My yarn wreath

I know, I know... everyone has made one of these and blogged about it.  I won't give you a tutorial on how to do it but I do want to show off my yarn wreath.  A good friend from college came over yesterday and we had fun crafting together!  She got a little further than I did most likely due to my baby who woke up screaming about 3/4 of my way through wrapping my wreath with the brown yarn.  He was happy enough after a diaper change and nursing so I got to get my yarn done before she left yesterday.

Most of the wreaths I've seen add felt flowers that are handmade.  I didn't opt for that route for two reasons.  One, I don't have the patience and two, I was ready to be done with this project.  So I opted for some simple flowers I bought at Dollar Tree.  I like the way it turned out and cannot wait to decorate for fall so I can hang it! I mean, fall comes right after Labor Day, right?  As in September 6th...

He's a boating, swimming, eating kind of a boy

We started the month with a trip to IN to go camping and boating with Kurt's parents.  We had a lovely time and although, for me, it was doing basically the same thing I do everyday (feed Oliver, play with him, change him, feed him, change him, feed him, change him...) I still had a great time.  I figured if I'm going to be sitting and feeding Oliver somewhere it may as well be in the middle of a lake!  Here are a few shots from our visit.

We also had Oliver's pictures taken, technically at the very end of July.  Kelsey and Blaine Wright from Wright Photographs came to TN for vacation with Kelsey's family and were kind enough to fit us in for a family session.  I'm thrilled with our pictures.  Kelsey and Blaine shot our wedding and we couldn't say enough good things about them, we love them!  Here are some of their awesome shots.  I'm still deciding which ones I want for our home. 

Oliver had him 6 month check up this month as well and managed to pee on the nurse practitioner while she was doing his exam.  Her and I have become pretty good friends and she found it hilarious.  He didn't know what was so funny!  We also started solids this month as well.  This has been an adventure more for me than for him, I'm sure.  The first batch of baby food I made took me forever!  I was also compulsively paranoid about the strings in his sweet potatoes spending minutes upon minutes picking out the tiniest of strings.  The first day he did gag and refuse after about 3 bites, which I completely expected.  We tried again the next day and he did better, making a hilarious face and looking at me like, "is this normal!?" but managed to eat a little more than the day before.  By day three he was loving them and leaning forward for his next bite.  Since then he's had banana and today he tried cereal with banana mixed in.  We thin out his food with breast milk and it has worked really well so far.  Here are a few shots from his first bites of food.

Day 1----

Love these baby food containers.  Can freeze, microwave, serve, and dishwash these babies! 

That looks yummy, give me that!

Gag!

Day 2----

Day 4---Getting the hang of this!

This last picture was taken a few nights ago, he was falling asleep while scooting around on the floor.

 I think that pretty well sums up our month and again I'm shocked it has been another month.  Oliver will be 7 months old tomorrow and I absolutely cannot believe it.  It feels like he's always been here. 

I made a titty tent! I mean, a nursing cover.

I got a sewing machine for my birthday back in April and haven't used it a whole lot since getting it.  I'm definitely a beginner and have been trying to think of things to start out making.  I've made 2 aprons and thought I could make a nursing cover pretty easily. I had a lot of fun making it and will show you pictures of the process in just a minute...

A word about nursing covers- I do not think of a nursing cover to be totally necessary for a breastfeeding mother.  I think they are great for women who would be uncomfortable to nurse in public otherwise.  I always pictured myself as one of the women who would proudly nurse without a cover wherever I was.  However, when I had to start supplementing Oliver with the SNS, nursing in public became a whole new ballgame.  A nursing cover allows me to use the SNS in public since it is harder to stay covered while using it.  A friend of mine recently posted a link to a blog post that discussed the topic of nursing covers and I was blown away by the post.  It made me reconsider using a cover.  She ends her post with this, which totally blew me away,
    
              "Please, no more calls to "cover up". Anyone who cries for a cover over the beautiful sight       of a nursing mother and child is unwittingly and devastatingly calling for the destruction of womanly knowledge, and the handicap of the next generation of breastfeeders." 

Now back to my reason for this post, my sewing project!  

My supplies.

My old nursing cover I used as my pattern

Pinning

Reading about decorative stitches on my machine- with the help of little hands! 

Sewing the decorative stitch

Trying out our new cover.
And no, I normally do not use a cover at home! 

And just because he's so darn cute.

After some contemplation about what the blogger suggested I am still using a nursing cover.  I can only hope that my future babies will be better nursers, my milk will be more abundant, and I will not have to use the SNS.  Those will be the days of cover free nursing!  But for now, I'll stay covered up.

Jack and Jules Consignment Scores!

We got to shop early last night at the Jack and Jules consignment sale because I registered as a first time mom.  Kurt came with me to tend to Oliver while I shopped till I dropped.  Isn't he great?

