6-16-2013

Its fathers day! So I thought it would be a perfect day to update Noelle's baby book. Noelle is now 5.25 months old and 16 lbs., about 28" long (whoa), has some beautiful chestnut brown hair and beautiful dark green eyes (like her mama and jeremy's mother, Barbara). She is feisty  And determined and an absolute joy. She is VERY good at communicating what she wants. She makes loud noises to say "I want up" or "let me touch" or "feed me now!!" lol. We're easily understanding what she wants now and its just a question of getting it to her fast enough. She loves her Johnny Jump-Up and will jump up and down and try to grab the cat for about 15-30 minutes giving me just enough time to empty the dishwasher in the kitchen. My mom bought her a walker (its pink and green) and she likes the activities that come with it and pushes herself backwards. She can almost sit up on her own but sometimes still puts her face to things instead of bringing things to her face with her hands. She rolls everywhere and crawled forward for the first time on Thursday. She likes to be held but NEVER on her back. She has to see everything, always. 

Jeremy was laid off from his job about a week ago so he's at home networking while Noelle and I look for fun things to do. She's making changing and putting clothes on as difficult as possible and she wears her amber teething necklace 24/7 now. I can feel 2 teeth coming up on the right of her bottom gums. She's cranky sometimes and we try to help her with some acetaminophen, teething gel and hylands teething tablets. Jeremy likes to take her for walks in her stroller twice a day. She is obsessed with the pets (Artoo & Tabitha). She loves to touch them, and were showing her how to pet not grab. Tabitha loves to lick her face. 

She's eating with us in the morning now! We make her some organic fruit puree, organix baby food or some sugar free apple sauce. My mom bought her some tiny spoons. We cover her in a huge bib (tarp) because of course she makes a huge mess. Her infant insert and tray are on the way for her keekaroo high chair right now. We only feed her once in the morning and she's 90% still on donated breast milk. She makes friends wherever she goes and she smiles and laughs at people all of the time. She does great in her carseat and just falls asleep really fast. Life is really good with her. She'll be crawling soon for sure and Jeremy and I are looking into baby proofing pretty quick. Bath time is still her favorite time of day ever. She now has 20+ bath toys and loves to jump after each of them. We feel as though we have 40+ eyeballs watching our every move when we're in the bathroom. 

5-24-13

Noelle is now 4.5 months old. Her little personality is now shining through in her loud, high-pitched noises. They are so freakin cute! She's incredibly expressive! She screeches all the time, when she's happy or curious and even when she's getting frustrated. She's still in crawling position but has mastered rolling. We don't really carry her over our shoulder anymore, sort of a high hip carry. She is grabbing at EVERYTHING: cups, plates, forks, paperwork... everything! She grabs for everything now and puts it straight into her mouth. She's been sucking her thumb recently and its really darn cute. She's been sleeping a lot and eating a ton! Definitely another growth spurt. Still no teeth yet which is really surprising. I feel like she's been showing teething symptoms forever. I can see a little white on the top of part of her gums though. I think that's the teeth popping up.

She's been spending a lot of time with grandma lately. I'm having my lap band surgically removed soon which means my Mom will be going back to Oregon for a while. I think its really good that they spend lots of time together. She really enjoys her grandma a lot. I feel really lucky to have someone here to give us a break sometimes. We've been really fortunate to have someone we trust available to take care of her while we get things done or unwind. It'll be really hard when my Mom leaves. I suppose it's just another stage of life to get used to. I feel confident that we'll do the best we can. Noelle is really lucky to have so many people that love her as much as we do.

She's a great little traveler in her car seat. We give her her Sophie Giraffe and some teething rings & she just makes funny noises or kicks her feet & falls asleep from the engine hum. As long as she gets out every hour- she's peachy.

I am falling more and more in love with her. I cannot wait to wake up in the morning and see her smiling face. She's absolutely delightful & wonderful. More soon.....

Dear Perfectionist Parent- Relax

To the mom who's breastfeeding: Way to go! It really is an amazing gift to give your baby, for any amount of time that you can manage! You're a good mom.

To the mom who's formula feeding: Isn't science amazing? To think there was a time when a baby with a mother who couldn't produce enough would suffer, but now? Better living through chemistry! You're a good mom.

