waving hi

To all my new (and old) readers! There has been an increase in readers and many new followers recently, and I wanted to say "hi" and thanks for stopping by! I started this blog for myself--to just have somewhere to put down all of the thoughts that were colliding in my head as I felt so alone and confused and heartbroken facing our IF diagnosis and first miscarriage. Who knew anyone would read, and actually care? Not me! My blog is by no means an "it blog" out there in the blogosphere, but I appreciate each and every one of you that reads! And your comments always brighten my day!
I'd like to thank Amanda at Chasing Twins in Louboutins for this award!

The Rules:
•Thank the blogger who awarded it to you.
•Sum up your blogging philosophy, motivation, and experience using five (5) words
•Pass it on to 10 other blogs which you feel have real substance.

**My blog can be summed up in five words: Miracle, Hope, Happiness, Friendship, & Family**

And check out these other blogs with substance:

The Power of the Pink Lines
A Journey Thru Faith Love & Infertility
Baby For Ballerina
Making Me Mom
My Infertile World

Enjoy :)

P.S. Aly, you've got mail! You get the free copy of Slow Death by Rubber Duck!

Slow Death by Rubber Duck-Book Review

Yep, you read that right. And you probably had the same reaction I did when I was first contacted to review this book-shock, surprise, and a little curiosity, right? Curiosity, in my case, won out, and I said I would definitely check out Rick Smith & Bruce Lourie's book, Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Dangers of Everyday Things. Now that I've finally had a chance to sit down and read it, I'm excited to share with you what I thought.

Pollution is hitting closer to home than ever. Well, it's been there, but no one seems to have noticed. Or even cared. The most dangerous pollution, it turns out, comes from commonplace items in our homes and workplaces. The authors of Slow Death by Rubber Duck, Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie used their own bodies as the testers of the things that people ingest and inhale on a daily basis. They wrote this book basically as a diary of their experience, and the results will shock you! Things like shampoo, toothpaste, and, yes, even the cute rubber duck that your little one plays with in the tub every night, have hidden toxins that are entering our bloodstream. The book gives several examples of things that would never cross your mind as toxic (hello, sitting on your living room couch!). Now, while some of these things can't really be changed by all of us, the book shows readers some simple ideas to change things for the better for themselves and their families. Has this book caused me to freak out and throw away anything that could possibly harm me or my family? No. Has it opened my eyes to all the things in my everyday life that can be exchanged for safer products? Yes. Absolutely! I'd recommend reading Slow Death by Rubber Duck if you have the chance. It's an easy read and an interesting book that keeps you wanting to see what they found out next.

Intrigued? I want to share my copy of the book with one of you! Leave a comment if you would like a copy of Slow Death by Rubber Duck. I'll let random.org decide who will receive it on Wednesday!

pool time!

This child loves the pool. This is not his normal play for 5 seconds with one toy and move on to the next thing attitude. Seriously, he will play for over an hour without getting out. It's so much fun!

He splashes to his heart's content. He usually splashes it all in his eyes and face, pauses for a second to figure out what happened and then splashes some more!

When mommy and daddy throw him, it is so much fun! He lands in my arms with the biggest smile!The boy is fearless. He LOVES putting his face underwater!We had a play date the other day with our friends Melissa and Anderson. It was so fun to have both babies in the pool. They had a blast!"Hi, Anderson!" "Hi, Hampton!"Smile for the camera...or just stare at it... :) Oh summertime, I wish you would stay around forever!!

9 months

My little baby is quickly growing into a little boy. I hear it (and think it) all the time. I knew the time was going to come, but it has come too quickly! Although, it is fun to see what he is going to learn next. Everyday there seems to be a new discovery, and we're enjoying watching his personality blossom!

Pictures were a little more difficult this month...

Fun things going on in Hampton's world during in the last month:

-Another tooth! Total:4; 2 top, 2 bottom

-With these teeth comes biting. Lots and lots of biting. Ouch!

-He's a great sleeper. He takes 2 long naps a day and sometimes a catnap between (especially if we're in the car) and usually sleeps from 9-7.

-He now can lay flat on his back and sit straight up. I think he's working on a 6-pack...

-Diaper changes are a nightmare! He squirms and wiggles and grabs and kicks and, you get the idea!

-Crawling, which I thought would never happen, started shortly after he turned 8 months, and this boy is fast. He wants to be on the ground all the time so he can explore.

-Speaking of exploring, I wouldn't be surprised if walking is in his near future. He pulls up on anything and everything, walks along, and several times now, turns around and just lets go. I'm afraid he's going to be fearless!

