What Nobody Told Me About Life After Baby, Part 6

First Steps Toward Losing That Baby Weight

Another wonderful guest post by RMA Love!

If you’re one of those people who delivered a baby and immediately went back to their pre-baby weight, let me just say…there’s a special place in hell reserved for people like you. I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Actually, if your baby weight’s come tumbling off you should consider yourself extremely blessed. If you have any tips for the rest of us on how to make that happen next time, please, share them below.

If you’ve just had a baby, rest easy knowing that sooner or later you’ll be able to get back to your
regularly scheduled cardio. But you’ve just spent nine months reshaping your body, and it’s going to
take a good nine months after you get back to that regularly scheduled cardio to get things the way they
were before you had kids.

Right now, your body’s still healing itself. If you had a baby naturally it’s going to take a good six to eight weeks before you’re back to normal, longer if you had a cesarean. The harder you push it to get back to its pre-baby form, the longer it’s going to take you to start feeling human again. So this isn’t the time to go back to your regular workout program.

I know, I know. You don’t want to hear that. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t things you can do
to jump start the weight-loss process and help yourself start feeling better, faster along the way.

1) As soon as you get home from the hospital you can do some basic weight-lifting. Don’t push it too hard-your abdominal muscles are healing too. Hand and ankle weights are a good place to
start.

2) Walk. Put the baby in a stroller and go out for at least ten minutes every day. This will give you a jump start on burning those calories and trimming down your waistline without putting too
much pressure on your healing body and joints that are still fluid from pregnancy.

3) Don’t count calories, but don’t overeat or overdo the junk food either. It’s easy to give in to the urge to overdo the diet and exercise now that you’re home. After all, your body is finally yours
again! But overdoing the exercise and starving your body makes it almost impossible for you to
heal properly and take care of your baby in the process.

Losing post-baby weight can be a pain, but if you’re willing to take it slow and steady you should have no problem getting the weight off and keeping it off so you can enjoy the toddler years.


PS: Don't forget to click here to vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

What Nobody Told Me About Life After Baby: Surviving Colic

Moms know. There’s no word in the English language dirtier than that five letter “C” word.

Colic.

Days and nights of screaming, inconsolable babies. Headaches. Sleeplessness. And just when you’ve

decided you’re a complete and utter failure as a parent, it disappears. That wailing newborn turns into a

smiling, happy baby, leaving you wondering if you’ve suddenly lost your mind.

Relax. Breathe. As Painful as It Is, It’s Not Uncommon. At All.

Nobody wants to use the word “normal” when talking about colic, but it is. Colic affects approximately

25% of babies and usually improves, often disappearing entirely, but the time your little one is five

months old.

What is colic? The verdict’s still out on that one, but by now most doctors agree colic is caused by some kind of sporadic gastrointestinal distress in an otherwise well-fed, happy baby. It’s usually marked by intense, incontrollable crying at approximately the same time every day, three days a week or more for more than three weeks.

Colic is miserable, but you can survive.

Making Those Long Days Just a Little Easier

Put them in a warm bath with lavender when they start getting near the end of their crying jag. After

a week or so, you’ll have their crying schedule figured out. Toward the end of their bout, put them in a

warm bath with lavender. It can help loosen tense muscles and calm them down a little sooner.

Carry them in a football hold, belly-down, and pat them on the back and bottom. A good argument for

the fact that gas and GI upset is behind colic is the way babies seem to respond favorably to things like

this, intended to put pressure on the stomach and intestines and work out stubborn gas bubbles.

Let them lie on their stomach. Maybe it’s just my kids, but I noticed when they were fussy they were

a lot more likely to be soothed-and fall asleep-if they were lying on their stomach. If your baby’s not

sleeping well when you put them down on their back, consider talking to your pediatrician about safe

tummy sleeping.

Sit in the rocker, put them tummy-down over your shoulder, hold their head firmly in place, pat them

on the back and rock. Hard. I don’t know why it works, all I know is it works. The pressure on their

abdomen, maybe? Just make sure you support their head and shoulders so they’re not flopping around.

Pull out the stroller. For the first three months of his life this was the ONLY way my oldest would settle in. We’d pop him in an umbrella stroller and wander through the house, or go hit the streets. The

motion of the stroller would settle him down, and as long as I kept walking, he’d stop crying.

I figured that was fair trade, all things considered.

Get in the car. Colicky babies are infamous for settling in once you get them in a moving car. I don’t

recommend doing this all the time, since it sets a bad precedent for their sleeping habits after the fact,

but if you’re at the end of your rope there’s nothing wrong with popping your baby in their car seat and

hitting the road.

