We have a tooth!

Sweet Vivian got her first tooth last Friday.  We knew she was working on it.  Actually we have been blaming her behavior on teething for at least two months!  LOL  It's finally paid off. She's just getting so big so fast, it's bittersweet.

Now that I'm on my second child I feel like I am able to watch for symptoms better than I was with Lila.  I was kinda clueless whether she was getting sick or not and I had NO idea what to do even if she was getting sick.  I don't know if it's experience or confidence, but whatever it is, I feel like I can get the situation under control better this time around.

As many of you know, ear infections and teething go right together.  This is when the trouble started for Lila and the poor girl has had 2 sets.  I feel just awful for her.  I've been using doTERRA essential oils for several months now.  My friend who introduced them to me once wrote a blog post on how she cured her son's ear infection with essential oils.  Read about it here.  When I read this, I just thought, no freakin' way!  There's no way that that could happen.  I had the intention to start using them, but never thought I'd be using them for something like this, I would so just take my kid to the doctor.

Then, three months later we get thrown into teething hell.  Two weeks ago I could tell how fussy Vivian was and, again being a little more seasoned and maybe even more attentive to my children's needs, I noticed her grabbing her ears a little.  Not really pulling or anything, just had her hands up by them way more than usual.  My first thought was yep...we've got an ear infection coming.  She's teething and that's when Lila always got her's.  Then it occurred to me...I've got melaleuca.  I'm going to try and rub that behind her ears and just see where this goes.  I did it a couple times a day for a couple days.  Watched her behavior, constantly checked her for a fever, nothing....she was no longer grabbing her ears, she was still kinda fussy, but hey, she had a sharp object popping through her poor gums.  BUT SHE WASN'T GRABBING HER EARS ANYMORE.  I wowed myself.  I knew that there was fluid in there.  I had been through that before.  I knew that if the fluid didn't drain or dry up, it would more than likely turn to an ear infection.  I solved the problem before it even became the problem.

For the essential oils, for me, seeing is believing.  It wasn't that I didn't believe my friends blog, but I had to have that situation happen to me and solve it for myself.  I think a lot of people are like that.  If I was to freak out and take her to the doctor when I did, it would have been a $30 co-pay only for them to tell me that there was just fluid, it wasn't infected (YET) and there was nothing they could do.  Then in 5-7 days (I know the routine so well), the fluid would not only still be there, but would have turned into an infection and I'd find myself at the doctor again with another $30 copay and around $15 worth of antibiotics.  

Melaleuca is about 8 cents a drop.  So treating the fluid this time cost me around 64 cents, when it could've cost around $75 if it would have turned into the EI.  I like that a lot better and my husband the nurse likes it too.  He also likes the fact that an ear infection didn't cause us to appear in the ER.  LOL

If Vivian would've gotten sicker and the oils wouldn't have worked, I would not have hesitated to go to the doctor.  I don't know about you, but I don't like going to the doctor, especially during cold and flu season.

If you would like more information about essential oils and wellness, email me at ljatkins84@gmail.com.

Getting Crafty

Since Vivian has gotten a little older, I'm finding it easier to find a little more time for myself to work on some crafts and sewing projects.  I'm so happy that I've reconnected with my sewing machine again.  I've missed it so much.  For some time I've been wanting to sew something, anything with an elastic waist for my kids.  I didn't know if I could do it.  I asked several different people advice on how to do it, but after finding this blog, I knew not even I could mess this up.

I made a skirt for Lila and I took a stab at making some "Matilda Jane" style pants for Vivi, of course with an elastic waist. :)

Ok so the skirt was one of the easiest projects I've ever done.  Lila is going to have more skirts than she knows what to do with.  The pants were a little more work, but really only because of the ruffle cuff at the bottom.  I honestly think that ruffle cuffs are one of those things that once you do a few, it's get way easier.  I hope so at least.

I've got a couple other things that I'm going to try as time allows, but I'd like to perfect these two items before moving on to something else.  I'd love to hear what y'all think I should try next!

The Holidays

Here we are again.  The holidays are right around the corner!  I just love this time of the year.  I love to break out the Christmas music.  I love to look at Black Friday ads.  I love to get with family and eat until we want to puke on Thanksgiving.  :)  I just love everything about it.

This year is going to be even better than the last.  We now have two babies to spoil.  Lila is at the perfect age where she understands Christmas and all that goes with it.  I'm super excited to teach her about Christmas and how Jesus is the reason for all this crazy hoopla.  Of course, we'll still see Santa and I'm really wanting to do Elf on the Shelf this year with her.  Vivi is at this age where she "oooohs" and "ahhhs" everything, so the tree and the lights will be fantastic.  They have brought so much joy to our lives.  I never thought two little crazy girls could make us so happy.

Vivian is just over 6 months right now.  She's so much crazier than Lila was at this age.  You all know how cray Lila is now!  I think Vivi knows she's already behind and she's trying to catch up quickly.  She yells at Lila.  She laughs at her.  If you want her to smile, just get Lila in the room, it gets her every time.  She "dances" with Lila in her jumper.  Oh she's a hoot.  I know we'll have our hands full here in just a few short months!

The Holidays also mean shopping!  I'm proud to say that I've already gotten several presents this year.  Of course it will be the week before Christmas and I'll have to still get several items, but for now, I'm impressing myself.  LOL Lila is obsessed with Doc McStuffins, so she wants everything to do with her.  I'm sure in 3 weeks it will be different, so I'm waiting to buy her stuff last!  Sweet Viv is probably gonna get some clothing items from Mom and Dad.  I know everyone else will spoil her with toys that she doesn't need.

For those people that you aren't really sure what to get them, can I recommend something?  This is an affordable gift that is natural and handy to anyone who receives it.

