27+ Hours

As of last Friday, Blake hasn't been begging or asking for mommy's milk-milks. No tantrums while signing for milk! When Blake would use his sign language for "milk," he would usually want to nurse off of me.

I tried introducing him to sippy cups, straw cups, and open cups here and there and none of them worked. He chose to stop using bottles around 6 months and would only nurse off of me. I've since boxed up all of his hardly-used sippy cups, bottles, and straw cups and figured he'd just let me know when he's ready to ready to use them. No sense in taking up space in our kitchen.

image shared from: http://www.leahlive.com/

I recently saw the Lollacup and since it was on sale, I wanted to try it. I thawed out some breastmilk that has been taking up real estate in my freezer. Slightly warmed it up and put it in his Lollacup.

WINNNNNN!

He drank the whole 6 ounces. 

Since then, we've put some juice and water mixes, breastmilk, and breastmilk and milk mixes in the little straw cup. He's taken them all. He doesn't necessarily take it when I ask him to, but if I leave it out for him to see he'll reach up on the table to grab it and just chug it all!

The fact that he's actually using it, and willingly is AWESOME!

We still nurse here and there but nowhere near as often. Over the weekend, he actually went 27+ hours without nursing off of me. (That hurt, seriously... I was engorged.) 

The only semi-issue I have with the Lollacup is that it's not spill-proof. But even with the other leaky and non-spill-proof cups we've tried, this is the only one that is a winner for my little guy. He can tilt it forward, right, left, and back and he can still drink out of it. The straw is weighted so it goes where it needs to in the cup in order to stay under the liquid. So when Blake is walking or dancing, he can still drink!

Some parents would hate to have a cup that isn't spill-proof but me? I personally love it. Blake isn't too messy and we always have a change of clothes anyway. The fact that he is drinking by himself is good enough for me. 

I think it helps that he loves birds and the cup kind of looks like a little bird. ;) So cute!

And since Friday, we now have TWO Lollacups. Thinking of investing in one more so I don't have to keep washing right after he finishes one.

So proud of him.

SWAG booties for YOU!

If you've been following our blog, you may remember me posting about the awesome SWAG booties I got for Blake awhile back. If you don't remember or you haven't read up on it, click here first!

Blake was in a phase where he liked to eat his toes and the only way he could do that is if he pulled off his socks (and probably hid one sock from each pair in some secret spot because I hardly ever could find them). He wasn't walking at the time but now he's standing and learning to put one foot in front of the other so it helps that his SWAG booties are non-slip!

There have been studies that say our little ones feet and balance develop better when learning to walk in soft-soled shoes. I'm no doctor, but I do appreciate the soft soles of the SWAG booties because they are just so comfy for my little man.

Well... here's your chance to get a pair for your little one!

There are tons of designs and options at trendybaby on Etsy.com. I swear Rachel, the owner of trendybaby, is constantly making new SWAG booties to keep up with the seasons and trends. We have a few ways for you to enter. The giveaway ends on Friday, April 26th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review Wednesday: Sugarlimelane Baby Leggings

I keep seeing all of these adorable babies in adorable leggings on Instagram and Facebook and, well, all over the web! I would love for Blake to be as stylish! We love one-of-a-kind type things over here and totally support mommy-owned and operated businesses.

Looking for some printed leggings that had patterns suitable for boys was a little tough. Just a little. First off, BD doesn't really like Blake wearing leggings. The word "leggings" gets to him so I just called them "printed pants" around him or "modern sweats". LOL!

Then after I finally found a few prints I liked, the price point was the next deciding factor. I needed some sort of deal here.

And on one of the baby discount sites I stalk follow, I found sugarlimelane. Perfect timing, perfect patterns, and a perfect price point! So I ordered two pairs!

Lyndsay, the owner and founder of sugarlimelane, is such a doll! You know how you can FEEL a person's vibe through reading their email responses? Lyndsay radiates through her messages. I could honestly feel her enthusiasm, excitement, gratefulness, and politeness all through our email conversations. She is a mommy of an almost-one year old boy! And she is very talented.

