Wordless Wednesday: Someone Thinks They're a Present!

Winner of Amber Teething Necklace

Congrats to #8 Tara! I have sent you an email. You have 72 hours to claim your prize!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:8Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Lovely Little Ladies Boutique: Review and Giveaway CLOSED

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love to dress up my daughter Orlaith! Tutus, petti skirts, hats, headbands, bows… I will take it all! I recently discovered a great online boutique called Lovely Little Ladies Boutique. They have tons of adorable choices at GREAT prices! Sometimes it can be hard to find boutique style products that are priced to fit my budget. That is why I was so happy to find LLLB!

Look at how cute Orlaith is in the black headband with the pink zebra stripe flower clip! These headbands are great because you can mix and match any bow or clip on them. This definitely gives you more bang for your buck because you can customize them to match any outfit. I am so pleased with the quality of the headband and clip! You should get one (or three!) and see for yourself!


Check out the LLLB Facebook page for other giveaways!

One lucky reader is going to win their bow of choice from Lovely Little Ladies Boutique! Check out their photo albums for pictures of all of their products.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Lovely Little Ladies Boutique and tell me which bow you would choose. Please be specific!

Extra Entries:

-Follow O'Baby Orlaith via Google Friend Connect (publicly please) (+2)

-Subscribe to O'Baby Orlaith via email (don't forget to confirm your subscription) (+2)

-Grab My Button and let me know where you posted it (+1)

-Blog about this giveaway, with a link to this post (leave the URL in your comment) (+1)

-Add this giveaway to a giveaway linky (leave the URL in your comment) (+5)

-Like Lovely Little Ladies Boutique on Facebook and tell them O'Baby Orlaith sent you (leave your Facebook name in the comment) (+1)

You can also earn 5 EXTRA ENTRIES into any giveaway by voting for Orlaith in the LLLB model contest. Just like their page, find Orlaith's picture in the 0-2 age photo album and then like her picture (#5). Just leave me your Facebook name in the comment.

If you also blog about the contest or post it on Facebook and ask people to vote for Orlaith, I will give you 5 additional entries into any giveaway... yes that's 10 extra entries!!! Just leave me the URL or Facebook name where you asked people to vote for O!

Contest ends 12/17/2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Open to US residents only.

Please remember to leave a comment for each entry.

If the winning comment cannot be verified, I will draw a new winner.

Your email must be in your comment or in your profile in order to win.

Winner will be chosen via random.org

The winner will be notified via email at the close of the contest. They will have 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

I was provided with the product for review purposes at no cost to me. The information expressed in this review are my own honest opinions. I was not compensated monetarily.

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Blue

Vote for Orlaith Pretty Please! EXTRA entries!

Orlaith is entered into a modeling contest for Lovely Little Ladies Boutique and we need your help to win! Please go "like" their Facebook page. Then look under the photos for the Age 0-2 album. Orlaith is picture #5. Please "Like" her picture in order to vote for her. If she wins, she will get free items from the boutique all year!!!

If you vote for Orlaith, I will give you 5 extra entries into any of my giveaways. Use them all in one place, or split them up - your choice! Just make sure to leave your Facebook name in the comment! If you blog about the modeling contest  or post it on Facebook and ask people to vote for Orlaith, you can have 5 more entries into any giveaway! Leave the link here to your post. All extra entries should be left on the giveaway(s). Thanks for your support!

The contest ends December 20th and you can only vote once per age group!

And by the way, I have another giveaway posting going up very soon!

Winner of $25 GC to My Baby Clothes Boutique

Congrats to # 57 Kim @ Chubby Cheeks Thinks! You have 72 hours to respond to the email I sent you.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:57

11 Months

My sweet baby girl is 11 months old today. Fast forward a month and you are gonna be talking to one sad momma! Orlaith is SO smart. She amazes me. She is picking up signs like crazy (book, more, all done). She is saying complicated word combinations that even surprised her pediatrician when we were there on Monday (all done!). I am waiting for her to take her first steps any day now. She has been pulling up and cruising for a while now. She lets go and stands without holding on for longer and longer every day. She also loves her baby doll stroller push toy. She pushes it all over the place so she can walk places the furniture can't take her! I can't wait to see what the future holds for my daughter, but at the same time I want her to stay little forever. Peter Pan Syndrome...

My Baby Clothes Boutique: Sale and Giveaway Ending Soon!

