The Baby Shower

I have the most amazing friends and family in California. (why did I ever move?) One of my best friends hosted the most thoughtful and adorable baby co-ed baby  shower. Can I just say that co-ed was totally  the way to go. It was like a giant reunion of all the super special people in my life.  Good food, great people, a lot of laughs and all helping us welcome this new baby. I felt so special.

We immediately set out on the next leg of our road trip after the shower. It made saying goodbye a little extra hard but my heart was swelling with love. I feel so blessed to have such amazing people in my life.

The Book and (Leading Lady review)

As I mentioned a few times here I am in the process of self publishing a children's book about breastfeeding. The image above is actually one  taken by my partner Heidi Helser (also the lady behind in images in the last post) 

I don't often mention it here but breastfeeding very much a part of our everyday life. In fact is has been for the last 2 and a half years. I am still currently nursing both Bear and Wolf. It was actually the inspiration behind this book idea. When I found out I was pregnant with W, Bear was only 6 months old and as the time went on and my lap got smaller and nursing with a growing belly became more of a challenge I started looking for children's books to help explain the idea of another baby breastfeeding to a still very young toddler (by this time he was 13 month) every book I came across was set for an older child and a bit wordy or had images that looked a little too dated. I wanted something fresh and new with beautifully simple images that would be engaging enough and that even babies could follow. Here is where The {Breastfeeding} Initiative came alive. After finding Heidi Helser I knew that this was a dream that could come true. We are still in the process of developing the book but you can see a little more of our progress HERE. 

When Leading Lady approached me about doing a review for a few products of my choice I was pretty excited. I was in need of some new "support". I was able to order two items and here is what I chose the Molded Seamless Underwire Nursing Bra and the Lace-Cup Underwire Nursing Bra.  

Just to give you a little background on Leading Lady they have been around for over 70 years and carry a ton of great intimate apparel not just for nursing but regular items too available in a large selection of sizes. Okay back to the review. The package came within the estimated delivery date which is always a bonus. Both the bras are lovely and constructed very nicely I especially loved that it came with a small booklet with information on breastfeeding  tips tricks and resources  I thought this was such a thoughtful add on. 

As far as the fit  the Molded Seamless Underwire Bra is amazing, it's comfortable lays smoothly under my tops, even t shirts and although it is a molded cup they are soft enough that they are easy to fold down to make for easy nursing. Which is so important when you have a a fussy boy demanding to feed ASAP. The second bra was the Lace-Cup Underwire Nursing Bra.  This bra is lovely and fit well and the cups are also easy to fold down to feed. The only issue I did find with this bra is that the actual mesh back has spandex. So the whole bra is stretchy which makes for a comfortable band but I never felt like I was completely supported, that said I think someone with a smaller chest would find this one great. 

In conclusion I am 100% sold on the Molded Seamless Bra I think I found my go to bra for my whole nursing carrier. With timely delivery and a great product I would highly recommend Leading Lady to any and all nursing moms. 

Be sure to check out all their selection HERE. And if you would like to keep posted on my little book adventure be sure to check us out HERE. 

** this post was a sponsored post, The review was my honest opinion on the products**

Painting Outside

Earlier in the week we took our painting supplies outside. We have a ton of shasta daisies in our front yard that the boys are always curious about so I cut a few off to use as our tools.  

How it played itself out: That lasted about two seconds. W tried to eat one and the texture freaked him out. B likes dipping his flower in the water and attempted a few strokes with it but decided to go with a more traditional tool and use a brush. W mainly enjoyed getting his hands dirty and chewing on the brush handle. That combination resulted in more paint on his face than the paper. B painted for a while and like ALL our other projects he manages to find a truck lying around (some kids have stuffed animals that they take everywhere B has trucks) and started painting it. 

I have to admit that there was a moment of frustrations when I was thinking "this is not what we were SUPPOSE to do".  These little boys have taught me that it is hardly ever going to go as planned. Taking that moment to refocus my intention on the process rather than the result is becoming a trained habit. Learning to let go and have a hands off approach isn't always easy for me but it can be so worth it. 