We got tons of adorable clothes for Oliver for the fall/winter.  He is the best dressed kid around! (at least I think so!)  I found great deals including Hanna Anderson, Zutano, Baby Gap, Gymboree, Carters, LeTop, etc.  We also got an organic cotton crib mattress pad for $5 (Jenny will need hers back).  And was able to pick up 2 minky changing pad sheets for Jenny. I spent $100 total on 21 outfits, the crib pad, and the changing table sheets.

The major deal of the day however came right at the end. Kurt was in line (which was wrapped the whole way around the store.)  I kept shopping a little looking for pack and play sheets, which I never found.  I did find a clothes basket of cloth diapers hidden underneath a table of bibs and burp cloths.  I found a pretty great (used) stash of diapers.  I'm excited because the diapers I have now are Jenny's.  I also have some from another great friend who loaned me her diapers as well.  This way I will have my own stash which is exciting! We spent $98 on the following- (sorry some of the pics are sideways, they aren't then they upload sideways anyway...??)

2 BumGenius AIO diapers

Swaddlebees Merino Wool Soaker

Blueberry Merino Wool Longies

Crochet merino wool soaker

Thirsties cover and Polar Bummis cover

White Bummis and 3 printed bummis

15 Motherease Diapers- One size- $15!!!

2 printed diapers I'm not crazy about but I bet Oliver will eventually love them!

Sugar Peas overnight diaper

OH and not pictured- Planet Wise Pail Liner!
All for $98- not bad, right? 

July in a flash

I cannot believe it has been a month since I posted last.  July has flown by as we've been busy traveling, thrifting, knitting, kissing, and playing.

We started out the month by heading to VA to my sister's house for the weekend of the 4th.  We had a great time and got to visit with my dad, brother, and younger sister too!  After the weekend Kurt headed back to TN and Oliver and I stayed in VA.  We spent a week in VA then headed to DE for a week.  Oliver did great for the first week and a half of our trip.  By the end he was homesick and fussy.  I missed Kurt like crazy and found a whole new appreciation for how much he helps me with Oliver.  Oliver missed his daddy and his daddy definitely missed him.  Kurt couldn't believe how big Oliver was when we were reunited.

While we were gone Jenny taught me how to knit and I was able to make Oliver a hat for the fall.  I really enjoyed it and he looks stinking adorable in his new hat.  I'm excited to learn to make more things with my goal being to make a diaper cover and eventually longies.

While in VA and DE we had some thrifting adventures.  I had some great finds including outdoor light up Christmas trees (which got me really excited about Christmas with a baby!), brand new Merrells for myself, a skirt, shirt, dress, and tanktop for myself, a playmat for Oliver (since I forgot mine on our trip), 2 pairs of lightly used Robeez for Oliver, clothes, pjs, etc for Oliver mostly for the fall- lots of Baby Gap, Hartstrings, Hanna Anderson, Ralph Lauren, etc.  We found some great things and I only spent $70 total.

Oliver is 6 months old today and has done some new things this month including-
Giving kisses!
He rode a carosel in DE at funland
He played in the sand at the beach
Dipped his toes in the ocean- and cried
Met his great grandmother
Grew long enough to play in his Jumperoo, which he loves
and of course lots of giggles, smiles, and drool.

We're still waiting on him to sit up  on his own and to cut his first tooth. I don't think either of those is too far away.  We've decided to hold off on starting solids since Oliver is still not sitting up on his own yet.  I'm currently reading The Vaccine Book by Dr. Sears.

Well there you have it, that pretty well sums up our month thus far.  I'll leave you with a precious picture I snapped the other night of my boys in a blissful slumber. It's impossible to settle into bed next to these two without a smile on your face and a thankful prayer on your heart.  Thanks for reading, be well.

A mama in love.

Oliver turned 5 months old yesterday.  The past five months have been some of the greatest and most rewarding months of my life.  Each time another month goes by I find myself thinking about several things.  First, time is flying.  I can't believe how fast he is changing!  Second, it won't be long before ______.  Fill in the blank, before he's eating solids, crawling, talking, walking, running, playing like a boy, going to school, making friends, falling in love, moving away from me...  Kurt thinks I'm absolutely crazy to be thinking about such things but it is just a mother's nature, right?  -If not, don't tell me. - I hope to raise a son who loves the Lord, loves others, is content and curious, etc, etc, etc.  I have so many hopes and dreams for him.  Tonight when I was nursing him to sleep rocking in his nursery I was overwhelmed all over again.  His lullabys still get me crying! He is so pure, so innocent.  Ahh, so many emotions and so many things to say that I just don't even know how to describe so I'll stop there. 

