Baby #3 Summary: 18 month Update and Routine

by Meghan // March 14, 2016 // Comments off

Well … Talk about dropping the ball =/ Poor Ila hasn’t had very many baby updates.

But, here I am with her 18 month baby summary!

Personality and Development

Ila walks to the beat of her own drum, for sure. While Mister and Lexie are out running around on their many adventures, Ila is usually either off in her own world (playing with trucks, or sitting in a hole in the yard playing with dirt), or totting right behind them. She is still obsessed with animals and tends to talk back to them in their language, more than she speaks to us in ours. She moos at cows, tweets and whistles at birds, growls at the dogs, and SCREAMS some wild meows at the cats; she can call, “here chick, chick, chick” just as well as I can, doesn’t have a single fear of those calves in the barn. As far as she is concerned, Thora and Charlie belong to her and she is one of them. (she doesn’t discriminate!)

Speaking of walking … Ila started walking full time somewhere around November (14 months) which is the absolute latest of all my babies. The first two were walking by 9-10 months. Ila just wanted to take her time.

Speaking of speaking … Ila has words, she just chooses not to use them most of the time. Ha! Her vocabulary consists mostly of: Tho-ra, charlie (which comes out something like chagie), dog dog, meow, cat, air (airplane), mama (for mama, more, please, I’m waiting! and NOW!!), dada, dada home (cause that’s the biggest deal of the day besides meals), and my absolute favorite which comes out plain as day Yes Ma’am! haha Why of all the words we have taught her did that phrase stick, we will never know… There are a few more I am forgetting I’m sure, but these are the most widely used. She won’t say Lexie or Max yet.

She does sign for her drink and please … but that’s about it. She CAN doe “more-more” but chooses not to most of the time unless I really make her. 😉

I can say this about her- she is smart and hilarious! She picks up on things so fast, without us even really realizing it, which I am sure is because she is submerged in a literature and language rich environment AKA living with her siblings. They talk to her, sing to her, read to her, pretend with her, and if I’d let them they would feed her (that may or may not happen on occasion). One day after dumping the ABC beanbags into the laundry basket, I found her sorting out the bean bags and laundry, putting each item where it belongs.
She is so funny, and will do just about anything to put a smile on your face. She also finds herself quite humorous … I think she takes after her daddy!

My silly, sweet, snuggly little rag-napper. She enjoys stealing my rag off the kitchen sink

She is the snuggliest of all my babies. Max was a snuggler, but mostly because he was refluxy and cranky and needed lots of reassurance; that snuggly behavior stuck through his personality to today. Lexie liked snuggling as a baby (and really craves it now at 5.5) but then she wanted to go do her thing and come back again later. Ila will just snuggle all day if you let her; she walks up to J.Tom and me and gives the BIGGEST squeeze hugs around our legs. She often just wants to be held and lay her head on my shoulder. She gives great big, squeaky kisses that put the slobberi-est of dogs to shame!

Eating and Favorite Things

At meals, she likes to be the first to fold her hands for the blessing so she can start eating. She has started pointing to things and counting (like she sees Mister do), and she likes to bring me letters and say Mmmmm. Apparently all letters are M (probably because Max says M-A-X Max! all day long). She has discovered her spit (ew) and blows spit bubbles to get attention. Her favorite foods are probably whole pears, which she has been eating since she was about 8 months old, and anything I cook that is warm. She will devour anything, but like beans and ham, spaghetti, turkey sandwiches with spinach, and loooove green beans. She really likes the tomatoes out of my vinegar salad and roasted broccoli.

She has finally started enjoying listening to me read to her; up to this point she just wanted to sit in my lap while she held the book and thumbed the pages. Somehow it just soothed her, the feeling of the pages flipping. And she still enjoys that, but we have started reading her Bible and she is actually listening and points to the pictures, etc. So that’s nice. While Mister and Lexie are doing school, she likes to ask for crayons and paper … but she just eats the crayons.

Her favorite things are our animals, anyone’s shoes, flipping through books, eating, and dancing. She will play with Mister’s toy trucks for what seems like hours and rolls them all over the house.

Her eating schedule looks just like ours now. Here is her daily routine:

7am wake/snuggles
7:30 breakfast- fried eggs, homemade oatmeal, and fruit with water
- play while we finish morning school basket/do morning chores, begin school
9:00/9:30-10:30 she goes to independent play in her crib while we do parts of school that require a little more quiet (Lexie reading aloud, math, me reading aloud if she is being particularly loud!)
11:15 lunch
12:00 nap She usually sleeps until 2 or 2:30
3:00 everyone up from naps
outside play/play downstairs if weather is nasty
5:30ish dinner
6:15ish bath
6:30/6:45/7pm bed, depending on what time she woke up from nap. If she slept until 2 or later bed is 6:45 or 7pm
All kids are in bed by 7, earlier if Max didn’t nap good

Everything is flexible by a few minutes other than sleep times.

This month marks the firs that we have truly been Wonder Week free! Whew- let me tell you, since about Christmas, we have had one WW after another. Some of those wouldn’t have been that noticeable, except that hers manifest themselves in waking at night- not just waking, but screaming all night unless being held. A few times I tried to hold her, but she wouldn’t go to sleep, only stop crying. So we had many wakeful, exhausting nights. And once she came out of the WWs (I think they were the last 2 until she turns 2?) everything went back to normal. Thankfully!

