Baby Loves. Edition: The 2nd Time Around

I was stopped twice in 10 minutes at the mall yesterday by other moms asking about baby products.  I’ve been meaning to write a post with my favorite baby products the second time around for awhile now and that was a good reminder to get it done!  I won’t waste anymore time with intros, but instead I’ll link to my favorite products the first time around with Hadley…

Favorite Baby Products 0-3 Months

Favorite Baby Products 3-6 Months

Favorite Baby Products 6-9 Months

Just about all of those items (minus the strollers) would still make my list this time (and a couple of them earned a second mention!). 

1. Monitor: If you have more than one child, a monitor with the ability to add a camera is a great option.  We originally had a Motorola one which I loved, but after going through 2 in 2 years, we switched brands.  I like this Summer Infant one (not quite as much as the Motorola one) and have had good luck with it so far!

2. Teether: In my experience, most babies start to show signs of teething around 4 months.  I never really found anything Hadley liked chewing on, but I found these Lifefactory ones for Harper and she LOVES them.  They are light enough for her to hold, soft enough that it doesn’t hurt if she hits herself in the face with, and hard enough to feel good on her gums.  And you can freeze them!

3. Angel Dear Lovey/Blankie: I learned with Hadley that these are not just any old lovey.  Something about them makes them superior to other loveys in a baby’s eyes.  **TIP: I’d suggest buying the “Pair & a Spare” or “Cuddle Twins” sets that you can find on Amazon.**

4. Paci Clip: I bought a bunch of these from The Posh Tots on Etsy when Hadley was born and they are still my favorite. **TIP: The ribbon end makes these universal, so you can use them for any pacifier**

5. Wubbanub: These help the pacifier stay in baby’s mouth, and are also just incredibly cute!

6. Baby Carrier: I have used the K’Tan probably every other day since Harper was born.  It’s really similar to the Moby (but easier/quicker to get on), which is also great.  The other one I have heard great things about is the Ergo.  I haven’t used it, but if I were buying another one, that’s the next one I’d get.

7. Woombie: I bought this on a whim for Harper and ended up rush-ordering 3 more because we loved it so much.  So much easier than any swaddle blanket, and no busting out of it in the middle of the night!  The 2-way zipper is also great for middle of the night diaper changes.

8. Rock & Play: I was lucky enough to borrow this from a good friend this time around.  Harper slept in it for probably the first 3 months of her life.  It still floats around the house from room to room as a place for her to hang out when I’m cooking or cleaning.

9. Double Stroller: There are a million options out there for this, but I LOVE my City Select.  So many different seat configurations, easy to fold and a HUGE basket on the bottom.

10. Wipeable changing pad and diaper clutch: The one shown is a random picture I found online, but my favorite combination is a wet bag like this (http://www.etsy.com/listing/60829627/wet-bag-with-waterproof-lining-and?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=wet+bag&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all) and this set from Couture Mama on Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/listing/119016799/the-couture-mama-diaper-bag-set-in-aqua?ref=shop_home_active 

11. ComoTomo Bottles: Hadley refused to take a bottle past about 4 1/2 months, so I was determined to find a bottle that Harper liked from the beginning.  After doing a lot of research, ComoTomo bottles appeared to be the most similar to breastfeeding, so I thought I’d give them a try.  They are the BEST bottles I’ve tried (and we tried a bunch with Hadley).  SUPER easy to clean and Harper never gulps with them like she does with other bottles.  They’re made out of silicone and are bacteria resistant, shatterproof, scratch Resistant, dishwasher Safe and leak-proof. **TIP: Don’t bother buying the 5oz ounce ones – go straight for the 8oz ones.  You’ll only use the 5oz for a couple months, then you’ll have to go buy bigger ones. And they aren’t exactly cheap.**

12. Infant Seat & Canopy: The Chicco Keyfit was on my list with Hadley and I added it again because we’re using it again for Harper.  It’s so easy to install and clean and looks brand new almost 3 years later.  I ordered a carseat canopy from Oh Sew Cute Designs on Etsy, but you can search Etsy and find thousands of them!  I loved having it to be able to keep Harper covered up in the winter and keep big sister’s hands away!

I think that’s all I’ve got!  What items could you not live without?

What I Packed in My Hospital Bag

I have a handful of friends who have recently asked what I packed in my hospital bag when I was having the girls, so I thought I would write a post so it’s all in one place.  Obviously this list is a little different for everyone depending on what you like, but here is what worked for me!

