I was over at Twittermoms and found out about this GREAT site called One Hour Parties! Party Planning Made Easy for those of us that are oversheduled, busy and tired….This is the place to go! There are franchise opportunites also..check it out!

Do you love planning parties? Are you the party planner in your office, kid’s school or the resident party diva in your neighborhood? Isn’t it time you got paid for making people happy and doing what you love to do? With One Hour Parties, now you can!

One Hour Parties is the most exciting and fun franchise concept on the market today. They provide easy, creative and affordable party planning solutions for corporate celebrations, kid’s parties, weddings and more. If you live in a major metropolitan area, let them train you on their unique form of party planning and how to capture your own piece of the $500 billion event planning industry worldwide.
Check them out online at www.onehourparties.com

The company has just been named Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Hot New Franchise” and the founders were just named the “Top 25 Innovators and Entrepreneurs” by Seattle Business Magazine

I wanted to blog today but am going on so little sleep that I can’t see straight.So I thought that everything was smooth sailing. I put my newborn in the car the other day so that we could make a short trip to wish my brother happy birthday. It took us 3 hours to make a 30 minute drive. There wasn’t traffic or anything , my baby cried like I was torturing him. At first I thought it was the car seat that was a gift from the hospital,so we drove back home and installed the Graco. Oh, and did I mention that as soon as I took him out of the carseat he stopped screaming? I put him in the new carseat and headed on our short trip again….and again the screaming started. I pulled over about 2 miles from my house and fed and changed him , problem solved. Nope! I stopped again….for 30 minutes to try and calm him, I tried everything humanly possible! He finally fell asleep and I finally had a MIGRAINE. We made it to my moms! Yippee, hurray….but we had to return home. I put my girls in the car first and then put the baby in his seat…and the screaming started…the girls couldn’t take it! They asked for earplugs and told me that obviously the seat wasn’t in the car right, that the car was hot and that the baby didn’t like being in the dark…and all of this was my fault! In the midst of him screaming in my moms driveway, my 6 year old threw a cell phone that hit my 4 year old under her eye…she started screaming and was dripping blood which freaked everyone out…especially grandma. I tried to get the baby out of the car quickly so that we could check my daughter…in my rushing I cut my leg on something on the car…and had blood dripping down my leg.My mom had the best idea…for us all to start over So we all got out of the car, went inside and tried to get ourselves together. After a half an hour, a bandaid for me, an ice pack for my daughter, a diaper change and feeding for my son, and my oldest complaining about everything possible we decided to head home again.

The drive home started the same way…we the baby crying and crying…it was 10 at night so I was pretty afraid to stop anywhere. I did stop once more just to feed him and we drove the rest of the way with screaming. Miraculously both of the girls fell asleep! I somehow, reached my arm back while sitting kind of sideways while driving and held my son’s hand and guess what….he stopped crying! It was completely silent in the car….I was so afraid to let go of his hand that my arm and right side were numb when I got home, but it was worth it. the baby was still up all night as his nights and days are mixed up and I am truly more tired that I thought I could ever be, but we made it home safe, no one was screaming and I was able to have a little peace and quiet. Moral of the story? ..I don’t know if there is one. I just kept thinking of the commercial from when I was younger “Calgon, take me away”..and wishing I could slip into a nice bubble bath.

So when its time again to venture out…Daddy will be Driving!

When I had my older girls , hubby and I rented a breast pump from the hospital for about $80/month. What were we thinking?  With my oldest I bought the cheapest hand held manual pump I could find and I think I got carpel tunnel after a week! This time around I had to get a pump and a good one even though I am a SAHM. My son was nursing fine, but after having guest after guest several days in a row,we ended up feeding him the sample formula that we got from the hospital and thus I  missed nursing a few times.  Skip nursing a couple of times and you will FEEL it! I had to sneak out and get a pump. I headed to Target to look for something not so high priced but that worked well and was comparable to a hospital grade pump. I know that my hospital rental was a Medela so that is what I was looking for. There was a double pump with case and all the works for over $300 which was a little much for me, I saw 2 different travel size pumps, one double with some bells and whistles and a single one for just over $100. I ended up purchasing the Medela Swing for $149.99 and I LOVE it.  It came with 2 bottles, a carrying bag, electrical cord, extra valves and great instructions. It is a single pump but is great for those that need to pump occasionally. It makes a quiet purring sound when turned on and has a 2 step pumping process. I HIGHLY recommend this pump. Visit Medela’s site for info on all of their  products! www.medela.com

I decided to nurse my son, just as I did my daughters. Although I nurse most of the time there are still times when I need to pump. I will write another post about which Pump I purchased last week and am in LOVE with! Anyway, a while back I won a giveaway on a website www.hisboyscanswim.com from Snugabell , which was a wonderful contraption called a PumpEase. I just tried it out today and can’t believe how much easier it made pumping! It basically looks like a tube top from way back that has 2 slits in the front that hold the breast shields. Why didn’t I think of that? Literally you don’t have to hold the bottles while you pump! You are completely hands free!

