I think we're nearing the end

And I can't stop crying about it.

For the last week or so, almost every time I nurse Carina it starts out okay but then begins to feel weird. Really weird. Gross, almost. I can't think of a better or more accurate way to describe it. I don't know why this is happening all of a sudden, as I've always loved breastfeeding. Maybe I'm drying up?

I've tried to power through it, but each time I find myself wishing and hoping she'll stop. I've had to cut her short a few times, shedding tears as she protests, fusses, and then cries herself.

How is she 17 months old already?

I'm sobbing now as I write. I didn't want it to end like this. I wanted her to be ready to wean, not clamoring to continue as I close myself off to her. I had visions of holding her tenderly as she nurses for the last time, but I'm afraid that we won't be blessed with that sort of moment of tranquility. As soon as she starts I'm just itching for her to finish. I feel like my body is literally rejecting breastfeeding any further at this point. And my heart is breaking.


Has anyone else experienced this? How did you decide to wean your baby?

iMelt

Okay, an apology is necessary. That's the lamest post title ever.

While snapping a couple photos of Carina snuggling up with Mike yesterday, I noticed a trend amongst my iPhone pics...

Snuggling and napping with Daddy is easily one of our favorite things to do, and it has been since our first day home from the hospital (above). OMG, squishy squishy newborn. I can't believe we'll have another in about 4 months time.

Any trends in your phone photos?

Something to look forward to every month - Wittlebee

Despite my having little fashion sense for myself, I am always on the lookout for the cool new thing when it comes to baby style and products. I recently became acquainted with Wittlebee kids clothing club, and I was immediately intrigued. I knew I needed to learn more about it.

What's Wittlebee?
It's a monthly membership service that automatically ships you a box full of your kid's clothing essentials. Their service is meant to supplement your existing clothes supply and ensure you're always well stocked with the basics (onesies, t-shirts, leggings, socks and more). As your child grows so do the sizes of clothes you receive each month - Wittlebee carries sizes newborn through 5T. Every box contains clothes worth over $100 in retail value.

Our first Wittlebee box!

How does it work?
First, fill out your child's style profile! Enter their sex and size, and then it gets fun. Choose a category to best describe their style, their favorite colors, what types of items you would most like, and what type of climate you're in. Not detailed enough or have something in particular in mind? You can talk to one of Wittlebee's "Mom Stylists" over the phone!

After you fill out your child's style profile, your customized box of clothes arrives at your door in about two weeks. You’ll receive a new box of clothes every month, containing 8 items (update: it is now 6 items). Is your little one like Carina {who doesn't grow very fast}? You can pause your membership (or cancel) at anytime. Shipping is free, and you can return your box for a full refund if you are not 100% satisfied.

Squeeee! So cute!

What did we get?
I ordered my box on a Friday afternoon, and received it on Monday morning! From left to right (and top to bottom), here's what was in ours: yellow and purple American Apparel shirts, blue Luca Charles shirt (so soft!), pink Children's Place shorts, red Tea Collection dress, pink Rabbit Skins romper dress, patterned Strawberry tank top, and blue Luca Charles skirt. I am so impressed with the contents. There is definitely more than $100 worth of clothes here; I absolutely think it is worth the $40 monthly cost. Annnd...right now you can get $10 off of your first box!

I find it hard to venture out of my comfort zone when it comes to baby clothes. I tend to buy similar items over and over again - is anyone else guilty of this? So I actually really like the idea of someone else helping me pick out some of Carina's wardrobe. Then she won't get stuck with ten of the same style of dress or skirt ;)  Are you the opposite? Does the thought of someone else choosing your child's outfits make you nervous? I like that you can go over the items in your box with one of Wittlebee's "Mom Stylists" to make sure everything is to your liking, should you choose to do so.

How did Carina like her new clothes?

Playing outside in our shorts and tee

Doing her little turn on the catwalk

Super cute. Visit Wittlebee now to get $10 off of your first box! Just $30 for over $100 worth of clothes.

I was not compensated for this review. I received the item free of charge for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honest, and my own. Your experience may vary.