I think that is about it on her baby summary. My next will probably be when she is about 2. Of course we should have a newborn by then, so the summary may be a little late 😉

Our Newest Addition: 3 Bottle Fed Cows {on the farm}

by Meghan // February 16, 2016 // Comments off

Last week my husband came across an ad for bottle fed calves (meaning they are never nursed on their mama-also meaning we would become baby cows’ mama!). We discussed the pros and cons of starting cows right now, and here are a few things we came up with:

We are most definitely NOT professional farmers/cattle raisers. So starting with babies that are less expensive than our “dream” cow/calf combo is probably best
In July I will have a 4th human baby to nurse- it is probably best that we (translated to I) am only nursing one species at a time … so to speak. So starting calves now, while I am in my 2nd trimester, feeling good, and have less to do would be a pro; waiting until our 4th human baby is a year+ old to get cows would be a con. Plus, by the time human baby comes, baby cows will be old enough to go out to pasture.
Soon we will be out of our side of beef we bought last year, which means that when it is time to butcher these guys, our freezer should be nice and empty for them.
Butchering bottle fed calves that we (the kids and I) have raised will kinda suck … but we can always do it again, starting with more fluffy little calves.
Our own meat in the freezer will ROCK!
Selling the beef once it is ready for butcher shouldn’t be too hard; we know lots of people looking for farm raised, antibiotic free, grassfed beef
Does adding beef cattle make us official farmers? =)

Well the answer to the last question is no. I think successfully raising beef the way God intended will make us official homesteaders/farmers … so we will see how this goes!

After the above discussion, we decided that we would give it a go!

J.Tom promptly started re-building the stalls he just tore out of the barn, and moving some equipment out of the barn to make room for the baby cows (yes, we just call them baby cows around here). We also had to check the pasture was safe and secure and J.Tom bought two Cattle Guards to go at either end of the pasture.

We made our list of necessities based upon hours and hours of reading and youtube-watching which consisted of:

soy-free milk replacer
bottles
bottle holders (for when I don’t have time to feed them myself)
calf starter pellets
straw for bedding
a trough for their stall until we are ready to turn them onto the small pond pasture
a halter

We quickly realized J.Tom’s knot and rope tying skills could make us a much nicer halter than the ones at the stores; so that will be returned. The reason for halter training them is so they’re easier to bring in from pasture if you have to, return to pasture if they get out, and put onto the trailer on their big day.

When the farmer delivered the cows, he commented on what a nice set up we had for them, and how that was one of the first things in keeping them healthy; basically, if you can keep them alive the first 3 weeks or so, you should be fine, he said. Also, he offered for us to call him with any and all questions, because he gets really upset when people lose a calf. He feels like there really isn’t any reason to lose a calf; just call him and he will tell us what to do if anyone gets sick. *whew* That was a relief for this beginner! The calves are about 9 or 10 days old.

I was really impressed when he told us they have been on colostrum for several days, bottle fed, and NONE of the cows they come from ever get antibiotics or shots. That means our three little cows are getting the best start in life they possibly can; doesn’t mean they will all make it (fingers crossed they do!) but they do have a head start.

He also mentioned to feed them MILK protein only replacer- NO soy. This was another relief because A) soy is evil and B) I’d already bought a more expensive, quality milk replacer that was soy free.

Quite honestly, I can’t tell you how excited we are; the 3 days leading up to their delivery included some SERIOUS nesting on all our parts- think nesting for your first baby but on steroids!

They don’t have names … not sure we should name them since they aren’t pets; the kids joke about hamburger and ketchup for names (definitely their daddy’s sense of humor). I think maybe we should just call them “calf 1, 2, and 3.”

It stinks that not all calves are raised with their mamas, but that is just the reality of some farms, not all farms can afford to have fabric buildings, but we are so lucky we have the space to keep ours safe. I am happy we could take them in and raise them to be healthy, grass fed cows so we and other families can have beef the way nature intended.

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

2016 Word of the Year: Joy

by Meghan // December 31, 2015 // Comments off

Wow- everyone is thinking it … but how did it become 2016?

My brain still thinks 1998 was just a few years ago. *whew* It is hard to believe I will be married to my husband for 10 years this year, or that our oldest daughter will turn 6 this fall (oh. my. gosh), or that we even have 3 children.

It is especially hard to think we will have FOUR children by mid year!

2015 wasn’t unkind to our family, as a matter of fact it has been flourished with blessings from every direction- J.Tom’s new job, a (small) farm, good new friends and neighbors, healthy babies, and a new addition to our family come in July.

On the flip side, one of my favorite people in the world, my Granny, was diagnosed with a very aggressive breast cancer that has spread to her liver and lymph nodes. (But is being treated and looks promising.)

And through all these amazing events, wonderful experiences, sad times, and transitions, I am finding it hard to be joyful. Not like, not thankful for my blessings, but somewhere in the last month or two I have become frustrated and … well, lacking of joy in my every day life.

But this is not me.

I am someone who absolutely delights in cooking real, from scratch meals most days, keeping our home, and doing the other things I have felt called to do without complaining too much.

I feel like …. I just want to go outside and dig in the dirt! And maybe that’s it! Maybe it is being stuck inside more, less sunshine and fresh air (although we try to get outside a few times a day).

But if I am completely honest with myself, I know it is because my quality time with God has been lacking. We have not yet looked for a new church home (and I miss our NE church), I haven’t spent as much time in my Bible since we moved, writing verses, or journaling… I know where I am lacking. I think I might head over to the Tithe.ly website at some point soon because they have lists full of inspiring Bible verses about love, marriage, and a bunch of other subjects. I do like to read such verses as it helps to keep my mind on track and focus on what truly matters.

Why is it so hard to fit it in my day? A year ago I started my day with Jesus and coffee, and it got me much further than starting my day with just a cup of coffee …

So this year, my word is Joy.

