Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Smiles

We have a smiler on our hands!!! I  just love his precious smile and when you talk to him and get a big grin its the best feeling in the world!!!


Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Ten on Tuesday



1. What’s the recipe for your favorite drink? (Smoothie, alchoholic, coffee, whatever.)
   I like to use my Magic Bullet to make a yummy protein shake, all I do is put in about a cup or so of Almond Milk, some frozen fruit usually the strawberry/blueberry blend, and a scoop of protein powder.  Blend until smooth and your done, and its so good and doesnt really taste like a true protein shake more like a chocolate berry milkshake

2. What kind of razor do you use?
   Chic Quatro, I have tried other kinds but this is the only one that gives me a close shave and doesn't irritate my skin

3. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?
   Elmo...I have always liked Elmo, not sure why maybe its the bright red color?

4. What makes the perfect salad? (Lettuce type, toppings, dressing, etc.)
   I like a romaine blend for the lettuce, with a shredded marinated chicken, boiled egg, shredded carrots, and italian dressing, simple is what I like...in all honesty my "salad" is usually lettuce and dressing hahaha all the other toppings are too much work

5. What was your favorite subject in school?
   I always liked math because there was always a right answer and there is a way to solve the problem to either a right or wrong answer no interpretations etc, I always hated like in English class when there would be questions like why did so and so say such and such...ummm I dont know because they wanted to? 

6. What’s your favorite summer tradition?
   I dont have one but I do love sitting on the patio at sunset with a glass of wine and the grill cooking a good meal

7. Do you suffer from season allergies? How do you combat them?
   no, thank you Jesus for that!!!

8. How often do you have to charge your cell phone?
I usually plug it in every night when I sleep so we can start the day with a full charge

9. Do you have a bucket list?
   No, but I would like to start one

10. Do you have any desire to go back to school?
one day... There are so many possibilities in nursing that I need to be sure I know what I want to do before I go back..plus right now I want to focus on growing my family and raising my kids

Monday, June 27, 2011

1 month

On June 24, 2011 our little man turned one month old!!
I really cant believe he has been with us for a month, he is such a joy and I have loved every minute even despite the times of frustration and challenge

He loves to make this face!!


He is still in his newborn size clothes although he is getting to an in between stage where the newborn size is almost too short but the 0-3 month clothes are HUGE on him...so for now he still wears newborn size.  


Breastfeeding has been much improved...its still painful a lot of the time, he just seems to not get enough in his mouth and thus kind of chomps on my nipple, its not comfortable but its bearable enough that I can deal with it and hope that as he gets bigger it will improve.  The latch looks perfect and every time we see the LC things go great so I don't know what gives I guess well just wait and see, but I will say things are a lot better than they were!!  We are still dealing with the nipple vasospasms which is extremely painful and occurs after feeding but I think that wont resolve until the other issue resolves, they kind of go hand in hand.  Thank you to everyone who gave me encouraging words with the breastfeeding dilemma it really was what I needed!!


He is still eating every 2-3 hours, even at night...it is no fun waking up that much at night but I guess he just has a high metabolism like his momma and wants to eat often, at least the past week he has been going back to sleep after he eats instead of wanting to play like he was doing for a while there, so even though the sleep is in 2-3 hours bits its sleep nonetheless


We have started to develop a bit of a bedtime schedule.  He gets a bath every night around 830-9pm and he really loves his bath, but hates getting lotion put on, I think it makes him cold but otherwise his skin gets dry. Anyway, after bath I feed him and he will usually fall asleep then which is around 10-1030 at which point I swaddle him and put him in his bassinet and he will usually sleep until 1230-1am.  Thats really the only scheduled part of the day aside from that its pretty random everyday.  


