Musings of a Mother

Free Kid-Friendly Outings

2012-01-21T09:05:00.001-07:00

Everyone likes to save a little money and have fun at the same time. And parents are constantly looking for creative, fun and new things to do with their children. Many corporations sponsor free or reduced fee admissions to museums and cultural events in cities across the nation.

Target is one corporation that supports Arts & Culture by sponsoring events. Click here to see events near you.

Bank of America has a Museums on Us campaign that provides free admission to participating zoos, museums, botanical gardens, science centers and more. You have to have an account with Bank of America to participate in these events. Click here to find one in a city near you.

There are many other corporations out there that provide similar services, so take a minute, do some internet searching, and enjoy outings for the rest of the year with your family!

The Vaccine Book

2012-01-20T19:21:00.001-07:00

Vaccines are on my mind today since A. got his 2nd round of shots. It is so hard to watch him be in pain, but I can't even imagine how awful it would be to watch him suffering from a terrible disease. I am thankful for modern medicine, and support vaccinations. With that said, I also believe in educating myself and reading up on issues, and making the best decision I can for my family based on our own specific situation. Prior to giving A. his first shots, I read "The Vaccine Book", by Dr. Sears.

I enjoyed this book because I found it to be very informative while being objective and nonjudgmental at the same time. The book outlines each vaccination a child receives, and gives facts about the diseases that children get vaccinated for. The book also refers multiple times to the American Academy of Pediatric's recommended schedule of vaccines, and recommends families follow the schedule.

The way I see it:

First, you should always consult with your medical professional when making any decision regarding the medical care your child receives.

Pro's - Each vaccine is clearly outlined including the different brands of each vaccine, the ingredients each contain, and possible side effects of each vaccine. Each disease is also explained including facts about occurrence and severity of the different diseases. For families that are considering not vaccinating their child, the book also offers a delayed schedule of vaccinations that families could choose to follow as an alternative to not vaccinating their baby.

Con's - The book was published in 2007, and a lot can change in the medical field in 5 years. For example, many Dr. office's now use the Pentacel shot which combines the DTaP, IPV, and Hib vaccine, yet the Pentacel vaccine is not mentioned in the book.

Another great resource if you are looking for information on vaccines is the CDC (Center for Disease Control). They have information statements on all of the vaccines available that give you a summary of both the vaccine and the disease. Click here for more information

At this time, we have chosen not to give A. his Hep B shots. We are planning on giving them to him at some point in the future. I'm sure I'll probably get some hate mail about what a bad mother I am for not fully vaccinating my child. (Actually, I probably won't since I'm pretty sure no one reads this). Our reasons for this are personal, and in no way am I advocating that this is what others should do for their child. As I said before, I fully support vaccinations, and A. will be fully vaccinated at some point. We just chose at this time to not expose our stay at home infant to an immunization for a disease that he would not contract except through exposure to blood or bodily fluids. I don't know what we plan to do for his future immunizations, but I do know that this book helped us understand the diseases that we vaccinate for much more clearly.

Four Months

2012-01-15T19:41:00.001-07:00

Dear Andrew,

Today you are 4 months old! It has been a big month for you. You can now roll over in both directions, and just this weekend during tummy time you were squirming and managed to lift your bottom in the air and get your knees up underneath yourself a few times. Mommy thinks you are going to be an early crawler. Daddy thought that was pretty cool until Mommy told him that means we have a lot of work to do in the next month to get the house ready for you to crawl around it. You've started to squirm a lot and move most of your body parts with much more control, especially your arms and hands. You rarely hit yourself in the face anymore, only if you get really excited do you forget and wave your arms so much that you end up hitting yourself in the head. During bath time you love to kick and push off the end of your bath tub. You kick so much that it looks like you are a River Dancer during your bath. In the last month you have discovered your feet, and now you love to grab onto your toes and roll from side to side.

You also tried your first cereal on your 4 month birthday. You really liked it, even though Mommy made a mess and got food all over your face. You thought it was so good that you even grabbed the spoon and started crying because Mommy wasn't putting it in your mouth fast enough.

You really like to hear yourself talk now. Sometimes you talk REALLY loudly to yourself while you are playing, and you also like to wake up in the middle of the night and talk to yourself for a while until you go back to sleep. You think this is a lot of fun, but Mommy and Daddy wish you would save all of your stories for daytime when we can listen to you better. You've been practicing making lots of different sounds and are even putting your different sounds together. You love to smile and talk all day except when you get sleepy.