1. Pillows from home in bright colored pillow cases so they stand out from the hospital ones.  The hospital pillows are not that comfortable so you’ll be glad to have something comforting from home.
2. If you plan to nurse, having your own nursing pillow with you will give you some good practice with it while you’ve got lots of extra hands to help you.
3. Toiletries seem obvious, although the hospital will provide basic soap/shampoo for you. I actually bought a bunch of new make up the second time around and splurged on the nicer travel size shampoo, etc. so I felt like I was treating myself a little.  That first shower after you’ve had the baby feels so nice, you won’t want to use the generic bar soap at the hospital.
4. Nursing tanks & yoga pants can work for your coming home outfit or an outfit to wear when you have visitors at the hospital.  I like these tanks from Target - http://www.target.com/p/gilligan-o-malley-women-s-cotton-nursing-cami-assorted-colors-patterns/-/A-13793418 – keep in mind that you’ll still look like you’re 5-6 months pregnant, so size up on them.
5. A nice, colorful bathrobe can be a great piece to throw on over your hospital gown when you’re walking the walls in labor or for warmth in the hospital room with easy nursing access.
6. Button down PJs were another favorite of mine to wear as an outfit while you’re in the hospital.  Buy some that have a pattern or some color to them so you feel a little more like you’re getting dressed.  It can do wonders for your energy level!
7. Cozy slippers with a rubber sole.  You won’t want to put shoes on everytime you get out of the hospital bed, but you probably won’t want to walk around on the hospital floor barefoot or just in socks either.  These are the perfect compromise between the two.
8. Electronics: iPhones, iPads, laptops (for loading pictures if you want) and all of their chargers/batteries!
9. Camera & battery pack or charger (this could also include a video camera if you wanted).  Don’t forget those extra batteries and/or memory cards! You don’t want to miss out on getting a picture when your little one is just minutes old because you forgot to charge your camera!
10. Pacifier: If you plan to use one, most hospitals these days (at least the ones around me) don’t give them out anymore because of the big push to help with breastfeeding.  Both of my girls have used paci’s since day 1 and both have been champion nursers, so don’t be afraid to use one if you want to.
11. Coming home outfit for baby: Some people will say not to do a gown (it can be a little tricky with a car seat strap, but in my opinion, they are so tiny and their little legs scrunch up so much anyway that it’s tricky regardless of what they’re wearing.)
12. Baby Book: You don’t need to bring the entire baby book, but we brought ours so we could get the girls’ footprints and handprints done by the nurses in the nursery.  You could just bring those pages if you wanted to save some room.  Both of the girls’ baby books are from Way Cool Designs and I love them!
13. Last, but not least, the infant car seat!  Both of my girls are winter babies, so I brought thick cozy blankets to cover them up with once they were in their seats. (It’s not recommended to add any of those snug blanket insert things into a car seat unless it came with one.)

A couple of other items that weren’t on the list that you might want to consider:

• a bag of clothing, toiletries and bedding for your husband if he’ll be staying the night at the hospital with you
• An extra bag (could be baby’s diaper bag) for all the things the hospital will give you. (TIP: every time that cart is in your room with your baby, stock up on diapers and wipes!  They will re-fill it every time it goes back to the nursery so you can get a good stash of diapers before you even leave the hospital.)
• Snacks if you don’t want to eat from the food court or hospital restaurant

Hopefully I’m not leaving off anything major – and hopefully this is helpful for anyone preparing to pack their own bag!

It’s Harder; and It’s Easier

When we got married and started talking about the possibility of a family down the road, my mind jumped to pictures of elementary aged kids opening Christmas presents or playing in the backyard while we sit comfortably on the couch or patio chair sipping a drink while watching the kids.  As we got closer to beginning our family, and debated how many kids would best complete our family, again my mind pictured these kids as just that… kids.  What I didn’t picture was the logistics of more than one kid at home.  Or what it would look like to have a 2 year old with a dirty diaper throwing a tantrum while a newborn screams for no apparent reason.

Now that we’re a month into life as a family of four, I get asked on a regular basis how I’m handling things.  And my answer is usually the same: it’s hard… but it’s also easier. 

Having a sensitive, thoughtful, emotional and sweet little two year old girl along with a newborn is tough.  There are so many moments in a day when I find myself wishing I had a clone because one lap is just not enough for two girls.  For some reason, Hadley only needs her momma when momma’s hands are occupied by Harper.  And the second I sit down to nurse Harper?  That tends to be the same moment Hadley wants to go upstairs to her playroom (which requires my help up the stairs and obviously my supervision).  By the time I’ve survived bath & bedtime (for Hadley – because “bedtime” does not exist yet for Harper) I am so exhausted that I can hardly keep my eyes open, and yet I have a husband and a newborn who still need my attention.  Not to mention a house, and dishes, and laundry, and – oh yeah – a growling stomach that hasn’t eaten anything other than a granola bar since noon. 

I can remember sitting in my room when Hadley was just a couple months old and having an overwhelming feeling of “what did I get myself into? What am I doing?” because I just could not get her to stop crying.  I hadn’t showered in days and there was laundry all over our room.  I felt so out of my league as I was struggling to figure out how to balance (just one) child on top of the rest of my responsibilities.  This time around, I’m used to wearing the same yoga pants 5 days in a row and have perfected the dry shampoo pony-tail look for my unwashed hair.  I know the laundry will get done eventually and even though my house won’t clean itself, it won’t kill us if there are a couple dust bunnies under the bed.  We’ll have good days and we’ll have bad days; moments in our day will be harder, but overall the days pass easier.

