peekie wu!

This Thanksgiving, I was thankful for the gift of free will.  I decided, after much deliberation, to stop pumping and breastfeeding.  With my impending move, I've already experienced so much stress and exhaustion, and having to pump all the time wasn't helping.  People who love me have already been suggesting I stop for a while now, just for my own sake.  I actually don't mind breastfeeding because of that sweet bond it creates between mom and baby.  But, pumping is another beast altogether.  Being stuck to a location that has an outlet for power, and refrigeration to preserve the milk, at regular intervals, definitely felt like a ball and chain.  The transition is tough for Ethan because he's grown an attachment and familiarity with breastfeeding.  Our next steps with him are to attempt to reduce the amount of milk he's taking in a day, as well as finding another means of coaxing him to sleep.  We'll find a way, one day at a time. But oooo...

Been wrapped up in preparing to sell our house lately, so it's been a bit crazy.  But, I thought I'd share this from one of my favorite blogs as of late: " At church on Sunday her teacher talked with the kids about how they are all created with different talents and gifts. She’s been asking me about her gifts and talents ever since. I told her our gifts and talents are often the things we do that make us really happy. She declared she is talented at sewing, crafting and spray painting. I smiled and confidently agreed. " - Ashley from her blog It really struck a chord with me because I'd always wondered about what gifts or talents I have.  I remember it's always something they ask you to fill out in fun questionnaires as a kid.  It would eventually morph into a question about what major I would want to pursue in college.  I assumed the answer to that question would be whatever I'm good at.  But, I like Ashley's description better.  They're the...

Raising a baby is difficult.  It's hands-down, the most difficult job I've ever signed up for.  But, with one smile, giggle, or snuggle, and my heart has melted into those little baby hands.  Lately, I've often looked at him and wondered, how did you grow up so fast?  Why are your baby rolls slowly disappearing?  How do you have my eyes?  Being a mom is weird.  It's like you see yourself in a little human that you've created and raised.  At the same time, he's completely his own human with his own little feelings and thoughts.  Ethan is constantly on the move these days, ready to explore the world.  So, last night, as I was rocking him to sleep for the night, I held him close to me, smelled his babyness, and kissed his cheek; Relishing that moment of him just being a baby for however long he'll let me. a blurry, grainy, but perfect shot from this past Sunday

I recently made some purchases from Target, and am in love with the softness of the fabric!  They seriously feel like those expensive cotton tops from brands like Splendid but at a fraction of the price.  Target's also running a promotion on clothing items right now that marks the prices down even more.  I thought I'd share it since they're only available online, and it's difficult to really know what you're buying online even if you've read what its made of.  I got these PJs: http://www.target.com/p/women-s-fluid-knit-tap-pj-set/-/A-15584522 The top fits so well, so I'm pretty tempted to wear it out as a normal tank top as well.  The bottom is super short, so it's definitely only sleepwear appropriate or for bummin around the house. Btw, if you aren't using ebates to shop online, you totally need to.  Since I've started using it, I've already cashed in $180 in cash back rewards with minimal effort on my behalf.  It's basically ...

I recently discovered some new apps that I've been really enjoying: Suru, Seven, and Timehop Screenshot with app icons at top First up: Suru (99 cents on itunes) I've been looking for a new note-taking app lately to up my organizational game.  In searching online for popular apps, none of them seemed to have the most important feature to me: nesting notes.  The ability to nest notes was really important because I needed to be able to keep track of a wide expanse of things without having to scroll through pages and pages of notes to visually find what I was looking for.  Specifically, I needed this to keep track of my goals in life.  I really wanted to get back on the horse of keeping track of my goals because I've let go of any sort of discipline ever since Ethan was born.  I gave myself plenty of time and space to just explore what it's like to be a new mom, but now, I'm ready to get back on track.  I really liked how Suru lets me organize my...

I came across this on Instagram a week or so ago, and it really struck a chord: pinterest source They're all things I believe in, and have been consciously aware of at one point or another, but it's a great reminder for my daily life. Speak with integrity: My number one pet peeve in life is fakeness.  Fakeness, manipulation, and putting on a front are all things I really detest.  So, this first one is really the very core of my beliefs.  I've always said, that if I were to live in the  Divergent world, I'd definitely belong to the Candor faction (and Lucas to Amity).  But, the other notes that go along with this aren't things I've always focused on.  I could definitely work on using the power of my word for love, in other words, not speaking against myself or gossiping about others. Not taking it personally: Yea, my brain knows to do this, but my heart has a hard time cooperating.  Whether it's work or my personal life, I need to remember ...

Breastfeeding?  Yes, obviously, these days.  It's pretty much the norm now, and it's nice to hear that there are actual laws allowing it to happen in public.  Now, I'm not going to be flashing the whole world because I can, but that's also my personal preference.  Back when we were babies, formula was actually advertised as better than breastmilk, so I was raised on formula.  Whenever I see people preparing formula for their babies, I'm a little envious of how convenient it is.  At the same time, I can appreciate how convenient it is to always have milk "on hand" with little to no prep involved.  With Ethan in daycare, I am also well aware of how nice it is to not have to wash bottles since we do during the week.  I take breastfeeding pretty seriously because it will be my baby's main food source for at least the first year of his life.  Because of this, breastfeeding is a huge commitment physically and time-wise.  I avoid se...