

You put a little boogie in it!

And if your kid is anything like my Buggy, that’s not easy to do. Seriously, you come within ten feet of Buggy’s nose with a tissue and she shrieks and flails about like Pinocchio without his strings to hold him down.

However, that all changed a little over a month ago when I discovered the amazing, fabulous invention called Boogie Wipes. They are little wipes made of pillow-y goodness and soaked in a saline solution. So, basically, they are saline drops, but in a tissue form. These suckers not only moisten the crusty dry snot on Buggy’s face, but they also seem to pull any boogies from inside her nose out as well. It’s almost like they have little boogie magnets or something. Genius! Plus, they come in a variety of scents; fresh scent, menthol, and grape!

Sure, Buggy still flails about, because hey, what kid loves having their nose cleaned? These make the job quicker, which is all I can ask.

So, in honor of the dry summer weather and allergies, the makers of Boogie Wipes have graciously offered one of my readers not one, but TWO, packs of Boogie Wipes in any fragrance they want.

Want some Boogie Wipes? Entering is easy!

Mandatory Entry:

1. You must comment below with your email address. This is one entry.

Additional Entries:

2. “Like” The Mommy Logs on Facebook

3. Follow my blog.

4. “Like” Boogie Wipes on Facebook

5. Follow Boogie Wipes on Twitter.

For each additional entry, please make a separate comment. The winner will be chosen using random.org on Saturday, May 15th. All entries must be entered by Saturday, May 15th at noon.

Alright, get Boogie-ing!

Cleaning Challenge #2

2010-05-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

I'll let you in on a secret.One which I'm highly embarrassed to even admit. I'm not a tidy person. Honestly, I have an issue with cleaning, always have. I just never want to do it. However, I'm trying to change this about myself. I consider myself a perfectionist in most aspects of my life. Unfortunately, keeping a tidy home is not one of them. Combine that with my bachelor pad style husband, and well, we end up needing some help.

I used to keep the house pretty clean, but once I was knocked on my butt with the swine flu, things went to hell. I've found it difficult to get back in the habit again. Plus with working on our new house, which we hope to be in soon, cleaning has kind of been put on the back burner...

I started doing these cleaning challenges in hopes of uplifting my lacking cleaning abilities. It's really helped.

Today, I tackled the bathroom. Here's the before. I want to warn you though, it was bad...

See, I told you. YIKES!

Like I said, I haven't gotten back into the swing of things, and the husband is still stuck in his bachelor ways.

We had toiletries all over the counters from our last shopping trip that just hadn't made it into the closet. Magazines all over the place. Powder EVERYWHERE.

Even an empty air freshener.

It was simply chaotic and a mess. I'm actually quite embarrassed to show it to you. But hey, I pride myself on my honesty and want to show that not everyone's home stays neat as a pin all the time. Hopefully, one day, mine will though.

So anyway, the challenge. I gave myself 30 minutes to clean this place up.

Starting time: 4:25.

I started by grabbing a large trash bag, and throwing most of the magazines away. Then I put the new toiletry items in the linen closet and wiped down the counters with disinfectant. I dusted everything. Used some cleaner and scrubbed the sink, faucet and toothbrush cup.

Then, I moved over to the toilet and disinfected it. Wiped it all down, scrubbed the bowl and replaced the bowl cleaner in the tank. Wiped down the trashcan and cleaned out the hidden magazine rack (oh yes, there were more!)

The tub was clean, since we use it all the time and bathe Buggy in there. So I just straightened the shower curtain there.

Then I took a wet rag and scrubbed the floors to get the powder residue off the floor. I hate dirty floors.

I even changed the air freshener out. Yay

Ending time 5:05. I spent more than 30 minutes on it, but honestly, an extra 10 minutes was nothing compared to the results.

*Contented sigh*

Much better!

...now, on to tackle some laundry by hand since our washer is broken. That will be an experience.

The Sunny Side Up Show

2010-04-29T22:32:00.000-04:00

Okay, some might judge me, but up until a week or so ago, Buggy never really watched tv. She occasionally would glance at it, stare for a second and then move on. It just didn't interest her.

Photo credit: Sprout Online

Until a few mornings ago. When we discovered "The Sunny Side Up Show" on Sprout. You see, Buggy hasn't been sleeping the best (read: up multiple times during the night) and because of that, Mommy hasn't been sleeping. Couple that with the fact that the hubster has been working on our new house constantly, every night since before Easter, and doesn't come home until the bats have already gone back to bed, and this adds up to a very tired Mommy.

So, a few mornings ago, I'm flat butt tired, and Buggy is up rummaging around our bed, babbling on about Mama, Dada, and all her other favorite things. When I suddenly feel the bright light of inspiration: television. Hey, people have been using it as a babysitter since the dawn of time. Okay, so since like the 50s. Whatev. Why couldn't I just try it out?
Fishing around in my nightstand, I find the remote and flip the tv on. Its on some home decor show, and while that may be entertaining for Mommy, Buggy was less than impressed. And hey, I may have had a moment of weakness allowing her to watch television, but at least I was going to find something kid appropriate. So, I flipped through the channels and found Sprout, and what happened to be some bath tub time show (which I later discovered is entitled the Rubbadubbers) and thought, hey, Buggy loves bath time, so we switched to it.

And it was over.

A few minutes later, I hear a jaunty little tune playing, and Buggy turns and starts dancing and bopping along to the music, which I have to admit, might possibly be the cutest thing EVAH and I looked up from my reclined position on the bed to see what was on. A group of singers is singing about a "Sunny Side Up Show" and theres a cute little barn and a puppet chicken, and fun kid friendly colors. Buggy was transfixed.

Then I hear it. A squeaky toy. Talking. Or trying to.

And Buggy literally squeals in delight, claps her hands and laughs hysterically. I look up at the tv again and what do I see? What is this that is making my daughter so. incredibly. happy?

THIS

Photo Credit: Sprout Online

Thats right, the squeaky chicken, aptly named Chica, had caught my daughters full attention. She wasn't interested in the actual shows that came on, but anytime that little muppet was on the screen she was glued to it. Glued!

So, we now have a morning ritual. We snuggle in bed after waking for a little bit, play, she nurses, and then we turn on the Sunny Side Up Show so she can hang with her favorite pal, Chica. Judge me if you must for letting my kid watch tv, but dangit, it makes her happy, ya'll. And she's not constantly watching it, and prefers to play.

Plus, Chica is SUPER cute. I actually found a little cat toy that looks a lot like Chica, and gave it to her today. It's cute, it squeaks a bit. I handed it to her, and Buggy got all hyper and guess what...

SHE SAID CHICA! No kidding. She's been saying it all day long. It's her first real word other than Mama, Dada, Nana, Papa and cat, which are all familiar words. I couldn't believe it.

So, sure, its probably not the best that the bugster watches a bit of television, but hey, it helped her say another word. I'm happy with it.

I think my babywearing days are over

2010-04-16T23:38:00.000-04:00

and it makes me sad. But Buggy is getting heavy and super mobile. She loved being "worn" and I honestly love wearing her. Lately though, she squirms and squirms to get down. And cleaning while wearing her? Forget about it. Little hands are going a million miles a minute grabbing things and trying to eat them. The last time I was able to wear her was when she was about 7 1/2 months. Absolutely killed my back. And like I said, hands were everywhere.

I still have my hotsling, and I need to learn the hip carry. I can't do it very well, and I never feel very secure with her on my hip. Is that just a fat girl thing? Am I destined to not be able to do the hip carry? Trust me, I got big ole hips...

At least we have the memories though, right?

Anyone with toddlers that are still being "worn?" If so, how are you doing it? What do you use? Would it be worth it to invest in a more expensive carrier now that she's almost a toddler (ohmygosh!) or not? What do you recommend?

Love ya, babe.

