Making the Move to the Crib

I know there are so many parents who struggle with babies sleeping, where they sleep, how, etc..  I know we are not alone in the quest to find the best fit for our family.  Every family has to do things their way, and on their time.  If you have advice, I'd love to hear it!

Since Simone was home we have always slept in the same room.  At the very beginning we would sleep out in the living room so that Todd could get a full nights sleep.  She has the BEST pack & play (a gift from Todd's Aunt, Uncle, & cousins in Michigan) which we will forever be grateful for.  It has an "infant sleeper" and she slept like a dream in that.  I seriously give this thing 10 out of 5 stars!!  It's been our home base for taking care of Simone from day one.  We are lucky to have a tiny baby, who at six months, still fits in the newborn napper! 

Graco Pack n Play with Newborn Napper

After her sleeping got into longer stretches, Simone & I moved back in with Todd into our room.  Around four and a half months she started waking a few more times during the night.  Our doc attributed this to teething, so it's been a little harder on Todd having the whole family in one room.  Luckily my job allows me to stumble around half-awake in jammies all day if need be.  His, does not.

Things are looking up on sleeping these days, so we have been talking more about moving Simone into her room at night.  Does this freak out every parent?  Or am I some kind of type A control freak weirdo (doesn't sound like me at all, right!?)?

We've been working hard to get her "used" to her room.  I LOVE her room (check it out here), and I think eventually she will, too.  She takes naps in there both in her crib and in her bassinet.  The only issue is when she wakes up in there she screams loud enough to shake the walls.  I'm not sure if she just isn't familiar with the room yet, or what.

Nap Time

I will admit I love having her in our room.  It's so nice for her to be close, so if I want to check her she's right there.  Or, more practically when she wakes during the night I'm able to just pick her up, change her, and nurse her right away.

I think the transition will take place soon enough, and she's only this young once.  I'm going to enjoy the time she's close and keep working on getting her in her own room.  

Dear Six Month Old Simone

Dear Simone,

Today you are six months old.  You are half way from the first day you arrived in the world and only half way from your first birthday.  When you were born I could not prepare myself for how much I would love you, or how much being your Mom would mean to me.  My Mom would tell me when I was young that I would never understand how much she loved me until I had a child of my own, and she was right.  

Your beautiful eyes see the world in a way I can only imagine.  You examine everything around you and from a young age have been acutely aware of your surroundings.  I watch you watching your toys, other children, and your Daddy & I.  I see that your mind is moving faster than mine, and I keep that thought with me as I go about my day.  Right now, you are learning so much, so fast.  Though, you won't remember this time when you are older, what goes on now will play a role in who you are forever.  You are smart.

Playing on your tummy, rolling over, and sitting up.  Your strength is astounding.  Passing your toys from hand to hand, and playing with your Cousins & friends.  Your nickname isn't monkey for just any old reason.  You wiggle and move any chance you get.  You're no longer a tiny infant.  Doctor Judy says you'll be on the move in no time.  I'm just trying to cherish every last moment that you are as little as you are right now.  You are strong and growing up.

You have your very own way about you, and your personality is beautiful.  Everyone who meets you knows it, and tells Daddy and me.  Your smile is infectious, and your laugh makes me feel more joy than I knew possible.  I know as you grow up you will know the power of being a social person.  Remember to include others who are on the shy side.  I know you will, because you are kind.  

Our life before you is a bit of a fuzzy memory by now.  It's hard to think of when you weren't with us, because it feels as if you've always been a part of our lives.  But, six months ago at this exact time of day Daddy and I were just staring at you hoping that we could be as good of parents as you deserve.  

I'll end this by telling you we are so proud of you, we are so in awe of you, and we are so excited for what life holds for you.

Love you forever and for always,

Mama

Flying with Baby

Simone had her first flight at the young age of 9 weeks.  I was so nervous to take that sweet baby on a plane.  At this time I was nursing on demand (not sure I've ever gotten away from that) & we lapped Simone.  Gotta get those free-for-her flights in while we can!

Basically this was our whole flight

My biggest fear was that she would be in pain from the change in pressure.  No one likes that feeling, and being a tiny little lady that can't POP her own ears concerned this new Mom.  So prior to leaving I did what every smart, well informed new Mom does.... I Googled it.  After reading through tons of lists, and blogs with good ideas on what to pack or carry on I packed our bags, hoped for the best, and off we went.  

First, let me tell you... people were EXTREMELY nice.  I'm guessing most of them were parents who understood what it's like to fly with a young babe.  We had a few people get wide-eyed as we walked towards them, and then heard their sigh of relief when we passed by.  To be totally honest, I did the same thing before Simone... who doesn't?!