But not just because I have blessings to be joyful about. Joy because I am doing what I know is right- diving into the Word, growing in Christ, setting that example for my children.

Joy because when its cold outside, and I am feeling stir crazy, it is so easy to feel “bored” and a little sad.

I can’t find time in the day to accomplish it all on my own- I can’t study my Bible, make breakfast, do laundry, keep the house, tend the chickens, homeschool, prepare 3 meals a day, blog, sew when I want (or need) to, and take care of myself without putting God first.

When I do, I know the frustration will end. I know it will melt from my shoulders and there will be joy (even if it is brown and cold outside for 3 more months).

Here is my word for 2015

What is your word this year?

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Raising Baby Chicks

by Meghan // October 16, 2015 // Comments off

Here we go again! In very early 2012 we got 6 rhode island red girls as 2 day old chicks, and a few months later I added 3 barred rock girls to our flock. Shortly there after we made a semi-cross country trek with our family and couldn’t take the girls with us, so we sold them and their coop.

But alas!

We have moved, and this time to a farm!

Our first animal purchase? Why 15 baby chicks, of course! They are a mix of Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Welssumers, and Easter Eggers. (literally they are mutts. But 2 are definitely barred rocks, and many are Easter Eggers, as you can tell by their puffy cheeks.)

Yes, there is a ton of info on raising chicks out there- and YES you should read it all because most of it is useful and you can pick and pull what works for your set up. I use Backyardchickens.com for most of my reading.

Here is my bit of info on raising chicks from my point of view:

a good laying breed will give an average of 5 eggs a week. For a typical family, 4 chickens provide plenty of eggs.
there is this thing called chicken math- learn about it because I promise, once you have (pet, backyard) chickens you will be infected with chicken math!
baby chicks are cute, they’re dirty, the spread dust everywhere, they will drown in their water, they will poop in their food, they will suffocate each other (or themselves) accidentally, they grow FAST, and they are pretty loud …
baby chicks eat chick feed known as crumbles; you want to feed them from a feeder that is covered (a typical chick feeder at farmer supply stores) because they will roost on it, knock it over, poop in it, and throw the feed out ‘erywhere! (did I mention they are dirty little things?)
you don’t have to use a teeny tiny chick waterer (they out grow them SO fast, like, as in 2 weeks!) put marbles or rocks (we used rocks form the driveway) in a full size poultry waterer to prevent them from falling in or drowning if they do fall in (something to catch their footing and hop out).
despite being fairly hardy, baby chicks are prone to illness if their conditions are not kept clean- they need dry, warmth, food, and water. check their bottoms for pasty butt (where poop covers their bottoms and they get clogged), keep a red light on them at one end of the brooder for warmth, and check feed/water at least twice a day. You never know what those little crazies have done!
chicks need PINE bedding– cedar bedding will cause respiratory illness in poultry. PINE. PINE. PINE. Say it with me now .. PINE bedding.
be sure to keep their brooder dry: moisture plus baby chicky dust equals SICK chicks
you don’t have to have a thermometer in the brooder to keep the temp. You can tell if the chicks are too warm by how spread out or how much panting they are doing; too cold by how piled up they are. When they act too hot, raise your brooder light up. Each week you want to cool them off by 5 degrees until their temp reaches that of the outside (or there abouts- once they are fully feathered they can keep warm), so raise it up a few inches each week. For us, raising fall time chicks, they will need to get acclimated to pretty cool temps here in Kansas. I got a thermometer and taped it in the brooder because it was $1.79 at the tractor supply store … so it is up to you.
each chick needs about 1 sq foot of space until they are about 6 weeks, then they need more (but they should be going out to a coop by then, so be sure they have enough room in there or you will have bickering, unhappy chickens) I guessed on our brooder size; I made it BIG since we got 15 chickens. You can use just about anything for a brooder0 totes, boxes, make one by taping boxes (like I did), or buy a kit.
at about 2 weeks you can introduce chick grit to get them ready for nibbling on sand, dirt, and rocks outside. Our chicks enjoy scratching around for the grit.
most of the time you will know if you have a rooster when they are 5-8 weeks. Look for a very red, larger comb and depending on the breed you can look at their markings (some males have lighter, more defined, or no markings, etc-just depends on breed).
Chicks like going outside; provided you have something like milk crates, you can take your chicks out for fresh air for a while. Again, if they get too cool they will all huddle up and sleep. Ours hopped around eating bugs and scratching.
Enjoy- Like babies, they aren’t little for long!

Next time I will post about our coop!

Disclaimer: Some links on this blog are affiliate links; when you use those links you help support my family, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Surviving Airplane Travel and Vacation with Small Children

by Meghan // June 12, 2015 // Comments off

As I write this post I am relaxing while my children take naps.
Our family (and I mean my husband’s ENTIRE family-18 of us) are all vacationing this week. It has been Ah-mazing, and has opened an opportunity for a good “how to survive…” post. If you’re not lucky enough to be able to hire a private jet with Jettly, read on!

So, here is it: How to Survive The Airport and Vacation with Small Children

1. Food- When all else fails FEED THEM. I packed a bazillion snacks for our plane ride. As a matter of fact, I carried an entire back pack full of snacks. Fussy? feed them. Ears hurt? Feed them. Tired but won’t sleep? Feed them. Bored? Feed them. Talking too loudly on a red eye flight? Feed them. (oh yea, if they’re hungry you should feed them too!)

