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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

look who's five months old!!

That's right - FIVE months old.






Isn't she just as chubby and cute as ever?!

She is starting to sit up.



And the sisterly bond is growing stronger every minute.



She is starting to push and roll and scoot so that she can get into her sister's stuff.



And she thinks it is very funny.


(And secretly, I do too.)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

new carseats for two little girls

On Christmas Eve, my Mom and Dad borrowed my car and took the girls (all dressed up for Christmas)to visit friends and family.  Garrett and I were at home, making our Christmas Eve feast when we got a call that they had been t-boned.

Thankfully, everyone was fine - my parents were a little shaken, Hayden didn't really care and mostly just had to go pee, and Carly slept through the whole thing.  My car didn't fare so well.





Finally, last week, after 3 weeks at the body shop, I got it back, fresh as a daisy.

Because of the impact to the back of the car, where my girls were sitting, the other insurance company paid for my girls to get new carseats. 

Today, while I was in the shower, Hoot came in and yelled, "Mom! Someone's here!"  Why does that always happen? Get in the shower and somone knocks on the door? Luckily, she is too little to let anyone in, or the UPS person would have gotten an eyeful! LOL

Anyway, by the time I was done in the shower, the UPS person was gone, but he left two new matching big girl carseats!! When Hoot got wind of what was waiting, she went crazy. 

Who knew that new carseats were going to be so exciting to her? She screamed, "New carseats?!!  BEST DAY EVER!!! Gimme hugs, Mom!!"  LOL I laughed so hard!








Monday, January 23, 2012

As I have talked about before, when I was pregnant with my Haydie girl, I knew that I would nurse her - I set small goals, but I knew that at least her first birthday was where we were headed, if not more.

We lasted 13 months (and 10 weeks pregnant with her little sis) and I treasure those months like nothing else.
Now, I happily nurse Carly and will for at least a year - and I am treasuring those moments as well.

I knew that nursing is what I would do.  I love looking at Carly, my little Chubby Cubby, and knowing that she is as round as a little meatball (weighing in at a stout 15 pounds, 4 ounces at her 4.5 month check up last week) because I make milk and feed her.  I like knowing that my body was made for this, and that hers was made to eat this way.  I feel a sense of pride knowing that she is healthy and happy and loving mama's milk.

I knew that it was going to be hard at times, demanding all the time, and unlike anything I had done before, when I set out on the journey of a nursing mother a little more than two years ago.

What I didn't know is how much I would like it - and how passionate about breastfeeding my girls I would become.  Don't get me wrong, I know that formula is a choice.  And I believe that formula has a place and I don't look down on anyone who makes the choice to feed formula, but for me and my babies, breast is truly best.

Something else I didn't know was how  much of a taboo feeding my babies could be and that I would be taking on a cause.

I am not scared to nurse in public.  If my kid is hungry, I have to feed her.  I have nursed a baby just about everywhere you can think of without shame.  I am modest - I wear a tank top under my shirt, which I pull down as i pull the other one up and it covers my middle.  I am modest, and you would be hard pressed to tell if i were nursing without looking twice.  Less skin shows in this situation than does in a lot of bathing suits.

Like I said, I am not ashamed.  In fact, I am proud.  It is a totally natural thing.  This is how I feed my daughter.  While I am modest and respectful to those around me, I am first and foremost respectful to my child.  I will not make her put a blanket over her head.  I will not nurse her in the bathroom.  I wouldn't ask an adult to cover their head while they eat their lunch sitting on a toilet, so I will not ask that of my child.

I am telling you all of this (again) for a reason.

Recently, I was invited to go somewhere - somewhere that my husband is being honored, and I am supposed to give a speech about him.  I don't want this post to turn into a call out, so I will be vague, but this "somewhere" is a public, professional event where I have been before, full of people I know and have known for a long time.  Most of the people there are people who are friends, people who love me, love  my husband, and love my kids.  I was invited to this place as my husband's "date" and told that I could bring my little nursling with me, because she is too small to be away from me for a weekend.  

No big deal, right?

Well, when they said we could bring the baby, a few stipulations were tacked on, and the big one is that while at this "somewhere" I was told that I can't nurse my baby.  I  was told that it is "offensive" and that i would have to excuse myself and use a restroom or something equally ridiculous.

I might offend someone?  Really?  It is not my fault or my problem that there are people really THAT unaware of biology that a breastfeeding infant would offend them.  News flash - feeding babies is what breasts are for.

This is discrimination, plain and simple.  I know that in the state of Nevada, there is legislation that protects me as a nursing mother, and it reads as follows:

NRS 201.232


Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a mother may breast feed her child in any public or private location where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.


(Added to Nevada Revised Statutes by 1995, 126)  


I am telling you all this because I feel like it is important for people to know that this is discrimination and that it is illegal.  Saying that a baby cannot nurse anywhere in this state (and many others) is against the law, and is asking for the wrath of not just one pissed off mother to come down on you.  Recently a mother nursing her infant son was asked to cover up or leave a Target store in Webster, Texas.   The next thing that Target knew, there were women nursing babies in the open at 250 of their stores, causing a media storm with a nation-wide nurse-in.

