Growing Up Geeky

Geekiest post divider ever & a question

2012-06-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

I would venture to guess that my new post divider just might be the geekiest one out there. I asked on Facebook and Twitter if anyone could figure out what it actually means. A couple of you got it! I figured I should explain here since some of you have asked :)

In the Chemistry world, it's a simple equation. Mg = Magnesium, Ca = Calcium, and Au = Gold.

In my life, Mg = Mike and Melissa G, Ca = Carina, and Au = Aurelia. And no, we will not choose any future children's names based on whether or not they are easily translatable to an element on the periodic table. We're not that crazy ;)

Ignore the coefficients and ions - I just wanted something stoichiometrically balanced. Sorry for the throwback to high school chemistry! Are you geeked out yet?

Thanks to Krista from ArmyWife-Style for the idea, and to Mike for coming up with something that actually made sense with those elements.

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Okay, now for my question. What in the world is going on with my comments? Some of you can't see them while viewing my blog from your mobile devices, and it looks like they have disappeared from a number of my older posts. I think I'm going to rip my hair out and curse myself for ever installing Intense Debate in the first place.

Please tell me - what issues are you having with my comments? I need to try to fix this.

Pool time with our Snapping Turtle Kids swimsuit!

2012-06-01T14:58:00.000-04:00

So far we have not had the best of luck in finding swimsuits for Carina. You might remember last summer she was busting out of her Size 6-12 Month swimsuit at only 5 Months old. Our next try, we lucked out with a Size 18 Month rash guard but it was a little big and just not the cutest. I much prefer adorable bathing suits over rash guards. What can I say? I just love the frills and patterns.

I was so excited for Carina to try a Snapping Turtle Kids swimsuit. Looking at their collections, they seemed to me to be the perfect blend of cuteness and practicality.

More about Snapping Turtle Kids:
In the summer of 2010, first-time mom Kimberly Goodwin was ready for a day at the beach in Nantucket with her three-month-old daughter, Reese. Having packed everything but the crib, Goodwin was prepared for anything—until the baby needed changing. Only an hour into the day, Goodwin struggled to pull off Reese’s wet suit, change her diaper and put the suit back on, all while the infant wailed. She thought, there has to be an easier way. Why don’t they make bathing suits with snaps? An idea turned into a mission and Snapping Turtle Kids was born.

Snapping Turtle Kids prides itself on designing swimwear and accessories to make your job as a parent a smooth sail. Our collection features stainless steel snaps for swimsuits, and 100% cotton terry cloth for beach cover ups and hats. Each collection was designed in New York City’s Garment District, and is inspired by our favorite vacation spots across the country.

Carina is wearing the Nantucket Ruffle Swimsuit which is 100 % Cotton and has snaps made of stainless steel at the very bottom. This makes for quick and easy diaper changes! There is no need to take off the entire suit when baby drops a deuce. Just unsnap, take care of the mess, and then snap back up. There are two different snap settings, so it's also a breeze to give baby a little bit more extra room when she grows. I am in love with the purple color and gingham pattern of this swimsuit. The green border around the ruffle and neck makes for a super cute accent, as well.

My favorite part? The ruffles on the back, hands down. Watching her toddle around in this suit with her ruffly bum makes me smile endlessly. Each strap of the suit has two button holes as well, so you can easily adjust for more room at this end as your little one grows. Carina's suit is size 18 Months, and it will definitely take her through the end of the summer - there is some extra space and she is on the smaller strap and snap setting. She is 17 Months and 19.5 lbs. Snapping Turtle Kids recommends ordering true to age. Most infant and toddler swimsuits tend to run insanely small (like the one we stuffed Carina into last summer), that's not the case here.

I actually had a hard time choosing a suit! My other favorites were the Southampton Ruffle and its matching Cover Up, and the Capri Ruffle. Again, Momma has a weakness for ruffles ;) In addition to swimsuits, Snapping Turtle Kids carries a number of other products including totes, swimsuit bags, hats, and cover ups.

My friends at Snapping Turtle Kids gave me a promotion code just for my awesome readers! Enter code STKGeeky to receive $10 off of a minimum $30 purchase.

NOM

I was not compensated for this review. I received the item free of charge for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honest, and my own. Your experience may vary.

A peek into our living room!

2012-06-01T03:00:00.000-04:00

Back when we first moved to Connecticut in December, I promised I would post pictures of our new apartment, which is the 1st floor of an 100+ year old home. I guess I got a bit sidetracked, because I just realized it never happened! When I saw that Kelly at Kelly's Korner is beginning a series where everyone shows off the rooms in their house, I figured it would be the perfect time to ~~hide all the ridiculous baby mess~~ get my act together and take some photos.

So to start - here's our living room!

There are hardwood floors, dark wood window frames, and wood trim all around, including the door to the foyer. This is the first place in which I've lived during my adult life that has hardwood floors everywhere. I'm trying to get used to how often I have to vacuum to keep it clean ;)

Please ignore the mess out in the foyer. It's currently our dumping ground for anything and everything that we still haven't unpacked or found a permanent home for yet. You can see Carina's old bouncer peeking into the picture, on the right. Currently it's serving as a container for all of her musical toys. In a few months I'm sure we'll need it again for the new baby!

Yep, that's a seahorse statue on the end table on the left, behind one of our engagement photos. On the other end table is the trusty old computer; that's where it usually resides. We should probably get a desk or something. And? I should really get a replacement keyboard since it's been almost 10 months since Carina spilled coffee on my computer and rendered the keyboard useless...

