Not So Easy-Bake Oven

So I got volunteered to do a cake for my friend's baby shower this weekend. Well my first and most natural instinct was to go to the store and order one. But then I started playing with the idea of trying to do one myself. My MIL "helped" me do a cake for another baby shower last month (yeah it's babies, babies everywhere right now!). Anyway, she actual did most of the doing and I did a lot of watching.
So anyway, I thought I'd give it a try and do one solo this time with the back up plan of ordering something if it didn't work out. Then I completely lost my mind and decided I wanted to try a fondant cake. I've never even touched fondant before, let alone work with it, so I must have totally lost my mind. But I went with the insanity and found a picture of something I thought I could handle and went to work.
I have to say it turned out a whole lot better than I thought it would. In fact those were my husband's exact words when he saw what I had done. It did have one tiny crack in it but I was able to cover it up pretty well and I was totally stressed that any minute it would just crumble before my eyes. But I got it to the shower just fine and everyone said nice things about it. Maybe I am not completely talentless after all. Now that I have some idea of what to expect I might try something a little more complicated and see where that goes.
I was also able to make my friend a cute little gift basket (kind of my signature shower gift) with jungle animals painted on it and the baby's name and stuff, but I didn't get a picture of it. These are the cake pictures I got. I know the picture quality is bad but my good camera's batteries were dead. Anyway, what do you think? I remember in YW many years ago I was the unspoken noncrafty girl, but maybe an old dog can learn something after all.

(FYI: The letters on the side spell out JULIAN, the baby's name)

Six Months Stats--Well Six and a half now!

Our handsome little guy turned six months old on the 13th of May. I can't believe it's already been that long!! Well his doctor's visit was fine. He is 17lbs 14 ozs and 26 1/2 inches tall. He has one little tooth and loves testing it out. Everything he finds goes straight into his mouth. He sits like a pro and is trying to pull up on everything. I think he wants to walk instead of learning to crawl. Who knows. He chatters constantly, just like his big brother, and he is quite the charmer. He still has his little bear growl that he came with and it's still as cute as ever.
Max is still his favorite person in the world, but Mommy is a close second. He's starting to really like his Daddy too! I love watching this little guy grow and learn and discover. I can't wait for what the future holds but I'm enjoying these moments while I have them. They just don't stay little for very long.

Max Fed Zach Playdough

Can you guess what color it was?

Boob V. Bottle-(From the Latex Nipple Perspective)

I have often thought about addressing this topic in my blog, but have never been able to bring myself to do it. I try to keep this blog lighthearted and centered around the wonderment that are my children. However tonight in my surfing, my fellow blogger friend Jessica posted her views on the subject and I have felt compelled to add to her remarks.
Before I had kids I could never decide whether I was going to be boob or a bottle mom. When approaching the birth of my first son, I decided I was going to give nursing a shot. All of the research indicated that it would be better for my baby and I was curious as to how it would go. I was raised in a bottle drinking family and my DH's family was the nursing type. Anyway, when Max was born I tried. I really did try to be that kind of a mom. The doctors pushed it, the lactation counselor tried to convince me my baby would be fat and dumb if I wasn't successful at it, and all of my friends were seasoned pros. For the first two weeks of my baby's life, all I seemed to do was pump and cry and wonder why God blessed me with 44DDDs that didn't work for squat.
In the end, a kind nurse and a supportive husband and family convinced me that it was more important for me to enjoy by little boy than continue fighting a battle that I was rapidly losing. From there I switched exclusively to formula and gave up trying anything else. Max was happy, healthy, and thriving, but I still cringed and wanted to cry every time someone pointed out that he was bottle fed. Many were even bold enough to inquire why and inform me that I was not making the "best" choice for my little one. I once told a woman in the mall that yes I chose not to breastfeed because I in fact did not love my child as much as she must love hers. I think she believed me.
Truth be told when I was pregnant with Zach one of my biggest fears was facing this "stigma" all over again. After weeks of stressing over it and confiding only in my husband about my feelings of failure, we decided it wasn't worth the stress. Zach was bottle fed from the beginning without much discussion. Again, I have a healthy, bright, well-adjusted baby who loves his mommy and daddy equally (actually he kind of still favors me!). Most of my friends were around with my struggles with Max so it was never really brought up this time. Strangers still make rude comments but I have learned that they tend to make rude comments about a lot of things. I ignore them. I can now sit in the middle of a group of moms at playgroup and pull out my bottle when they pull out there boobs and feel good about it. My baby only eats every four hours and always has. He has reached every milestone put in front of him. I have gotten to sleep while my husband takes 2AM feedings. It costs a little bit more, but we cut back other places when we need to and my nipples never hurt.
Now I have nothing against nursing moms at all. In fact around here I'm one of the only non-nursers I know. It works for some and not for others. I think we should all be glad that moms are taking care of babies in whatever way works best for them.
Now to the reason I posted this (other than getting on a soap box and a therapeutic attempt at justify my actions) I wonder if boob moms really secretly view bottle moms as failures and heathens or is this just some kind of insecurity and guilt we put on ourselves because breastfeeding happens to be the popular thing right now. What do you think? I'm interested in your point of view--if you are still with me of course. I did kind of start rambling and ranting didn't I?!? Anyway, thoughts??

