It's A Boy: Axton's Birth Story

The end of my pregnancy was like some kind of science experiment. Everything pointed to the arrival of my baby before my due date, most likely well before. But I continued to defy the odds. All the way up until 40 weeks + 3 days.

Let's go back a few weeks. Prodromal labor, just like I had with Fallon, reared it's annoying head at 37 weeks. Every night from 11PM - 4/5AM the contractions came every 5 minutes, lasting for 1+ minute . Different than Braxton Hicks but they never increased in intensity or duration. Running on very little sleep, super pregnant and caring for a wild toddler didn't agree with me. By 38 weeks I was just praying for the contractions to get stronger or the patience to wait. My very last appointment was at 39 weeks + 6 days. I was dilated to almost 4cm, effaced and baby's head was engaged. My membranes were stripped to help things along and I dilated to 5cm on the table. I was told I had a bulging bag of water between the baby's head and the uterine wall and it was likely to pop at any time. YAY!!! I walked out of the office relieved and excited and thinking baby might share a birthday with daddy. But 1 day over my due date and I. WAS. DONE.  Scheduled eviction, ahem, induction here we come. Except there was a scheduling error and I was bumped 3 days forward. Cue the explosion of frustration.

Friday, April 6th, I got dressed, put makeup on, fixed my hair and went with Chris to his eye doctor appointment just to get out of the house and walk around. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. We put Fallon to bed that evening and started catching up on our missed TV shows. Chris fell asleep on the couch and I lay there next to him with searing rib pain just waiting for the worthless contractions. 11:30PM the first one came. Except this one wasn't like the others I'd been having. This one felt different. Different enough for me to notice. The second one came and I started to to wonder if maybe this really is different and not wishful thinking. And then suddenly they were coming in a pattern. I woke Chris up, we called my doctor and my mom to come stay with Fallon. The contractions increased in intensity and became closer together so quickly I could feel my husband starting to panic. We were in the car ready to fly to the hospital when my mom arrived.

That car ride was the longest of my life. Chris tried to carry me through the hospital but I was in too much pain. I waddled down the hallway into the elevator and fell to my knees at the Labor & Delivery check in desk. It was 1:20AM. No one was in a hurry to get me in a room and check me but when that finally happened the nurse declared me 8cm and rushed me down to a delivery room. There was a flurry of questions that Chris was mostly answering for me, the room being set up and me claiming I felt the need to push. I was not prepared for a natural birth. The pain was so overwhelming it scared me. I feared I would throw up, pass out or possibly both. They told me to just breathe, my doctor was on the way. But the third time I said it like I meant business and they got a resident ready as my doctor still hadn't arrived. Anesthesia showed up at the door for my epidural right as my water broke all over the bed. I flipped to my back from side and started pushing of my own accord. I couldn't hear anyone, just saw their mouths moving. I pushed once and felt the "ring of fire". The crowing of the head feels EXACTLY like a circle of fire. A wildfire. I pushed again and finally heard someone say Just one more push and your baby will be here! And that's exactly what happened. I came out of my trance as my baby boy was held up for me to see.

Axton James arrived at 1:47AM April 7th, 2018. 27 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. He weighed 8lbs 14oz and was 21.5 inches long. He was placed on my chest to snuggle inside my gown, just like I had dreamed would happen. But it certainly didn't go exactly the way I had hoped. There wasn't time for sarcasm or pictures or to attempt to prepare myself for a natural delivery at all. But my baby came out pink and breathing. No one came to save him, to take him away from me. I held him against me and comforted him in his first moments on the outside. No complications, no flurry of people shouting things out that I did not understand. The room was calm and quiet. Just a mama and her fresh new baby with daddy watching over. 

