i saw these and have to pass them along!  These would have been perfect for my little princess when she was a baby.  They surely are Heelarious!  They would even be cute to hang on the rear view mirror.  i have heard they are a bit controversial.    Would you buy these little heels for the infant in your life?

This post makes me chuckle.  Is there someone up there laughing at me?  i was going to talk about how Kelsey didn’t want Seanto go to work because she wasn’t feeling good and didn’t want to take care of baby Etta.  Guess what. Yesterday, i wish i could just curl up in bed and stay there because i wasn’t feeling well at ALL.  Hence, this post is a little late….sorry to all of you who may have been waiting.  i wish Kevin could have stayed home!  Unfortunately, we like to eat and have a place to call home (call us crazy).  With Kelsey and Sean i was surprised at how they changed.  i expected Kelsey to give it a good effort and was surprised at how fast she caved.  On the opposite end i was shocked that the guy who kept calling Etta “it” ended up staying home and was amazing with her.  Etta’s mommy gave Kelsey some great advice all of us mommies need to take to heart on those days we feel like failures.  When we fail, we can’t just ask someone to take our kids away (i guess you COULD however, i don’t think foster care needs anymore kids.  Not to mention how scared they would be forever.).  All we can do is sincerely say “I am so sorry and I will do better next time”.

Another amazing turn around was Kelly.  i know she is young, however, i really think motherhood suites her.  Scary thought i know!!  It goes back to the debate of young and poor or older and more stable (i opted for young and dumb.  does that count??).  She jumped in and did spectacular!  She even had dinner made when Austin came home.  For the girl who didn’t want to wear the pregnancy suit because it was heavy and made her look fat, to being June Cleaver, all i can say is WOW!

i thought it was great that some of the “daddies” decided to stay home while the “mommies” worked.  What a way to break the stereotype!  There are some amazing SAHD who don’t get the respect they deserve.  It goes back to that other argument women have been having for many years now.  SAHM versus working mama.  i just say, can’t we all get along?  Some of the mommies i have talked to express guilt.  If you are one of those mommies i say stop it!  If you are a SAHM who looks down on those working mamas, stop it!  We are all women doing the best we can.  Ok, i will get off my soap box now:)

Cheers to all you mommies out there who put in long nights and still get up and go about your day.  To all you who have had your head in a toilet (if it’s because you partied to hard, weeellll….haha)while your children look on asking when lunch is.  Once when i was pregnant, i heard my at the time 2 1/2 year old mimicking me in the living room.  It’s hard to throw up and laugh at the same time.  They take some serious work and sacrifice, BUT well worth every moment!!

Here’s a quick 2 minute catch-up if you missed this last week.

If they thought babies were hard………

Would you give your baby to a teenage couple for a few days?  Did you catch the show The Baby Borrowers last night? 

My hubby and i greatly admired the couples who allowed their babies to be used for this experiment.  i am not sure if i could do it.  Would you be able to give your babies to a teenage couple for 3 days to show them how hard it is?  Just the pregnancy suit the girls had to wear caused an uproar in one couple.  Kelly didn’t want to wear it because it was heavy and made her look fat.  i just about fell off the couch laughing.  Do i hear a little shout out from the pregnant ladies in the house?  At lease they didn’t have morning sickness too:)  The guy, Austin was such a sport.  He ended up going to baby class by himself because she locked herself in the bathroom refusing to wear the belly.  When they got home, Austin even volunteered to wear the pregnancy suit and wore it the rest of the day.  Talk about a good man!  Another couple had bedtime issues.  Etta’s mommy was so upset she went over to the house and talked to the couple.  Sean was talking about leaving her in the crib because she was going to cry anyways.  Wouldn’t you cry too if your diaper hasn’t been changed in awhile and you are expected to go to bed wet?

i think this show comes at a great time when teenage pregnancy is on the rise and these kids see the glamorous cutesy aspect of having kids.  They don’t get to see how you feel after being up all night with a sick baby, or cleaning a public diaper blowup.  i sincerely hope this is a turning for our kids.  Just i wrote before in my post about the Gloucester girls….”Our pretty babies, they just aren’t ready” Dishwalla.

Check your local listings for The Baby Borrowers.  i love their tagline…It’s not just t.v, it’s birth control!

Run out and get the July issue of Vogue!  The ever fabulous and pregnant Nicole Kidman sat down for an interview according to Style.com where you can read an edited version.

She talks about how she has fallen in love with the Tennessee landscape and gardening.  Which she laughs about that she has followed her mother and sister into “the Kidman women’s hobby of gardening”.  A place she never thought she would be.  She goes on to chat about why her new movie Australia “is a dream project”.  Best of all, she shares her excitement of finally being able to bear her own child after having adopted two fantastic kids, and her amazing relationship with country star Keith Urban.

When speaking of the surprise of being pregnant she says  “I like the unpredictable nature of it. To feel life growing with you is something very, very special, and I’m going to embrace that completely. I don’t believe in flittering around the edges of things. You’re either going to walk through life and experience it fully or you’re going to be a voyeur. And I’m not a voyeur.”  And she certainly isn’t.

Now go get the new issue of Vogue to read the full interview, and check out the pictures by famed Annie Leibovitz!

I know we are always curious what happens to the fetus during pregnancy. I found the coolest visual guide starting at fertilization and going to birth. You have to check out The Visible Embryo.

