My Favorite Things 2010

Well, tomorrow is NYE and with a 14+ week old we aren't planning on celebrating in a huge way. Its weird, but I would much rather ring in the new year with June and Jason than at some huge party. This year has been so incredible and I am so excited to see what 2011 has in store for us.

So much has happened in the past week alone, besides all the craziness that Christmas brings. Santa spoiled June and she doesn't even realize it. Our house is filled with toys, bouncers, walkers and even an infant keyboard chair. We have officially grown out of our house and June isn't even 4 months old yet. We now have a rollie pollie on our hands! Woo hoo! June has learned to roll over from belly to back and vice versa. We actually have to closely watch her on her play mat because somehow she knows how to scooch herself in circles off the mat, off the rug and onto the hardwood floors; and when she is on her belly, she seems like she actually wants to start moving. June also had her real first giggle from the gut, as I now call it. Its so awesome! She has really learned that she has a voice and man she likes to hear herself! Jason and I are just loving that she "talks". Its fun to have conversations and hear her respond in some form. June also found her feet this week and can't stop playing with them. I told you a lot has happened in the past week...

I wanted to write my last post of the year about the baby products that I swear by and couldn't live without. When I found out I was having June, I asked my friends with kids what products they couldn't live without and for the most part, I agree with their suggestions. Jason laughs at me because he says that I buy every "widget" out there. Thank God he laughs at me and sees this as endearing. Its terrible, but its true. So I have tried a lot of what's out there, some have made my life easier and others have been a waste of time and money, but oh well, now I know. So in case you are pregnant, have an infant or need to buy a gift for someone expecting, here is my list of top 10 Favorite Things. And sorry, unlike Oprah's show, you will not all be receiving these awesome items.

1. Sleep Sheep We couldn't live without this! We even have the Sleep Sheep on the Go attached to June's car seat. Its essentially a white noise machine but its a sheep and super soft and ultra soothing to babies, especially a newborn. It has 4 sound options: ocean, heartbeat, whale and rain. We use the ocean sound everytime June gets strapped into her car seat and when she goes down for a nap or sleep for the night. They also make a giraffe one. LOVE this!

2. ERGObaby Carrier with Newborn Insert If it wasn't for this carrier we would never have food in our house because I put June in this everytime we go to the grocery store, Target and even when I just want to hold her close but have things to do. At first glance, it looks kinda bulky, like a hiking pack. But its all those straps that keep it from hurting your back, waist and shoulders. Its a backpack, but also a carrier for the front. You have to spend the extra money and get the newborn insert until the baby is 12lbs., but its so worth it. June loves being in it. I carry her in the front chest to chest, and it is soooo comfy. She doesn't like slings (although I have 5 different kinds), so this is a must-have product for us.

3. Puj Tub This tub fits perfectly in sinks of all sizes and is super comfy for your baby. June loves bath time and I really think its because she is so comfortable in this. You can't overfill this with water because of the holes in the middle, its easy to put together and you only need 1 hand to do so (just 2 sets of magnets that stick together), and you can store it anywhere since its just thin foam. Its worth the money, trust me!

4. WubbaNub Infant Pacifier Before we put June on formula, this was the only thing that soothed her and stopped her crying. They are so cute. June has the long horn steer, giraffe, dolly and caterpillar. They are great pacifiers (the ones given to preemies in the hospitals) and easy to hold because of the mini animals attached to them. They are sold in children's boutiques but Babies 'R Us just started selling them as well.

5. Fisher Price My Little Lamb Cradle N Swing CAN'T live without this! June sleeps in it, plays in it and just chills out. Its super soft and swings forever, I mean forever but be prepared to have lots of batteries. The best swing out there!

6. Baby Einstein Neptune Ocean Adventure Mat June loves playing on this mat. The octopus is her favorite and she loves the music. We named him Ozzie and her Mima got her a bigger one for Christmas that can hang on this as well. Super fun!

7. Baby's Bliss Gripe Water Saved our lives before formula. Its great for babies who have tummy and gas issues associated with colic and teething. Its an herbal supplement, but you should ask your doctor if its okay to give to your little one. You can find it at Rite Aid, but it is much cheaper to order online. We were buying it by the case...

