9 Month Update

How do I already have a 9 month old?! He is growing so fast, like I say so every month. But really- 3 more months and I will have a one year old! What??!!

I have been doing some reminiscing. This picture was taken last November, when I was 7 months pregnant with baby William, we already loved him, even though we have not yet met him:

And our fall family picture this year, baby William is already 9 months old!

So yes, time does fly. We can all agree to that, the good thing is that we are the pilot of our life. So we can fly wherever and with whomever we want. 

Weight/Length: He is 27 lbs! 

New Milestones: William is an excellent crawler, he will follow his brother and sister anywhere!

He crawls up the stairs, he has even crawled on top of a kids chair and then proceeded to crawl on top of the kids play table! I am telling you, there is no stopping this guy. He thinks he can do wherever his big brother and sister do. 

He will walk around holding on to things, like a wall, sofa, chair. He has even started to stand on his own for a few seconds. 

Sleep: This is an area we are struggling in right now. He naps twice, sometimes three times a day for about 45 minutes. During night time, he has started tossing and turning a lot, not sure why- he used to sleep so well during the night. 

Eating: He is eating everything we eat during meal times, cut up into bite sized pieces. I am nursing him, and he now takes formula if I am gone- which is such a relief. That means I can be gone for more then 2 hours at a time. 

Clothing: He is already wearing 12-18 months clothing. 

Mood: He is a very happy baby when he is rested and fed when you are playing with him or carrying him around. As soon as he sees you, he breaks out a huge smile. I call him my little flirt.

loves:

• Chewing anything he can get his hand on.
• Bathtime! As soon as he hears the water in the tub, he comes crawling at lightning speed.
• Being Outside, stroller rides are a life saver some days. 
• He loves food, not purees, but real food he can pick up with his own hands. 

Doesn’t Love:

• He doesn't like diaper changes or clothing changes. As soon as I get him down on the pad or bed, he tries to get away. So I need to distract him with something or change his diaper on the bed or floor. 
• Socks. As soon as I get socks on his he will work on pulling them off. So I have socks scattered all over my house. 

• What I Want to Remember:

• How excited he gets when he sees me.
• His cute little teeth.
• How he loves his brother and sister, and will follow them around anywhere they go- they call him their little puppy. 
• How cute he is sitting all on his own and playing with his toys- well mostly chewing all his toys. 

Thank you so much for visiting. 

8 Month Update

I feel like I have not blogged in forever, which isn't exactly the case- but one month is a long time. 

I never intended to take a break, but with homeschool and life with three kids in general it seems that I never have any free time.  

But I figured I should at least get my little man's update up (even though it is 2 weeks late... oops)

 How is he 8 months old already?! 

It seems that he was just in my belly and now I have a little baby who thinks he is a big kid. I may be biased, since he is all mine, but I think he is the cutest little thing. He has the cutest smile and makes my heart smile just thinking of him. 

Weight/Length: He is 25.5 lbs. I am not sure how long he is (will need to wait for his next dr apt)

New Milestones: As soon as William turned 8 months, he started crawling with his belly off the floor. It's like something clicked, and shortly after he started pulling himself up on everything and waking around while holding on to things. 

He crawls up the stairs (with me behind him off course) I am telling you, there is no stopping this guy. He thinks he can do wherever his big brother and sister do. 

He now has 8 teeth, the last 6 came in at the same time around 7 months. Boy was he miserable. 

Sleep: This little guy started waking up more often during the night to nurse, which probably means he is going through a growth spurt. However, he now take at least 2 naps a day which lasts at least an hour, which is a relief, because during his morning nap, we do most of our homeschooling and during his afternoon nap I get dinner ready. 

Eating: He is still nursing every 1-2 hours. If I pump, then he eats more (4-5 oz) So he is able to go 3 hours. He is not interested in any food from a spoon, even things he used to like, like mashed potatoes, yogurt, apple sauce. Now he just likes to feed himself. So I try and give him whatever we are eating. He loves roasted vegetables, fruit, bread and lots of other things. 

Clothing: He is already wearing 12-18 months clothing. 

Mood: He is a very happy baby especially when you are playing with him or carrying him around. As soon as he sees you, he breaks out a huge smile. I call him my little flirt. When we are out and about, he locks eyes with someone and starts smiling and babbling. He loves attention. 

loves:

• Chewing anything he can get his hand on.
• Bathtime- He has discovered how to splash with his hands and feet.
• Being Outside, stroller rides are a life saver some days. 

Doesn’t Love:

• He doesn't like diaper changes or clothing changes. As soon as I get him down on the pad or bed, he tries to get away. So I need to distract him with something or change his diaper on the bed or floor. 