2. Seating- On an airplane you can make sure your family’s seats are together by logging into your account online (or calling, I’m sure). Our planes had two rows of seats, 3 seats wide. So for us, with a family of 5, it was best to have: number 1 child at the window, number 2 next to number 1, then daddy on the aisle seat to help managed them, while mama sat across the aisle in the aisle seat, with baby. That way if we needed to hand/trade off we could. I could easily pass baby to daddy while I made her bottle/got her food out, etc. Also, brother (2.5yo) could come see me when he needed to. Also be sure to check your seating arrangements the day before you fly because they could have been changed without your knowledge!

3. One Activity- For us, drawing and writing is infinitely interesting to our kids, most of the time. Whatever it is that occupies your kids at home (that isn’t huge or require a lot of little pieces), take it with you for the plane and long lay overs in the airport! **Don’t take a TON of things. Chances are your kids will be just as content (if not more) having only one or two things to focus on. However, if your kids are at the “throw down and lose everything/have mom pick it up” stage, skip this entirely and let them play with the magazines on the plane!

4. Personal Backpacks– If your kids are 2 years and older, chances are they can carry a small to medium sized backpack with ease through the airport. With most airlines, each person that has a seat/ticket on the plane gets to take a carry on bag. That means even children can “carry” a bag on the plane. Take advantage of this! My daughter (4yo) took her own small backpack that had her “planner,” pen, a favorite book, and lovey for sleeping. In her brother’s backpack we carried them both a change of clothes, extra diapers for him (for sleeping and to prevent frequent bathroom breaks), and his sleeping lovey. Bringing a backpack is especially useful for long haul flights. We’re thinking of taking a trip to England since we found some good deals on stratford hotels. I’ve always wanted to visit that area but we’ve always been put off going due to the long flight. I might just wait until the kids are a little older though.

5. Change of clothes– This is HUGE. I never would have thought to take a change of clothes for the plane (this is my husband’s tip). But if you are flying over night, or all day long, a change of clothes can go a long way for everyone! Putting kids into their pajamas at night when they would usually be getting ready for bed sends a sleep que to them, and can help them be comfortable and relaxed. Also, a change of clothes (undies, shirt/yoga pants, shorts, or dress) for mom and dad is also nice. After all the loading, moving/running through airports it is nice to be able to change just your shirt. Don’t carry an entire new wardrobe, just enough to help you feel refreshed/clean/better.

6. Wear Baby- I found that wearing baby was a life saver! I didn’t really know how much I would use my carrier, but it turned out to be awesome. Now, don’t go get a carrier the week of vacation; you will want plenty of time to use it and get comfortable using it with and without help. I wore #3 on my front for the plane, and on my back at the beach. I did need help getting her in the carrier for my back because without a bed to drop her on (accidentally) I am just not comfortable doing it blind. What carrier should you get? That’s up to you; I love love love my Baby Hawk Mei Tai. There is also the BabyHawk baby Carrier that snaps! I sorta wish I had seen that one when I bought my mei tai before #3 was born… snaps are fast and easy, though not as versatile. (Just make sure you read how to properly wear baby, please! High on your chest/back, no facing outward, etc)

7. Sleep!- Let them sleep! I know on vacation it is hard to stop all the fun and going/doing for naps. But, for us, everyone is much happier and can go and do much, much more if they are well-rested. If the kids are exhausted and can’t function, how can you have a good time?! So, take a few hours, go rest, then get up refreshed and ready to go! The best way to get refreshed and energized by a good nap is if you’re staying in a beautiful and welcoming hotel while vacationing, like Boutique Hotel Downtown San Jose. This way, you and your child can rest up with a comfy bed while staying in luxury!

8. This thing: Trust me, you need it! Leave the pack n play at home and carry this for travel sleeping arrangements; we LOVE ours
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What’s your favorite tip for traveling, flying, & vacationing with little ones?

8.5 month Baby Summary Update {ww37 and babywise schedule}

by Meghan // May 27, 2015 // Comments off

Well, here we are; somehow Ila is 8.5 months old! To think she is closer to 1 year old than a newborn baby … =( It is going by so quickly.

But God meant for healthy things to grow, and she is surely growing! She is a little over 20lbs and 28.5″ long; not as big as her siblings at this age, but that is okay.

Ila has 5 teeth and is working on one or two more. She gave up nursing around the beginning of April, and though I was devastated and continued trying to get her to nurse, she was completely done by the third week of April. Trying to nurse had become a battle that stressed us both out. I really thougth she was going to nurse for the long haul; she was my best nurser out of my three babies. But just like the others, once she realized the milk in the bottle came out faster, with less work involved for her, (even though it was the smallest size Tommie Tippee nipple), she was done with mama. =(

She still has a head full of hair, and that is the first thing people notice about her. The second thing they mention is how happy she is. And she is happy. The happiest baby ever; I know I say that on all of her summaries, but really. She doesn’t get upset over much, she has never spit up a day in her life (which I attribute to not getting dairy protein through nursing or her formula), and the only time she has a hard time with sleep or not feeling well is during wonder weeks; she is even pretty happy while teething, with only one or two rough days. I know this won’t last forever, at some point she will become a tiny tantrum on two feet, but for now, it is bliss!

Eating At 8 Months

Ila is eating every 4 hours … sorta? =/ She is eating solids LIKE CRAZY. If we are eating, she wants a bite of it. Which means that she has been eating: burger meat, steak, meat loaf, rotisserie chicken, fried chicken, spaghetti, cooked carrots, cooked green beans, sautéed zucchini and onion, grapes, apple sauce, pears, banana, eggs … and really the list goes on (though no processed foods). Basically if it is soft enough for her to chew, and homemade with real ingredients, she gets it. I did give her some BBQ from a local restaurant the other night, and she liked that too. =)

So at 3 of her 4 feedings she eats solids, then takes her bottle. She refuses her bottle before she eats real food, and she won’t take it right after she eats … so a little after she has eaten she is ready for her bottle. Oh- and if she hasn’t had a poopy diaper she won’t take a bottle, so basically her life revolves around when she poops! haha But I am working on not letting her eat as much food before her bottle, since that should still be her primary form of nourishment right now.