His favorite song right now is Dirt Road Anthem by Jason Aldean (Or the original version by Colt Ford) when I put this song on he chills out and often goes to sleep...until the song ends...so we listen to it on repeat :) He also has to have his sleep giraffe white noise on high volume to go to sleep at night


He is definitely awake more these days, during the day he doesn't sleep much at all.  Some days he will be awake from like 9 am until 2 or 3 pm other days he takes more naps but when he is awake he has to be held, he wont stand his swing or bouncy seat for more than 10 minutes when he is awake and he really wont stay on his play mat for more than about 5-10 minutes either...but I know he wont want to be so cuddly in a few months so I enjoy every moment...and use my Moby Wrap A LOT!!!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Newborn Photos

We had our newborn photos taken when the lil guy was 5 days old...I've heard the earlier the better so when our photographer had an availability when he was 5 days old we jumped on the chance.

Our photographer was AMAZING she is like the baby whisperer or something, seriously the ways she was maneuvering him and he didn't wake up.

We got there at 1pm and had given him a bath,  kept him awake, and fed him right before we left around 1130am and that put him in a deep sleep.  We got there and she started shooting right away, he woke up around 230 and I fed him again and he was in a light sleep for a little bit then went back into a deep sleep until 4.  The pictures turned out so good!!

Jennifer Cusimano Photography<<<---- She is seriously so awesome

These are only a FEW of my favorites











Wednesday, June 22, 2011

So What Wednesday

I decided to participate this week in SWW...

this week Im sayin so what if...

- I havent cleaned my house in a month...I do dishes and laundry...other than that sleep is more important...and cuddling my sweet new baby...who wont be a sweet little baby for long

- I let my baby sleep on me 90% of the time, right now thats how he will sleep, so I will let him...I will deal with the repercussions later, at this point sleep is more important

- I wear pajamas all day...no ones going to see me anyway

Sunday, June 19, 2011

lifesavers

So we are only about 3 and a half weeks into this but already there are some things I have that have been lifesavers! Be it baby items or mommy items there are some definite front runners, I know this will change eventually but I thought I would share with you a few of things that have helped us through these first 3.5 weeks


First and foremost are my Swaddle Wraps, These things are awesome because they are so huge and you can get baby wrapped up so tight and they cant wiggle free as easily, these are also good for swaddling bigger babies, I have 8 of these and honestly these are the only blankets we use plus they are so light and perfect for the hot summer months


My Moby Wrap, this took me a several attempts to get right but you can find tons of videos on you tube to show you all the different ways to wrap it.  This has allowed me to actually get some stuff done around the house since the lil guy pretty much refuses to be put down for more than 2 minutes. I am fine with that now that I can use this thing because I love having him close to me and I know he loves to be close to me so it makes the world a perfect place again.  This is also going to come in handy when I go grocery shopping on my own since I hate to put the car seat on top of the cart it scares me that it may tip over and if you put it in the basket then where do you put your groceries...problem solved :)


California Baby Diaper Cream before we started using cloth diapers exclusively lil man already developed a rash due to that and I also believe because I am on antibiotics. Well you cant use most diaper creams with cloth diapers as it will make them smell and make them non absorbent.  So I did some googling and found this stuff is cloth diaper safe.  I picked some up at Target and it works like a dream his rash cleared up and it doesn't smell funky or have a gross stickiness to it like most other diaper creams
Cloud B Gentle Giraffe This thing is awesome.  We have the sheep too but this one is small so it can hang on the side of the bassinet.  There have been times when L will be almost asleep but just not quite there yet and we turn this on the white noise sound and he literally has fallen right to sleep on many occasions.  I can also turn it on some of the other sounds while I go to the bathroom and it occupies his mind long enough for me to pee in peace

Medela Freestyle my pump...I love this thing, pumping is a pain in the rear but this thing is so small and portable i can do other things while I pump. I also like that it has a timer on the display so I know how long I am pumping for

Lansinoh Hydrogel Pads If you are breastfeeding you need these for the early days, my nipples were so sore and these things felt amazing, I would put them in the fridge so they were nice and cool, also I would cut them in half because they are pretty big and you can make them last a little longer

nursing tank these are pretty much all I have been wearing they are perfect for if you are breastfeeding and they are so comfortable which is always a plus!!

