My D.I.Y nursing/teething necklace

Well, as many of my friends and family know... When it comes to Dawson and all things baby I've become quite the homeopathic hippy!  My how children change us!  Now that Dawson is becoming more aware of his surroundings he seems to struggle focusing on the task at hand..... Nursing to be exact!  So with a little investigation on the ever so famous google... I found many mommies using nursing necklaces for baby to play with.  I looked on etsy and man... $15-$20a pop... No thanks! So off to Pinterest I ventured!  I found several tutorials and decided to give it a go!  I also found many moms making them for teething purposes., and since we are also in that stage I decided to make mine teething friendly as well! Dawson rides around in his ergo a lot so it's great to occupy him! 

I got the jersey knit fabric from my mother-in-law who did the sewing portion since I (a) don't own a sewing machine and (b) have never ever sewn!  Although,  I have a good mind to learn and sell these bad boys on etsy! 

So first I cut a 5" wide by 58" strip of fabric. We then folded it in half and sewed it shut along one edge forming a long tube. Then I turned it right side out and tied a knot where I wanted to start the heading.  I slid round unfinished wooden beads in and tied a knot after each bead.  Once I got enough I cut both sides into 3 strips and braided! Easy peasy!!! Dawson already has loved tugging and chewing on it and we've finally had some successful nursing! I hope I can make the next one a little prettier... But I'm pleased with this for my first attempt! 

Milestones for Dawson!

I cannot believe my big boy!  One day I was messing around and sat him up like this and he would bend over and fall....so we used the bumbo or saucer to keep playing!  So 2 days ago I showed Brent how close he was getting to sitting up and he did so much better that time, but not quite there.  So Wednesday I decided I would play with him and let him try and to my amazement he didn't need mommy anymore! :( WHAT??? You learned at 5 months to sit up with barely any practice....what a big boy!  He will try to turn around and look and that results in a little tumble to the floor...but other than that my little buddy is doing it all on his own!  Dawson we are so proud of you buddy!  Now wait on the crawling until we can get this eating and sleeping thing back under control or mommy  might just pass out from exhaustion! 

* 5 Months Old....and Growing Up Too Fast!!*

How old? 5 Months
Total Weight:  2 Weeks ago he was 16 lb. 9oz.

Length: 26.5”
Eating: Nursing or Bottle every 3-3.5 hours.  
Sleep: Napping 3 times a day (2 hours, 1.5 hours, and 45 minutes) Night sleep has been so rough lately….more about that in the post! 
Fun Facts:  Since last month he has started rolling both ways and loves to roll across the floor!  Too cute!
New Developments: So close to sitting up…he is quite wobbly but trying so hard to be a big boy!!

Dawson Job...I cannot believe your are getting so big so quickly!  Where is the time going??  As each month passes I love you more and more!  You are such a bright eyed, joyful, loving baby who has such a contagious smile.  I could not have hand-picked your personality better myself!!  Each day you surprise me with how sweet you are even though you have struggled with so many tummy issues.  Mommy knows how hard that can be and am amazed at how you still are so happy most of the day! I love you more that I can express buddy and am so thankful God picked me to be your Mommy!

 

 

Now....for the adult readers :)  Dawson really is an amazingly happy and sweet little boy at 5 months.  He loves chewing everything in sight and loves Mickey Mouse ( like to the point nothing in the room phases him if Mickey is on TV) he hates being without Mom or Dad when he is in a playful mood.  He is the star of the show and will let you know if you have forgotten to applaud his "tricks".  He loooooooves taking baths and has so much fun playing and splashing in the water.  He hates getting dressed....yes...he would rather stay in a diaper than have to pull an arm through a shirt!  He loves Phoebe (his dog) and watches her like a hawk!  He loves to jump and stand and move all around!  All of that should give you a good idea of the 5 month old we have here at home! 

