Sena-1 Month

Weight: You were 10.5 lbs and 20.5 inches at 3 weeks so up 2 pounds and 1 inch from birth!

Little feet at birth

Little details

The Georgians know how to swaddle!

A few hours after birth

Health: Almost immeaditily after you got home from the hospital your sisters got you sick! You were super congested for about two weeks solid.  It was interesting learning to nurse with a congested baby.  Thankfully you are completely over it now.


 Social: You really started to wake up about two weeks after being home.  You're keeping your eyes open longer and engaging more with your sisters!

Diet: Breastmilk 24/7

Shhh baby!

Mara doting and Maddy being Maddy

Home from the hospital 

Clothes: You were our biggest baby yet but still fit in newborn clothing. After 2.5 weeks the chunk could not be contained so we moved you up to 0-3 month.  It broke my heart to go through those newborn clothes for what could possibly be the last time!

Mama's Favorites: The newborn cuddles.  I really soaked them in with you.  I remember putting Maddy down a lot to engage with Mara but with you I just can't.  Give me all the cuddles!

Crying: You are more demanding than all your sisters and have this high pitched cry.  It's sharp and piercing.  You want what you want when you want it!

3 kids is no joke

Rocking one of mom's pjs from 1987!

All my girls have slept like this!

Sleep: You are a great sleeper! We had two sleepless nights initally and then you were up to 4 hour stretches! We've even had a few 6 hour nights in there! A mother's dream!!  We are working on getting you into a nap schedule now that you've hit one month.


This Month:  We've had a slow month as we adjusted to a family of five.  We celebrated Christmas and New Years.  Talk about a lot of holidays in your first month of life! No worries you slept through most of it!!  No visitors yet but you'll get to meet family soon!

Holding court with her sisters

First Christmas

Christmas Eve Service.

Baby Likes: You have been a great nurser from the beginning! You latched on immeaditly out of the womb and we haven't had any problems.  I really didn't even have any soreness! Again my milk seems to be high fat as you are packing on the pounds.

Future besties

Sena stare

Go Clemson!

Milestones: You can lift your head.

Your head control is good with a few times where you get a bit wobbly.

You dislike tummy time.

You make eye contact with those around you.

You sleep 4-6 hour stretches at night consistently.

Daddy's attempt to make you a thumb sucker

Sleeping through your first ballet

Reading with Maddy

Best of Times: You're super cuddly and we love our new little addition!

Worst of Times: The gas seems to plague you.  We are constantly fighting this at night.  We burp a ton, bicycle your legs and do all the other tricks to get it out.

Daddy snuggles

Sister Diaries:  Your sisters are in love.  They dote on you especially Mara.  They say good morning.  Drop in to talk during tummy time and are just overly interested in what you're doing.

Sena- A Birth Story

Unlike either of my other pregancies, I really didn't have a solid due date with Sena.  I had been told December 1, 3, 5 and 8th! Now for most folks maybe this date isn't a big deal but with my first two pregnancies both girls had come on or close to these dates.  I would find out that Sena had a mind of her own!

The first week of December came and went.  I had it in my head that we would have a baby sometime that week and as we packed up for church that Sunday I was discouraged that there was absolutely NO signs of labor.  I normally don't have any precursors to labor but I just felt big and no where closer to having a baby.  

On Wednesday the 13th we went into the doctor's office for a check.  I wasn't too excited about this as I don't normally agree to pre-labor checks.  It's just a personal descision as I don't feel it's really representive of where I actually am in the whole labor process.  I let him check (much to a complete lack of privacy-thank you Georgian culture) and found out I was at 4 cm and not quite effaced.  

He did a quick ultrasound of Sena and deemed her "big" aka 8.5 lbs.  Now frankly I found this hilarious as that is not quite the definition of big in the states but here I was having a monster of a baby.  I laughed at him and said I don't care how big she was I was sure I could push her out.  He encouraged us to walk and try whatever we needed to do to get her going by Friday.

Friday rolled around and still no baby.  I had come to terms with letting him perform a stripping of my membranes to see if that would get her.  I never had the procedure with the other two and frankly was kind of nervous about it.  BUT that said I thought what were the odds we'd have a baby THAT day of the procedure so why not.

We left the older two with Lizi, our housekeeper, and headed into the hospital.  We were able to get into the exam room about 11:30 and he performed the stripping.  He told me I could stay or go and to come back when I felt something.  Again I kind of giggled as I really didn't think we would see anything that day.  

Josh and I headed off to lunch at a local Korean place and just enjoyed our afternoon alone! We window shopped and just got to be together as we waited for things to start.  Surprisingly they did! My contractions started during lunch. Very mild but finally I was experiencing something.  Throughout the day they slowly increased in frequency but never really got longer than 45 seconds. 

At a point I was tired of walking so we headed home.  It was about 3:30 pm and I just wanted to get off my feet.  The contractions kept coming but were still so mild that I could talk, laugh and do other things throughout them.  Not really "labor" contractions.  About 4pm I headed upstairs to use the restroom when my water started leaking. That caught my attention! We'd have baby tonight!

I mobilized Josh and we got back in the car for the hospital.  I was a tad nervous because with Maddy once my water broke she was there in 5 minutes.  This was different as it was just leaking but I really didn't want to deliver in the car.  Thankfully we avoided traffic and made it to the clinic in about 30 minutes.

Still the contractions were mild so I wasn't worried when they took their time getting me inprocessed.  There was suposidly a c-section ahead of me that they were prepping for.  My doctor was genuinely shocked to see me but ushered me in to finish breaking my water.  

