Retired

This may very well be my final breastfeeding post. I am officially permanently retired from breastfeeding. And as expected, it is bitter-sweet.

Breastfeeding has become such a major part of my life as I've been doing it for so long now. Saying I'm "retired" makes me feel like I'm losing a little piece of myself. I started when Marco was born and he weaned on his own after 13 months... Then I had a 2 month vacation and started again for Jonas until now, 12 months later. That means I have been lactating for 27 months total. That's a long time... It's no wonder I feel this way!

I know I probably wasn't going to breastfeed for much longer anyway, but it makes me sad that I wasn't able to allow Jonas to decide when he was done, as I did with Marco. I know Jonas doesn't want to be done, because he lays his head on my chest and whines or sometimes spits out his pacifier and lunges at my boobs. Even though it's funny, it also makes me a bit sad. Unfortunately I had to wean due to the medication I'm starting in about 2 weeks. Basically it's poison, and I don't want my baby to drink poison, so there.

I am happy to be regaining my freedom though. Now I can actually be away from my kids for a whole day, or dare I day, a whole weekend! Hello vacation! I can't wait for the day! I mean, it has also been 27 months since we've been a day without them... That's right, we've never spent a day away from our kids! Crazy right? But I'm sure if we ever get the chance, we'll miss them like crazy. We're sort of attached to them... Because we love them a little, ya know?

But now that I'm done, I have a few concerns... First off my boobs... They're just sad looking. 2 full years of feeding children will do that to ya. They are completely deflated and I've lost a ton of muscle mass. Before having kids I was very blessed in the bosom department. I was sporting DD's. Then after having Marco, things got out of control when I bought a size G nursing bra. Yes, G as in Gigantic. But now? None of my bras fit... I'm swimming in them. I'm not sure because I haven't been sized, but I'm pretty sure were looking for at a B or C. The last time I was that size I was 14. I really don't mind the reduction though... It makes me look thinner, less slutty and my clothes fit nicer, but I do mind the way they look. I'm hoping that after a while I'll regain some volume and they'll start looking nicer. Plastic surgery is out of the question for this Mama.

Another concern is whether or not I'll begin to gain weight now that I'm done. Breastfeeding burns calories. Lots and lots of them. Most of my weight loss I attribute to breastfeeding. You're supposed to eat 500 extra calories a day while breastfeeding to compensate for the output. Now that I'm done, do you think I want to give up those extra 500 calories? Umm, no. So now I'm wondering if I can maintain my weight. And for the record, I have gained some weight and I'm extremely pleased with the way I look at the moment.

Tomorrow Jonas turns 1 and he was completely weaned by last weekend. I can not tell you the sense of accomplishment that I have over the fact that I made it to a year with both my children. It was by no means easy. It was a huge sacrifice with many sleepless night, no dates, sore boobs, leakage, wardrobe malfunctions and public indecency. But man, was it worth every stinkin' second. I know in my heart of hearts that I did the very best for my babies. That I put them above my comfort, my desires an even my health. That their well being was more important than my agenda. I am so proud of myself. I did it!!!

As a reward for my amazing accomplishment, I'm going to be buying 3 super awesome and maybe sexy bras... That actually fit properly. I'm so excited. Make room Victoria's Secret... Here I come!!!

Potty Training: Not Done Yet

I haven't written about potty training for a while.  You guys probably thought I was done.  You guys probably thought I had mastered the toilet.  You guys probably thought I was a miracle worker.  You guys were wrong.  It's not over... and I wonder if it ever will be.

You see, one of the biggest problems in parenting is consistency.  Parents who don't practice consistency usually have children with poor behavior.  The children don't have a clear concept of what is acceptable and what is not.  And consistency is important in every single aspect of life.

The biggest problem with consistency is that it's absolutely exhausting!

I always start off strong and then gradually let things slide and slide until I have a complete landslide that has engulfed everything.  (Ok, that's a bit dramatic).  But that's how I feel when it comes to this potty training thing.

We started off really strong... after 3 days, Marco pretty much had it.  But then he started having accidents... mostly when we were out.  So I'd take several changes of clothes along with me, but sometimes I'd go through all of them.  He'd pee his pants while in a high chair at a restaurant or while playing at a friend's house.  The worst day was when we went to go visit my friend and her daughter.  He peed his pants in the car on the way there, so we changed clothes.  About half hour later he pooped his pants.  We changed clothes again.  Then I decided to do a load of laundry at her house because I was afraid he'd continue to have accidents.  Thank God I did because he had 3 MORE accidents.  I figure he was just in a new environment and having a lot of fun, so he wasn't thinking about having to go to the bathroom.

So after that day I decided we'd do underwear at home and pull-ups while out of the house.  And honestly I thought this was a good setup because it was hard for me to have to find a public bathroom, get the large stall, put toilet paper on the seat, etc, with Jonas in tow.  If I don't have my stroller with me, I don't know where to put him... he can't stand on his own yet.  So... yeah, it was more convenient for me to not deal with potty training while out of the house.

