1, 2, 3, 4 MONTHS!

Another month older! Some more milestones met - and I keep thinking to myself

 

"This time is flying by too quick!"

The last month has been hard. I have been feeling overwhelmed, angry, sad, happy, and back to sad again all within a short period of time. I do believe I have some PPD (This will be discussed in a different post) I battled depression in my teens, was on medication for it, but crawled out of that black hole when I met Chris.

It took me almost the entire month to come to terms with it - and I will be seeking help.

So, Graham is now FOUR months old! It's mind boggling as to how fast the time is going. Soon we will be starting solids! (not till 6 months though)

Sleep Habits:

We are still bed sharing. He is NOT sleeping through the night, which is ok - he's a big boy and needs to nurse. Bed sharing makes it better for the both of us as I can sleep and he can eat whenever he wants. Bed time is getting a lot better as well. Around 7:00 ish we go and lay down - nurse till about 8:00 and he is soundly asleep by that time. I get about 2 hours to myself or with Chris. He wakes up around 10 - 10:30 for a change and nurse. Then he's out till about 3:00am. He usually is awake around 6:30am, as is James so we start our day around 7:15am

NAPS ARE NON EXISTENT until a few days ago. My friend came over and rocked him to sleep and he actually slept in his crib for an HOUR. PROGRESS! The only thing is - he likes to nap on his tummy. I don't mind as he can roll over with ease.

Clothing:

He is officially NOT wearing 3-6 months clothes. Those were put away a long time ago. Most of his 6 month clothing is getting snug as well so we are into the 9 month clothes and most sleepers are 12 months. Graham is very long. I have to go out and get some new clothes for him as James was a lot smaller than Graham so the seasons are off. I'm ok with that! Carter's HERE I COME!

Milestones:

Graham can now roll over from back to belly with no issues - and back again! He has amazing neck control and prefers to be on his tummy now. James and him enjoy playing on the floor with their toys. It's such a great sight!

Sucking his toe - I did this as an infant as well. It's pretty funny. We will be sitting at the dinner table and Graham is going hard on his big toe - we will be nursing in bed and he tries to do both at the same time. He gets mad when he is in a sleeper. Stubborn little one!

Grasping toys! I was waiting for this stage! Everything is going into the mouth and he is starting to enjoy grabbing toys and waving them around.

Cooing - His babble is SO cute! I totally forgot how cute baby babble is. I love hearing he talk to himself.

Graham is flourishing. Hitting milestones early and getting a tooth! He is such a great kid. We can now go out for a walk without him freaking out in the Ergo or in the stroller. What a difference a month makes!

On to the next month big boy!

xoxo

Omaiki OSleep Fitted Diaper {Review}

I have a confession... we have been using disposable diaper for nighttime use. YES! SPOSIES! I hate, and I mean HATE buying disposable diapers, but Graham has leaked through EVERYTHING! We have tried prefolds and a cover with a doubler. A double stuffed pocket and even my GoodMama fitteds. Then I remembered we had a couple of Omaiki Ö Sleep Diapers.

SUCCESS! At first I thought they were going to be too big, but they fit great!

I did a review on them some time ago - Go here to see that review.

I finally bit the bullet and just went for it. We put Graham in his Ö Sleep diaper, with an AppleCheeks Bamboo insert and a Bummis Fleece Liner PLUS his Omaiki cover for the first time a few days ago and he went all night without needing a change. He never leaked and did NOT wake up with any sort of rash.

The fit is awesome. I was worried that it would be too big as they only off a 2 rise setting. He is on the smallest - but as you can see the fit is great. There are no gaps at the leg openings and I get a nice snug fit at the belly.

A little bulky, but he never complained and the fit is great!

We have two of these - I wish I had a few more so I wasn't having to do two nights of cloth then a night of sposies, but still I get two nights with no leaks and he is in cloth all day!

Check out Omaiki on Facebook or their Website. They just came out with some new Prints and they are CUTE!

New and Improved Glow Bug Cloth Diaper {Review}

A little back story:

Back in 2011, I was given the opportunity to review GlowBug Cloth diapers. I had heard some wonderful things about them and was very excited to review them. Let me tell you, I wasn't let down. See here for my first review.

In September of last year Formula Mom was running a huge giveaway on her blog - her Grand Prize was a full stash of GlowBug cloth diapers (which I didn't know till I checked!). Now, I never thought in a MILLION years I would win as there was over 18,000 entries - but I got an email saying I had won. I was so surprised and at first thought - "Oh cool, I won a new diaper! I love these ones" - then I went back to double check what the prize was.

I read Formula Moms Blog but for whatever reason it didn't register in my head that it was a FULL 24 Diapers! I was elated! I was gearing up to donate my older diapers so this was perfect as I knew the GlowBugs can fit a newborn!

