Stuff....

I'm not sure what to write about. I honestly haven't been in a very blogging type of mood. I think I lost my mojo somewhere in southern Oregon. I blame it on my sister. Just kidding. She has awesome mojo. Maybe I should borrow some of her mojo. Jennifer is such a fun sister. I'm so blessed by her. She has a great sense of humor. She is so much fun! Something about her... she is going to Denmark this summer on a missions trip. I wish I could go. No fair. But it's really exciting. She is so psyched. I'm happy for her. I hope she finds a hot Dane or American guy while she's there... hehehe... but honestly she is there for God and I know that. ;)

Anna has been signing all of "Twinkle Twinkle" Have I mentioned that? I probably have. It's pretty adorable. I can't get over how fast she picked up on it. I hadn't signed the song for her in in months and out of the blue she started signing along with it as we sang in the car (I wasn't signing... she was!)

As far as the potty training goes, I'm not pushing her at all. I don't want to scare her away from potty training. While at my sister's she went two whole days where I only changed her twice. I was so proud of her. But she hasn't gone peepee on the potty lately. She has a signal... she holds my hand and leads me to the bathroom door. Then we go in and she tugs on her diaper then I pull it down and set her on the potty and she goes peepee (or farts lol if there's no pee)...

I was surprised today by Paul's aunt Mary coming by. She bought Anna two dresses, a pair of cute sparkly camo Levis that are adorable, and a cute tee with a cute saying which I can't remember... oh and a Spongebob ball! (I'll have to take pics soon... I know, I know... I keep forgetting to take photos of things I promise lol!) :D

That's enough chatty chatty for now. Good night!

Favorite Foto Friday: Pajama Party

This week's FFF theme is Pajama Party. Here are a few of Anna in my favorite pajamas. My friend Lauren got them for her for a baby shower present. Now they are getting really short on her, but she was six months old then and they fit pretty well for being size 12-18 months. ;) They are adorable. They have a hat that has a bear on them (not teddy bear, a bear) and on the butt the same bear and it says "Little Bear Bum" and she also gave Anna a wooden fish rattle. I love the whole outfit... it's so Northwestern. ;)

Kid in You Contest @ 5 Mins for Mom

This is a photo of my daughter, age 18 months, playing with a stick of all things... I love her expression of joy!

Lipstick to Crayons Celebrates 1st Birthday!

Lipstick to Crayons is Celebrating its first birthday!!! Just click on the site name for more information on how to participate. There are many prizes to be given out! Not to mention a great opportunity to meet new blogger friends!

Now to share a birthday memory... The greatest birthday I've celebrated so far is my daughter's of course. It marked one year of motherhood and one year of my daughter being alive and blessing our lives! I am so blessed to have a daughter. Thank you, Jesus! The birthday party was wonderful. I told everyone not to bring a present and guess what? They all did. LOL. I guess I'll leave that all out this next year. It was a wonderful dream. I made the cake (hubby did the writing... he is a very artistic person... I trust his handwriting!) and my hubby made the pinata (I helped glue some...) It was a lot of fun!

Prizes I like:

Tralala Sweet Tulip A-line dress from Avannabel Baby
A faux “wrap” style tied with a satin bow and buttons in back. 100% cotton. Available in sizes 2T, 3T, and 4T.

Handpainted pink & green clock from The Painted Present
The clock is made of a 10?x 10? gallery wrapped canvas with black clock hands.

Handmade smock or dress from K Bella Bambino Designs
High quality designer fabrics and exceptional attention to detail are used in every item they make!

Be Jeweled Designs: Behind the Scenes

A while ago, I interviewed via email Jennifer White, the president of Be Jeweled Designs. I've admired her adorable tutus and designs for a while, since I discovered her on the internet. If you have a minute, go ahead and through her answers. It's always awesome to personify a name and turn that name into a person. Jennifer is a designer and a mom.... what a woman! Even if you have no interest in her business (don't know why you wouldn't! She has such adorable designs!)... perhaps you are starting a business of your own, you might get a few ideas from an old pro!

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day, Jennifer!

How long have you been a work at home mom?

I have been officially running Be Jeweled Designs for about two years now. Yet I have been creating custom pieces for friends and family for about three.

How many children do you have? What are their ages?

I have two children, my son who is 6 and daughter who is 3. They both have their birthdays in August, so --gulp-- I am soon to have a 7 and 4 year old, where does the time go?!

What inspired you to start Be Jeweled?

