What's In the Bag?

When I hit 30 weeks it really set in that I was getting really close to the point when I had Noah. Little Noah's birth was a early surprise for everyone, I hadn't even packed a bag yet. I literally had nothing. I hadn't even had time to really think about it. So I decided to go all out on my bag this time :) 

First there is the bag: I really wanted to get a cute bag to have my stuff in, but I also wanted a bag that I could keep using for Noah and Sophie's stuff after we get out of the hospital. I bought this one at Target. I got lucky because I happened to catch it on sale at the store. 

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For me:
-Normal toiletries
-Hair tie
-Face wipes
-Lotion
-Lip Balm
-Socks
-Book
-Notebook
-CANDY :)
-Robe
-Slippers
-Going home outfit
-Plus a few other random items

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For Sophie:
-Swaddle blanket
-Going home outfit (gown + headband)
-Binki (here)
-Extra outfit
-Nail clippers
-Socks
-Diapers

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When I had Noah the situation was very unique so my hospital was much different than the "normal" stay. So this time around I am sure there are things that I have that I don't really need (but will be nice to have for just in case) and there are probably plenty of things that I will need that I don't have. But I am excited to have at least something to start with. :) And don't worry, I have something for Noah, daddy, and aunt Skylar that I will share later. Can't leave them out. xo, Britt

Cozy Coupe Carwash

If you are anything like me, you make these really cool plans that you think are freakin' awesome and your kids are going to love, and then they fail. Ha! Either they hate them or things just don't work out as planned. You know what I am talking about. For the first time, my plan started out as a fail, but ended up being a success! Plus it was so much fun for the whole family.

I had this brilliant plan! Noah loves the water and he is always helping me clean off his highchair tray, so I had this awesome idea for us to have a cozy coupe car wash. His coupe and van really needed cleaned and I thought it would be so adorable to see a mini human washing his car! So I get everything all set up, I get Noah outside and I get our little sponges all suddsed up. I spray down the coupe and the van all hosed down and am showing him how to wash it and all he wants to do is sit in the cars.

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So for a while it was just me cleaning his cars while he sat in them. :) It was fun, but I was so happy when Jake was able get Noah to help to. And surprisingly I was able to get photos of him while he was cleaning! Ha! It was seriously so much fun for all three of us.

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We got his coupe and his van all clean and played in the water for a long time! It was nice to have a fun plan that I came up with for us to actually work out. It doesn't happen often but it sure feels good when it does. :) xo, Britt

New Mom Files: DIY Baby Wipes

Recently I decided to take a stab at making my own baby wipes. I looked at a ton of tutorials online and decided to just give it a try. I love it. They smell so good, I know the ingredients, and they are so simple. The hardest part is making sure you have a new set ready when the ones you are using are getting low. I try to keep a back up pack of store bought  wipes for just in case.

Here's what you need:

  • water
  • papertowels (I have found Viva work the best)
  • sharp knife
  • coconut oil
  • baby shampoo
  • plastic container
New Mom Files: DIY Baby Wipes

Here is what to do:

1. Using a sharp knife, cut your paper towels. Depending on the size of your plastic container you can cut the roll in half or in thirds. I cut mine in thirds.

2. Bring a cup of water to a boil. I just use a small sauce pan on the stove.

3. Once it boils, remove from heat and pour in one tablespoon of the oil and the shampoo. Mix them together. 

4. Pour the water into the plastic container.

5. Add in your paper towels.

6. Put on the lid and then flip over and let sit for one hour. 

7. After an hour, flip it back over. Take out the center cardboard tube, and your good to go!

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You should definitely give it a try. It is simple and doesn't take much time. It is also really cost effective. Happy Thursday! xo, Britt

The Year of Noah

It seriously has been the craziest, fastest, and absolutely best year of my life. Noah teaches me everyday that you can't plan everything and that I need to just let loose a little. He's been teaching that since the day he (surprisingly) came into the world. 

