My Little Pony Cosplay- Rarity "Tutorial"

I can't believe how late I am {FINALLY} getting around to posting this! Ah, well, better late than never.

So this past August was the third year I've gone to the "nerd" convention called Fandemonium. It was lots of fun, as always, although a little more difficult this year than last. Remember this little cutie?

Yeah...well...she grew up into a very cute, very sweet, and very ENERGETIC little toddler. :) 

Still as cute as ever though, no? ;)

Anyway, we had a great time, but we were definitely kept busy with her around. Plus it wasn't very easy for this pregnant mama to chase her either. Good thing Daddy was there to help out. :)

So, I know that I mentioned about a year ago (how time flies!!!) that I was going to cosplay Rainbow Dash. Well, I changed my mind. I like Rainbow Dash and all, and as much fun as it would have been to have awesome rainbow colored hair, I just wasn't feeling it. I felt like I had chosen to cosplay her because she was cool, everyone would think I was awesome, and she's popular. But really, as great as Rainbow Dash is, I realized that she's just not my favorite pony. Actually, I really do like all of them, but I do have a few that I like just a little more, and then one that I like just a little more than those. 

My favorite pony is the lovely Rarity. I know, I know, everyone seems to think she's self-centered and boring, but I just find her absolutely hilarious! I've never really taken anything she's said too seriously (like as if this show is all seriousness anyway, right?), and if you don't, then she's just so funny! Plus she loves to sew and create, and so do I, so there's something that we have in common. :)  Plus, what's not to love about that accent of hers? I'm not even sure where exactly that accent is from (it's not quite British, but close), but it sounds lovely! Also, I've seen some people say before that she isn't at all generous. Um, false. In the episode where she is making dresses for her friends for the gala, she changes every single detail of her original ideas for the dresses just to make her friends happy, although she knows they are terrible. Not to mention all of the extra, painstaking work of having to make everything exactly how they want it. What's not generous about that?! If I were her, I would have told them, "Too bad, this is what you're wearing because these look fabulous and your ideas stink!"

Okay, this post wasn't necessarily supposed to be about my favorite pony, so we'll move on to the actual project now. :)

There were quite a few parts and pieces to this costume. Getting ready took a bit of work, but I think it was well worth the effort. 

First off, Rarity has long, purple, curly hair, so I had to get a good wig that matched that description. I found a great seller on eBay called cosplaydna. They have soooo many wigs to choose from, they are great quality, and they are a great price as well! Here's a picture and link to the one I got:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150779393766?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

My one disappointment with this wig is that it wasn't quite as curly as it is in the picture. It still looks great though, so not a big deal. :)

Next, I needed ears and a horn, since Rarity is a unicorn. I found a simple tutorial online for how to make ones out of felt, but the idea just wasn't working for me. I wanted something that was going to look really good. So after some searching, I found this on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83086853/my-little-pony-ears-unicorn-set-mlp?ref=shop_home_feat

Seriously, these are GREAT quality, and they look so nice! Definitely worth spending the extra money. :) And I chose the white set, in case you were wondering. ;)

For the "body," I wanted to wear something that I thought Rarity would wear. I felt that she would most certainly wear a dress. My original idea was to sew a knee-length dress with purple tulle underneath and a purple ribbon around a fitted waist. I was so excited because I thought it was just perfect for representing Rarity and then...I found out I was pregnant. Haha! So I had to bag the whole dress idea and find something that my pregnant tummy would fit under, but still looked somewhat elegant. This is what I chose:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280854358163?var=580083564078&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Still looks like something Rarity would wear, plus I was certain I could still wear it while pregnant, which I did. :) I bought this one in white, of course.

Next, I decided to put a bolero shrug over the dress, mostly because I enjoy being modest, but I also thought a bit of lace would dress it up some. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/280869113963?var=580165374434&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

I got this one in the purple color. 

After that, I needed a cutie mark. I had originally planned to find an image online, print it on screen print paper, and iron it to my dress, but then one of my friends, who was cosplaying Applejack, found this on Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/110582577/my-little-pony-rarity-3-diamonds-cutie?ref=shop_home_active

The color of the thread is actually not quite that bright of blue, but the quality of the embroidery is great, it irons on, and it looks waaaay better than screen printing would have looked. 

