Does your baby trust you?

Wow its been quite awhile since my last post, but I've been pretty busy with a baby that just recently wants to be the complete center of ALL of my attention. Normally the bambino is great with relaxing in his swing or either getting his exercise in with tummy time, or just simply babbling and blowing bubbles. Not sure what has caused this onset of wanting to be a baby and be held all the time...how dare he!!! :)
The dilemma I guess I've been faced with is rather or not to let my LO have those "cry it out" episodes or not. Now normally the bambino isn't a typical crier. He's mostly a very happy, easy going, laughing and smiling type of baby. If and when he cries it's because he has a wet or poopy diaper or he's hungry. I can't even begin to tell you how many books or online sites that I've read about this topic, and it seems like no matter what method you choose there will always be a critic to your decision. 
If you're constantly picking them up then you're "spoiling" the baby, or if you let them cry it out then your losing that sense of trust your baby has for you. So the question is which method is correct? My answer to that would have to be to each its own. All babies are different and I don't think there is one type of parenting style that fits perfectly to every child. I think you should be open to trying different ways if your way isn't working properly.
I personally have tried the "cry it out" method and it broke my heart to listen to my baby cry his eyes out. Needless to say thats not the method I am currently using in my household. Babies are so delicate and precious, and at such young ages their only way to communicate is to cry, so if they're crying then its obviously a reason behind it. Temporary emotional abandonment just isn't my style. I've also heard the what you would call "ol' school" moms say that you're spoiling the baby by not letting them cry. Like really? How are you spoiling something that only wants to be loved and comforted? At such a young age a baby simply doesn't yet learn that having crying fits get them attention.  On the contrary, the more responsive you are to an infant’s needs, the less “spoiled” the baby will be as they get older. Bonding creates trust, and children with secure attachments tend to be more independent, not less. 
The one thing I know that I want to have with my son is a great loving relationship were he not only knows that I love him with all of my heart, but were he also trusts me.... and that trust starts now. 
Ps. I'm holding him right now :-D

The Bumbo

So my LO had his 4 month shots the other day, and I must say he did awesome! He's such a big boy. He's also at that point wanting to be right in the center of everything. He rarely wants to be placed on his back anymore to lay down, but he loves it when we prop him up with pillows to sit up. Since he's still not quite able to stay upright completely by himself a lot of times he has to go back to his laying down position when I needed something to be done around the house. I do have a wrap that I use, but the housework I can do with him in it is very limited considering I can not, or should I say I don't feel comfortable bending down and over with him in it. Luckily for me a friend of ours so graciously gave and introduced us to a baby seat known as the Bumbo.
The Bumbo is a soft rubber like seat that contours to your baby and allows them to sit upright totally unsupported. Its recommended to start using not until your baby is fully able to support their head which depending on the baby is typically between 3-4 months. It also can come with a detachable tray to use if you preferred to feed your baby in it as well. Oh, and it comes in a few cool colors if you needed it to match your decor. :)
I've only had it for a few days now, so I'm not a veteran on the product, but so far I must say its pretty awesome. My bambino already sits up a little, so when I put him in the Bumbo he just sat there and looked around with bright eyes. It was the coolest thing because he was able to sit up and check out the world around him. My cat even had to look twice at the neat little chair sitting on the kitchen floor. I was able to clean my kitchen while having my son in the Bumbo on the floor playing with his toys content and happy. I say that was pretty awesome vs having a fussy baby because you have to lay them down to do something. Now granted I only had him in it for maybe like 15 mins, but that entire time he really seemed to be having a great time.
With all products that I use with my LO I go to the trusty internet to read reviews and to basically get the 411 on the product. Well before receiving the Bumbo to my concern was information about a recall back in 2007 for the Bumbo baby seat. Of course I turned into like supermom and continued to read and search every site pertaining to the Bumbo and this alleged recall. Well... after much research it appears that 30 babies were reported having Bumbo related injuries due to falling out of the Bumbo onto the floor from a high service.  Hmmm.... lets think about his for a moment. So as a mom because of my lack of intelligence and basic stupidity for putting my baby in something and then placing him on a counter it's clearly the manufactures fault if they fall. Right? I mean like seriously people this product or any other baby product is not meant to be used as your personal babysitter. It just amazes me how peole can be so irresponsible, and the moment something bad happens they start pointing fingers. If you the parent put your precious baby in a product, then put that product on a table, countertop, etc, and left them unattended you are to blame. Period.