Check out the great deal My Baby Clothes Boutique has going on right now! If you haven't started Christmas shopping, now is the perfect time to start! What about Holiday outfits for the kiddos? It's time to get hopping and take advantage of the awesome sales coming up!


15% Off Entire Catalog
MyBabyClothesBoutique.com is offering 15% off our entire catalog from, November 22nd - November 24th 2010. Place your orders before the holiday rush to get first pick of our holiday items before they run out of stock!

Use the discount code below to get 15% OFF any order. Simply enter the code during checkout at MyBabyClothesBoutique.com

Discount Code: BEATTHERUSH2010



* Promo only valid from 11/22/2010 - 11/24/2010. Cannot be combined with other offers. Shipping not included.



Cyber Monday Sale - 1 DAY ONLY - 25% Off Entire Catalog
MyBabyClothesBoutique.com is offering 25% off our entire catalog on November 29th.

Use the discount code below to get 25% OFF any order. Simply enter the code during checkout at MyBabyClothesBoutique.com

Discount Code: CYBERSALE2010


* Promo only valid from 11/29/2010 12am – 12 am est. Cannot be combined with other offers. Shipping not included.

***Also, the giveaway for a $25 GC to My Baby Clothes Boutique ends tomorrow night. Hurry and enter!***

Wordless Wednesday: When Daddy is on duty...

Inspired By Finn: Baltic Amber Teething Necklace Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

Oh the woes of having a teething baby! Orlaith has been teething on and off since she was four months old, but she never cut any teeth... until recently! Luckily I had received an amber teething necklace from Inspired By Finn. We would have been lost without it. I don't like handing out medication (unless absolutely necessary) but I didn't want my baby girl to be in pain either. This was the perfect solution! I was able to provide pain relief WITHOUT medication!

Before Orlaith came along, I had never heard of an amber teething necklace. Once I was introduced to the product, I was still confused. How do they work? Isn't it dangerous for a baby to chew on beads? Let me clear up the confusion, and let you know exactly how these necklaces work. And by the way, there is no chewing involved!

Baltic amber is not a stone, but a fossilized tree resin. Historically, Baltic Amber has been used in Europe as a natural and traditional remedy and curative for many ailments for centuries. Long ago it was considered one of the leading ‘medicines’ of its time. Baltic Amber is the most esteemed amber in the world, and the healing qualities of Baltic Amber make it unlike any other type of amber found in the world.

When baltic amber is worn on the skin, the skin’s warmth releases trace amounts of healing oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid and are absorbed into the skin.

Baltic Amber has some of the highest concentrations of Succinic Acid found in nature, and this is what makes it so special. Succinic Acid is a natural component of plant and animal tissues, and it's presence in the human body is beneficial in many ways.

Baltic amber contains analgesic properties and helps take the edge off of many types of discomfort associated with dental issues, headaches, joint pain, etc. In many different and subtle ways, succinic acid helps boost the body's own natural healing ability and immune system.

Cool, huh? And they really do work. The necklace greatly reduced the teething pain Orlaith was going through. I was able to all but stop giving her any medication. I really love this product!

The lighter/cloudy amber contains more succinnic acid. Orlaith is wearing the Butter Round necklace in 13-13 1/2 inches. She has plenty of room to grow in it too! She wears the teething necklace almost 24/7. We only take it off when she is bathing. When she takes a nap or goes down for the night, I wrap the necklace around her ankle and tuck it under a sock.

Enter to win your very own Baltic amber teething necklace from Inspired By Finn! The winner may choose any necklace, 16 inches or smaller, that is in stock!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Inspired By Finn and tell me which necklace you would choose. Please be specific!

Extra Entries:

-Follow O'Baby Orlaith via Google Friend Connect (publicly please) (+2)
-Subscribe to O'Baby Orlaith via email (don't forget to confirm your subscription) (+2)
-Grab My Button and let me know where you posted it (+1)
-Blog about this giveaway, with a link to this post (leave the URL in your comment) (+1)
-Add this giveaway to a giveaway linky (leave the URL in your comment) (+5)
-Like Inspired By Finn on Facebook and tell them O'Baby Orlaith sent you (leave your Facebook name in the comment) (+1)

Discounts on Inspired By Finn for O'Baby Orlaith readers:

TO SAVE 20% on an order with us, join us by clicking the "Like" button toward the top of our "Wall" tab.

TO SAVE 25%, join us by clicking the "Like" button + use the "Suggest to Friends" link near the top left of this "Wall" tab to suggest this page to your Facebook friends.