I then added big, voluminous false eyelashes the I bought from Claire's. I also added some diamond pearl earrings and a necklace that I already owned. I wanted to wear some white high heels since I know that Rarity would wear only the  most feminine and fashionable thing, but pregnancy and high heels do not mix well. Instead I wore some flat sandals that had diamond looking jewels on them, because if Rarity can't have high heels, I know she would never pass up diamonds. ;)

So that's everything I did for my cosplay. Funny that I didn't sew a single thing for this one, haha! But here is the finished project:

Brandon was Spike and Kessie was Rarity's little sister, Sweetie Belle. Huzzah for family themed cosplay!

You can see the false eyelashes really well in this picture. I also did some blue eye shadow since Rarity wears blue eye shadow too. 

Here's the whole group! I think we looked pretty darn awesome, wouldn't you say? ;)

Totally loved doing this! It was so much fun! Here's to Rarity- BEST PONY!!! :)

Nathan's Birth Story

              I know it’s been an eternity since I've updated this blog. I’m not sure when or why I stopped writing posts for it, making sure it was updated, etc., but I suppose that’s just called life getting in the way. ;) I think it mainly had to do with the fact that only a week or so before Kessie’s first birthday, we found out that we were expecting a new little baby! It was a surprise for us, since we weren’t trying to get pregnant again, but we knew that he would be a blessing to our family. J

            This pregnancy was a bit harder this time around. I had terrorizing leg cramps and swelling for about half of the pregnancy, along with some pretty bad back issues, plus chasing around a busy toddler, but the pregnancy went well overall. J

            So, our due date, based on my last period, was the 19^th of November. However, Brandon and I knew the date of conception (which most people don’t know, but we did), which would have made the date November 27^th. Then we had an ultrasound and they told us December 1^st. Although we told people that the date was the 1^st of December, Brandon and I secretly knew that the 27^th was probably much more accurate, so in our minds and hearts, we settled on that date. Which was good actually, and you’ll see why.

            It was November 28^th, Thanksgiving day. We had decided to stay at home and do our own Thanksgiving dinner with just the three of us since I was too close to delivery day to travel and we didn’t want to have to cancel any plans with friends in case Nathan decided to come before or on Thanksgiving.

            We had spent the day prepping the turkey, getting it in the roaster, having a relaxing morning and day. When Kessie went down for her nap, Brandon and I ate some snacks and watched Aladdin (a movie we have on VHS, but have been dying for Disney to bring it out of the vault so we can have it on DVD/Blue-Ray!). It was so nice to have some time with him during the day, instead of late at night like we usually did. Then we started to make the mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and rolls, and Kessie woke up soon after. I had been faintly aware of a few strong pressure waves that day, but nothing had been consistent, so I didn’t think anything of it. At one point, I did have a small, sudden pain in my pelvis, but it went away after a moment, and again, nothing else was happening, so I brushed it off.

            We then sat down to dinner around 6:00 and had our delicious Thanksgiving dinner. Kessie didn’t eat much of it, of course, but I loved it. I was soooo super hungry and all of it just tasted amazing to me! I ate a pretty good amount for a pregnant girl and totally enjoyed it too. ;) After dinner, we got the pumpkin pie in the oven, which I was so excited about because I had been craving pumpkin pie on and off since the night before.

            Then, around 7:00, my stomach felt a little crampy, so I headed off to the bathroom, thinking I had some indigestion (which is funny because I just read Kessie’s birth story, and I said the same thing, haha!). I did end up having some diarrhea and cramps too, so I didn’t feel so well. However, the cramps started to get a little stronger, and they started to coincide with my pressure waves. Not long after feeling that way, I decided to try timing them, but found it really difficult to do so since they were stronger and I was still having some stomach issues. Eventually, at around 7:45, I called for Brandon and told him that he better get Kessie down for bed, just in case this turned into something more. Only a few minutes after that, I had a couple pressure waves where I needed to “aaahhh” through them. I also got a little shaky too, and that’s when I knew that this was it.

            Brandon put Kessie down for bed as quickly as he could and came back down to see how I was doing. We both agreed that this was our birthing time, so he quickly called my friend Jennifer to come stay with Kessie. However, it sounded like she was at a friend’s house for Thanksgiving, so she wasn’t at home, and needed to stop by her house before coming over. She said she would make it there in about 30 minutes. My heart did sink a little when Brandon told me that, but I figured that 30 minutes wouldn’t matter too much. After all, I had just gotten started with all of this, without much warning, by the way, so what would  30 minutes hurt?

