Loving God's People: Be a Baby Holder

Babies cry. Long and loud and sometimes they cause your ears to ring and mouth to go dry from the stress of the grating noise. I've survived two babies with colic. Sure, colic ends, babies stop crying and it's just a blip in perspective of their life. None of this helps. The advice, tips, feedback, even books we read and doctors we consult make no difference at 3am. Moms need people. People to show up with a sweet tea, a smoothie, or a milkshake. People to joyfully look at a screaming baby with a smile that says, "Here, let me take that little reflux monster off your hands, I don't mind the smell of puke." People who are simply willing to hold an exhausted, won't stop crying, refuses to sleep, clearly well fed baby, and not utter a word as to what the solution might be. New moms need these kind of people every single day.

I have a friend who was always willing to hold Hudson, especially when he was screaming. She often gave him back to me peacefully swaddled and sleepy. On my hardest days, I would try to find the park she was at and tag along. She sees my motives and loves me through. Every momma needs a friend like this with which to do life. Be that friend.

Now that Hudson is approaching his first birthday (makes me equally giddy and weepy), I have realized what a tremendous support these friends were, and continue to be. Hudson's needs from me are changing. My ability to hold someone else's screaming baby is increasing. This is one way I will be loving God's people. I am going to become a self-proclaimed professional baby holder. Bring on the screams!

(and as for the books that don't help...here are a few that just might)

These books are on my nightstand when they aren't being lent out to a friend. I turn to them frequently. 

Real Food for Mother and Baby // Great with Child

Operating Instructions // Baby 411 // The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links used in this post.

A Boy Mom with Sarah Tucker

Being super honest today.
When I found out I was having a boy, I was all ... no, let's check again, mr. ultra sound tech.
But he was a boy!  There was no denying it.

I never thought I'd make a good boy mama.  I just thought I'd have girls.

Realistically I knew there was a pretty darn good chance my little bub was going to be a boy.
BUT as a pregnant woman I wasn't quite in reality.  I definitely dipped my toes into some kind of crazy hormone induced bod for a while there.

And then a few other people confided in me that they felt the same way.  Maybe I wasn't crazy, or I just found a sub-group that's just as crazy as I am.

But he's here.  And it's true, whatever you have, it is the BEST.  Baby boys are now the worlds greatest thing on earth.  There is nothing better.  I could care less about bows and smocked dresses.  And I'm a girl who is every inch a girl.  I can even foresee the future of WANTING to attend baseball games, and being actually INTO them.  If he's involved, whatever it is, it might just turn into my new favorite sport/thing/whatever it is.

Find Sarah (and sweet baby boy Tuck) on:

her blog / twitter / instagram

Baby Registry Essentials

During my first pregnancy I was completely lost as to what to include on my registry. Some fabulous friends came along side me with recommendations that have been game changers in our household. Since then, I have been shocked to see how many other women find themselves in this position, stumped as to what they need vs. don't need. And while every situation and family has different space and budget constraints, I have found 5 items that everyone needs, but very few people actually add to their registry.

multi-purpose cloth diapers - the old school gerber kind work great. Between spit, spit-up, drool, and leaks (of all kinds) these are great to have on hand and stashed in discrete corners of your home, car and office. Now that Behr is nearly two, I have just stopped needing these as frequently.

waterproof crib pads - I like the carters crib pads because they don't wrap all the way around the mattress. Note: I also use a mattress protector designed for the correct dimensions of my crib mattress. Next I layer carter's pad, crib sheet, cater's pad, crib sheet, until I run out of crib sheets. This has saved me countless times when Behr has been sick and sweaty at night, or his diapers has leaked. I simple strip the top layer and the mattress is ready to go again. No need to fumble around for clean sheets (or find a place to store them!).

belly lotion - find what you love, and feel free to ask people to indulge you. your final months of pregnancy and the few after you give birth are especially important to hydrate your skin. my pick is tummy rub from mama mio.

nursing pads - you will need these. whether you go the disposable route (lansinoh work best) or reusable organic cotton, add them to your registry.

diapers - this might seem like a no-brainer, but until I started receiving lots of boxes of random diaper brands, I never thought to tell people what I was actually hoping to have Behr wear. Thanks to generous family, friends, and co-workers and a brief stint with cloth, we didn't end up buying any disposable diapers until Behr was over nine months old, a huge money saver!

