A 10 Month Old's Letter to Santa

This is absolutely hysterical (mostly because it is so true!)

A 10 Month Old's Letter to Santa

Merry Christmas :)

Best New Mommy Gifts

Wondering what to get for a new mother? There are so many things that most people take for granted that new mothers really would rather have than a box of diapers or a really cute outfit (no offense to those gifts of course).

The following may not be the case for every new mother but for me these were those "gifts I couldn't register for".

• FOOD: Notice this one is the first one on the list.....The last thing that a new family wants to worry about after they bring home their new bundle of joy is what to make for dinner. Make and freeze a couple of one-pot meals that Mom and Dad can just throw in the oven quick. Better yet, bring a few of them and bring one that is hot and enjoy spending time with the new family!

• A PHONE CALL: Texting has truly made a simple phone call a thing of the past. However, nothing can bring joy to a new mother more than knowing that someone has taken  20 minutes out of their day to see how she is doing instead of sending a sentence or two in a text. Perhaps a text would be nice first to make sure that baby (and mommy for that matter) is not sleeping.

• A VISIT: Having a newborn baby can be the most amazing and lonely time in a new mommy's life. Especially when dad has returned to work. Nothing would cheer her up more than to have a visit from a friend or family member. Having "adult time" may mean more than you think to a new family.

• A HUG: Many new mothers never want to admit that they feel a little blue. A hug can be just the ticket for a mommy who is feeling blue-ish.

• YOUR EAR: Sometimes all you need to give anyone (not just a new mommy) is you time and your ear to talk to. Letting her know that you are there for her (maybe not just to change a few diapers) can go a long way.

Sometimes not all gifts come in a package :)

We're back!

Hello everyone!

Sorry I have been away from my blog for so long. Just a mild interruption of working a full-time job and having a rambunctious little one. You all know how it goes. Now that we have slowed down here on the farm I can hopefully get back to our weekly-monthly entries.

Here is a little update on Bryn:

REFLUX:
G-O-N-E. No more meds. No more special formula. No more burping her every five seconds. From about 5 months she has been rid of that horrible beast. Thank God! After an informal poll of all of my friends with kiddos it turns out that it is quite common but there are varying degrees of course. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful pediatrician that has helped us all along the way. Thank you Dr. Libbert :)

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ........
One of the best feelings in the world for new mothers is a FULL night's sleep. Our little Bryn has been sleeping through the night (about 8:30pm- 7:00am) for about 4 months now. That doesn't mean that we won't have a little night-waking due to teething or a stuffy nose every now and then but we have been so thankful. The best part is that we have a happy, well-rested little one the next morning who wakes up every morning with a smile.


FOODS:
We are slowly doing away with the bottle and she is "cautiously" trying new foods. She is now eating everything we eat including: spaghetti, pancakes, sausage, meatloaf, pickles (the new favorite)and the list goes on and on. She is becoming very picky with her foods so we are staying strong and not giving into her "I only want to eat crunchies, puffs, or mum-mums" cries. Wish us luck. *crossing fingers and saying prayers* The sippy cup is finally mastered. We also have tried every single one known to man-kind.

PLAY:
To Bryn, everything that is not a toy is most appealing. I.E: The nightlight, the TV remote, the trash can, the recycling bin, the cat's tail(well maybe that is a toy), the xbox controller, and all folded laundry. Our favorite game is currently "lets drop all of our food on the ground and watch the dog or cat eat it".  I do not share the enjoyment in this game..... Bryn has been crawling for a few months now and would rather be standing up holding onto something than sitting. She occasionally is letting go and trying to stand by herself. She will walk with us if we hold her hands but sometimes she sits down and refuses to move all together. She is clearly very opinionated.