I was even more excited when I found out it was the NEW design with all the new prints! They are SO cute!

Anyways, on to the review!

There were some changes to the original GlowBug diaper - changes that make this diaper even better in my opinion!

Firstly - they have added a hip snap! Now to some this isn't a big deal - but for me I hate wing droop. So does Chris come to think about it. So this is a great new feature.

Left is the new GlowBug diaper - on the right is the older style

The fit on Graham is great! Has been since I received my diapers. He is now on the second smallest rise setting (we will be moving up soon enough) and the diaper is fully snapped across the waist. He is very comfortable wearing them. No issues there. We have a LONG time to wear these bad boys. if I am correct James still fit in these at 35+ lbs.

I really like how trim they are for a pocket diaper. Especially since this is a one size diaper. While he does has a fluffy bum it's not as fluffy as some of our other one sized diapers.

They still have the gussets which have saved us MANY times from poop explosions. We have had a few leaks here and there, but Graham is a super soaker, so at nap time I MUST remember to double stuff. That brings me to the next great feature.

The new inserts are slightly smaller than the other ones, which is great for when you are using the diapers on a smaller rise setting. Also, they feature a female snap - so you snap the male snap into it for double stuffing. Keeps everything nice and neat. No bunching or anything!

 

 

GlowBug also came out with 24 new prints! 12 Girly Prints and 12 Boy Prints. I obviously decided to take 2 sets of the boys prints. Some of them are super cute. There is even a Pip Wrench print (Handy Man) which is Chris' favorite. Personally I love Surf. I love the color combos. The girl set is SUPER pretty and if Graham was a little girl I would of so taken one of each.

 

 

Each set of 12 came in it's own wet bag - It's big enough to fit all 12 diapers and inserts. *Sorry both were in the wash at the time*

 

We really love our GlowBug cloth diapers and the new features make us love them even more! Be sure to connect with GlowBug Cloth diapers - they always have a great deal or a giveaway!

 

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Wordless Wednesday - A New Thing

Holding on...

I wasn't to sure if I really wanted to share this, but I thought - What the hell... it will feel good to get it off my chest.

Last week I confessed to Chris that I have been feeling very overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with everyday life. I do believe I have a mild case of Postpartum Depression and will be seeking advice/help from my doctor. I never experienced PPD with James. I had ONE day of crying, and then life went on. With Graham - there has been many days that I have broken down and just cried.

I never thought going from one child to two would be this difficult. Now let me get something straight - I do not feel this way EVERYDAY. There are some days that are just terrible. I go through the routine with the boys. I have a short temper, I yell, and then I cry and feel awful. I love my boys with all my heart. Please understand that. I would never harm them, or anything like that - but some days I feel like I cannot do this. I feel, that I am failing as a mother and in turn - I feel sad, & depressed.

I battled depression when I was in high school. There were some very dark days - days that I didn't want to be here anymore, but after talking to people who could help, and medication - I crawled out. I met Chris and life got a lot better.

As I said before, I do not feel this way ALL THE TIME. There are days that I wake up and feel happy, and like nothing could bring me down. So I believe this is just a very mild case. But I still need to talk to my doctor.

I feel I need to get this off my chest - talk about it and maybe it will help. I never claimed to be perfect, NOR did I ever imagine being a stay at home mom would be this hard. Some days I feel like going back to work full time would be easier - but then I stop and think about all the time I would miss with my boys.

I'm hoping everyone sticks around through this rough patch. I will posting more as time goes on. If you have any coping suggestions for when times get rough I'd love to hear them. Either leave me a comment or you can email me thegreatmumadventure@gmail.com

Much love
xoxo

Relaxed Weekend

I love relaxing weekends - I remember before James, Chris and I would NEVER be home on the weekends. We were always out and about with friends. Saturday's were usually booked either for a house party or a bar excursion. Wow! How times change!

Now that we have two boys - the bar is a distant memory and a house party is now called a dinner party!

We didn't get up to much this weekend. Friday was a normal Friday for us. I made homemade Taquitos again - They are Chris' favorite right now. Not SUPER difficult to make, but does take some work.

 

Homemade Taquitos:

What you will need:

• 3 Chicken Breasts cut into small cubes
• 1 large Green Pepper chopped
• 1 large Onion chopped
• 1 1/2 cups of frozen Corn
• 2 packages of Taco Seasoning
• Package of Medium sized Tortillas
• Grated Cheese
• 2 cups of Oil
• Toothpicks

In a large skillet, brown the chicken. Add the peppers, onions and corn and saute for 5 minutes. Follow the Taco Seasoning instructions (1 cup of water per packet of seasoning) Cook down till there is little to no fluid left.

