Yes, I sometimes think I'm better ...

It's sad to admit, but its true. Don't we all do this on some level or another though? Especially as parents, we get in this "my way is the best way" mentality. Sure, we made those decisions because we think they are the best. For our child. I sometimes have to remind myself that other parents also make their decisions based on whats best for their child. It's not really my place to tell others how to raise their kids. Just like I hate when people tell me the things I do are wrong. We all have our own opinions and are allowed to make our own decisions. That's the cool thing about being humans.

It definitely gets hard not to force your opinions on others though. The cave husband and I did countless hours of research on everything from vaccinations to cloth diapering. There's a lot of decisions that just make sense. They were no-brainers for us and I think it gets frustrating when other people don't see them as no-brainers as well.

Take circumcision for example. That was a very resounding NO in our house. When you read that even the American Academy of Pediatrics says it is not medically necessary, why would you even consider it? That was the quickest decision we made. WE WILL NOT TAKE AWAY ANY PART OF HIM WITHOUT HIS CONSENT! Yes, I know there are religious reasons and other things like that, but seriously?!? If its not a religious belief, it's simply just a lack of knowledge. Do your homework! And if you can honestly you say you read all the research, and decided to still remove something that isn't yours, I don't think we can be friends. It's sickening to me. Sorry, but its true.

I'm trying really hard to not be THAT parent, but honestly its hard. There are just times I want to scream "you're doing it all wrong" but that's not my place. Again, for whatever the reasons may be, they made those decisions based on what they think is best for their child. I definitely don't want to be known as the crazy pushy parent. I want friends/family/strangers to ask for my opinion and to value it, because I did put A LOT of time and energy into researching every side of every decision.

Good job, A.

I'm currently writing my staff's reviews at work and felt it appropriate to give A his very own review. Overall, I'd say he's significantly Above Standards!

Archer,

You constantly demonstrate the desire to learn more. You succeed at everything you set your mind to. Recently you have learned to roll over (front to back AND back to front), you've found your toes, learned how to grasp things and reach for whatever you can (often). You don't really cry, you go to bed very easily, and are very sweet to momma and daddy. Everyone loves you. People fall in love with your smile instantly. You exhibit characteristics of being a leader and as long as you have goals, you'll go very far in life. I truly appreciate everything about you and hope you know how much you mean to me. I couldn't be who I am without you. I challenge you to keep pushing your boundaries. Learn everything you possibly can and ALWAYS ask questions. I'm here to support you in everything you do and teach you as best as I know how. Thank you for being you.

Changes.

Being a breastfeeding mom, its funny how just the smallest of things revolve around feeding the baby. Working in retail, I've always been able to wear the cutest things that are the latest hot trend. Now when putting together an outfit, I have to consciously be aware of how practical it is to feed/pump in. Luckily there are a couple of cute blogs out there about this very same dilemma. My fave? Milk-Friendly.

Warning:

I'm restarting my blog. The majority of my day consists of my sweet baby A so if you don't like to hear about babies, being a momma, and all that comes with it, you should probably block this page. For everyone else, welcome to my cave.

I say cave, because since the beginning of this year, we went paleo. We try to do everything around here as simply as possible. We started a paleo lifestyle for several reasons:

1. Health - I was starting my second trimester (lots of brain growth for baby k) and my husband was a fatty. Like really y'all! When we look back on pictures, all that drinking really did some work on his (mine, too) body. He's now in the best shape of his life and surely added some good quality years on his life.

2. It just feels so much better - I hate eating crap. Sure, we have our cheats and sometimes just fall completely off the wagon, but it doesn't feel good. I like that my body can tell the difference.

3. We want to raise Archer without overly adding junk in his life. Junk as in food, over stimulation with television, chemicals, vaccinations, you name it. We want him to be as natural a baby as he's intended to be.

4. Sleeping in a dark room is rejuvenating.

5. Again, it just feels good!