So there you have my list. 

The items I love so much, they are back on the list for baby #2!

Mommas, what have you found to be the most essential baby registry items?

Do you agree with the items I listed? Have any additions to make?

reminder:

today is the last day to enter the $50 BonLook giveaway 

AND 

the Christmas Party Swag giveaway from Lemon Drop Shop

Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links may be used in this post.

Winter Baby Essentials

A few weeks ago, when DC first started to dip into chillier temps, I received an email from a dear friend. As a Floridian transplant, she was completely stumped in how to keep her four month old son cozy for winter. As any good blogger, I immediately thought "post potential." So here you have the top items I have found, used, and loved to keep my baby cozy in the cooler months.

1. Cashmere Slippers from Little Friends Co. on etsy $26
2. Hannah Andersson Pilot Cap $24 - I used this hat under bunting and Behr's bike helmet.
3. Stokke Footmuff $120 - While I haven't tried this item, it is on my wishlist to keep my kids warm on the back of my bike.
4. 7 A.M. Enfant Mittens $18
5. Zutano Cozie Elf Onesie $43
6. Fleece booties from Zutano $20 - Behr had these last year and again this year.

7. Mouse Size Mittens (attached with string) from Hannah Andersson  $16 - the string is key!
8. JJ Cole Bundleme for the Carseat $40
9. Shearling Baby Hat $10 - another favorite Behr's first winter

What items am I missing? What are your favorite items to keep baby cozy?

Disclaimer: compensated affiliate links may be used in this post.

At Influence + Some News

I am at Influence Conference this week, but I really wanted to share my vacation photos with you first. However, I haven't received the digital copies, so here is just a sneak peek of the proofs.

Yay! We are so very excited!

Family Favorite Books + a giveaway

One of the early lessons we learned in reducing baby clutter was to ask for diapers and books, books and diapers, lots of books, and did I mention diapers? Our friends and family delivered! We didn't have to buy diapers until Behr was almost six months old, and we are still discovering new books as we rotate our collection. Among the books, a few stood out early as family favorites. Here are our top five(ish).


Just Because You're Mine This book is the story of a father's love for his son, not because he is fast, brave, or anything he could do on his own, a beautiful reflection of our Father's love for us. The author, Sally Lloyd-Jones also writes our favorite children's bible. This is a wonderful gift.

Little Blue Truck Little Blue Truck teaches his friend the lesson of being kind and helping others. The illustrations are beautiful, and it is fun to read aloud the sound effects. Behr carries this book around the house with him. This book has worked its way into the home of nearly every friend who has had a baby since Behr. (Seriously, I just bough 5 more last week!)

Barnyard Dance! I am not a huge Sandra Boynton fan, but this book is hard to resist. Every time Behr picks it out, he stands next to me and reaches for my hand so he can "spin with the chickens...not cluck, cluck, cluck!" This book gets us dancing and giggling every time.

Little Pea, Little Hoot, Little Oink (a set of three, but I am counting them here as oneish). These cheeky books again teach lessons with a bit of irony, a pea that doesn't eat his veggies, a pig that doesn't like dirt. The whit and humor keep us reading these again and again. Much like Little Blue Truck, we give this book set to everyone. I even embarrassingly emailed a blogger who reference the book and a different gift giver in her vlog...only to realize that we had given her Little Blue Truck instead. My cheeks are still red from that one!

Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones a sweet and simple book of how the jungle animals say good night. Behr brings us this book often. The illustrations are serene, akin to the colorful skies in the movie Lion King. And while there isn't much that makes this stand out, it has given us a family phrase, "a big hippo hug!" to replace the more common idiom, "bear hug," because that might get a bit tricky some day...



