Cry It Out

For the last 2 weeks we have been doing cry it out at night. Let me just say I am not a big fan of cry it out. We tried it when Noah was younger and it was a huge disaster! 30 minutes of not stop screaming that ended in a snotty red swollen faced baby. But as it always is with parenting all things change!
About 2 weeks ago Noah decided to start weaning from BF. I was not a fan (but that's a whole other post) so at bedtime my ace in the whole was gone. This left me with a tired baby who refused to go to bed. Every time I put him in bed he would scream and its exhausting to spend over an hour getting him to bed. So I decided to try crying it out again and miracle of miracles it worked! Every night since within 5 to 10 minutes he is sleeping soundly in his bed. Now it still breaks my heart to put him in his bed and walk away as he screams its so worth it for him to go to bed and get more sleep and me to get an hour back in my day!
Here is hoping this continues to work for bedtime. Nap time is whole other can of worms..........

New Years resolution keep up with my blog!

You know its sad when over christmas dinner your grandpa tells you that you havent updated your blog in forever! BUSTED. I have been terrible about blogging I know. I guess keeping up with a 1 year old and work has gotten the best of me but I am determined to stay on top of it this year!
Since I last posted we have been busy. Noah turned one in November. We had a busy holiday season (which isnt over yet). Work is very busy and going great!
I plan to start the new year focusing on getting back in shape and balancing my schedule better.
There is much more to come but for now this a quick sample. Merry Christmas all!

update

wow its been a while since i have blogged. all is well in baby land. noah is now a little over 5 months and has started solids. so far cereal and we just started bananas last night. he seems to really like it. he is cutting a few teeth on top but they are not thru yet. we took him swimming for the first time last week. he seemed to enjoy it!
on my end things are about the same. work is SUPER BUSY which is great! we are having record months!! i am feeling good and starting to be less tired. I am still stuck with the last of the baby weight. it just stopped coming off. i have heard you dont loose the last till you stop nursing. we will see. i have been trying to exercise more now that its nice outside and he is more able to be taken out and about.
Mothers day is coming up and we are looking forward to it. going to the inlaws to cook out and my mom is coming too. should be fun as long as someone is good in the car!
Thats about all for now. Noah is swinging and starting to get the grumpys, meaning he wants busted out. LOL.

Here and there

Noah is now 4 months old! I cant believe how time flies. We have decided to wait on solids till 6 months. It definitely wont hurt to wait so we are gonna try to make it.
On another note, we put a bid on a house close to work that way i could come home for lunch and not lose almost an hour a day in drive time, plus we wanted a fenced yard for the dogs.........but we were outbid =( we have to sign a new lease for this house soon so i think we will have to wait another year.
not much else is happening. work is going great. noah is growing. we are happy for spring to come. Other than that same old same old.

solids

I am really debating when to start Noah on Solids. Everyone says 4 months for cereal but all the current research says 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. I am not sure what to think. Part of me wants to wait as long as possible to let him develop his digestive system completely, the other part says he is showing signs. Stares when I eat, lots of drooling, chewing on hands ect. I dont really know what to think.
I am open to any input!

sweet baby sleep

Noah is doing soooo great sleeping at night for the last week or so. He has started getting into the routine of going to bed around 8:30 and he has been sleeping till 6:30 or 7. For a 3 month old baby that is great! This morning I had to wake him at 6:30 so that I could nurse him before work and he was not crazy about being awakened!
I am so proud of him for sleeping so well. And I have even been putting him to bed not all the way asleep. Tonight he was still pretty awake, I laid him down and sang to him and rubbed his belly but even before he was asleep i snuck away and got ready for bed myself and he didnt even cry and laid and looked at the animals on his wall drifted off on his own. What a good little man!

sling DUH!

