Puppy Love

You would not believe how many times a day I have to tell our dogs to stop licking the baby. Oy...at least the feelings are mutual! :) Nothing makes Delaney laugh like our two dogs and cat.

Web Finds Wednesday

Owl Birthday Cake

Tropical Island Birthday Cake - awesome DIY cake!

Bird House Birthday Cake 

Cherry Pie Birthday Cake

iSkin Keyboard Cover & iphone cases


Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

Go-Go Babyz

Mint Recipes

Iris Update

Still managing to squeeze in some gardening here and there! :) First time this bloomed!

Web Finds Wednesday

Ricotta Cheesecake and Fruit Lolipops

Soy Garlic Flank Steak

Sloppy Joes

Soup Can Rack

What's In the Bottle? (Breastfeeding & Bottle Feeding)

Grills Gone Wild: Grilling Fruit

Tupperware Terror

It wasn't me!

Ok, maybe it was me!

I have found a way to keep baby happy in the kitchen - just open the tupperware cabinet and you are golden for at least a half an hour...chop those onions, brown the meat...dinner is ready and baby is entertained! :) She cannot open the cabinets yet - I open them for her...I need to reorganize that cabinet on a regular basis anyways. :)

Loving This: How to Build Community

Print Available From Blue Barn Press

"HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY- turn off your tv, leave your house, know your neighbors, look up when you are walking, greet people, sit on your stoop, plant flowers, use your library, play together, buy from local merchants, share what you have, help a dog, take children to the park, garden together, support neighborhood schools, fix it even if you didn't break it, have pot lucks, honor elders, pick up litter, read stories loud, dance in the street, talk to the mail carrier, listen to the birds, put up a swing, help carry something heavy, barter for your goods, start a tradition, ask a question, hire young people for odd jobs, organize a block party, bake extra and share, ask for help when you need it, open your shades, sing together, share your skills, take back the night, turn up the music, turn down the music, listen before you react to anger, mediate a conflict, seek to understand, learn from new and uncomfortable angles, know that no one is silent though many are not heard - work to change this"

Being A Mom

“Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.” Elizabeth Stone

So true...this little one makes my heart melt with each gummy gushy smile, each little hand squeeze on my arm or leg....each time she lays her head on my chest when she is tuckered...love this girl!

Warming Up to the Pool

Really taking a liking to the pool now!

7 (Almost 8 Now) Month Update

Wow! Time is flying!

7 Months
Started crawling
Pulls herself up using things
Became a crawling pro
Stands up without needing to pull up on something
Flashes big smiles
Wrinkles her face in excitement and kinda shrieks
Go Go Go
Can crawl up a few steps
Can walk across the room pushing her little walker toy
Still loves cat/dog toys more than her own
Kitty is still her favorite - gets so excited when she is around
Can hyper-crawl (so fast!)
Loves soft microfiber type material...especially blankets, helps her fall asleep
Car rides are still rough going if she is tired or hungry or just been in the car too long
Loves to explore the house - bookshelves, under tables, everywhere
Wants put down when outside - doesn't mind the feel of grass under her feet
Got a splinter from the deck :(
Plays in her kiddie pool outside on the deck
Experienced her first sprinkler (mommy is teaching her out to drink the sprays) :)
Dogs and cat are still the funniest people she knows
Can dance - so cute to see this baby boogie! (dance, dance, dance, Delaney!)
Bath time is still fun time - loves sucking on wash rags and mr fish in particular - bubble baths are fun too - why can't she catch those guys?!
Walker, jumper etc are phasing out...hardly put her in those anymore...though they come in handy to keep her immobile for a moment or two
Can carry toys/objects around with her while crawling
Still loves the vaccuum...now can pull off the extender pieces and carry them around
There is nothing quite like splashing in the dog bowl...dunno why mom keeps taking that away
Paper, tissues, mail are for nomming
Naps are either 10-20 min or 1-2 hrs
Still breastfeeding!
Loves her fruits

Summer Lovin'

Laney's first dip in the pool - a little pensive at first. We filled the pool with buckets of warm water from the sink! :)

Web Finds Wednesday

Lessons From a Sleeping Baby

How to Make a Heart Shaped Egg

Best Blueberry Muffins

DIY A-Frame Tent

Nutella Chunk Cookies

Clone Your Herbs

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

How I Sit

This is how our baby sits half the time...with one leg straight out and the other bent back...the best pose for mobility! :)

A Tall Small

She looks so big standing by herself now and yet so small in comparison to things like the glass door... Getting so big so fast!

