11.09.2007

New Address

I'm officially moving. Please change your bookmarks and subscribe to the feed at Babytalkers! I'm tired of the funky posting, weird format and having to blog at two sites about the same stuff.....so, see you there, I hope! :) www.babytalkers.com

10.14.2007

Funky posting

Not sure what is going on, but the last few posts are really looking funky!!! I can't seem to change the format to just look normal. I have no idea why they are all aligned to the left like that. oh well. Hopefully it's not too difficult to read.

9.07.2007

Friday Fifteen

It's Friday....don't forget to check out the Friday Fifteen homepage for links to all the participants. You can find mine over at BabyTalkers. Have a great weekend!

8.09.2007

Nothing says Cool like Mom Cards

What a great concept. Instead of contact or business cards, get a mommy card! Mommy cards are a perfect way to assure your children will always be in close contact. Hand them out to babysitters, doctors, teachers, daycare providers, family and friends to let everyone know where you can be reached. Keep these clever cards in a hip leatherette mommy card holder! Stitched cases are double-sided and come in red, yellow, orange, or green. No doubt you will be the envy of all moms and everyone will be asking you where you got one.

8.02.2007

Fifteen great toys for toddler boys!

My Friday Fifteen this week is going to be a list of fifteen great toys for toddler boys. They come highly recommended by mine. :)
1. GeoTrax Working Town Trainset 2. GeoTrax Bulldozer and Fire Truck, Dumptruck, etc. 3. Little People Racin' Ramps Garage 4. Monster Bowling by Melissa and Doug 5. Scootin' Sounds Thomas - Thomas Ride-on Toy 6. ANYTHING from CARS 7. Various animal figurines 8. Little Tikes basketball hoop 9. Books, books, and MORE BOOKS! 10. Puzzles 11. Coloring books and crayons 12. Playdoh 13. Stickers 14. Aqua Doodle 15. Did I say.....ANYTHING FROM the CARS line!!!

Mommy Talk

I am now the proud new owner of Mommy Talk. The previous owner decided to stop doing it, so I decided to take over. The whole blog was deleted so I have to start from scratch, but basically every week there is a new topic of the week for you to blog about. I have incorporated it with my parenting forums since we already do a TOTW over there. I will just link up to it from Mommy Talk every week. Please check it out and join in!

7.04.2007

Contest Time!

Hey everyone - we're having a contest over at Baby Talkers....go check it out: Contest rules and details here!!!

6.26.2007

Introducing The Baby Bug

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before and you'll definitely notice the cute new button on my sidebar, but I thought it was time for a formal introduction. The Baby Bug (TBB) is a niche social bookmarking and networking-type site for parents. As a blogger, you can submit, promote, bookmark and vote on your favorite blogs at TBB. I found it very frustrating to find a category to post my articles on other social bookmarking sites, such as Digg. We decided to fix this problem for all of the mommy and daddy bloggers out there and create a site just for us! Other bloggers will see your links and visit your site if your content sounds good. The goal is to get all of the fabulous articles and information in one place for ease of use, increased traffic to your site, and a chance to network with other bloggers. Basically we are aggregating news of interest to parents. You can submit stories from your own blog or someone else's that you enjoy, by going directly to The Baby Bug and clicking on the Submit New Story button. If you'd like to spread the word and put this adorable button on your sidebar, leave a comment and I will send you the code! Remember, the more people who know about The Baby Bug, the more people will know about YOUR blog! Enjoy!