Bambino contently playing in his Bumbo...on the FLOOR! :)

Also if your LO is able to sit up on his or her own then maybe the bumbo is not the ideal product for you. If they have outgrown it, it is no longer safe to put them in it. ie. car seats, bouncers, walkers high chairs ect…. The idea is to know and watch your children and when you see that they are at the threshold of out growing a product you simply stop using it. The Bumbos that were produced after the recall simply have a sticker stating “WARNING” – “Never use on a raised surface. Never use as a car seat or bath seat. Designed for floor level use only. Never leave your baby unattended as the seat is not designed to be totally restrictive and may not prevent release of your baby in the event of vigorous movement.” Now we just have to hope people will read. 
 

Those aren't crocodile tears my dear

So I'm laying with the LO and its confirmed that he is not going to sleep anytime soon. I told him that he has a really big day tomorrow and that he may want to get some rest, but he disregards my advice and continues to blow bubbles and play. I guess he forgot that tomorrow is his 4 month checkup. Oh no!!!! Yes tomorrow I will have to pretend to be strong while they inject my poor baby! One thing as a new mom I don't think I will ever get used to will be seeing and hearing him scream from his check up vaccinations. No way no how! It just breaks my hurt to see my baby so helpless and in so much pain. His 2 month shots brought endless screams and I'm sure tomorrow will be even worse. I just hope its over quickly for my baby and he doesn't cry that bad. *wishful thinking*
I decided to entertain him so i found this episode of one his favorite shows Sid The Science Kid. It was an episode on vaccinations ironically! So appropriate for tomorrows big day I thought. There you have Sid talking about how great vaccinations are for you, and then my son seeming to understand. So awesome! I really enjoyed the episode also, so much I think it will be a tradition of some sort to watch it from now on before his gets his shots. Feel free to share it with your LO as well. ;-)  http://youtu.be/4tpmiGFxRg4

Don't blink or you will miss it!

I find myself constantly contradicting things that I say. Like for instance a little after my bambino was just born I remember saying oh I cant wait until he gets bigger, or I cant wait until he's crawling, and so on. Well today for the first time when I laid him on his tummy he crawled just a little bit towards me. I was so ecstatic, but then after a moment I kinda felt a little sad because my baby was growing up. I started thinking about how next he'll be running around, then headed off to school and college then marriage and then my little baby will be gone far away from mommy. I know... a little much, but my imagination definitely can get the best of me at times, and its true...time flies by.
We've probably all been guilty of having a moment when we've made statements similar to mine, but we probably fail to realize that babies grow and development so incredibly fast. Heck I'll even admit to missing moments of my pregnancy, but remembering saying I couldn't wait to hurry up and deliver! :)
One thing I will suggest for all the new or upcoming moms is to try and record any and every moment possible of your pregnancy, delivery, and those tender moments postpartum.
One thing I did was had pictures taken while I was pregnant. I waited until I was about 8 months (very much showing) to have them done. I absolutely love looking at all my pictures and having them to reflect on those moments of all 9 months, and to also have to show my son one day how pretty he made mommy. :)
During my delivery I kept it pretty modest. I didn't video record anything while in labor, but I did have photos taken of my before, during and after delivery (censured and rated PG of course), and I absolutely LOVE having those pictures.  I can really look back with them with loved ones that couldn't attend, and tell a story of the whole event. Pretty awesome I must say... even though I'm not thrilled on my appearance on over 90% of them I still love them.