Because this time, I know that “this too shall pass” and it will pass far too quickly.  The sweet baby snores and snuggles will turn into tantrums and “I do it myself”s in the blink of an eye, so I can handle the middle of the night feedings and a baby who just needs to be held to stay asleep.  Hadley and I are figuring out our new normal, but that’s what we always do.  She’s the one who made me a momma, so every stage of life is a new experience with her – and we just do our best.  And when we haven’t had our best day, I’m thankful that tomorrow is always a new day and God’s mercies are new each morning. 

Harper is One Week

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Today is the day Harper was due to arrive and yet she’s already been here for 8 days!  How has it been a week (and a day) already?  It seems like an eternity and the blink of an eye at the same time.  In some ways I can’t remember Harper not being a part of our family, and yet just 8 short days ago we were just a family of three. 

I thought it would be fun to put Harper in the same outfit that Hadley wore when she turned one week. 

Some moments I think they look so much alike, and then other times I think they look completely different. 

Here’s what we’ve learned about Harper so far…

• She is a great eater – she latched on 5 minutes after having her in the delivery room and hasn’t looked back since!
• She had almost gained back the weight she lost in the hospital by her 2 day check up!
• She does not like to have a dirty diaper; unlike her sister who would happily keep playing (& really has never been bothered by them since day one)
• She is a squeaker -  one of her nicknames is goose because she can literally sound like a flock of geese sometimes when she gets going
• She has a much more delicate, dainty cry than her sister most of the time, but she can definitely let you know when she’s angry – which pretty much only happens during diaper changes
• She HATES cold wipes – we went 2 years without needing a wipes warmer for Hadley because they never really bothered her much, but I sent my mom out on day 2 to get one for Harper because she hates the cold that much
• Her hair is two different colors right now – she’s got blonde peach fuzz at the top and short brown hair on the back and sides; all in all though it’s much shorter and lighter than Hadley’s was at this point
• Her eyes are still that grey-blue newborn color; they look really bright some days so I’m wondering if she’ll be another blue-eyed baby.  My prediction was that she’d have brown eyes.
• And I’m not even going to act like I know anything about her sleep pattern now.  Big sister was so colicky, but it didn’t kick in til closer to a month, so I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Time will tell what kind of a sleeper Harper will be!

Today was also my first day flying solo with both girls.  Matt went back to work and my mom can’t come back up until Monday, so I get a little trial for two days until the weekend. 

Last night was a rough night with Hadley – I think it’s starting to sink in that she doesn’t have me all to herself anymore and we were dealing with some major temper tantrums so I’m praying today and tomorrow go a little smoother.  So far, I was able to get Hadley dropped off at school relatively on time – let’s just hope I can get back to pick her up without being too late!  It’s tricky timing newborn feedings with school pick-up & drop-off!

All in all, we’re feeling so blessed by our two precious girls!  Can’t wait to learn more about Harper and see what the next weeks bring us!  Happy one week sweet girl!

Sisters

Because Harper was born during the day, Hadley was able to come up to the hospital just hours after her little sister was born to meet her!  My mom and sister were home with Hadley and brought her to the hospital for an early dinner and birthday celebration for Harper. 

It was almost more than my heart could handle; seeing my little baby become a big sister and little girl in the blink of an eye.  Hadley did so well and was so gentle and loving with “bebe Harper.” (It’s never just Harper – always bebe Harper.) 

Harper got Hadley a gift (big and little sister dolls, a big sister book and an Elmo cookie), and we had a cookie cake to celebrate Harper’s birthday.  We sang happy birthday multiple times for bebe Harper. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the cookie cake was a hit ;)

It’s so bittersweet to see Hadley step into her role as big sister.  It’s hard to imagine that just two short years ago I was holding that sweet little swaddled bundle and learning my new role as mommy.  And then there she was, running around, eating cookie cake (or just licking all the icing), singing happy birthday to her new baby sister.  She is 4 times bigger than Harper and suddenly looks SO different to me.  She is gentle, concerned and loving with Harper, and although I anticipate we’ll have some behavior problems ahead as we all adjust to our new normal, I just know she is going to be the best big sister.  My hope and prayer is that the girls will grow up to be the best of friends (despite the fights and growing pains that I know are to come).

Harper’s Birth Story

First of all, thank you for all of the comments, tweets, texts and well wishes over the past week!  It’s hard to believe that we have already been a family of four for a week.  I guess I’d better get used to time flying by, though.  So before I forget it all, I wanted to document Harper’s birth story.  I thought I’d separate this post out from her announcement in case anyone wanted to just skip over the details… although there will be more pictures in this one.  Feel free to just skim the pictures if birth stories make you squeamish. ;) 

On Wednesday, February 6th, I woke up around 2:30am to go to the bathroom.  This was pretty par for the course at that point in my pregnancy; I think Harper was just camped out on my bladder.  When I laid back down, I had a contraction, but this was also nothing new as I’d been having them randomly for a week or so.  About 10 minutes later, I had another one, and given that my doctor had warned me at my 38 week appointment that labor would go quickly this time, I decided to stay awake to time them. 

