Mess Free Painting (Paint in a Bag)

Have I told you about this yet?I don't think I have. Thanks to Pinterest I have found a great way to entertain Bug when I need a few minutes to get something done like the dishes, or make dinner! It's a fantastic way for her to paint (which she LOVES) without the big clean up afterwards. Normally I don't mind a mess but when you just need 10 minutes of distraction, you don't want a 15 minute clean up at the end, so this is the perfect solution.

Here's what you'll need:
A gallon size Ziploc bag 
Paints (we used fingerpaints but you can use whatever you have on hand, Tempra would work great too)
Q-tips
Tape (preferably something strong like duct tape)

I squirted two blobs of paint into the bag, we were working on the color green that week so I thought I would do one bag of blue and yellow to create green and another bag with green in it.

  Smoosh the paint around and try to push out as much of the air as you can (smoosh is a word, right?). After you seal the bag tape it shut to prevent any explosions! I forgot to take a picture after I taped it, sorry!

Then arm your toddler with a q-tip and hand over the bags! (You can see the duct tape in this picture!) You can even tape the bag to the surface where they are going to paint, or hang it up in a window to let the sun shine through!

such concentration!

 She had a blast, it kept her entertained until dinner was ready and she wanted to come back to it after we were done eating!

Another Survey but with a picture!

How far along? 36 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? I am up 13lbs, not too bad!

Stretch marks?  Nothing new.

Hows the sleep?Not so bad, even if I am getting up to pee twice a night. 

Best moment this week? watching Bug talk to and kiss my belly. She's constantly asking to "talk to brother" which results in my shirt being pulled up and pants down so she can talk into my belly button!
   
Movement? Lots! Last night was pretty painful, but I know that means he's doing well in there so I'll deal!

Food cravings? nothing really, at the moment at least!

Sex of baby? It's a boy!!!!

Labor signs? None.

Belly button, in or out? OUT :(

What are you missing? meh, I'm just ready for the end.

What are you looking forward to? having him in my arms!

Other updates? I have my Group B Strep coming up on Tuesday and yesterday marked having one month left!!



So I've debated and debated over whether or not to post this picture anywhere, but I've finally decided that it's too sweet and too dear to me not to share it. I was embarrassed by the stretch marks but I earned every one of those stripes creating Bug, there's nothing to be embarrassed about!

Here's my Bug giving Baby Brother kisses!

Scary Moment.

I had a very scary moment with Bug yesterday, I was in the living room with her helping clean up toys when I heard her start gagging from across the room. I looked up and she was choking on something, thankfully in the time it took me to cross the room to get her she coughed and vomited it up on her own and I didn't need to take any drastic measures. Turned out she had put one of the plastic cookies in her mouth from her play kitchen! It certainly scared the heck out of me though and needless to say that toy has been tossed!

It made me start wondering though how much baby and child First Aid I would remember in an emergency situation. I'm sure instinct would take over, but it's always good to refresh your memory now and then so off to Pinterest I went! How random is it that someone I follow had already pinned exactly what I was looking for? This is what I found First Aid for Babies and Children. I felt like it was a good quick review, good to read through step by step and remind me how to do it. There's even videos from the British Red Cross to show you how to perform CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver on infants and children.

I highly recommend every parent, grandparent, or caretaker take 5 minutes to go refresh their memories on how to perform these life saving measures! You never know when you may need it.

Shoes

Shoes have become my arch nemesis. Bug has decided she doesn't like loathes shoes. The second we're in the car she's kicking her shoes off, the second she's in the cart at the store she's kicking them off. They are never on her feet. Ever. It doesn't even matter what shoes they are, she despises them all. It's the most aggravating thing in the whole world, and yet I know she gets it from me. I can't stand having my shoes on either. I have accepted the fact that my kid is always going to be the shoeless wonder. So if it's the middle of the winter and you see my daughter with no shoes.... don't judge, there's nothing I can do with her!

My Breastfeeding Journey

This post has been a long time in the making. It's going to be a bit personal and be prepared for words like nipples! I never realized how I felt about my breastfeeding journey with Bug until these words started flowing, it's long and it's heartfelt. I hope you enjoy. 

The first time I remember seeing someone breastfeed was when I was about thirteen. I was at some kind of shower with my mom (baby or bridal I don't remember), and my Aunt was breastfeeding my little cousin. I remember being really curious about what was going on under the blanket but was too shy to even ask my mom. After that I don't really remember seeing anyone nurse again until I was in college and my childhood best friend nursed her children. That's when I started thinking that when I had children I wanted to nurse them. When I became pregnant with Bug my sister-in-law had just given birth to her son and was nursing him. I had many conversations with her about it and she was open enough with me that she didn't cover up when she nursed him and I could observe what it was all about.

While I was pregnant I read several books on breastfeeding and read everything I could find on the Internet. I was nervous but confident that I wanted to nurse Bug as long as I could. The night she was born I had no idea what to do, but thankfully my sis-in-law was there to guide me through. She jumped right in, grabbed my breast and showed me how to hold it and bring Bug right to it. She latched right away and our nursing journey began.

After a few days at home and some more help from my sis-in-law and others I started feeling a bit defeated. I was in excruciating pain and my poor nipples weren't getting any relief no matter what I tried. At Bugs one week check-up I spoke to a lactation consultant who confirmed what I had already thought, Bug had a "tongue tie". After a quick five minute procedure in her pediatricians office to have her tongue snipped, things changed almost immediately for us.

Our breastfeeding journey continued for 15 months when Bug weaned herself, first from daytime feedings and then bedtime. Now that's not to say there wasn't ups and downs. There were times Bug would go through nursing strikes, my nipples would get chapped and crack and there were those nights where she cluster fed for hours on end and I thought she'd never stop. Looking back now as I'm preparing to do it all over again with our next little man, I know without a doubt I cannot wait to do it all over again. I got to have moments with my daughter no one else got to have. I got to snuggle with her late at night when the rest of the house was sleeping, of course there were times I hated that part! I still wouldn't have traded any of it for a minute, it was worth all the hard times.

I never thought that I would become a breastfeeding advocate, but here I am. I'm never going to be someone who says "formula is evil" and every one MUST breastfeed, but I want to help those who are looking for more information or have questions. Breastfeeding saved us money, allowed Bug and I an extra special bond, and I could do it virtually anytime and anywhere. I never had to worry about having enough bottles or mixing formula, or forgetting her food because it was always attached to me. The one regret I do have is that I felt I had to "hide" when I fed Bug. There were times I felt I needed to go in the other room at family functions and other events. I always nursed with a blanket or cover, and I never felt the need to let my breasts hang out where anyone would see them, so I don't know why I felt I had to hide away in silence. I just felt like I had to do it in private for others, and I didn't. I'm sure I won't be so nervous about it this time around. Be prepared family, no more hiding away in a bedroom every time baby needs to eat for this girl!

So there you have it, my breastfeeding journey. Maybe it will open up a conversation for someone else, maybe it will inspire someone to breastfeed, or maybe it just gives you a little more insight into who I am. Any way, I'm so happy I wrote it, it brought back lots of memories!