6.25.2007

Bedding Sets

My big boy is turning two in just a couple of days. We recently got him a big boy bed in his own room. We had been co-sleeping since birth but suddenly my son decided he was ready to move out. He loves his bed and his animal sheets, but sleeping is still an issue. I still have to lay down with him until he falls asleep and he still wakes up several times per night. It feels like I have a new baby again. I am so exhausted. I am the type of person who desperately needs sleep. And lots of it!! I am also the type of person that constantly wants to change my bedroom and rearrange all the furniture, get new sheets, paint the walls, etc. It doesn't end in my bedroom either. I want to renovate and redecorate every room in the house. I was able to rearrange my son's room and that was great. I am already looking forward to redoing another nursery whenever that may be. I still search for crib bedding. I love it. That was one of the most fun, yet challenging things for me to do while pregnant. I didn't realize how many options were out there so unfortunately I didn't know about the extremely funky styles available. But, at least now I do. I know for my next babe, I'll be checking out Hazel & Melvin's Room - Crib Bedding Sets. This one of the most unique collections of baby home furnishings I've seen around. Each item is designed and handmade with the best quality fabrics. The designer uses just the right balance of fun, bold colors and patterns that appeal to both the baby and the parent. *This is a sponsored post by Hazel & Melvin's Room.

Q & A with the "no-cry" lady, Elizabeth Pantley

Just wanted to let you know that the question and answer session with Elizabeth Pantley is now up at Baby Talkers. Please go check it out - hopefully there will be some helpful tidbits for you!

6.23.2007

Photo Hunters: Shiny

This is the reclining Buddha at Wat Po in Bangkok, Thailand. It was very beautiful and shiny! check out more Photo Hunters

6.15.2007

Friday Fifteen

If you are coming here to read my Friday Fifteen, you will have to go here: 15 reasons my husband is a great dad at Baby Talkers. I'm just posting the redirect here b/c when I comment on certain blogs, I have to use my blogger login and it might be confusing if you show up here and there's no Friday Fifteen post. Anyway.....carry on. Have a great weekend, everyone!

6.12.2007

Wordless Wednesday

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the subject of sleeping...... Elizabeth Pantley, author of the widely popular No-Cry series (i.e. The No Cry Sleep Solution) will be answering questions from our readers on the Baby Talkers forums. If you'd like to ask a question and are not already a member, just go here to register and here to ask your questions. This is a fabulous opportunity - please take advantage of it. :)

6.09.2007

taking baby home from the hospital

I was just checking out A Little Mommy Talk and they are asking a good question this week. They want to know:

What was it like going home from the hospital for you? Did your baby have any medical issues?
Ugh, going home from the hospital..... It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do because my baby was not with me. Sadly we had to come home without him. On his second day, my son was not eating. He suddenly started to choke and turned dusky. His heart rate was dropping and he didn't seem to be getting enough oxygen. The nurses whisked him away to the nursery to monitor him and take some tests. Next thing we know he was being admitted to the NICU. You never expect things to go anything but perfect, but that is life and we had to deal with the unexpected. Seeing all the other babies in the NICU assured me that things could have been a lot worse. My husband and I were just thankful that our son was going to be ok. They did numerous tests, ran IV fluids and antibiotics in case of sepsis. Honestly, they never even found out exactly what was wrong with him so thankfully he did not/does not have any medical conditions to date. So, my husband and I went home from the hospital without our son and I was a basket case. I hadn't slept in 3 days. I was so sore and stressed out! I held an 8 x 10 photo of me and my baby in bed with me and his nightie that smelled like him because he wore it the first night, right near my head. We went back and forth to the hospital several times a day. I spent the short amount of time at home pumping and trying to rest so that I could heal and be strong for my son, but I had absolutely no strength. I was completely spent. Now I'll tell you, when my baby was released from the NICU and we got to take him home....that was the best day ever!! I was so relieved and happy. He was doing great. It was just very hard getting him on a schedule after being away from him. He was a fussy eater. He only wanted a little at a time and then would sleep for a very short amount of time, cry, and only calm down when he was held. Not that I minded holding him - I could've held him forever, but I knew soon I was going to want to get some things done. Breast feeding was not going well. It was almost impossible to get him to latch on and my milk supply was very low. We had a baby nurse come that night, which was nice because I got to take a shower and rest a little bit. The nurse stayed for 3 days and by that time I was soooooooo ready for her to get the hell out of my house. Breast feeding ended up going great, btw (we BF'd for a little over a year). And that, my friends, is my coming home from the hospital story. Want to share yours?

