Oops...One More

I can't believe I forgot this one because it was something we experimented for some time before figuring it out...DIAPERS. Yes, of all those choices staring at you when roaming the diaper isle, there is (at least for us and some other mom's I've talked to), a kind that won't leak in the middle of the night when the baby is a newborn:

Pamper's Swaddlers. They are amazing. Simply put. We had a diaper shower at some point and got to try everything and found that these baby's were the only ones that kept the pee in all night long. Huggies? Nope. Parent's Choice? Nope. Target? Nope. Off brands? Absolutely not. It's worth your money - believe me - not to have to wash crib sheets every night. Not to mention the added feeling of "I'm not a horrible mom!" when your baby actually wakes up dry. And I have found that this is not just something that worked for us - I know of at least a handful of other mom's who have said the same thing!

*Sidenote - ironically, when Lincoln started wearing about a size 2-3, Huggies became the "way-to-go" and he, believe-it-or-not, pees through Pampers now. Go figure. :)

Survival Tips for Newborns

So time is getting close when we get to meet the new addition to our family and I had "a moment" the other day where I wondered if I would be able to remember how to care for a newborn. I know it wasn't that long ago when I had one (like what? three weeks or so ago??) but folks I can't tell you how much I studied, mulled over countless books, tried to memorize schedule plans, prepped the belly and boobies (yes apparently there are things you can do preventative to ease the pains of breastfeeding), and frankly drove myself insane from being up all hours soaking my brain with this information. There were countless nights of 10+ pee-trips, but I think I might have woken up abruptly even more times with the sudden fears of "Oh my gosh! Was it 'sleep/eat/wake-time' or 'eat/sleep/wake-time'" moments...by which of course I would have to go grab the book, pamphlet, or google the answer before I could rest easy again.

So this time around - yeah, none of that. I guess I self-consciously consider myself a "pro" - right. So it got me thinking today about what were some of the essentials that helped us survive those first few months. And don't get me wrong - it's not about "survival"...I would never describe those precious first months in that way, but let's be honest - those first few months can be CHALLENGING!!!!! Lincoln hit his stride at 4 months. That's when his gassy, tummy issues subsided and when he started sleeping through the night.

So I put together a list of our survival tools those first few months for my own reminders (cause let's face it - Noah will be here SOON!!) and for those that are expecting and could maybe find it helpful:



First, I know this is uber cheesy (so roll your eyes if you must), but Jason and I headed into this newborn thing truly 50/50. I wrote some stories about it last year when he was born, but I cannot emphasize enough how easy our partnership in this made those first few months!! We equally changed the poopy diapers, took shifts when letting the Mr. cry-it-out (which we will this time around start much earlier!), and since my milk supply became a bare nothing at 3 months, he definitely had his share of night-time bottles. Most importantly, he created an early bond with the little monster that was one of the most precious things to watch.



Bear with me on this one. Oh the infamous "Babywise" book. Yes, it offered some great insight and strategies, but topped with all the other recommended "top sellers" (which of course I also read), they all say something that contradict each other and before I knew it, everytime I would read one of these or run to it for answers when I couldn't figure out why Lincoln was screaming, the end result was always the same - "Oh my gosh I've been doing it wrong!" Which then led me to believe I was ruining my child and World's Worst Mom.



So one day I had a ceremony and this is where the books went. Can't tell you how much easier it made my life!!!!

I love to work out and so a jogging stroller was essential. It's been fantastic. We use it all the time and will stop half way through or at the end for a swing or slide in the park - Lincoln stinking loves this thing, too.

