Mama of the Moment: This could be you!

Mama of the Moment has gotten such a great response that I'm looking to make it a weekly feature through the month of October!

Thats where you come in! Would you like to be featured? Wanna share a little about yourself with our Everyday Baby//Everyday Axness Blog Community? Let me know! Shoot me an email at everydaybabystoreATgmail.com

We can't use all submission. I am looking for a mixture of Mama's so send me your info!

Mama of the Moment: Caitlen Murrell

It's time for another Mama! 

I met Caitlen MANY moons ago...when we met both of us were unmarried, without children and young! Now we're married with babies and our relationship has changed SO MUCH! I know that she is someone that I can count on to ALWAYS tell me the truth. We don't agree on everything and I'm a firm believer that it causes each of us to question, discuss, and learn from each other. I love her, her family and her good heart.

Name: Caitlen Murrell

Age of child: 7 months (8 months on the 21^st of September)

Occupation: Wedding Planner, www.simplysophisticatedplanning.com

Hobby or passion: Blogging www.sonsgunsandbuns.com , Dancing, Traveling

Your top 3 nursery must haves:
.Sophie- As much as I hate to admit it Graham LOVES that thing.
.Books- Reading to Graham is a big part of our nightly routine.
.Crib- Graham is not a co-sleeping baby. He needs his space and we need ours. We love our crib! We bought it from an Amish furniture store and it is made of solid wood so it will last through multiple children.

3 things you didn't know before you became a mom:

.That I would become a morning person. I love how productive my days are now that I get up earlier.

.That blood, poop and other gross things would become less gross. I had been told this would happen but I didn't believe it.

.That is would change my whole approach to life. I am significantly more naturally minded now than I was before. I eat healthier and I take better care of myself for my family.

Favorite book to read to your kiddo: 

Any board book. I love watching him play with the pages as we read. I do really love, "On the Night You Were Born."

If your parenting style was a song what song would it be and why? 

“My Way” by Frank Sinatra. Those lyrics generally describe how I parent but they are written in the past tense.  So, when all my children are grown I can look back and say,

“Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way.”

Quick! You're walking through the Disneyworld entrance and you can only take one or the other; your baby carrier or stroller. Which is it?

Stroller. No question. I love my carriers but all day in the Florida heat in a carrier would not fly with Graham. He would protest! Plus, where do I hide my snacks?

Cloth or Sposie?

We are in the process of switching to cloth. So far, so good!

What's one product that you've purchased for your little that you've later regretted? 

I wish we would have started with cloth but we had our reasons so regret is a big word. I am very happy with our baby purchases.  

Name one product that's NOT a necessity you can't live without. 

Our Pack ‘n Play! We love traveling and it is so easy to pack it up and go. Plus, it allows me to take a shower without Graham getting into trouble.

If your mothering style was an animal which would it be and why? 

I have no clue. I love puppies if that helps! 

Are you having more little ones? How many? 

Yes, I would love 3 more but my husband and I have decided to take it 1 at a time. So, maybe 2 is our magic number…or maybe 6? 

If you could tell your pre-pregnant self anything, what would it be? 

Don’t worry about the extra weight! It will come off. Breastfeeding really is the answer to loosing the baby weight! 

How did you choose your babies name? 

We spent hours and HOURS reading a baby name book with 500,000 baby names in it! As we went through the book we made a short list and then narrowed it down. Since, we didn’t know the gender we had to pick out 2 names. My husband found Graham and loved it. I liked the meaning, “Grand Home” since the baby was going to be born at home.

What is one thing that you loved to do prebaby that's more difficult to do now? 

Sleeping in! Just forget about it. 

 If you were going to buy one product at Everyday Baby what would you buy? I am pretty sure I own the entire store by now but I could use a few more cloth diapers!

Mama of the Moment: Catherine Barbara

It isn't often that you meet people and instantaneously ADORE them, but that is sort of what happened with Cat. She walked into the store on opening day and I knew that she was someone that I'd want to be friends with. The thing that makes her so special is her loyalty. I've never met anyone quite like her! Lets face it her boy Judah (who we lovingly refer to as "Judah Bug") is freaking rad!

Name: Catherine "Cat"

Age of child: 14 months

Occupation: Stay at home mom 

Hobby or passion: Photography (taking pictures of my family), repurposing old furniture, and spending time with my little family

Your top 3 nursery must haves: 

.Crib (I am a firm believer in children having their own space to sleep in from the time they come home) 

.A glider (for nighttime nursing,) 

.Sound machine (to drown out other noise around the house and provide a familiar comforting sound. This help baby soothe himself back to sleep when he wakes up at night)

3 things you didn't know before you became a mom:

.I had no idea how strong I was and how much pain I could handle all out of love for my child.

.I had no idea that babies became toddlers (and started acting like it!) at 12 months.

.I had no idea that making another person happy and watching them laugh would be the joy of my life. And that from the moment my son was born (and even while he was still in my belly) I would always think of him first and that even something like shopping, that I used to love to do for myself, would be more fun when doing it for him. 

Favorite book to read to your kiddo.

Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman

If your parenting style was a song what what song would it be and why? 

I don't know if this necessarily reflects my parenting style, but the song "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins always pops into my head and makes me take time to enjoy my baby.

Quick! You're walking through the Disneyworld entrance and you can only take one or the other; your baby carrier or stroller. Which is it?