• What I Want to Remember:

• How excited he gets when he sees me.
• His cute little teeth.
• How he loves his brother and sister. He loves when they play with him 
• How cute he is sitting all on his own and playing with his toys- well mostly chewing all his toys. 

Here is my cute little bunch. They fill up my days with laughter, smiles, tears and tantrums:

Thanks for visiting.

Rita

7 Month Update

Baby William is 7 months old already! Its hard to believe that in less then 5 months he will be a year old already. Time is flying by and he is growing so fast. Somedays I still cannot believe that not only is he here, but he is already 7 months old! It feels like just yesterday he was in my tummy. It feels like he has completed our little family, we can not imagine life without him. 

Weight/Length:  He is a big boy! At his 6 month check up last month, he was 22 lb 8oz and 29.33" long, that is in the 100th percentile. I am not sure how much he is at this moment, it is probably a little bit more now. 

New Milestones: He is rolling over, turning around and scooting around the floor by wiggling and grabbing the carpet! He will get on all fours, but does not actually crawl yet.  He sits really well on his own now. He has learned how to walk on his walker really well, which means if he gets in a corner he knows how to back up and get out.  

Sleep: He still sleeps very well during the night and wakes up anywhere from 6:45-8am. He doesn't do so well with naps. Some days if I am lucky he will nap for an hour, most days it is just 20-30 minutes. I noticed that if I pump and give him 405 oz before nap time, he will sleep longer. 

Eating: He is still nursing every 1-2 hours. If I pump, then he eats more (4-5 oz) So he is able to go 3-31/2 hours.  
He was excited for solids last month, now he has no interest at all. He won't eat any mushed up food. He is more interested in big chunks of food like a whole strawberry, pickle, toast and such. 

Clothing: He is already wearing 12 months, although some 9 months fits yet is snug. 

Mood: He is a very happy baby especially when you are playing with him or carrying him around. As soon as he sees you, he breaks out a huge smile. However, he has been a little miserable because 5 of his teeth just came out. Poor little thing.

loves:

• Chewing anything he can get his hand on.
• Bathtime- He has discovered how to splash with his hands and feet.
• Playing peekaboo.
• Being Outside.

Doesn’t Love:

• He doesn't like diaper changes or clothing changes. As soon as I get him down on the pad or bed, he tries to get away. So I need to distract him with something or change his diaper on the bed or floor. 
• To be put in his crib. I used to be able to leave him in there to play for at least 20 minutes, now he starts crying right away. 

• What I Want to Remember:

• How excited he gets when he sees me.
• How he opens his little mouth when I kiss his face.
• His cute little teeth.
• How he loves his brother and sister. He loves when they play with him 
• How cute he is sitting all on his own and playing with his toys- well mostly chewing all his toys. 

Thanks for visiting.

Rita

5 Month Update

This little guy has mastered so many skills in the last month. Like rolling over as soon as he gets on a flat surface and discovering his voice. He will "talk" and scream with delight, pull his socks off and  even put his feet in his mouth. 

Weight/Length:  He is a healthy big boy.  I will get an exact weight and measurement on his next apt which is at 6 months. 

Sleep: He goes down anywhere from 9pm-10:30pm and sleeps till 6:30-7:30 in the morning. We co sleep, so as soon as I hear him moving around, and starting to wake up, I nurse him and he continues to sleep- which is usually at 12am, 3 am and 6am. He doesn't poop at night, so I don't change his diaper till he wakes up in the morning. He also sleeps really well in a stroller when we go on walks/shopping or the outside swing.

If he is fussy during the day, I swaddle him and give him a binky and rock him, he instantly falls asleep. I notice that motion is his secret. Anything moving puts him to sleep. 

Eating: We are still breast feeding, but we also have started to introduce solids. Everything he tried he liked so far. We have tried whole wheat baby cereal, avocado, banana, apples, squash. He especially enjoys his boon feeder ( I load it up with any kind of fruit we have and he will sit in his high chair feed him self, if he drops it, he gets really upset. 

William is learning how to use his straw sippy cup. All of my kids preferred a straw cup in the beginning because they did not have to lift it up to drink, and this one is great.

4 Month Old Update

Remember when you were a kid and  your days seemed to drag on?  I remember that very well, well now my days fly by, and I don't understand how since there are the same amount of hours in the day.
But we have been busy, busy busy! (hence why this update is a week late)
Anyone who has met Baby William, remarks at what a happy baby he is, and they are right, about 90% of the time he is very happy, smiling to anyone around him, cooing, laughing and sucking on his fists.

I am still not sure what color his eyes are, one day they look blue, the next day they look hazel. I guess we will wait and see.

