Coming back to my blog? . . . and a fun printable!

So . . . I haven't blogged in almost 8 months. What?!? Craaaazy. But, I am perhaps thinking about starting back up! I have been doing lots of crafts, DIY, updating etc etc. And i would love to share! And also get back to talking baby stuff, toddler stuff, mama stuff. So, stick around!
Just in case that wasn't enticing enough, I found this quote on the interweb this week, and it brought little (okay big) mama tears to my eyes. So I quickly made it into a printable, printed it, and hing it where I can read it every day. And I wanted to share! So grab a tissue, read it, and remember. They are only little for a little while.

Where You can Find Me Now

I'll be the first to admit, blogging can get overwhelming at times. It can start to feel like an obligation and you forget that you used to enjoy it. The main reason I haven't been blogging much is because I actually have two blogs. I have a  "personal" blog in which I mainly blog about my son, my pregnancy and the goings-on of our every day life. I created baby in the big city to share more about parenting issues, do occasional reviews etc. But lately I have been struggling to keep up with two blogs, so I have decided that for at least the present time, I will only be blogging on my "other" blog.
If you would like to still follow along with our story/journey/lives feel free to visit me at my other (more regularly updated) blog: mlbecker.blogspot.com.

I hope you are all staying cool in this heat! This pregnant mama is staying indoors (thank goodness for central air!).

Belly Buds Review

I recently received a pregnancy product for review that I had never heard of until now. Bellybuds.

They are exactly what they sound like. "Buds" for your belly. Kinda like ear buds, but not. More like little, round, adhesive, speakers. They stick onto your belly so you can play music to your sweet unborn peanut. Bellybuds has done their research, you can read more here about the benefits of in-utero music listening.

It works like this: You provide the musical apparatus (i.e. ipod, cd player, walkman - anyone still use those?), and the bellybuds plug right into to any headphone hook-up. There is sticky stuff (medical grade, skin-safe, replaceable hydrogel) on the back so the buds stay in place. You can even wear bellybuds under your clothing while walking, shopping, at work etc.

Mostly I used the buds in the evenings, after my toddler went to bed. Otherwise he wanted to listen to them, he enjoyed having his own mini-speakers to hold. After he was in bed, I would get the bellybuds out, and lay in bed while reading a book, doing my daily Sudoku, or talking to my hubby. I would try to place one bud near baby's head, and the other a little farther away, and would play music for half an hour or so (at a medium volume). Everything from Michael Jackson to Alexadre Desplat (composer), to Muse (the lighter stuff).  A lot of times, the baby would move around, and sometimes not.

 (this is a photo from their website, my belly has a few more stretch marks than hers. :) )

I have enjoyed using the bellybuds. I like that I can stimulate my baby's brain before he is even outside the womb. I had previously tried to play music for him with regular headphones, but was never sure if he could actually hear it or not. With bellybuds, I know he can hear the music I am playing, plus it's nice that they are hands-free. With regular headphones, I always had to hold them in place and definitely couldn't have worn them out of the house. The buds always stuck in place, and the gel on the back of my buds is still sticky.

To read more about bellybuds, or to purchase them for yourself and your unborn child, you can visit their website.

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not monetarily compensated for this post. All opinions are my own, your opinions or experience with this product may differ from mine.*

Kicky Pants Review and an Apology

Sorry I haven't been keeping up with blogging lately! I have had my hands full this summer with a busy 18 month old, and being 8 months pregnant doesn't make it any easier! But I have lots of stuff to share in the next few weeks before this little one makes his grand entrance, I haven' updated you for awhile!

First up is a review of one of my fave clothing companies for kiddos.

I recently received a sweet new top for my little man from Kicky Pants and I just wanted to take a little time to tell you about them. Kicky Pants is, after all, in my top three for places to get cute stuff for my toddler.

The uniqueness of Kicky Pants comes from the make-up of their clothing. Kicky Pants clothing is made of Bamboo. Yes, you heard me right, Bamboo. Which is awesome because Bamboo is totally sustainable, eco-friendly, and grown without icky pesticides or fertilizers. Plus, it's naturally antibacterial and antifungal. On top of all of that, it is just so soft and cuddly! You can read even more about the wonderful benefits of Bamboo on the Kicky Pants website.

The adorable little top that I received was this striped polo:

I think he looks quite dashing in green and blue stripes, but I may be biased.

And how adorable are these layettes? I might have to snag one for the new little guy (due in early-mid August, in case you forgot).

Kicky Pants is a great company to buy from, started by a husband and wife team out to design something they could use with their own children. Everything we have from Kicky Pants is well made, charmingly sweet and sophisticated, and, most importantly, affordable. It is very evident that Kicky Pants values the quality of their product. But you don't have to take my word for it, even celebrities love Kicky Pants!

If you are intrigued by the idea of Bamboo-made, one of a kind, so-soft-you'll-want-to-buy-something-for-yourself clothing, check them out. They occasionally have online outlet sales, which is a great way to snag something at a huge discount. But, I have to warn you, if you buy something for your kiddo, you will be back for more!

*I received a top in exchange for this review. My opinions are my own. Your experience with this company may differ from mine. I was not monetarily paid for writing about Kicky Pants.*

It's Official: the Answer to the Riddle

We are so excited that we finally picked a name for our second-born son. It has been on my mind for weeks and weeks now, and I am so glad it is finally official. It really makes the little monkey wiggling around in my tummy seem more like a person, and more like our child.

This new little boy, who is very active, very strong, and I think just a little bigger than our first son was, will forever be known as:

It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

We weren't intentionally going for another "M" name. It was just the one that best fit our criteria. We wanted something that sounded nice with "Ray" (my dad's name), so I was initially drawn to long "A" sounds (as in Cade and Brady . . . both discussed at some point). We also tend to like names that are traditionally surnames (Hudson, Landon, Cullen . . . also discussed). And thirdly, we wanted a name that fit with Maddox in sound (does it sound like it could be a sibling to a Maddox?), style (trendy/edgier names like Jett, Stellan, Cruz, and Luka were discussed), or lettering (all x's: Axel, Phoenix, Dexter or all M's: Micah and Maverick . . .which we also discussed).

We talked about Mason lots of times, but couldn't really settle on it. Mostly because of it's rising popularity (currently #35 in the U.S., whereas Maddox was somewhere around #465). That, and hubby just didn't love it. But I kept coming back to it, since it really fit our criteria well. And hubby, after polling his co-workers, realized Mason was a good choice too.

So there you have it. Our little process of choosing a name for baby #2. This naming business is trickier than you would think!

He Has a Name!

Finally, at 27 weeks, we have decided on a name for Bubba's little brother. Bubba's name is Maddox, and it took us a long time to find something we thought would sound okay as a sibling to a Maddox. This time around was much harder than the first! But without further ado . . . . baby boy #2 will be named . . . .

No, it's not Namya Ors. You didn't think I was actually going to tell you so easily, did you? Where's the fun in that? 

If you aren't the game playing type, check back in a few days and I will officially share his name with you. 

My New Hobby

I have finally been taking a photography class! It is a hobby I have always enjoyed, but I am finally getting some technical training, and I am in love.
Here is what I have been shooting lately. (Feel free to nicely criticize. I am a work in progress!)
If you want to see the pictures in a better quality, just click on them.

I know these are all black and white. But it was a rainy a day, and the b&w felt more fitting to me. If you have any tips for great black and white photos, I would love to hear em!