-He is now holding his bottle like a pro! This may not seem that significant at 9 months, but I didn't think he would ever hold it on his own. He was very lazy when it came to grabbing and holding up his bottle!

-He uses a sippy cup on occasion, but doesn't show any real interest in it. We'll keep letting him have it, and I'm sure he'll catch on.

-He's tried a few table foods-bananas, beans, and watermelon. I've been a little hesitant b/c he doesn't really get the idea of chewing. A choking baby is not something I want to deal with!

-He loves playing with his toys, but I think that stuffed animals are his favorite right now. It doesn't matter which one, he gives them all the sweetest hugs and kisses!

-He loves, loves, loves the pool. We spent almost in hour in the pool the other day, and he was having a blast!

-A few more words have been added into the mix: dada, baba, momma (if I plead-haha!), bye, and dat (that?). He doesn't "talk" all that much, but he is very aware of his voice. He will squeal at the top of his lungs until his voice goes hoarse, and he thinks it is so funny. I think it's funny too, mixed with a little embarrassing when we're in public ;)

-He waves every once in a while. Of course, he never does it when I tell people that he will!

I'm guessing he weighs 23 lbs, 8 oz., Jordan guesses 22 lbs, 8 oz., my dad guesses 24 lbs, 3 oz., and mom guesses 25 lbs. Maybe Hmmm...maybe we're in denial about having a fat baby? His wellness visit is tomorrow, so I'll have stats then!

Stats:

Height: 29 1/2 in; 90%

Weight: 23 lbs; 90%

Head circumference: 90%; I don't remember the measurement and they didn't write it down.

According to Dr. H, he is "perfectly proportional"! Ha! She said all of his developmental skills are right on track for 9 months and early 12 months, so that's great! She wants me to start offering one of his formula feedings in the sippy cup to see if he shows any more interest in it. No shots today, so that was nice-especially since it was the first time Jordan hasn't gone with me. All in all, a thumbs up at his appointment today!

today makes me happy

Today, I can finally say "Happy Father's Day" to my sweet husband. Through the struggles of IF, I have met many women (online and IRL) who rode the roller coaster of IF right along with me; they sent me hugs and gave me that extra bit of encouragement when I needed it the most. I think it's safe to say that it's usually the women who seek out someone to talk to, and the man is, well, on his own. Although he didn't express it as openly to others as I did, Jordan wanted to be a dad so badly. He took the IF diagnosis really hard, and then he took charge--as much as he could. He prayed for us to have a baby. He cried with me when we got bad news, and he cried with me when we got wonderful news. He came to every single appointment with me. He took care of me when I was sick and on the days when I got home and just couldn't do one more thing. He has been a great dad since day 1, and I know he is just going to get better. He loves this little boy with all his heart! Happy 1st Father's Day, Jordan! We love you!! And of course, I can't leave out my dad! Happy Father's Day, dad! You're the best dad and granddad ever!! Love you!

pretty pretty baby-winner!

And the winner is:
#23! stacey said... i like pretty pretty baby on FB! Congrats, Stacey! Please email me at toinfertilityandbeyond@gmail.com to claim your prize within the next 48 hours :)

(And, yes, I took a picture of the screen b/c for the life of me, I can't get the picture from random.org to show up on my posts!)

Thank you to everyone who entered! To show her appreciation, Kristen has offered a special incentive to everyone who entered the giveaway: Now through Sunday night, she will take $2 off every order of onesies or bibs, and $2 off every order of 2 or more bows/hair clips. In order to get this deal, email her at prettyprettybabybowtique@gmail.com with your order request. Make sure to tell her I sent you!

coming soon: csn stores giveaway

Did you know you could buy sectional sofas online? I can't give you one of them, but how about a chance to win something to accentuate one:
Like this cute ottoman? Or this pretty wall hanging?I was recently contacted by a rep from CSN stores to do a review of a product or a giveaway to my readers, and because I love all of you so much--I'm doing the giveaway! In the next few weeks, I'm going to be doing a giveaway sponsored by CSN Stores for a gift certificate to spend at one of their online stores! This prize will be worth $40!! Stay tuned :)

And don't forget you have until 12:00 pm (est) to enter in the pretty pretty baby bowtique giveaway!

teaser

Remember the Fresh Faces contest that I annoyed you all with for days to help Hampton win? (Thanks again, by the way!!) We finally had our photo session on Saturday, and should have the pictures available to see in a couple of weeks. We had a great time, despite the heat, and I know Amber was able to get some great shots. Hampton was just eating all the attention up! I can't wait to see more, but for now, my little monkey:

fun idea: fail!

