New nursing Pads up in the shop!

We teamed up with the awesome and fabulous Wee Essentials to being you the MOST AWESOME and EXCLUSIVE nursing pads on the marked in our eyes :) I personally used these while nursing and stand buy them 110%. Check em out!

Almost forgot the biggest milestone!

I almost forgot yesterday, our most proud milestone... we have made it to our goal of 6 months breastfeeding. It hasn't always been easy... but I was NOT willing to give up. Over the last 6 months some days it was exhausting (growth spurts) and some days rewarding... Some days I was overflowing with milk (thanks MMP and lactation cookies) and other days I felt like I had nothing... I am a HORRIBLE pumper... and what most people can pump in a sitting sometimes takes me 2 or 3 sessions just to get 5 ounces worth... but through all of this we kept going... and here we are - at our goal and still going strong.  I feel like it should be smooth sailing from here... *knock on wood* next goal... ONE YEAR!

The beautiful natural birth story... or something like that.

Looking back - Im pretty sure the only thing natural about my birthing experience was that I had no pain management... no drugs... no tub... I did however get some ice chips... that was nice... and then I threw it up. Beautiful right? *sigh* something like that... 
Before all this Best Buy nonsense happened, we had planned for a totally natural water birth. I had every intention of waiting for the spontaneous labor like the movies... where my water breaks in a crowd full of people... and we have to fight our way to a cab and rush to the hospital... just in time to hop in a warm birthing tub, relax, and bring my baby girl into this world. Ok - maybe thats a little dramatic, but you get the picture. I was in no hurry, and though I was READY for her to be here... I have had pitocin before and wanted nothing to do with that this time around. Well, plans all changed when Zaq was fired and out insurance ended on October 31st. We had to be in and out of the hospital by midnight that night. So to avoid thousands and thousands of dollars in medical bills, we induced on Sunday morning.

Bright and early... well - I think it was still dark... 6:30am I popped out of bed (couldn't sleep that night) to call into the hospital. My midwife was already there and we were clear to be there by 7:30. When we got there, I slipped into my Hot Mama Gown... climbed into the bed... and waited on word from my midwife. Around 10:15 she finally came in... She had been up for about 30 hours at this point she said, and had two other moms delivering the same time as me. Well, I knew pitocin takes a bit so I wasn't worried. She "checked" me... and I was at a 3 and high. Totally different from the 4 and low she had said 3 days before... *discouraged* I asked her if there was any chance we could break my water first before the pitocin because I have a history of going FAST after my water breaks... and she said no... so the nurse came in and started my IV and the dreaded pitocin. *shivers* It started out slow... they upp'd it every 30 minutes... pain was manageable... I did lots of walking, rocking, bouncing on the birthing ball... By 2:00 I was at the max amount of pitocin they can give (remember this for later)... and the nurse said if my contractions didn't start getting closer (4 minutes at that point) that we wouldn't have to have a plan B. I did NOT want a plan B...  At 2:08 my midwife came back in... asked me if I had been checked and I told her that my nurse was waiting for her to come in. She seemed confused... and went ahead and checked. Now keep in mind - when I switched from my regular OB clinic to the midwife I was assured a better experience... and told that a midwife is by my side at all times... keep that in the back of your head for later... At this point, she said I was at a 4 and low - and that if I wanted we could break my water now. I said absolutely. She was going to go take a nap and be refreshed and totally devoted to us... great. So at 2:19pm she broke my water. IMMEDIATELY my contractions went from about an intensity of 34-40 (on those stupid fetal monitors) Up to 80... and they were coming about 2 minutes apart. Naturally - the pain kicked in SO FAST AND HARD that I got to throw up my snack of chips the second some ice chips hit my mouth. Not my finest moment, as Zaq chased after me with my IV so I didn't rip it out. There I was hunched over the bathroom sink as the contractions hit me one after another. Zaq was pushing into my lower back while my nurse tried to help me focus on my breathing. Both we're nice. But lets be real... it came on so fast that I had no prep time... no get focused time... The only thing I could think was holy shit this hurts... and Jen says keep your mouth open... so I did.