We love these books so much, we keep our house stocked with these for baby shower, birthday, and baptism gifts. We are always ready! And now we want you to be ready too. Win your own Little Blue Truck board book.

to enter:

you must be a follower of this blog via google friend connect

leave a comment sharing your favorite book and why you love it so much

p.s. be sure to leave your email in the comment too!

this could be a the book you read last week, from your childhood, that you read to your own children. etc. note, it doesn't have to be a children's book.

this giveaway closes monday, may 28

+ + +

ooh, don't forget, this is the last week to ask me questions anonymously.

The Littlest Mammoth Giveaway

 

Today's Giveaway is from The Littlest Mammoth. An online gallery of carefully curated children's artwork from international artists. These colorful prints brighten a room and expand imaginations. Like stepping into or out of your favorite fairy tale. What could be better to hang on the walls of your child's bedroom? I first featured this shop in my baby baby gift guide and have since fallen in love with nearly all of their prints!

The giveaway is for a 11x14 print of your choice
a $35 value

To Enter:
you must be a follower of my blog
visit The Littlest Mammoth and leave a comment below telling me which print is your favorite
be sure to include your email address!


Additional entries:
(leave a separate comment for each)
Follow The Littlest Mammoth @hellomammoth on twitter
The Littlest Mammoth just launched a facebook page, go like it
Tweet about this giveaway, feel free to use this or craft your own:
" @TheScribblePad is hosting a giveaway from @hellomammoth - incredible artwork for kids: http://bit.ly/vBKYcD "

This giveaway is closed.

And the winner is...comment #26, Christine

Congratulations!  

Send me an email and I will get you hooked up with the print of your choice.

Saturday Shoes: for Behr

Behr has acquired quite a collection of shoes.  It might sound crazy for a 10 month old, but his feet need to be toasty and warm too.  The two pairs on the left are favorites and the two on the right are on Behr's Christmas list.

The Favorites:

Every pair of booties from Little Friends on etsy.  We have purchased two pairs for Behr, and one as a gift for our friend Bella.  All three have become fast favorites!

Zutano Fleece Booties - Behr wore these almost every single day as a baby until the DC weather turned hot.  We even snuck in a few wears early fall before he out grew them.  The simple snap makes them adjustable and stay on wiggly toes.

The Wish List:

As the weather gets colder, Behr has been begging me to get him some warm shoes.  These Minnetonka Sheepskin Booties would do just the trick!

And who doesn't like knit items on babies?  The pair on the bottom right from Tane Organics would be adorable on Behr.

Do you have a favorite pair of shoes? Or a favorite pair of baby booties?

I would love to hear your top picks.

2011 Gift Guide: Baby Baby

There are so many great gifts for baby. Each year, I could easily create several gear guides for babies.  With a son about to turn one, four cousins under the age of four, and armfuls of other babies in my life between friends and cousins, Christmas shopping for babies has been on my brain.  Here are a few of the items that I keep circling back to:

1. Recycled ECO Fleece Bunting - a mix between Swedish and preppy, certainly cozy.  You can find this set by Polarn O. Pyret for $100. I want to buy it for Behr, even though he already has one.  Maybe they make on in my size?

2. Ukrainescape Red Print by The Littlest Mammoth - this print by Andrea Kalfas brings a worldly sophistication to any little one's space.  I have spent hours designing this gift guide around multiple prints found on The Littlest Mammoth, a perfectly curated collection of international artists. Prints start at just $20.

3. Gnome Bowling Set - I really want to get Behr into bowling.  It seems like the perfect mix of sport and destruction for a little boy who loves to knock things down!  This set by Green Mountain on etsy would be the perfect way to start, especially at $30!

4. Foil Bird Onesie - again, does it come in adult size?  Featured on Nonchalant Mom, this onesie could be yours for $38.  Be sue to check out the blog too!

5. Bunny Milk on the Rocks Onesie - the back of this cracks me up!  What little kid doesn't want to run around with a bunny tail?  Get yours from The Black Wagon for $48

6. Zippity Zany Mittens - Confession, Behr already has these. For only $16 I couldn't resist. As for being included in this guide, the colors were just too perfect to pass up.  I would give these mittens a top notch review.  They are just the right size for itty bitty hands and certainly brighten up our bike rides!

