Monday, July 28, 2014

Top 5 Nursing Items

I honestly can't believe that C has been exclusively breastfed for almost 4 whole months now! It seriously blows my mind. For those of you that have been with me from the beginning of our ventures with nursing you will know it has not been a smooth journey. Her mouth was tiny so she had a terrible time latching. we both had thrush which was even more painful than giving birth in my opinion (FYI that's painful), and I had an oversupply and overactive letdown which is a nightmare for a newborn. Things are so much better now though and I love nursing, especially at night when she's sleepy and extra sweet ;)

Here are a few of my favorite things that I wish I had from the get-go or that I did have before she was born and was very thankful I did!



There are tons and tons of bras out there that are made for nursing, but this one takes the cake. I wouldn't recommend it for when you are still regulating and leaking all over the place (oh yes, you will leak, don't you worry) but after that its amazing! It's so comfy and doesn't even feel like you are wearing anything while allowing you to nurse very easily. 


These things were great for me in the very beginning when I had a major oversupply and before I was regulated. If I accidentally forgot to wear one then it was not pretty and super embarrassing. Get these before your little one arrives, you can always take them back if you need to but you DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT want to be running to the store with a leaking problem after your milk comes in!!


In the beginning I tried to use one of those cheap nursing covers that you get for free from Motherhood Maternity. Yea, that didn't work out to well. It wouldn't stay up making the whole point of the cover useless and also showed off my lovely side-boob. Awesome. Being as modest as I am these covers are a fantastic alternative. They cover you 360 degrees and are lightweight so baby doesn't get super stuffy. 

Although we exclusively nurse, it's always good to have a handful of bottles on hand for those times that you are able to pump and need to go out or don't want to have to nurse when you are out and about. The only time I use these is when the hubs and I get a date night or when we go to church on Sunday's because C always decides to get hungry in the middle of the service and I'm just not very comfortable feeding her in the sanctuary since she's a loud snacker ;) We love these bottles and they haven't caused any gas issues for us!

I LOVE these tops! They are so easy to nurse in, help hide that post-baby figure, and are super cool for when you wear little one or have to hold him or her often in the summer months. They are a steal too at only $7-$10 depending on the sales Target is having. 

Nursing has been one of the most difficult things I've had to do, but it has also been the most rewarding! To look at your little one and know that you are the sole thing that sustains their life is such an incredible feeling. I know a lot of mama's out there aren't able to nurse, and that's ok too. But for those of you that are able to I hope these items will help you out a little :)


Thursday, July 24, 2014

Fun Times On Leave

Hey ya'll! We finally made the big move and are slowly but surely getting settled in to our new home here in Virginia. We took the plunge and decided to purchase a home (big kid status guys)! It's been a roller coaster moving in having to take care of C, who is extra clingy these days, and having Mitchell only getting a few days off to help unpack and move, but we are slowly getting things in their rightful place and making this house our home.

Being a part of the military lifestyle I've learned that moving is going to be a way of life for us, and even though I may not enjoy it, it does come with some perks. Each new "home" has brought us new and amazing friends that we couldn't imagine life without now. Although it does take us away from the ones we've come to cherish the most, the bright side is that the community we are in is small and we will see them again at some point in the future :)

For those of you waiting for photo updates of C it's your lucky day! While we were homeless I found I could barely hold my head above water getting the move underway and moving from place to place,  much less post on here about our travels. But I will give you guys a photo recap of our adventures...

We had a not so fun time moving...this face tells all.

We had to say goodbye to one of our very best friends :(
But we will see them again soon!

C made a trip to the squadron bar...
don't worry they checked her ID :)

We spent time with Papa and watched the Braves very intently.

We went to the lake to visit Great Grandaddy and
LOVED the boat...when it wasn't windy.
We are excited for next summer when we can run around
and enjoy the water :)

We learned how to drive the boat with Pop, and Archy.

We celebrated our first 4th Of July!  

And were so happy we got to spend it with daddy :)

I will post soon about our home and all of the updates we going to be doing to it within the next few months! I'm also going to make a post about some of C and I's favorite nursing items as well as her 4 month check in.