After an hour or so of relatively easy contractions coming every 5-10 minutes apart, I decided to call the doctor and text my mom and dear friend Courtney. {Sidenote: Courtney is a college friend of mine who is more like an aunt to Hadley & Harper than just a friend – she volunteered to be the one to come stay with Hadley until my mom could get here whenever I went into labor.  And I kid you not, she responded within a minute of my texting her at 3:45am!  She is a true example of what friendship should look like.}

I woke Matt up and called the doctor and they said to go ahead and come to the hospital.  I showered and Matt loaded the car up while we waited for Courtney to get to the house.  We finally left for the hospital around 5am and I made Matt stop at the McDonald’s drive-through so I could get a bacon & cheese bagel and water for breakfast. (Totally unnecessary detail – yes, but I never said this would be short!)

We had to go to labor & delivery triage at the hospital since it was so early, but my doctor came down to check my progress and said I was around 3/4 cm and 50% effaced.  We had to be monitored for 20 minutes to track my contractions, and then they told me to go walk around the hospital for 20 minutes or so, and then come back.  After we got back, they put me back on the monitor to watch my contractions for another 30 minutes and then sent us to go walk again.  We got back from the second walk around 8:30a and they checked me again.  This time I was almost at 5cm but still 50% effaced.  We had to wait a little bit, but finally around 9:30a they came back to tell me I was going to be admitted and they were waiting on a room for me. 

We both breathed a sigh of relief to finally know that we weren’t going to leave the hospital without a baby; although my relief was also filled with anxiety about what was to come.  My contractions were still not unbearably painful and weren’t coming that much closer together, so I wasn’t sure when I should get the epidural.  I didn’t want to be a wimp and get it too early, but when my doctor came back to check me again after we were admitted it almost brought me to tears from the pain.  When she said at the next check she was also going to break my water I decided I wanted the epidural before that time came! 

The epidural hurt more than I remembered this time, but that’s probably because my labor wasn’t as painful as it was with Hadley,  By 10:30a the epidural was kicking in and I decided to try to take a nap.  My doctor came in to break my water around 11:30 and told me I was between 5 and 6cm and to rest for a bit.  They left and just said to call if I felt any pain or pressure.

Well, I didn’t get to rest much as around 12:25 I started feeling pressure like I needed to push.  I called the nurse and she came in, did a quick check and said “well, let’s do a practice push… you’re ready!”  I laughed, assuming she was joking, to which she replied that no, I was indeed ready to push.  After one practice push she told me to stop and called for the doctor.  I started pushing at 12:38 and Harper was born 8 minutes later at 12:46pm!  Much nicer than my hour and a half of pushing with Hadley. 

Letting the nurse know she was NOT happy about being away from momma.

Sleeping in daddy’s arms :) Much better than the giant pout Hadley gave…

Heading home with our newest little girl! Feeling so blessed.

One more post of when Hadley met Harper (also known as the moment Hadley became a little girl instead of my baby – cue the tears) coming soon.

Tomorrow.

Call it pregnancy hormones, call it overreacting, call it mother’s intuition; call it whatever you’d like – tomorrow is a day that I am anxious about. 

Tomorrow is the day that I will drop Hadley off at Mother’s Day Out for 5 hours.  She will have art, music, snack, playtime outside, reading time, lunch and (Lord-willing) naptime all without me by her side. 

When I initially signed her up, I was in the trenches of the first trimester.  I was throwing up at least 5 times a day and could hardly get off the couch when I wasn’t getting sick.  Hadley hated when I was sick and I felt so guilty not being able to play and interact with her as much as I knew she needed.  Not knowing how long it would last, in an effort to ease my mom-guilt, I signed her up at a local church to have play-time twice a week.  At the time, I was convinced that it was absolutely the best thing for her.  She has always been a social butterfly.  She has always loved to play outside and meet new people and explore new places. 

Then we found a house to buy and sold our house.  And a slew of strange people have been in and out of her house, sometimes with us here, sometimes not.  And we walked through a number of other houses.  And talked about packing our things and moving them to a new place.  And even though Hadley can’t really communicate with us, she knows something is going on.  And ever since then, she hasn’t wanted to leave my side.  Not even Matt can comfort her.  Things that used to excite her like meeting someone new or the doorbell ringing suddenly send her into a panic and she cries and clings to me.  Tantrums happen at ever corner and she just seems sad. 

My bubbly, silly, outgoing little firecracker has turned into a clingy, shy, emotional momma’s girl.  And it’s tearing me up that we’ve committed to leave her at church for 5 straight hours, twice a week.   Yes, I know I could just pull her and not go tomorrow.  But we paid a deposit to sign her up and it seems like such a waste to not at least give it a try.  At least for tomorrow.

I’ve told her teachers that we have a lot going on at home, and to please just call me if she gets upset/inconsolable.  I would say that I’m praying it doesn’t come to that, but really, I’m praying for whatever is best for her.  Whatever outcome that is.  And I’m praying that I can be strong for her tomorrow.  Because if momma loses it, I know exactly how she’s going to react. 