Love our stained glass window. Almost every house on our old New England street has one in the exact same place. Ours is flanked by two photos: one from when we were first dating, and one from our wedding. We had our wedding guests sign the mats at our wedding reception.

Peek-a-boo! Lots of toys under the coffee table. These are usually strewn about the floor, rather than lined up neatly ;)

More rooms to come later in the month! Crap, that means I should probably clean them, doesn't it?

I think we're nearing the end

2012-05-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

And I can't stop crying about it.

For the last week or so, almost every time I nurse Carina it starts out okay but then begins to feel weird. Really weird. Gross, almost. I can't think of a better or more accurate way to describe it. I don't know why this is happening all of a sudden, as I've always loved breastfeeding. Maybe I'm drying up?

I've tried to power through it, but each time I find myself wishing and hoping she'll stop. I've had to cut her short a few times, shedding tears as she protests, fusses, and then cries herself.

How is she 17 months old already?

I'm sobbing now as I write. I didn't want it to end like this. I wanted her to be ready to wean, not clamoring to continue as I close myself off to her. I had visions of holding her tenderly as she nurses for the last time, but I'm afraid that we won't be blessed with that sort of moment of tranquility. As soon as she starts I'm just itching for her to finish. I feel like my body is literally rejecting breastfeeding any further at this point. And my heart is breaking.

Has anyone else experienced this? How did you decide to wean your baby?

iMelt

2012-05-30T16:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, an apology is necessary. That's the lamest post title ever.

While snapping a couple photos of Carina snuggling up with Mike yesterday, I noticed a trend amongst my iPhone pics...

Snuggling and napping with Daddy is easily one of our favorite things to do, and it has been since our first day home from the hospital (above). OMG, squishy squishy newborn. I can't believe we'll have another in about 4 months time.

Any trends in your phone photos?

Something to look forward to every month - Wittlebee

2012-05-30T03:00:00.000-04:00

Despite my having little fashion sense for myself, I am always on the lookout for the cool new thing when it comes to baby style and products. I recently became acquainted with Wittlebee kids clothing club, and I was immediately intrigued. I knew I needed to learn more about it.

What's Wittlebee?
It's a monthly membership service that automatically ships you a box full of your kid's clothing essentials. Their service is meant to supplement your existing clothes supply and ensure you're always well stocked with the basics (onesies, t-shirts, leggings, socks and more). As your child grows so do the sizes of clothes you receive each month - Wittlebee carries sizes newborn through 5T. Every box contains clothes worth over $100 in retail value.

Our first Wittlebee box!

How does it work?
First, fill out your child's style profile! Enter their sex and size, and then it gets fun. Choose a category to best describe their style, their favorite colors, what types of items you would most like, and what type of climate you're in. Not detailed enough or have something in particular in mind? You can talk to one of Wittlebee's "Mom Stylists" over the phone!

After you fill out your child's style profile, your customized box of clothes arrives at your door in about two weeks. You’ll receive a new box of clothes every month, containing 8 items. Is your little one like Carina {who doesn't grow very fast}? You can pause your membership (or cancel) at anytime. Shipping is free, and you can return your box for a full refund if you are not 100% satisfied.

Squeeee! So cute!

What did we get?
I ordered my box on a Friday afternoon, and received it on Monday morning! From left to right (and top to bottom), here's what was in ours: yellow and purple American Apparel shirts, blue Luca Charles shirt (so soft!), pink Children's Place shorts, red Tea Collection dress, pink Rabbit Skins romper dress, patterned Strawberry tank top, and blue Luca Charles skirt. I am so impressed with the contents. There is definitely more than $100 worth of clothes here; I absolutely think it is worth the $40 monthly cost. Annnd...right now you can get $10 off of your first box!

I find it hard to venture out of my comfort zone when it comes to baby clothes. I tend to buy similar items over and over again - is anyone else guilty of this? So I actually really like the idea of someone else helping me pick out some of Carina's wardrobe. Then she won't get stuck with ten of the same style of dress or skirt ;) Are you the opposite? Does the thought of someone else choosing your child's outfits make you nervous? I like that you can go over the items in your box with one of Wittlebee's "Mom Stylists" to make sure everything is to your liking, should you choose to do so.

How did Carina like her new clothes?

Playing outside in our shorts and tee

Doing her little turn on the catwalk

Super cute. Visit Wittlebee now to get $10 off of your first box! Just $30 for over $100 worth of clothes.

I was not compensated for this review. I received the item free of charge for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honest, and my own. Your experience may vary.

Please help keep us afloat!

2012-05-29T08:11:00.000-04:00

Thank you all so much for voting for me on Top Baby Blogs over the past few months! Because of you, I held onto the #6 position until all of the votes were erased, just now. Many of you have told me that you found me through Top Baby Blogs and I would love to stay there so others can find me as well. It is such a wonderful blogging community, and I have made quite a few good friends through it!

Pretty please could you help keep us afloat? Please view the photos below, and then roll your eyes, as you realize that I just made a really lame pun.

Just click here ~~~> or on one of the Carina ~~bribery~~ photos below. Then click on the owl to your left. It's that easy! I would appreciate it so much.