The discount code is entered/applied during checkout, and the discount is given off of prices on our website - http://www.inspiredbyfinn.com/

The codes to use once you have completed the criteria above -

To save 20%: FBG20

To save 25%: FBG25



Contest ends 12/3/2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Open to US and Canada residents only.

Please remember to leave a comment for each entry.

If the winning comment cannot be verified, I will draw a new winner.

Your email must be in your comment or in your profile in order to win.

Winner will be chosen via random.org

The winner will be notified via email at the close of the contest. They will have 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

I was provided with the product for review purposes at no cost to me. The information expressed in this review are my own honest opinions. I was not compensated monetarily.

Lend me your ear...

My poor baby girl got a cold about 2 weeks ago. From that she developed a cough. Last Thursday she got conjunctivitis (pink eye) in both eyes. Then she was running a fever off and on all weekend, but not showing any other new symptoms. We took her to the doctor yesterday and she has a double ear infection!!! She was not showing any signs that her ears were hurting her. I couldn't believe it. She is officially on antibiotics for the first time ever. I hope it knocks this crap out quickly. We are going out of town for Thanksgiving and I don't want to put her through the drive to Houston if she is not feeling well. Plus, she's been sick long enough. C'mon upswing!

Giveaway Ending Soon!

Hurry and enter my giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes Boutique! It ends next Friday night at midnight CST. Don't miss out!

Also if you post this giveaway on a linky, I will give you an extra entry into the giveaway! Just leave a comment with the URL to the linky where you posted my giveaway. Good luck everyone!

Wordless Wednesday: Bounce House Baby

Give Me A Sign!

This past week, Orlaith has been laid up with a cold. The poor thing has been snotting all over the place. Despite feeling cruddy, she has been spouting off new tricks like crazy! Brian and I have been signing to her since she was 5 months old. She finally signed for the first time! We knew it was typically between 10-12 months that babies start signing back, but it was so exciting! Her first sign was "book" and she has been using it non-stop! I think between Brian and I, we read to her at least 12 times yesterday... and 10 of those times was her favorite book "Hippos Go Berserk". I always let her choose the book she wants to read and 99% of the time, she grabs her fave!
Orlaith has always been a very verbal baby. She gets this from her father's side of the family. She says dada and mama quite frequently. When you say "hi" to her, she is know responding with her version of "hi". It sounds more like "ha"... So cute! She has also learned to say "uh-oh"! This one kind of shocked me because it is two different sounds, not the same sound repeated twice. Plus, she actually knows what it means, and when to use it. She says it when she falls down. She also says it BEFORE she drops something. She will dangle the said object precariously in the air, proclaim "oh-oh" and drop it! This is usually followed by another "uh-oh" and a big, proud smile.
I am torn by this new found progress. It is awesome to watch her learn, grow and try new things. At the same time, my baby is getting so big! I was looking at some pictures of her over the weekend, and she was so tiny! Where did that tiny baby go?

Wandering Wednesday

Here is another great Blog Hop - Wandering Wednesday! Check it out and make some new bloggie friends!

Wordless Wednesday: Cloth Centerfold

Follow Me Back Tuesday!

I have afound a great way to get new followers, and find great new blogs to keep up with. It is called Follow Me Back Tuesday. Click on the link, follow the instructions and start following away!

My Baby Clothes Boutique: Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about the perfect outfit for Orlaith's 1st birthday. I found this adorable outfit on My Baby Clothes Boutique! They have an absolutely fabulous variety of adorable baby clothes. From classic layette to everything unique, My Baby Clothes Boutique has what you are looking for!

Orlaith's birthday is December 18th, so while we haven't had the official debut of her adorable cupcake pirate outfit, I dressed her up for a photo shoot as soon as the package hit my doorstep! The matching onesie and tutu are of great quality! I also paired some lacy leggings with the outfit to complete it. It turned out to be such a super cute combo! I was worried about the lace being too delicate for my rough little girl who is crawling all over the place, but they didn't snag or rip!

I also ordered this adorable pair of pink and brown cowgirl boots. I got them in 12-18 months so Orlaith could wear them during the colder winter months soon to come. They are still a little bit big, but that doesn't make them any less adorable!

One lucky reader is going to win a $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes Boutique!

What will you spend it on? Maybe one of these baby hats? Or what about irresistible baby shoes? I don't know about you, but I am a sucker for baby headbands!

