Baby 5 summary {20 weeks}

by Meghan // October 29, 2020 // Comments off

Y’all. I seriously just had to look up how old he is. That’s How fast it goes by(and how hard it is to keep up with baby #5 stuff).

My posts have been few and far between because I am currently without my laptop (needs a new hard drive we think), which makes it very hard for me to get all my pictures and things uploaded. Also, my iPad screen doesn’t work well, and when it really decides to freak out on me, typing is useless because it phantom types. (Also, trying to correct the random capitalization and things my iPad does is really hard, so bare with me).

This year my laptop, iPad, Fitbit, and baby monitors have all died or half broken. I have yet to replace any of them cause $$$

———–

So. Moving on to baby 5.

Oh my goodness, how is he 20 weeks already?! He won’t be 5 months until nov 10, so the weeks are a little off from months just yet. He is growing so fast- he is huge. He got really long during his last growth Spurt, and now he is getting really chubby again.

I swore I would remember his schedule and would post them, and I totally didn’t.

But we just switched to a 3.5 schedule about 1-2 weeks ago. Before that he was still eating every 3 hours. But he wasn’t hungry at 3 hours anymore, and taking 4 naps had become 4 short naps.

3.5 hours just Consolidates eating to every 3.5 hours with longer wake times and 3longer naps.

Here’s how our days look right now:

730dwt
855/9 nap
11 eat
1235 nap
230 eat
400 nap (this becomes a cat nap around 6-7 months)
530 nurse and hang out until bedtime routine (this will also add solids for dinner time with family)
645 nurse, bottle, bed
720ish in bed (the goal is 730 but he is usually zonked out by 720)

That’s it. He has fallen seamlessly into this routine. He loves to nurse, which makes me happy; Hopefully he will go until a year. We’ve started playing around with some solids, he really likes avocado. But it isn’t a normal part of every day yet.

Development

At 20 weeks, Sir is rolling from belly to back, side to side, and can get from his back to his tummy. He has discovered his voice and has realized if he “talks” loudly enough someone pays him attention. He is always sooo happy, is super snuggly, and loves to be held. If another child (namely our 4th) cries it does scare him, and he will cry. But otherwise he is a happy boy.

He is getting 2 teeth! They’ve almost Broken through; I can’t believe they haven’t yet. He sucks his thumb and fingers when awake, and sometimes I catch him sucking his thumb in bed.

We are still using the winged swaddle (love to dream transitional swaddle), but I’ve removed one sleeve, so he has access to that hand. He likes to suck on and snuggle the other wing, so I will prob just leave it.

This boy loves tummy time! He belly surfs and plays. When he gets tired he just lays his head down … no fussing or complaining. We couldn’t have asked for a happier baby. He makes having 5 easier than I thought.

Homeschooling Through Transitions: the hard times and the happy ones

by Meghan // June 11, 2018 // Comments off

**Originally published February 2016** I enjoy these practical tips, even now, during seasons of what feels like temporary chaos. My children are older now, we have a small farm, and much more on our plate in this season than normal. These have been wonderful reminders for me! Maybe they will help you as well!

My oldest child is soon turning 5 years old (say whaaaaa?). I am by no means a homeschool expert; I have researched and read since I was 3 months pregnant with my first child, played around with schedules, dreamed of homeschool room ideas, used a few different curricula and tried different learning activities for my two oldest to try and find them the best personalized learning solutions so that they don’t miss out on their education.

And still, I am a no expert; I don’t think we become experts until we have graduated at least 1 homeschooled child! Haha

In the last few years we have had several family transitions- 2 babies born, rather large moves (one cross country), and job changes for the husband (one job that meant a LOT of travel)- that means we have “schooled” through some tough changes.

No matter how uncomfortable or scary our changes have been for the kids, I have found that homeschool ALWAYS makes our home feel like, well … home. After the latest move my daughter told us she didn’t like this rent house, it wasn’t home. So, as any mama would do I stayed up that night contemplating what would make all the kids (because she was surely expressing what her 2 year old brother was feeling but couldn’t say himself), feel comfortable again, feel at home.