2010-04-14T23:06:00.000-04:00

Ah, it's that time of year again. The birds are singing, the trees are blossoming, the pollen is EVERYWHERE and

TORI AND DEAN ARE BACK ON MY TV!

Photo Credit: http://l.yimg.com/l/tv/us/img/site/71/94/0000057194_20090514164904.jpg

Yes, that deserves all caps. I seriously love those two, and I love their show. I love them. I love Liam. I love Stella. I love their dogs. I love Patsy. I love everything about them.

It's my guilty pleasure. I frickin' love that show. I'm not sure what it is about it. But whatever it is, they have me glued to my tv.

What's your favorite guilty pleasure show?

Prunes Poirot

2010-04-10T19:37:00.000-04:00

I am Monsieur Poirot and I will find zee keeler.

Ah! Zees is harder than I thought!

It was you! You are zee keeler!

Cleaning Challenge #1

2010-04-05T12:28:00.000-04:00

I know many people who are meticulous and keep such an immaculate home. I, however, am not one of them. Honestly, I struggle just to keep the house liveable. It's usually not until the dishes are piling up onto the counters that my brain triggers my body that "Hey, now might be a good time to do the dishes." And the bad part is, we have a dishwasher. Maybe I'm just lazy. I don't know.

However, I'm not a person that can live in filth either. I can't stand when my house isn't clean, and it makes me really anxious to see it when it's bad. Especially now that we have Buggy, I can't stand a dirty house, and want to keep it as clean as possible. She doesn't deserve to grow up in an unkempt home.

The last few weeks have been pretty difficult around here. As most of you have read, I was knocked on my ass by the swine flu. Luckily, Buggy stayed piggy-free, and the hubster didn't get it. Bonus! The house, however, took a turn for the worst. I haven't been able to do much lately. The swine flu leaves you with a killer cough that takes your breath away. So the cleaning has been severely lacking.

Today, I'd had enough. I got Buggy down for her nap (she's still down, yay!) and was sitting in my chair watching Designed to Sell (HGTV, holla!) when I started hearing my kitchen call me. It was a sad, pathetic, mournful cry. So, I got up. And walked in there. And heard the "ree ree ree" music from Psycho.

It. Was. Bad.

Worse than bad. It was hazmat suit terrible. Dishes were piled up out of the sink onto the counters. Trash was on the island. The kitchen table was being used as a nursing tank dryer (you can't dry these puppies, they shrink!) and there was just junk EVERYWHERE.

So, I decided to challenge myself. I figure if making a game out of cleaning helps kids get it done, why can't I do it myself? I looked at the clock, gave myself 45 minutes, turned on some music, and tackled the kitchen.

I finished in 40. The counters are clear again, and have been sanitized and wiped down. The dishes have been unloaded, and reloaded and the washer is happily churning away washing my neglected dishes. The table is clear and the nursing tanks are in my room (not put away, but hey, it's a step!) And it smells good, because lemon scented wipes smell delicious!

I'm not exhausted. I'm happy. The kitchen sang a glorious anthem to me as I switched off the light (gotta save that money!) All is well.

I'm thinking tomorrow, I'll challenge myself to the den!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T22:11:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, I've been a terrible blogger. We've been super busy with the new house and trying to refinish the floors. Honestly, it's a pain in the ass, but we are trying our hardest.

However, today daddy took off from working on the house to celebrate Easter with the kidlet. She enjoyed herself. He enjoyed himself. Fun was had by all.

We ended up going to my grandma's house and eating some fabulous food. I may or may not have consumed more macaroni and cheese than was needed, but it was necessary. Trust me. Grandma's mac and cheese is divine.

The Bugster really enjoyed her Easter basket. We filled it with an Easter Bunny and some Gerber snacks. It was fun watching her crawl and get all excited over her little basket. It was even more fun to see her freak out and play in the "grass" from her basket. ADORABLE!

We took Buggy outside to chill in the grass for a bit and play. It's been gorgeous here lately, and I really love taking her outside. I think she likes it a bit as well. She was having none of the camera and refused to look at me at all while we were outside. Hard-headed little girl!

Of Mice and Men

2010-03-29T22:47:00.000-04:00

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?

2010-03-26T16:12:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-25T23:16:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-03-23T17:23:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-19T22:57:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-18T21:42:00.000-04:00

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

2010-03-14T14:39:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-03-13T20:14:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-13T15:04:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-12T18:02:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-03-12T15:32:00.000-05:00

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...

2010-03-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

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.

2010-03-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

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!

:(

2010-03-09T22:23:00.001-05:00

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

2010-03-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-03-08T18:05:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-08T08:41:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-07T20:50:00.001-05:00

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

Free Swag: Little Modchic Boutique!- Closed!

2010-03-05T14:19:00.000-05:00

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!

The Breastfeeding Mom's Arsenal

2010-02-28T20:35:00.000-05:00

As a new mother, I had a lot of questions. As a new mother who had never breastfed before, I had even more. I diligently scoured the internet for solutions, help and tips for the first few days, looking for things that would help me be the best breastfeeder I could be.
Lets face it, breastfeeding isn't easy. Luckily, there are a plethora of products out there designed to make nursing less dificult and help mothers reach their breastfeeding goals.

I was infinitely lucky that Buggy seemed to catch on easily. I mean, she came out rooting for the boob, so I knew that she would be okay nursing. I just wasn't sure if I would be. So, I added these few products as part of my breastfeeding arsenal, and let me tell you, they all helped tremendously! I thought I'd share.

One of the first items I acquired for my arsenal was the Boppy pillow. My best friend B had used it with her little girl, so she handed it down to me, like passing the Olympic torch. I accepted it, thinking that it probably wouldn't get much use, but boy was I wrong. I use this thing all the time. Honestly, it's probably the best thing I own.

The second and third items I used right off the bat were my Lansinoh nursing pads and the lanolin cream. Let me tell ya, the nursing pads saved many a shirt in the early days of engorgement and leaking. Honestly, I didn't even know the amount of milk that would seep out. I'd remove the pads and they would be soaked. I like the Lansinoh pads the best becuase they suck the moisture away from your skin, so you stay dry. Other pads, I found, didn't do it as well.

Also, the lanolin was a lifesaver. About 2 weeks after I had Buggy, I noticed that I was really dry and starting to crack. While I was lucky and didn't have any super bad cracking and bleeding, the cream did help to soothe my poor battered and bruised nips and whats even better, Buggy didn't seem to mind it. Bonus.

The final items that every breastfeeding mom should have in their arsenal are a good nursing bra and several nursing tanks. I'll admit, I'm pretty well endowed, so I had to go to an old lady shop and have my bras helicoptered in from the land of the large boobed, but soooo worth it. A good fitting bra is a MUST. You don't want one with underwire, because that can cause clogged ducts which can turn into mastitis, and you don't want to have that. Also, the nursing tanks are all so super comfy and honestly, I will probably wear them even after I wean Buggy off the boob. I love them, and I live in them. I have so many in several different colors. My favorite and preferred are the Gilligan and O'Malley Tanks from Target. They are a little longer, and seem to fit the best. The other's all kind of rode up on my belly, which well, with a post partum belly, you don't want anything riding up. Trust me.

What else is in your breastfeeding arsenal?

...and the winner is!

2010-02-26T15:14:00.000-05:00

Nikki Fudgestick, come on down!
Congratulations, you've won your very own customized set of jewelry from the Living Vine!

Everyone be on the lookout for some fun and exciting upcoming giveaways! We've got a lot of exciting things starting to happen around here and I can't wait to show them to you all!

Again, congrats Nikki!

Reminder: The Living Vine Giveaway!

2010-02-25T22:21:00.000-05:00

Remember everyone, our first giveaway ends tomorrow at noon est. If you want in, click The Living Vine Giveaway and enter! Don't miss out on this super awesome giveaway!

Happy 8 months, Buggy!