I'm Just Like You

They say the days are long but the years are short. I'm sure that's true because I can't believe how fast 8 months have gone by. But right now the days are just long. I love being a mom, I love staying home with Fallon and I love watching her grow every day. But we've been in the thick of big developmental changes and hardcore teething and I've sort of felt like I fell down the rabbit hole. Caring for a baby who wants to constantly be held, will not entertain herself, fights naps or refuses them all together is exhausting. Keeping up with cleaning, the laundry, the errands and of course being mom to 6 furballs is a whole other level of chaos. And let's not forget trying to have some fun in the midst of it all, well, that's just plain crazy. 

I know everything is a season, I will miss these days when I look back and I probably won't even remember the weeks I actually did lose my mind. But just in case you're in the thick of it too, I wanted you to know that you're not alone. A picture takes a second to snap, literally one second. So don't be fooled by all the happy baby pictures. I'm pretty sure we can all get a smile once a day. And behind that camera is usually Chris or I doing embarrassing things to get Fallon to make those cute faces. We are tired, stressed out parents just trying to navigate the craziness of life like everyone else. There's usually full laundry baskets in the closet waiting to be washed. I'm always forgetting things at the grocery and trying to find the time to go back for them. My hair is usually in a dirty topknot and I drink too much coffee. I get upset, I get frustrated, I get angry. I compare myself to all the other mamas who seem to have it all together. I'm just like you. I was reminded by a friend that while I'm over here wondering how everybody else seems to be doing it all right when I'm doing it all wrong, there are people thinking I'm the one with the perfect life. So that's the entire purpose of this post, to let you know that I'm riding the hot mess express every single day. Some days I do it in pjs and some days I do it in heels. But my life is just as perfectly imperfect as the next mom's and if you need me I'll be trying to find the remote that I swear was just right here so I can catch up on Grey's Anatomy. 

A Day In The Life

When I casually polled a few of my girlfriends on what they'd like to read more about on the blog, this was the common topic. SAHMS, working moms, mamas to be, we all just want to feel like we're in this together. Social media can sometimes make it seem like everyone else has it all together while we're over here struggling to get through the day let alone be supermom. Well, those pretty little pictures never tell the whole story and today I decided to give y'all a good look behind the scenes. 

I kept my phone within arm's reach nearly all day, something I pretty much never do, so I could attempt to document what goes on around here on a typical day. I captured what I could in pictures and on my IG story but I'll fill in the blanks here. Let me preface this by saying that this is more like a  day in the life on a Wednesday. The hubs works nights 4 times a week so he's not running on a M-F, 8-5 schedule. I also baby-sit 3 days a week so a day with a 3 month old and a 6 month old looks a lot different. If this type of post is something you as readers would like to see more of in the future, I will certainly try to do this on other days so you can see how much these variables change things. But for now, I give you a day in the life. 

My alarm goes off at 6AM. I immediately check the baby monitor to see if Fallon is awake. Sometimes she is laying quietly in her bed and other times she is still sleeping. Of course there are times she is crying but I've already heard her and have then been listening for her to calm herself. I am up by 6:15 to go feed the cats and dogs and get my coffee going. If Fallon is still asleep at 6:30 I go ahead and let the dogs out and make my breakfast, almost always oatmeal. If she is awake I go get her and nurse her then change her diaper. I then make and eat my breakfast or just drink my coffee while she bounces in her jumperoo. There are many days she refuses to be put down so I do everything with one hand. 

We play together with blocks, her toys that make noise and read books until 8/8:30. I usually give her a piece of whole grain rice cake to munch on while I get her second breakfast of solids ready. Today she had part of a waffle and some blackberries. I forgot to undress her first so I was stain treating that sleeper afterward. #momfail 

Between 9-9:30 Fallon goes down for a morning nap. This is when I clean up the breakfast mess and then attempt to get my nap time hustle on. If we are going somewhere I shower or just get myself ready and if not I do things around the house. Today was bathroom cleaning day but I was halfway through when little girlfriend decided to wake up. There are times when she will fall back asleep if I leave her be but I usually know if that's a possibility or not and today it was clearly not. So I dressed her and gave her my brushes to play with and thank goodness those kept her occupied long enough for me to finish. I even dusted the bedroom! I don't always get so lucky though and chores get put on hold. 