And I almost immediately knew it was school- school, our Bible, reading, activities, learning and working their brains together, that is what made our house home and gave our days intention. Homeschooling isn’t just school- it is a lifestyle, it is IN the center of our home, of which the central focus is Jesus Christ.

Schooling Through Transitions:

1. Prioritize:

What is most important to your family? For us it is reading/phonics, math, handwriting, and Bible/read alouds. My kids are still very young (though my oldest is ambitious), so our main subjects that require “work” are only for the oldest: reading/phonics, math, handwriting, and copywork.

Science and art are on the back burner until the fall, after we move and get settled in the home we are buying. (I did this because getting out all the things we need for science and art is a mess while living out of boxes, and keeping the baby hands off of it in a home that is not exactly set up for homeschooling is hard! But if your children are older and can work independently and more responsibly, then go for it.)

Also, make sure you are doing work that everyone loves- because otherwise you are less likely to make it work during the transition.

2. Start earlier than scheduled in the year:

Even year-round schoolers like us take a break and have a specific date in mind for introducing their full-on school year. When you are expecting a new baby, or making a move, you know school is going to get delayed at some point. For us, we have always moved school earlier, again prioritizing the most important subjects, and then taken a break when needed (the week OF moving/baby being born) and then slowly gotten back into the groove of things.

3. Get back into routine:

Most homeschoolers I have talked with or asked have said getting back into the routine of school after a big life event is not only comforting, but helps all the kids behavior wise as well. (And that is definitely true in our home!)

Most kids do well with structure and expectations, so it would make sense that their routine at home helps with behavior and a sense of stability.

4. Relax:

At this time, it will do everyone good to relax (I know, easier said than done). We kept a general routine, but some days I had to get meals made for the week or things packed up for a move, so the kids just colored while we talked about the letters they heard in words I called out. I know mine are young, but this would be okay to do with olders too! Reviewing math facts, memory work, having them do copy work and art, etc can get you by until things become more formal after your transitions. The beauty of homeschool is that in general, we can take breaks when needed and always have time to catch back up (there aren’t hours spent standing in lines, taking bathroom breaks, etc so we can do double the work in half the time when we really need to!).

So breathe, Mama- relax and find learning opportunities in everyday life to make your life easier through this transition!

How does your family school through big life events?

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Introducing Baby #4 {weeks 1-5 Baby Summary, sleep schedule and feedings}

by Meghan // September 3, 2016 // Comments off

Well, on July 22, 2016 at 10:47pm we welcomed our 4th child, and 3rd baby girl, Coralie into the world.

Her birth story is to come (and it’s a pretty good one!) but for now I will just focus on her summary for weeks 1-5.

Weeks 1-2 we focused on nursing, sleep, and getting her days and nights in order. Not only was she confusing her days and nights (I had to wake her to eat during the day and she was up all night wanting to nurse 24/7), but she had reflux and was generally unhappy, sometimes even while nursing.

I didn’t cut out dairy before she was born, like I did with #3, and I did cheat and have creamer in coffee 2xs during the first 2-3 weeks so it is quite possible that her reflux was due to dairy in my diet. As of now (week 5), she is not having reflux.

We also decided to go ahead and supplement with formula pretty early on. I tried to avoid it with each baby, and with my last she lost 14% of her body weight only nursing before we tried formula. So, in an effort to avoid that all together, for my peace of mind, and hopefully to satisfy her upset stomach we started Nutramigen formula- and within 2 days she was a different baby! She was satisfied, her tummy didn’t seem upset as much (though she still had reflux from time to time) and she was happier. (when she is older and I have more time we will probably start on our homemade formula)

Today, at 5 weeks, I am 100% off dairy, she is nursing great, and reflux is gone. Reflux is known for coming and going and flaring back up around 6-8 weeks, but we are praying that won’t be the case. (I am actually posting this at 7 weeks ols, and her reflux seems to be back .. =/)

