O'Baby Orlaith

The Healthy Slow Cooker: Review

2011-08-16T08:43:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love to cook! Trying new recipes is exciting for me. When I had the opportunity to review The Healthy Slow Cooker, I jumped at the chance! As a family we try to eat fairly healthy by watching our calorie and fat intake. The first thing I noticed about this cook book was that every single recipe had nutritional information! This makes it very easy for anyone trying to keep track of what they are eating. If you are on a plan like Weight Watchers, you can enter the information in to the WW site for a quick conversion to points. It couldn't be easier!

After trying out several recipes from The Healthy Slow Cooker, I decided to share the recipe for Vegetable Curry with Lentils and Spinach. I must admit, when it comes to the slow cooker I can be a bit lazy. I like a recipe where I can throw all of the ingredients in and come back 6 hours later to a delicious meal. This recipe calls for a bit more prep work, but I promise it is totally worth it! Steps like toasting your spices will bring out delicious flavors you just can't get any other way.

Toasted seeds ground with a mortar and pestle

Sauteing the Vegetables

In the slow cooker ready to cook

My final product

I chose to add the coconut milk (I used light for less calories) and a little more vegetable broth to give the curry a little more liquid. We ate this as a main dish, and it made more than enough for 2 nights! It was full of flavor, vitamins and is low in fat too!

I really love how Judith (the author) gives great information with every recipe. For instance, she talks about all of the wonderful antioxidants found in this recipe and their health benefits. She does a great job at not only giving you a recipe, but also educating you about what you are eating. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for great slow cooker recipes that are healthy as well! The book is full of inventive recipes that don't lack in the flavor department. Plus, you won't feel guilty after eating them

The Vegetarian Cook's Bible: Review

2011-08-10T10:53:00.001-05:00

I am always looking for new and yummy recipes to cook for dinner. I LOVE to cook! Recently we have been trying to eat healthier and include more vegetarian meals into our diet. So, when I had the opportunity to review The Vegetarian Cook’s Bible by Pat Crocker, I jumped at the chance! After trying many of the recipes, I quickly decided upon my favorite, Udon Noodle Soup with Shiitakes and Bok Choy! My husband and I love soup, especially soups with Asian flavors. This soup did not disappoint! It is full of robust flavors. The fresh ginger, sesame oil and lemon juice all lend to a unique and delicious flavor profile.

As you can see, the soup is full of fresh, flavorful ingredients that are both hearty and delicious! In addition to being vegetarian, this soup is also Vegan, which is a plus in my book! I have made the soup with both udon noodles and soba noodles. Both are delicious, but I definitely prefer the udon noodles. Another easy variation on the soup is to substitute the type of mushroom you are using. While shiitake mushrooms are certainly delicious, but they can be pricey. Try some baby bellas instead for an equally delicious soup at a more affordable price.

I definitely give this cookbook an A plus! So many times, vegetarian recipes can be boring and bland. I promise you will not have that problem with these recipes! There is an amazing variety of recipes and ingredients. There is something for every palate. I am still discovering new recipes, and I love them all!

If you try the Udon Soup recipe, please come back and leave a comment about how you liked it. I would love to hear from you all!

Winner of UPrinting Poster

2011-07-27T19:55:00.000-05:00

The winner of the UPrinting Poster is Comment #3 Teresha@Marlie and Me! I have sent you an email. You have 24 hours to claim your prize.

Congrats!

Potty Update

2011-07-21T16:53:00.000-05:00

So, life has been busy lately! It’s been almost a month since I took a week off of work to potty train Orlaith. She’s been doing remarkably well! I think like any child, she has good days and bad days. When she does have accidents, it is because she is so engrossed in what she is doing that she forgets to stop. No biggie!

On the big potty party day, we ditched her cloth diapers for cloth training pants. It made sense for us to go from cloth to cloth. Even if you don’t cloth diaper, you should consider cloth training pants. It is not a good idea to use disposable diapers or pull ups once you begin potty training because they pull moisture away from your child’s skin. One of the important pieces to potty training, is that they feel and know when they are wet! Plus, putting them in disposables/pull ups is confusing. I went all out. We used cloth trainers exclusively, even when we left the house (which took 5 days).

I knew not to expect night training right away. I still use a cloth diaper at night, but that is the ONLY time. She wears cloth trainers for her nap, and has yet to have an accident during nap time. I have to say that I am SO proud of my little honey! We are getting there. Even though there is typically at least one accident a day, I consider her potty trained. We are just fine tuning at this point!

UPrinting Poster: Giveaway - CLOSED

2011-07-21T09:44:00.005-05:00

Have you ever wanted to make your very own poster? Well here is your chance! UPrinting has generously offered to give away an 18” x 24” poster to one of my readers. A poster could come in handy for so many things. Whether you have a business or would like it for personal usage (blow up and frame a photo, advertise a garage sale, create a cute poster for a birthday party), the options are endless! Make sure to check out their templates for ideas!

One lucky reader will win the following:

One(1) Winner of 18” x 24” poster
Semi Gloss / High Gloss, 1 Business Day Turnaround
Restriction: Limited to US residents 18 years old and above only

How to Enter:

Leave a comment telling me what you plan on using the poster for (+1)
Like UPrinting on Facebook. Leave your Facebook name. (+1)
Follow UPrinting on Twitter. Leave your Twitter handle. (+1)
Follow O’Baby Orlaith publicly (+2)
Subscribe to O’Baby Orlaith via email. You must confirm your subscription. (+2)
Leave an applicable comment on any non-giveaway O’Baby Orlaith post (+1)
Post this on any giveaway linky. Leave the URL here. (+2)

Giveaway ends July 27th at 6PM CST. Winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize. Open to US residents 18 years and older. Winners are allowed to win once over a six month period. If you have claimed a prize from UPrinting in the last 6 months, please do not enter.

Disclaimer:
This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive a poster for hosting. Check out UPrinting.com to see more of their posters, poster sizes and poster templates.

Communication and Elimination

2011-06-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

In other Orlaith news, she is growing leaps and bounds in the communication department. In the last 2 weeks, her vocabulary has exploded. She is starting to repeat new words like crazy. I have been trying to keep count, and I think we are up to 50-60 words now. Some of her newest words include alligator, hot dog, bow, bubbles, hurry, yay, eat, agua (Spanish for water) and Elmo! In addition to that, she also has around 50 ASL signs.

She has also been learning colors. Right now her favorite is purple, with yellow as a close second. We have been working on her ABC’s too. She has had the tune down for 3-4 months, but now she can say a lot of the letters. Her ABC’s go something like this “A, B, C, D… L, M, N, O, P”. It is pretty cute! We are trying to fill in the blanks. She will get it when she is ready!

We have been pre-training for the potty since she was 15 months. The pre-training consists of several tactics to get her familiar and comfortable with the potty. Luckily, we use an in-home daycare so her pre-training is being reinforced while she is there. If we were in a regular daycare, she wouldn’t be in the right class for potty training. Orlaith took to the potty the first time we put her on and she peed! Since then we try to put her on the potty at least 6 times a day. We also read potty books and watch a potty video. I know a lot of parents do not let their kiddos watch TV. We didn’t either, but made an exception for potty learning. It turned out to be a big help. I have taken the last week of June off of work, so we can have our Potty Party day and officially potty train. Orlaith will be 18 months old, and more than ready by then. This link outlines the basic method we are using.

It has kind of been freaking me out to think that I have less than 2 weeks left of cloth diapering. I know it is a logical next step for us, but I will miss the cloth diapers I have grown to love. I think a lot of cloth diapering mamas can relate to my feelings. If not, I promise I am not crazy for missing diapers! I also know that this is the last piece of being a baby that Orlaith still has, and it is about to be gone. It is hard to face the facts that my “baby” is not really a baby anymore. Sigh. Here goes nothing!

Bedtime Stories

2011-06-13T17:13:00.001-05:00

So, it has been awhile since I have posted anything on the blog. Shame on me! I have been so busy with life that I forgot to update you all on it. There have been some pretty big developments on the Orlaith front. As most of you know, we have been co-sleeping with Orlaith since she was born. She never spent a night in her crib… EVER. My husband and I both love having her close, snuggling and just staring at our sleeping angel.

A week ago, our air conditioning went out. It was still working, but blowing hot air. This had happened before, and a complicated series of turning things off and on usually did the trick. Not that night though. It was super hot in our house, and I couldn’t bare the thought of that hot little baby snuggling up to me all night when it was upwards of 85 degrees. So, I stripped her down to her diaper and put her down in her bed. I say bed because I had just switched her from a crib to a toddler bed earlier that day. I totally expected that she would wake up at some point in the night screaming. Imagine my surprise when my alarm went off the next morning and she was still sound asleep in her bed! So, I struggled with my selfish feelings of keeping my baby close to me all night, versus the fact that we obviously had a window to start putting her to sleep in her own bed at night. The logical part of me won out and I decided that it was time. She was obviously ready to sleep alone. But was I?

The next night, I started telling Orlaith we would be going “night night” soon. I told her what to expect – saying good night to daddy, going potty, putting on a diaper, reading a book and then going to sleep. After each thing was completed, I would say “Okay, now we are going to do X, Y and Z” so she knew exactly what to expect. That night when I laid her down she started to cry. I sat right beside her bed and told her everything was okay. I hugged her when she needed it, and rubbed her back when she was lying down. The tears stopped after a couple of minutes. She settled down, with me snuggling her, and she passed out. She stayed asleep all night again. The next night, we went through the same routine, except the tears only lasted about 20 seconds. The next night, we were down to 5 seconds, and by the next night no crying at all! Every night I sat by her bed and waited until she fell asleep. We had a successful full week of Orlaith sleeping in her toddler bed every night. She only woke up one night because her teeth were hurting.

Last night, Sunday, started week 2 of sleeping in her own bed. Orlaith typically goes to sleep at 9. Imagine my surprise when at 8:20 she walks up to me, blanket in hand and tells me “Night Night”. I asked her, quite surprised, if she was ready to go night night. She responded with huge nod yes and proceeded to walk to her room and try to climb in bed. I had to remind her of our bedtime ritual. We went potty, put on a diaper, read a book and I laid her down. As I tried to rub her back, she told me no and pushed my hand away. She wanted to go to sleep on her own, without me touching her. I obliged, sadly. I sat there until she passed out. It took a little while longer than normal because it was still light outside. As soon as the room started to darken, her breathing slowed and her stirring stopped. My sweet baby girl is growing up all too quickly.

So that is our story of how we went from co-sleeping to an independent sleeper, quite by accident. My husband and I were talking and laughing last night… thinking of all the people who scolded us for co-sleeping. I can’t even count the number of people who felt the need to tell us we would regret ever letting her into our bed. She would be 8, 10, 21 (the ages invariably got older with each warning) and still sleeping with us. I am a firm believer that attachment parenting, which includes co-sleeping, leads to confident, independent children who are not afraid of change. They trust in us as parents to make decisions that are good for them. They know that we are there if they need us. They are not afraid to try things because they know we are right there, standing in the distance watching them succeed, and we are ready to pick them up if they fall down. They know this, and they flourish.

Wordless Wednesday: Zoo Day

2011-04-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Orlaith and Cousin Brian looking at fish

Don't I look cute in my hat?

Wordless Wednesday: Fun at the Arboretum!

2011-04-06T12:13:00.000-05:00

The Signs of the Times

2011-04-04T10:25:00.001-05:00

Orlaith is growing by leaps and bounds. Her vocabulary and understanding of the world around her amaze me. She is up to about 26 words and 29 signs! Some of those words overlap, but a lot of the signs are things she cannot say yet. I cannot explain how easy it has made things! We are able to communicate most of her needs, and in turn she typically remains a sweet, calm baby! We start the second level sign class later this month. I can’t wait to learn more things to teach her!

Orlaith is developing a very outgoing personality, just like her Daddy. She loves saying “Hi” and “Bye” to anyone passing by, in restaurants, the grocery store, Target, you get the idea! And if the lucky person she chooses to greet doesn’t respond, LOOK OUT! She gets very upset, and will scream and squeal to try and get their attention. This tactic usually works to get her the attention she wants. It is very funny!

Here are some other things she has been doing lately:
Sneaking up on Mommy and Daddy – she’s not very quiet about it yet, but we still act surprised!
Acting like she is sleeping – She will close her eyes and pretend to snore
Walking with her eyes shut or a blanket over her head – I am not sure what this is about but it’s funny!
Climbing… on everything…!
Putting any kind of bag over her arm, and telling us “Bye” and waving – She is trying to mimic me picking up my purse or the diaper bag.
Singing – She doesn’t really know all of the words, but she is dead on with the tune! Her faves at the moment are ABC’s, Twinkle Little Star and The Farmer in the Dell. She also tries to sign her ABC’s when she is singing the tune.
Kicking and throwing her ball – Daddy can’t wait to sign her up for soccer
Dancing to anything with a beat – I play music while she plays and she will stop and get her groove on whenever the mood strikes her. She has a great booty bounce, and likes to drop it like it’s hot! Mommy can’t wait to get her into dance class!
She is obsessed with babies – There is a new baby in daycare, and now everything is “baby” this and “baby” that. She can recognize a picture of a baby, and she gets so excited to see one! She even loves on her baby dolls, rocks them, kisses them and pats them on the back. So sweet!
Animals – she loves cats and dogs! We have cats, and her in-home daycare has a dog. She is actually very gentle with them, and one of our cats loves to play with her! She also looks out of our living room window saying “ruff, ruff” when she hears the dogs bark next door… which is A LOT… ahem.
Uh uh – Her new favorite answer to every question you ask! Even if she wants something, she will tell you “uh uh”.
Eating with a fork – if she can stab it with a fork, she can feed herself! We are still working on the spoon, because she can’t quite get the hang of keeping it right side up so she doesn’t spill. We still haven’t mastered a straw yet. In time, in time!