Blake is now crawling and he loves crawling in his sugarlimelane leggings. He's 9 months, but he's in the 75th percentile for height (and 25th percentile for weight) so all of his clothes are on the 12-18 scale since his legs are long. I ordered 6-12 months and 12-18 months from Lyndsay. 6-12 was a little bit snug on him but the 12-18s fit perfectly!

The fabric of the leggings is thick, but soft. They stretch well while he's moving around, too. Definitely great quality. Lyndsay even has her own cute sugarlimelane tag sewn in the pants. It's a nice reminder that I support mommy-owned small businesses. :-)

Blake looks so serious in the pictures, but it's because he was tired at a birthday party. He needed a nap but I couldn't resist taking pictures of him in his sugarlimelanes! We love the prints over here! So fun!

Go visit http://sugarlimelane.bigcartel.com/  and take a look at her other patterns. We ordered the yellow arrow leggings and the bicycle leggings. Can't wait to get our hands on some of her other prints!

What's in My Diaper Bag?

SoYoung Charlie Diaper Bag in Black

A new mom's second most prized possession. The diaper bag and all of it's amazing capabilities. :-) The magic bag! A Mary Poppins wanna-be-kind-of-bag. All sorts of tricks to keep baby happy in one bag thrown over your shoulder.

What's in our diaper bag?

1. aden and anais - burpy bib. $9.95/each.
I love the burpy bib! It's thick and soft. The more we wash it, the softer it gets but there's no need to worry about it breaking down. It's great quality! When Blake was just a newborn, I threw it over my shoulder to use as a burp cloth. Now that he's starting to feed himself and drool more, I snap it around his neck with the button closure and use it as a bib. Two birds, one stone!

2. Sophie the Giraffe - $21.95.
I never saw what was so intriguing about Sophie and really didn't plan on spending money on this little rubber giraffe. But we received her as a gift and she's surprisingly Blake's favorite soft teething toy. He can easily grasp onto her around all her curvaceousness. She's smooth to the touch and easily bendable. It doesn't look like it's easy to chew her face because of all the bumps but the rubber is so soft that it basically just folds once it gets into his mouth. It's pretty cool because she also squeaks when squeezed so that entertains him as well.

3. Elephant WubbaNub - $14.95.
Can't live without his paci. He takes the paci when he's about to fall asleep. Having the cute little elephant attached to it just helps him find it on his own when he's in the carseat or stroller.

4. Indestructibles - $4.95.
This is probably the most awesome book we have that we can easily fit into the diaper bag and he can hold it himself without me worrying about the pages ripping or him getting paper cuts. It's washable, rip-proof, and chew-proof. When he's fussy in his rear-facing carseat, I just hand him whatever Indestructibles book I have in the diaper bag that day, and he stares at the awesome illustrations, flips the pages, and chews on the edges. Enough to keep him occupied for the rest of our car trips.

5. Kleynimals - $24.00.
The real-key feel of Kleynimals and the jingle jangle of it can get Blake's attention almost instantly. Another toy he can put in his mouth and drool all over.

6. Spray Bottle of Water and Blake's Body Wash
We use this for as a butt cleaner when we change his diapers since we use cloth wipes. We also use it to clean his little hands and face after he eats or plays. It's like using regular cleaning wipes, but much cheaper.

7. Bummis Cloth Wipes - $5.99/pack of 6.
Awesome cloth wipes that are made of 100% unbleached cotton flannel. We stash a few in our diaper bag because we use them for dipey changes, dirty hands, drool, snot, and all sorts of things. Just a little body wash sprayed onto it and then we're all clean again!

8. bumgenius 4.0 Pocket Diapers - $17.95.
For most days, I pack 2-3 CDs in my diaper bag. It just depends on how long we'll be out of the house.