She has her days and nights in order, though I do have to wake her at the 3 hour mark sometimes to eat during the day. She is going from about 7pm of last feeding to about 2-4am most nights now. At 4 weeks old it was 2xs a night, and this past week has been mostly 1-2 times a night. Sometimes she makes it until 5am

She is having a witching hour that varies from 4 or 6pm until 9pm. Some nights she goes to bed at 8pm after her dinner no problems, other nights she witches until 9 or 9:30pm. Regardless, I am not complaining. Those first few weeks were incredibly tough, much harder than they were with my second or third babies. But things are calming down.

I would say so far Coralie is most like my oldest as a baby; she is amazingly alert during her wake times, eats like a champ, and I think it will be a while longer before she gets her nights stretched out really well.

At week 5 here is our routine:

6:45-7:15 wake, nurse, bottle (if she doesn’t wake up by 7am, I wake her to start our day)
40 mins later nap- her first wake time is usually about 40 minutes and she is asleep by 45 minutes
10:00am wake, (go outside) nurse, bottle- if she doesn’t wake herself before now, I wake her at 10
40 minutes later nap (or after first yawn if she yawns before 40 minutes)
1:00 wake, nurse, bottle- if she doesn’t wake up I wake her 3 hours after her last feeding
40 minutes later nap (or after first yawn if she yawns before 40 minutes)
4:00 wake, (go outside) nurse, bottle
40 minutes later down for nap, (or after first yawn if she yawns before 40 minutes)
This is where she usually begins her witching hour. She may go right to sleep for this nap, or she may stay up and fuss. If she is fussy I typically hold her on and off so she gets some sleep; we also will nurse on demand if that is all that will soothe her
6:30 bath if it is a bath night, I wake her if she is asleep
7pm nurse, bottle, straight to bed- sometimes she continues with the witching hour until after 8pm, sometimes she goes right to sleep
1 or 2 middle of the night wakings anywhere from 11pm-2am, and 4am-6am

Sometimes I miss her sleepy cues at nap and she gets a bit OT; I can usually give her a paci (a wubbanub to be more specific, she won’t take a regular pacifier …) to calm her, put her down and when she drifts off & spits it out, I take the pacifier away. Sometimes it only takes once, sometimes it takes more than once, but usually that works. Our biggest issue is getting her burped in time for the 40 minute mark without her falling asleep while being held and THEN avoiding hiccups. Just like in utero, she is very hiccupy!

She is just like her biggest sister, in that she is very sensitive to wake times! Sometimes she wakes early into her nap & fusses a few minutes and goes to sleep before I can even get to her; but mostly keeping her WTs at 40 minutes right now seems to be key.

Though a happy baby, she is a bit colicky, but very social. She started smiling and cooing earlier than my others, it seems. She is ticklish under her arms and at her ribs and loves to be snuggled by her older siblings.

She enjoys being outside and talked to. I would say she is definitely more needy than Ila was, but then again, Ila was basically perfect in the eating, and sleeping departments. Coralie is more like her brother and oldest sister right now.

We will see how she changes and grows!

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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?”

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: Fall is here 2014 {w/o October 5}

by Meghan // October 13, 2014 // Comments off

The past few weeks we have slowly been adding our learning time back into our routine. Honestly, I could continue our break from it, but Lexie and Max both request it. So back to it we go!

We try to start our Mondays off strong, getting in as much reading and foundational lessons as possible. This week we did good in that area; Lexie read her AAR readers like a pro, and flew through her sight words. Since The Miss {baby Ila} was born, the hubby has been taking Lexie to gymnastics on Tuesdays. When Ila is a few weeks older, we will spend Tuesday mornings at the children’s museum with some friends, then head from there to the gym. Until then, J.Tom taking her works perfectly. It allows Max and I to have some time together during Ila’s naps, too.