            Brandon then left to get our birth things put together, after which I went to get into hypnosis (I was using the Hypnobabies method again). It was a little difficult to relax though since things had already started progressing, and the shaking made it a little hard too. But I did my best, which was good enough. I then went upstairs to get my shoes on since I was very anxious to get out the door the moment Jennifer arrived. Brandon called Hannah, the midwife on call at the birth center (same place we went to with Kessie). I talked to her on the phone for a few minutes, and although I couldn’t tell her how far apart my pressure waves were, she agreed that this was my birthing time and would meet us at the birth center in 30 minutes. I got my shoes on, and then went to sit down on the toilet again since I was feeling stomach cramps again. Honestly, I would say that was the worst part of this birth. Having diarrhea and stomach cramps are bad enough on their own, but adding birthing waves on top of it is really no good.

            So I stayed on the toilet for a while (it’s a good position to birth in anyway, especially if your water breaks, since it will all empty into there instead of making a mess). Brandon was such a great support and really helped me to relax through those pressure waves. Unfortunately though, somewhere in all of this, I ended up losing most of my delicious Thanksgiving dinner. It wasn't as delicious the second time around, but I wasn't surprised, since the same thing had happened with Kessie's birth also. After a while, I had one pressure wave where I pushed a bit, and I suddenly felt, and thought I heard, a pop. My water had broken, although it was only a small trickle every now and then. But Jennifer hadn’t made it to our house yet, and we knew that we didn’t have much time anymore, since things had really progressed with Kessie after my water had broken. So Brandon called a neighbor of ours, hoping that she could come over until Jennifer arrived, but she didn’t answer her phone. Luckily though, Jennifer pulled up right after that. Brandon answered the door, and then ran upstairs to get me. We waited through one pressure wave, and then I stood up to go. But as I stood and made my way out the bedroom door, I felt another pressure wave, this time with a pushy sensation. And I was certain I could feel the baby’s head.

            I told Brandon what I was feeling, and he asked, “Are we going to make it?” I didn’t know what to say or do, so I just said, “Let’s just get going and try.” I knew I didn’t have much time until another pressure wave, so I made my way downstairs as fast as a laboring mother could and got in the car. As we were pulling out, Hannah called and we let her know we were just leaving. I sat in the car reclined as Brandon sped down the freeway. The birth center was about 20 minutes away, and I’m sure he didn’t want to be the one to catch our little boy in the car, all alone. The nice thing though was that sitting reclined seemed to keep my pressure waves from being as strong, and the fast movement of the car felt really relaxing as well. So the drive wasn’t as bad for me, although I’m not sure if I can say the same for Brandon. ;)

            We made it to the birth center in 15 minutes at 9:30. As I got out of the car, I could feel everything change the moment I stood up. It’s amazing how different positions can really get things moving along. I walked through the door to the birth center, and halfway through the hall, I had another pushy pressure wave. Katie, the assistant midwife, checked Nathan’s heartbeat and all was well. Then I laid down on my side on the bed to rest. I had actually really wanted to get in the tub and try doing a water birth, but I had a feeling that we were a little too late for that and that I just needed to get situated in a position I liked and get going.

            Things were going really well, and the baby was descending with every pressure wave. I got to feel his head as he was being born and felt some hair again! I was pretty excited! J While it was motivating to touch his head during the process, I actually did feel his head go back in a couple times. I was like, “Oh no you don’t! You started this, and now you’re going to come!” ;)

            I had about 4 pressure waves, with a few pushes each, and at 10:10 pm, Nathan was out!  I heard him cry and saw the most adorable baby boy as he was put skin to skin on my chest. Immediately, I just loved that baby so dearly and so much. Sometimes, in pregnancy, it’s a little hard to believe that you actually have a real little person inside of yourself. But when you see that little person, they suddenly become so real to you. That’s how I felt with Nathan. He was so real, so sweet, such a dear little baby boy, and he was all mine. J

            Not long after, Brandon cut the cord after it was done pulsating, I delivered the placenta, and I got to breastfeed Nathan for the first time. He did a great job and has been a good little eater ever since, much to my delight. J After that, we got Nathan weighed and measured. He was 8 pounds 8 oz and 22 inches tall. Good sized baby, although he didn't surpass his sister, much to my relief. ;) 

            Then Brandon got Nathan all dressed while I got a few minor stitches done. I was so happy to know that I had only had a few little tears instead of the major ones I had last time! Then we got me all cleaned up, got Nathan in his car seat and headed home. Brandon got me tucked in bed, I finally got my slice of pumpkin pie, and then, around 4:00 am, we all settled down for the night.