You slept for 9 hours the day you turned 4 months old, but most nights you still wake up to eat once during the night. Mommy's hoping you put on a little more weight soon so you don't have to eat during the night anymore and she gets some more sleep. You are 11.75 pounds and 24.25 inches long, which puts you in the 10th percentile for weight and the 25th percentile for height. You have a "banana" body right now-long and skinny. Your eyes are still grey, and your new hair is starting to grow in and it looks like it is going to be dark still. Maybe not quite as dark as Daddy's-we will have to wait until you grow some more of it to know for sure!

Mommy started working a few days a week this month, so you get to spend more time with Daddy and Grandma each week. You like playing with them so much that you don't want to take naps. You don't want to miss anything that is going on, and usually only sleep for 45 minutes at naptime on most days, and most of the time you wake up a happy boy with lots of smiles and coos. You go to sleep by yourself like a big boy without crying and without your pacifier. You are an ambidextrous thumbsucker when you fall asleep, but you like your left thumb a bit more than your right. Maybe you will be a lefty like two of your uncles.

Your favorite things are still music and lights. The other day you talked to the nightlight in the dining room while playing in your jumper for half an hour. You recognize your favorite songs and will smile when they come on. Your favorite toys right now are Sophie the Giraffe, your wind-up, stuffed music giraffe, and your jumparoo. You like to suck on Sophie the Giraffe's ears and chew on her nose. The wind-up music giraffe is your favorite thing to fall asleep with. One day Daddy came in to get you when you were waking up from your nap and you were wrestling and biting your giraffe! Daddy said it looked like you won that round. You really like your jumparoo even though it is a little bit big for you still. We have to put Daddy's old Calculus book underneath you so you can jump. You really love books still, and will sit and listen to 3 or 4 of them in a row without getting distracted. You even help grab onto the pages and turn them for Mommy now. Brown Bear, Brown Bear is still your favorite book to read.

Mommy and Daddy love you so, so much and are so happy you are our little boy. Happy 4 months!

The Best Gift of All

2011-12-24T17:55:00.001-07:00

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-12

We are so blessed.

Learning Together

2011-11-17T21:59:00.001-07:00

This post is so relevant to my life right now that I just had to share. So much of my day is spent learning with Andrew how to do this thing called parenthood. :)

What I Wish I'd Known with Baby #1

by Rachel from My Baby Sleep Guide

The first few months after my first child, Joshua, was born were rough. OK, I'm under-exaggerating that. He cried endlessly, didn't sleep and I was a basket case. Maybe you've been there. It's not a pretty sight.

The second time around went much smoother. I knew what to expect, I thought a lot about how I wanted to do things, and I learned piles of stuff through experiences, my own and others. Maybe this is your first child and maybe this is your fifth. Either way, sometimes we all need a moment to take a look at the bigger picture, remember what to expect and maybe even get a few pointers.

Here's my list of what I wish I'd known with Joshua, or baby #1. Much is related to sleep, but not all.