Put them in their crib or playpen and walk away. Nobody wants to leave their baby when they’re

crying, but constant screaming after several nights in a row of not getting any sleep is enough to bring

even Mother Theresa to tears. Put them down someplace safe, step outside where you can’t hear them,

and take about 5 minutes worth of deep breaths. Go ahead and cry if you need to. Then, when you feel

like you’ve got it together, go on back inside.

Should you spend the money on medicine for colic?

There are a ton of remedies out there for colic. Some people swear by them, others say they’re a

waste of time. I know I personally never had much use for them, but if you’re interested talk to your

pediatrician.

This won’t last forever, no matter what it feels like right now. Don’t forget to breathe.

A Note From Kami: Invest in a white noise machine! Or download an app for your Iphone, TRUST ME! White noise is very soothing to a baby, like a shushing sound...shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. But hours of doing this will turn you blue in the face and nearly make you pass out. I know it did to me! When your wee babe is inside you they hear a constant stream of sound from your heartbeat to your blood rushing through all of your organs. The sounds inside are louder then that of a vacume cleaner! Babies are used to a constant stream of white noise, so the shock of dead silence to them is scary! When my Claire Bear is fussy I turn on the white noise machine, loud, swadle her up nice and tight, stick her on the boob, and rock in the rocking chair. Works like a hot damn!!! I suggest reading the book "The Happiest Baby on the Block" it saved my sanity and taught me this awesome trick xo

Renee Malove is a book addict, a sci-fi fanatic, and the often frazzled mother of three. When she’s not driving the tap dance taxi or cracking the whip over homework time she can usually be found running, curled up with the latest from Patricia Briggs or finding new and inventive ways to bend her furry, four-legged roommates to her will. Oh, and she writes. A lot. You can find her on the web at www.Clever-Copywriting.com and talking marketing, parenting, writing and fiction all over the Internet.

PS: Don't forget to click here to vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

What Nobody Told Me About Life After Baby, Part 4

 Learning to Cook with Your Baby On Board

A Guest Post by Renae Malove

Can you imagine living life with someone asking you to do something 24/7? Not being able to take a shower, or clean the kitchen, or cook dinner, or even go to the bathroom without somebody calling your name? 

Welcome to mommy-hood. 

There’s nothing cooler in life than being a mom, but the constant demands on your time and attention can be overwhelming. Especially when you have a newborn at home, because they don’t understand that mommy isn’t going to be able to sit down and play monster trucks until she’s finished mashing the meat for the meatballs to go in Daddy’s spaghetti.  

Here are some of my favorite tips for learning to make the most of the time you can carve out of your day with a little one at home-also known as how to keep everyone fed without losing your mind in the process.

1. Buy a portable swing or a bouncy chair to put in the kitchen with you. We had one of those folding swings when my kids were little, and that thing was priceless. The kids were entertained by the swing and the lights, and because they could see and hear us we could scrape up the time to at least make a pot of macaroni and cheese.

2. Fill the fridge when dad or grandma has the baby. You can start the microwave one-handed, right? Fill your freezer with about a week’s worth of entrees when you get a day off. Then all you have to do is pop them in the microwave when it’s time for dinner.

3. Stock up on chips, fruit, sandwich stuff, salads and other dishes you can eat cold. Dish them up when it’s supper time and enjoy the lack of stress…and dirty dishes. You can go back to cordon bleu when your kids are a little older and you’ve got a little more time.

4. Buy a front pouch. Sometimes popping baby in a front pack or a backpack is enough to buy you time to make a meal. And if you’re really lucky, they’ll fall asleep and you’ll even have time to eat it.

5. Eat an earlier breakfast and a later dinner. The easiest way to actually get to eat is to eat when the baby’s asleep. Set your clock to wake up a little earlier and eat dinner a little later, after you’ve put the baby to bed. Keep a collection of healthy snacks handy to tide you over. (Carrot sticks, celery and a giant bowl of fruit are good choices.)

6. Take advantage of the television. All right, this probably isn’t going to make me the most popular mom out there, but because Baby Einstein saved my bacon more than once when we had company coming over and I absolutely had to make a real meal I’m going to toss it out there anyway. You don’t want your kids to spend all day, every day camped out in front of the television, but there’s nothing wrong with making sure they’re fed and changed, then putting them in their portable swing or bouncy chair and turning on something visually stimulating like Baby Einstein to keep them occupied for 20 minutes or so. They get exposed to new experiences, you do what you need to do.  

7. Let your spouse cook dinner every once in a while. All three of my kids had colic. Let me tell you how often I had dinner ready and waiting when my poor husband got home from work. He was okay with coming home and making a frozen pizza or slapping together some chicken tacos for everyone if me making dinner just wasn’t going to happen. Your husband will be too.

