2 years

It has been 2 years since this little boy made me a momma!  2 of the happiest years of my life!  Every day Kenny continues to amaze me!  His little personality is really starting to shine.  He is funny and kid.  He is caring.  He is an amazing big brother.  He handled that change so well.  He worries about her and cares for Loralei more than I imagined a 2 year old could.


 7:31a. That is when Kenny took his first breaths and changed my world completely!



Some of his accomplishments in the last year:
He is talking more and more.  There is still a slight delay so we will be having him reevaluated sometime this summer.  He qualified for speech through Children's but when he was evaluated by First Steps in April he did not qualify and they did not recommend speech. 

Kenny had surgery on his tear ducts at 14 months.  He was such a trooper and handled the whole thing much better than I did!














He still loves to swim and is starting his second year of swim lessons.  Kenny will swim all over the pool by himself with his life jacket on!  The kid is a regular fish.

Kenny will be starting soccer shots next week.  I am really excited to see how he will interact with the other children.

Kenny loves to be outside.  He is working on his fear of the big slides.  He isn't a fan of swings right now but will climb steps and climbers all day long.  He likes to go for walks at St. Ferdinand park and really likes to feed the ducks and geese.

He has become best buddies with PawPaw.  They are like 2 peas in a pod.  Kenny has even started hiking up his pants and waddling around like Donnie.  Kenny really didn't like seeing him all laid up after knee surgery. 
Kenny has always been Grandma's boy and loves cuddles with her.  She sings him ABC's and play bumblebee bzzzzz with him!
Kenny has also been able to spend a lot more time with Grandpa.  He likes the funny noises and faces grandpa makes with his mouth!

This boy has brought so much joy into our lives and I cannot wait to see what this next year brings!

Mommy, Daddy, and Loralei love you so much big boy!!!

Mommyhood =/= sisterhood

It always amazes me how judgmental other moms are.  I am not talking about making suggestions on products or sharing the latest studies.  I am talking about judging, as in " you didn't start solids until 6 months!" or "Why didn't you cloth diaper" to " I can't believe you are breastfeeding in public!"  "You breastfed for how long?!?"  I always thought strangers would be the ones to make those comments, but that isn't always the case.  Here is a news flash....

Mom's know their kids best!  Mom's also know their own abilities best. 


Cloth diapering was something I looked in to. Then I remembered my horrible gag reflex.  Not going to work in this house. 

I exclusively breastfeed until 6 months.  I have done my research and it is what I felt was best for my babies!  You say you started at 4 months, or 3 months, or 8 months?  Then that must have been what was best for your baby.

I breastfed Kenny until he was almost 18 months old.  I breastfed through my entire pregnancy!  I would be tandem breastfeeding right now but Kenny self weaned about 3 weeks before Loralei was born.  My goal was 2 years or until he self weaned.  We met that goal.  Again, it is what I thought was best for my child.  You breastfed for a week, month, 6 months, year?  Great!  You formula fed?  Great.  It must have been what worked best for your family.  This was probably the thing I received the most criticism from.  Family, friends, coworkers, strangers, you name it!  The US is one of a few countries that doesn't extend breastfeed.  Just a little info.

I made my own baby food.  It was usually cheaper.  But if there was an awesome sale on the jar stuff, I bought it!   Again, it is what worked best!

Now, that is not to say that advice isn't appreciated it.  I know that I am guilty of advice, even unsolicited advice.  Sometimes it is because I am really excited about a product or discovery I made.  Sometimes it just comes out.  I also think that advice and suggestions done out of love and respect for the other mom are completely different than judging that mom. I also know that we are all guilt of judgment of others.  I know I judge when I see inappropriate parenting.  Letting your kid curse and use racial slurs ?  Yeah, I judge that.  If your kid is a bully and you aren't doing anything about it?  I will judge that as well.  Letting your kid eat a piece of cake for breakfast?  That doesn't deserve my judgement, mainly because I have done it as well.  Jar food over home made? Both are nutritious! 

Let's all try to support other moms (and dads!) instead of judging them!  We are all just trying to do the best we can! 

Now on to some cute pictures of Loralei's first food  (Gasp!  She is already 6 months old!)