 

As for eating...we have had quite the challenge this month!  My little guy had started on some cereal and LOVED it....he would eat it right off of the spoon like he had never had anything so wonderful ever! Each day I was struggling to get him to nurse well or even take a bottle.  He had had a cold so I assumed maybe his ears hurt or his nose was just stuffy.  After several days of this I called the doc and took him in.  She said it sounded like his reflux was acting up and to increase his medication.  We did so...but here we are 2 weeks later with Dawson only wanting 2oz...yes, 2oz. at a time...Mind you he was taking 5.5-6oz every 3 hours or so.  I began to get so sad watching my baby cry at the sight of a bottle and pushing me away.  I knew something wasn't right so I called the doc.  They have referred us to a GI specialist to get things sorted out.  I have been observing him very carefully the past few days and took away ALL solids and watched my diet once more.  I truly believe he is super sensitive to anything other than breastmilk, free of dairy , of course!  This morning he showed several reactions very similar to his Milk allergy, but he has not had any milk protein for months! So something is truly messing with my little buddies tummy! So for now we've decided to be very careful with my diet and his diet until further testing can be done!  Please pray that there is nothing serious going on and that he is just sensitive to certain foods at this point. 

 

As for sleeping....well it is a result of his eating....how you say?  Well a child with tummy distress obviously cannot sleep through the night without some type of cramps or gas pains.  So we never truly know what to expect each night.  I am so grateful to know that it is not a sleep problem but a tummy problem.  Dawson loves to sleep and actually becomes very angry when gas wakes him.  He is put down in his crib and puts himself to sleep everyday and night.  He actually hates when mommy tries to rock him and soothe him through his pains.....so we have to leave him in the crib and rub his back until he calms down.  Some nights we have 2-3 wakings....and we feel pretty rested, but we have had nights where the poor little guy goes a 3 hour stretch of waking every 20 minutes or so.  We are very sad for him and very exhausted from lack of sleep and trying to figure out how to help him.  I tell myself that this time of his life is short in comparison to the many years to come and that it will get better!  It has truly tested our patience and we have truly missed having family in town.  There are so many nights I just wish we had a grandma to come let us get some sleep through the night ( because...lets face it...naps just aren't the same!). 

 

So for this month I pray that we can figure out how exactly to approach properly feeding our little man.  We want him to be able to take solids without pain....but are also ready to hear that he may just have to mature a little longer than some before we can approach other foods again!  My biggest prayer is that there are no internal issues and no severe allergies.  But like I said....He is an AMAZING baby none the less.  We are so blessed and thankful for our sweet 5 month old baby boy!

 

My Favorite Baby Items!

Ok soooo...now that Dawson is taking a nap I figured I would do a random post apart from a "Dawson update".  So after being on facebook many of my friends have found out they are expecting! Yay for all new moms to be!  During pregnancy it seems like you research and look to find the hottest and most perfect items for you and baby!  I really didn't do too much research before we registered and kind of went with what "looked" nice in the stores.  After being a mom for almost 5 months (WOW...really that long already) I have decided to give my 2 cents on my favorite baby products to date!

When Dawson was a newborn we had so many struggles getting him to sleep.  He had acid reflux so laying flat was not really working for him.  He would gag, spit up, hiccup and cough.  At first we used a fisher price rock-n-play for him to sleep in, but once he got a little bigger he would push up with his feet so that wasn't working.  My brother and sister-in-law had bought us a snug-a-bunny bouncer, which Dawson would nap wonderfully in during the day.  We decided to try the bouncer for night-time sleep.  OH MY WORD...this thing was a life saver for the first 8 weeks of Dawson's life!  It is cozy, warm, and hugs him just right!  Great for day time and if need be, night time! 

Once we transitioned Dawson to the crib...He HATED being on his back.  We tried swaddling...we tried putting blankets rolled up on the sides of him...we tried laying him on his side...nothing would work...HE HATED IT!  So one day during tummy time he conked out...I mean out for 2 hours solid!  Never had Dawson slept so hard.  Brent and I discussed trying his belly for naps...and to our surprise he slept amazingly each time!  SIGH...I was sooo not wanting to allow him to tummy sleep, but you do what you gotta do for you and your child to get some rest.  Well I really wanted to know that he would be ok breathing etc.  So naturally as all mothers do...I researched for a product to help ease my mind.  We ended up getting an angelcare monitor off of amazon, and I absolutely LOVE it!

 

Another battle we faced was with nursing.  In all honesty I absolutely LOVE nursing.  I know it is not for everyone, but if it is the route you choose to go then in all honesty...there will be difficulties in the beginning.  Dawson was great at the hospital, but as soon as we got home he really struggled with latching etc.  I got so uncomfortable and just in pain everytime we would try!  I had a friend at work give me these AMAZING lanolin gel pads.  I highly recommend them for the first couple of weeks when nursing.  They truly helped relieved discomfort after feedings!