What does a rocker mama need?  A rock star baby of course!  i found the cutest, handmade baby tees and onesies.  They are even affordable!  Each item is only $10.  Check out Itsy Bitzy Couture.  When i find out the sex of my little one, i am going to be getting some of these:)

Sometimes i feel our American traditions are too commercial and not all that special. i confess, i do get envious of other culture’s traditions that seem special and close knit. i have to admit though, when i first heard about a Mother Blessing, i was a little wiggly in my chair. As with anything new, especially traditions, it can make one uncomfortable. Coming from the beautiful state of Oregon, my mind first went to the hippie place and though i am a nature lover, by no means a hippie. Upon further research i found this amazing experience.

~~The Blessingway Origin~~

The story of the creation of the Navajo people and their emergence onto their sacred homeland is recounted in a ceremony known as the Blessingway, which is the foundation of the Navajo way of life. Blessingway focuses on the story of Changing Woman, who is the inner form of the Earth through its seasonal transformations. She is the major deity for the Navajo.
The Navajo are instructed that in the beginning, First Man and First Woman emerged onto this world near Huerfano Mountain in New Mexico. One day, First Man found a baby on a nearby mountain. The baby matured in four days and became Changing Woman. Changing Woman created the four original Navajo clans from her body. Her sons rid the land between the four sacred mountains of dangerous monsters and made it safe for the clans to inhabit. The Blessingway recounts in detail the instructions Changing Woman gave to the Navajo people she created. These teachings concern history and major religious practices, such as girl’s puberty rite and the consecration of a family’s home. When performed in its entirety, the Blessingway is a two-day ceremony whose purpose is to obtain peace, harmony, protection, and to help realize the goal of a long happy life.

<p align=”center”>~~The Modern Mother Blessing~~

In the American culture, baby showers attempt to honor the mama-to-be. For the most part it becomes a showering of gifts for the baby doing little for the rite of passage for the mama. While baby showers can be a little commercial, the Mother Blessing is the exact opposite. The Mother Blessing is

~~The Basics~~

Who’s coming? Keep it intimate and small. Only invite those the mama is close to and can positively contribute. Don’t invite anyone just because you feel obligated. A group of more than 15 can become cumbersome. If there are more than 15 you really want to attend, keep the Mother Blessing intimate and have a reception after or have a celebration after the baby is born.

Where do we go? The best place is the mama-to-be’s home (offer to clean her home as a gift). This way, you can bless her home as an activity. If this isn’t an option, a nearby home of a participant or an outdoor setting that is calm.

What atmosphere? Think intimate. First and foremost, turn off all phones and pagers! Consider playing relaxing music, burning scented candles or incense. If it’s cold and you have a fireplace, this is a wonderful time to put it to good use.

Did someone say food? All of the food should have meaning. Think homemade and from the heart. Maybe have everyone bring a dish that is the mama-to-be’s comfort food, or a favorite food (a great excuse for a chocolate feast).

~~Rituals~~

You can adapt any of these or even make up your own and adjust them to the mama-to-be’s belief system. Whatever you do, make sure it encourages the mama-to-be. Begin with an invocation or prayer. End by thanking everyone for their positive contributions, and if you are giving little “favors” such as a candle or scented soap, have each guest take one as a reminder of their wishes they are to keep making until after the baby is born.

~Create a birthing necklace. It is intended for the woman to wear during birth to bring strength and positive energy. Ask each woman attending to bring a bead that best represents their wish for the mother and baby during labor and delivery. Pass around the string or wire cut for the necklace. Have each woman explain the significance of the bead they chose. You can even pass around a journal at the same time so the woman can write the meaning (we know preggo brain).

~The foot bath and hair brushing maybe the most intimate activity. Wash the mama’s feet in a small bath filled with flower petals or essential oils. Drying the feet with cornmeal will impart a nice glow that symbolizes luck and protection as she walks on her path. You can simultaneously brush/braid her hair or do them as separate activities. You can finish off the hair brushing time by decorating her hair with flowers. This would be a great time for storytelling.

~Storytelling is meant to encourage the mother (keep the horror stories to yourself please). You can have the other woman tell their own birthing stories, maybe say how they know the mama-to-be, or maybe even tell inspirational stories of motherhood. You can even invite the guests to read encouraging poetry.

~Smudging is taken from the Navajo tradition of the Blessingway. It is meant to cleanse and purify the home. A bundle of dried sage is lite, then the flame is blown out, and the sage is allowed to slowly burn down.

~Create a belly cast or paint the mama-to-be’s belly with henna or body paints.

~Lighting candles. You can have each woman bring a candle from home and light it at the beginning of the Mother Blessing. You can also incorporate candle making into one of your activities. These candles are to be taken home by each woman present and lit when she hears the mama is in labor.

~Making “help” lists isn’t part of the traditional ceremony, however a great idea. Have the guests commit to bringing a meal over after the baby is born. Also, create a list to help with housework. As any new mommy can tell you, this is the best gift of all

~Meditation stones. Have each woman paint or write a wish for the mama while she is in labor. Place all the dried stones in a basket and she has a great focal point for labor.

~Wrist Binding is probably the best way to end a Mother Blessing. Use a ball of wool, hemp, or cotton. Have all the woman stand in a tight circle and wrap the string around each woman’s wrist. After the string has been passed you can use this time to say a prayer for the mama-to-be, recite poetry, or just be reminded how we are all united. Then have each woman cut their string and tie it around their wrist. It is meant to be a reminder until the mama-to-be has given birth.