Laney's Loves

It's fun watching her grow and seeing her develop a preference for toys and things. Here are two of Laney's current favorites - her sippy cup (with a soft spout she loves to chew on) and a plain old crinkly bag of wipes. That's entertainment.

Web Finds Wednesday

WorkandPump.com - I am sure I posted this site before but it has good info! Especially for supply boosters etc!

Spoonflower - Design and print your own fabric design at $5 for a swatch and $18 for yard! Awesome idea!


Salad in Jar - fabulous idea!!

Get Your Own Handwriting as a Font (free!)

Make Your Own Chicken Stock Broth
(plus a cute pic of the bloggers daughter in a pot :) Makes me smile so I thought I'd share! teehee

Her Mother's Daughter

This should be another post under "Laney's Loves" - maybe I will make that a new series! :) Our little love is developing quite an interest in household appliances - namely vacuums. She loves the big vacuum, our huge carpet cleaner, this little handheld guy and even the little stick vacuum we have. Silly girlie!

On Poop and Popcorn

No visuals for you all today - figured the title was enough to gag a few of my readers. :) But for all the fellow mamas out there, have you noticed that, with exclusively breastfed babies, their poop smells like buttered popcorn??

My hubby even agrees on this one! Not that we are all down in the diaper sniffing things out. But if there's a dirty diaper in the trash or if you waltz past your little one not realizing they had a BM (bowel movement) - wahm! The smell of buttered popcorn hits your nostrils.

Sadly, now that a few solids are sneaking into her diet (bananas, squash, peas, etc) - the smell is not so nice. Distinct difference!

Web Finds Wednesday

A Mother's Boutique - Resources and Helpful Links for Breastfeeding

Craft Recipes - including sidewalk chalk!

BreastandBottlefeeding.com - Helping moms balance breast and bottle feeding

Bump Smitten - Baby shower inspiration blog

Updates about the Patrick the Pitbull - been reading and keeping up with the story of this miracle pup - such a sad story - but with what is looking like a happy ending - hopefully

ALC Tutors Needed - Johnson County Library (and I am sure at your local library as well) I love reading, trips the library are a weekly occurrence for us and was a reading coach for elementary children in college for a work-study program -  but this is an awesome opportunity to give back as well - helping tutor adults in reading/literacy. I have seen the tutors on occasion in the library and just recently looked up the info on their website.

Toys Smoys

Toys Smoys - This box is way cooler. Our little one is pulling herself up on everything. In fact I think the only reason she crawls is so she can reach an object (box, toy, rocking chair, etc) to pull herself up to standing. She can even "walk" across the room sliding the diaperbox along in front of her for support. She's a mover!!

Adult Easter Egg Hunt 2011

We made it out again to the Indiana House Rabbit Society Adult Easter Egg Hunt. Though this time we did kinda break the rules and have a tot in tote. (we asked beforehand - and since she really wasn't going to be a huge help - i.e. strapped into the bjorn - they said it was ok) :)

Update on Solids - 7 Months

So up until just about now - like literally yesterday, our baby has not been a huge fan of solids. Everyone, including us thought for sure she was ready to start chowing down. She was always reaching for our food and would practically drool over the smells from the kitchen. But, as it happens, when it came down to the actual experience of food in the mouth which we didn't start until the 6 month mark- it made her gag. She'd spit it out, or throw it all up in a crazy exorcist style manner after gagging - and this is super fine purreed store bought food. No chunks, no real flavor.

We tried rice cereal, we tried carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, etc. Nothing really made it down the hatch.

So we backed off for awhile and would bring it up only every now and then to retest the solid-eating waters. And were mostly met with clamped lips, turned face and outright disinterest in the whole affair.

But now, lo and behold, she is now stating to (7 months) grab the spoon to get it towards her mouth (not to push it away like before) and food is making it down the hatch! :) She still occasionally gags over anything with chunks or that would need chewed/gummed etc - like those little freeze dried yogurt drops, etc - but she is heartily eating baby food. Yay so fun to watch her eat! Yay for banana orange medley - and apple rice cereal.

(the photo above is from her um-no-thankyou to baby food days - lol. She definitely has a "what the heck is this crap about" face. hehe) She would rather play with it than eat it at that point.

Will need to take an excited face here soon! (plus that was peas and who can honestly get excited about peas) :)

Loving Thirty-One Gifts & Basket Love

I know I've seen this lovely basket somewhere before - probably a blog. When I looked up info about Thirty-One Gifts for an upcoming party that a fellow church member was throwing I all but cried for joy! I found it! Yay!