COMMUNICATION
Pointing and saying "DA" is the phrase of the month in our house. She will point at everything in the room and we will tell her what it is. It is so fun to watch her learn and communicate with us. My parents have several animal mounts in the living room and we ask her to show us the deer and she will point to the deer and then we will repeat the same game for the fish and the bear. She loves it! She will occasionally say "momma" or "dada" but or "pop-pop" but she won't call us directly by our titles. Her facial expressions are the best though. :)




I have a lot of friends who recently have had babies or are now expecting. If there is anything you have questions or are wondering about please let me know. :) I have a few topics in mind for the next entry but if you have requests please send them my way. I am not an expert on anything but we have had many challenges and I have tried nearly everything at least once. :)

Doctors Office Do's and Don'ts

My little pumpkin gave us quite a scare last week! I came home from work and was enjoying a fun afternoon with Bryn. After taking a short nap, Bryn awoke with a fever of 104.7! I went into panic mode, called the doctor, called my mom, googled like a mad woman only to find that we weren't in the dangerous temperature. 106 is a the appropriate temperature to freak out. Pheww! I was still clearly worried. We got her into a luke-warm bath and immediately started tylenol. The next day we went to the ped. and he took a urine sample and sent us for blood-work (seriously the most painful thing EVER for mommy and baby both). Long story short, she had a urinary tract infection and amoxicillin cleared it up very quickly.  At the end of this whole ordeal, I decided I needed to add a blog about what to do and not do when you are talking and visting with the pediatrician.

Do's

• Call right away: Even if you are only slightly worried. Their conditions can worsen very quickly and you really want to safe rather than sorry.
• Write down all symptoms: When you go into Mommy-Panic-Mode it is very easy to forget times and symptoms. You want to give the doctor or nurse a clear timeline so that they can accurately diagnose and treat your little one
• Relax: I know this sounds like a COMPLETELY unreasonable request but it will help calm your peanut and a calm baby makes a calm mommy. Being frantic will not help the situation. I did not follow this advice and I, not only freaked myself out, but I made Bryn hysterical.
• Listen, write down, or ask the ped. for list of instructions: I can be hard to focus on what the doctor is telling you about your little one either because you are focused on a fussy baby or they are just throwing WAY too much information at you at once. It is easy to miss details about how to treat you baby's condition.
• ASK QUESTIONS: If you do not understand something the ped. is telling you do not feel stupid for asking even the most basic question (how could they have gotten this condition? Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again? How long should symptoms last?) Believe me! I asked everything. You may think of questions even after leaving the office but just call and leave a message. I was on the phone for 15 minutes just asking questions I thought of after walking out the door!

Don't:

• Blame yourself: Little ones get sick, they get hurt and blaming yourself will only make the situation worse. Instead, focus on getting them feeling better. Don't be so hard on yourself.
• Let the Ped. dismiss your worries: You have a right to ask questions, to be concerned. You didn't go to medical school and you have a right to answers (as long as they have them) Afterall, you pay them for this!
• Be afraid for a second opinion: This is why I actually prefer a practice with several doctors. I have gotten to know each of them and how they handle situations and answer questions. I called with questions 2 or 3 times and asked for different doctors to look at her charts and give me their opinion over the phone. This helped me understand Bryns symptoms and treatment better and gave me more piece of mind. Every doctor is different. I was able to take advice from each of them and use it in a way that really helped me treat her condition in a way that worked for her.
• Change any treatment without talking to the pediatrician first: If they are on several medications this could really affect the outcome and could prolong the sickness. If you don't understand what the medications or treatments they gave you are really doing or how important they are then CALL THE PED!
• Use the internet like the Bible: This will only confuse you. However, a little google work will help you to come up with a few questions to ask the ped.

I hope these tips will help you when visiting the doctor and calm your nerves when dealing with a sick little one.

What a difference a month makes!

It's hard to believe that just 3 short months ago our beautiful daughter arrived and changed our lives forever!

Looking back I can remember when everyone used to say "Can you believe how fast they grow?!" I will admit, those first 2 months were brutal and I couldn't have disagreed more with that statement. Time just felt like it stood at times. But there was a clearly defined week when we really started to "get along" and enjoy each other. Ever since then I have felt guilty for wanting time to fast forward. I would do it all over again. :)

I have learned now that it is best not to blink because I might miss something. Shes just changing so much everyday and I am pretty sure my facebook friends without kids are like "Uggghh! Not another baby picture. We get it! You love your baby!" I feel the need to capture every moment.

