Wrapping

I love it so much!

Cotton, hemp, wool, silk…I don’t think I have a favorite blend.

There are so many brands to try and each have their pros and cons.

I can’t even choose a favorite even if I were forced to!

What I like best is that I don’t have to choose.

Didymos, Tekhni, Pavo, Cari Slings….I could list brands I enjoy all day.

Each wrap that I’ve used means something different to me.

Each wrap has its own story.

Each wrap has its place in my heart.

I’m nowhere near done wrapping yet.

I’ve got so many more wraps to try before my wrapping days are done.

Maxine and I are growing closer and closer everyday thanks to wrapping.

I can’t wait to show her how to wrap her own babies in the future.

You are Amazing

Recently, I have seen so many fellow mothers put themselves down, put down their partners, and just whine about EVERYTHING. I’ll admit, I’ve had my days where I felt less than human and only wanted to stay in bed all day. Most people have those days. But seriously, is your life really that bad?

You feel like a bad mother because your kid won’t sleep.
You feel like a bad mother because you aren’t breastfeeding.
You feel like a bad mother because your baby doesn’t want to be put down.
You feel like a bad mother because someone else said that your kid is “behind.”

YOU ARE A GREAT MOTHER. Being mom is not a competition. Sure, you feel like you could be doing better, but who hasn’t felt this way? Everyone has their own way of parenting. There is no right or wrong way to parent. As long as you are giving your child all the love she needs, who cares what other’s think? I know I don’t! I breastfeed, I babywear, and I do things my OWN way. People tell me how envious they are of me. Don’t envy me! I have my own problems too. I’m not perfect! I am absolutely willing to answer questions and help people in any way I can. If people criticize you because you aren’t doing what THEY think you should be doing, ignore them. If ignoring it is hard, fake it ’til you make it. Don’t respond to their criticisms.  Wait a bit before you respond. Be rational and don’t fly off at the rails. You are an amazing mom. If you don’t believe it, just look at your kid…I bet they KNOW your are the best.

Your partner did something you didn’t like.
Your partner won’t talk or listen to you.
Your partner doesn’t make enough time for the baby.
Your partner is acting strange since the baby has arrived.

YOUR PARTNER IS TRYING THEIR BEST. This is tough. I get it. Your partner isn’t a mind reader. Your partner may be working all the time and who can blame them for wanting to relax when they get home? Even if it is just texting when you can’t talk face to face, start a dialogue. When they get home, you can continue the conversation. If you don’t put in the effort, they won’t. If you try, they will try. If you put your foot down, of COURSE they will make time for conversation with you. Just don’t be an asshole about it. Seriously. I know some of you are saying, “but I’m nice about it! What does this girl know?” You may not think that you are being mean but sometimes it may come off as a little rude. You’re tired. You’ve been home all day with the baby or even babIES. Check the tone. If your partner does something you don’t like, tell them…nicely. If need be, gently remind them. Leave a note. It can’t hurt. Your partner may have limited weekday time with the kids and make up for it on the weekends. You can’t fault them for not having enough hours in the day for everything. In my home, my husband works a lot. Sometimes he is just home for bedtime. They have their own bedtime routine. That little bit of time is him making time for the baby. Something like that may work for you. If you feel your partner is acting strange since a new member of the family came along, are you sure that they just don’t feel replaced? All of your love is now funneled into this new life and you are blinded to everything! Your partner might not really be acting so strange. :)

Something didn’t go your way.
Someone looked at you wrong.
Your stack of papers fell
The dinner didn’t come out how you expected.

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. Every once in a while, things go awry. That is expected. Even with me…my life is far from perfect. Whining about every single little thing will not fix it! Venting can be great. I mean hey, that’s part of the reason why I have this blog. But if you are whining about everything to the point that people don’t want to be around you, reevaluate things in your life. Are you so focused on the bad that you are missing out on the good things around you? Even the little things? I tried a “No Whining Wednesday” in some forums that I participate in to see how it would go. FAIL. A few people discussed good things that happened but overall the tone was negative. I might try it again next week. I think that finding the good things makes you feel better. Emotions are contagious…spread happiness people!!

