People say parenting is bittersweet. I’ve heard the stories of parents crying when their babies go to school for the first time. I know there are so many big milestones along the way and this is only the beginning, but y’all, my baby got his first haircut. HIS FIRST HAIRCUT! I don’t even know how I’m typing this right now, I’m still feeling emotional about it. My son was born with a full head of hair, and it’s always been full for its age. I knew this day would come sooner than I desired, but all the emotions have hit me hard at once.

I can’t wait to tell you about the Healthy Holiday Giveaway from Greenshield Organic and Green Piñata Toys. Greenshield Organic is the first line of USDA certified organic cleaning products. See that black circle on top of the label in the picture above? That’s how you know something is really, truly organic. Many products claim to be natural, but that term is not regulated, and anyone can make “natural” claims. Green Piñata Toy Share is a toy rental service, and it’s seriously the best idea, ever. I hate toy clutter. I love watching my son have fun with his toys, but as soon as he goes to bed, his toys go in bins and out of my sightline. Also, most toys are really ugly, and my kid can lose interest pretty quickly. Green Piñata solves these problems for you. By essentially renting toys, Green Piñata helps you keep down the clutter with beautiful, wooden, age-appropriate toys.

Sometimes I can’t wait to leave the house. When I know that the baby didn’t get enough sleep or will be cranky all day, I’m glad to go. I hate that, because I really do get sad when I kiss him goodbye, but I think every mom has moments when she would rather be somewhere else, anywhere else.

I can’t believe it’s already been half a year with this muffin. People always tell you to enjoy every moment, because it goes by so quickly. What no one mentions is that these fleeting moments are made up of so many long, frustrating ones. It’s when you look back that you realize your mind was in some sort of a haze, just grasping for the next milestone, the next breath of air. With each milestone the journey gets easier and harder at the same time. I couldn’t wait for S to be able to hold his neck up on his own so I could set him down in an exersaucer. I failed to realized that once this happened, I could not longer leave him to quietly play in a reclining position. I knew that once he could roll over on his own, I could breathe a sigh of relief and stop worrying so much about SIDS. But now that he can roll over, he can’t stop – even when he is super tired and just …

I had a hellish pregnancy. If you aren’t new to my blog, you are well aware of this. So when people began warning me of the 4th trimester late into my pregnancy, I pretty much put my fingers in my ears. I didn’t want to hear it. Then the baby came and I was so busy with learning about nursing and baby schedules. I was also in the tumult of redefining who I am – a mother, and easing into that new identity. The days and nights went on and on. The baby was attached to me and I to him. My husband was supportive and would give a break every now and then by watching the baby so I could go to Target by myself. I learned I needed to get gallbladder surgery, and faced a good amount of meshugas to get it done close to my parents’ house, so I could have help caring for the baby while I was recovering. After Thanksgiving, we came back home. The feeling was wonderful to finally …