So much JOY!

One of my favorite bloggers OH JOY has collaborated with Target once again ! Usually it is home decor or some type of adorable DIY kits. This time around since she just had baby number two (congrats~!) They came out with Baby Home Decor and Goods! It is super duper cute and wanted to get so much but by the time I made my way over to Target a lot of the items were sold out. Target online might still have everything to buy, I just don’t know if I have the patience to “return it” if I don’t like it (plus,  I like to see it in my hand before I purchase anything!)
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I DID get my paws on these Muslin Blankets and am in LOVE! Been using it for everything from swaddling to burping bibs to when I nurse! Love that they are so versatile. Really wish they had more color and patterns. I love OH JOY and this collection, but it does come off very girly and wouldn’t mind more boy’ish things!….Wishfully thinking they will hear the fans and when the next round of collabs come around it will be a little more unisex! Either way though…I am super happy with my purchase! I still want the grid bedding for the crib and some little knick knacks like the security toy! so cute!! Did you get anything??
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The Swing

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My baby is already a month old and boy oh boy does he grow up so fast! He grows up SO fast that the “thing/way” we would make him sleep a few days ago is already out grown him and he doesn’t want to nap that way anymore! All my friends ask me if we have tried the swing? For our baby shower our friends (who don’t have kids, but have family members who have kids) swore that the Mamaroo/Rockaroo was the best swing out there and would help us so much….WELLLLLLL come to find out, our little guy isn’t a fan….YET! (maybe he will grown into it later!)
My friends who DO have kids told me I need “a swing” Right away I went online and purchased it with expedited shipping. No time should be wasted, this baby needs his rest….today…right now!
As soon as we put it together my husband and I were so excited to try it out AND….. our baby wasn’t a fan AGAIN!
GRRRRRR….

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Well, my mommy friend (her daughter is already 18) came over and held our little Everest and within minutes had him asleep and she asked if it was okay to put him into the swing. I told her “He might wake up…” She was like “nahhh” and placed him in there and VIOLA! He was asleep and swinging in the swing!!! He napped for over an hour!

Now that I kinda know how to get him in there and to know that he will sleep for at least an hour, I use it when I can. I have heard that its not good to always rock him in there or else he won’t be able to sleep any other way. BUT for now… I need him to sleep so that I can start getting things done or maybe I should get a nap in too!

Now I wanna ask OG Mom’s out there, did you use the swing to get your baby to sleep. And if so, would you turn OFF the swing once the baby is out? Or let it keep swinging until they wake? Any other tips and tricks with the swing? Would love to hear more about it!! Hope to hear from you powerful/inspiring moms out there!!

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Life in the Past Few Weeks with A Newborn

alwaysbethereFRIEDIA

Being a new mom was not as natural as I thought it would be.For some reason I didn’t think I would need to read much or know anything about newborns because maybe they would just eat and sleep all day…WHICH they do! BUT I didn’t know that there were baby schedules or the struggles of breast feeding , emotions and crying at any moment thinking you failed and the battle with sleep! It really was non-stop. Plus having the family here at the house during the holidays and the newborn it was a very overwhelming time for me. But I am close to three weeks and wanted to document what I’ve been through!

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Newborn Runny Nose Remedy

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I have only been a mom for two weeks and my little one decides to throw me the “I have a runny nose, AND I am a newborn” challenge! So I did what any new mother would do and go online to find information! “Google It” ! The information I got was good. It was basic, but good. The down side was that since he is a newborn that all we can really do is just wait it out! Wait 7-10 days! A whole week of the sniffles!!!I have no idea how thats gonna happen!
(make sure you check out the symptoms of why you would NEED to take your baby to the doctors)
Let’s start with the basics on what I found:
1. Saline (Saltwater) drops
You can purchase or make your own to apply in the babys nose to remove some mucus.
2.Remove Mucus
Use a cotton swab with warm water to clean around the baby’s nose.
3.Give him love pats
Lay the baby across your knee’s and gently pat with cupped hand. You want to loosen the mucus in the chest.
4.Vaporize or Humidifier
A cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in your baby’s room to add moisture to the air.Clean the machine regularly so mold doesn’t grow inside!
5. Know when to wait it out
Not every stuffy, runny nose needs treatment. If it’s not bothering your baby, you don’t have to do anything. As long as your little one is active and eats and drinks normally, it’s fine to wait and watch.

