S'mores Life

I recently wrote about the baby gear that saved my life when Clara was an itty bitty baby, and in that post I said I'd follow up with what we could have lived without. Here goes: The Bumpo : Don't get me wrong, it was nice to have, especially since it was a gift. We used it. But for how much it costs, we certainly could have lived without it if we weren't given it. I've heard of moms buying them for $10 on craigslist and then sterilizing them, it might be worth it then. But there's such a short time period that you can use this. When she's small enough, the bouncy seat could work fine. Now her chunky thighs won't go into it. Just not worth the money for us. Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper : As I mentioned in the other post, Clara slept in the Fisher Price Rock n' Play sleeper next to our bed for the first few months of her life. So in my pre-baby mind, this item was perfect because it'd serve as her bassinet right next to me in bed and it converte...

Positive Reinforcement : n; The offering of desired effects or consequences for a behavior with the intention  of increasing the chance of that behavior being repeated in the future. When I started this blog a few months ago I was doing it mainly to have some "me" time, because I enjoy writing and voicing my opinion, loudly (you mean you had no idea? I know, I'm so subtle) and I figured a blog would be perfect. That way I can write, and no one has to listen to my opinions if they don't want to, they can just not follow my posts. As I've continued I've really enjoyed writing things that I hope can help another mom out there, in some way - I am by no means an expert, I'm just stumbling through this whole "first time mom" thing, but if just knowing that someone else is stumbling through helps that one mom out there, that makes me happy. What I didn't anticipate when starting this blog was the amount of positive feedback I'd receive. I have...

How long can you use the excuse "I'm sorry, but I just had a baby"? This topic has come up recently on my message board, in my MOPS group, and in the locker room at the gym. Maybe I'm just bringing it up all the time. ;) I was telling a woman at the gym that my daughter was seven months old and while I'm trying to lose weight I still frequently use the excuse "Well I'm fat because I just had a baby." She said "My son is three years old and I still use that excuse." Nice! It made me wonder how long you can use the excuse (my thoughts are 18 years for each kid), and what you can be excused for...this is the list I came up with. I'm sorry I'm fat , but I just had a baby. I'm sorry I have bags under my eyes , but I just had a baby. I'm sorry I forgot about that work/school project, but I just had a baby. I'm sorry my house is a mess, but I just had a baby. I'm sorry I forgot to go to my appointment to sign/fin...

It's another pinterest infant crafty post! If you didn't get enough of my crafty skills from our Valentine's Day project, we're back for more! I don't have inspiration links this time because I just searched for "Easter hand projects" and got these ideas from scrolling through the search results. Please refrain from telling me that our chick does not need a pink mouth as chicks have beaks...I just thought she needed a little extra something. ;) We sent these out to grandparents and godparents on Monday. So are these activities really for baby, or for mom? ;) Here's a tip: When doing infant art that is more involved for the adult than the baby, use Gerber puffs to bribe the baby. ;) Clara's palm, ring and pointer finger make an Easter Bunny! :) Yes, that chick has a beak and another mouth. Happy Easter from my Easter Bunny!

I apologize in advance for the number of typos that are probably in here...it's taking forever to proofread so I'm hitting post long before I probably should. :) I am nervous to write this. I am nervous to post this. This will probably take me a few sessions to write, just because it's so long, detailed, and emotional. And awhile ago, like Clara's Birth Story , I should have written it earlier...but it has taken a lot of reflection to get to where I'm at now. I would like to be asked for grace, understanding, and not be judged for what I am about to write and for posting it. I may be sharing it with the world, but it's a very personal story. I know some will wonder what the big deal is, some will judge me for some of the choices I made, and some will think I'm over-analyzing things. But someone, one woman, maybe two or three, will understand my journey and appreciate knowing someone else went through something similar. So after writing this for myself, I a...