Remember, life with a baby is a journey, not a destination. Keep the end goal of great sleep etc. in mind, but don't get so distracted trying to reach it that you forget to live and enjoy the journey.
Make sure to let baby fall asleep on you every once in a while. It is one of those precious moments that will stay with you forever.
We all have our bad days, babies included. So don't freak out and jump to every possible conclusion when they happen! You will stress yourself out for no reason at all. If things last for more than a day or two, then it is time to start the investigation.
Consistency pays off. It really does.
An overtired child, particularly a baby, is your worst nightmare. Mess up all over the place, but do not even go there! See waketimes and sleep cues for some pointers.
It's OK to not be supermom every second of every day. Everyone needs to ask for help sometimes. Consider it practice at being humble.
Someone, somewhere out there will always be critical about how you raise your child, especially how you sleep train and discipline him. Forget about it. As long as you are keeping your child safe, happy, healthy and loved, then you are doing the right thing.
Children are hard. They take a lot of work. They stress you out. At the same time, raising them will likely the best thing you ever do.
Babies have different personalities. Some are easier than others. It is a fact of life (albeit an unfair one!). Some sleep great no matter what. Some have quite a few sleep problems even if things are done perfectly. That is how it goes. If you fall into the doesn't sleep great party, that's OK. It doesn't mean you are a bad parent, and it doesn't mean there is something wrong with your child. Sleep just isn't one of his strengths. I'm sure he has many others.
Motherhood is full of small, but great moments. Focus on those.
Be patient with sleep. It takes some babies a while to get it. If it takes them a month longer than their older sister or cousin it doesn't matter. They have their own time table. Their uniqueness makes them special.
Tomorrow is a new day. It doesn't matter what happened yesterday or the day before. Time to start afresh.
If you think your baby has colic, rule out overtiredness first. Because that is very possibly the problem.
Everyone needs support sometimes. Someone to talk to. Someone to give you a hug. Knowing you are not the only one going through something does wonders.
Comparing your child's sleep to others is only sometimes useful as a reference point, not a copy point. Your child is not their child. Your child has his own needs and his own strengths and weaknesses.
Sometimes there is no reason for what is going on. No reason at all. Sorry, but it's true.
Babies have different personalities and will respond to your routine in different ways. Work with your baby, not against him when making your routine.
Be flexible. Don't be so ruled by your routine you are unable to enjoy life, unable to enjoy your baby and unable to follow your mommy instinct. Adjust your routine to fit you and baby.
Life with a young baby is full of phases. Much of what happens is just a phase. That's it. Some have names and causes (teething, learning a new skill) and some appear nameless and causeless. But guess what. Each of these phases do pass! Keep that in mind when you feel at your wit's end.
Relax. Enjoy life. Enjoy your baby. He will not be little forever. You won't do everything perfectly and that is OK! If you're perfect, how will your child learn what he doesn't want to do as a parent when he grows up :)
A sleep association is not the end of the world. In fact, it is much preferable to a mom pulling out all her hair, going half insane and a baby getting no sleep at all. Yes, start as you mean to go on, but only if the end result will be a pleasing one. There are many things worse than a prop dependent baby.
Your baby is not a machine. The same thing goes for you. Do not expect perfection on either front. Do not expect things to go exactly by the book. They won't. Thinking so will result in piles of stress and, sometimes, a feeling of failure.
You are doing better than you think you are. You are really are!
Remember to take time out for yourself sometimes. You need it and most importantly, you deserve it!

Rachel blogs at My Baby Sleep Guide.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Days 8-15

2011-11-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

So I've been really good about recognizing something to be thankful for every day; but not so good at posting them here. I've had remarkably less free time on my hands these last 2 months. So here is a whole week's worth at once.

Day 8 - I am thankful for my husband. He is my best friend, and has been such a good Daddy to Andrew. He has especially made a point of taking care of me and A. for the past 7 weeks. He made breakfast for me and brought it to me for the first 3 weeks we were home from the hospital. He cleans up the kitchen and the living room before he heads off to work in the morning. He gets up and holds my hand when I'm up feeding A. in the middle of the night. He is there for us when we need him. I love you!

Day 9 - I am thankful for my sister-in-law. All of my in-laws are fabulous, and I am so fortunate to have them in my life. Seriously, I couldn't have married into a better family. But today, I'm especially thankful for Karri. She is so kind and giving, and is constantly doing things for others. Today, she gave me a ton of baby clothes-enough to fully clothe A. for the next year. Such a blessing to us!

Day 10 - I am thankful for my parents. They have showed me how to love God, have a lasting marriage (32 years!), be a parent, have good work ethics and how to be a good person and citizen of our country. Not to say that they are perfect, but they have been wonderful role models for me.

Day 11 - I am thankful for all of our Veteran's. I come from a long line of family members who have served our country both during times of peace and times of war. And, then I married into a family who also believes in serving our country. So today I am especially thankful for my grandpa, dad, brother, father-in-law, 2 brother-in-laws, cousins, uncles, the best man at our wedding, and all the others who serve our country so that I may have the liberties in my life that we so often take for granted.

My ~~little~~ younger brother

Day 12 - I am thankful for household chores and laundry that got done! It has been quite a while since I have been able to accomplish much housework, so I am grateful for the time and energy I had today to get some things done around the house.

Day 13 - Today was a special day as Beckett Dane Hicks was born. He is the long-awaited and much loved son of my dear friend Heidi. She had a pretty rough pregnancy. She'd never say so, or complain, but in my opinion it was tougher than most. She is an example to me-it would have been so easy for her to focus on the many difficulties she faced. Instead, she consistently praised God and focused on her journey to becoming a mother. Welcome to the world Beckett!