As I've mentioned before, peppermint oil is great for so many things!  Hot flashes, stomach problems, respiratory issues, the list goes on!  Wild Orange is a great disinfectant and purifying agent.  It can be used to clean counter tops and other objects, such as those that perhaps your kids are constantly putting in their mouths and you don't want them to be eating bleach or other cleaners.  Love this oil.  On Guard is a daily use oil at our house.  Put on the bottom of your feet to help ward off nasty germs that can get you sick with all the crap going around these days.  You can also diffuse it to purify the air around you.  Who doesn't want that?

If you're interested at all in ordering, please let me know or go to www.mydoterra.com/lindseyatkins . 

Several people have asked me about the oils since my last post.  If anyone is interested in getting more information on them, please let me know.  If you want to have an informational class, I'd be happy to do that for you as well.  Get all your friends together and have a great time learning a new way to solve the health issues that you have!

Email me for more information!  ljatkins84@gmail.com

Favorite EO Recipes

I have had several people ask me about EOs since my last post.  I just wanted to share some of my favorites with you.  If you have any questions, let me know!

My Essential Oils Experience

I'm writing this post to hopefully inform others about the use of essential oils and how they can help you and your family.  I'd like to preface this post by stating that I'm pro-vaccinations and pro-"modern" medicine.  Hey, my husband's a nurse, plus I've seen how medicine truly can work.  I'm all for going to the doctor, but I've found that there are some oils out there that can help you not have to drag your kids to the doctor, waste your whole afternoon, and also save that co-pay!

I was introduced to essential oils from a friend of mine that very often posted on her blog about them.  The more she posted, the more interested I became.  Finally, I asked her about them.  She hosted a "class" to teach some of the benefits of essential oils.  At that class, Vivian, who was at the time around 3 months old, all of a sudden got aggravated at the loud noise of people talking and I'm pretty sure she was completely overwhelmed.  The girls asked if they could try an oil on her.  A little apprehensive, since she was only 3 months, I said yes.  They rubbed an oil blend called Serenity on her little feet and within a couple minutes she was calm and had completely stopped freaking out.  I knew then that this was something I had to get my hands on.

I ordered the "Family Physicians Kit".  I was super excited about it and a few days later came down with an awful summer cold.  Aren't those the worst?  I was so congested I could barely function.  The next day, my kit came.  I couldn't wait to try them out for my first experience.  I immediately used a blend called Breathe, how appropriate, since that is what I wanted to do.  I rigged up my "Redneck NetiPot" as I like to call it and got started.  Basically, all I did was heat some water up on the stove hot enough where it would steam.  I took the pot over to the kitchen table (put it on an over mitt, of course) and dropped a few drops (yes that's all it takes) of Breathe in the pot.  I got my towel and held it over my head and breathed in the steam.  Within about 30 min, I could feel my congestion going away.  Within a couple hours, I started draining.  I was amazed.  I didn't know what to think.  I think at one time I even thought, "man I can't wait to be congested again so I can do that and get this amazing feeling back".  LOL

Anyone have stomach issues?  I get indigestion every once in a while, but when I do, I burp and it makes me want to throw up.  I have found that rubbing a few drops of DigestZen on my stomach area or even lower on my intestines, helps kick my indigestion in the butt in about 10 minutes or so.  Absolutely one of my faves.  I have even used this one on Neil before and it worked for him.  :)

What about hot flashes?  I know there are many of you out there who suffer from them.  I have a co-worker who has them terribly.  She told me she can barely get ready in the morning she gets them so bad and sweats.  I happened to have Peppermint in my "medicine cabinet" because it came in my Family Physician's Kit.  I brought it to her the next day.  She used it once and without question told me to order a bottle for her.  She had tried many things to help them stop, but Peppermint stopped it in its tracks.

In my last order I finally decided to try out Vetiver.  I had heard people say that it is their "go to" sleep oil.  I had tried Lavender on my kids and it worked a little, but not good enough for me.  I have been putting Vetiver on my feet for the last few nights.  Vivi has just started sleeping on her own again, but even so, my body got so used to getting up multiiple times a night, I couldn't turn it off.  It helped me get a great night's sleep a few days last week.  Vivi will still wake herself up every once in a while in the night and fuss just enough to actually wake up.  Last night I put Vetiver and Serenity on her feet (see this post for my testimony on Serenity and Balance) and after it taking a couple different times to actually get her to sleep, I never heard her all night.  I actually overslept today b/c my phone alarm was in the kitchen and my two human alarms were getting some much needed sleep with the help from Vetiver.

I have used many other of the oils for different reasons, Frankincense, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Roman Chamomile, just to name a few, but these that I have mentioned are by far my favorite.  If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email me at ljatkins84@gmail.com. I'll be happy to answer anything you ask.

You can also go to this website to view different oils and other products. http://mydoterra.com/lindseyatkins

Balance and Serenity

Don't these two words sound lovely together?  These are two blends of essential oils that I used on my husband last night to help him get a "good night's sleep".  He has called me crazy for the past couple months for the oils I have been using.  I have used lavender on my kids to help them sleep, I've used frankincense on "inflamed" body parts. (I won't go into detail on that)

So last night I rubbed Serenity on Neil's back and Balance on his neck.  When he woke up this morning he asked if I (and Vivi) had a good night.  He only woke up one time in the night.  This was a miracle for him (and me since he's usually all over the bed and wakes me up on accident).  So we're going to continue this for the nights that he is home and has to sleep at night.  He is a nurse and works midnights so he is constantly battling staying awake at night when he has to and sleeping at night when he needs to.  I hoping these oils will work for him on a regular basis.

Balance - Grounding Blend

spruce, rosewood, frankincense, and blue tansy with fractionated coconut oil

Serenity - Calming Blend

lavender, sweet marjoram, roman chamomile, ylang ylang, sandalwood and vanilla 

Another oil that Neil has been using is Melaleuca.  This oil is more commonly known as "tea tree" oil.  He gets bad razor burn on his neck after shaving.  He was complaining about this the other day and I told him to try putting melaleuca on his neck after shaving/showering.  He never mentioned anything else about it so I thought he had just ignored me, but this morning when we were getting ready, he went and grabbed it and I saw him using it.  I looked at his neck and it did look a little better.  I'll have to get a full report from him on how he's liking it.  I am so happy that I found these oils.  I will admit, I do like some better than others, but they are really working for me.  :)  

If you are interested in learning more, feel free to email me.  I'm still new to the oils, but I can get information for you.  

ljatkins84@gmail.com

Let Kids Be Themselves

I read a blog today about moms comparing themselves to other moms.  You should read it! Here it is.    It triggered me to write this post that I have had on my "blog list of things to post" for quite some time now!