My daughter! When she about one and a half she asked me to make her a tutu. Having no clue where to start, I just sat down and made what I thought looked cute for her. She loved it. And so did my husband! He really gave me the push I needed to take my little tutu to the next level. He would come home with fabric and ribbons and say things like, "I believe in you, you are good at what you do and I know you will be big some day." How can you not try after hearing that?! So i did. I started making samples and selling them on eBay, a few at a time, and they got rave reviews. So I took the leap, created a collection, and started my own site. Now here I am two years later going strong. Without my daughter's want/need for everything girly and my husband's constant love and support I know Be Jeweled Designs would not be where it is today.

There are a lot of on line companies created by work at home moms who make tutus. How do you set your business apart?

There are so many tutu boutiques out there now, each just a little bit different from the one before it. I set Be Jeweled Designs apart with our signature styles and great quality. I designed my site to look like an upscale boutique, showcasing our products in the same manner. When people see our online store I want them to be able to see and want their little one in our designs. I have been asked "Why do you not lower your prices, drop your quality and make styles like everyone else?" It is simple. I stand behind what I sell; each tutu and crystal tank is hand made by me and designed by me. You have to be true to your product line and name; believe in what you are selling and treat each customer as if they re your only one. That will never change.

How do you promote your business?

Be Jeweled Designs has promoted itself for the most part. Word of mouth has been our best advertisements. We also offer sales, discounts and new item buzz through our subscriber lists. And recently Be Jeweled Designs has gone blogging! Our blog has been a great way to introduce new customers to our product line! Be Jeweled Designs has also paired with other blog sites and offers fun giveaways.

What have been your greatest challenges?

Besides trying to find the time with two kids, a husband and house to run? lol. I would have to say my biggest challenge has been to stay true to my instincts and not conform to all the other tutu site that are out there. It seems that every site you go to have the same products, styles etc. and Be Jeweled Designs is different. It would have been very easy to copy all the other designs out there, use a lesser quality of materials and mark our items very low, but I couldn't do that. It is longer harder road but one I am grateful to be on.

What have been your greatest rewards?

Honestly it is not the fact that Be Jeweled Designs is sold world wide as far as Bulgaria, or that we are sought out because someone is looking for the perfect piece. It is the look on my son's face when he tells people, " My Mom has her own website and she makes really cool stuff!" Or the look my husband gives me when I create something new. It is knowing that i am doing what I always knew I could do, that I followed through stuck with it and my family is so very proud to be on the journey with me.

What are your business goals for 2008?

For 2008 Be Jeweled Designs strives to have our site triple in size, have our products in more retail stores and grow into a bigger and stronger company.

Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring work at home moms?

Yes! Believe in that you are doing, stick with it and never sacrifice your vision for the dollar signs you think you could be making by selling yourself short. Starting your own business is not the hard part, staying as true and honest as you were in the beginning is. Do your research, know your product line and customers needs. You are not alone there are so many women in business groups out there full of information and support for those time you feel like it is all to much. You can make it happen!

Win a 100 Dollar GC to Swimsuits for All @ Mom of Two Dancers

Mom of Two Dancers is having a great giveaway! Just in time for summer! Just CLICK HERE to enter to win a 100 dollar gift certificate!
This swimsuit is my favorite:

My Week So Far

I had a great time with my big sis. She is 3 years older than me. We are great friends, I think. I think she would agree. She seems to be doing better with my brother's death so far, but every day is hard for her, I think. She is single and has a lot of time to think about things.
We spent most of the week watching Bones. Hahaha, I'm glad to say that I've gotten her addicted to this show. It's one of my favorites. Jen thought it was an awful show, without even watching one episode. So I force-fed her a couple of episodes and after that she was hooked. I've converted my sis lol. ;)
Also, I went to Walmart and got a pattern for a little jumper dress and some Spongebob material and made Anna a Spongebob Dress. I sewed it by hand because I have no sewing machine. I'd love a sewing machine, but I think I did pretty good without it. Anna loves her new dress. ;)
About a week ago Anna started to sign along with "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" in the car. It was funny because I hadn't signed the whole song to her in a long time. She caught on so fast. Children have fantastic memories! When we were in Walmart picking out the pattern, Anna was singing and signing. When she sings she says, "Teetle, teetle... how I..." It's completely adorable. I was looking for the pattern and Anna was singing and signing. At first Paul was pretty confused... he didn't know what she was doing, then he realized she was signing "world" and "diamond" and realized she was singing Twinkle Twinkle!
My week was great. It was wonderful to spend time with my sister!!!
Above are a couple of camera phone pics from this week so far...

Memorial Day Weekend

We're about to leave here and go visit my sister for the holiday weekend. May your weekend be blessed!


Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

Answers!

Thank you for all of the great questions. I'm answering a little early. It's Thursday night... almost Friday morning. I'm going to go see my sister on a spur of the moment visit.

