The Meal Time Mess

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Huggies®.

Starting Parker on solids was a fight from the beginning.  It wasn't that she wasn't interested in food, she just wanted to control the food that was going into her mouth.  I'm grateful I heard of baby led weaning shortly after starting her on solids.  No more fighting over the spoon; plus I could eat my own meal at the same time.

The only disadvantage (in my opinion) of eating this way is the mess.  Parker is almost 9 months old so I just bumped up her solids from 2 times a day to 3.  Which means 3 times a day I'm cleaning her, her chair, the table, the floor (and often her diaper).  

I have to admit, she has gotten a lot better at her aim.  When she started solids at around 6 months, she rarely actually got any of it in her mouth.  A couple of months of practice and her hand eye coordination is very much improved--most of the mess ends up on her now.  

Clean up has gotten a lot easier now that I keep Huggies Natural Care® Wipes on the kitchen counter.  The new designer tubs looks so much nicer than just a typical tub of wipes.  There were quite a few designs to choose from, so you can pick out a pattern that fits in with your own household. 

The clean up routine is now pretty simple...with two wipes I clean up Parker's face, hands, tray, and I'm able to wipe up whatever she's thrown on the table.  And of course, I'm using Huggies wipes to clean up the mess in her diaper afterwards.  I thought I'd spare everyone a post on that kinda mess!

I think it will be awhile before she figures out how to clean herself up, but hey, gotta try and teach them early right?  

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Huggies®.

First Time Sickies

I feel like for a first time mom I'm fairly laid back when it comes to my baby.  I thought I would be freaked out and worried all the time, but surprisingly, I think I'm doing a decent job at being relaxed. 

Last Sunday challenged me.  Parker had an allergic reaction to egg whites.  When I noticed a rash start to form around her mouth I immediately took the scrambled egg off her high chair and cleaned up her hands and face.  She had probably eaten about half of the egg.  The rash went away in just a few minutes so I didn't get too concerned. 

I gave her a quick bath and put her to bed and went in about an hour later to check on her and saw she had vomited all over her crib.  It was a lot, and she was covered in it.  I was concerned that she hadn't cried at all, so Andy suggested we wake her, give her another bath and see if she interacted normally with us. 

She seemed to be just fine so I put her back to bed with some new sheets.  I went in again an hour later and she had thrown up again.  Parker has only had one minor cold, so vomit was making me anxious and worried.  I called the on call nurse and she said to just monitor her through the night. 

She woke up the next morning her usual, cheerful self, and I woke up relieved. 

There is nothing like a sick child to drive a person into panic.  How do you handle your kids being sick? 

And We Marched

This weekend was the March of Dimes March for Babies walk.  I teamed up with a group of fabulous local bloggers and together we raised over $6500!  I want to thank those of you who contributed to help me reach my personal fundraising goal of $500.  This is such an awesome organization for your money to be going too.

Ergo provided these gorgeous purple carriers for all the bloggers to wear...Parker loves her ergo, she slept the entire 3.9 miles!

Ergo also provided mini carriers for these little munchkins to wear during the walk....is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen?

The blog world is so amazing...There were only a couple of ladies in the group that I had actually met in real life before the event.  Many of us, total strangers, were able to come together for a worthy cause and really make a financial impact.  Just one of the many, many reasons I love blogging so much.

Can't wait to do it again next year!

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How I'll Get Into Shape

It's begun.  The official 'chase your child everywhere' stage has begun.  I cannot believe how fast she crawls, and how she manages to get into everything she's not supposed to.  What is it about electrical outlets, cell phones and remotes that babies love so much?  She could be surrounded by a dozen flashing, blinking, noise making toys and all she wants is my phone. 

It seems like overnight this baby of mine became not a baby.  Oh my heart.

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The Great Gatsby Premier

Last week I got together with some ladies to attend the premier of The Great Gatsby. It was on my friend Lindsay's '30 before 30' list to go to a midnight showing of a movie. She organized the event and suggested we all get dolled up in 1920's fashion for fun.