Heat another skillet with oil in it. The oil should be at about 375* - you can test it out by cutting a small strip of tortilla to see if it fries.

Take a tortilla, add a small amount of the chicken mixture and some grated cheese and roll TIGHT. Secure the roll with a toothpick.

Place into oil and fry on both sides (about 3 minutes each side)

Take out of oil and drain on paper towel.

Serve with salsa or sour cream.

James' Unkie Keegs stopped by as well! James has a lot of 'Uncles' and he loves each and everyone of them. James and Keegs built a LARGE tower with Jimbo's Lego Duplo. He was so proud of it!

Saturday was another relax kinda day. We had to go to Walmart to get a few things, so we did that. Graham was great in the Ergo - he is starting to really like being in it. THANK GOODNESS!  We ordered Pizza for dinner as I wasn't keen on cooking and just spent the night in.

Yesterday was OSCARS night! I love award show season! We went the Chris' parents for appies and to watch the show. I loved seeing all the dresses and what not. Chris and I got to see quite a few of the best Picture nominees so we were rooting for out favorites. Silver Linings Playbook was one of our favorites as well as Beasts of the Southern Wild. I was SO happy when Anne Hathaway won for best Supporting Actress and also when Jen Lawrence won Best Actress. I will say I was shocked that Argo won Best Picture - it was a good one, but I thought maybe Lincoln would take it. Lincoln was hard to get through. I couldn't finish it!

We didn't get the boys home till well after 9:00 which is late for both of them. But we all had a great time and James even 'slept in' this morning!

Here's to starting the week off on a good note!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

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I love bringing you guys and gals awesome reviews and giveaways! But as a smaller blog, I rely on sites like Top Mommy Blogs to help BOOST my ratings!

 

I can't do that without YOU! Yes - YOU! So if you would be OH SO KIND and click the image below - it will take you directly to Top Mommy Blogs - and it will count as a vote for

The Great Mum Adventure!

Are we really done?

I never thought in a MILLION years we would even consider having more than two children. I know that sounds awful, but Chris and I always said - two - just two. One child per parent. Easy peasy.

Well, now I'm not to sure.

It's crazy I know, but BABY FEVER has already set in - and Graham isn't even 4 month old yet! I have SO many friends - and when I mean so many, I mean - there is like 7 or 8 friends who are expecting this year. Now I'm not saying we are going to be trying anytime soon, as I would be crazy to do that. But we have talked about having maybe ONE more before I am 30 (ps I'll be 26 this year)

After we found out we were expecting Graham, Chis and I said that this is it. Chris would go and get snipped after G's first birthday, but after some soul searching we decided to wait. I feel in my heart that I am not done.

So now we will see what life brings us. I know that we will wait till Graham is AT LEAST 2 years old - and then we will go from there. I want to enjoy my time with my little guy before we add another to our family.

Much love
xoxo

Real Kids Shades Review & {Giveaway}

As a parent, we do everything in our power to keep our children safe. We use car seats to protect them while driving. We slather them up in the summer time with sunscreen to protect them from the suns harsh rays - the list goes on and on. One thing I am totally guilty of, is not making James wear sunglasses. He has his "cool dudes" and does occasionally wear them, but not every time we go outside. Heck I don't wear my sunglasses all the time either.

What I didn't know, was that only 32% of parents actually have their children wear sunglasses and that a study found that 40% of Americans don't know that UV protection is an important thing to consider.

When I was contacted by Real Kids Shades, I quickly jumped on the offer to do a review. I knew that James was an iffy test subject, but knew that I could make Graham wear a pair of sunglasses.

About Real Kids Shades:

Founded in 2002 - their mission was to protect as many children's eyes as possible from harmful UV radiation. When they launched Real Kids Shades, their goal was to offer affordable sunglasses designed for infants and children, that not only looked good, but provided 100% protection from the sun harmful rays.

When I received the boys package of glasses I was shocked to find not one or two pairs of Real Kids Shades, but FOUR! Two pairs for each boy.

Graham received a pair of 0-36 month Xtreme Element in Navy. As well as a pair of 0-24 month My First Shades in Green Frogs.

Xtreme Element: Navy ($19.99)

• 100% UV protection (UVA & UVB) to 400 nanometers clearly indicated on each individual package
• Stay Put Power
• Professional grade polycarbonate frames and lenses
• Shatterproof and Impact Resistant
• Comfortable foam padding
• Wrap style design for a close fit that minimizes peripheral light
• Adjustable neoprene® band that comfortably and securely keeps the glasses in place
• No pointy temple arms or metal hinges
• Waterproof Rustproof
• Includes Microfiber bag which is also a cleaning cloth
• Fun to wear! Our sunglasses come in a variety of fashionable colors. Kids just love to wear them and parents can feel good about putting them on their kids

 

What I love most about these glasses is the foam rim. I feel that for Graham it's super comfortable to wear. And they look so gosh darn cute! The frames are very durable and the neoprene® band keeps the glasses in place - even while in the car seat. PLUS is comes with a super handy microfiber bag!