We had a bad string of ear infections that lasted from November until last week. We even visited the ENT to talk about tubes. At the time she had 4 ear infections (1 double and 3 in her right ear), and was on the verge of a 5th. The ENT did recommend tubes, but we decided to wait a bit and see what happened. They also did a hearing test, and there was no major issue there. She had trouble hearing very low tones, but that was due to the fluid in her ears. She can hear just fine, and there is no delay in her language development at all. She did end up getting that 5th ear infection, but she cleared it on her own WITHOUT antibiotics. This was a great sign! Brian, the pediatrician and I decided to wait and see if she would get one more before deciding on tubes. Our hopes are that she can make it to the Fall without another one. She might get one or two more infections in the Fall before she turns 2, but then the occurrence of ear infections drops drastically. So keep your fingers and toes crossed for no more ear infections! I do not want my baby girl to have surgery, no matter how safe and common the procedure is!

15 Months

2011-03-13T18:51:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday: My Heart

2011-02-09T11:05:00.000-06:00

MIA

2011-01-24T15:21:00.000-06:00

Wow, I have been MIA for over a month now. I am SO sorry about that! Things at work got beyond hectic. I went from part time to full time, and I was working late hours 11-8! I am now back to the normal, part time schedule, and I am back to blogging!

Since I left you last, Orlaith turned 1, sprouted a couple of more teeth and she is walking everywhere! It was a busy holiday season, and I am glad things are slowing down once again. Look for lots more from O'Baby Orlaith because we are back and ready to blog!

LLLB Bow of Choice Winner

2011-01-24T15:15:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Sally! You have 72 hours to respond to the email I just sent.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:14Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Wordless Wednesday: Someone Thinks They're a Present!

2010-12-08T18:03:00.000-06:00

Winner of Amber Teething Necklace

2010-12-04T21:28:00.000-06:00

Congrats to #8 Tara! I have sent you an email. You have 72 hours to claim your prize!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:8Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Lovely Little Ladies Boutique: Review and Giveaway CLOSED

2010-12-01T18:25:00.001-06:00

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love to dress up my daughter Orlaith! Tutus, petti skirts, hats, headbands, bows… I will take it all! I recently discovered a great online boutique called Lovely Little Ladies Boutique. They have tons of adorable choices at GREAT prices! Sometimes it can be hard to find boutique style products that are priced to fit my budget. That is why I was so happy to find LLLB!

Look at how cute Orlaith is in the black headband with the pink zebra stripe flower clip! These headbands are great because you can mix and match any bow or clip on them. This definitely gives you more bang for your buck because you can customize them to match any outfit. I am so pleased with the quality of the headband and clip! You should get one (or three!) and see for yourself!

Check out the LLLB Facebook page for other giveaways!

One lucky reader is going to win their bow of choice from Lovely Little Ladies Boutique! Check out their photo albums for pictures of all of their products.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Lovely Little Ladies Boutique and tell me which bow you would choose. Please be specific!

Extra Entries:

-Follow O'Baby Orlaith via Google Friend Connect (publicly please) (+2)

-Subscribe to O'Baby Orlaith via email (don't forget to confirm your subscription) (+2)

-Grab My Button and let me know where you posted it (+1)

-Blog about this giveaway, with a link to this post (leave the URL in your comment) (+1)

-Add this giveaway to a giveaway linky (leave the URL in your comment) (+5)

-Like Lovely Little Ladies Boutique on Facebook and tell them O'Baby Orlaith sent you (leave your Facebook name in the comment) (+1)

You can also earn 5 EXTRA ENTRIES into any giveaway by voting for Orlaith in the LLLB model contest. Just like their page, find Orlaith's picture in the 0-2 age photo album and then like her picture (#5). Just leave me your Facebook name in the comment.

If you also blog about the contest or post it on Facebook and ask people to vote for Orlaith, I will give you 5 additional entries into any giveaway... yes that's 10 extra entries!!! Just leave me the URL or Facebook name where you asked people to vote for O!

Contest ends 12/17/2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Open to US residents only.

Please remember to leave a comment for each entry.

If the winning comment cannot be verified, I will draw a new winner.

Your email must be in your comment or in your profile in order to win.

Winner will be chosen via random.org

The winner will be notified via email at the close of the contest. They will have 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

I was provided with the product for review purposes at no cost to me. The information expressed in this review are my own honest opinions. I was not compensated monetarily.

Wordless Wednesday: Baby Blue

2010-12-01T09:02:00.000-06:00

Vote for Orlaith Pretty Please! EXTRA entries!

2010-12-01T08:52:00.003-06:00

Orlaith is entered into a modeling contest for Lovely Little Ladies Boutique and we need your help to win! Please go "like" their Facebook page. Then look under the photos for the Age 0-2 album. Orlaith is picture #5. Please "Like" her picture in order to vote for her. If she wins, she will get free items from the boutique all year!!!

If you vote for Orlaith, I will give you 5 extra entries into any of my giveaways. Use them all in one place, or split them up - your choice! Just make sure to leave your Facebook name in the comment! If you blog about the modeling contest or post it on Facebook and ask people to vote for Orlaith, you can have 5 more entries into any giveaway! Leave the link here to your post. All extra entries should be left on the giveaway(s). Thanks for your support!

The contest ends December 20th and you can only vote once per age group!

And by the way, I have another giveaway posting going up very soon!

Winner of $25 GC to My Baby Clothes Boutique

2010-11-20T13:34:00.001-06:00

Congrats to # 57 Kim @ Chubby Cheeks Thinks! You have 72 hours to respond to the email I sent you.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:57

11 Months

2010-11-18T19:25:00.000-06:00

My sweet baby girl is 11 months old today. Fast forward a month and you are gonna be talking to one sad momma! Orlaith is SO smart. She amazes me. She is picking up signs like crazy (book, more, all done). She is saying complicated word combinations that even surprised her pediatrician when we were there on Monday (all done!). I am waiting for her to take her first steps any day now. She has been pulling up and cruising for a while now. She lets go and stands without holding on for longer and longer every day. She also loves her baby doll stroller push toy. She pushes it all over the place so she can walk places the furniture can't take her! I can't wait to see what the future holds for my daughter, but at the same time I want her to stay little forever. Peter Pan Syndrome...

My Baby Clothes Boutique: Sale and Giveaway Ending Soon!

2010-11-18T16:18:00.000-06:00

Check out the great deal My Baby Clothes Boutique has going on right now! If you haven't started Christmas shopping, now is the perfect time to start! What about Holiday outfits for the kiddos? It's time to get hopping and take advantage of the awesome sales coming up!

15% Off Entire Catalog
MyBabyClothesBoutique.com is offering 15% off our entire catalog from, November 22nd - November 24th 2010. Place your orders before the holiday rush to get first pick of our holiday items before they run out of stock!

Use the discount code below to get 15% OFF any order. Simply enter the code during checkout at MyBabyClothesBoutique.com

Discount Code: BEATTHERUSH2010

* Promo only valid from 11/22/2010 - 11/24/2010. Cannot be combined with other offers. Shipping not included.

Cyber Monday Sale - 1 DAY ONLY - 25% Off Entire Catalog
MyBabyClothesBoutique.com is offering 25% off our entire catalog on November 29th.

Use the discount code below to get 25% OFF any order. Simply enter the code during checkout at MyBabyClothesBoutique.com

Discount Code: CYBERSALE2010

* Promo only valid from 11/29/2010 12am – 12 am est. Cannot be combined with other offers. Shipping not included.

***Also, the giveaway for a $25 GC to My Baby Clothes Boutique ends tomorrow night. Hurry and enter!***

Wordless Wednesday: When Daddy is on duty...

2010-11-17T13:19:00.002-06:00

Inspired By Finn: Baltic Amber Teething Necklace Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-11-17T11:37:00.003-06:00

Oh the woes of having a teething baby! Orlaith has been teething on and off since she was four months old, but she never cut any teeth... until recently! Luckily I had received an amber teething necklace from Inspired By Finn. We would have been lost without it. I don't like handing out medication (unless absolutely necessary) but I didn't want my baby girl to be in pain either. This was the perfect solution! I was able to provide pain relief WITHOUT medication!

Before Orlaith came along, I had never heard of an amber teething necklace. Once I was introduced to the product, I was still confused. How do they work? Isn't it dangerous for a baby to chew on beads? Let me clear up the confusion, and let you know exactly how these necklaces work. And by the way, there is no chewing involved!

Baltic amber is not a stone, but a fossilized tree resin. Historically, Baltic Amber has been used in Europe as a natural and traditional remedy and curative for many ailments for centuries. Long ago it was considered one of the leading ‘medicines’ of its time. Baltic Amber is the most esteemed amber in the world, and the healing qualities of Baltic Amber make it unlike any other type of amber found in the world.

When baltic amber is worn on the skin, the skin’s warmth releases trace amounts of healing oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid and are absorbed into the skin.

Baltic Amber has some of the highest concentrations of Succinic Acid found in nature, and this is what makes it so special. Succinic Acid is a natural component of plant and animal tissues, and it's presence in the human body is beneficial in many ways.

Baltic amber contains analgesic properties and helps take the edge off of many types of discomfort associated with dental issues, headaches, joint pain, etc. In many different and subtle ways, succinic acid helps boost the body's own natural healing ability and immune system.

Cool, huh? And they really do work. The necklace greatly reduced the teething pain Orlaith was going through. I was able to all but stop giving her any medication. I really love this product!

The lighter/cloudy amber contains more succinnic acid. Orlaith is wearing the Butter Round necklace in 13-13 1/2 inches. She has plenty of room to grow in it too! She wears the teething necklace almost 24/7. We only take it off when she is bathing. When she takes a nap or goes down for the night, I wrap the necklace around her ankle and tuck it under a sock.

Enter to win your very own Baltic amber teething necklace from Inspired By Finn! The winner may choose any necklace, 16 inches or smaller, that is in stock!

Mandatory Entry: Visit Inspired By Finn and tell me which necklace you would choose. Please be specific!

Extra Entries:

-Follow O'Baby Orlaith via Google Friend Connect (publicly please) (+2)
-Subscribe to O'Baby Orlaith via email (don't forget to confirm your subscription) (+2)
-Grab My Button and let me know where you posted it (+1)
-Blog about this giveaway, with a link to this post (leave the URL in your comment) (+1)
-Add this giveaway to a giveaway linky (leave the URL in your comment) (+5)
-Like Inspired By Finn on Facebook and tell them O'Baby Orlaith sent you (leave your Facebook name in the comment) (+1)

Discounts on Inspired By Finn for O'Baby Orlaith readers:

TO SAVE 20% on an order with us, join us by clicking the "Like" button toward the top of our "Wall" tab.

TO SAVE 25%, join us by clicking the "Like" button + use the "Suggest to Friends" link near the top left of this "Wall" tab to suggest this page to your Facebook friends.

The discount code is entered/applied during checkout, and the discount is given off of prices on our website - http://www.inspiredbyfinn.com/

The codes to use once you have completed the criteria above -

To save 20%: FBG20

To save 25%: FBG25

Contest ends 12/3/2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Open to US and Canada residents only.

Please remember to leave a comment for each entry.

If the winning comment cannot be verified, I will draw a new winner.

Your email must be in your comment or in your profile in order to win.

Winner will be chosen via random.org

The winner will be notified via email at the close of the contest. They will have 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

I was provided with the product for review purposes at no cost to me. The information expressed in this review are my own honest opinions. I was not compensated monetarily.

Lend me your ear...

2010-11-16T15:43:00.000-06:00

My poor baby girl got a cold about 2 weeks ago. From that she developed a cough. Last Thursday she got conjunctivitis (pink eye) in both eyes. Then she was running a fever off and on all weekend, but not showing any other new symptoms. We took her to the doctor yesterday and she has a double ear infection!!! She was not showing any signs that her ears were hurting her. I couldn't believe it. She is officially on antibiotics for the first time ever. I hope it knocks this crap out quickly. We are going out of town for Thanksgiving and I don't want to put her through the drive to Houston if she is not feeling well. Plus, she's been sick long enough. C'mon upswing!

Giveaway Ending Soon!

2010-11-11T14:44:00.001-06:00

Hurry and enter my giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes Boutique! It ends next Friday night at midnight CST. Don't miss out!