So tomorrow, we’ll gather up her backpack, lunchbox and napmat and put on our brave faces.  And if you have a moment tomorrow, please pray that God would show me (clearly) what the best decision is for Hadley. 

Why We Celebrate

Before I recap our Easter weekend, I wanted to share this post that I found on Good Friday from It’s Almost Naptime!  I realize it’s after Easter, but I think it’s important to continue to reflect on all that Christ sacrificed for us throughout the year, not just on one day.  Here is the post…

 

Because I am barefoot 99% of the time, and because we aren't the neatest house on the block, the incident of stepping on sharp, pointy objects is an all too common occurrence.
I wish I could blame it on the kids, but I've never had the neatest house on the block. My floor has always been a bit of a landmine. The soles of my feet are riddled with the scars of my domestic ineptitude.
Recently for some odd reason I was blessed to be wearing shoes when I stepped up the stairs and directly on top of a wayward nail which pierced straight through the sole of my shoe and into my poor foot. As I screamed dramatically, the thought ran through my mind which, for almost seven years, has been repeated every time I have been assaulted by my own home: Glad I got to that first. Better me than one of the kids.
That pretty much sums up the change in our hearts (and pain tolerance) caused by motherhood, doesn't it? A tack in the foot no longer yields screaming and curses, but gratitude. The same tack could have harmed the sweet soft skin of my precious child. It hurts, but it would have hurt my baby worse. Better me than him.
Soon after Shepherd's birth, I realized my love was so strong for this child that, not only would I take a bullet for him, but I'd take a bullet for him gladly. With zero hesitation. Now the chances of me being asked to take a bullet for one of my children are thankfully very small. But thumbtacks? Slivers of glass? Runaway carpet nails? A Lego with a vendetta? It's a repetitive - sometimes daily - sacrifice.
Today I was cleaning the girls' room. As I slid my hand under Maggie's bed, my right thumb made direct contact with a pointy piece of glass. A rather large piece of glass, which could have done substantial damage to a small foot. My blood oozed from my body, while, as usual, I expressed gratitude for the opportunity to get to it first. Better me than her.
I stared at the blood stained glass when suddenly, I stifled a sob, and doubled over.
For the image of my bloody Savior hanging on a cross had appeared in my mind.
And He said, Better Me than you.
The Lord, in His wondrous mercy, beat me to the piercing, and the pain, and the blood. It was a sacrifice. Because He loves me even more than I love my own children.
When they tied his arms to a post with his back exposed, and He braced Himself for what was to come, He said, Better Me than you.
When they raised the whip, it's tendrils tied with pointy pieces of glass and metal and bone, He said, Better Me than you.
When they brought the whip down on His back, with full force, over and over and over and over and over, He said, Better Me than you.
When the skin had been shredded and the arteries and veins in the muscles in His back began to hemorrhage, He said, Better Me than you.
When they dug the crown of thorns into his head, He said, Better Me than you.
When they grabbed His beard in their hands and pulled as hard as they could to rip the hair from His face, He said, Better Me than you.
When they cursed Him and called Him the foulest names they could think of, He said, Better Me than you.
When they slapped and punched His bleeding cheeks, and mocked Him, and spit on Him, and beat Him with a staff until His bloody tortured body was unrecognizable as human, He said, Better Me than you.
When they forced him to lift the seventy five pound crossbeam, lay it across his scourged and lacerated shoulders, and ordered his failing body to walk, He said, Better Me than you.
When the loss of blood and the pain from the tortures caused him to stumble and drop the cross, He said, Better Me than you.
When they stripped off all His clothes and threw His naked, mutilated body down on the cross, hammered thick, heavy, wrought-iron nails into His wrists, then lifted Him into place, He said, Better Me than you.
When they crossed his ankles and hammered similar nails into the arches of his feet, He said, Better Me than you.
When He struggled to breathe, causing Himself excruciating pain no matter how He moved, He said, Better Me than you.
When He looked into the face of a mother, His mother, watching the murder of her precious child, her baby boy, He said, Better Me than you.
When His Father turned His back on Him, when He felt most forsaken, when He cried out in agony and heartache and despair, He said, Better Me than you.
When His chest filled with fluid and He felt His own heart drown within Him, He said, Better Me than you.
When He cried out before He finally suffocated to death, He said, Better Me than you.
When He took on the wrath of God and paid the penalty for your sins, and my sins, and our beloved children's sins, He said, Better Me than you.

This is love:
not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:10

I pray that you all had a wonderful Easter and know and feel the love that the Lord has for YOU! 

A Tale of Two Hadley’s

Last week I had the pleasure of watching a friend’s little girl for the day when her sitter cancelled last minute!  Sarah was actually the photographer in our wedding so I’ve known her for about 5 years now!  She is a teacher now and wound up living really close to us when they moved to Dallas and we’ve become even closer now that she’s a momma to a sweet little girl (who is also named Hadley!). 

I’ll admit, I was terrified a little anxious about being all on my own with a 3 month old and a 14 month old.

