The Mom Community

I know there is a lot of talk out there about competition or jealousy between moms. Comparing your kids, wondering if yours measures up to the next, wondering if your kids are hitting milestones at the right times, and having the "right" clothes, toys or accessories. All of this to me is stupid.

The other side of being a mom is having compassion. Especially for your own kind--other moms. You know, when you're out and about and open up your diaper bag and realize you forgot wipes and there is a mom willing to share. You are in a restaurant and your kid is throwing a fit and instead of getting a sideways glance with an eye roll, a mom looks over and gives you the knowing glance saying "I've totally been there."

I have yet to experience a lot of this, obviously. Today I feel like I got my first taste. I tried to be on top of things this morning and I was going to make two dishes. After I am halfway through both, I realize they both need milk. We are out. Luckily I could put what I had made in the refrigerator and wait for milk. Well, come afternoon and I am a little restless. I don't want to load the baby in the car just to get milk. There are other things I could get at the store but I'm really not in the mood for a bigger shopping trip. Definitely something to adjust to with having a baby--can't just run out at a moment's notice and have it be easy. There is a convenience store about a 10 minute walk from our house so I decide to load Eleanor into the front pack and take a walk. We bundle up and head out. I get milk and two Gatorades and end up with two bags. I start heading back home.

I am about halfway home and as I am walking past an apartment building parking lot, a car pulls into the parking lot and a lady sticks her head out and says, "Do you need a ride somewhere?" I smile and say I am almost home and thank her.

This was a busy road she pulled off of. I can only assume she is a mom or grandma and was about to take time out of her day to help another mom. Or she's just a really nice lady. I'll assume she's a mom.

Thanks, nice lady, and of course I will pay your nice gesture forward into the mom community. What a nice community I decided to join!

What helpful experiences have you had with other moms? 

Makeover Monday

This sweet girl and her friend are having a link up now on Mondays to share what products we all use. What a better way to start your Mondays than with a little beauty sharing!

This week we are sharing hair care. This is fitting that this is the first week I am linking up because Katie did my bridal hair! 

There she is, in the mirror--can you see her?!

Side view--not a great view.

 

From the back.

So I am a little embarrassed in front of her to show my current hair care regimen. Oh well, I am keepin' it real around here.

My hair currently lives in two styles. Braid. Messy bun. I know. It's embarrassing. However, I don't really leave the house much so my priority in the morning goes to Baby E not to my long locks. This is also a conundrum I am having lately. Keep it long or cut it off. If I keep it long, it is very easy to pull back from my face. Easy and quick. If I cut it short, it takes time to style--not too much--and I could be a little more stylish. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. What I do to my hair right now.

About every other day, sometimes longer, I wash my hair. With this:

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I know, this is a little embarrassing and I'm sure that Katie will not be happy with this (actually, come to think of it, I think she already lectured me about it) but it's cheap and I have never been one to spend a lot on my wash or conditioning. I don't know why. However, I feel like I have been having a little extra buildup lately. Probably due to some crazy hormones and not great shampoo.

And then I use this:

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Another pretty generic product. I think it was on sale at Fred Meyer.

So I would say I have wavy hair. Sometimes I like to tame the wave and not have it look all frizzy and stuff so when it is wet, I put this in:

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I really like what happens when I use this. I would like to find something that keeps my hair looking wavy, not frizzy and dry looking, though. This mousse kind of keeps it looking wet.

If I have gone some days without washing and my roots are startin' to look like I poured some grease from the bacon pan in them, I use this:

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I like this stuff, I don't know how efficient it is. I like this smell. I think it seems to hide the fact that I have greasy hair.

In other hair talk--I would like to learn how to curl my hair so I don't look like Shirley Temple. I would like to learn how to use hot rollers properly because I have heard they can be awesome. I would like to learn how to do some quick up-dos that would look normal during the day so I am not always rockin' a messy bun, ponytail or a braid. However, the reality of my life right now is that my hair is not really top priority but if there are ways that you think I could short cut to some hot looks, please, enlighten me. 

Thanks for the link-up, Katie, and if you disapprove of my regimen, please don't be too harsh. :)

Go link-up and share you hair care products and regimen.

A Little Cabin Fever Leads To...

Too much time on Pinterest.

Between feeling like I only have short windows with the babe and her feeding and sleeping schedule and snow that just won't stop outside, I resort to pinning. I want to get a little list going of some projects that I may tackle once I feel like I have a little more semblance of a schedule. If that ever happens. For now, I dream.

I don't have a mobile yet for Eleanor's room and it is already apparent that she really loves things hanging over her head to stare at so here are some options.

Source: ohhappyday.com via Nicole on Pinterest

 

Ribbons would be super cute, easy and I could most definitely get colors to go along with some of the colors in her room.

Source: marthastewart.com via Mandy on Pinterest

Again with the east of these mobiles and being able to interchange colors. I could use the scrapbook paper that I used for her banner to match, I already have that on hand so it wouldn't cost money for the pieces. I would just need a form of some sort to hang them off of.

Source: laybabylay.com via Joelle on Pinterest

We love animals around here so these are super cute. I don't know how capable I would be of making them but they may be just be cute enough to order. Maybe. Well, never mind, I just checked the website and they are definitely pretty spendy. Cute, but spendy!

Moving on, I would love to put together a simple wreath for spring. I don't know how I can be thinking of spring when it is a blizzard outside but I am. 

