The Great Mommy Debate

Even though I live in NYC, I'm not about to get dragged into the latest debate in The Mommy Wars. Quite honestly, I got sucked into a debate and quickly remembered why I keep my thoughts to myself on so many hot topics in parenthood.

I have a 6 month old who is exclusively breastfed, has tried solids once and received a bottle of formula once in the hospital without my consent.

I'm incredibly proud of that.

But for some reason, I'm not able to say that without "bashing" moms who have had to or have chosen to formula feed.

Let me say this:

Being Pro-Breastfeeding does NOT
mean one is anti-formula feeding Moms.

It's a fairly simple concept, but it seems to be overlooked and ignored whenever these debates flare up. Jut because I'm proud of my own success does not mean I'm judging you or that I think you're wrong or have failed.

If you want to know the truth, I'd say about 60% of my success with EBFing was plain old dumb luck.

The stars aligned just right. Due to an actual emergent c-section, we didn't have the immediate skin-to-skin contact and ability to be put to breast.

I was lucky to have a baby who came back to the breast after having a bottle given by a nurse when she was under the lights for jaundice. She figured out how to latch quickly, properly, on her own.

Yes, I did also put in the work and effort required to make it work for our family. I had a pedi who didn't push formula on me when she didn't gain "enough" weight after her first week home. I had a LC who told me just throw out the samples, that there's always a 24 hour store if I ever actually needed formula. I had the support of my family.

I also had sheer will and determination to do this for my child.

If any one of those building blocks was removed, the whole tower might come crashing down. I can't say because that wasn't my experience.

I can only speak of my own experience.

But for some reason I'm not allowed to speak about my own experience and how proud I am without offending another mom.

Oh, that's right!

For a while there I totally forgot I had a six month old and shouldn't be sleeping through the night, every night.

Thanks for the hourly reminders, Bree!

You're lucky you're cute or Mama would be super grumpy today!

I'm totally "THAT LADY"

You know, the one who says "Congratulations!" to you as you walk by with your adorable baby bump.  The one who looks longingly at you with your infant, and totally creeps you out with just a smile.  The one who can't help but say "Enjoy, it goes by so fast!" as you roll your eyes. The one who you wish would just leave you alone because really, you've heard it all before and yeah, yeah, yeah you get it.

I know this, because just six short months ago I WAS you. 

And now, somehow, I've become THAT lady.  It happened so slowly I never saw it coming.  I had no idea it was happening to me.  One day I heard myself say "Congrats!" to a lady as I held open a door for her, I had an out of body experience and realized...

...IT HAD HAPPENED. To me?!?!

The moment I had dreaded.  Swore would never come.  It was here.

And I could not care less.


You see, six months ago I went into labor with a whole lot of ideas and judgments.  I very quickly found that babies don't give a poop about your ideas, they do what they want.

I was going to have a natural, unmedicated birth.  Ended up with an emergency c-section 68 hours after my water broke.  (I should finally write my birth story one day before I forget everything!)

If having a child teaches you anything, it's that you have no idea about things you thought you knew, and that there are plenty of things you don't even know that you don't know.

It's a weird club of which to be a member. Others try to warn you, but you just can't know until you know it and experience it yourself.

All the things other parents say are true. And one day you'll catch yourself staring at that 5 week old and wondering how your sweet baby has gotten so big, so smart, so cute...so fast. Too fast, even. And before you know it those dreaded words will slip from your lips and fall upon the ears of a soon to be parent who just doesn't know what they don't know.

*I am absolutely not "that lady" who rubs random strangers bellies or attempts to pick up your child out of their stroller. If I ever become that lady you have full permission to take me out back and shoot me.

An actual craft?!?!

Way back, like a whole year ago, this blog was called The Lazy Novice Crafter. Then, I got pregnant and became the lazy-novice-go-to-bed-at-6-and-throw-up-every-meal-er.

Followed by the lazy-novice-so-tired-I-can't-cook-much-less-craft-er.

But now that Little Miss is 6 months old, we're getting in a groove. She's learning to sleep, and I'm still trying to avoid doing laundry. Nursing is going well, and doesn't take 12 hours a day.

My sister is an AMAZING crafter. The girl knits and crochets and makes headbands that people always want to buy right off Bree's head.

I, on the other hand, suck at crafting. I love it, but I would fail the 2nd grade Modge Podge portion on the "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader" version of "Craft Wars"...if such a thing existed outside of my head.

When I visited family last week, Sister lent me a loom. I'm going to make Little Miss a hat!

Have you used a loom before? So easy! It's long, tedious and boring, but super easy. I feel like a real life crafter now.

Watch out, Tori Spelling, I'm coming for you!

I have a six month old...and a blog.

Wanna know what happens when you learn to function on interrupted sleep for six full months?

Your brain starts playing tricks on you. Suddenly old reliable decides to become a prankster worthy of a Punk'd appearance. Every day is April Fool's Day when you have been sleep deprived for a full six months.

On her half year birthday Aubrey also learned to sit unassisted. I was one proud Mama!

You might recall I decided to mark her big milestones with a photo.

This is where the joke begins.

We take our pictures, post them on Facebook and wait for the comments to come rolling on in!

Congratulate me on my brilliant, beautiful, baby genius. Validate me. Pretty please?

Except, everyone notices something I don't. Smart Mother Michelle put the wrong date. Yup, I somehow mixed up my 6 and 7.

Awesome.