Teething!

First of all. I started giving Nico solids the week he turned 6 months old. His teeth came in the same time. I couldn't give him teething biscuits or let him chew on any kind of food while he was teething because he might chew a piece off and choke. He started teething when he was 3 months old. Everyone told me he would get teeth any day but it took 3 months. He didn't suck on pacifiers and things, he chewed. He drooled and chewed on everything constantly. His favorite things were his blankets and my fingers, and his fingers. The week his teeth came in he started to get really fussy and wake up a lot at night. The two days before they came in it was impossible to keep him asleep. He would sleep for 20 minutes then wake up crying. I'd hold him for 20 minutes and back and forth we'd go for 2-3 hours. I did give him Tylenol every night to help him sleep. I didn't want to give him drugs but I got over it. Now, his second set are coming in. He is starting to have a hard time sleeping. Oh, and nursing! He wants to nurse a lot. Sometimes he will start and stop , other times he will want to stay on for half hour. It's so draining. I know how annoying it was to get my wisdom teeth in so I feel so bad for the poor kid. I'm so tired but I can't just leave him to cry.

  I randomly found a pacifier that had bumps at the base of the nipple, someone gave me as a gift. He never takes pacifiers but I was so desperate I gave it to him. He loved it. I can't find another one like it anywhere! But he likes Sophie the giraffe, most popular teether in history. It squeaks! Be warned. It doesn't bother my dogs luckily but it squeaks. I don't like things that make noise..

 My cousins bought him teething toys, he loves the one with the messager thing. He chews every part of this thing and you can put it in the fridge/freezer. Nico isn't a huge fan of cold things. He holds them so long they warm up in his hand before he starts chewing on it.

Then I found this raspberry at the store. Awesome sauce! We just bought a second one today. I think this one helps his gums the most. I don't understand why the whole thing has bumps seeing as the kid only has gums in the front. Hey, it works, he'll be quiet and chew on it in the car, in his high chair and it's great.

Baby Stuff

Everyone always says babies need a lot of stuff. Well, yes and no. I feel like they accumulate a lot of stuff. Yea there is stuff you need to prepare but people way over do it. Nico is 6 months old and I still don't have his nursery ready. Everyone will want and handle having a baby in the house differently. Some people want everything in case they need it. All babies like different stuff. Some will love swings, others will only want to be held. So I just waited. I waited until I needed something to buy it. I also do and did a lot of research before I buy anything. TheBump.com, Amazon reviews and buybuybaby.com and babiesrus.com reviews.

First of HAVE A BABY SHOWER! Do a registry, think about what you really need, don't just scan everything cute. AND remember you're having a baby, not a 2 year old. So all the cute toys and stuff....forget it. Only register for little baby things. People will buy toys and clothes so don't register for those either. Do stuff that will help, like the stroller, car seat, high chair, playmats...big stuff that people can buy as a group and will save you lots of money. I was sooo lucky and had two baby showers. I only now had to start buying clothes and not even many. My family bought a bunch of the big things for me so I was set. Nico is the first baby in our family in a long time so I really lucked out. Most friends and family can't do that but you will be surprise. People love to help out and love an excuse to go baby shopping.

I love buying 2 in 1 or convertible things. If it can serve more purposes or grow with baby, I'm hooked.
CARSEAT - I already mentioned my Graco travel system in my first post.

HIGH CHAIR-I started using my Graco DuoDiner high chair and love it. It can recline for infants, then sit up as baby grows. It's easy to clean and has 5 point straps so I don't have to worry about him getting out of it if I'm not sitting right next to him. It converts to a booster chair. One and done. I can use it early, just a few months old, and continue to use it until he can sit at the table.
   I don't think it really matters what kind you get. I picked mine based on the fact that it converts and the color. I preferred to have it machine washable. Make sure it has straps so you don't have to worry about them climbing out when they get wiggly.