(Yes, I realize plenty of people CHOOSE to have kids that close, and yes I realize they all survive just fine.)

(I am not one of those people.)

Although we had a few moments of chaos, overall the day went really well!  Sarah’s Hadley (I think I’ll refer to her by her nickname Haddie to avoid confusion) was super sweet and content all day long.  The only time she fussed was when I waited a little too long to put her down for her first nap.  The 10 o’clock hour was a little chaotic as Haddie was waking up ready to eat at the exact same time Hadley was cranky and ready to go down for her nap, but we all survived and actually had a fun time! 

Here are some of the precious pictures I captured throughout our day.

These next pictures are priceless to me.  I let Hadley “hold” Haddie because I could tell she was just dying to get closer to her.  Hadley was so sweet and gentle with her!

See what I mean?  Such a sweet, happy little girl!

Hadley “hugs” by laying her head down.  This is her attempt at hugging Haddie.

I was seriously missing how easy it was to put down an infant.  Haddie just needed a quick swaddle and paci and she was out.cold.  Oh if only Hadley could have taken notes!

I was so thankful for a beautiful day!  We got our wagon out and went for a long walk.  Both girls were SO content throughout the whole walk.  I’m pretty sure a double stroller would be a necessity if you had two so close in age!

All in all, my worries were pretty unfounded.  We had a great girls day! 

It’s Been Too Long…

I know I keep saying that I’ll get on top of things soon and have all these great posts with beautiful pictures to show you, but lately, I just can’t get on top of it all.  Hadley hasn’t napped for more than 30 minutes TOTAL in the past week. 

Life = 1; Brittany = 0. 

(Or maybe that should say Hadley = 1,452,798; Momma = 0)

In the grand scheme of things, “this too shall pass,” and I know our blessings FAR outweigh our stresses right now, but when you have a screaming, tantrum throwing, runny-nosed 14 month old who has gone from sleeping a total of 14-15 hours/day to sleeping a total of 11-12 hours on a “good” day, you feel a little beat down. 

Add to that the fact that said screaming, tantrum throwing, runny-nosed, non-napping 14 month old has to be gets to be a flower girl in my little sister’s wedding in less than 2 weeks and I’m just a little worried.  Of course I initially envisioned how adorable Hadley would be in her giant yellow tutu walking crawling being pulled in a wagon down the aisle while smiling and waving at her adoring fans.  Then we’d go into the reception, have some dinner and bite or two of cake, she’d dance with her daddy and then they’d call it a night and head back to my parent’s house for a good night’s sleep. 

Now I’m envisioning a child with messy hair, ripping her bow out, having to be strapped into a wagon and screaming all the way down the aisle only to be removed from the ceremony by her loving daddy simply so that everyone can actually hear the wedding vows taking place. 

Here’s to hoping & praying we can meet somewhere in the middle. 

And while I try to get caught up on the rest of the drafts I have started but not had time to finish, here’s a glimpse of Hadley for you…

This is what I came in to find this morning – 5 pacis on the floor (yes she sleeps with multiple pacis in her crib – can you see why?) and her bunny-lovey, without whom she screams bloody murder. 

After a battle-of-wills this morning, this is how Hadley finally fell asleep. 

The One Where I Complain About Sleep

Hadley has never been a great sleeper.  I honestly don’t think there’s really anything we could have done differently; I think it’s just in her DNA.  We have tried all the tips & tricks (cry-it-out does not work with her personality – she cries so hard that she gags herself, and would go for hours if I let her).  She goes down great -  for both naps and going to bed at night it usually doesn’t take more than 5-10 minutes for her to be out.  We go through our routines and put her down awake and she goes right to sleep (most of the time).  It’s the staying asleep that we struggle with. 

When she was younger, it was naps that were the bane of my existence.  (This is probably because I didn’t expect her to sleep through the night at a young age, but I did expect her to nap a lot – she didn’t.)  We went through a phase of napping for 37 minutes at a time.  That’s right – I timed them.  Which made it worse for me because each time I knew like clock-work she would be up after 37 minutes.  I was going out of my mind.  Then, she slowly started napping better, and now we are in a pretty decent routine of two naps a day for about an hour and a half each. 

So now, what do I do?  Instead of being thankful for the napping consistency, now I start over-analyzing her nighttime sleep.  Confession: I have an app on my phone where I track her nursing, diapers, sleep and medicine (if we do baby tylenol or advil for teething, or her Zantac when she was younger for her reflux).  The other day, I decided to look back at her sleeping habits and see how many times she has slept through the night (meaning 11-12 hours straight).  63 times.  Out of about 405 days of life so far.  Approximately 15% of the time.  And then I looked at how often those days are consecutive and realized that she has NEVER slept that long for more than 5 days in a row (which only happened once), and typically only does it for 3 days in a row, and then we have some type of disruption.  Whether it’s teething, bad dreams, hunger, or just needing some cuddles (highly doubtful seeing as how she does NOT enjoy cuddling), I have no idea.  All I know is that being woken up by the sound of your screaming child is one of the worst things in the entire world.  The other night, I don’t think I ever fell into a deep sleep for more than about 5 minutes because every.single.time I did, Hadley woke up crying. 

