**Review and Giveaway** The girls' new hair bow from Dabbles Crafting.

Check out this super cute bow from Dabbles Crafting!

The owner of this Facebook shop sent me this large bow (5 inch) for me to review, and I have to say, I am completely in love with it! I absolutely LOVE the shape of the bow. Most bows I've owned for my girls, while still cute, aren't in this shape. As a matter of fact, NONE of them are. This is so unique to me. Very, very well made. While Gianna was able to take it out of her hair, she was unable to do any damage to it at all. The bottle cap in the center stayed on despite Gianna throwing it, pulling on it, and doing any number of things a toddler could do. It has retained its shape beautifully.

The first day, I allowed my oldest to wear it to school. Sofia absolutely loved it, and everyone in school complimented her on it. The comments ranged from "Cool colors!" all the way to "Holy cow! I love it! It's two of my favorite things in one- candy and hair accessories!" Big hit for her and her friends. Even some of the boys complimented her on how cute it was.

The size of the bow is perfect. It's not teeny tiny, but it also isn't absurdly large.

Miss Thang was so excited when it was her turn to wear it. Since I let Sofia wear it first, Gianna was not happy. "That's MY bow, mommy! Gianna want to wear it now!"

Absolutely beautiful! I am so happy with the quality of her work, I will be ordering more shortly. In the meantime, Dabbles Crafting has agreed to a giveaway. The winner will have their choice of any regular size (3 inch) hair flower! Here are just a few examples of what the winner can choose from:

Super cute, right?! So what are you waiting for?? Enter now!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

A visit from CPS??

My apologies for not blogging recently. I truly appreciate all of the emails and FB messages from fans who were worried that something was wrong. Truth is, a lot was wrong. I struggled with writing this, as this is something that is VERY personal. But, I figured I'd get it out.

A few months back, I took custody of 3 of my cousins. Because there was an active ACS (Administration for Children's Services) case in NYC, I assumed that when CPS came knocking on my door that it was a case transfer. I had no reason to believe otherwise, and our worker was very nice. He explained to me that he was just here to check up on the kids, and make sure they were receiving the care necessary. G was enrolled in school, all three had their first check up with a new doctor, they had their own sleeping space, clean weather-appropriate clothes, plenty of food, no concerns from him.

The first visit from him was back in late November. Which is what made me believe that it was a transfer from the ACS case. He gave no impressions that it wasn't. He came, explained that he was here to check on the girls, and we spoke a bit about the situation. Because we were still adjusting to a family of 8 instead of 5, life was a bit hectic. I still had the girls' clothes in the foyer because I was trying to find a dresser or another thing to keep their clothes in. Not only that, but there were toys and books all over. We had an appointment, so in order to make it on time, we rushed out and left the toys and books all over the place. When we returned, our worker was here waiting for us.

Of course, since we left without picking up the mess, I knew what was waiting on the other side of the door. I did tell D, our worker, about the mess. He said nothing as we went into the house. He took a look around. I took him into the kitchen to show him the fridge and cabinets that were full. We went up to the room where the girls were sleeping in so that he could see that they did have a bed. We went into my oldest daughter's room so he could see where my kids were sleeping (Gianna in her crib, Sofia in her bed, AJ on his mattress on the side of Sofia's bed). I showed him the bathroom where the toilet was clean, toilet paper was stocked, and we had plenty of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, along with toothbrushes and toothpaste. We came back downstairs to the living room, playroom, and foyer. We discussed the toys and books around, and talked about what I could put the girls' clothes in. His conclusion? Nothing out of the ordinary, but because the girls are new to me, he would come by and visit while the case was still open. Sure, not a problem.