Day 14 - I am very fortunate. I have a career that I love. Working as a school counselor in both elementary schools and high schools has been such a blessing in my life. Sure, like any job, there are some things that aren't perfect or that I don't enjoy. But for the most part, I love everything about my job and have a passion for helping kids of all ages. And, I feel blessed that I am able to work part-time this year while I focus on and figure out how to be a mom.

Day 15 - I am thankful for developmental milestone charts-they ease my anxious mind. Obsessive I know, but it is a hazard of my occupation. It's just that I know what a difference early intervention can make if there is a developmental delay, and how important it is to get support right away if your child needs it. Most people tell me not to worry, just check with my doctor. But the truth is, I don't trust that completely. I've seen too many situations where the first time a parent heard their child had autism or was mildly mentally retarded was after testing in Kindergarten, and not from their doctor. It was devastating to see that. Not only for the family, but also for the child since they just missed out on intervention during the most critical years. So yes, I obsess a little. And check developmental milestone charts all the time frequently. Of course Andrew is perfect to me, but the milestone charts tell me not to worry about his development-we are right on track.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 7

2011-11-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for a lazy morning.

It has been hectic the last few months days. I love busy, but this has been a whole new ball game, and the learning curve has been quite steep. Today, the weather was cold (for us at least - 60 degrees), and kind of cloudy. It was the perfect morning to take a deep breath, relax, and snuggle with A. We spent the morning napping, cuddling, and my favorite, reading. I have always loved reading, and now that I work in education, I understand how important early literacy and developing a love of books at a young age is. Fortunately, A. seems to love books already too!

These are his current favorites.

And yes, that is a pile of dirty laundry on the floor in the right hand corner. But what is a lazy morning for if not to play hooky and ignore all of the things that you "should be doing".

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 6

2011-11-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful for God. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to begin my walk with God at an early age that has continued into adulthood. Those early years really set the foundation for the faith that I have now, and I was reminded of that as I watched my nephew being baptized today. We couldn't be prouder of him.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 5

2011-11-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for our friends and family who have showered their love, help, advice and gifts on us for A. We have been truly blessed. When A. arrived, there wasn't anything we lacked or that wasn't provided for us. As I finished writing thank you cards to our loved ones for the many visits & packages that have arrived since A. was born, I realized how many people are already a special part of his life, and how truly blessed we are to have such great friends and family.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 4

2011-11-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for my crockpot.

I have never been a good cook, and I don't really like to cook. To be honest, it always seemed like way too much work, and I don't eat a lot. But, once I got married, not cooking for 2 of us wasn't really an option. Since I get home from work anywhere from 2-4 hours before G., it makes sense that I'm the one to prepare dinner for us most nights.

So I started off with easy - and that's where my crockpot came in. I have a beautiful, stoneware, 6 quart crockpot that I got as a Christmas present from my brother. I began to look us easy recipes that I could prepare the night before and then let cook in the crockpot all day.

Since then, I have become a much better cook, and do venture outside of the crockpot for dinner. However, I still love finding great new recipes that I can cook in the crockpot. And on busy days like I have had for the last few weeks, a crockpot meal is a life saver! Tonight's dinner = Green Chili Carnitas
And yes, I've been told that green chili's are not considered a pantry "staple ingredient" in other parts of the country, but here in the southwest it is!

Green Chili Carnitas
Ingredients
2 cups of chicken broth
Pork shoulder roast
1 onion, diced
1 14 oz can of green chili
Corn or flour tortillas
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

Toppings (optional)
Salsa
Cheese
Sour cream
Chopped green onions

Directions
Season pork roast with salt and pepper and place in crockpot. Pour 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth into the crockpot and cook on low for 10-12 hours (on high 5-6 hours), or until pork roast is cooked and shreds easily. Remove roast from crockpot and shred meat, removing any fat. Place shredded pork into a casserole dish or large cookware. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

While oven is heating, pour a tablespoon of olive oil into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute diced yellow onion in olive oil until it turns golden. Add in green chili and remaining 1/2 a cup of chicken broth and cook until mixture is heated through. Add mixture to the shredded pork and mix thoroughly. Place dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve on flour or corn tortilla's, and top with desired toppings.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 3

