Sunshine and Sunflowers!!

A day of sunshine and love! We wanted to spend some quality time as a family after a week being apart! We decided to take Hailey to our favorite local farm: Braehead Farm in Fredericksburg, VA! Hailey LOVED looking at all of the sunflowers! She also visited her favorite horse and dwarf pony! The alpacas were not wanting to play outside due to the heat, but our chicken friends were following us all around the farm! It was a lovely visit for about an hour! 

 

Family Pictures in Arizona

Four Generations! 

Hailey and her Grandma Kat (My Mom)

Three Generations

Hailey and her Great Grandpa

Hailey and her Great Grandparents

Hiley with her Grandma and Uncle Jake on her 1st trip to the Zoo! 

 

Greetings from Arizona!

Hailey looking out the window on her 1st airplane ride!

Hailey and I made it safely to Tucson, Arizona! We are on a mommy and daughter trip to see my family! Hailey rode on her first airplane a few days ago and did wonderfully! I couldn't have asked for a more successful trip! We are enjoying time with my siblings, mom, cousins, and grandparents! Only family members missing is Joe and Heather, my other sister lives in Alaska! This trip is very important because Hailey gets to meet her great grandparents!
      Surprisingly navigating the airport with a baby was not as hard as I thought it was! I do have to say the changing table on the airplane's bathroom is ridiculous! Poor Hailey did not like being laid down on that hard table and it would shake with the plane. First plane ride she had to endure that twice and only once on the last ride. We flew to Dallas, Texas from Virginia and then from Dallas to Tucson! It was a loooong day! We gained three hours of time coming to AZ. It has been a bit hard to adjust to the time difference and man is it hot here! Hailey has met so many new family members! I don't think she realized she had so much family! The family reunion was a lot of fun and it was great to hang out with family I have not seen in a while! I will post some more pictures as our adventure continues!

Mom and I at the family reunion

Hailey and I outside my family's house!

Happy Independance Day!

The Maron Family would like to wish everyone a Happy Independance day and weekend! We will be celebrating with Joe's side of the family (Palmisano, Holiday, Bass, and Baldacci) at our home and will be having a lovely barbeque. It is Hailey's 1st Independance day! We hope she enjoys the different colors of the fireworks and is not frightened by them! :D Keep your fingers crossed! Anyone want to share some cute pictures of their patriotic families? Everyone be safe and have fun! 

Happy 6 Months Hailey!

 OH MY GOODNESS! Where has the time gone?! My baby is 6 months old, half a year already!                                    This wonderful little girl as you guys know brings me so much joy!
                                                    Hailey is 16 lbs 5 oz and 27 1/2 inches tall
                                                      She loves sweet potatoes and avocados
                                                Enjoys watching the Floogals and the Chica Show
                                                Giggles and smiles at fart noises(only my kid haha)
                                                Loves to roll around, sitting up, and to throw her toys
                                                         Enjoys knocking down her blocks
                                                    Allergic to all veggies in the squash family
                                                                Has 2 teeth popping up
                                                            Likes to give slobbery kisses

                                                     

Sensory Fun for Miss.Hailey!

Hailey is at the really fun age where you can do a lot of sensory activities! Of course I have been on Pinterest.com to find all of these wonderful activities you can do it at home with your baby to promote stimulation! I thought I would share some of the activities Hailey and I have been doing and how well the experience has been! 

SENSORY BOTTLES

I had a lot of fun making these sensory bottles for Hailey! I have more bottles not pictured here! Hailey especially loves her "Ocean In a Bottle"- made with vegetable oil, water, blue food coloring, and shells! These bottles are easy to throw into the diaper bag and they provide a great distraction for your baby when you are in the waiting room at the doctor's, restaurants, really anywhere! The sensory bottles are also easy to make! I am a craft ninja, so I had many of the supplies needed to make them. I used various colors of glitter, confetti stars and shells, and bedazzle jewels. The actual bottles were leftover favors from my baby shower; they are very small and easy for a baby to hold! I have seen bottles you can make with themes to them, such as "Minions", monsters, buttons, "Night Sky", etc. A helpful bit of advice to those thinking about doing this craft: GLUE THE LIDS DOWN! This way the water, glitter, buttons, etc do not leak or come out of the bottle :)  Such cool ideas and they give mama some crafts to do! Very worth the little bit of time it takes to make them! Sensory bottles are a sucessful sensory activity! 