Fallon will nurse again usually between 10-10:30 and then we have a few hours before her next nap. Today it was chilly but not windy so we bundled up and went for a walk. She tool another half hour snooze in the stroller and was ready for lunch round 12 when we got back. Lunch is usually between 12-1 and on a good day we can eat at the same time. She had steamed broccoli and sweet potato and I had a spinach + hummus + feta wrap. Afternoon nap time is somewhere between 1-2 unless she didn't nap at all in the morning and then our day is just all up in the air. We played today after lunch until daddy came home and then Fallon went down for another nap around 1:30. 

Sometimes she sleeps minimally (or not at all!) and sometimes she sleeps 2+ hours. I got lucky today and she slept almost an hour and a half so I got in a workout and a few random things on my to-do list before she was up. By 3PM I was nursing again while Chris let the dogs out. I handed her off to him when she was finished and switched the laundry from the washer to the dyer, something I all too often forget to do. We had some family time before daddy went up to bed just after 4 and then Fallon and I played until dinnertime. 

Again, I try to eat when Fallon eats now that she can mostly feed herself. It doesn't always work out if she's fussy and frustrated that she can't get the food in her month fast enough. That was today. She had cheese squares and steamed asparagus for dinner and I helped out a lot. On the nights Chris works I always fill the dog and cat food bowls so they are ready to go in the morning so I did that with Fallon on my hip as well as fed the cats. The dogs eat all their food in the morning so at least I only have to feed 1 set of furballs twice a day. 

6PM is bath time and I'm currently still bathing Fallon in the infant tub in our first floor bathroom. We have tried the big tub and it didn't go over so well so we will try again this weekend. Hopefully she decides she's okay with it before she completely grows out of her baby sink tub. After her bath I rub lotion on her and get her pjs on and then nurse her for the last time before bed. She starts to drift off in my arms just before 7 and that's when I bring her upstairs to her crib. That's the one thing that is almost always so easy.

I spend the rest of the evening eating dinner if I haven't yet, cleaning up the kitchen, picking up toys and and other messes we made, folding laundry, blogging or doing anything else I need to check off the to-do list. Yes, there are nights I just watch TV but it's rare. I usually try to get things done so that I can spend the nights hubby has off with him. I almost always end my night with a glass of wine or a good beer so even if I'm still on the clock it's like I'm not. Bedtime for me is usually 10:30/11 and praise the Lord Fallon sleeps through the night so I get to also. I dream of a new kitchen, a personal chef and cheese fries without calories before I wake up and do it all over again. 

There are days we stay in our pjs all day and never leave the house. Sometimes when Chris gets home he tags in immediately and takes a fussy baby who has refused to be put down or nap all morning. I escape to a hot shower and then chug coffee to get through until bedtime. I can be found eating random things I can grab from the pantry for lunch, vacuuming with a baby on my hip and or cranking the volume on the speaker to drown out the crying some days. I don't get a shower every day and I only wash my hair once a week. For every day that Fallon and I wear matching outfits, we check most everything off from the to-list or have fun little photo shoots, there are days we count it a win that the house is still standing. You win some, you lose some.

Mommy Make Up Routine

Real talk, I don't wear makeup all that much anymore. There are many days we don't even leave the house and sometimes I just don't worry about it if we are scrambling to get out the door. But when I do actually get myself ready for the day I don't have a lot of time to spend doing my makeup. I don't even care to when I could use that time for so many other things. So I have my favorite "everyday" products I can apply in 5 minutes or less. My go-to look for mommin' around town aka running all the errands is pretty simple but on the rare occasion I want a more glamorous look later on, it's easy to add a few extra steps and be good to go. 

