Shabby Apple Winner!

The winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway is............


#13 Casey!

Casey said...

I follow your blog. Duh. :)

JANUARY 11, 2012 10:02 AM 

Congrats Casey! Send me your shipping information and Ill pass it along to Shabby Apple. Im totally jealous and just might have to buy the necklace for myself! =) 


Thank you so much to everyone who entered! 






(I used Random.org but cant get it to copy over at the moment.) 

Book Review: 2011 and What's in Store for 2012

My goal for the year 2011 was to read 50 books. Most years I read this and more. Since I spent the majority of this year pregnant and then with an infant, I knew I wouldnt get as many read as I normally do, so 50 was my goal. I read a total of 51, with five in progress. Ive finished two off this year so far. My goal for 2012 is 60.

Instead of listing all the books I read, Ill just share my favorites in no particular order.

The Book Thief, by: Markus Zusak

This book really touched me. It takes place during WWII in Germany. The narrator is Death. It follows a young German girl, her adopted family, the Jewish man they harbor and the community they live in. It's a really well written book. I reviewed it last year. So, so good. 

Outlander, by: Diana Gabaldon

I also reveiwed this one which you can read here. I loved this book so much. I started reading the second book last January. I still havent finished it. I hate it and will probably never finish it. It's graphic, disturbing and sickening. So disappointing, but the first one was great. 

The Discovery of Witches, by: Deborah Harkness

Check out my review here. This is the first in a trilogy and I cant wait to read the second one this summer!

The Help, by: Kathryn Stockett

By now Im sure you all know about this book and have probably seen the movie. I loved them both. Touching, heartwarming and totally made me cry. My review can be found here. 

The Scent of Rain and Lightening, by: Nancy Pickard

This was recommended by a fellow blogger and was a book club read. It's a cold case murder mystery that takes place in small town Kansas. It alternates between the present and the past, reliving the murder of a well liked man and the disappearance of his wife, told through the eyes of their daughter. 

The Virgin of Small Plains, by: Nancy Pickard

Another murder mystery set in small town Kansas. A naked body is found in a pasture in the middle of a blizzard. Someone sees something they shouldnt have. Secrets and lies abound. Good book. 

90 Minute Baby Sleep Program, by: Polly Moore

The book that changed my life. Read my review here. 

What's a Wine Lover To Do?, by: Wes Marshall

We have a ton of wine books, but this one is by far, my favorite. It is so easy to read, informative and interesting. I liked the layout and wording- not too stuffy or dumbed down. 

Thirteen Reasons Why, by: Jay Asher
Before a thirteen year old girl commits suicide, she mails out 13 tapes to the people who influenced her decision. Makes you think about all the people you have an impact on, with out even knowing it.

The Next Always, by: Nora Roberts

The first in a new trilogy. It's about three brothers who are refurbishing an old building in a small town on the East coast, turning it into a B&B, their love lives and adventures. I really liked it!

So far in 2012, Ive read only two books. 

On my to-read list are some promisingly titles:

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?- Mindy Kaling

Incarceron- Catherine Fisher

Divergent- Veronica Roth

Delirium- Lauren Oliver

Shadow of Night- Deborah Harkness

Destined- P.C. Cast 

The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern

MWF seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend- Rachel Bertsche

The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho

We Need to Talk About Kevin- Lionel Shriver

The Flight of Gemma Hardy- Margot Livesey

Have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think about them? Would you recommend them?

Starting the New Year off Right...

...with a giveaway!

Who doesn't love a giveaway, right?

Many of you may have heard of Shabby Apple. Vintage dresses, stylish jewelry and unique arts and crafts. It's my kind of shop. I LOVE their vintage dresses for women and children. I can not wait until M is old enough to wear the children's designs! I am eyeing a few of their dresses and pieces of jewelry for myself. I really wish I would have known about them when I was pregnant because they have some of the most beautiful maternity dresses that Ive ever seen. Ill be keeping this in mind for my next pregnancy!

Shabby Apple has graciously offered up one of their stylish necklaces to one of my readers. I wish I could win this because this necklace is gorgeous (I picked it out!). The White Rabbit's Time Keeper was featured in the magazine Southern Living and is valued at $64.00! Check out their website for more details.

So who wants to win this? 

All you have to do is "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook. 

That's mandatory and good for one entry. 

For extra entries:

Go to the Shabby Apple website and tell me what your favorite item is.

Good luck only choosing one thing! 

(one entry)

Follow Shabby Apple on Twitter.

(one entry)

Follow Shabby Apple's blog. 

(one entry)

Follow this blog via GFC.

(one entry)

That's five chances to win. Be sure to leave me your email address so I can 

contact you if you win. 

This giveaway will close on Wednesday, January 18th. The winner will be chosen via

Random.org. Open to US readers only. 

Good Luck!

Bottle Strike

Ok Moms, I need your help.

I'll even beg.

Please, please, please someone have a great idea for me.