   RIBBON WAND 

This craft idea was spur of the moment and I decided to do this when I realized I had a ton of various colored ribbons in my craft supply. I was lucky when I found the wooden stick! I think this craft only took me 10 minutes at the most to make involving cutting the ribbons and tying them onto the stick! Hailey likes to watch the different designs the ribbons make when you move the wand and she enjoys trying to grab the ribbons in her hands. This activity is great with helping hand coordination skills and keeps baby occupied for at least 10 minutes. Ribbons can also stimulate using touch. Hailey giggles when you run the ribbons over her arms or legs. I know this ribbon wand seems like it was meant for cats, but babies love it too! :D 

RAINBOW SPAGHETTI NOODLES

As you can see from Hailey's face, she loved this activity! I don't think she quite knew what to make of the noodles at first! I wish I had gotten a picture of her after she played with the colorful noodles! She had them everywhere and was giggling so hard! To do this activity you need: spaghetti noodles, water, oil, food coloring, a pan or a plastic container. I found this idea on Pinterest. The only thing I would do differently is not coat the noodles after they are cooked in oil. I get that the oil makes the noodles more slimy, but I didn't want to give Hailey any acne from the oil being on her soft baby skin. I would add the oil to the water when the noodles are cooking. After the noodles are done cooking, add various colors of food coloring to your drained noodles. LET THE NOODLES DRY FOR A LONG TIME AFTER COOKED. I say this to avoid having your child's hands, arms, legs, etc turn into a rainbow. Now, watch your kid enjoying touching something new, slimy, and weird! 

      THE BEAN BIN 

The Bean Bin activity was recommended to me by a friend and Hailey really enjoyed it!I chose to do a variety of the beans because I felt the colors would also be stimulating!  She loved putting her hands and feet in the beans, throwing the beans, and watching the beans fall out of the measuring cup. When she is older, she may enjoy "digging" in the beans and scooping up the beans by herself! The only issue I had with this activity was making sure Hailey did not place any of the beans in her mouth! She is all about her mouth right now! She has not discovered that she a nose or ears yet, thank God! I like that this activity you can save and do again and that it was not an expensive activity to do! I bought three bags of beans from Food Lion for $1.39 each. I already had the cake pan and the measuring cup at home! If you are not sold on this activity yet, here is a video of Hailey enjoying it! 

RAINBOW ICE

Hailey was very surprised by this sensory activity! We did it so that she could feel both warm and cold at the same time! The cold water excited her! This a great activity to do for a few minutes (you don't want little baby fingers and hands to get too cold!) No the colored water did not dye her hands! If she was to touch the ice cube, there could be some potential for dyeing of little fingers! To do this activity you need: a few ice cube trays, food coloring, a pan or plastic container, and water. I dyed water in a few separate bowls and placed a different color of the food coloring in each bowl. Then poured each different color into the different compartments of the ice cube tray! Once the water is frozen and has become ice, you can do your sensory activity! I actually really wanted to do this activity outside on a warm and sunny day, but we had a week full of rain so I opted to do it in the kitchen instead! Very easy and enjoyable for both mom and baby!
                            Here are a few videos of Hailey doing this sensory activity!

Me and Hailey will be doing some more sensory activities soon and we will share them with you all! Sorry about not posting for awhile, we have been very busy lately! I promise I will update more :D 

A Dad's 1st Father's Day!

