Breastfeeding Tips for the New Mama

Monday, March 30, 2015

When I had Wyatt I was completely at a loss when it came to breastfeeding (you can find our breastfeeding story HERE). I knew it was something I wanted to do but I really hadn't done my research. Once Stella was born I felt a lot more prepared and ready to breastfeed. These are just a few tips that I've learned along the way. 


ONE | PUMPING
I would suggest to hold out on the pumping, at last for the first 10-14 days. (Unless you're exclusively pumping.) Everything I read said "keep feeding until breasts are empty". Well, that's dumb. Your breasts are a never really empty. So I would sit and pump, after feeding Wyatt, just waiting for my breasts to be "empty". Really all I was doing was making myself more engorged by making my body think it needed to produce more milk. So my advice is to wait until engorgment has ceased before you begin pumping. And also save yourself the pain of mastitis...in both breasts.

TWO | NIPPLE SHIELDS
Now again, I'm no expert, just speaking from experience. I know that some women HAVE to use nipple shields, obviously or else they wouldn't have ever made them. My advice would be to really try to breastfeed without them or speak with a lactation consultant before using them. At my hospital I was handed nipple shields and told to use them without any other guidance. It did help him latch on but I would much rather have been given advice on how to nurse. I eventually, over the next two weeks (while fighting mastitis), had to re-teach Wyatt how to latch-on without them.

THREE | DIFFERENT HOLDS
This kind of goes along with the nipple shields. I'm pretty sure if someone had suggested holding Wyatt in a different position while nursing he would have latched on much easier. Wyatt was pretty picky when it came to eating. He liked being held one way on one breast and a different way on the other. So if you find that your baby is having trouble latching on, try another position.

FOUR | ASK FOR HELP
Most hospitals or medical clinics have a lactation consultant in-house. There is also LA LECHE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL which provides forums and answers to FAQ. They also provide contacts for resources in your area. Also, if you have friends who have had breastfeeding experience ask them questions. Sometimes just hearing someone else's struggles can make you feel better and more human.

FIVE | IGNORE THE PRESSURES
 Breastfeeding is not easy. PERIOD. Don't let the pressure from your peers and the world make you feel bad if breastfeeding is not for you or doesn't work.


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#BOYMOM Box Swap

Wyatt and I participated in the #boyMOM Box Swap that was hosted by LIZ and STEPHANIE. Wyatt and I were paired up with ASHLEY who coincidentally also lives in Arkansas! She has a son, Jack, who is close to Wyatt's age.
 
She did such a great job at picking the perfect items for Wyatt! I have to say his favorite item is the CRAYOLA BATHTUB CRAYONS.
I'm so excited that she also sent more bubbles. I haven't bought any this season and I know they'll be put to good use with the great weather we're getting! 
 
We've read his new BOOK several times already, he loves it! 




Ashley and I are so much alike we even both sent each other the same lip balm! And those Reese's eggs are long gone!
 
Thank you Ashley and Jack for all the goodies!
And thanks to Stephanie and Liz for hosting such a wonderful box swap!
 {You can check out what we sent Jack and Ashley by clicking HERE.}
 
Wife Mommy  Me

 
 
 
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{FIVE} Favorite Moments of the Week

Sunday, March 29, 2015

I'm a little slow on the draw this week but I finally got around to my five favorite moments of the week! So, here they are....
 
{ONE}
Mimi and Pop came down last WEEKEND and they stayed until Monday. It definitely started our week off in the right direction!
 
{TWO}
On Tuesday morning I woke up to an email from BLOGHER saying they were going to feature my post on Tips for Flying With a Baby. I was super honored and exited! If you haven't read it, you can check it out HERE.
 
{THREE}
 We had some decent weather again this week, thankfully! So we got some much needed outside and park time. As proud as I am that Wyatt can climb on the big toys at the park, it scares the hell out of me at the same time. Thankfully he's still ok that mama climbs up too!
 
{FOUR}
We FINALLY got our car back on Friday! It was so exciting, it's like getting a new car all over again! While we were in Little Rock we also hit up Target where I found THIS cute dress for Easter next Sunday.
{FIVE}
I'm embarrassed to say how long it's been since we've been to church but we finally made it this morning! It felt so good to be back. Wyatt did great in the nursery and Stella slept through most of the service. Plus, I got to see my sweet kiddos wave their palm leaves at the beginning of the service.
 
