Got Milk?

I will be returning to work this upcoming week and in preparation, I have been pumping and freezing my milk so that once I do start to work, I don't have to stress as much about having enough milk for my daughter to drink while I am away - I have enough to stress over just leaving her for a whole morning several times a week!

I started to pump around 4-5 weeks postpartum, and only pumped a few times a week. Now I pump almost every day - once a day. I like to pump in the morning, because that seems to be when I have enough to feed her all she wants & still have milk leftover. It's also a nice quiet time where I can sneak away and get it done. I know if I wait till later on in the day, it just wont happen!

Here's my typical morning:

4:30 - 5am Gracie will start to toss, turn and make little noises while her eyes are still closed. So I will pull her from her co-sleeper and into bed with me where she will 'dream feed' a little till she's back in a deep sleep. 

5-5:30am I will place her back in the co-sleeper and make my way downstairs to get my pump station ready. I usually grab a banana and a bottle of water to eat & drink while I pump. (This is very important - pumping/nursing takes a lot out of you! Stay hydrated and keep those vitamins up!)  I also have my phone on hand and flip through pictures or video of my sweet little Gracie to get things moving along quicker. I only pump on the opposite side of which she just fed unless she ate less that morning, in which case I will start on the opposite side & end on the side she fed. (I rarely tandem pump) On a good morning I can get around 9+ oz and on a slower morning I will get around 4.5 - 6oz. 

5:15 - 5:45 I then pour the milk into a freezer bag, date & time it, then toss it in the freezer on it's side so it freezes flat. I use the Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags and think they work quite well. I haven't had any problems with them spilling or not sealing all the way.

As for my pump, I use the Medela Pump In Style Advance and love it! It pumps so quickly - yet gently. I can get about 1oz per minute on a good morning, which is amazing because the sooner I finish, the sooner I can return to bed before Gracie wakes up for her day.

Now, my freezer is quite small so I needed a way to organize my milk in a way that it would be easy for my mother (she will be watching my Gracie for me) to just reach in and grab a bag to thaw out without having to go through the dates & make sure that the older milk got used first so none would go to waste or have to be thrown out.

So here is what I did (thank you pinterest!) 

I always make sure to freeze my milk on it's side in the bag rather than standing up, it just makes things easier and more condenced! 

I then took a gift bag from my baby shower & cut a slit in the side towards the bottom - lined the edges with some scotch tape & placed my milk storage bags inside, oldest first. 

 

 Once the bag was full, I continued to stack newer milk behind the bag, so as it empties, I can just place that pile inside in the same order it's already it. Easy peasy!

Happy Friday everyone, and as always, thanks for reading! xox

2 Months Old!

''My dearest Graciella, you're two months old! I can't believe how much you have grown in just a few short weeks. It's amazing to me. It's also amazing to me how smart you are. You've hit quite a few milestones & are more alert through the day than ever. Mama is so proud of you! I love you sweetie, you'll always be my precious little baby! Your new favorite thing is for me to hold you up so you can stand and wiggle. You've also started smiling so much more.. mostly in the mornings after you wake up. You notice everything around you and have started showing interest in your toys/mobiles. You also find your hands to be quite delicious, especially your right one. You don't like being swaddled anymore, but rather enjoy just stretching out. You sleep like your mama. I love you baby girl. Don't grow up too fast baby. Lets enjoy this time together.''

 My baby girl is growing wonderfully! 

And I feel especially proud since it's because of mama's milk. ;)   

We are still exclusively breastfeeding and I plan on doing so until she is ready to wean herself. We are still working on the whole 'taking a bottle' thing for when I go back to work. I've got a whole freezer full of milk ready for when the day comes.. *tear* I feel separation anxiety just thinking about it.

Clothing size: 0-3 though some jammies are getting snug!
Diaper size: 2 but we ran out & figured to use our size 3 that we had rather than buy a box of size 2 and only have you use half. You've got your mama's hips!
Favorites: MAM paci's, Mickeys Club House on Disney Jr., Fisher Price Little Sweetie Swing, morning time - you're all smiles! A clean diaper, getting your hair washed and being held by mama (sorry daddy)
Dislikes: Getting out of the bath, anything that has to go over your head - hence the reason you are usually in jammies that zip or snap rather than onesies and shirts. Lotion time. You hate lotion time. Bottles. Your carseat (well, getting strapped in to be more accurate) and when mama eats broccoli.

Here are her stats from her well baby visit.

Weight 12lbs 12.5oz (birth 6lbs 10oz)

Height 22.50 inches (birth 20.25 inches)

Head 39.8 centimeters (birth 32.5 centimeters)

She got her shots at this appointment, and it just broke my heart. I had been contemplating not getting her vaccinated, but last minute went through with it. I regretted it the minute I saw the pain in her eyes. I'm still not sure it was the best choice for us. I'm so torn on the subject! Something I read a while back just keeps running through my thoughts 'In order for the FDA to approve a drug as unsafe, they must have at some early point approved it as safe.'