After about 15 minutes of this, almost dropping to my knees with every contraction and tears rolling down my cheeks - I looked at Zaq and said there is no way I can do this for HOURS! Its too much... I can't do it... well  - super hubby that he is talked me off the ledge every time I was ready to cave to ANYTHING they would have given me to help... He assured me I could do it... He knew I could do it more that I did... so I kept going... I asked the nurse if I could get into the tub now... and she said wait 15 minutes and we will check you again and see where we are at... in the mean time... to get onto the bed on all fours and rock into a pillow. This helped... though I caught myself looking over at my monitors during an intense contraction... and through tear filled eyes - saw 109 on the scale...

by the time it had gotten down to 50 (where they were pretty intense earlier in the day) it was almost like they weren't even there in comparison. Zaq continued pushing into my back while I contracted... butt in the air, probably not my finest moment... but whatever, it helped. He even started counting down the monitor so I could focus on it going away. And the pillow gave me a nice muffling tool to moan into... all of a sudden... I was sure I could feel her head coming. Assuming it wasn't possible, they had me flip over and check... I was 7 CM... so in under 15 minutes, I had gone from 4 CM to 7CM... They put me back on my knees while she prepped for labor and called my midwife... *who had been gone the whole time* Id say it was about 5-10 minutes, and much more supportive super husband later...  I felt my body taking over... my contractions were coming in waves of 1 minute apart... meaning by the time it was ending, I literally got to take one breath and it started again. I could feel her coming... I had done this before, I knew what was happening and demanded they check me again. When she did, she said wow, you're 10 and she's right there. I wined "but Im supposed to be doing this in the tub" and my sweet nurse said "honey, you're going to do this right here in just a couple pushes." And she was right... they didn't even have time to pull the end of the bed off... they slipped a paper pad underneath me and a couple towels. Pushed my feet up on their hips... and in about 3 or 4 contractions... she was out.

... ... ... 3:08pm ... ... ... 

and that was it... So those of you tuning in hoping to hear about the beautiful water birth... peaceful... empowering... etc... you're at the wrong blog. It was the opposite of everything I wanted.. everything we "planned" for... but I guess thats what I get. We Zrust's aren't very good at planning... we just roll with it.  I ended up with a drug induced labor... intensified 10 fold with pitocin. Going through the most excruciating pain of my entire life... a labor that made Zavery's seem like an uncomfortable doctors visit in comparison... and Izzaq's seem more like a movie maraton at a hotel with my hubby rather than a birth. And I gave birth in the worst position... for pain... and for gravity to help do its job, on my back with my feet up in the air... 

3:10pm... midwife walked in... "Wow, what did I miss?" *crickets* "Everything"... I said.

She pushed on my tummy... delivered the placenta... checked for tears, and headed home for the night. 

Am I complaining? eh, I don't know. It was chaos... it was more that I ever imagined... Max dose of Pitocin? Likely reason... no midwife help with pain? Breathing? Etc? Maybe... but hubby did the best he could. But for now - my baby is here... she is healthy. She is BEAUTIFUL... so for now... right now - that all I care about. And of course I can wear my "natural birth badge" with pride... haha. And hope for all the other natural births out there, that their experience is much more calm and peaceful than mine ;) But, sk me again when we get a giant bill from the Midwives office... for a delivery that she didn't deliver... then there may be a few phonecalls to be had. 

Giveaway #7: BlueMoonCrochet adorable baby bird rattle

omg, omg, omg... can we say SOOOOOO CUTE?! Blue Moon Crochet is officially on my "must buy for baby" list... I am always on the hunt for cute, handmade, and natural toys for baby... and Blue Moon Crochet is exactly what everyone needs...
THey have owls...

They have beavers...

Elephants...

and oh oh oh so adorable bird rattles...

"This hand crocheted little bird fits perfectly in the hands of babies and toddlers. Its shape is ideal for them to learn to hold objects, chew, and engage in other sensory motions."

Blue Moon Crochet sent the red bird rattle that you see above to Sarah and baby Evan, and is giving one to you too! One lucky winner will receive a bird rattle of their choice :)

How to Win: 

(comment below with each entry in a separate comment)

#1: Fan Blue Moon Crochet on facebook.

#2: Fan RockerByeBaby on facebook.

#3: Go to the Blue Moon Crochet shop - and favorite her shop.

#4: If you win - what color would you choose. 

ALso - she has so generously given us all a coupon code! If you would like to make a purchase, you can get 15% off if you use the code:  Shower15 

New Giveaway: Amenity Home... one you WON'T want to miss...

Its rare that I can click on a link to a store and say I want everything... but let me tell you... Amenity Home is one of them...

If you havn't ever seen their store, then you are surely in for a treat... until recently, I hadn't... But strolling through twitter (as I do too often, lol) I saw the amazing @SarahSophia tweeting to them about their amazingness, so I had to check it out... I instantly fell in love. 

"Amenity Home offers a wide array of eco-friendly products for thoughtful modern living. At Amenity Home, we are dedicated to the never-ending process of maintaining Amenity's harmony with the environment." They have absolutely everything you could want NEED for the most eco-chic home. They make custom bed frames... linens... organic bedding... stretched canvas prints, and the most amazing throw pillows... 

and lets not forget their amazing organic baby goodies! Blankets, pillows, sheets, wall art, crib bedding and more...