ROCKER/GLIDER- I still don't quite know the difference and I don't think the companies do either. I was told rockers rock in an up and down arch and gliders just go back and forth but I've seen them labeled differently. YOU NEED ONE. You will spend a lot of time in a chair. Make it comfy. Also, you will be surprised to find out that you will want a straight backed chair. I sat in them and wanted to pick the most comfortable. I didn't buy one for a while because I couldn't find one that was tall enough to rest my head. I figured I'd be tired and want to put my head back in the middle of the night. I was using IKEA Poang chair when Nico came home but quickly got tired of that crap. I had to put two pillows behind me so I could sit up straight. Bouncing in the IKEA chair got old too. Well, now that I have one, Storkcraft Tuscany Glider, I know what's important. When you're nursing you need good posture, not only for the baby to latch correctly but also for your back, which will hurt. The Storkcraft chair came with a "lumbar pillow" that is very helpful so no matter what chair you choose you will need a pillow for your back. I used my Boppy pillow too under the baby. Think about where it will fit and what style you want. Doesn't matter if it rocks or glides. Oh, make sure you get a footrest, either the ottoman it comes with or buy your own if you don't have one. You will be much more comfortable with somewhere to put your feet.


BREAST PUMP - I can't live without my breast pump. Sucks but it's the only way you will get any break, ever. The doctor made me give formula to Nico the second day, they said he was dehydrated and I wasn't producing enough for him. I think they're all a bunch of dumb dumb heads but it got Nico used to taking a bottle from the start. I pump just about everyday so if someone wants to go do something, I can be down to roll. I have extra milk ready at all times. The electric ones are expensive but most insurance companies will actually buy you one, a good one. Our insurance let us pick which one we wanted and they reimbursed us! I bought a manual one that I can travel with. I have a Medela. Again,  don't think it really matters which one you get but you need one.

BOTTLES - There are so many!!! My pump came with 4 bottles so those are the ones I use and Nico took them so I didn't have to shop or anything else. Some babies are picky and you will need to buy different ones until they take one. I wouldn't register for bottles or buy any until you need them. But once you do, you will need a bottle brush and drying rack.