M is currently in the middle of a bottle strike. She's taken a bottle before, for me and a friend who was babysitting her, but only about 10 times in her 15 weeks. This is our first child and yes, I am breast feeding. I just read in my "What to expect the first year" book, month three, that it is recommended that all breast feeding mothers give their baby one bottle a day from week 6 on. WTF? Why are they just now telling me this in month THREE??? Why didnt someone tell me this earlier? My siblings and I were not breastfed, so my mom didnt have any breast feeding advice to give me when we started this whole thing and unfortunately, none of my breastfeeding friends told me this either.

So now what? What do we do?

She SCREAMS like we are trying to torture her when we try to give her a bottle. We've tried Doctor Brown's, Medela, Avent and Ventaire bottles. Wide nipples, narrow nipples. Inserts, no inserts. All to no avail.

So, does anyone have any advice for us? Id really like to be able to leave her with someone for longer than 2.5 hours. (She eats every 3 right now). I feel so tied down and I really dont know what else to try.

Thanks for any helpful suggestions!

Oh, and Happy New Year! =)

Our Baby Gear Must-haves

Now that M is 3 months old, I wanted to list our favorite baby gear items thus far.

*I wasnt compensated for any of this and these companies have no idea who I am. These are my own opinions.

Carter's pack and play

We use this as a changing station/cloth diaper holder for downstairs.
So convenient, sturdy, cute. Maybe she'll nap in it one day. 

Carter's Bouncer seat

This isnt the exact one that we have, but it's close enough. 

We keep it upstairs and move it from room to room, wherever we are. 

We mostly use it in the bathroom to put her in during our showers and while we prepare her bath.

Disney Baby Einstein Play Mat 

M loves the toys that come with this. 

She stares at and plays with "Oscar" the octopus the most. 

She also likes the flashing lights.

We keep it downstairs in the living room. 

She plays while I get household chores done.

This is also where we do tummy time. 

Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow

I only use this for nighttime feedings, but I love it. 

I have a few covers for it too. 

Once M can sit up a little more steadily on her own, 

Ill put it behind her to help hold her up.

Boppy newborn lounger

This is great for naps and playtime.

M usually takes her morning nap here. 

Arm's Reach Co-sleeper

This allows the baby to be within reach, but not in the bed with you. 

It connects to your bed. It's great and convenient if you're breast feeding. 

The AAP recommends sleeping in the same room as your baby until they are 6 months old, 

so this is what we are using. 

Nuk Pacifiers

This is the only brand of pacifier that M will take.

We've tried multiple brands and this is her fav.

Fisher Price Zen swing

M wasnt too keen on this early on, but around week 8 she really took to it.

She will sit in it for 10-20 minutes a few times a day. It is big and takes up a lot of room, but 

she likes the mobile and loves the side to side swinging motion. 

The seat is removable and doubles as an infant seat. 

Moby Wrap

This was intimidating at first, but after I figured out how to use it the first time, 

I could get her in and out of it quickly and easily. 

It's perfect for commissary runs. It distributes her weight evenly. 

M falls asleep in it every time.

Bum genius and Fuzzibuns Cloth Diapers

We love these! Im so happy we decided to cloth diaper.

We use the pocket one size versions of both of these and are very happy with them. 

We do occasionally have a poop leak from the leg holes due to M's skinny legs, 

but that doesnt happen often.

Medela On The Go Breast Pump

Great for traveling. Works really well. Easy to use and easy to clean. 

We're not big fans of the bottles that are included, but the pump is great.

Baby Trend Travel System

LOVE this! The handle on the car seat makes it so much easier to hold and carry.

The stroller is easy to fold up and maneuver. I love that it's a jogging stroller and 

has a swivel front wheel. It has two cup holders and speakers with an MP3 hookup. 

It is a bit heavy, but I am able to lift it into and out of the trunk. Travel systems are 

definitely the way to go. 

Bundle Me

This is so great. We live in cold, dreary Germany and this keeps

our little one warm and cozy. She likes her car seat more now that we've added this. 

Woombie 

We have the one shown above, with legs. We love it! M got to the point where she was

constantly breaking out of her swaddle blankets at night and waking up. This solves that problem.

It also keeps her warm and cozy. The 3-6 month size is too long. but still fits her. It gives her just enough play and movement of her arms to keep her happy. She hates the Swaddle Me's. She will struggle

against them until I take it off. The Woombie, she likes. 

 Cloud b Twilight Constellation Nightlite

This is so great. I keep it in our room and use it when I want to see the baby and when Im feeding her during the night. It is so soft, it doesnt wake M or J up when I turn it on, but it provides enough light for

me to be able to see her clearly. Another awesome feature? It turns itself off after 45 minutes!

What are your favorite baby gear items? Please share!

*All images from www.google.com

Book Review: The 90-Minute Baby Sleep Program

Not my image

This book has changed my life. 

True story. 

(I seriously hope Im not jinxing myself by writing about this...)

From the very beginning, Baby M has been a very spirited, fiery baby. That will translate to full of personality, charismatic and passionate when she's older. Many of our early days were spent walking the floors, bouncing and yes, sometimes crying. The word that we used most often to describe her during weeks 2-10 was "fussy." I hated this. It broke my heart, not knowing what was wrong or how I could help. When I would talk to friends and family about it, they just said that babies cry and at that age, fussiness is normal and expected. I understood this, but I felt like there was more to it.