To the cloth diapering mom: Fluffy bums are the cutest, and so friendly on the bank account. You're a good mom.

To the disposable diapering mom: Damn those things hold a lot, and it's excellent to not worry about leakage and laundry! You're a good mom.

To the mom who stays home: I can imagine it isn't easy doing what you do, but to spend those precious years with your babies must be amazing. You're a good mom.

To the mom who works: It's wonderful that you're sticking to your career, you're a positive role model for your children in so many ways, it's fantastic. You're a good mom.

To the mom who had to feed her kids from the drive thru all week because you're too worn out to cook or go grocery shopping: You're feeding your kids, and hey, I bet they aren't complaining! Sometimes sanity can indeed be found in a red box with a big yellow M on it. You're a good mom.

To the mom who gave her kids a homecooked breakfast lunch and dinner for the past week: Excellent! Good nutrition is important, and they're learning to enjoy healthy foods at an early age, a boon for the rest of their lives. You're a good mom.

To the mom with the kids who are sitting quietly and using their manners in the fancy restaurant: Kudos, it takes a lot to maintain order with children in a place where they can't run around. You're a good mom.

To the mom with the toddler having a meltdown in the cereal aisle: they always seem to pick the most embarrassing places to lose their minds don't they? We've all been through it. You're a good mom.

To the moms who judge other moms for ANY of the above? Glass houses, friend. Glass houses.

-Brit

Noelle's Stuff

I love going into Babies 'R Us and seeing the confused, newly pregnant parents wander about aimlessly trying to piece together this whole baby world. Makes me realize how far we've come and how much we still have to learn. I often end up educating some of these new parents on baby carriers, car seats, bottles, pumps, cloth diaper options and more. One of the employees actually brought me over and application once. I still cant tell if that was backhanded or not. Not my fault they dont do their research. Research was my favorite thing in the world while I was pregnant and then some. Anyways, here is a list of Noelle's "stuff".

* = absolutely essential
** = makes life easier
*** = best luxury ever (worth every penny)

*changing table- I found one at goodwill for $12.99. It was old, ugly and this poopy polished wood color (yuck). My husband sanded it and painted it chartreuse. I bought a pad with two covers and it's been an essential part of our life. She LOVES her changing pad.

***DIY mobile- I hung a chinese paper tiny parasol mobile above her changing table. They spin and she loves it.

*diapers- 3 dozen pre-folds (three sizes), 10 diaper covers (adjustable sizes), 5 snappis.

**coconut oil- I don't mean to brag but this baby has never even seen a trace of diaper rash. I coconut oil up her butt with every change. I also use it for her cradle cap and her nightly lavender massage. She has earned her name as my coco butt goat.

***bottle warmer- We warm all 36oz.(a day) of her donated breast milk 4oz. at a time in this bottle warmer. It's 2 minutes, 10 seconds and super east to use in the middle of the night. I suppose we'll use it for formula too if we ever need to.

*clothes- I find the CUTEST stuff at thrift stores. And of course people bought her lots of clothes while I was pregnant. Check for stains, bring em home and throw them in the wash. Boom!

**carriers- I'm one of those annoying moms who loves baby wearing. I have my ergo, pikkolo & a girasol converted ring sling. All of these mean she's being held while my hands are free. Awesome!

*snuggle nest- we co-sleep and this means giving her a safe, comfy place to sleep in our bed. I love our snuggle nest! Seriously I dont know how we lived without it. She can hear us breathe and I can hear all of her noises and movements throughout the night. She stays super safe and cozy.

***amber necklace- she started showing signs of teething at like, 2 months so I put on her amber teething necklace and it's been really helpful with her discomfort.

***Sophie giraffe- this was a gift from her aunt Erin and its the best gift ever. She loves to chew on her Sophie!

**snugabunny swing- a wise lady once told me that parenting is all about tricking your baby lol. after I rock her to sleep with a bottle, I put her in her swing and she feels rocked and cuddled for a good long time while I do laundry, pay bills and other general stuff. her swing is versatile, quiet and gentle. Perfect for my little sleeping goat.