I recently got an email from BabyCenter on my 2 Year Old's growth and development.  I opened it like I do all of "those" emails I get.  (You know I signed up for like every kind of email when I was pregnant with her.)  I started to read it and it went something like this:

"Too tall? Too short? Too chubby? Too thin? As your preschooler grows and changes, it's natural to wonder how she compares."

I just focused on those words for a minute.  How my child compares... To who?  Other 2 year olds?  Other 3 year olds? Other genius 1 year olds?  I've only been a mother for almost 3 years and I've learned A LOT!  If you are a new mother, or even if you're a seasoned mother, I think you'll relate to this post.  I feel that the most important thing that I've learned is that every child is different.  Lila is different than her friends.  She's different than her cousins.  And Vivian is going to be way different than Lila.  It's funny that these sites send out these emails, some daily, some weekly, and some monthly saying your child should be doing this or that, or walking or talking or being an angel or a brat...I could go on and on.

I understand that doctors, scientists, and other professionals have done tons of research on the development of babies and children, but I still don't see how "they" can tell me that my child should or shouldn't be doing something.  Do they know my child?  Are they around them everyday?

Lila does things that I think there's no way she should be doing this yet and other things, like trying to pedal a trike is so complicated for her to understand.  Does that mean she's ahead or behind?  No, that means she's Lila.  

She didn't start crawling until she was 9 months old (which I thought was SO late), but started walking before her first birthday.  She had basically no hair until she was about 15 months old.  She could count to 10 before she turned two.  Do you see where I'm going with this?  All kids are really good at some stuff and not so good at other stuff.  We, as parents, must accept that and stop "comparing" their every move to the other kids.

It took me a little bit (ok, like 18 months) to realize this, so if you're a new mom, it may take a bit to get off this track, but you can do.  I promise.

Then comes the second child.  Poor thing...everything they do gets compared to what the older sibling(s) has done, when they've done it, and how they did it.  It took me a few months, but I've told myself I'm not gonna push things for Vivian to be on the same track as Lila.  She may crawl at 6 months and then not walk until she's 14 months.  Whatever she does, she'll be Vivian.  

I want Lila, to be Lila and Vivi to be Vivi.  Most importantly I want them both to know how proud I am of them of being them!

I hope they are always best friends!

   

Pumping in the Bathroom

This is one of those things that you tell your children when they are adults (and have or are getting ready to have kids of their own) and hope that it makes them realize how much you care for them and how much they should appreciate the things you did when they were babies.

I chose to breastfeed both of my kids.  It just didn't work out with my first so unfortunately, I won't have the same stories to tell Lila as I will Vivian as far as breastfeeding.  There are always stories and always experiences, but some, however, are funnier than others.

Today I left both of my kids for the first time.  Lila is used to this.  I have gone on overnight trips for work several times since she was born. Sometimes it was easy to leave, sometimes I cried all the way to Mt. Vernon and then a little bit when I got to Chicago.  As a mother, you're always afraid you're going to miss something.  This time is a little different.  Every night for the 14 1/2 weeks since Vivian was born, I nursed her before bed.  I rocked her then put her to sleep.  Maybe it's harder on this time because I have two babies to worry about; two babies for my mom to take care of, OVERNIGHT; two babies for Neil to pick up from their respective childcares and hang out until my mom can get there; SEVERAL bags of frozen milk that had to be moved from the freezer to the fridge to thaw for Viv to take bottles while I'm gone.  Maybe it's harder because I feel like I'm more of a control freak after having my second child, because even my mom doesn't do things like I do, even though I'm 100% confident in her ability to care for my babies while I'm gone.  I don't know, it's just harder this time.

But I'm doing it.  I've been away all day and I'm ok.  The road to Springfield is one I've traveled many times in the five years I've been working for Harrisburg Project.  It's one with which I'm very comfortable making the almost four hour haul.  One thing is different this time.  I'm still pumping.  I've got my pump, I've got a cooler, I've got extra storage bags, I've got cleaner for my pump parts and bottles.  I've got everything I need.

I'm not traveling alone.  I'm traveling with my dear friend and co-worker, Sarah.  I can't just stop and pump in my car when it's time.  I've got to be courteous to my traveling buddy.  So we stop to go to the bathroom and I just decide that I'm going to go ahead and pump while we're stopped.

Oh Lord have mercy.  Of course there aren't any super duper clean places to pump, so I just pump in the bathroom while we're stopped.  Nothing like pumping and having people knock on the door while you're in there.  :)  "Someone's in here.  Sorry."  Or being almost done and having THAT lady come flying into the other stall and about blowing you out.  You have to just keep telling yourself that you're almost done...almost done.  Then getting to the hotel and thinking, "Whew, we've made it.  No more of that pumping in the bathroom nonsense.", only to find out that your room isn't ready.  "Are you kidding me?"  SMH  So once again, I find myself pumping in the bathroom.  Thankfully this time it was probably one of the cleanest bathrooms I've been in.  It was even clean enough for me to wash my pump parts and bottles.

Man the things that mothers do for their kids.  I can't wait until Vivian get older to let her know how hard I worked to give her food when she was just a wee lass.

Finally in my room and able to pump in comfort and privacy.  Here's to hoping that if I have to pump in the bathroom tomorrow, it will be as clean as the bathroom in the lobby at the Hampton Inn.  :)

Mom Style

I am really struggling with this right now.  There are lots of things that I want to wear, but I'm not sure that they look good on me.  So readers, help!  Comment to me your favorite places to shop for YOURSELF!  I can't spend a fortune either.  I have found some very cute things at Target, but I'm needing to expand my wardrobe.  :)  C'mon fellow mommas...help a sister out!