The tone of the room changed durastically for me once my water broke.  He wanted me to lay on my back for at least 3 contractions.  I cannot for the life of me figure out why and chuck this up to some kind of lost in translation thing.  By far those 3 contractions were some of the worse and to make it even more difficult to manage Josh wasn't allowed in yet.  Once I had three I demanded to stand and be put in a delivery room.  This was 5:50 pm.

The nurses puttered around wanting to do a hep lock for antibiotics (I tested positive for group B).  I finally let them do the lock and what a mess that was.  Let's just say their nursing skills lacked and I ended up with blood down my gown and compression tights.  Frustrated and in full on transition I started to get sassy.

Josh was with me at this point providing support.  I found it comforting to have him lightly rub my back in between contractions to ease tension but the second they started I didn't want to be touched. 

With each one I squatted feeling a ton of pressure.  She was coming soon.  

Worried my doctor was going to do that c-section I told Josh and somewhat magically the doctor appeared.  At this point my contractions were coming every minute and I have no idea how long they were lasting.  I was in the birth haze of moaning and squatting to deal with the pain.  

Finally I knew I had to get on the bed.  I was on all fours and feeling pretty comfortable with deliverying her that way.  Of course the doctors had other ideas wanting me on my back.  I have never felt so heavy in that I knew I just couldn't move.  Again I feel like they literally manovered me into the position they wanted.  

At this point she was crowning and with another push here! A quick time check would reveal that it was only 6:15 pm meaning from the time I walked into the delivery room to baby was just shy of 30 minutes.  

Everything about her was perfect and the recovery on my end great! I needed no stiches and was able to get immeadiate skin on skin for over 3 hours with her (my absolute favorite thing about Georgian hospitals) 

Was it my perfect birth?  No, but I am so thankful for a few things....We avoided a mad dash to the hospital by having the membranes stripped.  I didn't deliver her in the car.  Mama and baby were great.  

Sure we had our fair share of Georgian language and culture issues but that is a given when you birth abroad.  In the end it makes for a great story! ;) 

It's a........

With Mara and Madeline we have never done any fancy gender reveal.  We have literally just asked the ultrasound tech what we were having! This time we decided we would mix it up and find out on our Disney vacation!

This descision was spurned by the fact that Josh wasn't able to be with me at the ultrasound and I just didn't think it was right to find out without him.  We had the tech write it down in a sealed envelope and we gave it to the character handler at Disney.  We bought two dolls: Minnie and Mickey and wanted the real Minnie and Mickey to tell us!

It'll be another Minnie for the Bast clan!

A Letter to My Girls

I can't believe in a matter of a month I'll have two daughters.  Two little girls running around.  This means twice the bows, twice the dresses, twice the shoes.  Your daddy is in for it with all of us around but he can handle it.  He's the best girl daddy.

I can't wait for you to meet, to watch your relationship grow and develop.  I never had a sister and always wondered what that relationship was like.  I can't wait to see you two love on each other,  to be each other's best friends, to live life together.

I can't believe what we have in store for us down the road.  Dances, proms, weddings....So many little girl things to look forward to.  I never imagined our little family with two girls but now I can't think of it any other way.

To my girls, you both will always have a piece of my heart.  I love you more than words can express.  I hope you grow up to be Godly women, to have a heart for our Lord and seek Him out daily.  I hope you follow your dreams whether that be educational, travel, service, etc.  I hope you find a man like your daddy who is kind and caring.  Who will lead your families with strength and presence.  I hope you will always have each other to lean on and rely on.  That you always are close.

I love you little girls.

Mommy

Dear Little One

Dear Little One,

Wow this pregnancy has gone fast.  Before we know it you're going to be here!  We just can't wait to hold you in our arms.

I love watching your personality evolve even with you inside of me.  You're pretty quiet unless we slow down and once we do there you are: stretching and kicking.  It's such a different experience with you than your sister.  Every movement is more pronounced and feels more pronounced.

We still haven't come up with a name for you little one.  We want it to be perfect so I think we just keep putting it off.  Your sister has decided to just call you sissy and that's fine with me.  Maybe we'll just roll with that for a bit :)

I can't believe we'll have another infant around in a matter of weeks.  We can't wait to kiss your little cheeks and count your fingers.  Most of all I just want to meet you little one.  See your beautiful face.
I wonder what your sister will think.  Even though we talk about you everyday I'm not quite sure she actually believes you'll eventually come out of my belly.  She does love to talk about you though and today kissed my belly for the first time!

Come soon sweet girl.  We love you!

Mommy & Daddy

Dear Little One

Dear Little One,

There are some days, well most days, I forget you're in there.  That this perfect little girl is growing inside of me.  Then night falls and you remind me with a few strong kicks to the ribs that, "Hey mom! I'm here!"

What a blessing you are Little One.  Mommy and Daddy were so excited when we found out you were on your way.  We couldn't wipe the silly grins off our faces.  We prayed for you, hoped for you and loved you before we even knew you.

Sometimes I find myself in your soon to be nursery while your sister is napping. I stare at the rocking chair and the crib that she has outgrown and I tear up.  Not because they are no longer in use but because I know soon I will get to cuddle you little one in that chair and lay you in that crib.  I can't wait for the day where I can hold you in my arms, kiss your nose and count your little toes.

Just because you are our second doesn't make you any less special.  Sure I wonder how much you will be like your big sister.  Will you be bald like her? (likely)  Will you have the same sleep troubles? (I sure hope not)

In the end you are you little one and she is she.  And we can't wait to see what that will be!

Little one we love you so much!  We are so blessed to call ourselves your parents and cannot wait for the day we get to meet you.