I've been anti-foundation for years because I've yet to find one I like. I was a BB cream girl for awhile until I was introduced to IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream and fell in love (I use the Light shade). More recently I gave Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer (I use Bare Radiance) a whirl and these two mixed together are my jam! I literally mix a bit of each in my hands and apply. Probably I should invest in a brush or one of those beauty blender thingies but that would be an extra step and I kind of just don't care to add one. 

As a mom, I have permanent bags under my eyes from living my life tired. We all do, it just comes with the territory. IT Cosmetics to the rescue again with the Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer. It's anti-aging and waterproof for the win. Again, I don't use any beauty tools to apply this, I just dot it under my eyes with my finger and blend. Bye Bye dark circles. 

The makeup product I've been using the longest is Benefit Hoola Bronzer. It's my ride or die beauty product and I love it so much I've never bothered to switch to anything else. One box lasts me quite a while so it's definitely worth the beauty store price. I actually use a big fluffy brush for this!

I never bothered to use powder until I started noticing how shiny my face looked in pictures. I couldn't take it anymore so I started testing some different ones out and finally found MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Powder. I'm still using my little sample bottle because a tiny bit goes such a long way. 

I have short stubby lashes so I need mascara to give them any kind of definition. I've tried all kinds and I still love CoverGirl Flamed Out Mascara. I curl them first and then use the tip of the brush to apply it to small sections of lashes. A makeup artist taught me that little trick and it works great to make my lashes look longer. 

I've been using Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Plum Wine all fall and winter. I use a pink and a coral version for the warmer months but this is my go-to when it's starts getting chilly. I apply with my fingers, surprise, surprise and just blend up toward my ears. I love the natural flush it gives me and the price is on point. 

So there you have it. I'm not the most put together mom out there for sure but this little routine is quick and easy and makes me feel less of a hot mess. Hope your weekend was amazing! 

The Diaper Bag

When you're a first time mom you get all these baby things at your shower. Then you're supposed to figure out what to do with them all. And then once you sort of understand what's what, there's the part about choosing what to pack in the diaper bag. That is, after you've finally looked at so many your eyes are crossed and just picked one. I think this is one of the most stressful tasks as a new mama and one that is often forgotten about until it's time to take the baby out for the first time. Cue the chicken running around with the head cut off. At least that was me. I had it all perfectly packed for the hospital but for everyday use, well, I had to just wing it as we scrambled to get out the door for Fallon's first doctor's appointment. Maybe you have a better handle on this whole mom thing but just in case there's anyone out there like me, I thought I'd share what's currently in my diaper bag. 

Your diaper bag is going to replace your purse and go everywhere with you. So you better really love your new BFF. I actually chose this Jujube B.F.F. bag because hello, stripes, but it's also entirely machine washable. Did I mention the stripes? Zero complaints. But a girl could use an extra just to switch things up, right? I received a Fawn Design bag for Christmas and I've been loving it. The Tote Savvy mini organizer fits right inside to give all our crap some semblance of order. 

You're probably sick of me talking about my Solly baby wraps but I love them so and always have one with me as well as a lovey and my nursing cover. 

Fallon is teething like crazy, those bottom teeth will be here any day now, so we bring along Sophie (mold schmold) and a teething necklace if I'm not wearing one already. And we gotta have a spare pacifier in case little girlfriend manages to toss hers, clip and all, across the parking lot.

We've entered the world of finger foods so I keep puffs and/cheerios in my snack container but just in case we're running late for lunch I also have a puree pouch and a spoon.

Of course diapers and wipes are always stocked plus Boogie wipes, a Tide To Go pen and lip balm for mama. Sometimes I'll throw in a Clif or Think Thin bar, extra toys/teethers and a change of clothes for Fallon depending on where we're going and how long we'll be gone. Thank goodness both of my diaper bags have the option to be worn as a backpack because they can get heavy!

What's in your bag?