M rarely slept during the day. Rarely. Naps were like a golden gift when they did occur. My mom told me I never slept as a baby, so I thought M was just coming by it honestly. But I kept thinking, "Arent babies supposed to sleep?" All of the books said babies her age sleep 15-20 hrs a day. Ha! We were lucky if M slept 10 hours a day. She would fuss and fuss until she eventually wore herself out.

Being a first time mother is exhausting and very, very hard. I called my mom in tears more than once, lamenting that I must be a bad mother or doing something wrong. Why else would M be so fussy and seemingly unhappy? Dont get me wrong- she wasnt always fussy or always crying, but I remember once saying that she was probably fussy 50% of the time.

And then, the day after Thanksgiving, my husband gave me a gift. An early Christmas present. We were having an especially difficult day. A very "Black Friday" indeed. The gift was this book. I had put it on my Amazon wishlist after reading about it in an email from thebump.com. I read the book that day and decided to try the suggestions the following day.

That Saturday, our world began to change. We implemented the plan in the book and our days became so much better, our baby so much happier. Our days are now structured on a flexible schedule. I am so much happier, better able to deal with any fussiness and less stressed. I can actually get things done around the house and I feel comfortable running errands. Most importantly, M has flourished! She wakes up in the morning smiling and laughs and "talks" all day long. She's a little ham, making J and I laugh all the time. No longer is she a "fussy" baby, but a happy baby. And as her momma, I couldnt be happier about that!

Now, Im not saying we dont have bad days or that M is never fussy. What I am saying is that those happen infrequently. Out of a 7 day week, we probably have 1.5 bad days now. Before, it was more like 3-4 bad days a week.

The main points of the book include:
*Start the timer from the moment the baby wakes up.
*~90 minutes later, the baby will be ready for a nap.
*The point that was most key for us--- because she is so young, the baby will need help falling asleep.
*When the baby wakes from her nap, start the timer again.

M wakes, eats (every 3-5 hours), plays for an hour-hour and fifteen minutes and then goes down for a nap ~90 minutes after waking. This is our schedule all day long. The times vary depending on what time she wakes up every day, but the routine doesnt. I didnt realize that she just needed help falling asleep. It was a "lightbulb" moment, when I read that. So now, when she starts displaying her sleepy signals, I swaddle her arms, place her in the side lying position in my arms, give her her paci and either walk with a bounce or sit and pat her bottom until she falls asleep. She naps for 45 mins-2.5 hours at each nap. All along, she just needed more sleep and a little help getting there.

This book may not work for everyone, but it worked for us. Now, if she would just sleep through the night...

*I was not compensated in any way for this review. This is my own, personal opinion.  

Love/Hate

Dont you just love it when:

*You're finished Christmas shopping!
*Your baby wakes up smiling and happy. Totally makes my morning.
*You're back to pre-pregnancy weight 12 weeks after delivery. Woohoo!
*Your baby is good in public, especially during a dinner out.
*You can fit into a dress you wore in high school.
*Your baby sleeps longer than a 3 hour stretch at night.
*Your husband is on vacation. Two weeks off coming up and I cant wait!
*Your baby doesnt get sick even though you and your husband both had the same virus.
*You get caught up on laundry. Yes!
*Your family and friends shower you and your family with love.
*You get into a flexible daily routine that makes both momma and baby happy.
*Your parents send 14 boxes of things for the baby and Christmas presents. Cant wait till Christmas morning.
*You see your child discover new things and develop new skills.
*Your mom comes to visit. T minus two weeks and counting!
*You get a child free date night with your hubby.
*The sun shines in the winter.
*The holiday season is in full swing. I love this time of the year.

and on the reverse side of things....

Dont you just hate it when:

*The military throws you a curveball and you have to change your plans.
*Your baby goes through a growth spurt. Every two hour feedings during the night are no fun.
*It's pouring down rain and you have to go to the commissary. Worse, with a baby.
*You run out of pumpkin spice coffee and cant buy more around here. =(
*There's nothing good on AFN. Wait, there's rarely ever anything good on AFN. I miss real TV.
*You've worked so hard to get your baby to sleep and the moment you put her down, her eyes pop open and she's wide awake again. Sigh.
*You dont see the sun for days and days. Boo to the never ending grey skies and rain.
*You get sick and your husband is TDY. And you still have to take care of a baby.
*You have obligations to attend to, but all you want to do is stay in your PJs and snuggle with the cutest little girl in the world.
*It's the middle of December and you havent received any Christmas cards.
*You have to go on base and stand in line to get your mail. I miss mail being delivered right to your home. Id love to be able to just walk to the mailbox.
*You cant find a parking spot.
*You live in a country that doesnt know what good Mexican food is. We tried a new Mexican restaurant last night and as per all the Mexican restaurants in Germany, it sucked. Bad food and too strong, watered down drinks. I really miss good Mexican food.