3 Month Candids

L.A. or Bust!

Daddy's little helper =)

Chillin at the Mitchell's

My favorite spot on Mommy's shoulder

WOW! Daddy's chair is HUGE!

Ready to hit the town of Alice Springs

Mommy will carry me ;)

Is that a Deer on my shirt?

Those eyes! She gets them from her Mommy =)

She has the BEST laugh and smile

Your Germs are Bigger

Like most parents my Husband and I want to do what is best for our daughter. I will admit that I definitely have the "Momma Bear" syndrome, and my growl does match my bite when it comes to my sweet little girl Sloane Sophia.

No, I do not worship her, nor do I think she is "better" than any other Mother's child. I however, am a no nonsense Mother when it comes to protecting my daughter from things, people, etc. that are within my control, and yes sometimes, well often, that are not in my control. I know the Mother's of the world understand where I am coming from! With that being said, I am speaking in particular about kissing on babies that are not your baby. Meaning, you are not the parent.

I come from a family where we do not kiss on babies. We do not know where your mouth has been, plus it is just not o.k. in our book. As my Aunt (Yes I have more than one, but I will keep her anonymous, though she REALLY wouldn't mind if I used her name) so eloquently stated, "YUCK! Don't kiss on the baby!" Now, are there some extended family members and friends who take offense to this? Yes. If you don't agree with this that is fine, but remember you raise your child the way you want/wanted to, and we shall do the same. Respect and be Respected.

I hope and believe that extended family members and friends understand that their germs are bigger than the precious little lamb that is YOUR child. Besides, does the baby REALLY want a kiss from you? Or is it really about what YOU want? So we give hugs, if the Parent/Baby/Child seems receptive to receive the hug. We also make sure we are not wearing a bottle of perfume or our favorite lotion either when we do so. Respect and be Respected.

The main reason why I don't kiss on babies is because I HATE to see those cute little cheeks all red and with those little bumps on them that we call kissing bumps. Of course they are not caused by just kissing on the babies face/cheeks. It is common in newborn babies as their skin is sensitive and prone to break out anyway. However, keeping their face clean and being mindful of when it does come in contact with adult skin, you make sure you aren't wearing lipstick, gloss, chap stick, lotion, perfumes, etc. will aid in less breakouts. Which is what my Husband and I do when we, her Parents kiss our little girl. Respect and be Respected.

Once again you may not agree, but respect the Parents. This is just something I needed to vent about after having conversations about this with extended family and friends. Everyone has their advice and opinions on how you should raise your child and I often think they forget that is is YOUR child and they have either had the chance to do what they wanted with their child, or will have the chance. So all you kissing Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Friends, Sister So-in-So, Brother So-inSo at Church, etc., don't take offense, just love and respect the parents and their precious little lamb.  Just a late night thought from a protective and loving Momma Bear =)

Too busy enjoying her fingers to smile for the camera

Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy

Ahh...Safe Baby Smell

Everyone LOVES to smell a cute, cuddly baby! I know I do! So I definitely wanted Sloane to have that huggable smell like ALL babies do. The first thing that comes to mind of course is Johnson & Johnson. The name itself just screams BABY! However, what is really in that Johnson & Johnson baby lotion that makes babies smell so good? Sad to say a bunch of yucky stuff and words that we either can't pronounce or have never heard of.

I know, I know! We ALL probably had Johnson & Johnson products used on us during our days of being babies. But as Maya Angelou so eloquently stated, "When you know better, you do better." Therefore, I know and therefore I did do better for Sloane!

After doing my own research and utilizing the AWESOME SafeMama.com site I found the perfect products to use on my delicate little girls skin. The products are by Earth Mama Angel Baby, and they are AMAZING! You get the yummy baby smell without all the toxins that are not only harmful to baby but our environment. Here are are my faves thus far:

Angel Baby Bottom Balm - GREAT! Not sticky or gooey like the normal diaper creams. It is also
safe for cloth diapers as well. WE Love it! A dab goes a LONG way! Plus you can use it for little scrapes as well on your precious little one.

