Your Relationship with your child`s Pediatrician and why I`ve found that having completely different views on preferred parenting styles can be helpful.

When most people (my family and friends included) give me their opinions on what I do regarding parenting my 6 month old daughter, I get defensive and annoyed immediately when it is the opposite of my beliefs. In 2014, a lot of people don`t understand what is classified as "attachment parenting". Especially when it comes to caring for babies. Co-sleeping, breastfeeding on demand and making all of my babies food myself using organic ingredients are all things that I participate in and probably the most common things that are talked about when this parenting style is brought up. In saying this, you may wonder why I chose and stick with a pediatrician that has completely opposite ideas than I do.

When I was pregnant with Irellend, I did not stress over interviewing a bunch of doctors and finding the PERFECT one like some mothers do. Instead I waited until I was in labor to ask the hospital staff that was in and out of my room, what pediatricians they had worked with and would recommend. And with that I decided on a women who had a very positive reputation with the few people I spoke with. When she came in, to exam our new bundle of joy, she immediately complimented me as a mother for using my boppy and nursing like a pro "already". She was stylish, with a cute pixie haircut, tall (like me) and had a thick but understandable Russian accent. She was confident in handling our newborn, super positive and charismatic. Her care was top of the line and her subtle advice was super helpful and not pushy in any way.

Over the months of checkups at her colorful and stylish practice, as well as many interactions with her knowledgeable staff who share her approach to the handling of her patients and their parents.. I have come to know what to expect when I take Irellend to her well visits. I look forward to seeing how much she has grown, getting the cute little sticker with her updated measurements (that fits perfectly in her baby book) & seeing what coupons the nurse has for me. Irellend`s doctor always has such lovely praise for what I`m doing with my child when we discuss her milestones and what has changed since her prior visit.

Although she is supportive of what routes I choose to take, she always lets me know what her ideas are regarding each topic, which half of the time are the complete opposite of my own. BUT I really do appreciate all advice and the ideas she shares with me, even though I do not always agree or do exactly what she suggests. I like having a contrast of ideas with someone who looks after the health of my child. I trust her medical excellence and like the fact that she respects what ever we chose to do with our daughter. And even when it`s not what she suggests, she always gives me information and advice on my chosen methods.

Even though my little baby girl`s doctor is in favor of sleep training in her own crib and not necessarily a fan of extended breastfeeding, I still value her opinion immensely. I really enjoy having a different point of view from someone who is a professional with children, offered without the put downs and ignorant comments made by other people who may have different ideas. An opinion from someone who has watched my child grow thus far and respects me as a parent and a women, is a highly valued one.

Breastmilk and Earths Best Cereal

So my daughter Irellend has just recently become 6 months old. She has been exclusively breastfed and has been eating solids since 4 months (doctor recommended and only fruits & veggies). I make all of her food myself, using organic produce. Well, we have just added yogurt, juice and grains to her diet as well. Again with the grains, I've been making them myself using organic whole wheat rice & milling it. BUT, I bought some Earths Best organic whole grain rice cereal just to have on hand. Today I tried it. On the package it states that you can use breast milk to solute the cereal. I was instantly in love with the product. That soothes my fear, of cereal filling my babies little tummy and her missing out on all the nutrients she still needs from my breast milk. She loved it just as much because she ate the entire bowl! Definitely recommend this cereal for breastfeeding/pumping AND formula feeding moms as well because you can also use formula. PS- Happy National Breastfeeding Month everyone!

Target Baby Sale

I have just recently started couponing. Not the crazy kind of couponing you see on TLC, but rather clipping coupons and matching sales and getting good deals on things we actually need and use. I`ve gotten better and better the more I do it. Last week was target`s baby sale. They sent out little booklets with really awesome coupons to match to their sales (you can also use manufacturers coupons as well). They also just came out with a new app called cartwheel that gives you an extra 5-25% off particular items. PLUS if you use your target red card you get another %5 off of everything you purchase. So here`s a breakdown of what I bought and saved.

Transaction 1:

-When you buy two $25 boxes of selected diapers (normally $35)$ you get a free $10 gift card (target deal, no coupon neecded)

-The target baby coupon book included a $2 off 2 boxes of the same diapers

-I used a $1.50 off pampers swaddlers coupon (coupon-suzy.com)

-I also used a $1.50 off pampers baby dry coupon (coupon-suzy.com)

All in all I got the 2 boxes of pampers for $45 and received a free $10 gift card

-Target booklet coupon offering $2 off a purchase of a box of pampers and a box of pampers wipes

-I used $1.50 off pampers cruisers coupon (coupon-suzy.com) 

-I also used $1.50 off pampers wipes 56ct or higher (coupon-suzy.com)

I got a 24 count of pampers cruisers and 448 count pampers sensitive wipes for $15

*The coupon booklet included a coupon to receive a free $10 gift card when you spend $50 on baby items

**I used my cartwheel barcode for an additional 5% off a couple of the items purchased

***I used my target red card for ANOTHER 5% my entire purchase 

I spent a total of $60 (technically less because I`m not including cartwheel or Red Card savings) and received $20 back in target gift cards. So that`s like spending $40 on $90 worth of diapers and wipes. Talk about a STEAL! And it gets better with my second transaction...

Transaction 2:

-The target baby coupon book included a $2 off a box of up&up wipes and they were also on sale for $11.49 for 736 count of sensitive wipes. So they winded up being $9.49 compared to the normal price of $14.49. (woop! not too shabby)

-The coupon book included a $1 off a pack of gerber onsies, which I got for $8.99 instead of $9.99

-ALSO in the coupon book they had a $4 off $20 spent on circo or cherokee brand baby cloths

-Along with everything purchased above, I bought a number of items that were also on sale (diaper pale liners, medela nursing pads, baby einstein toy, breathable crib bumper, crib sheet, sippy cup, ect.)

-On target`s website they offered a $20 off of $100 spent in the baby department 

-I used my cartwheel barcode, target red card for additional %5 off AND lets not forget about the $20 in gift cards I received from my first transaction. 

On this transaction I spent about $90 give or take on a boatload of stuff for my baby girl!

ALL TOGETHER I SPENT UNDER $150 ON ALL OF THIS

Obviously I was super excited about this and so was my husband for saving so much money on things we would normally buy anyway. Target has awesome deals and chances to save if you keep an eye out for them. Their weekly circular usually includes a couple really good coupons, ($15 off $50 of pet food, $5 off $15 of personal care items... stuff like that) so if you get in the habit of taking advantage of these sales and store coupons and pairing them with manufacturers coupons and stocking up on things your family needs, you could save a lot of money in the long run. (Holy run on sentence) As a stay at home mommy on a tight budget, this is my newest hobby. Such a rush to say the least! Very worth the clipping and planning.

New to blogspot.

So I decided to make this page to share my adventures as a stay at home mom, wife, car enthusiast, rock and roll advocate, cat mother and everything in between. I have had a tumblr account before but never one of these thingamajigs. I'm not a stranger to technology what so ever, I have a Facebook account, a Twitter and an Instagram ...but this website is all new to me. So forgive my sloppiness and just plain ignorance as to how to express myself on here for a while. I will get the hang of it in no time.

Over and out,
Rebecca xoxo