Wednesday is our day “off” from learning for now; I got caught up on laundry, pulled out more of Lexie’s baby clothes for Ila (if there is anything Ila will NEVER need, it is clothes!), vacuumed, and the kids did some art. This is going to be our mid-week cleaning day. Sometimes I can get a TON done on Wednesday, other times not so much.

Thursday we did more Sonlight reading and took a walk outside. I wish I could say we were walking more, but honestly I haven’t found the time to get out much yet. Between nursing Ila, then pumping for Ila, reading to the kids, and making daytime lunch/snacks there isn’t a lot of down time for me until the kids are down. Then I get a breather, but obviously can’t go for walks! (thankfully we have a treadmill now, so soon I will start walking/running on it.)

weekly wrap up October 2014 do a dot paints

We love Do-A-Dot paints!

This week Lexie decided to write her cousin a letter, we made snuggly pallets on the floor, kept the windows open, and I began work on the kids’ some more fall/winter clothes. I am making Lexie a dress and a ruffle pants outfit, and for Max a few pairs of pajama pants with matching shirts. I plan to make Ila a skirt or two to match Lexie’s clothes.

The past few weeks we have been so blessed by precious friends that have brought dinner, which has made it much easier on J.Tom and me those nights. Then our church family (where we have been visiting for about a month before Ila was born) brought us a beautiful gift basket/storage bag with diapers, Burt’s Bees Baby products, and an outfit. I am getting anxious to get back to church and running around town, but honestly with all the illnesses everywhere, I know we need to wait until Ila has more of an immune system- this is cold and flu season, on top of the enterovirus and possible Ebola fears going around.

Here is to a beautiful fall!

reading and snuggling on pallets

Dairy Allergy Alternative for Weaning Baby: Coconut Milk Tonic

by Meghan // October 3, 2013 // Comments off

If you have a baby with dairy protein allergy and ready to wean from breastmilk or formula, you are probably looking for a healthy alternative to cow’s milk.

We were in the same situation about two months ago; I tried reintroducing cow’s milk and the result was
Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Sally Fallon.

I am in no way a medical professional, and you should talk with your doctor before trying something new. This is what has worked for our family.

I wasn’t happy with the amount of fats and nutrients in almond milk, rice milk, etc for a young baby.

However, coconut milk is full of good fats and nutrition for babies (and adults). So we use this recipe. It is equal to cow’s milk in fat and calcium (per Eat Fat, Lose Fat):

1 can of whole fat Organic Coconut Milk
2 1/4 cups of water (preferably filtered with no chlorine, etc)
2 tablespoons of (organic) Grade B Maple Syrup or a pinch of stevia
1 tsp of vanilla extact
1 tsp of KAL Dolomite (calcium)

I have to label Max’s milk so JTom doesn’t grab it instead of our raw milk =)

I heat all ingredients in a pot until the dolomite powder is dissolved, and then pour it into a glass jar and keep in the fridge. I make this in double batches, and store it in a half gallon mason jar. Shake the jar well before pouring into bottle to warm up, the thick cream will separate from the rest of the milk when chilled.

**Where to get ingredients**
We purchase either Natural Value coconut milk in BPA free cans, or Native Forest organic coconut milk- depending on which is cheaper- through Amazon Prime. So we can do subscribe and save and also get free 2/3 day shipping, which is very convenient. However, I really watch the prices of the milk, because like right now, the organic milk is cheaper than the Natural Value brand.

** What to look for in natural, real ingredients**
Please do not use coconut milk in cartons- they contain very dangerous additives (although the carton may say the milk is organic, the actual ingredients are in fact NOT).

“NO PRESERVATIVES”- no stabilizers, emulsifiers, whiteners, guar gum, and BPA free cans!

Natural Value brand of Coconut Milk

Ingredients: Coconut extract, water

Ingredients: Organic Maple Syrup- that’s IT!

Now, the dolomite powder can be stored in the pantry, but always always keep pure, organic, grade B maple syrup in the fridge or it will go bad! (because, you know. It’s a real food with no additives) And yes, it is pricey, but we just use it sparingly at our house.