 
 
Make sure to check back tomorrow when I'll be sharing my #boyMOM box swap goodies from ASHLEY!
 
 
http://www.momfessionals.com/
ANDREA
 
THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

 
DARCI | NATASHA | APRIL | CHRISTINA
 
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23 Months!!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Wyatt,
 
Aaaagghhhh!!! I have an almost 2 year old! I just can't even believe it! We've been working on showing 2 fingers. It's so cute because you usually cross them. We've also started working on singing songs like ABCs and counting. You do such a good job at trying to copy us! You're still our little dancer and love jumping and dancing around to music. You've definitely become more strong willed the last couple of weeks and let us know when you're not happy with a "no". We love you so much Wyatt!!
What you did this month:
  • You weigh 28 pounds and are 35 1/4 inches tall.
  • You are wearing size 6 diapers.
  • You wear size 24M/2T in pants and 24M/2T in shirts. You actually have a couple 3T tops that you've been wearing too.
  • Your favorite foods right now are turkey (lunch meat), bread, waffles, fruit/veggie pouches, fruit snacks, anything sweet (cookies, popsicles, etc).
  • You usually wake up between 7:30 & 8, take a nap around one for about 2.5 hours, and go down at night around 8.
  • You can say "mou" (which could be music, Mickey Mouse, Mimi, movie, basically all of your favorite things start with 'm'), "mowr" (more), "where'ditgo" (Where'd it go?), "go", "dat" (that or cat), "jew" (juice), "no", uh-oh, "what'sat?" (what's that), "dow" (down),  "yeth"/"ya" (yes), "where did dey do?" (Where did they go?), "det do" (let's go), "no'kyou" (no thank you), "go, go" (Paw Patrol), "wee, weeeee", "there ya' go" (used in place of thank you or when he gets something he wants), "I go", "we go", "co" (cold)
  • 18(ish) teeth
  • You can point to your nose, mouth, eyes, ears, bellybutton, hair, feet, and hands on command.
  • You are starting to make more animal sounds. Cat (mow), duck (cack, cack), and elephant.  
  • You have started copying what we say more. My favorite is hearing you try and sing your ABCs.
  • You are getting really good at putting on your own clothes. You can put pajama pants and socks on. You also love to wear your hat...and it's usually crooked.
  • You've become quite good at taking bribes. We can usually get you to eat all of your dinner with the promise of (half) a cookie.
  • When you get a dirty (poopy) diaper you will run to your room and get a diaper for me.
  • You absolutely love to be in the car. Whether we're actually going somewhere or just sitting in it playing. As soon as daddy gets home from work you want him to take you for a ride.
  • You love your daddy and want him to be with you everywhere.
  • You are obsessed with daddy's trains. I'm so glad you and your daddy can share in that together.
 
 
 
 
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Our Weekend with Mimi & Pop

Monday, March 23, 2015

We had such a great weekend!! We don't always get a lot of visitors but when we do it's the best thing, and we never want them to leave!
 
Friday was a pretty lazy day. We didn't do too much because, again, it was raining. We did get out and get a happy meal for lunch and then spent the rest of the day at home.

 
Saturday morning we did some cleaning around te house. Sean left about 1 to take our rental car back to Little Rock (long story for another time) where my parents were going to pick him up on their way down to our house. We were so excited that they were coming, I could hardly stand it!
 
They got here about 5 and we played and made dinner, delicious Ruben sandwiches! My step-dad had smoked the meat before they came down and it was perfect.

 
Sunday was another rainy day so we spent a majority of the day indoors. We did go for a walk in the mist but other than that we just played and watched TV.

 
We had a wonderful dinner of meatloaf and afterwards Wyatt and Stella took their first bath together. It was so adorable and Stella loved kicking the water and splashing it everywhere.
 
Monday has been a beautiful day! We finally got some sunshine and warm temps. We spent about 3 hours of our day outside and it was glorious! We practiced hunting for Easter eggs, did sidewalk chalk, played with cars, and played in the dirt. It was a great day!


 And, sadly, we had to say goodbye to Mimi and Pop. I think the hardest part is seeing Wyatt's face when he wakes up from his nap and they're gone. We know we'll see them again soon but goodbyes are always hard. I'm just thankful that we have a couple more days of sunshine this week; it'll make up for two days of no school.
 
 
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{FIVE} Favorite Moments This Week

Friday, March 20, 2015

Happy Friday, everyone!! Finally got my act together and got a post finished for today. I'm so glad the weekend is here and even more excited that Mimi and Pop are coming tomorrow! Let's get started, here are my favorite moments from the week.
 
 
{ONE}
When we had Stella's appointment at CHILDREN'S in Little Rock a couple of weeks ago everything turned out to be just fine. But the doctor did suggest that we start Stella on an iron based rice cereal. Stella has been showing signs of wanting to eat for over a month now but I was really trying to hold out as long as possible. After the appointment, and when she turned five months old, we thought we'd just go ahead and try it. Of course we knew she'd love it and she does. We just give her a tablespoon mixed with breast milk and she gobbles it down. She only gets it at dinner so any other time we sit at the table she gets mad and fusses when she doesn't get to eat too.
 
{TWO}
I know I mentioned last week that Wyatt had come down with the stomach bug. Well, by Monday Sean had it too. Thankfully Monday and Tuesday turned out to be really nice days so we got some outside time. I always feel like fresh air makes everyone feel better so we enjoyed it while we could.
 