Also if you post this giveaway on a linky, I will give you an extra entry into the giveaway! Just leave a comment with the URL to the linky where you posted my giveaway. Good luck everyone!

Wordless Wednesday: Bounce House Baby

2010-11-10T18:45:00.000-06:00

Give Me A Sign!

2010-11-08T11:46:00.000-06:00

This past week, Orlaith has been laid up with a cold. The poor thing has been snotting all over the place. Despite feeling cruddy, she has been spouting off new tricks like crazy! Brian and I have been signing to her since she was 5 months old. She finally signed for the first time! We knew it was typically between 10-12 months that babies start signing back, but it was so exciting! Her first sign was "book" and she has been using it non-stop! I think between Brian and I, we read to her at least 12 times yesterday... and 10 of those times was her favorite book "Hippos Go Berserk". I always let her choose the book she wants to read and 99% of the time, she grabs her fave!
Orlaith has always been a very verbal baby. She gets this from her father's side of the family. She says dada and mama quite frequently. When you say "hi" to her, she is know responding with her version of "hi". It sounds more like "ha"... So cute! She has also learned to say "uh-oh"! This one kind of shocked me because it is two different sounds, not the same sound repeated twice. Plus, she actually knows what it means, and when to use it. She says it when she falls down. She also says it BEFORE she drops something. She will dangle the said object precariously in the air, proclaim "oh-oh" and drop it! This is usually followed by another "uh-oh" and a big, proud smile.
I am torn by this new found progress. It is awesome to watch her learn, grow and try new things. At the same time, my baby is getting so big! I was looking at some pictures of her over the weekend, and she was so tiny! Where did that tiny baby go?

Wandering Wednesday

2010-11-03T12:16:00.002-05:00

Here is another great Blog Hop - Wandering Wednesday! Check it out and make some new bloggie friends!

Wordless Wednesday: Cloth Centerfold

2010-11-03T09:01:00.000-05:00

Follow Me Back Tuesday!

2010-11-02T13:26:00.002-05:00

I have afound a great way to get new followers, and find great new blogs to keep up with. It is called Follow Me Back Tuesday. Click on the link, follow the instructions and start following away!

My Baby Clothes Boutique: Review and Giveaway - CLOSED

2010-11-01T13:32:00.014-05:00

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about the perfect outfit for Orlaith's 1st birthday. I found this adorable outfit on My Baby Clothes Boutique! They have an absolutely fabulous variety of adorable baby clothes. From classic layette to everything unique, My Baby Clothes Boutique has what you are looking for!

Orlaith's birthday is December 18th, so while we haven't had the official debut of her adorable cupcake pirate outfit, I dressed her up for a photo shoot as soon as the package hit my doorstep! The matching onesie and tutu are of great quality! I also paired some lacy leggings with the outfit to complete it. It turned out to be such a super cute combo! I was worried about the lace being too delicate for my rough little girl who is crawling all over the place, but they didn't snag or rip!

I also ordered this adorable pair of pink and brown cowgirl boots. I got them in 12-18 months so Orlaith could wear them during the colder winter months soon to come. They are still a little bit big, but that doesn't make them any less adorable!

One lucky reader is going to win a $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes Boutique!

What will you spend it on? Maybe one of these baby hats? Or what about irresistible baby shoes? I don't know about you, but I am a sucker for baby headbands!

Mandatory Entry: Visit My Baby Clothes Boutique and tell me what you would spend your GC on. Please be specific!

Extra Entries:

Follow O'Baby Orlaith via Google Friend Connect (publicly please) (+2)
Subscribe to O'Baby Orlaith via email (don't forget to confirm your subscription) (+2)
Grab My Button and let me know where you posted it (+1)
Blog about this giveaway, with a link to this post (leave the URL in your comment) (+1)
Add this giveaway to a giveaway linky (leave the URL in your comment) (+5)
Like My Baby Clothes Boutique on Facebook and tell them O'Baby Orlaith sent you (leave your Facebook name in the comment) (+1)
Sign up for the My Baby Clothes Boutique monthly newsletter & coupons (top, right of page) (+1)

Contest ends 11/19/2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Open to US residents only.

Please remember to leave a comment for each entry.

If the winning comment cannot be verified, I will draw a new winner.

Your email must be in your comment or in your profile in order to win.

Winner will be chosen via random.org

The winner will be notified via email at the close of the contest. They will have 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

The information expressed in this review are my own, honest opinions. I was not compensated in any way.

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkin Pals

2010-10-19T14:10:00.004-05:00

I am posting my Wordless Wednesday early since I am out of town for work tomorrow. Enjoy!

Super Model in the Making - 10 Months

2010-10-19T14:06:00.001-05:00

10 Months Old

2010-10-18T11:25:00.005-05:00

Orlaith and Mommy after her 1st Carousel ride at the Texas State Fair

Mommy's Little Pumpkin

Wow... Orlaith is 10 months old today! Time just keeps flying by! She is constantly learning and doing new things. She is all over the place, and is a super-fast crawler. She pulls up on anything and everything, and will cruise on the furniture too. She has also figured out that certain stationary items can be pushed across the floor so that she can walk wherever she wants. Smart! She recently started using blankets, toys, etc... to cover her face and play peek-a-boo. This has now progressed into using her hands. If you ask her "Where is Orlaith?" she takes the cue and uses those teeny hands to cover her face. Then she will throw her hands in the air, while I exclaim "Boo!" and she giggles. Then repeat until she decides she wants to do something else. it really is totally adorable!

Her eating habits continue to be fabulous. Cauliflower is still her favorite, and she loves any veggie spiced up with some curry powder! She has also gotten to the point where she is seriously upset if I eat something and don't share. She will crawl over to me, pull up and stare at me eating. I have made it a point to always have something on my plate I can share. She LOVES anything mommy is eating!

She has been cutting her bottom front teeth at the same time. They have been sitting right under the skin of the gums, bothering her. I think they might have finally broken through but I can't quite tell. She does not like me to look or feel in her mouth, and she is not shy about letting me know how unhappy it makes her! We got her an amber teething necklace, which has helped with the pain tremendously. We also use teething tablets. I have resorted to ibuprofen only a couple of times. I like to avoid medicine as much as I can, but I am not going to sit there and let her cry in pain either.

Wednesday I am leaving Orlaith for the first time. I have to go on a business trip, and I will not be back until late Friday afternoon. I don't know how I am going to take it, but I can say that I am not looking forward to it, Plus, I have to deal with pumping and transporting my milk through airport security. TSA says it is legal, but why do I have a feeling that I might get hassled? Also, it is going to be less than fun trying to find somewhere clean to pump in the airport. I will report back on my experiences... good, bad or ugly!

Work Woes

2010-10-04T15:53:00.002-05:00

It is a difficult balance being a working mom. I don't work because I want to. I work because I have to. I have worked for the same company coming up on 11 years now. Impressive, right? I used to believe in my company... used to. After Orlaith was born, I went part time, only working 4 days a week. I was recently informed that due to work load I am going to have to become full time again for 9 weeks. That's not so bad, right? Well, here is the kicker... They are making me work an 11am-8pm shift. Seriously? My baby will be asleep by the time I get home. I have been seriously upset and bawling over this. To top it off, the 9 weeks span over Thanksgiving, Orlaith's 1st birthday, my birthday, Christmas and New Year's Day. Yep. I think I might have a nervous breakdown over this. I can't sleep. I am so upset that my company is robbing me of precious time with my daughter... especially during the holidays. The worst part is that there is nothing I can do about it. I need a pay check. Sob.

Wordless Wednesday: Just Hanging Around

2010-10-04T13:31:00.004-05:00

9 Months

2010-09-23T09:58:00.003-05:00

Playing Wednesday Morning

My sweet baby girl was 9 months old on Saturday. Yesterday we took her for her 9 month well checkup. Everything went great. Orlaith has been right around the 50th percentile for head circumference, height and weight since birth. This time she surprised us and shot up to the 80th percentile for height! So now she is 28.5 inches tall, 18 lbs 6 oz and her head is 44cm around. We went ahead and got her a flu shot as well. I was pretty wishy washy about whether or not we would do it because of the egg component in the shot. I was allergic to eggs as a baby, and I did not want her to have a reaction. Her doctor assured us that since it was the first exposure to eggs, there would not be a serious reaction (if any). Other than a low grade fever, she has been fine. That could be due to teething as well. Her pedi said her bottom right front tooth is looking like it might make a debut sometime soon. I will miss that gummy grin! We also agreed that when she is 12 months, we are going to test her for allergies. I had horrible allergies as a child that triggered asthma. I had multiple cases of pneumonia. I don't want her to go through that. I also had some food allergies like milk, eggs and tomatoes. I eventually outgrew them, but I still suffer from outdoor allergies. Orlaith has been showing some signs of outdoor allergies. Boo! We are going to be proactive in knowing her allergens so we can avoid them and the side effects of exposing her to them. That makes me feel so much better!

Time... Is Not On My Side!

2010-09-14T09:09:00.004-05:00

Really, where has all my time gone? Last year at this time, I was preggo and getting ready for my baby girl. Now, I find myself thinking about her first birthday that is rapidly approaching. Eek!!!

Orlaith will be 9 months old on Saturday. She is all over the place. She crawls everywhere, pulls up on everything and has even bangs her little head when she hears music. It is her interpretation of how to dance. I am not quite sure where she got the head banging thing from, but it is absolutely adorable! She has also started to cruise on furniture after she pulls herself up. It scares me to death when she does it because she loses her balance and falls sometimes. I know that is to be expected, but we have zero carpet in our house! When she falls and hits her head, the hardwoods and tile and not very forgiving. Her poor little noggin!

I got Orlaith's Halloween costume in the mail the other day. We tried it on her and took pictures. She loved having the costume on, but then again she is pretty used to me dressing her up. She is absolutely adorable! See for yourself...

We are also dressing up as a family for our Halloween party at our house. I am keeping those costumes under wraps though. I will post pictures after the party!

My blog is starting to grow thanks to blog hops and This For That. I also have my two guest posts coming up on Go Graham Go soon. Once those are posted, there will be giveaways headed your way. Details Here.

I won a $25 gift certificate to My Baby Clothes Boutique from Marlie and Me. I am super excited to order the outfit I have picked out for Orlaith's 1st birthday. Also, Shannon from My Baby Clothes Boutique has offered to host a giveaway on my blog! I am thrilled to pass on their awesome products to one of my lucky readers! I will let you all know as soon as I have the details. Happy Tuesday!

Making Friends Monday!

2010-09-13T14:57:00.001-05:00

Here is another great blog hop! I am finding all kinds of great people to follow, and lots of great giveaways too!

Blog Hops

2010-09-13T10:50:00.002-05:00

I have recently discovered blog hops, and I am loving them! It is a great way to browse other blogs, and get to know someone you probably wouldn't have found otherwise. Today, I entered the blog hop over at Inspiring You to Save. Check it out! You will be surprised how fun they are!

Stand Tall, Stand Proud

2010-08-30T12:16:00.003-05:00

Look at me Mommy!

I can look out the window now!

That is Orlaith's motto these days! That's right! My sweet girl pulled up to standing for the first time ever on Saturday night! I bought her one of those activity tables to encourage her to pull up, and it worked! She has been sitting down and reaching up to activate the noises/music. She LOVES music and likes to dance every chance she gets. Saturday night, she pulled herself up to her knees (for the 1st time too) and then she just stood up out of nowhere! It was super duper cute. She had a huge grin on her face. She was SO proud! We were proud of her too. Since then, she pulls herself to standing whenever she gets the chance. It has been a busy week, crawling and standing all within 3 days of each other. I better brace myself for walking. I know I don't have long!

Bump 2 Baby Event

2010-08-27T15:31:00.003-05:00

There is a huge giveaway event coming up!!! Visit Minnesota Mamas Must Haves for your chance to win great baby products all during the month of September! Head over before 8/31 so you can snag your extra entries!

Fun Follow Friday

2010-08-27T10:04:00.003-05:00

I just found out about Fun Follow Friday. There are two host blogs Simply Stacy and My Wee View. If you have a blog, you can go link up your blog on both sites to get more followers through Google Friend Connect. The directions are listed on the FFF pages on both host blogs. What a great idea! Thanks ladies!

8 Months

2010-08-26T09:25:00.003-05:00

Orlaith crawling for the 1st time!

My sweet baby girl!

So yesterday Orlaith was 8 months and 1 week old. We had pictures taken that were delayed from last week due to her Roseola rash. Right in the middle of the photo shoot, she crawled for the first time!!! We got a great picture too. I am so glad that I was there to see it. She has had the belly crawl down for a while now, but this was full on hands & knees crawling!

She has also learned to clap. If you say "yay" and clap your hands, she will clap her hands too. She is starting to mimic a lot, which is super cute. Hopefully she will pick up some of the baby sign language we have been using with her. She has mimicked the sign for "milk" so far. So exciting!

Weekend Update with Orlaith Markey

2010-08-23T13:45:00.008-05:00

We had a very busy weekend! Friday night we went to a going away party at the in-home daycare Orlaith attends. One of the little girls had gone there for 4 years (since she was born) and was leaving for school. There was a blow up water slide, food, smores and some karaoke to Hannah Montana. Good times!

