Before I became pregnant and while I was pregnant I did research on just about everything. I just wanted to be sure I did what was best for my child. And still to this day I do the same because I want the best for him. Before he was even born I just wanted to protect him in every way possible. To me breastfeeding was one of the ways to do that after he was born.

In my opinion I believe breastfeeding is one of the best things you could do for your child. If you've explored all the benefits and facts about breastfeeding and still have decided it's not for you that's ok. I believe in doing what works for you and what you think will benefit your child. I also understand that some women are unable to breastfeed. But what I don't understand is why some people decide not to breastfeed without even doing their research. There are so many benefits for mom and baby that more women in America should be breastfeeding. I hope as time goes on all hospitals, doctors and employers across the country support breastfeeding by educating women and making it easier for them in the workplace.

I know a few people that have had children that have said they didn't want to breastfeed because it was an inconvience, or because if the baby didn't latch on it could be hard emotionally, or the baby wouldn't sleep well. I wish they would have done their research. For those of you who have not breastfed please know that there are solutions if for example your baby doesn't latch on. My baby did not latch on properly but with the help of a nipple shield we were good to go. And if that does not work you could always just pump so that your baby still gets the good nutrients from breast milk. I would suggest meeting with a lactation consultant before making that decision. I've also known quite a few people who have tried which is great but they said that milk never came. This is why speaking to a lactation consultant is important. Breastmilk takes a few days for it to come in but you must just keep breastfeeding in order for that to happen.

I personally miss breastfeeding my son. It was nice to just sit and bond with my baby. It was an incredible experience and I hope to do it for longer with my next child. I nursed Ethan for about 8 or 9 months but I would have liked to make it to at least 1 year. I think my supply just dwindled after returning to work. I tried everything but it just slowly went away. So now that I am a sahm I hope to make to that 1 year mark with my next child.

The most important piece of advice I can give is just to relax, take your time and enjoy the moment with your baby.Here is a list of products that I found helpful for breastfeeding.

1. Breast pads for your bra
2. Nipple shield
3. Nursing cover
4. Nursing pillow
5. Breast pump - A good tip for cleaning breast pump parts. The sippy cup cleaners the ones that allow you to clean out the straws work great. Dr. Brown also makes them to clean bottle parts.
6. Nursing bras
7. Nursing tops
8. Milk storage bags for freezer
9. Extra storage bottles w/ nipples. Very convenient because you can pump, put it in the fridge and just feed from that bottle.
10. Nipple cream - you will need this for sure in the beginning.

I've started to teach Ethan the abc's with the help of Dr. Seuss's ABC book. I didn't set out to teach him letters yet but this is his absolute favorite book.We read this a million times a day and if I don't read it he literally starts crying. He actually now knows a couple of letters which makes me so proud. So now I make sure I read each letter and repeat the sound that it makes. Our next step is to do the same with the letters in spanish.

How have you taught or how do you plan on teaching your child the abc's?

I've decided that my kitchen and dining room need a bit of color. The walls are beige which I am keeping but I would like to add some pops of color. I had some green mixed in but I hate green so I'm not sure why I even did that. I would like to add some teal/turquoise which I absolutely love. I got inspired by this candleholder that was in my living room. In a perfect world my kitchen and dining room would be painted gray with some teal accents. But gray does not match my tile and backsplash so maybe ill just paint the dining room one day.

So far I have a few things that are teal but I still have a ways to go. I just have some placemats which I usually just use for the middle of the dining room table, the buffet table and small table I have in the kitchen. I also have some lovely new kitchen towels thanks to target, the candle holder that was in my living room and a lovely new memo board from home goods. With a toddler and a 7 month old nephew I take care of I just have no time for these projects. So I'm constantly starting things or just wanting to do things and I just can't do. If you've read my last post you know that soon enough I will have some extra time on my hands. I am super thankful for it because I really do want to make my home look nice and I want that extra family time. so I will finishe my projects I just need a bit more inspiration so maybe I will take a look at pinterest for some teal decor.

Take a look below at what I have so far and check back later for an update.

 

happy friday

So glad that today is Friday. I'm actually even more glad that this is the last weekend I have with some kind of commitment until late summer. As I have mentioned before I am a bridesmaid in my friends wedding this summer. This weekend is the bridal shower which I am very excited about. I think it's going to be beautiful and it will be nice to spend some time with my lady friends. I still cannot believe she is getting married but I am so happy for her.

Also, this weekend I have to shop for vacation stuff since I will be traveling next weekend with my little guy. I'm excited for my vacation and I'm also excited for the summer. Last year, I was working so this summer I really get to spend my time with Ethan. And since my weekends will be free I will actually have some time for my organization and decorating projects I have going on around the house. I will also have some more time to spend on this blog. I've been making some changes here and there to make better. I've even thought about changing the name but we'll see.

