Friday, November 4, 2011
5 months my little big girl
I cannot believe Noami is nearly 5 months already! She laughs, "talks", squeals, rolls all over, is sitting up by herself, getting up on all fours and rocking, scoots and sucks her thumb. I think the older babies get the more fun they are. I love that she recognizes me and squeals and laughs when I get home. She loves her daddy and grammy and her cousin Brooklynn. She loves watching other kids and thinks they are so funny. She is starting to hold her hands out and leans towards the person she wants to hold her. She grabs her socks, pulls them off and sucks on her toes.She will also attempt to multitask. When nursing she will try to suck her thumb or pull her socks off. She does that when she takes a bottle from daddy or grammy as well as trying to hold the bottle. Silly girl!
This is her little friend Calum! Isn't he cute?
She is so happy. "Mom look at my new trick!"
I love this picture so much of Naomi and Sean.
LOVE THE ERGO CARRIER! It is worth the money. If you are looking for a sweet deal on one check out babysteals.com. You will have to check every day to see if the Ergo is the steal of the day. When it does come up it is 50% of the regular price!
Thrush
Thrush. I hate that word! It is almost as bad as the word moist and steamy! When you use those words with certain other words it makes them totally gross!
So Naomi got thrush. She was smiling with her mouth wide open and I noticed white splotchies on her tongue. I immediately called her ped. and they I got in the next day. Thrush is a yeast infection in the mouth. It doesn't bother the baby unless it doesn't get treated right away. If you ever look up thrush on google they post super bad pictures of babies with thrush. It will only get that way if you let it go too long without treatment. Naomi's never got bad which I am SO glad about. It was more painful on me then her. The first couple weeks it was very painful to nurse and pump! They gave me Nystatin for Naomi's mouth. It took a month and a half to clear the thrush (a lot slower then if I were to use Gentain Violet) But with Nystatin it does not go into the babies blood stream. It just comes right out! I liked that about it. Naomi was such a trooper having to take the medicine 3 to 4 times a day. I also cleaned her toys and my nursing pads like crazy. When the thrush finally started going away she got a yeast rash on her bum. I got it to clear up with a water/vinegar solution I would put on her bum and let her air dry after every diaper change. I also let her play with out a diaper as long as possible. It did cause many messes but it was good for her bum and she loves to play naked. I never thought I would have to worry about someone elses bottom!
Naomi has been on 2 hikes so far and has done amazing! She loves to people watch and to look at the scenery. Don't be afraid to get out and do fun stuff with your baby. Sure they will cry and poop but that is what babies do! You don't to be stuck inside forever and get depressed! Take them out and show them what you enjoy! They just might enjoy it too!
So Naomi got thrush. She was smiling with her mouth wide open and I noticed white splotchies on her tongue. I immediately called her ped. and they I got in the next day. Thrush is a yeast infection in the mouth. It doesn't bother the baby unless it doesn't get treated right away. If you ever look up thrush on google they post super bad pictures of babies with thrush. It will only get that way if you let it go too long without treatment. Naomi's never got bad which I am SO glad about. It was more painful on me then her. The first couple weeks it was very painful to nurse and pump! They gave me Nystatin for Naomi's mouth. It took a month and a half to clear the thrush (a lot slower then if I were to use Gentain Violet) But with Nystatin it does not go into the babies blood stream. It just comes right out! I liked that about it. Naomi was such a trooper having to take the medicine 3 to 4 times a day. I also cleaned her toys and my nursing pads like crazy. When the thrush finally started going away she got a yeast rash on her bum. I got it to clear up with a water/vinegar solution I would put on her bum and let her air dry after every diaper change. I also let her play with out a diaper as long as possible. It did cause many messes but it was good for her bum and she loves to play naked. I never thought I would have to worry about someone elses bottom!
Senior portraits
month one of mother hood
I think the first month of parenthood has been the most challenging. Trying to figure out what is normal,getting the nursing thing down, getting used to a little person in our home, trying to sleep, ect. Since I had some tearing during Naomi's birth I had to stay down stairs as much as possible. Sean brought our bed into the living room and there I camped for a whole week and a half. I nursed her every two hours as recommended by my midwife (It helped get rid of her jaundice quick and helped her maintain good weight.)