Love,

Mommy & Daddy

A Letter to My Little Girl

Baby Girl,

You don't really understand yet but your world is going to change.  You will no longer be the center of Mommy & Daddy's world, our sole focus.  You will have to share us with a new little one.

I want you to know this does not change anything.  We won't love you less.  You will always be our baby girl.  The one who made us parents.  Who changed our lives for the better.

We are so excited for you to have a sibling.  We hope you will love having a playmate so close in age to you and will see this as a great gift to our family.

Baby girl we are so excited for you to have a sister or brother.  I can't wait for the day where you two will meet.  I know you will be so loving and caring.   You are the sweetest little girl and I know you will smother this new baby with hugs and kisses.

You will be the best big sister little girl.

We love you!

Mommy & Daddy

Cloth Diaper Review

*I was not paid or compensated in any way for my opinions.  I strictly want to remember for future kids!*

I originally wrote about our stash about a year ago here. A year later, our stash has evolved a bit and my opinions have changed.  Here's what it looks like now:

Bum Genius
We still have all of our original Bum Genius diapers.  We had 7 from a friend that had already seen two kids and another new 7.  Our older ones are starting to see some wear.  We converted these from velcro and small holes are forming where the original stitching was.  I expect these 7 won't last through too many more kids.  On the other hand, the newer 7 are great.  We use them regularly although they do not hold up overnight.  They are a great diaper for the day and I usually grab these when packing the diaper bag.

My only beef with these diapers is the size.  Even though they claim to be one size like the rest of Mara's diapers, I know she will grow out of these first.  For some reason they seem to be shorter from front to back.  I have always had to transition these diapers up in size first and I feel like it will only be a few more months before we cannot use them at all.  I'm not sure why this is but it's frustrating when these diapers cost about $17 each.

Kawaii
These are my favorite diapers by far.  I use these during the day and are the only diaper I use at night.  I do have a few overnight diapers in this brand but honestly do not see too much of a difference between the overnight diapers and the regular ones in terms of leakage.

Besides their excellent leakage control, my favorite thing about these diapers is how easily they clean up.  Their fleece lining makes for really easy clean up of poop with my sprayer and they almost never stain.

I think in the future these will be my go to diaper for replacements.  They are super affordable at $10 a pop and have given us the best fit overall.

Fluffy Bottoms
I am still for the most part on the fence with these diapers.  They are decent and I regularly grab them for day to day changes.  They snap easily and for the most part are easy to get a good fit out of.  That being said I wouldn't go out and necessarily buy more of them.  They stain pretty easily and are hard to clean with the diaper sprayer.  I'm not sure about the price of these as I picked them up at a consignment sale.

Sun Baby
These are probably my second favorite diapers.  I love the fun prints they come in and the fleece lining.  Again fleece just seems to do better in terms of clean up and stain prevention.  My other favorite feature of these diapers is their trim fit.  They do allow Mara to wear smaller pants generally.

I guess my only issue with these is because of the trim fit the stuffing pockets are slim.  It's hard for me to fit our inserts in sometimes which has on some occasions lead to leaks.  Still I think if I found these on consignment I would buy them again.

Just Bottoms
Oh man.  These are not my favorite diaper.  I will usually put Mara in everyone before turning to these.  I hate the double gussett that only seems to trap poop.  What isn't trapped in the gusset seems to immediately stain the lining.

I tried to sell the three we had at a consignment sale but only got rid of one.  So I guess we will keep them in our stash until I can get rid of the other two.  I mean for the most part they are ok for the average wet diaper.  I just cringe at the thought of a poopy diaper in these.

Easy Bottoms
These are new to our stash since last year.  Our local cloth diaper store recently started caring these and has offered a few $5/diaper sale.  They have fun prints and an easy to stuff pocket but overall I'm less than impressed.

My least favorite aspect of this diaper is the snaps.  It has three to get the leg holes tight but unlike other brands that third snap isn't close to the leg but in line with the further snap.  Yes I know that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to most but basically it makes for a poor fit.  On top of fit, again, these diapers do not clean off well and stain easily.

So although the price was right, I wouldn't get these diapers again.

Cloth Diapering-Stripping

Even with a good laundry routine, cloth diapers are bound to build up residue (mainly detergent) and will thus not be able to absorb liquids as well anymore.  Read: pee will leak out everywhere.  

I had my first experience with this when Mara was about six months old.  At first I thought that we were just going through a phase where we were struggling with fit.  With one size diapers, there are some points where you will struggle to get the area around legs tight as your child grows.  I played around with the snaps and still had a ton of leaks (something I had never had before).  After a quick google search I realized that it was time to strip!

You can strip diapers SO MANY ways.  I think I read something about Dawn blue soap and of course there is also specific products on the market just for stripping diapers.  I decided to go with RLR, a product originally on the market to get out dinge on white clothing.  Surprisingly it also works great for removing build up on diapers!

Getting ready to strip was a bit daunting.  I wanted to make the process simple yet I wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.  Basically I made sure all my diapers, wipes and inserts were clean before throwing them in my soaker tub.  You can do it in your washer if you have one of the old fashioned top loading agitator.  I do not so I did it in my bathtub.  

I filled the tub with extremely hot water and threw in two packets of RLR.  I'm not sure the exact ratio of RLR to diapers but I have a lot of diapers and insert and two packets just seemed right.  I then let the mixture soak, coming back to stir it around every couple of hours or so.  

After half a day I threw all the diapers into the washer and did my typical wash routine.  (hot soak, hot wash, rinse x 2).  Dry and voila stripped diapers!  