Uppababy Vista My stroller has been one of my best investments so far.  I seriously use this thing almost on a daily basis.  Anytime I go anywhere with L I take my stroller.  I have the adapter for our carseat and those car seats are so heavy so I never lug it around if I have to go somewhere I just pop it on my stroller and go.  I also use the bassinet piece for around the house if L is asleep and lets me put him down I will put him in the bassinet piece so I can then wheel him around the house depending in where I am going or what I am doing.  I took him on a walk with the bassinet once but he kind of rolls around in there too much so I didn't use it much for that.  If it wasn't hotter than crap here and I could swaddle him and then put him in it might work better but for now the bassinet is for around the house.  I also take him for walks on most days so this thing has already earned its worth.  I will also say its not heavy at all, I have had no problems lifting it into the back of our jeep or the trunk of my car, it is so easy to fold and unfold when out and about, and when folded really doesn't take up too much space, also the ride is so smooth and turns so easily I can maneuver with one hand should I need to, this makes it perfect for shopping and small spaces, I love it to say the least!!

So there you go a few things that we have found that we love and have made the early days a little easier !!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Drama

So as I mentioned in my previous post we have had some serious breastfeeding drama...Serisously I new it could be challenging but never could have imagined how frustrating it could be.  Its good I am so determined to make it work or I would have given up already.  I cannot even tell you how frustrated I have become at times, the feeling that your baby is rejecting you and you cant figure out what to do to help your baby is a horrible feeling, I dreaded feeding time when it should be a time for bonding and happiness, luckily Hubby has been pretty supportive and as time goes on things seem to be slowly improving. This is a wordy post but I found great comfort in reading blogs and message boards of people going through the same things so I am writing this all down.

When I was in the hospital when I had a readily available lactation consultant things were great, Baby L was properly latched (or so it appeared) and eating, peeing, and pooing like he should.  fast foreword to day 5or 6.

Around day 5 or 6 He started doing this thing where he would latch on start eating and then start screaming, arching, crying...basically a full on meltdown.  After doing this for a while and continually trying to latch on then having a meltdown he would sometimes chill out and finish eating or would just not be able to settle down and I would give him a bottle with pumped milk.   He didn't do this with every feed but did with most to the point that some feedings just putting him in the position to latch on would cause the meltdowns.  I did a crap load of googling and also called a local La Leche League person and determined that I probably have a strong let down that scarred him once and now he is spooked by it basically.  So she gave me some things to try such as feeding him in an uphill position so his nose is above the nipple and I have even tried pumping for like a minute before feeding him which really seems to help.

Then I developed severe burning pain in my nipples and would last long after feedings and even had random shoots of pain through the breast...so I went in to the Dr around day 10 and was diagnosed with a yeast infection...this is a major pain in the rear to deal with, you have to boil all pump parts, pacifiers, nipples etc in a vinegar solution, your not supposed to use breast pads (i still do just change them all the time), you have to wash and change anything that comes in to contact with the breasts often and in hot water, including hand towels blankets etc.  I also was put on an oral anti fungal and a topical cream as well as having to treat L with nystatin that is swabbed in his mouth 4 times a day.  All the hassle on top of the fact that its extremely painful

Around day 14 I started feeling feverish and chilled and not so hot and then the next day noticed two red areas on my breasts and some very sore areas...enter Mastitis...back to the dr which mind you is an hour away from our house so its a major production to get me and baby all ready and out the door to get to an apt in time.  So I am also on antibiotics now.

I was also noticing that when L would finish feeding my nipple would be a squished shape like a tube of lipstick...at first I thought this was normal and thought nothing of it, after some googling I realized this is not normal and is a result of L not latching properly.  So I tried all I could to fix it myself but had no luck as I was also dealing with his screaming fits and if I could just get him to suck in any way then we were in a good place.  I made an apt with a Lactation Consultant...

Of course during our meeting L displayed to the LC how he has meltdowns at several feedings a day.  I think she was in disbelief that I was dealing with this and hadn't given up yet!!  She helped me with his positioning and made me realize that he doesn't always put his tongue forward and suck as he should and is basically "chewing" which doesn't help him get milk out and is of course not comfortable for me... I go back tomorrow for a follow up and to see what progress we have made...which is little in my opinion.