Okay. If I could only put one survival tool on here, the following would be IT. This was a LIFE SAVER. I swore I would buy one for every expectant mother because it made such a difference for Lincoln. It's gripe water. I will say it didn't do much until about month 2...and I believe we continued to use this through month 6 or so. Lincoln had bad tummy problems and would cry CONSTANTLY when the gassiness would invade. Mylicon drops (which will be discussed later) didn't seem to help the gassiness much, but this stuff was GOD-SENT. And ONLY THIS BRAND!! You can get it at Target and we would stock up everytime we were there. The beauty trick of it, too, was it would, within 5 minutes, cause a huge poop that wold help relieve him, and if you dabble a drop on his passy - it'd help him stop crying and help him get to sleep. We used the "dabble-drop-on-passy" FREQUENTLY. Jason discovered this trick and it was fabulous. At church and he suddenly wakes up crying? Dabble trick and he's back asleep. And it has no sleep agent (if you're wondering), and is made with all-natural ingredients. FANTASTIC.

This nipple cream was recommended to me and I found it great! Never cracked or had much soreness to be honest with you.

My child LOVES music. And Coldplay's soothing sounds, and the fact that mommy LOVES them, was a regular hit.

Baby Einstein videos had a CRAZY way of grasping baby's attention and captivating them - I don't understand it because it looks like they were made for pot-smokers in the 60's, but they're great if you need a quick shower or to clean something up. Lincoln watches them still when we show the house.

We tried a lot of different bottles when he was little from the Drop-Ins to Dr. Brown's...everyone swears by Dr. Brown's, but to be honest, they're a hassle to clean. I think these were my favorite and the ones we'll use this time around. At the time he was born, we were on-the-go a lot (between tons of basketball games and the holidays), so the ole Medula Breast Pump (which that just reminded me I need to clean!) and stored breastmilk in carrying case was a must - along with these tiny little bottles.

[I had a picture of AVENT BOTTLES here, but I accidentally deleted it and don't wanna upload it again]

And the Mylicon drops. These were helpful with the "Dabble-on-the-passy" trick more than relieving gas pain. We used these a lot the first month and then Gripe Water took over from then one. We still always had a bottle of them though.

The boppy is great and useful for many things including breastfeeding, holding, and helping him with tummy time - Jason always used it, too, when he would feed Lincoln. As I mentioned before, we were on the go a lot and it was winter, so the below bundle thing was GREAT!!!! It kept the little guy snug and warm and protects them from the wind.

Oh the SWING. We have the below swing and Lincoln LOVED it. In fact, the wold only sleep in it for the first 3 months of his life. I had a few panic attacks at times that he would in fact ALWAYS sleep in it and we would be looking for an adult size papsan swing. I think I cried a few times over this because what mother let's their child sleep in a swing??!!! But he did - for 3 months. No joke. And then magically, he transitioned to his crib - quite well, actually, and I stopped searching for the adult-sized version. :)

Pacifiers. Some like them and some don't...ours LOVES them and this is the new "I wonder if it wold look weird for him to still have it as an adult??" worry I have. They were his soother and still are. And I only use the following brand because they are clear and don't hide his precious face. Target sells them and I LOVE THEM.

So that's a list to start I guess. The one I left out is the double pump Medula Breast Pump that was fantastic and essential. I am hoping breastfeeding lasts longer this time - I'm pretty confident about since since I won't be working this time, so we'll see how it goes!!!

Fun Madness

These past couple of days have been such a huge blessing in so many ways - I feel like this is the first time in years that I have truly felt myself getting into the holiday spirit and do not feel like it's slipping away like a freight train...maybe it's being able to stay home and cherish all the moments and actually have time to enjoy it, maybe it's having Lincoln and starting family traditions of our own, maybe it's that Jason has gotten to spend tons of time with us this week (my favorite part!), or just a fat ole combination of all the above. Whatever the reason, it's a blast. Jason and I have had major accomplishments the past three days that we're super proud of!

