WW: See anything hiding in there?

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!

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!

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

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!

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. :)

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?

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) :)