Here are the answers to your questions:

Shannon @ Gabi's World said...

How did you meet your hubby? (If you haven't already answered this)

How many kids do you and your hubby plan on having? When are you going to be trying again?

That's all I got for now!

I met my hubby when I was sixteen and a half years old at church. I grew up in a very small town called John Day. You can look it up if you wish. It's really small. His parents were ministering at a nearby town thirteen miles away (that's nearby for there!). I first heard of their family moving in probably when I was thirteen or so and I remember my mom telling me that the oldest boy was cute. I thought I was a smarty. I decided to ignore my mom. Who wants to listen to their mom on that kind of advice? Not to mention, I was pretty sure that all pastor's sons were huge losers. You know, the Star Wars-acting-out-kind who likes to watch Power Rangers in their spare time (ok... so I was looking at my pastor's son for this particular conclusion lol. We met on an Easter Sunday just about six months before his family moved away. I thought he was CUUUUUUUTE. He was one of those guys with the baggy jeans and the chain around the neck lol... nothing like I'd seen before (all guys in JD wore Wranglers if that's a hint to you). I helped him fix a high chair for a little boy his family watched. Soon after we started talking and writing letters to one another. It was that summer, just a few months later that I knew I was going to marry him. We told each other we loved one another. We married three and a half years later after our first year in college. I love my husband. I'm so thankful that God gave him to me. I'm also thankful he doesn't wear chains or jeans that show his butt-crack lol anymore!

If I had a choice I'd be working on number two baby right now. Can't because of finances right now. I love children. I adore being a mother!!! I'm not sure how many children we will have, but I hope that we have a large family (more than 3 children.) But I'm pretty sure God will give us what he wants to. Maybe we'll be one of those families with just two kids... maybe we'll be one of those families with ten lol! We will see!

Jenn said...

Hey that's what I was going to ask,hmm Who picked out your daughter's name you or your husband or both? There you go , now you have a few .

May 19, 2008 9:16 AM

I have always loved the names Anne and Anna. I was the one who decided on Anna. Anna's middle name was harder to decide. I felt from the beginning we were having a girl (totally God) so I spent my time looking at Girls names even before I was pregnant I was looking at Girls names (God again... that story another time!) Anna was at first Anna Beatrice, but I felt that was all wrong, so we kept searching. I wanted it to be a unique name (not Marie or Grace or Elizabeth... all common middle names for girls... even mine is Marie!) Paul always sang to me this song, "Daisy, Daisy give me your answer true. I'm half crazy all for the love of you!" You know the song? Anyhow, he sang that song to me one day when I was 17 weeks pregnant and we had a EUREKA moment. From that time on she was Anna Daisy!

Lisa & Gerald said...

Hey how is Anna going now with potty training ? Hope she's going great for ya

May 19, 2008 12:54 PM

So far Anna is doing great. We're not really actively potty training. I've decided to put her on the potty once a week and give her a chance to get a feel for the potty thing. I don't want her to scare away from it. But we are considering getting her a potty chair and panties and letting her do her thing and test the waters a little more... maybe go for a dip? :D We'll hopefully be buying the potty this weekend, depending if I can talk hubby into it. We'll see... I'll update any new potty details as they come. I'm hoping she'll be an easy trainer. So far all signs point to YES on the easy scale! ;)

Heather said...

Congrats on 18 months of breastfeeding!! I'd like to know who have been your biggest inspiration/encouragement in your breastfeeding journey. And who are the most influential in your commitment to breastfeed?

May 19, 2008 1:57 PM

Oh gosh, this is probably going to be the hardest question because I don't know the answer. From the beginning I wanted to breastfeed. I wanted to do what was best for her as far as diet goes. I knew about the benefits for mom and baby with breastfeeding. I never bought one bottle, although my MIL did. I never bought one thing of formula, although Similac sent me plenty. They sat untouched in my cupboard. I was basically determined. Not to mention my finances (college kids, we were) did not leave much room for formula, bottles, all of the things that went with that. I also knew what my body could do. I knew it could feed my daughter and do well. I knew my body would do a good job at it. Why give up free milk? So I breastfed from the beginning. I didn't have failure as even a distant option. This was how my daughter was going to survive and live. From me. And I loved it from the beginning. I remember crying... BAWLING while nursing my newborn. The connection between us while nursing was just amazing and IMMEDIATE. After such a rough labor I was... AM... certain that God gave this ability to me as a blessing. Every moment has been a blessing!
I never really had anybody in my life who was an example for breastfeeding. I knew my mom breastfed me until I was 6 months old. My MIL stopped at 3 months with all of her kids, but she was really supportive and still is of my extended breastfeeding. Thanks Mom!