HAPPY FIRST FATHER's DAY to my husband Joe and Hailey's daddy! What a very special occasion! Hailey got her daddy a new fishing pole and made him a picture using her hand and foot to make a fishing pole and fish! We are both so very lucky to have such a wonderful man in our lives who takes care of us and loves us so much! We celebrated an early father's day with Grandpa, Grandma Terry, and Aunt Louise at our house. Daddy has been perfecting his grilling skills! It was a good time for all!

Give a Little Kindness!

       This morning I had a man walk up to me at Food Lion, I was making a quick run to pick up diapers. Normally, I would feel alarmed at a stranger especially one who is a man walking up to me when it is just me and my baby, but I was in a very public place and this man had a kind and warm smile on his face. He said, "Your baby has a beautiful smile, she must get that from you."
        I did not get the feeling that he was hitting on me, just merely paying me a compliment. I smiled, thanked the man, and told him to have a wonderful day. As I stood in line to pay for the diapers and Diet Coke that I had in my cart, I kept smiling. When it came to be my turn to check out, the first thing the cashier said to me was, "Hello, it seems like you are having a good morning!"
       Truth be told , I was not having a good morning at all. Hailey wouldn't go to sleep until 12:30 AM last night, I was not caught up on my school work, and I was upset with my husband (I don't need to go into details). I felt so low about myself and felt like I had no control over my world.
                 
 To the man that took a moment of his time to pay me a compliment this morning,
           
              Thank you. I don't think you know how much your kind words mean to me and how much I needed them today. I don't know if you sensed that I wasn't having a good morning or if you are just the type of person that is compassionate towards others. To me, it seems as if you are both an observant and compassionate person. You brightened up my day. Now instead of being sad, I will think up upon your kindness and will smile. You gave me a gift of confidence and happiness and that is worth more than a 1,000 words,
                                                                                               Sincerely,
                                                                           The Mom with the Adorable Baby

It takes but a single moment to help someone, to make their day better, and to change their outlook on life in that moment to be positive. You never know who really needs that show of kindness and confidence boost.

                     
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."- Aesop 

Feeding your Baby Unhealthy Food at a Young Age

Warning: This post may contain heated thoughts. Please do not attack me with vicious comments. They will be deleted and I will ask that you do not frequent my blog in the future. Remember EVERYONE is entitled to their opinion, I am sharing mine and I ask for only constructive feedback that can contribute to an educational discussion.

          I don't participate in a lot of online discussions unless they are positive, but I contributed to one on Facebook today where a status was open to several people's opinions on the subject matter of baby fat shaming and it involved a mother giving her 3 month old baby whipped cream. I am FB friends with both people: the person who posted the original status that could be taken as baby fat shaming and with the person who posted a status that was about the original status (hope you are not confused!) My comment involved agreeing that a baby should not be fat shamed, no obesity should be mentioned when it comes to babies anyway! A chunky baby is a happy healthy baby, we want babies to eat!! BUT that no 3-4 month old should be fed whipped cream, that is a lot of sugar and most babies are not even able to eat solid foods at that age. Babies the majority of the time start out with oatmeal and solid foods that are approved by a pediatrician. Babies need a lot of nutrients to grow and whipped cream is unnecessary.

             Anyway, of course I got attacked by several people, a few that were moms and a few that weren't, all stating that I was judging that mom to be a horrible mom and from there it went from one ridiculous comment after the next jumping to topics that I did not even bring up with my original comment. Let me tell you, people can be REALLY mean. I reacted in defense and may not have been so nice myself because it felt like the comments became personal attacks and you add the "ganged up on" effect. well things get ugly. This is exactly the reason why I normally do not join these conversations, no matter how innocent a comment may be, there is a chance you will be attacked by others. Instead of everyone focusing on the more important issue of baby fat shaming, my comment was more focused on. 

