Another Round of What Would You Do

Last week I was out shopping with Drake when I noticed Baby Gap was having an amazing sale- 40% off all sale items!!! Loving Baby Gap the way I do, I just had to stop in and check out the deals.
I was browsing in the little boys section for some fall clothes for Drake. (Side note: Drake is a giant and will be wearing 2T pants this fall. I love the person who came up with adjustable waist pants, otherwise my skinny, tall boy would have to be wearing capris all winter) All of the sudden I see the sales associate approach Drake with a concerned look on her face. She crouches down and grabs a jacket Drake must have snatched off the rack and was about ready to put in his mouth and says "Oh no!! We do not put jackets into our mouth!! Somebody is going to want to buy this!" in a tone of disgust and marches off. I of course couldn't think of anything to say in response and stood there like a mute just staring at her.
Just to clarify, I don't go into stores and let me son chew on clothing. I was looking at the clothes and did not realize what he was doing. My issue is this lady was scolding my son, who by the way, has no idea what you are saying, when the comment was obviously directed at me. I'm pretty sure she was annoyed that he kept touching and pulling clothes off the rack (that I of course picked up and put back.)
Have you been to Baby Gap lately? At least at my store, there is not a single place to put a stroller that your baby would not be able to touch some sort of clothing since the aisles are so narrow.

So I want to know your honest opinion.
What should I have done?
OR
Was I in the wrong for letting him touch the clothes in the first place

Heavy Heart

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this post.

A very dear friend of mine lost her husband very suddenly and tragically on Sunday. She has 2 young children. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Pray for strength and healing during this most difficult time.

This Explains it All

The 1st Birthday invitations

The paw print napkins

The golden retriever balloon

The dogs in party hats wrapping paper

The puppy cake

It all had to be puppies

Because Drake already has a best friend.

A loyal friend.

A patient friend.

A forgiving friend.

A furry friend.

Drake is lucky to have Skinner.

Skinner is lucky to have Drake.

Best Friends

Every boy should have two things: a dog, and a mother willing to let him have one.

Anonymous

Potatoes

This morning when I had my back turned Drake got in our pantry and pulled out a potato and tried to take a bite out of it. I thought it was so cute and called Ben to come downstairs and check it out. He got a bit of a panicked look on his face and told me to take it from him because eating raw potatoes could cause a fever. Is he pulling my leg or is this true?!? I have never heard of such a thing, but have been known to fall for some pretty far out stories before.

So tell me what you know about eating raw potatoes! Do they cause a fever or not?

Random Thursday Thoughs

• I fed Drake a Pop Tart for lunch. Do you think there is any nutrition of any kind in those things? It's probably just like feeding you kid pure sugar. At least he enjoyed it and it gave me time to put the groceries away. :)
• I just bought my last container of formula for Drake. I'm thinking what used to be formula money should now be clothes money for Momma...good idea, huh?
• We are thinking about getting rid of cable. We don't watch much TV in the summer and it seems like you can watch pretty much any TV show online now. Problem will come in the fall when our beloved Hawkeyes play on The Big Ten Network and we need cable to watch them pay. Maybe we will just cut back on or package and get rid of the DVR.
• I grew up in a super small town.  There were about 1,200 people and not a single stoplight. I'm thinking I should write a post about small town living. Any of you grow up in a small town?
• I really want to take a photography class. I am in LOVE with my new camera and would like to be able to use all the settings on it. I'm thinking this would be good project for the fall.
• I'm super excited about some pretty amazing things that are coming up for this blog. I've had the opportunity to work on some great projects that I can't wait to share with you all soon.
• Speaking of this blog, I'm going on vacation in a couple of weeks and have some of my blog friends running the blog for me with their guests post while I'm away. I think you will love what they have in store for you!!

Where Does Time Go?

Does anybody else feel like time just flies by in the summer?!? How is it almost July already? I also feel like it is a lot harder to find time to blog in the summer. Anybody else feel this way? We have ice cream cones to eat and slides to go down and sun to soak up. So... if I seem to be lagging a little behind on blogging during the summer you know we are off doing something fun!