Mandatory Entry: Visit My Baby Clothes Boutique and tell me what you would spend your GC on. Please be specific!

Extra Entries:

• Follow O'Baby Orlaith via Google Friend Connect (publicly please) (+2)
• Subscribe to O'Baby Orlaith via email (don't forget to confirm your subscription) (+2)
• Grab My Button and let me know where you posted it (+1)
• Blog about this giveaway, with a link to this post (leave the URL in your comment) (+1)
• Add this giveaway to a giveaway linky (leave the URL in your comment) (+5)
• Like My Baby Clothes Boutique on Facebook and tell them O'Baby Orlaith sent you (leave your Facebook name in the comment) (+1)
• Sign up for the My Baby Clothes Boutique monthly newsletter & coupons (top, right of page) (+1)

Contest ends 11/19/2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Open to US residents only.

Please remember to leave a comment for each entry.

If the winning comment cannot be verified, I will draw a new winner.

Your email must be in your comment or in your profile in order to win.

Winner will be chosen via random.org

The winner will be notified via email at the close of the contest. They will have 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

The information expressed in this review are my own, honest opinions. I was not compensated in any way.

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkin Pals

I am posting my Wordless Wednesday early since I am out of town for work tomorrow. Enjoy!

Super Model in the Making - 10 Months

10 Months Old

Orlaith and Mommy after her 1st Carousel ride at the Texas State Fair

Mommy's Little Pumpkin

Wow... Orlaith is 10 months old today! Time just keeps flying by! She is constantly learning and doing new things. She is all over the place, and is a super-fast crawler. She pulls up on anything and everything, and will cruise on the furniture too. She has also figured out that certain stationary items can be pushed across the floor so that she can walk wherever she wants. Smart! She recently started using blankets, toys, etc... to cover her face and play peek-a-boo. This has now progressed into using her hands. If you ask her "Where is Orlaith?" she takes the cue and uses those teeny hands to cover her face. Then she will throw her hands in the air, while I exclaim "Boo!" and she giggles. Then repeat until she decides she wants to do something else. it really is totally adorable!

Her eating habits continue to be fabulous. Cauliflower is still her favorite, and she loves any veggie spiced up with some curry powder! She has also gotten to the point where she is seriously upset if I eat something and don't share. She will crawl over to me, pull up and stare at me eating. I have made it a point to always have something on my plate I can share. She LOVES anything mommy is eating!

She has been cutting her bottom front teeth at the same time. They have been sitting right under the skin of the gums, bothering her. I think they might have finally broken through but I can't quite tell. She does not like me to look or feel in her mouth, and she is not shy about letting me know how unhappy it makes her! We got her an amber teething necklace, which has helped with the pain tremendously. We also use teething tablets. I have resorted to ibuprofen only a couple of times. I like to avoid medicine as much as I can, but I am not going to sit there and let her cry in pain either.

Wednesday I am leaving Orlaith for the first time. I have to go on a business trip, and I will not be back until late Friday afternoon. I don't know how I am going to take it, but I can say that I am not looking forward to it, Plus, I have to deal with pumping and transporting my milk through airport security. TSA says it is legal, but why do I have a feeling that I might get hassled? Also, it is going to be less than fun trying to find somewhere clean to pump in the airport. I will report back on my experiences... good, bad or ugly!

Work Woes

It is a difficult balance being a working mom. I don't work because I want to. I work because I have to. I have worked for the same company coming up on 11 years now. Impressive, right? I used to believe in my company... used to. After Orlaith was born, I went part time, only working 4 days a week. I was recently informed that due to work load I am going to have to become full time again for 9 weeks. That's not so bad, right? Well, here is the kicker... They are making me work an 11am-8pm shift. Seriously? My baby will be asleep by the time I get home. I have been seriously upset and bawling over this. To top it off, the 9 weeks span over Thanksgiving, Orlaith's 1st birthday, my birthday, Christmas and New Year's Day. Yep. I think I might have a nervous breakdown over this. I can't sleep. I am so upset that my company is robbing me of precious time with my daughter... especially during the holidays. The worst part is that there is nothing I can do about it. I need a pay check. Sob.