You think one mom with her breast out is offensive?  Try a couple hundred.

Something to be even more concerned with from a business standpoint?  If you discriminate against a mother or a group of mothers who are willing to take you to task, you could be sued for all you're worth - and they have a good legal case per the law stated above.



What am I going to do?

Well, I won't be staging a nurse-in, but I don't want it to go un-noticed that in am attempt not to offend others that I am very offended myself.

So on Saturday night, I will be in my hotel room in Vegas or happily and openly nursing my baby in a restaurant or some other public place.  My husband will be at the event without me.

I feel like this is a case where my absence is speaking loud and clear - especially when my brutally honest husband tells everyone why I am not there, especially when I am the only spouse not there at the ready with a speech.

And, to be honest, people who find me providing my child child with the food intended for human babies offensive and put down unenforceable bullshit rules about it aren't really people I want to be around anyway.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

A New Resolve

The holidays are finally over.  I love them, but I am so glad that they come but once a year.  Because Hayden's birthday is the week after New Year's, it feels like the season lasts an extra week for us.

With all kinds of family in town, all  kinds of gatherings, and all kinds of schedules, things have been a bit chaotic around here.  We aren't really "schedule" types, but even we have a routine.  And the routine was out the window for the weeks during Christmas, New Year's,  and  Hoot's Birthday.

Now that we are back on track, I have had some time to think about the fabled New Year's Resolution.

I don't usually make a NYR because I feel like no one keeps them.  But honestly, I need to make some changes in my life.

Some people want to get fit, lose weight, eat better, save money, whatever.  Sure, I want that too (who doesn't?) but right now, in regards to my NYR, there is a more pressing matter.

I am sick of being such a hot freaking mess.

I am sick of my house looking like Hell.

I am sick of looking around and realizing that we are living in a heap of laundry and eating frozen pizza AGAIN and feeling too flipping over-whelmed to even start fixing it.

I have got to get my poop in a group in the housekeeping department.

It is no secret that I am not the greatest housekeeper (and if you didn't know that, you have obviously not talked to my husband or my mother-in-law in the last 8 years we have been together LOL) and it is no secret that having Hayden two years ago didn't help my motivation and being pregnant with and then bringing Carly Kate home has all but killed what time and energy I could once scrape up.

I love mothering, I love crafting, I love decorating, I love cooking, I love entertaining.

But I really hate cleaning up. 

I am not filthy, by any means.  We aren't nasty, we aren't living in squallier.  I am, however, very disorganized.  Add to that very busy with a wild two-year-old and a needy little nursling, and I am a bit overwhelmed.

My husband has been picking up a lot of that slack (<<< another thing you already know if you have spent any amount of time visiting with said husband or my mother-in-law in the last 8 years LOL) because, oddly, I am a Hot Mess who married a Neat Freak.  And then I gave birth to two more Hot Messes.  LOL A love story made in Heaven.

So I am resolving to do better.  I mentioned this on Facebook one day and a friend passed along the Motivated Moms Checklist and I am using that.  It helps break the chores into manageable chunks each day.  Consult the list, complete the list of chores and tasks and move on with your life.  And it even works in quiet time for moms, reading to kids, and remembering weird things you never think about like getting up on a stool and cleaning the light fixtures in your bathrooms.  I did that yesterday.  And let's just say, ew.  LOL

So wish me luck.  So far, so good.  It is a little embarrassing to put this out there for some reason, but I am hoping that it will keep me accountable.  I am in no way thinking my home will look like a Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  I am after all, I'm a realist - and I DO have two small children (one of whom has earned the moniker of Hurricane Hayden) and I do have a life.  But I have hit the end of my rope and somethings gotta change.

Please stay tuned for more Tales from a Recovering Slob.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

happy birthday, Haydie P.!!

Two years ago today, I found out what it feels like to have a piece of my heart existing outside of my body when my sweet Hayden Paisley was born.

Today, we celebrated with a super sized Elmo birthday party for a big girl.  I can't believe I have a two-year old!!










Hayden had a blast.  Thank you to all who came and thanks to all the well wishers who couldn't make it too! 







CarlyBuggy took a little sleep right in the middle of the festivities.


And tonight we sit and relax in a heap of wrapping paper and leftover cupcakes and cheeseburger sliders and peanut butter and jelly sammies. 

Happy birthday, sweet Owl.  I love you more than you'll ever know.  Watching you grow up into whatever you want to be continues to be my greatest joy in life.  Whatever it is that you become, I hope that you stay creative, kind and spunky.  I hope you have everything you ever wish for and that you realize that the world is yours if you just go after it.  Don't ever lose your spirit, my love - and don't forget that your Daddy and I love you forever.



BTW - If you like the looks of this party and might want one for a little one you know, HERE is my inspiration board on Pinterest.  :-) You're welcome.