Best Baby Gear

It's Friday eve!!! My baby girl is now more than half a year old and the time has flown by right before my eyes. I remember a year ago I was researching products and planning my baby registry and it seems like just yesterday. It was exciting but oh so overwhelming. I was relying on other moms to give me advice and recommend all their favorite baby things. So today I thought I'd pay it forward and gather up some of the baby items we love up to 6 months. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again and again. I could not live with any amount of sanity without my Solly wraps. I used my first one so much I bought a second one. They're wonderful to carrying around a sleeping newborn but have served me just as well for a 16 lb teething 6 month old who does not want to be put down. My arm muscles are forever grateful.

An infant tub is a necessity and there are so many to choose from. We decided to go with the Puj tub and have zero regrets. It cradles baby comfortably, allowing her to be in the water safely and makes it an easy solo job. The best part is that it folds right up flat for traveling or just going to grandma's house. 

Fallon is one of those kids that rarely wants to be put down but she does loves a good workout in her Fisher-Price Rainforest Jumperoo. We broke this bad boy out as soon as her feet could touch the ground and never looked back. The incessant noise it makes is nothing compared to enjoying that morning cup of coffee unattached. 

Another nifty little invention is the play gym. We actually have both the Fisher-Price Kick and Play Piano Gym as well as this wooden one. The piano gym is on our main floor and we've used it to lay Fallon under since she was probably 6 weeks old. The piano at the end can be flipped up to play from a seated position when your babe hits that milestone. The wood gym is in Fallon's room and I like that we can change out the toys that hang from it because miss Fallon gets bored quickly. 

The DockATot is one of those baby things I sincerely wish they made for adults. It's so easy to move anywhere in your house for baby to sleep in and the cover is removable for washing. I've already gotten double the use out of ours because Beau sleeps in it while Fallon naps in her crib. 

If you plan to give your baby a pacifier, do yourself a huge favor and get some clips. Babies are always spitting them out or dropping them and my goodness the you throw I pick it up game could go on all day. We love all the cute options from Ryan and Rose and Fallon loves being able to put her pacifier in all by herself. 

Whether you plan to breastfeed or not, the Boppy pillow is awesome for babies. Aside from using it as a nursing pillow, it's an extremely versatile item. We've used ours for tummy time, as a baby longer and most recently as a safety net around Fallon as she's learned to sit up on her own. 

I'm not being compensated in any way for listing these products, I just truly love them and believe they're wonderful for little ones and hope you will too!

Confessions Of A SAHM

No baby is truly easy. Some are just easier than others. It all depends on your experience, the baby's personality, the parent's personality, the situation ect. Babies are completely dependent on their caretakers. They're basically adorable parasites. Really you shouldn't compare your kid to any other kid, not even siblings. But we all do it, usually unintentionally, so you can gage how easy your kid is in the grand scheme of things. 

My kid is difficult. Really difficult. There, I said it. 

It's been a few years but I've cared for a lot of little ones throughout my babysitting days. Recently my friends all started having kids and I even care for one 3 days a week so the full spectrum is at my disposal for comparison. You could argue that I'm being dramatic, my expectations are too high as a first time mom, I'm overwhelmed by being a SAHM and inexperienced having a child of my own. All of those things are partly true. But I'm not overreacting. I'm with my baby 24/7 and I know her better than anyone. 

Some kids are difficult in the sleep department, some have trouble with feeding, some want all the attention and some just want mama. And then there's Fallon. She's strong willed, stubborn and smart as hell. She's demanding, dramatic and intense. She's sassy, sweet and oh so curious. This is her personality. And I wouldn't change a damn thing about it. But oh dear Lord does she drive me nuts. 

Until babies can talk their method of communication is fussing, crying or straight up wailing. Fallon typically likes to go ahead and turn the volume right up. She doesn't mess around. On a typical day she screams like a bear is after her at least 20 times. She's hungry, we aren't feeding her fast enough, she's teething, she's tired, she's bored, she needs her diaper changed, she doesn't want to get dressed, she hates tummy time, she's frustrated, she wants out (of the car seat, high chair, bouncer, ect.) and the list goes on. When she's happy, oh man is she HAPPY. The happiest baby there ever was. But finding what makes her happy is a full time job. 