Schedule

Ila has moved seamlessly to a 2 nap schedule. I knew it was time to drop the cat nap because her naps were being interrupted, but she was still tired after waking and about 20 minutes later she would go back to sleep. Also, the third nap just seemed to be messing with her night sleep and first morning nap. So … we dropped to a 2-3-4 schedule (loosely) and it has been working great. Really it is more like a 2-2.5-4 hour schedule. She hasn’t quite worked up to 3 hours at that second nap yet, but it won’t be long. I imagine after this wonder week (ww37) she will be ready.

So at 8.5 months, her schedule looks like this:

7am wake, bottle, solids
9 down
10:30 usually wakes, rest until 11
11 up, lunch, bottle
1 down for nap #2
2:30-3 wake, solids, bottle
5:30 dinner, bath
6:30 bottle, bed
Asleep by 7pm

Development

Ila is doing new things every day! Since my lsat summary, she has started sitting up, scooting on her belly, rolling all over the place to get to things she wants, clapping, and signing. She likes to roll around on the floor and is really trying to crawl; she is thiiiiiis close to crawling! But honestly, with the move, and rent house, etc. I am not a huge fan of her crawling too soon anyway!

She has started signing for milk and more. I think she started signing for milk about a month ago, but I wasn’t 100% certain. Then she began signing for more, and it was pretty obvious what she was wanting! haha The baby is covered with fat rolls and loves to eat, what can I say?

The other day at the rent house Ila was in the floor with Scout (the singing talking dog). It was singing a song and she started DANCING. It was possibly the cutest thing ever. So now, she just bounces and dances when it plays music.

Ila is working on grasping small pieces of food, and while she can usually pick them up, she has a hard time getting them into her mouth. She has also discovered throwing things .. including her water cup! NOT FUN. Ugh. But our little Mister is so sweet and gets it for her every. single. time she “drops” it. haha He is helping create a monster. =)

Big brother and sister adore her. I mean … just smother her to death adore her. Including Mister- she is his “sweet baby girl Ila.” I love that he is (usually) so gentle and good with her. And big sister is mama’s BIG helper. She is also in love with Ila and is always teaching her new things (works on signing with her) and cheering her on! Did I mention Charlie loves her, too?

As far as the WW is going … there is some fussing at sleep time and all around weirdness going on, but in the nest 3 weeks that should end. *whew*

That is all of Ila’s 8month update I think … I *love* this stage! (minus the wonder week!)

What is your favorite “baby stage?”

Best Baby Swaddle Transition Blanket {week 27/6mo summary}

by Meghan // March 25, 2015 // Comments off

Ila is 6 and a half months old, and today (Thursday, March 19th) begins the 27th week of her life. She is still a happy, sweet, content baby girl. She is definitely the most sensitive of our children; Ila really watches your face for cues to see if you are happy or upset before she will smile or interact with you a lot. Lexie was a determined go-getter from the start; she wanted your attention and would scream across the room and be silly in order to get it. Max was much more moody, but not based on anyone else’s mood; his disposition was usually determined by how his tummy was feeling (reflux and colic), and if he had a full belly or not. Ila is going to be a sensitive, loving girl, and that is okay. =)

Development

In the past two weeks Ila has finally started working on all those skills her past wonder weeks prepared her for- she is more smoothly reaching for things, talking, and rolling from her back to her front. She wants to sit up all the time and is not content laying down. We are working on sitting up by herself, and I have a feeling it isn’t far from happening. She also like to kick and stand.

She has recently started playing in the bathtub, which is so cute. She kicks the tub and splashed everywhere. Her little baby legs are just covered in fat rolls, and she is the happiest thing you have ever seen.

We also have two teeth, and I think she is trying to get a third on the bottom? But I am not 100% sure yet. She loves to talk when she is by herself, but when her older siblings are around she mostly just watches in wonder and awe. She think they are hilarious and they both love to sit with a book and read to her. This morning (3/25/2015) she finally reached for the toys on the bouncer and discovered one plays music when she pulls it.

Eating

Ugh. I don’t know if it is the 6 month growth spurt, the 6 month overall regression, my milk supply dropping because I am walking, Ila getting teeth, or a combination of all the above, but the last two weeks she has been on somewhat of a nursing strike. =( My perfect nursing baby is now very opinionated on when she wants to nurse and when she does not. Unfortunately the last few days it has been more of the not, than the wants to. I am not sure what to do to encourage her, so I am going to start back on my fennel oil to help increase my supply, continue pumping twice a day, and always offer to nurse before solids or a bottle. So far, if I get her up and nurse in her bedroom, with it dark and the door shut she will nurse pretty well.

As soon as Ila wakes, we nurse, then take a bottle. At her 11:00 feeding we nurse, then she gets solids (wither avocado or applesauce in oatmeal), and then she takes a bottle.

She loves avocado!

The Miss is devouring solids, so we are probably going to start offering them at her 3:00 feeding as well, for a snack. (which is also why she doesn’t get them before nursing..) She opens her mouth and really enjoys eating now, her eyes get SO big when it is time for a bite, but sometimes she can’t seem to figure out when to open her mouth- it is really funny.

