My Must Have Baby Gear

So I have a confession guys..... I am absolutely OBSESSED with baby gear! Before I even became pregnant, I was constantly researching the latest and greatest baby products.  By nature, I like to be prepared for everything, so I made lists, pinned and goggled like crazy figuring out what we would need for baby Ari. I prioritized the things that I felt were a  necessity, things that would be nice to have, and the things I could do without.  Now that we are three months in, I can confidently share the products that I can't live without!

1. Swaddles- I'm not talking just any swaddle. Guys, I am telling you, this is the hands down best swaddle. It is probably my number #1 can't live without product as far as bed time goes, and I'll tell you why.  When Aria was born I noticed she was always sleeping with her hands up by her face.  Also, she had (and still has) a tendency to flail (is that a word?) and startle.  This was a major problem when it came to her be able to sleep peacefully. Enter the Love to Dream swaddle.  This swaddle was designed to allow babies to be in a hands up position, letting them self soothe while still getting the benefits of a traditional swaddle.  This was a game changer for us.  Aria started sleeping 6-7 hour stretches by 7 weeks, and now she sleeps through the night no problem.

2. Muslin Blankets- Perfect for using around the house during naps, as a car seat cover, nursing cover and also as a swaddle.  They are light weight and easy to throw in the diaper bag.  We use these by Aden & Anais. I love the cute, gender neutral Jungle Jam print!  Originally, I thought I needed a TON of these blankets.  I have seven and probably rotate between four of them. I highly suggest investing in at least three.

3. Soothie- This is a recent favorite.  Now that I am back to work, Aria is having trouble taking naps.  A coworker suggested that I sleep with her security blanket to help comfort her while I was away.  I am not sure it has completely solved the nap problem, but Aria loves to rub this on her face and sleep with it.  It is so soft and not to mention extra cute!

4. Stroller Blankets- I am sure you are thinking why do I need so many blankets? I thought the same thing until I received the sweetest monogram stroller blanket from my Grandma.  I use it all the time in Aria's car seat because it is the perfect size! This is an item that I wish we had more of and I definitely plan on buying more in the future for baby #2. I also love these and these.

5. Rock n Play- So when I was pregnant, I knew I wanted Ari to sleep in our room for the first few months, however; we didn't have room for a bulky pack n play or bassinet.  Also, I didn't want to spend major $$ on something that would only be used a short time. That's where the Rock n Play comes in.  It is perfect for keeping next your bed for baby to sleep safely and it is extra portable for carrying room to room.  I even take it to the babysitters house with no problems! I highly suggest this as an alternative to a bassinet.

6. Stroller System- This is where you need to do your own research.  There are so many strollers out there it can be overwhelming! I suggest going to a place like Buy Buy Baby and actually "test driving" the strollers.  We went and folded, unfolded, clicked car seats in and pushed around at least 6-7 different strollers before deciding.  Ultimately we went with the Orbit G3.  This was our splurge item. My husband and I love the design behind this system and its ease of use.  It has a one hand fold and unfold, and also a 360 degree rotating dock making it so easy to get baby in and out of the car.  I 100% do not regret shelling out the extra money for this item, and know we will be using it for years to come because it can also transition to a double stroller!

7. Baby Carrier-  If I didn't have a baby wrap Aria probably would never take a morning nap and I would never get anything done around the house! In a previous post I mention that Aria has trouble napping unless I hold her.  Well, one day I decided to try out the Moby wrap my dad bought me and within a few minutes Ari was fast asleep! Now there are a few things I dislike about the Moby, one being how much fabric there is making it difficult to tie around my body.  I honestly could never imagine using it in public because of this.  We also have this carrier which is a lot more compatible for on the go, but not my favorite for at home.  I am thinking about trying the Solly wrap for around the house as an alternative to the Moby.  If any of you have used either please let me know what you think!