2010-02-23T18:42:00.000-05:00

That's right folks. 8 months ago today was the hardest but best day of my life. The day Buggy popped out.

So, as you all know, each month, I take pictures of Buggy being cute, so I can document her growth. Also, I just have to be an attention whore and show off some of the cute photos I took. I really think I *might* be getting better at portraiture. What do you think?

It's fun being 8 months!

Well hello there, Mommy.

You make me happy, Mommy! Seriously, this face never ceases to bring a smile to mine!

Check her out...up and trying to crawl! She'll be crawling before I know it.

I love baby feet!

Buggy gave GG a bouquet

2010-02-21T23:13:00.000-05:00

and Mommy had to take some pictures of it too. Seriously, I'm becoming obsessed with my camera. I thought they were a great subject to practice my macro and focus.

Floral pics!

2010-02-21T23:10:00.000-05:00

I told you they were coming.

As you know, I've been working on my photography skillz, and while I'm still completely lacking in the super awesome department, I think these all turned out really well. So, I will now subject you to all the photos I took at my grandmothers house of all of her beautiful flowers and grounds.

So there.

I'd love to know what you think, and any constructive criticism. Like I said, I'm far from professional, but I do want to improve. Any suggestions? Comments? Criticisms?

I LOVED these red flowers that were hanging up on my grandmothers front porch. Seriously, they photographed so beautifully. That's why you'll see a bunch of shots of them.

I also thought these berries were really pretty.

Her beautiful tulip tree. Spring is almost here!

Working on my focus. These two trees were perfect for that.

Working on my macro.

...and my toggle focus.

Okay, let me have it. Please give me your thoughts.

Over the river and through the woods

2010-02-21T22:54:00.000-05:00

to GG's house we went!

Today, we went with my mom and dad over to my grandmother's house. Buggy loves her GG and enjoys any chance she has to spend with her. We went over to help my grandma clean her garage out a bit. It's been a little cluttered since my granddaddy passed away in December 08, and if you knew my grandma, you would know cluttered is not how she rolls. She's neat as a pin, and even that isn't descriptive enough. She's 83 years old and still scrubs her floors everyday and her house is spotless. Spot. Less. Fo realz.

Anyway, we had a great time. I took my camera and took a TON (234) pictures of the random flora around her house, as well as some pics of the Hubster and Buggy. So be prepared for an onslaught of pictures. There will be a lot. A lot, a lot.

Anyway, a few pictures of our visit from today.

Buggy fell asleep on the way. She reached over and grabbed my dad's hand, pulled it to her and laid her head on it, and fell asleep. My dad was in heaven.

Then, she hung out with GG for a while. She'd just woken up, notice the telltale far off gaze of sleepiness?

Then we headed outside and played for a few minutes before we got down to the cleaning business.

Apparently, Buggy does not appreciate all the kisses we give her. I think this photo is by far, my favorite, don't you agree?

Yes, that's my baby, rocking the shamrock.

A rare and albeit terrible photo of me, but I needed a new one.

I don't often get to be in the pictures with my girl.

The Sunshine Award

2010-02-21T00:33:00.000-05:00

I'm totally honored to have received another award. Many thanks to Jenn from Three Pugs and a Baby. You are too sweet.

The rules:
1. Put the logo in my post or within my blog.
2. Pass the award onto 12 fellow bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within my post.
4. Let the nominees know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blogs.
5. Share the love and link to the person who gave you the award!

12 blogs, huh? Let me see if I can rustle up some for you guys.

1. http://blog.mrsbeth.com/
2. Once a Mom, Always a Mom *note this blog is now private*
3. With Roots and Wings
4. 3 Peas in a Pod *and an early congrats!*
5. The Magic of Mama
6. One+One=Three
7. Happy is What Happens
8. Rocky Mountain Mama

And thats all I got. 8 out of 12 aint bad, right?

New Look

2010-02-20T22:00:00.001-05:00

What do you think of our new look? I finally figured out how to add my custom background. *sigh*

Nursing Bracelets

2010-02-20T00:21:00.000-05:00

When I first had Buggy, I was a little disoriented. Needless to say, the lack of sleep, exhaustion from labor, and all the ups and downs of becoming a first time mom coupled with all the new emotions, were quite a heavy load to handle. On top of all this, I decided I really wanted to breastfeed. Luckily for me, Buggy took right to it and nursed like a champ from the get go.

However, just with everything, breastfeeding took time, hardwork and concentration. The last idea being the hardest one. When you first start breastfeeding, the lactation consultants and nurses, and whoever else thinks they know more about your boobs than you, will tell you that you have to nurse each side and flip back and forth so that way your milk will come in, you won't become engorged and won't risk mastitis. Also, it's best to feed on demand, and its a good idea to keep track of when feedings take place and for how long, etc, etc.

This is all pretty difficult to remember, especially when you are bleary eyed from lack of sleep.

My wonderful, beautiful, super intelligent mom (shhh she may be reading this) found this handy dandy think called a Milk Band which totally helped me keep track of all this and took so much off my mind. Basically, you use the little dial on the bracelet to tell you what side, duration and time you nursed. I used mine religiously for the first 2 months, then kind of stopped after I got the full hang of nursing.

You can also find more stylish nursing bracelet if the plain rubber band type bracelet isn't your style. Doing a simple Google search I found this site which boasts fancy beaded bracelets. I love them and would totally rock if I still needed to keep track of nursing.

Definitely check into them if you are nursing or plan to nurse. They were a super lifesaver for me!

Giveaway: Jewelry Set from The Living Vine! ~CLOSED~

2010-02-19T14:37:00.000-05:00

Alright ladies (and gentlemen if there's any out there) I'm so happy to present our first ever giveaway! This giveaway is for a gorgeous jewelry set, valued at $25, from The Living Vine.

Now, let me tell you a little bit about The Living Vine.

My wonderful friend Hope is the owner and main designer of The Living Vine. She's a stay at home mommy as well to a beautiful little girl. Hope is a beautiful soul, and also very creative to boot with a kickin' fashion sense. When she started The Living Vine, her plans were not so much to make money, but to donate her earnings to a local food bank: Second Harvest. There is a growing need for food banks across the USA and the world and it was Hope's plan to help try and provide needed funds for her local food bank.

However, The Living Vine grew and now her business not only donates to Second Harvest, but also to a local Christian radio station. In talking to Hope, we decided to do a giveaway so that she could share the wealth yet again.

The contest will be open for one week, until next Friday, February 26, 2010 at noon. After the winner is announced, they will have 3 (three) days to contact Hope through The Living Vine on Facebook or myself to get your order in.

Prizes:

This giveaway is for a custom necklace/earring set or necklace/bracelet set, valued up to $25. The winner will be chosen through random.org. Also, you can have up to 5 entries, which means 5 chances to win a gorgeous custom set of jewelry!

Now, for the rules:

1. You must post a comment below 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, February 26, 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 The Living Vine on Facebook.

5. Donate to your local food bank. You can find one by going here. (Now of course, this one is on the honor system. I don't know if you actually do this.)

Everybody got it? Alright, get to it people! Lets get those comments coming!

Hi to Mommy's Internet Readers!

2010-02-17T23:04:00.001-05:00

Buggy says "What's up?"

Wait, when did she start doing this?

2010-02-17T19:15:00.000-05:00

I've been giving Buggy Gerber Puffs every day to get her used to the pincer grasp and what not. She's never really successfully gotten them in her mouth. Mostly they end up on the floor. Today, at lunch, I gave her maybe a dozen and in about half an hour, she dropped them all but got 2 in her mouth. So exciting. We clapped, we high fived. All in a days work.
Well, while I was heating up dinner, the hubster just put one in his hand and she immediately picked it up and put it in her mouth like she's been doing it forever. Now she's happily sitting in her high chair with a plate full of puffs successfully eating them all.

When did this happen?

