New Baby Must Haves!

My cousin is expecting a baby in July. While talking to her this past weekend, I pulled out Gripe Water to help get rid of Maggie's hiccups. We also talked about Mylicon drops. She looked at me and said, "Why did you not tell me about all of this with Hailey?" I laughed and said, "You had the first baby. I didn't know about any of it." So it gave me the idea to share some of the things that I have really found useful with both girls. Here are a few of my favorite things where babies are concerned!

1. Gripe Water: I heard of gripe water with Sophie and tried it, but didn't have much luck with it. It didn't help her so I just kind of dismissed it. Maggie has been totally different. She gets hiccups all the time. A blogger friend, Emily Parker, suggested Gripe Water. I was desperate and gave it a try. It worked instantly. When she gets hiccups, I just give her a little and it almost always knocks out her hiccups. It is a miracle drug!

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2. Mylicon: I love Mylicon drops. I like that it kills the foam in formula and I feel like it does help their tummies with gassiness. With Sophie I used the Target brand and found they worked a little better than the name brand kind. With Maggie I have used the Equate brand and they work great! Why pay more for just a name?

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3. A good diaper bag: I totally recommend finding a diaper bag that you love. Shop around and don't just go for looks. Look at the function of the diaper bag. I really shopped around for a diaper bag this time and ended up going with the same bag I had with Sophie. I got a Kalencom. I love their bags! They clean easily and have plenty of space. Zulilly will occasionally have a sale on them and you can get them cheap! I also love the SkipHop diaper bags. You can find them cheaper on Amazon then on their actual website. They also carry them at Babies R Us and I saw one at Ross the other day. They are really cute, coated for easy clean up and have lots of space. Find one that fits your needs and go with it!

                                                     Skip Hop                                     Kalencom

4. Rock N Play Sleeper: I highly recommend the Rock N Play sleeper by Fisher Price. This is what we got for Maggie to sleep in and she seems to really like it. It is angled which is great since she has reflux issues. She sleeps in it pretty good, but she is a grunty baby so it is hard to tell how soundly that really is. They are reasonable in price as well. They are also really easy to travel with because they are light weight. Glad my step-mom got this for me! There was a recent recall on these that said mold grew between the padding and the seat. I can see where this would happen if the child had an accident and you didn't clean the cover and let it dry. We have had no issues so far!

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5. Breast Pump: I have tried to breastfeed both of my girls. With Sophie I ended up pumping. With Maggie I breastfed until we got home and then switched to formula. If you choose to pump, you need to invest in a good breast pump. I highly recommend an electric one because the hand pumps are time consuming and I don't think they work as well. My step-mom had purchased one for my cousin so I just used it. It is a Medela and it worked great! I would also recommend investing in the bra for hands free pumping  Holding the bottles while you pump really ties you down. Target has a good variety of Medela products and they carry a lot of them in the store. A few more things I recommend if you decide to pump or breastfeed is lanolin cream for your nipples, hydrogel pads (water based are best and only use for 48 hours), and the nipple shields (for when you can't use the hydrogel pads anymore). There are also other accessories out there. 

                         

6. Bouncy Seat: We have a Boppy Bouncy Seat we used with Sophie that we use with Maggie as well. It is great for propping her up and for moving her where we need her (at the dining table, in the bathroom, etc.) Definitely get one!

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7. Boppy Pillow: These are great for a lot of things. We used it to prop Sophie up while we got ready in the morning. We used it for tummy time occasionally  We used it for feeding her (its real purpose). They are great for a lot of different things. I do not recommend leaving your child sitting in it unsupervised or for extended periods of time. We have used it for Maggie some, but I know we will use it more the older she gets.

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8. Cloth Diapers: No, not for diapering, for burping! I have a stack of all kinds of cloth diapers that I used around the house for burp cloths. I save the cute one for when we go out. They are great for feeding and if they are a little stained, who cares? You just use them around the house, right? I have a ridiculous amount of them from Sophie and I bought a pack with Maggie as well. I go through four to five a day. It gets spit up on it or milk, in the clothes hamper it goes! I highly recommend getting some of these.

