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We took a very special family picture on Friday to commemorate our Baby Blaise’s EDD 2016 <3#nothingbutlove
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*happy babywearing*
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Milk sharing aka wet nursing or cross-nursing is really common among my group of friends! Many of us have nursed each other’s babies, toddlers, and kids out of necessity or even just to boost our little ones’ immune strength! It’s a truly wonderful way to bond with your most cherished friends; my kids now have milk siblings. Their milk mamas have shared the bond of physical closeness as well as the antibodies that comes from one’s own milk. I can’t think of a more perfect way to show love as a mommy friend!

It’s sad but true that for many years, I felt tethered to my babies who were each exclusively breastfeed for almost 12 months. Until I found my community here in Southern California, I couldn’t physically leave my children without a back up feeding source but once I found my village, I allowed myself to leave my young baby in the care of dear friends who would breastfeed her as needed. My plight of not bottle training and yet desperately needing to go on a date with my husband was solved with one simple statement. “Please feed her when she seems hungry!” Suddenly, our options widened, and PAXdaddy and I have enjoyed quite a few dates since the birth of our daughter in 2013 by leaving she and our 6 older children with friends as well as having provided childcare for other friends wanting to escape the clutches of their little milk monster for a few hours!
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I myself have been able to feed many of my friends’ babies for a plethora of reasons! I was very proud to put my lactating breasts to work one night when I was a doula at a friend’s birth. She had a trauma shortly after delivering her baby so I nursed her newborn through the night while also taking care of my own sweet 5 month old baby. The next morning I put out a call for help, and an army of mutual friends arrived to help with the new baby and also to keep baby’s tummy full of 100% breastmilk! I still marvel at that amazing week and how a group of women could come together to keep one little baby well nourished, clean, comforted while her mommy was under the weather.
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At 32 months old, my daughter, Cate, was still breastfeeding and enjoying the mommy cuddles that it’s hard to find in a large busy family! When our 8th baby, Blaise, was born at just 15 weeks, my milk dried up leaving Cate high and dry. Luckily for her, an entire herd of lactating friends came during the month of May to care for me, my husband, and my children as I recovered from the loss of our beloved baby. She nursed from several mothers over the course of the month and now refers to one of our closest friends as “Mama Milk.” I am so grateful to each and every friend who offered to breastfeed my sweet girl. It means so much to me and made the transition to being a non-lactating mother much easier and less emotional.

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At PAXretreat last week, PAXfriend Evonne had a little snuggle time with #toddlerCate. My lovie was over the moon with the fresh milk, and Evonne was happy to fill her little tummy with liquid gold. I cannot wait to have another baby, have my milk come in, and be able to feed someone else’s baby straight from the tap!
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*happy breastfeeding*

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Today is Day #2 at our annual PAXretreat with Joanna from Center for Babywearing Studies! Our training session is taking place in Wine Country Temecula, California this year, in a gorgeous house where none of us want to leave! Our PAXretreaters have learned how to teach new parents to use the ring sling as well as how to tie a slip knot with a shorty wrap, and have had some fascinating discussions on babywearing education, our industry, community, and medical issues that professional babywearers may come across in their field of work! Swag Bags filled with goodies that you can browse here at the PAXblog have ben distributed in what Joanna calls “Christmas in September,” and Sakura Bloom will be here at lunch today with the continuing education talk called “Balance: Your Best You.”
Two of the PAXmoms, Jillian & Celia, are currently certified through CBWS, and PAXtographer Allie will be completing her coursework this month as well! We feel so blessed to be able to serve our local babywearing groups with the high level of education that this training provides. If you are interested in becoming a certified babyweaing educator, please contact the Center for Babywearing Studies, and if you would like more information on receiving personal babywearing instruction from the PAXmoms, please email us at help@PAXbaby.com!

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*happy babywearing*
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The post #PAXretreat2016 Day 1 appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Thank you, A Charming Collection, for your generous donation of these adorable BUNNY loveys! *awwwww*
Aren’t they precious?? Your little one will love snuggling up to one of these cuties!