She's growing up way too fast. She's now clapping all the time, feeding herself, and she'll give us high 5s. Wow. Where did the itty bitty baby go? Now, if we could only successfully learn how to suck out of a sippy, we'll be set.

Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-02-15T00:25:00.000-05:00

My wonderful friend Jenn over at her amazingly awesome blog, ...and baby makes six, nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award. How sweet is she? Get a load of that right there folks. I have a beautiful blog, or I am a beautiful blogger, one of the two. Either way, I have my first ever award! Heck yes!

So, okay, the award doesn't come stringless, so there are a few things I have to do to accept it.
These are the rules:

1. Thank the person(s) who nominated you and link to their blog(s). Thanks Jenn!

2. Copy the award and paste it to your blog. Bam. Up above.

3. Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself. Define "interesting."

4. Nominate 7 bloggers that you love and link to their blogs. I'm getting to it.

So, okay 7 interesting things. Hmmm, let me think long and hard. I'm not that interesting, despite the fact I choose to blog all the random every day happenings to the world. I'm just a boring city girl that stays at home.

Okay, here we go.

1. I was valedictorian and head cheerleader at my Christian high school.
2. Despite the fact of the above statement, I also dressed like a punk rocker when I wasn't in uniform.
3. I love all things Irish and one of my life goals is to one day go to Ireland.
4. In my senior year of high school, I wrote a novel (unpublished, of course.)
5. I'm a Star Trek type nerd and was OBSESSED with X-Files. (I swear!)
6. I have an unhealthy obsession with flip flops.
7. I used to model...back when I was thinner and pretty. You'd never guess that looking at me now. Sigh.

Alright, the 7 bloggers. I honestly don't read that many blogs. How about 5?
Once a Mom, Always a Mom
With Roots and Wings
Momfrontations
Happy is What Happens When All Your Dreams Come True
One + One = Three

And there we have it folks! My first award. Aw, shucks. :)

Playing around with Photoshop

2010-02-14T22:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines everyone! Today, Buggy spent some quality time with her Nana and Papa giving them lots of love and hugs and kisses. I felt it would be a great time to capture some of these unique and cherished moments so of course, out came the camera. I snapped a ~~ton~~ few pictures and really loved the set, however I decided to try my hand at photoshop.
Now, let me tell you, I am a total novice at photoshop. I'm a GIMP girl, always will be. This high tech new-fangled photoshop stuff is really fancy. However, we had an older version of PS that I'd never used and thought "Why not." So tonight I played a little with a few of the photos and eventually, after tweaking and fiddling around with them for a while, ended with these 5. I think they work...but I'm not sure. What do you guys think?

I'm just not sure if they look right, and would love to hear what you think of the style and look of the photos.

Buggy's Birthday Dress

2010-02-12T20:36:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know, I'm waaaayyyyy too early buying this, but I found this adorable dress by Bonnie Jean at JCPenney, and I just had to get it. I bought it in an 18 month, since Buggy is gigantor right now, perhaps it won't be too big on her for her first birthday. I'm so excited. Isn't it just about the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Mmmmmm

2010-02-08T20:01:00.000-05:00

I love Valentine's Day!

Help Improve the Mommy Logs!

2010-02-04T09:17:00.000-05:00

One of my main goals with this blog is to bring issues and posts that are important to people into the fore front. I really want to make this blog more accessible to every reader and in doing this, would like to know what you, as my wonderful readers, would like to see discussed on here. Would you like more reviews? Would you like more random adventures? Would you like more photography? What do you want to see less of?
Help me improve the Mommy Logs. Post a comment about what you'd like to see more, or less, of! Lets make this a fun blog for all!

New Swag

2010-02-03T21:54:00.000-05:00

Went to Target yesterday because we needed a few items, mainly a highchair. Buggy has recently decided that she doesn't want to eat baby food anymore, but would rather try and feed herself. We didn't have a highchair, only a small booster type seat, and figured that a highchair would be best to get so we could fasten her in and let her try and feed herself puffs or cheerios. I found a highchair that I LOVE and since we had a Target gift card, decided to go ahead and pick it up.

As soon as we fastened her in, she started laughing and really just enjoyed it. She also loved the print, which made me happy since I like it so much. Apparently she likes owls. When she really enjoys something, she plays with her feet. She turns them in and rubs them together and its really cute. Well, she started doing that while she was sitting in her chair, so I of course, grabbed a quick shot.

The chair is the Graco "Little Hoots" collection. LOVE!

While we were there, my mom and I just walked around and ended up in the home goods section, looking at the kids bedding and decor. My mom found this ginormous lady buy bean bag. Of course, Nana ended up buying it for Buggy. And in turn, Buggy showed her Nana how appreciative she was. Homegirl flippin' loves this thing.

And finally, we bought a few new bibs and a new toy for Buggy. We can't walk down a toy aisle anymore without, I'm not going to name any names, but someone small hanging halfway out of the cart trying to grab everything. And since this certain little person who will remain nameless loves Mommy's phone so much, we got her one of her own. It's obviously not as cool as Mommy or Daddy's but, it seems to be a hit...for now.

Oh, and before I forget, this trip taught me that I am no longer allowed to go into Target anymore. I end up leaving it with way more than I need, and way less money in the bank account than should be. *sigh*

12 weeks to better photos

2010-02-01T17:48:00.000-05:00

I recently started the 12 weeks to Better Photos online course. So far its been going swimmingly. I've done the first 3 weeks, and will be working on week four (Flash) once we get a little better weather. I decided to go ahead and post the first 3 weeks here, so that way I have a record of them.

The first week was aperture. We were to take a photo in the same place with different aperture settings. These are what I got:

f/3.5

f/8

f/14

f/22

If you look you can see that the background is really blurry in the first one, and gradually gets sharper and more in focus. Awesome, eh.

The second lesson was all about shutter speed. We were to take a few shots of the water trickling over an object in our sink. I had quite a bit of trouble with this one as apparently my house is a dungeon and no light was enough to really get a good shot of water running over an object in the kitchen sink. Who knew? Here's what I got with that lesson though.

1/80

1/200

You can barely see a difference in the water on the bowl. Unfortunately the higher shutter speeds were just way too dark to even see. Shutter Fail. Or Mommy Fail, whatev.

The third lesson was about white balance. We were to take photos of a certain subject and use the auto white balance, the Tungsten balance, and then do our own custom white balance. Honestly, I think I prefer the auto white balance. Apparently I super suck at custom. It looks too yellow to me. What do you think?

Auto

Tungsten...um ew.

Custom. Meh

Has anyone else done this course? Tell me about it in the comments!

Tales of a Zombie Mommy

2010-01-31T22:29:00.000-05:00

The last week and a half has been terrible for Buggy and her arch nemesis of the week, Sleep. Anytime that silly old Sandman comes a knockin' Buggy yells and screams and, honestly, you would think the world was ending. Just 2 weeks ago, her pediatrician asked me "How's she sleeping?" And I answered "Pretty good. She sleeps around 5 or 6 hours straight, nurses and then goes back to sleep for several more hours." Oh, poor little old 2 weeks ago me. Bless your little heart, you knew nothing.

Since then, Buggy hasn't slept a single night through. None. It's been up every hour/every 2 hours, screaming, crying, and tossing/turning. Now, fortunately, we bed share, so I was able to just sit up and try and nurse her. She would nurse, and then go back to sleep, but would be up again in another hour or so. She didn't get up this much when she was a newborn. I honestly have no clue what's gotten into her.

So, through much careful consideration and long talks with the hubster, and a few friends, we've decided to see how Buggy does in her crib. I'm nervous as all get out, and not looking forward to hunkering down in my bed with only the hubs for company, but I will do anything to help my baby get a better night's sleep. She's currently in her crib now, sleeping peacefully with nigh a peep being made, so maybe we are on the right path.

