Guide for new moms
I got this idea from another blogger to post products that as a mom you can't live without.. I mean, why spend tons of money on things that won't work. Granted, every baby is different and some things that work for me won't work for you.. But if you just go to the store and try to pick from all they have to offer, it can be intimidating. These products I haven't just used with Canaan, but with other kiddos as well. Before becoming a mom, I was quite the nanny.. Keeping all the new babies from our circle of friends at church.. And what did they all have in common.. These products all worked for them. In fact, a lot of these things get passed around when a new baby comes.. Here they are..
Boppy- This is a lifesaver while nursing, and is also wonderful even if you aren't. I use this during tummy time if baby is having a hard time being on his/her belly.
Boppy lounger- This is basically a boppy without the middle taken out.. This is wonderful especially in the first few months when baby isn't able to sit up.. it's comfy for them to sleep in or to just lounge in.. I can't explain it but every baby I've been around loves it!
Summer infant swaddle blankets- These are different than just regular swaddle blankets because there are velcro sections to easily swaddle baby. You can swaddle a baby for a long time and it allows them to sleep better.. however, if you just wrap them up in a regular blanket without velcro strips, it's much easier for them to wiggle out of the swaddle and then you're getting up in the middle of the night to fix it.. been there
done that.. trust me, get these blankets!
Halo Sleep sack- This was a God-send for the first two months of Canaan's life! The last baby I watched before having C would wear this at night over a Velcro swaddle.. TWO swaddles at once! I thought it was insane.. until I had Canaan.. Your Pediatrician should give you the whole SIDS talk.. you know, don't co-sleep, don't put blankets in the crib with baby.. Well, we had a problem.. it was winter and we were worried about him staying warm. I buckled and finally tried this double swaddle thing.. and it was AMAZING! He instantly slept so much better. He was sleeping through the night before most babies normally do. Basically the thickness of the Halo sleep sack is like having a blanket over baby. (We only double swaddle at night.)
Aden and Anais muslin blankets- these blankets are wonderful.. they're light weight and can be used in lots of different ways. They were the first blankets we used to swaddle C in as a newborn because there is a lot of fabric and they feel good..Once he was wiggling out of them and we went to the velcro swaddles, we would use them to put over him at nap time because the Pediatrician said they were light enough to put in the crib. Now, we use them underneath the velcro swaddle.. yep, another double swaddle.. He is snug as a bug and sleeps sound all night!
Dr. Brown's bottles- these were a given when we were registering because every baby I've watched for the past 3 years has used them and I've found them to be great.. They are designed to help prevent gas and colic.. I don't know what else to say other than they work well for us!
bottle warmer- It is so convenient to have a bottle warmer for the first few months. You should NEVER microwave a bottle (hot spots) and boiling water takes too much time, where as a bottle warmer works within a few minutes. Think, middle of the night, you already have a bottle in the fridge.. pop it in the warmer and just a few minutes and it's ready.. seriously, it's great. We bought an inexpensive one and it lasted until 3 1/2 months before it gave out.. however, we have friends with the same one and it's working after 8 months.. Bottle warmers warm more than just bottles.. you can also warm baby food jars in them. (Also, you should never microwave baby food jars because of hot spots.)
gowns- You cannot have too many gowns for baby.. He/She will go through 10+ diapers in the first several weeks and will probably be waking up every 3 or so hours at night so it's really convenient to not have to unzip or unsnap outfits.
Pampers Swaddlers- This was another given for us.. I'm used to squishing the diaper to see if it's wet, but these are great because you just look for the blue line and you know! They've been wonderful for us because he hasn't had a leak or diaper rash! I haven't heard good things about Pampers Drymax.. but only wonderful things about Swaddlers. Target usually has really good deals on Pampers where you buy two boxes and you get a gift card.
Also, I subscribed on Amazon.com and get one box delivered with free shipping for way cheaper than anywhere else.
Play yard- don't bother with bassinets.. I mean, they only sleep in them for a little bit and then you have a useless piece of furniture.. Get the play yard, or pack in play that has a bassinet function and then you have something you'll use for a long time. We set this up in our room where he slept for 2 months and it rolled so it was easy to move from room to room. Also, we just pack it up to take it on the road when we would go anywhere so he had a familiar place to sleep.