Diaper, wipes and more fun stuff to come

Being Pregnant Round 1

       So you're pregnant! Wonderful! Amazing! It's a gift, best thing ever! And I'm sure you feel like crap. I heard someone say that the best time of their life was when they were pregnant and I felt really bad for them. Their life musta sucked. Yes, being pregnant is a miracle and special time but it doesn't always feel so great. I puked everyday, twice a day, for almost 3 months. I was starving all the time, a special kind of starving that is reserved only for being pregnant, but the thought of putting food in my mouth made me nauseous. I ate crackers until I was dryer than the Sahara. I drank water until my legs were too tired to bring me to the bathroom again. I swear an angel was the only thing that kept my hand from hitting the 100th person to tell me that I was "glowing". I didn't feel like glowing. I felt like sleeping all day with my head near a toilet and a feeding tube so I wouldn't have to eat. AND the thought of labor terrified me. The thought that after I get through all this crap I still have to go through "the most painful event of a women's life". I wasn't really thrilled to be pregnant. Scared, yes. Confused about the whole process, yes. Excited, yes. Emotional, yes. Tired, yes. Every emotion at once because my hormones were out of wack....yes yes yes. I always knew I would have kids but I never imagined being pregnant. Never thought about it. Is that weird, idk, don't care but that's how I think. Would I go through it all again? Heck, yes. LOL
     I felt bad not feeling overjoyed at being pregnant. I felt terrible complaining about being sick when some women can't or have a hard time getting pregnant. But I felt how I felt. By the second trimester everything was different. I stopped being so sick, I was showing so people started being nicer to me. I bought maternity clothes so I was finally comfortable. (Not having to zip and button your pants is amazing.) I was ready to be pregnant, finally. I felt the baby moving. I finally felt like I was pregnant, not just sick and lazy. I could feel like it was all worth it. That something big was happening. The closer I came to my due date the less afraid of labor I became. Even when my belly got huge, I felt great. I still couldn't sleep well and got tired quickly but I was happy. I may have been a little moody but you'll have to ask my husband about that. Anyway, all that to say, it gets better. It's not that bad, you might even enjoy it at times and it's definitely all worth it. You'll never have the cutest baby in the world (cause that's mine) but you will be rewarded with a lil buddy that you'll love forever.
     So back to first trimester:
           1. If you get morning (afternoon/all the time) sickness, you should try everything everyone tells you that helped them. Everyone's body is different so different things will work for different people. You need to buy crackers, and fruit and PREGGIE POPS! Some amazing lady invented these candies that stop nausea. CANDY! yes FEEL BETTER by eating CANDY! So that was my favorite. There are teas and stuff but the candy was easy to carry with me. Always ready and worked. They're sour so if you don't like sour candy then don't get them but who knows your taste buds change when you're pregnant so may be try them anyway.
          Sometimes you have cravings for a reason. All I wanted in the beginning was fruit. Eat whatever it is that you crave. Just don't be stupid. Don't solely eat one thing or over eat. You crave ice cream, great so eat it. Don't think that you can eat milkshakes everyday and blame the extra weight on the baby. Everyone will know babies don't give you rolls! A milkshake now and then is fine. And think about what you're craving. If you want a milkshake then may be your body is telling you that you need more dairy or strawberries or whatever flavor the shake is. So make a yogurt smoothie or parfait or have a glass of low fat milk. You can satisfy the craving without gaining an extra 20 pounds.
           You need to take your vitamins, you need to eat better. Watch the caffeine! Won't make a huge difference now but was the baby gets bigger you will be able to feel what you're doing to the poor thing, Babies can't process caffeine the way you can. I drove from Michigan to Florida at 8 months pregnant. I drank sweet tea the whole day and loved it. The whole night and next day the baby didn't stop moving. I got really concerned until I realized how much sugar and caffeine I had poured all over the poor baby. I couldn't sleep and could barely sit down for 24 hours, I was so exhausted from getting kicked and punched. I learned my lesson and rarely have tea or coffee to this day.
    Side note: apologize to your husband in advance. You will get emotional and crazy and they are going to have to deal with it. Tell them to do whatever you want and thank you for carrying their baby.
     2. Buy the What to Expect When Expecting book. This was a lifesaver in the beginning. Reading has gotten me through a lot. When I didn't feel like anything was happening, I could look it up and read about what was really going on. When something weird happened I could read the book and read how I'm not the only one going through that. It's written in stages so you only have to read the chapter you're in. So one chapter is about your first month so you read just that. So it really takes 9  months to read the whole thing. So don't freak when you see that it's 400 pages.
      I also read everything my friend gave me. She had about 5 different books. I read one just on breastfeeding cuz that was a strange concept. I'm so glad I read so much before I had the baby so I felt prepared to deal with whatever came my way. I still read whenever I can but you will have no time to read for the first month. So don't put it off.
     3. Get the I'm Expecting App. Similar to the book. Tells you how far along you are, what the baby is doing and what may be going on with you at the time. Again, reassuring to know that there is some uniformity to this whole crazy system.
      4. Find a friend/relative someone who you can talk to about ANYTHING. Talk to them. You need a support system, especially after the baby is born but now too. You need to be able to complain to someone other than your husband who will get tired of it quickly. You need to just cry sometimes even though you have nothing to cry about and just get all the crazy out on someone who is willing to just listen and agree with your emotional fat self wihout calling you fat and crazy.
     5. Suck it up and buy maternity clothes when you're too big to fit your jeans. Don't wait until you loose blood circulation to your legs. You will be more comfortable and you won't look like you have a crazy muffin top. Everyone will thank you. BUYING BIGGER SIZE IS NOT MATERNITY. There are cute maternity clothes. Buy at least 2 jeans and 3 shirts to start and buy as needed from there. Don't believe in preggie underwear. Yes, yours will not fit and you will be uncomfortable and not be able to figure out why your underwear don't fit but they wont. I haven't found a solution to this besides not wearing any. I bought the preggie undies and they sucked. Old Navy has decent cheap maternity.
     6. You gonna get fat. period. It's gonna happen. If you gain the weight slowly and the way you're supposed to then it will be that much easier to loose after the baby. I can't stress enough the importance of safe exercise and if you know me you know I don't ever say that! I regret not doing more ab and kegel exercises. Trust me, they're important. This doesn't mean you should diet. Don't do that, you  having a baby, don't starve it. If you're worried about your weight, talk to your doctor. They'll tell you exactly how much weight you should gain, how and when. Not that hard.

