If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to Mommy Daddy Blog. We wouldn't want you to miss out on our updates or giveaways ;-)! Thanks for visiting!

Welcome to the new look of Mommy Daddy Blog! After tons of behind-the-scenes Photoshopping, coding, editing, and re-editing, it’s finally complete! And it only took us two months! Who knew that having a newborn baby would multiply the amount of time it takes you to do everything! We’re just glad to finally get it released! We were growing tired with certain aspects of the old theme, as I’m about to explain.

After Jayden was born, we wanted to somehow incorporate him into our header. This blog is about him after all. So since we were going with the whole “cartoon” thing, we thought we’d see if we could find a cartoon couple with a cartoon baby. So we headed back to where we found the original pregnant cartoon couple you used to see in our header, and found that the designer had also created the exact same couple with a baby. We thought, “Perfect!” But the more and more we stared at the pictures of the pregnant cartoon couple and the cartoon couple with the baby, the more and more we grew tired of both of them. It just wasn’t us. We felt as if we were hiding behind these cartoon figures. We felt like they made Mommy Daddy Blog impersonal.

So looking back at the “family photoshoot” we took while on one of our visits to Chicago, we thought, “Hmm, how about we use one of these pictures and just scrap the whole cartoon thing.” After a little dabbling around in Photoshop, we brought that idea to reality. And we LOVE it! Our header represents us. It’s who we are.

But wait, there was a problem though. The color scheme we had going on with our clothes in the picture didn’t exactly match the brown colors in our old theme. So we decided to overhaul the whole look of Mommy Daddy Blog. We didn’t know that it would take two months to complete though! Jayden is now TWICE the size he was in that picture!

And finally, what’s that saying again? “Give credit where credit is due.” With that being said, I honestly cannot take credit for any of this. Mommy, being the amazing web designer that she is, designed everything from the ground up. Seriously, the woman has skills! One day she hopes to be a professional web designer (aka make some cash flow from it), so she’s currently working on putting a portfolio together. If you’d like your blog redesigned, or just want your current design tweaked a little, feel free to drop her an e-mail!

Alright I’m through rambling now. Go ahead and take a look around. What do you think of the new look?

Baby Cheapskate’s having a HUGE cloth diaper giveaway. She’s giving away 12, yes 12 Bum Genius 3.0 all-in-one cloth diapers! These would be a GREAT addition to the cloth diapers we’ve been collecting! I’m crossing my fingers and toes for this one! The giveaway will run through Wednesday, August 6 at midnight, EDT or until she has 5000 entries.

But there ain’t no bugs on Paula Harmon and Pamela White, the winners of the Hugs, Not Bugs! Giveaway! Congratulations you two, we’ll be in contact with both of you shortly!

We want to give a big thanks to Jamila White of j.blossom for sponsoring this giveaway, and also to everyone who entered! You all gave some pretty interesting ways to keep bugs away, especially those of you who said dryer sheets. I honestly have to say that I’ve never heard of that one before. Next time I head out for a barbecue, I think I’ll rub myself down with some Bounce and watch as bugs try to break through that forcefield of flowery meadows!

Well, we have more giveaways lined up for you all, so stay tuned!

Also, for those of you throwing giveaways out there in bloggyland, I recommend submitting your giveaway to Prizey, because dude, 146 entries?! For a couple bottles of bug spray? Wow!

I didn’t plan on blogging today because I am desperately trying to finish up the new theme that I have been trying to get up for like a whole month. When in the middle of working on the finishing touches, I got distracted by the little Adoptic widget on our sidebar and somehow I stumbled on to Metropolitan Mama’s cruise giveaway sponsored by Protect-A-Bed. The Grand Prize winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip for two to a three-night, four-day cruise to the Caribbean (including airfare) OR the winner may opt to receive a $1,000 cash prize. Additionally, there will be a weekly winner every week of the promotion and a monthly winner every month of the promotion. The weekly winners (to be drawn on 6/2, 6/9, 6/16, 6/23, 6/30, 7/7, 7/14, 7/21, 7/28, 8/4, 8/11, 8/18, and 8/25) will each receive two Protect-A-Bed pillow protectors. The monthly winners (to be drawn on June 30, July 30, and August 30) will each receive a $200 gift card to Outback Steakhouse. All weekly and monthly winners will also be put “back in the hat” for the grand prize drawing.