Well, I thought that the "Ask Me Anything" post would be pretty fun and, I don't know, get more than 1 response, but clearly I was wrong! I did get one question, so I'll answer that...and the rest of you can go about ignoring me. :P And don't forget to enter to win some adorable bows or onesies in the pretty pretty baby bowtique giveaway!

CJ said... I'm a first time visitor, so I'll leave the first question....do you feel the struggles of infertility have helped you to be a better, more appreciative mother?

Absolutely. I have always wanted children, and I think I would have been a great mom with or without the struggles (not to toot my own horn...!), but the struggles of IF really put into perspective HOW important family and being a mom was to me. I think there are some things--like the lack of sleep--that I really don't mind as much b/c I just take that time to cuddle with him. I'd rather be awake in the middle of the night with my baby than not have one at all. No question about it. Now, don't read this wrong. I think it made me a better, more appreciative mother than I possibly would have been without. I can't say it has made me any better or more appreciative than any other mother out there.

Thanks for the question!

pretty pretty baby bowtique-giveaway!

*CLOSED*

Ok. Are y'all ready for a cuteness overload? My friend Kristen has recently opened her etsy store, pretty pretty baby bowtique, and she has some really cute items for little ones! Do you want some fun new accessories for your baby? Do you want to give a more personal gift to a friend at her shower? One of her adorable onesies or hair bows/clips is the perfect gift!

She has baby bows like this adorable safari trio: and these cute hair clips: and just in time for July 4th festivities, a little red, white and blue:

And moms of boys! Don't turn your heads just yet, thinking that it's just another store that specializes in cute little things for girls. She also has applique onesies that are perfect for the little man in your life! (and she has some for little girls, of course!)

Hampton modeling the cute striped tie onesie:

And the whale onesie:(side note: look at that buddha belly!! Don't you love it?!?)

Now, you get the chance to win one item of your choice from pretty pretty baby bowtique!

Here's how you can enter the giveaway:

-Visit pretty pretty baby bowtique and leave a comment on what item you would like to win. (1 entry)

-Add pretty pretty baby bowtique to your etsy favorite sellers list. (1 entry)

-Like pretty pretty baby bowtique on facebook (1 entry)

-Follow my blog or let me know you are a follower (1 entry)

-Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs. You can vote every 24 hours! (1 entry per vote)

-Vote for me on Picket Fence Blogs. You can vote every 24 hours! (1 entry per vote)

-Follow me on twitter (here) & tweet about this giveaway. (2 entries; 1 entry per additional tweet)

-Grab my button and put it on your blog (2 entries)

-Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post (3 entries)

Remember-You must leave a comment for EACH entry. This giveaway will run through Friday, June 18 at noon (est), and I will choose a winner using random.org. Good luck!

rock on

Hampton got a new toy that he loves! I can put him down anywhere in the living room, and he gravitates to it! He "plays" all the instruments and "sings" into the microphone. He especially loves it when mommy sings into the microphone and laughs and laughs. (It's alright. I know I wasn't blessed with a good singing voice!)

Rock on, little man. Rock on!

Ask me anything!

I thought it would be fun to have a little Q&A sesh. So...leave a comment with a question you'd like answered!

and we're back-our trip in pictures

We arrived at the beach early Sunday afternoon. The second we drove into the condo parking lot, this happened:

Once it calmed down, we went to the beach. (Except this was blowing in--and I mean BLOWING! Holy windiness, batman!)

No pictures of our night #1 activities: dinner, walk on the beach, and Monopoly. My sweet husband did pull this out of his pocket on . (And earrings. bonus!)

Day 2 was perfect. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing jsut enough, and we had nothing on our agenda but to lay there.

Dinner date, walk around town, and back to the condo for a movie, and our quick-but relaxing-trip to the beach was coming to an end.

We did get to stop at some outlets on our way home! I got a new prize for "Hampton"--a Coach baby bag that I've wanted since before he was born. It was on clearance, 50% off, and we were handed a 20% off coupon when we walked in. How could I not buy it?!

Although we had a good time, I could not get home to this guy fast enough. I missed him terribly, and when I got home (and he woke up from his nap), he greeted me with a huge grin, and a hug and slobbery kiss! Thank goodness he didn't forget me. Yes, that was a huge fear of mine!

I can't wait to take him to the beach at the end of July!!