I have a Top Baby Blogs button over on the right sidebar, there, too. You can vote once every 24 hours. And if you do, I'll love you forever. Promise. But no sexual favors, sorry. I don't think the husband would approve. I appreciate every vote so much, thanks :)

Toddle Along Tuesday - Lazy Man's Shopping

2012-05-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Truth be told, I'm lazy. I would much prefer to sit on my butt and peruse a handful of websites, pick what clothes I like, and cross my fingers that whatever I purchase fits Carina (or me), than waddle around the mall, thumb through 20 of the same shirt trying to find my size (and I rarely can), and then spend fifteen minutes trying everything on. So it's safe to say that the internet shopping is right up there amongst the best inventions ever, in my humble opinion.

My favorites:

Kohl's - Every now and then their Clearance section is amazing. And usually? There is a coupon code for 30% off and you can get $10 in Kohl's cash for every $50 you spend. I bought Carina 5 little skirts last Fall for $2.20 each (before the discount!), in 18 Month and 24 Month sizes. They are perfect right now! Most of Carina's 0-6 month wardrobe came from Kohl's; you can't beat Carter's creepers for $3.

We have this skirt in 5 colors, no joke

Zulily - Flash sale websites (like this one and the one below) have amazing sales that last for only 24 to 72 hours. The retailers that they feature sell a variety of products including clothes, toys, and gear for babies, as well as maternity and Mom fashions. I bought all of Carina's HALO sleep sacks, Melissa & Doug toys, See Kai Run shoes, and iPlay swimwear on Zulily. My favorite purchases ever? Carina's very first newborn shoes - they were only $5.99 each.

Etsy - I love to support work-at-home Moms as often as possible, so when it comes to cute accessories for Carina (I may or may not have a headband and bow obsession), I start my search there!

Carina's Etsy bows in all their glory

If you do as much online shopping as I do, be sure to sign up for eBates - it gives you a percentage back on every purchase you make. Apparently I shop online too often, as I've gotten back more than $200 in the last year (umm...eek?)

My co-host for Toddle Along Tuesday this week is Amber from Educating Miss Amber and the topic is places to shop! Do you have a favorite store, love consignment sales, or do your shopping online? Share your favorite places to shop for your kids or yourself. Maybe show off some of your fave finds, too! There are no rules here, except that you link up a relevant post (old or new) rather than your whole blog.

Next week's topic is your Mom! Tell us about her. What is she like? What is your relationship like? I meant to do this around Mother's Day, but forgot (oops!) Old post or new post, either is fine!

If you like advance notice for TAT, check out the bottom right of my blog - topics for the next couple months are listed. Would you like to submit a topic idea and/or volunteer to co-host one week? E-mail me!

23 weeks! - bumpdate

2012-05-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

Whoa, why am I super orange today?

How far along? 23 weeks

Weight gain/loss: 129 lbs. Up 2 lbs. this week, up 11 total.

Feeling: Still tired most of the time and sciatica-y. Where's my 2nd Trimester energy? ;)

Maternity clothes? Yes! And I'm loving wearing dresses and skirts this time around. So much better than sweaters and pants all the time.

Sleep: I'm having trouble falling asleep at night, which is really new for me. I'm usually out like a light. Is there anything that helps you get to sleep when you're having difficulty?

Food cravings: Chocolate chip cookies. My sister just sent me my favorite childhood recipe and I made some this weekend. I'll have to post it soon!

Movement? Mostly right before I go to sleep, but I do feel her here and there throughout the day.

What I miss? Wine. I may or may not have had a tiny glass while Mike's family was here visiting this weekend ;)

Best moment this week: Spending time with Mike's family. Carina had so much fun playing with them, and they were a world of help. They wouldn't let either of us lift a finger while they were here. So thankful.

What I'm looking forward to: Heading down to Cape Cod with my family in two weeks! Can't wait to spend a long weekend at the beach.

Next Appointment: next OB appointment on June 13th.

Milestones: Baby now weighs about 1 pound!

At 23 weeks with Carina. What's funny? I was wearing this dress today and almost took my picture in it! I should have. Oh well.

Pregnancy glow: Jules & Jim Maternity - Review & Giveaway!

2012-05-27T13:11:00.000-04:00

After having been pregnant in both the Fall/Winter and now in the late Spring/early Summer, I am confident in saying that Summer maternity clothes are so much more fun. Flowy dresses and comfy skirts win out over scratchy sweaters and tent-like turtlenecks, for sure. I honestly didn't care very much about the maternity clothes I wore when I was pregnant with Carina because there really wasn't ever an opportunity to go out and show them off during the frigid Wisconsin Fall. I think I just bought whatever was on last season's clearance rack at a few of the generic maternity stores I stumbled upon at the mall. (Sidenote: check with me towards the end of the Summer to see how I'm feeling with regards to being pregnant in the Fall/Winter vs. Summer on the whole, though!)

So, back to summery dresses. You might recognize this lovely one from Jules & Jim Maternity from my Mother's Day post. When I first received it, I prayed for nice weather on our Mother's Day outing because I knew it would be the perfect time to wear it.

At Sturbridge Village in my dress

The Darling Dress with Bow is made of 100% cotton, has an elastic waist, and an adorable bow at the left shoulder. Let me be completely honest: I feel pretty in this dress. From the adjustable bow, to the feminine print, to the flowy skirt - it makes me believe that I'm exuding that fabled pregnancy glow rather than stomping around like the cranky pregosaurus that I {really} am.