6.06.2007

Newbie Mom Files

Hey everyone. I just wanted to do a shameless plug for a new project that my husband and I have been working on (we have many!!). I would love to get some feedback and hopefully some content (non-exclusive, which means it can already be published on your blogs) while giving back some links to you!! We have recently launched a new site called Newbie Mom Files. www.newbiemomfiles.com Our goal is to pool the resources of moms everywhere, all in one place to provide basic and to the point instructions, tips, and general advice for the new mom. Newbie Mom Files (or NMFs) are written for moms by moms so you can expect tried and true experiences from every day situations that we all face. We also would like to provide product reviews on the "necessities" for a new baby. We are looking for honest and direct feedback on a variety of baby products. If you are interested in writing a review on a baby product that you already have and would like to have it published on Newbie Mom Files, you can submit it here: www.newbiemomfiles.com/submit-a-nmf/. If you would like to use your real name, an alias or remain anonymous, please let us know. You are also welcome to submit a link to your blog and we will gladly give you the proper credit. Additionally, if you are interested in writing an instructional NMF, you are more than welcome to do that as well. We are looking for articles on all types of things such as: 1. taking your baby on an outing (what necessities to bring, what not to bother with) 2. bringing your baby home from the hospital 3. how to start solids 4. getting your baby to sleep 5. distinguishing different types of cries 6. playing with your baby (at different ages) Those are just a few examples of the many, many topics you can write about. What's in it for you? First and foremost, you will be helping new and expectant moms! :) Also nice, you will be acknowledged for your knowledge (with some linky love) :)

5.31.2007

Geotrax

My son is turning two and we are looking into buying a train set. We've heard good things about Geotrax. What do you think?

5.30.2007

5.26.2007

Photo Hunters: Colorful

I contemplated on whether or not to post flowers as I figured it wasn't too original, but this is such a pretty shot and such a nice variety of colors, that I wanted to share it. This is taken in Osaka, Japan near the Osaka Castle.....and is indeed, colorful. :)
Check out more Photo Hunters

5.11.2007

Visit me elsewhere....

A while back, I thought I'd retire from writing here, but it seems I can't. I really enjoy being part of the Wordless Wednesday and The Photo Hunters challenge so this place is going to stay put. I do most of my actual blogging at my own domain name: BabyTalkers.com - soooo, please visit me there, but keep on checking back here too. This is the place most of my photos will be as well as random tidbits from my other blog and some shameless self promotion. hehe :) Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day everyone!!

5.08.2007

4.29.2007

Newbie Mom Files

My husband and I have recently launched a new site called Newbie Mom Files. Our goal is to pool the resources of moms everywhere, all in one place to provide basic and to the point instructions, tips, and general advice for the new mom. Newbie Mom Files (or NMFs) are written for moms by moms so you can expect tried and true experiences from every day situations that we all face. We also would like to provide product reviews on the "necessities" for a new baby. We are looking for honest and direct feedback on a variety of baby products. If you are interested in writing a review on a baby product that you already have and would like to have it published on Newbie Mom Files, please either let me know by leaving a comment or just submit it here. If you would like to use your real name, an alias or remain anonymous, please let us know. You are also welcome to submit a link to your blog if you have one and we will gladly give you the proper credit. Additionally, if you are interested in writing an instructional NMF, you are more than welcome to do that as well. We are looking for articles on all types of things such as: 1. taking your baby on an outing (what necessities to bring, what not to bother with) 2. bringing your baby home from the hospital 3. how to start solids 4. getting your baby to sleep 5. distinguishing different types of cries 6. playing with your baby (at different ages) Those are just a few examples of the many, many topics you can write about. What's in it for you? First and foremost, you will be helping new and expectant moms! :) Secondly, you will be acknowledged for your knowledge. :) AND you get to be a part of what I hope to be something very special. :)

4.27.2007

Photo Hunters: Rare

Doesn't get much rarer than this (literally)! Maguro on display at the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan. Also very rare to see in Tokyo....and Japan in general from what I noticed, is to see a North American baby......especially a blue-eyed one. This is me crossing the street while pushing my blue-eyed American son in his stroller.