We are so silly. I have been having a really rough time getting Noah to nap. he is sleeping very well at night. sleeps almost 12 hours and gets up only once or twice but refuses to nap. then he gets cranky, I mean very CRANKY. so cranky i cant do anything. he wants held or he screams. so you are stuck holding him all afternoon and evening. Now I love holding my baby but I also need to get stuff done around the house. then today hubby said try the sling. DUH. Why didnt i think of that. we had used it a few times when he was little but it made me so nervous bc he was so small and fragile so I hadnt used it lately. but i thought why not give it a try so I did. and he has been sleeping in it for 2 hours now!!!! Its great he gets the nap he needs and i can get work done! granted its heavy on my shoulder and back but its totally worth it. why didnt i do this months ago!
Now I know this is not a permanent solution. we need to get him to nap in his bed but its a temporary one at least. I am reading a great book called becoming babywise (thanks Lea) and its is very good. we are working on a night schedule and putting him to sleep drowsy but not asleep. that is working pretty well. but for some reason day is another story. maybe once the night routine is solid we can incorporate a day one in slowly too! Here is crossing my fingers but for the meantime sling it is!

busy busy bee

Life has been so busy lately! I feel like I dont have a single second to myself. Dont get me wrong I like my job and I adore my baby but its exhausting to leave work and come home and take care of N till I go back to work. Once he starts sleeping better it will really help. Last night was great. N slept from 9 till 2:15 then went in his swing from 3 till 8:30. I actually got up before him! I could use about a months worth of nights like that!
In other news last weekend I took N home and we took a 5 generation picture on my mom's side. It was really cool to get everyone together! I am so blessed to have so much family only a few hours away!! Nothing exciting planned for the entire month of February. Just work and spend time with my boys =) N's first shots are in a week and I am dreading it. Then both mom's have march birthdays. For now I am just planning to relax and wait for spring!

Babies on the brain

It is baby time right now!
First of all Noah is 2 months old today! He is changing so much. He stays awake most of the day now, with only one afternoon nap and a few catnaps while nursing but other than that awake all day. We are enjoying him being up and alert more, but he is grumpy in the evenings now. The last 2 nights have been terrible trying to get him to go to bed. He fusses unless he is nursing. Both times I had to lay down in bed with him and nurse him till he fell asleep then move him to his bassinet. Also on the sleeping front we are going to move his crib into our room and start him sleeping in it. I want to start using his breathing monitor which can only be used in the crib but I am not ready for him to be in a separate room so he is moving in with us for now. I plan on starting the crib probably this week so we will see how that goes.
On a more exciting note he is showing so much more personality. He is smiling all the time and has laughed a few times and even rolled over once! My little boy is getting so big.
In other baby news I threw my friend a baby shower this weekend and it was a lot of fun. We did an ice cream sunday bar. It was yummy. She had several other showers so I wanted to do something a little different. A couple of her friends and I worked together to get everything ready. I was very thankful for their help. A good time was had by all.
Two of my other friends are due this week with their babies!!!! One is having a girl, the other is a surprise! I cant wait to hear that they are in labor and to find out the sex of baby N!! Like I said its babypalooza right now.
I am so glad to have so many friends starting families at the same time as us. Its great to have people to share these experiences with!

I did it!!!!!!!!!!

I finally broke down and breastfed in public!
Paul's mom and brother came to visit today and I was determined not to go upstairs to nurse every time so I just covered myself with a blanket and nursed and it was fine. I knew his mom didn't care but I didn't want his brother to be uncomfortable but I also didn't want to be annexed to a room upstairs for 40 minutes. So we nursed right down stairs with everyone else and it was FINE!
Breastfeed in front of a male relative............check
so then we went to dinner at Bob Evans. I fed him right before we left but of course once we get there and order and I eat my salad he starts crying that cry. The one that tells me its time to eat. So I had to feed him right there in Bob Evans. Out came the blanket and we did it!
Breastfeed in a public place.................check check!
I am glad we got these things over with because I was nervous about both of them and it really wasn't even bad. No one at the restaurant seemed to even notice and I was covered fairly well. It wasn't even embarrassing like I thought it would be.
I am very relieved that we jumped these 2 hurdles. Now the last one will be in front of my dad......eek. That's still on hold for a while.

