10 Months Update

Size: He hasn't grown much this month. Our home scale says he weighs the same, and he is right in between 28-29 inches.
Food: Apparently Little Man loves all things that start with the letter B. His newest favorite foods are Black Beans (drained from a can and  rinsed), Blueberries (cut in half), and Bananas. He loves to feed himself and gets so excited.
Activity: He is getting faster and faster crawling around the house. He prefers to stand whenever possible so he crawls to something and pulls up immediately. A few times he has let go for a few second, but I wouldn't say he is standing alone yet. But I know it is just around the corner.
 Little Man learned to clap this month. Its so cute. He is so proud of himself. Whenever he is happy about something, he starts clapping. I am also trying to teach him sign language and when I sign more he does some form of the sign and clapping.
He as also become a Daddy's boy lately. He gets so excited when Daddy gets home and the other day he said "Dada" and crawled right to him. I have mixed emotions, I'm so happy to see them together and love each one more, but I want my Mommy's Boy back.
Sleep: He is still a great sleeper. He is taking 2-3 naps a day ranging from 45mins-2hours. He still sleeps 12 hours at night as well. We really are lucky to have such a great sleeper.
Favorite Toys: He loves Bingo (his dog lovie) whenever he sleeps, but we can substitute another blankie if he needs washing or something. He also loves electronics. He is always trying to grab our phones, the remotes, the Xbox controllers, etc. Oh and Kleenex. We keep some on the coffee table and he tries to pull as many out of the box as he can before I notice.

He wasn't very happy in our photo shoot yesterday so we quickly popped the pacifier in got a shot and went back inside.

Will You Be My....Valentine?

We had a great Valentine's Day this weekend. My Dad babysat for us so Hubby and I could go to the movies for the first time in a while. It was his first time flying solo, but he did a great job!

We saw the movie "About Last Night" it was just ok. Had some funny parts, had some serious parts, but overall, very generic. We went to our Old Town theater so we could eat while watching the movie, which by the way is the best way to watch a movie.

Hubby also surprised me with the biggest chocolate covered strawberries I have ever seen. They were delicious! He said he picked them up from Sam's and we got 9 for like $6. So if your interested Sam's is the place to get them apparently.

Lastly I will leave you with some images of Little Man's Valentines Photo Shoot. I added the text and these were passed out as his valentines this year. Everyone loved them; naked baby and all. :)

I just love kissing those chunky thighs! Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day too,

My Bittersweet Goodbye

No-I'm not quitting blogging, this post is about my goodbye to breastfeeding. So here's your chance to leave before you find out all the dirty details. If you don't want to read on, I will forgive you and you are welcome to come back for the next post.


Ok, so I guess you are interested in breastfeeding. So here you go......

My entire childhood I always wanted to be a mother. I NEVER pictured myself breastfeeding though. I have an aunt who had 5 children and breastfed all of them. I thought it was disgusting and gross and I was sick of seeing her boob ALL THE TIME.
And then I got pregnant and read books upon books about babies. I read about the benefits of breastfeeding and all the other scientific info, and I read about the bonding you feel with your baby. So I decided I would at least give it a try. But then I became nervous....

Most pregnant women lay in bed at night and stress about labor and the pain of giving birth, not me, I lay in bed at night stressing about the difficulty of nursing and the pain and everything that comes with it. In fact I was talking to a friend a few months before I was due and she asked me how I was doing with the stress of labor, I replied "I'm actually not worried about labor, I'm worried about nursing. The labor pain will last for just hours, I think nursing is going to hurt a lot longer."-She then laughed at me and said "Its really not as bad as your thinking"

I continued to stress about it and flip flop back and forth about trying. I took a class with a lactation consultant and felt better about my decision. She assured me that (1) I would be able to succeed and (2) Its worth all the pain. I made a plan then to at least try to do it for the first 3 months. That way he would get the antibodies he needed and if I hated it, we could stop.