He loves his brother and sister and they love him. He has also mastered grabbing things: toys, blankies, hair. Anything he can get his hands on and it all goes in his mouth.

The big news is that William got his first 2 teeth! He cut them at 3 1/2 months, which I think is so early. My daughter got her first 2 teeth at 8 months and my 2nd son was 5 months.

Weight/Length:  He is a healthy big boy. At his 4 month check up, he was 20 lbs and 27 inches long. That puts him in the 100th percentile in both hight and weight. Definitely my biggest baby yet. Doctor says that I must have very good milk, But I don't know, I think it is genetic. My babies are big, my mom's babies were big too. 

Sleep: He is my first baby to sleep so well during the night! Goes down anywhere from 9pm-10:30pm and sleeps till 6:30-7:30 in the morning. We co sleep, so as soon as I hear him moving around, and starting to wake up, I nurse him and he continues to sleep. He doesn't poop at night, so I don't change his diaper till he wakes up in the morning. He also sleeps really well in a stroller when we go on walks, or the outside swing.
If he is fussy during the day, I swaddle him and give him a binky and rock him, he instantly falls asleep. I notice that motion is his secret. Anything moving puts him to sleep. 

Eating: He is such a great nurser now. He nurses from one side at a time every 1 1/2- 2 hours. I am just so glad I stuck to nursing/pumping. (see my struggles here)
I love that my milk nourishes him and helps him grow. Our struggle now is him biting! Now that he got his 2 teeth, he will occasionally bite me. It doesn't happen all the time, but it certainly is not pleasant!

Baby things we are loving (3 months)

Every month I want to do  a update of baby products we are loving that month. This won't include all of the basic things we use on a daily basis like diapers & clothing. Just things that I feel that we really love at this point.

Baby Mobile: Fisher Price Rain Forest Mobile

I took out our old baby mobile. ( I bought this mobile for my first child 6 years ago!) and set it up when William was 2 months. He absolutely loves it! Its not the best looking thing, it doesn't go with my decor to "theme", but it keeps him quite and busy. I lay him in his crib in the morning, while I make my bed and get myself and the kids ready for the day. He will coo and laugh at the animals. 

Sling: MOBY

This is a MUST HAVE for me now. I got my moby when I was pregnant with my 2nd child, however I don't remember using it very often. I now use it on a daily basis. I use it for homeschooling, cleaning, cooking, shopping, walks and even yard work! William loves the sling. He calms down instantly and almost always falls asleep in it. 

Diaper Cream: Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm

This particular diaper cream is a new find for me. It works better then any other diaper cream I have ever used! It is all natural and can be used for rashes, scrapes, chicken pox and even burns. We are on jar number 3 now!

Pacifier: Wubanub Giraffe

William is my first baby to like this kind of pacifier. He calms down instantly and won't take anything else. I like the wubanub, because I actually can swaddle the animal in and it keeps it from falling out.

Swaddle Blankets: Aden and Anaise Swaddle blankets 

I LOVE these swaddle blankets! William loves to be swaddled for a nap. He falls asleep as soon as I swaddle him, give him a pacifier and rock him a bit. 

They are also a great light weight blanket and a nursing cover. I have 5 of these and use them all the time. 

Honest Co. Diapers Review

Since I am still using disposables I decided to give Honest Co  Diapers a try. I ordered their trial kit. Which cost $4.99 for shipping. The package came really quickly and included seven diapers and a pack of ten wipes.  I absolutely fell in love with the cute diapers. 

“Honest Diapers Do NOT Contain: chlorine, perfume, phthalates, lotions, optical brighteners, PVC, heavy metals, and organotins (MBT, DBT, TBT).”  

After using the trial pack, I can say that I am very pleased with how these diapers hold up.  I did not have any problems with them. No leaks, rashes or blow outs. They feel very thick and worked great as a night time diaper. 

3 Month Update

William is 3 months old! I can't believe how fast the weeks are flying by! 

I was hoping to get back into a blogging routine by now, but time just flies by. With 3 kids, homeschool, household chores preparing 3 meals a day, I am surprised I have time to pee. LOL
But I will try, because I really miss.

This little guy is growing so fast, its hard to believe that a little over 3 months ago, he was still in my tummy:

Weight:  At his 2 month check up (which actually was more of a 2 and 1/2 month update) He was 17.5 lbs! Which means he is a bit bigger now. The doctor said that he is off the charts, 100 percentile for both hight and weight! I have to say this little guy is my biggest baby yet. I guess mommy has good milk. 

Sleep: He sleeps awesome during the night! Goes down anywhere from 9pm-10:30pm and sleeps till 6:30-7:30 in the morning. We co sleep, so as soon as I hear him moving around, and starting to wake up, I nurse him and he continues to sleep. He doesn't poop at night, so I don't change his diaper till he wakes up in the morning. 