Source: thirtyhandmadedays.com via Haley on Pinterest

I don't know if I love these colors--well I like them well enough but I just don't know about on our front door--however, I love the design and they look easy enough. 

Source: tatertotsandjello.com via Charlene on Pinterest

Gosh, I sure wish I could have the patience to learn how to make all of these flowers. So cute!

Source: makingitfun.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Very cute if I had leftover fabric. Or found some cute fabric on sale. I love all of these bright colors.

Well, that's it for now I guess. I think Baby E may have just given me a present...

I will get back to a more normal schedule and will have time to craft once again. However, for now, the crafting items remain in the closet and pin my life away. *Isn't it funny that we use pin as a verb now and everyone knows what we mean?*

Wordless Wednesday

Snow Day!

We sure get a lot of rain around this parts but usually not too much snow. I would say on average we get a pretty good dumping of snow every other year, it lasts for about 3-5 days and then it's gone. I wouldn't mind living in a place that gets a lot of snow every year but is prepared for it. You know, life doesn't stop because there is snow. That's what happens around here. So it's nice for a couple days to slow down and enjoy the white scenery but by day 3 we are all pretty ready to get back to business as usual. We have about 10 inches at my house right now which is quite a bit for these parts.

I just had to get the girl out for a picture in her first snow. My favorite little snow bunny. However, we are now, back in our warm house enjoying the view from inside!

So What if we Like to Snuggle

I know there are many opinions surrounding co-sleeping. I don't mean in a co-sleeper that pulls up to the side of the bed or a co-sleeper that you put in your bed. I mean baby in bed with the parents. Both my husband and I grew up sleeping in our parents' beds. Our baby is sleeping in our bed. *Cue gasping.*

Before we had Eleanor, we talked about what we thought we would do. Ben was all for her being in bed with us. I was a little hesitant for a couple of reasons: having it be a hard habit to break later and us getting good sleep. Well, from day one that we brought her home she has been in the bed. We had her propped up on the Boppy pillow for about a week with a blanket spread over the top so show couldn't fall in the middle because it seemed like she liked to sleep propped up. She started being kind of fussy and wiggly so we pulled her back down onto the mattress with us and she has been blissfully sleeping ever since. Well, as blissfully as a 6 week old can sleep.

At first, I was barely sleeping due to getting used to all of her noises. Ben adapted pretty quickly and has obviously been sleeping very soundly since he has gone back to work. If it is not a work night, Eleanor sleeps in between us but all other nights she is on my side of the bed. I am possibly working up to putting her in the pack and play in our room to see if it would get me some better sleep and get her used to sleeping somewhere else, also. For some reason, even though I get a little frustrated with the "type" of sleep I am getting I can't bring myself to get her out of the bed.

I just love her being close.
Hearing her breathing right next to me.
Snuggling her back to sleep when she is wiggling around.
Picking her right up and nursing.

I obviously know that there are many opinions against this type of sleeping due to infant deaths. For some reason, I have never been afraid of this. I was reassured by the girls at my birth center that a breastfeeding mom is so aware of her baby that there isn't really a need to be afraid. I can now definitely attest to this. I am very careful with how I sleep with her. I don't let the comforter or my pillow get near her. She is swaddled. I found this article on co-sleeping interesting. Also, Dr. Sears has opinions as well.

As I have said before, I think parents have to do what is right for them and their baby. This is what has felt right to us. However, every time this topic gets brought up to others we get looked at like we are crazy. I think the majority of people we know may bring their baby in bed sometimes but not all the time. We may get to that point, we just aren't there yet. It is my goal this week to try to put her in the pack and play in our room during a nap and me try to take a nap in there and see if I can fall asleep and stay asleep.

This whole parenting thing is just one big learning experience and that is what we are up to everyday: learning.

What are your opinions on co-sleeping if you feel like sharing? What sleeping arrangements worked for your family?

Baby Wearing

I don't know why this is such a tough decision. I want to be able to wear my little nugget, you know, around the house, walking, maybe in stores if she isn't asleep in the car seat but I just cannot decide which carrier is the best, most comfortable, most cost effective and best fit for me.

I tried on a Moby today for the first time and I loved it because it's so comfortable and Eleanor and I felt like we were just cuddled up. It would definitely take some getting used to of learning how to get it on and get her in by myself. Granted I didn't wear it for too long so I don't know the comfort level and for how long.

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The thing that is off putting to me about this wrap is that it is close to $50 for a long piece of fabric. I know it is a piece of fabric that serves a very big purpose but I feel it is a little on the steep end.

We received a Baby Bjorn as a gift and today was my first day trying that out. I love how easy the Bjorn is to put on. A couple of clicks and she is in. It is pretty comfortable, I wore it for about half and hour. I vacuumed with it on. The only thing I worry about with this carrier is that it has no lower back support and I have read some reviews that say once the child is heavier, it can put a lot of strain on the shoulders and not be very comfortable.

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The other option I have been contemplating trying on is the Ergo. I have had a few friends tell me how much they like theirs. It seems like the best of both worlds, comfortable, cozy, functional and great support. However, also the most expensive of the options. Hence why I would most likely forgo both of the above options and just have the Ergo. Now I just need to take my baby to try one on.

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I really love the idea of always having the option of having her with me. Whether she is fussy or not, needs to be put to sleep or I just don't want to put her down. This way, I can go on about things with her right with me.

Are there any suggestions out there? What is your favorite carrier? Any advice for or against any of these products?