Video monitor- I will never go back to just audio monitors now. We have a handheld monitor with a small screen as well as a 7" screen that sits on my nightstand. it stays on all night (it isn't too bright) and at all times, I can hear and see what's going on. It's way better than hearing something and going in to check and possibly waking baby up. I recommend Summer Infant products.
Medela Pump in Style Advanced breast pump- definitely do electric instead of manual.
Simple Wishes hands free breast pump bra- instead of buying a handsfree Breast Pump which is usually $100+ more than the other electric pump, just get a handsfree bra.. it works wonders! (Amazon.com)
Babywise- do yourself a favor and buy this book.. It's a wonderful tool for nighttime sleep for both baby and mom/dad. This was one of those things where Baby needs to sleep well and they teach you the tools to great sleep! Some of their tips may seem radical, but they work. Instead of demand feeding and hyper scheduling, it teaches about a parent assessment method.. Canaan took to it immediately and it's been amazing!
Sound machine- we got the First Years Sounds for Silence Nursery Machine at Target.. it has several different options for noise. It's great because it allows us to make whatever noise we want while C is asleep and it won't wake him. In fact, if it isn't on and there's too much silence, he will wake.
Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Lullaby Soother- instead of a mobile, we opted for one of these.. it hooks onto the side of the crib and comes with a remote. That way, we can turn it back on from the door instead of going to the crib and risking making things worse by cranking a mobile. It either plays music or nature sounds w/or w/out light.
Sure hope this helps! Thankfully we had tons of friends with babies and I got to research quite a bit of these things without buying unnecessaries, however that isn't always the case.
All of the items above, unless specified, were purchased at Target.
Credentials:
Before becoming a mom I was a mom-in-training.. I started studying about babies and all things parenting in high school. I knew I wanted to study parenting in college and even teach about it, so I started taking classes in high school. I even started buying books.. I wanted to be a professional mom :).. I went on to study Family and Consumer Science with an emphasis on Child Development and Parenting at UCA and my first year of teaching was spent on these two classes.. I got to buy these products and test them out and say it was for "work".. So I've done a lot of research, so what.. That was all basically to say I'm passionate about it..
Monday, March 19, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Canaan's THREE month post!
Here are the highlights..
I now weigh 11lbs :)
I've started sitting in my Bumo.. I'm still wobbly and prefer my playmat, but I'm working on it!
I'm rolling over from stomach to back as of Feb 7th!
I had my first road trip to OKC where I met both sets of Great Grandparents and Great Aunt & Uncle, as well as some cousins and I LOVE them all!
Everyone is still trying to figure out who I look like and if I were able to talk I would tell them I look like ME.. :)
Mom and Dad love how my personality is developing and love playing and smiling with me..
Everyday I'm doing something new and they can't wait to see it!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Canaan's TWO month post
I'm TWO months now and things are changing!
I'm smiling now..
and tummy time isn't so bad!
other notes about two months:
* Now wearing size 1 diapers!!---> mom cried a little over this :(
* Almost completely out of newborn clothes although some still fit
* I had my 2 month checkup on 1.25.12 and here are my stats:
10lbs 3oz (15th percentile) 22 1/4 in long (20th percentile)
Dr says I'm perfect :)
I got one shot (HIB) and mom and I both cried
* Still sleeping 5-5 1/2 hrs a night
* love talking and smiling with mom and dad!! I know who they are and enjoy spending time with them :)
I'm smiling now..and tummy time isn't so bad!
* Now wearing size 1 diapers!!---> mom cried a little over this :(
* Almost completely out of newborn clothes although some still fit
* I had my 2 month checkup on 1.25.12 and here are my stats:
10lbs 3oz (15th percentile) 22 1/4 in long (20th percentile)
Dr says I'm perfect :)
I got one shot (HIB) and mom and I both cried
* Still sleeping 5-5 1/2 hrs a night
* love talking and smiling with mom and dad!! I know who they are and enjoy spending time with them :)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Canaan's ONE month update
Better late than never!
As of 12.23.11
I'm ONE MONTH OLD!!
It's crazy how time flies.. here's what I'm doing..