On a lighter note, we officially have LAUGHTER! The very first time she gave me a real laugh was on Monday (2 days after turning 2 months old). I was sitting her in front of our bedroom dressers mirror (holding her of course) and making faces & noises at her via reflection. She loved it and let out the cutest most sweet belly laugh I'd ever heard! My eyes welled up and I couldn't help but let out a few tears of joy! I was so excited to finally hear that wonderful noise. So of course I grabbed my phone and hit record.. or at least I THOUGHT I hit record. 10 minutes later I try to view this horribly adorable video I just made... and NOTHING was there. My tears of joy turned to tears of sorrow. Wouldn't you know it, I couldn't get her to laugh again once the phone really was on record. That's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. ;)

BUT it all gets better! Later that night when daddy was home to witness it, she let out another laugh! He scrambled to grab a camera in time before she decided she was done being our entertainment, and we got it! We have PROOF of this amazing little girls adorable laugh at just 8.5 weeks old! I'm in love.

1st and 2nd month favorites!

Fisher Price My Little Sweetie Swing - We just purchased this swing in the beginning of March and she LOVED it right away! Most babies only nap in their swings, but she loves to nap & play in it. The mirror at the top just fascinates her & she makes cute little faces in it all the time. The mobile also spins while the flowers move up and down. The music is really soothing and I don't mind it playing at all. I actually kind of like it, too. All in all, we are so thrilled with our purchase and get plenty of use out of it!

Boppy Pillow - I'm sure all of you have heard of or used this wonderful little pillow. I keep mine in the living room on our couch. It's just so handy. Not only is it great for propping baby up in my lap while nursing so my arms, shoulders & neck don't strain, but it's also great for tummy time and laying baby on.

Bulb Aspirator - For lack of a better way to put it... my baby has tons of boogies! Mostly in the morning. I believe it's because it's so dry in our house, and the heater doesn't help any! Anyways, this thing is a life saver! Ours is from the hospital. I'm so happy they gave us two to bring home with us. It's helped out so much and though she screams every time I use it, she also breathes so much easier afterwards.

Grape Boogie Wipes - To go hand in hand with the above aspirator, these things are great too! And they smell yummy. ;) I don't just use them for her delicate little nose, though. I also use them to wipe her face. You know, the dry milk that accumulates in the creases of their tiny little mouths or the hard eye boogies that are there in the morning. These gently wipe all of that away without being too harsh on the skin seeing as they're mostly like water wipes with a splash of grape smelling goodness!

Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer - Kills germs. Enough said! I keep them everywhere. On my key chain, the side of my diaper bag, in the car, every room of the house - well you get the point. They're small and portable, cute and smell good all while putting your mind at ease about the evil germs that are out to get your precious new baby. I have so many of these things. My favorite place to get them is at Bath & Body Works outlets! You can grab up these babies for as cheap as 15 cents a piece sometimes if you go on the right day! I typically find them super cheap after a holiday. Who cares if you're using pine scented sanitizer in June. Not me!

Cloud B Sleep Sheep - Besides being incredibly adorable, this sleep sheep plays magical white noise. Magical in the way that it can soothe a fussy baby to sleep and keep them that way! It's noises include a heartbeat from in the womb, rain, waves and whale songs. I  Graciella, loves it.

Muslin Swaddling Blankets - These swaddling blankets may be made of the best material ever known to man. They're super soft and warm, but very breathable. Gracie doesn't like to be swaddled so much anymore, but we still use these all the time. I'll tuck one around her in the carseat just to give her a sense of security or I will toss one over the carseat if she's napping, to keep the sun off her face or if we are going in a store. Nothing I dislike more than a stranger walking up to you and sticking their fingers into your carseat to touch your babies face! I have no problem with others wanting to see my little princess, but please, ask before you touch! (So I can squirt some of that cute sanitizer on your hands)

Baby Trend Playard - We LOVE our playard. Originally we chose to get a playard to keep downstairs so baby could nap in it during the day, but we changed up our plan when Graciella finally got here. This thing is saddled up right beside my side of the bed with the co-sleeper on top. I love it so much. She's right at arms reach for nursing through the night without having to get out of bed, but she's in her own little space to keep my mind at ease. (I'm a crazy sleeper and so is her daddy)

Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes - Every mama has her own opinion on what wipes work best but personally I am in love with huggies natural care. They're thick, soft and get the job done! I can honestly say that I use less of them when doing a diaper change opposed to any other brand that I've tried. We've also had no problems with rashes or irritation from them.

Musical Giraffe (similar) - Every baby needs a wind up musical plush animal! Ours is the yellow giraffe pictured above, but I'm sure any kind would do! In her first few weeks she would just stare at it for the longest time. Now she actually coo's at it! I love it's soft soothing music and how it rocks it's head from side to side while it plays. Great cheap buy! I believe we got ours at Walmart for 9 dollars.