2011-11-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

I am thankful for our beautiful "Fall" weather. I am so thankful that A. and I can get out of the house and take walks during the day. Our highs have been in the low 80's/high 70's the last few days with blue, clear, & sunny skies. It isn't traditional "fall" weather, but right now, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 2

2011-11-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote about how much our lives have changed since A. was born. One way that I knew was going to be tough for me would be the amount of sleep I would get for quite a while. I need like a lot of sleep. I’ve always been one of those people who would sleep 9 hours a night to be fully functional. Needless to say, I haven’t been getting 9 hours of sleep a night for the past few weeks. At first it wasn’t so bad. I was hyped up on adrenaline and A. slept for hours on end and I could take naps. And G. was getting up with me every time that A. woke up and helped put him back to bed so I could go right back to sleep after A. ate. But as time went on, G. couldn’t keep up with being up all night and being at work all day as well. And since I could nap during the day, I told him he needed to stop getting up all the time with us and that I would wake him up if I needed him. Then, A. stopped sleeping as well during the day, became quite a bit fussier, and my naps disappeared. (I’m told that the first few weeks of a newborn’s life is truly a honeymoon period and that this is completely normal) After 6 weeks of only getting 3 hours of sleep in a row at most, I was running on empty.

And then, A. went 7 hours between feedings, and I got 6 hours of sleep. I feel like a new woman-my tank is full again. I so am thankful for God’s perfect timing.

30 Days of Thankfulness - Day 1

2011-11-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, my dear friend Heidi did a Blessings Calendar. I was inspired by the idea, but not nearly as creative or as crafty as she is! So this year, I'm committing to recognizing the blessings in my life by doing 30 days of thankfulness. Today is Day 1. I am so very blessed and thankful for my family. A few weeks ago, our beautiful baby boy was born, and our lives have been forever changed. G. is a wonderful husband and father, and A. is everything we could have hoped for. I am blessed indeed!

Coupons

2011-10-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

I am not an extreme coupon-er. I do however, put effort into saving money for my family. And that means using coupons. I'm always surprised to hear people's responses when I tell them I do coupons. They range from....."I don't have time for that" to "Oh, I eat healthy. Coupons are only for processed foods" to "In the end, they don't really save you money. You end up buying more or buying things you don't need." Really? I don't have more time than others; I work, I volunteer, and spend time with friends and family. We also eat healthy, don't buy junk food, and don't have closets full of useless items. And we save about two thousand dollars a year using coupons and sales. That's right folks, thousands.

Here's how I do coupons. It does take me about 1-2 hours more per week. Since I usually save over $100 per week, I think that is time well spent. And let's face it- most of us watch at least that much TV each week that we could cut out if needed.

I use a website that helps me make my lists of what to buy. GroceryGame and CouponSense are a few websites out there, however there are others as well. You pay a small fee, usually $10-$15 a month for the website service. The website matches items on sale in a store, with store promotions, and then with manufacturer coupons as well. That way you are saving the most money on items because you are receiving discounts from all of possible sources. And, I don't have to figure it out. The websites show you exactly what coupon to cut out, and what the final price will be of the item after using the coupon. They even usually tell you whether it is a great buy, or if you might want to wait and buy it at a different time because the price is just "okay". The key is to buy in multiples when an item is on sale and you have a coupon. That way you are stocking up when it is super cheap, and won't run out and have to buy it later when it is more expensive. The websites also track fresh produce, meats, and other items that are a great deal to buy that week, but don't necessarily have a coupon to go with it.

Another benefit of using the websites is that you don't have to cut all the coupons out or worry about organizing your coupons. I simply pull the coupon inserts out of the Sunday newspaper, and file the inserts in an accordion file by week. The websites tell you which week the coupon you are wanting to use is in, and then I simply pull that coupon insert out and only cut out the coupon I need. This is a huge time-saver. I also limit myself to a few stores each week, even though some of the websites will give you lists from 5-10 stores, depending on the area you live.

Since the key is to try to buy in multiples when you can, you will want to have multiples of the same coupon. I order 2 Sunday papers to be delivered to my home. That way when an item is free, or very cheap I can get at least 2 of them and stock up. The websites usually recommend 3 papers each week. Often you can receive a discount on ordering the paper through the websites or when you order multiple Sunday papers, so it is much cheaper to do home delivery instead of buying the paper at the store.