Most days we are at home Fallon wakes up ready to nurse. If I don't come fast enough she wails. If I get her before she starts crying in her bed, she still wails because I didn't latch her the second I picked her up. On the days it's still early I bring her into my bed and nurse her laying down to take those few extra minutes to doze. Sometimes she'll doze back off with me, others she cries and we get up, because she's so over being in bed. Sometimes she'll play in her jumperoo while I feed the furballs, let the dogs out and make my breakfast. Other times I do it all with her on my hip. She wails if she's ready for her real breakfast aka solids and I don't have everything out fast enough. She even wails between bites because obviously I should be shoveling more food into her mouth as quickly as possible. Choking be damned. She wails during tummy time, sometimes immediately, to the point that she's red faced with a flow of tears. She wails after playing with the same toy for more than a few minutes, she wails because she's over all the toys, then wails because she's tired but wails harder because she fights naps. She wails to be held so much I seriously have the most arm definition I've ever had in my life. She wails while I'm trying to dress her and myself, she wails in the car and when she wakes up from a snooze in the car seat. She wails during diaper changes, when I won't let her have my coffee and when she wants me to stand up with her because I might as well be torturing her if I sit down. In short, she uses those little lungs an awful lot. 

If I'm lucky she now naps twice a day (praise God). But the timing and duration vary despite our best efforts to get her onto a nap time schedule. When she succumbs to sleep I HUSTLE to do all the things. Not much on the to-do list is accomplished when she's awake because I just can't do it all with a 16 lb baby and 1 hand. When Chris is home we tag team but since his job is outside the home, I'm the primary caregiver. Sometimes I'm already exhausted by 9:00AM. Some days we don't do tummy time. At all. Argue with me that my sanity is worth her laying there doing nothing but screaming. I dare you. There are so many days we don't change out of our pjs. You seriously might find me mopping the floors at 10PM because it's the only time I have to do it. When people say the dishes or the laundry can wait, I say they can't wait forever. 

Now that I've made it sound like my life is some kind of terrifying horror movie, let me go on. The truth is, being Fallon's mama is completely and utterly exhausting. It's beyond stressful and overwhelming. BUT, yes, here it is. I absolutely LOVE it. If I have to figure out how to do everything while holding her, so be it. If I have to go through every single toy we have, read every book, sing every song and ultimately let her gnaw on the car keys, I will. If she will only nap in my arms, nurse until she falls asleep or chew on my fingers because she's teething and nothing else will do, that's fine. I have a healthy baby girl. Sometimes the happiest baby girl. The baby with the big smile and the bright eyes at the grocery store because shopping is her favorite. Every day I get to wake up and be her mama is a good day, even if I don't remember that until it's over. It's always going to be difficult to be Fallon's mom, but it couldn't be easier to love her. 

When I'm at the end of my rope, ready to take off running for the hills, that's usually when the sweetest moments come. Some days my best is better than other days. Some days I remember to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer and then go get it to fold. Some days we get dressed in cute outfits and find somewhere to take a picture that makes it look like we totally have our shit together. Real life as a mom is a roller coaster. The highest highs and the lowest lows, laughing, screaming and hanging on tight through the tunnels and when everything flips upside down. It's a ride that scares me half to death, gives me the biggest thrills and makes me never want to get off. My baby might be difficult, but she's mine. And I will take all her wailing right along with her sweet giggles just as long as I get to be her mama. 

Adventures In Babysitting

When I tell people I babysit my BFF's son, who is 3.5 months younger than Fallon, most of them think I'm crazy. Well, that may be true, but having the closest I may ever come to twins a few days a week hasn't exactly been the shit show you might think.

