i gots me some mama badges

Today I was reading of Melissa’s adventures in NYC on Dear Baby and how she has earned a new “badge for her sash” by changing her precious little pumpkin on her lap in a restaurant bathroom. It got me thinking about what badges I’ve earned in the last six months…

1.         The I-Can-Make-Dinner-While-Breast-Feeding Badge. It had been one of those days… and I was behind on absolutely everything, including making dinner for the friends that were about to come around. But when I pulled out “my breast friend” and a kitchen barstool, I found out that I do have the mommy-multi-tasking talent that I always dreamed of. {And I did it without burning down the house.}

2.           The I-Can-Go-To-The-Bathroom-With-An-Infant-Strapped-To-My-Chest Badge. When my son was seven weeks old I traveled from Australia to America without my husband to show Levi off to my family. (Hubs had to work.) I did my best to limit my fluids in transit and time my bathroom breaks just right, but when it takes you four flights to get from point A to point B over a 20+ hour period, there are some things you just can’t control. Rather than pass my little babe to a stranger—or pee my pants for that matter—I strapped him up on my chest in the Moby Wrap and did what I needed to do. {Also worth mentioning here is the I-Can-Manage-Shuttle-Busses-And-Check-In-And-Security-With-A-Diaper-Bag-Stroller-And-Large-Suitcase-By-Myself-Without-Waking-My-Baby Badge. I proudly earned that one too.}

3.           The I-Can-Live-Off-Of-Three-Hours-Of-Sleep Badge. Every mommy knows about this badge… but that doesn’t make it any easier to earn. I count myself among the proud who is still awake after a long time of being… awake.

4.           The I-Can-Drive-My-Manual-Car-With-One-Hand-While-Holding-A-Paci-In-My-Screaming-Baby’s-Mouth-With-The-Other-Hand Badge. Do you have this one? I bet you do. I’m told this one is a precursor to earning the I-Can-Drive-With-One-Hand-While-Breaking-Up-A-Fight-In-The-Backseat Badge. {We’re not there yet.}

5.           The I-Can-Interpret-Different-Colors-And-Textures-And-Consistencies-Of-Poo Badge. Black? Green? Yellow? Brown? Thin? Thick? I know what they mean and I’m a better mom for it. In fact, I would say that I am a poo expert.

6.           The-I-Can-Pull-A-Song-Out-Of-Nowhere-About-Anything-At-Any-Time Badge. Songs for bath time? Songs for diaper changes? Songs for owies? Songs for washing the dishes? Songs for sleepy time? I know ‘em all… because as of six months I became a very specialized songwriter.

7.           The I-Can-Beat-My-Baby-At-A-Wrestling-Match-I-Mean-Nail-Clipping-Session Badge. This one took some time to perfect, but I’ve found the perfect pin position now. {It should be noted here that this is the only time Levi gets bribed with the “secret weapon” aka the television. Works like a charm.}

8.           The I’ve-Learned-How-To-Pack-Way-More-In-The-Car-For-A-Family-Vacation-Than-I-Ever-Thought-Possible-Or-Necessary Badge. Weekend camping trip. Need I say more?

9.           The I-Pick-Other-Peoples-Noses-So-What Badge. This badge comes with immense satisfaction… because a crusty nose on a clean baby just doesn’t sit right with me.

10.      The Do-Ya-Wanna-See-My-Boobs-Cause-I-Just-Don’t-Care-Who-Does-Anymore Badge. Truth be told, my boobs just don’t feel much different than my fabulous ankles these days. I do try to keep the girls covered though… but that’s for your sake, not mine.

Dear Mommy-Friends, I think I've actually earned a few more... but I'm gonna cut it off at ten. What mama badges have you earned that you're most proud of?

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an ode to poo

Oh baby poo...

You strike at any given time.

You are no respecter of gender, or role, or status. You're no respecter of clothing. No respecter of mood or mental state. And certainly no respecter of time or schedule.

Poo, you come when you want, the way you want, as much as you want, and as often as you want.

You come as brown. You come as black. You come as yellow. You come as green. You have no favorites when it comes to color or consistency.

Sometimes you are small. Sometimes you are big.

You are anticipated, expected, observed, and interpreted.

Sometimes you are exploding. Sometimes you are running.

You can be liquidy, chunky, smelly, or mild.

You're usually warm. 

You're definitely gross.

Often you are funny... And always you are... COMING.

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every mommy needs a white couch (really?)

I love white. White linens especially – white sheets, white towels, white cloth napkins… And I also like white t-shirts, white onsies for bub, white photo frames, white shoes, white beads... the list goes on.

I also love white couches!

A couple of months ago when my husband and I moved into a new place, we decided to get a new set of couches to fill up our larger living space. We knew that we wanted leather because not only is it stylish and so comfortable, but it’s also so much easier to clean than cloth.

We thought about black... but black leather couches can tend to look bachelor pad-ish if not thought through carefully enough. We also considered chocolate brown… But all of our other furniture and living area décor was black, white, and red. We couldn’t afford to redo the entire area, so...

Is it any surprise we chose white?

Yup, for real. I’m the proud owner of white leather couches (well, off-white to be precise). And I’m also a mommy.

I know, I know, you think I’m crazy... We figure that most people do, although only one was brave enough to actually tell us that we’d regret our decision… and I love her for it! (Oh yeah, and she was wrong.)

We’re thankful to have what we regard as a beautiful home, but it’s no show-room and we’re not afraid of living in it. My husband actually tells people when they come over to not worry about spilling on the couches when fear suddenly overtakes their face as we bring them a coffee, wine, or some other bevy. Honestly, our couches are white AND we use them... a lot.

We decided on white for a few reasons:
1. We like it. So there.
2. We live in a really hot climate… and white feels “cool”.
3. It looks great and matches the rest of our décor.
4. We can quickly see if there’s been a spill and easily take care of it straight away.

Point number four is what I’m really getting at.

Now I want you to mull over this... can you clean your couch with a washcloth dampened with warm water? Can you keep your couch looking brand-new with as little effort as wiping down the counter-top? Well, I can!

In a few short months we’ve already spilled catsup, juice, and any other number of food items. (I know it sounds like it, but we really don’t eat every meal at the couch!) We’ve even managed to get blood on the couch, but you’d never know since that too was wiped up with a wash cloth straight away leaving no trace of its existence!

So, what inspired me to write a post about my white leather couches?

This morning as I was sitting on the couch holding my dear sweet three-month-old son... and you know what’s coming: He had a blow-out all over the place! Uh-huh, I’m talking runny, mustard-colored poo everywhere, including the beautiful white couch!

Did this mommy panic? Nope, I just chuckled, went to the sink, got a damp cloth, and PRESTO the couch was clean again in 30 seconds flat! (Are you jealous yet?)

So, there you have it. That’s the reason I think every mommy should have white leather couches. With white you will immediately see/notice stains before they become, well, stains! And cleaning is a snap, which is prefect for a mommy like me who doesn’t necessarily enjoy cleaning.

What’s your favourite baby-friendly (child-friendly) item that’s also pleasing to us adults?