 Here are some of the fun things we have been up to.

Drake got Ben a bike trailer for Father's Day so we've been going for rides on the trails near our house.  I spent countless hours on my bike as a kid, so even to this day whenever I get on bike I kind of feel like a kid again...love that feeling!  I think we found ourselves a new favorite family activity!!

This is what a banana, tons of goldfish crackers, a nutrigrain bar, a mini bagel and 2 pieces of pizza look like. My kid can pack away food like a linebacker. I'm really not sure how his little tummy can hold so much food, but it can and it does. He still does not have one ounce of fat on him because he burns off everything he eats the second he gets down from his highchair. Why isn't my metabolism like that? Unfair, huh?

And before I forget- Congrats to Gretta on winning the BandaBib

I will e-mail you Gretta!

Gretta said...I would like to have the black spot bandabib

Changes

Changes are happening at our house faster than I can keep you all updated on! First steps, learning how to clap and a first tooth all happened in the last week. We have a busy boy on our hands!

First Steps
Guess who decided to take his first steps on Thursday afternoon?!?! Our little guy let go of my fingers and took two steps!! He was so proud of himself that he started clapping and yelling YAY over and over until he fell down. He has done it 2 more times since Thursday and is a little more confident each time. Looks like walking is just around the corner!

Clapping
Since Drake learned how to clap last week he has not stopped! He claps when music plays, when he is excited, when he is proud of himself and when he wants attention. Pretty much if you name it he thinks it is worthy of a clap!

First Tooth

After 7 months of  teething Mr. Drake's  first tooth has broken through with another one almost ready to pop up!! I can't even imagine my toothless boy with teeth!!

No you will not see any teeth in this picture. I will probably never have a picture of his teeth because

he freaks out whenever I try to take a look. I just loved this picture and needed an excuse to use it so this is the excuse! 

In other news I'm the crazy Mom who sent the 1st Birthday invites out 6 weeks before the party. I just got too excited and could not wait one more second to mail them out. Crazy I told you, but you already knew that since I already have his birthday outfit, presents and decorations. The early bird gets the worm, right?

Two Great Men

To my Dad: Thank you-For always standing for up for what you believe in. For always believing in me. For pushing me to do my best. For always putting family first. For loving me. For being so proud of being Drake's Papa. Thank you.

To my husband: Thank you- For putting 100% of your heart into being a dad. For setting a good example for our son. For getting on the floor and playing with him. For knowing just how to make him laugh. For loving him with everything you have. Thank you.

Fatherhood

Guess what?!? Today I'm hosting my very first guest blogger and it is none other than my wonderful husband Ben!!! I asked him to write a post in honor of Father's Day and he pulled through with a great piece. I hope you enjoy his take on Fatherhood!

******************************************************************************

Katie asked me to write a post for her blog in honor of Father's Day. I was going to write about motherhood since that is what her blog is all about, but she insisted I make it about fatherhood. I by no means, claim to be an expert in early child development, child care or even knowing when or how much to feed the little goof ball. I have, with A LOT of help from Katie, raised the funniest, cutest, most full of life 10 month old I’ve ever seen in my life. I like to think I had a little bit to do with that. I thought I’d put together some of the things I think are most important.

1. Spend time with the whole family. Whether its just taking a walk around the block, a drive around town or playing on the floor, I can always tell the little guy is happy when we are all together, at least until its bed time.

2. Hanging with just the guys. Sometimes mom needs to have time to herself, that’s when we party. Sometimes we listen to “dad’s music” sometimes we read, and sometimes we watch TV (don’t tell Katie). These are some of my favorite times!

3. Mommy and Daddy time. Drake is lucky enough to have great grandparents, aunts and uncles, and neighbors who all enjoy watching him for a couple hours or even a whole day. I think its important for him to be around other people too, and not feel like he always needs us there with him. I think because we’ve had him spend time without us, he’s a lot more laid back around others. Its nice to have time with just my wife too!