I just had to revisit this process a few weeks ago which isn't as bad as I originally thought.  I think I can definitely handle twice a year.  AND if I can get Mara potty trained by 2 that's only four times lol.  

Cloth diaper mamas.  How do you strip your diapers?

Cloth Diapering-Laundry and Solids

I was rereading some of my previous posts about cloth diapering and thinking to myself that some things have changed as of late, specifically my laundry routine.

As Mara has started solids, our laundry routine has changed a bit.  When she was exclusively breastfed everything was water soluble and easy to wash out.  Now not so much....

I think in the cloth diaper world you can go about this one of two ways.  The first is to buy those disposable inserts that you can lay in the diapers and lift out when your child poops.  This never made sense to me as it's just another disposable thing to buy and throw away.

The second option is to purchase a diaper sprayer and attach it to your toilet.  We found a sprayer on clearance at a local cloth diaper store before Mara was born and Josh hooked it up in the bathroom adjacent to Mara's room.  It worked really good at getting all the poop off of the diaper and when you were done you just flushed it away.  No bad smells lingering afterwards!

My only issue with the sprayer was the water splatter.  At first I would get water everywhere in the bathroom.  I felt like I had to clean the bathroom every time I dealt with a dirty diaper. As time went on I got better with my aim but still wasn't completely satisfied.  Enter the diaper dawg spray cover.  Totally awesome.  It looks like those dog collars that your animal gets when they have stitches from the vet.  It slips over the sprayer head and voila no splatter!!!

So after a quick rinse our routine hasn't changed much.  I still spray the diapers down with BioKleen bac out and throw them in the diaper pail.  I now rarely rub them down with the diaper soap as I usually get all of the poop off with the sprayer.

On wash day I throw everything into the washer turning the pail liner inside out and using it as a hand cover to arrange the diapers.  I now don't do an initial rinse but do a hot soak on my diapers.  I do this to get them nice and wet.  I am still using Charlie soap but now use probably close to 3 tbsps per load.  I run a hot wash cycle followed by a rinse cycle.  After this initial rinse I usually do one more to make sure I get all the soap out.  I've found that over time this really helps on build up on the diapers.

Then I throw the inserts into the dryer with three wool dryer balls on high for about an hour.  I found that the dryer balls help a ton with static cling and dry time.  I still hang all my covers for about a half a day and then stuff them all when everything is dry!

Our Breastfeeding Journey

In honor of National Breastfeeding Week here's a little reflection on our journey....

I was determined.  I was going to breastfeed solely.  We told all the doctors.  Glared at them with evil looks when they came close to you with pacifiers.  Struggled through that first night when you were all congested with fluid squeezing milk into your mouth.

Then came the newborn phase of cluster feedings and this new normal.  The feelings of inadequacy, of frustration.  Of pure joy that I was able to do this for my child.  There was highs and there was lows.  Tears flowed when we struggled through your tongue tie and relief when we finally got it clipped.  Times where I felt like I did nothing but feed you in a day.  Had to give up my beloved cheese because you couldn't handle dairy.

But then the rolls appeared and you blossomed.  You soared off the charts and we never looked back.  I finally felt like I knew what I was doing.  I could do this.  I could feed you.  Provide all the nutrition you needed.

Nursing became your comfort as you got more and more mobile.  When you stumble and fall, you look for Mama.  I love that.  I love that we have that bond.

Here we are at 10 months.  A milestone I was determined to hit but yet it seemed so far away.  You still nurse for nutrition but mainly you nurse because you love it.  I see your eyes light up when I sign it.  You love the cuddles and the closeness as much as I do girl.

So we will keep going because I know it's what's best for you.  I don't know when this nursing relationship of ours will stop.  In some ways I pray that you just decide one day you're done.  That may be better on us both.  In the meantime I will continue to treasure our time together (and try to especially remember this in the middle of the night) and know it will go fast.

I'm so glad I can do this for you Baby girl.  That mama's body is able to do this for you.  What an amazing thing, huh?

9 Month Favorites

It seems like everyday the list of baby products we are currently using is changing.  Mara can literally love an item one day and then be over it the next.  We have found a few though that have stood the test of time and are our go to's whenever we need something to carry, entertain and just do life with Mara.

1. Baby Carriers:  We have the Ergo and a Little Frog ring sling.  I use both almost daily.  For quick carries such as running into the store and all public nursing I use my ring sling.  It gives me both hands free as well as keeps Mara right in the action.

My Ergo is mainly for long hauls and when I really need all hands free. (In the sling Mara rides on my hip so there is a bit of movement restriction.  In the Ergo she's on my back.)  I put her in there while we grocery shop, run to Target and vacuum the house!  We also use this carrier for hiking.  It can get a bit hot if you are really moving around outside but for the most part it's our favorite.

2. Britax B-Agile: Lately Mara has become such a fan of her stroller.  We have incorporated a daily walk into our routine.  Mama gets some exercise and Mara gets some fresh air.  She totally just zones out while we cruise around the neighborhood.  The stroller isn't quite a jogger but it's beefy enough to run with it occasionally.  I have noticed some wear on the tires so I guess we'll see how it goes long term.  It's not too heavy although I am sure there are lighter ones on the market.  Right now though we're happy.

3. Fischer Price Lunchbox:  There is no doubt this is Mara's favorite toy.  My mom bought this for her for Easter and she has loved it ever since.  It is small enough to tote around yet has a lot of components to keep her busy.  She pulls out the food inside and bangs them together.  She also now loves trying to put them back in their spots which is helping her learn shapes.

