So, I'm a new mom. As of 44 days ago. Naturally, it's given me a new appreciation for the upcoming Mother's Day holiday this weekend!

Our fabulous new marketing director Susan Etter, who I've wanted to hire since starting this business and finally got the opportunity to snatch up, asked that I write a quick email for Mother's Day, and for some reason the wonderful Apple "Here's to the Crazy Ones" ad happened to be running through my head. I wrote an homage, if you will, and when Susan read it she rightly proposed that it would be best enjoyed with some photos.

We asked our family and friends to give us a few shots, and my amazingly talented friend Peter Engelsmann put the piece you'll find below together in a few hours. I'm really happy with it and I love that everyone in it has helped Makaboo to be what it is, in some way shape or form. Makaboo has many amazing moms!


We hope you enjoy and share, and of course, Happy Mothers Day from all the Moms of Makaboo.

On Fridays we have a lovely young woman named Stacy come and watch Walt so I can squeeze in some work before going back full-time next month.

Stacy watches the sons of very good friends of ours, so she has way more experience in all things boy than I do.

A couple weeks ago we're in the nursery together changing Walt's diaper and I say:

"So, how do you keep from getting peed on?"

Stacy: "I don't know, I've never been peed on."

Cindy: "Uhm, that's funny, because I was peed on three times. Yesterday."

Stacy: "Huh. I guess it's just timing."

Cindy: "Yes, I'm sure that's what it is."

My friend Liz gave me the bright idea, after that, to use a cloth diaper as a shield while I'm changing him. I haven't been peed on since! The shield, however, has been peed on at least seven times.

Stacy, I don't know what the heck you're doing differently.

Week One: Wha?!?

Week Two: Oh my god what have I done?

Week Three: OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE?!?!?!

Week Four: Maybe this isn't going to be so bad.

Week Five: I LOVE YOU. I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE YOU. YOU AMAZE ME.

5/15/2012 Update: Thanks to all who participated in our Ultimate Mother's Day Sweepstakes featuring Simplisse!  We've selected all our winners:

Grand Prize - Kari Burmaster!!!

First Prizes - Alisha Hernandez, Megan Devers, & Victoria Baecker.

Second Prizes - Emilee Slater, Mitchell Jenkins, Andrea Walter, Lori Champion, Rachel O Clark, Sarah Doran, Rebekah Yellis, Krista Pisciotto, Karen Norman, Elizabeth Berry, Kimberly Sabus, Maggie Keuth, Kate Baker, Shannon Lebedev, Suzanne Brown, Barry Steinberg, Tera D. Kaiser, Jessica Gaffney, Cindy Bazzel, Christina Lomasney.

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I am so excited to announce Makaboo's Ultimate Mother's Day Sweepstakes, featuring some fantastic products for new moms from Simplisse, another great baby/kids company based here in our hometown of St. Louis. It's our biggest giveaway ever and includes a Simplisse Breast Pump, a full Accessories Kit, a Gia Breastfeeding Pillow and Cover, and a $250 Makaboo Gift Certificate - a grand prize package is valued at close to $600!

As a seasoned mother (it's been almost five weeks) I can speak from experience when I say that Simplisse's breast pump and Gia Pillow are second to none. I had the good fortune of getting both a Simplisse and a pump from the old-standard pump manufacturer, and the Simplisse pump is so much more gentle. If you had trouble pumping in the past or are worried about the pain of pumping with a little one on the way, then the Simplisse will be your new best friend. I intentionally didn't say your new breast friend, because there's actually a product by that name. And it competes with the next awesome Simplisse product in our Sweepstakes, the Gia Pillow! Again, I was given both a Gia and the other brand that is ubiquitous in the breast feeding pillow space, and mama mia I love my Gia! It is so much more comfortable, has a much better angle for Walt and for me ... if I position him just so I can actually have BOTH hands free in which to massage his little head or write this blog entry, for example.

I love that Simplisse is an upstart taking on the big guns in a hyper-competitive industry - we're kindred spirits in that way! And I also love supporting another local company. The fact that their products are so great is all the more reason that I'm so happy we get to partner with them to offer our fans such a cool contest!

And of course, what would a Makaboo contest be without some Makaboos! The grand-prize winner as well as 3 first-prize winners and 20 second-prize winners will all win Makaboo gift certificates to make the most adorable personalized baby gifts the web - and world - has to offer. So happy Sweepstakesing and be sure to tell all of your friends to enter too!