I think if you are all alive by the end of the first month you are doing pretty good :) Naomi had pretty dark skin for a while, I think because of her jaundice, but it eventually lightened up and it has a nice olive tone. These are pictures of her at 3 days. Isn't she so cute and tiny?
I think what helped us get through the first month was the many people who came over and cleaned my kitchen, did laundry, brought us dinner and kept me company when Sean went back to work. Seriously DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP. You know, those people who say, "call me and I'll come over and bring you dinner or do your laundry." Take them up! That is what they want! Especially if you reward them with baby snuggles! My sister was amazing! When we got home a few hours after Naomi being born my sister lets us all sleep then arrived with an amazing dinner and cute clothes for Naomi! She came back 3 more days in a row with dinner and visits!
And it is ok to say no to visits! One of my best friends asked if she could come over the day after Naomi being born. I was already going to be having family visiting so I asked her if a later day would work. If they are a true friend they won't mind and will understand like my best friend did. It is so easy to get over whelmed with the people who want to come over and hold baby and it is easy for baby to become over stimulated so I would highly suggest keeping visits to a just a few people a day!
My niece holding her "baby sister cousin" as she calls her :) When Brooklynn found out I had a girl she said "Yay! I am so happy because boys hit." When she found out that we named her Naomi she said, "Nomi is hard to say so I will just call her Ella." Brooklynn had also told us the whole time I was pregnant that we were having a girl and her name was Ella. Brooklynn now calls Naomi "Beebee Meeomi." It's so cute!
This is Naomi in her newborn take home outfit that never fit :( Since she was almost 2 feet long all her newborn stuff was too short including this outfit! I just put her in it for a few pics!
These two pics we took on father's day! Naomi always wanted to look at us and was very interested in who we were :)
When Brooklynn met Naomi for the first time she just giggled and giggled :)
Now the matter of sleep. Does it even exist during the first month of parent hood? Naps do but I don't think real sleep does. Naomi was a pretty good baby from the get go but she had a rough time figuring out night from day. She was also getting over stimulated (we figured out) So when night time came she would sleep for a few hours straight then wake up and be crabby for a good 4-5 hours! I would pace the living room, or rock, bounce or dance with her (what ever the magical movement was) until the wee morning hours. It was a total bummer when she was finally asleep(so I thought) and I would slowly lay onto the couch only for her to immediately wake up and cry. We shared many crying moments together. After chatting with my midwife she suggested that Naomi was getting overstimulated and to start a bed time routine. We took her advice and started a routine. Bath(every other night) nurse, swaddle, prayers, bed. It did not work immediately but some time around 5 weeks it clicked for her. I think the warm bath was the trigger. She slept in a moses basket by our bed and would wake up 2 or 3 times to nurse between 7pm and 7am and would go back to sleep really well. What a relief!
I think what helped us get through the first month was the many people who came over and cleaned my kitchen, did laundry, brought us dinner and kept me company when Sean went back to work. Seriously DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP. You know, those people who say, "call me and I'll come over and bring you dinner or do your laundry." Take them up! That is what they want! Especially if you reward them with baby snuggles! My sister was amazing! When we got home a few hours after Naomi being born my sister lets us all sleep then arrived with an amazing dinner and cute clothes for Naomi! She came back 3 more days in a row with dinner and visits!
And it is ok to say no to visits! One of my best friends asked if she could come over the day after Naomi being born. I was already going to be having family visiting so I asked her if a later day would work. If they are a true friend they won't mind and will understand like my best friend did. It is so easy to get over whelmed with the people who want to come over and hold baby and it is easy for baby to become over stimulated so I would highly suggest keeping visits to a just a few people a day!