I know she’s not the only child out there who isn’t a great sleeper, but I can’t help but feel like we did something wrong by her!  I also know that it could be worse and she could never sleep through the night, so I should be thankful for the nights that I do get to sleep soundly.  Easier said than done.  In trying to figure out how to “end” this post, I’m realizing I don’t really have a point to all of this, but simply needed to complain.  So, thanks for listening!  I promise to share some cute pictures and have some more positive posts soon!

p.s. I am almost done with our bedroom makeover!  I’m co-hosting my sister’s shower this weekend, and once we get back from that I should be able to wrap it up and take some fabulous “after” pictures for you!

Baby Loves and must haves: Months 6 - 9

Time for another edition of our baby must-haves.  If you missed the earlier editions, you can see months 0-3 here and months 3-6 here.

1. Balboa Baby Shopping Cart Cover.  Unfortunately, I haven’t figure out how to make this fit the SuperTarget carts yet, but it fits every other cart, and high chair, so it still makes the list.  It folds up into itself, has a large strap to keep her in and two loops on the corners for attaching toys or her sippy strap.  Plus, I think it’s pretty. :)  I know these aren’t for everyone, and some people think they are too much of a hassle, but after reading an article that talked about how shopping carts are dirtier than most public restrooms, I think I will stick to using this and washing it when we’re done. 

2.  Puffs.  Is it cheating to put a food item on here?  These aren’t the healthiest thing, but they are a “must-have” because having a handful of these with me at all times enables me to finish grocery shopping or running an errand.  Hadley LOVES her puffs – especially the sweet potato flavor (M thinks they taste like fortune cookies??).  Is it wrong to use food to keep my daughter occupied while I run errands?

3. Convertible Car Seat.  (Not everyone will need this so soon, but we’ve got a big girl on our hands!)  After doing a lot of research, and purchasing and returning one, we ended up with the Britax Boulevard 70CS.  We plan to keep Hadley rear-facing in her seat until she is at least 2 years old (For why – see here or here or – this is a really good link) so I wanted a seat that had high weight & height limits for rear-facing.  Also, because we have captain’s chairs in the Tahoe, I can’t have her in the center of the car, so I wanted a seat that had extra side-impact protection.  This seat was really easy to install using the LATCH system in the car (although it took me a couple tries to get the recline angle right), has an easily adjustable harness, little velcro spots to keep the straps out of the way while you’re trying to get a wiggly baby in there, and the cover (which was one of the few that I thought was cute) can come off and be washed without uninstalling the seat!

 

4.  Sippy Cups.  The two that Hadley loves are the Playtex Little Gripper Straw Trainer cup…

and the Munchkin Mighty Grip Sippy Cup…

We started sippy cups around 6 months with Hadley, and it wasn’t until about 8 1/2 months that she really caught on and could drink out of them consistently, but they still make this list because I think it was important for her to get the practice!  That, and she loved to chew on the Munchkin cup.  I think it felt good on those sore little gums!  We also tried the Dr. Brown’s and Tommy Tippee cups, but she doesn’t like them. 

5.  Speaking of sippy cups – I couldn’t live without our sippy strap!  Hadley thinks it is SO fun to pick up her sippy and throw it down, and this keeps me from washing it over and over and over.  We got ours from Oh Sew Cute Designs and Amanda is great to work with if you need one! 

That’s all I’ve got this time.  Everything else that I “can’t live without” right now is something that I’ve already mentioned on one of the previous lists!  Happy Friday, friends!

Understanding Christ Through Mothering

I realize I have fallen off of the blogging wagon yet again, and even though we’ve been keeping busy, I just haven’t come up with anything new or interesting to blog about.  So, I decided to copy another blogger’s post to share with you.  This post brought me to tears when I first read it, and hopefully it will touch someone else, too!  So below is a post from Rare & Beautiful Treasures.  Obviously, the pictures are my addition.  Enjoy.

There was a cold wet wind tonight.  Biting.  I wrapped him in a quilt, thick with flannel and a grandmother's love.  His hat was wool and his coat too, but still I held him tight against my body before walking out into that biting night air.

I remember how one year ago he was protected and warm inside of me.  And how I was grateful for that.  I was sure.
As we stepped outside tonight the wind blew damp and strong against us.
I held him tight and used my hands to shield his face. He wiggled and pushed against me, trying to break free.  Suddenly my hands that wanted to protect were a nuisance.  I used my arms to redirect his face away from the direction of the wind.  Again, he fought me.  If I wanted him to face West, he was intent on looking Eastward.
"Doesn't he know I am trying to protect him?"  I wondered, exasperated.
"Why is his fighting me?"


"Why doesn't he understand?"
"Doesn't he realize that I am placing my body in front of his to bear the burden for him?"
And suddenly it was no longer about a mother and her son. It was about a Father and a daughter.  A Father who used a cold December wind to speak to a daughter who is entirely unworthy.

