I've Been Tagged

Lisa tagged me with the 7 random things meme. I've been slow to play along since I've done this one before, but I thought I could certainly find 7 more random things to share. You can find the rules and my first 7 things here.

1. My right foot is bigger than my left foot. Exciting huh?


2. I've been either pregnant or nursing for over four years now.


3. I don't like syrup on my waffles.


4. I do like syrup on my pancakes.


5. I used to have a pierced nose.


6. Back in my college days, I studied abroad in Costa Rica.


7. I once met Marc Summers, the host of Double Dare. Anyone remember that show?

As a side note, I just checked the spelling of Marc Summers and learned that Double Dare was ranked #29 out of the 50 Greatest Game Shows of all time. Ooh, now I'm practically famous since my 10-year-old self shook his hand and got his autograph.

Read about my famous friend Marc's show here.

Clearly, I need a hobby.

That's it for now. Thanks for tagging me Lisa.

Oh, and since I'm being a lazy mama lately, I'm not going to specifically tag anyone. So, if you're reading this and have a blog, consider yourself tagged. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know you played along. If you do, I'll be sure to visit.

Drum Roll Please

The Binky Boy is binkieless. And yes, I'm pretty sure I made up that word.

How did we do it? What was our strategy for weaning our almost two-year-old son off the binky?

Mama was lazy!

It was nap time and I knew we'd left his binky somewhere in the aisles of our beloved Target. I also knew there was probably one lurking in the family room beneath his pile of cars or under the couch cushions. However, it was nap time and mama wasn't about to delay it any further.

So, I told him we lost it and he could only have his lovey. He didn't even protest.

The lesson I learned is that sometimes it pays to be lazy.

Up tomorrow: Stores That are Open in the Middle of the Night and Sell the Same Type of Binkies that Lazy Mama Tossed in the Garbage

And, if I don't get to post that because he actually gives up the binky, well then here's to hoping potty training is so easy!

The Dreaded Diaper Bag

Lately, I've come across a couple of posts that cleverly describe how to make the "mommy bag" work. By the "mommy bag" I mean a purse that is large enough to carry both baby's and mama's essentials. I loved these posts.

I'll have to keep them in mind a few years from now. Today, I'm talking to the rest of us. That is those of us who still need to haul around a diaper bag.

I have two in diapers. And, since all three of my children are three and under, I still carry quite a bit with me. It will get worse before it gets better since I don't yet carry snacks and a cup for Baby Girl.

However, needing to carry a diaper bag is no excuse to be frumpy.

Just say no to bags like this:

And this:

And most definitely this:

If the diaper bag proudly displays a cartoon character, or any character for that matter, do not carry it. If someone gave it to you, it does not matter. Life is too short to carry such silliness.

By the way, you will not be fooling anybody if you carry something like this:

Animals that don't have their own television shows are just as bad as those that do. Again, just say no.

So, what is a mama to do? That's easy. There are plenty of diaper bags that don't look versions of your preschooler's backpack.

Check out this one:

Or, what about this:

Or this:

Or maybe this: (It's less than 20 dollars!)

Look how fun this one is.

Finally, here is the one I'm sporting these days. It might be a tad frumpier than the rest, but it does what I need it to do. I especially love that I can easily fit cups for my older children in the two side mesh pockets.

As you can see, the options are pretty much endless. No, these bags aren't as cute as carrying an over-sized purse, but the over-sized purses will still be there when the diaper days come to an end.

But, if you'd still like to try avoiding the diaper bag (and I'm sure I will make a few tries myself) be sure to check out this post at June Cleaver Nirvana, and this one at Musings of a Housewife.

If you'd like to find out where to buy these bags, just click on the images. Of course, I didn't provide links for the frumpy bags. Did you really think I would?

Please don't forget to visit Fussy's place for more tips from Fussy and her friends.

Two Months Later

They all finally looked at the camera!

Little Man, Baby Girl, and Big Sister

I love you!

Aren't Little Brothers Great? Except When They're Not

Imagine, if you will, that you are a 3-year-old little girl. You are playing in your pink room with your favorite little doll. You've just fed her with her little "juice" bottle and lovingly tucked her in with her little doll blanket. You then occupy yourself with your dress-up jewelry.

Suddenly, your little brother appears at your door. He enters the room with drool dripping from his chin and snot dripping from his nose. (He is teething, not that it matters to you.) You can't help but notice that he somewhat resembles the mean kid from Toy Story.

He walks into your room completely oblivious to your precious doll who is clearly
napping on the floor. He accidentally kicks the doll on his way to see what you are up to. As he reaches the place where you are playing, he yells, "What's that?" and tries to grab some jewelry. Mind you, he doesn't really care about the jewelry, he'd rather play with his toys. However, if you have something, he wants it.

So he gets a fistful of jewelry, and of course, makes it nice and slimy. Nothing like drool and snot to make those plastic pink pearls shine!

You assess the situation and decide, quite understandably, that it is not to your liking. So, you let out a rather loud whine.

But here is the kicker, your lovely mama tells you to shush and "just work it out." She goes on to suggest that you simply tell your brother "No thank you." As if that will stop anything. Couldn't your mama just come and help you out, or at the very least swipe at the boy's nose with a tissue.