This is how much Bryn's changed:

Sleeping:

• 1 month old: hard to go to sleep, hard to stay asleep, up every 2 hours for about 2 hours......lets just say it looked like I had my eyeshadow on upside-down
• 2 months old: easier to go to sleep but she still fought it, slept for about 5 hours at a time...Momma looked less like a zombie
• 3 months old: sleeping through the night, could put her in her crib half awake and she would put herself to sleep, needed satin bunny to cuddle with <<sigh>>

Playtime:

• 1 month old: lasted about 10 minutes before she pooped out.....literally
• 2 months old: facial expressions always got a smile and maybe a little giggle here or there, really cranky this month because of the reflux
• 3 months: bouncing around like a kangaroo in her jumper, laughing constantly, liked playing with anyone, can go for hours

Meals:

• 1 month old: 1-2 oz every 2-3 hours all day long......momma= milk machine
• 2 months old: 4 oz. every 3-4 hours all day and every 5-6 at night
• 2 months old: 6-7 oz. every 4-5 hours all day and none at night....<<<big grins>>>

Milestones:

• 1 month old: first smiles
• 2 months old: first giggles, stronger neck, trying to put pressure on legs
• 3 months old: jumping in her jumper, holding her head up all on her own, sits up for a few seconds by herself, trying to roll over, standing for a few seconds while we hold her. Watch out! Next month she will be rolling all over the place.

Mommy's Mental Moments:

• 1 month old: OMG!! What did I get myself into...
• 2 months old: Ok. This isn't so scary. <<snuggles Bryn all day>>
• 3 months old: Where the heck did the time go? Can I go back please??  I'm not ready for her to grow up yet. <<pouty face>>

Cries:

• 1 month old: progressively got louder, wanted to invest in ear plugs
• 2 months old: scratch the crying. We went straight to screaming.
• 3 months old: rarely do we scream and when she cries they are very specific. Shes getting more patient with us :)

Looks.....the obvious one:

• 1 month old:

 

•  2 months old:

•  3 months old:

Moral of the story: DO NOT WITH THE TIME AWAY. Every moment, milestone, snuggle, and even cry (or scream) is precious. You WILL want every moment back. Even the challenging ones. Enjoy each day as if you will get another one like it.

-One VERY proud Rookie Momma

p.s: Thank you so much for following our journey. I love hearing from everyone telling me they follow this blog. It really means a lot and I am so glad you are laughing (and crying) with us on this crazy journey called parenthood. :)

Don't worry if...

Constant worry is something that goes hand in hand with being a first time mom. Just being through this myself I can tell you there are a few things that you shouldn't worry about.

Now I am not a doctor or baby expert. I do not have all the answers and if something just doesn't seem right you should call your ped. just to check.

Trust your instincts. You know what is best for your baby always :)

Don't worry if:

• Other people don't want to hold your little one right away- Not everyone is a "baby person". It doesn't mean that they don't care. To many people, babies are fragile and they man not feel comfortable holding your little bundle. This will change
• Your babies face is covered in pimples- Bryns baby acne started around 3 weeks. There isn't really anything you can do. It will go away on its own at around 8-10 weeks.
• Their personality changes overnight- Just a basic truth. This happens so many times you will start to lose track. Don't get frustrated. Its all a part of being a baby.
• Scaly, orange dandruff engulfs your little ones head- Cradle cap is very normal. It does go away. Aveeno shampoo for dry skin helps A LOT!
• You call your pediatrician almost daily with questions- Hey, you pay these people for this. Piece of mind is absolutely priceless.
• Your baby "isn't like others his/her age"-This sounds like a given but it is hard not to compare babies. Each baby develops at their own pace. Just because your friends baby is already rolling over or grabbing toys doesn't mean that your baby should be able to do the same nor does it make you a bad parent. Don't stress. Babies have been doing this for thousands of years. You'll get there.
• Everyone tries to give you advice- Don't let people push you around. Especially family. My best advice, try everything and do what feels right or what works for you. Just because someone elses bedtime routine for their baby works for them doesn't mean it will work for you

You wouldn't be normal if you didn't fret over every little thing with your first baby. Like I said, trust your instincts and you can't go wrong :)

Errands Made Easy

One of the hardest things for me as a new mommy was to be 'stuck' inside. Bryn was born in the middle of winter and fresh air would have had us both frozen in minutes. Once Brandt went back to work I was home by myself with Bryn and that presented a whole new list of challenges.