7. Eric Carle Animal Flash Cards - After searching high and low, these flash cards remain on the list of most pleasing to mom and baby.  They make a great gift for all ages and can be found for about $10.

8. Bright Blue Recycle Truck Print - One of my favorite new etsy finds.  Get this print for $16 or buy all four trucks for $34.

9. Wheely Bee by Prince Lionheart - Love this bee!  Can't you just picture the cuteness overload when this toy enters the scene?  Prices range from retailer to retailer, but it appears to be on sale for $50 in the link provided at the time I wrote this post.

Baby Meal Planning: 7-9 Months

Behr eating at six months.

These pictures are old, but I love the intensity of his expression. 

After recently seeing them again, I have been dying to use them in a post!

Stepping into the world of baby food has left me with more questions than straight answers.  After hours of internet searching, ending up in dead ends and more confusion, I finally realized that the answers I was looking for aren't searchable.

Each kid likes different foods, different amounts, and at different stages.  But that doesn't help a frantic mom figure out what food to introduce next.  So before I dive into a meal plan, here is a little bit about my food philosophy, and the first foods Behr ate (minus the lamb...we balked at introducing meat).

The purpose of this meal plan is to provide you with ideas that may work for your baby.  

As with all recommendations, please follow the advice and guidance of your pediatrician.  

{breakfast}

Steel Cut Oats - serve plain, or add purred mango, mashed bananas, or apple sauce.  When serving these plain, I let Behr eat them with his hands, teaching texture and self-feeding.

Plain Whole Milk Yogurt - we currently buy stonyfield, but I hope to make my own someday.  Keep the yogurt plain to teach that not all food has to be sweet and sugary.

Blueberry Smoothie - blend 2/3 cup of frozen blueberries, a peach or nectarine, banana and homemade concord grape juice.  Occasionally we mix in apple sauce or mango.  When making this smoothie, add fruits you would like with blueberries

Sliced Fruit - bananas, apples and kiwis are favorites in our house, and help satisfy Behr while I get my act together in the morning.

{lunch}

Mashed Mint Peas - steam frozen peas and gently pulse through a blender adding mint and parmesan for a delicious mash.

Quinoa - commonly mistaken for a grain, this seed is an excellent source of protein.  Quinoa can be dry and fluffy when prepared, making it hard to eat/swallow at first.  Add cooked/pureed spinach, sweet potato, or beets and olive oil to make a mini casserole that is easier to eat.

Roasted Acorn Squash - left-overs from mom and dad's dinner.  Blend cubed squash with apple sauce and cinnamon to sweeten the deal.

Finger Friendly Veggies - cooked and cooled these veggies make lunch time fun: green beans, sweet potato fries, avocado slivers.  When cutting food, I make sure there is room to hold it and chew on the end, think short green beans.  This allows baby to pick up their food before complete control of the pincer grasp.

{dinner}

Sweet Potato and Pear - Make a pear sauce, similar to apple sauce (but with the opposite effect on the digestive system) add cinnamon.

Lentil Soup - cook lentils with finely diced carrots and tomatoes in a veggie stock until all bits are soft.  We life to add curry powder to taste - but not salt or pepper yet.

Carrots and Cauliflower - Steam and blend these two veggies and as the baby gets older, add grated cheddar cheese and fresh basil to expand horizons.

Spinach and Lima Beans - When blended, these two veggies have opposite consistencies.  Together, they are ideal for baby learning to spoon feed.




Do you have any favorite foods for baby?  Recipes I should try?  Questions about how I prepare food?  Ask away.  We are moving along to more finger and self-fed foods, but have not yet figured out a consistent rotation.  

How breastfeeding works for us.

We have made it! Nearly 7 months of breastfeeding, so we have reached the ubiquitous milestone of breastfeeding for the first 6 months. Behr was exclusively* breastfed for this time with two very minor exceptions, but I will go into those later. I am now facing the reality that working 30+ hours out of the home, pumping at least three times a day, and not having my baby so close, leaves me worried that my supply is waning and I won't make it until his first birthday let alone the recommended two years.