Mike loves it, too. Whenever I try on a new outfit for the first time and show him, I am always so eager to see his reaction. It's never bad {bless him}, but it can range from the lukewarm, "you look nice" to the enthusiastic "wow, you're gorgeous." This dress? Beyond gorgeous, in his opinion. Cue big toothy smile from me. And it's not just Mike; I've received a number of compliments on this dress! When most people comment on how freakishly huge your bump is (you must be having twins!) hearing that people think your dress is beautiful is a very much welcomed anomaly ;)

My other favorites in the Jules & Jim collection are the Classic Summer Knit Dress, Short Sleeve Dress, and Modal Cardi Wrap. I could live in any number of their dresses all summer...

More about Jules & Jim (this cracked me up, and had me sold within seconds of reading it):
Jules likes seeing his pregnant wife sexy. Jim prefers the classic, refined look. Together Jules & Jim make up a line of maternity clothing in tune with new trends, at once comfortable and urbane. All the clothes in the collection are entirely designed and produced by the Canadian fashion industry.

Shop
Jules & Jim fashions can be found at a number of maternity stores, and also online!

Win
The fine folks at Jules & Jim offering one of my readers a maternity dress from their collection! Winner can choose from a number of their options, depending upon what is in stock for their size.

How to Enter:
This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. Click "Read More" below and then follow the instructions on the widget. Make sure to click "Enter!" after you complete each entry. All currents count! The giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada and ends at 11:59 PM on Saturday, June 2nd.

The first entry is mandatory - Check out the Jules & Jim collection and leave me a comment telling me which style you like best! Once you complete this entry, the widget will give you the option of completing the rest. Complete more steps for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was not compensated for this review. I received the item free of charge for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honest, and my own.

"Outside! Outside!"

2012-05-26T15:00:00.000-04:00

The park is always a winner on weekend mornings.

I can't wait for the weather to be this nice all the time. Carina's new thing is yelling "outside! outside!" as soon as she wakes up. We may or may not have walked downtown in the rain last week because nothing else would make her happy ;)

Are there any words or phrases you can't say around your little one because of what will happen?

Enjoy your weekend!

May Sponsor Love!

2012-05-26T03:00:00.000-04:00

Bethany Sherrard - Sweet December Hats

Bethany, creative mind behind Sweet December Hats, make adorable headbands, hair clips, crochet hats, and bonnets for all ages. Check out her adorable newborn photography props as well!

Photo Credit: Bliss Photography of Rochester, MN

My favorite!

Etsy | Facebook | Twitter

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Sandy Storck - Independent Scentsy and Velata consultant

Sandy is a working mom of a toddler who never liked or thought about doing direct sales. She was introduced to Scentsy through another new mom and thought that the idea of a wickless candle as a safe alternative for a traditional candle was a great idea. She was so hooked on the product, she wanted to tell all her friends about it!

And now - Scentsy just recently launched Velata - a new line of plug-and-play fondue warmers and Belgian fondue chocolate:

A small group of clever, chocolate-adoring Scentsy folks had a dazzling idea. What if we served scrumptious chocolate fondue in a plug-and-play, fun-to-use warmer worthy of such fine chocolate? Whether you are a foodie, a trendsetter, or just someone who thinks of chocolate as its own food group, Velata fondue products are for you.

I can't wait to tell you more about Velata in June! ;)

Scentsy | Velata | Facebook | Twitter

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Looking for some awesome new blogs to read or places to shop? Look no further!

Teach your kids not to be dbags

2012-05-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm starting a new series of posts. Whenever something pops into my head that I think everyone should teach their kids, I'll be sharing it with you. Wait, wait! Don't run away yet.

This won't be a collection of do it my way or else I'm going to judge you, you bad bad Mommy you or I really think you should parent like this because it's so much better - look, here I'll even cite sources posts. I ~~think~~ hope you know by now that I'm just not that kind of person.

Rather, it will be an assortment of things that - if everyone out there had been taught - would have saved me a lot of pain, sadness, and frustration at some point in my life. And others, too, of course.

So let's begin - with my adolescent awkwardness.

Me (right) and my sisters, ca. 1996

Bad acne. Horrible braces. Scary hair. No confidence whatsoever. And to top it off? A fuzzy chickie backpack (WTF?) As you can see here I was quite the epitome of cool.

Closer up, around 1998: doesn't my Mom look good? Me, on the other hand...

I was just all sorts of awkward, and almost everyone around me let me know it. I was barked at by kids on the bus and excluded by my group of so-called friends because I {and I quote} "wasn't hot enough to get any guys". Is it sad that I still remember that 15 years later? Even my sisters made fun of me on a regular basis (we're tight now; it's all good). On my 14th birthday, a "friend" called to invite me to see Titanic in the movie theater and said she'd call me later. When I hadn't heard from her by late afternoon, I called back and her Mom told me she was out at the movies. ::gutpunch:: <~~~Yep, looking back I totally laugh at this and how dramatic I was, but in my 14-year-old mind, it was akin to the end of the world.

At times I felt like my only allies were my Mom and my teachers. Which is probably why, in retrospect, I always made homework my priority and straight A's my mission. I threw myself into my studies and tried my best to let all the taunting roll off my back. Not always so easy, though...I ended up going to see a therapist for some time. Shortly thereafter we ended up moving to a new town which gave me the opportunity to completely start over. I never looked back and things just got better and better.

So...on to my point. Teach your kids not to be little jerks. I know we can't control everything our kids do, especially when they are not under our supervision all the time, but showing them how it feels so much better to be nice to someone than to be an ass really isn't that hard or time consuming. And if you ever find out that your kids have been bullying or teasing another child? Take action. Please don't shrug it off and mutter, "kids will be kids".