Beau is a laid back, easy-going, go with the flow kind of kid. The yin to Fallon's yang. He lets me know when he's hungry, and recently, if his little gums are hurting. But he's a chill little dude most of the time. A sweet, snuggly little boy is the best kind of babe I could ask to babysit. And can we talk about those cheeks?! 

Sure, it's not always easy peasy making sure that 2 babies have all of their needs met and I feel like I'm giving each one the best level of care. But it's worth it. The interaction is great for them and they both really seem to enjoy babbling to each other and gnawing on each other's fingers. It's fun to watch and I love that I'll have all these pictures to embarrass them with as teenagers. 

Leaving your baby in someone else's care all day is a big deal. I'm humbled that my friends trust me implicitly with their son. The best part about your kid being with your friend all day is that you can ask for updates, pictures and videos any time! Truly I appreciate the faith in me to treat Beau like my own baby and give him the care he deserves. 

Our day starts around 6:30AM when Beau's dad drops him off on his way to work. Fallon wakes between 7-7:30  and I spend the early part of the morning feeding babies. We play before Fallon's first nap and then usually Beau falls asleep. More feedings, diaper changes and play time in the afternoon, lots of pictures and coffee for me, then second naps. Beau's dad gets off work at 3 and picks him up on his way home. Sometimes I can't believe how fast the day goes by, these cuties keep me busy! 

Sometimes you can find me nursing Fallon with one arm and feeding Beau propped up on my feet with the other. Sometimes I get the best arm workout I've ever had while carrying over 30 lbs of baby around my house to keep the peace. Sometimes it takes 7 times as long as it should to run an errand, partly due to all the attention 2 babies bring. But it's always the best job there is. 

Starting Solids

Just before Fallon turned 4 months old we started to notice that she was becoming interested in what we were eating. She would watch the fork go from the plate to the mouth and back again. During her 4 month check-up one of the first things we were asked is if this was the case. Apparently that's a big sign that baby is ready for food. Our pediatrician gave us the green light to start solids and we stopped for baby cereal on the way home. Silly me, I totally forgot we didn't have any baby spoons or bowls and no highchair either. But we were too excited to wait so Chris held her and I fed her rice cereal with a spreader out of a dip bowl. Parents of the year people. That's us. Hey, she didn't seem to mind. 

Everyone warned us that she would spit the food back out at us. It would most likely take several tries to get her to eat and she probably wouldn't even like rice cereal. Wrong on all counts. Really it went something like this. I put the spreader with a little rice cereal mixed with pumped milk in her mouth and she immediately made a funny face. About 2 seconds later she closed her mouth, worked her gums and swallowed. And then she opened her mouth again ready for more. 2 months later we have real baby spoons and a highchair and we've tried pretty much every food she's been allowed to eat. So far the only thing she spit out was spoonful of sweet potatoes but she later decided they're awesome and she loves them. We now await the 6 month appointment to expand her choices. 

We had discussed and would have liked to go the baby lead weaning route, giving her bits of what we eat as opposed to spoon feeding purees. But a 4 month old with no teeth who is clearly ready to ditch her all liquid diet doesn't have the option or (probably not) the motor skills. So after rice and oat cereal proved to be successful we moved onto mashed banana, avocado and sweet potato mixed with mama's milk. We've now been using squeeze packs for awhile since we often have to feed her on the go and I've also made my own purees. I'm clearly no expert and you might not even want to take advice from the mom who fed her baby with a spreader. Buuuttt just in case, here's a list of things to get you started. 

Bibs - Although other materials are easier to clean, soft cloth is much more comfortable for baby and you can use it to wipe her face

Spoons - I ordered these the day we started solids, ya know, to replace the spreader (eek). The colored part turns white to indicate if a food is too hot!

Highchair - I researched highchairs until I was blue in the face and couldn't believe how many mamas were loving this $20 pick. The price cannot be matched, it's easy to put together, lightweight to move around (or drag outside) and the whole thing can be hosed down if need be. Plus it doesn't look super babyish, which is just my style.