My worries aside, I have learned more than I ever could have imagined. They {although I don't quite remember who} say that a crazy high percentage of learning takes place from conception to age 5. Well over half of your learning. Since having Behr, I would now argue that for women, the next greatest time of learning in life is immediately after conceiving. Call it mother's instinct or my own obsessive compulsive nature, and perhaps heightened availability of information these days, but I have consumed more information on all sides of every issue in the past year and a half than I ever thought possible.

There is a lot of crap information. Many people address parenting issues with scare tactics. And the topic of breastfeeding, while coming back into vogue, is at the top of the list for heated debates. So I do not enter into this topic lightly, but with the caveat that every parent child relationship is different. As a mother, you need to fight for what is best for you and your baby. With that said, here is what worked for us, and a few pointers along the way.

If you want to venture into breastfeeding your baby, know that it takes serious dedication and support. Talk to your loved ones now and make sure that they will provide the encouragement you will no doubt need along the way. It was important for Mark to understand why this was so important to me. He was charged with the responsibility of getting Behr and I "together" for our first feeding as soon as possible.

Don't let the thought of a c-section or a possible nicu stay frighten you regarding breastfeeding. Behr and I did not have our first latch for nearly two hours after he was born. It is okay. He was in me for over 41 weeks, so we were still able to bond. I was terrified that all hope of breastfeeding would be ruined as they wheeled me down the hall after 50 hours of labor into a sterile operating room. I wish someone had assured me that the worry was not necessary.

Do you have a strong let-down? I was so engorged when my milk came in that I could not lower my arms. My dear friend Karlene and I still laugh today because I would lean forward and immediately leak through my nursing pads, padded bra, tee shirt, and sometimes even sweatshirt. Milk oozed out of me from seemingly every crevice. Then I found this wonderful invention: Milkies. If you have a healthy production, check them out. This allowed me to nurse from one side each feeding, to ensure Behr got both the fore milk and the hind milk, without leaking through everything. It also gave me the bonus of capturing the precious leaking milk for my freezer supply.

Beginning to pump in the first few weeks also helped me become more comfortable. There is a balance between pumping to relieve your engorged boobs and having pumping over stimulate, leading to more discomfort. Start slowly and figure out what works for you. If you need help producing, pump mid-way between feedings to trigger your body to produce more milk.

If you are currently pregnant, buy nursing pads now. To see my favorites, check out my Gear Guide for Nursing. I began leaking at 20 weeks. The med students at the hospital were amazed as I let down during my epidural. So fingers crossed you won’t have to deal with it as much as I did. But it is never too early to be ready.

I was not a fan of giving Behr anything other than me for meal time, but I realized that a nipple shield was worth it to allow him to eat successfully. Due to the pressure, I was basically water boarding Behr during each feeding in those early weeks. He was drinking out of a fire hose, and as a result, not getting much milk down to his belly. Once he was strong enough, he transitioned off the nipple shield just fine.

Are you going back to work? Think about your nursing goals as you look for child care. I knew I would be leaving Behr with a nanny at home for the first bit until we got into day care. So I investing in a double electric pump and began stocking my freezer early. Having a supply of milk reduced the stress on me to pump enough each day for the very next day. I knew he would not go hungry. Another factor was in choosing our daycare, the opportunity for me to visit and nurse Behr during my work day, made the day care located on sight even more appealing. Update: We get in starting September 1, easing my production worries! We are so excited!

While some mothers find breastfeeding an incredibly bonding time. It is OKAY if you don’t have the same overwhelming emotions of joy. I am a generally impatient person, so Behr’s 45 minute feeding sessions drove me mad. I began picking a good TV show or answering email on my blackberry to keep myself from cutting him short. Do we enjoy the bond? Sometimes yes, but other times for me it feels like a sacrifice I am willing to make because I believe strongly in the health benefits.

Make nighttime feeding easier. I quickly learned the side lying position which meant I could doze a bit while Behr fed. This was a life saver in the middle of the night.