Such a lovely picnic/multi-use basket and reasonably priced too! $30 for the small and $38 for the big one.

I am slowly realizing that I have a small great love for baskets. I use them to house our little ones toys, our dogs toys, towels by the door for wet puppy feet, in the laundry room to corral and hide random detergent bottles, stain sticks, etc, in the bathroom for towels and misc items, in the livingroom to hide our hoard of mail and paper, theres a basket to hold my yarn - ok maybe two of them for that job, a basket with spools of ribbon in my craft area, basket on the kitchen counter to hold more important mail pieces...baskets, baskets, baskets! :)

And so now another will soon join our little basket family...yay!

Caution: Heart Melting Material

Oh that smile! It melts my heart! Love her!!

Shutterfly Photo Books are Addicting

Click here to view this photo book larger

Oh how I love to make these books! Such a great way to capture the memories - especially if you don't have the the time or patience to scrapbook.

I made this little book to capture the many great pictures from our pregnancy photo shoot. I interspersed the pages with tons of our favorite quotes and Bible verses about life, happiness, babies, daughters, being a mom, parent, etc. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

Web Finds Wednesday

Mother 2 Mother.com

New Dad Manual

Lemonade Cake (baked in a lemon!)

Ican Play Case (iphone case for toddlers)


10 Uses for Empty Egg Shells (make sidewalk chalk, compost, clean teapot, etc!)


Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies


Mamalode

Serious Baby

You want me to smile? About what?

Why??

Why are these on my head??

Garden Wish List

Coreopsis

Pink cosmos

Orange cosmos

Web Finds Wednesday

Cold and Allergy Remedies Compatible with Breastfeeding


Selected List of Medications approved by the AAP for use in breastfeeding mother 

CraigsEasy - Search Craigslist through pictures!

Winkflash! - Online printing service to look into

FileShuttle: Simple Drag-and-Drop FTP File Sharing for the Mac

Salt Water Taffy Recipe

Happy Easter!

The Verdict?

Me

Her

Him

Him + Me = Her :)

Yummy Pack N Play??

2010 Babies! :)

Delaney with 7 out of 8 of the babies born in 2010 at our church!

Web Finds Wednesday

Aqua Leisure Floating Pool Seat (random I know)

Williams-Sonoma Cooking Together Cookbook

Baby Sleep Resource Page from Peaceful Parenting

Hula Hoop Rug

Free Spice Cabinet Inventory PDF

ReWorking Parents

Lactivist

Visiting with Grandmas and Grandpas

Visiting with her Great Grandpa Gene.

 

Visiting with her Great-Great Grandma Peggy.

Sitting Up On Her Own

Love the way she sits up - one leg out front kinda like the splits. :)

Kinda Crawling

Saying Mama

We've got proof. :)

Pulling Herself From Sitting to Standing

6 Month Update

Wow, kinda crazy how these blog posts are pretty far spaced, huh? Oh well, babies are so much more fun than even blogging - OMG did I just say that?? :) Yup yup I did. But for the sake of keeping track and storing my fun ideas we will keep trying to chug along. :)

Our little love turned 6 months old this month. A whole half a year old. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??

Sigh. It does go fast - what people tell you is true in the regard about parenting.

- Delaney just this week has learned to pull herself up from sitting to standing using a toy or the couch.
- She can scoot/crawl kinda.
- She can pull herself up from lying flat on her belly or back to sitting straight up.
- She can say mummum and dada and other random little cute things like that.
- She still loves her doggies and kitties. :)
- Not a huge fan of solids yet but can drink out of a soft spouted sippy cup.
- Enjoys shredding and trying to stuff paper (napkins, kleenexes, baby wipes, magazines, etc) into her mouth.
- Tries to push off, letting go and just moving forward from standing...this equals in many falls. Oy.
- Dr. checkup for this month said she was average for weight, above average for height and a little under average for head size...I have a small noggin too..sunglasses are hard to find that fit
- Starting to do this cute thing where she kinda uses a blanket or any other fabric as a lovey...holds it close to her face when she is tired.
- Loves bath time - sucks on washclothes and tries to catch bubbles in the water
- Loves to knock down the tower of stackable cups -we use that as an incentive to practice crawling - works everytime! :)
- Just now realized that one of her toys was still on demo mode...lol...it is a little light up glo worm doll that plays lullabies and we couldn't figure out why it wouldn't stay lit up and why it wouldn't play for very long...demo mode. Oy - six months later.
- Went to the children's museum for the first time and loved it! We now have a family pass.