Hanging out by the water slide

Saturday morning we got up early, and had breakfast tacos before heading to the grocery store. Orlaith loves going grocery shopping. She sits up big and tall in the cart, and plays with the balloon we tie to the cart for her. I have to be careful not to park the cart too close to anything, because she will reach and grab for just about everything. Her nickname when she does this is 'Grabby McGrabberson'. She always gets tons of attention, which she eats up!

That afternoon, we had Marlie's 1st birthday party to attend. It was so much fun! There was yummy grilled pizza, a teddy bear cake and Mother Goose entertained the kiddos too! Orlaith was super-duper tired when we got done with that, and she crashed hard! She woke up just in time for us to meet our friends Brooke, Greg and Georgia for dinner. Orlaith and Georgia are 3 days apart and it is so fun to get them together. After dinner, we hung out at our place and let the girls play. After that Brian and I watched the documentary Babies. I loved it!

Chasing bubbles at Marlie's party

Orlaith and Georgia

Sunday morning I made breakfast. Then while O was taking her morning nap, I made up four batches of baby food. New on the menu this week is figs, kiwi, green rice (sauteed onion, garlic, spinach and lemon zest pureed and mixed with jasmine rice) and a lentil/veggie mixture (onion, carrots and celery cooked with green lentils and vegetable broth). I love cooking for Orlaith. It is so fun to try new recipes and watch her adorable face as she tastes them for the first time. I am so proud of my good eater! She hasn't met a vegetable she doesn't like!

Sunday afternoon O and I went to mommy/baby yoga which is always a blast. This time we had friends join us for class - Ann & Ody and Veronica & Violet. We were all in a birthing class together last year and the babies are very close in age. It is always a fun time when we can get them together.

Once we got home it was time to get everything ready for the work week and day care. Whew! It was so nice to sit still... finally. Brian and I settled in to watch our Sunday night TV - True Blood! Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE that show? It is so brilliant! I slept great last night, with my sweet O baby snuggled up next to me. It is always the best way to start my day by waking up to her cute baby noises and the sweet, gummy grin!

My Baby Clothes Boutique

2010-08-23T12:05:00.003-05:00

There is only one word to describe this boutique, and that word is unique! I love clothes shopping for my 8 month old daughter. So when I find a place that has adorable clothes at a great price, I am all over it! I first heard about My Baby Clothes Boutique from Teresha at Marlie and Me. She was coveting an adorable outfit for Marlie's 1st birthday. I was at Marlie's party this past Saturday, and I saw first hand how perfect her outfit was!

Now, it is my turn to covet... Orlaith's birthday will be here before I know it. She will turn one December 18th. That is less than four months away... eek! If you know me, you know what a planner I am. When I heard that Marlie and Me was hosting a giveaway for a $25 gift card to the boutique, I immediately had to enter. I also picked out the perfect birthday outfit for Orlaith. I LOVE this outfit and have never seen anything like it! I WANT IT! I also want these adorable shoes to go with it. How cute would my little cupcake be in that outfit???

So you can go enter the giveaway here. If you don't, that just gives me a better chance of winning! Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me! I want this win badly...

Big Things, Coming Soon!

2010-08-23T11:56:00.005-05:00

I am going to be a guest blogger on Go Graham Go!!! I have written two posts for Felicia. One is all about cloth diapering, and the other is about making your own baby food. They should be up next month. I will post a link once they are published.

Also, I am so happy to announce that I am going to start hosting giveaways soon! I have two of them planned to coincide with my guest posts on GGG. I will be giving away a copy of Blender Baby Food (provided by me) and I will be giving away a cloth diaper sponsored by Christine at Sew Natural Diaper Company!

Roseola

2010-08-18T14:11:00.005-05:00

Orlaith came down with a VERY high fever Sunday night. I took her temperature and it was 103.9! I thought the thermometer was broken, so I took it again with a different one and it was the same. I immediately called her pediatrician's office and left a message for the doctor on call. She called back within 5 minutes and instructed me to alternate generic Tylenol and generic Motrin (due to the recalls). Her fever finally broke 3 hours later. The next day, she was not interested in food at all. She was in pretty good spirits as long as I kept her fever down. She still ran a low grade fever all day though. About 2 she was fussy and wanted to be held. By 2:20 I noticed red spots all over her torso. I called the doctor's office and made an appointment to take her in. On the 20 minute drive there, the rash had spread to her face, arms, hands, legs and feet. My poor baby! The doctor confirmed that she had Roseola, and the rash was even on her throat. Luckily she seemed to be moving through the infection must faster than most babies since her fever only lasted one day instead of three.I kept her home again yesterday. We had no more issues with the fever, but she wasn't very hungry and just wanted Mommy to hold her. Her 8 month pictures are postponed until next week when the rash should be all cleared up. Here she is now, 8 months old today, splotches and all.

Balloon Love

2010-08-12T10:25:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was my day off with Orlaith. We met my cousin and Aunt for lunch at a tearoom. She got lots of love and kisses from them both! I went grocery shopping after that where O sat in the cart like a big girl. I got her a balloon (they are free when you walk in). She was mesmerized by it! It was definitely a big hit. She played with it all day yesterday, and actually did not pop it. I was totally banking on the fact that she would pop it by digging her razor sharp nails into it. I was ready to be on call for the scary "pop", and the ensuing crying. I am glad that didn't happen, although I am sure it will one day soon.

Orlaith fought nap time, BIG TIME! She fell asleep an hour and 15 minutes later than usual and then only slept 1 hour instead of 2. Plus, the past couple of nights she has been fighting bedtime too, and she has been waking up early in the mornings. I am kind of worried that she is not getting enough sleep. I think I will mention this to her pediatrician next time we are in the office if she keeps this up.

Last night I made Orlaith a tutu for her 8 month pictures next week. It turned out really cute. I am VERY proud of myself!!!

I won a pair of ShooShoos from Go Graham Go. I picked out these.
http://shooshoosusa.com/product_info.php?products_id=694
I am getting them bigger so that I will have shoes when O is walking.

I Win!

2010-08-09T11:13:00.004-05:00

I have been having a bit of a dry spell lately, but I finally won something! I won a Best Bottoms diaper cover and 3 inserts from Dirty Diaper Laundry! I can't wait to get it in the mail and try it out.

I have used the Rockin' Green detergent (I won this a bit ago from another blog) for the past 3 times I have washed diapers. It works really well, and the diapers are super clean! It has even managed to remove a few stains from the diapers.

Catching Up - 7 Months

2010-07-29T14:25:00.004-05:00

We took O to the doctor last week to get a couple of vaccinations. She cried but we gave her the crinkly paper off the exam table to play with and she stopped. That stuff is like magic. I need a roll for at home! She now weighs 16 lbs 12 oz! She is growing like crazy.

I posted a little while back about O and her yoga poses. She has gotten really good at them. No, I mean REALLY good! She goes from cobra to plank to downward facing dog. She has figured out how to alternately move her legs, but she hasn't figured out the arms yet. Any day now she is going to take off. I was so hoping that she would crawl before our vacation was over. I really want to be the first one to see that. If the sitter sees her crawl first, I will be SO SAD.

Orlaith has a great appetite. She is now eating solids four times a day. She nurses or has breast milk in a bottle six times a day (sometimes more). The first feeding of the day is around 5 or 6 AM and she falls right back asleep. The next four feedings are followed up by solids. In the morning, she has yogurt and fruit mixed with rice cereal. The next three feedings are fruit and veggies. I try to give her 4 different things, one for each feeding. I also try to make sure she is getting a variety of colors with at least one green veggie per day. I mix rice cereal into everything. She started off with solids just 3x per day, and 1 ounce per feeding. Now we are up to 4x per day and 2 ounces per feeding (plus the rice cereal). She loves every single veggie she has tried. Her favorites are beets, carrots, squash and zucchini. She tolerates most fruit, but doesn't devour it the same way as the vegetables. She hates peaches and watermelon. The watermelon she actually projectile spit out. That was fun! I think that bananas (fresh and mashed up) and pears are her favorite fruits so far. I really enjoy making her food and letting her try new things. It is always an adventure!

Today was my first day back to work from vacation. It was so hard to leave O. I got so used to having her with me all day. I actually teared up. I guess life must go on though...

Austin

2010-07-29T14:14:00.003-05:00

We took a few days to take off into the Texas Hill country for some much needed rest & relaxation! The trip centered around seeing friends and family, and of course eating! We started off at the hotel on campus for one night, then stayed with friends for 3 nights and ended up in Dripping Springs with Brian's family for the last night. We ate at a lot out of food trucks - Indian, tacos, cake balls... We also ate at Torchy's (YUM) and Salt Lick (drool). We went swimming a couple of times, went to Mount Bonnell, and visited with lots of old friends. Orlaith had lots of firsts in Dripping Springs. She saw cows and baby chicks for the first time, and she got to pet a horse for the first time. She wasn't scared at all! She just reached out her tiny hand to feel the horse's nose. It was super cute! She was mesmerized! I wouldn't mind moving to Austin...

Yoga Baby

2010-07-15T09:21:00.004-05:00

Orlaith has taught herself a version of downward dog while having tummy time. She started doing it on Tuesday evening, and is doing it all of the time now! She pushes herself up on all fours and puts her booty up in the air. After that, she isn't quite sure what she should do, so she just lays back down on her tummy. I am guessing it will not be long until she figures out that a whole new world of movement is possible. Did your baby do the DD yoga pose? How long did it take them to figure out how to crawl after that? I REALLY need to get hopping on the baby proofing!

Also, I won a package of Rockin' Green laundry detergent from Me and My Boys. This is the Holy Grail of cloth diaper detergent. I have heard so many moms swear by it. I can't wait to try it out. I love cloth diapering!

6 Month Pictures and A Blog Win

2010-07-06T11:29:00.003-05:00

So I am finally getting around to posting some of O's 6 Month pictures from the arboretum. They turned out really well!

Orlaith started sitting up really well yesterday without falling over. Yay! She has also started saying dadadadadadadadada.... over and over! It is pretty cute!

Vote for Orlaith once a day so she can win this photo contest! http://www.gerber.com/photo/?entryid=28859&/#/detail/

I won a Sprout One Size Reversible Diaper from Dirty Diaper Laundry. I can't wait to try it out! http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/index.php?s=sprout

Why Attachment Parenting and Co-Sleeping Are the Right Choice For Us

2010-06-30T09:20:00.004-05:00

Before I had Orlaith, I always said that I would never be one of those parents who let their kids sleep in bed with them until... who knows when? I had the perceived notion that co-sleeping was a bad thing due to the social stigma attached to it. I didn't really research any parenting styles while I was pregnant. Honestly, it never occurred to me. Once Orlaith was here in my arms, I would trust my instincts and we would get by doing what felt right to our family. What felt right ended up being attachment parenting, even though I didn't really know what that was at the time. I heard the term attachment parenting being thrown around, and I decided to learn more about it. Imagine my surprise to learn that I was already doing it!

So, what exactly is attachment parenting? It seems to mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. Dr. Sears has a great article called the 7 Baby B's. Here is the gist of AP:

1. Birth Bonding - This means bonding with baby immediately after birth. If there is a medical emergency that prevents this, catch-up bonding will occur as soon as you and your baby can be together.

This happened with me. I had hemorrhaging after delivery and I wasn't able to bond with O for 2 hours while they were working on me. As soon as they were done with me, I wanted my baby girl. I wanted to breastfeed her. The nurses looked at me like I was crazy, but I didn't care. It was what felt right. I needed to be close to my baby and feed her.

2. Breastfeeding - This helps you read your baby's cues and body language. You will get to know your baby better. This is also nutritionally superior.

Even though I have had difficulty with my supply, I never gave up. Orlaith is 6 months old now and we are still breastfeeding. I have no plans to stop anytime soon either. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for at least one year, while the 1st 6 months are exclusive. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for the first 2 years. I plan on letting O self-wean. She will give it up when she is good and ready, and not a minute sooner.

3. Baby Wearing - Carried babies learn more and fuss less. It also helps parents be more sensitive to their baby's needs.

It took us a bit to find a sling that O liked AND was comfy for me. The answer? The Balboa Baby sling designed by none other than Dr. Sears himself. I was a little amused at how much Dr. Sears kept popping up for me. We still use the sling all the time. When we go shopping, I wear O in the sling instead of keeping her strapped in a car seat in the cart. She never makes a peep. She snuggles up against me and soaks in the world around her, and all the while I have 2 free hands.

4. Bedding Close to Baby - This helps busy parents reconnect with their babies at night. It also minimizes separation anxiety and assists babies in learning that sleep is a happy, pleasant thing.

We started off using a co-sleeper bassinet. I only found out much later that Dr. Sears recommends this co-sleeper as well. It sits even with the bed and Orlaith was right there next to me all night. We used the co-sleeper until she was 3 1/2 months old. That is when we switched to co-sleeping in the bed. Even our pediatrician said that the risk of SIDS decreases dramatically around this age since babies can move easier on their own.