4. Last but not least, I think its just as important for me to have time alone. This allows me to recharge. Sometimes it’s a bike ride or run in the morning, sometimes its just vegging out in front of the TV. Either way it lets me collect my thoughts and be able to give my family my complete attention the rest of the day.

Thank you for listening to my ramblings, I hope you enjoyed reading a different point of view.

The Club

I love being a momma, I mean I really love it. I love watching my son fall asleep as he sucks on his pacifier and  his little body relaxes after a long day on the move. I love watching him trying to clap his hands together and coming so close to making his hands meet but missing it by a mere fingertip. I love how his face light up with that million watt smile and his baby blues shine when I walk in the room. I love being a momma.

But as much as I love being a momma there is something about motherhood I hate. You don't know it at the time, but the second you become a momma you join a club, a club made up of all the mommas in the world. You will find support and great friendship and amazing advice and a wonderful network of women in this club. You will also find judgment and competition you did not know grown women were capable of in this club-and that part, well, that part I really hate. 

You all know the judgment I'm talking about:
Breastfeeding vs. Formula feeding
Vaccinating vs. Not vaccinating
Co-sleeping vs. Not co-sleeping
Stay at home vs Working

It seems all mothers have an opinion on the issues mentioned above. Many women keep their opinions to themselves and don't pass any judgement on the other side. But many others do pass judgement. As a formula feeding mom I have not been a direct recipient of any judgemental comments, but I have read many articles, blogs, and message board where the message was loud and clear-if you formula feed without trying to breastfeed you are selfish.  I think I have pretty strong skin, but too often the comments come across as attacking the person and not the idea. You know what? Even with tough skin it hurts a little to read such awful things about a choice I made for my baby, even thought I know in my heart I made the right choice and their opinions really don't matter...it still hurts. This is just one example of many where moms are judging other moms for the choices they make. I'm not saying you have to agree with the choices other mother's make for their children, but at least be respectful of their choice since it is after all their children.

Unfortunately, the examples I gave above are only a small sample of the different forms of judgement and competition. Subjects from what table food you are feeding your baby to the all important 1st birthday bash are all filled with judgement and competition. I'm slowing learning as I'm wrapping up my first year in the club that the judgment and competition does not stop as your baby turns to a toddler, or from a toddler to a preschooler, or even many years down the road when you have a teenager. It is still there and still as fierce as ever. I also am learning many members of this club feel the same way I do. The only way to make a difference is not join in with judgers and the competitors and respect the choices other mothers make...even if you don't agree with them. I also know this club is made up of some pretty fantastic women.  Women who are so wonderful and thoughtful and supportive that even with the haters it is still a pretty awesome club to belong to.

And if I have to be a member of this club to experience this awesome journey with my son, I say bring it on...it is so worth it!

Bazzle Baby BandaBib Review/Giveaway

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

               Doesn't Drake look so cute in his bandanna?!? Guess what...that bandanna is actually a bib!!

Bazzle Baby make these BandaBibs that are so cute and very functional. Drake wears a bib quite often as he is always drooling all over his clothes. He is also a super messy eater and we usually end up having to change his clothes after he eats because food gets down around his neck and onto the collar of his shirt. The BandaBib solves this problem by fitting right up against the neck.

From the Bazzle Baby website: The Award-Winning BandaBib is a bandanna style baby bib. Often confused for an article of clothing, the BandaBib is super stylish and functional. We are willing to bet it is the best dribble bib on the market! 100% Cotton designer print. hi-dry cotton flannel backing. velcro closure.

Go to the Bazzle Baby site to find out where you can purchase this product.

The GIVEAWAY Details
Enter to win a BandaBib of your choice!
I'm going to make this super easy, you can earn two entries to the contest by doing one or both of the things listed below:
1.Go to the Bazzle Baby website and tell me what BandaBib you want
2. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs by clicking here
(Make sure and leave a separate comment for each item you complete to earn your eligible entries)

The giveaway begins today Wednesday, June 16th and ends at 7:00 am CST Wednesday, June 23rd. One winner will be picked at random, using Random.org. The winner must respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be picked.

