Blah, Blah, Blah

Soooo... apparently I have what is called writers block, and I am totally blank on topics. Its strange because as a new mom there is rarely a dull moment in your life, so having this "block" is quite entertaining to me. I have so much to talk about concerning the LO, but not a single topic comes to mind... so, I will just rant about what's been happening with the little bambino. :)


One of my dear friends just recently had a sweet baby girl, and hearing her experience just brought back all the memories of my labor. I remember every detail just like it was yesterday. Wow... I look at my baby and realize that he's growing so rapidly. It just amazes me on how quickly they grow and develop. I'm so grateful to be able to spend all of my day with him to witness all of his developmental moments in life. I'm currently working on a video that will be a detailed look on his life throughout the 1st year. I'm super excited about the project, and I can not wait to play it for all my friends and family at his birthday party!


Blink and you're sure to miss something that's for sure! Just last week my LO said da-da for the first time, and it was the most amazing thing to ever hear. Of course he said it after I just recently nursed him and I was the one holding him... go figure. :) Thankfully dad was there to witness that awesome moment. Now I'm working on hearing the words every mom dreams about.. yes you guessed ma ma! :) Ummm... I think I may have to wait a while for it. LOL He's also rolling around, reaching and grabbing for EVERYTHING, and sitting up by himself. Who's a proud mommy??? You betcha... me!!!!! ;)


We've also started on a different solid which has been exciting to see how he responds to the taste. I dont think I have I picky eater on my hands because we first started with bananas and now we're trying carrots this week. He seems to love everything so far. :) Everyday I find myself simply staring at him while he sleeps. So peaceful. So innocent. I'm truly blessed.

Traveling while Preggo

The holidays are fast approaching, and the airlines will be extremely busy. While I miss being pregnant at times, I do not miss the frequent pain associations, and traveling while sick is not a day at the park! Take it from me I wish I had of known before hand on how to ease the pain of traveling while pregnant. I traveled during my entire pregnancy all the way until I was 7 months pregnant. Yes I was 30,000 ft up in the air far away from any doctor or hospital with only 2 months left until delivery.Crazy? Mayb, but definitly safe. In fact if your pregnancy is not considered high risk then you can safely travel within the U.S all the way until you are 8 months pregnant. Anything past that will require a statement from your doctor allowing you to travel, and even then its up to the airlines descretion rather to allow you to fly or not. Its also recommended to travel during your 2nd semester as compared to the 1st becasue normally the morning sickness has ceased some. Also if you are traveling during your 2nd or 3rd trimester its recommended also to have a copy of your prenatal chart handy. This information will include your age, the date of your last menstrual period, your due date, the number and outcomes of any prior pregnancies, your risk factors for disease, pregnancy-related lab tests and ultrasounds, medical and surgical history, and a flow sheet of vital signs taken at each doctors visit.


Although it is perfectly safe to travel while pregnant its necessary to take the extra precautions.

• Check with your healthcare provider to make sure its ok to travel.
• Have medical records and all other vital records handy.
• Buy travel insurance
• Prepare for the unexpected
• If traveling in your last trimester check with your airline to make sure that there arent any restrictions.

Traveling while pregnant – whether by plane, train, or automobile can be a tricky proposition. But with your doctor's blessing and some smart preparation, there’s no reason to sit home. Safe travels to everyone! :)

You are the teacher

Every day I make a point to take time out to read to my LO for at least 15 mins a day. Not only do I get the bonding time with him, but he enjoys it also. We talk about the pictures on the page and I let him touch the pictures as well. I like to think that he understands everything thats being read to him. :)
Just recently I found myself in a situation that neither myself nor the bambino has been in. We went with dad to the dentist and what should have been a normal 30 minute visit turned into almost 2hrs!!! Do you realize how incredibly long 2 hrs is for a 5 month old??? The few books I had, and his toys started to become boring to him after about 30 mins. I was running out of ideas! So I did what any Iphone user would have done and I searched for apps for babies. Laugh if you may, but to my surprise I was saved by the app Gods. The one that I enjoyed the most (so much I purchased the upgraded version for .99) was called Phone4Kids. What I recently discovered is that babies love sound and lights. Rather it be singing cartoons, mommy singing nursery rhymes, the sound of bubbles being blown, or just plain clapping...they love it! My son in particular becomes so attentive when he has a visual followed by a sound. Books that include music or noise and lights really catch his attention and seem to work the best. 