8. Diaper Bag- This is another item that I decided to invest in.  I am not into purses. I have carried the same purse for years and literally that is the only purse I own.  During my pregnancy I decided I wanted to get a really nice, stylish and functional diaper bag because I knew it would take the place of my purse, and I would be using it for years to come.  I ended up purchasing this bag by Marc Jacobs and LOVE it. Even my husband who rolled his eyes when I purchased it gives it 5 stars. There are pockets all over this thing, the inside compartment is huge, there are short handles and a cross body strap plus the fabric is easily cleanable. Ladies, invest in a good diaper bag because I am telling ya, you won't regret it.



1. Bottles- These are something I researched extensively.  I knew I wanted to try to breastfeed so I searched for bottles that closely mimicked the breast.  We ended up buying the Comotomo and Tommee Tippee bottles. Once we started introducing the bottles to Aria she quickly preferred the Comotomo. My advice, buy at least two different brands of bottles and only wash one box of each.  We ended up returning all our Tommee Tippees.  Currently, we have nine 5oz bottles and only use about six of them. I mostly breast feed and only work 4 days a week so we do not go through too many.  If you primarily bottle feed or use formula you may need to buy more.  Also, I wash dishes every night.

2. Burp Cloths- Stock pile these ladies. I do not care if you breastfeed or bottle feed, you will go through them like crazy! I actually use these cloth diapers as burp cloths. They are cheap, durable and effective.  Originally I had registered for cute Aden and Anais ones but quickly realized that those particular burp cloths didn't fall into the "priority" list.  Looking back, I am so glad I went with the cloth diapers.

3. Bottle Warmer- I can't say enough good things about this bottle warmer. All you have to do is fill it with water, place the bottle in it and turn the timer to the appropriate time. So easy and fast! It takes us 6 minutes to have a bottle ready and it takes up very little room on the counter!

4. Drying Rack- How cute is this drying rack? Not only is it super stylish, it holds three sets of pump parts, multiple bottles and our snot sucker. Seriously I was amazed at how much I can put on this thing.  We also have this accessory on it.

5. Baby Bath- This is another item I thought I needed the latest and greatest of. A fancy bath for all my baby's bathing needs. Wrong. I ended up getting this and turns out it is the greatest! At the price point you really can't beat it.  Its simple design makes it safe and easy to give baby a bath.  It is on the larger side though so we just keep it in our bathtub, fill it with water and dump it when were done.  If you are limited on space, or do not have a bathtub to store this thing in, it might not be your best option.

6. Shampoo & Body wash- We use Honest Company.  I have sensitive skin and wanted something that would be gentle on Aria so I went with this.  It smells awesome and so far we have had no problems with it.  I think after our bottle is gone though, I am going to try Tubby Todd.  I have heard really great things about them as well.

7. Hooded Towels- I had the hardest time finding gender neutral hooded towels until I came across these.  I ended up purchasing two of them in grey, and went back for the matching washcloth set. They are so soft and durable and make bath time extra cute! These towels are worth the money and will hold up for years. If you are like me, some things are worth paying for better quality and towels are one of them.

1. Saline Mist- This is something I bought last minute before having Aria and I am so glad I did.  When she was born she was super congested, and to this day she still is.  I spray her nose and suction it everyday and this stuff really helps loosen it all up.

2. Humidifier- Another item that helps combat the constant congestion.  We use this one by Crane, and so far so good.  Honestly I wish we had used this pre baby because I can tell a difference in the air.

3. Nosefrida- Ok. My husband thinks the concept of physically sucking the snot out of our baby's nose is disgusting, and I can't blame him, but this seriously works wonders! Like I said, I suction her nose every single day, multiple times a day and this is so effective.  Also, it is way more gentle than traditional bulbs.  I promise you will not swallow any snot unless you have the lung capacity of a super human ;)

4. Baby Wipes- We use these because they are made up of primarily water and super gentle on Aria's skin.  We actually switched to Seventh Generation free & clear because they were cheaper, and Aria broke out in a terrible diaper rash.  Needless to say we returned to Water Wipes and will never look back!

5. Changing Pads- Along with the saline mist, this was another last minute purchase that I am so glad I made.  We use these in our living room for the changing station. I bought three packs and we go through them so quickly!

