Pumpkin Carving + Messy Baby!!

We got to carve an extra pumpkin this year! [For Miss A!] We were a little last-minute carving pumpkins the night before Halloween but better late than never! When picking out pumpkins, my only concern was that Miss A had to be able to fit inside the pumpkin! :D Hope you enjoy the pumpkin pictures. I sure am enjoying the pumpkin seeds!

Oohh it's cold in here!

But it's fun!!

There's gooey stuff between my toes!!

I like it! Hehehe

Nummy... it even tastes good!

Okay.. what's going on here?

Too bright...

What is this stuff?

Whoa now!

Really mom? You put pumpkin guts on my head. Really appreciate it, thanks.

At the Pumpkin Farm

I absolutely love Autumn! When we buy our own house I want to have enough land to raise bees and ducks, and grow a large garden. I want to grow all the fall crops-- pumpkins, squash, etc. I really want to get into landscaping and grow beautiful flowers, shrubs, and flower trees. Can't wait! Here's some snapshots of our trip to Orchard Hill Farm.

We also took some pictures of Miss A sitting inside her pumpkin! She was a messy baby!

GEESE!

WILD rabbits???

Fluffy Bunny!

I love honey sticks so much that I want to raise bees to make my own!

Sexy Cock!

She really is at least 2' tall.

Proud Daddy. Sleepy baby girl!

Benefits of Infant Massage

I know there are tons of benefits of getting a massage but I never considered giving my baby one until my friend recommended it to us. Today I had an Infant Massage Specialist come over to my place. There are several physical and mental health benefits from doing infant message. A gentle massage given to your baby benefits not only your baby but you too! The most important benefit is that just by doing it you and your baby have an extra bonding activity. You both are interacting with each other in a new special way. Touching your baby skin to skin has the same effects as a hug. When you give a hug, you feel just as good as the person receiving the hug. It's a reciprocal action, felt by both sides. Plus, it feels good for your baby!

Some health benefits include, but are not limited to helping babies with

• Colic
• Fussiness
• Gas Expulsion
• Constipation
• Indigestion
• Colds [clearing sinuses]
• Tension
• Flexibility
• Stretching
• Relaxation
• Body Awareness
• Toning Digestive Tract

It is very important to ask permission to your baby before giving a massage. For example, before massaging each body part say, "Can mommy massage your legs Miss A?" [Obviously stating your baby's name.] Even though she is not going to respond at three months old with "YES!!", you will begin to teach your baby respect and healthy touch. It will also let your baby know something is about to happen.

The best time to give your baby a massage is when they are in a quiet alert stage of wakefulness. The specialist that came over suggested making massage a part of your baby's bedtime routine. We tried it tonight and Miss A really enjoyed having her belly and legs massaged. As for her face... she wanted nothing of it! We are going to try and incorporate this into her bedtime routine so she will get used to knowing when bedtime is coming. This will help relax her, hopefully making her fall asleep easier. [and more peaceful!]

The lady that came over offered free instructions to baby infant massage. She will come back in a month and answer any questions that come up. It was a fun activity to do and I recommend everyone to give it a chance! Call up your hospital and ask for infant massage specialists in your area. You may find some free resources as I did :)

No Live Sports for Miss A

I have to dedicate a small post to MISS A & LIVE SPORTS especially after the Michigan State Spartans EPIC win against the Wisconsin Badgers tonight!

GO GREEN!! 

[just sayin'!]

Okay but really... I thought it was going to be fun to dress Miss A up in MSU gear for the big games but it's not going as planned. Every time there is a huge play-- good or bad, I yell loudly. And so does Miss A. Actually she screams and doesn't stop for a good 15 minutes! I don't mean to sound big and scary... but apparently that's how I appear to her. She has been with me for almost every MSU football game this year and a couple Tigers games.. I fail to keep quiet so at least once every single ballgame, Miss A screams and fears for her life! It's sad because I'm having fun and she is freaking out! Poor little baby girl :( Hopefully next football season will be better for her!

Help! I Don't Know How To Be a Mommy Anymore!

I am having so much trouble figuring out what Miss A wants when she cries. Up until this past two weeks, I always knew what my baby wanted when she cried. She was either hungry, gassy and needed burped, or her diaper was dirty. Now I am at a loss. All those things are taken care of and she still fusses! Today she screamed on and off for about two hours. She is just super fussy all the time it seems. I do everything I can think of... rock her, rub her tummy, rub her back, put her in her swing and bouncy chair, sing to her, lay her on her back surrounded by toys, walk around with her, stroller rides, talk to her, stand in front of the mirror with her, put her in her crib with her mobile.... and many other things. I don't know if she is starting to teeth early, if she is sick, if she is bored, or what! It's frustrating. It was almost easier when I was sleep deprived and had to be up with her every 2 hours because at least I knew why she cried! EEEeeek! I hope she isn't starting to be colicky. She's been such a good, easy baby until these last weeks.

Don't criticize me for this... because I feel EXTREMELY GUILTY but right now she is staring peacefully at the television. She is watching some toddler cartoon show. She just started noticing the television and finds it fascinating. I know the television should not be used as a babysitter all the time. I know that there is some correlation between babies/children watching too much TV and ADD. But today, I almost lost my mind. I feel like she needs me every single second or else she screams...and regardless she screams! Before, she would at least take several naps that allowed me to have some "me" time. Don't get me wrong, I love being with her and playing with her but if she's just gonna scream all day long... how am I supposed to keep my sanity?? I hope this is just a stage... a short one!

Breastfeeding Crisis at 3 Months

I am having a major crisis. I feel like I am failing as a mother because I have fallen into the "convenience trap" of formula feeding. This past month, I gave Miss A so many bottles of formula that I'm beginning to dry up! I haven't been devoting my time to breastfeeding like I should be doing. Miss A used to nurse really well every morning. Now I can hardly get her to nurse for longer than one minute. Originally, I set a three month breastfeeding goal for myself. I achieved it but now I feel that it is my responsibility as a mother to give her breast milk until she is at least six months old. I know that breast milk is the best thing for her. It's much better than formula and since I am able to produce milk for her, I shouldn't stop simply because it's easier and faster to heat up a bottle and put powder in it.

In order to get myself back on the right track, I am going to start supplementing my diet with 500mg capsules of Fenugreek. It is an herb that is supposed to help nursing women increase their milk supply. I am also going to focus on drinking lots of water. Today specifically, I am doing power pumping sessions. I'm basically pumping every hour. It's VERY time consuming but I really want to give Miss A more breast milk than formula.

I have already started a post on "My Experience Using Fenugreek" so I can let everyone know whether or not it is effecting my milk supply. I plan to update everyone on my progress once each week. As of now I do not know how long I plan on taking it.

Wish me luck!