And My Personal Favorite…

8. Order takeout. If you’ve had enough, the baby’s been crying all day, there’s nothing quick in the house to eat and you just don’t have dinner in you, there’s nothing wrong with picking up the phone and ordering takeout. Chalk it up to another learning experience in the big, wide, wonderful world of motherhood, then grab a piece of pizza and enjoy. You’ve earned it.

Kami's notes: I am very blessed. My husband works from home and is able to help Claire and I out a lot. He actually cooks all of our meals, I am VERY lucky. But I do all the laundry and clean the kitchen...on top of caring for Claire. We focus on each others strengths. I hate cooking but love eating. My husband loves cooking and is horrible at doing laundry. And hell, he cant breastfeed. By focusing on what each other is good at and enjoys doing, we have come to a nice balance.

Renee Malove is a book addict, a sci-fi fanatic, and the often frazzled mother of three. When she’s not driving the tap dance taxi or cracking the whip over homework time she can usually be found running, curled up with the latest from Patricia Briggs or finding new and inventive ways to bend her furry, four-legged roommates to her will. Oh, and she writes. A lot. You can find her on the web at www.Clever-Copywriting.com and talking marketing, parenting, writing and fiction all over the Internet.


PS: Don't forget to click here to vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

What Nobody Told Me About Life After Baby, Part 3:

Rooming-In vs Rooming-Out, in the Hospital and

 After You Get Back Home

A guest post by Renee Malove

Right about the time you figure out what your baby’s going to eat, it’s time to make another major decision that could have serious long-term implications…for your mental health, that is. That’s where your baby’s going to sleep. 

After You Get Back Home

One of the first questions people are going to ask is whether your baby’s going to be sleeping in your room or you’ve decided to set them up a nursery of their own. You have staunch supporters in both camps, so I’m going to let you in on a little secret. America is one of the only countries in the world that solidly endorses putting children in their own bedroom before their first birthday. I bring this up because even though it’s nice to have a room to hold their toys, bouncers, clothes and other paraphernalia I, personally, find it much easier to at least have the baby’s bed in my room those first six to eight months, when they’re still getting up in the middle of the night. When they’re in your room you wake up to them sooner, can have their midnight snack ready faster, and have a better chance of getting them fed and back to bed without that hour lag in between than you do if you’re in a separate room and they have time to wake up all the way before you do. 

After they’re sleeping through the night, however, having them in their own room with a baby monitor is better for both of you. That way you’re not creeping around in the morning when you get up, and they’re not so used to sleeping with you they won’t sleep in their own bed when they’re too big to fit into yours. They have their own place to go to during naptime, and you never have to worry about a toddler peering over the top of their crib and interrupting something they’re not even supposed to know about for another 12-14 years. 

SuperMom Tip: Avoid the temptation to keep the house as silent as possible while your baby’s sleeping. I’m not suggesting your run the vacuum or play death metal in the living room, but don’t be afraid to leave the television on, run the radio, talk on the telephone in the other room. They need to learn to sleep through some noise, or you’re going to be miserable when you have company over or are out running errands during the day. And you don’t even want to know what’s going to happen when baby number two comes along. 

Co-Sleeping
Co-sleeping and rooming in aren’t the same thing. In co-sleeping, baby’s right in the bed with you. I’m not going to offer an opinion on this one way or the other. There are documented risks to co-sleeping; babies have been suffocated by parents rolling or blankets bunching up in the night. On the other hand, there are nights when kids just won’t go back to sleep unless they’re in your bed. So I’ll leave that up to you and your pediatrician. 

Rooming-In When You’re At the Hospital
Regardless of what you’re going to be doing after you get home, at some point you’re going to have to decide where baby’s going to sleep while you’re in the hospital. Most hospitals will give you the option to keep your baby in your room overnight or have them spend the evening in the nursery so you can get some sleep.
When my first son was born, I didn’t want to let him out of my sight. He slept in my room, and I handled his midnight feedings from the very beginning. It was nice. I had the chance to really get to know him, and adjust to his schedule from the start. It was that first night, I think, when I really started feeling like a mom.
Because my daughter was a preemie, however, she had to spend her first days under observation in the nursery. While I can honestly say that while I hated having her out of my sight all day, every day, there are some perks to having the baby sleep out of your room at night. You don’t get any sleep that first month or so back home, so having a nurse who will give them a bottle if you’re bottle feeding and bring them to  you, taking them back when they’re finished, if you’re nursing is a good way to cram as much recovery into those first few days as you can. Where your baby sleeps is up to you, and nobody else. Remember, you’re going to be responsible for their health and well-being for the rest of their life. Nobody’s going to hold where your baby sleeps these first few days, weeks and months against you…especially not your baby.  



