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Sunday, July 14, 2013
"Just a Mom"
I love this video. It really helps you understand that giving up a career or lifestyle to be a mother isn't something you should be ashamed about. You are not "just a mom", you are a mother. Enjoy that privilege!
Monday, June 24, 2013
The Big 5 (Baby's First Foods)
There is a lot of debate about when to start your baby on solids. Current recommendations say that breast milk or formula should be your baby's main source of nutrition until 6 months of age. The reasoning for this is because breast milk or formula has everything your baby needs to develop properly and if you start solids too early then your baby could lose out on important nutrients. When you start your baby on solids, it helps to know what foods are best to start with. Here are the top 5 best first foods for your baby:
1. Sweet Potatoes
Easy to make, easy to digest, easy on the tummy, and easy on the taste buds! Not to mention, they are one of the most nutritious veggies on the planet. These little beauties have huge amounts of dietary fiber and beta carotene, calcium, iron, Vitamin A and Vitamin C and even Vitamin E.
2. Avocado
It is said that if you were stranded on an island you could survive on avocados because of all of the nutrients it contains: healthy fats, fiber, potassium, iron, folate and even Vitamin E. The reason I love the avocado so much is because you don't have to cook it! Less work for mom, faster food for baby!
3. Carrots
Fresh produce can be expensive sometimes but these little treasures are always cheap and available year round. Beta carotene, Folate, Vitamin C and even Calcium mean better vision, growth, and development; the maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes; immune functions; and even aids reproductive functions for your baby.
* Note: if possible, do not use baby carrots. For more info, read the bottom of this post.
4. Bananas
Probably one of the easiest foods for your baby to digest and one of the easiest to prepare! Just peel, mash, and feed to that watering baby mouth. Important nutrients in bananas include: Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Calcium, Folate, Potassium and Fiber. Hard to believe that so many nutrients are in such a delicious, creamy food!
5. Oatmeal
High in fiber, calcium, protein, some B vitamins, and 2 mg of iron per cup. Less constipating and easy to buy and prepare. TIP: Choose steel cut or rolled oats (not quick oats). The less cutting and processing of the oats means more nutrients in the tummy.
* Why should I not use baby carrots for my baby's food?
“''Baby'' carrots are the product of modern technology and are specially formed by a machine that cuts them out from full sized older carrots. Some 'growers' add green food coloring at the 'stem' for further effect. One way to tell if a baby carrot is truly a baby carrot is to read its packaging. The common 'baby carrots' sold in the grocery store will actually say 'baby cut' carrots.
Baby cut carrots are cleansed in a solution that often contains chlorine so that they will not turn white while in the package. Skip these carrots and opt to peel and cut your own, especially if you will be making carrot baby food!"
1. Sweet Potatoes
Easy to make, easy to digest, easy on the tummy, and easy on the taste buds! Not to mention, they are one of the most nutritious veggies on the planet. These little beauties have huge amounts of dietary fiber and beta carotene, calcium, iron, Vitamin A and Vitamin C and even Vitamin E.
2. Avocado
It is said that if you were stranded on an island you could survive on avocados because of all of the nutrients it contains: healthy fats, fiber, potassium, iron, folate and even Vitamin E. The reason I love the avocado so much is because you don't have to cook it! Less work for mom, faster food for baby!
3. Carrots
Fresh produce can be expensive sometimes but these little treasures are always cheap and available year round. Beta carotene, Folate, Vitamin C and even Calcium mean better vision, growth, and development; the maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes; immune functions; and even aids reproductive functions for your baby.
* Note: if possible, do not use baby carrots. For more info, read the bottom of this post.
4. Bananas
Probably one of the easiest foods for your baby to digest and one of the easiest to prepare! Just peel, mash, and feed to that watering baby mouth. Important nutrients in bananas include: Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Calcium, Folate, Potassium and Fiber. Hard to believe that so many nutrients are in such a delicious, creamy food!
5. Oatmeal
High in fiber, calcium, protein, some B vitamins, and 2 mg of iron per cup. Less constipating and easy to buy and prepare. TIP: Choose steel cut or rolled oats (not quick oats). The less cutting and processing of the oats means more nutrients in the tummy.
Information retrieved from Wholesome Baby Food. See more information @ http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/
* Why should I not use baby carrots for my baby's food?
“''Baby'' carrots are the product of modern technology and are specially formed by a machine that cuts them out from full sized older carrots. Some 'growers' add green food coloring at the 'stem' for further effect. One way to tell if a baby carrot is truly a baby carrot is to read its packaging. The common 'baby carrots' sold in the grocery store will actually say 'baby cut' carrots.
Baby cut carrots are cleansed in a solution that often contains chlorine so that they will not turn white while in the package. Skip these carrots and opt to peel and cut your own, especially if you will be making carrot baby food!"
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Honest Perspective: Breastfeeding or Formula?
One of my best friends wrote the best post about breastfeeding, difficulties, and doing what is best for your baby. I love her story and am so grateful for her honest and humble view about this hot topic. Thanks for letting me share this!