All items linked above are products we personally use and love.  I would recommend any of them to family and friends or anyone currently expecting.  As always, what works for us may not work for you but I hope this helps you navigate the sea of the endless baby products out there!  Other items not mentioned are extra pump parts, milk storage containers and freezer bags, nursing pads and a gigantic water jug :)

Back to Work

The day I had dreaded since having Aria finally arrived. My last day of maternity leave.  I took a total of 11 weeks off, and boy did it go by fast! There was nothing I enjoyed more than caring for our girl everyday. We had a routine, a nice clean house, and yummy home cooked meals every night.  Laundry was done, naps were had and errands were ran.  I knew the moment I went back to work all those things would be a sweet memory. 

My first day back was Monday, March 7.  Basically my schedule is as follows: 10 hours on Monday, Tuesday and Friday with rotating Thursdays and Saturdays. So one week I'll work half a day Thursday and the alternate week I work Saturday.  While I am working my cousin and Tony's mom watches Aria. My mom and Tony also pitch in on my alternating days. 

I was super prepared going into the week.  I had pumped enough fresh milk for the first day, and have been able to supply enough each day that follows by pumping at work. I had her diaper bag packed, lunches for us ready, instructions written down, the house was freshly cleaned and laundry was washed and put away.  I woke up at 5:00 a.m. Monday morning nursed Aria and put her back to sleep while I got ready.  Tony leaves for work around 6:00 a.m. and I drop Aria off at 8:30.  She nursed again at 8:00 then we were off! Dropping her off wasn't bad because I knew she was in good hands and would have fun with her cousins. Once I was alone though I couldn't help but feel so sad! It was literally the first full day I'd be without her and 10.5 hours felt like a lifetime away.

The work day was pretty normal.  Nothing exciting.  I was happy to see and talk to all my coworkers, and I received lots of pictures of my girl :)  The 10 hours went by and soon I was on my way home! Getting home Aria was hysterical the couple hours Tony had her.  She didn't nap well and ate a lot less than I anticipated.  I immediately nursed her and she seemed to calm down a bit before falling asleep for the night.  After she went to bed I just sat in the living room and cried.  Two hours had passed between the time I got home and the time she went to bed.  In those two hours my daughter mostly cried as I scrambled to feed her, feed myself, clean up and get everything ready to repeat the next day. I felt overwhelmed.  I was just so upset that my short time with her was spent not truly getting to savor it. Besides not getting enough quality time with Aria, I felt like Tony & I were just ships passing by one another. It was awful, so I cried.

The rest of the week slowly got better until the weekend hit. I had to work Friday and Saturday so I only had one day off before another two 10 hour days.  I'd decided that I should "meal prep" to make those weekday dinners a little easier on us. So again, I spent my one day off running around doing 4 loads of laundry, cooking three meals, washing dishes, and cleaning up the house all while trying to spend as much time with my daughter as possible. So I cried once more.  Is this the life of a working mom? If so I quit (my job, not motherhood of course)!

Now I am in the second week of work, and though it is still hard emotionally to not be with Aria as much, it is getting better. She is also improving, eating a little more each day that she's away.  She is still not napping much though, so any tips on that would be great!  I know it will take a lot longer than 1.5 weeks for all of us to adjust, but we are slowly figuring out our new normal.  When I get overwhelmed about keeping up with the house and it decreasing my time with her, I remember these words of wisdom:  In life we have glass balls and rubber balls.  The glass balls we hold on to closely while the rubber balls can be dropped and bounced back later.  We must prioritize our lives in this way.  For me, my glass ball is time spent with my family.  Everything else can be let go for a later time.  Now, I'm not saying I'm going to start living in filth and never clean my house, but I am definitely going to learn not to be so OCD about cleaning every little corner.  It's all about balance, and sometimes I forget that.

Ultimately, I do plan to eventually cut back to three then maybe two days a week down the road.  Until then I am going to keep doing my best and cherishing the moments I do have with Aria and Tony.  I think as women, we strive to be everything to everyone, and be perfect.  I struggle with this constantly.  I cant be a perfect chef, wife, mother, housecleaner and employee though, so I need to only choose a couple things to excel at, and just be normal at the rest (obviously my top two are being Tony's wife and Ari's mommy ;)) 

If you have any tips/advice on balancing work and home life, I'd love to hear them!