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9. Carseat Canopy: This is something I wish I had with Sophie! It is like a tent that goes over the baby carrier. It is great for the doctor's office and other places you are worried about germs getting in or when it is cold. You can make your own (I found several tutorials) or buy one at carseatcanopy.com.  I bought one and then had one given to me as a shower gift. Sometimes in parenting magazines, you can find a code to just pay for the shipping on one which is what I did. 

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10. A&D Ointment: I still use this on Sophie and she is potty trained. She gets irritated once in awhile and this clears it up instantly! Get the ointment not the cream. I had a doctor tell me this. He said it worked better than any cream out there and so far it has!

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11. Orbit Labels: I highly recommend these if you are sending your child to daycare or even for the church nursery. These are little rubber bands that have your child's name on them. I had these with Sophie and I am ordering some for Maggie as well. You can order these from inchbug.com. I love Inchbug! They have all kinds of neat things. I highly recommend their website!

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12: Gowns: I love gowns for babies! They are so easy in those first weeks when you are changing diapers every 10 minutes. No snaps and it keeps them covered! Maggie's doctor at the hospital said she loved them because of their ease as well. Sophie lived in them and Maggie does too for the most part.

This is one of Sophie's old gowns from Old Navy! I think she looks like a caterpillar!

13. Quick Clean Micro-Steam Bags: I LOVE these bags! They are great at sterilizing and they are super easy to use. They are made by Medela, but there is also a Munchkin kind for cheaper. I have used both and they are the same. You wash your bottles and nipples or your breast pump equipment and put it in these bags with a little water and sterilize them in the microwave. You get 20 uses out of each bag. So great!

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14. Graco Electric Nasal Aspirator: (I don't want to end on 13...he he!) This was suggested to me by a doctor when Sophie was really sick and had a very runny nose! It is super easy to use and really gets out the crud. Sophie wasn't crazy about it, but Maggie doesn't seem to mind and it kind of vibrates which causes them to sneeze which definitely gets the yucky stuff out! I would definitely get one!

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Here is my list of essentials! I could go on and on! I have my opinion on bottles and pacis (I use Avent for both) and diapers and wipes (I use Pampers Sensitive), but that is something you need to decide for yourself at what works for your baby! I hope this helps all my new mommy friends!

January 4th: The Day Our Miracle was Born!

I have gone back and forth about writing Maggie's birth story because a) I feel that sometimes we put too much out there that should be private. That is not directed at anyone specifically. I have been told that I share too much at times. That is one reason I have struggled with this post. b) I have a lot of friends right now who are expecting and I don't want to freak them out because Klint and I were shocked after her birth. I really don't want to scare anyone else.

I guess I should preface my story by saying that Maggie was my second and second babies tend to go a lot quicker. Where Sophie took me from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to have, Maggie did not. Here is her story...

From the beginning with Maggie I made it clear that I did not want a man to deliver me. I wanted my doctor who I had seen the whole time. I knew that if it happened naturally I was in for whoever was on call, but I had hoped we could induce again and I would have my doctor. It worked out that is exactly what happened. I chose to be induced on the 4th so I could have who I wanted deliver me. I know that may seem silly, but with Sophie, I had a male doctor who I was not happy with. He didn't let me get loud at all in my pushing. He wouldn't listen to me when I tried to adjust my position. It was just horrific. I didn't want that experience this time.

Up to my induction date, Klint and I traveled to Valdosta. We knew we were chancing it, but Tifton is only 45 minutes away. I was sure we would be fine to make it back. Ha! If I knew then what I know now, I would not have chanced it.

We went in at midnight on the 4th. I was a nervous wreck. Sophie was with Klint's mom and I just wanted to cry the whole night. The feelings of her not being the only one anymore and what if something goes wrong, all of it just had me on edge. 

39 weeks with Maggie!

39 weeks with Sophie!

They checked me in and I had to be monitored for an hour before they would insert a pill to help progress my dilation. When I went in I was almost 3cm. After my hour of being monitored they inserted the pill. I had to lay flat on my back for an hour which was torture!!! The beds are so uncomfortable and my back was killing me. As soon as my hour was up, I flipped to my side. I could tell I was having contractions, but they weren't too bad. They came in to check me to see if they needed to do another pill. I was a full 3cm almost 4cm and thinning. They decided to wait until 5:00 to do another pill. After suffering through an hour of laying on my back again, I finally flipped to my side and dozed off. At 8:00 the doctor came in. She checked me and said I was 4cm, almost 5cm. She wanted to go ahead and break my water. I asked for one last potty break before we went forward. I remembered with Sophie that once they broke my water, my contractions really got to rocking so I wanted to be ready. They broke my water at 8:02 and within 10 minutes I was contracting pretty good. I told Klint to get the nurse to start my IV so I could get my epidural. They came in and started it and the contractions got worse and worse. 