I could write a whole other article just on the benefits of co-sleeping. I LOVE it and will not stop just because people think I am making a stupid decision. The truth is that people don't understand the benefits. To me, they far outweigh the fact that we will have to eventually move O to her own bed. Is it possible that could be difficult? Of course, but I DON'T CARE. There is nothing more natural than snuggling my baby close to me all night. When she wakes up, Mommy and Daddy are right there to see the smile that lights up her adorable face. There is no crying, only her face lighting up when she sees us. Please stop with the comments - "You will regret that" or "That's a BIG mistake". I don't believe you.

For more detailed information on the benefits of co-sleeping (health and emotional), please read this article http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/t071000.asp.

5. Belief in the Language Value of Your Baby's Cry - In simple terms, this is how babies communicate. They are dependant on us for survival. If you respond sensitively to your babies needs, they trust in you and your ability to respond to their needs. The result is a baby who trusts you and cries less. Babies cry to communicate, not manipulate. Allowing a baby to "Cry It Out" is more harmful to your relationship than you realize, and in the end will only result in a baby that cries more often because they don't feel secure that their needs will be met.

I have never, and will never let Orlaith "CIO". I feel that this is harmful to our relationship and her trust in me. By meeting her needs and not allowing her to cry needlessly, I have a baby who is very happy and has a great temperament. She smiles non-stop and only cries if something is truly wrong. So don't tell me it is good for her lungs or that she has to learn to cry because that is a total crock of poo.

6. Beware of Baby Trainers - Stay away from the rigid baby "trainers" that want you to clock watch instead of read your baby's cues. You might have heard of them. This is the Cry It Out (CIO) crowd... Babywise, The Ferber Method or any other "method" that tries to undermine your natural instincts in caring for your baby.

As I said previously, CIO is harmful to your baby. I have not and will not partake in it. I think it is downright cruel. Studies have shown that babies who have been left to CIO have lifelong emotional scars, and it results in feelings of insecurity and abandonment. It can be stressful to the point of increasing blood pressure and heart rate.

Here is a great article that discusses the pro's and con's of both CIO and AP http://sleep-disorders.suite101.com/article.cfm/dr_ferber_versus_dr_sears. As you will notice, even though there are negatives listed under AP, none if them are emotionally or medically scarring.

Another popular sleep method, Babywise, has been linked to dehydration and failure to thrive. Read about that here http://www.ezzo.info/Aney/aneyaap.htm.

7. Balance - Do not forget to take care of yourself and your marriage. Partaking in AP does not mean saying yes to baby every time, all the time. You will learn there are times when it is appropriate to say "No" to baby and that there are times to ask for help.

In short, I fell into AP quite by accident. It was what felt right to our family. I truly believe in it's benefits as I have witnessed them first hand. I love that the style is meant to bring the parent-baby bond closer together so that you can understand each other to the fullest. It is a way to learn about and trust in one another. After all, this is my child we are talking about... not a puppy who needs to be "trained".

Just because I believe in AP, doesn't mean I look down on other parenting methods (CIO aside). I am always willing to share my experiences, but I have no need or desire to talk badly about someone else's parenting choices just because they are not the same as my own. I wrote this in order to talk about AP and our experiences with it, not as a means to say everyone should practice it. It works for our family, and it works well. If I can educate just one person who was curious about AP, or had never heard of it, then I have done my job. The power in pregnancy and parenting is educating yourself and knowing your options. Never settle. Always strive.

For the full article on the 7 Baby B's by Dr. Sears, click here http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t130300.asp.

Half a Year... Already!

2010-06-18T14:23:00.005-05:00

I can't believe my sweet, baby girl is already 6 months old today! I can't say it enough... time flies! Orlaith passed her 6 month check up with flying colors. She is doing perfectly well. She barely whimpered when she got her shot too. So brave! The paper on the examination table was a heck of a hit. She went to town on it, ripping it to shreds and attempting to eat it at one point. It was very cute! O now weighs 15 lbs 10 oz, is 26 inches long and her head is 43.5 cm.

I started feeding her pureed vegetables at 5 months. So far she has had peas, carrots, green beans, squash and spinach. She has loved all of them! We have also been giving her organic brown rice cereal. Last week, I let her try a tiny taste of Baba Ganoush when we were out to eat. She didn't seem to mind it. I am determined to raise a foodie!

Orlaith can roll both ways, rotate on her belly and scoot around (mostly backwards). She is working on sitting up, but doesn't quite have the hang of that yet. She can stay up for a couple of seconds and then she gets wobbly. Bath time is still her favorite time of day. She loves to splash in the water and laughs at me when I sing her silly, made up songs. I am glad to know she is still too little to know how horribly I sing! She also loves to play in her jumparoo. She is finally big enough to reach the ground!

We read a book every night. She loves looking at the pictures and tries to grab the them. I got her a few touch and feel books so that when she grabs, there is actually something there! We are still cloth diapering and I wouldn't have it any other way. It really is easy, and an extra load of laundry every 2-3 days is no big deal. Plus, we haven't had any blow outs with cloth. They keep everything in, unlike disposables!

Orlaith is still enchanted with the cats. Last night I was laying with her in bed. Noodle walked up to her and sniffed her forehead. Between the cold nose, soft fur and whiskers, it tickled O. She let out the cutest giggle ever, and then reached for the cat. She has been feeling their fur, but hasn't grabbed or been too rough... yet. I am sure that day will come soon enough.

I am enjoying every moment of raising my precious little girl! She always manages to amaze me every day. I love her gummy smile. When she is super happy, she squints her eyes really hard while she smiles. Her personality is wonderful. I couldn't ask for a better daughter!

Rolly O!

2010-06-04T11:03:00.002-05:00

Orlaith loving the live music at Lee Harvey's!

Wednesday night Brian and I had Orlaith laying in the middle of our bed. We were playing with her and tickling her. She is super ticklish and her laugh is the best sound ever! She has been trying to roll from her back to her tummy for a while now, but her arm always got stuck underneath her. She tried a couple of times in front of us both and kept getting stuck. Then she tried again, and pulled the arm out and proudly put it in front of her! I was so happy that Brian and I both got to see this. milestone

Last night after her bath, we laid her in the crib for a few minutes. We lay her on her back, wind up the mobile and let her watch the elephants. She loves doing this! I came in a few minutes later to check on her... and she was on her tummy batting around at the elephants on her bedding. So cute! She can already rotate around and scoot a little bit. It is only a matter of time before she figures out how to crawl!

Stranger! Danger!

2010-05-24T15:59:00.002-05:00

We went to Houston (technically Missouri City) this weekend for my cousin's baby shower. When we got there around 1 on Saturday, I let my cousin Wendy hold Orlaith. Within a minute she was screaming bloody murder, with tears streaming down her face. I thought she was just off of her normal schedule with the car ride and everything. I calmed her down and fed her. Throughout the entire day, and continuing until late that evening, every time I tried to let someone hold her, it would happen. Her bottom lip would quiver and she would look at me with big, sad eyes. If I didn't take her back immediately, the tears and crying would quickly follow. She would happily give people smiles from the safety of my arms, but she didn't want anything to do with them beyond that. I was reading this morning that around this time babies can start to show their first signs of stranger anxiety. I wish I had known that BEFORE this weekend!

5 Months

2010-05-20T11:15:00.005-05:00

We went to the doctor yesterday for vaccinations - Boo! She got Pc and HIB - one shot in each thigh. My poor sweetie didn't care for that at all. These were the shots that gave us such a problem last time so I gave her Tylenol before the appointment, and every 4 hours until bedtime. It helped and she didn't have the miserable, cranky reaction this time. Yay! Orlaith now weighs 14 lbs 13 oz! I am having trouble grasping how quickly time is going by. I am sure it will only continue to fly by, and she will be driving before I realize it. Look out!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

2010-05-11T10:45:00.004-05:00

Playing in the Jumparoo like a big girl!

Orlaith is at the age where she is learning how to do new things all the time. She also gets obsessed with these new things and does them over and over. Her newest discovery is spitting. She sticks out her little tongue and blows to make noise. Of course this causes spit to fly everywhere too! It is pretty cute unless you get caught in the crossfire. She loves to babble and make noises and sounds. I am pretty sure with all of this noise she is going to take after the Markey side of the family when it comes to talking. They LOVE to talk!

We got O a jumparoo and she loves it! She doesn't quite reach the floor yet, so we had to put something under it so her feet would touch. She bounces all over the place, grabs at all of the toys/activities and gets excited when the music plays. It was definitely a great purchase!

O finally started feeling better. She was really sick for a good week before we saw signs of improvement. I am glad my happy girl is back!

Last week I won a $100 gift card to http://www.laylagrayce.com/. I ordered O a cute monogrammed onesie/tutu combo, a white pettiskirt and a cute flowered headband. We are taking her 6 month pictures at the arboretum, so I thought the white pettiskirt would look adorable for that!

Mother's Day was great. Brian and Orlaith got me a very pretty necklace with O's birthstone (mine too!). We went to brunch at Hattie's. I had the crab cake eggs Benedict and they were YUMMY! That place always lives up! My mom is coming in to visit Memorial weekend. Brian and I are going out on a date night that Saturday for the first time. I think we might go back to Hattie's and then to the Belmont for a drink or two. That is my favorite date night and we haven't gotten to do that in a long while.

Poor Sick Baby!

2010-05-04T09:38:00.002-05:00

Last Wednesday afternoon, O developed a minor cough. I didn't think anything of it until at 5 in the morning she was awake, screaming and running a temperature. Her nose was also all congested. We went to the doctor and they told us she just had a really bad cold. Her lungs and ears were okay. It has been rough since then. Brian rode in the MS 150 last weekend, so I had a sick baby all by myself. It was so hard to see her so miserable, and there was nothing I could do to make her fill better. I did what I could, lots of saline nose drops and bulb syringes, Tylenol (which I find out now was recalled) and the humidifier. We have had lots of waking up in the middle of the night going on, as well as lots of crying for hours on end. When she does fall asleep, she usually has a coughing attack that wakes her up. She wouldn't go to sleep last night, woke up at 3 and cried for almost 2 hours, and then was awake again at 6:15. This was the first night since she was born that I asked Brian to take her for me. Usually she feeds and we go right back to sleep so it is no big deal. But with the crying marathon AND waking up early, I needed help. I still have not caught up on my missed sleep from this weekend. Tomorrow is my day off. Usually I would get to sleep in a bit and/or take a nap with O, but Brian is having surgery in the morning. We all need to be up and out of the house pretty early. I might get a nap tomorrow afternoon, but I am not getting my hopes up. This is the most sleep deprived I have been since she was born. She has always been an easy baby and a great sleeper. Plus in the beginning I didn't have to worry about work the next day. I am hoping that she feels better soon, for her sake and mine.

On another note, we started using cloth diapers last Thursday. Things have been going really well. We are using pre-folds during the day and pocket diapers with a super absorbent insert at night. The second diaper I put on her, she put to the test. I had changed her and within 10 minutes she decided to take care of some serious business! I was just looking at her, hoping that I had put the diaper on correctly... That it was in place well enough to hold everything in. I was scared to find out, but it had to be done. So, I changed her. Much to my surprise, everything had been contained! Whew. Disaster averted. I am pretty sure that this "business" would have caused a blow out if she had been wearing a disposable. All in all I am really happy with our switch to cloth. I have even done a load of diapers already and they turned out just fine... nice and clean! I am happy that she has soft, natural material against her delicate skin and I am happy that we are not filling landfills with diapers that will sit there silently refusing to decompose. It is a win-win!

4 Months

2010-04-22T09:51:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we had Orlaith's 4 month appointment with her pediatrician. All went well. Orlaith is now 13 lbs 8 oz (50%), 24 1/2 inches (60%) and her head is 40 1/2 cm (25-50%). We found out that her tooth is not actually a tooth at all. She has Bohn's nodules on her gum line. They are hard, white cysts filled with keratin. They are totally harmless and will just go away one day. They look and feel like a tooth. Her doctor said that most people mistake them for teeth. Even though she does not have any teeth yet, she is still showing signs of teething. Her doctor said this is normal and could go on for many months before we ever see a tooth. Orlaith had the TDaP shot yesterday. She cried and of course it broke my heart. I gave her Tylenol before the appointment and continued it every four hours yesterday. It helped. We did not do the Rotavirus vaccination because of the recent contamination issues. Her doctor is not giving them out at all right now. I am totally fine with that!

Tooth Update

2010-04-20T09:04:00.004-05:00

Orlaith's first tooth broke through a week ago, and then it just stalled out. She has mostly good moments, and random bad moments where she is in pain from the tooth. Teething tablets are still the one thing that helps quickly. I have had to give her Tylenol a few times. She also like cold items to chew on. We have a few of those refrigerated teething toys, and she is enjoying cold bottles too. Tomorrow O has her four month check up and vaccinations. I am giving her Tylenol BEFORE the visit this time. I am hoping she does well with these. I don't like seeing her feeling badly.

We took her 4 month pictures on Friday. She was in a pretty good mood so we got smiles! I have included a few that I like the most.