Roly Poly

Is it really that time already?  Vivian was 3 months old on Saturday.  I can't hardly believe that that is true, but I've checked the calendar several time and yes, 3 months has gone by.  She now weighs 11 lbs 6 oz.  She has gained about a pound and a half in a month!  I guess the breast milk is doing it's job!  I just am having a hard time thinking she's 3 months.

Last week Neil got Vivi to love tummy time.  I don't know how he did it and honestly I don't care.  All that matters is that she doesn't scream the whole time.  She has also just about mastered the art of rolling over from her belly to her back.  It's bittersweet.  She is getting so big so fast.  Now, if I could only get it on video so y'all can witness it.  :)  Of course, when I want to get it on my phone, she just stares at me like "what Mom?".  I just love this age!

Vivi love her big sister too.  She almost laughs at her sometimes.  Lila loves playing with her, tickling her, dancing for her.  Vivian just watches her and smiles and talks to her.  It's the cutest thing.  I hope they continue to have a loving relationship for many years to come.

Sisters!

I have a feeling that this is going to happen a lot in the future!

Lila has quite the little mouth on her these days too.  They other night she said "OMG!" to me.  I almost died!  I could not believe that she said that.  I mean, I say that all the time, but I never imagined that she would say it.  She is a sponge. :)  I need to watch my mouth I guess!

We got to visit with some of Neil's family this past weekend.  I hadn't seen Hadley in almost a month.  She is getting big so fast too.  I can't wait to watch them both grow together!

Vivian and her cousin Hadley who is 4 days older.  They are also going to be the best of friends.

Sweet, smiling baby

At the big Saline Co Fair!  Lovin' the rides!

Birthdays!

Lila has had several birthday parties to go to this summer.  It has just been crazy.  This weekend she had THREE!

Earlier this summer she went to her best bud, Ky'Lynn's party.  It was so cute seeing them get to play together again.  They hadn't seen each other in over a months since their daycare closed in May.  Broke my heart because she had so many friends there.

She attended Jamisen's Art Party on Saturday and her cousin Graham's 2nd birthday Saturday night.  Erin had a fantastic party for Jamisen's 5th birthday.  The kids got to paint their own canvas, make stamp bookmarks, and make beaded bracelets.  The cake was adorable and the treats were so creative.  Everything looked as if it came from a painter's artbox.  Needless to say, Lila had a blast.

Today we are going to her friend Felix's 5th birthday.  He's having a swim party!  Who doesn't have fun at a swim party??  I'm pretty sure the Ninja Turtles are going to be there too. :)

Now it's just about time to start to think about Lila's birthday.  She started out wanting a basketball birthday.  Now she has changed her mind to a ballet birthday.  I'm going to give it until the beginning of September before we start purchasing things for the party.  Who knows how many times it will change between now and then.  :)

Friday we went Burdette Park with Ash and Samuel and Callie and Felix.  Viv got to stay at home with her Great Aunt Lisa and her cousin Halle.  I'm sure she had a blast.  As for Lila and me, we had a ton of fun.  I even got to go down the slides with Felix since 1. Lila isn't tall enough and 2. even if she was, she's too chicken.  :/  Hopefully one day she'll love the slides.  :)

From One to Two

I've been wanting to post something on this for weeks now, but am just now getting around to it.  Many people have asked me about the adjustment from one kid to two.  I can honestly say, it really depends on the day.  Some days are super easy.  Everyone is in a great mood.  Things just go very smooth.  Then there are days where Vivian wants to be held all day and Lila wants me just as much.

We have been very blessed with the time we've had since V was born.  Neil was just finishing up school and still working part time so he was able to be home and help me out a lot.  He has also gotten to enjoy this newborn stage a little more this time.  After L was born, he took a week off with me and then headed back to work, working lots of overtime hours for a little bit of extra cash.  Of course, she was my only responsibility so we could do whatever we wanted.  I could nap with her, play with her, watch TV if I didn't want to take a nap...you name it, I could do whatever.  I could fix supper with no problem at all.  Now, if V is sleeping, L is more than likely not (she has tried to cut out her own naps) and then she wants to play.  We have to work on inside voices and quiet activities.  In case you don't know this already, that's absolutely zero fun for a two and a half year old.

There are many days when she watches too much TV and eats too much junk.  I just keep telling myself that this time will pass and we will be ok again.  Neil usually tackles bedtime with Lila while I nurse and get Vivi down.  We go pretty used to this routine and it was working quite nicely.  Then a *GOOD* wrench was thrown to us.

My husband passed his boards!  He had just completed the RN program at the end of May and was waiting for the opportunity to take the NCLEX.  He did amazing, as usual.  So now, he has started working full time as an RN (here's the wrench) 7p-7a.  That makes for a long night for me when V doesn't get to sleep sometimes until 11:00 and L is a maniac and won't go to sleep at a reasonable hour.  Most of the night I'm home alone with them consist of L watching Cinderella or playing on the iPad until I get V to bed.  Then by the time I get in there, L is asleep too.  I know it will get better, but I feel like I'm depriving her of all mommy attention.  It's sad when I think about it.  I don't want her to resent me or her sister.  I know she's just 2, but I worry about these things.  I keep telling myself that I was almost 4 when my sister was born and I don't remember feeling left out or being upset with my mom.  I just try to spend as much time with her as I can.  It's getting easier.

We have never been the kind of people that are content sitting at home and relaxing.  When V was 2 days old we went to one of my brother's track meets.  Getting out and doing things helps.  My family is close by and they are really helpful with taking Lila and entertaining her (which she LOVES) while I get to spend some alone time with Vivi, something that is also important to me.  I cant thank them enough for the help and support they've given me!