4. Telephone: Mara has the old school Fischer price rotary telephone.  She loves pushing it around and playing with the string.  She hasn't quite figured out how to pull it yet but I am sure she will do this as soon as she starts walking.  She now holds the phone up to her ear and pretends to talk into it.  She will do this on demand if you say hello to her too.  Buddy also loves this toy as the string brings a lot of entertainment.  Mara has also on occasion dangled the string in front of Buddy and "played" with him.

5. Popping Hippo Car:  I found this push toy around Easter as a little add in to her Easter basket.  I liked that it had balls that popped yet wasn't that annoying pushing popping toys that I'm sure drives many a parent nuts.  At first Mara just shook it but now is pushing it around the floor on a regular basis.

6. Musical Table:  I think a lot of parents have a version of this table.  The legs can be taken off for sitting babies and then put on to encourage standing.  Mara has loved this since the day I brought it home.  With the legs on it, she pulls up on this multiple times a day.  She bangs on all parts of this to hear the music and see the lights.  She especially likes the laptop part because she likes to open and close it.
 
7. Chico Clip on Highchair:  This is more a mom item then a Mara item.  With a high table in our kitchen we knew we didn't want the typical stand alone high chair.  We picked this item up at a consignment sale and love it.  It clips on to the side of the table and is super sturdy.  It also disassembles easily for cleaning and has come out spotless every time I have washed it.  My only regret is that we didn't get one with a tray.  I can't say this is a fault of the chair just I wish we would have found one with a tray.

8. Joovy Walker:  This is our newest addition to the baby gear collection.  I originally thought walkers were pretty dangerous but then after doing a little research decided that it would be a good tool to show Mara how she can get around.  She took awhile to crawl and I think she'll progress to walking quickly.  Already she loves to cruise around in this.  She chases Buddy around and rams into everything.  I like the Joovy Walker especially because it didn't have any bulky toys on it.  It also had clean lines and wasn't "themed".

9. Swing:  Mara loves her outdoor swing.  Josh hung it in our covered porch which is perfect for swinging anytime.  She instantly gets a smile on her face when she is in it and is pretty content to swing for about 30 minutes.  What's nice about this swing is that it should grow with her at least another year.

10. Remotes, Chords, Nail clippers, etc.: Doesn't every baby love these items?!  I feel like no matter how many toys and baby gear items you have at your disposal every baby somehow gravitates to anything that isn't meant to be a toy.  In our house it is the TV remote, nail clippers and empty plastic bottles that hold Mara's attention the longest.  It makes me wonder if I could get rid of the other nine things on this list and she wouldn't even notice :)

A Solids Update

The last couple of days Mara has suddenly decided she is over pureed foods.  She shakes her head "no no no" when I try or grabs the spoon and promptly drops it on the floor.  I kind of expected this day would come I just didn't think she would make such a drastic change.  (Literally one day she was done)

We have since switched to a more baby led weaning approach.  I've been giving her pieces of food that are manageable for her and she is feeding herself.  For the most part the food doesn't really make it down.  She chews most things and then lets it fall out of her mouth.  I'm not too worried about this because we are still nursing pretty regularly.  I also know Mara and when she's hungry she'll eat.

I've had fun trying to figure out foods for her to try.  It's been a bit difficult but I think I am getting the hang of it finally.  Sure it takes a bit more planning but that's ok.  Mara has tried avocado, banana, toast, sweet potatoes, carrots, strawberries, oranges and turkey.  She has eaten all but I think loves the strawberries the most.  I can't wait to venture into more foods and let her try new things!

I'd say the only downfall of this is the mess.  Man this girl does not care about getting dirty.  She squeezes the food between her fingers.  Smears it on her face.  Licks the table.  Rubs it on her clothes.  It almost always requires a bath immediately after.

As with everything in this whole parenting thing, the normal is constantly changing usually right when I feel like I have finally gotten the hang of it.  She likes to keep me on my toes :)  But these changes also means she's growing and developing and that's always a good thing.  It'll only be a matter of time before she's reaching for food off of my plate!  

9 Month Sleep Regression

Mara has never been a great sleeper.  Sleeping through the night you say.  What's that?  Even at 9 months I still count 5 straight hours as a good thing.  Then she started only waking once at night.  What's this I thought?  This is amazing.  I can get a solid 6 hours minimum before she woke up to nurse.

Enter our recent couple of weeks.  Suddenly my sleeping child is waking up every two hours or so.  Yes I did this with my newborn but wow did it frazzle this mama 9 months in.  I was angry.  I was sleep deprived.  I was frustrated.  To top it off I was in this new sleep battle alone.  Now I didn't have Josh there to converse with; bounce ideas off.  It was up to me.

There was tears from both Mara and me.  Long restless hours in the middle of the night where she frankly refused to fall asleep.  Nights that once I got her to sleep I laid there willing my now awake brain to shut down and go back to sleep.  Mornings where all I wanted to do was throw the covers over my head and escape from it all.

We are in no way emerging from this regression.  (as I write this Mara is stirring and likely to wake up) But I am starting to come to terms with it with a whole lot of prayer and grace.  When I feel like I can't do another day, He gives me the strength to go another hour then that beautiful girl flashes me the most amazing smile and makes it all better.

I have also been blessed with the most amazing community of family and friends around me.  They have surrounded me with love and laughter.  They have lifted me up in prayer when I was too discouraged to turn to Him myself.  And my poor husband.  I can't even imagine what he's feeling when I text him about ready to pull my hair out in the middle of the night; in the middle of my struggle.  How helpless he must feel.  But he's amazing and encouraging.  He's never once downgraded my feelings or made me feel like I was overreacting.  He may be thinking it (haha) but he's never expressed it.  Even halfway around the world he's great.

