The 2 Best Breastfeeding Products: Boob #1 and Boob #2

...and believe me, you'll need both, because one will inevitably make more milk than the other or your baby will choose a favorite.

When I had Baby T, I was armed with breastfeeding products: A boppy, nursing bras, nursing pads, nursing tops, a double electric pump and a hand pump, several different types of bottles, a bottle drying rack, a Milkmate storage system for expressed breast milk, quick clean wipes for the pump, a steam-cleaning bag for the pump, breastmilk storage bags, and Lansinoh.

When I had Baby M, I had boob #1 and boob #2.

It's not that I didn't need everything the second time around, it's just that I was too busy to bother.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Little M Hits a Milestone

--and so does mommy.

Today I have the whole day to myself. 

This hasn't happened in at least two and a half years, since I had  Baby T. But I decided to have Baby T stay home with me one extra day and put Little M in daycare one day a week. Little M is starting to really enjoy being around other kids, and I knew I wanted to have him in daycare at least one day when he turned one. When I realized that was just three months away, I started to imagine what a day without kids would be like. And I started to get excited. The thought of what I could accomplish was so enticing, that I decided to put Little M in daycare sooner than I had anticipated.

Kids in the Kitchen: An Activity for Every Age

Welcome to the November Carnival of Natural Parenting: Kids in the Kitchen
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how kids get involved in cooking and feeding. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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We spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Someone is usually eating, washing dishes, cleaning out the fridge, or doing a project in there. It’s the only room in the house that’s not carpeted, so it’s the one place where my kids are free to run with paintbrushes and play with water without me cringing. So on those days when the weather prevents us from going outside and the kids are getting cabin fever, off to the kitchen we go. It’s a never-ending smorgasbord of activities.

SUNDAY SURF: Online Toddler Games

Baby T has reached an age where he's interested in the computer, and I know he gets to use it sometimes at daycare. Since we only have a laptop, the mouse is a little less toddler-friendly, and he used to get frustrated with it. It has been hard finding online games that aren't too challenging and that keep his attention. Many of the games I find require you to hold down a button on the mouse while you drag an object, but that's way too complicated for Baby T right now. So since I haven't done much surfing for myself this week, I thought I would post links to some great toddler games that are easy to do together.

Breastfeeding Choices the Second Time Around

I have been lucky enough to have breastfed two children without many issues. Baby T was a no-brainer. He just latched on and away we went. Of course, I wondered if his latch was good since he didn't flare out his lips very much, but it wasn't painful, so I didn't really question it. We had issues down the road with nursing strikes and then with weaning, but initially, it was smooth sailing.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: Captivated by Cattails

Last week, Baby T and I were playing outside in the late afternoon when he spotted our neighbor playing with her friend near a drainage ditch. Of course, he had to find out what the kids were doing. It turns out they were plucking apart the cattails that grow in the ditch, floating them into the air in a feathery, winter-like dance. It was magical.

Baby T thought so too.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN: A Garbage Man and a Trash Bag Walk Into a Bar...

Baby T has been talking about his Halloween costume for a few weeks now. When we were waiting for my friend's husband to finish his Iron Man race this weekend (Go Z!), Baby T was telling the people around him, who were holding trash bags filled with the race participants' items, about his and his brother's costumes.

But the evening did not start off great. Baby T woke up with a mild fever and was a little bit cranky. It was a good thing that he didn't give us his typical "I only want to wear TJ's (PJ's)" tantrum. We maneuvered him into some green cargo pants and the rest of his costume without much of a fuss.

But he wasn't happy when picture time came.