If you are a mom struggling with breastfeeding or
questioning if it’s right for you, my advice is to not feel pressured or
guilty. If you cannot breastfeed for one
reason or another, or you choose not to breastfeed that is perfectly fine. Formula is a great way to get your baby the
essential nutrients he/she needs to grow and develop properly. Formula was the best choice for me and my son, it might be the best choice for you and your baby."
“'Breastfeed, it’s one of the best decisions you can make for your baby.' From my very first doctors visit this is what
I was repeatedly told. It felt like a
lot of information to take in all at once, especially with all of the joy and
excitement I was feeling about becoming a new mom. But like any mom, I wanted to do what was best for my baby, so I had decided
breastfeeding was the only way; formula wasn’t even an option in my mind.
I proceeded to buy the pregnancy books (What to Expect When You’re Expecting, Your
Pregnancy Week by Week, etc.), read the breastfeeding pamphlets from my
OBGYN, read on the internet the ins and outs of breastfeeding, I even took a
class on breastfeeding. Honestly, I did
everything I could imagine to understand how to make breastfeeding work for me
and my baby. I felt so prepared and
ready for the day that I would get to share that first special moment with my
new baby boy, when he would latch on and everything would workout smoothly.
The day finally came; my little guy was born and was
absolutely perfect. I have never felt so
much love, joy, and happiness then that moment, when I gave birth to my
son. As I was holding him for the first
time, having that first skin to skin moment, he latched onto me. He seemed to be doing so well, everything was
going as planned. The next day, however,
was a different story.
When they brought him into my room to be fed he
wouldn’t latch, he wanted nothing to do with it. I remember feeling confused, 'Maybe he isn’t
hungry? No, that can’t be right, it’s been three hours and he needs to eat.' He started screaming and crying
uncontrollably, the nurse tried to help but nothing she did worked. They brought in a lactation specialist to
help, but he still wouldn’t eat. I was
stressing out to the point of tears, this wasn’t supposed to happen, I did my
homework and I wanted to give my baby the very best.
They
finally sent us home 48 hours later with my son
“breastfeeding” but by supplementation of a syringe filled with
formula. I felt as if I had failed. My baby was getting the majority
of his milk
supply from formula; I couldn’t fully give him the best. The doctors and
lactation specialist told me and my husband to take our son off of the syringe
slowly, to ease him into pure breastfeeding.
My son was too smart, though, he figured out where the main supply of
food was coming from and eventually stopped latching; he would go immediately
to the syringe for his food.
After many battles with my son, countless calls to
the doctor/lactation specialist (who kept feeding me the same information over
and over again), and too many minutes spent crying my eyes out when I should
have been enjoying my new baby, my husband and I decided that maybe
breastfeeding wasn’t the right decision for our son. However, I still felt the need to give my son
what I had been told was the best and
decided to pump my milk for as long as I could.
But as circumstances would have it, I was only able to pump my milk for
about a week and a half longer before my milk supply was completely gone. What seemed like an awful and yet again depressing
situation actually turned out to be the blessing and help I needed to move
on. My son needed his food and I needed
to give him the nutrients to grow and develop properly, formula was the best solution for our problem.
As I sit here typing this today, reliving my whole
experience with breastfeeding, I can’t help but be truly humbled and grateful
for formula. It not only fed my baby
when I couldn’t, it gave him the chance to grow and develop into the perfect,
active, and smart 2 year old boy he is today.
They say there are definite benefits to breastfeeding that make it the best choice for your baby and I don’t
doubt for a second that those benefits are true, but my son was formula fed for
12 months and he has developed perfectly in every aspect of his young
life. When we take him in for his doctor
appointments they are always amazed at how advanced he is for his age. His doctor has said on numerous accounts, 'He
is a smart one. I cannot believe he is already _____________ (fill in the
blank). Most babies don’t do that for a few more months.'
Saturday, June 8, 2013
The Tired Mother's Creed - Lisa-Jo Baker
Please do yourself a favor. READ THIS. Then read it again. Then print it off and hang it where you will see it everyday. Then read it again. This changed my perspective on what matters most and each day I read it, something great sticks out to me. Lisa Jo Baker is such an incredible author and I love how real she is. She really puts things into perspective. I promise that you'll love this as much as I do.
"For the days we are running on empty. For the days we just don't think we have it in us to read one more story, play one more game of Uno, wash one more round of sheets. For the days when we think everyone else has it together. For the days we're sure anyone else would do this job better. For those days. You know the ones. Repeat after me:
"For the days we are running on empty. For the days we just don't think we have it in us to read one more story, play one more game of Uno, wash one more round of sheets. For the days when we think everyone else has it together. For the days we're sure anyone else would do this job better. For those days. You know the ones. Repeat after me:
1. I shall not judge my house, my kid's summer
activities or my crafting skills by Pinterest's standards.
2.
I shall not measure what I've accomplished today by the loads of unfolded
laundry but by the assurance of deep
love I've tickled into my kids.
3.
I shall say “yes” to blanket forts and
see past the chaos to the memories we're building.
4.