I was fortunate in that I found solace in my Mom and in my textbooks. And on the bullying severity spectrum? Mine was quite mild. Many other kids have not been so lucky. I just read that a 7-year-old (7 EFFING YEARS OLD) committed suicide on Wednesday because of bullying. I can't even...

Seriously, teach your kids not to be dbags.

What was your experience like growing up? Were you ever bullied? Have your kids been bullied?

Jennifer =/= Sophia: breaking down baby name popularity

2012-05-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Were you one of 5 Jennifers, Jessicas, Sarahs, or Nicoles in your class growing up? Did you resent having a nickname like Jen #3 or Jessica B. in order to differentiate yourself from the others? I was one of 3 Melissas in my class, and while it was never a big problem for me, I did vow that I would choose more unique names for children someday.

The Social Security Administration just released 2011's Most Popular baby names list. While looking at the list, I didn't see any surprises. Many of the names were repeats from the last few years. Then, I checked out the total number of births associated with each name, and it piqued my interest.

What was the number of births like for the most popular names the year I was born?

Whoa! For most of the entire top 10, there were ~2-3 times as many babies born with each ranked name in 1984 than there were in 2011.

So Jennifer, (#1 in 1984 with 50,551 babies) =/= Sophia (#1 in 2011 with 21,695 babies)

Sure, they were both the most popular name each year, but looking at today's numbers - there just aren't nearly as many births for each name. Meaning, it's not nearly as likely that your Sophia, Isabella, Jacob, or Mason will have 5 others with the same moniker to contend with, like we Ashleys, Melissas, and Amandas did back in the day.

This is all just something interesting to keep in mind while choosing a baby name. While neither Carina nor Aurelia are in the Top 1000 for 2011 (whoa - guess we're really weird), looking at the numbers this way instead of only paying attention to their rank makes me feel confident that we still would have used both names, even if they had ended up on the Top 10 list.

Where does your baby fall on the 2011 list? Do/have you discounted a name because of its popularity?

My new favorite top from peek-a-boo!

2012-05-23T15:00:00.000-04:00

I get {understandably} giddy when I stumble upon clothes or products that make me feel like they were made for me. When I discovered Peek-a-boo, a designer who specializes in maternity clothing with breastfeeding access, I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that I did a little happy dance across our living room. Mike can attest to this.

More about Peek-a-boo:
The Peek-a-boo maternity and nursing collection takes into consideration the changes in a woman's body from early pregnancy through nursing. Our designs enable the mother to breastfeed without exposing herself, keeping mother-baby eye contact while still looking stylish. Our styles conceal the less-favorable tummy and back areas and our fashionable design allows a woman to continue with her daily activities without anyone suspecting she is wearing a nursing shirt. Our signature duck illustration is situated in the inside of the garment and is revealed only while breastfeeding, giving the baby something to look at and provides the mother with a little reminder where she last fed from.

Our items are made with the highest quality, hand-picked materials, meticulous handicraft and are designed to fit a woman's changing body, ensuring comfort and style.

Peek-a-boo offers a unique solution that does not exist in the market - we emphasize comfort as well as discreet nursing with style. Most importantly - our garments provide a total solution - starting from early pregnancy and throughout nursing, offering moms around the world a purse friendly solution - no need to buy maternity clothes in addition to nursing wear!

I received the Cap Sleeve top in Navy and it has quickly become my favorite maternity shirt; I've gotten so many compliments on it already. I wear it as often as possible {by the way, please remind me to start doing laundry more often so I can wear it even more} because it is so comfortable, and it makes breastfeeding Carina really easy. The top layer lifts right up; no need for awkward holes or cut-outs. Can anyone else not stand those? There is even a cute little ducky logo on the inside of the nursing layer for Carina to poke at while she nurses.

Oh man please forgive my multi-colored hair - still need to take care of that ;)

From this week's bumpdate

I love that it makes my bump look cute (yay for side ruching!) and you can't even tell there is a separate top layer for nursing. The few friends who I have explained it to wouldn't have even known if I didn't tell them. I think the Cap Sleeve top will be a great option even after pregnancy until the post-baby bump fades away. Washing is easy; just turn inside out and machine wash cold, then dry in the shade! The top is made from Viscose/Lyrca.

Top layer lifts up for nursing

Do my photos not quite do it justice, or leave room for confusion? Check out this short video showing you how Peek-a-boo's styles work:

Some of my other favorite styles include the Angel Sleeve Top, the French Dress, and the 3/4 Sleeve Top. Check out the sale section for some great deals!

Peek-a-boo is committed to great customer service, has an easy return policy, and free worldwide shipping! My friends at Peek-a-boo are currently offering my readers 15% off of their purchase with promo code GEEKY. Also? This is on top of Peek-a-boo's multi-item discount! Buy 2 items, get 5% off, 3: 10% off, and 4 or more: 15% off!

I was not compensated for this review. I received the item free of charge for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honest, and my own.

Daddy's shoulders & Aurelia's nerdy namesake

2012-05-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago we headed to the Mystic Aquarium with my sister and her family. Despite growing up less than a couple hours away from Mystic, CT, we had never been! Carina spent much of the time on Daddy's shoulders, or running around yelling, "hi fishy!"

What are you looking at?

Aurelia jellyfish

I actually didn't know there was a such thing as "Aurelia" jellyfish until one of Mike's friends pointed it out after we announced her name. At least they're pretty jellyfish, right? I love that she will have a nerdy namesake, just like her sister.

Do your little ones have anything cool or geeky that they are "named after"?