Please help keep us afloat!

Thank you all so much for voting for me on Top Baby Blogs over the past few months! Because of you, I held onto the #6 position until all of the votes were erased, just now. Many of you have told me that you found me through Top Baby Blogs and I would love to stay there so others can find me as well. It is such a wonderful blogging community, and I have made quite a few good friends through it!

Pretty please could you help keep us afloat? Please view the photos below, and then roll your eyes, as you realize that I just made a really lame pun.

Just click here ~~~> or on one of the Carina bribery photos below. Then click on the owl to your left. It's that easy! I would appreciate it so much.

I have a Top Baby Blogs button over on the right sidebar, there, too. You can vote once every 24 hours. And if you do, I'll love you forever. Promise. But no sexual favors, sorry. I don't think the husband would approve. I appreciate every vote so much, thanks :)

Toddle Along Tuesday - Lazy Man's Shopping

Truth be told, I'm lazy. I would much prefer to sit on my butt and peruse a handful of websites, pick what clothes I like, and cross my fingers that whatever I purchase fits Carina (or me), than waddle around the mall, thumb through 20 of the same shirt trying to find my size (and I rarely can), and then spend fifteen minutes trying everything on. So it's safe to say that the internet shopping is right up there amongst the best inventions ever, in my humble opinion.

My favorites:

Kohl's - Every now and then their Clearance section is amazing. And usually? There is a coupon code for 30% off and you can get $10 in Kohl's cash for every $50 you spend. I bought Carina 5 little skirts last Fall for $2.20 each (before the discount!), in 18 Month and 24 Month sizes. They are perfect right now! Most of Carina's 0-6 month wardrobe came from Kohl's; you can't beat Carter's creepers for $3.

We have this skirt in 5 colors, no joke

Zulily - Flash sale websites (like this one and the one below) have amazing sales that last for only 24 to 72 hours. The retailers that they feature sell a variety of products including clothes, toys, and gear for babies, as well as maternity and Mom fashions. I bought all of Carina's HALO sleep sacks, Melissa & Doug toys, See Kai Run shoes, and iPlay swimwear on Zulily. My favorite purchases ever? Carina's very first newborn shoes - they were only $5.99 each.

 

Etsy - I love to support work-at-home Moms as often as possible, so when it comes to cute accessories for Carina (I may or may not have a headband and bow obsession), I start my search there!

Carina's Etsy bows in all their glory

If you do as much online shopping as I do, be sure to sign up for eBates - it gives you a percentage back on every purchase you make. Apparently I shop online too often, as I've gotten back more than $200 in the last year (umm...eek?)



<center><a href="http://www.growingupgeeky.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x324/mchupie/Growing_up_Geeky/tatbutton150.png" /></a></center>
My co-host for Toddle Along Tuesday this week is Amber from Educating Miss Amber and the topic is places to shop! Do you have a favorite store, love consignment sales, or do your shopping online? Share your favorite places to shop for your kids or yourself. Maybe show off some of your fave finds, too! There are no rules here, except that you link up a relevant post (old or new) rather than your whole blog.


Next week's topic is your Mom! Tell us about her. What is she like? What is your relationship like? I meant to do this around Mother's Day, but forgot (oops!) Old post or new post, either is fine!

If you like advance notice for TAT, check out the bottom right of my blog - topics for the next couple months are listed. Would you like to submit a topic idea and/or volunteer to co-host one week? E-mail me!

23 weeks! - bumpdate

Whoa, why am I super orange today?

How far along? 23 weeks

Weight gain/loss: 129 lbs. Up 2 lbs. this week, up 11 total.

Feeling: Still tired most of the time and sciatica-y. Where's my 2nd Trimester energy? ;)

Maternity clothes? Yes! And I'm loving wearing dresses and skirts this time around. So much better than sweaters and pants all the time.

Sleep: I'm having trouble falling asleep at night, which is really new for me. I'm usually out like a light. Is there anything that helps you get to sleep when you're having difficulty?

Food cravings: Chocolate chip cookies. My sister just sent me my favorite childhood recipe and I made some this weekend. I'll have to post it soon!