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*happy babywearing*
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The post A Charming Collection appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Our PAXexclusive Rainbows for Days woven wrap was inspired by the amazing scientific phenomenon of the double rainbow. As with all double rainbows the first arcis vivid with stark contrast between the colors while the second is typically less vibrant with blended colors. Similarly, Rainbows for Days, hand woven by West of the Fourth JUST for PAXbaby.com, features two rainbows, one with clean color changes and one that is a blend of color.

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So much fun was had at MommyCon!! ?? What was your fave part of this past weekend?  Did you snag a photo with us? We would LOVE to see it!

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*happy babywearing*

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The post PAXbaby at MommyCon appeared first on PAXbaby.

Sense of humor

My husband and I have heard every “joke” in the book about the size of our family, and the only purpose that the negative comments serve is to reinforce why our world needs gentle refocusing on what’s truly important. Do we know what causes this? Yes, shall I explain it to you? Do we own a TV? Yes, although we rarely watch it. Do we plan on having more children? Yes, God willing! Are we millionaires to afford our family? No, we live frugally within our means. How will we send each child to college? We don’t plan to, but each child may choose to attend continuing education classes if they so desire. How do we do it? Juggling, it’s ALL about the juggling! 

The post Big family chat appeared first on PAXbaby.

To those who envisioned their life differently. In a different location perhaps. In a different state of mind. In a different physical body.

To all those who were wishing and hoping but your wishes and hopes didn’t come true or fell through or were forgotten while tending to others’ needs and wants.

To all those have been counting on being, having, feeling, doing something different in some way, in any way.

Standing over here, looking into your every day, I can’t see the full picture; I can’t explain why or what or how or when.

Standing over here, looking into your every day, I only see my own reflection, mirrored in the quiet sorrow in your eyes as you play sweetly with your children. My own reflection caught as still as a photograph, doing a mundane task, tears streaming down your face as you take a moment to grieve alone. My own reflection, a twin to your own emptiness, a twin to your own void, a twin to your own infinite pit of abject sorrow and intense anger. What have you lost? A lost world, a lost soul, a lost life, a lost year, a lost month, week, day, hour, minute…. LOST.

Today I sit poolside, sipping my lemon water, listening to the palm trees sway in the wind and in this quiet moment by myself I am allowed to imagine how this day would have should have could have been. A round belly protruding over my bikini bottom instead of post partum love handles. A blissful list of baby names rotating through my head.  A proud expression on my face as someone asks me how many children I have. “8!” I could have said while rubbing my tummy happily.  What a lovely moment spent thinking about my would have should have could have, and then… my children are here and fill the space with shouting, laughing, crying, splashing, eating, jumping, swimming, being, and my thoughts are turned again to focus on the here and now. The reality in front of me. Tangible, incredible, magical, these small beings who fill my every minute with themselves. How well they keep my mind occupied to have these thoughts often, and and how well they keep me too busy to stand and look into your every day, but believe me, I feel your sadness and recognize your hurt. Your life, like mine, will continue. Your world, like mine, will slowly begin to spin again. You will wonder how it is that you’re back in the swing of things, back in the saddle, and back on the road; you will wonder how it is that your life has been so changed and yet, that’s okay. It’s just DIFFERENT.

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paxbaby

*happy babywearing*

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A message from PAXmommy Jillian and PAXdaddy Aaron:

“Aaron and I had to give our little herd the most difficult news last night. Telling them that their new baby has gone to Heaven and they will not be holding a sweet new person in their arms this November was the hardest thing we’ve ever done. Baby #8 was loved completely and perfectly; we understand that this is all part of God’s plan for our family, but we will be taking some time to grieve and mourn that we will never hear our baby’s laughter or be able to comfort our baby’s tears. Please pray for us as we reconcile our hopes & dreams with our new reality.