Wordless Wednesday: Just Hanging Around

9 Months

Playing Wednesday Morning

My sweet baby girl was 9 months old on Saturday. Yesterday we took her for her 9 month well checkup. Everything went great. Orlaith has been right around the 50th percentile for head circumference, height and weight since birth. This time she surprised us and shot up to the 80th percentile for height! So now she is 28.5 inches tall, 18 lbs 6 oz and her head is 44cm around. We went ahead and got her a flu shot as well. I was pretty wishy washy about whether or not we would do it because of the egg component in the shot. I was allergic to eggs as a baby, and I did not want her to have a reaction. Her doctor assured us that since it was the first exposure to eggs, there would not be a serious reaction (if any). Other than a low grade fever, she has been fine. That could be due to teething as well. Her pedi said her bottom right front tooth is looking like it might make a debut sometime soon. I will miss that gummy grin! We also agreed that when she is 12 months, we are going to test her for allergies. I had horrible allergies as a child that triggered asthma. I had multiple cases of pneumonia. I don't want her to go through that. I also had some food allergies like milk, eggs and tomatoes. I eventually outgrew them, but I still suffer from outdoor allergies. Orlaith has been showing some signs of outdoor allergies. Boo! We are going to be proactive in knowing her allergens so we can avoid them and the side effects of exposing her to them. That makes me feel so much better!

Time... Is Not On My Side!

Really, where has all my time gone? Last year at this time, I was preggo and getting ready for my baby girl. Now, I find myself thinking about her first birthday that is rapidly approaching. Eek!!!

Orlaith will be 9 months old on Saturday. She is all over the place. She crawls everywhere, pulls up on everything and has even bangs her little head when she hears music. It is her interpretation of how to dance. I am not quite sure where she got the head banging thing from, but it is absolutely adorable! She has also started to cruise on furniture after she pulls herself up. It scares me to death when she does it because she loses her balance and falls sometimes. I know that is to be expected, but we have zero carpet in our house! When she falls and hits her head, the hardwoods and tile and not very forgiving. Her poor little noggin!

I got Orlaith's Halloween costume in the mail the other day. We tried it on her and took pictures. She loved having the costume on, but then again she is pretty used to me dressing her up. She is absolutely adorable! See for yourself...

We are also dressing up as a family for our Halloween party at our house. I am keeping those costumes under wraps though. I will post pictures after the party!

My blog is starting to grow thanks to blog hops and This For That. I also have my two guest posts coming up on Go Graham Go soon. Once those are posted, there will be giveaways headed your way. Details Here.

I won a $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes Boutique from Marlie and Me. I am super excited to order the outfit I have picked out for Orlaith's 1st birthday. Also, Shannon from My Baby Clothes Boutique has offered to host a giveaway on my blog! I am thrilled to pass on their awesome products to one of my lucky readers! I will let you all know as soon as I have the details. Happy Tuesday!

Making Friends Monday!

Here is another great blog hop! I am finding all kinds of great people to follow, and lots of great giveaways too!

Blog Hops

I have recently discovered blog hops, and I am loving them! It is a great way to browse other blogs, and get to know someone you probably wouldn't have found otherwise. Today, I entered the blog hop over at Inspiring You to Save. Check it out! You will be surprised how fun they are!

Stand Tall, Stand Proud

Look at me Mommy!

I can look out the window now!

That is Orlaith's motto these days! That's right! My sweet girl pulled up to standing for the first time ever on Saturday night! I bought her one of those activity tables to encourage her to pull up, and it worked! She has been sitting down and reaching up to activate the noises/music. She LOVES music and likes to dance every chance she gets. Saturday night, she pulled herself up to her knees (for the 1st time too) and then she just stood up out of nowhere! It was super duper cute. She had a huge grin on her face. She was SO proud! We were proud of her too. Since then, she pulls herself to standing whenever she gets the chance. It has been a busy week, crawling and standing all within 3 days of each other. I better brace myself for walking. I know I don't have long!

Bump 2 Baby Event

There is a huge giveaway event coming up!!! Visit Minnesota Mamas Must Haves for your chance to win great baby products all during the month of September! Head over before 8/31 so you can snag your extra entries!

Fun Follow Friday

I just found out about Fun Follow Friday. There are two host blogs Simply Stacy and My Wee View. If you have a blog, you can go link up your blog on both sites to get more followers through Google Friend Connect. The directions are listed on the FFF pages on both host blogs. What a great idea! Thanks ladies!

8 Months

Orlaith crawling for the 1st time!

My sweet baby girl!