Jasmine&Jim || I Want Some More

Yes, yes, I know I have been MIA for a few weeks. I've just been busy and to be frank, I also wasn't feeling in the mood to blog either. :P But here is the video of the week at least. Hopefully I'll have a moment to get something written on here soon. :) I love crossover videos.

There are some that are okay, others where I'm like, "eew, I would NEVER pair those two together," and some that are just plain awesome! Like this one! :)

Paperman

In honor of the Oscars, I thought it was only appropriate to have an Oscar winner as the Video of the Week. :) Seriously though, I LOVE this short, and it totally deserved the award!

Creamy Corn Chowder

I got this wonderful crock pot cook book for Christmas, and I absolutely LOVE it! It's called 365 Days of Slow-Cooking by Karen Bellessa Petersen. It has lots of great recipes and most of them are the easy ones that you let cook all day and don't have to think about until it's time to serve.  She even has her own blog where you can check out more recipes and such: .http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/

I know I don't have a good picture for this one, but this recipe is seriously sooooooooo delicious! And not only that, but it's a crock pot recipe! Woot!

Creamy Corn Chowder
from 365 Days of Slow-Cooking

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but into 1/2-inch pieces
11 oz. can whole-kernel corn with sweet peppers, drained (I wasn't able to find a can of corn with peppers, so I just used regular corn only and it still turned out awesome!)
10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of potato soup
4 oz. can diced green chili peppers
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro plus extra for garnish
1 1/4 oz. envelope of taco seasoning
14 oz. can black beans, rinsed and darined
2 Cups chicken broth
8 oz. sour cream
4 oz. cream cheese

1. In slow-sooker, combine chicken, corn, soup, chili peppers, cilantro, taco seasoning, and black beans. Stir in broth.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours.
3. In a medium bowl, stir about 1 cup of the hot soup into the sour cream. Stir sour cream mixture and cream cheese into the soup in the slow-cooker; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until combined.
4. Granish with cilatro and serve.
Makes 8 servings.

[PMV] Paradise

I've really gotten into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic lately. Like, crazily so, lol! Here's a very well done video starring all your favorite ponies. Enjoy!

The Tail on the Donkey

So here's a funny little thing that my husband and I thought up. Why not post a picture, call it "The Tail on the Donkey" and then pin it to Pinterest, and then tell everyone to pin The Tail on the Donkey????

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

So here it is. The Tail on the Donkey. Now pin it!!!!

Picture from: http://www.outbackonline.net/Advent%20Calendar/Journey_Day19_SongDance_DonkeyChristmas_2005.htm

A Budding Personality

So here's the story:
Kessie loves to take the DVDs off the shelves. She does this just about 20 million times every day. I didn't mind before because realistically, she isn't going to stop. But a couple weeks ago I decided, "nah, I should really try to keep her from doing that." So I started to tell her "uh-uh" every time he started it and proceed to put them all back, trying to make it a fun game. She still wanted them out, so I diverted her attention elsewhere and put them all back. Later, while in the kitchen, I hear her pulling them out again. So I went in, got her to play with something else, and put them back. A little while later, she's in them again. So I come around the corner and say, "Uh-uh. Leave them there." And she gives the biggest, exasperated "uuuuuhhhhh!" I've ever heard from her, clearly stating something along the whiny lines of, "But why? I want to!" I gave up after that, and later found the biggest mess of DVDs she's made yet. She has quite the blossoming personality (aka dramatic attitude). No idea where she gets it from... ;)

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, All of my base, Are belong to you!

My brother-in-law once said that catchy little title to his wife on Facebook a couple years ago. Since then, my darling husband and I have had this great idea.
Why not make Zero Wing valentines?
YES!!!
This year, we FINALLY got around to making them. And I must say we did  a great job with them.