Currently Mara is waking up anywhere from 3 to 4 times a night.  She seems frazzled and restless.  I read that 9 months can be a really difficult time for them as they are learning all sorts of new motor skills as well as their brain is really starting to remember and analyze their world.  It's hard for them to shut it off.  Sure some babies sail through this phase without a blink of the eye but not Mara.  But that's ok.  We'll get through this.  She will sleep again.  I will sleep again.

Starting Solids

We've been slowly introducing Mara to solid foods for the last two months now and it's been an interesting adventure.  We started by simply putting Mara in her high chair around four months.  She was able to sit up for the most part on her own and enjoyed sitting with us at the table while we ate dinner.

At first she wasn't interested in the food we were eating and was satisfied to play with a toy or a spoon while we ate.  She quickly started to pick up on our mannerisms and began mimicking chewing and putting things in her mouth.  It was only another few days and she was wanting what we were eating.

So we started her off with a few tastes here and there.  Some sweet potato, mango juice, banana.  Talk about opening a can of worms!  Now every time we would sit down she would demand tastes; fussing until we would get her something to try.  Also a few tastes were never enough.  One morning she ate almost a full ounce of mango juice!

Although we hadn't quite hit that 6 month exclusively breastfed target I had originally set, I knew it was time to start introducing solids to Mara.  She was ready.

From the beginning I've known that I wanted to make Mara's food.  Mainly because I can regulate what's in it but also because it's so much cheaper then buying the prepackaged kind.  I did a little research about what foods were most appropriate and how to introduce them and jumped in.

We started out with fruits and vegetables.  I didn't want to do rice cereal (a staple first food in most of the US) because I feel its just processed sugar and don't think it's a necessary first step.  With most of the vegetables, I simply roasted them in the oven with a little olive oil till they were soft enough to puree.  Fruits I allowed to ripen and then simply put them in the food processor.  The only fruit that took a little more work was apples which had to be boiled and then pureed.

I didn't worry too much about the consistency to which I pureed the food either.  I wanted Mara to get used to a lot of different textures.  I knew that if there were a few chunks in there I would be near to make sure she didn't choke.

Experimenting with a spoon

On days that I would make baby food, I would make sure to do a large batch of whatever I was working on.  I would freeze it in ice cube trays specifically made for baby food and then transfer the cubes to zip locks when the cubes had set.  This worked really great for the everyday.  As much as I wanted to make her food, it was too much for me to make it fresh everyday.

We've tried sweet potatoes, zucchini, red peppers, carrots, green beans, bananas, avocado, pears, peaches, and apples.  Mara loves her fruits and doesn't mind some of the "sweeter" veggies such as carrots, red peppers and sweet potatoes (yes I know this isn't a veggie per say).  As we've introduced new foods to her we have also experimented with combinations of things as well as some spices.  She loves a pinch of cinnamon in her applesauce and a little shake of cloves on her sweet potato.

Recently I've even lessened my reins with Mara's food.  We've been traveling and I knew it would be hard to make or take food with us.  I again hit the internet and did a little research.  I found a few brands that I felt comfortable with and picked up a few pouches.  Besides the price, I've been super happy with the quality of these products (we use the Earth's Best brand) and Mara just loves them.  Maybe a little too much...
But overall they have been great for traveling and are so convenient to just squeeze out onto a spoon.

She loves to suck on pickles

I think the most important lesson I learned about introducing solids to Mara was to keep trying.  She initially went through a phase where she was eager and excited to try everything in front of her.  But a few weeks later was barely interested.  We backed off but kept trying.  I think this is key because now she eats a good 2 oz. at every sitting and could probably eat three times a day if we sat down with her.

I also found that she does best if everyone else is eating.  She likes to watch others and feel like she's engaging in the same behavior.  She also likes to help feed herself and guides the spoon to her mouth with ease.  We're still working on her pincer grasp but have found giving her small pieces of bread and puff cereal are helping with this.

Surprisingly she isn't too interested in foods in their "true form" yet.  We've given her pieces of banana and avocado but she just doesn't quite get it.  Now if you just put these pieces on a spoon she's right there and has it in her mouth.  Funny!  But I think this stems from us starting with the spoon early and how fast she catches on.

I'm always amazed with the new stages we go through with Mara.  When we're about to begin one it always feels so overwhelming.  I felt like we were finally in a routine before solids and couldn't imagine having to prepare actual food for her.

But now its normal.  She loves to eat and is a great eater.  Sure its a bit messier but I love that she's getting to explore new tastes and try new things.

Starting Solids

So we've been experimenting with solid food for a while now with Mara.  I've been meaning to write about it but have put it to the back burner.  I find I tend to compile my thoughts on a subject once I feel I have a good grasp of it and I just don't feel that way about this yet.

Mara has been sitting with us at the table for awhile now during meals.  We really wanted her to get used to her high chair and the nightly ritual of a meal.  In the beginning she was just excited to be in her chair with us.  We'd give her a toy or two and go about our meal.  Soon she started to get really interested in what we were doing.  She would watch us bring food to our mouths and started reaching for things on our plate.

This is about the time we started letting her taste some things.  She got a lick of anything "soupy" and was loving it.  It was our trip to Asheville that was probably the real start of true experimenting though.  There she was on our laps so much during meals that we let her suck on a few things on our plates (ie. bananas and pickles).

When we got back I started seriously looking into some baby food reciepes and doing a little research.  We decided that we wanted to skip the whole rice cereal craze and just jump into fruits and veggies.  I also knew that I wanted to make her food.  One I think this is the cheapest way of doing things but I also feel better knowing exactly what I am giving her.