Stroller! With the carrier in the bottom. I love my stroller because I don't have to carry anything when I have it, but if he gets fussy in the stroller, I can wear him and still push all my stuff around in the stroller. I know this from last week's experience in Downtown Disney :)

Cloth or Sposie?

Definitely cloth 90% of the time. Sposies for long trips and vacations, though.

What's one product that you've purchased for your little that you've later regretted. 

Any electronic toy. I really dislike them. I prefer things like blocks which inspire creativity.

Name one product that's NOT a necessity  you can't live without.

The diaper sprayer. I would NOT be cloth diapering without it. 

If your mothering style was an animal which would it be and why?

A lion. This is based on my knowledge of lions from the movie The Lion King of course :) But I tend to think of my little guy as a lion. He curious and playful. I allow him to explore while keeping a close eye from a distance. I'll be there to comfort him when he falls, but I work hard not to smother him and let him be all boy like he is. And if anyone messes with my kid, I'll rip them to shreds and eat them for dinner ;)

Are you having more little ones? How many?

God willing, yes! I think I'd like 2 or 3.

If you could tell your pre-pregnant self anything, what would it be? 

(In regards to teaching because I used to be a teacher) I would tell myself:  Don't stress so much over your job and trying to please everyone. These stressors won't matter in a couple of years. While you like your job and you love your kids, you don't love your job. Your creativity is being stifled because of checklists and tests that don't really matter and you know what. It eats at you everyday because you want more for your kids and you want to feel more satisfaction out of your job. But this isn't it for you. The greatest job, the one you were created for, is just around the corner. Be patient, your big promotion is coming. Your new job title? Mama. You're going to ADORE it. 

How did you choose your babies name?

The name Judah means "Praise" or "Praise God." We had met a little boy named Judah once and I fell in love with the name. When I was pregnant (before I knew I was having a boy,) I woke up in the middle of the night with the name Judah racing through my mind. I couldn't shake the thought that "I must name my son Judah." So, I got up, researched it, and wrote out a letter to my hubby explaining what Judah meant and why I was sure this would be our son's name. Thankfully, he was completely on board :) We both felt that it was a very strong name. Jesus is often referred to as the Lion of Judah, which is very fitting based on the description of my son's personality above. His middle name, which I picked later, is Timothy. I wanted a T name so he could go by JT if he wanted. Timothy means "to honor and fear the Lord." Together the name Judah Timothy means, "to praise, honor and fear the Lord" which is my prayer for my son. I hope more than anything, that he grows up to be a man that does those three things with his life. 

What is one thing that you loved to do prebaby that's more difficult to do now?

Being spontaneous. Definitely.

If you were going to buy one product at Everyday Baby what would you buy?

A carrier. Maybe a Didymos or a Boba!

Mama of the Moment: Lyndsey Mimnagh

We are starting a weekly feature here on the blog and I'm super excited! We will be featuring a special  Mama every week during the month of September! We will have the opportunity to peek into their lives and learn a little about them!

First up, my dear friend Lyndsey! We met a few years ago and I absolutely adore her! She has an amazing little guy named Titus that will steal your heart with one smirk! She will be launching her own blog soon where she discusses the journey that her family is taking in homesteading. It's gonna be a good one! (I'll link up once it's launched)!

Name: Lyndsey Mimnagh

Age of child: 4 1/2 month old boy, Titus Matthew

Occupation: Homemaker and Mommy

Hobbies or passions: 

Homemaking, cooking organic and clean food, crafting, decorating, teaching , mentoring children and teenagers

Your top 3 nursery must haves: 

.My big comfy rocking recliner we got for $50 off Craiglist

.Prince Lionheart Wipe Warmer to warm my homemade cloth wipes

.Cloud B Sleep Sheep that makes soothing sounds like rain, a heartbeat, and ocean waves

3 things you didn't know before you became a mom: 

.I wasn't aware of the crazy time commitment that comes with choosing to breastfeed.

.I had no idea of the overwhelming love and bonding that comes from breastfeeding.

.I didn't know how intense moms can be about their opinions and judgments about their ways of parenting.

Favorite book to read to your kiddo:

.Scripture from the Bible

If your parenting style was a song what what song would it be and why? 

.I Get to Be the One by JJ Heller

Quick! You're walking through the Disney World entrance and you can only take one or the other; your baby carrier or stroller. Which is it?

.Definitely our Ergo baby carrier

Cloth or Sposie?

.Cloth during the day, sposie at night

What's one product that you've purchased for your little that you've later regretted. 

.My Moby wrap, it's too hot for Florida!

Name one product that's NOT a necessity you can't live without.

.My Sakura Bloon Ring Sling,although that DOES feel like a necessity

If your mothering style was an animal which would it be and why?

.Kangaroo 

Are you having more little ones? How many?

.Definitely, many many more, including some adopted.

If you could tell your pre-pregnant self anything, what would it be? 

.Let go of every expectation and store away your skinny jeans, lacy bras, and thong underwear.

How did you choose your babies name?

We chose Titus because it's meaning. It means "honorable defender". We desire for him, as our oldest son, to be a protector of the rest of his siblings and a defender of life and truth.

What is one thing that you loved to do prebaby that's more difficult to do now?

.Going to the beach

If you were going to buy one product at Everyday Baby what would you buy?

.Another sling in another color

Cloth 101: Episode 1 Cleaning Your Cloth Diapers

Hey Guys!

Check out our very first Cloth 101 video! I hope that this sparks a little conversation and provides assistance to those of you that need it..




Xoxo