The day came, the best day ever, I got to meet my son. He was wonderful and more than I had ever pictured in my head. The love I felt from the moment I saw him was overwhelming and I don't think I stopped smiling for days. That night (he was born at 7:39pm) I tried to breastfeed for the first time. It was a total failure, but the nurse told me that he would be fine for the night and that we could try again in the morning and she would send in a lactation consultant. The next morning we tried again, and it was better. I was given a shield to help him latch (this would soon become a close friend). Little Man was tongue-tied and it was making it difficult, but I also wasn't producing enough milk so we started supplementing until my milk came in.

About a week after he was born we took him to see the doctor to get both his circumcision and his tongue clipped. It was a very hard day for me, but immediately he was better at nursing.There is also an amazing lactation clinic at my hospital that you can use for free if you give birth there. I went a couple times a week for the first 3 weeks and it was a huge help.

With the help of the shield I was able to breastfeed Little Man for 6 months. You are supposed to ween the baby off of the shield but after many tries, I realized that he was not willing to do it without, and so we just stuck with it. I probably would have continued to breastfeed longer if my milk would have kept up. I got really sick at the 5 month mark and my production dropped drastically. I was already taking supplements and things to help with production and they weren't helping. So I resulted to nursing just before bed at night and in the morning. After about 2 weeks of that he got frustrated with the flow of breast vs bottle and refused to continue. Now we are on all formula.

So there's my story. We had some struggles along the way, but when they talk about the bonding you feel, it is something you have to experience to understand. When I say bittersweet goodbye, I am talking about how much I will miss my special time with my little boy, and that look he gave me as he was nursing. But I'm glad to have my own body all to myself for the first time in over a year, and I won't miss the occasional pain, or pumping (I HAAATTEEEE pumping) or wearing nursing pads, or the annoyance when I feel like my boobs might explode if I don't pump or nurse. Overall, I wouldn't change my decision over the last 6 months, but now that it is over, I can enjoy watching Hubby feed him, or that cute little look he gets on his face when he sees the bottle. So if you are on the fence of breast or bottle, I suggest to at least give it a try. It's not for everyone, it does come with a price (and savings, we saved over $200 in formula), but it is worth it. I promise.

 

 

This is a video of him nursing. You do not see any boob, just Little Man, but you can see just how much he enjoyed himself. You do not have to watch, I won't be offended. (Ok I'm done with personal sharing time, contact me if you have any questions about my experience)

7 Month Update

 He really enjoyed playing with the leaves as we were taking picture, he poked himself in the face a few times with the pine needles until I took it away from him. And look at these adorable "big boy" jammies! I can't believe how he is quickly changing into looking more like a toddler and less like my little baby.



Size:18 pounds 26.5 inches (measured at home so not very accurate)

Activity:He loves to ramble and put different sounds together. He says "bababa" and "mamama", blows bubbles, and just started this throaty "ggghhkk" sound (much like when you say Baklava). I'm not sure where he came up with this sound, but it is pretty funny to hear.  He loves sitting up by himself, and rolling over. He still hasn't figured out crawling, but I'm not worried because that means I'll be chasing him around the house all day. As much as this kids loves to stand I wouldn't be surprised if he skipped crawling all together. We put him in a walker the other day and immediately he started to move in it.

Foods:  He is refusing to nurse now, I think he was frustrated by the flow compared to a bottle. We are now doing all formula, about 5 6-8oz bottles during the day. He also has cereal and a fruit for breakfast, about an hour after his morning bottle. And he also has cereal and a veggie for dinner. He now eats Gerber Puffs, which he loves but he can't figure out how to get them into his mouth so the dogs get to eat most of them.  He now gets very frustrated when we are eating and not feeding him, so for the times when he as eaten his dinner before us I give him a teething biscuit that I make (recipe here) and he loves it. Rather than crumbling, the bread just gets mushy and dissolves. He has yet to finish one, he mostly knaws on both ends till its slippery then it falls on the floor and the dogs claim it.

Sleep: He is still a pretty good sleeper. Day light savings had us all thrown for over a week. He was wanting to wake up at 6am instead of his usual 8am. We are now finally back on a schedule of 7:30pm-7am, with the occasional wake up at 5:30, but we put a pacifier in his mouth and hes back to sleep. He is taking 2-3 naps a day averaging about an hour and a half. The 3rd nap is usually a cat nap around 4 or 5 just to hold him out until bed time.