Last I would recommend buying a very nice baby keepsake album. This is were you would joint down every little tiny thing about your pregnancy and delivery, and after your Lo arrives...every single milestone for the first five years. I have documented not only little things like my cravings during pregnancy, but all of my sons "Firsts" up until now. The album I have is very detailed and it allows for me to add extra scrapbook type of items to it also! Now if your not into detail, then they also have the really simple ones that allow you to just make a note of the basics moments. Either way trust me you will love looking back, and having those images or stories to reflect on about your little one. Besides... they're only a baby for such a brief period so  enjoy and don't forget to take notes! Heres a link to the book I have for my son. ~~~>>> www.crgibson.com/baby-2100000235

All cartoons are not good

So I received a package in the mail from my mom, and along w/ all his toys and books was a newspaper article enclosed. And yes... people still read newspapers. :-) So any who... the article stated that parents shouldn't let their kids watch Spongebob. Yes I know it may sound weird considering Spongebob is suppose to be a kid friendly cartoon, but according to this article its not a good watch for your precious little one. It goes on to state that the show causes short-term attention and learning problems in your children...particularly 4 year olds. Apparently there was a study done on kids who watched Spongebob and those who didnt and then those two separate groups did some sort of mental test. The ones who watched Spongebob did horrible in comparison to the other group.
Now I personally before reading this article wouldn't let my son watch Spongebob because to me its not a learning cartoon. And in some cases Spongebob can be mean or even rude to his friends on the show. Absolutely not the type of behavior I want my Lo to mimic.
The article also writes that the networks spokesperson disputes the accusations and says that Spongebob isn't meant to be watched right before a test or any type of learning tool. Like really???!!!
Either way I don't think I'll be letting my 4 month old be entertained by this particular cartoon..I'm content with his PBS. :)

Oh No... My HAIR!!!!!

I noticed such a dramatic change in my body during pregnancy. My breast became fuller, I experienced morning sickness and my mood... well...you know. All of these changes were due to the hormone levels in my body changing. Of course this hormone change is necessary for the well development of a mothers unborn child, but dang it can be a bumpy road to recovery.


As many may have heard or experienced there are some awesome advantages during pregnancy as in dramatic hair growth. Throughout my pregnancy my hair was probably in its most healthiest state. During pregnancy, the increase in the female hormone estrogen stimulates hair growth. My hair was growing like weeds, and it was so incredibly thick, and most importantly the shedding was pretty much non existent! Well I must say things have made a change for the worst with the sudden drop of estrogen that occurs after birth. Now that Im almost 4 months postpartum  all of those awesome things that I mentioned my hair did...well its not anymore. Its like my hair did a complete 180 degree turn and made a quick dash to the opposite end of the spectrum.


I probably didnt experience or should I say notice the change until my son was 2 months old. I was in the shower combing my hair like I always do and I looked at the comb and there was such a massive amount of hair in the comb. I was so horrified that I ran to the nearest store and bought the most expensive hair products for restoring hair, dry/damaged hair, moisturizing hair. Everything you can think I bought. OMG!!!


 I then realized that I may have gotten a little carried away with spending all that money on those hair products. That my hair shedding will probably be around for at least another 6 months and there was not much I could do to stop the process. In the meantime I have learned that there are a few remedies to help  ease the pain. This may not be for everyone but hair extensions and integrations immediately add length, volume and highlights to your hair. They also come in different colors and hairstyles and an expert can get them to match you perfectly. Hair extensions can also last for 4 to 6 months, or longer. If extensions arent your thing then concealing the problem may be another option for you. You can get help from a hair stylist to find a style that creates the illusion of volume. Also while waiting for your hair to grow back, you may choose to wear headbands, scarves, and hats to conceal parts of your scalp with thinning hair. The last solution I found was watching what you eat. Unfortunately there's no miracle food that will instantly stop the shedding, but I learned that fruits and veggies help to stimulate the re growth from all the antioxidants they contain. Also, supplements can be taken to help with the re-growth as well.