She also had a bad case of cradle cap this week. It appeared overnight and it was BAD. I mean the entire top of her head was covered with dry, flaky skin. It was even red and cracking in spots. My poor baby! We tried putting Olive Oil on her scalp. That helped for a few days, but it came back. So I tried a concoction that Teresha over at http://marlieandmommy.blogspot.com/ recommended. I mixed 1 TBSP of coconut oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil. I let it soak in on her scalp for 10 minutes and then washed with California Baby Lavender and Tea Tree Oil Shampoo. The flakes combed right out. There were lots of them so I had to wash her hair a couple of times to get all of them out. I repeated the process 3 days later just to make sure it did not return. So far, we are good! Thanks Teresha!

Cloth Diapers

2010-04-13T15:41:00.004-05:00

It is official! We have decided to switch to cloth diapers. My only regret is that it took us so long to make the switch. When I was pregnant, I wanted to use cloth really badly. I quickly became overwhelmed with all of the choices in diaper styles, materials and manufacturers. That said, I let that research go dry and I gave in to disposables. Every time I change Orlaith's diaper, I feel guilty that another diaper is ending up in a landfill. I follow a lot of bloggers, especially those that give away prizes. Eco Cheap Mom is having a giveaway event this month. She is giving away a different cloth diaper every day of the week except Sundays! I started entering her giveaways, hoping to win at least one diaper to try out. Then I came across one of her reviews of Sew Natural Diaper Company. This company is run by a mother of four who has cloth diapered all of her children. She makes quality diapers that have the same quality look and feel as other major diaper makers. She sells on her website Naturally Sewn http://www.mymamamadeit.com/ and she has an Etsy store - http://www.etsy.com/shop/dewdrophandmades?ga_search_query=dewdrop&ga_search_type=seller_usernames. She sells an AIO, a Grow With Me pocket diaper, PUL covers and all kinds of pre-folds and diaper inserts. She spent a lot of time emailing me back and forth, helping me figure out what will best work for our lifestyle and how many of everything we will need. We settled on pre-folds during the day and pocket diapers at night with a super absorbent insert. I ordered 24 pre-folds, 4 waterproof covers (in 4 pretty colors of my choice), 3 pocket diapers (in 3 pretty colors of my choice), 3 Owl inserts, 2 large and 1 small wet bag (I got to choose the fabric) and she even threw in a set of reusable wipes for free! This amount will allow me to go 2-3 days before I need to wash diapers. She had to order the colors of PUL that I chose for the covers and pocket diapers. That will be in this week and then she can make those. She is already working on everything else. Christine, the owner, was amazing at helping me with everything! She really took the time to make the process less daunting. I am amazed at her customer service. I can hardly wait to get my hands on her product and try everything out! I am very confident that I will be happy with my purchase. Once I get a chance to try out the diapers with Orlaith, I will definitely blog to let you all know how cloth diapering is going. I also can't wait to get some cute pics of O in nothing but her cloth diaper!

Blog Giveaway - WIN!

2010-04-13T10:02:00.003-05:00

I finally won a blog giveaway! This is the first one since I came back from maternity leave. I have won a Bravado Nursing Bra from My Wee View. http://myweeview.com/2010/04/bravado/#comments I can't wait to receive it and get some use out of it! I am in desperate need of nursing gear, so this is a great win for me!

My Little Chomper

2010-04-12T12:30:00.003-05:00

So, it is official. Orlaith cut her first tooth today! She has been having a very hard time since Friday... very fussy, not feeling well, crying. etc... I knew she was teething because I could feel 2 hard bumps on her gums. We tried Tylenol, Orajel and Teething Tablets. The tablets worked the best out of everything. I gave O a dose of Tylenol last night right before bed, and she only woke up to eat. There were no crying episodes in the middle of the night, and I didn't have to give her any more medicine. This morning she seemed to be in good spirits, which was a total 180 from this weekend. I checked her mouth and voila! Her tooth broke through! Now here is the weird part. It is way in the back of her mouth, on the top left side, where a molar would be. So I think my poor baby girl actually got a molar in before her incisors! The tooth is breaking through in 2 spots that are a little spaced out. If it is not a molar, then she is getting 2 teeth simultaneously. I will be able to better tell in the next few days as the tooth comes in more. My gut feeling tells me it is a molar. The other hard bump in her gums is an incisor on the top. That one has not cut through yet, but I will let everyone know when it does!

O's First Museum Visit and Other Updates

2010-04-05T12:08:00.005-05:00

Orlaith had her first museum trip on Friday. We went to the DMA (Dallas Museum of Arts). She was a perfect angel and really enjoyed looking at the art. I wore her in our sling and carefully watched her expression change as she tried to take in everything she was seeing. I would stand in front of sculptures and paintings so she could see them... and she was thoroughly intrigued! I am so happy that she was looking at the artwork. I want to teach her to appreciate things like that from a young age.

She is growing leaps and bounds with every day that passes by. She is very tactile and obsesses over touching and feeling things. She finally grabs, holds and plays with her toys. She also moves her left hand like crazy when I feed her. She holds it above her head and then swings it in large circles almost like she was finishing up a crazy guitar solo. It is pretty cute! She can also get her pacifier back in her mouth now... sometimes. How exciting!

I can't believe how quickly the days go by. I can hardly remember her as a teeny, tiny newborn. Time is going by way too quickly for me. I miss being pregnant and feeling her move in my belly. You might think I am crazy but I am already ready for another one. I mentioned this to Brian and he changed the subject rather quickly. I know we need to give Orlaith some solo time before we do this again, but I have baby fever right now! I need to take some Tylenol!

Birthing Class Reunion

2010-03-30T15:35:00.003-05:00

In order from birth - left to right - Peyton, Lili, Sophia, Arthur, Orlaith, Georgia, Violet and Odysseus

Saturday evening we hosted a reunion for our birthing class. All 8 couples and their adorable babies showed up! It was wonderful to see everyone. We exchanged birthing stories, baby stories and parenting tips. It was quite fun! We decided that we are going to try and get everyone together every 6 months or so. We want to keep up with one another. It is nice to have other parents to talk to who have babies the same age!

3 Month Shots

2010-03-25T15:00:00.002-05:00

Orlaith had two more vaccinations yesterday. This time it was two shots, one in each thigh. She SCREAMED, and actually refused to breast feed. Nursing was supposed to be my secret weapon to keep her from crying or at least calm her down. At least it worked the first round of shots. It really broke my heart. Within a few hours of her shots she became feverish, was crying a lot and did not feel well at all. She wanted to be held, but she would scream if I held her because it hurt her legs. I finally got her comfortable in one of our slings and she fell asleep snuggled against me. I felt like such a bad mommy because I didn't even have Tylenol in the house. I thought that since she did so well the first time, that she wouldn't need it this time either. We had to wait for Daddy to being us some. Once she got a dose in her, I could tell she felt better. She ate well, and then I gave her a bath that she really enjoyed. Shortly after that she passed out. I put her to sleep in bed next to me last night. I knew she didn't feel well, and I wanted her close. She always sleeps better that way anyway. I got smiles from her this morning, so I think we are past the worst. I learned my lesson though. She will be getting Tylenol before her shots from now on!

New Look!

2010-03-25T14:52:00.003-05:00

In case you didn't notice, I have a new name and a new feel for the blog! Thanks to Jessica at The Frilly Coconut! I am super excited to introduce O'Baby Orlaith, where I can write all about being a mommy and my precious Orlaith! Since her name is in the new title, I thought it would be nice to remind everyone how to actually pronounce her name. It is an Irish name, with a Gaelic spelling. Let's just say it looks harder to say than it actually is. Ignore the 'ith' and just pronounce it 'Orla'. It's that easy! We'll talk about her middle name another time!

Grab my new button too! Help me spread the word about my mommy blog. I love new readers!

I will soon be replacing the belly pics with a slide show of Orlaith pictures. Enjoy!

I have new buttons for reviews and giveaways. I am not hosting any at this time, but I hope to get that up and running at some point, so stay tuned!

Reviews

2010-03-25T14:44:00.004-05:00

I am not currently doing any reviews.

Please contact me if you are interested in having me review a product for you!

Giveaways

2010-03-25T14:40:00.006-05:00

I am not doing any giveaways at this time, but I am hoping to get this up and going one day!

If you are interested in having me host a giveaway for you, please contact me.

3 Months

2010-03-18T14:44:00.007-05:00

So today my baby girl is 3 months old. I can hardly believe where the time has gone. A year ago I didn't even know I was pregnant. Wow, how time flies! I took her to get her picture taken yesterday and they turned out super cute! Next Wednesday we go to the doctor for 2 more vaccinations. Since we are on the alternate schedule, we have to go every month. We got away last time with no tears, and I hope to do the same this time! I will let y'all know how it goes.

Orlaith is such a happy girl! She is very calm and loves to observe everything around her. She has discovered her hand, and loves to hold it in front of her face and stare intently as she opens and closes it. She also has a very high pitched squeal she loves to let out when she is talking to Mommy and Daddy! I can tell there is so much she wants to say and I can see her concentrating to get it out. When she is thinking hard about something she furrows her brow. It is quite adorable! Baby O is also getting grabier (I don't think that is a real word) with things. She has figured out how to get her fingers through the handle on her binky. She pulls it out of her mouth and holds on to it tightly. Now if she could only figure out how to put it back in her mouth! She is growing by leaps and bounds. I already miss the teeny, tiny newborn, but I am so excited to watch her discover the world.

Has anyone tried signing with their baby? I have the Baby Signs starter kit. I am wondering when I should start using it. She is so observant right now. I feel like I could start signing things to her even though she can't sign them herself for a while. Any thoughts or suggestions on this?

Cold/Allergies

2010-03-15T14:35:00.005-05:00

Orlaith started getting a cold last Wednesday evening. She has a snotty, congested nose. I have been watching her closely, but there has not been any fever. Saturday she started acting oddly when I fed her. When I would try and nurse she would scream bloody murder... to the point that she was inconsolable and actually shed tears. She has never shed a tear before when crying. Oddly enough, she was okay drinking from a bottle, so I would pump and feed her that way. She did this all Saturday afternoon, but by Saturday night she was nursing just fine. Sunday morning she nursed fine, but for the second feeding started screaming again. Then by that afternoon, she was nursing okay again. This morning she started to scream when I began to nurse her, but she did calm down and eat after a few seconds. I initially thought the suck/swallow was hurting her and maybe she was getting an ear infection. Now that she has been going back and forth, I just don't know what to think. Plus, she has to suck and swallow from a bottle. Wouldn't that hurt too? Bottom line is that I know she doesn't feel well, and it bothers me that I can't figure out the whole eating thing. I don't want her to be in pain. If it is an ear infection, I need to know. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this before? If so, advice please!
I started to get allergies on Saturday and am now all snotty and congested too. Could Orlaith have allergies like her mommy and not a cold after all? Either way, something is up!

Layla Grace

2010-03-09T10:30:00.009-06:00

Bring this flyer with you!

Brandy: I have been following the story of sweet 2 year old Layla Grace for a while now. Her parents have been sharing her story with the world as she fights horrible stage 4 neuroblastoma. The past few weeks Layla struggled to hang on to life. On Tuesday morning, she lost her battle, but at least she is no longer in pain. Her mother Shanna tweeted that she "went to play with the angels". It just breaks my heart to think what Layla's family is going through. You can hear what her parents have to say http://laylagrace.org/ and you can follow them on Twitter @LaylaGrace. There are fundraisers going on all over to help them with the astronomical medical bills- in Houston, Austin and Dallas to name a few. There is one coming up here in the Dallas area on March 15th. Eat at Chili's from 6 pm - 9 pm at 1775 Northwest Highway in Garland and bring the attached flyer with you. A portion of your meal will be donated towards Layla's medical bills. If you can't make dinner, check out the family blog (link above) and you can donate there. Layla's parents are talking to news and radio stations trying to raise awareness about Neuroblastoma. Let's hope for awareness and a cure!

FINALLY!

2010-03-04T14:46:00.002-06:00

Brandy: So I FINALLY got Orlaith's birth announcements in the mail today... along with the last batch of thank you notes. Whew! I was beginning to wonder if I would ever get them done.

This first week back at work has been tremendously hard, but I am so thankful that I have off Wednesdays. It was so nice to have yesterday with her, and it really breaks up the work week. Her sitter is great. She sends me texts throughout the day telling me what she is doing and how the day is going. It makes me feel better!

I would love to stay at home with her, but finances don't permit that. Who invented money and making a living again? Boo! Anyone have ideas of how I can stay at home and make money? I am listening...

Blog Changes

2010-03-02T12:14:00.003-06:00

Brandy: You are going to be seeing some changes to my blog. I am in the process of working with Jessica to update Irish Baby Bump (new name to come) to be reflective of blogging about Mommy-Hood. So, keep your eye out for the new look and feel!

Contact Me

2010-03-02T12:12:00.001-06:00

chulove@mac.com
bmarkey@travelers.com

About Me

2010-03-02T12:10:00.001-06:00

We just welcomed our first child to the world on December 18, 2009. Orlaith Mughain Markey arrived at 4:30 PM, was 7 lbs 11 oz and was 20.5 inches long. Previously this blog was a way to communicate about my pregnancy. Now, it will be a way to communicate about our family, parenting and updates on Orlaith!