Once she decides she is ready to wean, I will use our homemade formula exclusively for her bottles. Hopefully we can continue nursing until 12 months.

Sleep

Ila was double swaddled until about 2 weeks ago- then my whole life changed for the better! She had been fighting the swaddle, and was getting one arm out in the middle of the night, sometimes managing to get both out (which woke up her early in the mornings). But no matter how hard I tried, she still would not sleep during the day with one arm out. So I decided to get the Love to Dream Swaddle-Up 50/50 blanket.

{photo from Amazon.com}

Do you hear that?

It is angels singing!

Oh my goodness, why did I wait so long to get this?! I wish I had bought it MONTHS ago. It is amazing. (and no one is paying me to tell you that!)

So the blanket is made of a stretchy knit material, that allows baby’s arms to be free in the swaddle, but also tight enough that they don’t wake themselves during sleep transitions! Then, on top of that, the little arms are UN-ZIPPABLE!

You read that right!

When baby is ready to roll over, or start the transition to one arm out of the swaddle, you just unzip that bad boy and there you go! A perfect transition- one arm out and one arm in, but able to move and go back to sleep at the end of a sleep cycle. It is perfect!

Yes she chews and suck on the fabric that is zipped on, but it is not problem. It is seriously the most perfect thing ever in the history of baby products. I will get one for every single person I know having a baby in the future!

I would have started her in this blanket at about 3.5-4 months old if I’d had it on hand.

Once Ila is a little bit older we will probably start to use one of the blankets that a friend who lives in Germany bought us. It was such a sweet and lovely gift. Our friend actually had a blanket custom made just for our little girl printed with photos of all of her family members so that she can always be close to them.

She told us that you can now FotoDecke mit Ihrem Foto, Text oder Design gestalten (design blankets using your own photos for those of you who do not speak German!) quickly and easily using some of the brilliant custom gift websites out there. I still cannot get over how cute this blanket is and I am so excited to put it to good use once Ila outgrows her current one.

Anyway, her sleep is usually great and I really do attribute that to the Love to Dream Swaddle.

So for now, our schedule looks like this (we JUST extended her first wake time to 1.75hrs):

7am wake, nurse, bottle
8:45 down for nap
11:00 wake, nurse, solids, bottle
12:45 down for nap (this will probably move to 1:00 soon)
3:00 up, nurse, begin solids here soon, bottle
4:45 down for cat nap (this will probably be 5:00 soon)
6:15pm up, nurse, bottle, bed by 7
usually asleep by 7pm

This spring weather that started way early is amazing and Ila is really enjoying being outside. She hangs out in her bouncer, which my big helper Lexie takes outside for me. =)

Postpartum Update

As for a mama update- I am mostly good. Still working on healing my DR so I can move on to more intense workouts. I am just really taking it slow; it is hard because I want to jump right back in but I am telling you- my body feels SO MUCH BETTER since I stopped doing the wrong exercises! I cannot give enough praise for Fit2B.com- I will do a whole post on that another day.

But since starting my DR exercises, I can tell my TA (transverse abdominis) is getting stronger because my back no longer hurts as badly as it did. Your TA is the deepest ab muscle and wraps from your front to your spine; when you have back trouble and someone says you need to strengthen your core, this is the muscle you really should be working on.

Anyway, as my body heals I just feel better and better, even if I am not losing a ton of weight yet. This take priority right now. I have quite a bit of weight to lose, but don’t expect it to come off until Ila is done nursing.

I am not willing to stop nursing or go on a crazy strict diet and lose my supply while nursing, for the sake of losing weight. I figure, I am young, I won’t be fat forever and I only get to nurse my baby once. Some days I struggle with it, but I know this is what I want for both of us.

Emotionally I feel great- hormones don’t seem to be making me a crazy person right now (though that usually comes shortly after baby weans). We have been enjoying incredibly warm weather so at naps I have been laying out-Oh my goodness, REAL sunshine and vitamin D are some of God’s most wonderful gifts! I feel like a different person than I did in December just because of the sunshine.

So, that is it! Our 6.5 month update!

19 weeks Baby Summary {babywise}

by Meghan // January 28, 2015 // Comments off

Well, tomorrow marks the beginning of Ila’s 20th week of life; we just finished week 19. Oh my goodness! She has two more weeks before she actually turns 5 months old, so I am using that as a way to console myself that she is already this old. It is just going by so quickly.

Ila is simply a joy. My oldest was a happy girl, but was colicky- gas, a little reflux, etc. Mister was a bear of a baby (and still is)- very fussy, screaming with reflux, sensitive, didn’t nap well because of it, etc. (they both have dairy sensitivities/allergies)

I think I sorta thought that babies = crying, gas, etc.

Boy was I wrong! Next to “happy” in the dictionary should be a picture of Ila James! (Provided I am dairy free, and she is too, so that is probably most of it. She is able to eat and sleep well, and it just makes a HUGE difference.) She is the baby that meets your eyes and just starts smiling for no particular reason except that you’re there!

She has gone through her wonder week 19- it was a doozy, and she got her first tooth during it! It broke through a few days ago. YAY! As of now, her schedule looks like this:

7am wake/nurse/bottle
8:15am down for nap (soon to be 8:30 I think, some days she stays awake a while before falling asleep) and she has decided this first nap is a great time to have a poopy diaper!
11:00 wake, nurse, oatmeal with breast milk and applesauce, bottle
12:15pm down (soon to be 12:30 I think), asleep by 1:00
3:00pm up, nurse, bottle-soon to add solids here
4:30pm down, asleep within a few minutes usually, sometimes asleep at 5pm
7:00pm up, nurse, bottle
7:40pm in bed, asleep
Sleeps until DWT of 7am

At 23 weeks there is another wonder week, and I imagine during or after that phase she will start trying to drop the third nap. So at that time we will probably move dinner up to 6:15 or so, and bedtime up to 7pm. Depending on her needs it may be even earlier than that. (It always has been for my other two.)