Fast forward a few months. Tuesday, March 4th- Apparently, while I was out and about taking care of things, D came by for a visit. He left his card in the door and had wrote what time he came and asked me to call. I called him as soon as I got the card (6pm, even though I knew the office was closed). I left a message, but I didn't receive a call back the rest of the week. I did call him a few more times just in case he was still waiting for me to call him. Monday, March 10th, I finally got a phone call from him. He apologized for not getting back to me as he was out of the office, but wanted to set up another visit. Sure, not a problem. We scheduled it for that same day, once the kids were home.

Shortly after the kids came home, D came over. I let him in, and we did the same ol' routine- check the fridge, cabinets, bedrooms, bathroom, living room, play room. After that, we stood in the foyer and chatted. It was only at that time that I found out this was not a transfer case. I was asking D for help in getting G into therapy. Since ACS mandated it in NYC, and I have custody, I have been trying to call the mental health clinic to get her in. They never return my calls. I told D about this, and asked if he could help me. He asked if I called ACS to ask for their help. I told him I did, but they said that they transferred the case up here and I needed to speak with our local worker, so I was asking him for assistance. He informed me that he was unaware of the case being transferred. I said to him "So, this is a transfer case? Someone called on me??" and he replied "Well, I'm not a long term caseworker. I am a 'someone reported you so I need to investigate' worker."

Hmm, well, that changes a LOT of things. At that point, I knew what had happened. And I know EXACTLY who it was who called. I turned to my husband and said "Well, that explains a lot. I should have known." D asked if I had problems with someone. I told him about this person who called, told him about the FB messages she sent me, and the jealousy I'm sure she is feeling which is what prompted the calls. I read a few of the messages to him and told him why I suspected her. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell me who it was anyways, as he isn't allowed to, but he didn't have to. The look on his face said more than enough.

So, I guess the only thing left to do is thank the person who called. Yeah, you read that right. I can only say "Thank you" to her. Why? Because D has a HUGE role in helping the courts determine who should have custody of the girls. Because YOU decided to call on me, with ridiculous claims, the court ordered custody should be finished faster than without it. Because YOU decided to call on me, I don't have to worry about whether I'm not providing or doing enough for them. You have also opened up a whole world of assistance for me. Even though he is closing the case as "unfounded", when I need help with services for these girls, I am able to call and D will do what he can to make it easier. Why did I not think of calling myself!?

Oh, and P.S.- It's NOT "child abuse" to still nurse your 2.5 year old. Nor is it abusive to keep said 2.5 year old rear facing, or the 7 year old in a 5 point harnessed car seat. But thanks for your concern!!

Boogie Wipes **GIVEAWAY**

It's time for yet another Boogie Wipes giveaway!! Instead of the typical Rafflecopter giveaway, I thought I'd try something new.

I have said many many times that Boogie Wipes are awesome. They are AMAZING!! They soothe sore noses, remove crusty mucus, and smell amazingly great!

But, did you know they do MORE than just that??? They are also awesome for removing food and pen/marker off your kids, work well as baby wipes in a pinch, and are even great for your pets! Have a pet with a leaky eye? Use a Boogie Wipe to get the crud off. Does your cat smell like he's been playing in his litter box? Use a Boogie Wipe to clean his paws off! I use them on my kitten's eyes, nose, paws, and even his ears.

He is much more tolerant of the Boogie Wipes than hairbows!

So, on to the contest details. Post a pic to my Facebook page of your child at their messiest. Spaghetti dinner? Finger painting? Mud bathing? Anything! Let me know what they were messy with, and how long it took to clean them up. If you want to include a post-clean-up pic in the comment of your post, that would be great! 

Contest starts Tuesday, February 3rd at Midnight EST and will continue until 11:59 PM EST on Monday, February 10th. Winner will be announced by Wednesday, February 12th. Winner will be chosen by my individual Boogie Wipes team, Boogie Busters. We are taking into consideration the biggest mess, and the hardest clean up. So, let's get to it! Good luck to all!!