Max LOVES this milk, and I feel good about giving it to him. Again, I suggest doing your own research, and taking the recipe, and nutrition information (in the book Eat Fat, Lose Fat) and talk it over with your doctor because I am not a health care professional.

But this is a pure, real food milk recipe for baby, and I feel is much safer than a chemical laden formula alternative for our baby with dairy allergies.

Max is gaining weight and developing great on this formula!

This post contains affiliate links.

Counter Culture, Anyone? Part One

by Meghan // February 11, 2013 // Comments off

God has been working on me a lot the last year, and I have too. I have had these very strong feelings and passions about life since we found out we were pregnant with Lexie over 2 years ago. I am so blessed that JTom shares those same sentiments; I couldn’t really find anything to describe our parenting style, and then while talking with like minded mamas on a forum, I found it- Counter Culture. It’s pretty much us, to a T. Some things that we do that are counter culture:

We say “no”- our children don’t get anything and everything they want. If they cry and pitch a fit they especially don’t get it
We don’t watch TV. JTom and I watch some television on occasion but in our house the TV is off. Lexie knows a few shows (more than I’d like due to being around other family and friends) and sometimes she watches Thomas the Train. But we limit it to a few times a month
We don’t do Disney. that isn’t to say we will never take our children to Disney World, although I can think of a million other places I’d rather take them … Disney is an overpriced, over commercialized parent trap. Maybe when the kids are older we will visit, but we do not buy a bunch of Disney products or movies, etc.
We pray. As a family. A lot. Much of this is instigated by the two year old herself. One of our family goals this year is to pray as a family more.
We know we are created in His image, and seek to live closely with Him
We don’t believe that today’s “normal” is normal.
We don’t believe that today’s “good” is good.
We don’t believe that certain things come with “childhood.” Sugary foods, not eating healthy meals, playing video games, and bossing parents around are not rights of passage in childhood. They are not part of being a kid. They are for some kids, but not for ours.
We go against the flow
Aren’t afraid to be ourselves, be different

Basically to sum it up, our culture is about self gratification, and we are trying to raise our children against the grain. This may result in the exact same outcome every other family has; I am not saying our way is better or the best. It is just how we do it. We are trying to instill in our children that this life isn’t supposed to be lived just for us, it is supposed to be lived to the Glory of God. That means we don’t always get what we want, what we beg for, or what other people have. It is okay to be different, as a matter of fact, it is GREAT to be different than mainstream society; society today is not a good normal.
What we do offer our kids is love, affection, time spent one on one, special outings, and an occasional splurge. They aren’t deprived; but our society and even people in our family would probably tell you that “having lots of stuff/toys makes kids happy. It’s just who kids are.” No, that is who kids’ are raised to be. That is how society has brought them up. But JTom and I really don’t want that for our kids. They have nice clothes, toys, books …. but they don’t need an excess of it all. Sometimes gifts we receive go back to the store. We would rather use the money for something they need rather than something they don’t even know they want.

J.Tom and I are raising our children as counter culture as we can, and started living this way well before we knew it had a “label.” We seek God and His glory in all we do and try to extend that to our children. Sometimes I think maybe I need to justify myself, my family, or the raising of our children to others, including our own extended family. Then I realize … no, i don’t.

I can explain it, but really I can just refer people to scripture.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2.

Stay tuned for the rest of the series on our family and how we are going against the grain.

22 weeks old … I think

by Meghan // February 8, 2013 // Comments off

Im in bed writing this post, and i usually have my planner to help me with what week i am on. I do not, however, have my planner. Oh- it is a very fun planner, it is an Erin Condren life planner, and i LOVE it. My only complaint is there aren’t enough lined pages for writing notes and thoughts .. but they sell a separate notebook for that, of course! Anyway. This is not a post about my planner. The point of me mentioning it, was to say the weeks are running together on me!