Angel Baby Shampoo Body Wash - YUMMY! We love the fresh scent of this shampoo/body wash. It comes in an easy pump and is foam. Sloane LOVES bath time and this calming scent I'm sure is one of the reasons. It is a natural orange and lemon scent or you can go with the calming lavender. It is not a *no tears* shampoo so be careful. In order to be no tears you must use toxins like Johnson & Johnson. Who knew ._.

Angel Baby Lotion  - SMOOTH! It is the perfect compliment to the shampoo/body wash. I use this daily on Sloane. A good moisturizing lotion is essential here in Alice Springs, Australia because the water is extremely hard and the climate extremely dry. It is not too heavy or greasy either.

Angel Baby Oil - WONDERFUL! The oil is light and perfect to use in the bath, after bath, and for cradle cap as well. I actually mix it with the lotion and apply it to Sloane's body after her baths. I also use it on her hair and scalp 3 times a week. It is the best thing next to my organic olive oil but smells a lot better!

Earth Mama Angel has all the products needed for baby and Mommy as well. The products are wonderful and the company is great! I would recommend all of the products I have tried and others. Oh yeah, I just bought the Organic Milkmaid Tea because it is suppose to help alleviate gas in the baby's tummy. I will keep you posted on the results!

Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy

My future ballerina
Like Mother Like Daughter

                                                         

Convenient for Whom?

When I found out I was pregnant there were two things I was completely sure of:

1. Cloth Diapers
2. Breastfeeding

Purchasing the cloth diapers turned out to be quite an easy task, but I knew that breastfeeding would bring with it challenges, triumphs, tears and yes I had some fears.

You hear the horror stories of babies biting the nipple, not latching on properly, not having enough milk to supply for your baby, etc. However, when you go into breastfeeding, and parenthood for that matter, you must understand that it is NOT about YOU, it is ALL about the BABY! Period! If you are not willing to swallow that pill and let go of the ME in the Mommy, then I do believe the road will be a bit more bumpier than usual.

I of course had a plan. I was going to only breastfeed Sloane for the first month, no bottle feeding until she was two months old, and only use bottles during the day. Well, after Sloane was born I changed my mind. She was doing so well! She latched on 30 minutes after being born, and after a week of sore/cracked nipples and 2 consultations with the AMAZING Lactation Specialist at the hospital, we have had NO problems whatsoever! Thank you Sloane! I am Blessed!

So, I changed my mind about introducing the bottle at 2 months because I had read about babies going through nipple confusion and then not eating well at all and losing weight. I figured why am I really introducing a bottle? I'm not working. So why do I need to make this convenient for me and not for Sloane? My schedule revolves around her anyway, so if I need to leave the house to do something for "me" then I will have to make it work and make sure she is fed and taken care of. Isn't that my job? Isn't that what I am supposed to do with this gift that God has Blessed me with? YES!

I believed before having Sloane that pumping my milk would be simple. It isn't! The pump is not the same as a baby sucking therefore the results are not the same. Yes, I have pumped my milk to relieve myself when Sloane is not ready to eat. After each pump I cannot feed Sloane from the pumped breast because your nipple does not look or feel "normal" to the baby. I wish I would have taken a picture of Sloane's face the time I offered her milk from my pumped breast. HILARIOUS! I know women who have to pump because they work and I applaud them because they are determined to provide the wonderful milk for their children. That is a TOUGH job! I however, do not have to pump my milk for Sloane, and I'm not going to do it to simply make it convenient for myself. My Husband has allowed me to control this part of our raising Sloane and I thank him for that.

Breastfeeding is NOT for everyone and that is ok. If you must or you choose to give your baby formula just do your research and do what is best for your baby.

Sloane is 3 months old and has never had a bottle or pacifier and she is doing GREAT! Guess what, so is Mommy! So that "plan" changed. The plan to use a bottle when teeth come in has however NOT changed! Lol! Stay tuned for that story...