Instagram

Yup! I jumped on the instagram wagon (cuteandpeculiar) and I must say it's pretty addicting.
In other news my parents are in town and the boys are loving it. I mean these kids get praised for coughing when my parents are around:). Plus I have to admit it is so awesome having help with the boys I managed to cook dinner last night without a single meltdown. I will definitely be enjoying the next few days.

Detroit Lake

We spent husbands day off on a mini family road trip. We packed up some lunch and our camping stove along with a ton of extra diapers (because you really never know how many you will actually need with these two) The fun part about this was that it was all a surprise. Husband told me what to pack but didn't tell me the exact destination. Boy was I surprised especially because I merely suggested going to the park. 

We have heard about Detroit Lake from a lot of locals as one of the more popular camping sites. And we could see why. It is so beautiful. This So Cal girl gets pretty amazed by so many trees and lush greenery everywhere. We drove around the lake and stopped at a few different places to enjoy the view but finally stopped at the main camp site next to the shore. There was some grass and a park bench and even a little climber that B could play on. It was so perfect. We ate a late lunch while W played on the grass totally content and B chased ducks. (Finally an animal that he is not scared of). We packed up and headed home while our little baby slept and our little toddler literally talked the whole way home. Impressive!

banging on pots and pans

Saturday's are the most challenging days of the week for us. Usually by bedtime the house is a mess and I am to the end of my rope.  That day was especially stressful as B a was a bit under the weather. I decided that instead of getting upset I gave them something new to explore and keep them entertained while I cleaned up the living room and the kitchen. Out came a few kitchen items such as wooden spoons, spatulas, whisk, muffin tins.etc. and it worked!B loved banging on all the pots and  pretending to stir food and eat it while W found his new all time favorite toy. A whisk. He could not put it down. It was so great to see them both exploring and by the time they lost interest both rooms were clean and it was time to read a few books before bed. I often forget of the sheer value of exploration of everyday items. I will definitely be pulling out more whisks on tough days :)

A bad case of the ikks

Looks like all 4 of us woke up feeling very much like Wolf in this picture. We just couldn't seem to get it together this morning. Between W teething and B coming into toddler hood this mama has been a bit discouraged.
Oh toddler hood you are a big question mark to me right now. How is it that my very content baby has become a very discontent toddler? I know that this is just a giant leap of milestones filled also with the compression on his own identity and finding boundaries but my goodness is it leaving me exhausted.
I often read parenting blogs and websites and ask for advise until I am blue in the face and sometimes am left with even more questions or more discouraged than when I started. What happened to a mothers instinct?Granted lately my survival instinct has said hide in the bathroom (I kid) but what happened to parenting with your heart, asking the Lord for guidance? I feel like lately I am relying too much on techniques rather than what might work for my boys and I. I have lost my sense of self in the parenting world only to rely on others opinions. While I value parenting "techniques" and advise very much I have to understand that there is no one way to parent if there was we would all be born with a handbook. But what is in in mothers that makes us think that trusting ourselves is wrong? I have mentioned mom guilt in others post but I really do think it is a sickness  that not too many women speak of. The sheer panic that we do will somehow be damaging our children is often too  powerful of a fear to work through. I have spoken to my husband about this lately and what he said really made me stop on my tracks. "how weak do you think God made us" is reply to what if every action I do is damaging my kids. While yes we must be gentle, kind, and nurturing to our children  as it is so vital for their growth I have completely take God out of my parenting equation and have replaced in the Google and Dr. Sears only to feel like I am failing my children.
 I am a good mom a mom that will do anything for my kids, even obsess all night about what things I should do diffident the next day. God did not make our babies weak but he also did not make moms weak either. We are strong and given this very blesses opportunity to have our first disciples. I pray today that I am more aware of the Lords presence and more attuned to what makes more sense to my children and myself. It's time for me to put God back into my parenting.