After about three more bad contractions, I told Klint I really needed to push. He told the nurse and she checked me. I was at 7cm. She called the doctor to see about my epidural or some kind of IV meds. I had a couple more contractions. At this point I looked at Klint and said, "I'm not going to get an epidural." He tried to reassure me I would, but when he looked at the nurses they wouldn't meet his eyes. He pretty much knew I was right. Poor Klint! I felt horrible because I was trying to rip his hand off. The contractions hurt so bad! He said he looked down at one point during one of my contractions and his fingertips were purple! They probably should have x-rayed his hand after it was all over to make sure it was functional! Ha!

I told Klint I needed to push. I just felt like if I pushed I wouldn't hurt anymore. I never felt this feeling with Sophie, thanks to the epidural, and know this is why I ended up pushing for two hours to have her. The nurse checked me and she said she only felt my cervix on one side. They got the head nurse to check. She told me to push through the contraction. In the middle of it she looked at the nurse and said, "Get the doctor! I feel the head!"

My bed became a transformer and transformed into my labor bed! Pushing was great! Until the second round when I told the doctor I couldn't do it and she told me to focus and I could (my wimp out moment)! Let me stop right here and say, I am so glad that I chose to induce to have my choice of doctor. She was wonderful and it was a totally different experience then my first. She let me pretty much do or say what I wanted and she was so professional. She knew I was a worry wart and she made sure I had no reason to worry. Love my doctor.

At the end of my second round of pushing I noticed that Maggie's heart rate was dropping and it was taking its time getting back to normal. After my third round of pushing, the doctor told me that we had to get Maggie out. So we started our fourth round. It was so much easier pushing this time because I knew what I was doing. I could tell what was happening. I asked for a mirror, but they didn't get it in time. I pushed three times on my fourth round and the head was out. The doctor looked at the nurses and told them that she couldn't pull Maggie. Klint looked and realized the cord was around her neck and the doctor was having to hold it from squeezing her neck. During my last push I had two nurses help push because the shoulders were stuck. And with 20 minutes or so total of pushing she was here at 9:03! One hour and a minute after they broke my water! We were dumb to think we would have made it back from Valdosta if my water had broke! There is no way!

She came into this world weighing 9lbs. 8oz. and they measured her at 22in. long (but at the doctor last week she was only 21in. so we aren't sure how long she really was at birth). I looked at the doctor in shock. I couldn't believe I gave birth to that big baby without any drugs. I felt proud! I am pretty tough after all! (Even though I did apologize to the nurses for being a wimp and yelling. They assured me I did great and they said I didn't yell at all!) Here are pictures of Miss Maggie!

 

 

It happened so fast that there was no family there. They got to the hospital right as they took her to the nursery. I did get to see Sophie without Maggie in the room which was a big deal to me because I didn't want her to see me with the new baby and feel she was being replaced. When Sophie did see me she was scared because of the IV and she wasn't sure of the bed because of a bad experience in the ER and gluing her chin. As soon as she knew I was okay, she wanted to go back and see Maggie.

I was exhausted and Klint and I were both in a state of shock. We expected something comparable to Sophie's birth. This was so fast! I stayed sore for most of the day, but I did notice that I seemed to recover quicker with Maggie then I did was Sophie. I really feel it was because I didn't have an epidural this time. And for the few minutes of pain I had, it was well worth it to have a fast delivery and a quick recovery! 

Klint was a little dazed!

I had to do an hour of skin to skin with Maggie (this was something new). Before Klint took her to the nursery, he got to hold her for a little bit!

Announcing her arrival!

We felt so blessed that Maggie was here and healthy especially since she wasn't supposed to be here at all! She is our miracle (as is Sophie) and we can't wait to see what the future holds for her!

Our family of four!

It's that Time: New Year's Resolutions!