 

 

My First Shades: Green Frog ($14.99)

• 100% UV protection (UVA & UVB) to 400 nanometers clearly indicated on each individual package
• Stay Put Power
• Professional grade polycarbonate frames and lenses
• Shatterproof and Impact Resistant
• Rx Capable: A vision care professional can fit all styles of MyFirstShades® sunglasses with prescription lenses
• Wrap style design for a close, comfortable fit that minimizes peripheral light
• Adjustable neoprene® band that comfortably and securely keeps the glasses in place
• No pointy temple arms or metal hinges
• Waterproof Rustproof
• Fun to wear! Our sunglasses come in a variety of fashion colors and fun patterns. Kids just love to wear them and parents can feel good about putting them on their kids

Graham's MyFirstShades® glasses are really his first pair of sunglasses - and the print is super cute! Again the frames are very durable, and stay put on his face. The neoprene® is soft and adjusts to fit his rather large head. I like using these on him when we go for walks with the Ergo or when he is in the stroller. *He was VERY tired while I was taking this picture!*

Overall - these are great glasses for him. They fit very well, seem comfortable for him to wear and I have the peace of mind knowing his fragile little eyes are protected!

James also received two pairs of sunglasses. A pair of Flex Black (size 3-7) and also a pair of the Flex Duo Black Red (also 3-7) When I first opened the package James wanted NOTHING to do with the glasses - but I knew if I left a pair out long enough he would take to them. Boy was I right. He loves his 'cool dudes'!

Flex: Black ($14.99)

• 100% UV protection (UVA & UVB) to 400 nanometers clearly indicated on each individual package
• Flexible unbreakable rubber frames
• Professional grade polycarbonate lenses
• Shatterproof and Impact Resistant
• Wrap style design for a close, comfortable fit that minimizes peripheral light
• Removable neoprene® strap
• Waterproof Rustproof
• Fun to wear! Our sunglasses come in a variety of fashion colors and fun patterns. Kids just love to wear them and parents can feel good about putting them on their kids

Right off the bat I knew these glasses were different from his other glasses. James' other glasses were made with hard plastic, that he found uncomfortable. He wouldn't wear them long while in the car and complained about them hurting his ears. The Flex Sunglasses from real Kids Shades are made with flexible unbreakable rubber. I love how they bend - they again like Graham's glasses are VERY durable. The lenses are shatterproof and impact resistant which is a must for us as James tends to be a rough little man! We tried using the neoprene® strap but that quickly was tossed aside!

Flex Duo: Black Red ($14.99)

• 100% UV protection (UVA & UVB) to 400 nanometers clearly indicated on each individual package
• Flexible unbreakable rubber frames
• Professional grade polycarbonate lenses
• Shatterproof and Impact Resistant
• Wrap style design for a close, comfortable fit that minimizes peripheral light
• Removable neoprene® strap
• Waterproof Rustproof
• Fun to wear! Our sunglasses come in a variety of fashion colors and fun patterns. Kids just love to wear them and parents can feel good about putting them on their kids

Like the Flex sunglasses, the Flex Duo glasses are made with the same flexible rubber frames and shatterproof and impact resistant lenses. But these have a two tone effect. James likes these glasses just as much as his Black cool dudes. I keep both pairs on me - just in case he can't make his mind up!

I am SO SO SO pleased with these glasses. Their prices are so affordable, & the selection is amazing! They have some super cute Jackie O-esque glasses for little girls as well! The color selection is great and the BEST part about them is they keep your little ones eyes fully protected. No worries about the UV rays!

Be sure to check out Real Kids Shades - I know your little one will find a pair that he/she loves!

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Our Family Photoshoot! 2013

When James was 6 months old, we met a wonderful woman named Janet! I had met her through a friend - and found out she was a photographer. Well, actually she's more than just a photographer. She does cakes, and draws, and takes really awesome photos... We asked her if she would do our family photo's July of 2010. She really captured some amazing shots of not just James but of Chris and I as well. We have since asked Janet to do our family photos every year since then. I love that I have progression shots of James and now we will start that tradition with Graham as well!

So here we are - February 2013 - and we just had our fourth photo shoot with Janet - as a family of four! We lucked out for this shoot as my parents were in town, and it had not snowed yet. I think she got some great shots! The boys did pretty well - I did have to bribe Jimbo to get some shots but he's three and loves his treats!