But of course then I got lazy.  I'd leave the pull-up on him when we got home from wherever we were and would delay putting on his underwear.  And I wouldn't remind him to go to the bathroom.  Obviously he's had a regression.  Now when he's in underwear he has accidents all the time.  I'm discouraged because I feel like we might have to start again... and I blame my own laziness 100%.

So, it's not over.  We're not done yet.  I'm still cleaning up pee off the floor.  I'm still scraping poop off of underwear and hand washing it in the sink.  I've gotta get my act together... consistency is key!

Children's TV is a Disgrace!

Back in 2006 when Mau and I got engaged, we cut off our cable in an effort to save money for the wedding... and we never turned it back on.  We got used to watching only a few channels and taking advantage of Netflix and Hulu.  When we had our kids, we talked about possibly turning it back on for the kids' programming, but decided to see if we could survive without it... and guess what?  We did.

Now that we're living with the in-laws, we have access to their Dish and the many, many, MANY channels that come with it.  Honestly, it's rather overwhelming.  But along with that, now we have multiple children's programming channels.  While we used to only watch PBS, now we have Disney Jr, Nick Jr and Cartoon Network to choose from as well.  And you know what I've discovered?  They're all crap.  What a disgrace!  Let's evaluate, shall we? (For the sake of not writing a thesis on the subject, I'll give you an abridged version... just a few programs per network).

Disney Junior

Jake and the Never Land Pirates.  This show, although cute, has NO purpose.  First off, pirates?  Really?  We're gonna idolize PIRATES to PRE-schoolers?  For the LOVE!  Secondly, where are these "pirate kids"' parents?  The only good thing I have to say about this show is that the band disney has hired to do the music is pretty cool.  I dig them.  But, really?  On Monday they had a marathon... holy cow!

Anyone want to clarify for me WHAT THE HECK this is?  Cars that are animals?  I really don't get it.

This is the only show I'll tolerate from Disney Jr.  It's hard to tell your toddler that Mickey Mouse is a disgrace.  He's famous, for cryin' out loud!  And, we went to see him... in person... in June, so Marco's got a "relationship" with him.  But, in MY opinion... that show is pretty bad too.  They "try" to teach... but not very hard.  And it's not consistant.  Which is a real shame.



Nick Jr. 

Did you all read the article about how watching this show has actually proven to decrease test scores in 4 year olds?  If not, check it out here.  If this is not a testament to what a disgrace this show is, then I don't know what is.  I know of some people who truly enjoyed this program... but they were in college... and they were high.  Go figures.  This is not a show for children.  And, Nick Jr. doesn't seem to see a problem in playing it back-to-back-to-back for hours on end. Really?!  This is quite possible the most obnoxious show on television.

Can we talk for a second about these two train wrecks?  And children LOVE them.  Not my children... thank you Jesus!  First off, it's been proven that teaching "Spanglish" as Dora and Diego do is not an effective way of teaching language.  It would be way more beneficial for these shows to be entirely in Spanish... and yes, the kids will watch it and learn.  We don't give kids enough credit, ya know!  They're smart... if we let them be!  And, can this show be more annoying?  I want to throw something at the TV when they start screaming, "say it louder... LOUDER... LOUDER!!!"  OMG... SHUT UP!!!

Have you seen this show?  It's a little odd.  First off, the proportions are all off.  The goldfish are the size of whales.  I just don't get it.  And, the scenery is like outside... only, they're underwater.  Like, there are trees, the sky, airplanes, cars, etc... but they're in the ocean.  WHY?  Why wouldn't they just make them kids... not mermaids?  I'm baffled.




Yo Gabba Gabba is the only show we watch from Nick... and we watch it on Netflix.  I also think it's a waste of time.  It's annoying as hell.  BUT, we kinda dig the music.  It's really modern and up to date, which is hard to find in kids shows.  We limit the amount of Gabba we allow too.  I mean, for cryin' out loud, they have a kid playing the recorder with her nose!  We have to limit it.


How about all the commercials on Nick?  What the heck!?  That's the last thing I want my kid to see.  At least Disney doesn't have commercials... they're definitely one up from Nick.

Now I could go on and talk about Cartoon Network as well, but I wont.  It's not even worth the time it'll take me to find pictures and write it up.  This network is a huge disgrace and I don't think I'll EVER allow my kids to watch it.  Every show makes kids out to be smart asses and parents are idiots.  What a shame... encouraging little defiant monsters.

PBS
I can honestly tell you that this is the ONLY channel that has quality programming for hours on end.  I don't plan on planting my kids in front of the TV for hours on end, but if you're gonna have "one of those days", at least you know there's an option that's not going to fill their heads with garbage.  Don't get me wrong... not all PBS shows are great.  I think Clifford is crap as well as Caillou.  But, eh, it's better than the alternatives.  Let me share with you my faves!