9. CJ's Butter - $14 for an 8 oz tub.
To use for diaper changes to keep his little bottom from getting icky and avoid diaper rash. I also use this for my hands because it's more of a lotiony cream type of product. This cold winter weather and the fact that I constantly wash or wipe my hands down can make my digits pretty dry. CJ's helps keep them moisturized and smelling nice and fresh! I keep the Caribbean Therapy or Peppermint one in my diaper bag at all times. Another two-stones-one-bird product!

10. Wetbag for dirty diapers and wipes - $29.00.
Blake and I have a few wetbags to make sure we always have a fresh one when we head out the door. It keeps my diaper bag stink-free from dirty diapers, cloth wipes, and icky burp cloths or dirty baby clothes.

Review Wednesday: S&CB Diaper of the Month Club

Soft & Cozy Baby is a delightful baby boutique located in Baltimore, MD that specializes in natural parenting, cloth diapering, and babywearing. When I was researching cloth diapering, my cousin mentioned this boutique to me and suggested I make a visit. They have cloth diaper experts and they even hold workshops to help curious moms get a better understanding of the various CD choices out there. Not only that, they also promote natural parenting so they host babywearing workshops as well. That's not all though! They know how parents have a lot to juggle so sometimes it's hard to get the kids in the car, park, and tote them around Baltimore in the cold so they offer "carry out" orders. Place an order online or over the phone, pull up to the front of their boutique, and they'll run your order out to your car. No need to try and brave the weather with your little ones!

Since I found out about S&CB, I've made several visits and absolutely admire the staff. They are so knowledgeable and extremely helpful, even over the phone, with any questions customers may have!

Like I said, I visit them frequently so of course I needed to sign up on their mailing list to stay in the loop of their happenings and deals! I'm so glad I signed up! I received an email last month announcing that they now have a Diaper of the Month Club!

As you know, I'm a cloth diaper addict and truly believe they have been saving me money since we started CDing. For $25/month, I figured I'd try it out and see what they have to offer. I'd love to try new diapers! S&CB asks that you fill out a little questionnaire about you, your baby, and the type of diapers you prefer to use.

We received our Diaper of the Month Club delivery soon after the beginning of this month. Quick shipping, and adorable packaging. I forgot to take a picture of the packaging when I opened it because quite honestly, I was too damn excited. ;)

In this month's package, we received a bumgenius all-in-one diaper, an Indestructibles book, a pebble rattle, The Original CJ's Butter, Punkin Butt Organic Wipes Solution sample, and a $5 gift card to use on our next purchase. All for only $25!

The AIO diaper itself costs close to $20! Blake uses bumgenius pocket diapers at home and all of our diapers are pockets. I decided to use pockets because I could change the absorbency and also hang dry the diapers a little quicker. I've been wanting to try the AIO dipes but stopped myself from buying it because we have enough bumgenius diapers. Pockets have worked for us so I just didn't want to go out of my way to try an AIO. This would definitely be easier for BD to use though. It's soaking in water now to try and work its absorbency before I throw it in the wash and put it on Blake.

Along with the AIO, we received a sample of Punkin Butt's Wipe Solution. The sample may look tiny but it's concentrated so it actually makes three cups of solution. We use cloth wipes at home and I've been using a homemade spray with Blake's body wash and water mixed, but this would be cool to try! I have a small spray bottle that I picked up from Target to use on Blake's cloth wipes and a small 0.5 ounce bottle lasts for weeks. I can only imagine three cups of solution will last me for at least a couple of months.

Blake likes books but he also likes to turn the pages on his own, and try to eat the corners. With Indestructibles, he can chew it all he wants and it'll never rip or get icky. The book is even washable! He enjoys looking at all of the colors in the book's pictures and points at the images. It stimulates his senses but also keeps him quiet and calm in the car. There are no words in the book so when we "read"it together, I get to make up my own story. I hope that as he learns to babble more, he can make up his own stories and keep me entertained. :)

The pebble veggie rattle is pretty cool, too. Nice and soft and it seems carefully constructed. It has a 100% cotton exterior and 100% polyester fill interior. It is easy for Blake to grasp onto and shake shake shake all he wants. What I love most about it is that it's machine washable and can be dried in the dryer, if needed. Makes life a little easier for mommy!