Despite my overwhelming desire to make her food, this is surprisingly the part that made me the most nervous.  What foods do I start her on? How long do we try each food before its safe (no allergy)? Can I mix foods? So many questions ran and still run through my head.

Basically I just decided to jump right in.  I started buying produce at the store to make a variety of foods.  I thought we'll try a little of each and see what her favorites will be.  I also assume that she probably won't be satisfied with purees long and soon we'll just be giving her what we're eating.  I bought avocado, zucchini, red pepper, carrots, green beans, pears, sweet potatoes, apples and peaches.  For the most part I just either steam or roast the item and then puree it till its a consistency I know she can handle.  I don't worry about it being perfectly smooth because she needs to get used to a little bit of texture.  Then I freeze it in about 1 ounce portions and store it in the freezer till she's ready to eat it.

So what does she like...Well she loves sweets.  Hmm wonder where she gets that from? :) She loves her pears and sweet potatoes.  She seems on the fence with avocado and the red pepper although she will eat both if she hasn't had pears or sweet potatoes lately.  The girl remembers!  Green beans have been the funniest experience to date.  I'd say she's not a fan.  She literally sticks out her tongue to let them fall off or spits them across the table.  I'm going to keep trying but we may have to mix those with something.

Right now we mainly just give her a little at night for dinner.  We were thinking of increasing the amount of solids but we're holding off till her digestive track can catch up a bit.  Although she loves to eat and will reach for food, she really has had an adjustment phase when it comes to *cough* relieving herself.  Hopefully this gets better or more stable soon as I hate to see my girl in pain.

In the meantime I guess we'll just keep trying.  As with everything I'm sure this will start to feel normal soon and I'll feel like I have a better grip on her diet.  Its a new stage and its been exciting to see her experiment and enjoy new tastes.  I can't be her only nourishment forever and I love her enjoy her food (and make a mess of it!)

Breastfeeding Beyond 6 Months

Mara just turned 6 months a few weeks ago and a part of me just rejoiced that we have made it this far with our breastfeeding journey.  I know its a topic so many moms struggle with and I not writing to advocate one way or another.  (You have to do what's right for you and your babe) As always I just want to document where we are right now and how we are moving forward.

From the beginning, like most new moms, I had serious doubts that we would even make it to the 6 month mark breastfeeding.  It seemed like there were too many potential hurdles to get over. But we did it.  Despite a few issues with a tongue-tie we have been blessed to not have any other obstacles to overcome.

So here we are at 6 months with a healthy little girl who loves to nurse!  We usually nursing in the morning about an hour after she wakes up.  Then it ranges from every 2 to 4 hours. At night she's finally increasing her sleep time.  I can normally get anywhere between 4 and 6 hours of sleep before she wants to nurse again.  As the morning comes her awake times get closer and closer together.  Usually though she will only nurse twice at night.

I haven't tried to put Mara on a schedule when it comes to feeding and I think this has really helped us.  I still nurse on demand which I believe has really kept up my supply.  I'm not perfect.  There are days I don't drink enough water.  Maybe I have a drink or two but my supply has still been there.  The only thing I don't really make time to do is pump, but that's a whole other story.

So where do we go from here?  Well honestly I'm not completely sure.  I've started to try to pump more so I can have extra milk for when she starts using a sippy cup or to thin out solids but at the same time I'm not ready to stop nursing.  I think for the time being we'll just keep doing what we're doing.  I'd love to breastfeed her till at least a year and the way she loves to nurse I don't see her wanting to stop.  But as with anything related to this whole parenting thing, we shall see.  I've stopped trying to put expectations on it anymore.  Each day, each time she nurses its an accomplishment.

Hugs & Kisses Round 2

*My first experience with Hugs & Kisses can be found here

The Hugs & Kisses Consignment sale is one of the largest child sales in the Fayetteville area.  They have everything you'd need from birth to junior high!

Again I was stressing a little bit about getting some of the bigger ticket items on our list but had high hopes because a friend of mine had given me a pass that would allow me to shop two hours earlier than what I had planned. Consignment sales are great for the savings but definitely get overwhelming with the number of people grabbing things.  I'm usually 50/50 going into the sale.  50% excited. 50% stressed.

This year I was extra nervous because I had to take Mara with me.  I knew this sale ment at least an extra 30 minutes waiting in line before my designated time and then up to two hours shopping and check out time.  I didn't know if she would last that long.

Well I didn't give my girl enough credit.  It was me who was at my last straw by the end of the day.  I swear I was doing circles in the building making sure I didn't forget something.  Not to mention I accidently deleted half of my list and couldn't for the life of me remember what was on it.  (Pregnancy brain has permanently been replaced with mom brain) To top it off the big ticket items we wanted were all sold by the time we got there!

Despite some anxiety, we did pick up a lot of feeding supplies, clothes, and toys for the next few months all at great prices that saved us probably more money than we actually spent.  I even braved the crowds again for the 50% off sale the last day picking up some more outfits. (My girl has too much clothes)

I complain a bit but really this sale is a huge blessing.  We are able to get everything we need for Mara at a reduced price and still in excellent condition!  Childrens items are so expensive now a days and kids go through things so fast.  Its great to know that we are saving that money instead.