MCC said...

Just started reading your blog so, if you've already answered this..sorry.

When I had my 3 daughters, the DR. encouraged me to breastfeed (of course). But since my Mom didn't breastfeed, she didn't support me doing it. I didn't have a group of ladies to help me or encourage me so I gave up. Do you find that common? That if Mom did or didn't, daughters follow suit?

May 20, 2008 6:55 AM

I've met lots of ladies who breastfeed and yes, I've found that lots of the ones who either wean early or don't breastfeed at all were not breastfed by their mothers, especially if the influential women in their lives don't support it. My own mom has been sending my subtle hints to wean my daughter since she was still little, ten months or so. "I told you you should've weaned her!" That kind of thing. But I can admit that we do not have a very close relationship at all. I love her very much, but we have never been emotionally close. So that did not effect me in any way. I'm thankful that my MIL who only breastfed for 3 months with each of her three kids has been so supportive. I remember reading once an article to her about the benefits of extended breastfeeding from Kellymom.com. She said afterwards, "Well, it's working for Anna! She is so bright and so healthy!" I'm very thankful for her. I've had lots of friends who have also tried to talk me into weaning, but I have ignored them also lol. But I've also had friends who have encouraged me (Violet, if you're reading this, Thank You!)

Margie G. said...

Since I am due w/my 2nd in just about a month, my question for you is how you keep the milk flowing!? LOL I seemed to dry up around 9 months with my son but I would really like to nurse longer this time.
I was so concerned about not feeding on demand but it backfired and my son used me as a human pacifier!? Ugh...I definitely need to get a nursing cover this pregnancy.
What is your best advice to help me nurse as long as I can (but I still like to do the bottle thing 1x day so my hubby can participate & so I can get out once in a while for some drinks!!!)

May 20, 2008 7:21 PM

Good question! Oh boy, but I'm not an expert. I can only tell you what I did...
I exclusively breastfed Anna. I also Breastfed on Demand (not scheduled, fed her when she was hungry). She had formula on three occasions. The first time was before my milk came in and my hubby talked me into letting her take a bottle because she was cranky and I was laid up in bed and in pain and on pain killers which made me loopy (PS NEVER take Perkoset!!! Not only is it addictive it also causes horrible constipation!) The next time was when my daughter was 6 days old. I was in the ER for 6 hours (thank you Perkoset!) The next was when she was 2 weeks old. I hadn't slept in so long. My darling hubby fed Anna all night long and slept on the couch while I got some much needed sleep.She didn't like the formula, she spat it up a LOT. She was covered in stains the next morning and had the worst smelling poop ever (you know, with the exception of post introduction to solids poops lol). I have let her pacify herself on my breast as well. She stopped using her binky at 7 months old (weaned herself... although when she finds a binky that was hers a while ago, she'll start sucking on it go figure) but then decided mommy was better. At first I didn't care. She was sleeping. I was tired. It worked for us. Some people suggest letting baby pacify on the mother's breast if you are using BFing as birth control. But after a while I became very tired from it, especially as she neared a year and was bigger and hungrier.
I don't know what to do, but I would suggest that instead of using formula for your hubby's bottle feeds, I would use a pumped bottle of breast milk. The more formula introduced, the less your breasts will make. Your breasts are supply-and-demand. Once you are demanding less milk, then you will make less. Hope that all helps... sorry for the rambling. ;D

FireMom said...

I just found your blog (subscribing now!) from a random click. So happy to meet you!

Did your daughter grow at a normal rate? Was she small or big? I'm about to fight the good fight with my pediatrician at LittleBrother's next (6 month) appointment. He's falling below his own set curve and ... I'm scared of what the doc is going to suggest.

Anyway. Nice to meet you!

May 21, 2008 11:34 AM

Hi Fire Mom! Nice to meet you! I'm glad you are reading my blog! Sorry I won't be around until next week, but I usually blog quite a bit.
Did my daughter grow at a normal rate? OH HECK NO!!! but not in the same way LittleBrother has not grown at a normal rate. She was 7 lbs and 11 ounces at birth and 20 inches long. At two months old she was 12 lbs 12 oz and just one week later she was 8 ounces heavier and over 13 pounds. By 4 months old she was 4 ounces shy of 18 pounds. By 6 months she was 20 pounds 3 ounces. She was always in the 90th + percentiles in height and weight. But she has since slowed down quite a bit. She is only (I use the word only lightly) 25 pounds now. I say only meaning that she has only gained 5 pounds in the last year. She gained the majority of her weight in the beginning of her life. I blame that on fatty rich milkshakes in these breasts and on demand feeding (not a problem... made it easier on me as far as not needing a schedule, but boy howdy did she grow fast!!!)
I hope that LittleBrother's appointment goes well!!! Good luck!