I'm on a 3 hour schedule
- Mom feeds me, then I stay awake for a little while, then I fall asleep, then wake up to do it all over again :)
- I'm more alert than most newborns (sometimes stay awake more than an hour after eating!) despite mom's attempts to get me to go to sleep
I'm not the biggest fan of tummy time. BUT
Bath time is getting better.. I'm starting to like being clean :-)
However, this is still my favorite place to be..
As of 12.23.11
It's crazy how time flies.. here's what I'm doing..
I'm on a 3 hour schedule
- Mom feeds me, then I stay awake for a little while, then I fall asleep, then wake up to do it all over again :)
- I'm more alert than most newborns (sometimes stay awake more than an hour after eating!) despite mom's attempts to get me to go to sleep
However, this is still my favorite place to be..
Just shy of one month, we had a scary trip to ACH..
But thankfully, everything is fine! But here's a picture to document the trip (this makes mom sad!)
More About ME
* I don't mind noise.. in fact, the more noise, the better I sleep!
* When I came home from the hospital, I was sleeping 3 hours at night but now I sometimes go 5 (mom and dad LOVE this!)
*My First Christmas was a success! I got everything I need as a newborn: clothes, colorful toys and even some to grow in to
Friday, December 9, 2011
Baby of mine
So much has changed since I last blogged... Most importantly, Canaan Rhys is here.. and he is perfect!!
Here's the story.. (just as much for my memories as to tell anyone who might be interested)
So, I had preeclampsia. Early in the third trimester, my blood pressure started creeping up.. I had some high numbers early on but it was understandable.. every time we went in it was really stressful and I was always super nervous. But by this point, everything was going good so my numbers weren't because of nerves. Anyways, after non stress tests twice a week for two months and 2-24hr urine collections, my dr was finally able to diagnose my symptoms. The problem is, preeclampsia is only curable with delivery. We were so afraid we'd have to deliver really early but thankfully were able to hold off. Two trips to L&D for blood pressure and one overnight stay for observation, my dr made the call to deliver at 37 weeks. Ever since the beginning, I had a feeling he would come at 37 weeks.. not just because it's my favorite number.. but for some reason, I just knew that was our lucky week.
We went in Tuesday night to get cervidil. Without giving too much information, my body was in no way ready for delivery.. usually someone is dilated and effaced somewhat before going in and since I was early, my dr was afraid I wasn't ready at all. When we got there, we found that I was dilated to almost a 1 so they were hopeful. However, Wednesday morning they found the cervidil hadn't worked and I was still almost at a 1.. 8:30am my dr broke my water and started pitocin and an epidural.. Thank GOD for epidurals!! I don't know why people don't get them. I was able to focus on everything going on without being in excruciating pain. Anyways, at 11am the dr checked and I was at a 2-3cm.. they weren't very hopeful. They (nurses & dr) were all thinking it would take all day. I took a 2hr nap and the dr came back at 1 to find I was at a 9.5!!! Of course he and the nurses were all shocked.. but I was ready to go!! They got all of their stuff together and at 1:15pm I started to push. I thought it was just practice pushing.. I wasn't really doing anything, or so I thought. Seriously, LOVE that epidural! About 15 minutes into it, my nurse, Carmella (AMAZING, AMAZING woman!) told me to stop pushing because they had to get the dr.. My dr (Dr. Ward.. equally AMAZING) finally got there.. I pushed twice and there he was.. Our beautiful little boy!!
He was absolutely perfect! They placed him on my chest and Levi cut the cord.. then he peed all over the dr and started exercising his lungs :) The nurses did their thing with dad there every step of the way.
After he was here, my blood pressure was still high so I was on magnesium and morphine until Thanksgiving at noon.. but that's the unpleasant part so I won't focus on it. :)
On a better note, Levi is an amazing dad!!! I knew he would be.. but seriously.. words can't express just how amazing he is. For the first two nights in the hospital, he was the one who changed every diaper and was the one to feed Canaan. He did everything because I was unable to. It was so awesome to see them bond right off the bat! Thankfully he got to take two weeks off work and I can't imagine life when he goes back to work.. Most dad's help out but the mom is still the primary caregiver.. that is not the case with us. It's been such an easy and natural transition to parenthood because of how we've worked together. Sure sleep comes in a different form now.. instead of a solid 8 hrs, it's more like 2 1/2 hrs- feed- 2 1/2 hrs- feed and so on.. but it has in no way been difficult. We are SO blessed and thankful!