Vivian is now 9 weeks old and becoming her own person.  She is more content sitting and watching and taking everything in now.  I can usually put her down and get some stuff done.  She is happy to just kinda hang around and talk to the lights and fans or look at the trees out the window.  Overall, she has been a completely different baby than Lila.  She was very trying for her first month, but developing more and more every day and really becoming a good baby.

Placenta Encapsulation

Yes, I did this.  Some of you may know what this is, some of you may not.  For those of you who don't, it's basically exactly what it sounds like.  You take your placenta and encapsulate it.  Well, not me directly.  I had someone do it for me.  Here's my story.

When I had Lila, I was so excited and determined to breastfeed.  I thought it was going to be pretty easy...and it was, physically.  Psychologically, not so much.  I very soon fell into that category of women who thought I wasn't making enough milk for my baby.  This was mainly caused by a doctor that we saw when she was 4 days old and still down from her birth weight.  A COMPLETELY normal situation.  My milk hadn't really come in yet, but I was actually not even concerned at all until we went to the doctor for a check up.  As soon as we left, I started freaking out.  "If she hasn't gained by next week, we may need to start supplementing."  WHAT???  Already?  This was the furthest thing from my mind.  I couldn't believe it.  I went home with those words in the back of my head.

Now any first time mom would tell you that they were uncertain about things.  The next day, I got my pump out and started pumping.  (Keep in mind that Lila was only 5 days old at this time.)  I was only pumping like 2 oz, which is totally normal for a 5 day old belly.  But there it went.  It was a numbers game from there.  I ran off to Walmart later that afternoon and got a can of formula.  Of course she sucked it down when I gave it to her, but THAT, my friends was the beginning of the end of my supply with Lila.  5 days into it.  I continued to pump for 12 weeks supplementing a bottle or two a day until I called it quits completely.  At that point, I was so stressed about it and not pumping as many times a day as I now know I should've been, that I was making almost no milk at all.  I was mentally drained with the breast milk situation.  Lila went to straight formula after that.

I want to note that there is absolutely nothing wrong with formula, it's simply a mother's preference on which one they choose to give to their baby.  It has been scientifically stated, that breast milk is the perfect food for babies, that's why God gave mother's the ability to produce it.  Anyway, this is only the first part of my story.

Part two begins when I'm about 4 months pregnant with my second baby.  I had read of placenta encapsulation when Lila was a baby, but never before that so it wasn't an option in my mind with her.  A girl I went to grade school with, Emily Stockdale, posted a piece on Facebook that she was going to do this.  I immediately remembered that she also had problems with her first baby and milk supply.  I read what she wrote and thought, "boy, I would really like to do that too".  When she had her second baby, I asked her about the process and her experience with it.  She was ecstatic about it all.  She was making milk and actually storing some extra.  So, I really wanted to do it then.  She lives on the west coast and I wasn't sure how popular this process was in the Midwest, let alone small town Southern Illinois.  Well low and behold, Emily found a woman in Carbondale who did it.  I emailed her and we ended up talking extensively about it.  I was sold.  Now...selling it to Neil, that's another thing.

It was easier than I thought.  He knew the struggles I had, both physically and emotionally with breastfeeding Lila and totally sided with me on this.  After all, for $250, you can have someone take your placenta and turn it into pills that will not only help your milk come in faster, but can also assist in postpartum healing, physically and emotionally, as well as help your energy level.  Thinking about that number by a dollar sign may seem a little steep, but when you calculate the cost of formula over the course of a year (or even 6 months) it definitely outweighs the $250.

Carolyn was so helpful in educating me on the placenta during pregnancy, during birth, after birth...there are a million things I didn't know.  Humans and a few species sea creatures are the only mammals on the planet who do not consume their placenta in some way.  I like to say that that's because humans are the only ones smart enough to know that it's kinda weird (hee hee), but seriously, there is a reason all mammals do it. Why not try it out?  What could it hurt?

Fast forward to April 27 and Neil has taken the placenta into custody.  LOL  He had to bring it home for her.  Carolyn came to our house and did the whole process.  It took about 24 hours.  She was done and gone before I even got home from the hospital.  AND my kitchen was cleaner than it had been since we moved into the house.  HAHA

I got started on the pills, which pretty much just looked like multivitamins in capsule form, as soon as I walked through the door.  My milk came in on the next morning.  I was in shock!  Last time I never felt it come in and even when it was here, it didn't seem like what everyone said would happen, was happening.  This time it was like magic.  I honestly could not believe it.  By the next day, I even had to cut back on the pills because they were doing their job so well!  I can say that this time has been just amazing.  I can't say that I still didn't freak out and wonder if she was gaining weight, but I trusted my instincts a little better this time.  I didn't let a doctor (from who we have since switched) freak me out into giving formula and essentially tanking my supply within days of birth.  I had great resources and great support from my husband.  All in all, I'd say that breastfeeding this time has been a huge success! I'm getting ready to go back to work and will be starting my pumping routine, but I have hopes that this is all going to work out fine!

If anyone in the Southern Illinois area would like the name and number of the woman who did my placenta encapsulation, feel free to email me!  I'll happy to pass this information on, I just didn't know if she would want me to publish her information here publicly.

Vivian Ruth

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post on baby sister's birth, BUT it's harder to find the time with two.  :)  I have lots of stuff that I am wanting to post so sit tight and watch for multiple posts today and tomorrow!

The day was April 26, 2013.  I had had about enough of work for the week and the day before had decided that I needed a day off.  I took a personal day on April 26.  I had a hair appointment and was going to take a few hours anyway, so why not the whole day?

I got up early and took Lila to daycare (this was a personal day after all) and came home and enjoyed my coffee.  I took a look around the house and thought, "what baby would want to come home to this house?".  It was filthy.  It was a mess.  So I headed of to the wonderful world of Walmart and stocked up on some cleaning supplies.  It was amazing.  I came home and did some laundry, cleaned the bathroom, the kitchen, the bedrooms, the floors, dusted, cleaned the fans.  You name it, I did it.  It still wasn't perfect though.