Here's an example of a shopping trip I had at one store this week......

CVS Shopping Trip:
3 Jumbo Packages of Huggies Diapers - Regularly priced $11.50, on sale for $8.99. I had 2 $3 and 1 $1.50 manufacturers coupons from today's paper. Then, I had two CVS store coupons for $1 off Huggies, $3 CVS ExtraCare Bucks, and a CVS store coupon for $3 off a baby purchase of $15 or more. So far, my savings are $7.50 in store sales, $8 in store coupons, and $7.50 in manufacturing coupons.

Then, there was a store promotion to receive a $10 gas gift card when you purchased $30 of eligible items. These promotions are usually for a total price before you apply your coupons. So, 3 Jumbo packs of diapers brought my total to $26.97. I added an Airwick Freshmatic starter kit that I had a $4 off manufacturer coupon, bringing me above the $30 I needed to be able to receive the $10 gas gift card.

Although it sounds complicated to read it, the website I use told me exactly what to do and what coupons to use. Plus, I already knew what CVS store coupons I had.

At the end, this is what my savings looked like:

$15 in store discount savings
$8 in store coupons
$11.50 in manufacturer coupons
$34.50 in total savings

Subtotal - $14.46

That included a $10 free gas card. So you could also look at it like I got all of the items for $4.46 after paying for $10 worth of gas. Pretty good for about 100 diapers and an automatic air freshener.

I only purchased things I would use, none of the items involved processed foods, and it only took me about 45 minutes make my list, cut my coupons, go to the store, and come home. Happy shopping!

One Month

2011-10-15T05:32:00.021-07:00

Dear Andrew,

Today you are one month old! This last month has gone by so quickly, yet at the same time it feels like you have always been a part of our lives. We celebrated your birthday by buying a new car today (well, new to us anyways)! You were a real trooper at the car dealership today-we were there all day and you got tons of admiring looks from other people.

At one month you weight 8 lbs, 10 oz, and are 21 inches long. You gained 3 pounds since we left the hospital and have grown an inch and a half! It seems like you get bigger each day. You just smiled for real this week-your whole face lights up. You let us know you are happy by these big smiles and by cooing little oohs and aahs. You are getting stronger every day and can hold your head up much better now, and can turn it from side to side. When you are on your tummy you can even lift your head up from the floor about 45* on your own! The other day Grandpa was moving his hand above you and you were able to watch his hand and turn your head from side to side to follow his hand as he moved it.

You are really starting to show us your personality! You know exactly what you want and don't hesitate to let Mommy and Daddy know it. Ever since you were born you have let us know loud and clear if you needed something or didn't like something. When you are done eating you will purse your little lips and then turn your head away to let Mommy know you are all done. Nothing Mommy does will change your mind, no matter how hard she tries to get you to eat more. You are very alert and don't want to miss a thing going on. That makes it hard for you to go to sleep and take naps during the day, but you sleep well as soon as it gets to be dark outside and there isn't as much to look at. You also like to move all your body parts around as much as possible, but don't have the best control of your arms yet, so sometimes when you move your arms they end up startling you. You always want your hands up by your face when you sleep. If we try to swaddle your arms you fight until you get them free. At the hospital, you managed to pull your arm out of your sleeve of your sleeper and pull it up through the neck so you could get your hand by your face! Mommy and Daddy just swaddle your arms by your face now so you don't wake yourself up trying to get your hands free.

Happy 1 Month Birthday! We love you so much little buddy!

Pacifiers as a Pain Reducer?

2011-09-26T21:21:00.007-07:00

Today at the Dr.'s office, the Dr. explained that something in the action of sucking actually creates a reduction in pain for infants; that it is more than just a soother. He recommended using a pacifier with infants when they are receiving vaccinations, being circumcised, etc. I really like the Gerber First Essential Natural Flex pacifiers. Because the nipple is soft, it requires a baby to suck in a way that is similar to latching on when breastfeeding. The pacifier flexes in a way similar to a mother's nipple. The shield is also lightweight and small, which makes it easier for babies to grab on to and provides good ventilation. So next time you head to the Dr. for those icky shots, grab your pacifier!

Welcome Andrew

2011-09-15T13:19:00.002-07:00

Announcing.....

*Photo credit - Noyan Photography

We are so extremely blessed!