You like us! You REALLY like us!

We so weren't expecting this. We don't even have a speech prepared!

First of all, we have to thank the Academy - we mean the voters - who made Makaboo the Greatest Baby Gifts winner in the 2012 Cribsie Awards. We couldn't have done it without you!

We'd also like to thank our fellow nominees, among whom it's such an honor to even be compared. Barney's, you had some amazing gifts this year. Ralph Lauren Baby: your stuff always shines! And Red Envelope: our money was on you!

We'd also like to thank our designers, developers, embroiderers and packagers, who have worked tirelessly to make Makaboo what it is today.

And finally, we'd like to thank our families. Mom and dad: this one's for you!

Seriously though, we are so honored and humbled by the support of our fans and friends.

As a thank you, we've created coupon code CRIBSIEWIN for 15% off any orders over $80 through 4/30/2012. Enjoy and thank you thank you thank you!

What on Earth did people do before Google?

Things I have Googled in the last 20 days:

• How do I bathe a newborn?
• How do I care for a newborn's belly button?
• How do I care for a newborn's circumsized penis? (Baby's daddy was especially concerned about this one)
• Why does my baby's diaper keep leaking? (Answer: point the penis down into the diaper, not up out of the diaper - genius!!)
• How do I know if my baby's diaper is too small?
• How do I apply diaper rash cream?
• How do I know if my baby's eating enough?
• How do I know if my baby's eating too much?
• Why is my baby awake all night and sleeping all day?
• How do I keep my baby's arms from coming out of his swaddle? (Answer: SwaddleMe swaddlers - could not survive without!)

Things I have ordered for overnight delivery:

• Diapers
• More SwaddleMe Swaddlers
• Sound machine
• Swing
• 2nd Boppy Newborn Lounger (love!)

I thought I loved the Internet before. But it's a whole new world!

Walter Ross McGowan was born on Tuesday, March 13th at 11:01am, measuring in at 8lbs, 1oz and 22" long! Bill and I have fallen in love. Walt had his first pediatrcian appointment last Friday the 16th; by the time we visited again 7 days later, he had gained more than a pound. None of the Teasdales are very big people so Dad is especially proud of his McGowan genes being on full display.

Much more to come but here are a few pics for now!

There are many important steps in the journey of an Angel Dear Lovie between when it's chosen by a Makaboo customer and when it leaves the Makaboo shop for its happy new home.

Angel Dear Lovies Waiting For A Home

We carry 26 different Angel Dear Lovies, from the classic blue lamb to the feisty pink zebra. The newest additions to the family are the Angel Dear Monster Lovies!

Angel Dear Owl Lovie Saying "Pick me! Pick me!"

When we receive an order for a particular Lovie, we find that animal among the mix and pull one lucky Lovie off the shelf. Then we get to work!

Angel Dear Lovie Getting Hooped for Personalization

First, we hoop the Lovie in an embroidery hoop, placing a thin layer of water-soluble solvy on the top to help the embroidery stitches from getting lost in the sweet pile of the fabric, and placing a layer of paper backing on the bottom for sewing stability.

Angel Dear Lovie Getting Personalized

When the Lovie is perfectly hooped and ready to go, we place it on the embroidery machine - that's where the magic happens! We have created an embroidery file that matches what you designed on the site. Then we simply sew what you saw and approved on Makaboo! And as always, the price you see includes all personalization, whether you choose a single letter or a child's full name.

Angel Dear Lovie Getting Trimmed

Once the Lovie is sewn, we pull the solvy off the front and trim the backing from the back-side, then trim any loose threads or imperfections. We spend quality time with each Lovie to make sure it is perfectly prepared for its new owner.

Angel Dear Lovie Getting Packaged With Love

Our favorite part of the journey is when the Lovie is packaged up for its trip home. Every Lovie is placed in a clear gift bag with a satin ribbon and a personalized gift tag. Don't worry, they can breathe in there! As with all personalization, our prices include this adorable gift wrap. After all, this is a very special Lovie going to a very special Little One!

Angel Dear Lovie Getting Boxed For the Journey Home

Once a Lovie is packaged, we nestle it into its little box, surrounded in tissue paper, where it will be safe and sound for the exciting trip to its new home.

An Angel Dear Lovie Is On Its Way Home!

Finally, we close and tape the Lovie into its gift box and label the package with its intended destination. We then hand off the package to our trusty and beloved USPS and UPS delivery friends, and the Lovie is on its way to a happy new home!