Please Note: I was provided with a BandaBib to review the product and promote the giveaway. I was not compensated in any other way. These are my own, honest opinions.

What Would You Do?

Pretend that you are checking out at the local grocery store with your 10 month old baby in your arms. The cashier at this particular lane has been talking to your baby the whole time, and your baby being the social butterfly that he is has been playing along nicely "talking" and smiling back. During one of those smiles, the cashier gets a glimpse of what appears to be teeth trying to push through the baby's bottom gums. She decides to take a closer look and says "Are those teeth I see in there" as she takes her finger and pulls down on the baby's lip to get a better look.

Would you:
A) Politely tell her to get her hand that has been touching money, shopping carts, and who know what else out of your baby's mouth
B) Walk away as fast as you could
C) Ask her what in the hell she doing
D) Just stand there pretending it did not happen and therefore giving her enough time to kiss the baby's feet

If you answered A, B, or C those are probably the right answers.

But if you are me you pick D and then spend the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out why they don't make the equivalent of hand sanitizer for your mouth.

M-E-S-S-Y

Drake enjoyed his very first cookie ice cream sandwich this weekend.

He was so proud to be able to hold it all by himself!!

So that brings me a question

Do you mind when your kids get dirty or messy?

I could care less, I always have an extra outfit with me and just change him if he gets dirty enough. The way I look at it is kids are only little once and  they should have as much fun as possible even if it means getting crazy messy!

What We are Loving Right Now

Way back in November I wrote a favorite things post, while we still do love some of those items we have lots of new loves- baby and non-baby related.

The Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller

We LOVE this stroller. We had a Chicco travel system when Drake was first born, and although we liked the convenience of being able to just snap his infant carrier in we hated the bulk that the stroller was. This stroller is lightweight, comfy and fits compactly into our cars. I just found out that it has a infant car seat adaptor, so I'm think we might just go that route when we have another baby. Oh yeah, it earned extra points from me because the handle bar is comfortable for me to push. I'm pretty tall so a lot of lighter weight strollers are too short for me.

Dirt Devil Steam Mop

Photo Credit

I just bought this about a month ago to clean our linoleum kitchen floor. I was using a swifter before, but felt like it always left my floor sticky and I was not liking Drake crawling around on all those chemicals. I was flipping trough the channels one night on TV and saw this on the home shopping network. After being pretty impressed with the demo I did some research online and found it even cheaper on Amazon(I still have a love affair with amazon, I really can't help it). It was so gross the first time I used it, the pad was totally covered in dirt and grime. I love that my floors feel super clean when I get done using it!

Fisher Price Seahorse

Photo Credit

Drake loves his Sandy the Seahorse (they were sold out of blue and boys can have pink, right?) so much!  Sandy has saved us from many night time meltdowns. With one push of her tummy she lights up and plays music for 5 minutes. When we were working with Drake on going back to sleep himself, we would go in and rub his back for a few seconds and put Sandy on, very rarely would he ever be crying by the time Sandy was done playing music. Drake now knows how to turn Sandy on himself and it is not uncommon to hear her playing at 5am as he puts himself back to sleep!

Carters Pajamas

Photo Credit

I  do not consider myself a brand snob, I have my favorite stores but like to get the best deal and tend to shop sales. However, when it come to pajamas Drake must have Carters! There is nothing like a fresh washed baby all dewy from a bath wearing a cute pair of alligator pjs!  I also love the fact that they hold up so well! I put a clean pair of pjs on Drake every night so ours have been washed a million times and still look and feel like new.

                                  

P90X

Photo Credit

In this post last week I told you all that I've started P90X. For those of you that don't know,  it is a workout program(done at home) that uses a combination of resistance training, cardio, and stretches to shock and change your body. I love the variety the workout provides and the motivation it gives me to make healthy eating choices throughout the rest of the day. I'm hoping to be more toned (maybe actually have some abs again) and hopefully loose those last few pesky pounds with the program.