Fire Mom, Leah added in the comments:

The only thing I would add is this...to Firemom: MOST breastfed babies fall off the standard growth chart after 4 months. The growth charts are made for FORMULA fed babies, not breast. She can check with La Leche League or probably even google a breastfed baby growth chart to show her pediatrician that the standard of growth is different for exclusively breastfed babies. This has been the case w/ all of mine and yes, I have had to fight the good fight as well.
((from me, I am sorry, I forgot about this... I'd check out Kellymom.com I saw a growth chart for breastfed babies there. Kellymom is a great resource!!!)

Stephanie said...

Do you co-sleep with your little girl...and what led you to your decision?

Yes, I do co-sleep with my daughter. You know, I never thought I would co-sleep. I was so paranoid about all of the risks that people talked about with co-sleeping. When my daughter was born, from the very minute she was born, she refused to sleep in the little isolette at the hospital. She only slept while being held. By about a week later, my husband and I were exhausted. I was falling asleep mid-sentence (very interesting experience), mid-everything really. We were so tired it wasn't even funny... well, it was a little funny! But one day after breastfeeding Anna while lounging in bed with the pillow behind my neck and Anna on my nursing pillow, I just fell asleep. I woke up maybe an hour later with Anna peacefully STILL SLEEPING!!! How could it be? This little girl woke every minute, right? Nope, she was peaceful as ever next to her mommy's warm body. From that moment on, we knew our miracle answer to sleep. We began to co-sleep. I am such a light sleeper (seriously, even uneven breathing wakes me up!!! How strange, huh?) So I knew that rolling over on Anna was not even a possibility with us (although I did wake up and check her breathing like every half hour for the first year of her life lol!!! I still do, but not so often!) I also researched safe ways to co-sleep with your baby. And if you are wondering if it's an issue, Paul and I do not consume alcohol... more for religious reasons, really. Not because we are commanded to, but we like to keep our minds clear... plus, I don't like the idea of vomiting in a toilet with a migraine--ok I'm off track again! I think with the next baby, though. I will still co-sleep. It made it so much easier for breastfeeding (and for my paranoia... LOL) but I think that when he/she turns around 6 months, we'll start transitioning to a crib more, or co-sleeper, or something like that... especially for naps. With Anna I let her nap in my arms for every daytime snooze until she was around 5 or 6 months old. Literally. She didn't sleep in her crib until then! I just wanted to be around her for every moment and not miss one new thing... it's hard to describe. But I'm realistic and I know that with the next baby that won't be too possible. Anna will need me more and my attention will be divided. With how fast Anna grew, if the next baby grows that fast, then baby-wearing won't be possible either. I couldn't carry Anna in a carrier after she was 3 months old. She was too heavy for my 5 foot 1 inch frame! But we sure did do a lot of cuddling on the couch!!! :)

Favorite Foto Friday

This week's theme is to basically pick the one photo that you loved the most this week. This week I've posted lots of photos my daughter from the day she turned 18 months. You can scroll down to look at them. I have loved them all. :) There are even more. I'll share them later this coming week. I'm going to go visit my sister Jen in Southern Oregon over the weekend. She has been much more sensitive to my brother's passing and often has hard times dealing with it, that plus she has been having issues with her boss who is heartless when it comes to her depression... he thinks she should've gotten over it by now...... GRRRRR.... But enough about that. If anyone asks, that's where I shall be for the next few days. I will be back on Monday! May you all have a great weekend! I'll check my blog before I leave tomorrow afternoon.
Love, Sarah

This is among my favorite photos of my daughter this week. I love this smile! :)
CLICK TO ENLARGE.

To see more FFF posts, see the main list at Kiss the Frog 4 Me.

From the News: Breastmilk Contains Stem Cells

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20081102-16879.html

The Perth scientist who made the world-first discovery that human breast milk contains stem cells is confident that within five years scientists will be harvesting them to research treatment for conditions as far-reaching as spinal injuries, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

But what Dr Mark Cregan is excited about right now is the promise that his discovery could be the start of many more exciting revelations about the potency of breast milk.

He believes that it not only meets all the nutritional needs of a growing infant but contains key markers that guide his or her development into adulthood.

“We already know how breast milk provides for the baby’s nutritional needs, but we are only just beginning to understand that it probably performs many other functions,” says Dr Cregan, a molecular biologist at The University of Western Australia.