I think the best advice to expectant and new Mother's is to just wait and see how your story and plans play out. I'm sure you will have rewrites to your book as have I...

Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy

Trois Mois

Our little lamb is growing and changing so fast! We are enjoying EVERY minute of it! She is more vocal now, with those coos turning into what we call "baby talk". Of course because we are her parents we feel as though it is definitely more like Sloane's Vocab, and more advanced than the normal 3 month old baby. Lol!

Sloane's personality is truly coming out during this time of development. She is clear on when she needs to be changed, wants to eat, play, read a book, listen to music, have a conversation, hang out with her Meme, or just relax and chill out in Mommy and Daddy's arms. I truly believe when I am talking to her during our late night feedings, when I change her diaper, when she is sitting in her Momma Roo, or just in my arms that she not only understands what I am saying, but she OFTEN contributes vocally as well! I love my baby girl!

Time is definitely going by fast during this infant stage, and it only excites us for what is yet to come as her parents! She continues to eat well as you can see (13 pounds!) from her birthday photo, and she is just such a happy baby! But as my Mom said what did we expect?! She has parents who are in love, best friends and HAPPY! That of course yields a HAPPY Sloane =)



Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy

Not Disposable

Thank You Soror Johnson for this CUTE onesie!

There were two things that my husband and I were sure of when we found out we were having a baby in regards to her care. One, I was going to breastfeed. Two, we were going to use cloth diapers. The one thing we never really thought about was having a baby overseas! Hahaha!

I always said I would use cloth diapers when I had children because I know that they are best for the baby. They have evolved so much from when our parents were dipping diapers in the toilet and sticking themselves with diaper pins. Now, you not only have pre-folded cloth diapers, but you even have diaper services! Yes, they deliver the nice clean diapers to you and pick up the icky ones as well! That was my plan. However, we know when we make plans God always shows us that He has control, and of course His plan is ALWAYS better than our plan! Hence, having a baby in Alice Springs, Australia and NO diaper service.

So, I did my research and thanks to a friend here in Alice, I was introduced to Jillian's Drawers. They are a WONDERFUL store located in of all places Ithaca, New York! Ithaca of course is special to my Hubby as that is where his alma mater Cornell University is located, and it also brings found memories of our time in grad school in the wonderful state of New York.

At any rate, Jillian's is a GREAT one stop shop for ALL things cloth diaper related, baby products without all of the harmful chemicals, and I LOVE their New to Cloth Diapers link. It is TRULY helpful and informative! I was so excited when I found out that they ship to APO addresses, because that often limits what we can purchase on-line, and I did not want to have to wait, nor depend on someone shipping them to me from the States.

I have been VERY HAPPY with the cloth diapers we are using with Sloane. In doing my research I also found out that babies who wear cloth diapers have none/less diaper rashes because the diapers do not have the chemicals that disposable diapers have on them. Also studies show that it is easier to potty train children who wear cloth diapers because they can feel when they are wet immediately, unlike the disposable diapers that whisk all of the wetness away.

No more toilet dunking!

Newborn diapers by Kisaluvs. The BEST for breastfed babies.

All-in-One by BumGenius

Cover for Newborn diaper, Thirsties. Just ok.

Prorap classic cover for Newborn Diapers. The BEST!!

We do have some disposable diapers that we use when we leave the house to visit friends, and I must admit I HATE them! So, I did some more research and found out that I don't have to use disposable diapers for times when we are away from home because you can use these GREAT biodegradable diaper liners as well! YES! This Mommy is so pleased! Especially because we will be going home for almost two months this summer and I did not want Sloane to be in disposable diapers for that amount of time! All is right with the world...

Yay for Cloth Diapers! I would recommend them to ALL Mommy's! Hey, it is the BEST thing for our precious little lambs.

Forever I am...Sloane’s Mommy