Nikon D3000

Photo Credit

I think the only bad thing about this camera is that we did not buy it sooner. We got the camera right after Drake turned 4 months old and have so enjoyed the quality of picture this camera has given us. Ben and I both still have a lot to to learn about all the features and would like to take a photography class soon, but couldn't have been happier with the user friendliness for novice photographers like us. We take it everywhere we go so we are sure to capture every small and big moment we can in Drake's life. I truly believe nothing tells a story like a picture and a great camera helps tell that story just a little bit better. If you are on the fence about buying a DSLR I say go for it, it will be some of the best money you ever spend!

So those are the things we love right now! What are some of your favorites at the moment?

A Week with a 10 Month Old

Consists of:

Trying to fish dirt out of Drake's mouth before realizing he already swallowed it and is laughing about it!

That is the leftover dirt on his face

 Watching him use anything he can find to climb and stand on, including but not limited to- packages of diapers, dogs, and mini dump trucks

Skinner is his favorite "step-stool"
Learning that your son figured out how to open the cabinet
door and finding him in a pile of cayenne pepper.

No worries he was cleaned up before it got in his eyes or mouth!
Looking at this face and knowing you can't wait to do it all over again next week!

Off to the Races

Horses

+

Staying out WAY past bedtime

=

Super cute sleeping baby

All Terrain Giveaway Winner

Congrats to Daunfamily on winning an All Terrain Kids Product of their choice!

daunfamily said...

voted for you

June 4, 2010 2:05 PM

I will be back next week with another great giveaway!

This & That

I started P90X yesterday.  Have any of you been crazy brave enough to try it? What did you think? Did you see results? I actually thought the hour went super fast, but I felt like a huge loser because I could not do a pull-up to save my life so I did the modified moves with a resistance band. I'm also TERRIBLE at push-ups, I'm actually embarrassed at how awful I am!! Anyways, hopefully 90 days from now I will be seeing some great results!

I'm thinking of doing some sort of recipe exchange on my blog. I'm still trying to figure out all the details, but think it would a fun way to get some new recipes. We seem to be in a bit of food rut at our house and need some inspiration. What do you think? Is this something you would be interested in doing?

Remember how I told you Drake was getting his first 2 teeth in? They are cutting through right as we speak. He has been attached to his paci and just seems uncomfortable. We give him numbing gel and Tylenol or Motrin if he seems really uncomfortable, but he is not big into teethers so I'm at a lost for other ideas. So for all you moms who have been through teething, what are your tips to ease the discomfort a bit?

You all are the best! Thanks for your help with my million questions!!

Pawty Time

Drake's 1st Birthday invitations are done and should be arriving any day!!

Are these not PERFECT?!?

I had Becca at Jumping Jax Designs make these and I could not be happier with the outcome!

The party planning is really coming together. I have the menu planned out, favor ideas and Ben and I may or may not have gone to Toy R Us yesterday and bought Drake his birthday presents. I mean how could I NOT go, I had a $10 off coupon that expired at the end of the week. The presents will be kept a secret for now (his party is still over a month and a half away, there has to be some suspense) but I think we will have a happy birthday boy!

Now on to the cake... 

Memories

For those of you who know me, you know that I love memories. I love sitting with old friends and reliving our college days from the wild parties to the crazy crushes we had. I love talking with my childhood friends about all the great times we had playing house, catalog lady, Miss America, and ice storm ( if you can't tell we had some pretty wild imaginations). I love sitting around the dinner table with my parents and sisters and retelling our favorite stories for the millionth time. Plain and simple... I love memories.

This got me thinking about the kind of memories I hope Drake has to look back on. I have found in my experience that  you look back on major life events- graduation, your weddings and birth of your child with unforgettable memories, but for me it always has been some of the littlest things in life that holds the greatest memories.

You know what I'm talking about -summer days spent at the pool swimming until your skin was wrinkly and only taking a break when it was 10 minute adult swim, where you would sit on your towel and inhale your Snickers bar before it was time to jump in again. Summer nights spent riding your bike all over the neighborhood and pulling back in the driveway just as the streetlights flickered on. The taste of a chocolate star cookie, the kind you only make at Christmas, right out of the oven. The feeling of butterflies your first crush gave you and the unforgettable feeling of falling head-over-heels in love for the first time.