We love hearing from customers about the most exciting part of this journey - when the Lovie is united with its new owner! Email us at info@makaboo.com to tell us your Makaboo Lov(i)e story.

Just in case you're wondering, Angel Dear Lovies are just one of the Lovie styles we carry: we also carry three styles of silky soft Swaddle Designs Lovies and organic Apple Park Lovies!

Last Tuesday I went to my doctor's office for the weekly non-stress-tests that start at week 32 (because I am over 35). I have had a completely easy and normal pregnancy - have not been sick once, whether morning, cold or flu; have had no odd test results and no difficulties whatsoever. So I was texting and emailing away - basically getting work done during the 20-minute test when you're supposed to relax, when I glance over at the paper being spit out of the monitoring machine and think "I wonder what those little hills are."

Then my doctor comes in and says "those little hills are contractions, and you're having them every five minutes, so you will be going to the hospital!"

Bill came to meet me and we spent the day at Missouri Baptist L&D Triage. They got me on fluids and eventually gave me a shot to slow the contractions. I got to go home that evening and have been on bed rest and meds to slow the contractions since, and will be until at least February 18th when we hit 36 weeks. I'm still having frequent contractions but hopefully being laid up will mean they are causing less of an impact on my cervix and the whole process. I can't believe I just used the word cervix on my blog.

My husband was supposed to leave for a ski trip on Thursday (why he chose to schedule a trip when I'm at 33 weeks is an entry for another day), and it took some serious convincing (crying) to get him to change his plans. That being said, he has been an incredible care-taker the last six days - he is a saint!

Asking a person like me to sit still for 23 hours a day is sort of like asking a cat to stop scratching the furniture. Or a honeybadger to stop eating cobras. I have the best of intentions, I really do. It's just not in my nature. That being said, I am making it work from home and feeling good, and am so grateful to keep a healthy Blueberry baking as long as I can.

Here are my tricks for not going insane on bed rest:

• Marry a saint
• Enlist friends and family for help - from switching out the laundry and changing the sheets to going to the grocery store
• Have a very snuggly kitty cat or pooch
• Go to sleep, wake up and eat meals at normal times
• Shower first thing in the morning
• Make a list every day of the things you'd like to accomplish, even if they are small (pay 5 bills), then check them off as you go
• Have pre-set times the television can be on; there's a reason your parents did this - because it rots your brain! I do not turn the TV on until 5pm at the earliest, usually closer to 7 or 8
• Use the time to catch up with old friends and emotionally prepare for baby!

I'm very lucky that my bed rest is for a finite period of time, very close to the finish line. I'm also lucky because we know that even if Blueberry were born today, in all likelihood he would be perfectly healthy, he'd just have to spend his first weeks of life in the NICU instead of the comfort of his home and parents' arms. So, it's very easy for me to feel positive about the whole thing. I know others have a different story!

Let's see whether being stuck on the couch/in bed will lead to more blog posts! I hope so! I have big plans.

So we have T-Minus-9-Weeks until the official arrival of Blueberry McTeasdale.

That's the nickname we've given the boy on the way. Blueberry comes from reading a baby book at week seven that said the baby was about the size of the berry. My friend Jillian joked on the day of our 18-week ultrasound that if it was a girl we'd have to change it to Pinkberry. I was happy it would still be a foodstuff. And McTeasdale is what I still propose to my husband that he change his name to, when he gets annoyed that I did not legally take McGowan.

I actually think Blueberry McTeasdale is better than some real names we see, and I imagine it's going to be hard for me to let go of "Blueberry" when the little one finally arrives and we have to assign him a more formal moniker.

I try never to say anything negative about baby names, but I think it's safe, since this person is a celebrity and since it's already been published on a variety of "worst baby names" lists, to say that my least favorite name we've ever sewn is that of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's youngest child Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver. That's right: Buddy Bear is his first name; Maurice is his middle name. Before you start feeling too badly for Buddy Bear, keep in mind that his sister's names are Poppy Honey Rosie, Daisy Boo Pamela, and Petal Blossom Rainbow. Maybe they let the cast of the Electric Company name their children.

None of these names pass my first rule of baby names, the Supreme Court Justice Test. The test is very simple: put "Chief Justice" before your baby's name and see how it sounds. "Chief Justice Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver" sounds like the punchline of a joke that includes a priest and a talking penguin, right? I mean, "Chief Justice Blueberry McTeasdale" sounds less ridiculous, yes?