Canaan Rhys is an absolute doll. He's perfect in every way and everything we prayed for!
11.23.11
1:42 p.m.
6lbs 13oz
18 1/4 in
Here's the story.. (just as much for my memories as to tell anyone who might be interested)
So, I had preeclampsia. Early in the third trimester, my blood pressure started creeping up.. I had some high numbers early on but it was understandable.. every time we went in it was really stressful and I was always super nervous. But by this point, everything was going good so my numbers weren't because of nerves. Anyways, after non stress tests twice a week for two months and 2-24hr urine collections, my dr was finally able to diagnose my symptoms. The problem is, preeclampsia is only curable with delivery. We were so afraid we'd have to deliver really early but thankfully were able to hold off. Two trips to L&D for blood pressure and one overnight stay for observation, my dr made the call to deliver at 37 weeks. Ever since the beginning, I had a feeling he would come at 37 weeks.. not just because it's my favorite number.. but for some reason, I just knew that was our lucky week.
We went in Tuesday night to get cervidil. Without giving too much information, my body was in no way ready for delivery.. usually someone is dilated and effaced somewhat before going in and since I was early, my dr was afraid I wasn't ready at all. When we got there, we found that I was dilated to almost a 1 so they were hopeful. However, Wednesday morning they found the cervidil hadn't worked and I was still almost at a 1.. 8:30am my dr broke my water and started pitocin and an epidural.. Thank GOD for epidurals!! I don't know why people don't get them. I was able to focus on everything going on without being in excruciating pain. Anyways, at 11am the dr checked and I was at a 2-3cm.. they weren't very hopeful. They (nurses & dr) were all thinking it would take all day. I took a 2hr nap and the dr came back at 1 to find I was at a 9.5!!! Of course he and the nurses were all shocked.. but I was ready to go!! They got all of their stuff together and at 1:15pm I started to push. I thought it was just practice pushing.. I wasn't really doing anything, or so I thought. Seriously, LOVE that epidural! About 15 minutes into it, my nurse, Carmella (AMAZING, AMAZING woman!) told me to stop pushing because they had to get the dr.. My dr (Dr. Ward.. equally AMAZING) finally got there.. I pushed twice and there he was.. Our beautiful little boy!!
After he was here, my blood pressure was still high so I was on magnesium and morphine until Thanksgiving at noon.. but that's the unpleasant part so I won't focus on it. :)
11.23.11
1:42 p.m.
6lbs 13oz
18 1/4 in
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Goodbye to our little family of two.. (well, 4)
The past few days, ever since we got word I would be induced on Wednesday, all I can think about is how things will change.. I believe it was Thursday and I kept thinking, "this is the last Thursday without Canaan". Then the same thought on Friday and again today. We went to Target to get the few remaining things we really needed off the registry and Levi said "this is our last trip to Target before he gets here".
I believe I'm well aware of just how much things will change.. part of it scares me.. I mean, it's been just Levi and I for over 4 years now. Some families start out with babies or have one shortly after getting married or being together.. it's all they've known. Even though it's been my desire to have kids since I was one myself, I have to be honest in that while this is my greatest desire, it will still be a huge adjustment. I must say though that I am so thankful for the time we've had together before Canaan. I've always said I would have been thrilled if we had a "surprise" before now.. but I'm really starting to understand why God picked the timing he did. We had time to be newlyweds and have no idea what we were doing.. we had the time when we found an amazing church and really got involved at NLC, which allowed us the time to grow individually and together.. not to mention to meet some of the most amazing friends who became the example of parents we wanted to aspire to.. God's timing allowed us to finish college and get our careers started.. I can't imagine how hard this is with a baby in tow. I really admire those who do all of these things with a baby.. if I would have had my way it would have been like this for us too.. but God had a different plan.
One day, we will get to tell Canaan about life before him. How we spent 4 amazing years growing as a couple and when our hearts were so full we knew it was time to have another life to share it with. We'll get to tell him how we prayed for him... how so many people helped us pray for him.. how we prayed so hard for what seemed like forever.. and then the Lord saw fit to bless us with this experience. We'll tell him how it was so obvious the Lord had huge plans for him that the enemy tried so many times to break our spirit.. sounds like the perfect action story for a little boy!