8. Nosefrida Snot Sucker Great recommedation from my friends Kari and Colette. Its much easier to get the snot out than an infant nasal aspirator bulb and doesn't hurt as much. Don't worry, the snot never actually reaches your mouth because of the soft filter inside the tube. Some recommendations for this: its super hard to find in stores. So don't make the mistake and try to find it when your baby is actually sick like I did. Buy it online at Target and make sure and buy 1-2 extra packs of filters.

9. Prince Lionheart Wipes Warmer Okay, not a necessity but June sure does love the warm wipes. I mean, think about it: would you want a freezing cold wipe on your tush in the middle of the night? Probably not. Make sure to buy the replacement pillows for this as well.

10. Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Vanilla Teether I'm sure you have seen the regular Sophie the giraffe teether. With all the rants and raves about it, I was disappointed that June wasn't quite into it yet. But I found this smaller, more teether-friendly version and its awesome. She is starting to suck on toys, her hands and her sleeves, and this is the best of the toys. Its soft and has small bumps that feel good on her gums, AND its super easy for her little hands to hold. I'm sure she will like the bigger one in a few months but this one does the job for now.

So there you have it. My fave things since being blessed with June. They are in no particluar order. There are a TON of products out there for babies and you obviously can get by with the bare minimum but its always fun to have some specialty items too. I hope I've become more laid back since having June. I've learned so much about babies, life and love, and I hope I am passing some of what I have learned on to you. I hope, at the very least, that you are enjoying what I am sharing. Just in case you were wondering, I use Tommee Tippee Bottles, love my Petunia Picklebottom diaperbag and her clutches, get lots of compliments on my Fancee Pants Designs wipes case (check her out on Etsy), swore by my Medela Pump in Style Advanced Breast Pump, push a Peg Perego Primo Viaggio travel system, can't resist baby clothes at Target and love the ever-so-popular and mass produced Carter's brand of infant clothes, use good ole' Johnson & Johnson all over soap to bathe June and their unscented lotion for her baby massages, clean June's face with Mustela facial wipes (for some reason the scent really calms her down), couldn't live without Pampers Swaddlers disposable diapers or Pampers Sensitive Wipes, don't swaddle June but if I did I would use Under the Nile's swaddle blankets (their clothes are to die for comfy too), loves Baby Gap and Little MissMatched sales, splurge on Right Bank Babies clothes, and I listen to Kristen Chenoweth's music in the nursery and sing the songs from Wicked to June.

In case you aren't members on these sites, join them for AMAZING deals on fabulous brands of children's clothing:
Zulily, Hautelook, Totsy, and GiltGroup

Have a safe New Year's Eve and here's to a wonderfully awesome 2011! Cheers!

Which High Chair?

We are starting to research high chairs since June will be 3 months old on Monday. Any recommendations would be so appreciated! Or let me know if there are some to stay away from. So far I am liking the Peg Perego Prima Pappa, the Graco Blossom and the Inglesina Zuma. Thanks mommies!

Things I have learned from 2010

Seeing as we are only 2 weeks away from 2011 and so many changes have/are occurring, I thought that my next post might be about the things I have learned this past year. When Jason and I kissed to 2010 on New Year's, we had no clue what was in store for us. I found out I was pregnant on January 3rd, my Dad's birthday. Many know the story but just in case you don't, this is the basic version:

I had been eating a lot of pickles, and as Jason and I were getting ready to drive to my parents' to celebrate my Dad's birthday, I was walking around the house eating a pickle. Jason said, "you've been eating a lot of pickles lately." I jokingly responed, "maybe I'm pregnant." Then I went into the bathroom took a test without Jason knowing, and then I started yelling his name, with the door shut. He came to the door, asking if I was ok. I just kept saying, "hold on," as the positive symbol got darker and darker. I opened the door and said, "I think I'm pregnant." I was so excited but didn't want to get my hopes up, in case the test was wrong (you can't get a false positive I later learned), but honestly, I was terrified. Jason just remained calm and collected, as always, smiling and hugging me. We both weren't expecting our lives to change in that way less than a year after we were married, but God had other plans. That plan is now the most precious thing and biggest blessing of our lives.