Ok, I'm tired. Going to bed.
   

First Baby

Since some people are worse at using their phone than me, I've decided to blog. This way I can say I've done my best to pass on all the info that I've been trying to get to them without actually having to contact them. (Also, having a baby and being sleep deprived has wiped out my memory so I might need my own advice when baby #2 comes along)

That being said this blog will be random. Mostly because that's the way my brain works. I will write about all the stuff that comes to mind until the baby wakes up or I stop remembering what I wanted to write about. I wanted to start with pregnancy and work my way up to current 6 month baby but that would've required me to start blogging when i was pregnant. I also wanted to blog in the blog space I already had but I couldn't get into it because i couldn't remember my password. (Story of my life)

I'll start with stuff I have that I love and want everyone else to buy:

TOYS:

    1. Oball - they're awesome. Easy for baby to grab, no way they can hurt themselves or others with it. They can try to chew on it but it's almost impossible for them to actually get it in their mouths. Has entertained Nico for hours. I leave it in his crib so sometimes he can play with it when he wakes up in the morning before fussing to get picked up. I can put it in his car seat on links so it doesn't fall on the ground. He can play with it with his toes. It's easy to clean. Just great. Some of them have rattles which would be fun but I like the quiet one with no rattle.


   2. Taggies - Nico, just like his mother and grandparents, is obsessed with tags. I put him on the bed this morning and he managed to find the pillow tag under the pillowcase. Two moms had similar kids and invented the Taggie company. They make toys and blankets with extra tags sewn on. My mom sewed extra tags on my toys when I was little so you can too but I received a stuffed pirate dog toy and blanket as gifts and Nico LOVES them. He smiles every time he sees the dog and will spend a lot of time finding the different tags and playing with them. Great idea. Go Moms





CAR STUFF:

   1. CAR SEAT - I have the Graco Modes travel system. I chose it because at the time it was the only one I could find that the stroller turned into a frame for the infant carseat rather than placing the infant seat on top of the toddler seat. It is lighter this way and you get to save the toddler seat for when he's big enough to use it. I don't see the point in carrying around the toddler seat all the time when the baby is in the car seat. If you don't get what I mean then look around at strollers next time you're at the mall or a baby store. Down side is without the opposite facing toddler seat cover there is no way to fully protect baby from sun or rain. That really stinks. I had to buy a fabric cover and even that is disappointing because it just lays on top of the seat and the wind blows it out of place constantly. It's also hot to keep Nico covered for long periods of time. Still need to come up with a better solution for this issue. Second problem is the Modes stroller is a little beefy and hard to maneuver. I don't know that I would trade it for anything else because I love the Click Connect System and everything else about it. So easy to fold up and unfold. It has a good amount of storage underneath. No other issues.
   I would recommend thinking hard about what you are going to use the stroller for before you start shopping. There are so many choices and options it's best to have a list of "must haves" before you even start. Do you need a cup holder? Does the baby need a cup holder? Will you be in tight spaces most of the time and need a narrow stroller? Do you care if you can jog with it? Do you really jog or just wishful thinking? How many strollers will you need?

***UPDATE: Now, at 7 months, I wish I would have just gotten a car seat and frame. I don't regret getting the travel system and I do use both the car seat and toddler seat now but the stroller is a bit bulky and difficult to maneuver in tight spaces. The Modes stroller was one of the first to be a "frame" stroller but Graco also sells a simple frame on it's own. It's lighter and more narrow than the Modes stroller. If I had a "do over" I would buy a car seat and frame and a separate toddler stoller. I'm currently looking into buying a second stroller. So far I like the Kolcraft Cloud the most. I wish we lived close to a buy buy baby so I could go in a see different strollers. My top features are lightweight, large shade cover, simple and flat fold (I don't want it to take up my whole trunk), kid and mom trays (kid tray helps keep baby from falling forward and mom tray gives me somewhere to put my keys/wallet/phone since i rarely carry a purse or baby bag into the store).