            Was I judging that mom? MAYBE, without meaning too! Did I think she was a horrible mom? NO. Truth be told, I felt that the mom could be uneducated. Maybe she hadn't gone to her child's next pediatrician check up for the 3 month mark yet? She could have been given information from a family member that stated the child could eat solids at 3 months old. Perhaps all she was thinking, "I think maybe he/or she would like whipped cream!" We don't know! All I stated were facts that any pediatrician and any nurse would have replied to the fact that a mother fed her very young baby whipped cream. "Most", not all...(let me be clear) moms would probably choose not to feed their baby whipped cream at such a young age. Did the whipped cream kill the baby? No, but people were bringing up comments to that extreme. Thank god that mom wasn't giving her baby soda or even alcohol! Now that would be something to REALLY worry about! 

          Putting it this way, may help people understand my frame of thinking; would you feed your baby something that you find unhealthy for yourself?  My answer is no. I make all of Hailey's food fresh, I am lucky that I get a chance to do this for my baby; this is also a personal choice. I know most moms use baby food from the store, that's okay as long as your baby is getting the nutrients they need to be healthy!

         BABIES CANNOT CHOOSE WHAT THEY EAT AND WHAT GOES INTO THEIR BODIES. As parents or guardians, we decide what our babies eat. We are responsible in making sure they have good food choices and have what they need to be healthy. I was told by my pediatrician a baby's stomach is about as big as their little fist. That is not very big, I would rather fill that tiny little organ up with green beans rather than chocolate, whipped cream, coffee, etc. 

       Now when Hailey is the appropriate age, I cannot wait for her to try whipped cream and chocolate! I know she is going to love it. Keyword: APPROPRIATE AGE. It will be fun to see her enjoy trying these new tastes. I am sure that mom was thinking the same thing about her 3 month old baby. 

          AGAIN this post is not about fat shaming a baby, I would never do that. A bigger baby is a sign that it is healthy. Babies need more fat to use as energy for all that they do and are learning. This post is about giving a baby unhealthy food at a too young age, that is all. 

First Time Pool Adventures!

    Me, Joe, and Hailey at our neighborhood pool

Hailey loving the water!

We had many different trials with water, Hailey sometimes likes bath time and the majority of the time not. Joe and I were worried that she wouldn't like the pool at all and that we would be carrying a screaming baby out of the pool with judgemental eyes observing us from all around. Luckily, this was not the case! As you can see, Hailey loved her first ever pool experience, it was a success! We will be going to the pool once or twice a week now that we know she enjoys it. To tell you the truth I am not a water person, but Hailey made being in the pool fun! 

Happy 5 Months Hailey Marie!

Hailey is officially 5 months old! She loves to "rock", to roll onto her tummy, to reach and grab things, to watch the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, can sit on her own, and is trying really hard to sit up on her own! 

A Mother's Love

      

 Nichole Nordeman-"Slow Down"
Here’s to you 
You were pink or blue 
And everything I wanted 
Here’s to you
 Never sleeping through 
From midnight till the morning 
Had to crawl before you walked 
Before you ran 
Before I knew it 
You were trying to free your fingers from my hand 
‘Cause you could it on your own now somehow
Slow down 
Won’t you stay here a minute more I know you want to walk through the door
 But it’s all too fast 
Let’s make it last a little while 
I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly
 I am your biggest fan
 I hope you know I am
 But do you think you can somehow 
Slow down
Here’s to you 
Every missing tooth
 Every bedtime story 
Here’s to Barbie cars, light saber wars 
Sleeping in on Sunday 
Had to crawl 
Before you walked 
Before you ran 
Before I knew it 
You were teaching me 
The only thing love can 
Hold hands through it
 When it’s scary, you’ve got me
Slow down 
Won’t you stay here a minute more 
I know you want to walk through the door
 But it’s all too fast
 Let’s make it last a little while
 I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly 
I am your biggest fan
 I hope you know I am
 But do you think you can somehow 
Slow down
Please don’t roll your eyes at me
 I know I’m embarrassing
 But someday you’ll understand
 You’ll hold a little hand 
Ask them if they can 
I am your biggest fan
 I hope you know I am
 But do you think you can 
Somehow Slow down
Slow down