 I don't own any drop waist dresses, so I made do with what I have...I think my hair looks more 1970's than 1920's...but this is what you get when you have 15 minutes to get ready.  I haven't worn color on my lips since high school...I stick with mostly chapstick or clear gloss, so it felt strange to wear such bold lips, but I kinda liked it!

We met for dinner at a local restaurant--don't these ladies look amazing?

I read the Great Gatsby in high school, and I didn't recall the slightest bit about the story line.  Lindsy read the book right before the movie and she said the movie followed the book amazingly well.  The movie was awesome--the ending was pretty depressing, but it stayed true to the book. 

What have you seen at the movies lately?

 

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When You Don't Really Know Your Mother

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It just kinda hit me that I will forever hold the title mom.  It's a hefty title to hold.  I'm curious how my relationship with my daughter will unfold and wonder how she will view me when she is a young woman. 

Mother daughter relationships are complex and complicated. I don't really know my mother.  I know that sounds strange.  I love her and I know without a doubt she loves me, but there is a communication barrier that separates us.  My mother speaks poor English, and I don't speak Korean.  Our conversation has always been very basic and superficial. 

I didn't realize that I didn't really have a relationship with my mom until I went off to college.  My roommate at the time spoke with her  mom on the phone every day.  And I noticed most of the girls I went to college with spoke with their mothers often too.  Since I left home at 18 I probably spoke with my mother on the phone 4-5 times a year.  There just isn't really much to talk about when you don't speak each other's language. 

It's a bit strange...I don't really know much about my mom's life.  I know she grew up very, very poor, was only educated through fourth grade, and lost her mother at a very young age to suicide.  Her circumstances created a very fierce, strong willed, opinionated woman packed into a 4 foot eleven inch, 100 pound frame.  I know she did the very best she knew how to love me and raise me. I am her only child and I know the second I was born, her life became about mine.  I'm positive 99% of the worry in her head is about my well being. 

I'm not angry, or hurt, or bitter.  I love my mom dearly; I only wish we knew each other better, especially as she ages.  She has had health issues most of her life, but lately has been going through some health things that really make me wish we lived closer to each other. 

 

Although it was my very first Mothers Day, I couldn't help but think about her.  Our relationship isn't typical, but it is what it is and I'm thankful to still have her in my life. 

 

Are you and your mom close?

 



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The Nursery (Again) + A Giveaway!

We lived in a different house when Parker was born...so for a few short months she got used to being in the loft space above our bedroom.  Then of course we bought our current home and decided which room would be Parker's.  It was the first room we prepped; Andy painstakingly painted all the brown shiplap pink, and also painted pink stripes on the walls.  Unfortunately the room we chose for her shares a wall with one of the foreign exchange students we host.  We didn't want the poor girl to lose sleep if Parker was having a bad night, so after a few weeks we moved Parker's room downstairs across from our room--the tiny room that we were going to use as an office space. 

We thought it was going to be pretty temporary because we naively believed she would continue to sleep through the night. Haha, the joke was on us.  

(I bought a pink blackout panel from Target to block the massive amount of light that pours through this door in the mornings).

I still want to paint the walls a neutral color because we do eventually want to use this room as an office someday, and i want to put Parker back upstairs in her original room which has a closet. I just bought a cheapo metal frame (which you can see in the second picture) to hang some of her outfits for now.

Although the room and space is not ideal, it works for now.  What  helps me be content with the space are the little pieces that have helped make the room come together.  I made a few of the pieces while I was "nesting."  Including the bunting above her bed and he dog painting in the top photo.

This DIY paper bird painting was the very first thing I made for Parker's nursery. 

I love the little pieces like the owls, alarm clock and globe I found thrifting.   

One of my favorite new additions is this beautiful framed custom birth piece made by Etsy shop Baby in the Rain.  Isn't it darling?  I love how it has all of Parker's stats and that I was able to choose the colors to match perfectly with her nursery.  And one lucky reader will win their own!  Winner will be announced next Wednesday.

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