Why do you need a PumpEase™ hands-free pumping support?
you would like to multi-task (do other things while pumping)
you are returning to work
you want to donate to a Milk Bank
you are adopting and want to induce lactation
you need relief from frequent painful engorgement
your baby has a medical condition, such as a cleft palate or tongue-tie
your baby was born premature and is still in the hospital
you have mastitis, milk stasis, a blocked duct or thrush
you need to maintain your milk supply during a lapse in breastfeeding (e.g. travel, medication, hospitalization)
your baby does not completely empty your breasts (tongue-tie, ineffective suck, latching problems)
you want the freedom to be able to leave your baby with your partner or caregiver for a feeding
your partner wants to feed, and therefore bond with, your baby
you need to boost your milk production
you have flat or inverted nipples (pumping can be helpful at drawing out the nipple)
you gave birth to multiples

Check out www.pumpease.com

So with 2 girls and a 2 week old I had to find a way to free up my hands a little. You know, so that I could, cook, clean and do a little laundry I remembered that I had a baby carrier tucked away in the basement and searched high and low until I found it. My carrier is a MAYA WRAP adjustable pouch which has now been continued. I do have to say that I LOVE this carrier. I got it when my youngest daughter came home from the hospital and wouldn’t stop crying, she was diagnosed with Gerd and the only way I could quiet her was to carry her…yes All day, every day…and to this day she is pretty touchy feely. My 2 week old didn’t take to the carrier at first but now he loves it! The great thing is that you can multi-task, nurse the baby, walk around, fold laundry etc….

Here is a little info from their site which explains the benefits of their carriers(Maya Wraps)…

www.mayawrap.com
Maya Wrap Product Features

Cool: All of our baby carriers are 100% cotton and are comfortable in hot weather. Our fabrics look the same on both sides, eliminating the need for sewing two fabrics together to hide the wrong side of a fabric. One layer of fabric is cooler than two layers and allows for better air flow to help keep your baby from becoming over-heated.

No Bulk: Our carriers (except the Lightly Padded Sling) have no padding. The Lightly Padded Sling has a small amount of padding in the shoulder. This means all of our carriers are not bulky. They fit easily into your diaper bag or purse when you are on the go. The Maya Tie uses slightly more fabric but will still fit nicely into a larger diaper bag or backpack.

Comfortable: Our Slings distribute baby’s weight across your back for a comfortable, secure fit. Wearing two MamaBaby slings allows you to distribute baby’s weight over both shoulders for extra comfort. The Maya Tie distributes baby’s weight over both shoulders and your hips for ultimate comfort. It is excellent for heavier children or babywearing for long periods of time. Unlike other woven cottons, our hand-loomed fabrics “give” for a more comfortable fit while still being supportive.

Versatile: All of our baby carriers are usable in a variety of positions for newborns and toddlers. Our slings grow with your baby over time. Wearing two MamaBaby slings makes it possible to wear your newborn in a high “burp” position. The Maya Tie can also be used for a very comfortable and secure back carry.

Adjustable: All of our products come in a range of sizes and are fully-adjustable, ensuring a perfect and secure fit every time! Our carriers can be tightened over a wide range. Frequently both parents can share one carrier even if they are different sizes.

Discreet: You can breastfeed in all of our baby carriers. For those who prefer to breastfeed discreetly, the tails of our slings can be used as a cover up. When selecting a sling, if nursing coverage is not important to you, you may prefer to select a size smaller. The smaller size will have a shorter fabric tail past the rings.

My waiting is over, my baby boy has arrived! For some odd reason I felt like I was going to be pregnant forever this time around. I did not feel like this with either of my girls but maybe knowing that this was my last pregnancy had something to do with it. Also having 2 different due dates didn’t help. I was given both July 27th and August 3rd as my due dates, I know they are only a week a part but when you feel 40 weeks pregnant for the last month or so, a week makes a huge difference. I ended up having my son on July 25th….a hard but short labor and a wonderful delivery experience. They joy of having my son somethimes makes me sad as I know that I will not have the experience of being pregnant again. It is bittersweet . I know that I am blessed to have 3 healthy children but sometimes long to feel that little flutter inside my tummy again