I headed off to my hair appointment and thought, maybe this sweet baby is just looking out for me.  She doesn't want to come when my hair isn't ready...there would be pictures of course and what girl wants to look back and think, "my mom's hair was awful when I was born".  LOL  It was also a relaxing afternoon.

I got home in time to clean up a little more and then went to pick Lila up.  We both decided that I wasn't going to be cooking supper that night (remember the personal day??) and Neil was working since it was a Friday.  When I asked Lila where she wanted to eat, she of course chose Mackie's.  Off to Mackie's we go.

Well, we no more walked through the door at Mackie's and my water broke at 6:00 PM.  REALLY????  Not only was I starving from all the work I'd done all day, but Lila wasn't the only one craving Mackie's.  Damn....

We ordered anyway because I wasn't 100% sure that my water broke.  (Who am I kidding?  Of course I was sure...I just couldn't believe it.)  I let Lila play some games while I convinced myself that, yes this was all happening.  I texted Neil and told him, knowing that he probably wouldn't answer a call since he was working.  I called my mom, who mind you had been stalking me for the past week asking me if I was in labor, and she didn't answer.  I called my dad...WHO DIDN'T ANSWER!  Are we seeing a trend here??  Don't leave me hanging people!  Finally got a hold of Deanna (who was with dad) and told them to get home because I had to bring Lila over.

You may be thinking, why on earth are you freaking out?  This is your second and you know how long these things take.  That's the thing.  My labor with Lila was on the short side and everyone, EVERYONE, had told me that this one would go faster and not to waste any time getting to the hospital.

I finally got Neil by calling the ER.  We got our crap together and to Carbondale we drove.  The contractions were not as noticeable this time around.  Got to Carbondale in a reasonable amount of time and got in the "holding cell" as I like to call it.  I honestly don't know what it's really called, but it's the dreadful place where they put you where you have to sit and answer questions and get your labs done and make sure you're really in labor.  It's a fun little place...not.  It is quite entertaining seeing who is in labor with you and hearing them answer questions.  LOL  There are some dandies out there.  I was dilated to a 4 when I got there, which was decent progress since I was dilated to a 3 at my appointment two day prior.

We finally made the move to the delivery room where I could relax and just, well labor.  I knew a little more this time than I did last time so I walked the halls.  I walked and walked and walked and folks, it truly helped the pain.  I never did this with Lila.  The nurse made me come back in every 45 min or so to check the contractions and fetal heart tones.  It was dreadful in the room.  By about 10:00, I'm thinking, we should be getting pretty close.  I labored about 6-7 hours with Lila and this was supposed to be faster, right?  I was STILL at a 6.  I was making no progress, hour by hour.  The minutes and hours just kept ticking.  I was stuck...stuck at a 6 and not going anywhere.  She was really low, but my body wasn't cooperating.  Finally about 2:00, yes you read that right, 2:00 AM, Dr. Mulch came in and checked me again.  She said she felt a pocket of fluid that had kinda wedged it's way to the side.  She was going to pop it.  And boy did she ever!  Up to this point, I was doing great on IV pain meds and so far had not needed the epidural.  She popped that pocket and I swear to you it sent me in a pain level I've never experienced.  (I must've gotten the epi before that point with Lila).  As you can imagine, the anesthesiologist was ordered and arrived very quickly.  I got the epi and rested for about an hour before she was basically coming out on her own.

Dr. Mulch came in and two pushes later, baby sister was here.  4:03 AM 6 lbs 7.3 oz and 19 1/2 in long.  She had a head full of dark brown hair and was just beautiful.  She was bright eyed and ready to go.  She was all smashed from being so low for so long and snorting a lot.  Sweet little smashed piggy. We loved her already!  Then they asked for a name...uhhhh Neil?  What do you think?  Vivian? Sure.  I mean, unless you have something else? No?  Ok...Vivian Ruth it is!  LOL  That's pretty much how it happened.  :)

Later that day my dad brought Lila over to meet her new sister and she was just thrilled.  I almost cried. It wasn't just my little Lila anymore.  I couldn't spend all my time with her.  Now I was going to have to manage to spend time with both of them.  Tear...tear...tear...we'll cross that bridge later.  Fast forward several weeks and Lila still loves her baby sister.

Keep on truckin'...

Today I'm 37 weeks which many obstetricians consider "full term".  Basically all this means is that if I went into labor now, they wouldn't try to stop me.  If I had a baby now, she would more than likely be fine.  However, the longer she stays in the better it is for her lungs and the more chance she had to pack on some fat.

I'm still running, but my dear friend Alecia has taken over my spin class.  It was getting a little hard to lean forward on the handle bars and perform the sprints.  My classes were consisting mostly of hills at this point.  Hee hee!  Since it's been nicer outside, I've been getting to play, do yard work, and run.  I've also been taking Lila on walks...which sometimes she loves and sometimes she hates.

Speaking of the big sister, she's about as ready as I am to have this baby.  She asks all the time about Baby Sister and tells me what she's going to do to help.  I'm hoping that her being here will still bring out the same feelings that Lila has for her now.  :)  She really is going to be a great big sister, I think.

So now...if anyone who is reading my blog has ANY tips on handling the first days/weeks of a newborn and toddler, please comment!  I'd love to hear what worked or didn't work for you.  We are so excited about the newest addition and very anxious for her arrival!  Also, I guess at this point, you may as well put any name suggestions in the hat too!  LOL  Nothing too trendy or too weird.  I like old-fashioned, classical names.

Have a wonderful day!

Baby Sister Stuff

Finally starting to get things done in Baby Sister's room.  Hopefully she will be here soon, but not TOO soon.    Just some updates.

• I'll be 36 weeks tomorrow.  
• We have still not picked out a name.  
• Lila is ready for her to be here.  This pregnancy has been more uncomfortable than my first, but still not too bad.  My only complaint is that I've had a stomach bug twice this time.  Not fun at all.  
• Neil is up to his ears in PINK!  He knows now that even if we do try again and we get a boy, he's out-numbered.
• I've been much happier since the weather has gotten a little warmer and I can get outside and play with Lila or go for runs.
• I can still wear my wedding rings (which is a HUGE deal for me at this point).