At first, going out with Bryn would give me anxiety. She hated being in her car seat! Every time we would put her in it she would scream and scream until we started moving. Even when we got in the car and she was slowly rocked to sleep on the way to the grocery store she would wake up and cry every time the we hit a red light or stop sign. I found myself looking for pot holes just to make the ride a bit more bumpy.

That time has passed and she still is not a huge fan of her car seat but she does tolerate it. Car rides are more pleasant and there is far less crying involved in short trips.

After 12 weeks of practice I have finally developed a travel plan for Bryn and maybe some of these tips might make your outings a little more pleasant as well.

1. Start small: Don't plan on making huge pantry stuffing, shopping trips right away. Go for a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread. There is nothing that made me more panicky than a crying baby when I am by myself at the store and I am only half way through my list.
2. Make a plan: Have a list of items you need to get or errands you need to run and know exactly where they are. I know my Shoprite like the back of my hand so I make my list 2 x. Once for the items I know I need and another to put them in order of where they are in the store. This cuts my shopping trips almost in half!
3. Do a practice run: Before you are set loose with baby ask your husband or other support person to go with just for support. They are there if you need them and that can put you at ease which is a HUGE factor in keeping your baby calm. They are more intuitive than you may think and can pick up on your emotions VERY early on.
4. Pick a time when your baby is sleepy but not overtired: I take Bryn after she eats because is usually about 20 minutes before her nap. It gives her a little time to work any gas out and to relax. They do get more flexible I promise but you really need to work around their schedule for a while.
5. Clean diaper and full diaper bag: Change their diaper right before you put them in their car seat. I may have the only baby that actually LOVES having her diaper changed but this actually works to my advantage before errands. I bring a the necessities for a short trip: diapers, wipes, a toy, pacifier, and blanket. Don't stress yourself. You will only be gone for a short time.
6. Bring a Bjorn: Any baby 'holster' will do. If you HAVE to get your shopping done this is the way to go. Bryn loves hers and could be in it for hours if she needed to be. This will put your mind at ease and help calm a cranky baby. It also frees up your hands and your eyes. :)
7. GET A CROSS BODY PURSE OR COMBINE YOUR DIAPER BAG AND PURSE: This helped me a ton. Cross body bags help free up your hands if you need them and make everything easier.
8. Park near any cart return: No matter where in the parking lot you end up make sure it is near one.
9. STAY CALM: like I said before, the more relaxed you are the more relaxed baby will be.
10. Don't care what others think: A babies cry can be irritating to people but they will get over it. Most people who have either had babies or have been around babies can sympathize with a new mommy. You worry about your baby and not other people. We were trapped in the checkout or "Linear Hell" one time and Bryn was screaming bloody murder. I swear that everyone in the store could hear her and the cashier was taking her sweet old time. I was sweating bullet and about to have a breakdown and the lady in the checkout next to me with a cart full of kids said to the lady behind me after hearing her say "Can't she shut that baby up?" "You have obviously never had kids lady!" I was so thankful for the support from a complete stranger and thanked her after escaping from the store. Moms really do stick together!
11. Don't be discouraged if your your trip doesn't go as planned: I have left mid shopping trip a few times. Don't be frustrated with your baby. They are trying to get the hang of this whole outside world thing and it may take a little bit.
12. Don't avoid it going out: I did after a few bad experiences and let me tell you, it really hurt my mental health. I felt even more trapped by my anxiety and overwhelmed with staying home all the time. Don't let yourself become a domestic prisoner.  Make plans with friends to go out to lunch, set short goals like going to the post office or bank, and don't make excuses. Just do it! If you 'fail' the first time don't let it get you down. Bryn can now take on longer shopping trips and is more patient as she starts to enjoy the world around her.

Everything gets easier with time and practice. That is all part of being a new parent. I really do believe in the "4th trimester theory" about how a baby takes another 3 months after being born to really adjust to the outside world.

Take a deep breath and get out there! :)