(In case you are not familiar with the hilariously bad translation of the opening for the video game Zero Wing, watch this.)

 

We ordered the prints online through FedEx Kinkos on card stock paper.  Once we cut them out, we made sure to decorate them with lots of hearts and such. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Titanium

I am in love with this song. Seriously. Such great lyrics and music combined. :)

Friends for Dinner and The Proposal

This week, we have not one, but TWO videos to share! Why two? Well, simply because these are each five seconds long. Yup. But they are definitely well worth the five seconds. ;) Enjoy!

Wreck-It-Ralph

A couple months ago, my husband and I had the chance to get out for a date night (it only took us 8 months...). Some wonderful friends of ours gave us a pair of movie tickets, so we thought we'd go to the new movie Wreck-It-Ralph.

(Click here to watch the trailer)

I had seen this trailer right before I saw Brave. I'm not usually the type of person to say, "I want to see that" after just watching the trailer (most of the time, I wait to hear how a movie does and see the reviews), but I had a good feeling about this one. And I was right. 

Wreck-It-Ralph totally lives up to being an original film. You don't see many movies where the setting is the inside of the world of digital (in this instance, games) after all. :) The movie is about Ralph, who is the bad guy who wrecks a big building in the game Fix-it-Felix Jr. But Ralph is tired of being the bad guy and tired of being treated like he's nobody. So he leaves his game to win himself a medal in another game, thus thinking that this will prove that he can be a good guy too.

• Age Appropriateness: All ages! Wreck-it-Ralph is a movie that is enjoyable for both kids and adults. Especially for those who are into gaming, and especially into the old-school games. 

•  Content Rating: I would say this is G. I can't recall anything objectionable. Of course, one of the games is about alien bug invaders and everyone in that game carries a gun, but there's no blood and it's really not too bad. Maybe some sensitive kids would get a little scared from the bugs, but it' not too likely. 
• Overall Rating: 5/5. I would totally buy this movie. It has some great characters, great music, lots of funny parts, and great animation. I would recommend it to anyone!

  Movie Poster picture: http://www.kulfoto.com/movie-posters/wallpaper/1/33515/wreck-it-ralph-poster-5

Avatar- Remember the Name

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a GREAT show. Really great storyline, humorous, fun, and creative. So here's an amv (anime/animated music video) of Avatar by MamoruMe. I like this one a lot!

Princess Tutu

Ah, Princess Tutu. My favorite anime. Seriously, my most favorite. Anime. Ever. :)

(Click here to watch the Japanese promo trailer)

This anime is about a duck named Duck (Ahiru in Japanese) who sees a handsome prince dancing by her lake, and falls in love with him. The prince's eyes are always sad, however, so Duck wishes to help him. Suddenly, an old man appears and gives her a magical pendant to transform herself into a girl, and then into a magical ballerina named Princess Tutu. She discovers that the prince is actually from a story that the old man wrote called "The Prince and the Raven." In this story, the prince shattered his own heart to seal away the Raven. Since then, stories and reality have intertwined and it's up to Princess Tutu to restore the pieces of the prince's heart.

• Age Appropriateness: Preteens +
• Content Rating: Although the name and look may suggest otherwise, I would recommend this one for about age 11 and up, due to the complicated plot. I just think smaller children would get confused in it. Swearing is very mild and very minimal. There are also a couple times too where a character is naked, but nothing is explicit and it is not sexual. It is either being used to convey feelings and ideas (such as despair or being one with nature), or because it is realistic (such as when the bird form of Duck transforms into a girl. Of course she wouldn't be wearing anything. Ducks don't.) Princess Kraehe, the main antagonist, is dressed quite immodestly as well. 
• Dub vs. Sub: I would suggest watching this with the English dub (because Lucy Christian is awesome!) but the Japanese with subtitles is a wonderful way to watch it as well. You really can't go wrong either way. 
• Overall Rating: I would give Princess Tutu a 5/5. I watched this anime for the first time a few years ago, and it is still my absolute favorite. I will warn, however, that the show may be difficult to get into at first, mostly because it may seem repetitive and goofy, but please keep watching . Give it until at least after episode 6 or 7 when Princess Kraehe appears. That's when it gets really good! This anime has so many twists and turns and actually has more to it than it appears. The classical music is beautiful and the numerous ballet references to other ballets is genius. 