Development

During her waketimes, Ila is talking like crazy! She discovered her voice this past week and she loves to talk. Usually she does it if she is by herself in the living room, or pack n play. I have to sneak up on her to get it on video. Usually once someone is there she gets quiet again.

She is trying to roll form her back to her belly, so that is fun. She is almost there and can get twisted over on her side, but needs help to get all the way over. And she has discovered her thumb … I am not thrilled about this; we already have one thumb sucker (Mister) to break eventually, so I am hoping this is just a phase since she found her hands and is able to get them to her mouth. But I don’t want a pacifier either, since she sleeps fine without both I am just pretending like she isn’t doing it, and hoping she stops. 😉 (maybe she is just rubbing in the teeth? There is another coming in.)

She is not reaching for things, like purposely. She wakes her arms a bit but has no interest in stuff around her or in front of her yet.

She hasn’t lost her hair yet, so maybe she won’t? Lexie and Max both lost some; Ila just has a thin spot on the back where she sleeps. I have to spry in conditioner and comb out the tangles a few times a week (there is just so much hair!).

Eating

So far, Ila is still a nursing champion. She loves to nurse; she has started talking while she nurses. Sometimes she just stops and looks up at me and babbles while milk pours out of her mouth. It is pretty funny; then she will just smile and go back to nursing. After practicing for a few weeks, she is finally taking food from a spoon. I know she is young, and she doesn’t really need it. However … this baby is nursing 15-20 minutes, then taking an 8 ounce bottle. EIGHT OUNCES! Every 4 hours … of a $45 per can formula. Which equals $150 a month! She has gone from going through one can in 10 days, to finishing a can in 6-7 days. She is HUNGRY! Plus, good fats are good for her. I am going to give it another week of practicing with homemade oatmeal and breast milk, then start giving her soft boiled egg yolks. She has had avacado and liked it. Introducing her to good fats at 5 months isn’t going to hurt her or cause problems. We will hold off on veggies, meats, and fruits for a while. Solids aren’t needed right now, but because she is so hungry, I think healthy brain-power fats are fine.

Sleep

Ila is still double swaddled to sleep for naps and bed time. Doubling swaddling is a great method for babies that can get out of the swaddle during sleep, but aren’t ready for their hands to be free yet. I don’t think unswaddling her is far off, but I have tried SO MANY TIMES to transition her with one arm out, and it just disastrous. So for now, she is still double swaddled and goes to sleep perfectly this way. Once she starts rolling over this will for sure have to stop.

As for me, postpartum not much has changed. I am getting sleep, so I’m a happy mama! I am working on healing my diastasis recti, which means no traditional exercises like crunches, or other things that are in most all of my workouts (T25, the 21 day fix workouts, BBL, or Turbo Fire). I am using Fit2B.com to heal my DR and strengthen my transverse muscle FIRST, while I walk/run on the treadmill.

My mom and some others have asked how I knew I had the DR; I discovered I had DR a few ways- my back was constantly hurting. Provided, I have been overweight for 2 years (since after I had Max), but I knew that wasn’t causing the pain. Every time I worked out with any of my workout dvds I couldn’t get out of bed the next day, let alone walk, even after doing the modified moves. I also just couldn’t feel my abs anymore; after Ila there wasn’t even anything to flex. When I came across DR, and tested for it, it was the most disgusting thing I have ever felt. Basically, when you have a DR, your abs are split and you can put your fingers down between your abs. How many fingers fit determines just how bad yours is. Mine is 3-4 wide. *ewww* I remember after Lexie my abs were split, but I don’t remember ever trying to “heal” them, I just sorta went on with life. But this time I knew I had to do something. So, I signed up for Fit2B and I LOVE IT. I am finally starting to feel my abs again, and although this isn’t going to burn 600 calories in 40 minutes, it is healing my body so I CAN eventually burn 600 calories in 40 minutes doing my favorite heavier exercises. Exercises like crunches, planks, and basically every. single. move. in all my workout DVDs cause DR to worsen, not heal. So for now, those are on the back burner.

But that is okay! I am working on waking early in the mornings to get my workouts in (this is hit or miss, sometimes I have to fit them in during the day or before bed), but I feel good and eat good, so there you go.

And that is pretty much it! Ila’s 19th week of life. =)

Baby (#3) Summary: 11 weeks

by Meghan // December 29, 2014 // Comments off

(written a few weeks ago, Ila is now 14 weeks)

Baby Summary- 11 weeks {QuietInTheChaos.com}

(she has watermarks so crazies online don’t steal her sweet baby face)

Yep- it has been ELEVEN weeks since Baby Ila (or Ila-Dila, as the kids call her) was born. I can’t believe it! And unlike my first two, she has yet to have a baby summary post! I do these for two main reasons: as as journal for myself to remember what my babies were doing when, and to help readers looking for baby sleep schedules/routines.