Second, I brought more than I needed.  I'd much rather be over prepared than under, BUT I was much more efficient on the way home as far as our carry on went.  Flying with kids is different at every age, and you know your kid best so start there.  Here's what worked for our nine-week-old sweetie and us...

Things you need...

• Bring the Boppy.  Hear me out... it's big, it's kind of a pain, but if you're like me and are nursing on demand it's a necessity.  When baby isn't nursing it helps for sleeping on your lap and not bonking into the armrests.  It's basically an over sized neck pillow anyways, so make it a comedy and wear it on the plane.  I promise people will LOVE it.  If they don't smile at you, they are dead inside and you don't need them anyways! 

• Bring your diaper bag.  DUH...OK whatever, but I wondered beforehand.  I packed it with wipes, diapers, a change of clothes (though we were lucky & didn't need it), a large zip lock baggie for clothing that suffers a blow out (or dirty diapers), a changing pad (a must because our airplane didn't have a changing table), a light blanky, and burp cloths.  

• Bring a few pacis if you use them.  We were happy to have more than one the second we got off the plane in the Detroit airport and Simone spit her's out on the ground.  Gross.

• If you're bottle feeding bring the bottle of course.  Also, TSA allows you to bring formula and breast milk.  Just make sure that you let the agent know as you are setting your bags on the x-ray.  Our extra milk was in the breast milk bags.  I didn't have one second of guff from them at all.  They were actually super nice.

• I brought Simone's Birth Certificate, just in case... didn't need it, but I would still say it's a good idea.  You never know, and my luck they would ask for it.  We were also heading to Michigan in the dead of winter so I had a jacket and hat for Simone when we got off the plane.

Tips

• Pack your crap.  Besides our wallets, kindle, and a few snacks, & magazines I stuffed in the diaper bag, we didn't bring our "crap".  You don't need it.  Pack it in your checked luggage.  Which by the way, if you don't know car seats, strollers, and bases fly free.  That was happy news for us!

• Nurse, feed, or have baby suck on the paci on the way up & down.  Simone had zero issues once we were up in the air, but I knew on the way down both times she was getting uncomfortable.  Just keep them sucking because it will open their ears.  Plus it's comforting when they are experiencing something so new to them.  

• Smile, be nice, and make conversation with the flight attendants.  They will be sweet and help you, I promise!  Our flight attendants even made Simone a little certificate and gave her "wings".  They will bring you hot water if you are formula feeding, and tell you how awesome/cute/wonderful your baby is.  Seriously, one in particular would come check on us every so often.  So SMILE, dammit!

• Breathe.  I couldn't get this one myself... but after getting there and back I said, well that wasn't so bad.  Just remember that most people are parents and they understand.  And, if they are not parents they will still understand.  Chances are your baby will do better at traveling than you do, or at least that was true for us!  The more chilled out you are the better they feel anyways.

Getting the rental car... she didn't know what the fuss was

That's it... that's all I've got.  Have a good flight!

Simone's Carte Du Jour

When did this happen?  Our precious baby can now eat like a big kid (kind of).  It's bittersweet.  I love being the person who can feed her, and in that same breath I say hallelujah because I get somewhat of a break (can I get a "hooray, beer"?).  As I posted in A Regular Girl's Breastfeeding Experience I love nursing this sweetie.  Seriously, it makes me feel so great to give her everything she needs.  BUT, a big but (like in the Sir Mix A lot song...) watching Simone devourer new foods is pretty freakin' sweet.

Everything she tries has the same response.  It's hilarious.  First we nurse for a few minutes, it gets her into the "eating" mode, and then we eat some real (aka really mushy) food.  She eagerly opens her mouth, dives into the spoon, and gives me a face & look as if I just fed her a lemon topped with Sriracha!  Post lemon-sriracha look she dive bombs the spoon again realizing that she now loves the new food.  

Her first (beyond rice cereal...which is clearly just really thick boobie milk) food was avocado.  We love it in this house, so clearly we are trying to gear her towards our tastes.  First bite, I was thinking commmmmonnnn guac girl.  By the second it was clear we created a smart child.

Yay, Dad... I can get DOWN!

The Progression of Carrots

Bananas are a big MEH...

The only food that she had a slightly different reaction to was strawberries... it was a, shall we say, thoughtful response to that sweet taste...

See what I mean?