***lifefactory glass bottles- i only use glass bottles. I'm not sure what my deal is with this. There's something that makes me uneasy about plastic. I'm one of those weirdos that only has glass food storage containers too. she has 6 lifefactory 4 oz. glass bottles and we use them every day. They come with caps that will be used as a little cups when she's ready.

*graco snugride 35 car seat- this car seat is safe, comfy and pretty. we leave the base in the car 24/7 and the car seat can also be put on a stroller base and converted into a stroller! yay! I think the whole set up was $200 but totally worth it. Big girls love safety!

***petunia pickle bottom diaper bag- um, have you seen these. they're way cuter than any purse I've ever owned. super convenient and can be made into a backpack. hooray!

**fisher price rock 'n play- Its a staple in the kitchen. I give her a measuring cup to chew/suck on and put her in this thing and she watches mama cook and clean.

***medela Hospital Grade Breast Pump- I didn't end up getting to use it (boohoo) but if you get an electric breast pump, don't go cheap! Spend on that shit! Breast milk is liquid gold.


Well, that's pretty much the basics. I hope she reads this one day and can laugh at all of the awesome new stuff we used for her. Rearing babies gets easier and easier in the stuff department. I laughed so hard at some of the things my mom used to use on me and my brother. Rubber pants & pins! Love it!

5-15-13

I wish I could breast feed. This is really bothering me today. Sometimes it comes back and I feel terrible about it. I'm sure I'll feel better tomorrow. Barely got to see my angel today. I woke up with a cough but it resolved itself. Was glad to get home and see her this afternoon.

She can roll over now on both sides back and forth. I'm so proud of her already.

5-13-13

working hard to eat her feet

Noelle was so lovely and wonderful today. I don't understand how I can wake up every day loving her more. I had no idea this kind of love was possible- its so different than the love I have for my husband or family. We took Daddy into work around 9am and then afterwards we went to the Frothy Monkey to grab a coffee and suck it down quick. Afterwards we went to Sevier park to do some fast walking around the park. It was good- got my heart rate up and she did wonderful-- just enjoying every thing from the stroller. Afterwards to went over to the play area and I got on the swings while holding her. She loved it & loved watching the other kids play. We did some light swinging, I fed her a little bit and we went home. She slept in the car the whole car trip.

When we got home we went upstairs, did a diaper change and played. After a little bit we went back downstairs to play on the play mat and do some tummy time. She's starting to pivot her knees under her body and pushing up. It's giving her a little bit of mobility but not enough for her taste. She's going to crawl if its the last thing she ever does. She lets out these grunts of excitement and frustration. Its hard to watch her stuggle and I help but try to keep it minimal so she can do it herself. She's very determined.

After that we went back upstairs and she hungrily sucked down her bottle until she fell asleep for a couple of hours. When she woke up she was full of smiles. Its weird, but I miss her while she's sleeping. Its nice to get free time but I look forward to when she wakes up.

We headed over to Trader Joes with grandma (my mom) and bought a couple of lunch foods. She did great and I made sure to walk close to the shelves so she can touch every thing. I want her to touch everything. Not break or take but touching is good if it doesn't affect the wares. She loves to touch things and feel different textures. I've noticed she likes holding my silk chinese bath robe. She feels it between her fingers, I think she likes how soft and silky it is. I remember doing this with my blankie when I was little- it had a satin lining that I loved to touch and suck on.

Life with her keeps getting better and better. I cannot believe how much I love this little baby. On another note, her amber teething necklace arrived in the mail today. She looks really cute in it. I hope it helps with the teething and drooling. Poor angel.

baltic amber teething necklace

5-11-13

Noelle slept for most of the day and woke up in a really good mood. She's been eating a little bit here and there and generally playful and delightful. I wanted to take her to the musicians corner music festival in centennial park but she was asleep when it was time for us to so my mom agreed to watch her for a bit. We had a really good time and decided that Noelle and Tabitha (our pup) would definitely be joining us next time. 

Tomorrow is mothers day. My very first and I'm really excited to be her mom. We've been slowly transitioning her into the ergo and out of the pikkolo for a couple of weeks now. She does great with the inward facing carry now as long as we keep moving. We love baby wearing! I'm learning so much about different wraps, slings, mei tai's and carriers.