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6.30.2011

Fellow Blogger Giveaway...... ERGO!!!!

Fellow blogger momma Uniquely Normal Mom is hosting a giveaway!!!! Go HERE to enter.... you could win an Ergo Baby Carrier!!! WOOHOO!!!!

6.28.2011

Happy 1/2 Birthday Boogie!

Well ladies and gentlemen, my sweet tiny little girl has hit the 1/2 year mark. As of yesterday she was about 16lbs and 26 inches long... compared to her newborn 5.13lbs and 18.5 inches long. She's growing fast, TOO fast for mommy! We've conquered rolling, we've conquered smiles, we've conquered laughter.... to think of all the things we have done in this past 6 months amazes me.... and we've got 6 more amazing months to go until my little girl turns one! My life revolves around naps, diapers, laundry, blowing raspberries on my baby's belly, tickling her little toes, breastfeeding, babywearing.... all things baby! I've loved every minute of it and I'm sure the next 6 months will be eve more fantastic.

So Boogie.... HAPPY 1/2 BIRTHDAY!




6.27.2011

CLOSED!!!!!! UPrinting Giveaway!!!! CLOSED!!!!!

I love snail mail... there's just something about receiving a physical card or letter. You just can't get the same type of satisfaction through emails or facebook messages! There is a GREAT site called UPrinting, it's an online printing company that specializes in paper products like cards, flyers, envelopes and much much more for your business or even your personal life! I love the postcards, it would be a fantastic way to get the word out about the boutique I'm starting up with my two aunts. Look at all the postcard designs you could use to personalize them!



 
 

Thanks to Uprinting, they are offering 100 free personalized postcards (restrictions apply, I will explain below)! You must be 18 years of age or older and a US citizen to enter, and you may not have won the same print giveaway from another blogger in the last 6 weeks!
To enter:
  • Like And Baby Makes Three on Facebook for TWO entries, you must leave a comment on this blog entry with the name you use on facebook.
  • Follow me on Twitter for ONE entry, you must leave a comment with your name and Twitter name.
  • Take a look at Uprinting's website and pick your favorite product. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product that is and what you would use it for! TWO entries.
Here are the restrictions for the winner's chosen postcards:
100 Postcards for One (1) Winner
5" x 7"
14pt Cardstock Gloss
No Folding
Front and Back Printing
2 Business Days Print Turnaround Time


Good luck! Giveaway ends JUNE 29 AT 9AM EASTERN!!!!!!!






Disclaimer: Required as per FTC Ruling (Please see example below)
This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, an online printing company, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive postcards for hosting. See more 
information about postcards and available postcard designs on UPrinting.com.

6.24.2011

Five Question Friday



1. What is your current favorite tv show?

GLEEEEEEEEE!

2. What's the worst haircut you ever got?
Pixe cut... I got it recut the next day into a "punkish" cut... long hair in the front, spikey in the back. Thought I was AWESOME, but it WAS much better than the pixie cut! LOL!

3. What was something that you did as a child that you thought you were so cool for doing?
Dancing to Achy Breaky Heart ... thanks mom...

4. Do you have any GREAT frugal family fun tips?
Rent a place that has a good sized kitchen and COOK YOUR OWN FOOD.... seriously, saves a ton!

5. Would you drive across country if you had the money to fly?
Yes... you'd get to stop and see all kinds of things on the way across country. What a great experience!



6.21.2011

Tuesday Ten

I'm starting a trend... ok not really. I'm starting something new for myself, if you'd like to do it as well, then fantastic! I call it Tuesday Ten... ten things I will list every Tuesday. This Tuesday's Ten will be ten things I HATE.

