Yes, I am

It seems that at least once a week, people question whether I'm still breastfeeding. And not in a positive, way to go, you rock for giving your baby the best possible nutrition kind of way.

Before Babycakes came along I never realized there was such controversy surrounding breastfeeding. I was occasionally disgusted after hearing of a mom being chastised in a store, but overall, I heard over and over that breast is best.

Now that I'm 5 months and counting into our breastfeeding relationship, I'm dealing firsthand with the questions.

When are you planning to stop? Aren't you tired of him always on your boob? Aren't you going to teach him to eat real food? Isn't it a pain to pump? Don't you want to drink, go out, etc?

Well the truth is this: We'll stop when he's ready. But at this point, I'm pretty sure it'll be before he finished high school. No, I'm not tired of him. I love staring into his little eyes. Last I checked, my milk is perfectly designed to sustain my baby. (And he's eating purees, but just for fun.) Pumping can be a pain. Not physically though. Those bottles and parts are a pain to wash. And I do go out. To my oldest's Cub Scout meetings, to baby group, to dinner.

I have to wonder why are so many people concerned with how I feed my baby? Breastfeeding has not limited how I live my life. But it has given me the chance to bond with my baby, to get to know his sweet little attitude, to see him thrive. I am proud of our relationship, as any breastfeeding mother should be. It's not always easy, but is well worth the reward.
So here's to the last 5 months, and the many months to come. And if you're a fellow breastfeeding mom, fielding questions from people too nosey for their own good (or any mom for that matter), I just want to say: Good for you! You rock!

Puppet Heap Review

My son loves to make up stories, act out things, and write down tales. I never fail to be impressed by his imagination. Sometimes I really can't imagine where he gets his ideas from. Since I really want to encourage him to be creative and hope he continues with his story-writing, I'm constantly looking for ways to keep him interested and active.

I was recently introduced to the Puppet Heap. The Puppet Heap is a very unique puppet and character design company. They recently launched the "Puppet Heap Playthings," a line of hand puppets that are creatively based on their short film productions of Mother Hubbard and I Knew An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.

My son was able to create and act out a story using Lucy, a bad-news cat from the town of Spudbottom. Lucy's "the one with the bum eye playing the fiddle for pennies by the bus stop...She's in with that shifty band of alley cats who caterwaul behind the music shop at all hours of the night."Lucy is so well-built and able to withstand the rough and tumble play that comes along with a 7-year-old boy. But both my son and I also love the details of Lucy. She has an almost realistic look to her, achieved through the careful attention to her facial features and coloration.

Puppet Heap Playthings are perfect for kids (and grown-ups) who love to preform or create their own stories. They have attitude and spunk, we're talking major attitude. Plus, they are amazingly high-quality and each puppet comes with a unique code that unlocks a secret window into that character’s world at the Puppet Heap Playthings website.

Puppet Heap Playthings puppets, including Lucy, can be purchased for around $20 at Amazon.

A sample was provided for review. All opinions are our own.