I truly believe that life is about living in the present but cherishing the past and nothing, and I mean nothing, can take you to your past like a good 'ol memory. I can't wait to help Drake build memories while adding to my own.

What are some memories you hope your child has of their childhood?

Yesterday

Yesterday my baby turned 10 months old. 10.Months.Old. I could repeat it a hundred times and still not believe that my little guy is much closer to a toddler now than a baby. You know how we celebrate the big 1-0 ? By getting his hair cut.

 ::pause for a moment for massive amounts of crying from me::

Ben convinced me that Drake looked like he was growing a mullet and that no son of his would have the "business in the front and party in the back" hairstyle. Drake's hair was not growing out evenly in the back so I could kinda see how Ben might think it looked a bit like a mullet, so I finally agreed we could cut his hair if and only if I could take him to my stylist. Yes, Drake had his hair cut at an Aveda salon. I trusted my stylist to not do anything too drastic and trim him up without making him look all fresh haircutish ( I just invented a new word).

Drake in all his pre-cut mullet glory!

No more mullet!!

Where are your eyes Drake?

A clean cut boy!

Sitting so nice.

Drake pretty much loved the whole haircut experience

The best part of the new cut? It makes for some pretty awesome baby lotion hairstyles!

Side note: I also noticed that Drake's 2 bottom teeth are dangerously close to breaking through. Like, I can see white on the very tops of his gums close. So it looks like sometime in his 10th month our little toothless boy will be sporting a toothy grin.

::Sigh::

Growing up seems to be way harder on the momma than the baby in our house!

All Terrain KidSport SPF 30 Sunscreen Review/Giveaway

When I was asked to do a review for any All Terrian product of my choice I quickly choose the Kidsport Sunscreen. We spend a lot of time outside during the summer and I'm always slathering sunscreen on Drake to protect his delicate skin so I knew this would be the perfect product for us!

I have used this product a handful of times and have been happy with it. These are the things I like about it:

• 
  
  It does not have the chemical smell of sunscreen.
• 
  
  It is not greasy and is very easy to put on evenly
• 
  
  Most importantly it protected Drake wondefully from the sun

From the All Terrain website: Specially formulated for kids. Uses Z-Cote® which offers the broadest UVA/UVB spectrum protection available. No Slip/Dry Grip, No Eye Sting, Water and Sweat Resistant.

Click here to find out where you can purchase All Terrain products.

The GIVEAWAY Details
Enter to win a All Terrain children's product of your choice!

You can earn two entries to the contest by doing one or both of the things listed:
1. Go the All Terrain website and tell me what kid item your would choose if you won-click here
2. Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs just click here
(Make sure and leave a separate comment for each item you complete to earn your eligible entries)

The giveaway begins today Wednesday, June 2nd and ends at 7:00 am CST Wednesday, June 9th. One winner will be picked at random, using Random.org. The winner must live in the USA and respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be picked.

Please Note: I was provided with a bottle of the All Terrain KidSport SPF 30 Sunscreen to review the product and promote the giveaway. I was not compensated in any other way. These are my own, honest opinions.

Weekend=Wedding, Wonderful & Water

This is what we did on our long weekend:

I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in a great friends wedding. Isn't she beautiful?

Drake stayed at my parents on Friday and Saturday night giving Ben and I some rare time as just "us".

Ben captured me in all my bridesmaid glory taking out all the bobby pins in my hair during the walk back to our hotel. If you have ever had an up due you know why I was in a hurry to get the pins out...my head HURT!

Drake was all ready for some pool time on Sunday!

In he goes!

The park is quickly becoming a family favorite and the perfect activity for a lazy Sunday night.

We took advantage of the beautiful day and our zoo pass on Monday to hit up the zoo! Drake was watching the train pull up as we waited for his first train ride.

Watching the seal show with Daddy.

I had to stop Drake from crawling right into the fountain. Can you tell that this baby just LOVES water?!?

We decided the perfect way to end to the long weekend was by playing in the fountain.

Don't you wish every weekend was a 3 day weekend?