What I'm most thankful for is how the Lord has used this time of waiting for Canaan to grow us... Our marriage will always come first and we have a plan when it comes to parenting. We realize the responsibility we have and the fact that we have to rely on the Lord to guide us. I truly believe God has huge plans for Canaan and I have to be spirit-filled in order to play my part.
I believe I'm well aware of just how much things will change.. part of it scares me.. I mean, it's been just Levi and I for over 4 years now. Some families start out with babies or have one shortly after getting married or being together.. it's all they've known. Even though it's been my desire to have kids since I was one myself, I have to be honest in that while this is my greatest desire, it will still be a huge adjustment. I must say though that I am so thankful for the time we've had together before Canaan. I've always said I would have been thrilled if we had a "surprise" before now.. but I'm really starting to understand why God picked the timing he did. We had time to be newlyweds and have no idea what we were doing.. we had the time when we found an amazing church and really got involved at NLC, which allowed us the time to grow individually and together.. not to mention to meet some of the most amazing friends who became the example of parents we wanted to aspire to.. God's timing allowed us to finish college and get our careers started.. I can't imagine how hard this is with a baby in tow. I really admire those who do all of these things with a baby.. if I would have had my way it would have been like this for us too.. but God had a different plan.
One day, we will get to tell Canaan about life before him. How we spent 4 amazing years growing as a couple and when our hearts were so full we knew it was time to have another life to share it with. We'll get to tell him how we prayed for him... how so many people helped us pray for him.. how we prayed so hard for what seemed like forever.. and then the Lord saw fit to bless us with this experience. We'll tell him how it was so obvious the Lord had huge plans for him that the enemy tried so many times to break our spirit.. sounds like the perfect action story for a little boy!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The wait is the hardest part
I've wanted to blog lots of times during my pregnancy, but for different reasons, I would start typing and then delete it.. I "plan" on blogging more once I have more to say.. like when the nursery is complete and Canaan is here.
So far, pregnancy has been great. I LOVE being pregnant.. Aside from complications such as the first trimester blood clot and having to take progesterone until 14 weeks and now having blood pressure issues.. it's actually been really easy. I guess more than anything, I'm just thankful.. regardless of the circumstances.
I first felt Canaan move at 16 weeks and since then I can't get enough. I live for his moving and kicks and seeing my belly move like waves.
I love that he actually moves more when we're at church, especially during the worship service. I've prayed that he will have a heart of worship and love music, so it already seems like an answered prayer. We've also prayed he will be easy going and calm and so far his movements seem to go along with that too.
Basically, it feels like the Lord has had his hand on Canaan throughout this pregnancy. A friend of ours called one day to find out what was going on and how to pray more specifically for us and she said that after all the things we've been through she's even more certain that the Lord has some huge plans for Canaan. Why else would the enemy work so hard to throw us off? We've had people tell us before we even told them his name, that he is the promised child and God has huge things in store for him. How amazing is that?!
We have a long list of things we are praying for in Canaan and I fully expect the Lord will give us these desires.. after all, he's given us so much already!
So far, pregnancy has been great. I LOVE being pregnant.. Aside from complications such as the first trimester blood clot and having to take progesterone until 14 weeks and now having blood pressure issues.. it's actually been really easy. I guess more than anything, I'm just thankful.. regardless of the circumstances.
I first felt Canaan move at 16 weeks and since then I can't get enough. I live for his moving and kicks and seeing my belly move like waves.
I love that he actually moves more when we're at church, especially during the worship service. I've prayed that he will have a heart of worship and love music, so it already seems like an answered prayer. We've also prayed he will be easy going and calm and so far his movements seem to go along with that too.
Basically, it feels like the Lord has had his hand on Canaan throughout this pregnancy. A friend of ours called one day to find out what was going on and how to pray more specifically for us and she said that after all the things we've been through she's even more certain that the Lord has some huge plans for Canaan. Why else would the enemy work so hard to throw us off? We've had people tell us before we even told them his name, that he is the promised child and God has huge things in store for him. How amazing is that?!
We have a long list of things we are praying for in Canaan and I fully expect the Lord will give us these desires.. after all, he's given us so much already!
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