One year ago today i was at 32 weeks and I was feeling absolutely terrible. And by terrible, I mean the worst I had literally ever felt. Three days prior, my sister threw me a baby shower. By the end of it I was in tears because of the pain I was feeling. I called the hospital that night to see if they thought I should come in, but the doctor on call decided that I was probably just in pain from how the baby was situated  so I suffered through. 

Tuesday I decided that I should go into work. (I am crazy) I wasn't there a couple hours when I noticed there was blood in my urine. This FREAKED me out. I immediately called the doctor and the nurse told me that I probably had a kidney stone. She said that I could wait until my appointment that was already scheduled for the next day so of course I listened.  

Wednesday morning I woke up and got ready for my normal appointment. I went in and had to pee in a cup, like always, and I like couldn't go. I literally barely went and what I did go was almost black (sorry! so gross) The nurse asked me how I was even functioning.  She said that I had the worst urinary tract infection she had seen. 

She took my vitals and I sat and waited for my doctor to come in. When my doctor came in she told me that my blood pressure was extremely high and that I needed she needed to take me to be admitted to the hospital. After we walked from the office and the elevators were packed, she had me take two flights of stairs to the maternity ward. I called Jake on the way and told him to come to the hospital. Then I texted my mom and sister.  

They got me all checked in and in a room. Then they started running tests. They hooked me up to a ton of machines and were tracking everything. I had people stabbing me with needles and trying to take blood. It was crazy

Here is where it starts to get fuzzy. I mostly remember my mom freaking out because I was hungry and they wouldn't bring me any food. I know there was a lady doing an ultrasound on my right and my little sister was holding my left hand. The nurse came in and told me that I was much sicker than they thought and that the baby would have to be delivered for me to get better.

My eyes glazed over. I was trying to seem composed on the outside while I was going absolutely insane on the inside. I couldn't have the baby he still needed to cook for two months.  

The doctor came in and explained what needed to happen. I had developed preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. I had the most severe stage of the syndrome. Normal blood platelate count would be 150,000 my count was 24,000. I had to get a blood transfusion before the could deliver noah. And because of the situation, I had to be put under for the emergency c-section. 

Noah Earl was born at 4:06pm, wrong in at 5 lbs 2 oz and 18 3/4 inches long.  

Jake who was supposed to be able to come in the surgery room got all cleaned up and suited up. He never did actually get to come in the room though.  

I remember waking up crying in the recovery room, Jake was by my side. And he was telling me that noah was in the NICU and was being well taken care of. After I was taken back to my room where I had to stay in bed because of some of the medications I was on. I remember Jake coming in with a picture of Noah and showing me. We hadn't told anyone our name yet. In case he didn't look like a "Noah." He said I think he looks like a Noah, can I tell people now?

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People came in and saw me and told me how beautiful my son was. I can't describe the pain I felt that I couldn't see him or hold him. It was seriously the hardest thing. It was the beginning of a rough three and a half weeks.

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This momma was an emotional wreck. I had to stay in the hospital myself for a full week. Until they could get my blood pressure under control. Then came the days of basically living in the NICU.

When Jake went back to work he would drop me off at the hospital at 7:30am. Then we would have dinner in the cafeteria together and be back upstairs for Noah's 8:00pm feeding. Jake would make me go home and sleep for a bit and I would be back at the hospital at 2:00am for that feeding. I was exhausted to say the least. 

We got so lucky Noah was very healthy especially for our circumstances. After what felt like the longest three and a half weeks of my life, the little guy was ready to come home!

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Literally ever since has flown by. I have watched his personality shine through and I am so proud to be his momma. I could never imagine a love so strong, but it's just this crazy love that comes out. I can't believe it's been a year! But I can't wait to see what Mr. Noah has in store for me this year. Hopefully less surprises. :)

Now here are a few of my favorite photos from the year (out of thousands):

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xo, Britt

New Mom Files: Homemade Baby Food Essentials

Choosing to make Noah's food has been a very fun yet challenging thing. I love knowing that he is getting all of the best and freshest ingredients possible. The hard part is staying motivated to cook in bulk and prepare all of the food. It just takes so much time and commitment.