I didn't take a photo but here's a brief rundown of what we were able to pick up:

1 swaddler 6-12 month
3 suction bowls with lids
5 feeding spoons
1 squeeze and feed spoon
8 sippy cups
2 mesh feeders
Numerous dresses and outfits for 9 and 12 months
3 cloth diapers
Toy telephone
toy piano
wooden bead maze
place mat
push activity cart
pull up to standing play station
2 pairs of sandals
1 pair of baby keens
1 Clemson cheerleading outfit
1 swim float
2 bathing suits
1 sand pail
1 teething necklace
1 bib

Baby Wearing aka Our Lifesaver

I had never really heard of babywearing until I was pregnant.  I had seen the popular Baby Bjorn but that was about it.  Different carriers were recommended to us and I thought maybe they might be useful on a long hike or outing.  Today, we wouldn't get through the day without babywearing. Not only do we have a carrier but we have three!

Now its pretty laughable my lack of knowledge was.  Now I'd even consider myself a bit of a baby wearing snob.  I am pretty picky about my carriers and now tend to cringe when I see a baby dangling in a
Baby Bjorn or laying down in one of those sling wraps.  I am always checking out other mama's carriers and will be the first one to ask if I don't recognize it.

Babywearing is so much for us.  First and foremost its the fastest way to calm Mara down.  She loves to be worn and immediately settles when she is put in a carrier.  She usually will  look around a bit but then settles in for a little snooze.  It also promotes attachment.  She loves to be near us, smell our scents and hear our heartbeats.  I love holding her but sometimes it can really do a number on your back and arms.  Bring in the carrier!

Its also super convenient.  Both Josh and I can throw her on our back or side and quickly bring her where ever we're going.  I don't know if you've ever lugged one of those infant car seats around but man are they heavy.  Add a diaper bag and a purse and yeah its hard.  Its so much easier for me to wear her, leaving my hands free, then grab whatever else I need.

We have three carriers.  When Mara was really little I used the Moby Wrap almost exclusively.  The Moby is a jersey fabric that wraps around the parent.  Once on baby just slips inside and is cuddled against the parent's chest.  This was perfect for a newborn because it was a longer wear wrap.  Once you got that thing on you didn't want to take it off or the baby out for a bit.  The downside of the wrap is its made of jersey fabric.  Really after Mara hit 12 lbs I didn't feel comfortable carrying her around in this.  It just stretched too much.  I felt like she was between my knees.

The Moby

Our Ergo is the other carrier we've had and used the longest.  We knew we wanted this carrier from the beginning because we thought it would be great while hiking and outdoors.  Not only does the Ergo do great when we're out and about its great around the house too.  We never bought the infant insert for it (because we had the Moby) and Mara started riding around in it at about 1.5 months.  I just put her legs in fetal position and went from there.  At three months she was finally big enough to ride with her legs out and at four months we started wearing her on our backs.  To say that this carrier is loved by all is an understatement.  Mara loves to be able to see from her perch on our back.  We love how easy it is to wear and get on.  This is normally our go to carrier for all things long.  When we're out and about, traveling, hiking, trying to get her to nap we use it!

Out for a walk

We recently picked up a third carrier, the ring sling.  This is my all-time favorite carrier.  Our ring sling is a woven wrap that has been converted to a sling.  Its so easy to just grab and throw in the diaper bag, then whip out when we get somewhere.  This sling is also perfect for breastfeeding.  I've almost abandoned my old nursing cover for this.  I much prefer to just flip the excess fabric over Mara and go about my business.  Mara doesn't easily fall asleep in this wrap but for the most part I'm not looking for her to fall asleep in it.  My favorite part of this wrap is its just like carrying her on my hip without actually having to carry her!

Sleeping in the sling (a rarity)

Four Month Sleep Regression

I had never heard of the four month sleep regression until we were in the midst of sleep issue last month.  Low and behold of you google four months and sleep you come up with all this information about the sleep regression.  I didn't know that babies are starting to sleep more like adults at this point, not going into deep sleep for almost an hour after they fall asleep.

Mara hit this sleep regression about a month ago.  She went from sleeping anywhere from five to seven hours straight to less than four.  Its so hard to go from getting that much sleep to being thrust back into the middle of the newborn weeks so to speak.  You're cranky, she's cranky, your partner's cranky.  Its just a mess.

We were at a loss as to what to do.  Did we bring her back into the bed with us?  Did I feed her EVERY time she was waking up?  How did we get her back to sleep?  Seriously we were at a lost with that last question.  Mara didn't know how to put herself to sleep without me and nursing.

Looking back on it, that was the key to everything.  We needed to help her figure out how to fall asleep without nursing.  Or more so not using nursing as a crutch.  I started trying to make sure she took her naps without nursing to fall asleep.  The basic sleep, eat, play, and sleep schedule.  She took to this super fast and now won't fall asleep at the breast during the day at all.

The night was a little different of a challenge.  (Mara has always been SUPER different in her sleep trends during the day and at night.) We were still using nursing to help her fall asleep but trying other techniques to keep her that way.  We swaddled.  We used noise machines  We put shirts with our scents in her crib.  She was still waking up every two hours or so.

I was starting to get worried that we had created a habit until our recent trip to Asheville.  As we climbed the mountain Mara was having trouble with her ears.  I stuck her pacifier in her mouth on a whim and she took it!  My daughter does not like her pacifier so this was huge.  Back at home I had a thought, "Why don't I try the pacifier at night?"  I knew she wasn't hungry and thought maybe she'd just use the pacifier for comfort.

I was right.  Slowly two hours became three and last night it was four.  We're getting there.  Slowly but surely we are emerging from this sleep regression.  I'm just thankful that through it all she has consistently slept her 12 hours allowing us to catch up when we needed to.  Hopefully in another week or so we will have a little girl who likes to sleep 5 to 7 hours again.  Dreams people.  A dream!