The awesome package doesn't stop there... we also got a sample of The Original CJ's Butter! Caribbean Therapy scented. CJ's Butter can be used for adults and children for eczema, rashes, dry or chapped skin, lacerations and abrasions. I actually have a full size CJ's Butter in my diaper bag for dry hands since it's cold out and I constantly wash my hands. No chapped skin over here, folks! Having a sample size would be great to switch out with my full size so it'll take up less space in the dipe bag.

Would I sign up for S&CB Diaper of the Month Club again? Yes. Love them, love the products they have, and the ideas they promote! I also love that they're a local business. Gotta support local!

Port Discovery Play Date

I love taking Blake out (if you haven't already noticed) during the day to play and explore new places. Keeping his little body moving and his brain train chuggin' is very important to me. If I keep him home, I feel like we do the same things over and over again which is totally fine but I personally don't like being cooped up.

Yesterday, our good friends, Stephanie and Max, invited us out to play at Port Discovery! Port Discovery is a wonderful, three-level play museum located in the heart of Baltimore. The intention is to allow kids to get moving, play and learn all at the same time. It was ranked one of the top 10 Children's Museums in the U.S. by Forbes in 2012! How lucky are we to live so close to it?! :)

At first I thought it would be too crazy for Blake to play there since he's not even walking on his own, but I think he thoroughly enjoyed himself. He fell asleep in the car on the way up so he had his usual 20-30 minute morning nap. I was able to pump and give him a little extra time to sleep after I parked. (Milk-making is my other part time job!) When he woke up, he acted like he knew where we were. He was so happy and giddy and I knew he was ready to play!

Port Discovery had a room just for kids under the age of three so Blake was able to explore without being knocked down. *whew* What a relief for mommy! There was a tumble area, huge peg board, sandbox, reading area, forest jungle gym area, and an interactive play mat. Definitely tons to do!!

After some time in the Tots Trail room, we went to the Water Works room. Port Discovery has raincoats for kids to wear because it's like playing in a mini water park. There are hoses that kids can spray each other with but there is also a separate little area for kids under the age of one. So we put a raincoat on Blake, rolled up his sleeves, and sat him down in the hook-on infant chair. He was able to reach into the water table and play with some toys that were already provided. The water was a little cold but Blake loves the water so his curiosity definitely peaked.

When the kids are finished playing in the water, they hang up their raincoats and stand in front of a huge wall of blowdryer hoses. You push a button and a heat lamp comes on while the air starts drying the kids. Such a fun idea! It got a little crowded so I didn't keep Blake there too long. I ended up just changing his clothes to get him nice and comfy before going back out into the cold.

We spent about two hours there and would totally go back again! Once Blake was strapped in his carseat, he fell asleep. It was almost immediate! We got home and he slept for two more hours! Mommy-jaw-dropping-moment!! :) We had such a great time and we're so glad we got to spend more time with Stephanie and Max. Can't wait to go back again soon!

My Experience with Childbirth Hypnosis

I wanted a natural birth. Yes... A natural birth with my first child.

You can't even imagine how many looks of amusement, shock, and are-you-crazies I got.

You see... I hate medicine. I don't take it unless I absolutely need it... Which isn't too often. I honestly believe my body can heal itself (in most situations) and that it knows what to do. I feel like medicine leads to more medicine and that leads to even more medicine.

I looked into support groups and classes that would encourage a natural birth. And then I found birthing hypnosis. I chose Hypnobabies because it was the only childbirth hypnosis class in my area and my doula was familiar with the practice.