Vacation--Six weeks later

We went to Louisiana for a few weeks back in April and I'm finally getting the chance to blog about it! Yay!! Anyway, we had a great time hanging out with friends and family. Jeff was even able to spend part of the time with us. We did lots of stuff including the Bluebonnet Swamp, the zoo, barbecuing, Easter, my mom's b-day, picnics, Jeff's b-day, sidetrip to the beach, a bridal shower, 4 wheeling, and a bunch of other stuff too. We also did a lot of eating. I probably gained 10lbs while I was there, dining on poboys, etouffe, and pie!
Well here are a few pictures. Hopefully I'll get the chance to post more but I'm actually suppose to be fixing dinner right now, so we'll see!
I think Grandma Mouse and Paw Paw enjoyed having the boys around for a little while. I'm glad they let Jeff and I come along too!

Zach was quite the charmer and made lots of friends. He such a fun little guy.

Jeff had plenty of help blowing out his candles and opening his presents. Happy Birthday Baby!

Max had a great time running through the Baton Rouge Zoo with his cool cousin Emie!!

Easter morning was a big hit when someone found Wow Wow Wubbzy in his basket!

Much fun was had by all. Can't wait till we are closer and can visit more often! Stay tuned for more pictures including Pensacola, the swamp, and 4 wheeling in Prarieville (if someone will send me those pictures--hint, hint).

PGA Here We Come

Max won a gift certificate for mini golf from a coloring contest at the news station. (I'm telling you all, you should enter your kids in stuff cause winning is cool!) Anyway, we took him golfing and it was a huge hit. He's actually pretty good at it too! Now he's so into golf that he will sit and watch it on TV. He gets excited and everything. Maybe we have the next Tiger on our hands. Who Knows!!

Path of Destruction

When I married Jeff, I was warned to watch out because he liked to experiment, build, explore, deconstruct, and create all sorts of stuff. After nearly six years of marriage I have gotten pretty use to the ongoing projects and unfinished hobbies all over the place. What I haven't gotten use to is the fact he has passed these traits on to my boys. Max has definately entered the discovery part of his life and my house is paying for it. Nothing is safe anymore! In the past two weeks he has...
1. Ripped a giant hole in my couch in the attempt to "fix" a tiny hole.
2. Discovered matches but can't quite figure out how to "make the fire come out."
3. Took apart our best flashlight (and I mean completely apart--into about 30 pieces).
4. Dismantled Zach's baby monitor to "see where the noise keeps coming from."
5. Planted Easter eggs in our garden so that we could grow some jellybeans ( I thought that one was cute).
6. Pulled up and replanted our flowers because he ran out of other stuff to plant.
7. Discovered that things on the stove really are hot like Mommy has always told him.
8. And thanks to Sid the Science Kid, tied Zach up in a jump rope so he could "pulley" him up the "inclined plane" (the backyard slide). Don't worry I didn't let that completely happen the way he had planned.

So this is what it's like to have Orwin boys. I only have three so far (Jeff included) and the little one can't do much. I don't know how my MIL did it with 6 of them and kept her house from falling down!