Babywearing love!

My new Beco Butterfly arrived today! I've been coveting one since before H was born, but just couldn't justify the price when I knew I had other babycarriers I could use. Well, I got a GREAT deal at www.mamabargains.com more than 50% less then retail at other places. You can bet I jumped on that!

I was so happy to see the box sitting by the gate today. I immediately watched the DVD, and as soon as nap was over I popped her in it. She likes it, and we have already been cruising around the house and yard with it. With this and my Moby I should be all set. I HEART babywearing!!

Mamas are not meant to get sick

Because your children always need something, your husband really can't keep up, the laundry doesn't get done, crying ensues, and the house falls apart around you.

That being said...Mastitis sucks!

I would never trade the breastfeeding relationship I have finally achieved, but bottles never came with infections. :(

Adventures in cake making

Along with birthday parties come birthday cakes. About 6 weeks ago Piper saw a Strawberry Birthday cake she loved at Publix. It was three layers tall at it's highest and had a Strawberry house, Strawberry herself, Ginger Snap and Orange Blossom on it. Being a dutiful mother I went to see about ordering the cake and about peed myself when they told me it would be $80! Now, there is no way we can afford an $80 cake right now, and really there is no way I would pay that for a child's birthday. SO off to ebay I went, where I found the exact same cake topper and put in a Best Offer price. One week later Strawberry and CO. were at my door and I was ready to begin.

Maybe I should have taken into consideration the fact that I would be out of town working all day Saturday (see my previous post about the car ride from hell), but I didn't. I got home around 10:30 and still had to start a cake. Got the cake in the oven, and out to cool, dropping in to bed around 12. At 6:30 the next morning I was up only to find a cake with a center that had dropped out of it. My heart dropped almost as low as that cake. Now what would I do? I still had 2 more layers to make as it was, I couldn't start over. SO off to Publix I sent Jeff for more cake mix. While he was gone I cooked the gluten free layers (weren't parties easier before our riends had food allergies?) and died the white frosting. I then turned to my practically ruined cake and inspiration hit. Out of the pantry I pulled a tiny loaf pan, that kind that come with toaster ovens. It was just the size of the flat center of the cake! So I cut out the flat part, and when Jeff got home I baked a white cake in that pan and gently slid it into the whole when it had finished baking. WhaLa! A whole cake again, sturdy enough to hold two more layers and a big freaking plastic Strawberry. Whew! Disaster averted, cake accomplished, and a happy 4 year old. It was beautiful if I do say so myself, and pretty darn tasty too. :)

Piper's party

So not quite one week after he turned 4 Piper got her birthday party. On Sunday we had the "4th Annual Piper County Fair" in our backyard (yes, I love theme parties). We had a hay ride, a "fish pond" behind an Ariel sheet, milk cans (or Gatorade bottles) to knock over, and a ball toss. My FIL made 2 GORGEOUS kid sized carnival booths to use (which we will also use as puppet theaters and lemonade stands forevermore), and the kids got popcorn, crayons, and homemade coloring books as prizes from the games. Since we are currently poor as churchmice this party was done for basically nothing and ALL the kids had a grand time! I LOVE homemade parties, and even if her friends do rent out the city pool and have ponies at their parties, Piper seemed to love her 4th birthday. I hope it provides good memories for her. :)

I hate car rides :(

So Saturday I had to be in Jacksonville. As part of my business I do local conferences and expos. We were at a Green Expo Saturday, and what would normally have been about a 3 hour ride turned in to the worst 4.5 hours of Hermione's life thus far. First, about an hour from home it started to rain. All my stock was in the back of the truck, and even though it was in rubbermaids and plastic drawers I was worried things might get wet. So a quick swing in to Target got me a tarp to put over everything. Of course by the time I got it on she was awake and screaming in the backseat. After a 10 minute snuggle we were on the road again! Fast forward and hour to a rest stop on I-10 where my mother (and business partner) needed a bathroom break. Hurry mom, the baby is still sleeping. HA! No such thing as hurrying my mom in the bathroom. Hermione woke up 8 minutes before my mom was event back to the car. Ok, out of the seat to nurse, into the bathroom for a MUCH needed diaper, back for more nursing, and 30 minutes later we are on the road again. This time she refused to go back to sleep and the fussing in the carseat began. I hung toys, I shook toys, I shook her carseat, I rubbed her head, NOTHING would work she was DONE with the seat. No where to get off on the interstate so we just kept going. We got in to Jax and I began to feel like it would be ok, we were afterall, almost there. Suddenly flashing red lights in front of us. The police had all three lanes of Arlington Rd. blocked off right before the bridge. Why you ask? SO that over 200 motorcycles could have the road for some kind of parade or special ride. Ugh, we sat in the car for 20 minutes while they all went by and by then she was in rare form. It was breaking my heart, she just sounded so awful, and still we couldn't get off the road till we got over the bridge because of all the backed up traffic. We finally pulled in to the mall parking lot and I ran to get her out. It was awful! SHe had spent herself screaming and just looked so dejected. I got her out, and nursed her and snuggled her, I was almost i tears myself. I felt like the worst mother ever for letting my child suffer that way (my mom isn't much help, she doesn't exactly approve of AP parenting and think crying is good for them). At that point I didn't care if we ever got to the expo, we were already late anyway. But we did get there, finally, and Hermione spent the rest of the day snuggled against me in her Moby wrap 9I could NOT survive without that thing!) where she looked around, slept, ate, and in general seemed pretty happy. I think she forgave me for the awful ride, now I just have to forgive myself.

To stroll or not to stroll...

That has become the question.

When our first child was born I bought or was given all the accepted "necessary" baby accoutrements. Then I realized half of them were a waste of time, money, space, or all of the above. Many things were given away or yard saled. In fact my last yard sale was right before I got pregnant last year, when I was sure we would never be blessed with another child, and I got rid of TONS of baby stuff. Bingo, pregnant the next month!

This time around we have been blessed with great friends who have given us just about everything we need, almost no cash outlay. Especially when you consider that I did NOT get rid of all my cloth diapers, so we only needed size small diapers and some overnights. We were given a swing, a cradle, and I traded for a co-sleeper (we keep chickens, gotta love the barter system). Now the question is...do I really need a stroller?

I learned to love baby-wearing with my first daughter. I used a ring sling for a hip carry, and a Mei Tai on my back. Eventually I even traded for an Ergo. This time around I have all of those, plus two wraps, another Mei Tai and Maya Wrap. My mother-in-law wants to get us a stroller, yet my heart says that money would be better spent on a Beco baby carrier. Is it practical NOT to have a stroller (I have been given a great double jogging stroller, but it's not practical for taking in the car. It takes up the whole back of the truck even.) Is a stroller something you really NEED for a baby?

What do you think?

How can it be?

In three short hours me first born will officially be four years old. The baby that I hoped and prayed, cried and begged, isn't a baby anymore. Now she is an amazing little girl. The baby days were sweet, the toddler years fun, and so far the preschooling time has proven challenging. But she is amazing. The little girl were rocked my world and changed my life is growing up, and I am priviledged every day to help her along on her journey. Sometimes I'm not sure I'm up to the challenge, and some days I'm sure I fall far short of the mother she deserves, but always I am greatful that she is mine.

Happy Birthday honey...Mommy loves you SO very much!