Renee Malove is a book addict, a sci-fi fanatic, and the often frazzled mother of three. When she’s not driving the tap dance taxi or cracking the whip over homework time she can usually be found running, curled up with the latest from Patricia Briggs or finding new and inventive ways to bend her furry, four-legged roommates to her will. Oh, and she writes. A lot. You can find her on the web at www.Clever-Copywriting.com and talking marketing, parenting, writing and fiction all over the Internet.

What Nobody Told Me About Life After Baby, Part 2: The REAL Pros and Cons of Bottle Feeding

Please welcome Guest Blogger Reneen with Part 2 of  

"What Nobody Told Me About Life After Baby"

Last time we met I talked about the real pros and cons of breast feeding. Since I didn’t want to end up writing a novella on the ins and outs of feeding your baby (which you’re going to be doing a LOT in the next few months) I figured I’d split this up and save the hard core, nitty-gritty look at the realities of bottle feeding for another day.

Like today.

Why Life on the Bottle Makes Your Life Easier…

It’s not dependent on your milk. Not only does that mean you don’t have to panic about the amount of milk you’re producing (or not, as the case may be), it also means you have more flexibility in your own diet. You can have a Jaeger bomb or the Pancho Villa tonsil-torching special without having to worry about what it’s going to do to your baby’s tender tummy.

You’re not glued to your baby. When you’re nursing, you really have no choice. You have to be there at meal time, or you have to pump around your usual breastfeeding schedule to try and store up enough milk to feed your baby while you’re out. That’s fine if you plan on being with them 24/7, but if you’re going back to work, want to run errands on your own or just need a night out, bottles and formula are much more convenient.
Most kids figure out the bottle pretty quickly, especially if you didn’t breastfeed first. If you’re bottle feeding your kids from the very beginning, they’re going to figure that nipple out fast. So you don’t have the learning curve you have with learning to nurse. It’s a little trickier if you started them out on the breast, but there are plenty of nipples out there designed to make the transition easier. (I’m a fan of Playtex Premium myself, but whatever works for you is fine.)

There’s no social stigma associated with giving baby a bottle. No, you’re not required to care if anyone cares that you’re breastfeeding your baby. But you won’t catch any flack from anybody for giving your baby a bottle in a public place.

Shopping for bottles is fun. I’m not going to lie, this was probably my favorite part of bottle feeding. My daughter had a perfectly matched set of pink and purple bottles, while my youngest (after weaning) had classic Winnie-the-Pooh. There are so many choices out there, it’s a little insane.

…And Why Bottle Feeding Can Be a Giant Pain

Bottle feeding has been linked to ear infections and more illnesses the first year. Not only are you not passing on your own antibodies, you’re also introducing a new way of dining. Kids get more milk, faster, when they bottle feed, which has been linked to an increased number of ear infections the first year of life. Which means more antibiotics for them, more time at the pediatrician’s for you.

You have to wash and sterilize your bottles daily. Bottles need to be washed and sterilized on a regular basis, even if you do cheat and use the dishwasher. Leave them lying around, and the funk in your kitchen is going to make you regret it. But in a day that’s already overwhelmingly full, taking a half an hour to an hour to clean and boil bottles can feel like one thing too many.

You WILL lose pieces. I have bottle tops scattered from New York to California. It doesn’t matter how diligently you try to keep track of them. The darn things grow legs and scurry off the minute your back is turned.

Finding the right formula can be a giant pain in the rear. Allergies, intolerances, colic, reflux, constipation and a whole host of other conditions can affect which formula your baby thrives on and which one you spend the day scrubbing out of your shirt. Most parents change formulas three or four times before they find one that works.

SuperMom Tip: It takes 3-4 days for a formula to work its way completely out of your baby’s system. So if you change formulas and 24-48 hours later they’re still not happy, hang in there. Wait for that 96 hour mark before you make the decision to switch again.

Bad water=Sick babies. There’s a huge debate raging right now about selling baby formula in Third World countries because of a lack of potable water. I used to filter and boil my kids’ water, just to make sure they weren’t getting an overload of minerals or bacteria in every swallow.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is, breastfeeding and bottle feeding both have their perks. As long as you’re feeding them on a regular basis, and there are no conditions that would suggest otherwise, your baby’s going to thrive. It’s up to you to pick which one is right for you.