   2. WINDOW SHADES - I live in Florida and have tinted windows. I thought that would be enough but no. I have to use the cover on the car seat and angle the fabric one I bought to try and keep my baby from getting sunburn. Or at least I think he will get sunburn if he spends more than 5 min in the Florida sun even through tinted windows. I finally bought the sun shade. I definitely recommend buying one or two but I can't say that I am in love with the one I bought. The eddie bauer set of two from target. The first one had a misshapen suction cup and wouldn't stick. The second works so far. My windows are not perfectly rectangle so the shade can only block the square that it is. I refuse to buy the static ones because I hate seeing people with bubble windows. Like a bad tint job. I will not have a bubble window. I'd rather tape black construction paper to my window. I have to get back there while someone else is driving so I can really see how well the shade works.
   3. BABY MIRROR - must buy this!  I wish I would have gotten it when Nico was 3 weeks old. Warning: You have to remind yourself that you are still driving and can not watch your baby in the mirror. It is for checking on him/her or to look at stop lights. I would've been too distracted to have one of these when baby was younger than 3 weeks. I would've been watching him the whole time. Driving was my first experience trusting that he was ok even when I'm not watching. It was good for me to focus on driving and allow myself to ignore baby for the 10 minute car ride. It was also the first time I had to let him cry. Painful process but it was much needed. I still rarely let Nico cry for anything but at least I know I can and it will be ok. The mirror allows me to see if he's sleeping, if he's choking when he's coughing, if he's crying because he lost his toy or because something is really wrong and most importantly it allows for a great game of peek-a-boo when I stop at a light and turn around and he can see my face!
   4. CAR ORGANIZER - I recieved a full out back of the seat organizer and a simple diapers/wipes holder. The simple diaper/wipes is amazing. I have a hatchback so I hang it over the backseat head rest. When I'm in a pinch and need to change a diaper I open the trunk and have everything I need without having to dig through the diaper bag. Also handy when you forget to restock your diaper bag. You can always run to your car and have a back up supply. Just remember to replace diapers as baby grows. I think the full out organizer will be useful when Nico gets to be older and needs toys, snacks and games to occupy him but for now it's in his bedroom closet.


HOUSE STUFF

  
1.. BABY MONITOR - I actually got mine free. Toys R Us who never has good deals (or I always miss them) gave a monitor free if you bought $150 of stuff. We went in to buy a pack n play which was $140, the lady told us about the deal. So we bought something else small and got the free monitor. It wasn't the one I wanted but hey who cares, it was free. We planned on selling it (it's worth at least $100) and buying the one I wanted but we never did. I use it now. The battery lasts 5 minutes so we have to keep it plugged in but now I just use it to hear if he's crying.

SWINGS - I registered for this one Graco Duet Soothe Swing & Rocker....guess why.... it's multipurpose! My favorite thing. The seat is detachable..awesome...and is a rocker on it's own. Sweetness! I never got so I have no idea how well it works. Nico always wants me to walk around with him, even if I think he's sleeping and I try to rock him in a chair, he will wake up and cry. I like to imagine that he would sleep well in a swing or rocker but I have neither and I survived. So another thing that would be nice but you never know if it will work for your baby and you can survive without one.

PACk N PLAYS- MUST MUST MUST BUY ONE!! I didn't have a crib until Nico was almost 6 months old. He slept in my room next to the bed in his pack n play. I wouldn't have done it any other way. He still sleeps in there. He naps in his crib but I'm too lazy to wake up in the middle of the night and walk all the way to his room to feed him. IMPORTANT: know what you need from a pack n play. I needed storage because I didn't have a dresser or anything next to it so I made sure the one I picked had room for diapers/wipes. You don't need a ton of storage, two spots will work. Nico preferred the newborn napper part to the bassinet until he was about 2 months old. He got too big for it. I think the slightly elevated position helped him sleep. MAKE sure the bassinet part is full size, not half. Your baby will grow and will need to sleep long way. Nico can't get up from his back or belly so I still have him in the basinet. I'm dreading the day when he learns to get up and I have to lower it. My back is not going to like that. I'll have him in the crib by then, may be.

