Now Trending: Not-Married Moms!

A very common question pregnant women who aren't married hear is, "When are you getting married?". Right after the ever so popular "What are you having!?!" ...... An alien. I'm having an alien and I am getting married tomorrow so you can stop asking that question.

If you love, or even like the pregnant woman in your life, just don't ask her that first question. Please. Yes, you may think it in your head, but keep it there. We are all sick of hearing it. We will get married in our own time, we when want to.

I know more not-married moms than married ones (I hate the word single, because it portrays the idea that Mom is alone and some of us aren't). We got a wonderful surprise and decided that getting married during this time was not what we wanted. Why would we rush getting married? I want to have time to plan a wonderful wedding and be able to fully enjoy it (So sue me, I want to be able to drink at my wedding)! I want to have E at a point where she has weaned (on her own time) and Casey and I are comfortable enough to be away from her. She is my main concern, not myself.

At the end of the day E has a Mommy and Daddy who love her very much and she has no idea we aren't married.

This is for all the Mommy's out there who have heard that dreaded question!

I give you permission to slap the next person who asks you this question........I mean.....uh.....never mind, do what you feel.

I'm never starting solids. Ever.

That pretty much summarizes my feelings on starting solids. It's scary! I'm betting I'm not the only parent who has had this thought. My sweet baby girl has only had mommy-milk and gas drops (which she now tolerates). No bottles, no pacifiers. She is an avid thumb sucker now and is beginning to chew on anything she can grab. The idea of putting REAL food in her mouth scares me. 

A very common first food for babies is rice cereal. Recent studies have found low levels of arsenic in rice cereal. ARSENIC! I realize it almost impossible to avoid, as it is found in soil, but I would just like to avoid it completely. Shouldn't anything we use for baby be 100x safer than everything else?

We have decided to start with something besides rice cereal and practice Baby Led Weaning. BLW is the practice of starting your baby on solids that they can feed to themselves and that have texture to help your lo (little one) learn to chew and handle food in their mouths. I am not claiming to know much/anything about BLW, but hopefully soon I will be getting a copy of the book and will be well equipped when E hits 6 months! I'd love to hear any experiences you've had with BLW! 

Happy Friday!!

Link to USA Today article on arsenic levels in rice cereal and other products.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/06/arsenic-rice-low-levels-fda/2771903/

I'm Over Here! Under the Pile of Poopy Diapers and Breast Pads.

I'm Alive!

4+ months later and I am coming out of the fog and getting the hang of this Mommy thing! It hasn't been easy.....ok, it was harder than I could've ever imagined, but here I am, multitasking! Nursing, blogging, and munching on chocolate chips (don't hate). 

Ellery is one healthy & happy girl! We have been learning quite a bit from each other and enjoying every minute of it! I'm hoping to begin posting again regularly after we move. You can expect some fabulous posts in the not so distant future. 

Ellery Stats:

Born on: April 28th,  2014

Weight:  9 lbs 1oz

Length:  19.5 inches

Now:     

Weight: 16.8 lbs      (~95th percentile)

Length:  26 inches   (97th percentile)

Stay Tuned!

Lots of Love <3

We Found Our Doula at a Pig Roast....

Yes, that's right, a pig roast, in a ski resort.

Casey (Daddy) and I had just moved to the area and we were lucky enough to end up living in a Ski Resort called Massanutten (I'm going to be really sad when we move again). A few weeks after we moved to Massanutten there was a Pig Roast/Pot Luck for residents of the resort and we decided to go. 

As we were walking into the lodge we were slightly worried we had moved to a retirement home. Everyone that we saw was about 50+ years older than us. We walked through the door and got in line to sign in. Standing behind us was the first young couple we had seen! I immediately struck up conversation with the woman, Maria. After signing in, everyone was filing to the back to grab a table. I scanned the room and saw that young couple again and immediately Casey and I looked at each other and walked over, without saying a word to each other.

We sat down and introduced ourselves. Of course the first question when you are nice and round is "How far along are you?" Maria and I started chatting about babies, as Casey and Maria's husband Ron, started chatting about......well, man stuff, I suppose. 

Maria and I got on the topic of occupations and she told me she was a Doula. Without taking a breath I said, "No Way! I've been looking into hiring a Doula!" We were instantly connected. After filling up on delicious food, we exchanged phone numbers and said our goodbye's. 

It was a complete act of fate meeting her that night. Now I don't suggest this as a method of trying to find a Doula. You'll have much better luck checking out the DONA International website or asking your Doctor or Midwife for recommendations.

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International & "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey and "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen Le Billon

Staying on a Budget, No Matter Your Income

You may have noticed that I have been reading "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey. 

For those who don't know who Dave Ramsey is, he is a Financial Guru! Ok, that's my opinion, but he really does have a vast knowledge of managing money and becoming debt free, among other things. I strongly recommend his books as well as his Financial Peace University course to anyone, but especially those other young couples who are just like Casey and I. If you've got some student loans to pay off, maybe some credit card debt, and maybe a car loan, this is something to look into. Whatever type of debt you have, learning how to stick to a budget and pay that debt off will be one of the most exciting things you do. Whether your income is $30,000, $60,000, or $100,000+, you should be directing your money where to go and not wondering what happened to all of it.