Max is in the middle of his 22nd week of life; this weekend is going to be SO busy, so I am writing this one early. He is rolling over like crazy; especially when he is trying to go to sleep. He is a side sleeper. So he rolls onto his side and sucks his thumb. Its oh. My. Gah. So cute! Bt, he also flips over to his belly. And while playing and alert, he can easily flip back over to his back. B when he is tired and trying to go to sleep, he gets angry and does a lot of yelling… So i have to go roll him back over. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen.

He is nursing better, thankfully. He is taking his bottles well, but after about 5oz he is ready for his oatmeal. The boy is devouring oatmeal! I use a measuring spoon to measure out the oatmeal, then eye ball the formula to mix it with. He usually ends up eating 4-6 tablespoons, sometimes more, 3xs a day. That usually means i end up mixing the rest of his 8oz bottle into the oatmeal. So he is taking a full 8-9oz per feeding. I am still doing the probiotics twice a day and not doing any solids besides the oatmeal. Since we are moving and all, I think I will wait until after the move to add in real foods. It will just be easier with the traveling and everything to only have t have oatmeal, formula, and my pump in case he doesn’t nurse well.

He is in 6 month clothes and pajamas, and can wear some 6-9 footies, they’re just a little big in the feet. But it wont be long and they will fit perfectly. We are still signing, I am doing “milk” and “more,” while he eats. He watches me, like “Hrm, what is it that she’s doing?” but hasn’t started signing back at me yet. He likes to squeal! It sounds like he is gasping for breath, you know what I mean? But he is squealing- it’s cute. He is obsessed with his feet (what a difference a week makes!) and reaches for his toys, or anything that is in front of him. I have started sitting him up more, and he can balance for a second before he topples over. =)

Lexie is so much fun, we have started building forts! She loves it, haha. We went to Mid America Science Museum Sunday, and it was wonderful! We have never been because before now she was really too young to enjoy it. But thanks to super bowl, we were the only souls in the whole place. Seriously, she got to run around and do anything and everything she wanted. It was us and a lady building with blocks. And the guy who took my $10. Lexie is under 3, so she was free. Who knew a $10 outing would be so fun?! I promised we would go back next week after Jtom leaves. I have some videos i will upload here soon.

Tuesday we went to the library. I have packed up *most* of her books, so we have started borrowing them. Her new favorite book is the “Three Billy Goats Gruff”. She retells it by saying, “the billy goat broke the troooole!” That’s the only thing she cares about. I didn’t realize how scary/weird those classical stories are… But they are important for her to read. She is down to one day a week of school, so now we can do something fun on that day we don’t do school anymore. Really, I’m relieved she isn’t going to school two days a week. A break is nice, but now that Max is older and can travel more easily for outings, i feel like our time can be better spent together, learning and experiencing things together. Although i did a lot of chores while she was at school 2 days a week, the other three days during the week were mostly spent at home, because otherwise were were out of the house 3-5 days out of the week! That’s a lot of running and going with two young children. It’s just too much for us. So now that she’s down to one day, we can use a second day for our outing(s), and spend the other days playing and learning at home. Its less chaotic and less pressure.

My woven wrap came in! WE LOVE IT! It is a beautiful bright turquoise. I only know hwo to do one carry, but I will learn some others soon. I have sold some of my girly cloth diapers, and have my ring sling listed to sell. I am saving money for this wrap:

Isn’t it beautiful?! It is a super strong wrap, the length I want is $135, so I have a way to go to save! But I am getting there. I have tried to find one used, but they’re hard to find because people love them so much. So I may end up having to pay full price. The mama owned business I want to get it from offers a 5% discount coupon, so that would help some. Anyway, wraps are super fun. There is a whole lingo (sorta like cloth diapering, and sleep training) for wearing babies, especially in wraps. You have to “break in” your wrap. The Colimacon et Cie that i bought is pretty soft out of the package and doesn’t require as much breaking in. But the Storch I want is one that needs a lot of work. It’s suggested that you sleep on/with it, use it for picnics, forts, braid it (which is basically making a chain knot like you would in crochet), let the kids play on it, wash it, etc. to get it broken in good. I want the longer length in this one so I can do more carries with it, plus I like having a longer tail on mine. The turquoise one I have is an average size length at 4.6 meters, but I think I would be more comfy with the longer length, especially until I lose some more of the baby weight (which is slowly coming off, but at least it is coming off!) I got a few pics of Max and me in the wrap outside the other day; after I get them uploaded to the computer I will get them on the blog.