Technicolored dream tights

A simple and quick makeup routine.These are a few of my staples.

Being a mom is a tough job. It will suck the life out of you if you let it. Now let me confess something right here and now. I strive for perfection when it comes to my parenting. I constantly obsess about what I am not doing, what I should be doing, and what I am doing wrong all the time. This insecurity has seeped so much into my brain that I was really letting it affect every part of my life. I was putting myself constantly on the back burner in order to "try" to excel at parenting these babies. 

Well ladies, I suspect most of you mothers have already done this and found out. It's impossible!!!! There is no way to be able to give so much of yourself daily without filling up your glass a little too, I can't do it all and attempting to do it was leaving things in a worse state.

Above that I was feeling guilty  (don't get me started about mom guilt I think it's a sickness) about not having fun doing my dream job. Being a stay at home mom was something I always wanted to do and now that I had it I was resenting it. Now what?

I took a step back and realized that I was missing the me before babies. The me that would do her hair and makeup everyday and wear pants that didn't have elastic. Since Wolf was born you could pretty much find me in a pair of sweats and my hair pilled high and no makeup. Now if you know me personally that is certainly not me. As silly as this sounds it was really affecting my everyday life. I prayed about it for a long time struggling about how I couldn't possibly find the time to do this daily and still meet "all" the boys needs. And I realized that I will never be able to meet "all" their needs and if I didn't spend that bit of time for myself daily the outcome of my attitude would only get worse. 

So for the past two weeks. I have dedicated the boys first nap to me. I workout, I shower, do my makeup and actually get dressed, this is also the time when I blog. And you know what? It's working. I feel I little more like my old self. And am able to give the boys including my husband a better me. One  that is starting to like herself again and is showing pride in who she is. I feel more energetic and just down right happier. 

I even wore a dress with my favorite pair of tights. Check out Bear and I comparing shoes. 

This weather...

             

This weather is for...
laying out on a blanket and wishing you could take a nap
for painting
for a certain little one to discover sitting up a little better
 for getting out of our little home and smell the sweet smell of spring around the corner

We have been teased with what I hope to be a preview of what spring will be like here. It has been sunny and amazing. I never knew I liked the sun so much until it lacked in my life. The boys seem to like it too, although I am still getting use to the habit of making sure my fair skinned babies are well covered. My husband has SUPER sensitive skin and we do not want to out our little guys at risk until we are pretty well aware of their sun tolerance. For now at least it gives me the chance to accessories.

The many faces of Wolf

This baby is growing so much everyday. He is full of laughs and all kinds of fun. He has recently started a little solids. We are trying baby led weaning and it seems to be going great. He is eating A LOT more than I thought he was going to when I do offer it and it really is so cool to watch him explore and eat as much as he wants. He loves his jumper and loves to be upright. And I love the fact that he and B actually interact while he's it.
He sure does love big brother. He gets so excited when B makes faces and talks to him. He is such a good sport which is great because B has not quite mastered the "gentle" touch yet. He likes going on walks but falls asleep within the first 5 minutes every time. Hats are a torture device if left on while in his car seat. And loves to be given raspberries on his tummy.
I am so amazed as to how fast he is growing and although I must admit to getting a bit sad by that I know that I have so much more to look forward to.  Thank you Mr. Wolf for being so awesome.

bits of life

Where have we been for the last six months? Perhaps packing up all our belongings and moving 1000 miles away to a new home, new state, and taking care of these little guys full time. It has been hard and really scary but we are getting into the swing of things and looking forward to this new season. Literally with Spring around the corner and emotionally as well.

I took the bits + pieces idea from this awesome mommy blogger.There's been more request for "up" by our little flying boy. Some much needed vitamin D after feeling like we haven't seen the sun in ages. Some chubby hands at work. And a great discovery of feet in this home. Glad to finally feel like I am back in the upswing.