Day time sleep however is a different story, maybe because he sleeps so much during the night, he doesn't sleep much during the day. I am lucky if he takes a 1 hour nap. But if I carry him in my moby sling, then he can nap up to 2 hours!

Eating: He is such a great nurser now! I don't pump anymore if we are going anywhere, I am just more confident in latching him on and nursing him. He definitely likes to nurse laying down best. 

Nursing Update/ Nursing Clothes

I have wanted to share my nursing journey for a few weeks now, hoping it will help someone. Because I know from experience that Nursing is not easy, Especially in the beginning. 

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I nursed my daughter for 8 months (while I was working full time) So I pumped at work and nursed at home. The only reason I stopped was because I had 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled, and was taking Ibuprofen for 4 days after for pain and swelling. So I was pumping and dumping, but the supply just ran out. I am sure I could have tried more if I wanted. 

With my 2nd baby, My son was in the NICU for 7 days. But I kept pumping every 3 hours and got my supply started. After that, I nursed my son for 2 years. 

Since this is my third baby I was going to be nursing, I really didn't think much about it. 

I thought, Oh I have this in the bag!  But, boy was I wrong. 

This time around I had supply issues and William had a very hard time latching on. We went to 2 visits to a lactation consultant and tried nipple shields, syringes and then I gave up! 

I didn't give up "breast feeding" just nursing. 

My insurance covered a Medela Pump in Style , which was a life saver!

I pumped ALOT (every 2 hours- day and night) for the first few weeks, trying to get my supply up. I drank nursing tea and goats rue drops. For the first few days I had to supplement with formula about 2 X a day. Then slowly my supply grew. I was able to pump 3 oz and stopped supplementing with formula. 

William ate every 2 hours, so it seemed that I was constantly either pumping, bottle feeding or washing pumping parts. It was so hard. I applaud all the mamas out there who exclusively pump! It is a lot of work!

Even though I was pumping and bottle feeding, I still tried to nurse William at least once a day. He would suck a few times then burst out crying. I am pretty sure it was because he liked that he didn't have to work so hard with a bottle. 

Then when he was 4 weeks old, he latched on and nursed!! You can not imagine how happy I was.

He is now 9 weeks old and I still have my pump out, and pump in the mornings and put the milk in the freezer. I also pump before I need to go out so Hubby can give the bottle to William. 

Now when I pump, I get anywhere between 4-5 oz. This is like liquid gold!

Anyone who have had supply issues can relate, I am sure. 

Now William nurses every 2-3 hours. I don't really time it, So I guess you can say I nurse on demand. 

During the day, I nurse him sitting on the couch or bed, during the night, (we co-sleep) I just nurse him laying in bed and he goes right back to sleep.

Lets Talk Cloth Diapers!

WARNING! This post is VERY LONG, It is EVERYTHING I know about cloth diapering.

Last week I talked about how I cloth diaper on the go, I got a few responses from my readers who wanted me to go more in depth on how I cloth diaper. I am more then happy to share this with you.

First I want to tell you that I used disposable diapers on my daughter 4 years ago. I hated every minute of it! I hated spending so much money on diapers and wipes. I also hated that at the end of the week our trash can was overflowing up with dirty diapers. I started potty training my daughter when she was 2. At that point I realized that the pull ups were even more expensive then diapers.

Soon my daughter was potty trained during the day, but still needed pull ups for naps and nighttime.

Some times she woke up dry, sometimes not. There was no way to predict if she would pee in her pull up's or not. So what do you do with a dry pull up? I reused them once, then tossed them since they started to smell.

I then started doing some research online on some sort of night time training underwear. That is where I found out about cloth diapers.

I ordered 3 one size bum genius diapers and she used those for naps and nighttime.

At that time she was about 28 pounds and they still fit her.

I was so happy!

Shortly, I got pregnant with my son, and I was so excited to try out cloth diapering!

I watched a lot of YouTube videos on cloth diapers (especially the cloth diaper channel)

There are so MANY cloth diapers, I was getting over whelmed.

After watching many videos and reading lots of reviews, I was torn between the fuzzi bunz and the bum genius one sized diapers.

So I ordered two fuzzi bunz diapers to test them out. Needless to say I was not happy with the fuzzi bunz. They were much smaller then the Bum Genius (They claim to fit up to 30 lbs, but my daughter could not fit into them and she was less then 30 lbs at that time)

I also didn't like that you had to size them with the elastic, it just takes longer then the Bum Genius Diapers whereas you would just snap the front snaps.