Spring Colors in Winter

Spring flower against a snowy background...



Snowy light through a sun catcher...

Small colors of Spring, hope in the dreary winter.

You Capture: Colors.

Spring Colors in Winter

Don't Like It? Stop Staring...

There have been some very interesting blog posts lately about breastfeeding in public.

It all started when one blogger, a woman, asked why breastfeeding mothers can't cover up and be discreet while breastfeeding in public.

I've breastfed in public anywhere and everywhere. In church. On a dance floor, while dancing. On a Ferris Wheel. In the grocery store. At fairs, at concerts, malls, people's homes, field trips, at the side of the road.....anywhere that my baby happened to be hungry while I was out.

I do not use blankets or covers. I do not isolate myself in a dark corner, or in the bathroom. And yet, out of the hundreds of times that I've nursed my babies in public, I can only recall two instances where the people around me even knew what I was doing...98% of the time, everyone assumes the baby is sleeping in my arms.

In fact, when my oldest was 13 months old, I had one friend ask me if I had weaned her or not while my daughter was nursing at my breast. When I pointed out that I was nursing her at that very moment, my friend was very surprised, as she thought my daughter was just cuddling with me.

I've never received a negative comment. But somehow, there is still this perception in our culture that moms who breastfeed in public are "whipping it out" for all to see, and need to be covered up.

Afraid that your husband will see another woman's breast? Fine, tell him not to stare. And then make sure he never reads magazines, watches TV, goes to the mall, or goes to the beach. Because between all the Victoria Secret ads and billboards and skimpy bathing suits at the beach, he is bound to see some breast, and oh no we can't let that happen!

Do you have a young child and are afraid of him or

her seeing a breast? Stop right there, because this is part of the problem. Because if young children are taught about breastfeeding and see it in their childhood, then they won't grow up into adults who believe babies should eat under blankets. If you are worried it might be awkward if your child starts asking questions, please don't. I've breastfed at many a play date and park and the following conversation usually occurs:

Child: "What are you doing?"

Me: "I'm feeding my baby."

Child: "oh" and then bounds off to play.

Why is this even a big deal in the first place? A mother feeding her baby....so what?

For more on this topic, visit Adventures in Babywearing and PHDinParenting.

Don't Like It? Stop Staring...

Put Together, Piece By Piece

Two children....
Born to the same two parents...
Raised in the same exact household...

With the exact same principles...

....amazingly turn out different from each other in so many ways.

Their different personalities create a nice balance in the house...like a giant puzzle that looks impossible to complete, but then you discover that the pieces fit so perfectly together to create a beautiful picture.

Not a perfect picture, but beautiful nonetheless.

I can't wait to see what the baby adds to the mix.

Put Together, Piece By Piece

My Needles Are On Fire....

....from all the knitting I've been doing.

I finished up the gift set that I was working on for a dear friend who is pregnant. I knit up some cute baby booties to match the beanie hat I knitted, then knit up a matching kitty cat, too.

I then got to work on knitting the same set for my belly bean. So far I have the beanie hat finished:

Since we won't know until after the birth whether this baby is a boy or a girl, I'm trying to make the hat and booties look gender neutral without using the pastel green and yellow colors, which I don't particularly like. Although this sage green yarn is more "boyish", I think making the bulk of the hat a soft ecru makes it more gender neutral.

More information can be found on my ravelry page..

Knitting has become part of my daily rhythm that I enjoy and look forward to. After the girls are in bed, I make myself a cup of tea, sit down on the couch with my knitting bag and catch up on my favorite shows.

Usually the baby moves a lot at night, so as I am knitting baby things I get to enjoy feeling the baby kick, kick, kick inside me. It is so relaxing and blissful.

I hold the soft yarn in my hands, and imagine it against the baby's skin....16 more weeks to go.

My Needles Are On Fire....

Babies, Babies, Everywhere!

I feel like everywhere I look, there are newborn babies about.

Every time I see one I just want to pick them up, breathe in the baby scent, and kiss their little cheeks.

I'm 24 weeks today, and I am so excited for May to get here so I can finally hold my little one.

And breath in that baby scent...kiss those chubby cheeks...

So hard to believe that in about 16 short weeks, I will be sitting here at my laptop, typing one handed, and brushing the crumbs from my breakfast out of my little nursling's hair.

And feeling my baby's heartbeat under my hand, oh so strong....

I can't wait to meet you, little one, and finally hold you in my arms. We love you so much.

Babies, Babies, Everywhere!

Sweet Dreams Are Made Here

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes For Mom.

Sweet Dreams Are Made Here

My Heart Weeps For Them

This morning at about 5 AM I woke up to a sick little girl.

I hate it when my little ones are sick. It makes them seem to much smaller and helpless.

Have you ever seen such a sweet, helpless cutie?

Today I am happy to throw my To Do list out the window and nurture my little one.

My heart breaks for her, and it is a simple stomach bug. How my heart would break if she were sick in the hospital...or one of the many children right now in Haiti, without food and water and not knowing if they are going to survive.

My heart weeps for them all.

My Heart Weeps For Them