1. Mushrooms, really, who wants to eat fungus! That's GROSS!
2. Washing dishes. Ask my hubby, I NEVER wash dishes. I may be a SAHM and a housewife, but I do NOT do dishes. Nope, no, nadda.
3. Driving in the rain, especially storms. I feel unsafe driving, or even riding to be honest, in the rain. I include snow in this... so I guess really I should say that I hate driving in WET weather, LOL!
4. When people don't even try to breastfeed because it's "gross" or "wierd". I just don't understand that, it drives me INSANE.
5. Bills. But who doesn't?
6. Morning sickness... I loved being pregnant. I loved feeling Boogie move and kick and hiccup... but I did not enjoy throwing up every morning for 32 weeks.
7. When people try to tell me how to raise my child. Yes, I cloth diaper. Yes, I plan on breastfeeding until she's 1 or possibly older. Yes, I feed my daugher solid foods at 6 months. Yes, I intend on avoiding certain situations that my husband and I feel like aren't in the best interest for our daughter. No, I have not spent a moment away from my daughter since she was conceived... and I'm really OK with that.
8. That the church I grew up in is nothing it used to be... I miss the simplicity and love I felt when I walked through those doors as a child.
9. That I seem to stumble away from my daily devotions... even if it's unintentional. I wish I was better about sticking with it and keeping a routine.
10. Alcohol and narcotics... they are stupid. Just stupid. And they are even more stupid when someone you love loves them. YOU know who you are.

6.20.2011

Bedtime... What a Rollercoaster!

My Boogie is a GREAT sleeper... seriously, she can sleep 10-12 hours as long as I'm laying beside her. I lay down with her, nurse her, and then usually I can get 2-3 hours to myself to blog, do homework, or just read... it's FANTASTIC. Especially considering it's about the ONLY time I get to myself ALL day. Well, the past few nights teething has interfered with our nighttime routine. We go to bed as usual, usually between 9pm or 10pm (Boogie is a late nighter), any earlier and she is up every hour on the hour, I nurse her to sleep, and then she is good all night. She won't wake up unless she reaches out to touch me or tries to nuzzle up to me to nurse. Now, she is up about every half hour because she is in pain. I feel so bad for her, I even gave in and just gave her Tylenol tonight. I don't normally do that, I prefer to find a natural way to relieve it if possible, but she was just screaming and tears were pouring down her face... it's the only cry that sounds different now. The only other time she cries is when she can't find me or she's hungry, and it's nothing like when she's in pain.

I got her settled down, she fell back asleep... and then not 20 minutes later I hear her fidgeting, tossing and turning and start to fuss (for her, fussing is just that... no tears, no crying, just downright whining and fussing). She had leaked through her nighttime diaper ONTO my sheets. Really? And no, I did not change the sheets, and if you think that's gross well... just wait til you have children! J is asleep and has to be up early, so I threw a few receiving blankets over the wet spot and took Boogie to change her diaper and pj's. We go BACK to bed and I start nursing her again and she bites me... I shriek, she cries. Start over again... she bites... I shriek... she cries. This goes on for about 5 minutes and I finally just pick her up and just cuddle her and tell her "no biting, that hurts momma!" She calms down, and we try again and she finally just nurses and goes back to sleep. I'm dreading these teeth... she already bites me frequently and it HURTS. I feel like I'm nursing a newborn with a poor latch, my boobs HURT and are chapped... it's awful.

Anyways, that's basically how our nights have gone for the past several nights. She sleeps late, so it's not like I don't get enough sleep. I sleep GREAT and am so happy to have a child who has inherited some of my sleep habits (I love sleep), but teething SUCKS. And so does biting! I don't mind tending to her and losing my "me" time, but I'd rather her be content and not in pain. During the day she wears her amber teething necklace, and for those of you who think this is some crazy "crunchy" thing that doesn't work... believe me, it DOES. I forgot to put it on her one day last week and couldn't understand why she was so fussy and I wasn't able to calm her down... J asked if I had it on her and I didn't. About an hour after putting it on her she calmed down and all was well with the world. I've tried putting it around her ankle at night with socks, tights, etc.... it doesn't stay put and I don't want it cutting off her circulation. I am tempted to get an anklet but not sure if we really NEED another one just yet. Poor babies and their teeth :(

6.19.2011

**CLOSED** Lil Miss Crafty Pants Review & Giveaway! **CLOSED**

Here we go! It's finally time to review this adorable fleece soaker from Lil Miss Crafty Pants and to have a GIVEAWAY!!! Woohoo! I KNOW you're excited! ;-)


Tricia, the owner and crafty pants extraordinaire, sent me a fleece soaker to try out on Boogie... she requested Boogie's measurements and had it done VERY quickly and I received it in the mail promptly! Super easy to work with, and she has so many other awesome products available as well. The first time I put the soaker on Boogie I used a prefold without pins or snappis.