All I know is that tonight, I'll be sleeping with my husband on one side, and my monitor receiver clutched in my arms on the other. :(

New Background Ideas or The Evolution of a Photo Shoot

2010-01-30T17:03:00.000-05:00

I got the wonderful idea from a photography board that I frequent to use some of Buggy's baby blankets as interesting backgrounds. I had no idea how I was going to hang them up though. See, I usually just drape the fabric over the back of a chair and call it a day, but I couldn't do that with the smaller baby blankets. Then, it hit me. The jumperoo would make a fabulous background holder. Fantastic! So, I went in the hubster's tool box and got out a few small clamps. Attached them to the jumperoo and we had a backdrop stand. Pretty cool. See?

Anyway, I chose two of Buggy's blankets and clamped them to the sheet. The first one was a cute yellow and green one, and I liked the yellow the best. Buggy was unimpressed though.

Even Violet couldn't keep Buggy from the brink of boredom.

Then I had a pink polka dot/chocolate color blanket, and thought the polka dots might be fun! I mean, come on, polka dots! Everyone loves those, right. So, I armed Buggy with a little teething book and let er rip.

Then...Mommy made the mistake of taking away the book...

So, in retaliation, we decided to take away Mommy's backdrop. Neener Neener.

And that was the end of that...

Make The Mommy Logs a Top Mommy Blog!

2010-01-29T00:17:00.000-05:00

We need votes! Help make The Mommy Logs a Top Mommy Blog. Simply click the banner on the sidebar to the right, or just click here.

Lets make The Mommy Logs a Top Mommy Blog!

Thanks for all your votes! You, my faithful readers, are the bomb diggity!

There is a little person backing up all over the place

2010-01-27T23:45:00.000-05:00

and rolling every which way she can. That's right ladies and gentlemen.
Buggy. Is. Mobile.
Sorta.

She's totally great at rolling, and has decided that should be her main form of mobility. She also has learned to crawl...backwards. I'm thinking about hooking up a backup chime on her. You know the kind, the beeping a bus makes when its backing up. This way, I know when she's on the move.

Or maybe I'll just get her a bell collar.

In other news, the weather down here in the tropics is a cold cold 50 degrees. In comparison to the 80s we got last week, its a downright freakin' cold snap. So, we broke out some cute long sleeve shirts for Buggy to wear. She looks so adorable. Honestly, she'd make a great northerner. Alas, we leave in the South. I swear, one day I will take her to see snow! It has to happen!

What's a post without pics, you ask? Well, it's just words. And we can't have any of that tonight, can we? So, heres a few recent ones of my girl, being cute. 'Nough said.

And a wonderful pic of Buggy in her sunhat and (long sleeve) shirt on one of our walks in the winter chill.

Apparently walks do not amuse Buggy anymore. Harrumph.

It's Buggy's 7 monthday!

2010-01-23T17:26:00.000-05:00

That's right, kids. Buggy is a whole 7 months old today. To commemorate this blessed occasion, I, of course, did a photo shoot!

Buggy in her pre-requisite chair and Bun monthly photo.

Then we moved to the living room to do another shoot.

As always, I'd love constructive criticism. Happy 7 months, Buggy!

Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper

2010-01-22T17:33:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, we and Buggy co-sleep. We've actually gotten to the point of bedsharing, as it just feels right for our family. We first used the Safe and Secure Sleeper that I talked about in an earlier Can't-Live-Without post. We loved that thing. It worked so well for us when Buggy was a teeny tiny babe, but unfortunately, she outgrew it, and we moved on to the side car style sleeper.

The one that we used was the Arm's Reach Mini Co-Sleeper though the company makes different sizes. We chose the mini because it was a slimmer version, and our bedroom isn't very large on the sides of our bed. The Mini is just the right size to fit in between our bed and the wall.

Basically, it just hooks onto the side of our bed and Buggy can sleep happily in her "own bed" and yet, we have the convenience and comfort of co-sleeping and sharing the same room, which totally works well for nursing, fyi. The one side of it comes undone, so baby is right there next to you, instead of like a bassinet or crib where there is something seperating you. However, the side will snap up again, if you need to use it as a bassinet so baby doesn't roll out.

It also has a handy dandy shelf basket underneath the bed area that holds blankets, diapers, wipes, extra clothes or whatever you need to be on hand. Which is really great for middle of the night changes or cleanups.

It worked pretty well for us for the most part. It wasn't until the Hubster was off during Christmas and he decided he wanted Buggy to sleep with us in bed for a few days, that we quit using it. It's still there, and we use it every once in a while to lay her in, if we want to snuggle or aren't going to sleep right at that second.

Highly recommend if you want to co-sleep. We didn't plan on it, but really, one never truly can plan for a baby. It's really after baby gets here that you decide how you are going to parent.

Did you co-sleep or bedshare? How long? When did you transition? What are your thoughts on co-sleeping and bedsharing? Let me know in the comments!

Recall Alert: Graco Stroller Recall

2010-01-21T12:56:00.000-05:00

Recall Information Article

Yesterday, Graco announced a recall of several of their stroller and travel systems; the Alano, Passage and Spree models, namely. Apparently on these several types of strollers, the canopy hinge can snap and cause little finger amputations or cuts. Definitely check your stroller and see if its part of the recall.

Check out their article, and check out your stroller if you have a Graco. We can never be too safe.

"This hurts me worse than it hurts you."

2010-01-20T15:46:00.000-05:00

We just got home a little bit ago. Buggy had her 6 month checkup. Yes, I know, I know, she's almost 7 months, so why is she just now having her 6 month checkup? I honestly have no clue. Somehow, along the way, we got mixed up on our dates. I think it was around her 4 month mark. We were out of town when she turned 4 months, and had to wait until the week after to go in for her shots and what not. I didn't want her to have a reaction while we were out of town, so ix nay on the shots before hand. Then I didn't want her cranky on Halloween, so no shots that day. Ended up being the week after, which put her at about 4 1/2 months for her shots. So, I guess that's how we got on a wonky schedule.

Wow, sorry for all that randomness. I'm sure you didn't really care to read all of that, but kudos if you actually did.

So, first, stats. I'm calling these puppies 7 month stats, since she'll be 7 months in 3 days.
Weight: 19 lbs 2 oz
Height: 28 3/4 inches
Head Circumference: 17 1/4 inches.

Why yes, she is a hunk o'chunk. I happen to think she's amazing, so there.

The doctor checked her over and said all was great. She's super happy with how developed Buggy is. Buggy was babbling Mama the whole time, and even waved goodbye to the doctor. She did tell us that we need to start massaging her feet because the tendons are really tight which is causing her to be slightly pigeon toed. She wants that to be gone before Buggy takes her first steps. Agreed. I don't want my kid walking funny, so we'll massage as needed. Plus, this gives me ample time to play stinky feet with her: her new favorite game.

She also discovered that Buggy's top two teeth are budding. Oh, boy, yay! Now we'll have a bottom one, and two top ones. I'm going to be missing a nipple here soon, I can just feel it. *cringes*

The doctor did tell me that I might want to consider weaning her off of her night nursing. Advice which, while I'm sure is right for some, I'm not sure is right for us. Buggy really only wakes once a night to eat. I'm quite alright with that. I figure, if my baby is hungry, I'm going to feed her. I'll worry about weaning her when she's ready to wean. I'm not going to force it on her. I might change my tune in the future, but as of right now, what we do works for us, so I'm not going to change it.

Then, we had the dreaded shots. 3 shots. Ugh. I used the Emla cream, and she didn't freak like she did at her 2 month shots, but it wasn't pleasant. The poor nurse (the same one that always gives her her shots) came in carrying the tray. Buggy looked up at her, and I swear to you, her eyes got all big like a deer in the headlights. It's like she KNEW what the lady had. Then Buggy freaked. I mean, freaked. She started squirming all over the table, and screaming and crying. BROKE. MY. HEART. I felt like a terrible mother. My dad had come, you know, for moral support, so I let him stay up at the table with Buggy to try and keep her attention but it didn't work. Gosh, I honestly hate shot days.