Web Finds Wednesday

Five Confessions of a Breastfeeding Mother

How Childhood Books Make Us Who We Are

Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins

Want to Read: Weird Because Normal Isn't Working

First Ever Indiana Artisan Market April 16-17

Homemade Pantry Staples

High Need Baby

These articles are feeding my soul today....

12 Features of a High Need Baby

Parent-to-Parent: 20 Survival Tips for Parents of High Need Children

What High Need Means - A story about our high need baby
12 Lessons Our High Need Baby Taught Us

Here's a link to them all...

Here is a clip from one:

10. "CAN'T PUT BABY DOWN"

High need babies crave touch: skin-to-skin contact in your arms, at your breasts, in your bed. They extract whatever physical contact they can from their caregivers. They also crave motion. Holding is not enough; the holder must keep moving. If the holder wants to sit down, it had better be on something that rocks, glides, or swings. This constant holding may be particularly difficult for new parents who expected to have the magazine model baby, the one who lies quietly in the crib gazing at expensive mobiles. This is not the play profile of the high need baby. Parents' arms and bodies are his crib; mother's breasts are his pacifier, and a bouncing lap is his chair. Most high need babies choose to upgrade their accommodations from the crib or playpen to the baby sling. They like to be worn many hours a day because they like the physical contact and they like to be up where the action is. Smart babies.

More clips I love:

* * * * * * * * *
I was so tired of hearing the term "good baby." According to the norms of the neighborhood, my baby wasn't "good." I then decided that a baby is "good" when he cries and lets you know what he needs. (In other words, all babies are "good.") That really put a new perspective on fussy babies for me. They cry more because they need more.
* * * * * * * * *
My advice to parents is that if you had a sick child you would give that child the care that it needed; so if you have a high need child, give her the extra attention she needs. She needs it for a reason.
* * * * * * * * *
Once I learned that she has high needs for a developmental reason, it was easier for me to respond accordingly.

Loves to be around people, noise and activity

While some high need babies do best in quiet, calm environments, what I hear from many, many parents is that their baby actually prefers being in crowds, surrounded by people and activity. They may cry and fuss significantly more in the quiet of their own homes. The activity and drone of crowds or traffic seem to soothe them, and they may even fall asleep. Friends and family may not believe your stories of crying and fussing because these babies appear so easy-going and content when in public.
http://www.thefussybabysite.com/causes/high-need-baby


Thank goodness for baby bjorn and white noise soundtracks!

Web Finds Wednesday

Icon Finder

Tortellini Soup (sooo good!)

Amaretto Baked French Toast with Almonds

Slow Roasted Tomato Sauce


Homemade Individual Pot Pies


Peanut Butter Oatmeal Monster Cookies

Back to Work: Pumping Schedule & Log

After going back to work when my little one was 8 weeks old, I started wanting to keep track of how often and how much I pumped at work each day of the week. Something about keeping track and knowing that my supply wasn't dropping and that I was indeed able to pump enough for my little one while I was gone has helped ease my mind.

I first had a paper system that I would record onto each time, but after getting frustrated with crinkly papers everywhere have decided to go techie with it - of course! Especially since I can pump at my desk with my hands-free bra - which I HIGHLY recommend if you are pumping at work - or anywhere for that matter! As a mom you need an extra set of hands so make sure you free up the only two you have with this simple and affordable little contraption. I bought mine at BuyBuy baby for around $35.


So since I can work at my desk while I pump and not miss a beat - I moved my Pumping Schedule & Log to Google Docs via an excel spreadsheet that automatically calculates my totals for each side, day and week. I couldn't really find anything like it out there so I created my own and after using it for a good 18 weeks now thought it would be worth it share. So you are looking for an excel template for a back to work mother Pumping Schedule & Log - here you go!

Copy to your Google Docs or save the excel file to your desktop!

5 Month Update

We had our second round of shots...and are up to 14 lbs 2 oz - more now I am sure since that dr appt has came and went a few weeks ago!

In the last week alone Delaney has learned to sit up! It is so amazing! Last week she was so slumpy and would tumble over if you propped her up.This week she sits great unassisted!

Last week we barely touched on our tippy toes in the walker - this week she can touch enough to scoot herself backwards!

We've flown our first kite as a family at the park!

Swung in a swing for the first time!

Worn sunglasses for the first time!

So many firsts!

She giggles at the doggies still the most! Especially if they cough or sneeze.