Okay, let's be honest....we all make New Year's Resolutions! Whether we write them down or just keep them in mind, we make them. I made several last year and I followed through on a lot of them, but a lot of them never even got wings! So a new year means a new chance!

I started my blog (well, restarted it) on January 22nd of this year. My first post was about my priorities and goals for my life and my family's life. You can read it here. I feel like I have carried through with a lot of theses goals and these are goals that I will continue to work on in the new year. Some of the other ones I had planned to do this year (2012) was to start couponing, organize our house, and start walking and getting in shape.

I did start couponing and do pretty good with it, but the big thing we did was to really start looking at the sales flyers and seeing who had the best deal on what we needed. This might mean that we go to three or four different grocery stores, but we get a better deal by doing this. I also started doing freezer meals, which wasn't on my list of resolutions, but it has been great! We throw it in the crockpot in the morning and it is ready that night! So easy!

I did some organizing in the house, but I really want to do more. I want to get our kitchen organized and there are other projects too. My husband wants to get the garage organized so we can pull the car in the garage again. I want that too. So this will be on the list again.

I did not start walking! I didn't really do anything to get in shape except try to watch what I eat and eat at home more. which did help with some weight loss. I am hoping after Maggie is born I can keep off the weight that I lost with her. (That sounds so weird to say!)

Okay, here are my new resolutions for the NEW YEAR!!!

1. Continue working on organizing the house! This may have to wait until after Miss Maggie is a little older, but now that Klint has a new job and has more time off, maybe some more honey-dos will get done and we can do projects together!

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2. Keeping the weight off after Maggie! I know it is so cliche to set a weight loss goal, but I am tired of talking about it and ready to do it! Something I am planning to try is trying to eat breakfast every morning. I have learned that when I do eat something in the morning, I don't snack throughout the whole day. Another thing is drink more water. I do drink water at work, but I have gotten in a bad sweet tea habit with this pregnancy. I know that will have to end! Bah!!!

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3. Keep working on our Total Money Makeover! Klint and I have discovered Dave Ramsey and we LOVE him! We have started really focusing on our finances and setting financial goals for us. We can already tell a difference in our thinking and spending and I am really looking forward to seeing where this goes. I highly recommend every couple reading this book no matter what your income or stage in life! The sooner you read it the better. We just finished reading The Total Money Makeover and we plan to start his Financial Peace book next. We have really enjoyed reading something together and discussing it as well. (This has helped my goal of having a happy marriage!)

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4. Decorate and paint our bedroom and bathroom.  Our bedroom and bathroom are the last two rooms in the house that haven't had much done to them! I would love to get them painted and decorated this year. Well, at least painted. I would also like to tackle the laundry room too, but we'll see. These are low priority and if they don't get done, I am okay with it! 

So there you have it! My resolutions for the year! May they inspire you to make your own known so that others may hold you accountable! 

Everyone have a happy and prosperous 2013!!!

Comparing My Girls...Update!

In early September, I made a post about the similarities and differences in my pregnancies. You can read about it here. I wanted to update since that was three months ago and a lot has changed in those months.

Similarities

• I have carried both of them the same way. It looks like a basketball is under my shirt and from behind you can't tell I am pregnant. The other day, while getting gas, a car full of men came by and cat called as my back was turned. I knew it would have shocked them if I had turned and not wanting to cause an accident I just ignored them. (Ha ha!)

Differences

• I have not gained as much weight with Maggie as I did with Sophie. I gained right at 20 with Sophie and with Maggie I have gained right at 10. 
• I have had swollen hands and feet with Maggie and I didn't really have that with Sophie. 
• I have had Braxton Hicks contractions with Maggie and I didn't with Sophie. 
• I put this in my last post, but I am still so much more emotional than I was with Sophie. I can be happy happy happy and then in an instant just want to cry!
• I reached the miserable stage with Maggie a little sooner than with Sophie. I have trouble breathing because Maggie is in my lungs and I have had the worst sciatic pain. 
• Maggie is measuring a little smaller than Sophie. They are predicting she may be a little smaller than Sophie which is fine with me because Sophie was a big baby.

I am anxious to see if Maggie shows up before her induction date of January 4th. I have a feeling she will and with Sophie I really didn't. We'll see!