I'll keep posting about her first foods as we head further along this road.  So far I've been making them at home, but I'll fully admit I bought a few of the jarred baby food for "on the go" meals.  It's nice to have something as a stand-by... HELLO judge-y eyes, I see you over there! ;) 

Can I just add, this girl really is a character.  My Mom used to call me a "ham" when I was a kid.  I would always play up for the crowd.  She always swore that someday I would be an actress or comedian... what do ya know, Mom... I just wanted to be like you! :)  That's exactly what I see in Simone.  She's so social.  She loves strangers (something we will have to work on...) and has to chat with people while we are out and about.  I wore her to the grocery store the other night, and you would think it was just her walking around.  Every parent says this (as they darn well should), but this girl is something SPECIAL!

Who, ME!?

Five Things

Elizabeth at Get Busy Living inspired me to do a "Five Things" post.  Here we go...

1.  Todd proposed after only dating me for five months.  Now, I know that some people will say that's fast.  For other people, that's plenty of time.  We knew each other for about five years prior to getting together.  He was always such a funny and kind guy.  I never took Todd seriously, he would come into my office cracking jokes, or speaking in Spanish (like an audio book where a white guy teaches you Spanish).  We would debate on topics and I'd tell him to get off of his soap box.  He always had a girlfriend, and I was in a serious relationship myself.  After breaking free of my toxic (and way-too-drawn out) relationship I hit happy hour with a few friends... well, only three of us showed up and Todd was one of them.  He offered to drive me home after one-too-many at happy hour and let me know how he felt about me.  It was overwhelming, but the feeling was more than mutual.  Flash forward five months and he was down on one knee in Michigan.  He's my best friend, and an even better Dad.  I'm so proud of him and thankful for our life we have together.  

Michigan 2009

2.  For almost my whole childhood I was a competitive roller skater.  I competed in singles, pairs, dance, creative dance, & team dance.  I have the greatest memories of skating, and had coaches who taught me so much.  Rich & Polly were (and still are) part of my family and I consider them a second set of parents.  Skating kept me busy and I learned many life lessons in work ethic, being an honorable competitor, and getting along with others.  

Nationals 1998

3.  Before I had Simone I was terrified of babies.  Not, one & two year olds... but babies.  Give me a three year old, and I'd blow you away with my maternal skills.  But I NEVER wanted to hold my friends neborn babies.  I would sit in a chair with a pillow under my arm like I was five.  Right after the nurse told me and Todd we were about to start pushing I started to panic a little.  I was about to HOLD our daughter.  I was so nervous I would hurt her or do it wrong.  As every parent reading this knows, when it's your own it's different.  I'll tell you though, I was scared shitless!

        I got the hang of it...                                                                 

                        

4.  Scuba Steve & I are best friends.  Seriously I love scuba.  I haven't been able to dive due to being pregnant, and now being a Mom to a tiny little one.  It's a great experience, and I suggest if you are going on vacation to somewhere amazing to scuba, spend the money and get certified.  I'll tell you... if I can do it, so can you, promise!  On our honeymoon Todd & I dove to 110 (he went deeper, but who's counting!?) feet with the most amazing sea life.  We dove the wall (also called the edge of the Earth by locals) in Providenciales, TCI.  There were reef sharks, lion fish, breathtaking coral, and zillions of fish.  Being underwater is like being on a different planet.  I can't say enough about scuba.

Please note... this isn't my photo... I got it from Google Images of diving in TCI.  You think we would have been smart enough to get an underwater camera.  But, we were pretty caught up in the moment.

5.  I've changed.  I think it's part of life to change and grow.  Different times in your life will lead you to change your focus.  Of course, becoming a Mom has changed me.  But I also changed when I graduated, when I moved out of my parent's home, when I got married, when I got pregnant, etc.  To be stagnant and unwilling to change who you are is foolish (well, at least for me).  **NOTE** I am still the fun loving goofy girl I've been since (probably) birth.  My focus however is totally different.  So, yes... I don't keep up with my friends as much as I used too, I sometimes miss events, happy hours, going out, and/or other things.  That is right now...and when Simone is older and I have more freedom in my schedule I'm sure I'll "change" again.  I'm proud to say that I'm evolving every day, and I don't plan on stopping.

Life Progress

That's my five... how about yours?  Feel free to tag my blog if you're inspired to do the same! xo

A Regular Girl's Breastfeeding Experience

I'll start this post by saying... I completely respect how any Mother chooses to feed their sweet bambinos.  Prior to Simone's arrival I decided to take the path of breastfeeding.