We're absolutely in love with every single thing they have to offer... and when trying to decide what to "review" it was next to impossible... After a long deliberation, we chose the "Woods Organic Baby Blanket".  Deer always make me think of my grandpa who passed away... so there was no doubt that this was the perfect print for us. You should have seen the huge smile on my face when I opened up the box... It was beautiful... perfect... and i was ecstatic. Idyllic scenes are printed with certified organic dyes onto a 300 thread count, organic cotton percale and backed with a soft and cozy organic cotton fleece. It is a size Large Crib Blanket measuring size 34x46 and is valued at $115.  Could it be any cuter? I think not...

So naturally, I just couldn't WAIT to be done with work so I could snuggle Zavery up for pictures... he LOVED it. *spamming pictures here, lol*

I absolutely melted over this shot... can you say - heart breaker!?

BUTTERFLY!

Clearly - we love our new blanket... and to win Zavery's love is a tough task... he is pretty picky when it comes to new blankies... Adorable right? And it gets even better. Outside of bedding & decor, they also have everything baby could need for Bath & Meal time...

And one of you lucky winners will win the Bath Time Package... "Our organic cotton hooded towel combined with four organic cotton washcloths, along with our favorite Little Twig extra mild unscented bath wash and lotion, make this a fun and healthy gift for caring for baby at bath time!" Valued at $79.

One lucky winner will receive this set in your choice of print, in either Ducks or Squirrels. Here is how you win! LOTS of ways to get entries, as well as how to win a $1000 bedroom makeover!


HOW TO WIN! (#1 IS MANDATORY)
#1: Mandatory - Subscribe to the Amenity newsletter... its on the left hand side of their home page.(They will verify this so leave your email address in the comment)
(All below are optional for extra entries!)#2: Follow Amenity Home on Twitter!
#3: Follow RockerByeBaby on Twitter!
#4: Tweet This: (up to once daily)
"Organic Hooded Towel & Bath set ($78 value) by @amenityhome at the @rockerbyebaby blog Comment at link to enter! http://bit.ly/9V4Ikp"
#5: Enter the Amenity Home Facebook Sweepstakes for the $1000 bedroom Giveaway!
#6: Follow the RockerByeBaby blog! (sidebar)
#7: "Like" Amenity Home on facebook!
#8: "Like" RockerByeBaby on Facebook.
#9: Put the Rockerbyebaby flash button on your blog or website. *sidebar*
#10: If you win - would you choose the Ducks or Squirrels print?

Free Giveaway: EcoStore USA $25 Gift Certificate and Free shipping!

Oh, it is love! Im always on the hunt for new and amazing ecofriendly products... and this time, they found me. Ecostore USA contacted me a couple weeks ago offering a review and giveaway. Yay! I got to choose two of their wonderful products to try out, and let me tell you, the hardest part was choosing which ones to try!

EcoStore USA has an AMAZING line up of "green" products... everything that us "crunchy" mamas need to keep our counters sparkling... our laundry fresh... and our babies clean. I love that they have a big lineup of household products at great prices... Dishwasher soap is definitely on my "to buy" list as well as their toilet cleaner and spray cleaner. These are normally such harsh & potent chemical filled toxins, but with Ecostore they contain No Nasty Chemicals. Now of course I love all of these options, but thats not all... they have a whole list of baby products!! Things like Baby Nappy Balm, which is great for all kinda of skin issues little ones can have... Cradle Cap, Diaper Rash, etc. Chamomile & Lavender baby soap...  Baby massage oil for moisturizing and relaxing baby. And my two personal favorites that I got the chance to try... the Shampoo and the Body Wash.

The shampoo was wonderful... Chamomile & Lavender scented... smooth, not overbearing at all... perfect for that bed time bath... Now, when you use all natural soaps, its hard to find ones that are "tear free" but I can honestly say (girl scouts honor) that there was not one tear while washing both boys' hair. It soaped up to a nice thick later... rinsed clean... and let their hair silky smooth.



The body wash compared just as highly as the Shampoo did. We used a "loofa" with the soap and just as the Shampoo it had a really nice lather with just a little quarter size amount of soap. A soft scent and left the boys' skin even softer...

I have to say - I think the EcoStore USA company has a new regular customer. I am that satisfied with the products... and did i mention the prices? They are totally budget friendly. Always offer free shipping on $25 & up. And right now, 40% of all items for the rest of the year.

Don't worry - Im not taking all the goods for myself! The EcoStore USA has offered for one lucky reader to win a $25 gift certificate to anything in the store, as well as free shipping on your items!

How do you win? Easy... just comment!

#1:  Mandatory entry:  Tell us how you would spend your $25 if you win...

