I used to be more interesting.

Before (that's Before, with a capital B), I'm sure I had other things to talk about. What was life full of - work, food, movies, restaurants, going out with friends, sewing, baking, gardening? I can't really remember. I do remember swearing I wasn't going to be one of those boring people who can only talk about their babies.

Fast forward to today, and my main topics of conversation these days are:

• sleep
• milk
• Mia
• ...
  

Yep, that's it. I am officially one of those people. Hey, at least I don't talk about poop. Much.

The reason is this: she takes ALL of my time, 24 hours a day. I have very little time for anything but nursing, changing, soothing, diapering, endless laundry, stuffing cloth diapers, putting away baby laundry, wiping up spit up, leaving a trail of baby washcloths, burp cloths and baby socks as we go, and picking it all up as well. It took me three hours to put away the dishes from the dishwasher the other day. One day I vacuumed with her in a sling - that was a MAJOR accomplishment!

I know it will get easier. It already has, really. We're trying for a schedule of sorts, and it's actually working - she's had two nights in a row now that have been better. Better means she's up every even hour to eat, burp and settle - which takes an hour. So I'm getting 4 one-hour stretches of sleep a night now. That is an improvement. I've realized that I've actually been sleeping with my eyes open (literally - I wake up and I immediately need drops in my eyes, they are so dried out).

I know that my sense of self and having a life outside of the baby will return as well. Eventually.

For now, I'm devoted to her care. It's my only job, my life's work and my passion... even at 4:00 am, when I'm dead tired and she's starving.

And this is why I have very little else to talk about these days... There's no room for anything else in my life right now!

Gypsy Jewels - Review and Giveaway!

***This giveaway is closed***
Winner: Leigh!

I have a great line of products to share with you today. Gypsy Jewels is an Etsy shop featuring gorgeous jewelry as well as mama products. Juliea is a doula so, as you can imagine, she's well in tune with the needs of mamas! Of course, the jewelry is not just for mamas - her gemstone bracelets and necklaces are lovely on anyone. Check out these beauties:I love this silver leaf necklace - isn't that pretty?
And this malachite and rose quartz birthing bracelet is not only lovely, but the stones are meant to stimulate contractions. I have read elsewhere that these stones are excellent for fertility!

I love that Juliea has taken the time to research the stones and tells what they are known for in the product descriptions. Whether or not you believe in the power of stones, they are so pretty!

Besides the jewelry, there are also the mama products and this is where I come in. I was able to review the Mama Munchies cookies and a nursing clip.

The Mama Munchies cookies are full of goodness that helps with lactation. So not only do you get to eat cookies, it's for the baby - and you don't have to share! They are organic, and contain ingredients that are beneficial to your health as well as helping out with milk supply. Plus, (this is really important) they are delicious! Nothing like feeling like you've done yourself and your little one a good deed by eating a cookie :) I loved the cranberry and walnuts in them, and that they are not overly sweet, just sweet enough. Yum.Plus, they are perfectly freezable so if you're still waiting on baby's arrival, you can pick them up now and be prepared. I know this first hand as I received them in January and as you know, Mia joined our family in mid-February. The cookies tasted absolutely fresh when I brought them out of the freezer.

The nursing clip is wonderful as well. I had the chance to try this out recently - I'm not that shy about bringing the boob out for Mia to nurse, but there are certain situations where I'd rather not show the world. The clip is way smaller than dragging along a big cover, and you can use whatever's on hand as the cover itself. I had a blanket handy so that did the trick. I really hate carrying luggage for the baby - my diaper bag is a small tote - so keeping accessories to a minimum is key. This works for me!

The clip is pretty fabric with a lead-free clip on each end. You can see that the clip has plastic 'teeth'. I remember this type of clip back in the day when they were made with jagged metal teeth! Nothing like that here. It is fabric-friendly so you don't have to worry about damaging whatever you use as a cover. You could use a napkin at a restaurant, your jacket, whatever you have on hand.

Here we are using the clip... do I look tired? I AM! And yes, I am sitting around on the couch wearing only a nursing bra on top... Par for the course these days, I'm ashamed to say. At least I have a little modesty using the blanket as a cover. Mia's little legs in her legwarmers and socks look like doll legs, but I assure you she is under there munching away. It's pretty much all she does besides snooze (never at night). Here's the great news for you! Juliea has offered one of my readers a gift certificate to her Etsy shop! VERY nice! You could pick up something for yourself, or any of her products would make great gifts.

The giveaway: One winner will receive a $20 gift certificate to spend at Gypsy Jewels!

How to enter: Visit Gypsy Jewels, and tell me something that you love, OR visit Juliea's doula website, Crowning Lotus, and tell me something you learned. Please be sure to include your email if it’s not public in your blogger profile! You MUST do ONE of these things for the mandatory entry; if you do BOTH, leave an extra comment for a bonus entry!

Extra entries: Bonus time! Leave a comment for each extra entry.

• Follow Juliea's blog (publicly)
• Heart the Gypsy Jewels shop on Etsy (leave your Etsy name)
  
• Become a fan of/"like" Gypsy Jewels on Facebook (mention your first name and last initial in your comment).
• Follow @gypsyjewels on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!).
• Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name!). Already do? That counts!
• Tweet about this giveaway (once - this is not a daily!) and leave me the permalink. You can use this for your tweet, if you like:
  

  "#Win a $20 GC to Gypsy Jewels (Etsy) @ Emily's Latest. @emilyisland @gypsyjewels http://bit.ly/hggDOY US/CAN 4/7 jewelry & mama products!"

• Follow my blog (publicly) – 2 entries, leave 2 comments. Already do? That counts!
  
• Add my blog button to your blog - leave the URL. Already have it? That counts!
• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post and to Gypsy Jewels – 2 entries, leave 2 comments and please include a link to your post
• Tell me - do you believe in the power of stones? I am open minded about it - not fully believing, but not disbelieving either! Kind of a "can't hurt, might help" attitude!
  

Please be sure to include your email if it’s not public in your blogger profile! Anonymous comments without a way to contact you will be rejected. Canadian or US mailing addresses only, please. Giveaway ends April 7th at 11:59 pm EST. A winner will be drawn within a day or two of the giveaway's end, announced here, in a separate post and emailed!

Winner - Fairhaven Health Breastfeeding Support!

Late, I know - this one ended on the 17th! Random.org considered the entries and here is the winner:

Congrats, mama! I'll be emailing you shortly :)

Stay tuned for more giveaways for mums and babies... I know things are moving slowly around here but they are coming, I promise. Good ones, too!

Meanwhile, for your entertainment, here is another photo of my favourite little girl. This is the dark side of Mia - she definitely has her smiley moments, but this happens too! This is just the start of a raging and inconsolable crying fit she had after tummy time today. Thankfully, a nap on mum solved whatever the issue was.