what momma writes

lesson learned. I was so worried about stella wearing her patch and keeping it on and well, she's kind of obsessed with it. the first day was rough and she tore off two in a row, but I wore one the whole time allotted and we watched Frozen together. *NOTE momma doesn't watch TV with the little person much. I hate cartoons, but I do like Frozen and my child's eyes are worth it haha. I texted my mom saying something dramatic about her taking it off and she came over with her brilliant idea. basically, my mom is awesome. she's resourceful and creative. she came up with the ultimate Patch Bag! What is the Patch Bag you ask? in short: a bag of junk. stella loooooves trinkets and knick-knacks so this was pretty much the perfect fit for her. (this could be modified to the likings of other children of course). my mom filled this bag with random shit. old key chains, bunny statue, bouncy ball, rosary, 3 magnetic marbles, and honestly I don't even remember what's i...

this post is a little silly, but it got me thinking. over the weekend, bird and I attended a 4 year old birthday party. like most birthday parties or gatherings we attend, bird beats to her own rhythm and bops around curiously exploring her new environment. getting her hands (and feet and at times mouth) all over whatever she can... at some point she will find her level of comfort and level of exploration satisfaction and find interest in the big dogs (aka older children). after things calmed down, I let stella in the birthday party bounce house with 3 other children (one being the birthday girl) who were old enough to know to be gentle with her in there. (I have to admit, bounce houses make me nervous with such a little thing, but go figure she loved it running back and forth saying "bouncy bouncy bouncy" like tigger). these same 3 girls ended up inside shortly after and I happened to be changing bird's diaper. bird proceeded to repeat all their names and the bir...

my blog still continues to sit with unfinished drafts that i hope to finish if i still carry the inspiration to write on that topic and i do my best to find my little balance with this space. lately, i've read three different blog posts on topics which i have drafted on, but never finished. sigh. the last post i drafted on happened to be a little before i read  this post  on a friend's bloggity blog. so instead of letting my draft sit, i'm going to let my post become like a reply since it segways in nicely. you see, i often get frustrated with myself for not finishing them and then i read someone elses and feel like i'm copying or it's old news, even though it's already started. i know, i know, it's silly and that's not what writing is about. but truthfully, while i'm working i can't keep up like i'd like and that's just the fact of the matter. nothing to lose sleep over of course. anyway... in lindsay's post, she asks: ...

i don't let my worries or woes of the future rent much space in my head anymore (or at least recently). it's a nice feeling, but i would be lying if i said i didn't think about what's in store for my dear gal and growing up in a world that is overstimulated with social media and technology coupled with the underlying pressures of society's idea of what it means to be female. with that, i'll write to my daughter's future. ... my stella, it is always my utmost goal to keep you happy, healthy and safe. as you get older, i realize this will become more challenging. you are already such a sponge. you will grow into your own and your curiosity will lead you to make more and more decisions on your own. it's my hope that your daddy and i can instill a sense of confidence and creativity in you and perhaps it will deter your curiosity to experiment with every parents worries. it's amazing how after having you, i am more cognizant and critical of the ...

sometimes i receive grief for being "skinny" post baby. i should probably spend more time reminding people that  i have worked hard to lose my baby weight,  with a lot of help from breastfeeding calorie burning.   it certainly makes it easier to lose weight burning an extra 500 cals a day...  the first day dr B gave the green lite to exercise i jogged around the neighborhood - slowly. but i did it. and please recall this post early on... i've been down to my pre pregnancy weight when bird reached 5.5 months. i even went below pre pregs around 10-11 months post partum.  tell me why in the world this equation doesn't add up? regardless of what weight you get down to, the body has changed post pregnancy/birth. Pre Pregs lbs = Pre Pregs clothes. seems like there is a glitch in the system, but there's not.  i talked with friends and family members about this glitch and it seems to be universal. that is the simple truth.  i'm...

i read this post  a while ago and kept it dog-eared because of one line: "it's a funny thing about labor. you never know what you might get and i believe it's not entirely up to us how our baby will come into this world. after all, it is not only our journey, but that of our little one as well. the first steps they will take on their own personal life path." as 1 year quietly and rapidly approaches stella's birth date it's also a reminder of all those hated feelings of the birth. i'm not talking physically here. pish, posh. it was hard, duh. but the real toughness comes in accepting her entry in the exact opposite way i envisioned. commotion. whisked away. not feeling overjoyed with love. frustration. wanting to go HOME! after i read that post, aside from this blogger's story going much more beautifully than mine (ie: "my heart swells and i feel a physical change come over me when i think back to the first few minutes, hours, days togeth...