breastfeeding in public

First of all breastfeeding is going so much better. Granted I still curl my toes when he latches on and get sore after a while but all in all its much better. Anyway the point of this entry is to tell my first breastfeeding in public story. so here goes.....
Friday we went to red robin to eat a late lunch and took the baby on his first restaurant outing. I purposely did not take a bottle of expressed milk. I knew I had to get over the fear of breastfeeding while out so I planned on just jumping into it. Well he slept the whole time at the restaurant, but no sooner did we leave then he started screaming. So we pull over at the polaris mall. There we are at 3 pm sitting in Macy's parking lot and I am nursing. We parked WAY out so no one was around but I never thought I would be sitting in a parking lot with my breast out. LOL.

the holidays

Well we survived overnight travel with a 5 week old baby! All in all it went pretty well but it was hard on Noah. We left my aunts christmas night and got in the car for the 40 minute drive back to paul's parents and he just started screaming......and would not stop. finally 20 minutes later we pulled over at a gas station so i could nurse him. ahhhh. That settled him down enough that we could get home. Also since we got back home he has wanted held non stop. He got used to grandma R holding him all the time.
We really did have a nice time. Both grandmas are gaga over him =) and it was nice to see family again.
New years was very low key at our house. We were in bed by 10:30. I could have gone for a cocktail but thats off the list since I am nursing so sleep it was!
I cant believe its 2010 already. We are looking forward to a wonderful year with our little man. Watching him grow and learn. It will be so much fun.

I survived the first week back!

Well I made it through my first week back to work! Tuesday was very hard. It was so hard to leave Noah. Daddy did great with him all week though! I knew he would it was just hard for me to be gone. I felt so out of it tuesday morning at work. It almost felt like i was starting a new job. But once I got there and got going it was ok. By Wednesday I felt like my normal self again and back in the groove.
The most challenging part of all of this is the lack of sleep. Its hard to work all day on very little and choppy sleep. But hopefully in another month or so we can get a routine going and I can get more rest!

Returning to work....

Well I cant believe it Noah is 3 weeks old.......The time has flown by!
But this means I am scheduled to go back to work NEXT WEEK. EEEEEK.
I love my job and I miss work but I cant imagine leaving my baby all day.
On a great note he will be home with is daddy, so I know he will be in the best hands and totally taken care of. Its just that I am going to miss him. I have been with him 24 hours a day so to leave him all day makes me so sad.....
I am sure once I get into the swing of things again it will be fine, its just re-adjusting.
I know it will all work out and in the meantime I will enjoy my last week at home.

Busy weekend

We have a lot going on this weekend. Saturday we went to St. Marys because I had an eye doctors appointment. I go back there because I had a bad experience here and its affordable since I pay cash for my contacts. Anyway we decided to take baby Noah for his first trip home. He did GREAT. he slept the entire time. Probably because he was fussy the night before and neither of us slept much but still. We went to mom's afterwards and grandma and Adam came over to see him again. It was a nice visit. And I am glad to know we can travel ok with him. The first trip is always the hardest.
Today Paul's mom and brother are coming for a visit (uncle matt hasnt met Noah yet) and then I am working on baby shower invites for a friend's shower. This is more than I have had planned in weeks!
On a great note Noah's thrush is clearing up and he is nursing much better. I think his mouth was sore before. He is eating enough that he will fall asleep after breastfeeding and not want his supplemental bottle for an hour sometimes. Also I am getting less sore when we feed. YEAH!
Hopefully we are turning the corner on feeding!

breastfeeding blues

Who knew breastfeeding would be so hard!? Now I know why bottle feeding is such a draw.
We are still struggling 2 weeks in. My godsent in this has been my pump. Without it we would have given up long ago. At first I wasnt producing anything and had to pump to syringe feed him 5cc. They I finally was producing something and he wouldnt latch on. Now his latch is improving but I am so sore I can only take it for so long.
So every feeding consists of breastfeeding, then bottle feeding pumped milk, then pumping. It takes about an hour to get thru a feeding and during the day he eats about every 3 hours......
And I thought I would have some free time while I was at home.
Here is hoping this situation improves.