Maggie's Nursery

Maggie's nursery is finally done....well, as done as it will be before her arrival unless I can squeeze in a few last minute crafting things. I also need to order some pictures for her room, but those aren't a necessity to her arrival. The basics of her room are done though and here are the pictures to prove it.

I went so bright with Sophie's nursery, I wanted to go a little more subdued with Maggie's. I found a shabby chic quilt set and I also went bumper free this time around. There are pillows in the crib, but we will take them out when she sleeps.

The pennant banner was made by my friend Chelsea for my shower. I thought it was a nice touch.

Curtains

I made the memo board. It is a little lopsided, but once pictures are on it, I am not sure you will notice. I bought the frames at Kirkland's for a steal and just glued ribbon to the back.

This was my mom's rocking chair she had with my sister. I need to retie the pads on it. We used this chair so much with Sophie. I know we will get a lot of use out of it with Maggie too. The two flowers above the chair are for two of my maternity pictures that I just ordered tonight. 

It is very simple, but I love it and I think I like it a little more than Sophie's nursery. I would like to find a rug for in front of the crib, but that can wait for a while.

 Now we just wait on Maggie!

Christmas, 2012

I haven't posted in forever...I have been a busy little bee getting ready for Miss Maggie, finishing school, and trying to get everything together for the Christmas season (which is very hard when you are over 35 weeks pregnant). Here is a run down of our Christmas!

On December 7th, we went to my Dad and Dee's house. I was 35 weeks that day! Talk about laughing in the face of danger. We opened presents with my parents and just had a good time being together as a family. On Sunday when we left, Sophie stayed for the week (Wow! That was a long week!). She did great...Klint and I, not so much! We were ready for our little girl to be home. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Loving on Nicole!

My new pots! I love them!

Sophie's big present from my Dad and Dee!

My dad has such a sense of humor!

The Monday after we left, I had a baby shower with my co-workers from school. It was a lot of fun and I got some really cute things. Maggie got a carseat canopy, a fur coat, a cute outfit and we got some gift cards! A sweet lady at work also got a gift for Sophie so she wouldn't feel left out. I work with the best family and girl could ask for. That following Sunday, we had another shower at church for Maggie. We got diapers, wipes, gift cards, a nice swaddle blanket, and my diaper pail. My friend Chelsea made a banner for Maggie for her room (pictures to come in my post on Maggie's nursery). It was a good shower!

School got out the 19th and we hung around and caught up on grocery shopping (and freezer meals) and finished Christmas shopping. On the 23rd, we made our Santa cookies. We have done this every year starting with Sophie's second Christmas. I have always struggled with the cookies losing their shape. This year I found a recipe on Pinterest and it worked. The link to the recipe is here. I do recommend you have plenty of time to make the cookies. I didn't read all the way through and you are supposed to freeze the dough for a little while and I didn't do this and it made my dough really sticky. I will do this differently next year. The cookies were really good though and held their shape. Here are some pictures from our baking!

37 weeks!

The belly gets in the way of everything!

 On Christmas Eve, we went to Valdosta to see my grandma and Klint's parents. I always love visiting with my grandma and my aunts because I feel closest to my mom when I am with them. My grandma gave us some homemade jelly, pecans, and box of sugar free chocolate (for Klint). She spoils us! We gave my aunts and grandma handmade ornaments with Santa on them. It was a Pinterest idea and I didn't take a picture, but when I get one I will post it. We then went to Klint's parents to open presents. Sophie got the castle she has wanted forever, the movie Brave (which we have watched all Christmas day), and other cute things. Here are a few pictures.

Last Christmas as the only girl in Klint's family and only child in ours!

Today, we stayed home, something we have never done on Christmas day in forever. But with Maggie's arrival looming in the near future we decided to stay off of the road (plus the weather is nasty) and have a family Christmas. I made ham, hash brown casserole, my mom's broccoli casserole and a pecan praline cake which was amazing (recipe is here)! We then took naps and just hung out as a family which leads me to here writing my blog. Here are some pictures from this morning.

She got her princess dress and...

She got her monster truck!

It was a good Christmas and we feel truly blessed this year! We can't wait to see what they upcoming new year hold and we have our fingers crossed Maggie is here to help us welcome it in!