MAM Paci & Holder - We chose to hold off on introducing a paci to Gracie because we didn't want to risk nipple confution. At around 5 or 6 weeks I decided it was finally time to do so since she was starting to use me as a paci, and though I love our bonding time, I need at least a little hands free time to get things done around the house! We tried soothies, gumdrop, nuk, born free and playtex but she hated all of those. Finally, on a whim, I bought a few MAM paci's and they were a hit! She loves her paci now and it's just great. I also bought the holder of course because when she's done with it, she's done! So the holder just keeps it from getting lost or dirty while we are out and about.

Paci Wipes - I bought these before I purchased the MAM holder, but I still love them and keep them on hand just in case. They have no harmful ingredient and are just so convenient for when you can't get to a sink to wash your babies paci.

Long Sleeve Sleepers - I am in love with these that I found at a consignment store but have since not been able to find ANYWHERE. Thankfully I bought about 5 pairs and received 1 more pair as a gift. They're fleece and super soft. I love that they keep baby nice and warm without using a blanket that they could kick off or get too close to their face. Also they are sized 0-9, so a nice large range so we can get as much use out of them as possible.

Medela Pump In Style Tote - I love love love my pump! I will be returning to work soon, so I try to pump when I find the time & freeze my milk in these Lansinoh Milk Storage Bags. I can literally pump about an ounce per minute. It's that fast! I also love how it gives you the portable battery operated option OR you could buy The Medela Pump In Style Car Adapter. It gives you so many options to fit your lifestyle. It's just fantastic.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day and found my lists useful, whether you're expecting or just looking for idea's for your little ones! As always, thanks for reading!

I just had to share this picture of my little ham! She's getting so big on me and it's making me so sad, but happy. I want to freeze time and be able to revisit the days that have already passed, but still be able to enjoy the future with her as well.

 I love being a mama so much. I feel as though this is what I was born to be! No career could ever surpass that of being a mother and feeling needed and loved all at once. It's the greatest. I'm dreading returning to work, but it has to be done. Babies are lovely but they aren't cheap! I'm gonna miss my little bit so very much. I will be returning in about two weeks, and I know I was so very blessed to have had such a long maternity leave.

I think to myself every day 'I need to soak all of this in. Every smile, every cry, every nurse. Soak it all in and remember every little detail, because it changes day by day.'

Here are some of my Instagram pictures from the past week!

Graciella is so smiley in the mornings now and I love it! The best time to get her to smile is right after she wakes up around 6:30 - 7am and gets her diaper changed. She just lays there and coos, kicks her legs around, smiles and plays till she's ready for her morning nursing and nap. I'll get more into detail about her daily 'routine' in her two month update coming soon after her well baby visit!











Sometimes daddy feels left out since she is more often than not, in my arms. Either nursing or soothing her because she just wants to be held by mama. So, when he's home from work in the afternoons, I make sure to hand her off to him after nusing when it's time to burp. It's become a great afternoon feed routine. Daddy loves the bonding time with his little princess and I love watching them together. After a good burp he snuggles or plays with her. It just melts my heart. Like a saying I saw once... not sure where exactly, but I fell in love with it.. 'I never knew how much I loved you, till I saw how much you love her.' My sentiments exactly. It melts my heart. <3

This was a throw back Thursday post! Back when we first started dating. I know we haven't been together the longest, but that doesn't matter, because our love is real and our love is strong. It will last.



                            (3-5-2011) <3

Now this little picture right here has got to be one of my all time favorites of my precious little Graciella. Look at those huge beautiful eyes and pinchable cheeks! If you told me you didn't feel an emence urge to kiss her face, I wouldn't believe a word you said! I can't believe she's mine sometimes. I step back and think 'I created her?!' With a little help of course.. ;) But seriously, am I the only one who feels like she is just far too perfect of a baby?

(1 day shy of 8 weeks old!)

And last but not least, the basket that I made for my honey as his Easter treat! I got the idea off of Pinterest and just got so excited that I had to do it! With my own little twists of course. We aren't really drinkers in this house, but I thought it would be a nice treat for him since he's been working such long hours. Something to help him relax. Inside I placed chapsticks 'cause he's always losing his, Lindt chocolate carrots and a Lindt chocolate bunny - yum! I had to 'taste test' that part with him. And some gum. Nothing too fancy, but he still really loved it and I had a lot of fun putting it together & surprising him!


Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed the pictures of my little girl as much as I do.  Have a wonderful Tuesday night everyone!

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday! I hope all of you can say the same!

It started off with 11am church, then we headed home to get things ready for a late lunch with the family. Tamale's, pico, salad and fruit with dip for dessert. Yum!

Of course our little Gracie was in need of a nursing and nap first when we got home, but when she awoke she was in the best of mood to visit and hang out with the family!

It was a great first Easter!