 

I'm pretty stubborn and if someone suggests I CAN'T do something then I'm likely to do it until I'm a pro.  So, pre-due date I read probably three books front to back, and took a class on breast feeding your beeb.  Now, I'm not saying those really taught me anything.  But, I knew going into it that nursing isn't always easy, there will be challenges, and I should get ready to BE FLEXIBLE.

 

Truly, I think that's the biggest part of being a Mom.  Or, really I should say a successful human being.  Prior to Simone I struggled with flexibility, and didn't embrace change much.  Having her has made me tougher and more bendy than ever before.

 

Anyways, back to the boob at hand...

 

After all the prep work, the day came.  Simone was born and within twenty minutes of her arrival the nurse handed her to me and said let's feed this baby.  I was so awkward, it wasn't like practicing with a doll at ALL!  But I put her up to the nip and she just went for it.  I give her all the credit in our nursing success the first night.  She had no issues with her latch and she just seemed to know exactly what to do.  Me on the other hand, not so much.  It took me a while to get her in a comfortable hold.  My advice on this is nurse as much as possible the first few days.  Try holding them in different positions until you find the right one.  Try a boppy, try no boppy, try your rolled up trusty hoodie for goodness sakes.  Find what works for YOU.

 

Leaving the hospital I felt really good about breastfeeding!  Sure, I was a bit raw as I've never had another human being feeding from me before, but I felt confident.  Cut to the next night at home... engorgement.  Ugh.  And, if you don't already know, let me be the one to give you this great piece of news... you get this whether you nurse or not, so HA, we're all in this together!  That was a long night for her and I.  Never before have I seen my boobs grow to the point of ridiculousness from collar bone to belly button.  But, through that night we just stuck with it, I nursed her for hours.  Struggling with the latch because my boobs were like rock hard bowling balls.  Sure, there were tears, frozen bags of peas at 3am, and waking Todd up to just hold her while I cry in the shower.  It wasn't glamorous, but the most important part was we got through it.

 

The first few weeks breastfeeding can be pretty demanding.  They eat often and for long periods of time.  I felt myself wanting to give up many times, but pushed through.  There was a time around her three month mark where it seemed like I had been nursing every two hours for the past 90 days.  I decided to try supplementing with formula.  I checked with our doctor and she gave us the go-ahead.  In that time, Simone probably took five bottles of formula.  She doesn't dig it...that's for sure.  So after that I went back to 100% nursing. 

 

And, you know what?  It got better.  Time between feedings got longer.  I also learned to time her feedings better, to pump while she was napping so that I can be away from time to time, and to love and appreciate this short window where I connect with her like no one else can.  I'll fully admit, it was hard.  I wanted to break, many times.  But, I'm here to tell you if you want to do it, stick with it.  See a lactation specialist if you are struggling, and know that I don't know anyone who regrets trying.

 

A few HUMBLE suggestions... 

1. Buy a good pump!  I have a Medela Pump In Style Pump... yes, it's fricken expensive, but there are programs to get one through your hospital and some insurance companies even cover this cost!  Get some milk storage bags, too!
2. Get a crap-load of Lanolin nipple cream (FYI a crap-load translates to a tube...yes, it's enough!). 
3. Buy some nursing pads (reusable are great, but have several sets) because you will leak for a bit. 
4. Frozen peas are a must for soreness the first week (or month if you're me).  Warm showers help, too!
5. If you are struggling see a lactation specialist. 
6. Drink tons of water... then drink some more.  After you've finished that, have one more glass. :) 
7. There are also lactation cookies, teas, and candies.  I've never tried them, but I've heard good things! 
8. Take a breastfeeding class, it prepares you for some things.  Also, take that class with a grain of salt, because I left mine thinking our teacher was a judgemental meanie head.
9. Explain to your partner how important this is to you.  Hopefully he (or she) will be supportive.  I swear I can't tell you how many times Todd talked me "off the ledge".  It makes a huge difference to have a cheerleader! 
10. Finally, be stubborn, but be flexible.  Some babies experience tongue tie, nipple confusion, etc., etc., etc.  Don't beat yourself up if you have to step outside of your "plan".  I laugh now when I think of all of my "plans" for having this baby girl.  I think the best advice I ever received was DO WHAT WORKS FOR  YOU.  Don't let anyone make you feel bad, guilty, or question what you think is best for your child.  Let them use their own children as guinea pigs. 

I in NO WAY am any kind of an expert.  I'm just sharing with you what got us through those rough patches.  I'm not a militant nursing mom who is going to give you mean shifty eyes.  I'm just a normal girl, who wanted to nurse her baby and I'm not afraid to tell you it's hard, but WONDERFUL.