Go Packs - We have tried several different brands and these seem to be best for Fally's tummy. They also taste the best in my opinion. Yes, I try them all.

Wipes - I wipe Fallon's face constantly while feeding her in attempt to contain the mess so when she's finished I need something else to clean her face and hands. These are gentle on the skin and do the trick real quick.

Trays - If you decide to make your own baby food there are tons of simple tutorials out there (Pinterest is your friend) or you can really just blend stuff up (like me). Either way, these trays are great to store it all in 1 oz portions. I realize they're intended for milk but I'm all about items that have multiple uses. 

Happy cleaning, ahem, feeding!

Christmas 2016

Merry Christmas!!! I hope you all had the best day with your families and friends and some of you are probably still celebrating! There's this month long build up, all the anticipation and fun things leading up to the big day and then it's all over, just like that. Another Christmas in the books. But this year was so, so special spending it with our baby girl. 

Every Christmas Eve my parents host an open house for family, friends and neighbors. Honestly I probably enjoy Christmas Eve just as much as Christmas Day and look forward to seeing people I may not not have even seen since the party the year before. When my sister and I were little the party would end in the early evening and we would head over the river and through the woods to Grandpa's house. It was always one of Santa's first stops so we would walk in and see all the presents under the tree. We opened gifts, ate too many cookies and my dad would carry us half awake out to the car. This year we've resurrected the tradition for miss Fallon and let Santa know my parents' house should be one of his first stops. He got the message and apparently Fallon was on the nice list because she got a sweet little sack full of gifts. I'm already excited to see what he leaves in that bag for her next year. 

Christmas Day Chris and I used to run around all over town to spend time with everyone in our families. This year we hosted them all at our house for Christmas morning brunch and it was the best idea ever. We stayed in our pjs and opened presents while chowing down and Fallon took a nice long nap upstairs when she got tired. She was in such a good mood later on that we headed to my aunt and uncle's house so she could meet my dad's extended family. 

We've spent today playing with all Fallon's new toys and cleaning up from yesterday's festivities. It is so much fun to see her excitement and wonder and really I could play with her for hours. I don't wish her to grow up too fast but being able to interact more with her, teach her things and help her to develop new skills is amazing. We are so very thankful for the generosity of our families and friends but our greatest gift this year is having a baby girl to celebrate with. 

Holiday Hustle

When you're in a kid, the countdown to Christmas seems to take FOREVER. I remember my sister and I making those paper chains with red and green construction paper, hanging them up at our house and anxiously pulling one off each day. As the chain got shorter and shorter we got more and more excited. But when you're a kid, you get to enjoy all the magic this time of the year brings with none of the stress. I swear the older I get the faster Christmas comes each year and I never ever thought I'd find myself wishing there was just one extra week as we now have only days left until the big man in red flies his sleigh. 

Having a baby this year totally ups the ante. She's 5 months old so she doesn't understand who Santa is, she can't eat Christmas cookies and she only likes shopping because there's so many people to smile at. But I still want to do all the holiday things with her and show her those pictures of all the fun we had from her first Christmas. So we've gone to see lights and Santa, shopped and baked cookies, hosted a holiday brunch and watched all the Christmas movies in our festive pjs. I pretty much lost last week because I was feeling so crappy and now here we are, 5 days before Christmas and I'm suddenly in a panic over all the things I still have to do. Let the holiday hustle commence. 

Fallon's PJs / Bow / My PJs 

I've made my list and checked it twice, hopefully when it's over I'm still nice! Over the next 3 days I plan to somehow finish shopping, get wrapping supplies + wrap all the gifts, make more cookies (because someone whose name I will not mention ate them all), frost and decorate said cookies, complete 2 homemade gifts and prepare my house + food for Christmas morning when we will have our family over. Call me crazy but I think with a little help from the cookie monster, ahem, my hubby, a lotta hustle and a dash of some Christmas magic I'll get it all done. 

Anyone else wondering how Christmas snuck up so dang fast this year?!