Movement? Mostly right before I go to sleep, but I do feel her here and there throughout the day.

What I miss? Wine. I may or may not have had a tiny glass while Mike's family was here visiting this weekend ;)

Best moment this week: Spending time with Mike's family. Carina had so much fun playing with them, and they were a world of help. They wouldn't let either of us lift a finger while they were here. So thankful.

What I'm looking forward to: Heading down to Cape Cod with my family in two weeks! Can't wait to spend a long weekend at the beach.

Next Appointment: next OB appointment on June 13th.

Milestones: Baby now weighs about 1 pound!


At 23 weeks with Carina. What's funny? I was wearing this dress today and almost took my picture in it! I should have. Oh well.

Pregnancy glow: Jules & Jim Maternity - Review & Giveaway! CLOSED

After having been pregnant in both the Fall/Winter and now in the late Spring/early Summer, I am confident in saying that Summer maternity clothes are so much more fun. Flowy dresses and comfy skirts win out over scratchy sweaters and tent-like turtlenecks, for sure. I honestly didn't care very much about the maternity clothes I wore when I was pregnant with Carina because there really wasn't ever an opportunity to go out and show them off during the frigid Wisconsin Fall. I think I just bought whatever was on last season's clearance rack at a few of the generic maternity stores I stumbled upon at the mall. (Sidenote: check with me towards the end of the Summer to see how I'm feeling with regards to being pregnant in the Fall/Winter vs. Summer on the whole, though!)

So, back to summery dresses. You might recognize this lovely one from Jules & Jim Maternity from my Mother's Day post. When I first received it, I prayed for nice weather on our Mother's Day outing because I knew it would be the perfect time to wear it.

At Sturbridge Village in my dress

The Darling Dress with Bow is made of 100% cotton, has an elastic waist, and an adorable bow at the left shoulder. Let me be completely honest: I feel pretty in this dress. From the adjustable bow, to the feminine print, to the flowy skirt - it makes me believe that I'm exuding that fabled pregnancy glow rather than stomping around like the cranky pregosaurus that I {really} am.

Mike loves it, too. Whenever I try on a new outfit for the first time and show him, I am always so eager to see his reaction. It's never bad {bless him}, but it can range from the lukewarm, "you look nice" to the enthusiastic "wow, you're gorgeous." This dress? Beyond gorgeous, in his opinion. Cue big toothy smile from me. And it's not just Mike; I've received a number of compliments on this dress! When most people comment on how freakishly huge your bump is (you must be having twins!) hearing that people think your dress is beautiful is a very much welcomed anomaly ;)

My other favorites in the Jules & Jim collection are the Classic Summer Knit Dress, Short Sleeve Dress, and Modal Cardi Wrap. I could live in any number of their dresses all summer...

More about Jules & Jim (this cracked me up, and had me sold within seconds of reading it):
Jules likes seeing his pregnant wife sexy. Jim prefers the classic, refined look. Together Jules & Jim make up a line of maternity clothing in tune with new trends, at once comfortable and urbane. All the clothes in the collection are entirely designed and produced by the Canadian fashion industry.

Shop
Jules & Jim fashions can be found at a number of maternity stores, and also online!

Win
The fine folks at Jules & Jim offering one of my readers a maternity dress from their collection! Winner can choose from a number of their options, depending upon what is in stock for their size.

How to Enter:
This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. Click "Read More" below and then follow the instructions on the widget. Make sure to click "Enter!" after you complete each entry. All currents count! The giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada and ends at 11:59 PM on Saturday, June 2nd.

The first entry is mandatory - Check out the Jules & Jim collection and leave me a comment telling me which style you like best! Once you complete this entry, the widget will give you the option of completing the rest. Complete more steps for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was not compensated for this review. I received the item free of charge for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honest, and my own.

"Outside! Outside!"

The park is always a winner on weekend mornings.

I can't wait for the weather to be this nice all the time. Carina's new thing is yelling "outside! outside!" as soon as she wakes up. We may or may not have walked downtown in the rain last week because nothing else would make her happy ;)

Are there any words or phrases you can't say around your little one because of what will happen?