BATH - I have two. Now that Nico can sit up he loves his whale tub. He can splash and it's not too big or small. He gets a lot of water out of the tub so I would not recommend bathing a baby in the sink. I put him in the shower and pull the curtain half way so he can splash as much as he wants. I drain it, soap him up, rinse him and done. I never liked the idea of sitting in the water while you wash up. Before he could sit up or when I'm in a hurry I use the Brica ComforTemp tub. He's really too big for it but I remove the bottom piece so the water can just run thru and it makes quick work of cleaning a sticky, sweaty baby. SIDE NOTE: babies are hella slippery when wet. You gotta be super careful when they're in the tub. Never ever let them go. Also, Nico's first few baths were with me when he was newborn. I sat him in my lap and filled the regular tub about 6-10 inches. I held him under the arms and let him float around a little. He liked it. I didn't want him to be afraid of the water so I made his first experience with me keeping him close. He loves baths now, doesn't mind splashing water in his face or anything.

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BABY CLOTHES -

    Nico was a summer baby so he was naked (with diaper) or in a onesie for the first 2 months. All I can say is you can never have too many onesies. Don't get attached to any particular one. It will be outgrown or stained before you know it. Now I use sleepers and onesies. I love being able to have sleepers with and without feet and short and long sleeves. I can leave his feet out if it's cool. Long sleeves and feet on cold nights and short sleeves on warm nights. I like to keep Nico's legs covered when he's sleeping. Even though he's a hot baby and it's always warm here. I still keep him mostly covered at night. If I leave him in a onesie to sleep then I make him wear a sleep sack. Basically a wearable blanket. You can buy them in fleece or cotton. I had to get over my fear of baby sleeping with blankets when we visited Michigan for Christmas. It was so cold I had to wrap him in two blankets and place him on a fleece. I barely slept the first night, thinking he was going to pull one of the blankets over his face but he never did. The sleep sack is a great invention. Eliminates that fear. Anything that can  give you peace of mind is worth it's weight in gold. If you only buy clothes with snaps then you will hate snaps and go crazy. Vise versa with zippers so make sure you buy both so when you swear you will never snap another snap in your life, you will have zipper sleepers to put your baby in until you get over it.

   I prefer to use blankets rather then adding layers. It's easier to throw a blanket over him in his car seat then have to take him out to put a hoodie on him when we go out to eat and the restaurant is freezing. I have it easy, the biggest decision I usually have is whether to put on pants or shorts over the onesie. I always pack the one I don't put on baby.
  BIBS - these are a must. I hate keeping up with them but it's either  wear a bib or be wet and sticky. There is no bag big enough to store all the shirts you would need to keep a baby clean and dry. Little babies need soft small bibs and yes there is a difference. Some have a plastic back, those are for teething (drool) and eating. When the baby is newborn you just need a few soft bibs on hand at all times. One will last you a while but not all day. As baby gets older they have a little more control so they can stay clean a little longer. Then they start to teethe and you will need bibs again. I put a clean diaper and clothes on Nico just before I put him in his car seat. I put a bib on as soon as I get his shirt over his head. Without fail he spits up on fresh clothes. So it goes diaper, shirt, bib, pants, carseat. I also make sure the bib is under the straps of the seat so i don't have to worry about him chewing on it or him crying during the ride because it somehow got stuck over his face and he can't see. If someone will be sitting in the back with him then I leave it on top of the seat straps because it will keep his shirt and the straps clean and possible save his pants.

Okay, I have so much more to write but it's way past my bed time and the baby will be waking up in an hour. That leaves me 5 hours, hopefully 4 unbroken hours, of sleep. This blog thing might be the end of me. You should feel lucky that I'm sacrificing my sleep for you.