Toddle Along Tuesday - Carina identifies letters!

2012-05-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

I think because I've been feeling like such a failure lately due to Carina's "failure to thrive" issues, this particular first has meant so much to me. It makes me confident that I'm at least doing something right ;)

So here's Carina, identifying letters for the first time. She has "M", "N", and "O" down pretty well, and then gets "K" and "D" later on. "H" is debatable for now; it sort of sounds like "hache". She also knows that her name begins with "C"! Didn't catch that on video, though, sadly.

I've been working with her on letters a lot lately because 1. she loves them - she could circle this tower for hours yelling them out and 2. it makes for a nice welcomed break in between trying to get her to eat.

My co-host for Toddle Along Tuesday this week is Nikki from Life with You Makes Perfect Sense and the topic is favorite firsts! What milestone was the most precious for you? Sitting up, talking, walking, maybe a 1st birthday party, or something else? Feel free to gush and/or reminisce. There are no rules here, except that you link up a relevant post (old or new) rather than your whole blog.

Next week's topic is places to shop! Do you have a favorite store or website from which to shop? Or do you prefer consignment sales and thrift stores? Tell us and show us some of your fave finds! Old post or new post, either is fine!

If you like advance notice for TAT, I just added a section at the bottom right of the blog that lists the Toddle Along Tuesday topics for the next few weeks! Would you like to submit a topic idea and/or volunteer to co-host one week? E-mail me!

22 week bumpdate

2012-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

How far along? 22 weeks

Weight gain/loss: 127 lbs. Which means I lost a pound in the last week? Not sure how that happened with all of the Nutella I've been eating! Up 9 lbs. total.

Feeling: Exhausted and achy. The sciatica has picked up again, unfortunately. I think baby girl has wedged herself right on a nerve that shoots down to my left butt check :(

Maternity clothes? Having a bump in the summer is so much more fun than the winter! I am loving my new tops and dresses. More to come on this top - my new favorite - later this week.

Sleep: I'm consistently getting 8 hours a night and I am so thankful.

Food cravings: Nutella: I've eaten an entire jar in a week. That's probably a bad thing. I'm running out of things to spread it on, too. White bread, graham crackers, I even tried marshmallows...

Movement? More and more! Sometimes it feels like there's an octopus in there; I just don't know how she can punch and kick so many different places at once. An ultrasound would have shown if she had extra legs, right? ;)

What I miss? Sleeping on my right side and back. I am used to tossing and turning all night and staying put is unsatisfying.

Best moment this week: Stumbling across a gelato place just 2 blocks from our house that we thought was closed for remodeling! I had some amazing chocolate concoction and Mike had hazelnut and coconut (interesting combination, I know).

What I'm looking forward to: Mike's family is coming to next weekend! So excited to see them and have a few extra hands with Carina ;)

Next Appointment: OB appointment on June 13th. I can't believe it's only a matter of time before I'll have biweekly appointments.

Milestones: You can now see and feel her kick from the outside! Mike can't get enough of it.

At 22 weeks with Carina. Almost identical bumps, don't you think?

BAZINGA! Geekling Designs Giveaway CLOSED

2012-05-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

Meet Jennifer, owner and creative mind behind Geekling Designs on Etsy, which offers up the latest in fun and undeniably geeky baby wear. You might recall that I'm not a big fan of onesies in general. Well, that has now changed. Upon seeing Jennifer's creations I realized that I had just never found the right onesies before!

More about Geekling Designs and Jennifer:
I started Geekling Designs in 2008, after many (unsuccessful) searches to find something unique for my daughter to wear. I happened across a DIY screenprinting site, and thought "why not!" so got to work making my first onesies.

What started out as a hobby, turned into selling at local swap meets. We then progressed to Etsy, and have established an online storefront full of geeky goodies! Since setting up shop on Etsy, we have succeeded in outfitting geeklings worldwide, and have been able to convert and purchase our own professional screenprinting press to help keep up with production.

With rapid growth throughout 2010, I am now able to work full-time from home, making geeky gear for little ones, while raising my two geeklings as well. :)

Mama G's personal favorites:

Brilliant

Best.onesie.ever

This makes me laugh out loud

Whether you're a Star Wars or Star Trek fan, worship Harry Potter, or enjoy video games, Geekling Designs has something awesome for you. I promise.

Shop
Check out the adorable geeky onesies and other adorable baby products at Geekling Designs! Jennifer is all set to launch her new website on June 1st and will be having a couple of giveaways during the first week of June, too. Follow Geekling Designs on Facebook for news, updates, and coupon codes.

Win
Jennifer is offering one of my readers a geeky onesie of their choice!

How to Enter:
This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. Click "Read More" below and then follow the instructions on the widget. All currents count! The giveaway is open worldwide and ends at 11:59 PM on Saturday, May 26th.

The first entry is mandatory - Visit Geekling Designs and tell me which onesie you would choose if you won! Once you complete this entry, the widget will give you the option of completing the rest. Complete more steps for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You asked! Tips on growing your blog

2012-05-19T11:57:00.000-04:00

I often get e-mails from readers or have friends ask for tips or suggestions. By no means am I a blogging expert, but there are a number of things I have stumbled upon or tried over the last year that are easy and have been good for my blog. A few weeks ago I posted part 1 - technical tips, and this is part 2: general tips on growing your blog. This is what I get asked about most often :)

Comment on other blogs. Are there a number of blogs that you read on a regular basis? Comment on them often! It's a great way to connect with the authors of those blogs, and often they (or the many other people reading their blogs) will click on your comment and jump to your blog! This is why I really like the Intense Debate commenting platform, despite its having a number of {ongoing} technical difficulties. When I receive your comments, I often click to go to your most recent post. It's important, though, to leave meaningful comments. Please avoid "following you, follow me back!" These sorts of comments make many bloggers - myself included - feel cheap and dirty. I polled some of my blogging friends and the general consensus was that a comment like that will probably make someone less likely to visit your blog.