I know they are for her own good, but I totally get what my mom meant when she said "This hurts me worse than it hurts you." So, very, very true. I would literally take all over shots for her again and again if I could so that she never had to feel the pain. Unfortunately, that isn't possible.

Why don't they tell you before you become a mom, that as soon as you do become one you will no longer have a heart inside your body, but that your heart will forever be outside of you running around as your child?

The smell of Tucks pads always make me smile now.

2010-01-15T23:26:00.001-05:00

You know, there are just certain things in life that will never cease to make you smile. There are also odd smells that get to people. Mine will forever be the smell of a Tucks pad. Why, you ask (or don't, but I'm still going to tell you.)

You see, after I gave birth to Buggy, they brought in all the after birth goodies for me to use. The standard Peri-bottle to squirt water up there when you pee, the pads, the mesh panties, and a huge supply of Tucks pads. I was so scared and so nervous about how things were going to go down there, and honestly the idea of witch hazel down in lady land did not sound pleasing to me. However, I went with what they told me, because, hey, they are the professionals and they know what works and what doesn't. For weeks, I was a slave to the Peri bottle, and really got used to the whole wiping without wiping. Warm water does the trick very nicely, thank you very much.
I also went ahead and used the Tucks because they promised it wouldn't hurt (much) and that it would make the bits feel much better. Heading their advice, I tried them and they did. I used them religiously. Every time I had to do some bathroom business, I used them. I even got all fancy and put them in the fridge to make it even more soothing.

Now, to this day, if I have to use one (which, I do. Buggy left me some not so friendly hemmies that like to greet me every once in a while) the smell takes me back to those first few weeks. I was so blissfully happy. Becoming a mother to such a wonderful baby girl was the best thing I've ever done, hands down. The memories that smell invokes are warm, sunshine, baby's breath and comfort. I'll always have that memory with me. I guess I have Tucks to thank for that, so Thank you, makers of Tucks medicated wipes. You will forever hold a special place in my heart (and other parts.)

After Park Cool Down

2010-01-15T20:50:00.000-05:00

I took the opportunity after our park visit, while Buggy was all docile and sleepy, to take some pictures of her laying down and being still. Here's a few examples. Please let me know what you think.

Life is a Day at the Park!

2010-01-15T20:38:00.000-05:00

Today, I met up with some girlfriends and their kids at the park. While it wasn't Buggy's first day at the park, it was the first time she seemed interested in playing, which was fantastic! I, of course, took a ton of pictures, which you will now be subjected too.

The girls swinging on the swings. Check out Buggy's expression. She was all "Weeeeee"

She super loved those swings!

Butt really enjoyed the slides.

More swing fun!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

My friend H getting love from her daughter V.

B swinging with R.

Loving the park!

It's all fun and games until someone eats the swings.

...which meant, the end of swing time.

Project 365: Week 2

2010-01-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

Week 2 brought about many fun and exciting new things. We saw our longest freeze down here in Funkytown. It was in the 20s and teens here for lows, and that basically never happens. There was even sleet, and SNOW in places. We didn't have any snow at our house, but I heard from many a friend that had it. Plus it made the nightly news, so you know it happened.
My father, Papa, read a book to Buggy and her cousin, Butt. They had a great time. They love story time.

Buggy got her first tooth!

We took Buggy out in the cold. It was basically her first time getting to wear her coat that her Nana got her. I, honestly, thought when she purchased it, "Who needs a coat in Funkytown?" Well, apparently, my mother can predict the future because she definitely needed it last week.

I made a super yummy, and easy dessert! A Peachy-Pineapple Dump Cake. Click link for recipe.

Then, I made a super good dinner the next night! A Smothered Steak and Potatoes dish. Link again.

Then, I did my first actual photoshoot. I know, I posted the pics yesterday, but I'm including them here for my 365 project as well. Awesome fun, that was!

I'm really looking forward to seeing what week 3 brings!

My first time trying a photoshoot

2010-01-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

I posted a while back about trying my hand out at "real" photgraphy. I've been taking snapshots and editting and all that jazz for years, but never tried to actually take really great portraits (Landscapes are a different story.)
Well, I definitely caught the photography bug and went to Walmart yesterday and bought some fabric on clearance to use a backdrop. See how fancy I'm becoming? Using a backdrop. Wow.
Anyway, I've had this bug up my butt for a few weeks about doing some Valentines Day photo cards to send to friends and family of Buggy. I was going to use our professional portraits done by my fabulous friend Jamie, but thought that I might try my hand at taking some Valentines pictures myself. So today I tried my hand at it and dressed Buggy up in her Valentines outfit. My nephew Butt actually jumped in for a few cute shots too. He's such a little handsome dude. (Oh, and don't ask where the nickname Butt came from. None of us have any idea, we've just always called him that.)
These are the results. I think they actually turned out fairly nice. What do you think? I'd LOVE some constructive criticism!

Photo Shoot: FAIL

2010-01-12T22:06:00.001-05:00

Apparently, she did not want to have her picture taken.

Smothered Steak with Mashed Potatoes

2010-01-12T18:53:00.000-05:00

We made this super yummy dinner tonight. It was really easy so I thought I'd share.

What you'll need:
Eye of the Round Steak
Potatoes
Your choice of Vegetable
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Onion
Water
Butter
Mayonaise

Chop the onion into thin slices. In a frying pan, place the steak and onions and set stove to medium heat. Flip steaks every once in a while to brown sides evenly.

After the steaks are browned and the onions have taken on their clear color, spread 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup on top. Add 1 can of water to make the soup thinner and more gravy like.

Cut your heat back to low and cover pan. Let steaks and onion simmer.

While your steaks are simmering, scrub your potatoes and dice them.

Use a masher to mash them and add a few tablespoons of butter. Another thing I do is add a tablespoon of mayo to add a little zing to them.

Serve with your choice of vegetable. We chose Asparagus.

Mmmmmmm! Yummy!

Solids Saga: Part 3. Attack of the Carrots

2010-01-12T00:57:00.000-05:00

The first solid food (other than the pre-requisite cereal) that we started Buggy on was carrots. We decided to start with those, because while I was pregnant, I had hyperemesis gravidarum and the only thing I could (usually) keep down was carrots. I ate those things like they were going out of style. Honestly. I used to carry little individual packs of baby carrots in my purse every where I went so if I started to get sick, I would cram a few of those in hopes of staving off any pukeyness. Didn't always work, but hey, I tried. When you have HG, you will try ANYTHING to stop the vomitting. *Bad memories* Side story, I actually found an old purse from the day I went into labor a few weeks back. It had a baggy of carrots still in it. Needless to say, that was unpleasant and that purse is no longer with us. Sad, really. I loved that purse.

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, carrots.

So, we decided to use carrots, because hey, if I had consumed so many of them while she was in ma bellah, maybe she'd remember them and think, "Hey, these taste like Mommy!"

I didn't have a blender/food processor at the time to make my own baby food so we had to start with jar food, so we went with Gerber. I heated them up slightly and presented them as a gift to her. Buggy was super stoked. She chowed down. I mean CHOWED down. It was as if she actually remembered them. She loved them so much she basically bathed in them.

Bathed in them!

Over the course of several nights, we attempted to feed without making too much of a mess. It didn't work. She thoroughly enjoyed herself a bit too much to worry about actually keeping the carrots off of her. Thankfully, she doesn't have a skin allergy to them. I think we are safe to say that.

Carrot Love

"Mommy, these are the best thing since sliced bread! Wait, when can I have that?"

I'm pretty sure we've now learned that a bib does not contain the mess. After using up my arsenal of OxyClean (RIP Billy Mays) we started undressing her from the top down. At least she's washable and doesn't stain...too much.