The reason I love this app Phone4Kids is because my son is stimulated with visuals and with sound. From the moment I uploaded it he was glued to the screen. The upgraded version allows you to scroll through 24 different types of activities. From ABC's to 123's, colors, animal, sounds...this app has it all! So far my .99 was money well spent towards watching my son begin his learning process that will make the pathway for the rest of his life. Its never too early for you LO to start learning. I also ordered a sign language DVD that should arrive next week. I'm super excited about its arrival and will be posting updates. Attached is a video of my son heavily engaged with the app on my Iphone. Enjoy!

The Soother

Being a new mommy in a new city definitely takes a toll on your sense of time management, but I'm getting the hang of it. I've been MIA, but what I've come to realize there's no rule book on parenting. A lot of it I've just been winging, and sometimes thats the only way into finding out what works best for you and your LO.
The subject I'm addressing now is trying to get the little bambino to sleep in his crib. While I was pregnant I would have never thought of this as being an issue, but boy was I wrong. I've read how some babies from newborn until whenever sleep through the night in their crib like perfect little sleeping sweet babies. Ummmm....yeah... not over here. I will admit its partial....ok its totally my fault. From birth to about a little over a month I was so good at swaddling him and placing him gently into his crib for a good couple of hours of sleep, but then I started to have baby withdrawals, and let him sleep with me one night. My mother warned me that I shouldn't start a bad habit, but me being a first time mom, and thinking that I knew everything I ignored her advice. Now 2 months later, and my LO probably thinks my bed IS his bed, and his bed is like some nicely decorated piece of furniture. Go figure :-/
So of course I started googling on the best ways to get your LO to fall asleep in their crib. I no longer can swaddle him because he will just kick his way out, so I needed ideas quickly! (My baby is a WILD sleeper already) After trying all the different suggestions I stumbled upon an article about using a soother to help with your baby falling asleep. I immediately went to www.amazon.com and typed baby soothers. What I absolutely love about Amazon is not only can you get free shipping on most of your items, but you have the opportunity to read reviews of the product. Love it!
So I found one that caught my eye made by Fisher Price called the Peek a Boo Waterfall Rainforest Baby Crib Toy.  It was fairly easy to install on the side of the crib and plays several different songs and also lights up and has monkeys that swing about or fish that swim in the water. The volume also adjusts and it has a simple touch button on the front of the toy. A lot of parents also even commented that as their child got older they were able to reach and turn it on and soothe themselves back to sleep when suddenly awakened. If I had to rate it out of 5 stars I would give it a 4 simply because the music could play a little longer, but other than that it was worth the purchase. I would definitely recommend it to all the  new parents.

Sleeping nice & sound in HIS bed with the soother playing softly in the background. :)

More bang for your buck

Being a new mom definitely changes a lot of things in your used to be all about you world. While once nothing could stop you from eyeing that $500 watch, now you're clipping coupons for baby wipes and diapers. Ahhhh.... the joys of motherhood. And while raising a baby will take a toll on your savings there is a way to not feel like its money down the drain.
First I would start off by recommending to start clipping coupons if you haven't already. I wasn't, and still not quite to be considered the coupon queen, but I do make an effort now. Especially in ads like Babies R Us where you can sometimes find coupons for up to 40% off a single item, and those come pretty much on the regular. I can specifically remember purchasing my breast pump from Babies R Us and using their 40% off coupon on top of the item already being discounted. It was very much worth the effort of clipping and saving.
Next I would suggest to buy in bulk. A lot of people think that stores like Costco and BJ's are strictly for larger family homes, but thats certainly not the case. Buying in bulk not only saves you money by getting more for an overall cheaper value, but it also saves you that late night trip to Walgreens or your local grocery store. When you buy in bulk its less likely that you will run out of your essentials like diapers, wipes, or formula.
One of the last things I wanted to sort of touch bases about when it comes to savings will be the terrible realization that one day you wake up and your tiny baby no longer fits their clothes. Yes all of those adorable outfits, and some that he or she only wore once for 5 mins can no longer be worn. So now you have to go out and buy more clothes for the next age group, and the next, and so on... until you realize that you may be putting out more than you should. Now I know we all want our babies to have the best, but seriously.... $50 for a shirt that he or she may wear only once? I realize we live in the age thats all about the brands, but I don't think we have to worry about your baby getting bullied in his crib at daycare because he has a batman on his onsie vs a Polo sign. I learned my lesson very early when it comes to buying clothes for the LO. Yes I was that mom heading directly to all the cute individual baby stores like The Childrens Palace or baby H&M, but when I saw some of them that never really got worn I completely changed that. I soon discovered Burlington baby section, and OMG they have everything, and everything is so incredibly reasonable. Now if you still want to "splurge" on special occasions for your LO, then that's totally fine, but every day wear I would highly recommend the latter. Happy shopping mommies and daddies!!! :-D