Anyway, so that’s what we have been up to. Something sweet, the other day we were reading our devotional. That day it was about angels, and how God sends them to watch over us and take care of us. Lexie said, “Like Da does!” (She calls JTom Daddy, dada, and Da, a lot). I said, “Yes! Just like Daddy does.” Oh, priceless. Today, JTom got home and Lexie was down for nap… not napping. When it was time to get her up, he went in and she was so excited she stuttered. She couldn’t get anything out! It was so cute. When he got her changed into her “walking panties” (those are her regular panties, instead of her “night night” panties which are her lupus , and got her milk she said, “mama! I am so excited, Daddy is HERE!” haha After that we showed daddy all her new tricks- she can wink! We also do this thing where I lay on the floor on my back, and put my hands by my head. She stands in my hands and I lift her up. It is what we used to do in cheerleading to prepare for single basing stunts. Anyway, she loves it, so that was new. We also do a new trick where i lay down and put my feet on her chest, then lift her in the air, and she is on my feet … if that makes sense? I will get JTom to do some pictures this weekend. Anyway, we had to show him that, and the library books … and the fort. Then I ran to TJ Max to get boxes and they played outside, feeding the chickens and stuff.

About the move
We have the movers lined up for Monday, February 18th. They will come and do some of the packing I am not doing, like the kitchen, breakables, pictures, mirrors, electronics, etc. Tuesday the semi truck will come and load up, and leave! The kids and I are going to drive to Memphis, see family in a quick 36 hours, and then my mom is traveling with us to Nebraska. Once there, our things will hopefully have arrived by then, and we can get settled in. Mom can help w the kids, and the decorating, etc. Although we have all this “planned” it is strictly contingent on the closing of the house. I am signing papers in AR and supposed to be over-nighting them back to whomever I’m told to… There are still a few things not complete, like something the appraiser is supposed to have turned in. If everything gets done and here are no glitches, we close next Friday. 7 days and a handful of hours from right this moment. And I am terrified. Not really. I am actually pretty calm about it, for me. I’m just concerned about something not going right and the closing being moved … which means we live separate for 2+more weeks. =/ The other option is to move into the basement JTom is a guest in. And if closing doesn’t go well, then that may be just what we do! Just pray for us that things go smoothly, and happen like they should.

Thankfully, JTom’s uncle is just 40 minutes away and he is going to take the chicks for us. I am so sad, and I mean SO SAD, to let them go. They’re so rotten, and so sweet. And I have enjoyed eggs every single day since JTom has been gone; with the longer days they are back to laying an egg a piece per day! Maybe that’s why I am losing weight, I eat eggs and whole wheat toast for breakfast and dinner. =)

Here are some videos. I figured out how to upload them from my phone to youtube, so hopefully I will be loading a lot more on here in the future.

I don’t remember if i posted this one or not? It is from August (notice her tan!), she was not yet 2, identifying all her ABCs. She now knows the sounds of some of the letters. We play phonemic awareness games during the day; for instance I will ask her what words start with the /m/ sound- like Max. And she will name a bunch of words that start with m. She also does it on her own, randomly. I might say, “let’s do a flip!” and out of no where she will say, “flip is like four or friday!” Using that as a teachable moment, we will talk about the letter f and the sound it makes. We have fun =)

Identifying and placing some of the States on her map puzzle

These are all from the museum Sunday:

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This is probably my favorite. It was so warm the other day, and she wanted to water the flowers. So… that is what she did!