I shall surprise my kids with trips to get ice cream when they're already in
their pajamas.
5. I shall not compare myself to other
mothers but find my identity in the God who trusted me with these kids in the
first place.
6. I shall remember that a messy house
at peace is better than an immaculate house tied up in knots.
7.
I shall play music loudly and teach my kids the joy of wildly uncoordinated
dance.
8.
I shall remind myself that perfect is simply a street sign at the intersection
of impossible and frustration in Never Never land.
9.
I shall embrace the fact that in becoming a mom I traded perfect for a house
full of real.
10. I shall promise to love this body
that bore these children out loud, especially in front of my daughter.
11.
I shall give my other mother friends the gift of guilt-free friendship.
12.
I shall do my best to admit to my people my “unfine” moments.
13.
I shall say “sorry” when sorry is
necessary.
14.
I pray God that I shall never be too proud, angry or stubborn to ask for my
children's forgiveness.
15.
I shall make space in my grown-up world for goofball moments with my kids.
16. I shall love their father and make
sure they know I love him.
17.
I shall model kind words to kids and grown-ups alike.
18.
I shall not be intimidated by the inside of my minivan; this season of chip
bags, goldfish crackers and discarded socks too shall pass.
19.
I shall always make time to encourage new moms.
20. I shall not resent that last call
for kisses and cups of water but remember instead that when I blink they'll all
be in college.
(From Lisa-Jo Baker @ http://lisajobaker.com/2012/06/encouragement-for-tired-moms/ - emphasis added)
(From Lisa-Jo Baker @ http://lisajobaker.com/2012/06/encouragement-for-tired-moms/ - emphasis added)
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Diaper Bag Life Saver
Blowouts are never convenient. You can be at lunch with friends, out grocery shopping, or be out running errands and the blowout could strike at any minute. When you are out and about, blowouts can be stressful, especially if you aren't prepared. I'm going to introduce you to something that may change your life. Well, maybe not change your life. But this little item is such a life saver when you are out and have a dirty mess to keep under control. Enter:
Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Bag Dispenser.
These things will save your life! When you have a poopy diaper and your baby blows out on their clothes, you take this little dispenser, get a scented bag, put everything in, tie it up, and TA-DAH! You are free to keep eating lunch, shopping, or doing whatever you please while your diaper bag is stink and mess free. AND it comes in 3 different colors: green, blue, and purple/pink. So if you are weird like me and want your baby's stuff to match, buy the color your heart desires. If you are a normal person and don't mind, then good luck trying to choose a color. ;) I promise, this is worth every penny! I think they are only $5, which makes them even better. Buy it! You won't regret it.
Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Bag Dispenser.
These things will save your life! When you have a poopy diaper and your baby blows out on their clothes, you take this little dispenser, get a scented bag, put everything in, tie it up, and TA-DAH! You are free to keep eating lunch, shopping, or doing whatever you please while your diaper bag is stink and mess free. AND it comes in 3 different colors: green, blue, and purple/pink. So if you are weird like me and want your baby's stuff to match, buy the color your heart desires. If you are a normal person and don't mind, then good luck trying to choose a color. ;) I promise, this is worth every penny! I think they are only $5, which makes them even better. Buy it! You won't regret it.
*GUEST POST* Vitamin D Drops
My friend is awesome. Today I'm excited to share a guest post where I share something a friend has taught me about mothering. Today's topic: Vitamin D. Some pediatricians suggest that if you are
exclusively breastfeeding then vitamin D is needed for your baby because your breastmilk doesn't have
vitamin D. My friend's pediatrician suggested the Enfamil drops:
But my friend said that these drops were impossible to give to their little
girl. "You have to squirt 1ml in her mouth, which isn't bad, but it smelled bad and tasted bad
and it was a battle to get her to take it...I don't blame her, poor thing. Then my aunt introduced me to Carlsons infants vitamin D drops.
Each bottle
has 50ml and you give 1ml per day they are about $7-9 a bottle so for a
year you would have to buy 7-8 bottles = 50-65$ per year. There are 365 drops in one bottle and you can put a
drop on yourself before nursing or drop it in her mouth or put it on a
pacifier. My friend loves it because "it is sweet and has no scent. I love these drops you only
have to buy it once a year and it is about $23-25 per bottle." Thanks for the great advice!!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
EASY Binky Clip Tutorial
I was so excited about finding this super easy tutorial to make binky clips that I went to Hobby Lobby the same day to get the materials so I could make them. You can make these in 5 minutes, save money by making your own, and customize the clips to match your style! You can make 4 different binky clips for less than the price of buying one at the store. Binky clips are great because babies love to spit out their binkies and if you don't have a clip then you are constantly washing them off or losing them. Here is the video:
The lady in this video uses ribbon but if you want to get fancy fancy (or if you have a baby girl that you want to dress up) then get trim from a fabric store. I loved the frilly, polka dot, and girly trims and thought they would make an adorable accessory for my baby girl.
Experiment with different fabrics, ribbons, and trim to make cheap, cute binky clips that you'll be excited for your baby to wear!
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