Prize pack:

Shame On Me

As I've stated before, my daughter receives donated breast milk. It helps to keep her healthy, and since she doesn't eat a lot of solid foods still, it gives her the nutrition she needs. Her doctor knows her eating habits, and actually encourages us to keep seeking donor milk. I am running EXTREMELY low on our freezer stash, and put a status on my FB asking my friends and family to keep an eye out if they happen to know someone who has extra and would like to donate it.

I have always struggled with low supply. But we managed to make it to almost a year old. A few weeks before she turned one, I had to have a few moles removed. Two of them were on my back. I knew it was going to be hard to hold her comfortably so that she could nurse. I mentioned the thought of looking to see if anyone had any extra milk to tide her over for a few feedings for a few days (I planned to nurse, then give her the bottle when it started to hurt). Anthony was not on board. He said to just give her formula when she needed to eat. Since we had a few samples from Enfamil, I made her a bottle right then and there to see how she would do. She took one suck off the bottle, and spit it right out immediately after. Then she threw the bottle at me. Clearly, she was not interested in it. Anthony saw, but still wasn't comfortable. It took a few days of convincing him it was for the best. Why is it acceptable to give her formula that was made from cows milk in a factory, cows that we don't even know how they're treated, what they eat, how the farmer handles them, if the machines are clean, etc. I can talk to the mother who is donating milk to us, and even request a blood test to ensure that she is healthy. He agreed that it was better, and so I began the hunt.

Fortunately, I was able to find milk with no problems. I met with a few different women, and had my freezer fully stocked in the event that something should go wrong and I wouldn't be able to nurse her myself. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. But, starting her on donor milk was the best thing that I have ever done for her. She immediately went from the 3rd percentile in height/weight, all the way up to the 85th. Her immune system was much better. Instead of being ill 3 weeks out of every month, she was ill once. She faced the possibility of another blood transfusion while ill. I gave her more donor milk, and her numbers shot up immensely. So much so, that she didn't need the transfusion. She has never been healthier since giving her donor milk.

To this day, we are still using donor milk. I plan to continue until she is at least 2 years old. I do still nurse her as well. We go through about 8-12 oz of donor milk a day. Like I said earlier, I had posted on Facebook that I was in need of more, and for my family and friends to please let me know if they know someone who is looking to donate some. While I was out with Gianna at Walmart filling AJ's new prescription for his ADHD, my phone buzzed. When I looked at it, I saw that it was a FB message. I brushed it off because I was busy, and I could wait until I got home to deal with Facebook. But something about the first few lines that showed up in the preview really bothered me. After a few minutes, I couldn't take it any longer, so I opened it. This is what it said:

A few things didn't sit right with me about this message. First off, my daughter is only 21 months old. She's not even two yet. So, where she came up with three is lost to me. Second, she is NOT underweight by any means at all. She is 26 lbs. The WHO growth chart puts her in the 75th percentile. Again, she is not underweight. Third, her baby isn't that much younger than Gianna, from what a friend of mine told me. This friend knows her personally, as they used to be friends. Fourth, I'm not sure where she gets the idea that my baby doesn't need it. Pediasure will not help her immune system. It won't help her numbers to remain at a healthy level.  And last, she blocked me IMMEDIATELY after sending this, so I couldn't even reply back to her. 

I'm not sure why she thought it was okay to message that to me? I am a mother of a child with a blood disorder. I am doing everything that I can to ensure my daughter is healthy. I don't take milk out from underneath other babies. As a matter of fact, I informed this mother of 2 other moms who had milk to donate and gave her their contact information so that her daughter would have milk. All I am is a mother who is doing her best to keep her child healthy. Not selfish by any means. She may have tried to shame me, and guilt trip me, but I will not stand for it. 

For the time being, I am still on the hunt for milk. I'm not having much luck locally, though. I did have a mom willing to pump and ship to me, but we can't afford the shipping costs right now. If you happen to know of anyone who has milk they're looking to donate, please point them my way! Maybe one of them are close enough that we could work something out.