Please do not let hair loss ruin the joys of motherhood. Learn about your hair loss options so you can stop worrying and focus on the more important things... your new precious gift.  Before you know it, your child will be taking his or her first baby steps, and you will have your gorgeous hair back!

Solids....How exciting!

So this morning I woke realizing that my son that was once my little tiny newborn is growing so rapidly into my big growing baby! *tear* Don't get me wrong I love that he's developing at an excellent rate, but I must admit I miss him being so tiny.

This thinking sparked me to do a little research on the internet about starting my baby on solids. Previous to now I said that I wasn't going to start my son on it until he was 6 months, while still providing him with his main nutrition source of breast milk. Well...lately he has really been showing interest in what I eat. He stares at my food when Im preparing it, and if I'm holding him while eating he follows my food into my mouth with his eyes. He also is in the stage of what Gerber called the "supported sitter". www.gerber.com Thats when your baby is able to sit up with the assistance of being held, and also during tummy time he holds his head all the way up and pushes up on his arms. Wish all of these factors I'm really considering to push forward with the solids at 4 months rather my original 6 months. I'm really excited about this process because I'm also going to be making my own baby food!!!  

All new moms should at least give it a try, and if its not your thing then at least you'll say you tried.  There are tons of online sites to help you get started, and once you get a system its easy breezy. ( At least thats what I got out of the readings) Once I actually start I will definitely update with my results.  In the meantime here's a link to a really helpful site to show you how incredibly easy making your own baby food can be~~~>> www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-make-your-own-food_1401482.bc  Below is a pic of my son during tummy time. Drool and all isn't he adorable?! Good luck moms!! :) 

My secret to losing 30lbs in less than 2 months! Shhh...

 Before I begin I must say that it feels so awesome to be able to wear my old clothes again!!!! Geesh... most of those maternity clothes are so hideous! I never was a fan of spending a lot of money on clothes that I knew I 1) would only wear a few months 2) would never wear again. When I did buy clothes I would just buy regular clothes but just bigger sizes. My pre-pregnancy weight was 118lbs and I'm 5'6". According to my doctor I was suppose to gain no more than 30lbs through out the entire duration of my pregnancy. I actually lost weight the first few months because I was so incredibly sick every single day! Oh my Goodness it was awful!!! Every single thing I ate didn't sit right and immediately came back up like clock work.
Prior to becoming pregnant I was very active in the gym. Anywhere from 4-6 times a week was the norm for me. I didn't work out at all during my entire pregnancy because of complications in the very beginning and my doctor recommended I kept that to a minimum. At the end of my 9 months I had gained an exact amount of 30lbs. I must say I actually enjoyed having the weight on me (while I was pregnant) :-)
When the day came for me to leave the hospital with my new bundle of joy I reached to put on my "normal" clothes. I looked in the mirror and to my surprise I thought " I STILL LOOK PREGNANT!!!" Oh nooooooooo....I thought. Whhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyy because their was clearly no baby in there?!
Apparently I was living my preggo duration with the concept that everything was going to go exactly back to normal with little to no effort on my part. Right? Wrong!
Lucky me I was at least on the right path to recovery from my post baby pooch. I was breastfeeding my son!!!!!! YES! If I had to divide how I lost my weight breastfeeding would get about 60% of the credit. The remaining would definitely have to go to being fit prior to conceiving, eating right during pregnancy to maintain the proper weight gain, and exercising post pregnancy. Ok maybe 10% I will credit to genetics (thanks mom) tee-hee :)
But seriously ladies...If you're struggling with a little post preggo weight,  pregnant, or even thinking about conceiving I truly believe all of those factors combined helped me get to where I am now. I feel so awesome, and I'm able to focus on my son 100% rather than feeling stressed about my weight which is why we put ourselves through it in the first place right? :)
Feel free to leave a comment or ask me any questions. Good luck and you can do it!!!!

8 1/2 months

3 1/2 months after :)