He says that, in essence, a new mother’s mammary glands take over from the placenta to provide the development guidance to ensure a baby’s genetic destiny is fulfilled.

“It is setting the baby up for the perfect development,” he says. “We already know that babies who are breast fed have an IQ advantage and that there’s a raft of other health benefits. Researchers also believe that the protective effects of being breast fed continue well into adult life.

“The point is that many mothers see milks as identical – formula milk and breast milk look the same so they must be the same. But we know now that they are quite different and a lot of the effects of breast milk versus formula don’t become apparent for decades. Formula companies have focussed on matching breast milk’s nutritional qualities but formula can never provide the developmental guidance.”

It was Dr Cregan’s interest in infant health that led him to investigate the complex cellular components of human milk. “I was looking at this vast complexity of cells and I thought, ‘No one knows anything about them’.”

His hunch was that if breast milk contains all these cells, surely it has their precursors, too?

His team cultured cells from human breast milk and found a population that tested positive for the stem cell marker, nestin. Further analysis showed that a side population of the stem cells were of multiple lineages with the potential to differentiate into multiple cell types. This means the cells could potentially be “reprogrammed” to form many types of human tissue.

He presented his research at the end of January to 200 of the world’s leading experts in the field at the International Conference of the Society for Research on Human Milk and Lactation in Perth.

“We have shown these cells have all the physical characteristics of stem cells. What we will do next is to see if they behave like stem cells,” he says.

If so, they promise to provide researchers with an entirely ethical means of harvesting stem cells for research without the debate that has dogged the harvesting of cells from embryos.

Further research on immune cells, which have also been found in breast milk and have already been shown to survive the baby’s digestive process, could provide a pathway to developing targets to beat certain viruses or bacteria.

Yet another awesome reminder of what breastmilk does for our little ones! :)

Win a True Fit Car Seat @ Seven Dogs and a Baby

Seven Dogs and a Baby is having a great giveaway for a True Fit Car Seat! This car seat is the only one you will ever use. It can be used for a baby 5 pounds to a toddler size 65 pounds! CLICK HERE for a chance to win! Blog about it for another chance!

Win a $100 GC @ Good for the Kids

Good for the Kids is having a Grand Re-Opening Giveaway for a one hundred dollar gift certificate to their wonderful store!!! Just click here for a chance to win! Blog about it for another chance! Good luck!

My Little Girl is a Happy Panda!

Anna is now on the Happy Panda website! CLICK HERE and see who is in the last photo! You'll see someone familiar! :)

Thank you all for helping me decide which photo to choose! This photo received the most votes:

Wordless Wednesday: Lovin on Baby

My daughter turned 18 months old on the 19th. These are two of the photos of my daughter loving on "Baby" her dolly.
Also CLICK HERE to see two more photos and help me decide which one you like most. Thanks!

Chesapeake Ribbons!

I recently won 3 of Chesapeake Ribbons' bows. They came in the mail today. They are beautiful. They aren't teeny little bows, either (which is what I expected), they are the huge poofy girly bows! I'm so excited!!! I can't wait for Anna to have enough hair for ponies and bows. You might call me obsessive... I can't deny it, though! ;)

Anyhow, here are the 3 beautiful bows that I received from Chesapeake Ribbons:

The Lauren Bow! This bow is big, poofy, girly, and even a little silky soft. I love it!
The next bow I won is the ultra-girly, pink and white polka dotted Meggan Bow. It's so adorable that I want to cry because Anna doesn't have enough hair for it yet (actually I did put it in her hair, but she yanked it out---yowch! Maybe give it a year?)
My last bow, the Valentine Bow is really adorable! I'm praying Anna has enough hair for it for next February 14th! Mine actually is red with white hearts. It's so cute!!!
Thank you Chesapeake Ribbons!!!
Also, see CR's blog by clicking HERE!

Also, Chesapeake Ribbons is a proud sponsor of the upcoming Cyber Baby Shower in July!

Woman Breastfeeds EIGHT Babies!

CHENGDU, China - A Chinese policewoman is contributing to the country’s massive earthquake relief effort in a very personal way -- by breastfeeding eight babies.

A newspaper in Chengdu, the capital of quake-hit Sichuan province, devoted a special page to the 29-year-old woman, calling her a “hero.”

The woman from the quake-ravaged town of Jiangyou has just had a child herself, the Western Urban Daily said.

She is nursing the children of three women who were left homeless by the quake and are too traumatised to give milk, as well as five orphans, the report said.

The babies who lost their parents have been put in an orphanage which does not have powdered milk, it said.

An estimated 50,000 people were killed in the May 12 earthquake, China’s worst natural disaster in a generation.