I had already decided that Dawson would nurse as well as be bottle fed.  Little did we know our little man would struggle with terrible tummy issues.  I started off bottle feeding with Medela bottles, but he seemed to be getting tons of air as well as gas and spitting up.  (As you know a lot of his issues were due to Milk Protein Allergy) but also I truly believe switching bottles helped with the burping and gas!  We absolutely LOVE Dr. Brown bottles.  Yes they are somewhat annoying to wash, but they truly seem to work for the gassy baby!

 

 

Living far away from family has been tough!  I will admit I truly miss having them around for needed help.  One weekend I decided I really wanted to go to Raleigh but did NOT want to drive with just me and Dawson.  He is NOT a good carseat rider unless he can see Mom or Dad.  I just knew that it would take forever and a screaming baby the whole way was not my idea of fun!  I decided that I would take the train from CLT to RAL.  I knew that I would have a carseat, diaper bag, luggage ...etc. and that I would need my hands free.  We had originally purchased a moby wrap which was wonderful for those screaming newborn days, but just would not work for the train.  I could just see me taking the 100 ft. of fabric and saying..."Excuse me, could you hold my baby while I wrap myself up in this"  So I decided I needed a baby carrier that would be fast, easy and last a LONG time.  I had heard all of the "rave" about ergo carriers so I started looking around.  Target ended up having them on sale and get a free gift card with purchase!  That is the route I chose. But I know TJ Maxx has them sometimes and also zulily. 

Last, but most certainly not least....the NOSEFRIDA!!!!  AHHH yes my newest most favorite product!  Dawson has come down with an awful cold this past week.  His poor nose has been so stuffy and well, those hospital bulbs just weren't cutting it!  The girls in my Bible study class (all moms) had recommended the nosefrida.  I had heard of it online, but didn't know if it really did the trick.  Well, poor Dawson was waking from sleep because he just couldn't breathe...his nostrils would literally be stuck to the inside of his nose from so much mucus.  We use saline drops and a bulb, humidifier etc...but still he was super stuffy!  SO I told Brent we must go purchase this magical nosefrida and give it a whirl...OH MY! It seems soooo gross, but won't moms do anything for their children?!?  The nosefrida is a Swedish contraption that has a long "straw" connected to a funnel shape syringe.   Essentially how it works is you place the syringe part in baby's nostril and suck the straw!  Yes, I know, but it has a loooong tube and filter and from my experience mucus really doesn't even ever reach the filter.  This thing sucks allll and I mean allll of the mucus stuck in the sinuses.  My child can breathe for hours after using it!  So to all moms to be...seriously if you aren't grossed out...go invest in a nosefrida!

 

Well like I said these are all of MY favorite baby products to date.  Take them or leave them but I thought I would share!  Hopefully somebody will get some use out of this post or I will knowing I just love these products !  Good luck to all of the future mommies!  Welcome to the best job in the world!  Being a mommy!

 

 

* Four Months Old*

How old? 4 Months
Total Weight:  Find out Friday…I’m guessing around 16 lbs.

Length: Around 25”
Eating: Nursing or Bottle every 3-3.5 hours.    
Sleep: Bless him….He has become such a good napper, but his nighttime sleep is still quite unpredictable.
Fun Facts: Dawson rolled over for the first time last night (10-9-13), Also he has really become quite strong.  He loves to stand in his exersaucer and play.  He now chews on EVERYTHING! 
New Developments:  DROOL, DROOL, DROOL!!!

Our sweet boy has such a personality these days!  He loves to talk ...guess he got that one honest...loves to stand and play and just be super active!  Last night he had been asleep for a couple of hours then, all of the sudden, we hear him just talking away.  Brent goes to look on the monitor and low and behold our boy had finally done it....he had rolled over from his tummy to his back and apparently had been quite excited!  After a proud high five from mom and a good night kiss we got him to go back to sleep.  I thought sure he may be trying this all night.  We knew it was coming soon because everytime I put him down for a nap or bedtime he would try with all of his might to roll over.