Now the matter of sleep. Does it even exist during the first month of parent hood? Naps do but I don't think real sleep does. Naomi was a pretty good baby from the get go but she had a rough time figuring out night from day. She was also getting over stimulated (we figured out) So when night time came she would sleep for a few hours straight then wake up and be crabby for a good 4-5 hours! I would pace the living room, or rock, bounce or dance with her (what ever the magical movement was) until the wee morning hours. It was a total bummer when she was finally asleep(so I thought) and I would slowly lay onto the couch only for her to immediately wake up and cry. We shared many crying moments together. After chatting with my midwife she suggested that Naomi was getting overstimulated and to start a bed time routine. We took her advice and started a routine. Bath(every other night) nurse, swaddle, prayers, bed. It did not work immediately but some time around 5 weeks it clicked for her. I think the warm bath was the trigger. She slept in a moses basket by our bed and would wake up 2 or 3 times to nurse between 7pm and 7am and would go back to sleep really well. What a relief!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Naomi's birth
I had Naomi all natural at a Cascade Midwives and birthing center. I had never even heard of a midwife or having your baby anywhere except the hospital till my sister had her baby Brooklynn there 3 years ago. I loved it when I was there for support during Alli's labor and instantly decided I was going to have my babies there as well. I would HIGHLY recommend for every pregnant lady to at least research and think about having a natural birth especially with a recommended midwife. Did you know that you have a 95% chance of having a vaginal delivery(with out forcepts,vacuum or episiotimy) when you deliver at a midwife center or a home birth? Pretty cool huh? Our bodies were made to make and deliver babies! I have learned from my experience that my body knows exactly what to do and when to do it without someone telling me. God is pretty much awesome!
On baby alf's due date(we did not know the gender of our baby) I had a check up. They checked me and said that baby was really low and that I would be having baby by the end of the week. Midwife Kyla asked me if I wanted her to do a membrane sweep. Since she was already in there I said yes. It was quick and painless and let me tell you... it worked! She felt a contraction while in and seriously I began feeling contractions after that. I went to work with Sean and felt contractions the whole time! Of course I texted all my family and close friends and called a few! I told Sean "we HAVE to go grocery shopping!" so we did. I had contractions all through FredMeyers which gave me some anxioty. We decided to relax the rest of the day because we were certain we would be meeting baby Alf the next day. We watched Mr.Bean all afternoon and all night. I think we picked Mr. Bean because it is funny and we thought something funny would keep my mind off of the contractions. I think it worked though I remember not really sleeping and asking Sean what time it was and it was 1230am so I think it worked! My sister texted me "I am straightening my hair so I am ready when you call me :)" Everything happened so fast for me but for Sean it dragged on and on. He was such a trooper and was so helpful! At around 4am Sean called Alli and all he said was "it's time" My contractions were so strong I couldn't do anything except deal with them. Once Alli came she sat with me through a contraction and said to wait to call the midwife till 5am. She let Sean rest too which I know he appreciated! When we called Kyla she listened to me through a contraction and told us to meet her in an hour at the clinic.
We got there a little after 7am. The room was warm and smelled yummy. They had soft music playing and the tub was filled with soothing hot water. I embraced Sean and started crying. "we are going to meet our baby." I said. It was a very special emotional time. When she checked me I was 7 cent. dialated which is where they want you when you come in. I was amazed that Kyla knew when to have me come in by how I sounded during a contraction. She rocks!
Here we are in between contractions. It was awesome! I got to eat and drink all I wanted. I labored mostly in the tub. I tried the ball but I hated it after the first contraction on it. Sean and Alli switched helping me so that the other could rest and eat. I especially needed some one to breath with me. For some reason it helped me to keep my mind on something other then the pain. The pain is so undescribable I won't even try. BUT it was worth it.(Seriously I think the worst part about having a baby is your stomach afterwards! It is the most gross and weird looking thing ever! Luckily it goes away after a couple weeks!) Pushing contractions had their pros and cons. Pros: it gave me something to do Cons: it hurt like heck! Baby Alf was born a little before 11am after about 5 pushes! She was crying and already holding her head up!