The other love of my life is my dearest Kurt.  Our 3 year anniversary is on Tuesday.  I am so excited to get a date night out with Kurt.  It is hard for me to leave Oliver but I think it is good for our marriage to get out alone.  I can't believe how much has happened in 3 years!  We have moved 2 times, I have completed 2 degrees, Kurt has worked 3 jobs, (2 FT, 1 PT), we bought a car (w/ cash), had my wisdom teeth removed, decided we wanted a family, got pregnant, it's a boy, met Oliver 4 weeks early, and now have a 5 months old beautiful baby boy.  On our wedding day Kurt vowed that he would work to support me and lead our home with love while it was just the two of us and then the home I would one day make for our children.  3 years later it is now the home I make for him and our children.  I strive to make this home one of happiness, love, and comfort for my two boys.  I am so excited to think about where our lives will go from here and how many beautiful blessings the Lord will give us to add to our home.  I have grown a lot in the past 3 years and I still have so,so much growing and learning to do to become a better Christian, wife, and mother.

2 big dates just 3 days apart.  Yea, I'm feeling the love!

When we first saw each other.

The night Oliver was born.  5 months ago yesterday.

Babywise--From the Eyes of an Attached Mother

Earlier this week I posted a controversial article on facebook about Babywise.  It stirred a great conversation.  Actually, most of the responses were from mothers who have used or currently use Babywise. I appreciate the way the conversation on facebook ended with someone suggesting that maybe God knows the way we will mother and gives us our children accordingly.  What a mind blowing, humbling thought!  And really, I bet she is right.  I was encouraged to read the book to find out for myself.  I did read the book and I have to speak up.  I have never read a book and disagreed with more of it.  --I am about the tear the book apart but it's directly at Ezzo, not you, I promise!--

Ezzo really focuses a great deal on Attachment Parenting (AP) throughout the book.  As an attached parent who has now read his book cover to cover, I have to say he really does not understand what it is to be an AP.  He repeatedly refers to the attached baby as a fussy baby, the attached mom as a frazzled mom, and the attached father as one who sleeps on the couch.  I can tell you that is far from the truth in this attached household.  

By page 34 Ezzo and I had set the stage for our disagreement.  He says, "They [AP] claim that this is why you supposedly can never nurse too long or too often.  All wants are to be interpreted as needs, and each nursing experience is a deposit of love."  Shew, that's when I got out my notebook and started jotting down notes.  Guess what Ezzo!?  Newborn babies do NOT manipulate their parents.  Guess what else?!  Their wants are their needs! A newborns cry is their only form of communication.  It is their voice.  By crying a newborn is telling their parent there is something wrong, they have a NEED.  From day one I have viewed my sons cry as his voice and I am better off for it.  If a baby's cry is their voice and they are left to "cry it out" what are they taught in reference to their form of communication?  As far as Ezzo and I go, things all go down hill from there.

Ezzo says that AP stems from the Birth Trauma theory.  Where does he get this?  I've read Dr. Sears' book Attachment Parenting cover to cover and that is not where it comes from.  He explains how they have 8 children.  He is a pediatrician and his wife an RN.  They learned as they parented what worked best came from their God-given instincts as parents.  I do not think AP comes from the birth trauma theory, but lets say it did, my birth was not traumatic!  You can read about it here.  Kurt and I are not AP because we think Oliver was scarred from his birthing experience. Ezzo also bashes an AP moments after birth when baby comes straight to mothers chest saying, "Your baby will not be permanently impaired if there is a lack of physical contact with mom right after birth."  The moments of 'quiet alert' when a newborn is awake and staring intently at his mother and father are incredibly special and set the stage for a lifelong bond and loving relationship.

As I stated previously, Ezzo repeated refers to the attached mother as frazzled, baby as fussy, and dad as pushed to the couch.  As an attached mother, I have times where I'm tried but mostly I'm well rested!  I have time to exercise EVERYDAY.  I cook meals, grocery shop, visit with friends, spend time w/ my husband, and so forth every day.  My son does these things with me.  My husband has not slept on the couch one night since Oliver was born and we started our family bed.  He actually really enjoys it! (As for an increased risk of SIDS b/c of the family bed, check this out.)  Oliver is secure, attached, content, alert, and happy.  He is sleeping through the night (for the most part) on his own.  I did not force a schedule on him nor did I make him cry it out.

This covers several of my main disagreements with Ezzo.  Again, I am not bashing the mothers who are using Babywise.  I am sure you have content, happy babies too.  I just want to point out that I am an attached parent who does not fit the sterotype that Ezzo has for AP.  I am unsure if you all have read anything about AP, but if all you have read is Ezzo's truly skewed take on attachment parenting I encourage you to go to the library and check out AP for yourself.  I read your book, now you need to read mine!

Thanks for reading.  Much, much love!