First few weeks at home

Motherhood is exhausting!
In the first 2 weeks we have had a lot happen.
2 pediatrician appts because Noah was jaundiced and she was worried about his weight (both with improved from the first visit to the second).
I ended up with mastitis and a 103 degree temp.
Friday night the power went out, meaning we had no heat, no lights and no breastpump! we packed all of our stuff to go to paul's parents and of course as we finished packing the power came back on.
Very stressful week.
On the upside today is our wedding anniversary and things seem to be settling down!
Here is hoping i can get the hang of this and get a routine before I go back to work in 2 weeks....

LABOR

Here are all the details of my labor and delivery if your so inclined......
On Tuesday 11/17 my water broke at 1:00 am. I was not having any contractions but went to the hospital since my water broke. I started having contractions around 2:30 am. We spent the night at the hospital walking in circles and using the birthing ball desperately trying to get my labor going because I did not want to be put on pitocin.
At 9:00 am I was only 2 cm dilated =( so i got put on pitocin to speed things up because once your water breaks you are on a timeline to deliver.
By 3:30pm I was freaking miserable! Labor on pitocin sucks! I went without pain meds as long as i could but my midwife checked me and I was only 6 cm. I needed some rest so I got an epidural. Once I did that my body relaxed and I dilated pretty quickly. By 5:30 pm we were ready to push. So I am thinking ok we are almost done! WRONG!
Noah was delivered at 7:25 pm.
I pushed for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
My total labor was 18 1/2 hours.
He weighed 6 pounds 14 oz and was 19 inches long.
I ended up with a 3rd degree laceration from the delivery (mostly because his arm was up by his head on delivery).
It was a long and hard labor but TOTALLY worth it!
I was very blessed to have a great midwife and avoid any other medical interventions.
I guarantee an OB would have done internal fetal monitoring, antibiotics and started talking c-section but she hung in there with me, and was in the room the entire time i pushed (which is very rare).
Overall I am very happy with how it turned out. it wasnt ideal but we made the best of the circumstances.

MIA

Ok I know I have been MIA for almost a year now, but with the arrival of our new baby decided to start the blog back up to keep people posted on our life with a little bundle of joy!
So first off a catch-up:
We moved back to Columbus and I started practicing at an office there and I LOVE it. My bosses and co-w0rkers are great! Definitely a good move.
I was pregnant for most of this year and we just delivered our little man last week. (another post with more details on that).
Other than that not much is new.
Well I am back and am committing to keeping this blog current!!!!!!!!!

personal care products

A few months ago I decided to switch all my personal care products over to organic and natural products. I did this to be healthier and with the specific reason of trying to have a baby and not putting toxic substances on me. I switched my shampoo and conditioner, lotion, soap ect. I still have a few things to switch over mostly toothpaste and face scrub but I am most of the way there and am pleasantly surprized. I like all the new stuff. The only thing I am not super crazy about is the deodorant, which I have used before. It just doesnt work as well/last as long but as long as you re-apply during the day you are ok. I did even make a great discovery I am in love with Jason's vanilla lotion. It smells amazing and works great! I have never had a lotion that worked so good on my dry winter skin!
Along those lines here is an article about the things to look out for in personal care products, and how toxic this stuff really is to us.