This song has gone viral over the last several days amongst the motherhood community. It does not only relate to mothers, but to fathers and grandparents as well. I wanted to share this video because it is beautiful and I feel it is the Anthem of Motherhood. I know every parent feels this way towards their child: the immense love, being proud, and feeling like time is just slipping through your fingers too fast. I dare you to watch the video without crying your eyes out. I am not going to lie, I have watched it at least twice and I produced enough tears to fill Niagara Falls. 

Hailey is almost 5 months old and I think WOW, where have these months gone? I remember looking and holding her for the first time like it was just yesterday. Is this how it is going to feel when I am watching her graduate high school, when she leaves home, and when she gets married? 

I have a feeling no matter how old she is, I am always going to see her as the little baby she is now. 

I look forward to all the wonderful moments that I am going to feel so proud and sad at the same time. I am going to cherish each and every moment I get to have with my daughter and hold them close to my heart. 

I love you Hailey Marie. 

*Slow Down's music video and lyrics are  property of Nichole Nordeman.  

Couch Potato Syndrome

              Lately, I don't feel like doing anything, by anything I mean exercising. I have my moments when Hailey is awake that I think, "When she goes down for a nap, I am totally going to work out." Do I actually carry this thought out? NO. Later comes the guilt after the day is over and I think "I really should have did a quick 30 minutes of exercise."
            Last Monday, I did attempt a 30 minute kickboxing workout, but this resulted in me back kicking my ankle into my coffee table and rolling on the floor with silent tears and explanatives trying to escape from my mouth while Hailey was napping in her room. Complete and utter failure at my first attempt of getting the exercise ball rolling. I'd have to say this is pretty typical of me, I am completely a klutz.  Have I mentioned that I have really weak ankles? No, seriously, for real! It runs in my family, you can ask my mom and grandma, they have them too! Despite this part of my genetic make-up that I cannot ignore, I usually have motivation in abundance to exercise (This was BEFORE Hailey).
         I have lost 45 pounds since having Hailey, but I still have about 40 pounds to go. I wasn't at an ideal or healthy weight when I got pregnant. So Woo! Go me! I've lost my pregnancy weight! But....(I hate that BUT) I still have more to lose. DAMN!
        Between taking care of Hailey, doing my schoolwork, and trying to keep up with the house chores, when I have a spare moment I tend to sit mindlessly on the couch while the Sprout channel plays on in the background and Hailey is pulling out my hair and placing slobbery hands all over my face. I know, I have just provided you with a great mental image.  Another great mental image is imagining yourself as a potato when you look in the mirror. This has happened to me, but it was during a moment late at night and exhaustion was taking over.
        I think one reason for my lack of motivation to exercise has to do with the fact that I am okay with myself now. Keyword being "now". I have a "mom bod,"anyone looking at me can tell I had a baby and that it was fairly recently. I don't want to be one of those women who feel bad when they look at their bodies post pregnancy. After all, my body produced the most wonderful gift in the world, my daughter. Yes, I am larger than I might want to be, I have stretch marks on my stomach and legs, and my hair is falling out; but this is all okay. It is and was all worth it because I have a beautiful little girl to love and care for each and every day for the rest of my life. 
       Eventually my body will get back to an ideal weight; it may take me a few months or perhaps a couple of years. I am not in any rush. I want to be healthy. I can be healthy by managing to work out a couple of times a week and eating well. I don't feel pressured by my husband, he looks at me like I am the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. He feels what other's may view as "flaws" as beautiful attributes.
       Mothers, be happy with yourself. You have done something amazing, you created a life! Take your time and don't feel upset when the weight is not coming off as fast as you would like. If you have a goal to achieve, it will be achieved over time.Don't feel bad when you have a moment to yourself that you aren't using it to exercise. Love yourself at all times.