Eat fruit and drink lots of water. Breastfeeding makes me dehydrated and often leaves me feeling lightheaded or dizzy. Having a natural sugar from fruit and plenty of water helps. When I pump at work, I often chow on a granola bar as I walk back to my office. Just be sure to listen to your body.

Boost your production. I drink more water than ever before, take fenugreek and drink Mother’s Milk tea or Women's Raspberry Leaf tea. It is hard to tell if any of these things specifically boost my milk production, but I feel like they are working, so I stick with it.

Find a schedule that works for you. Will you have parent directed feedings, or will your baby decide his or her own nursing schedule. Do what works for you. For us, Behr fed on demand, which was a pretty consistent 3-4 hour cycle. But when I was home on maternity leave, I felt it was important to allow him to eat more often when he needed to. Eventually, this led to me reducing the crying fits and becoming better attuned to his growth spurts. We follow the “EASY” method – Eat, Activity, Sleep, Yourself. Behr eats when he wakes up from naps rather than as he goes down for a nap. This works for us. Find what works for you.

Continuing to breastfeed while I work has been a bit of a challenge. I pump twice a day at work and then once at home between 11pm and midnight based on when Behr last ate. He sleeps from 7/8-2/3 now, so I can stay up and pump to make sure I have enough for his two 6ounce bottles the next day. Somewhere around the beginning of month 5 I realized I wasn’t pumping enough and my freezer stock of over 100 ounces was severely depleted. This schedule means I don’t get much sleep. And I think the lack of sleep might be leading to why I am not getting a good pumping session in at night. It is a vicious cycle.

A bit about exclusively breastfeeding. Going strong for six months was a goal of mine. We did introduce small sips of water because it has been a boiling hot summer and Behr sweats…like a grown man. I was worried about his hydration, so when we are out and about he gets a bit of water between feedings. We also introduced a few ounces of prune juice during times when he goes over five days without a BM. This kid does not like to poop. His record is 9 days! Both of these were after the 4.5 month mark. But we did not introduce any solid food until 6 months. So that is why I say we exclusively breastfed, although I know some die hards would object to this claim.

Do you still have questions? I feel like I haven’t even come close to doing this topic justice. Feel free to leave a comment or drop me an email and I would be happy to share more of what has worked for us. 
Huge thanks for all of the email questions I got about nursing from friends and bloggers. You have helped me formulate the material for this post, and I likely would have found it too daunting a subject without my hundreds of emails with all of you. You ladies are amazing!


all pictures from pinterest search: "breastfeeding"

because I really didn't feel it necessary to put my own boobs on the internet.



Have you heard about baby Parker?

Parker Hunt

He is only the coolest new babe in blogland and soon to be Behr's best bud.  While he enjoys being snuggled and loved on by his family, I am guest posting for his momma.  Check it out over here!

Dreaming Big

We are back from vacation, tan and rested.  Photos will be coming soon, I promise.  While I continue to edit those, let me share a little secret I realized on vacation. 

I want a big family. 

Now, you might question whether this is really a secret.  I have become famous, or infamous for proclaiming that I want 7 children.  But this vacation helped me realize, more than ever that I want a big family.  Mark and I began thinking about what our time at the beach would look like...

...with another baby

...when Behr is a little bit older

...when there are enough of us to build a sandcastle and tear it down simultaneously

...when we can play tag and football on the beach

...when we won't get bored because one kid is asleep, as the others will keep us running

So yes, I am ready for our next baby.  Not at this very moment, no, but excitedly looking towards the future in hope of receiving another incredible blessing in our lives.  Ans all that it entails, including squeezing even more warm blodded bodies into tiny Capitol Hill homes.  So here are a few of my kid's bedroom inspirations.



great for tight spaces, but I am not sure the top of the stairs would work for kids



might be my favorite!

love the originality of the hanging beds, but I am not sure this actually conserves space

might be my favorite!!

vacation home?  yes, please!

build a room over the stairs to make the most of space!

Needing a bunk room is clearly several years off, but it doesn't hurt to start dreaming.
1/2/3/4/5/6

Do you want a big family?  Do you come from a big family?  What is your ideal family size?