Welcome to the World Ariana

When I had Aria, it was a schedule induction.  We arrived at the hospital on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 11:30 p.m. and got checked into a labor & delivery room.  The floor was super busy, apparently a lot of women went into labor that day, so I didn't get started until almost 1:00 a.m. Thursday.  Once they were able to get started, I changed into a hospital gown and the nurse inserted a dissolvable medicine to help thin out my cervix. She said it would stay in for up to 12 hours before I was given Pitocin. Also with this medicine, I was not able to get up from bed for the first few hours, so I made sure to use the restroom! Once the medicine was in, I was given a sleeping pill to try to get some rest.  The first hour went by and I was starting to feel tired so I tried to go to sleep.  This became impossible as Aria kicked at my bladder, and the urge to use the restroom was unbearable.  I begged to be able to go but was ordered to stay in bed.  I counted down the hours and finally was able to get up! I slept off and on for the next few hours and around 8 a.m. ordered some coffee and jello. By 11:00 a.m. they took the medicine out from my cervix and I took a nice hot shower.

They started the Pitocin at 1:15 p.m. slowly increasing it every hour.  At this point I was already 3 cm dilated and 60% effaced. I started feeling the contraction within 40 minutes.  They were definitely tolerable.  By 4:00 p.m. though they started to become so uncomfortable.  I asked the nurse about an epidural but she said I needed to have stronger contractions that were closer together.  At this point they were 4-5 minutes apart. They cranked up the Pitocin again and I really started to sweat! I would just squeeze Tony's hand as hard as I could do get through them! When the next nurse on duty came in I pretty much begged for the epidural and she was more than happy to oblige.  I would say I received the epidural around 6:00 p.m. and was 5-6 cm dilated.

After receiving the epidural, I felt great! The first two hours flew by and the next time the doctor had checked me I jumped up to 9 cm dilated! We were so excited!  The doctor informed us he'd come back in an hour to recheck me and hopefully it would be time to push.  At this point I believe we were close to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday.  By 10:00 p.m. I was feeling exhausted, hungry, weak, and my throat was so dry that it felt like it was closing up.  Also, the epidural had made my legs so numb I could not feel or move them at all. It was terrible. At 10:30 p.m. the doctor came in to check and I was still 9 cm dialated and my cervix was actually beginning to get swollen.  He informed me that because of this, it would be best to consider a C-section.  I agreed. It's hard to describe, but I had a gut feeling that something didn't feel right & a C-section was what would be best for Aria & I.  Her safety was my top concern.

Tony & I then said a little prayer, and they gave me the anesthesia for surgery.  As I was wheeled to the OR, Tony was taken to get dressed elsewhere.  I felt like a shell of myself, shaking, having difficulty breathing and sick to my stomach.  I ended up getting sick in the OR and was given oxygen, which I think made my throat even drier.  After they began the procedure, I heard Ariana cry within the first 15 minutes.  I unfortunately was unable to see her due to the drape covering my lower half.  The rest of the surgery took about 45 minutes.  I don't remember much of this part because I was knocked out, but before I knew it I was holding our sweet baby girl. It was the most overwhelming feeling.

We spent about 4 days at the hospital and despite sleeping maybe 6-8 hours the whole time, I enjoyed every second of it. Our post partum room was spacious and the nurses and staff were so accommodating and helpful. One of my concerns going into this was rather or not I'd be able to (or enjoy to) breastfeed Aria.  Luckily in recovery Aria latched right away.  I was surprised to find that it didn't bother me one bit and I really loved being able to provide that for her. Throughout our stay, the nurses were so knowledgeable about lactation and I really credit that to our success. I would say if you are considering breastfeeding, don't be embarrassed to ask questions. I would call my nurse to come in to check Ari's latch multiple times a day! Also, take as much stuff from the hospital as you can :)

Writing this, its hard to believe almost three months have passed. Overall, I absolutely hated everything about my labor. It was not the way I envisioned it going at all. Not being able to feel any part of your body, but still be alert, is so scary.  Luckily I have a very supportive husband, who gave me a lot of strength.  Despite everything, I could relive this day over and over again. The feeling of meeting our baby girl for the first time was the greatest moment of our lives.  I would go through far worse for that.  She has truly blessed our family in ways we never imagined.