Hello kittens, I wanted to interrupt here to add in my own two cents. There are, as this post mentions, pros and cons to both being on the bottle or being on the boob...but it also isnt quite that black and white for some moms. My Claire is currently on a combo of both bottle and boob because she was born early, has a week suckle, and we lost some precious learning days with her being in intensive care. The bottles she gets are not full of formula, just because you are using a bottle doesn't mean you can't have breast milk in it! Pump! My Claire Bear needs a specific amount per feed in order to help her gain weight, so I supplement each of her breast feeding sessions with a bottle of expressed breast milk. I also like to pre-pump out a bottle and give her to Daddy or Gramma from time to time so I can get a nap or glass of wine in! xoxo

Renee Malove is a book addict, a sci-fi fanatic, and the often frazzled mother of three. When she’s not driving the tap dance taxi or cracking the whip over homework time she can usually be found running, curled up with the latest from Patricia Briggs or finding new and inventive ways to bend her furry, four-legged roommates to her will. Oh, and she writes. A lot. You can find her on the web at www.Clever-Copywriting.com and talking marketing, parenting, writing and fiction all over the Internet.





PS: Don't forget to click here to vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

Tutorial: Make a Prayer Flag Inspired Bunting!

Hi my name is Jo and I blog over on My Pangaloon! I'm here today to teach you a quick craft activity, that you can seriously whip up in about 10-15mins.

If you are having friends around this summer, or your fancy a picnic out, why not add make some quick prayer flag inspired bunting. It will add a homely and vintage feel to any occasion.

You will need a selection of scraps. I used three different patterns and cut them very roughly into simliar sized rectangles. You need not be precise, as I think It looks better anyway, if they are not perfect.

1. Cut out your rectangles. I ended up with 20

2. Now for the binding. I wanted a quick raw edge, so measured about 1inch, snipped the tip of the fabric, then tore the rest by hand.

3. Sew you binding directly over the top of the flag ( I left a little exposed, just because I liked the look). I used a zigzag stitch

4. Hang, and bask in how clever you are. This is a great activity for a child who is just learning how to use a sewing machine. My eldest    is 5 and she can just about cope with this activity ( supervised of course)

Have fun and let me know how you get on!
http://mypangaloon.blogspot.com/



PS: Don't forget to click here to vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

Tutorial: Sew Your Own Lace Shirt

Hello everyone! I'm Kenzie from Strokes of Serendipity and I'm so happy to be a sponsor on Kami's blog this month! I have a really easy and quick DIY for you and I hope you all love it! 

You will need: 

- about one yard of fabric - I used lace for a breezy summer shirt. 

- scissors

- needle and thread or a sewing machine

Take your fabric and fold it in half so that the fold is on the top. 

Now take your fabric and fold again from left to right. The original fold should still be on top with another on the left. 

Cut the corner off where both folds meet. This will be your neck hole. You may want to make it large or small depending on the look you want. 

Unfold your fabric once so that it is still folded on the top. Now you're going to sew the sides leaving room for arm holes. I started sewing about 8 inches from the fold on top towards the open edge on the bottom.

It can be tighter or looser depending on the look you like. Just make sure that if you make it tighter, that the fabric is a little bit stretchy. I made mine pretty loose. 

And you're done! Easy right? 

I hope you enjoyed this super quick DIY! And feel free to stop by my blog to say hi!

♥ Kenzie

PS: Don't forget to click here to vote for my blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

What Nobody Told Me About Life After Baby: Part 1 of a Guest Blogger Series

The REAL Pros and Cons of Breast Feeding

A Guest Post by Renee Malove

If I had to point my finger at the one thing nobody bothered to tell me about having kids, it was that I would find myself caught in the middle of the ongoing war between the fanatics waving their bottles and the equally fanatic fanatics waving their…

Well. Anyway.

As a mom who’s both nursed and bottle-fed my kids, I’ve been on both sides of the debate. I wanted to nurse my oldest and couldn’t, decided to bottle-feed my middle child and could have nursed twins, and by the time I finally settled into a happy nursing schedule with my youngest I realized that there was absolutely nothing natural about the “natural” art of breast-feeding.

Somehow, they’ve all turned out just fine. Wish someone would have told me this before I went into labor. It would have been a lot healthier than the food-induced stress I went through those first couple of months with all three of them.

So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the real pros and cons you need to know before your baby’s first meal.

Why Breast Feeding ROCKS
Kids very, very rarely have allergies to breast milk. You don’t realize what a blessing this is until you’ve played the formula game with the kid that’s both milk and soy intolerant and wants nothing to do with hypoallergenic formula.

You naturally pass on your own antibodies to your baby. , I’m hardly ever sick, but if there was a week during my older kids’ first winters that I wasn’t in the pediatrician’s office, I don’t remember it. So when I made it through my November baby’s first winter with only a single case of strep and the occasional cold, you could have knocked me over with a feather. Breastfeeding works.

It’s cheap. Since you’ve got to eat anyway, there’s no additional cost associated with breastfeeding your baby. As opposed to formula, which…well. If you’ve seen the price tag on a can of formula lately, you know what I’m talking about.