NOW all of that is great and all but I needed something else, so I asked my midwife and she gave me some awesome idea’s that actually worked! It’s all a natural way to heal, so it didn’t happen over night.But today is day three and he is breathing a lot better through his mini nostrils.
1. Eucalyptus Oil
In your humidifier or in a diffuser. Just make sure you have pure oil!
If you do not have either of the machines then you can bring the baby into the bathroom with you when you shower/bath and drop some oil in the tub. It will help your mini me breath!
2.Lavender Oil
Place the oil on his earlobes, chest and bottom of his feet. Use pure oil.
I thought the oil would be too strong so I used a carrier oil and diluted it before I applied it on the baby.
3.Nose Frida
This is something you don’t want to over do because it might irritate the nose, but using a Nose Frida (or even a nasal aspirator) before the baby breast feeds or right before bed will help them breath a little easier.
4.Breast Milk
No need for saline, you have something better. Your breast milk is an amazing miracle liquid in so many ways! Adding little drops of breast milk in your baby’s nose will help. Try squeezing a few drops of breast milk into his nose to loosen congestion; some experts say that the milk’s antimicrobial properties can help.
5.Keep Baby Upright
Because it’s so hard to breath, try keeping him in a car seat, in your sling in an upright or angled position or when you lay him down to use a wedge to incline the mattress. The incline helps the mucus to drain better down the throat and avoid sticking around inside the nasal cavities.
6.MOM- Keep Hydrated and Vitamin C
You want to be in the nest shape possible for your baby and making sure you have enough breast milk and are full of vitamins! Don’t slack:)

Good Luck mama’s! Hang in there!! Your newborn will be better in no time!

34 Week Bumpdate – Prepping

Time is flying by so fast! I cannot believe that I am already at 34 weeks and prepping for the baby to come. I have a list of things to do, but one of them is making the Raspberry Leaf Tea and prepping my uterus!!
Here is the simple recipe that I have been enjoying:

Main Ingredients:
1/2 cup organic red raspberry leaf
1/2 cup organic nettle leaf
2 tablespoons organic rose hips

Optional Add-Ins:
Fresh ginger (to help with digestion)
2 tablespoons mint leaf (also beneficial for digestion, not to mention delicious!)
2 tablespoons chamomile (to soothe frazzled nerves and encourage restful sleep)

For a single cup:
Allow to infuse for at least 10 minutes. Remove tea leaves and sweeten with honey, maple syrup, etc. if desired

If you don’t have a tea ball, simply add the tea leaves to boiling water and then strain with a mesh strainer .

To make a large batch, boil 8 cups of water and add 1/2 cup tea leaves. Steep for at least 10 minutes to overnight, then strain and place in the fridge to sip on over the next few days.

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20 Weeks and 1st Ultrasound

Finally got to meet our little boy! Since my pregnancy has been smooth and I decided to have him at home, I didn’t have an ultrasound until later in my pregnancy. 20 weeks! It did feel like forever ( I saw some other friends go in right away and did feel a bit jelly at times) BUT it was worth the wait!

Wanna keep reading and see more photos….(this way)

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Gender Reveal Party!!

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Finally the day came when we found out the gender of our baby! We did a simple blood test with MaterniT21 (for detecting fetal chromosomal abnormalities along with the gender between 11-14 weeks) We chose to go with this because it was just a blood test and not having to go in the amniotic sac to get a check up is what I would rather prefer. Seems to be a new’ish test. Only a few years out and thought, why not!
Seems like the moment the sperm touches the egg the sex of the baby is already decided/chosen (how ever you like to say it) This was news to me! For some reason I thought it would gradually develop?! Pretty amazing that you can 99.9% tell the sex of the baby at such an early stage.

We asked our midwife to send us an envelope with the “top secret info” and I took it to the nearest bakery. It was so last minute too since we were so eager to know and it was the weekend. But it all worked out!
Instead of having a large gathering we just had family around and that was also perfect. My husband was a bit iffy on doing a “gender reveal” anything (he wanted to just open the envelope) but at the end he and I really enjoyed the whole experience.

Don’t want to give it away if you haven’t seen the video yet….BUT
We are so thrilled to have what we are having!