Baby Jack's First Thanksgiving in Photos

Baby Jack had a wonderful first Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's house! Here are just a few photos from the day :)

Top 5 MUST HAVE Items for your Newborn!

I feel like of all of the things I continually researched before Jack was born was what on earth do I need to have!? Aside of the obvious things like diaper bags, wipes, furniture, etc I had a hard time figuring out what items would really be necessary. So, I thought it would be fun to share what I consider to be the top 5 must have items for your newborn!



1. Wubbanubs 
http://www.wubbanub.com/
Wubba-what!? I had never heard of such a thing until I saw a friend with one and she explained to me how awesome it was. A Wubbanub is basically an infant pacifier with a small stuffed animal attached. This is such a life saver because you do not realize how many times your newborn will drop their pacifier and by having the animal attached it doesn't drop to the floor. Not to mention this makes it super easy to find! You can check these online at: http://www.wubbanub.com or buy from a local retailer like Babies R Us.


2. Fisher-Price My Little Snugapuppy Cradle 'n Swing
http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/babygear/products/My-Little-Snugapuppy-Cradle-n-Swing
I love love love this swing. It was one of the more expensive things that we purchased but it was completely worth it. It can swing in 3 different directions, plays music, has multiple speeds and even a spinning mobile. Jack, especially now, has gotten very independent. When he is over being held he loves going in his swing. It also gives me the opportunity to let him nap without interruption. Totally worth it!







3. Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fisher-Price-Infant-to-Toddler-Rocker-Elephant-Friends/33356928
I am not sure if this is exactly which one we have but its basically the same thing. Its a chair that has vibrations and is a miracle! I don't know what it is about this chair but Jack loves it. He has had some problems with gas and the vibrations really help. There have been countless times that he has been super upset and the second we put him in the chair he calms down. It's amazing!

4. Munchkin High Capacity Bottle Drying Rack
http://www.target.com/p/munchkin-high-capacity-bottle-drying-rack/-/A-13955647#prodSlot=_1_1
This is definitely a mommy and daddy life saver if you are going to be using bottles. When I made the switch to exclusively pumping it creating SO many dishes. We don't run our dishwasher enough so we were left hand washing ALL of the time. This rack allows us to have all of our bottles/nipples etc drying in a much more efficient ways. Before we got it we had all of our bottles out on a drying mat and it seemed like the bottles never got dry! Also it's dishwasher safe :) I don't know how I survived without it.






5. Kolcraft Cuddle 'N Care 2-in-1 Bassinet and Incline Sleeper, Emerson
http://www.kolcraft.com/baby-products/bassinets/kolcraft/cuddle-n-care-2-in-1-bassinet-and-incline-sleeper.html
I had a hard time finding a good bassinet for a baby boy. Also, I was looking for one that had an incline to help with any potential reflux problems. I know a lot of people like to use the Fisher Price Rock and Play because of all of the features but we have two big labs and having something close to the ground just wasn't an option. This bassinet has vibration, music and nature sounds. It also has a removable incline mesh that is machine washable which has come in handy many times.




There are so many other things that have made a huge difference in making life easier but these are just a few of my favorites! :)

Mommy Monday: Getting my Prebaby Body Back Week 3

As many new mom's know weeks fly by! It was already the weekend before I even could catch a breath and post so I figured it would just make more sense to wait until today to write the 2 week update.

The quest to getting my prebaby body back is so much harder than I realized and has the potential to be extremely disappointing if my I allowed myself to focus on unrealistic expectations. After realizing that I have hit my weight loss "wall" I had to really think about what my intentions were. I had to ask myself why was I trying to lose weight right now? Obviously, I want to feel good about myself, I wanted to look good for my husband and wear all of my prebaby clothes with ease but besides that I really couldn't think of much else.

I have done everything in my power not to allow myself to obsess over my weight like I have in the past. I know if I do this I won't eat healthy and that will lead to a loss of milk production. It's such a strange place to be in as someone who has struggled with their weight. Before I had Jack I was just thinking about myself. If I wanted to try intense diets and work out regimens I could! But now, if I limit my diet too much my milk is nonexistent. I also have been reminded of my recent surgery when I have tried to push myself working out. For example, I didn't feel like my DVD was a hard enough work out and so I decided to run before I did the DVD and now where my incision was hurts SO bad! I know now why the girl on the DVD always says to watch the beginner if you just had a baby ;)

As far as specifics go in the past 2 weeks I have lost a little over 2 pounds. I am 11 pounds away from my prebaby weight but by the way my clothes are fitting I feel like I am about 50lbs away. People weren't kidding when they say your body will never be the same!!! I am doing my best to eat healthy and I am still doing my 12 week workout DVD Lindsey Brin's Postnatal Boot Camp.

This weight loss journey is just that, a journey. As difficult as it is accept, I didn't put on this baby weight on in 3 months so I can't expect it to be gone that quick. I also have to tell myself daily that my number ONE priority is Jack and making sure that my decisions regarding my diet are good for him. If that means I won't lose my last few pounds until after I am done breastfeeding then so be it. All I can do is try my best!!

Wish me luck!

Dear Families Who Keep Their Kids With Them in Church...

It has always confused me why families choose to opt out of the childcare provided at church. Before I had Jack I always assumed that it would just be easier to put your kids in the appropriate classroom so that you could focus on the service. Then, I had Jack. I realized very quickly how much easier it was just to keep him with us because he is so young. We just keep him in his carrier and he usually just snoozes the whole time. But, there has been a time or two where Jack hasn't been happy.

He starts to grunt and groan and Chad and I know what's coming. I can honestly say there hasn't been a time where Jack breaks out in a random cry without indicating that he is unhappy first. This is why we feel comfortable keeping him with us because we know we can always just take him out to the lobby if necessary which is also why we sit in the back. We do this because that's what everyone does right?

Wrong.

This is something that I feel pretty strongly about. I literally cannot understand why parents choose to try and sooth their child at their seat. Do they not realize their screaming baby is a distraction to everyone? I am extremely thankful that our church provides a live video and audio feed in the lobby. I am also very thankful for the family room and mother's room that are also provided for parents who need a space to be with their kids without being a distraction. But it's not just the unhappy baby. What really doesn't make sense to me are the parents that choose to keep their toddlers who are loudly talking through the entire service and the parents who are playing with them and talking back. I think I would be a lot more forgiving if our church didn't have a place that they could go and be as loud as they want.

If I have offended you I am sorry but please just hear me out.

Dear families who keep their kids with them in church,

Please consider those around you. Please consider that the couple sitting in front of you may not want to play barbies during service. Please consider that this could be the person sitting next to you's first time to hear about Christ and instead is hearing about what you're eating for lunch. Please consider all of the family friendly options your church has and take advantage of them. I love that you enjoy being with your family and that you're giving your child the attention they want but please think about where this family time should take place.

Thank you.