2 Month Update

2010-02-24T14:17:00.003-06:00

Bundled up on one of our many cold days!

Bath Time!

Brandy: So, it has been awhile since I blogged. I got caught up in mommy-hood. I had time to blog, but I was really focused on spending time with Orlaith before I had to go back to work. This afternoon I dropped her off at the sitter for the first time for a trial run. I have to go back to work Monday and I am not looking forward to it one little bit. I finally stopped crying long enough to type. I had no idea just how hard it would be to leave her. Wow.

This past month has been great. Orlaith is growing and changing everyday. She has found her voice and loves to make sounds... yells, shrieks, squeaks... all are adorable. She has also found her legs. She kicks them a lot more and pushes against things to try and stand up. Her neck control is pretty darned good now too. She loves to sit up, and even hangs out in the Bumbo chair for a bit. She has started sucking on her fist. She can't quite figure out how to get her thumb in her mouth, but I am sure that will happen soon. She also discovered the TV. If she sees the TV, she stares intently. If I turn her away she tries to turn back so she can see it again. If she can't maneuver herself around, she will scream. It is pretty funny that she is learning how to put up a fight for a little screen time at 2 months old. I think I might be in trouble! She LOVES bath time! Her favorite part is getting her hair washed. Orlaith finally stopped fighting her sleep during the day. She now is happy to take little naps in between feedings. She loves to sleep propped up on her Boppy pillow. She sleeps really well at night. She gives me a good 6-8 hours, gets up to eat again, and then she will sleep for another 3-4 hours after that! We are still using the co-sleeper. I think I am going to try out the crib tonight... maybe. She has been such an easy baby. I know I am super lucky. She sleeps and she really only fusses when something is wrong. She is such a little doll!!!

We took our first trip to Houston. I took Orlaith to my old office for a visit and we also showed her off at her Sip and See. Our friends Dawn and Tony rocked as hosts! Thanks a million!

I did decide to take Domperidone to help increase my milk supply. I have had zero side effects (as expected) and it has been working. I was previously having to supplement 2 oz each feeding, and now I am only supplementing 1 oz. I am hoping that I can eventually stop the supplementing. We'll see... I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Last Friday (the 19th) Orlaith went to the pediatrician for her 2 month check up. Dr. Linderman had nothing but fabulous things to say about her. She is doing great! She now weighs 10 lbs 11 oz (50th percentile), is 22 inches long (48th percentile) and her head circumference is 38.5 cm (48th percentile). We decided to vaccinate her on the alternate schedule recommended by Dr. Sears in The Vaccine Book. It puts the most important vaccines first. She will never get more than 2 vaccines at a time, and only one of the two can contain aluminum. It took me a while to sort through all of the vaccine hoopla out there, but this book is a lifesaver. So Orlaith got 2 vaccines last week- 1 was oral and the other was a shot. They gave her the oral vaccine first, and the shot second. I had her in position to breast feed when they gave her the shot. As soon as it was over I began feeding her and we avoided any crying! She was such a brave girl!

So Monday is back to work for me... BOO! I will be working 4 days a week with Wednesdays off. We are going to have one more trial run with the sitter on Friday. This one will be all day, but I am going to pick her up for lunch with the girls and then take her back when we are done. I am slowly working my way towards leaving her all day.

Pictures

2010-01-18T13:28:00.002-06:00

Brandy: Here are a few of the pictures we had taken yesterday. Baby O is one month old today! Sharon Neel Bagley (who also took our maternity pics), is responsible for how freaking cute these turned out. If you are in the Dallas area, I would highly suggest using her. http://www.sharonneelbagley.com/

Our Week In Words

2010-01-16T15:09:00.004-06:00

Baby O ready for girls day out!

Brandy: This week has gone by quickly!!! On Tuesday, I met two friends and their newborn girls for lunch and a movie. Don't worry, it was the cry baby matinee at the Angelika! We had a lot of fun and decided to meet for lunch once a week while we were able (off of work).

On Thursday, Orlaith and I met Daddy for lunch. She was good and slept most of the time. After that I dropped by the pediatrician's office to check on her weight. She is now 8 lbs 14 oz! I couldn't believe it! I don't think I need to worry about her losing weight any more. After that we went to North Park Mall and went shopping for a dress. Baby O is having her first professional pictures made on Sunday and I needed to find a dress for her to wear. I ended up finding two dresses for pictures, plus 2 adorable outfits for everyday wear. It was more than I was looking for, but I couldn't pass up the adorable-ness!

Friday we stayed in, but it was still an eventful day. Orlaith was 4 weeks old! Also, during tummy time, she turned over. I was SO excited!!! I think it startled her a bit to suddenly be on her back, but she did so well! I tried to get her to do it again, but she was over tummy time by that point. We will try again today so Daddy can see.

Next week will be busy... pictures, a trip to the vet with mommy and Pepper, lunch with friends/family 3 different days. I can't wait to see how the pics turn out and what new adventures await us next week.

Adventures In Mommy-hood

2010-01-12T09:26:00.002-06:00

Brandy: These first 3 weeks have gone by SO QUICKLY! My mom and Brian were home for the first week. The second week, I was home Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday by myself. The third week my mom came back. This is week four and I am solo again. Orlaith and I are trying to get in a pattern that works for us. I got a little spoiled with all of the help from mom.

We have had some feeding and weight issues with Baby O. We took her to the pediatrician the day after we brought her home from the hospital. She had gone down to 6 lbs 15 oz (from 7 lbs 11 oz). She had lost 10% of her birth weight and that is the maximum weight loss they want to see. So... we were forced to supplement. It took a full 7 days for my milk to come in. I had some blood loss during the birth, and this has wreaked havoc on my milk supply. I am still trying to get my body to play catch up. Once my milk came in, we stopped supplementing and went back to solely breast feeding. Then, when we went in for her 2 week check up, she had lost more weight. I had a feeling about this because of the way she was acting. She would nurse for over an hour at a time, only sleep if I was holding her, would scream if anyone else held her and was nursing every 1 1/2 hours. Let's just say I was constantly feeding her and when she would sleep, I still couldn't lay her down or hand her off. Those several days were quite trying. Once we figured out my supply was not adequate to satisfy her, we had to supplement again. We went ahead and introduced a bottle this time. We had used a supplemental feeding system the last time. Once we started giving her formula after breast feeding, she was a different baby. She would fall asleep after feeding and let me lay her down! I felt SO incredibly guilty that she had not been getting enough food previously. It was deceptive though because she was having all the appropriate pee and poo diapers each day. Her pediatrician said that she was getting enough to stay hydrated, but not enough to grow. Anyway, she is growing now. Her cheeks are filling out, and she is a happy little baby girl! The last time we weighed her, she was back up to 7 lbs 9 oz (just 2 oz shy of her birth weight). I am going to take her in tomorrow to check on her progress. Her next official appointment is her 2 month check up on 2/19.

I have been really torn about not being able to solely breast feed like I had planned. Her pediatrician assures me that she is getting all of the benefits of breast feeding, even though she is getting formula as well. I just want my body to work the way it is supposed to... just once! I have been pumping and taking herbal supplements to get my supply up, but it does not seem to be working. My lactation consultant told me to try and get a prescription for Dom Peridone. It is a nasal spray that increases supply and makes let down faster. Orlaith's pediatrician advised against it because she is not familiar with the drug. Then my midwife advised that it does work and she recommends it. Everyone always has something different to say about everything. It makes it so confusing! Has anyone used it? What is your experience with it?

I broke down and starting using a pacifier yesterday. I am only using it when she is falling asleep. I am taking it out before I lay her down. So far, so good.

Other than breast feeding issues, motherhood has been going great. I love my Baby O, and I am enjoying watching her grow and change every day. We are getting ready for a girls day out today. We are meeting 2 friends from birthing class and their newborn daughters for lunch and the cry baby matinee at the Angelika. It is a beautiful day and I can't wait to get out!!!

Orlaith will be four weeks old this Friday. We are going to get her picture made... hopefully this weekend. Then I will finally get around to sending out birth announcements...

Introducing Our Baby GIRL!!!

2009-12-23T18:59:00.003-06:00

Brandy: Orlaith Mughain Markey (pronounced Orla Moon) was born on Friday, December 18th @ 4:30 PM. She weighed in at 7 pounds 11 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long. We didn't get the home birth we were planning, but everything turned out for the best. After laboring at home without pain medication for 28 hours, I was only 3 cm dilated. At that point I decided to go to the hospital as my body was refusing to progress the way it needed to. With an epidural and TONS of Pitocin, they were able to get me to progress, and after 42 hours of labor Orlaith finally made her debut into the world. We came home Sunday evening, which was also my birthday. What a great present! Mommyhood has been wonderful. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

40 Week Checkup

2009-12-15T10:44:00.004-06:00

Brandy: Last night I had an acupressure massage to try and see if we could get anything started. So far, the answer is no. My massage therapist said it could take up to 24 hours for things to start happening IF it was going to work. We'll see...
We went to see Dinah this morning. Sadly, there is nothing new to report. Dinah did not do a pelvic exam this week since I had nothing new going on in the way of signs. If we make it to our 41 week appointment on Monday morning, then we will definitely have an exam then. Other than that, my blood pressure was good, and Baby Markey is doing well (although back in the posterior position as of last night). My fundal height is 36cm. I have been instructed to sit on a yoga ball all day, do pelvic tilts and a form of child's pose in order to encourage the baby to turn back to an anterior position. Dinah asked me if I had been reading up on ways to encourage labor. I told her yes, which is the truth. She said that those things do work but only if your body is on the verge of going into labor anyway. I have decided to give up on trying to hurry this baby up. It will come when it is good and ready. It takes too much time and energy to try and rush things along. Do I still wish Baby Markey would hurry up? Yes. Am I going to let myself go crazy over something I can't control? No.
So if you can help it, try and refrain from asking me if there is any news or progress with the baby. I promise I will blog about it if anything happens! And I will definitely let everyone know when the baby is here. I know everyone is just thinking of me, and wants to let me know that. I DO appreciate the kind thoughts. It is just really hard for me to stay in a state of patience if I am constantly telling someone, "There is no progress" or "There is no baby yet". Help me be patient!! I really need the moral support right now. I have a feeling if I give up on trying to hurry things along and just bask in the last few hours or days when I have Baby Markey all to myself and don't have to share, that we might just see a baby sometime soon! I give in - officially!

An AMAZING Win!

2009-12-14T10:09:00.004-06:00

Brandy: I stopped entering blogger giveaways a few weeks ago in preparation for Baby Markey's arrival. I know I will not be checking email on a regular basis, which has to be done to claim a prize. I thought everything I had entered was already over, but I was wrong. I received a text message from a fellow blogger and friend (Teresha over at Marlie and Me) yesterday morning telling me I had one a fabulous prize! I logged on to my computer and sure enough, I had! I won a Dyson DC-16 Animal handheld vacuum cleaner!

This win came from a blog called Natural Mommie http://www.naturalmommie.com/2009/12/dyson-winner.html

Thanks Natural Mommie! This was a wonderful surprise!

39 Week Checkup

2009-12-08T13:10:00.003-06:00

Brandy: Brian and I went to our 39 week appointment with Dinah this morning. My blood pressure was a little elevated, so we tested my urine and there was no protein (which is good). I have officially gained 40 pounds with this pregnancy. They recommend 25-35 pounds of weight gain, but my body did what it wanted to. I did not eat junk food the entire time. I ate healthy for the most part, but I did indulge in some yummy treats from time to time. I guess I will just have to work hard to get rid of the extra pounds once the baby is out! So back to the appointment... My fundal height is 35 cm, which indicates that my uterus has dropped down into the pelvis (since it is shorter than last week). Baby Markey has switched from the ROA position to the LOA position (the back is now on the left side of my abdomen), which is better for delivery. Last Thursday and Friday i was having some bloody show, but by Saturday it had stopped. So, Dinah offered to do an internal exam today so we could see what was going on. I am 70% effaced and 1 fingertip dilated. 1 fingertip? Is that 1 cm? I looked in one of my pregnancy books that has a dilation chart, and my fingertip more than covers the 1 cm circle. Dinah's hands are smaller, so I guess it is around 1 cm...? I am not totally sure. Either way, a little is happening, but not a lot. The exam is nice to know, but doesn't really tell me when we will go into labor. I guess we just wait and see... which is SO HARD!