It was a little bulk with the prefold, but the one I used is a little too big for Boogie right now anyways. Despite the bulkiness, it was VERY absorbent and the fleece was so soft and didn't leak AT ALL! I was thoroughly impressed! The second time I put it on Boogie I used a smaller sized prefold with a bamboo insert (from one of my Kawaii diapers) folded into the prefold... so basically it was trifolded and placed in the soaker. I was a little worried it would leak this was but to my surprise, even after taking a 2 hour nap the prefold was soaked but the Fleece Soaker had kept me (because she was sleeping on me lol) and Boogie dry!

Boogie seemed to be very comfortable, she rolled around as usual and I love that the soaker doesn't leave marks on her like some of our pocket diapers do. I would recommend using fitted diapers inside the soaker, I think it would be easier to put on if using one of those rather than prefolds... but it did it's job nonetheless!



How cute is that? After washing it held up really well, of course with it being fleece you see normal wear after washing, but it remained soft and cushy! So, want to win one?

These links will come in handy:
Lil Miss Crafty Pants on Facebook
And Baby Makes Three on Facebook
And Baby Makes Three on Twitter

Winner must contact me within 48 hours or I will select another winner. Winner chooses size and whether you prefer a girl, boy, or neutral print!

To enter (Submit a comment on this blog entry, each comment is worth ONE vote, and I WILL check to see you have completed each task. Please submit one comment PER entry!)

1. Like Lil Miss Crafty Pants on Facebook, and comment on her page that And Baby Makes Three sent you! When posting your comment here please sign with the name you use on Facebook.

2. Like And Baby Makes Three on Facebook, and comment that you hope you win! n posting your comment here please sign with the name you use on Facebook.

3. Follow me on Twitter, submit your comment here with your Twitter username.

4. Tweet about this giveaway, please link back to this blog. On your blog comment please add your twitter username and paste the Tweet link or the Tweet itself to your comment.

5. Follow my blog. Comment that you are following the blog and whether you chose to use Google or Networked Blogs.

6. Grab my button and post to your blog! Please comment with your blog link and place the button somewhere easily seen!

7. Post a blog about this giveaway, and comment here with the link to that blog!



GIVEAWAY ENDS JULY 6, 2011 AT 12:01AM


6.17.2011

Father's Day

This Sunday is J's first Father's Day with Boogie finally here! Last year I got J some AWESOME gifts to celebrate him becoming a daddy... sadly he has not been able to use most of those gifts yet! I got him a new tent and two sleeping bags to go camping! If Boogie wasn't so small I'd take him NOW, but it's too hot to take her right now. Sorry babe :( This year Boogie and I got him a card with pictures of her (because... well, she's gorgeous!) and he loved it... not as big as last year, but I think he already has the best gift of all! Boogie! My poor hubby has to work on his first Father's Day so we ordered in and just hung out tonight to celebrate a bit early.... so baby, Happy Father's Day! I love you! Boogie adores you, and you are an AMAZING daddy!

6.10.2011

Five Question Friday




1. How close to your childhood dreams is your life now?
 Well, depends on which dreams were talking about! LOL! I dreamt of being a veterinarian, a teacher, a wife, a mommy, a singer... you name it. I think my dreams did come true... just the way they were supposed too!

2. What is one must have item for the summer?
SUNBLOCK. I am pasty white and PROUD! Ha! I need sunscreen or I turn as red as a lobster, and that is just NO good!