1. Got a fantastic deal on a laptop without having to brave the ravishing shoppers at awful morning hours (which I heard had foam spewing from their mouths this year)
2. Switched from Cox to Direct TV (guy just left) which cut our bill in HALF people and we get more features and channels - no joke (let me know if you're interested in the same because we get an additional discount...ha).
3. Found a doorbuster Blue-Ray player at Target that had been misplaced - at 11:00am (looking good from all the sleep we got)...for CRAZY cheap and when we went to pay for it, there was even an additional $20 off at the register!
4. Already got some fantastic deals on Christmas presents for family
5. Bought much needed new sheets for the bed that were originally $130, for only $44!
6. Found one of Lincoln's presents 50% off at Target (100 pc. GIANT lego blocks!)
7. Celebrated my birthday early last night with the family!


And now I'm waiting till the little booger wakes up to do it all over again, this time with my mom. :) I think we'll tackle Toys R Us today, get my Paula Dean Cookware (in blue!!) for my birthday, and try and find some nice discounted bath towels (ours are barely there anymore). Anyone out there discovering any fantastic deals???


And here are some pictures of the past few days...there's more on my facebook page.

The Thankful Post

Every one's gotta do one at this time, right? And oh my gosh IS THERE EVER SO much to be thankful for. :)

1. For starters, we got to see baby Noah on Monday! And when I say we, I mean, Jason, Lincoln, and I - which is rare that Jason is in town during these appointments (he never missed one w/ Lincoln since he worked in town), and this was Lincoln's first time to see his baby brother! He's head down, still measuring a tad small (but no worries), with that strong little heart pumping away.

2. Along those same lines, I have realize what a blessing it is to get to use Dr. Hill. He and his family are personal friends so that added touch is always nice, but with all of his patients, he does an ultrasound with every visit (except the glucose test one) just so you can see your little darling. Since I've only ever used him, I thought this was standard, but after talking to several of my friends, I realize that this is SO-NOT-STANDARD - that some are lucky to even get 2 ultrasounds. So Dr. Hill, THANK YOU. I think when we move to Bentoville we will still drive to Siloam to use him if we ever have another.

3. For my hard-working husband. His new job has brought on numerous challenges and LONG hours that leave him exhausted. But all of his hard has allowed me to quit my job and stay at home with our son...I am SO thankful for a hard-working, talented husband who sees the value in family over financial gain.

4. And of course the closeness of family and the joy Lincoln has brought into our house over the past year!!

5. Black Friday being tomorrow which = standing in cold lines to finally get a laptop - and good deal, at that. :)

6. Which also means being able to post more pictures!!!!

Obviously the list cold go on an on, but I have been at my parent's house for some time now on this computer and want to get back to my boys, so I'll leave it with my deep, deep gratitude that my Savior calls me child remains in a constant state of growing, developing, and leading our family toward His likeness. Thank you Father for your many blessings and that you call us family.

27 Week Appointment

I had my 27 week appointment a bit ago (I am currently almost 29 weeks now), I just don't have a laptop anymore, so posts are far and few in between until we make the purchase (downside of not working anymore). It was the infamous "sugar tolerance test" appointment where you drink the horrific sugar juice and they prick for finger to test for gestational diabetes. Some may remember last year I flunked the test which was fabulous (cause then they get to torture you with even more nasty juices and LOTS of finger pricking)...but this year I passed with flying colors!!!!! I felt so proud. :)
We didn't have an ultrasound this appointment, but Noah had a strong heartbeat! My tummy measured a little small (measured as if I should only be 25 weeks) but they said this is no big deal since I am gaining weight. I weighed 130 lbs. which is a total of 16 pounds since the start, so all is good! We go back next Monday to see the little boy - Jason gets to come to this one since he'll be off for thanksgiving break so I'm excited!!

As for change of job news (i.e. stay-at-home mommy), I LOVE IT. It's like I don't even remember what I used to do before - such a blessing. My days now consist of playing, naps, play-dates, birthday parties, meeting new moms, Bible studies, exercising, trips to the mall and to visit daddy, and watching Tiger basketball games...loving it. And I even find myself staying up later now, too (I used to go to bed at 9:00 because work would wear me out) which is great to see Jason more.