Poor boy has had such a rough time with his tummy this past month...I think I had consumed some  milk ingredients by mistake at a luncheon.  We ended up with several sleepless nights and terrible diapers.  For those who don't know MPI or MPA ( Milk Protein Intolerance or Allergy) causes baby to have gas, intestinal cramping, and sometimes bloody stool.  Well this past time we had ALL 3 symptoms.  I took Dawson to the doc just to rule out anything else.  He did some testing for bacterial issues and suggested that if they were negative that we continue to cut out ALL milk protein forms.  Thank goodness his tests were negative and after about a week or so his tummy seemed to calm down.  Brent and I have been really stressed about the allergy because it seems that any slight amount of milk affects him easily.  We went through debating to switch to hypoallergenic formula and have discussed what will be best for me and Dawson.  I called the doctor about this and they suggested that breastmilk is still better than formula for a baby that has allergies.  My other question was...well can I get him used to formula just as a back up.  The nurse said we could try weaning him onto some formula by slowly introducing it to him.  For those unfamiliar with the cost of formula these days...hypoallergenic is EXPENSIVE!  I had heard that the insurance will frequently cover the cost of this type of formula.  Well after forever on the phone with the insurance they have now decided that they will NOT cover it anymore! SOOO we decided that we should just test it out before committing.  I am currently on a totally dairy free diet....basically Vegan with the exception of meat.  It is not really my thing considering I LOVE cheese, yogurt, ice cream and basically processed foods (shame shame) . At this point we are planning on sticking to my diet and supplementing some formula here and there just to see if it helps soothe him.  The type of formula we are trying has a probiotic for digestive health added in.  Dawson has been drinking 1 oz of formula mixed in with his bottles for the past three days and seems to be taking it well.  He also seems to be sleeping better since we added to formula to his bottles this week. 

The decision to try formula has been quite emotional for me.  I in no way am ready to give up on breast feeding, but also want what is best for my little man.  Hopefully he will grow out of this before the end of the year!  So please pray that he grows out of the allergy quickly!

 

Now....as far as things Dawson loves at 4 months....where to begin.  He loves his floor gym...finally grabbing the toys...he loves his exersaucer, his swing (although he is getting to big) ,bathtime and he loves PHOEBE....yes, the child loves his dog.  He follows her with his eyes everywhere she goes..he loves when she brings him her bone...he loves when she (gross) licks him...and he just thinks she is so funny!  Our little man is so full of life and I cannot wait to continue watching him grow!  So for now to end this loooong post I leave you with some sweet pics of our little man!

Love you baby boy!!!

 

 

"Train Up a Child....."

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Yesterday was an exciting day for Brent and I as parents.  We were able to dedicate our sweet Dawson to the Lord in our Sunday morning service.  We knew from day one that Dawson is a gift that God has entrusted us with and that it is our job as his parents to "train" him in the right ways.  We are so thankful to be blessed with a Godly family, and we wish to give Dawson the same. 

Dawson,

Mommy and Daddy love you more than words can describe!  Each day brings us more love for you and more desire to raise you as best we can.  You have changed our hearts, our way of thinking, and our view of true love.  You don't know this now, but one day you will understand why we took you up in front of the whole church all snazzied up!   Yesterday, in front of your family and church family, we committed to raising you the way God has intended.  We can only pray that you will learn from our actions and see that we are committed to this goal . You are a blessing from God and it is our job as your parents to lead you in His ways so that one day you can be a Godly man like the generations before you in your family.  We will pray for you, instruct you and love you until the day we die.  You are such a little treasure and we are forever grateful that God chose us to be your parents!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

 

 

From The Heart....My thoughts on motherhood lately!

The day I became pregnant was probably one of the most exciting days of my life!  I had looked forward to this day for so long and couldn't believe it was finally here. We had prayed for the right timing to become parents and were so excited when God blessed us with that positive pregnancy test!

From that moment on we began talking about how we would raise our child.  What parenting strategy would we use?  I love order and hate chaos...so I knew that I wanted to have some order to my days if at all possible.  We talked about bed times, feedings, where baby would sleep, good habits to maintain bad habits to avoid....etc.  I was set in my mind how this baby "would" be.  Well over the months of pregnancy I became so convinced that if I followed "parenting resources" I would have a happy sleeping baby.  Fast forward a few months to June and our lives forever changed when our little blessing was born!  Dawson Job Little stole my heart at 11:13 p.m. on June 3, 2013! 