Pears: The New "Crack" for Babies?

I hope my post title got your attention!
          Hailey's newest food is PEARS and it is the equivalent of a toddler consuming 100 pixie sticks-the paper sticks full of colored sugar. Pears are not a bad thing when given in the morning, perhaps a little bit of pear mixed in with some oatmeal cereal. Now at night time? That is a whole different story! If you want to be up most of the night with your baby, then please give your baby pureed pears for dinner! Huge mistake on my part last night and I had to learn the hard way!
           I have never seen Hailey THIS hyper! She likes to rock back and forth as if she is on a rocking horse (she usually uses my knee since she is too small for a rocking horse). Last night she was rocking super fast and kept trying to fly out of my hands and was giggling non-stop. That girl's cheeks must have been hurting by the time she fell asleep, she had been smiling so much! I couldn't help, but laugh and smile with her because her giggling was infectious. Now in hindsight I wish I had gotten this episode on video. I could have shared it with all of you.
         Hailey finally wore herself out and fell asleep slumped over in my arms and I was thinking, Thank you God! I was exhausted from her "cracked out on pears" state! My arms have never had such an amazing workout! I woke up this morning and took a look at these babies in the mirror and thought, "Wow! Look at these guns!" (I know you are picturing me do this as we speak, try not to laugh! Alright, it is okay if you do!)
        Hailey has had many first foods already- she is almost 5 months old and she has only reacted (in a good way) to two foods: AVOCADO and PEARS. When eating avocados, she would attack the spoon, reach for the bowl, and smiled A LOT. Babies have such funny reactions to new foods, it is quite enjoyable for me and her daddy to witness her exploration in the food world.

This is Hailey after her first taste of avocado. As you can see she enjoyed it immensely. I think it is great that she loves avocados, after all they are very healthy for you and it is something I usually always have in the house because I enjoy them too.

 I am making all of her food at home with organic fruits and vegetables. You can make A TON of baby food this way. It is very cost effective. The next foods on the list for Miss Hailey are Peas and Green Beans! Tomorrow is Hailey's last day of Pears-out of the trial period to see if she reacts or is allergic to them. It may be awhile before I give Pears to her again.  

Anyone have any funny pictures of their baby's 1st reaction to a new food they would like to share? :D 

Shedding Chipmunk's Agony

                               
             

          I have always had thick and wavy hair. My hair usually grows fast and I like to keep it long. When asked what is the feature I like most about my appearance, I state that I am proud of my hair. I'm the type of girl who never wears makeup and my socks usually never match. I am vain about my hair, I am not going to lie. Then pregnancy happened and my hair became out of control! My brunette locks were shiny, even thicker, and growing at rapid rates;I was loving it.
         
         What the heck happened? 4 almost 5 months post pregnancy and I think I am going bald! And where is the shine?! I shed before, that is what happens when you have long and thick hair. You gotta keep Drain-O on hand in the house at all times- you will have to drain the plumbing in the bathtub and the sinks every couple of weeks. This was a shock to my husband when we first started living together; now he is used to it!

          Hair is coming out in large clumps. I haven't found any bald spots; Thank God! I just find my hair everywhere and Hailey always seems to have it in her hands. I have to admit, I am generally a hairy person; I usually have more hair than most people. I used to feel that my arms were too hairy and now there is next to no hair on them, at all! This discovery of the loss of hair on my arms has prompted me to do some research. Yup, I "googled" this particular situation.Side note: not upset about the arm hair  loss, this is a plus!


                         


         
         REST EASY EVERYONE! I HAVE GOOD NEWS! This is a normal situation to have during and after pregnancy at least according to the Baby Center website. The gist of it is this, your hair is growing while some of your hair is in "resting phase". When your hair is done "resting," it will fall out due to it being replaced by new hairs. I am not going bald! YAY!