we did it. after many a heads turned and questions were asked why in the world i would travel alone with a 9 month old, let alone travel to new york city with a 9 month old... we just did it. and honestly that was my whole mindset when i booked it.  i know i can do it so i will just do it. (can't wait to post on the trip itself later!) i also, of course like a nice challenge. i think the travel gods were on my side, but i wanted to share some tips from my experience on the road/fly/walk with a babe. baby travel: most people don't understand how i travel with a baby bc they NEED so much stuff. FALSE. it is the parents that think they need all that crap. to some degree, i consider myself a minimalist. (i said, to some degree ok?) packing: i packed everything for the both of us in 1 large suitcase. (45 lbs, but i made it fee-free. i could have even packed less, but did it a little overboard due to fear of stella pees, sweats and...

so since the TIME cover hype is out and about i guess i could introduce more bfeeding bloggies right? the TIME cover was brilliant marketing. i don't agree with the picture depicting attachment parenting and bfeeding at all, but i will say from a marketing pt. of view those cats knew what they were doing. but seriously let's get over it. if someone wants to bfeed their 3 year old, let em. it's not your business. i may have judged more so, prior to bfeeding myself, and i can honestly say i don't think have the tenacity or desire to continue bfeeding til age 3,  but if someone does it and it works for their family, so be it. aside from that, i wanted to share my bfeeding experience before we hear from the other lovely mothers that shared for me. - - - my personal thoughts on breastfeeding... well, i knew i was going to do it. even if it hurt. even if it was annoying. even if i felt tied down. it was something i was going to sacrifice no mat...

er, or not sleeping through the night rather. "no, she is not sleeping through the night. thanks." this actually is what i want to say sometimes, but i'm trying to stay positive. and disclaimer: please don't read this and think i am talking about you if you have asked me this before. it's more irritating to be asked over and over by the same person expecting a different response. isn't that the definition of insanity? hmmm. just because other 5 month old babies sleep thru doesn't mean that mine will at this time. and just because they sleep through at 2, 3 or 4 months doesn't mean that stella fits that exact  cookie cutter mold. hmph. every heard of individuality? unique? if this sounds defensive, i probably am and that is probably due to the fact that i am tired. do i want a full night's sleep? duh. am i used to getting up 3-4x a night lately? yes. am i functioning on broken sleep ok? barely. will this las...

i know it's bound to happen. i can't keep my little bird in a little (or big) bubble, but it surely sucks when your babe gets hurt. i'm not sure if this counts as stella's first injury. it might be unless you count the time my earring scratched her head or when i bumped her nose or head, but ok, the first time i saw blood from my pretty lil thing. i have been putting off clipping her nails.  i mean, i'm the one that is primarily getting scratches here so better me than her.  if she'd rather abuse me than so be it. i have filed them a couple times, but i find it takes for-ev-er and she is wiggly and doesn't love it, but i do it in hopes of her not imposing injuries on herself from her over grown, sharp fingernails. well, last week i buckled down and said "today is the day i will clip her nails." i was getting scratches all over my arms and chest - i probably shouldn't go to work looking like i have been fighting with a tiger anymo...

if you recall from last post i said i would post on integrating your babes in working out. it can be hard enough to get in shape. and stay in shape. but then having a baby or maybe you have 2 babes, point is it's hard to juggle it all. i'm no pro, but i have put together my tips to  staying in shape as a moma and getting over the hurdle  of passing up work outs. (clockwise) 1. yoga.  i am lucky enough where i can bring my baby to yoga.  granted, our instructor holds birdie if she fusses where as before she would sleep thru it's entirety. i know this won't last forever since she gets older and stronger each day. perhaps there is a moma+me yoga class out there for you. side note: please don't follow this pose though. i am doing it incorrectly, but i was too nervous to do it right  because i didn't want to fall off a cliff in the ocean. 2. ab works. stella thinks it's hilarious to count sit ups wi...