The post BB8 & Loss appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Yesterday  kicked off National Infertility Awareness Week 2016. The theme this year is #StartAsking. As words aren’t always adequate, a simple heart will do. For each loss, you can share a blue heart, if you’re currently still walking this infertility path, a yellow heart, and for each child in your life, a red heart. Share this post with your friends and #StartAsking, raising awareness for all. Hope we may find comfort in discovering we are not alone.

BIG LOVE to all of you!!!

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*happy babywearing*
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The post National Fertility Awareness appeared first on PAXbaby.

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With a smile and a song, PAXbaby.com is rejoicing about our newest Natibaby exclusive, Fairest of Them All. This enchanting woven wrap has design elements of all our favorite parts of Snow White’s timeless tale. Enjoy the sinister red apples, the red lacing of the princess’s corset, and even Prince Charming’s argyle socks!!! Wish into a well on Wednesday; you will hope and dream of the nice things that will find you!

Stocking at PAXbaby on March 23rd at 10 AM PDT, our PAXexclusive Fairest of Them All is adorable, not unlike the sweet cottage belonging to 7 little men in the forest.

http://shop.paxbaby.com/natibaby-fairest-of-them-all-exclusive-woven-wrap/

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Who is the Fairest of them All?! appeared first on PAXbaby.

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HAPPY FREEEEE FRIDAY with PAXbaby.com and Dear Addie Children’s Boutique!!

Our lucky winner this week will win a set of custom “grow with me pants” for baby and matching socks for mommy!
Jessica, the owner of Dear Addie, is a mommy of 3 with 2 boys and a girl. She is a stay at home mom who decided to turn her love of sewing into a business. She found her passion to be in children’s clothing. Jessica is a huge fan of Disney and more specifically Tim Burton!! A lot of her creations feature iconic characters from Disney and Burton.
Jessica, Owner and designer at Dear Addie has designed a custom set from her shop with the PAXmommies in mind;)
You are not going to want to miss out!!
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Please support our amazing Free Friday friend Jessica and like her Facebook Page!!!

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The winner will be emailed once the drawing comes to an end on Friday, March 11th, 2016!! Shipping address must be confirmed via email within 24 hours, or a new winner will be chosen!! For this reason, make sure to check your email (including your Junk folder!!) Shipping in the States will be free; International winner will pay exact shipping costs!

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*happy babywearing*

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How true is this for our little world of babywearing????

When did you first fall down the rabbit hole?? The world of babywearing has changed so much in the last few years, it truly is amazing. To think under ten years ago it was actually hard to find a woven wrap locally, and now…. and now there are soooo many amazing beauties at the touch of our finger tips! While spending hours online researching these carriers, we find our friends, our support systems, our “families” and ourselves. The journey through motherhood can be lonely, and overwhelming but oh so rewarding when we finally find our “people”. We PAXmommies fell in love with babywearing years ago, and love where the journey has taken us: babywearing education, doula training, teaching, placenta encapsulation, home birthing, birth photography, natural parenting, Bradley Method training, and SO MANY AMAZING  NEW FRIENDS!

Where has babywearing taken YOU??

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*happy babywearing*

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The post Where has babywearing taken you? appeared first on PAXbaby.

We are small but mighty!!!!
In a nutshell, there’s me, PAXmommy Jillian, along with PAXdaddy who takes care of the IT stuff that I have no clue how to fix, plus PAXmommy Melanie in Canada who is our blogess and Facebook maven! PAXmommy Christina answers most of our emails and phone calls, & PAXmommy Celia makes your special links and stockings run smoothly, just to name a few of her tasks! PAXtographer Allie who takes amazing photos of our products and also at PAXplaydates, PAXmommy Madison (my new sister in law) is our book keeper, and last but not least, PAXmommy Catherine (my own mama) is our shipping manager who keeps track of incoming product and ships out ALL of your orders! Talk about a family business,
So that’s 8 of us, and we are a force to be reckoned with!!!!
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*happy babywearing*

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The post The PAX dream team appeared first on PAXbaby.