A daughter who questions and pushes back, who fights and veers East when He says clearly, "Eden is to the West, my beloved."
"Don't you see that my body has suffered this for you?"
I kiss my baby's sweet cheek, damp and cold from his obstinance and I wonder what winds I could have been spared? 

Why I Stay at Home

Before I dive into the meat of this post, I feel like I need to write a disclaimer.  For whatever reason, there is an abundance of judgment that comes along with being a mother.  Judgment from society, from older and younger generations, and even worse, judgment from other moms.  I think we’re all guilty of it, whether we voice it or not.  Certainly everyone has judged that mom in the grocery store who can’t get her kid to stop screaming (until you become that mom).  Or the parents at the restaurant who let their child run amuck (ok, I still judge those parents – unless you’re at Chucky Cheese, highchairs have straps for a reason, people.)  All of that to say, I don’t write this post with judgment or as a criticism of moms who make a different choice for their families.  I’m simply writing because it has been on my heart for a couple of weeks and perhaps someone else might find encouragement in this.  That, and I hope Hadley can someday look back on this and know my heart and why I chose to stay home to raise her. 

In addition to the disclaimer above, I also want to say that I am well aware that this is not a choice everyone can make.  If you are a single mother, or need to work to provide for your family, I, in no way, mean for this to make you feel guilty or inadequate.  I know that we are very blessed that I am able to stay home.

Whew.  Ok, now that that’s out of the way…

I was at the doctor last week.  My mom came up to help with Hadley, and we decided to just bring her stroller and let my mom push her around while I was in with the doctor.  Well, Hadley is having a bit of separation anxiety, and my mom had only been here an hour or so before we had to leave for the doctor, so as soon as she realized I was gone, she started crying (Hadley, not my mom – ha).  I had to give blood after the appointment, so once again, Hadley screamed the whole time I was gone.  Since the lab was open to the waiting room, we could still hear her screaming.  I apologized to the nurse and smiled.  She looked at me (sans smile) and said “You a stay at home mom?”  I said that yes, I was, and explained that Hadley was hitting the lovely separation anxiety phase (that almost all babies go through, right?).  She replied (again sans smile) that I’d “better do something about that or else I won’t ever be able to go anywhere.” 

Now, I know a lot of people hate getting any kind of advice from anyone when it comes to motherhood, but I think I’m an exception.  I actually like hearing from other people moms.  I like hearing what worked for them and what didn’t.  I do not, however, like being told that I’m doing a disservice to my child because I choose to stay at home with her.  This isn’t the first comment of its kind, either.  I’ve had comments like this from friends and strangers alike (albeit, not quite as blatant), and it just makes me wonder when becoming a mom became “not enough.”  Why do people feel the need to save their old identity rather than relishing in their new identity?  (sidenote: I’m sure that had I decided to go back to work, I’d have gotten just as many comments judging that decision.)

The choice to stay home was probably a little easier for me than some, seeing as how both my husband and I had moms who stayed home with us.  It wasn’t a foreign concept to either of us, and was something that we both saw the benefits of growing up (even if we didn’t enjoy it then, we see it now.)  I realize, too, how truly blessed I am to have a husband who is supportive of this – both in that he works hard at his job to provide for us, and also that he encourages me to be here. 

That said, I believe that staying home with your children is a calling.  One that God equips women for in a unique way – there’s a reason we are the ones who carry the baby and the ones who can provide nutrition for babies.  I know it’s not for everyone to stay home, and it’s certainly not for the faint of heart.  Staying home is hard.  The only thing easy about staying home is how easy it is to lose your mind most days!  And I know if we are ever blessed with more kiddos it will be exponentially harder.  But this is my lot and this is my blessing.  And the bible promises that we will not remember our days because we are consumed with joy (Eccl. 5:20)

Over the past few weeks I’ve come across a few articles about this topic and I thought I’d share the links to those… If you don’t have time to read all of them, the first one is my favorite.

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-as-a-mission-field

http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank

http://www.karenathomeblog.com/2011/06/life-of-stay-at-home-mom-series-day-8.html 

And for those of you who don’t want to read any of them, here are a couple of my favorite take-aways:

“Biggest reward for you or your family having you as a SAHM?

I think the biggest reward is the security and confidence it gives my children. They know I am around and have chosen to be with them over anything else!  They know I used to teach school and gave it up to be with them!  They also know that there is no other place I'd rather be.  How reassuring would that be to know there is someone out there who loves you so much that she didn't want to miss part of your life?!”

 

“At the very heart of the gospel is sacrifice, and there is perhaps no occupation in the world so intrinsically sacrificial as motherhood. Motherhood is a wonderful opportunity to live the gospel. Jim Elliot famously said, “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Motherhood provides you with an opportunity to lay down the things that you cannot keep on behalf of the people that you cannot lose. They are eternal souls, they are your children, they are your mission field.”

All of this is really to say that this is my choice for my family, and I just simply don’t understand the point of judging other moms for their choices for their families.  “Working” or “non-working,” I really feel like it’s important to support each other for our similarities rather than focusing on our differences.