Princess Tutu picture from: http://www.freewebs.com/siteoftheswan/apps/photos/photo?photoid=111529937

Jump Rope

Not only is this a good song, but it is a great video as well. Fun thing about this video too is that it was made by lots of different people, all who took a section, made their own part, and then put it all together. These are called MEPs, by the way. Don't ask me what a MEP stands for. I actually have no idea. :/
Anyway, here's the video, as well as the description from YouTube. Enjoy!



Song: "Jump Rope" by Blue October
Theme: Animash - working through life's ups and downs
Host: Hinokara

Part 1 - Sawnahhh
Part 2 - XReiKaoriX
Part 3 - Annnarchist
Part 4 - CorpseBridesmaid
Part 5 - DiamonddollJeanette
Part 6 - CherryFoxify

Cosplay

I love to dress up. And I love to make my own costumes too! So, naturally, being somewhat of a geeky nature, I love cosplaying.
Now, for those of you who don't know what cosplay is, according Wikipedia, it is " short for "costume play." [Cosplay is] type of performance art in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea." Some popular sources of cosplay come from anime, manga, sci-fi, fantasty, video games, and films. Some people will take it to a level of awesome where they act out their part as well, but for me, I just like the dressing up part. :)  

Here are some pics of a few of my favorites, just to give you a good idea:

 Princess Peach

 Anastasia

 Odette from The Swan Princess

 Emily from The Corpse Bride

 Ganondorf from Legend of Zelda

 Korra from The Legend of Korra

 Mulan

 Thumbelina

 Link

 Giselle from Enchanted

 Peter Pan and the lost boys

 Dot from Reboot

 Mai from Avatar the Last Airbender

 Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon

 Tangled

Now, I know it is really early on in the year to be thinking about what I want to cosplay as (the usual convention I attend isn't until August, although there is another in May), but I've decided what I want to do.
And here it is:
My most exciting project for the year:













RAINBOW DASH!!!
From My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!

I am sooooooo excited!!! I didn't really understand what the hype was about this show, and why there was such a huge fan-base for it, until I started watching it a couple weeks ago. I'm hooked, and I love the show. It's cute, but also very, very funny! 
It's kind of funny though. My favorite pony tends to be Rarity, but for some reason, I really wanted to cosplay Rainbow Dash instead. Must be that awesome hair of hers... ;)
 Anyway, I have some great ideas for my costume, so I'll be posting my progress here on the blog every now and then. 
Also, Kessie and Brandon are in on this as well! (Seriously, I have THE SWEETEST husband EVER! He knew I really wanted to do this one, so he said he would join in, and I promised I would 1.) Make his costume looks awesome 2.) Not make him wear a wig, ears, or wings. Which I'm totally fine with). I wanted us all to match, so Kessie will be Scootaloo and Brandon is going to be Soarin', one of the Wonderbolts. This. Is. Going. To. ROCK!!!! :D

So here's my wig I just ordered. (Click on the picture to see where I got each item from. That way, if you're looking to make your own, this can help you find what I found!)

It should be here in about a month, so I'll have a picture of me trying it on and see what it looks like. :)

Plus I just ordered these as well, for both me and Brandon.

 I got the jacket in the mail today, but it's a little big, so we'll see if I can exchange it for a smaller size.

And here's a baseball tee to go underneath. I'm planning on putting Rainbow Dash's cutie mark on the front. :)

Woot! :)         

Mending Severed Bonds

Wow, it sure has been a while! Christmas craziness and fun has kept me from updating things here, but I'm back now and *hopefully* ready to keep the blog updated regularly. :)
This week's video is Mending Severed Bonds by LovingHeartbreak, starring Jim from Treasure Planet and Thumbelina from Thumbelina, as well as other animated characters. I just love these crossover videos, and LovingHeartbreak does such a gorgeous job! Seriously, it all looks like one movie!
Since there is an actual storyline with this one, I'll post the editor's description at the bottom. Enjoy!