 

 

Aria's 2 Month Update

It is so hard to believe my baby girl is already 2 months old! I am sure I will say this every month/ year for the rest of her life though! I swear it feels like only yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital, but at the same time I can't even remember a life without her :) She brings more happiness to us than words will ever describe!

Weighing 10 lbs. and 22.25" long, Aria is growing like a weed!  She did really well at the doctors, receiving 2 shots, but when we got home it was an absolute nightmare! We were warned that she would most likely be fussy, but it was still heartbreaking watching her cry for three hours.  After cuddling and nursing her, I finally gave her the smallest amount of baby Tylenol and it seemed to do the trick. The next day she was back to her happy self!

Aria really is the best baby.  She is so interactive, always smiling, babbling & laughing.  Of course she has her fussy moments, but overall I'd say we got extremely lucky.  Starting around 6 weeks she began sleeping 7-8 hours at night usually waking up between 5-6 a.m. for a feeding, then back to sleep for another 3-4 hours.  She really fights her daytime naps, despite being exhausted.  I do get her to take a nice 3 hour nap in the afternoon, but more often than not I am holding her.  I know some people will say I am spoiling her by doing that, but she is only this age once and I want to soak up every minute of it! We are trying to practice napping on her own in the morning though :)

Other things she enjoys includes singing, compliments, head massages and being tickled! It is so funny because Tony & I make up silly songs and sing to her constantly and she just loves it! She also can't get enough of seeing her reflection and being told how pretty she is ;)

Where's the Pregnancy Glow?

Ah the pregnancy glow! Who came up with that anyways? That all women get this beautiful glow once they become pregnant? Let me tell you, that was not the case here! I found out I was pregnant right away at 4 weeks. The following weekend I had committed to attending my dear friend Hilary's bachelorette party in Nashville. Even though I wouldn't be able to drink, I was still excited to celebrate this special time with her and enjoy a trip with the girls! Going down there I didn't want to announce my pregnancy and take away from the bride, but I knew it was going to be hard to hide the fact I wasn't drinking. Everyone knew I was trying to get pregnant and not drinking at a bachelorette party would send major red flags. Needless to say, I pulled Hilary aside and shared my news and of course she was happy for me! I felt major relief not having to deceive my friends. Overall the weekend was a lot of fun and other than getting sick once, I felt great and really enjoyed myself! That's where it ended. As week 6 approached, I increasingly became more sick. Soon I found myself staring at a trash can and toilet more often than not. I tried every old trick, bland food, ginger ale, warm pop, preggy pops, eating frequently, and nothing worked! I couldn't even keep water down, literally one drink and I'd throw up.

 Day after day it just got worse and soon all the color left my face and I had no energy left. I would drag through work then come straight home and lay in bed. This continued until I was so dehydrated that I was in tears. I called my doctor and they had me come in to get fluids. I was hooked up to an IV and let me tell you, it helped tremendously! I was finally able to eat some crackers and keep water down. They suggested that I do an in home IV pump and at that point I was up for anything. The nurses came the following day, hooked everything up and taught me how to change the bags. I was very hopeful that the fluids would continue to make me feel better, and they did for the most part. I had the IV for about 2 weeks, during which I was stuck about 10 times because the IV's kept blowing my veins. I had bruises up and down my arm so it was recommended that I get a picc line. I went back to the doctors, this time seeing my regular obgyn. Before getting a picc she wanted to try a combination of medications. I started about three medications a day, and it helped as much as the fluids did. Honestly, I wasn't thrilled about keeping an IV in my arm anyways.

Taking medication and being pregnant isn't ideal, but it was better than being that dehydrated.  I had Hyperemesis Gravidarum so I had to find some way to cope.  The medication alone did not completely cure the nausea.  I still threw up at least once a day, but I was finally able to function.  Overall I had "morning sickness" from about week 6 to 17.   I would say it was completely gone by week 18 and I started getting my energy back.  I didn't take a lot of pictures of my pregnancy progressing (which I regret) because a lot of the times I felt so horrible. For anyone going through this, I feel ya.  It is not enjoyable. You want to feel excited about being pregnant but instead you feel miserable.  There is no shame in that. Just because you don't enjoy being sick doesn't mean you're any less excited about being pregnant!