Well, you're in luck because your lovely mama actually took the time to play with you in your room. She was in your room to witness this scenario. She now realizes that your little brother really can be quite a challenge. She also had a few flashbacks of her little brother terrorizing her precious little dolls.

She remembers that being a 3-year-old princess isn't as easy as it looks.

It Worked for Me (Nursing Tips)

This week is WFMW Greatest Hits Edition. I'm supposed to re-run my favorite WFMW post.

I originally posted this a few weeks ago. Baby Girl is still a great littler eater. In fact, she is quite pudgy! But who can resist rolls of baby fat? Too cute! I wish the same could be said for the roll around my tummy. Oh well, here is the post:



As anyone who has a newborn knows, babies eat a lot. Right now, I spend quite a bit of my time feeding a my little one and I don't mind a bit. Well, occasionally those middle-of-the-night feedings are a bit taxing, but other than that, time spent nursing is some of my favorite time of the day.



Since I've spent the past four years either pregnant or nursing, it dawned on me, I just might have a bit of knowledge to share about nursing. I simply want to share what works for me when it comes to nursing. This isn't anything new, just the things I would have like shared with me.



Preparation
I've prayed for each of my children before they were born. I even prayed that they would be good little eaters and that nursing would be a sweet time for both of us. I'm certain this is the most important thing I did to prepare for my little ones. I also took a one-time class at the hospital. Reading about nursing was also helpful. (I like What to Expect When You're Expecting, The Nursing Mother's Companion, and Baby 411.)



Support
I had a friend, an experienced mom of four, who helped me. She answered questions and even came to the hospital to share her expertise. Lactation consultants helped, but nothing can replace a trusted friend.



Supplies
I've stuck to the basics in this area. I stocked up on nursing supplies before the baby was born. This included nursing bras, nursing pads, and lanolin in case I got sore from nursing. I haven't been a big fan of the different nursing pillows, including the Boppy, but that is simply a personal preference. As for the other supplies, I've found Lansinoh nursing pads to be the best. I'm also a fan of Target's nursing tanks and bras. The prices and selection have been just right.



The only other nursing product I've used regularly has been my nursing cover. I love that I can secure it around my neck and not worry about it slipping down. This is especially important as babies become more active and therefore more prone to kicking off the blanket. Truly, this product has made nursing in public much easier.



Pumps
I used the Avent Isis hand pump with my first two children. Neither of them consistently took a bottle. In fact, my son never took a bottle. I attribute this to the fact that I didn't pump regularly and therefore didn't give him a bottle regularly. My daughter also had a bit of an aversion to the bottle for the same reason. The pump worked just fine, but it wasn't convenient when giving a bottle several times a week. I've found that in order to get a baby to accept the bottle, she should initially get a bottle at least three times a week.



So far, Baby Girl is taking the bottle. This has been possible because I'm now using the Medela Pump in Style pump. I was fortunate enough to borrow one from a good friend. But, I can tell you that they are worth the price. Everything is so much more convenient. It is not a coincidence that Baby Girl takes a bottle. This is great as things come up that I'd like to do with my older children and it is nice that Daddy or someone else can feed Baby Girl. The book, The Nursing Mother's Companion, gives an excellent overview of the different types of pumps. It may be a tad dated, but I found it answered all of my questions.



Miscellaneous
I determined ahead of time the places I was going to nurse. For me it is a comfy chair in the family room or the rocker in the nursery. (And, you know, sometimes the van, park bench, corner at church, etc.) I made sure that I had a table nearby for water, a book, magazine, burp cloths, and anything else I found I needed while I nursed. It might be useful to have a basket containing all of these things and then any place could be your nursing spot.



If you have older children at home with you, it might be beneficial to make sure they have something fun to do while you nurse the baby. As both the baby and I have gotten better at nursing, I've found it nice to read aloud to Big Sister and Little Man as I nurse. Then, we all have time together and no one feels left out. But, I must confess, part of the reason I enjoy my nursing time, aside from holding my little one, is the fact that I get to read. I always read so much more when my children are young enough to nurse. After that, I'm too busy chasing them to read much more than the cover of a magazine.



These are the things that have worked for me. I truly feel blessed to be able to nourish my little ones. It is quite the privilege!



Be sure to visit Rocks in My Dryer for lots of helpful hints.

Happy Two Months Baby Girl!

Where is the time going? You're already two months old!

This has been a big month for you. Smiling and occasionally cooing have become some of your favorite activities.

Little Man and Big Sister still love on you all of the time. Little Man in particular has really taken to you this month. He likes you to sit in your bouncy seat so he can sit beside you and "play" with you.

Daddy is also quite fond of you. He frequently looks over at you and smiles while saying "She's so cute!"

Other than sleeping and eating, bath time is your favorite activity. It immediately calms you. However, you rarely get too upset. In fact, I can tell sometimes that you are uncomfortable due to what seems to be acid reflux but, even then, you hardly cry.

You are getting bigger everyday. I've already packed away all of your newborn clothes and some of your 3-month clothes. I know it is a good sign that you are growing so well, but it still makes me a bit sad. These months go so quickly and I want to treasure every moment.

I suppose that sums up your second month. We love you Baby Girl!