SEE SOURCE ARTICLE HERE.

Making milk truly is a superpower! This woman is my hero!!!

Help Me Decide!

CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

Hi! I took photos of Anna in her Fabulous onesie from Happy Panda Baby. I have to decide between the two following photos, but I'm not sure which one! I love the first one because her eyes look so green and big and I love her expression. I also love the second because she has her hands up and it's so adorable (by the way, I said Praise Jesus and she stuck her hands in the air... so cute!) but I also love her expression here, too. So which one would you choose?
Thanks, Sarah

18 Months Old Today

Today marks two very special occasions. One I knew immediately, that my daughter is eighteen months old today, and the other I didn't think too much of it until another lady celebrated her anniversary... today marks eighteen months of breastfeeding. One and a half years. It's hard to believe it. I've been very blessed that my breastfeeding experience has been blessedly uneventful. Breastfeeding has been relatively painless... I think. I seem to have a high pain tolerance. And I've never had to deal with Mastitis (thank God!)... my sister had it with two of her four children and it led to her weaning her youngest at around 8 months. That would've been heartbreaking for me. I cherish this experience. It's a blessing! I've only had plugged breast ducts on three or four occasions. If I'm right that can lead to Mastitis, but I've always been able to catch it immediately and relieve the clog very quickly. Anyhow... here is a photo taken yesterday of my daughter on the eve of her 1 and a half year birthday.
PS: Do you know how difficult it is to get an eighteen month old (or a toddler of any age, for that matter) to sit still enough for a photo to turn out clearly? Plus I use the digital feature on my camera and IT STINKS!!! Here's to praying for a better camera. Maybe I'll win one? LOL. That would be nice! ;)

PPS: Sorry you all have to read my complaints about the camera so much. It takes great footage, but the photography sucks. *sigh*

Breastfeeding Fact O' The Week

Tandem Breastfeeding

Do you need to wean in order to become pregnant again? No, you do not. Although I am sure there is a small percentage of women who must in order to become pregnant, but it is far from impossible.

Some women might worry that if they breastfeed a toddler then there won't be enough milk for the new infant. This is not true. In fact, our breasts are amazing things. They will create enough milk for two children at any volume. Tandem breastfeeding often helps to meet the needs of two children. The older child will not be left out and will get that one-on-one special nursing time with mom, too. You'd be surprised at how often this is practiced all over the world.

For more information, click here or here.

Pray for Lauren

If you get a chance, please go to Lauren's Blogsite and send your prayers her way. Lauren is an outgoing preschooler who has a brainstem tumor which is said to be inoperable. But we all know that our God is the God of miracles!

Scripture Sunday

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”- Hebrews 6:10

I Just Realized...

I was just thinking. Anna is now 25 pounds and 18 months old. That means she has only gained 5 pounds in the last 12 months!!! (She was 20 pounds at 6 months!)

Happy Panda!

Can you believe that I've already received the stuff I ordered from Happy Panda earlier this week? They are all such adorable outfits! I'll share pictures hopefully tomorrow of Anna in them... then much later I'll take better photos and email them off to Happy Panda. Anna is going to model the new Fabulous onesie.... it really is fabulous. It's so cute with a little diamond on the butt!
Anyhow, here is what I received in the mail today:
1 Fabulous onesie... it's so adorable. I ordered it 12-18 months and it fits perfectly on my 25 pound, 32 inch daughter. They make these clothing for the tall/chubby baby. Gosh, I could've used these clothes when my daughter was a rolly polly 20 pound 6 month old lol!












Next, I got this Tagless Beach Panda onesie. I should've also ordered it 12-18 months, but I'm just not used to ordering that smaller size. I ordered it 18-24 months, but I'm afraid Anna won't fit into it until winter lol. Oh well. It sure is ADORABLE!












Then I got these pants. I ordered these also 12-18 months. They seem short, but I haven't tried these on yet. If all else fails, I'll save them for the next baby (if that baby ever comes along!)












Then I got this adorable halo hat. I got it for a friend who just had a baby. But I swore it would be itty bitty but it even fit on Anna's big noggin! Do you know what that means? Even if your baby has a huge head, like Anna had as an infant, she could STILL wear hats!!! I'm excited about that!!! Man, I wish I knew about Happy Panda when Anna was an infant!

Thanks Bediboo & Pink With Sparkles!