       Due to increased Estrogen levels when you are pregnant, the growing stage of hair is longer which results in pregnant women having beautiful hair. The opposite happens post-pregnancy when your Estrogen levels drop, Your hair and mine will get back to normal eventually :) If you would like more information, please check out the Baby Center's article that I read and got this information from: Postpartum Hair Loss.

      Hopefully in the next couple of weeks my hair will be back to normal and what I consider fabulous!

Freedom of Parenthood without Judgement

            My mom brought up a video in conversation a few days ago that she had watched on Youtube.com involving a woman who was teaching her baby to swim. Mom told me she had thought about sharing this video on Facebook, but thought better about it and decided not too. I asked her why she had decided not to post the video and she stated, " I felt you would have been offended especially since I agreed with the video."
       
          Well, this raised my curiosity! I am not offended by much so I thought this video must be offensive! Mom started to describe the video to me: a mother had her baby sitting on a stair located in a pool, she let her baby fall face-forward towards the pool and let her wade there for a few moments on their stomach while she was close by until the baby flipped over on it's back. The baby then swam a little bit and made small noises that some viewed as distressed. In the commentary section of the video, there were many upset, some judgemental comments.
     
          I was not offended by this video of a mother teaching her baby to swim, but by the fact that my mom had decided not to share this video due to what she felt my opinion may be.

         To be honest, no I did not necessarily agree with that mother's particular methods of teaching her baby to swim, but I am not offended by it, nor am I judging the mother's parenting techniques. I do think there was a different way to go about getting the same end result. Here is what I would have done: While holding onto Hailey's sides, I would gently lay her towards the water. Standing close to give her a feeling of security, Hailey would wade for a few moments on her own. If I did not see Hailey turning over onto her back I would then intervene.

         I think it is wonderful that mother wanted to start teaching her baby a very valuable and important life skill. In my personal opinion, I feel that the mother's technique could have been more gentle. Allowing the baby to fall towards the water could have hurt the child's face at the distance she was falling and could have been considered frightening for them.

      I do not mean that my way is right and the other mother's is wrong. The point is, we are parents and we have a right to parent as we see fit. Each baby is different and unique. That particular mother felt her child would learn best from the "fight or flight" response. The mother was still close by to her child and aptly watching them. I am not going to judge that mother and deem her "unfit". I give her many kudos for taking an active role in educating her child.

        Remember, we are all mothers. We all deserved the benefit of the doubt. We all deserve equality and respect from each other; after all we all have the greatest job of them all- raising our children. 

    Lastly, no one should ever be afraid or hesitant in sharing something with others that they feel strongly or have an opinion about.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, it is okay to be on the opposite side occasionally. It is often interesting to hear other's opposing thoughts and opinions. We are human, these differences are necessary.

Does anyone have a story to share where that they felt another mother judged them and assumed the worst?

Here is The Mother' Hood Official video featured on YouTube.com, not only is the video amusing, it shows the "Mommy War" plain and simple. There are a million different types of mothers out there, but when it comes to a baby in need; everyone goes running. I love the message this video is sending! Similac did a wonderful job! Enjoy! 

The Human Chew Toy

           Yes, you did read my title of my post correctly, "The Human Chew Toy."  Perhaps you are wondering what I mean by this. If you are a mother or have a child then you may already know and are waiting to see how I describe this particular phenomenon. It occurs when you have a child between the ages of 4-12 months ( I have to hope this stops at some point!) and they are in what we call the "drool phase".
         
        This phase could mean many things; your child could be teething or just has excessive saliva, who knows really?  Hailey could be teething, if she is; it has been about a month and no tooth has popped in for a surprise visit...long process it seems like.

       My daughter has a quirky personality and is starting to show her funny bone. Again, these moments mainly happen on the changing table, it is quite a special place for a parent and a baby; remember those in depth conversations I told you about? A lot happens on the changing table besides the obvious.