As far as the house sale goes, I am starting to get very anxious about moving to Bentonville so we can be near Jason more - especially as the season kicks into full gear and he is having to work more and more. We had a couple come back for the second time, bringing measuring tapes and seeing how their furniture would fit in our house, and I find myself wanting to KNOW. I've had to practice restrain on my hands every day to keep from calling them and saying, "So...you buying it, or what...cause I really want to KNOW." I spent some time in the Word yesterday and in prayer (thanks to the advice of my wise father) seeking peace and patience from God in this situation and just that His will prevail for us. It's been hard to relax n this and not become too anxious, but I know and trust God's will in this...and I found comfort in that in our time yesterday.
This past weekend, the Matchell's and us spent time with one of the other assistant coaches and their family at their house for dinner and just getting to know each other better. I have been truly amazed at this new direction God has taken out family and how He has provided for us thus far. The other coaches and their wives have been such a blessing and so fun getting to know. I really am loking forward to being over there and getting to all of them on a deeper level and developing some new friendships. God is good. :)

Now the computer issue - I miss my computer!!!!! Would it be insanely stupid for an 8 month pregnant lady to camp out on black Friday to get a good deal?? Would you look at her funny and think she's crazy? I'm thinking about it...of course I would keep Lincoln at my parents house (and drag Jason with me!)...not having a computer is a mild form of torture for me. I can still do things from my phone but who wants to write a blog on their cell phone. Not me.

Go Tigers

Jason ordered these Bentonville uniforms for all the coachs' kids when he ordered the teams'...they're exact replicas and ridiculously adorable. We'll be getting a picture of all the kids in their uniforms when season starts in a FEW WEEKS! I used to start getting fired up with a bunch of random "Go Panthers", but now it's time to start getting used to being a TIGER. :)
Lincoln's true "man pose". These are foam letters in his mouth I bought him for the bath-tub...we'll see if they ever make it to the tub.

Week One

I have been a stay-at-home mom since last Wednesday...the verdict? FABULOUS. Lincoln is officially off formula, takes about 4 bottles (yes, still bottles - fighting that battle in the coming weeks) of milk/day, takes two 2-2.5 hour naps/day, sleeps through the night till about 7:30am, and is starting to go to bed earlier than normal (around 8:00pm). I usually take a nap when he takes his first one, clean or do other stuff during his second one, and we work out in between naps and play. He now takes a bath in the tub like a "big boy" (no more infant bathtub) because, well, now that he's one, his new title is apparently "toddler" and so I should be treating him like so (as he would tell me). I still can't believe I now have a toddler! Crazy.
He's starting to get a little more picky about eating...we used to never have issues in this area, but I've heard this is normal. His favorites are quesadillas on whole wheat, bananas, lean hamburger meat, cottage cheese (yuck), mandarin oranges, oranges, peaches, and he still loves his rice cereal! Notice no vegetables made the list. He was loving his veggies a few weeks ago...I would steam some and he would eat them himself, but recently, he puts his hand up and shakes his head like "no thank-you". It's precious when he does it but I wish he'd EAT HIS VEGGIES! So I've resulted back to baby food for the veggie department and he still loves that - will slick the jar dry. So we make sure and have one at every meal. I do "sneak" whole veggies into his eggs (spinach) and mix it with cottage cheese. HE WILL EAT THEM!

Activities? Lincoln loves the swing at the park, likes our outings in the jogging stroller, loves to climb on top and over boxes I place around the living room for him, LOVES any kind of ball - this is the only word he can really say and if you tell him to "get your ball", he'll search the living room till it's found...

Now, here's my question to all of you stay-at-home moms (if there are any who read this blog)...what are you're daily routines with your little one? What kinds of activities do you do everyday? Schedules? Lesson plans (some do!)? Or just go with the flow type of days? I want some fun ideas!!