From the moment he entered our world I knew my game plan.  We got home and the first week was very relaxed feeding every two hours and sleeping whenever little man decided it was nap time.  Week two we started our game plan.  Our goal was to get him into a routine of eat, play, sleep in order to straighten out his days and nights.  At night we would only feed him once he woke up.  This still usually happened around every 2-4 hours at that time.  Our goal was to "teach" him to sleep through the night early on by repeating this routine daily.  Well little did we know our sweet boy would suffer reflux, and milk protein allergy.  Once week three hit all of his symptoms exploded!  Arching back for feedings....screaming all day...waking out of nowhere in tummy pain.  It was pitiful and I did not know what to do!  I had told myself I wouldn't let Dawson get used to sleeping on mommy and wanted him in a bassinet or crib when sleeping at night.  I started out opposed to letting him sleep on me, but once I knew my baby was in pain and could only be comforted sleeping on mommy I gave in.  Due to the way I had "planned" everything I started to get frustrated thinking that I would have a baby sleeping on my chest every night in a recliner. Once we got his problems straightened out I started putting him back to bed in his room. It was so tiring the frequent waking...the small naps...all I could think was ...What am I doing wrong?  Isn't he supposed to find a pattern?  Once Dawson reached a certain aged I was determined to have him sleeping without waking every few hours.  Each night that it did not happen I would wake in frustration wondering why my "plan" wasn't working.  I began going to bed at night dreading what was to come.  When would he cry out? When will I ever get to sleep at night?  Then the next day would be filled with please nap so I can do some housework...etc.  (Looking back ...babies know if you are frustrated!)  One day in tears I began thinking....why am I so frustrated?  Didn't I know babies wake up at night.  Well yes, I did...but I had gotten a "magic number" stuck in my head of when he should start sleeping through the night.  The more I thought through things the more I became down right convicted....not just upset...CONVICTED!  I thought all the way back to Adam and Eve....I thought back to my grandmother....I thought back to my mom....when all of the sudden did a mom need to "plan" so much....when did all babies become so alike that a number could be put on when they would sleep through the night???  I started to think of how much of a unique creation my Dawson is from God.  I started to cry thinking of the nights I wasted worrying about him sleeping instead of holding him and cherishing that time with him in my arms.  Do I have a routine daily...of course....do I have nap times and play times...of course, but if they don't lead to my baby sleeping through the night does that mean I failed?  Well, at first I started to feel that way....but the more I genuinely thought about it the more I realized that...NO...I haven't failed....I have become more aware of my little boy and his personality and needs.  I have learned that he is so unique and he is an individual.  I have learned that this is the most precious gift I could have ever been given and to ignore that for an extra hour or two of sleep is down right selfish of me!   I love having a routine during the daytime and some nights it really helps and Dawson truly knows when it is bedtime.  We have been blessed with such an animated spirited baby.  I love his giggles, his smiles and his silly faces he makes.  He is growing so quickly and I want to cherish every moment of being his mom!  I am so blessed to even be a mom and I don't want to let a few missed naps and nightwakings make me forget how wonderful it is to be Dawson's mom.  I am at peace with the fact that it could be much longer than I had anticipated for me to get back to sleeping in a normal 7-8 hour routine....I am ok with not getting all of my housework done or going "out on the town".  For this short precious time my job is  to be Brent's wife and Dawson's mom.  For those working moms...WOW...I do not know how you do it!  As far as being a stay at home mom...I couldn't love it more!  Yes...some days I wish it were easier to get things done or go out and about, but I look at the big picture and see how fast this time is flying by and realize its only for a short time.  I don't want to miss one moment of my babies life!  So from here on out I choose to go with the flow and love my baby for who HE is and not what I had "planned" on him doing. 

Love my baby boy!

Lastly I wanted to leave a video that really touched my heart lately.  Sleeping and schedules are so small compared to many peoples problems.  I recently was reading a blog of a girl who goes to Summit Church in Durham who gave birth to a stillborn daughter this past spring.  WOW...I thought how can I get so frustrated when God allowed me to give birth and keep my baby here with me on earth!  There are so many people out there who only wish to be awake at night with their baby and going through the ups and downs of parenting.  I am so thankful that I get the chance to do this! 

Grab a box of tissues!