{THREE}
Thursday was Crazy Hat Day at Wyatt's school and it also happened to be the day of Arkansas' first game in the NCAA National Championship! We were super excited to represent! And, if you didn't already know, we won!
I took this picture later in the day and I absolutely love it! That's the way Stella always looks at her big brother. Melt my heart.
 
{FOUR}
This boy keeps me on my toes! You may have seen this on my INSTAGRAM but I think it's my favorite moment of the week, so I'm sharing again! Wyatt kept yelling "GO" at me this morning, I have  no idea where he wanted to go or why. I was in my pjs. I told him if he'd put on some pants and shoes we'd go. He leaves the room and comes back with his reindeer pajama pants and proceeds to put them on, all by himself. He then goes to Stella and gets her hat on her and starts trying to pick her up, all while saying "GO".  I remind him to put some shoes on so he grabs his boots (the same boots that he used to scream at me about because he hated them) and starts putting them on. I was so proud of him and asked if I could take his picture and send it to daddy....and this is the pose I get. OH.MY.GOSH. I was laughing so hard! It was the cutest thing!
 
{FIVE}
I've been working on Wyatt's Easter basket and birthday list this week. I'm having a hard time really trying to narrow things down, there's just so much goodness!
 



Hope everyone has an amazing first weekend of Spring!!
 
 

http://www.momfessionals.com/
ANDREA
 
THE GOOD LIFE BLOG

 
DARCI | NATASHA | APRIL | CHRISTINA


 

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5 Months!!

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Our Dearest Stella,

It's been another busy month in your short life. You've been on several overnight trips this month, along with your first airplane trip! You've become such a happy little giggle monster this month and we love it! It didn't take long but you have your daddy wrapped around his finger. You're growing so quickly, I can't stand it. We love you so much, baby girl!
 
What you did this month:
 
  • You are weighing about 12 pounds. 
  • You are wearing size 3 and 3/6M clothes. You wear size 6M in pajamas, just for the extra room.
  • You are wearing size 2 Pampers Swaddlers.
  • You nurse every 2-3 hours during the day and 5-6 hours at night.
  • You hit a road bump with naps this month. You've become a cat-napper; usually taking one in the mornings and two in the afternoon.
  • You are finally on a bedtime routine...sorta. You go down around 8 but then usually wake up about 30 minutes later before going to sleep for good.
  • You are now sleeping in your pack n' play in the closet. You just ran out of room in the rock n' play.
  • Your new favorite spot is in the Bumbo. You will sit in it as long as we'll let you.
  • You've become quite the giggle monster this month. You'll pretty much laugh at anything.
  • You're tolerating tummy time more and more. You use your arms a lot more now to hold yourself up.
  • You're still our little talker. Talk, talk, talk all day.
  • We had another trip to Children's this month. This time to see a hematologist, everything was fine. He did suggest that we start you on some rice cereal for extra iron.
  • You were involved in your first car accident. Ironically it was on our way to the hospital in Little Rock.
  • We took a quick trip to NWA to visit family.
  • You experienced your first snow! You really didn't mind it at all.
  • You went on your first airplane! We flew to Miami for cousin April's wedding. It was also your first time being a flower girl.
  • Cousin Cary Beth came to visit us in Camden for a night.


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Our Weekend

Monday, March 16, 2015

Well, it's official, our house has been hit with the stomach bug. Wyatt has been battling it all weekend and Sean came home from work early today. Just praying Stella and I stay healthy!
We had a pretty low-key weekend since Wyatt wasn't feeling well. It turned out to be pretty nice and relaxing.

 
Saturday morning Sean let me sleep in until about 9:30. Yes, it was glorious! Stellas really been fighting bedtime lately. Friday night she didn't finally go down until about 11. Sean also made this delicious breakfast casserole on the whim Saturday morning for brunch. I'd share the recipe but he says he was "wingin' it". Ha! 


Wyatt still wasn't feeling quite himself so we laid low all day. Sean built him an amazing "fort" out of some boxes we had lying around. Wyatt really wanted to color it but I really didn't want him to think coloring walls was a good thing. 




We also watched the Hogs pull out a win over Georgia! Go hogs! And then Sean and I spent the evening watching some Dateline and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I. 
 
Wyatt still wasn't feeling great yesterday. Up until dinner the only thing we could get him to eat were Funyuns. #LikeFatherLikeSon
 
 I needed to get out of the house though so we did some driving around and checked out the flooding around town. It's gotten pretty bad with a the rain we've received and it's only supposed to rise the next couple of days. 
 
I don't know if you can tell that that's the top of a lamp post and those are the tops of full grown trees.
We made it home just in time for Wyatt's nap. Sean, Stella, and I watched the Hogs play Kentucky in the SEC Championship. Unfortunately they lost but they have the cutest cheerleader! 


We finished the rest of the afternoon watching Horrible Bosses 2 and just being lazy. Then when Wyatt woke up from his nap we went out for a family walk. We had to get out and enjoy the amazing weather.
 
 
I'm so looking forward to the warm sunny weather this week, and few days with the windows open!
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