Find more Photo Hunters.

4.24.2007

Another Wordless Wednesday

tough day

4.22.2007

4.17.2007

Wordless Wednesday

A big pair of shoes to fill......

Question of the Week......

I am going to start posting a hot topic from the Baby Talkers forums over here each week to hopefully get more of you guys to join in. You have to see this post. Here's a snippet, but I know you will want to read the rest:

DH and I have LOTS of problems. Specifically with sex (he never ever wants it and I usually do - he won't evenhug and kiss me), him not helping out, him being rather critical of me, him speaking to me like I am completely stupid and if he didn't remind me to breathe I'd die, and things such as that. Oh and over our son... he is fairly inattentive and loses his patience and such.
Can you give her any advice???

4.14.2007

Photo Hunters: Hobby

My hobby is traveling, thus the airplane. We've taken boats, trains, cars, tuk-tuks, cabs, buses, etc. but by far, airplane rides are our most frequent means of transportation to get to a travel destination. view more Photo Hunters here and don't forget to join in next week's Friday Fifteen. :)

4.10.2007

4.07.2007

How to Easily Get More Traffic to Your Blog

If you are a mom or dad blogger and familiar with Digg (who isn't?), then you might find it frustrating that you cannot find a category to post your articles. The Baby Bug decided to fix this problem for all of the mommy and daddy bloggers out there and create a Digg-like site just for you! Submit your posts in a relevant category, get more traffic to your site and find other great parenting blog posts in the blogosphere all in one place!

4.06.2007

Friday Fifteen #2

15 of the cutest words my baby says: 1. Purple (puhr pul) 2. People (pee pull) 3. Yellow (yelloooow) 4. Hi (hii) 5. Bye Bye (bye bye) 6. Mama (mama) 7. Monkey (muh eee) 8. Blue (bruuu) 9. Banana (nana) 10. Cookie (tuh eee) 11. Cat (chat) 12. Choo Choo (chachoo) 13. Kiss (ti) 14. Yay (yaay said with much enthusiasm and clapping) 15. Dada (dada) He speaks very well in general and has a huge vocabulary and while of course I think EVERY SINGLE WORD he says is adorable, the above words are said with extra cuteness. View more Friday Fifteen participants here

4.03.2007

Wordless Wednesday

Bumrungrad Hospital - Bangkok, Thailand - J, age 16 months being treated for e.coli

3.31.2007

Photo Hunters: Water

Hanauma Bay Hawaii

3.29.2007

Friday Fifteen #1

Fifteen books I've read this year 1. The Kite Runner 2. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 3. The Happiest Toddler on the Block 4. The History of Love 5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time 6. Freakonomics 7. My Sister's Keeper 8. The Memory Keeper's Daughter 9. Namesake 10. Memoirs of a Geisha 11. Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child 12. River, Cross My Heart 13. 1,2,3 Magic 14. The Twentieth Wife 15. Water for Elephants View more Friday Fifteen participants!

3.28.2007

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Baby Things So Cute They Make My Ovaries Hurt
1. The smell of a baby's head 2. Baby giggles 3. First smiles 4. Breast feeding 5. Onesies 6. Tiny hands 7. Tiny feet 8. Cooing 9. Baby wearing 10. Baby blankets 11. Baby belly bumps 12. Tiny hats and socks 13. Did I mention that delicious smell?

Parenting Toddlers Books

I am currently reading The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp. So far, so good! My son is almost two and is definitely in a defiant, tantrum-throwing stage at times. I read a lot of pregnancy and baby books, but none into the toddler years yet. Next on my list is Playful Parenting. It is supposed to be really great. Basically it tells parents to lighten up and spend a few hours giggling with their kids. Play is inherently educational for children and parents can learn plenty by examining the games kids play--from peekaboo to practical jokes. Definitely sounds like my kind of book. I will report back on both after I'm done. Have you read either of them? I'd love to hear comments.

3.27.2007

Wordless Wednesday

Oh what fun a water bottle is!