When things seem hopeless and everything seems like it is spiraling out of control, look down at your baby and know that YOU ARE AMAZING.

There’s Always Someone…

Since I’ve given birth, my life has revolved around being a mom. I’m with my child almost every second of every day. My days consist of breastfeeding, babywearing, and doing homework. That’s it. It’s all I think about. It makes sense that the things I share on various social media websites will reflect my life, right?

I post about breastfeeding.
I post about babywearing.
I post about attachment parenting.
I post about school.
I post about everything I believe in.
I post about everything I don’t believe in.
I post about my entire life!

Yesterday was no different. I shared the status of one of the moms that I admire very much. It was great information so of course I shared it!

I love that! Breast milk is amazing! The post got a few likes, but then I got an odd and unnecessary comment that had nothing to do with the post.

To be honest, the comment angered me. I constantly see things I don’t want to see on facebook. I simply hide the posts or just disregard them. I don’t go to the posts and say, “Well you know, you post too much about this. Stop it.” The post had nothing to do with breastfeeding in public. The only hatred I have received in MONTHS is that comment right there. Of course I thought about it and I gave the person a simple and polite response.

After this, many of my incredible friends expressed their support for me and explained to the person how easy it was to hide updates that they didn’t want to see. They also expressed how much they appreciated my posts on breastfeeding because they learn so much. The person said a few other things, but then said something that threw me off.

Why would anyone go to an acquaintance to complain about me rather than speaking to my husband or myself first? It makes absolutely zero sense. No one tried to make the person out to be a villain, but people did tell said person how they felt about them making an unnecessary comment on an unrelated post.

Luckily the person deleted me after I asked the person why anyone would go to them about me. It’s possible that the person was just trying to justify their rude comment. I am happy that the person is off of my Facebook friends list. I am also absolutely elated to know  that I have so many friends that do appreciate my posts and care about the many different aspects of my life.

I don’t plan on changing my posting habits. If there is a problem, I extend the same invitation to you as I did the person in this post; just unfollow me. My Facebook and Instagram both reflect my life perfectly.

♡♡♡

Balancing Life

Last semester, I gave birth to Maxine. I had two classes; both were online. I did my midterms online with her sleeping on my chest. I had her sleeping beside me as I took my finals. I also kept a B average.

So far this semester, I have an A in all three of my classes. Two classes are on campus and one is online. This week is spring break and I finally have a chance to slow down and just breathe.

The number one question that I am asked is “How do you do it?”

I am a 26 year old college student balancing family and school. Luckily I have a large support system. My husband is there to keep encouraging me. When I’m in class early mornings and at night, he’s at home bonding with Maxine. He is an extremely hard worker and I appreciate that he was able to slightly adjust his exhausting work schedule so that I can attend school. My parents are a great help as well. They are always there for us and if I want an uninterrupted nap, I know I can always head over to their house. Any time that I feel overwhelmed, or just need help with school work, I can always call my sister. She is wonderful! I can honestly say that if it were not for the incredible support system that I have, I would not be doing so well at school.

I also have a schedule for everyday. Organization is key! If you do everything spur of the moment, it’s hard to get everything done. Friday is my free day. I wind down and do zero schoolwork on Fridays. My online assignments are due on Thursday, so I try to have them done by Wednesday evening. Saturday and Sunday I do all of my English reading and homework. I have math on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and I complete any homework from that class once I get home. While I’m doing homework Maxine is normally wrapped on my back or in the ergo on my back fast asleep. Babywearing is the reason my homework gets done! Maxine gets cuddles and I have my hands free.

I get adequate rest breaks so I don’t get overwhelmed. I set break times for myself and Maxine gives me breaks too because I have to nurse her.

My life is exhausting and I love every single second of it! I’m am so happy that it is spring break and I’m spending all of my extra time this week with my family.

Next week I will be back to my hectic life. Midterms are next week! Maybe this spring break will have a little studying involved…