After lots of mommy snuggles Kyla asked "So who wants to know what this baby is?" And she showed us all "It's a girl!" My heart sang! A daughter of my own?! Oh what a beautiful gift from the Lord! I asked Sean "Naomi Alice?" and he said "Yes!" It was so emotional. Just amazing! I felt pretty good too! All the pain was gone and all I felt was joy. When it was time for me to get out of the tub Naomi got to snuggle with daddy and auntie alli
Once I was all taken care of I got to nurse her. It was challenging as neither one of us knew what we were doing but with the help of nurse Ana we got it down :) Naomi was 9lbs 1 oz and just as cute as could be :) It was the most amazing experience! I could not of done it without Sean, Alli, Kyla, Darlene, Ana and our classes at the Pregnancy resource center. I really believe that educating ourselves on childbirth and labor really helped us to stay calm and equipped us for this amazing event and partnering with people who had the same views on natural childbirth helped me to know that I could do it!
Here are a few more pictures from that day!
So was the pain worth it. HECK YES! A few hours of pain and look what I got? The CUTEST baby ever! I will do it again for sure! The next baby alf to be born we plan on having at home.
On baby alf's due date(we did not know the gender of our baby) I had a check up. They checked me and said that baby was really low and that I would be having baby by the end of the week. Midwife Kyla asked me if I wanted her to do a membrane sweep. Since she was already in there I said yes. It was quick and painless and let me tell you... it worked! She felt a contraction while in and seriously I began feeling contractions after that. I went to work with Sean and felt contractions the whole time! Of course I texted all my family and close friends and called a few! I told Sean "we HAVE to go grocery shopping!" so we did. I had contractions all through FredMeyers which gave me some anxioty. We decided to relax the rest of the day because we were certain we would be meeting baby Alf the next day. We watched Mr.Bean all afternoon and all night. I think we picked Mr. Bean because it is funny and we thought something funny would keep my mind off of the contractions. I think it worked though I remember not really sleeping and asking Sean what time it was and it was 1230am so I think it worked! My sister texted me "I am straightening my hair so I am ready when you call me :)" Everything happened so fast for me but for Sean it dragged on and on. He was such a trooper and was so helpful! At around 4am Sean called Alli and all he said was "it's time" My contractions were so strong I couldn't do anything except deal with them. Once Alli came she sat with me through a contraction and said to wait to call the midwife till 5am. She let Sean rest too which I know he appreciated! When we called Kyla she listened to me through a contraction and told us to meet her in an hour at the clinic.
We got there a little after 7am. The room was warm and smelled yummy. They had soft music playing and the tub was filled with soothing hot water. I embraced Sean and started crying. "we are going to meet our baby." I said. It was a very special emotional time. When she checked me I was 7 cent. dialated which is where they want you when you come in. I was amazed that Kyla knew when to have me come in by how I sounded during a contraction. She rocks!
Here we are in between contractions. It was awesome! I got to eat and drink all I wanted. I labored mostly in the tub. I tried the ball but I hated it after the first contraction on it. Sean and Alli switched helping me so that the other could rest and eat. I especially needed some one to breath with me. For some reason it helped me to keep my mind on something other then the pain. The pain is so undescribable I won't even try. BUT it was worth it.(Seriously I think the worst part about having a baby is your stomach afterwards! It is the most gross and weird looking thing ever! Luckily it goes away after a couple weeks!) Pushing contractions had their pros and cons. Pros: it gave me something to do Cons: it hurt like heck! Baby Alf was born a little before 11am after about 5 pushes! She was crying and already holding her head up!
Here are a few more pictures from that day!
Iv'e been gone...
Friday, November 19, 2010
Making new clothes out of old clothes
I made my 2.5 year old niece a dress out of her mom's old skirt and tank top. It wasn't very hard and turned out really cute. I just used a shirt that was one size too big for her as a guide(since she can't wear it till next summer) and off I went! It was really cool making something new out of something old. I think it will make a perfect summer dress for some pictures! I can't wait for her to wear it! I also made her a skirt from one of my old skirts. Repurposing/upcycling is really addicting!
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