So yesterday Orlaith was 8 months and 1 week old. We had pictures taken that were delayed from last week due to her Roseola rash. Right in the middle of the photo shoot, she crawled for the first time!!! We got a great picture too. I am so glad that I was there to see it. She has had the belly crawl down for a while now, but this was full on hands & knees crawling!

She has also learned to clap. If you say "yay" and clap your hands, she will clap her hands too. She is starting to mimic a lot, which is super cute. Hopefully she will pick up some of the baby sign language we have been using with her. She has mimicked the sign for "milk" so far. So exciting!

Weekend Update with Orlaith Markey

We had a very busy weekend! Friday night we went to a going away party at the in-home daycare Orlaith attends. One of the little girls had gone there for 4 years (since she was born) and was leaving for school. There was a blow up water slide, food, smores and some karaoke to Hannah Montana. Good times!

Hanging out by the water slide

Saturday morning we got up early, and had breakfast tacos before heading to the grocery store. Orlaith loves going grocery shopping. She sits up big and tall in the cart, and plays with the balloon we tie to the cart for her. I have to be careful not to park the cart too close to anything, because she will reach and grab for just about everything. Her nickname when she does this is 'Grabby McGrabberson'. She always gets tons of attention, which she eats up!

That afternoon, we had Marlie's 1st birthday party to attend. It was so much fun! There was yummy grilled pizza, a teddy bear cake and Mother Goose entertained the kiddos too! Orlaith was super-duper tired when we got done with that, and she crashed hard! She woke up just in time for us to meet our friends Brooke, Greg and Georgia for dinner. Orlaith and Georgia are 3 days apart and it is so fun to get them together. After dinner, we hung out at our place and let the girls play. After that Brian and I watched the documentary Babies. I loved it!

Chasing bubbles at Marlie's party

Orlaith and Georgia

Sunday morning I made breakfast. Then while O was taking her morning nap, I made up four batches of baby food. New on the menu this week is figs, kiwi, green rice (sauteed onion, garlic, spinach and lemon zest pureed and mixed with jasmine rice) and a lentil/veggie mixture (onion, carrots and celery cooked with green lentils and vegetable broth). I love cooking for Orlaith. It is so fun to try new recipes and watch her adorable face as she tastes them for the first time. I am so proud of my good eater! She hasn't met a vegetable she doesn't like!

Sunday afternoon O and I went to mommy/baby yoga which is always a blast. This time we had friends join us for class - Ann & Ody and Veronica & Violet. We were all in a birthing class together last year and the babies are very close in age. It is always a fun time when we can get them together.

Once we got home it was time to get everything ready for the work week and day care. Whew! It was so nice to sit still... finally. Brian and I settled in to watch our Sunday night TV - True Blood! Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE that show? It is so brilliant! I slept great last night, with my sweet O baby snuggled up next to me. It is always the best way to start my day by waking up to her cute baby noises and the sweet, gummy grin!

My Baby Clothes Boutique

There is only one word to describe this boutique, and that word is unique! I love clothes shopping for my 8 month old daughter. So when I find a place that has adorable clothes at a great price, I am all over it! I first heard about My Baby Clothes Boutique from Teresha at Marlie and Me. She was coveting an adorable outfit for Marlie's 1st birthday. I was at Marlie's party this past Saturday, and I saw first hand how perfect her outfit was!

Now, it is my turn to covet... Orlaith's birthday will be here before I know it. She will turn one December 18th. That is less than four months away... eek! If you know me, you know what a planner I am. When I heard that Marlie and Me was hosting a giveaway for a $25 gift card to the boutique, I immediately had to enter. I also picked out the perfect birthday outfit for Orlaith. I LOVE this outfit and have never seen anything like it! I WANT IT! I also want these adorable shoes to go with it. How cute would my little cupcake be in that outfit???

So you can go enter the giveaway here. If you don't, that just gives me a better chance of winning! Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me! I want this win badly...

Big Things, Coming Soon!

I am going to be a guest blogger on Go Graham Go!!! I have written two posts for Felicia. One is all about cloth diapering, and the other is about making your own baby food. They should be up next month. I will post a link once they are published.

Also, I am so happy to announce that I am going to start hosting giveaways soon! I have two of them planned to coincide with my guest posts on GGG. I will be giving away a copy of Blender Baby Food (provided by me) and I will be giving away a cloth diaper sponsored by Christine at Sew Natural Diaper Company!