Up next: Green Beans!

Baby Crack #4: My Pal Violet

2010-01-11T16:32:00.000-05:00

Meet Violet, my new best friend. Buggy got her for Christmas from her Uncle J and Aunt T. We had no idea when she got it what a wonderful piece of baby crack it would end up becoming.

So heres the lowdown on Violet. She's the "sister" toy to the My Pal Scout toy by Leapfrog. Basically, she's the girly version of Scout. Each of her four paws control a certain activity or game. Her left bottom paw is the on/off switch, right bottom is sleepytime music, left upper is daytime music, and the right upper is games. You can hook the pup up to your computer through the included usb cable and are able to personalize it with their name, favorite food, favorite color and favorite animal. You can also choose the songs and music that is played. Honestly, the favorite food, animal and color are a little excessive for a 6 month old, but it will really come in handy as she gets older. Right now, we have it set to sweet potatoes, an owl and green. Oh, and they had holiday songs that you could put on there during the holiday season. I was thisclose to selecting a few of them for her, but seeing as it was on Christmas that she got it, decided to wait until next year and do them then.

Violet teaches how to spell your child's name through song as well as helps teach counting, animals, colors, routines. It's a really great fun teaching toy. I'm not advocating the use of toys and entertainment items to teach your child as I feel that that is something a parent should do, but honestly, if a toy can help back up what you teach your child, all the better in my opinion.

Buggy will freak out over her Violet. She gets all grinny and giggly and will hug her and kiss her. It's so cute. Plus I get a kick out of hearing Violet say Buggy's name and saying "I love you Buggy'srealname." Awww

Highly recommend Violet or her brother Scout.

Baby Crack #3: Jumperoo

2010-01-11T16:21:00.000-05:00

Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo

Talk about a lifesaver! This wonderful piece of Baby Crack is just what a busy mommy needs. You can place baby in the jumperoo and they can just jump and bounce to their hearts content. If your little one is anything like my Buggy, they love bouncing. I mean, homegirl can go spastic when she bounces. Seriously, she will just go crazy. It's hysterical. She's like a little Mexican jumping bean on a hot day. Awesomeness ensues.

Basically, if you've never heard of or seen a jumperoo, it's a round base with rods sticking up that have springs attached to the rod and a suspended holster with activity center. You put your little one in it, like a regular exersaucer, and they use the floor to launch off of and jump and bounce until they are worn out. The little seat turns around in circles, so that your little baby can play in full 360 fun. It also makes some ~~annoying~~ awesome music and sound effects like monkeys chittering and elephants bleating.

Buggy absolutely loves her jumperoo and will jump for hours if we let her (which we don't.) We got ours from a consignment shop for $40 which was a fantastic deal. Check your local stores to see if they have one in stock. Remember to make sure its in good working order and not broken though!

Check out Buggy enjoying her playtime in the jumperoo!

*excuse the fan in the background. It was a hot day.*

Peachy Pineapple Dump Cake

2010-01-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

You will need:
1 large can of crushed pineapple
3 cans of peaches
1 box of yellow cake mix
1-2 sticks of butter

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the crushed pineapple evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 in baking dish. Drain the peaches and spread them out onto the pineapple. Cover the fruit with the dry cake mix. Slice the butter into small squares and evenly space it in rows on top of the cake mix. Bake in oven for 1 hour, or until crust is browned.

Can be served with ice cream.

You can also substitute fresh fruits as well. I haven't tried it with fresh fruit though. Also, you can use any kind of fruit your little heart desires.

Absolutely delicious!

Ooey, gooey yumminess!

Would you like to see more recipes? What type of recipes would you like? Desserts, Entrees, Appetizers? Let me know in the comments section!

The Elusive Tooth!

2010-01-10T20:16:00.000-05:00

Buggy let me get a picture of her shiny new tooth! See!

What do you mean you don't see it? Here, is this better?

Awww, look at that cute little toofer! It's honestly not the best of photos, her tongue is in the way slightly, but, you can definitely see the shiny pearl in that gum!

*sniffle* My baby is growing so fast!

Mommy Must Have: Target Nursing Tanks

2010-01-09T23:37:00.000-05:00

I've been asked by quite a few people about which nursing tank I recommend. I'll be honest, I had a hard time finding a good one. I tried them all, Bravado, Glamourize, Walmart, you name it. I'm a heftier kind of gal, and fairly "blessed" and I just couldn't find a nursing tank that fit correctly. Most of them either were too small around the belly, too tight around the boobs, or too short in the torso.

I thought I was a lost cause. Pretty bummed, I asked a few good friends, and they all recommended the Gilligan and O'Malley Nursing Tanks from Target. Feeling bummed, I went to Target to try one on. Amazingly, it fit. It was a little snug, but honestly, I was okay with that since I planned on just wearing them under my shirt.

So, I cleared them out. Seriously, I bought all of them in my size.

Since that fateful day, I have lived in these things. Heck, I'm wearing one now! Honest to goodness, faithful readers, they are so comfy and are worn non-stop in my household. Since then, I've ordered one in every color from Target online.

Whats your favorite brand? Leave a comment and let me know!

My poor chesticles

2010-01-09T21:55:00.000-05:00

I was just changing Buggy's diaper, and saw something in her mouth as she gave me a big grin.

Yup, her bottom right toofer is peeking through. As I gazed at it, I swear I heard a gasp of terror from my nursing tank.

Scabby nips, here I come!

What 6 weeks and 6 months looks like.

2010-01-09T00:54:00.001-05:00

*sniffle*

The pants to her 6 week party dress and her 6 month Christmas dress. *tear*

CLW #3: Hotsling

2010-01-09T00:29:00.000-05:00

The third cant-live-without that made my life a WHOLE lot easier, especially during the first few months, is my Hotsling. It made toting Buggy around super easy, plus she got to snuggle up against me and well, we both lurve that.

Let me break it down for you
12 pound baby
+5 pound carseat
50 pounds...at least.

Well, that's how it feels, at least. And that was when she was only 12 lbs. I honestly can't imagine toting her around in that monster now. I'd look like the Man Whose Arms Exploded. Yeowch!

After lugging my newborn around and feeling the incredible weight that an 8 lbs baby and seat together felt like, I decided to look into slings. I bought a NoJo one from a consignment store (I have a sick obsession with kid's consignment shops) but it didn't work too well for me. I'm...er... fluffy, and it didn't fit quite right. Consequently, I believed my slinging days were over, until I found the hotslings website and found that they have sizes! Sizes people! Not just a one size fits all, which by the way, most sizes do not fit all. Thank you very much.
So I sized me up and ordered the correst size (on clearance as well.) It was shipped to me and I was super stoked to get it.

I tried it on the moment I got it. I think Buggy was about 2 months when I got it. We still use it, though now we are into the hip carry instead of the cradle and front carries.

Check out Buggy in all her super comfy sling lovin' glory:

The First day we got it. Cradle carry. Excuse Mommy's messy hair.

Mommy and a passed out Buggy on a fun shopping trip.

She would literally just chill and sleep for as long as I let her.

She slept the whole time.

I don't have any pictures with her in the hip carry yet. I think you get the idea though.

Question: Do you use a sling or other type of carrier? What do you use? Why do you like it? Let me know in the comments section!

Holy Hannah, my child is big!

2010-01-08T19:24:00.000-05:00

Wow! I just decided to try and measure Buggy since her 6 month appointment is 3 days away from when she turns 7 months, so her stats would be all screwy and who likes a screwy stat? Am I right?

Anyway, Buggy at 6 and 1/2 months is a grand total of.....
*drumroll*

19 lbs 3 oz!
28 inches long!
17 1/2 inch head circumference!

Oh. My. Heavens.

She's such a big girl. I ran her numbers through my nifty application on my MyTouch (love that phone) and she is
95% for weight
>97 for height.