Favorite toys: That jumparoo is still #1, in fact we have purchased a secondary one for Grandma's house because it's too big to lug around from house to house. He also loves to chew on stuffed animals (well anything he can bring to his mouth instantly becomes a chew toy). We have started bath time without the infant seat and he loves to splash and play with his bath toys.

He dumped out all of his toys from the box and was so proud of himself

 Bath time fun video, my favorite part is at 0:30

He is such a little Ham, and loves showing off to people. So far we don't have any issues with others holding him, he will pretty much go to anybody and give them a huge grin. And who could resist that face??? I am just so lucky that I get to wake up to it every morning, even if it is at 5:30am.

Happy Pumpkin Pickin

We took a trip out to the pumpkin patch Saturday night to get Little Man's 6th month photos done. (I promise the chalkboard update is coming) My dad has been traveling on business lately and he was finally in town this weekend so we could get some pictures taken. Unfortunately, Hubby was taking his teens to a corn maze on the other side of town and he was not able to witness the cuteness firsthand.
I think Little Man is finally liking taking pictures because in both his newborn and 3 month shoots he was upset for most of the time (although Sally our photographer was able to get GREAT shots during the "smiley times"). This time around was nothing but smiles, and some adorable faces when he was trying to eat the pumpkins, or at least lick and gum them since he still doesn't have any teeth.

Pumpkins for sale, he's so happy :)

Not sure what this face is, but its adorable

I just love this guy so much

Right before he tried to chomp down on that pumpkin

Apples for sale

My Dad's head got cut off a bit, and we were loosing our light so had to use the flash, but still turned out cute I think.

Little Man and his Poppy

I can't believe how big he is getting, but so glad we are able to capture these moments forever. Hope you and your family have a great pumpkin season

5 Months Update

Updates this month:
Size: He doesn't go back to the doctor for another month but I measured him at home and he was weighing in at 15 pounds and 25.5 inches.
Activity: He can now roll over both front to back and back to front. He can sit assisted by his boppy, but not quite all alone. He loves to be a big boy and stand with assistance. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes straight to walking and skips crawling.
Foods: Still breastfeeding and substituting 6 oz bottles when Mommy is not there. He has a bowl of cereal and smashed banana for breakfast, and cereal and a veggie (either green beans, peas, squash, carrots or sweet potatoes) for dinner.
Sleep: We are in the process of sleep training. He now only wakes up once a night to eat. He typically sleeps from 7:30am until 7-8am (eating around 1am) then takes a nap from 9:30-12, another from 2-4 and sometimes a short cat nap around 5:30 or 6 if he is fussy.
Favorite Toys: Baby Einstein Jumper is still his favorite. He also is now enjoying tummy time (finally) and he can scoot his legs but doesn't use his arms yet to move so his face just scoots across the floor.

5 Month Favorites

1. Sassy Developmental Play Mat- I got this on Black Friday last year on sale. I wish I would have spent more on a mat with more features, but for the $20 I spent on it, its worth it. We have been using it for months, but he is finally old enough to play with the toys and he loves it. My favorite thing he does is grab the bird with his feet and bring it to his mouth like a monkey.
2. Dexas Ice Cube Tray- I found these at Target and knew instantly they would be perfect for making my own baby food. I love that they are great portion size for Little Man right now, and they come out of the tray so easily.
3. Munchkin Stay-Put Bowls- These bowls are great for mixing cereal in and I'm excited that they suction to the table top for when Little Man's hands get curious.
4. Bumpidoodle Floor Cushions-This is an adorable floor cushion (think bean bag with just stuffing in it). Our dogs try to fight Little Man for it becuase it is so comfortable to lay on. Also it comes in adorable shapes, we have the Dillon Dog, but there are owls, mice, monkeys, elephants, pigs and more.
5. Douglas Dog Sshlumpie- We got this as a gift and I had never seen anything like it. It is a combination of a stuffed animal and a cuddle blanket. It basically looks like a build-a-bear before you add the stuffing. This is Little Man's lovey and he sleeps with it every night. It is so adorable to see him cuddling with it.