It’s convenient…especially at 2 am. There’s no prep work involved with breast feeding, which is great when you’re on the road and downright orgasmic when you don’t have to actually get out of bed at 2 am.
Breast milk’s always sterile. I’m going to step aside from the snark and be serious for a minute. If you have a problem finding potable water, whether it’s filled with bacteria or iron from rusty pipes, breastfeeding is far and away the safest choice for your kids.

Why Breast Feeding DOESN’T Rock
Babies Know They Have to Eat. They Just Don’t Always Know How. The hardest wake-up call for most parents is the realization that a good number of kids don’t take to nursing like a duck to water. They tip their head wrong. They grab the nipple wrong. Their lips don’t make a seal, so your pants end up soaked, and they gargle their milk instead of drinking it.

SuperMom Tip: Nursing is a learning process. 
It’s not just you. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Sore nipples are a pain. When you’ve got a small mouth with a hard palate latched onto your breast 6-8 times a day (if not more), your nipples are going to be sore. Not “spent 10 minutes too long at the gym” sore. More like, “If I ever wear another shirt, it’ll be too soon.” Lansinoh helps, but they’re going to hurt until you get some calluses built up.

Leaky breasts lie in wait. The first thing you’re going to learn when you start going out into public after the baby’s born is that your breasts will leak. Sometimes right through your pad. And ALWAYS at the worst possible moment. It doesn’t matter whether you’re traveling with baby or not, never leave the house without extra pads and at least two clean shirts.

Breast feeding is still taboo in some public places. Nobody thinks twice about a baby with a bottle, but a baby with a breast is a whole different story. Bearing a breast in public isn’t something everyone’s comfortable with, but if you’re going to nurse you’re going to want to buy a good cover and get used to getting funny looks every now and then.

If anyone complains, ask them if they’ll bring a tray full of dinner and sit on a toilet in a filthy bathroom right along with you. That’s usually all it takes to send them on their way.

Renee Malove is a book addict, a sci-fi fanatic, and the often frazzled mother of three. When she’s not driving the tap dance taxi or cracking the whip over homework time she can usually be found running, curled up with the latest from Patricia Briggs or finding new and inventive ways to bend her furry, four-legged roommates to her will. Oh, and she writes. A lot. You can find her on the web at www.Clever-Copywriting.com and talking marketing, parenting, writing and fiction all over the Internet.

Don't forget to click here to vote for this blog on Top Baby Blogs! No sign up needed, just a simple click to vote! Thank you so very much xoxoxo

I'm a Corn Star: A Guest Post by Lady Estrogen!

Kami approached me on that Twitter thingy to do a guest post – to “spice up” things. Whoa! No pressure now! I’ll see what I can do. She gave me the question: How do I maintain my personality and passion while raising two sons? (I’m now twisting my imaginary waxed handlebar moustache as I ponder this question.)

*crickets*

I had to think about it for a couple days – and I’ve finally been able to draw some conclusions with a single common denominator – it’s the little things.

My Ride

Suddenly having to haul around 2 babies with 2 car seats, a double stroller and all its attachments... in addition to my 2 dogs meant I had to trade in my funky Matrix hatchback for a giant Sienna “loser cruiser”. Sigh. It was sad at first, but after I put my pink hibiscus steering wheel cover, a Rip Curl sticker and plugged in my iPod, it felt more like ‘me’. 

On the outside, it may be a friggin’ beast of a vehicle, but once I’m inside, it’s now my traveling oasis. And, it fits EVERYTHING. I don’t know why some women, especially with multiples, try to fight the inevitable, thinking that if they get a minivan, they’ll lose their “edge” – it’s really not worth the stress. I’ve learned that “edge” is a state of mind.

My Time

The hours after the boys go to bed and before I go to bed are MY hours – usually 2, sometimes more. Every mother should take these for herself – it’s key to maintaining both sanity and individuality. It’s when I do all the things I want to do, not the things I have to do.

I blog.

Read.

Design.

Paint.

Sex. Blog More

Unwind.

Period.

Tomorrow, I’ll do the dishes and the laundry.

My Style

The busier I get, the less time I have to invest in my ‘self expression’ and I’ll admit, some personal grooming details suffer, but there are certain aspects I WILL NOT compromise on – particularly accessories. A good necklace can add flare to any plain jeans & t-shirt ensemble. Screw that “my baby will grab it” bull crap – get a snake chain – those buggers are meant to last. 

Even though money is always tight, every now and then, I ‘splurge’ on a dumb item of junk jewellery or clothing – never anything more than $30. These things fuel my warped sense of humor and I can run off those stinky fumes for months. The last thing I bought was a t-shirt that said Corn Star when I was in Indianapolis on business. It still makes me giggle.

My mother saw it recently and hung her head in shame, “I thought now that YOU are a mother, you would have grown out of that by now.”