(I'll get into my doula search story later.)

So the next step was to talk to Baby Daddy about supporting me in this decision. We have plenty of friends that have given birth and some even experienced issues during birthing. Naturally, he was hesitant. He may have even thought I was crazy but he never said it (at least, not to my face). He was always very supportive of my birthing decisions even if he didn't have the same vision. BUT... He did express that he was nervous for me. When I said I wasn't... He seemed to have accepted it and just went with the flow of things.

Hypnobabies is a practice for childbirth hypnosis. (Get the image of someone standing in front of you with a wrist watch swinging back and forth out of your head... get that thought out now!) It is a self-hypnosis technique that allows a mother to remove any misconceptions or fear about childbirth. You are NEVER under the influence of someone else, so you won't give up your secrets or bank account information. Don't worry! You have total control over yourself and can snap out of the hypnotic state any time you feel the need.

I signed up for a 6 week course, 3 hours a week. I think I was maybe 27-28 weeks along when we started, because I wanted to make sure I had time to accept and practice Hypnobabies before Blake made his appearance. There were three lovely couples in my group and I'm so thankful we were with them through the final stages of my pregnancy! Anyway, we met once a week with a wonderful hypnotherapist. At first it seemed kind of sketchy because it was in her home and she played what I thought were silly scripts. But it turned out to be a wonderful experience because her home gave me a certain level of comfort... like I felt welcomed and relaxed. And the scripts...

Well, the scripts were cheesy. That's pretty much it. She would practice relaxation breathing with us and play background music and nature sounds. I couldn't really focus at first because I kept thinking if it was worth it (and how nuts BD thought it was), but I ended up just going with the flow. Hypnobabies also provides CDs to allow you to continue listening to the scripts at home and a workbook to practice birthing partner scripts. The workbook also gave us information on how our body is just absolutely amazing when it comes to growing a child and giving that baby all that he needs. It was actually pretty cool to see, you know... compared to watching videos on the baby websites and freaking out about how a baby comes out!

I listened to the scripts at home as directed and for the most part, BD helped me with the birthing partner scripts which were supposed to be rehearsed every other day. When he wasn't able to help me, I asked my cousin to record her voice reading the scripts... butttttttt... that didn't work out the way I planned. We couldn't stop giggling because every time she had to read "our baby" it was just weird!

As the weeks went on, still practicing scripts and attending the sessions with our hypnotherapist, I found that I was able to actually sleep through the night. My body and my thoughts were RELAXED! During my second trimester, I started to lose sleep and wake up every two hours. My body felt uncomfortable and my mind was racing with questions and thoughts about when AND HOW my son would be born. But Hypnobabies CHANGED THAT! I think there were maybe two times (during the time we were in Hypnobabies) that I had nervous feelings and started to break down but BD helped relax my thoughts with the birthing partner scripts. We had a few giggled over some of the lines, but overall, it (and he) was very helpful.

To be honest, paying for the childbirth classes with Hypnobabies was totally worth it just for SLEEP itself! SLEEP! MY HUGE PREGNANT @SS NEEDED SLEEP!!! I would complain to BD about my lack of sleep and get mad at him because he was able to sleep a full night... Man... But Hypnobabies finally helped me get my sleep back on track. I even started having a handful of nights where I was in such a deep sleep that I would drool! LOL!

It was such a great experience. All of our Hypnobabies classes were enjoyable because the wonderful mommies (and daddies)! Our hypnotherapist was just awesome! If you're interested in it, check out the Hypnobabies website at www.hypnobabies.com. If you're in Maryland, contact me or leave a comment and I'll share my hypnotherapist's contact information.

I'll save my experience during our birthing time for another day... so stay tuned!

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Don't forget to enter Overtime Mama's Kleynimals GIVEAWAY! Click to visit the post http://overtimemama.blogspot.com/2013/02/kleynimals-giveaway.html and get your entries in before 9:00 am on February 26, 2013!