4 Months Update

My little guy is 4 months. Well actually this post is almost 2 weeks late, but I'm finally getting around to posting it.

Look at that adorable face. How could you not love it??

Updates this month:
Size: He weighs in at 14 pounds and 24.5 inches. In the 30th percentile on all accounts.
Activity: He can reach for his toys and is getting better hand eye coordination               everyday. He smiles when he sees Mommy or Daddy walk into the room and pouts when they are no longer in his line of sight.
Foods: Still breastfeeding and substituting 6 oz bottles when Mommy is not there. We tried our first bowl of rice cereal this month. He likes it but we are still working on figuring out our tongue.
Sleep: We are in the process of sleep training. He still wakes up a couple of times a night to eat so we are trying to ween him off of midnight feedings since the doctor says he no longer needs them.
Favorite Toys: Baby Einstein Jumper is his favorite currently. He loves to bounce up and down play with the little toys attached.


I had to include this blooper photo from the shoot because it was so cute.

4 Month Favorites

4 Months??? How can it be already? It was harder to think of my favorite things this month because I didn't introduce many new things. But I guess these are what I came up with.


1.Baby Einstein DVD Collection-I got this as a gift from one of my showers. I don't want Little Man to grow up watching TV constantly, but low and behold he has figured out what it is. I do however put these in when I need to get something done around the house. For example I put him in the swing, put in the movie and then take a shower. I know that these aren't going to corrupt his mind like Sponge Bob or other crap on TV and the music is soothing to him.
2.Baby Einstein Musical Motion 2-in-1 Stationary Jumper & Entertainer
- I pulled this out a few weeks ago and from the moment I put him in it he has been in love. He's still a little short for it, only one big toe can touch the floor, but he has figured out how to play with the keyboard and he loves the rolling ball. He will sit in there and just giggle for 30 or so minutes at a time.
3. Peg-Pergo Stroller- So this stroller is expensive! I am not a stroller snob I promise, I was given this by a friend since she no longer used it. I love how it folds up so small. Only down side, it's sometimes difficult to fold and it weighs more than I would like. I do love however that the cover goes all the way over so the baby won't get wet in the rain, and that it reclines all the way back so he can sleep in it. It also has a 5 point strap and cup holder for both baby and mama.
4.Bright Starts Take Along Carrier Toy Bar- I got this at a consignment sale for about $3 the other day. I disinfected it and attached it to his car seat. Now when we travel I hear music and rattling in the back seat because he is playing by himself.
5. Baby Lullabies Popular Music Collection- Hubby and I use Spotify (a website where you pay a monthly fee and you can listen and download all the music you like) and I found this album on there. We used it during our road trip to Branson last week and it was a success. The lullabies calm a screaming baby, but they use popular songs so that Mommy and Daddy can enjoy too. There are songs such by Lady Gaga, The Fray, Coldplay and more. We enjoyed playing a game where we tried to guess what song was playing, then continued to sing along once we figured it out. You can buy it on Amazon for $8.99 by clicking on the link. 


Hope this was helpful information.

3 Month Favorites

1. AngelCare Deluxe Motion Monitor- I wrote about this product here. This monitor senses your baby's breaths and sets off an alarm if there is no movement for 20 seconds.
2. Circo Infant Rashguard- We love going swimming, this rashguard is SPF 50 and is a great way to keep the sun off of Little Man's skin
3. Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse- We got this as a shower gift and it is awesome. When you press the belly it glows and sings about 5 minutes worth of songs. We use it for every nap and night time. It soothes him and helps him put himself to sleep.
4. Fenugreek- I got a really bad stomach bug a few weeks ago and got really dehydrated. I tried these herbs and it helped to reestablish my milk supply. 
5. aden + anais blankets- It took me 2 months to get onto the aden + anais bandwagon, but once I bought them I was in love. These are huge and so light weight. They are perfect for summer and get softer with ever wash, which is a huge bonus!
6. Aveeno Eczema Lotion- I love this lotion!! It is super thick and last so long on the skin. I use this for Little Man when he gets dry patches on his skin. I love to put it on him a night, put on his jammies and swaddle him, let it sit on his skin all night and...voila...no more dry skin.