Extra entries?? But of course :)
EACH ENTRY MUST BE LEFT IN A SEPARATE COMMENT TO COUNT!!!!!

#2) Follow us publicly here on (blogger) - Leave a separate comment for being a (old or new) follower on our blog.
#3) Follow/Tweet us (Twitter) - Leave a separate comment for being a follower and TWEETING about this giveaway on Twitter... If your already a twitter follower of ours, TWEET about it for an extra entry anyways :)

Tweet This: "Free $25 Gift Certificate for "green" momy & baby products from @ecostoreusa at the @RockeByeBaby blog!! http://bit.ly/5pF6CU"
#4) Write a blog about this giveaway and link back to this review. Leave an extra comment with the link to the blog.
#5) Fan RockerByeBaby on Facebook...

#6) Fan The Eco Store on Facebook... 

#7) Follow the Eco Store USA on Twitter...

#8) TWO EXTRA ENTRIES IF YOU Sign up for the Eco Store monthly newsletter. This is a great way to stay up on their promotions and discounts!! 

Shayna Punam HUGE baby bath product giveaway DONT MISS THIS ONE!

When it comes to Shayna Punam...
I dont even know where to begin.
She is THE MOST under rated Etsy shop I have ever come across.
Her stuff is amazing... yet only 6 sales and 42 hearts :(
Well this week, we need to change that for her.

Before we get to the giveaway goodies, let me tell you a bit about her shop...
First off, she makes wonderful all natural body products for mommy & baby.
and Secondly, Shayna Punam stands for beautiful Face in Yiddish... awe...
well, a beautiful face is not all you will have with her stuff...
I wanna share with you the story of my son's beautiful Butt... yeah, thats right... BUTT!

The day my goodie bag showed up in the mail, my son had a HORRIBLE diaper rash...
the worst he has every had...
he was so red and raw just out of no where.
I didn't know what to do as the over the counter stuff like Balmex never worked for him...
and we didn't have any luck with Bordeaus Butt Paste either...
Well, Shayna Punam was the saving grace.
I pulled out the Butt Buster Bath Soaker and gave him a good soak.

You just drop it in and run the warm water.
The bath smelled wonderful...
full of all natural Oatmeal, calendula, chamomile and lemon balm...
After that I sat the bag out on the counter to dry (one pouch is good for 6 baths!!)
I dried him off and got him ready for bed...
but before I put on his diaper I gave him a good coating of the Butt Buster Balm.
By morning... it was half as red and irritated...
I continued to put the Balm on after every diaper change...
and repeated the soak and balm process over night...
and by the next morning it was gone.
I was absolutely blow away & i immediately wrote to her explaining our success w/ her products.

Part of me wishes the boys had a cold...
because Im sure the Cold & Cough soak works just as well...
No cold? Try out the Night Night Wash & the Night Night balm paired together...

Just wash up baby with the gentle lavender wash...
The take the balm, and just Rub gently on their Chest & Back...
and even under their nose if you want.
Feeling restless yourself? This is great for mommies as well.
Lavender is a natural stress reliever.

I could literally talk forever about all the amazing products that she has...
but you wont really know until you try them out yourself.
But I assure you... each item is worth the investment.
After all, its all natural ingredients for you and baby...
there's nothing more important than that...

Right now, you must be thinking, wow! It can't get an better than that!
Well, it can... ;)
She has a sister shop, ANNABELLA KNITS, that makes soakers, longies, skirties and more...
that she makes out of 100% hand dyed wool.
Guess what... she has sent us one of those too!

Now, I couldn't choose which one to review and which one to giveaway so Im letting the winner pick.
They are both around a size Large - that way most every mommy has a chance to win...
So - to the details...
The prize is valued @ almost $100
The soakers:


and the Travel Kit:


The winner will receive one of everything in the Travel Kit...
and ONE of the soakers...

How to win:
Leave us a comment here...
tell us why you want to win...
*AND* If you won... which soaker you would like to have... Blue or Skull

Extra Entries:
#2) Follow us (blogger) - Leave a separate comment for being a follower on our blog.

#3) Follow/Tweet us (Twitter) - www.twitter.com/RockerByeBaby Leave a separate comment for being a follower and TWEETING about this giveaway on Twitter... If your already a twitter follower of ours, TWEET about it for an extra entry anyways :)Just be sure to leave us your Twitter name so we can check up!

#4) Write a blog about this giveaway and link back to this review. Leave an extra comment with the link to the blog.

#5) Buy something from one of the two stores - leave the link to the transaction in a separate comment.

#6) Give their shop a "heart" on etsy!! Leave a comment saying you hearted them!

As always -
Thanks for reading and good luck!
Amber