New Mom Files: Homemade Baby Food Essentials

Don't get me wrong, Noah is totally worth it, but on a Sunday afternoon when all you want to do is lay on the couch and rest while the little one is napping, its hard to want to go and prep, cook, puree, and put all of the food into containers. But I said I was going to do it so I just keep on keeping on. 

Puréed Baby Food

I posted quite some time ago about making homemade baby food when I was first getting started. After making food now for about 7 months, I will share a few things that I have learned. 

Things that you need:
1. A good food processor!! This is a must. We bought the Ninja and love it but I know that there are lots of good options out there. If you are really wanting to make your own baby food, you need one that holds a lot. It makes it much easier when trying to make food in bulk.

2. Lots of containers. I got mine at the Dollar Tree. They hold about 2oz which is pretty much a perfect size. I got rectangle ones for veggies and circle ones for fruit. This makes it super easy to distinguish the difference since a lot of fruits and veggies look similar. Why not label you ask? You go through containers very quickly once baby starts eating food. I just felt like it was a wast of time to label and have to worry about either getting the same food in the same containers each time. Make it easy on yourself mama! 

3. There are lots of rules you will find when it comes to feeding your baby. There are certain foods that they shouldn't have until they are older, and certain foods that cause gas ... it goes on and on. So I just did a little research on things that would be good for Mr. Noah. I just kept trying things one at a time to make sure that he didn't have any sort of reaction to anything. Here are a few things that I have read/learned in the process.
- Avoid until one year: peanut butter, honey.
- Introduce slowly: dairy. (I started introducing Noah at 9 months)
- Make baby gassy: broccoli, cauliflower, 
- Things I made: sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, butternut squash, acorn squash, avocados, peaches, pears, apples, chicken, beef. 

Introducing Table Foods

In the last couple months I have started adding new and whole foods into Noah's diet. And by whole, I mean cut up into small chewable pieces versus puréed.  

New Mom Files: Homemade Baby Food Essentials
New Mom Files: Homemade Baby Food Essentials

Noah has been starting to eat more things off our plates or things that we've been eating. I am careful to make sure that it's not anything that is too seasoned or too spicy. This has been a huge relief. And eating out as a family has become so much easier.  

I still prep a lot of food especially for him. I have started prepping a lot of food at the beginning of the week that can be divided up for all of his meals throughout the week. It's the same concept as when you purée, you cook your foods how you normally wood, let them cool, cut them into small pieces, and divide them into your containers. I use a lot of the same containers that I used for the puréed food since I have slowed that down some.

While Noah is continuing to learn to pick things up (he is getting very good at grabbing Cheerios with his finger and thumb), I still feed him some puréed food too. It's hard to tell, until you get him out of the high chair, how much went in his mouth and how much is in the chair. Or now that he's learned to feed the dog, it really is important to make sure he is eating enough of what he needs.

I am definitely not a pro but I am proud that I have kept it up and continued to make homemade food for Noah. It makes me happy knowing he is getting good food and I think he's pretty happy about it too!

New Mom Files: Homemade Baby Food Essentials

Noah's Daily Eating Plan

So here is a sample of what Noah might eat throughout the day. Note: He is 10 months old and I will continue feeding him formula until he is 1 year or so. 

7:25 am - cherios to keep him from screaming while his breakfast is being fixed
7:30 am - piece of toast, a scrambled egg, + puréed peaches.
9:30 am - 4oz bottle before napping
12:30 pm - ham, cheese, + black beans
2:30 pm - 4oz bottle before napping
5:30 pm - rice, turkey, puréed peas, piece of an apple
8:30 pm - 6-8oz bottle before bed 

xoxo, Britt + Noah