The Dirty Dozen Chemicals in Cosmetics
by Catherine Zandonella
September 18, 2007

Beauty is only skin deep, but the products we use to attain it contain chemicals that may penetrate far deeper. The average adult uses nine personal care products a day, with roughly 120 chemicals spread among them, many of which are incompletely tested for toxicity.
Below we've listed 12 chemicals that are best avoided. A single exposure to any of them is unlikely to cause harm, but daily exposure over a lifetime may add up. When shopping, be prepared to spend some time reading labels; even brands that advertise themselves as "natural" or "botanical" have been known to include some of these.
1. AntibacterialsOveruse of antibacterials can prevent them from effectively fighting disease-causing germs like E. coli and Salmonella enterica. Triclosan, widely used in soaps, toothpastes and deodorants, has been detected in breast milk, and one recent study found that it interferes with testosterone activity in cells. Numerous studies have found that washing with regular soap and warm water is just as effective at killing germs.
2. Coal TarCoal tar is a known human carcinogen used as an active ingredient in dandruff shampoos and anti-itch creams. Coal-tar-based dyes such as FD&C Blue 1, used in toothpastes, and FD&C Green 3, used in mouthwash, have been found to be carcinogenic in animal studies when injected under skin.
3. Diethanolamine (DEA)DEA is a possible hormone disruptor, has shown limited evidence of carcinogenicity and depletes the body of choline needed for fetal brain development. DEA can also show up as a contaminant in products containing related chemicals, such as cocamide DEA.
4. 1,4-Dioxane1,4-Dioxane is a known animal carcinogen and a possible human carcinogen that can appear as a contaminant in products containing sodium laureth sulfate and ingredients that include the terms "PEG," "-xynol," "ceteareth," "oleth" and most other ethoxylated "eth" ingredients. The FDA monitors products for the contaminant but has not yet recommended an exposure limit. Manufacturers can remove dioxane through a process called vacuum stripping, but a small amount usually remains. A 2007 survey by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that most children's bath products contain 10 parts per million or less, but an earlier 2001 survey by the FDA found levels in excess of 85 parts per million.
5. FormaldehydeFormaldehyde has a long list of adverse health effects, including immune-system toxicity, respiratory irritation and cancer in humans. Yet it still turns up in baby bath soap, nail polish, eyelash adhesive and hair dyes as a contaminant or break-down product of diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and quaternium compounds.
6. FragranceThe catchall term "fragrance" may mask phthalates, which act as endocrine disruptors and may cause obesity and reproductive and developmental harm. Avoid phthalates by selecting essential-oil fragrances instead.
7. Lead and MercuryNeurotoxic lead may appear in products as a naturally occurring contaminant of hydrated silica, one of the ingredients in toothpaste, and lead acetate is found in some brands of men's hair dye. Brain-damaging mercury, found in the preservative thimerosol, is used in some mascaras.
8. NanoparticlesTiny nanoparticles, which may penetrate the skin and damage brain cells, are appearing in an increasing number of cosmetics and sunscreens. Most problematic are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles, used in sunscreens to make them transparent. When possible, look for sunscreens containing particles of these ingredients larger than 100 nanometers. You'll most likely need to call companies to confirm sizes, but a few manufacturers have started advertising their lack of nanoparticle-sized ingredients on labels.
9. Parabens(methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, isobutyl-) Parabens, which have weak estrogenic effects, are common preservatives that appear in a wide array of toiletries. A study found that butyl paraben damaged sperm formation in the testes of mice, and a relative, sodium methylparaben, is banned in cosmetics by the E.U. Parabens break down in the body into p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which has estrogenic activity in human breast-cancer cell cultures.
10. Petroleum DistillatesPossible human carcinogens, petroleum distillates are prohibited or restricted for use in cosmetics in the E.U. but are found in several U.S. brands of mascara, foot-odor powder and other products. Look out for the terms "petroleum" or "liquid paraffin."
11. P-PhenylenediamineCommonly found in hair dyes, this chemical can damage the nervous system, cause lung irritation and cause severe allergic reactions. It's also listed as 1,4-Benzenediamine; p-Phenyldiamine and 4-Phenylenediamine.
12. HydroquinoneFound in skin lighteners and facial moisturizers, hydroquinone is neurotoxic and allergenic, and there's limited evidence that it may cause cancer in lab animals. It may also appear as an impurity not listed on ingredients labels.