Hope these were helpful! Is there anything I should look for, for the next upcoming month?

3 Months Old Today

My Little Man is 3 months old today. I can't believe how much he has grown and I love the little personality that is showing through. He is so much fun now and everyday I find something new about him.
My favorite thing he does now is blow spit bubbles. He has realized that he can blow on his lips and it makes a fun sound. So all day long I hear "bbbbbbb" and I'm constantly wiping his face, but its adorable so I forgive him :)

This month we have done a lot of swimming, had a few play-dates, took a road trip to see Hubby at camp and recently he has found his hands and they are constantly in his mouth.

Here's our month in instagrams:

 

Fell asleep after the pool/4th of July baby

 

Best S'more EVER

 

Fussy baby/Little Man's first day at the lake

Clothing optional this summer

Getting ready for the lake/Chewing on his fingers

Best Baby Apps

It seems like today everyone has a smart phone, everyone but my mom that is, she's still rocking her flip phone :)

I believe that smart phones have helped make me a better parent. Not to say that I couldn't parent without it. With some of the apps I have used over the past year, I have gained knowledge that I would otherwise not know, and also it has made some of my day-to-day life easier.

The following are some of my favorite apps:

My Days-Period and Ovulation This app is great for tracking your periods and ovulation when you are trying to get pregnant. Hubby and I never "tried" to get pregnant we just stopped taking birth control and let it happen when God decided; I did however download this app just so I could track my periods. It estimates when you are ovulating and notifies you. I loved that I could tell my doctor exactly when my last period started so that I could get a true due date for Little Man.

Baby Bump Pregnancy Free This app shows week-by-week progress of your growing bump, as well as information everyday about your baby. You can upload weekly progress photos of yourself as well. My favorite part was the chat forums. There are specific groups that include women having babies the same month as you, or other topics like labor and delivery, trying to conceive and questions for dads.

 Breast Feeding Log I loved this app for the first month of Little Man's life. When you first start to breastfeed it is really hard to remember which side you last fed from, or what time you started. With this app you choose a side and then hit "start feeding" and the "stop" when you are done. It tracks your feedings so you know when you are starting and how long they lasted. Also if you are bottle feeding you can keep track of when you start feeding and how many ounces they took. I never used the diaper and sleep functions for their purpose. Instead I used them to mark when I took my pain medication so that I could make sure I took them on time. After a C-Section you want to make sure you are up to date on the meds.

After about a month I got used to keeping track of stuff on my own so I no longer used the app, but boy did it make life easier!

 Google I use this constantly. Any time I have a question about something, the first thing I do is Google it. I have found tons of advise from other moms, and I have been able to compare products or find answers to some of my "mommy" questions. 

Project 365 I LOVE this app!!! With this app you take a new picture everyday. I use it to take a picture of Little Man. My plan is to make a book at the end of the year so we can see how much he has changed in 365 days. Already it is amazing to see the day-to-day changes.

Instagram Everyone knows about this app, but I use it constantly. It is a great way to quickly edit photos and to link right up to Facebook. You can follow me on instagram here 

 Kidfolio is made by the creators of Baby Bump and does basically the same thing, but is for children birth-12 years old. Everyday they post info on your growing baby and you can take pictures to post on you profile. Also there are chat forums to talk to other mommies with kids the same age.

 Oogababy is a tracker app that tracks your baby's progress. I use it to track his weight and height measurements each month. You can also take pictures with the app as well. If you have other friends using the app you can share information with each other.

 

Zulily is a great site to find boutique quality items for a discounted price. They have items for baby, kids, maternity, women and plus size. I have bought quite a few items from them and been happy with all of the items. 

I hope this helps you Mommies-To-Be or New Mommies. If I find any new ones I'll update, but in the mean time, what are your favorite "Mommy Apps"?