Love,
The Etheridges 

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Baby Faves {0-3 Months}

Yikes folks, it's been two whole months since my last post! But I have a pretty darn good excuse. Not only have we been traveling all over the east coast, but we've officially moved from good ole' sunny Florida to beautiful Virginia, but I will post about that later! We also are closing on our first home next week, yippee!

Now that our little nugget is almost three and half months old (holy cow) I thought I'd post some of our favorite baby items for you precious mama's-to-be out there! When I was pregnant I scoured the internet for the "essentials" C would need as a newborn, mainly because I knew getting out and about was going to be almost impossible within those first few days and weeks (thank goodness for Amazon)! This is also a great reference for those of you that are looking for good baby gifts for friends that are expecting, but you have no clue what would be helpful! So here you go, some of our favorite baby things from Newborn-3 months...

1) Summer Infant Swaddle


*Ok people, let's be honest here for a second. When it's 3am, you've just pushed something the size of a watermelon out of you, and you haven't gotten more than one and a half hours of consecutive sleep in the last three days, the last thing you want to be figuring out is how to use one of those darned swaddling blankets. Those things are GREAT for other things (noted below) but not in my case. These swaddles are incredibly easy to use, are super snug, and keep little one fast asleep!

2) Newborn Napper


*This thing has been a lifesaver for us! For some reason C refuses to sleep flat on her back, except when she is napping during the day, so this thing helps tremendously. It's also very helpful for babies that have bad reflux as it keeps them in a more upright position while sleeping. It's very portable, and MUCH easier to carry around than a Pack N' Play. I usually keep it in the bathroom during the day so she can hang out in it while I take a shower or get ready which is great.

3) Newborn Gowns


*Ok, again with the whole "What do I really want to be doing at 3am thing". These are great for quick and easy diaper changes in the middle of the night. Just roll it up, and roll it back down. Couldn't be any easier!

4) Ergo


*I can't say enough good things about the Ergo. Simply put, we love it. When C was really little I would put her in it when she was fussy and walk around on the porch outside and she was instantly a happy camper. She wasnt much for the Moby Wrap, so this was a great alternative. It helped get those little burps and poots out too since she was upright. Now we use it at the grocery store and when I'm shopping so I can have both hands free as she's not big enough to sit in the grocery cart. It's also great when she is really clingy and I need to get house work done. Strap her in, and off we go!


5) Ubi Diaper Pail



*LOVE THIS! The thing I love the most about this pail is that it can alternate as a cloth diaper pail and a regular diaper pail. Just throw a garbage bag or your wet diaper bag in there and you're good to go! It really keeps all the smells in, much better than a diaper genie. It's pricey, but in our opinion worth not having your entire house smell like a load of dirty diapers ;)

6) Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets


*I'm sure these are already on most of your lists, but I will reiterate how great they are! We use these for everything. From a nursing cover, to a stroller cover, to a blanket, to a burp cloth. They are the most versatile gift we received and we never leave the house without one, or two!

7) Vick's Rectal Thermometer



*Ok, I know this has the word rectal in it, but for real, this has been a great gift as well. Since C has been teething early on and ran a fever after her first set of shots, this thermometer was so easy to use and works fast...which is always helpful with a squirmy or screaming little one.

8) Portable Changing Mat


*This mat is great to keep in your bedroom, or on the main level of the house. I can't tell you how annoying it was to run upstairs every time C had a blowout or needed a diaper change. This was so easy to just roll out and keep downstairs with our small caddy of diaper items.

9) Shea Moisture Baby Bath and Body 



*This stuff smells heavenly! I just want to eat her up after each bath...and 99% of the time in general ;) Plus you can purchase it at Target, and let's be honest, who doesn't want an excuse to go to Target?

10) Rear Facing Carseat Mirror



*I think this is one of those things that people tend to overlook when it comes to their registry. However, I will tell you that you will use things thing a lot. Like every time you get in your car. The AAP now recommends that children sit in a rear facing carseat until the age of two. So needless to say this will be a necessity for a good long while.

Last but not least I'd also like to make a plug for Amazon Prime. We've had it for years now, but can honestly say that it has been the best thing now that we have a little one. Sometime going to the store to grab a baby item just isn't going to happen. Especially in those first few weeks. This is where Prime comes into play. Free shipping on thousands of items right to your front door. If you don't have it I'd highly recommend it, you most likely won't regret it! If you do you can tell me you told me so ;)