Blog for you. Don't start your blog with the intention of becoming blog-famous or making money. It {most often} is transparent, and won't get you very far. Blog because you want to document your life (and/or your child's), to keep family and friends updated, or just cause you enjoy it! I started writing to vent my frustrations while trying to conceive Carina, and then it became my pregnancy journal and virtual baby book. I love that 20+ years from now Carina will be able to look back {hopefully not with horror} and see what her daily life was like as a child. Remember: whether you have a handful of readers or thousands, your blog is important to someone. Staying true to yourself and what you want to write about is something of which to be proud.

Join Twitter. I know, I know, this one can be scary. I {very} begrudgingly joined Twitter last Spring and honestly thought it was stupid for a few weeks afterwards. Now? I have made so many amazing friends and connections. I truly think it is a must for anyone who is interested in growing their blog. It gives you the opportunity to interact with readers, other bloggers, and even companies in a way that blog commenting and other means of communication really can't. Plus? Twitter has saved me a ton of money. Make sure to put your blog link in your bio, as well!

Twitter can be THIS much fun. I promise.

Avoid blog envy. I know that many of us have been there. You might see someone who has better numbers, sponsors, and/or writing and it makes you feel bad about yourself, if only for a moment. It can be hard, but try not to get caught up in what other people are blogging about or trying to make your blog like someone else's. Focus on making your blog your own, and accentuating what makes it unique! <~~~this is huge, in my experience.

Swap ads/buttons. Find a couple other bloggers who are also interested in growing their blogs and swap your button with them! You put theirs on your sidebar, and they do the same with yours. This is a great {free} way to reach a larger audience. Everyone wins! Before I started accepting paid sponsors, all of the buttons I displayed were from swaps with friends of mine. I still reserve a couple of my ad spots for swaps each month because I enjoy doing it so much.

Have any other questions for me, or tips you'd like to share?

P.S. I think it's hilarious that Blogger's spell check thinks that "bloggers" isn't a real word. Nice.

My Mother's Day & OMG: A 19th Century Breast Pump

2012-05-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

For Mother's Day we visited one of my favorite places ever - Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. It had been at least 15 years since I last traveled there, but I remembered almost everything perfectly. OSV is one of the country’s oldest and largest living history museums, depicting early New England life from 1790-1840 with historians in costume, antique buildings, water-powered mills, and a working farm.

Just arriving - you can see how excited Carina is

I'm so glad she doesn't have my nose

Mike and his brother playing with the colonial kiddie games

Me and my mans

An early 19th century breast pump

Wait...WHAT?!?

OMFG

Mike spied this in the glassware exhibit. My best guess is that the cup on the end goes over your breast, and you suck on the tube? I really feel for the early 19th century Mommas; this does not look comfortable or efficient. I would imagine that it felt pretty weird to suck out your own breast milk, as well. Of course that's just a guess...I have no desire to try. Seeing this certainly made for an interesting end to a fantastic day.

So...anyone want to give this sucker a shot? ;)

Carina's first masterpieces

2012-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

I was so in love with Carina's jumbo triangle crayons. She squeals with delight as she colors on the paper taped to our coffee table and she thoroughly enjoys gnawing on them as well. What's not to like?

Well, I am sad to report that the love affair has ended. While I was in the bathroom yesterday, Carina went on a colorful rampage.

Her Roadster now boasts a decorated seat.

Our WALL, previously bare, now has some green and red embellishment. At least she was trying to be festive?

Mike's {ridiculously expensive}computer is now sporting quite a few red and black adornments.

I took the crayons away for now. At least until we can figure out how to prevent her from coloring on everything. In the meantime? Thank God for Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

Has your little one ~~destroyed~~ decorated anything lately? ;)

Sponsor Love - Lil' Misfits

2012-05-16T15:00:00.000-04:00

Meet Nicole, founder and creative mind behind Lil' Misfits Handmade Baby Blankets. Lil' Misfits blankets are a fun, unique alternative to the traditional baby blanket.

Tell us more about yourself and Lil' Misfits!
Two years ago when my son Kase was born, I had every intention in returning to my very busy work schedule and life. The thought of being a stay at home mother had never been in my vocabulary. Then when he was 3 months old and I was “supposed” to get back into the hustle of things, something had changed, I had changed. I could not imagine not experiencing his day to day changes, so I decided to see what I could do from home, and at a more realistic pace for my new role as mommy.

With Kase in tow we set out to do some research in our local kids stores, and in searching online. I found that I was not the kind of mom that wanted the “traditional” items for Kase. I liked the quirky patterns, and non-baby prints. So I decided to try my hand and finding unique and fun patterns to make blankets. Between keeping up with my very active little boy and sewing to keep up with demand it has been an amazing ride, one that I hope continues to chug along.

So I took my blankets around to boutique stores in New York City, and much to my amazement they were picked up and are top sellers! After seeing how popular they have been in the stores, I decided to venture into selling them online; and built my first store!