Love these new outfits that she got.  They are so cute!

Lila has a matching one!  Awwww....

33 weeks

I am 33 weeks along this week with Baby Sister or GoGo as Lila calls her.  We are just about ready.  The nursery could use a little more TLC, but I really need to come up with some wall decor.  It's a little bare right now.  :(  I did get some quality time with my sewing machine last week to make some baby things for my sister-in-law's baby shower.  She's due a week ahead of me and is also having a girl.  There's going to be a lot of baby stuff this summer.  On top of that, lots of PINK!

Speaking of pink,  I've been purchasing a few items for the baby in the clothing department.  Since Lila was born in September, the seasons are off just enough to where this baby won't get to use quite as much as we were hoping.  I think once the fall and winter are here, we may be able to use some stuff, but this poor child is entitled to her share of "new" stuff too, right?  :)  Some of the cutest things I've found have NOT been pink and I'm thrilled!  Seems like all things little girl are pink.  I was even able to find matching (sorta, which is good because I'm not big on "matchy matchy" outfits) for Lila and baby.

Not really much else to talk about as of right now.  Things have sorta died down a little around our house since basketball is over and Capel's basketball team brought home the STATE CHAMP trophy!!  WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  In case you can't tell, we're all pretty happy (and a little proud) of these boys!  Great kids!

Here's the pics for those of you asking.  I feel like I always look a lot more tired in every pic during this pregnanct.  LOL  I wonder why!!

So this is me pregnant with baby now at 33 weeks

And this is 32 weeks with Lila

DIY Crib Bumpers

After making the crib skirt last week, I have been so anxious to get started on the bumpers.  I have looked and looked for tips and tutorials and some I have liked a lot, but most of those had piping on them and I honestly didn't know if I was capable of making them with piping.  It didn't look hard, but a couple of bloggers did say it was tedious.  So I just kinda ended up doing my own thing.  I did reference this blog though for certain answers to questions that arose.

I had two yards of the floral fabric I wanted to use, but didn't really have anything for the "backside" of the bumpers.  Since we live a good 45 min away from the nearest open fabric store, I hopped in the car and went to Wal-Mart.  It's not my favorite place, but it would have to do if I was going to get these bumpers done any time soon.  Our Wal-Mart does have pre-cut fabric in two yard sections.  I found a hot pink that went with the floral as best as any color that they had would.  I didn't want to use hot pink, but now that they are done, I'm so glad I went with it.  By the way, I got all of my fabric for the bedding at Hobby Lobby with the exception of the hot pink.

I'm going to try to explain how I did these the best I can, but I'm sure I'll leave something out.  If anyone would have questions (and I don't know why you be asking me, honestly) you can email me and I'll answer!

I started by measuring the crib to see how long each side needed to be.  I made 4 separate bumpers.  Some tutorials you see has them in 6 sections and a lot of store bought bumpers, like the ones we had for Lila, are just one big bumper that goes all the way around.  I liked the look best of the all the way around ones, BUT there was no way I as going to be able to make that look good, so the next best thing was 4 sections.

My crib measured 51" wide and 27" deep.  So for the front and back I needed 52" including the 1/2" seam on both ends.  For the sides I needed 28" including the 1/2 " seam on both ends.  I also knew that I wanted my bumpers to be 10" tall, so I measured 11" to include the seam.  Now, I will say that I kinda wish I would've gone with an extra inch on the width, but I'm not crying over it.  They still look good.

So I made the cuts to 8 pieces of fabric, 4 floral and 4 hot pink, a front and back for each bumper.  I ironed the fabric to make all of the nasty wrinkles, which were especially bad in the hot pink because it was wrapped so tight since it was pre-measured and put into packaging and then started pinning up the seams.

Now I'm going to tell you that I think I probably could've cut about two hours out of my project if I just wanted a regular seam with the two fabrics.  A seam like a pillow case or the one you see in the tutorial I linked above, but of course I had to make things hard.  I wanted a seam like you can see (kind of) below. So I had to (and I did learn a little bit more each time I made a section on how to make the next one a little easier.  Essentially, I had to measure a 1/2" seam 8, I'll say it again, 8 times for each section.  It got a little tiring.

Once I stitched up 3 of the four sides of the bumper, I then got out my quilt batting and eyeballed the measurements of that and then stuffed it in there.  Quilt batting was the best thing I could find to do the stuffing.  I found some memory foam type stuffing that actually looked like it could work, but it was more expensive and I just wasn't sure if it would work for me...being a first timer on this bumper stuff. 

Once I had stuffed it up, I re-pinned that side and stitched it up.  I also read in the blog above that IF she ever made bumpers again, she would use ribbon to tie them on instead of making the ties out of the fabric that she used for the bumpers.  After seeing that I was going to have to measure, cut, and stitch up 28 ties, I very quickly decided that I would just use the ribbon AND cut a few corners and just do 6 ties for each front and back and 4 for the sides.  I stitched the ribbon to the appropriate places on the bumper and that was that!  They were done!

I don't know where I saw this idea of flipping the back bumper the with the "back" facing forward, but I really liked and decided to do it and I'm glad I did.  I really like how it looks.

I feel like the stuffing may be a little scant on the front right side, but I'm not sure that I will be cutting it open and stuffing more in.  I think I'll just call it a lesson learned and see if I can tie it a little differently to make it look better.  All in all, I'm VERY happy with how they turned out.  This is the first time I've ever taken on a project like this and I'm quite proud of myself for not only finishing it, but finishing it successfully!  To see how I made the crib skirt, check out this post!