Roseola

Orlaith came down with a VERY high fever Sunday night. I took her temperature and it was 103.9! I thought the thermometer was broken, so I took it again with a different one and it was the same. I immediately called her pediatrician's office and left a message for the doctor on call. She called back within 5 minutes and instructed me to alternate generic Tylenol and generic Motrin (due to the recalls). Her fever finally broke 3 hours later. The next day, she was not interested in food at all. She was in pretty good spirits as long as I kept her fever down. She still ran a low grade fever all day though. About 2 she was fussy and wanted to be held. By 2:20 I noticed red spots all over her torso. I called the doctor's office and made an appointment to take her in. On the 20 minute drive there, the rash had spread to her face, arms, hands, legs and feet. My poor baby! The doctor confirmed that she had Roseola, and the rash was even on her throat. Luckily she seemed to be moving through the infection must faster than most babies since her fever only lasted one day instead of three.I kept her home again yesterday. We had no more issues with the fever, but she wasn't very hungry and just wanted Mommy to hold her. Her 8 month pictures are postponed until next week when the rash should be all cleared up. Here she is now, 8 months old today, splotches and all.

Balloon Love

Yesterday was my day off with Orlaith. We met my cousin and Aunt for lunch at a tearoom. She got lots of love and kisses from them both! I went grocery shopping after that where O sat in the cart like a big girl. I got her a balloon (they are free when you walk in). She was mesmerized by it! It was definitely a big hit. She played with it all day yesterday, and actually did not pop it. I was totally banking on the fact that she would pop it by digging her razor sharp nails into it. I was ready to be on call for the scary "pop", and the ensuing crying. I am glad that didn't happen, although I am sure it will one day soon.



Orlaith fought nap time, BIG TIME! She fell asleep an hour and 15 minutes later than usual and then only slept 1 hour instead of 2. Plus, the past couple of nights she has been fighting bedtime too, and she has been waking up early in the mornings. I am kind of worried that she is not getting enough sleep. I think I will mention this to her pediatrician next time we are in the office if she keeps this up.

Last night I made Orlaith a tutu for her 8 month pictures next week. It turned out really cute. I am VERY proud of myself!!!




I won a pair of ShooShoos from Go Graham Go. I picked out these.
http://shooshoosusa.com/product_info.php?products_id=694
I am getting them bigger so that I will have shoes when O is walking.

I Win!

I have been having a bit of a dry spell lately, but I finally won something! I won a Best Bottoms diaper cover and 3 inserts from Dirty Diaper Laundry! I can't wait to get it in the mail and try it out.

I have used the Rockin' Green detergent (I won this a bit ago from another blog) for the past 3 times I have washed diapers. It works really well, and the diapers are super clean! It has even managed to remove a few stains from the diapers.

Catching Up - 7 Months

We took O to the doctor last week to get a couple of vaccinations. She cried but we gave her the crinkly paper off the exam table to play with and she stopped. That stuff is like magic. I need a roll for at home! She now weighs 16 lbs 12 oz! She is growing like crazy.

I posted a little while back about O and her yoga poses. She has gotten really good at them. No, I mean REALLY good! She goes from cobra to plank to downward facing dog. She has figured out how to alternately move her legs, but she hasn't figured out the arms yet. Any day now she is going to take off. I was so hoping that she would crawl before our vacation was over. I really want to be the first one to see that. If the sitter sees her crawl first, I will be SO SAD.

Orlaith has a great appetite. She is now eating solids four times a day. She nurses or has breast milk in a bottle six times a day (sometimes more). The first feeding of the day is around 5 or 6 AM and she falls right back asleep. The next four feedings are followed up by solids. In the morning, she has yogurt and fruit mixed with rice cereal. The next three feedings are fruit and veggies. I try to give her 4 different things, one for each feeding. I also try to make sure she is getting a variety of colors with at least one green veggie per day. I mix rice cereal into everything. She started off with solids just 3x per day, and 1 ounce per feeding. Now we are up to 4x per day and 2 ounces per feeding (plus the rice cereal). She loves every single veggie she has tried. Her favorites are beets, carrots, squash and zucchini. She tolerates most fruit, but doesn't devour it the same way as the vegetables. She hates peaches and watermelon. The watermelon she actually projectile spit out. That was fun! I think that bananas (fresh and mashed up) and pears are her favorite fruits so far. I really enjoy making her food and letting her try new things. It is always an adventure!

Today was my first day back to work from vacation. It was so hard to leave O. I got so used to having her with me all day. I actually teared up. I guess life must go on though...