SCENARIO/STORY INFO:
(You will have to imagine Jim and Thumbelina being in their late teens to early 20s in order to get through this video. Also, Thumbelina is human size in this ^_^)
Jim works as a space cadet and so he travels alot. One night, however, he returns home early as a surprise, but he finds his wife in the arms of another man (Tulio). They argue and their marriage goes sour for a while with Jim hardly ever talking, or looking, at Thumbelina. Thumbelina feels the shame, but she tries her best to make it up to him. This goes on for months, until a sudden move to France causes the couple to swallow their pride and rekindle their marriage. Only this time, fate has something else in mind for the young couple...

DISCUSSION:
This plot was inspired by "The Painted Veil", the only major difference here is that Thumbelina doesn't resent her marriage, she actually loves Jim. Her affair was a cry for the physical love and attention that Jim wasn't able to deliver while he was away. As for the child, Jim is the father, not Tulio :)

My Only Wish...

Here's the video of the week! Sorry it's up late. It's been a busy day already. :P
So I wanted to post a video that is Christmas themed, and I wasted a lot of time trying to find something to no avail. Blah. But then I remembered that there was a Christmas video I made a few years ago. Although it is a fun video, I'm glad to say that I have improved in my editing skills, lol! :) Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Breastfeeding An Octopus

Breastfeeding is hard. That doesn't, of course, mean it is a bad thing. It's a wonderful thing and I love being able to do that for my baby. There are lots of benefits too, like:

1. Proven to be the best way for babies to get all their necessary nutrition. (Not that bottles are "bad." I commend any loving mom for doing what she feels is best for her and her baby).
2. A way to keep baby healthier (i.e. if mommy gets a cold, guess who gets antibodies against that cold passed on to them? Baby!)
3. Bonding and togetherness for mommy and baby.
4. Not having to wash any supplies (okay, so yes, I do have to wash my body every day, but I do that anyhow, so it's more like multitasking).
5. Not having to pack anything but the nursing cover or a blanket.
6. Don't have to warm anything up. Always the perfect temperature.

These are some of the things I find the most wonderful about breastfeeding my baby. However, I was never told about the worst parts. Oh no. I had always read things like, "Breastfeeding will be a wonderful way to bond with your baby and you will be so happy you did this!" Or some author tries to give you a warning, but fails miserably. "It may be challenging from time to time, but stick with it." These people don't even bother though to tell you the challenges you may encounter or how frustrating they may be or how often they may occur, or even how they may last the entire time you breastfeed.

We've all seen the cover of any breastfeeding book. The mother is sitting quietly with her baby who is eating contently. The mother might be looking lovingly down at her child, or kissing their hand gently, while the little one looks up into the mommy's eyes. Exact example of breastfeeding, right?

 

WRONG.
This never happens with me and my baby. Ever.
Okay, so maybe not never ever ever, but it is on great occasion that we do have a sweet, simple, bonding breastfeeding session.

Although I knew that the perfect situation on all the book covers couldn't possibly happen every single time, I kept seeing it, so I figured it must be the norm, and the hard times were few and far between.

Like I said. I. Was. Wrong.

After Kessie was born, I was told that it may be difficult to keep a newborn awake, and that sometimes you may even need to wake them to eat, since newborns are so sleepy. I was further told that if I did need to wake Kessie up for her feedings, I was to do whatever I could to wake her up; strip her down to her diaper, change her, rub her hands, tickle her toes, do baby exercises, etc.
This turned out to be another thing that was entirely different from what I expected. To me, it sounded like if I was ruthless in keeping her awake, she would stay awake and eat and be done.

Again. I. Was. Wrong.

This child would have starved herself to death if I wouldn't have done everything I could to keep her awake during feedings. She was the queen of sleep. She hardly ever was awake, and I'm pretty sure she even slept through most of her feedings too.

So the first few weeks, there we were, every single feeding, she was down to her diaper, I trying desperately to keep her awake, while she was trying desperately to stay asleep. Our little game went as follows:

Undress baby. Baby squirms and falls asleep. Change diaper. Baby squirms and protests a bit and tries to stay asleep. Sit baby up and down a few times until baby is really irritated and really protesting. Obviously awake...until she dozes again. Repeat for 10 minutes. Finally, start feeding baby. Within 5 minutes or less, baby is asleep. Tickle baby's feet. Baby starts eating again. Asleep and pacifying in less than 5 minutes. Tickle feet again. And again. And again. Eventually, baby will become immune to this. Move on to rubbing her back. Again. And Again. And again, until baby is immune to this as well. Rub her hands. Again. And again. And again, until immune to that as well. Sit up to burp. Baby spits up. Probably everything she ate too. Start all over and repeat all these things until either A. Baby won't stay awake or B. Baby falls asleep while being burped. or C. You've done all you can and are just done.