DIY Crib Skirt

I knew that I didn't want to spend a ton of money on the crib bedding this time (last time we got it as a gift from my girlfriends, but I remember how expensive it was) so I started looking into other options, i.e. making my own.  I found a couple of tutorials on Pinterest and used a really easy one that I really thought was manageable.  The title of this blog post really caught my eye and this is what I ended up going with.  I looked at it and thought, yep...I can do this!  I had three different patterns of material because originally I was going to do a ruffled crib skirt.  I have made a ruffled Christmas Tree skirt, but that was so easy using hot glue!  I knew I didn't want to use hot glue on this and I also knew that I didn't want to spend any extra money experimenting and have to go buy more material.  I wasn't confident enough in making ruffles for this big of a project.  The changing of the plan of what kind of skirt I was going to do kinda threw a wrench in my plan and I wasn't sure if the amount of material I got for each pattern was going to work.  But I just started it and got as much done as I could.

These are the three patterns I chose.  I was really excited once I finally picked them out!  I decided on the chevron stripes and the polka dots for the skirt and the floral for the bumper.

I really liked this simple style of skirt so I attempted it.  I liked the idea of a different pattern at the bottom and I did have three patterns.  I think this bedding is from Pottery Barn Kids.

I had to write my plan all out to make sure I made the cuts right and you will see later that my pregnancy brain really set in with this.  I ended up wasting some material, but that's all part of the experience, right??  :)

The top rectangle is the front of the crib and the one on the bottom is the sides of the crib.  The piece of material that I had was just short of being long enough to span the entire 53" that I needed so I ended up making that into two separate pieces, which is kind of what the picture above looked like.

So I got the two front sides all measured and cut AND pinned, then I remembered that I was going to put the polka dot material on the bottom.  (palm, meet forehead) DUH!  So then I had to take off my shoes and use my toes for the math and recalculate everything.  This is where my mom will tell you that I've never been great at general math.

I remeasured, re-cut and got everything pinned to be ready to sew.  I wasted a little material trying to get chevron stripes to match up as best as possible (another lesson learned).  Then came the easy part, the sewing!

I got so into the project that I forgot to take many pictures during the process, but most of the pictures on the blog that I got the tutorial from are pretty accurate to what I did, with the exception of the bottom piece of material with the different pattern.

I sewed up the seams on all four sides of the pieces and then got some ribbon that I had on hand and sewed those pieces of ribbon to the tops of the sections to tie them to the springs.  I think that the binder clips in the tutorial will actually work much better for my crib because of the way the springs are under the mattress.

I got the front and one side finished that night.  With the "mess-ups" that I had I think I'm going to have to go get another half yard to make the other side of the skirt, but I think it will go fairly quickly since I now know what I'm doing.  My friend Sarah gave me several of her crib sheets from her girls and I went with one that was light pink and white stripes.  Next I'm going to be tackling the bumpers with the floral material.

I was getting pretty nervous about how it would all go together but I held it up last night and I think it will look amazing!  I'm really excited about how the pinks, oranges, and yellows will pop and really "work" with the other colors I have.  Stay tuned for the DIY Crib Bumper post to come soon!  I would really like to get this finished pretty soon!

"You make me so happy"

Oh my.  Lila has been a nut lately.  "Cause" is her new word.  She hardly ever uses it correctly in a sentence, but she gets her head moving and her attitude going and it's "cause" this and "cause" that.  Anytime I ask her to do something, after a yes or no comes out of her mouth, it's followed by a "cause" and brief explanation as to why that was her answer.  This explanation almost always has nothing to do with what we were talking about to begin with.

Now this morning we were in the car on the way to school and I was asking her what she thought she might do at school today.  "Cause my friends not there, Momma".  I told her that they would probably be there today and that they would have lots of fun playing.  Then there were the words that just make you feel so special to be a mother!  "Momma, you make so happy.  Cause, I'm missing my pieces.  My friends...cause my pieces at school not there."  It could've just broken my heart that her "pieces" are missing.  I mean, I guess I never really thought how good of friends you can have at that age.  Turns out that her friend Ky'Lynn really wasn't at school yesterday.  :(  But it made me feel better that I make her so happy.  I'm so hormonal, I'm quite shocked that I didn't start crying.

That's my little Lila bit for today.

For my kids

Growing up, we listened to a lot of music.  I have very few memories of when I was a little kid and I really don't know why that is, but most of what I remember is music related.  Dancing to records that Dad had on old albums or belting out our favorite songs with Mom in the car when she would pick us up to go somewhere.  Over the years, there have been several songs that have meant something to me.  My mom has a habit of turning song lyrics into a sappy entry for a card on big occasions.  i.e. confirmation, college graduation, you get the drift...

For my Confirmation, my mom included the lyrics from I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack.  I still think about my mom every time I hear that song.

For my college graduation, it was Rascal Flatts', My Wish.  Again, I always think of her, but now I cry when I hear it because I think, "wow, that's what I wish for Lila too".

So I've been watching the show Parenthood by suggestion of my good friend Sarah.  I have seen the show before, but have not kept up.  I decided that I would start watching it from the beginning a couple weeks ago and OMG!  I love it.  One thing I always look forward to every episode is the song selection that they choose.  They always always always have awesome tunes.  The theme song is Forever Young by Bob Dylan.  Bob Dylan is pretty amazing and seems like you can listen to most of his songs and get a good meaning out of them.  Now every time I watch an episode, I immediately think of Lila and baby sister and them growing up and it makes me happy and sad.

So this post is for them (and any other kids we decide to have, LOL)!

Forever Young by Bob Dylan

May God bless and keep you always

May your wishes all come true

May you always do for others

And let others do for you

May you build a ladder to the stars

And climb on every rung

May you stay forever young

Forever young, forever young

May you stay forever young

May you grow up to be righteous

May you grow up to be true

May you always know the truth

And see the lights surrounding you

May you always be courageous

Stand upright and be strong

May you stay forever young

Forever young, forever young

May you stay forever young

May your hands always be busy

May your feet always be swift

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of changes shift

May your heart always be joyful

May your song always be sung

May you stay forever young

Forever young, forever young

May you stay forever young

Read more: http://www.bobdylan.com/us/songs/forever-young#ixzz2JOoVjBJr