Schedule/Routine

I will just start with our schedule, and go into details after that. Right now we are doing a 3 hour routine, but I think she is about ready for 3.5- 4 hours between feedings. (YAY)

7:00-wake/nurse/bottle/play
7:55- down for nap
10:00- wake/nurse/bottle/play
10:55- down for nap
1:00- wake/nurse/bottle/play
1:55- down for nap
4:00- wake/nurse/bottle/play
4:55 down for nap
She has been waking at this nap, and fussing because she is swaddled (which she normally loves) which makes me think she is about ready to drop this nap and move on to a 4 hour routine. But I am just hesitant yet, because she sleeps SO GOOD at naps and night, and I don’t want to mess that up!
7:00 wake/nurse/bottle BED

She is in bed every night before 8. The process of nursing and bottling takes us about 40 minutes, and there is no play time before bed at this stage. Lately, she has been having a hard time falling asleep at bedtime (again, a sign we need to drop the 4th nap and extend time between feedings), but is generally happy.

—

Before the last few days, we have steadily been at a 50 minute wake time since about …6 weeks? Before that we were at 45 minutes, which was just enough time to change her diaper, feed, and re-swaddle her for bed (mainly because feeding takes us so long). But this week she jumped up to a 55 minute waketime YAY. So you may wonder, how do you know when they’re ready for a longer wake time? She was staying up and talking at naps, happily, and then would fuss a bit before falling asleep (Because by that point she was over tired). So I knew it was time to push WT; I always jump in 5 minute increments and give it a day or two to work itself out before moving another 5 minutes, if it is needed; especially when they are this little. When they are older (2yrs+) I may move in 15 min increments.

For feedings we nurse, then she takes a bottle. But I have to sneak the bottle in, or she won’t take it. She just wants to nurse, which makes it hard for anyone else to feed her. In that way she is different from my other babies. With Lexie, from 4-9 months I was doing my internship/graduating from college, so we only got to nurse morning and at night; Max was in so much pain he just wanted a bottle then refluxed it all back up … he refused to nurse from about 5 months on. Ila LOVES to nurse; she goes crazy with excitement when it is time to nurse and does not want that bottle. but since I have a low supply, she has to take a bottle… I am pumping after 1-2 feedings a day to help with my supply. I just don’t have time to pump after every feeding.

Personality

Overall, Ila is a very happy girl. She rarely cries, smiles all the time, loves to snuggle and lights up the minute she sees or hears Mister and Lexie. They *LOVE* her. They want to hold her, talk to her, snuggle her, hold her hand, and read her books non stop. They join me for putting her down for all her naps and happily sing “Jesus Loves Me” each time- it is pretty precious.

Personality wise, she is so easy going compared to the other two. Well, Lexie was colicy some days, and had a very strong willed, determined personality. Max was easy going but had so many issues with reflux, that made him difficult. God knew I needed a break when he gave me Ila!

Development

Developmentally, she is on target I guess? I am not really keeping up this time (funny how that happens). She has discovered her hands, kicks her legs a lot, and talks. Oooh, how she talks. I love it! =) She isn’t in a rush to do anything, doesn’t care much about moving around; Lexie and Max were both trying to roll at this point. She just enjoys talking and being tickled.

Hopefully I will keep up better with her development/summary posts; probably not weekly, but monthly.

Weekly Wrap Up: 10/17/2014

by Meghan // October 17, 2014 // Comments off

Welcome to weekly wrap-up for the week of October 17, 2014! (Today is actually mine and my husband’s 8 year anniversary! woo hoo) Anyhow- here is a little update on what we accomplished this week.

Lexie (4) worked on her sight words each morning. I have printed out many different “sets” of sight words, which I have laminated. I keep these on a “master” ring, and as I assign them to Lexie, I put them on her own ring. This is something I learned while student teaching under a great Kindergarten teacher. These are words like at, the, am, that, my, you; basically words she will see a lot while reading, but that don’t follow the typical reading/phonics rules (although some do ..). She does great with these, and we introduce 1-2 new words as I feel she is ready.

While he was out getting groceries, daddy grabbed us some pumpkins to play in! He cut the tops off and we let the kids scoop out all the goop and seeds. They put the seeds in a clean, empty bucket; later we washed and roasted them in the oven (post coming soon!). We did this last year also, and they enjoyed it a lot. Lexie had more fun than Max (he surprisingly doesn’t care much for “messy” play), but Charlie enjoyed eating the seeds they dropped!

Unfortunately, both of them broke out in a rash after playing in the pumpkin (which they had smeared all over their faces and arms). We still aren’t sure why this happened? They ate the roasted seeds, & those didn’t bother them …

cheeks broken out from pumpkin? =/

One thing is for sure, I’ve gotta get the kids some epi pens. J.Tom has severe reactions to wasp stings and would need to go to the ER if stung on his chest/neck/head, and although the kids have never been stung, I don’t want to risk what might happen if they were.

This week I started doing more “structured” activities with Mister. He knows maybe 1/2 of his letters? But isn’t interested in sitting down and learning them like Big Sister was. I am 100% okay with that, but thought he might enjoy a quick craft to get introduced to the idea. He enjoyed it for the most part; he isn’t a fan of glue on his hands (yet), but he had fun making an “H” and hanging it on the door by Lexie’s creations. While I did that with Max, she created a magazine collage with pictures she found in my Real Simple magazine.

For Mister I am going to focus a little on a letter or two a week and plan an activity for him to join in on while Lexie does something independently; he loves to be included, i just need to find things he enjoys. After he gets the hang of activities I hope to incorporate Before Five In A Row after Christmas.

For his H activity I just cut out a letter H, had him help me come up with “H” words (he knows his letter sounds, just not all the correct letter names) to write on it, then he colored on it and made ovals. I traced his hands and he glued everything together.

And you know … we do a lot of this (after every feeding, actually). They always want to take a turn holding Baby Ila after I nurse and giver her a bottle.