3.20.2007

Slimline Easter Photo Cards

These adorable Happy Easter photo cards are the hottest thing this Spring! You can try the Bunny and Bee photo card or the Pastel Dots. Both come vertical or horizontal or you can try something completely different. Either way, you are sure to make a lasting impression.

3.19.2007

# 22 - DRINK This is my little man taking a drink of water from his sippy cup. We were in Bangkok, Thailand and my son was 16 months old at the time. We had to be very careful to not drink any tap water, even at a high end hotel. We used bottled water for washing our faces, brushing our teeth and of course for drinking.

Stylish Mama

diaper bag and tote set Finally, a diaper tote for moms who love bags! This stylish carry-all is as functional as it is funky. Numerous pockets - three interior, four exterior - keep all of your baby's accoutrements at hand, as well as offering space to stash the included changing pad. A separate, lined diaper tote is the perfect place to store diapers on the way to the dustbin. Handmade in Denver, Colorado.

3.09.2007

Baby Talkers has forums!!!

You can also find me and my exciting rambles at babytalkers.com! Don't forget to join the community - it's free and very active! Hope to see you there. The more mamas, the merrier!!

3.07.2007

Wordless Wedneday (sort-of)

I am suffering from serious MOMMY BRAIN! I totally thought it was Thursday and decided to go ahead and post my very first Thursday Thirteen. I now realize at 9 pm that it is in fact Wednesday. Soooo, I bring to you a Wordless Wednesday with a few words..... Please Click Here

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things about The Mommy
1. I am 30 years old 2. I have been married for almost 7 years to my college sweetheart 3. I have a son who is 20 months old 4. I live in Florida 5. I love to travel 6. I have been to Asia twice in the past year and a half with my husband and son 7. I belong to a book club, but don't always read the books. Sometimes I just go to the meetings so I can get out and have a girl's night. 8. My favorite color is blue 9. I let my son watch way too much TV 10. I just started eating red meat when I was pregnant and I love a good steak or hamburger more than chicken now! 11. I buy way too much crap for my kid and not enough for myself 12. I don't like shopping 13. I hate talking on the phone 14. I am addicted to the internet 15. I am sure you are bored reading this ;)
Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!


2.28.2007

Wordless Wednesday

Smiling Buddhas

2.20.2007

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Birthday

Hard to keep up!

I love reading blogs. I think I like reading other people's blogs more than I like writing in my own. I have to be honest and say that I started this one because when I visit other blogs, sometimes you have to be a blogger/blogspot member to leave a comment. I like leaving comments. I want people to know that I read their blogs. The truth is I have another blog that I post on pretty much daily. I blog and it posts automatically on my message board so that my members can comment. I would love to get comments from other bloggers, but who knows if anyone else out there is even reading. I know it might be a pain in the a$$ to register on my website just to leave a comment, but we did just recently add the "quick register" feature so it shouldn't be that bad. Who knows, maybe you'll enjoy hanging out at the forums and reading/posting about other stuff too. Anyway, just wanted to post and say that it's hard to keep them both up, so if you want to read/hear/learn more about me/talk/chat/say hi or whatever, you can most likely find me at the real Baby Talkers. Come see what all the moms are saying!

2.11.2007

An Intro

I turned the big three-O this year and according to a doctor of mine, I'm pretty "up there" in the world of procreation. Funny because I didn't think so. I have a nineteen month old son and am thinking about having number 2 sometime soon, but I'm not in a rush. We have enough issues to deal with before adding another one to the mix. I'm sure I'll fill you in on all the gory details as time goes by. I think I might be one of those people that tends to "say too much". But more about me...... I love to travel (in fact, we've taken our little guy all over the world already!). I also love to have a glass of red wine (or two!) with a good meal accompanied by my favorite friends. I love getting lost in a great book or watching some mindless entertainment on TV. I love movies too, although since becoming a mom, seeing one is a rarity. I'm addicted to writing so although I'm not skilled in it, I do it anyway. Stay tuned for more..........