If your little one is 6 months or older, what were their stats at 6 months? Is my child the Gigantor or what?

We made the switch!

2010-01-08T01:25:00.000-05:00

To a big girl seat, that is.

That's right folks, Buggy has officially become too big to comfortable chill in the infant car seat and we had to switch over the the convertible car seat. Le sigh, she is getting so big.

We went from this

to this

*excuse the Hubster in the background there*

When purchasing our convertible car seat, we went back and forth between the new Safety 1st Air Protect Seat and the Graco MyRide 65. I loved the safety features of the Safety 1st. I mean, it makes sense. Airbags for baby's head. However, when I thought of Buggy at age 3 sitting in her seat, I couldn't imagine her tolerating the big blinders on each side of her head. And trust me, they would have been.right.there.

Ultimately, we chose the Graco MyRide 65. I was super excited to purchase it, because we decided to get it in a girly print. Now, let me take you back to when we were purchasing Buggy's baby gear. We decided to get all gender neutral gear, so that we could use it with any other kidlets we decide to have.It just seemed more financially responsible and seemed like it would stretch our dollar the most. I admit though, I longed for the girly patterns and prints of all the gear and bedding out there, but honestly, it was the best decision for us.

However, when choosing a convertible seat, we decided, okay I decided, to go with a girly pattern called Sonata since she'll be in the seat for a few years and we'll probably have another child while she's still in this seat (if the Hubster has his way, I might be cool being one and done, but I digress.) So, off to the store we trotted and picked out this adorable seat.

Which car seat did you get for your kidlets? Why did you choose the one you purchased?
Sound off in the comments section!

Project 365: Week 1

2010-01-07T20:35:00.000-05:00

Well, I've joined in on the madness. In a stong effort to up my severely lacking photography skills, I decided to do the Project 365 this year. Basically, if you haven't heard about it before, its a project where you pledge to take one photo a day. So...here's my first week effort:

*click to make bigger*

I'd love to hear some constructive criticism on them, if you don't mind. :) Also, send me some good vibes that I don't give up, which I have been known to do.

I'm editing to add larger versions of them so you can see detail. After a few people mentioning that might be better, so I guess I'll be updating with a picture daily as well as my regular blog posts regarding mommy adventures.

The Solids Saga: Part Deux

2010-01-05T17:38:00.000-05:00

Well, the holiday season has passed, and things have slowed down in the household. Things have been going great! Buggy is growing so fast. She's eating quite a few solids now, which is awesome on one hand, and sad on the other. Oh, and solid poops, not so fun. Whatsoever.

So, lets go back a few weeks to the first Daddy feeding. It was lovely. He did a fantastic job, and she actually got a little in her mouth, which was a feat in and of itself. I'm honestly trying to put it into words, but I think it's best as a story in pictures.

"Whoah, Mom! What's this stuff that Daddy's giving me?"

"Whatever it is, it's quite the tasty treat!"

"I kind of like this whole daddy feeding me thing."

The finished product. Notice, the lovely smear smack dab in between her eyes.

Buggy and Daddy, all proud of themselves. And mostly clean.

Needless to say, things have gotten much easier and cleaner ever since. I think the first Daddy feeding went spectacularly!

Buggy has been on a roll with the solids. So far she's eaten:

Cereal
Carrots
Green Beans
Sweet Potatoes (her current favorite)
Peas (she is NOT a fan)
Squash
Prunes (Ironically, another fave)
Bananas

She absolutely loves them all. I feel so much better now that she's not just staring and salivating at our dinner while we eat. It's much better now that she can eat with us.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T05:39:00.000-05:00

I wish you all a very Happy New Year! I hope that 2010 brings nothing but good things to all of my readers and their families.

Christmas: A story in pictures.

2009-12-26T21:55:00.000-05:00

A Christmas Story, as told by Buggy.

It's Christmas Morning and we are so excited to get up early and see what Santa brought!

SANTA CAME!

And he brought me a new doll!

And Books!

And a ball popper thingamajiggy.

THIS IS SO COOL! Christmas is so fun!

I really love this paper stuff though.

Nom nom nom...

Then, I got all dressed up and went to lunch with Mommy, Daddy, Nana, Papa, GG, and D. Don't I look adorable?

Me with my Nana and Papa. I love them so much!

Me with my GG. She's the best!

Me with my Mommy and D.

Back at home playing with my gift from D: a rolly ball. I'm also sitting on my (finally) finished blanket that my Nana started before my Mommy even got pregnant.

After we rested at home for a bit, we headed to Granny and Papaw's for dinner. This is me and my Granny.

I had a blast playing with my cousin while Granny and Papaw watched.

However, this holiday season can be summed up in one, well two, words. WRAPPING PAPER!

Nom nom nom nom nom.

The End.

You know you take to many pictures of your child when...

2009-12-24T01:02:00.001-05:00

Mom...seriously, stop!

Happy Half Birthday, Buggy!

2009-12-23T14:32:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it. My Buggy is half a year old today! Where on Earth did the last 6 months go? On this joyous day, I would like to compose a short letter to my sweet angel on Earth.

Dear Buggy,

You are my world, my everything. The last 6 months have been the happiest, most blessed months of my life. Every night, I just pray that God blesses you and keeps you safe and sound...and also that you sleep for a while and let Mommy get some sleep. That doesn't happen that often though, because Mommy wakes up and just watches you sleep. Love songs have a totally new meaning to me now. I really could stay awake just to hear you breathing.

I can't believe it's already been 6 months, and I also can't believe it's only been 6 months. You are so important to my life and my existence that I can't even remember or imagine what life would be without you. I swear that before you came, my life was black and white, and now I'm living in vivid technicolor.

I wouldn't change a single thing that has happened to me since the moment you entered my life. Your daddy and I love you so much that I just can't even put into adequate words how amazing and blessed my life has become.

You, my sweet little Lovebug, are everything. And I love you forever,

Mommy

Also, a few pictures of my sweet girl celebrating her half birthday.

Buggy and my dad's old bear.

She has posed with this bear every month for a picture. At one time, she was smaller than the bear.

Sweet Angel.

Buggy and her favorite toy (of the moment) her Monkey.

Happy half birthday, Buggy. Mommy and Daddy love you more than life itself.

Christmas Bokeh

2009-12-21T21:51:00.000-05:00

On a message board I frequent, I saw this link and thought "Hey, that looks easy. I can do that."

So...I tried it. And tried it. Kicked the camera. Tried it again. Kicked the wall. Cried because I stubbed my toe. Re-tried it... AGAIN. And finally...seemed to get some semblance of Christmas bokeh. They aren't the best pics, and honestly not what I wanted. I wanted to get the entire Holy Family in, but the camera wouldn't focus on all three, le sigh. That is okay. Jesus is the reason for the season anyway, right? Right? Eh, I'm probably just trying to make myself feel better.

Anyway, I present Christmas Bokeh.

Mommytography

2009-12-19T19:39:00.000-05:00

Well, I've recently caught the photography bug. I've always loved photography, and always tried to take artsy fartsy shots, but I've never had a good enough camera to actually play with. My father recently got an Olympus E410 and I've been playing around with it for about a year or so. Then, I produced the beautiful spawn I call Buggy, and just take pictures of her everyday, sometimes dozens, sometimes hundreds. I'm really trying to learn how to be a better photographer. I can edit the crap out of a picture and make it look good, but the actual composition, exposure and skill of photography has always been out of my grasp.

Here's a few shots I took today of Buggy modelling her new bow and headband from Little Mod Chic, an adorable little shop of baby boutique items that Buggy just had to have. She told me so. It wasn't me, it was her!

All photos shot with Olympus E410 and are SOOC (straight out of camera

1/50, f/5.6, ISO 800

1/30, f/5.6, ISO 800

1/50, f/5.6, ISO800