Needless to say, the game of "keep the baby awake" was very tiring. Eventually, we realized that part of it was that her latch wasn't very good and she was somewhat tongue-tied, so she wasn't getting enough milk and was working so hard she was just too tired, and the other part was that she associated breastfeeding with a way to go to sleep. After we got help from a lactation consultant (which I would say is worth EVERY penny if you are having any problems), and after I was ruthless with not letting her fall asleep while nursing, things got better in this area. And for a while, things were actually quite perfect for the most part. Until she started to notice the world around her.

It was like a strange metamorphosis. Here I had, a beautiful, sweet little baby girl who slept so well and was eating much better after our months of troubles. But slowly, she began to transform into something else. Her hands and fingers became suctioned to everything within her reach- my hair was a popular one, as well as skin, clothes, and my face.

I swear her arms and legs grew 10 feet long and could wrap around my entire body 3 times.

Her mouth became a little beak that, despite having no teeth, could make me sore for days. And not just from biting. She rarely bit. It was instead from a strange obsession with, not latching on and off, but pulling on and off. Continuously. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. And it always happened for the same reasons. 1. If Daddy stepped in the room. 2. No reason. At all.

In my mind, she began to take on an entirely different form. She became...

An octopus.

How had this happened? What had I done to my poor little girl to make her into this? It was extremely difficult to believe that this little thing had once been my calm, sleepy, inactive little girl. This was a full fledged sea creature who was always alert and always awake and always...

crazy.

So what did I do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. What could I do? There's no way to reason with a baby. It would only turn out something like this:

Very effective, right? -_-

I also couldn't make her be still and sit there. That would just unleash her wrath.

And the wrath of the octopus should not be provoked.

Anyway, so I've found myself stuck with this interesting little octopus for about the past 5 months. So what, you may ask, keeps me from ending breastfeeding sooner than later and enduring through this? Why would I put myself through this insanity? To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself. Maybe it's because we invested so much time and money into getting help so we could breastfeed successfully so it would be a waste to stop early. Or maybe it's because I know it's the best thing for her, so I would feel selfish if I denied her the best. Maybe I feel empowered that I'm the only one who can do this for my baby and that makes me awesome and feel better about myself? These are possible reasons. But deep down, I don't think it's any of those.  I think, perhaps, it's because any time I do think about ending early, this terrible sadness overcomes me.

A day or two after Kessie was born, I had a moment where I just started crying for many reasons and none at the same time (oh hormones...). When my husband asked me what was wrong, I said that I was sad that I was laid up so much that I couldn't do anything for Kessie but feed her. I wanted to take care of her immediately and I didn't feel it was fair that after carrying this child for 9 months and then giving birth to her that I should be unable to do anything for her. I wondered though why I felt this way since I should just relax and enjoy not having to do anything, since for the rest of forever I would have to do everything. Then I realized it was because, while she was inside of me, I was able to do everything for her. I fed her, I carried her, I kept her warm. Then it got me thinking about how attached we were. We were always  together. And now, suddenly, we weren't anymore. She was in her own bed, someone else could hold her, someone else could change her diapers, essentially, someone else could do everything for her...except for feed her. 
And maybe this is why we keep breastfeeding. Because it's the only thing left that keeps us attached and as close to each other as when she was inside me.

Although the going gets rough, there are times when the little creature subsides and transforms back into a little baby girl. I cherish these times like no other and am very thankful for them, because I know that in just a few days or less, the octopus will emerge again...like it always does. Call me crazy to keep breastfeeding an octopus, but deep down inside, I love it.

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding book picture: http://www.amazon.com/Womanly-Art-Breastfeeding-Diane-Wiessinger/dp/0345518446/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354924127&sr=1-1&keywords=the+womanly+art+of+breastfeeding
The Breastfeeding Book picture: http://www.betterworldbooks.com/the-breastfeeding-book-id-0316779245.aspx