I just found out that I'm winning this adorable Hot Pink Flower Growth Chart from Bediboo! It's adorable! I'm so lucky! I've been wanting to get a growth chart for my daughter. Thanks to Pink With Sparkles and Bediboo!
Bediboo also has a thousand more adorable products at their store! Go check them out! :)

Crazy Weather

Yesterday was in the high 80s and today is supposed to top off at 95 degrees! Then the day after that is in the eighties and from there on out it's supposed to go back to rainy and in the 60s! The weather here can be so strange! One day extremely hot, the next cold and rainy. I was about to go through Anna's clothing and weed out the winter clothing, but after looking at the forecast, I think I will put that off for a while.

Favorite Foto Friday

This week's theme is "Fun in the Sun"! This photo was taken of my daughter in August when we went to the ocean. She was 9 months old at the time. You can click to enlarge the image. I created this collage last summer, that's why it says Beach Baby on it. I just now added my blog name for safety's sake.

Oh yeah... YES she DID eat the sand lol! :D

You can see other FFF posts at Kiss the Frog 4 Me.

Our Adventures at the Beach

Today we went to the beach. I'm so sad that I don't have any photographs of the day. I left my camera behind. :(
Anyhow, it was really warm at the coast and we were sweating while walking towards the ocean (we had to park quite a ways away). But once we got closer the wind was blowing and it was actually pretty chilly. I put on my sweater and put on Anna's long sleeve swim shirt from Land's End (very helpful). Anna loved the water and the sand. She ran through the water (the very shallow surf) and picked up wet sand and threw it over and over. After about fifteen minutes she was very chilly and was shivering. So we left. We went and rinsed off under the outdoor showers. Anna did not like that. She screamed! I stripped her, showered her, and put her in warm clothes very fast. We stopped at a little pizza place on our walk back and ate. It was very yummy pizza. Anna refused to stay in her high chair and kept escaping from her seat. So I set her on the chair next to mine, but she kept standing up. After a few moments the worst thing happened--she knocked the chair backwards while she was standing on the chair and facing towards its back. She and the chair fell to the ground (the CONCRETE ground!) For a split moment she laid very still then started crying. I scooped her up so fast. She was crying, but not a single drop of blood. I started crying. I should've seen it coming, I thought. I was crying, she was crying. I'm sure it was quite a scene. I just felt so bad. What if she was injured and I couldn't see it? She didn't even bleed. Even the bruise that is now on her forehead is quite light... big, but light. It doesn't make sense to me. I can only think that the Lord was protecting my little monkey once again! So we quickly left. We decided since Anna was doing better we should spend a little time in the games. Paul played DDR and I followed Anna as she wandered around. On my way out I put fifty cents into one of those toy retrieving machines and won Anna a little dolly on the first try! We then walked back to the car and drove home. Exhausted, fully, and paranoid (or at least I was the paranoid one). I kept checking to see if Anna was still breathing lol.
I guess that serves me right for watching so much "Bones" lately. I just watched an episode where the victim had a hematoma under her skull.... and to top it off I learned about a family who lost their 18 month old son the other day to RSV. Please keep them in prayer. The little boy has a twin brother. He was in the car, started to cry, then "fell asleep" but really passed away. I couldn't imagine that. It would be so hard!
Ok... enough Chatty Cathy for now. Good night. I'm exhausted.

Going to the Beach

Today we are going to the beach... obviously it's just barely after midnight now and we'll need to get some sleep first, but that's what we'll be doing today. I'm excited. I love the ocean. It's probably one of the best places on earth. It's calming. It's wonderful. I love the Oregon Beach. It's been so long since we've gone to the ocean. I think last August was the last time we went.

Wordless Wednesday: Disneyland

These are photos of our trip to Disneyland in February 08. My parents received a settlement after my brother's death and we decided to spend it as a family with a trip to D-Land. Click to Enlarge.

Anna and mommy on the carousel x2, our family with a giant bug from A Bug's Life, Anna on Snow White's stoop.

Anna and me with Pooh at the character breakfast, Daddy and Anna with Eeyore, Nephew Cade with Chip or Dale (don't know which is which), Capt. Hook threatening my nephew Cade.

L-R/T-B: Anna, Anna and Pluto, Anna and daddy X2.

Anna on the big A of CALIFORNIA, Anna and me with my nephew Cade on the rocket rides... won't do that again!, Anna with her Daisy Duck, Standing in line for the Rocket Ride.

Back to front: Me with my arms in the air, my nephew Cade, hubby Paul, sister Jen.

Anna on Goofy's I think Mickey's chair, playing on Goofy's Piano... she LOVED it!, Anna and Daddy... one of my most favorite photos of them together, Anna on the piano again.

Anna and me with Alice... the only character she wasn't afraid of, Daddy and Anna with Chip or Dale... she was afraid of him, Anna and me with Minnie... Anna was afraid of their big masks, Paul, Anna, my nephew Case and niece Alayna.