3. Do you have your kids stay up on school stuff during summer vacation? (Or, if you don't have kiddos, did your parents make you keep up on school stuff during summer?)
Boogie's not old enough for school yet, but when we start homeschooling we will follow a different schedule then public school. My mom didn't make us do any school stuff during the summer but I read any book I could get my hands on!

4. Do you can or freeze fresh produce?
No, but I'd love to learn!
5. Do you get ready for the day first thing in the morning?
I haven't been, but we are making a "schedule" for ourselves. I get up before Boogie wakes up and shower, brush my hair/teeth and get dressed. If she hasn't woken up yet I try to start some laundry. We'll see if this remains consistent!



6.09.2011

Love

Three years, ten thousand views, and over four hundred posts... that's my blog today! However, if you haven't been reading for long, then you may not have been formally introduced to the man of my dreams. J is the most amazing husband. He is so kind, sweet, funny, strong, and so many more amazing things. He is a man of God, a wonderful father to our beautiful little girl, a loving husband, and my best friend. I've been wanting to write all this down for months, but I felt like now was the best time to do it. It's almost Father's Day, just under 2 weeks now I believe, and I'm so excited to be able to celebrate it with my family. Granted, we will be celebrating on a Monday instead of Sunday because of his work schedule, but celebrate we WILL!

There are so many things I could tell you about my husband, he is the one person who can make me laugh when I'm really down, he can put on that goofy smile of his and it's over... I just can't help but smile at him! If you asked me about the first time I met him, I couldn't give you a definite storyline, because to be honest we've known eachother since primary school. We'd pass eachother around the school, in the cafeteria, at the pool... we were even in the same 5th grade class... but we didn't start hanging out until my Senior year in high school. He swept me off my feet, I fell head over heels for him and I never looked back. We were married in September 2007, one year and 8 months to the day of us starting dating, and 8 months after being engaged. You might say we rushed into our relationship, but from day one we felt like we were meant to be. Yea, I know... crazy right? God brought him into my life at the perfect time, he healed my heart and stole it away all in the same day.

One of the reasons I wanted to write about J was because this week he has been really down. Something my husband isn't good at is having faith in himself and being truly proud of himself. J had a hard time in school and now that he's taking this CDM (certified dietaray manager) course, it's thrown him for a loop. He struggles, but I think most of the time he struggles more because he just hasn't found the confidence to really fight through the challenge. I figured with 10,000 views (which have jumped from 3,000 to 10,000 in the matter of just a few months) I could gather enough people to be prayer warriors for my love. Would you be willing? This man I love is smarter and stronger than he thinks he is, and what better way for him to figure that out then by praying to the one person who can prove that to him? J is a man of God, he trusts in our Father and I know that He can show my husband how great he truly is!

So baby, I know you're going to read this because you are my most faithful reader... you are AMAZING, phenomenal, smart, handsome, sexy, hilarious, almost bald headed (you know I had to add that!), incredible, strong, loving, hardworking, talented, and much much much more. You are the best father our Boogie could ever ask for, and you are more than I could ever have hoped for in a husband, friend, lover, and partner. To me, you are perfect. You can do this. This may be the toughest challenge you have ever faced, but I have faith in you my love! Push through, look into our daughter's eyes and into mine... we are both so proud of you, and always will be. We are your BIGGEST fans! I love you, forever and ever babe!

April 2006


May 2011

"...this is my lover, this is my friend..."
Song of Solomon 5:16

6.04.2011

Stubborn Baby and Avocados

So. I attempted to take Elah's "5 Month" photos today (yes, a week late). Now, if I went back and counted, there's a good chance that we have well over a million pictures of Elah. Yea, I'm a first time mom... and I'm OK with that. My Boogie makes the BEST faces, every snapshot she has a new face... not anymore! I pull out the camera and she gives me the "camera glare", at least that is what I've dubbed it.









Yea... my girl of course brought out the gummy smiles AFTER I put the camera way! Little Booger!

We also tried avocado today! I stuck her in the high chair with 1/4 slice of avocado with half the skin still on it while I cooked lunch for myself... I think it's safe to say that Boogie likes avocado!

(Sorry for the poor quality pictures... I used my cell phone and got a smile!)