Super Why is awesome.  Do you think I sat with Marco and drilled with him all his letters?  Ok, a little... but he got A LOT of it from this show.  They teach the alphabet, rhyming words, spelling and reading skills.  Hello... who said learning can't be fun AND educational.

A classic.  I remember watching it when I was a kid... and it's still on, still relevant, still cool.  It's not the same Sesame Street we used to watch... no no no... there are NEW seasons, with modern music, new cameos from current actors and singers and things that our 21st century kiddos "get".  This show does such a great job of staying current and relevant.  It's rare to find a show that has lasted so long and stayed so popular... especially for kids.

Word World is a great show.  So clever too. They have some great artists.  Everything in the show has the word built into it.  Like, the dog's body is made with the letters D-O-G.  Not only do they teach reading and letter skills, but they also have themes on friendship, sharing and kindness.  It's also silly and cute.  And the shows are only 15 minutes long, so they aren't too tedious... perfect for toddlers!


So, in order to not make this any longer than it already is... I know, it's already long enough, I'll leave you with this.  Consider what your kids are watching.  In my opinion, it's unrealistic to implement a "no tv" rule unless you and your family abide by it as well.  I mean, if kids are gonna watch TV (and you know they are), then make the most out of it.  Don't waste your time with junk that has no purpose other than being entertaining... they'll have plenty of time for that later.

Seriously?! Thursday

Today I'm linking up again with From Mrs. to Mama for Seriously?! Thursday.  A lot of things make me go "Seriously?!" and this is the perfect outlet for that.  Also gives me a chance to blog about things that may be too insignificant to write an entire post about... so these are little snippets.

Seriously?!  I am soooo over feeding my children 3 meals a day.  Goodness, what a chore!  What makes matters worse is that Marco is a junk-food-junky (I wonder where he got that from? oh yeah... me) and doesn't want to eat main staples.  So, I have to fight and threaten him to eat his sandwich, eat his meat, eat his oatmeal, eat his chicken... because all he wants to eat are chips, cookies, goldfish, and juice.

Seriously?!  I think my children like to make me out to be a liar.  I blog about something, and then the next day they prove me wrong.  Like when I blogged about Jonas not liking milk?  Now, he loves it... can't get enough of it.  Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled... but still look like a liar.  Or when I blogged about how I'm a genius that brainwashes my kids with Disney? and then the next week Marco runs away!  It's like they do it on purpose... are they reading this?

Seriously?!  The air conditioning at my in-law's house has been on the fritz... sometimes it's working and sometimes it isn't.  And let me tell you... I am a spoiled brat.  When it stops working, I get all pissy and irritated.  I refuse to cook or do anything... I kinda just lay there.  I know I'm spoiled... and that "seriously" is for me.

Seriously?!  I'm getting my hair cut on Saturday and I'm soooo excited!  Woohoo!

Seriously?!  You haven't checked out the pictures from Jonas' birthday party yet?  What are you waiting for... Seriously?! Click HERE

That's all for today... I know I say "seriously?!" a lot more than this, but when I sit down to write, I ain't got nothin'!  Maybe I should start keeping track throughout the week so I can give you some good stuff on Thursdays.

Anyway... thanks for reading... and follow me if you don't already!  Just do it.  (please).

My Little Monsters 1st Bday Party

Disclaimer:  You are about to experience the largest photo dump I've ever done... hope you enjoy! 


On Saturday we celebrated Jonas' First Birthday.  We had a great party at my dad's house with lots of food, kids in the pool and it was so much fun!

I got a ton of help from my friends over at Mint Blossom Studio... they took care of all the decorations, the snack bar and all the cutie monster things.  I think they out did themselves!

The snack bar had Rice Crispy Treats, Fruit Snacks, Granola Bars, Goldfish Crackers, Oreos and Popcorn.  YUM! 

We made these monster faces... each one unique!

Baggies to take home some snacks.

Then the Birthday Boy arrived!  He didn't know what was going on!

Some Grandma love!

Tell me Marco doesn't look a little like SuperMan in this picture?! ha!

Grandpa's grillin' out

 Marco enjoying a Monster Treat!

 Birthday Boy getting his Mama Love

While Jonas was walking around...

And visiting with his Titia Mi...

Marco was livin' it up in the pool!

With Grandpa!

 And still others were fishing in the lake...

And actually catching! 

 Cupcakes were made by my friends at The Cupcake Boutique (like them on FaceBook).  A big monster smash cake (which we'll use on his actual birthday... the 28th) and mini cupcakes for everyone!

This is my attempt to get everyone singing together... "HAAAAA"

The mandatory "family picture"... with the Grandparents.

I think he enjoyed his cupcake... sugar coma coming on. 

 How do you know you had a successful party?

Tired boys.