Tell us more about your blankets!
Here at Lil’ Misfits, we create each reversible blanket using the best fabrics on the market. Working with top fabric designers we bring together the current fabric trends in 100% cotton fronts, using vibrant colors and playful bold patterns that capture the fun, and playful nature that only childhood can bring. Each blanket is backed with a plush, and luxurious minky poly fabric, that simulates the touch and feel of fur; guaranteed to keep your little one nice and cozy. Trimmed out with a 2” satin ribbon, these blankets will quickly become your little ones go to blanket for their bedtime routines. Unlike many other blankets on the market, Lil’ Misfits blankets are made to order. You choose the patterned front, the color for the minky fabric backing and the coordinating color ribbon trim you want. Each blanket is yours and yours alone, to match your lifestyle, and your little one's personality. The blankets are also practical; as they are completely machine washable, and dryer friendly requiring no extra care.

What if I have something else in mind?
If you have a specific pattern you'd like that you do not see in our line, simply choose the “custom order” route and tell us your desires. Looking for a baby blanket for a new father that is an avid fly fisher, or a new mother that loves roller derby? We will search the market and find several pattern options for you to choose from so that you can get a blanket totally customized!

Mama G's faves: the ABC Cookery, Spotted Owl, and Little Hoot blankets. And? You don't want to miss the Heavy Equipment blanket. Priceless.

For a limited time, get 20% off of your order with code NEWMOMMIES!

Feel like I've been punched in the gut

2012-05-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

I thought it was rather cold for a pediatric physician's exam room. And I don't mean the ambient temperature. No toys, no books, no color...not even any covers on the electrical outlets (WTF?)

Then the nephrologist entered, glanced quickly at Carina's chart and asked, "so you're here for failure to thrive?"

BAM. Frozen. I felt like the wind was knocked out of me. Like I had been punched.

I thought we were there to diagnose or rule out Renal Tubular Acidosis, and told him so. "Well, yes, technically," he started, "but the underlying issue is failure to thrive, no?"

Ugh. Hey doc, can you please stop saying that? Because every time it rolls off of your tongue I cringe and then die a little inside. Sure, I'm being dramatic, but I just can't help but feel like a failure myself when you refer to my daughter as failing to thrive.

Failure to thrive my ass!

Then, for maybe the 3rd time in the last few weeks, I went through what a typical day's meals and snacks look like for Carina...feeling like I was on trial as I described each and every food that touches her mouth. Then he asked about her pacifier use and how often she breastfeeds. I honestly don't know why I was feeling so defensive the entire time.

The outcome? We can't diagnose or rule out RTA yet; the doctor ordered another urinalysis and more blood work. In the meantime we're to go see a nutritionist after I create a "food diary" detailing 3 days of exactly what Carina eats and when. This sounds like tons of fun. As if I don't spend enough time trying to get her to eat, now I need to write down everything so we can count calories. I'm just so frustrated.

He did say, though, that he doesn't think she has RTA. We talked a lot about my height & weight both now and growing up, and Mike's as well. He is leaning towards a diagnosis of being the product of two small parents who were slow to grow early on as well.

The good news? She actually gained a pound and grew an inch in the last 6 weeks. This is huge, given that she only gained a pound and inch in the previous 6 months. I'm hoping this is a trend that's here to stay.

Please let this be the end of tests for Carina, and punches to Mommy's gut.

Toddle Along Tuesday - Things I'll never do (or will I?)

2012-05-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Before Carina was born, there were a number of things I swore I would never do. Please use a haughty, judgmental, and "I clearly think I'm better than you" tone while reading them to yourself, because I'm pretty sure that I had at least a little bit of that attitude at the time:

What? Mommy, judgmental? No way.

-I'll never let my baby rot her brain in front of the TV.

-I'll never let disposable diapers touch my baby's precious skin.

-I'll never buy a DVD player for our car.

Okay, now for the reality check:

-Carina watches TV. Putting it on for a few minutes here and there is the only way I can get anything done around the house. She doesn't really pay all that much attention unless it's Super Why. In that case, she gets as close as possible to the TV and sounds out letters with the characters on the show. Cutest.thing.ever.

-Cloth diapers didn't work so well for us in the newborn stage, and then we had to move to an apartment with community laundry, so we weren't able to get much use out of them until January of this year. We used Pampers for 8 or so months, and then Luvs for the rest of the time. And Carina was fine. No scary rashes or evil hexes have come as a result. We still use Luvs overnight and when we go out for more than a few hours.

-We still haven't bought DVD players for our car, and I'm hoping this will remain an "I'll never" that we stick to. I have such fond memories of playing the Alphabet game and License Plate game with my sisters; I hope that our kids will do the same. And now I'm also remembering lots of bickering and driving our parents crazy...so hmmm...we'll see how this one goes ;)

My new "I'll Never"? I'll never make any further "I'll Never" statements. Except for that one, of course.

My co-host for Toddle Along Tuesday this week is Annie from Letters to Mo and the topic is things you never thought you'd do! Did you ever say "I'll never do this or that..." before you had kids? Or are there things about being a parent that have totally surprised you? There are no rules here, except that you link up a relevant post (old or new) rather than your whole blog.

Next week's topic is favorite firsts! What milestone was the most precious for you? Sitting up, talking, walking, or maybe a 1st birthday party? Feel free to gush and/or reminisce. Old post or new post, either is fine!

If you like advance notice for TAT, I just added a section at the bottom right of the blog that lists the Toddle Along Tuesday topics for the next few weeks! Would you like to submit a topic idea and/or volunteer to co-host one week? E-mail me!