Nope, mother, you are mistaken. I’ll never be too old for a good Corn Star joke. Never.

Conclusion

My little things are keeping me balanced – especially on the days that I fell will NEVER end, due to tantrums, tag-team vomiting, etc, etc.  When it does finally end, I re-group and re-charge my Lady Estrogen batteries. A funky steering wheel, good tunes, ridiculous kitsch, and 2 hours a day to myself and I’m good to go.

My husband has no freaking clue how lucky he’s truly got it.

Lady Estrogen

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Tutorial: Home made Doggie Treats!

Hello, Searching for Serendipity readers!  I am thrilled to be guest posting here for all of you while Kami rests up and takes care of her new little one! My usual home is over at The Scarlet Cardinal where I write about my life in Philadelphia, and my thoughts on life. 

Since actual human babies aren't in the picture for me yet, I focus a lot of attention on my furball, Louie. No, I don't dress him up in sweater vests and bow ties, (at least not in public), but I do love to spoil him and the key to any dog's heart is through his stomach. 

There are great recipes for homemade dog treats all over the web, and so today you get my version of Frozen Peanut Butter Treats for your pooch.  Since the weather in Philly has been pretty warm lately, the frozen treats are great to cool off any canine.

Ingredients:

2c. Plain Yogurt (Vanilla is ok too)

1 c. Creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 apple finely diced

2 tsp. honey

Combine the yogurt and peanut butter in a bowl.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds or until the peanut butter starts to soften.  Stir mixture until smooth. 

While the yogurt and peanut butter is getting all hot and bothered in the micro, peel your apple.  That is, if your dog is a picky eater and refuses to eat apple skin then definitely peel it.  If you have a normal dog, then don't worry about it.  Seriously--Louie will eat all manner of nastiness but turns his nose up at apple skin.  I think this is the universe's way of preparing me for all the crusts I will be cutting of my future children's PB&J sammy's. 

Anyhoo, dice that apple up and throw it into your smooth mixture along with the honey, and combine well.  (Eat the other half as a reward for being such an awesome doggy mama!) This should yield enough to fill about 2 ice cube trays, so just spoon the mix into the wells and pop them into the freezer for about 4 hours.

Yum! Yum! Yum! Frozen doggy treat heaven!

Licking of the chops

Laugh as your dog  chases it around your tile floor and pat yourself on the back for a job well done! You can substitute or add all kinds of yummy things depending on what your dog likes.  Louie happens to go crazy for apples, plus it adds nice texture and crunch to the treats.  I've also used shredded carrots and grated cheese.  I suppose bacon would also work if you had some left over from a particularly yummy brunch. So go forth and create for your pooch!  Thanks again for having me!

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A Nursery Tour with Maryam of Pamplemousse1983!

Hello Searching for Serendipity readers!  My name is Maryam and I blog over at Pamplemousse1983.  I'm so excited to guest blog for Kami while she's bonding with her new little one!  I can't wait to meet my own little one who's due in mid-June.  Of course I've been getting ready and even have the nursery done.  I think it's the fastest I've ever decorated any of the rooms in our house.  It's funny because baby probably won't even be using the nursery until she's 3 or 4 months old.  We'll be having her sleep in her bassinet next to our bed until then.  However, I was so excited and wanted the room to be perfect when we bring her home that I couldn't wait to get it all set up.  So here's a little tour of what I've put together...

This adorable crocheted Unicorn hangs just above the door...

From Crochette

Here we have the wall that the door is located in...when you walk in the changing table etc will be to your left.  The lanterns are decorations left over from the baby shower, and I made the origami crane mobile.  You can get the tutorial here.  The frames house the thumbprint guestbook from the baby shower, and prints from Catherine Campbell, Signifying Not and another artist I unfortunately can't remember.

We still need to get the changing pad so that's where the stuffed toys are living for now.  Little Foot was my husband's from when he was little and the large rabbit is mine from when I was little!

Here's the reading nook!  I can't wait to fill up all the shelves with books, but this will have to do for now.  The Monchichi, Kewpie doll and little stuffed doll on the top left shelf were mine when I was little, as is the little Kokeshi doll on top of the bookcase.  The bear and bunny were painted by my husband when he was in preschool!  The ABC poster is by Nate Duvall, the colored frames are from Loves Me Knot, Alice in Wonderland prints are from Black Baroque.  The stacked animal puzzle is by Dwell Studio.

I made the fabric letters myself, you can find my tutorial here.  They are one of my favorite parts of the room! You can see the crib mattress hiding behind the bassinet. I love that it matches the walls, haha.  Our bassinet converts to a crib and then converts to a toddler bed!  Isn't that great!  I love the clean lines and the fact that it is rounded at the edges instead of square.  I don't know why but I do.

