This is a photo of my daughter, age 18 months, playing with a stick of all things... I love her expression of joy!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Kid in You Contest @ 5 Mins for Mom
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Milk Mama
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3:43 PM
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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!
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Milk Mama
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12:57 AM
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
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?
How many children do you have? What are their ages?
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.

How do you promote your business?
What have been your greatest challenges?
What have been your greatest rewards?

What are your business goals for 2008?
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Milk Mama
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9:47 PM
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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:
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Milk Mama
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9:37 PM
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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...
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Milk Mama
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6:34 PM
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Friday, May 23, 2008
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
Posted by
Milk Mama
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4:21 PM
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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...
- 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
- 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
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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
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!
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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
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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
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
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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
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?
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Milk Mama
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12:08 AM
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
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.
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Milk Mama
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10:47 PM
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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.
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Milk Mama
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6:47 PM
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
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!
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Milk Mama
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10:33 PM
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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!
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Milk Mama
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10:30 PM
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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:
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Milk Mama
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10:07 PM
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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!
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Milk Mama
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6:58 PM
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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!
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Milk Mama
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6:35 PM
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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!!!
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Milk Mama
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4:10 PM
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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!