        Hailey has recently started grabbing and holding onto my arm and bringing it to her mouth. When I catch her doing it, she gives me an innocent and somewhat blank look until I call her out on her little "scheme," then she gives me the biggest smile and thinks it is funny that I caught her in the act. Not only does she do this with my arm, but my hands and fingers.

       I swear she almost gave my thumb a hickey yesterday! Normally I do not let her gnaw on any of my appendages, but she caught me in a vulnerable moment; I was exhausted. I wasn't aware of her sucking until I felt drool sliding down my hand and my thumb was starting to hurt.

     In my one moment of weakness, I believe I have become Hailey's favorite chew toy. Her teething toys no longer appeal to her; the keys and her water ring lay rejected in the living room sadly awaiting her return. Perhaps now is the time to purchase Sophia the Giraffe, the ultimate teething toy and every parent's secret weapon!

    Since I am now aware to her game, you would think Hailey would get the hint and give up on me being the new favorite. Nope, my brilliant child thought to resort to deceivement. Hailey loves her hands, she likes to try to stick her entire fist into her mouth at all times. She often holds one of my fingers in her little fist. Hailey decided to try to get to my finger by sticking her fist in her mouth. Get that, my finger was hidden in her fist! My baby is just so smart! I had to laugh at her cunning and brilliant plan.

    This is a perfect story that gives you a sneak peek at what my life is like everyday. I hope you thought this story as funny as I did. It is not fun to laugh by yourself, so please laugh :D

P.S. Next post may be of a more serious nature. I am allowed to switch it up sometimes! Just fair warning!

                                                                                                                    Toodles!
                                                                                      (As they say at the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse!)

Hello All!
         
            My name is Alexis and I am a stay at home mommy(SAHM), used to be full time Licensed Practical Nurse. What an adjustment this has been! I have been working since I was 15 years old. My new job has similarities to my old one: next to no bathroom or food breaks, hair is a mess, I am on my feet all day, feet and back hurt, and I'm taking care of someone-that someone being the most special and important person in my life.
           
         Not only have I stopped working, but my husband and I have moved our family away from the city and down into the country to live in a gated lake community. Literally nothing here except the Food Lion grocery store and a few other minor stores.
         
        I have to say though, I LOVE being a SAHM, it gives me the chance to be home with my daughter Hailey who is almost 5 months old and go to school full time to achieve my Bachelor's degree in Nursing. I have many hobbies, too many to count; but I do love reading, crafting, and I do some photography on the side. Check out my other website if you would like to see some of my work: Alexis Callaway Photography.

       So, I know what you are thinking: Oh gosh another mom blog! I know there are a million of them out there on the big interspace of the Web and it is a total cliche for SAHM's to blog, BUT I think I may have something else to offer the world of blogging. This is not just a mom blog, but a blog to share other things such as crafts, recipes, daily adventures and mishaps, etc just to name a few. The piece of the resistance(said in fake French accent) is an insight into my mind. Woo Hoo! Big deal, I know! You are all so lucky!
       
       Bear with me, the majority of the time I only have my baby to talk too. You can slowly start going nuts when you basically talk to yourself and hear the Sprout channel playing in the background all day long. Don't get me wrong, I live to have those in depth conversations with my daughter that consists mainly of coo's, babbling, and smiles; love those smiles! Did I mention all of these conversations seem to happen while on the changing table? Very deep conversations while cleaning up a mess, often we talk about saving the arctic animals and sometimes Hailey likes to pretend to be a mob boss who needs to take care of "business". It is a lot of fun when you get to make up what you think your child's responses are while they are babbling; one of the many ways I amuse myself during the day when I am not cleaning, cooking, studying, etc.
   
         I guess all that is left to say is enjoy my blog and I hope I can continue to amuse all of you and keep my sanity as I continue my adventure as a SAHM. If you like what you read and might want to read future posts, please follow me on Google+.
     

Hailey at 4 months and 1 week old. She's a "cool" girl!