With June being born, so much of mine and Jason's life has changed drastically: we don't hit up the bars on the weekends, its tough to see our college friends who don't live close, I haven't bought clothes for myself in ages yet I can't seem to stop buying them for June (sorry Jason), date night is hard to come by, no more cussing, going to Starbucks takes 30 minutes of prep time, and so much more. But none of these things seem to matter anymore. We both would give it all up, and honestly, I would have given everything up sooner had I known how much joy and love June would bring to my life.

So here is my list of things I have learned from the wonderful year of 2010:

1. I don't have control of anything anymore. June is in control of everything. She is Queen Bee.

2. I am emotional. Everything makes me cry now, even the joyful things. I cried feeding June in the backseat of my car in the Trader Joes parking lot last week because of a song that came on.

3. A baby's smile can make all confusion, sadness and frustration fly right out the window.

4. Not taking a shower for 3 days, having perfectly manicured hands and feet, and having roots will not kill me, I just might not want to venture out of the house until I clean myself up.

5. A baby spitting up/pooping on an expensive shirt is not the end of the world.

6. Not losing all the baby weight yet means that I obviously focus all my attention on my baby and in a way makes me selfless.

7. That uncontrollable sobbing can only be soothed by my/your mom's voice, even if its on the phone (whether you're a baby or a 27 year old woman).

8. Babies bring families together.

9. Being a stay-at-home mom is actually a profession.

10. Getting 10 minutes alone is progress.

11. A baby can both laugh and cry at the same time.

12. Snuggling with June is now my favorite past time. I even wake her up sometimes just because I want to hold her so bad.

13. God has a plan and truly is the one in control.

14. My husband is the most amazing man and father, and I am so lucky that he chose me. And that through the lows and the highs that he is truly the only person who understands me.

15. Siblings are one of those gifts that God gives, because He knows the positive impact that they will have not only on your life, but on your childrens' lives as well.

16. Grandparents/our parents are a blessing who take over when you can't seem to move forward.

17. The word sacrifice shouldn't have a negative connotation to it. Its actually such a positive aspect of our lives now.

18. Mother's intuition actually exists and trumps any medical journal or profession.

19. I actually am very maternal and have patience (I know many people doubted this).

20. That I couldn't love anything or anyone more that I love June, unconditionally, forever and forever.

On that note, I will stop. June just woke-up and I get to snuggle with her and feed her. 2010 has been the best year of my life. Can't wait to see what 2011 has in store... oh yeah! I'm getting a brother-in-law!

Now I Know

Warning: If you don't want to read about breastfeeding and some in depth details of it, you might want to skip this post.

June has been transitioning incredibly well to the formula. I realized last Tuesday that June was actually do way better on formula than the breast at this point, and that maybe breastfeeding wasn't working anymore. After a lot of thought and discussion with Jason, I decided that I would stop breastfeeding. It seemed to be hurting more than helping at this point. What came next I was not prepared for. O.M.G. Pain! Why is it that no one ever discusses how to stop breastfeeding or what your body will go through when you stop? My mom had just had knee surgery, so I didn't want to bother her with my questions, so I started googling it and really there wasn't much out there. There wasn't a specific, easy solution. It was the same thing: wean your baby off the breast, don't let your breast get overly engorged or you can end up with an infection, if you express any milk be careful not to express too much or you will continue to produce, etc. I had already only been breastfeeding one time in the morning and right before June went to sleep, so I thought I was "weaning" enough. But I guess I was wrong. I couldn't feed June breast milk anymore because I knew it was not working with her tummy, so feeding her wasn't an option for me, and I was so over pumping, it was exhausting by that point. I was so engorged that I seriously looked like a Playboy model, sans the flat tummy. How the heck was I suppose to make sure that I wasn't letting too much milk out? I was so confused and since I had started this process there wasn't any turning back now. I couldn't even sleep, lift my arms higher than my shoulders, carry June in front of me, lay flat on my back. I was in so much pain. And I kept thinking, "now I know why no one talks about giving up breastfeeding. Because it hurts!" Oh and now I know why some women continue to breastfeed until their children are way too old, because it hurts to stop. Ok, so not really, but man I was weighing the pros and cons of stopping.