I’m hoping to win the cruise. If it can be used next summer we’d have our honeymoon courtesy of Protect-A-Bed…and Stephanie of course! We’re trying to be a frugal as we can. We’re going to start a Smarty Pig savings and put up a little widget on our sidebar. If only I can finish this darn theme! Ok, gotta go! Wish us luck!

I typically wouldn’t write a post of this nature here on Mommy Daddy Blog but hey, we’re all grown here right?

While on our stay in Chicago, we visited a couple of friends of ours. They hadn’t seen us since Sheena was pregnant, so this was their first time seeing Jayden. So of course, there were many ooo’s and ahhh’s over Jayden and tons of questions for us about how it felt to be new parents. Most of the questions were directed towards the both of us, but then there was one that was directed at just me…

“So Greg, does the fact that Sheena breastfeeds now affect the way you view her boobs?”

Wooow, wasn’t expecting that one! We’ve had people ask us tons of questions on being new parents, but never that one. So after glancing over at Sheena and seeing that you-better-answer-this-question-right look in her face, I gave our friend the following response (which, by the way, is the less explicit version)…

I still view them as sexy like I always have. The fact that they are now milk jugs with skin doesn’t affect my attraction towards them at all. I’ll admit, it is kind of weird “in the sack” when I’m “paying special attention to them” and realizing that I’m fondling Jayden’s midnight snack. It’s also weird realizing the fact that milk can come shooting out at me at any moment (because it HAS happened before, but that’s a story for another day!). But yes, although weird in a couple of ways, I’m still attracted to them just as much as I was before they became Jayden’s dinner plate. In fact, the fullness and plumpness of them now have my hormones through the roof! Now, when they get old, wrinkly, and sag down to the floor is a totally different story!

I’M KIDDING!!! I’ll still love her grandma boobs just as much!

So now I want some input from the ladies and fellas! Guys, do you (or did you) still find your breastfeeding wife’s rack attractive although they are now (or were) milk fountains? And breastfeeding ladies, does your (or did your) husband still find the “girls” (as Sheena calls them) attractive? How did you initially think he would feel about them?

Last Wednesday I had a chance to read the very first issue of Seeing The Everyday, a quarterly and advertisement free magazine that captures ordinary moments at home that are often overlooked. Such moments include grooming one another, helping with homework, or doing work out in the yard. Participating in these activities help develop strong relationships in families. Individuals who come from strong families take their experience into their community and future families. Highlighted through stories, artistic photography, and children’s artwork projects, Seeing The Everyday helps find poetry in the prosaic.

We find poetry in the prosaic by:
1. Playing with our little man together.
2. Doing chores around the house together.
3. Keeping each other company in the kitchen while preparing meals and snacks.
4. Eating at the dinner table.
5. Watching movies.
6. Taking random road trips.
7. Visiting the park and beach.
8. Playing video games. We’re still playing SNES and Playstation 1. Yes, we’re missing out on all the new stuff, but we’re too old to ask our parents for toys

Lately we haven’t been doing a few of them (5, 6, and 8 ) because we have been swamped taking care of Jayden (1st priority) and business. We’re trying to develop additional income streams. We’re also preparing to move. We just want so much for the family, but at the same time we need to remember to set aside time to be a family. Daddy doesn’t have to work tomorrow, so we will continue to pack boxes and try to at least do one of the things listed above that we haven’t done lately.

The first issue of Seeing The Everyday has got me hooked. I especially enjoyed the laughing section on page 78 and a story on page 8. In this particular story, Marlene Hinton reminisces on learning how to separate eggs while preparing angel food cake. She went through dozens of eggs trying to remove the yolks from the egg whites, never once did her mother take over or complain. She let her practice until she got it right. I’m sure many families will agree that some of the best moments are shared in the kitchen whether preparing a masterpiece or mastermess!

“It’s not about making a cake, dinner or any other number of important things we can spend our time doing. It is, however, about making a child. A unique, one-of-a-kind, significant, individual.” - Seeing The Everyday, Issue 1, Page 17

How does your family find poetry in the prosaic? By answering, you’ll be entered to win a quarterly subscription of Seeing The Everyday magazine and some popcorn goodies to enjoy with your family! 2 winners will receive a subscription of Seeing The Everyday magazine (4 magazines total) and a popcorn sample kit which includes 2 Orville Redenbacher popcorn samples and coupons all wrapped up in an Orville Redenbacher popcorn bowl! 4 additional winners will receive 2 popcorn samples with coupons! This giveaway will end on July 25th at 7PM CST! This giveaway is open to U.S residents only!