And that concludes our little nursery tour.  Congratulations again to Kamika and Ryan and their little family!

 

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Guest Post: How to Survive the First Night Home with Baby

Hi!! I’m Michelle, from Books ‘N Shoes! I’ve been reading Kami’s blog for about a year now, and am so excited to have been following her pregnancy journey! I can’t wait to see pictures of her ‘bug’!
I thought I’d compile a few tips that I wish I had at my fingertips when I brought home my beautiful boy, Marco (almost 1 year ago, OMG)!

If I had, my husband and I could have spared ourselves a bit of frustration.

1.As odd as it sounds, I would NOT recommend having anyone other than your partner at home with you that first night. My mother stayed with us, and I completely regret it. I was so worried that she wasn’t getting sleep, that it made the middle of the night screaming that much worse for us. If it’s uncomfortable having a person there any other time of the year, it’s going to be even less so now. Later on, when you need a break, definitely ask a friend or family member to stay for a night or two.
However – if you REALLY want someone else there, by all means – do so.  But, feel free to ask them to leave if you get too stressed by their presence.

2.Order pizza or Chinese food for dinner.  Seriously, get delivery and ENJOY IT.  Hospital food, no matter where you are, is not delicious. Passable, yes. Edible, yes. Tasty? No. NOM THAT DELICIOUS FOOD!!

3.Snag everything from the hospital that was even remotely awesome. Pads, water bottles, pain relief spray, diapers, wipes, those weird mesh-y underwear (LIFESAVERS!)...anything not nailed down or plugged in.  You will not want to go out for errands the first few days, and it can definitely be awkward to send your husband out to get you pads. Just sayin’, even after birth, there are limits to an embarrassment that I am willing to put Tim through.

4.Remember that your baby is going to be freaked out, and if he or she cries in the middle of the night, it’s not a reflection on you! The whole sleeping-through-the-night thing is not going to get hammered out for a while (likely, 3 months old). You and the baby WILL get through this!!

5.Leave the baby books on the shelf. Save yourself the agony of frantically flipping through pages at 2am like a mad woman, trying to figure out how to get baby to go to sleep.

6.I can’t forget to mention the wonders of the swaddle. Learn it, live it, love it. Swaddles keep baby SO comfy and warm.

Unwrapping Marco from his swaddle after the first nap at home!

Above all, make sure to relax, rest, and give lots of kisses to your little one! Leave Kami lots of good wishes, and your own tips for the first night! What helped YOU?



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Motivate Yourself With SMART Goals!

Hi Searching for Serendipity Readers!  I'm Melissa from The Scarlet Cardinal and I am thrilled to be guest posting for you all today!

Springtime is a wonderful time of year, (especially once I get past the worst of my itchy eyes, runny nose, and other allergies!)  With all the flowers and leaves reappearing I can't help but think about new life, fresh starts, and vibrant beginnings.  I know that everyone makes New Year's resolutions, but for me springtime is when I really kick into high gear as I vision what I want the rest of the year to bring.

I am highly motivated by goals--if you saw the number of lists I make each day you'd either be totally in awe, or completely freaked out.  Either way, it works for me, and apparently lots of other folks too.  I've seen a lot of 101 in 1001 lists going around lately.  Mine is an 11 in 11 and knowing that I'm already making some headway (scuba lessons this month...booyah!) is very energizing!

So the fact that I'm a goal-oriented person, and the fact that it's spring, has lead me to begin thinking about my own goal-setting and what new opportunities are out there.
Many of you, I'm sure have heard of SMART Goals:

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By following the accronym when creating goals you can be thoughtful and intentional about creating goals that will help motivate you, and that will be rewarding when achieved.  So rather than saying--I want to lose weight--your goal might look like this:  I will lose 15 lbs in the next six months.

This goal is both specific (15lbs) and measurable (assuming you weight yourself regularly).  It is attainable since six months is a very reasonable amount of time to lose that amount of weight based on the 1.5-2lbs per week that is generally agreed upon as a healthy weight loss.  It is relevant as long as you are not already underweight, and the 6 month limit makes it time-bound.

All of these criteria help you stick to your goal, make it difficult to find a way out of it (chocolate cake anyone?), and easy to evaluate your progress.

I have applied this technique to every goal whether it is professional or personal and it always helps keep me honest and on track.  By publishing my goals on my blog it also motivates me to finish my list--and the feedback from others is a fantastic way to assess whether a goal is right for me.

I encourage you all to make goals, shoot for the stars, and dream big.  Find out what lights your fire and let it burn, baby!  And share what you're reaching for with others.  We can help support each other and connect one another to success.



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 So what are your goals?  Are they SMART? and how do you use them to stay motivated?

Vote for this here prego? Two clicks? xo