This is what I did and what I am still doing:
I am wearing a super tight sportsbra 24 hours a day. I have some that are 1 size too small and thats what I am wearing, with disposable breast pads in them (for the leaking). My breasts were rock solid, even under my arm pits, so I took cloth breast pads, dipped them in cold water and froze them. Now this may sound crazy, but I have been putting the frozen pads in my bra as well, to relieve the swelling and the pain. The cold doesn't hurt at all and stops the milk ducts from producing. Hot water causes the milk ducts to produce, so when I couldn't handle the pain and seriously thought I might burst from all the pressure, I would take a hot shower and express some of the milk myself. But not too much! Just a little so that I could tell that the pressure wasn't as bad/hard. So far so good. The swelling is going down and the pain definitely has decreased. I figure I will have to do this for about 2 weeks total.
So for all you out there who will eventually give breastfeeding up, have kids, etc. now you know. You have been warned. And though I was so happy to be able to share those special feeding moments, the bonding and the closeness that breastfeeding gave to June and me, I am happy its over. I feel as though I am beginnning to get a bit of my life back, but that now my life is better than ever because I get to experience it all with my Junebug.

Today's the Day

Well, I've never been into the blog thing but a friend of mine suggested, after a shoutout on facebook titled "Ladies with Babies", that it would make a great title for a blog. I figured this could serve as a mini-forum to all those mothers out there for questions/concerns or an opportunity to vent or even bragging time. A no judgement and all acceptance sort of thing. The actual forums online seem to have too many followers for me, so its hard to keep up and I only go on them to see answers to my questions. I never actually write on them. But I think that this will be a little more intimate and hey, if no one else follows it, at least its an opportunity for me to document June's life and all the things that I am going through.
I don't have too many friends with babies who live close by, but luckily my gal pals on facebook (and of course my mom and mother-in-law) have been a huge help to me, but I am pretty sure that not ALL my friends on facebook want to see my constant updates on June and my crazy questions about formula, crying, the color of her poop, etc.
The shoutout I mentioned had to do with what baby formula would work best for my daughter June. She was born September 20, 2010 and since then I had been breastfeeding. But June has had issues with constant crying, discomfort, constipation, acid reflux (which makes for a baby who spits up CONSTANTLY), and to top it all off a cold with 2 ear infections! Last Saturday, as we were trying arriving to our baptism class for June, she just started to wail. I mean kicking, screaming, loud shrieks. I hate when she cries like this because I know she is in some sort of pain. Besides my feeling so bad for her, I was also so embarrassed. Here I am, in a room filled with other parents and their sleeping babies, and mine is so loud that even in the very back of the building, locked in a bathroom, they can still hear her. I was on the verge of tears myself, so I left. I went to the car and sat with her for the next hour and a half. I fed her again and she fell asleep, and no one could have paid me a million dollars to move her out of my arms. The day prior, I had pumped and realized that I was not producing enough milk, so I began realizing that the reason her cries had gotten so much worse in the past few weeks was because she was hungry. Now I started feeling sooo guilty. I had been starving June. Once Jason got out of the class I told him that we needed to try formula. I put the post on facebook as I was walking into Babies R' Us and the response was so awesome. We tried June on the Enfamil with Soy and she continued to cry, it made her so constipated that when she actually went potty it was a huge mess. I then tried the Enfamil A.R. and so far sooooo good. Yesterday was really the day that I noticed her temperment changing. She slept through the night (which she had done prior to formula, but stopped in the past few weeks), she slept in her crib (a FIRST!), and she was oh so happy for the majority of the day. We went to Gymboree and ran errands and she did wonderfully! When she did cry, I knew that she was crying because she was sleepy. I felt so proud of her, as I always do, but I was able to feel proud without the fear that within 5 minutes something would change and her tears would begin again. Ahhhh I'm in heaven. I just love my little punkin pie!