I am not sure there is any job as exhausting and equally as rewarding as being a parent! I know that from sun up to sun down and beyond, PAXdaddy and I are at beck & call to the most amazing herd of children who each have something VERY important to say, often at the same time!! Why is it that when one toddler has to go to the bathroom, the other one decides they do too? It’s like a toilet paper relay race around here especially at dinnertime! But one day, when we are old, and our memories have faded to a dull fuzz, Aaron and I will look back at this time of our lives and laugh. Laugh at how insanely hard we worked every minute of every day, and laugh because we lived through it all! The big, the bad, and the ugly, it all will seem like a pleasant dream as we are surrounded by the glow of our children’s children’s love. It will be worth the crazy schedules,  the cold coffee, and the minutes (no, hours) spent wiping small bums and singing Frosty the Snowman, over and over and over.

To you, my equally as exhausted friends, keep on smiling, keep on smiling! I know it’s hard, but your babies will remember your joy more than your sorrow so let your light shine out, even when times are rough!
And to my little loves, I adore you and don’t wish my life were any different, but do you think that maybe you could sleep in JUST a little in the morning? Thanks, your tired and ecstatically happy mama <3

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*happy babywearing*

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PAXmommy Mel was recently interviewed for an amazing project called The Mamas Project:

(Post 1/2). Following her first two children Mel struggled with what she now identifies as postpartum anxiety. “I always thought that postpartum depression was about harming yourself or the baby. I didn’t realize that it could include anxiety and anger, and many other things. I felt so much rage at the silliest things, like my husband shhhh-ing the baby incorrectly and I didn’t realize that I wasn’t alone. In talking with friends later, I realized how common it was.” For Mel the anxiety was heightened with a baby that slept less than an hour at a time and a high energy toddler that needed constant attention. Sleep and patience seem to go hand in hand. “People would say, you should be happy, you have two beautiful kids. And I was like, no one chooses to feel this way.” #tbt #anxiety #postpartum #motherhood#truth #motherhoodmoments #ppd #themamasproject #octobermama

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*happy babywearing*

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The post You are not alone… appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Happy first Sunday of Advent from the PAXfamily! At 65 degrees, we each have a different idea on how to dress for the *cold* weather! What are you wearing today!?!

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*happy babywearing*
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This is PAXmommy Jillian’s “I’m holding a baby face!!!”
The babyfever is strong over here!!! Who are we kidding, does it ever go away???

There is nothing like the anticipation of a baby. Waiting all of those months to meet that little person that YOU created, nurtured and grew inside of you for nine months. Waiting to feel their sweet breath on your cheek. Waiting to see who they resemble, how much they will weigh, what color hair they will have… And then all of a sudden… they are HERE… EARTH-side. Their birth is a story all of its own, but just that immediate feeling of reaching down and pulling their naked little bodies up onto your chest, and thinking HOW, HOW did you fit inside me!??! The surge of emotions. Their first cry. Their first latch. Their first snuggles. The minutes that follow, the hours, the days. Having a newborn is a lot of work, YES. But, oh how it is worth it isn’t it??? Can we somehow figure out a way to just pause those few days of bliss. Of falling in love with a perfect little squish. Ahhh….

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*happy babywearing*

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The post How do you know when … appeared first on PAXbaby.

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Will you be attending MILK: An Infant Feeding Conference???

Don’t forget to come find us and say HI!!! Look for the RAINBOW umbrella!!!

https://www.facebook.com/events/521804194635649/

Which speaker are YOU most looking forward to hearing from??

http://mommy-con.com/event/details/milk/

If you will be pumping at the event, and will not have your own baby there, Baby Sailor  and her mommy will be in attendance and accepting milky donations!! Read more about Baby Sailor here: http://paxbaby.com/milk-for-sailor/

Hope to see you there!!
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*happy babywearing*
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