6.03.2011

5 to 15

I don't think some people realize how hard and how stressful being a stay at home mom can be, especially with a child who is attached at the hip (some would call her high needs or high maintenance lol). Boogie is constantly in my arms, being worn, or asleep on my lap... she refuses to sleep on her own, she refuses to play on her own, and when I try she screams. We're not talking fussy crying, we're talking full on tears pouring down her face, veins bulging, face turning red, "where's my momma" screaming. It's heartbreaking. So what else can I do? I hold her, I play with her, she sits on my hit while I cook, she hangs out in the wrap on my back when I vacuum... it's hard. BUT, it's the best job I've ever had, and it's the HARDEST job I've ever had. I'm learning to be patient, I'm learning to let the messes sit (although J is not to thrilled about that!), and I enjoy this time when Elah wants me all the time. I realize that someday she isn't going to want me, she'll grow up, push away hugs and kisses, want her friends instead of me, and then she'll have her own children who she'll do the same things for. It's hard, it's rewarding, it's my life.

Today I moved all of Elah's 3-6 month clothing out of her drawers and closets, with the exceptions of a few dresses and t-shirts... yea. My baby girl is growing, and she is growing quickly. All of her 6-9 and 9-12 month clothing is put away now. She has half a closet full of summer clothing, and half a closet full of winter clothing (thank you Babies R Us sale racks!). Then it hit me.... she really is growing FAST. She's almost sitting, next she'll be crawling... and then she'll be a toddler. It's thrilling and it's terrifying! I hope that when she finds her independence in sitting and crawling that she will allow me to walk away without flipping out, but at the same time I don't want her to get that big... I want her to stay my itty bitty 5lb infant forever. ::SIGH::

I guess what I'm trying to say is... I realized how big my little girl was today. My 5lb baby has turned into a 15lb almost 6 month old. Next thing I know... she'll be walking, talking, and growing right out of my life and into her own little family's life... it's all going TOO FAST!






Five Question Friday

 
1. If you had to choose, how would you prefer to choose to spend money...on landscaping or a pool?
Landscaping... with a little one I would prefer not to have a pool. Honestly, it would make me VERY nervous, even if it had a fence around it! I'd love to see beautiful flowers, shrubs, and flowering trees in my yard!

2. (Scott likes to get things stirred up...) Death penalty, yay or nay?
I say nay. The way I see it, no matter how awful and horrible the crime, we have NO right to take their life away. One of God's commandments is to not murder... so how is the death penalty NOT breaking that law, and I believe that by using the death penalty we are just as guilty as a criminal. Period.

3. What's the worst thing your kid has gotten into when you turned your back/blogged/showered/blinked?
Elah is still to small to really get into anything... but I fear crawling is on the horizon, and then I am in BIG trouble!

4. How often do you REALLY go to the dentist?
Oh geez, this is embarrassing, lol! I haven't been to the dentist since before I got married... that's what happens when you can't afford insurance!

5. What is your favorite animal (doesn't have to be a pet-type animal)?
OWLS!!!!! Duh! :)





6.02.2011

Ay Yi Yi!

It's been a LONG day. Nothing different from any other day really, but I think Elah and I both got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning :( I was grouchy, she was grouchy, and both of us were short on patience... and daddy paid for it LOL! Oh well, we got through it!

In other news... we are letting Elah try new foods every now and then until we start really trying to get her to eat in a couple of weeks. Today was green beans.

Yea... she wasn't a fan. I didn't even have to put it IN her mouth for her to make this face, she saw green and made awful faces, LOL!

In other news, we found out this week that Justin's cousin is having a boy so I'm working on a few things for their little one. I'm also working on leggies to sale on Little Angels Bowtique (a boutique full of stuff made by me and my two aunts). Eventually I'll start making burp cloths, cloth wipes, dresses, and flower clips... and I'm hoping to make some nursing covers too. We'll see!

Elah has also discovered her tongue and it is the cutest thing EVER!




How cute is that?!?!? Well, until next time... God bless!