So I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I will be super busy but hopefully will have some time for another post.

Mother's Day

I know I'm a little late but I hope all the moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. Mother's Day is very special to me because it brings me back to that very moment when I became a mother. The moment that Ethan was placed on my chest was probably the greatest moment I have had in my life. The very moment I became a mother I fell in love like I've never been in love before.  And it is the best thing that I have done and will do in my lifetime. Being a mother means the world to me and I now know the love that my mother feels for me.

My mother was a hard working mother and she made it looks easy. I love her dearly and just looking back sometimes I wish I helped a little more. Because I now truly know that it is the hardest but best job. My mother and father mean the world to me and I'm so thankful for everything they have done for me. They worked so hard from the moment my sister was born and to this very day they continue to do so much for us. Moms and dads are the best and I always like to make sure my parents know that whether it's Mother's Day, Father's Day or any other day if the year.

Best gift I got for Mother's Day. A nice smooch from my little guy.

 Can't forget about my fur child. He spent Mother"s Day by my side just relaxing with his favorite ball.



Ethan and I will be taking a trip soon to the sunny and tropical Caribbean. I love taking trips but when I know I have to travel alone with him it just makes me nervous. I never know how he's going to behave. He's flown 4 times and he's been great each time but its a little difficult when I'm on my own with him. Thankfully I will only be on my own for one of the flights. Wish me luck.

This time I am packing early to make sure I am prepared and not running around the morning of. I also want to make sure that I don't pack too much so that I have room for all the stuff I will probably buy. So here is a list of what I usually bring for Ethan when we go on vacation.

1. Sunscreen - Very important when going anywhere especially somewhere super sunny. My favorite is the honest sunscreen.
2. Hats - I always pack some beach hats and baseball caps.
3. Stroller- I have a lightweight Chicco stroller that I bring everywhere. Make sure to remove cup holders because they will get lost even when you gate check.
4. Books - Ethan loves books so I make sure to pack a few for the plane ride and for bedtime.
5. Toys - I always buy a few small toys that way he has something new and that will hopefully keep him entertained for a while.
6. Snacks - I buy snacks for the plane and for the week or two that we'll be on vaca. Ethan loves the fruit pouches which are great for traveling. 
7. Clothes - I usually travel for 2 weeks but only bring enough for a week and then I just do laundry. Of course daytime clothes, pjs, and a bathing suit.
8. Eating essentials - a couple of sippy cups, silicone bibs, fork and spoon.
9. Diapers and wipes - I usually only bring enough for the plane ride and first day then I just buy them.
10. Meds - I always bring some Tylenol and Advil. Very important! I bring a thermometer as well.

The key is to remember to bring the important stuff like anything your child may need to fall asleep like a favorite blanket. Anything else you could always buy so no need to stress about packing. 

my night out

So it's Wednesday and I'm just now feeling better from my night out on Saturday. Yes I did say Saturday. I am a bridesmaid for my friend who will be getting this summer and we had bachelorette here near our town for her. She is having one in Vegas so the girls figured we should do one here for everyone who can't go to Vegas like me.
So let me start off by saying that I am the only one of my friends who has a child so they are very much still in the party mode. I let that go a long time ago because I was over it since I did it for a while and because I've always been the type of person who just likes to stay home. I'm just tired thinking about the fact that they've been doing it for probably about 10 years! And I'm not saying it's a bad thing I think its great and what you should do in your twenties especially if you don't have kids. So anyway they have quite a bit of experience and they went all out.
We started the night at one of their houses drinking beer and lots of shots which I did not take. I haven't gone out for a night of drinking in over two years so I figured I would stick to beer. We then went on a limo to the city and I think that part was louder than the actual places we went to. We ended up going to a couple of small clubs and I had a good time. It was just nice to have a night out where I could let loose and get dressed up. I am very glad I went and I'm glad the bride had a good time.
All in all I had a great time with all the girls and I'm glad I had my night out. But since we didn't get home until 3am and I had to wake up with my child I've definitely been hurting for the last few days. That's the thing about getting older it just takes a lot longer to recover. Now I'm back to being mom again and I love it.

favorite toys

Ethan has quite the collection of toys at the moment. I try and rotate them around the house and that really seems to work for us. For now we are probably done buying toys until his next birthday. When that comes I will look around for some nice learning toys. I'm really liking the Melissa and Doug toys  we have so maybe a few of those for his birthday and Christmas.

Take a look at the toys that he is most interested in at the moment.