39 Weeks

12 Weeks

24 Weeks

    





My Road to Motherhood

Flashback four years, I was engaged to my now husband and working on my BA in Political Science.  As most couple do, Tony and I had discussed what we wanted out of life and where we saw ourselves down the road.  We both knew we wanted to children, and were excited to start a  family together.  I figured the ideal plan would be to get married, focus on my career for a year then start trying.  After all, I was only 24 at the time so I had plenty of time for babies. Tony and I got married in May of 2015, shortly after I graduated college. It was a beautiful wedding, followed by an awesome honeymoon.  Once home however, I decided to shake thing up and throw the pills out the window! Yup, no more "plan", I went with the "lets see what happens" method, and boy did a lot happen. The first month I ended up getting a rather large and painful ovarian cyst. The doctor said this wouldn't prevent me from getting pregnant, but they did need to monitor it to make sure it shrank. Over the next few months I had countess appointments and that annoying cyst wasn't going anywhere. Finally I was given the option to restart birth control, or have it surgically removed.  I gave it another 6 weeks and ultimately decided on surgery.  I was referred to a fertility doctor that specialized in robotics, providing a less invasive procedure.  The surgery was outpatient and went great! They were able to successfully remove the cyst, laser out the endometriosis they found and flush my tubes.  I was cleared to start trying on my next cycle, and was so excited!

 My surgery was in November and when December rolled around I found myself looking at a positive pregnancy test! Woohoo! I immediately called the doctor and went in for a blood draw. My numbers came back on the lower side, but indicated a definite positive :) Since the numbers were low though, they did a second blood test the following week to make sure they were increasing. The next day I received the results and unfortunately they had remained the same. The nurse informed me that this was an indication of a biochemical pregnancy, and I would most likely start my period within a week.  I was devastated. To be so excited at the possibility then be immediately disappointed was a lot to take in.  I cried, a lot. It took a little time, but I soon came to terms with everything. I convinced myself that it was all part of a bigger plan, and I knew it could always be worse.  I was determined to keep trying & decided to give fertility treatments a try.  The first month I started on a pill similar to clomid (I can't remember the exact name), then gave myself a trigger shot.  We had the choice to do insemination, but ultimately decided against it for personal reasons.  After taking the pills I experienced terrible side effects due to the hormones. I was having night sweats soaking through my clothing and sheets, crying at the drop of a hat, migraines, and body aches. It was horrible. On top of all that, it didn't work.  We did two rounds of this and after the second round failed I told Tony that I needed a break.  He agreed. Our one year anniversary was coming up, so I thought it would be fun to take a road trip to celebrate. We started planning an extended weekend to New Orleans and I was really looking forward to it.  Also, one of my good friends had a fun weekend in Nashville planned for her bachelorette! It was going to be an eventful next few months to say the least!

After coming off the clomid I started to feeling like myself again. A month or so passed and before I knew it, that time of month had approached. At this point I was a master at keeping track of my cycle so I patiently waited day after day. soon it was day 28 and still nothing, not even a cramp.  The next morning I thought what the hell, so I took a test while Tony was sleeping. It was a faint positive. Instead of waking Tony up, I went off to work. Trying not to get too excited, I took another one. Positive. I immediately text and called Tony, sent him pictures, and told him excitedly that we were in fact pregnant! I don't think he believed me at first but he was soon convinced.  I went to the doctor the following week and my numbers came back much higher! Soon we had our first ultrasound and saw the little spec that is now our baby girl Ariana :)

The whole process took about 11 months.  Though it isn't common to try treatments that quickly, I think because of my surgery and the fact my surgeon specialized in fertility, there was an exception.  I know women that go through far worse and my heart goes out to them 100%.  I truly believe that once you make the decision to have a child, no matter how long it takes, it is very difficult to not see results right away.  Now with saying that, I look back and know everything happened for a reason.  The end result is more than I could ever hope for.