Enjoy your weekend!

May Sponsor Love!

Bethany Sherrard - Sweet December Hats

Bethany, creative mind behind Sweet December Hats, make adorable headbands, hair clips, crochet hats, and bonnets for all ages. Check out her adorable newborn photography props as well!

Photo Credit: Bliss Photography of Rochester, MN

My favorite!

 Etsy | Facebook | Twitter 

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Sandy Storck - Independent Scentsy and Velata consultant

Sandy is a working mom of a toddler who never liked or thought about doing direct sales. She was introduced to Scentsy through another new mom and thought that the idea of a wickless candle as a safe alternative for a traditional candle was a great idea. She was so hooked on the product, she wanted to tell all her friends about it! 

And now - Scentsy just recently launched Velata - a new line of plug-and-play fondue warmers and Belgian fondue chocolate:

A small group of clever, chocolate-adoring Scentsy folks had a dazzling idea. What if we served scrumptious chocolate fondue in a plug-and-play, fun-to-use warmer worthy of such fine chocolate? Whether you are a foodie, a trendsetter, or just someone who thinks of chocolate as its own food group, Velata fondue products are for you.

 

I can't wait to tell you more about Velata in June! ;)

Scentsy | Velata | Facebook | Twitter

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Looking for some awesome new blogs to read or places to shop? Look no further!

Teach your kids not to be dbags

I'm starting a new series of posts. Whenever something pops into my head that I think everyone should teach their kids, I'll be sharing it with you. Wait, wait! Don't run away yet.

This won't be a collection of do it my way or else I'm going to judge you, you bad bad Mommy you or I really think you should parent like this because it's so much better - look, here I'll even cite sources posts. I think hope you know by now that I'm just not that kind of person.

Rather, it will be an assortment of things that - if everyone out there had been taught - would have saved me a lot of pain, sadness, and frustration at some point in my life. And others, too, of course.

So let's begin - with my adolescent awkwardness.

Me (right) and my sisters, ca. 1996

Bad acne. Horrible braces. Scary hair. No confidence whatsoever. And to top it off? A fuzzy chickie backpack (WTF?) As you can see here I was quite the epitome of cool.

Closer up, around 1998: doesn't my Mom look good? Me, on the other hand...

I was just all sorts of awkward, and almost everyone around me let me know it. I was barked at by kids on the bus and excluded by my group of so-called friends because I {and I quote} "wasn't hot enough to get any guys". Is it sad that I still remember that 15 years later? Even my sisters made fun of me on a regular basis (we're tight now; it's all good). On my 14th birthday, a "friend" called to invite me to see Titanic in the movie theater and said she'd call me later. When I hadn't heard from her by late afternoon, I called back and her Mom told me she was out at the movies. ::gutpunch:: <~~~Yep, looking back I totally laugh at this and how dramatic I was, but in my 14-year-old mind, it was akin to the end of the world.

At times I felt like my only allies were my Mom and my teachers. Which is probably why, in retrospect, I always made homework my priority and straight A's my mission. I threw myself into my studies and tried my best to let all the taunting roll off my back. Not always so easy, though...I ended up going to see a therapist for some time. Shortly thereafter we ended up moving to a new town which gave me the opportunity to completely start over. I never looked back and things just got better and better.

So...on to my point. Teach your kids not to be little jerks. I know we can't control everything our kids do, especially when they are not under our supervision all the time, but showing them how it feels so much better to be nice to someone than to be an ass really isn't that hard or time consuming. And if you ever find out that your kids have been bullying or teasing another child? Take action. Please don't shrug it off and mutter, "kids will be kids".

I was fortunate in that I found solace in my Mom and in my textbooks. And on the bullying severity spectrum? Mine was quite mild. Many other kids have not been so lucky. I just read that a 7-year-old (7 EFFING YEARS OLD) committed suicide on Wednesday because of bullying. I can't even...

Seriously, teach your kids not to be dbags.


What was your experience like growing up? Were you ever bullied? Have your kids been bullied?