Casey was the one to initiate our start into financial freedom. The idea of writing a budget was a scary thought to me at the time. I was in between jobs, working as a Barista and part-time Nannying. My income was anything, but stable. In January of 2013 Casey stayed the weekend and when he left, he left one of Dave's books. After about 2 weeks of the book sitting on my nightstand I finally opened it up, only to find a bookmark Casey had made me. At that very moment I knew he meant business, but first and foremost, I knew he not only wanted the best life possible for himself, but for me as well.

We are currently "enrolled" in the at-home version of Financial Peace University. Financial Peace University is available at churches across the nation as well as the at-home version. It is a 9 week program with one lesson each week.

We have already seen success from this journey and I hope some of you will too.

*Keep an eye out for my post "Baby Doesn't Have to Mean Broke". It will have tips on how to save money on typical baby items as well as some DIY project ideas.

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International & "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey and "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen Le Billon

My #1 Pregnancy Necessity

Our Doula!

"What is a Doula?", you may ask. My description of a Doula is as follows: "An amazing woman who provides support and strives to be a Mother, Sister, and Friend to a woman during her Pregnancy."

Other descriptions I have found sound more like this:

"The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period." (http://www.dona.org/mothers/)

Hiring a Doula was an easy decision for Casey (Daddy) and I. We live about 12 hours from the majority of our family. In combination with moving frequently, and this being our first pregnancy, we knew we could benefit from the extra support we would receive from a Doula.

If we were surrounded by family during this time, we might not have hired a Doula, but I can't say for sure. Doulas do usually come with a price tag. Unless, you are able to find a Doula who is still training to become certified by an organization such as DONA International or a Doula who is linked through your hospital or birth center, those Doulas might come to you at little or no cost. The average cost of a Doula is between $200-$400. The more experience a Doula has will be reflected in the price they charge. 

Birth Doulas (which is what we have) often schedule a few meetings before the birth of your baby to discuss your birth plan and you and your partner's fears, hopes, and anything else you would like to discuss. 

Postpartum Doula; a Doula who is there for you, your partner, and baby, to help with baby blues, breastfeeding, and any questions you may have. Our Doula will be visiting us after baby is born, which is why we don't feel the need for a Postpartum Doula. You can certainly have both or one and not the other, it's completely up to you! 

If you have interest in finding a Doula, ask your Doctor or Midwife, or you can search online yourself! You can do a search in your area on the DONA International website.

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International & "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey & "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen Le Billon

The Great Diaper Debate

Disposables vs. Cloth.

That is the question.

Congratulations! You have been given the great decision of how to handle your munchkin's poo!

This past weekend I attended a seminar on Cloth Diapering at a local natural baby store, Over the Moon, here in the mountains of Virginia. Prior to the seminar I had done my own research via the Internet and awesome cloth diapering friends, but I still managed to learn quite a bit at the seminar.

There are Pros and Cons to both sides, but I can't help but be a little biased toward cloth because that is what we've decided to do. So here it is!

Cloth Diaper Pros:

• Money saver
• Less waste/Environmentally friendly
• Better for baby's bottom
• Less stink!

Cloth Diaper Cons:

• More laundry
• Some daycares won't accept cloth diapers
• You have to rinse the poo out before you wash
• More labor-intensive than disposables

Disposable Diaper Pros:

• All daycares accept disposable diapers
• Super easy
• Don't have to rinse out poo
• No extra laundry

Disposable Diaper Cons:

• Stinkier than cloth
• Large amount of garbage
• More expensive than cloth
• Chemicals in diapers than can irritate baby's skin

When we decided to do cloth diapers a large determining factor was how much money we would be able to save. And you can save even more than just 2-3 years worth. You can hang on to those cloth diapers if you plan on having more children and double the savings, or maybe even triple them!

The typical Cloth Diaper stash will run you about $500, give or take, depending on the style of diaper you choose to buy (which I will dive into in a separate post). And there are plenty of websites to buy used Cloth Diapers to cut that $500 initial cost even lower.

Some websites where you can find used cloth diapers:

Here.... Craigslist
Here....... Diaper Swappers
And Here.... Cloth Diaper Trader

(I have not used Diaper Swappers or Cloth Diaper Trader, but I'd love to hear your experiences if you have!)

Happy Diapering!

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International
& "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey

Welcome to Mommyhood!

Here it comes! Mommyhood, with all it's glorious perks including poopy diapers, giggles, and sleepless nights.

This is my first pregnancy and it has been quite a journey so far! We have about 10 and a half weeks left until our EDD (Estimated Due Date) of April 10th, 2014. We learned we were expecting at 3 weeks and 6 days! We have had plenty time to prepare and get very excited. Learning I was pregnant so early I was able to start eating better, stop indulging in that glass of red wine, cut out sushi, and start taking prenatal vitamins all at 4 weeks pregnant.

From the very beginning I have had just about every symptom in the book! From Morning Sickness to Pregnancy Brain and everything in between.

• Heartburn
• Sleepless nights
• Going to the bathroom every 20 minutes
• Crazy pregnancy dreams
• Hot flashes
• A pain in my butt (literally) 
• Leg cramps
• Forgetfulness
• And a whole bunch of other things I can't remember ;)

My greatest pregnancy brain moment was the day I accidentally used my Sister's phone number in place of my social security number. Oh boy! And that was just the beginning!

This is just the beginning of my journey into Mommyhood and I can't wait to share what I learn along the way.

9 Weeks

27 Weeks

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International