38 Week Checkup

2009-12-01T17:31:00.003-06:00

Brandy: I had my weekly checkup with Dinah this afternoon. Joyce, another midwife who is shadowing Dinah, sat in on our appointment. If she is available when I go in labor, she will be Dinah's assistant. She is super sweet! We talked about the Braxton Hicks contractions I have been having, as well as the cramping that feels like period cramps. All are good signs!! I also lost another piece of my mucus plug yesterday morning. This one was bigger than the first. My blood pressure was good today, so no pee test. My fundal height was 38cm, and Baby Markey finally decided to get into the ROA position!!! This is Right Occiput Anterior, which means the baby's back is on the right side of my belly, the occiput (correct part of the head) is presenting first and the baby is anterior facing. This means no more posterior! Hopefully the baby will stay in this position so I don't have to deal with back labor. And more good news, Baby Markey's head has now dropped down into my pelvis, and they said my pelvic bone is "nice and low". Dinah doesn't do pelvic exams until week 40 or 41, so I don't know anything about effacement or dilation. My body is definitely doing what it is supposed to do though, which makes me happy. I started taking evening primrose oil today. It does not induce labor, but instead acts as a prostaglandin to help soften the cervix. Also, tomorrow night is a full moon, and we all know what that means... People say that there is an increase in births on nights with full moons!! So tomorrow night calls for a good, long walk and some spicy Thai food with my hubby! We'll see if anything happens...

Tuh-Duh... Nursery Pics!

2009-11-27T17:46:00.004-06:00

Brandy: Well, I finally got the last few things put up on Baby Markey's nursery walls today. I had to put up 3 pictures, wall mount the video baby monitor and hang the wooden letters that spell out Baby Markey's first name. The wooden letters are hung above the crib, so that wall is conveniently left out of any pictures I am posting! The framed photographs are pictures that Brian and I took on our honeymoon in Thailand. They fit perfectly with the theme of the nursery... elephants, bamboo and Buddha! So here is the nursery... Enjoy!

Wall Art and Clothes Hamper

Glider/ Nursing Corner

Dresser/Hutch/Changing Table

Diaper Stacker and Wall Art

Wall Art and Wall Hooks

Mobile

Green Elephant Bedding

Rug

Crib/ Bedding/ Mobile

Maternity Pictures and Weekly Checkup

2009-11-24T10:09:00.008-06:00

Brandy: On Sunday, Brian and I had some maternity photos taken. I mentioned previously that we were going for something different... Well I think we achieved that! Our photographer is really amazing. She is very artistic and creative, and was wonderful to work with. http://www.sharonneelbagley.com/ First we shot at several outdoor locations downtown. After that we headed back to her home/studio for the "painted portraits". We went through a process were we were sprayed with water and had powdered paint thrown on us. You can see the results below! Sharon got the idea from the Holi Festival in India. There is a whole series of these pictures on her website under the color link. Here are just a few of our pictures... We will be getting more as they are edited, and I will post those later.

This morning we went into Dinah's office for our weekly checkup. I told her about what was going on with me. There is nothing really to complain about... just a few signs that things are moving along. I have been having a lot of cramps accompanied by lower back pain. Since Baby Markey is posterior, this makes total sense. I have also been having pain in my pelvic bone. Last Thursday I am pretty sure that I lost a small piece of my mucus plug. Dinah was really excited about that one! Sorry if that's TMI for some of you... At the moment these are not signs that birth will be happening immediately, BUT they are signs that my body is getting ready and preparing, which is nice to know. The first time Dinah took my blood pressure, the second number was slightly high. I had to get test my urine for protein, which was normal. She took my blood pressure again with another cuff, and this time both numbers were normal. Next, Dinah checked out Baby Markey. My fundal height is 36.5 cm, and the heart rate was in the high 160's. Baby Markey is still head down, but not engaged at this point. Also, Baby Markey is currently lying in a posterior position. This is not much of a concern at this point since the head is not engaged yet. I have been sitting/moving on the birth ball every night in order to encourage the baby to face the right way. Dinah said anything to move my hips was good for this. Lastly, we got the results of my strep B test, and it was positive. This does not mean I have a disease or illness. This is simply a bacteria that is present in a lot of women. On very rare occasions it can cause in infection in the baby if left untreated. Dinah waits until I am in active labor. She then gives me medication through an IV for 15 minutes. The process is repeated every 4 hours until the baby is here. She does not leave the IV in or even a HEP lock. This is fine with me because I don't want anything stuck in my arm for a long period of time. Bottom line, it is nothing to be concerned with. We just have to take an extra step once labor starts.

A Moment of Laughter

2009-11-20T10:27:00.003-06:00

Brandy: We had a birth class last night. At one point, I was sitting back on a couch, with my feet up on a birth ball in front of me. Baby Markey was having a serious party in my belly, and Brian and I were watching all of the movement. I looked up and there were 2 couples across the room watching as well. There were 4 other sets of eyes on my belly, just watching. It was pretty funny. I did not realize that anyone else was watching us, or could even see the movement from that far away for that matter! I guess the party was more fun than I thought! Once everyone realized that I saw them looking we all started laughing. It was a little distraction to class, but definitely a classic moment.

Our last birthing class is tonight. We are wrapping up a few topics, and there will be a couple and their new baby visiting class to tell us about their birthing experience. I can't believe that 8 weeks of these classes is already coming to an end. Monday we are full term at 37 weeks. Time has flown by. Is Baby Markey really going to be here and in my arms sometime in the next 5 weeks? Really? It seems so real and so surreal at the same time...

ERGObaby Carrier Giveaway

2009-11-19T13:18:00.002-06:00

Brandy: There is an awesome giveaway going on I wanted to tell you all about! My Wee View is giving away a hands free system from ERGObaby http://http://myweeview.com/2009/11/ergobaby-carrier-backpack-and-front-pouch-200/?cp=3#comment-137985. This includes an ERGObaby carrier, backpack and front pouch. I have been dying to get my hands on one of these carriers. They are totally fabulous! I hope I can win it!

The Name Game

2009-11-18T10:16:00.002-06:00

Brandy: So, I posted a while back that I would reveal the number of letters in Baby Markey's first and middle name. Today is the day for the big reveal!

Baby Markey's first name has 7 letters.

Baby Markey's middle name also has 7 letters.

So, whether you think it is a boy or a girl, take your best guess at the name! Leave your guess as a comment. Good Luck!

Are you there sleep? It's me, Brandy.

2009-11-17T10:19:00.003-06:00

Brandy: So after I wrote about my lack of sleep yesterday, I thought I would be set last night. I had a new list of things to try thanks to my midwife. I actually fell asleep (more like passed out) in about 5 minutes last night! Then it happened... The alarm to my house went off in the middle of the night AND I was home alone. Brian was out of town for work. I was FREAKED. I called Brian and made him stay on the phone while I walked the house to check every door and window. Luckily, my trusty attack cat Cal was close on my heels, escorting me on my mission. Everything was locked up tight. There was no sign that anyone was trying (or had tried) to break in. I reset the alarm and tried to go back to sleep, but guess what? I was too freaked out to sleep. So I lay in bed with the kitties snuggling near, and listened intently to every little sound in the house. Before I knew it, it was time to get up and go to work. Really? Already? So, I am here at work, even more tired than yesterday. I actually had caffeine this morning, which I usually avoid for Baby Markey. I hope no one expects me to be productive today.

Update on Weekend and 36 Week Check-Up

2009-11-16T14:29:00.004-06:00

Brandy: So we had a very busy weekend. The painters were at our house all day Saturday, and for a couple of hours on Sunday morning. The good news is it is all finished and we love the new look and feel of our home. Saturday Brian and I ran errands all day and got the rest of the items from the baby registry that we thought we would need sooner rather than later. Sunday we spent all day putting the house back together from the painters, and also organizing the new baby items we purchased. We got it all done, but I was SO exhausted by the end of the day. I tried to go to bed early only to lay there for over 2 1/2 hours. This has been a new trend that has developed in the last week, and I am liking it at all. I have been really lucky so far in this pregnancy, and I have been sleeping really well... until now. Let's just say I am holding my eyelids open with toothpicks today.

I had an appointment with Dinah this morning. I am 36 weeks today! I can't believe that my baby will be considered full term in just one more week. We talked all about the birth, and how things would go. She also gave me some suggestions to help me sleep since my relaxation techniques were not doing the trick any more... shower, chamomile tea and I was told I can even take Benadryl or Tylenol PM. I was surprised at the medication part, but Benadryl is safe, and apparently the medication in Tylenol PM that makes you sleepy is the same stuff as they use in Benadryl. Good to know, and I will only use medication as a last resort. My blood pressure was back down this week, so no worries there. Dinah was pressing all over my belly to try and get a good feeling for how Baby Markey was laying, so the baby's heartbeat was going crazy at 170 (from the stimulation) when she initially found it. It settled down to 163 within a few seconds. My fundal height is 34 cm. Basically all is well! We are getting so excited to meet this baby. Surprisingly, I am really not nervous... just happy and excited to start the next phase of our lives.

Oh, and I won another giveaway. This time it was from Sage and Saavy. I won the "I Cherish Planet Earth" giveaway. It includes a book called "A Love Letter to Our Planet" and a matching game for when the baby gets older. Yay!

Our Thursday Evening

2009-11-13T10:30:00.003-06:00

Brandy: Last night our doula came by the house to help us out with our birth plan and figuring out all of the details surrounding the birth. Our midwife does not do an official birth plan, but instead has us answer 10 questions about the kind of birth we want to have. She says pretty much anything we want, we can have, since we are not going to be in a hospital. So, back to the doula... What we concentrated on was creating a super short birth plan in the case we do need to go to the hospital for any reason. She said our best bet was to have a 1 page plan, with 5 or 6 requests in bullet form. She said if you go in with a list of 5 or 6 things, you are likely to get all of them. If you go in with a list of 20 things, you are going to get 5 or 6 of them, but you are not going to get to choose which items you get. I would rather pick the top 5 or 6 that are most important to me, and hopefully get all of them. So that is what we are doing... just in case. I have no expectation that I will be anywhere near a hospital, but what does it hurt to be prepared? If I go through the trouble of preparing it, I will never need it. Right?

We also had birthing class last night. Class was cancelled last week, so we had class 6 last night. We learned about interventions, medications and C-sections. We were told to go through the BRAN process if an intervention was suggested. B - What are the benefits? R - What are the risks? A - What are the alternatives? N - What if we do nothing? Then ask everyone to leave the room so you can discuss it and decide. We also talked about ways to bring on labor in more natural forms so you don't have to have the more serious interventions/ induction methods. These include power walking, spicy foods, sex (the prostoglandins and oxytocin help soften the cervix and bring on contractions) and acupressure points. To make up for the missed class last week, we have class Thursday (#7) and Friday (#8) next week. And that's it... we are done with birthing class. I can't believe that it is almost over. Time flies!

Under the Weather

2009-11-10T21:14:00.003-06:00

Brandy: I almost made it through my pregnancy without getting sick... almost. Saturday evening I started feeling a nasty cold coming on, and by Sunday morning I felt miserable. I tend to have sinus issues, so I wanted to be super careful that this did not turn into a sinus infection. I have been trying my hardest not to get to the point where I will need to go to the doctor and go through a round of antibiotics. So this is what I did... set up a humidifier next to my bed, soaking daily in Breathe Easy bath salts from Central Market (eucalyptus, menthol and peppermint), saline nasal spray, 1000 mg of extra vitamin C (on top of what is in my prenatal vitamin - with midwife approval), hot liquids, zinc cough drops and Sudafed (again with midwife approval). I wasn't too thrilled about the Sudafed, but I figure that it is better than taking antibiotics for a week and a half. I didn't take a dose until last night (and only half a dose), after 2 1/2 days of not getting any better. Finally, I am feeling a little better today. I can actually breathe! You have to get original Sudafed (make sure there is nothing else in it) from behind the pharmacy counter, and you only want to use this with approval from your midwife or OB. I am pleased to say that I think this finally put me back on track towards getting healthy, along with everything else I have been doing. I stayed at home the past two days, and I am staying home tomorrow as well. I have been working from my home on my laptop to avoid all of the nasty office germs until my immune system boosts back up. I should be ready to go back on Thursday. I am ready to be done with this!

ANOTHER win and a new project...

2009-11-06T11:11:00.003-06:00

Brandy: I just got an email that I won another giveaway from Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! That is the 4th one this week! We won the Baby Signs: Complete Starter Kit! How exciting!

We have a new project starting next weekend. We are getting the rest of the interior of our house painted. It will be 3 rooms, 2 bathrooms and the hallway. This will finally be all of the painting (inside and out) in the entire house. We are using a Zero VOC/low odor paint. It is the same stuff we used in the nursery (Harmony from Sherwin Williams), and it worked out great. I just want to get this done ASAP so that we don't have any more projects lingering after the baby arrives! Wish us luck!

2 More Wins - That's 3 this week!

2009-11-05T09:41:00.003-06:00

Brandy: I was super happy when I checked my email this morning because I had notice that I had won two giveaways! The funny thing is that this is the 3rd win this week and they are all from Minnesota Mama's Must Haves! http://www.minnesotamamasmusthaves.com/
The first win today was a pair of Stay with me Socks. They have a special Velcro feature which helps keep them on baby's feet, and it keeps the pair together in the wash. http://www.minnesotamamasmusthaves.com/2009/10/baby-shower-bash-giveaway-25-stay-with.html
The second win was a big one! I won a $50 gift certificate for anything that I want from the Sprout Baby website! http://store.sproutbaby.com/category_s/2.htm
I think I mentioned in my post on Monday that I had a bit of a dry spell with wins. I am happy to say that the dry spell is over!