I have also noticed I am having vasospasms in my nipples I think partly due to the medication I am on and also possibly due to his poor latching/sucking...its pretty painful but I have started taking B6 and am hoping once the medication is done and as time goes on this will resolve.

Where we stand now...He still does the chewing thing and squishes my nipple when he eats... he is getting better and will pull his tongue foreword more often and fingers crossed in the past 24 hours have had no major meltdowns with feedings...Basically what the LC said was what I was doing was basically all right and he just demonstrates some immaturities with feeding and the things he does often will fix themselves with time.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

3 weeks



Today marks the three week birthday of my lil man.  I cant even believe it has been three weeks!! I feel like he already looks bigger and older than when we first brought him home.

day 1








3 weeks







Things have been going really well, aside from breastfeeding which has been a bit of a challenge...I will reserve that drama for another post...

Aside from the boob drama things have been awesome.  Being a mom is truly an amazing experience and I really cant believe I love this baby so much and that I made him!! He is such a sweet boy he smiles all the time even though its just reflexive at this point I love to see him smile and its often at times when Im so frustrated and really need to see a good grin.  He loves to cuddle and he honestly is rarely not in someones arms.

I am starting to use my cloth diapers up to this point his legs were too skinny for most of them so we were using disposables, which I hated throwing money away on...but he's fattened up enough that my diapers fit and I love them!!!

He eats every 1.5-2 hours during the day except the past few days he has been cluster feeding in which he wants my boob in his mouth at all times he literally will eat for about 5-10 minutes fall asleep and then about 10 minutes later want to eat again this cycle goes on for several hours every evening.  At night the longest he will ever go is 3 hours and thats a good night usually its every 2 hours almost on the dot some times he'll wake up an hour after I put him down to eat, its tiring but thats what comes with the territory these early weeks I suppose, and I love him to death so whatever makes him happy at this point, as long as he is growing, peeing and pooping as he should then we have no problems.

He has started being more awake after feedings and he will actually focus on certain hanging toys and our faces more, its really fun and I cant wait for him to become more social.

He still fits in newborn clothes, he loves going on walks and his wubanub pacifiers, overall he is such a joy and I cant remember what life was like without him!!

loving his walks


3 weeks to the day...he wouldn't let me take his Paci...so it remained

Monday, June 6, 2011

Worth a Shot

Shrinxx Hips

I bought this, its called Shrinxx hips, and its supposed to utilize the relaxin your body releases during pregnancy and up to 8 weeks postpartum to basically squeeze your hips back to the pre pregnancy size. I am going to see if it works.  It may not and then I wasted $40, or it may work and then my favorite pre pregnancy jeans will fit again...only time will tell.

I will say when I put it on after a little while my hips are sore so I know its doing something, I wore it under a skirt the other day and you couldn't tell I had it on but I usually just wear it over my lounge pants at home.  It seems like since its so low on your hips it would slide up or down but actually if you put it tight enough it really doesn't move much and isnt too uncomfortable, just tight.

We shall see...just for the sake of keeping track to the change my hips at 1 week post-partum and at the start of using this are 36.5 inches.

*I bought this on my own accord and was not given it or any compensation for this review

Saturday, June 4, 2011

settling in

well its been 10 days since Landon entered our lives and totally changed our world.  He is such a blessing and we just love him to pieces.

He really is such a good baby, he sleeps most of the time.  He pretty much only cries when he is hungry or needs his diaper changed.

here are some pictures from last 11 days

headed home from the hospital May 25,2011



After his first bath!!

checkin things out

play time!!

testing out the crib

not thrilled about getting his clothes changed

tummy time


HIs first walk

MiMi and pop pop came to visit

nap time, all the time


swing time


please mom, no more pictures!!

I'm Katie a 27 year old mommy and wife. Welcome to my blog where I will chronicle the happenings of my life as I find the balance between being both SAHM by day and CVICU nurse by night.

I love Jesus and strive to be more like Christ every day. Running, reading, and cooking are some of my favorite past-times. I love photography but I am no pro, but it helps I have such a cute subject to practice on!!


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