Spreading the word

I followed the link on Owlhaven's post today and I want to spread the word to more people.

Most of the time I fall on the side of going ahead with vaccines, but this doesn't sound good at all. I feel like I need to check into exactly who Judicial Watch is, and if they have their own agenda, but my first reaction is that this vaccine needs to be pulled. Now.

Yet Another Contest

Despite the fact that my husband thinks this contest stuff is a bit sad (phhbbbt), I found another contest I want to enter.

If you want to enter too, just go to Fina 'Drea (this is my first time there). She's giving away a purple frog WubbaNub from Baby Dagny.

I poked around Baby Dagny a bit and found some great stuff. There is a hooded towel and wash cloth made from bamboo. Sounds weird, but I bought a pair of socks at Target that were made of bamboo and they are the softest that I own. Completely luxurious, yet a quick-growing, renewable resource. Yipee! But the coolest thing that I found at Baby Dagny was this device to basically strap your kid to anything. And it's on sale! We struggle with how to keep The Biscuit safely seated when we go to relatives' homes at the holidays and I think this may be just the thing. It also looks great for in the shopping cart since it has some cushion. I've just been putting the sling under him for awhile now, but The Cupcake is going to be in the sling so I'll need a better solution. He's too big to use it on the floor though, and I'll never give up my Patemm Pad and Pitaka (we have the large Patrick with pockets and an extra Emma Pitaka -- because it keeps wipes moist FOREVER), so maybe The Buddy is overkill?

Another Contest

What the heck, I've decided to enter Pink & Blues Blog's Dooney & Bourke Bag & Victoria’s Secret Perfume contest too.

Thanks to Adventures in Babywearing for sharing that this contest is out there.

Sew Much Comfort

Because we've had extensive hospital stays where we don't have full internet access, we have set up a Care Page for The Biscuit. Care Pages are a wonderful way to share what is happening with family and friends, while still keeping medical info confidential -- or not as some people opt to make their Care Page public.

In this month's Care Page newsletter I came across a link to Sew Much Comfort. They use volunteer seamstresses to make adaptive clothing for injured veterans. Having just stayed in the hospital and wishing that there was a gown for new mothers that allowed for breastfeeding, kangaroo care (skin to skin) and was easy to close up when someone needed to come in the room, this charity really hit home. I have cousins that are in the Marine Corps (well, maybe just one as the other may be out by now), but I still feel lost as to how I can contribute. This seems like it will be a good fit for me so I sent off for my information sewing packet.

Just thought I'd share in case anyone else wanted to sew for someone who'll really appreciate it.

A Contest

I keep seeing contests all over, but I've finally decided to actually enter the one going on now at Adventures In Babywearing.

I love earrings and the ones she's giving away from Cheeky Jewelry look lovely. I hope I win!

I think what got me off my duff to enter is that they are sage green (one of my 3 favorite colors). I haven't worn earrings much since I had my son, which is a shame. I have some absolutely beautiful Mikimoto pearls that I really should wear every day. My husband bought them for me for no special occasion -- which makes them pretty darn special. I think I'm just paranoid about them getting pitted or loosened from their setting so I don't just put them in and leave them in. Ah, someday when small people aren't grabbing at me all the time...

Update:
I just went and looked at all the earrings on Cheeky Jewelry's site and they totally remind me of the earrings that we made for my wedding (I had my cousin's help to make a beaded headband & earrings). I so love those too, but can't wear dangly things around the babies. Actually, the boy may be old enough that he'll understand not to grab, but the girl has an amazingly quick and strong grab so it will still be awhile before I dangle. I miss that so!

Thanks to a link on Owlhaven I have found Antique Mommy. I had seen that name around before and thought that it was someone who was into antiques. No no. I’ve now read her about page and realize that she’s like me, a woman who when pregnant was of “advanced maternal age.”

Her story is full of trials and tribulations that I was spared. As I read I felt so fortunate that these 2 children came to us so easily. Maybe the delivery part was not what I wanted, but the conception was not clinical and didn’t involve drugs and surgeries and professionals, just some fun.

These last 4 weeks when we have been the parents of 2 kids have been harder in ways that I didn’t foresee. I forgot that I wouldn’t be able to lift anything over 20 pounds (and guess whose Biscuit weighs in at 21 pounds?). How could I have forgotten that restriction? Because it didn’t matter last time. We didn’t have anything over 20 pounds that I needed to lift. I think that has been the saddest part of bringing The Cupcake home and incorporating her into our family’s life. Poor Little Biscuit doesn’t understand when I say that Mommy has owe-ies and cannot pick him up. He just keeps reaching up his hands with a hopeful look on his face. I’ve finally given up trying to explain because the explanation always starts with “No, I can’t do that.” Now I just give him a big kiss. He’s still disappointed because it was not what he was trying to communicate, but he is happy for the kiss. So that’s something.

In addition to the stress I’m putting on my toddler, I am really struggling to learn what it is The Cupcake wants. I swear someone told this girl that she was going to be born into the British Monarchy and she is severely disappointed that she has to actually go to the bathroom, and in a diaper no less. I have figured out that when she is snuggled in my arms and starts looking terrified and gripping frantically at my hands (she is STRONG) that she’s peeing. That’s all, just a bit of pee and she is freaked out. I do believe we have a drama queen on our hands. At other times I can do everything and not be able to calm her down. I mean, she’s a month old, there aren’t many options here. Tummy? Full. Diaper? Dry. Sleepy? That must be it! So rock, and walk and nope, still screaming. Ack. It stresses me out so much more than with The Biscuit because I don’t want to wake him. And she’s doing this at 6am – I’m so not a morning person and here she is, inconsolable, in the early morning.

The only thing I feel sure of, that I have certainly deciphered correctly, is that when she wakes screaming from a deep sleep it is definitely a dirty diaper. I would be concerned that she was having a problem with the diapers or with the wipes, except that the diaper changes that happen when she is happy and full of milk are no problem. No yelling that she’s wet or poopy, no yelling because I’ve laid her down to change her diaper, no yelling that she doesn’t want to be wiped; just a happy, smiling, looking around at things little girl.

I hope I don’t feel this clueless when she’s a teenager (although I know I will).

We are doing well and not well all at the same time. Both of us are exhausted (I only thought I was exhausted in February -- ha!) and both kids don't want to nap. The Cupcake has to nap in the sling for awhile before she's willing to go to her bed and The Poor Biscuit has only been jealous of his sister in his sling. Figures.

On the other hand, thank goodness all the stress of a kid that was looking at surgery and special needs intervention happened when there was only one little goober to take care of. I can't imagine being hit with all that when you are dealing with more that just one newborn. I had thought before that it would be easier if I had some mom-experience under my belt first, but now I don't think so.

One of the things I ran across today in my 15 minutes of computer time was this post by Daring Young Mom. I immediately followed her bridge link and added my own comment. You should too!

Real Moms, Part 2 -- TMI?

Just a warning, this may be Too Much Info for some. And no, I'm not posting a photo.

Sadly, real moms leak right through breast pads in the first days. Luckily they have genius husbands who say, "Why don't you put one of her diapers in there?" Ah, the comfort! No breast pad is as soft as a Pampers! I had used cloth diapers in my bra with The Biscuit to help apply pressure and to absorb during the lovely engorgement phase, but they weren't working this time. The milk came in faster and there was even more this time. So even when I would sleep for 2 hours I would wake in a puddle. Yuck. But the Pampers solved the trick. Ah, dry sleep.

So, real moms have boobs the size of a newborn's butt and, therefore, Pampers lining a bra solve a big messy problem.