Church Survival Bag

Church Survival Bag

Easton does not like church. He fusses and screams and does everything in his power to get in the floor to play. After awhile I had gotten to a point where I dreaded going to church because he was so hard to handle. That's when I decided it was time to change something. Then came my "great big bag of everything." Literally this bag is huge and has everything I could possibly need in it.

This is what I have with me on any given Sunday service.

Essentials

• Diapers
• Wipes
• Extra clothes

Snacks

• Bottle of milk
• Sippy cup of juice or koolaid
• Gerber little crunchies
• Puffs

Toys

• Stuffed Mickey Mouse
• Wooden car
• plastic chew-able book

and basically any other toy that might entertain him.

Keeping all of the toys that he loves and snacks to last through the whole service is the key. We still have our bad moments where I have to take him back to the nursery, but for the most part this bag keeps us quiet and content.

Bonus Item

• This portable chair folds down to be compact then folds out to be the perfect seat between my husband and I for E to play in during church. (He even made it through a 3 hour graduation in this seat)

Mommy and Baby Morning Routine

Mommy and Baby Morning Routine

Well guys I'm back again with another routine post. What can I say I love having a plan. Mine and E's morning routine helps me to get the most done in my morning. I love having the afternoon to spend with E and my husband, so I try to get all of my chores done in the morning. 

     Our typical morning

7 a.m.

     It's cuddle time. Easton usually takes a bottle while we cuddle in my bed and watch cartoons.

8 a.m. 

     Breakfast, the most important meal of the day.

8:30-10 a.m. 

     I clean E up from breakfast, change his diaper, and get him dressed for the day. Then I sit him in the floor or the play pen to play with his toys while I make our beds. Once our beds are made I start on laundry. Then I pick up and vacuum the bedroom.

10-11 a.m. 

      E is all played out and ready for his first nap of the day. While he sleeps I take a quick shower and get ready. Then I wipe down the high chair, table, and counter. Next I wash all of the dishes from breakfast. Once the kitchen is all clean I move to picking up the living room. Then it's time to sweep an mop. I love my swiffer sweeper mop it makes this chore so much faster and easier (get yours here).

11 a.m.- 12 p.m.

     This is my favorite time of the day to get outside and play. We go for walks or go to the pool, anything to get in some exercise while keeping E entertained.

That's the end of out morning routine. Our routine keeps me motivated to get as much accomplished as I can in the morning so I can enjoy my family in the afternoon. 

Baby and Mommy Night Time Routine

Baby and Mommy Night Time Routine

Creating a night time routine is easily one of the best things I've done with Easton so far. It improved his sleep schedule, my sleep schedule, and my productivity during the day. It took about two months before it truly started to feel like a routine but it was so worth all the time we put into it. One important tip I learned the hard way is make sure anyone who keeps your child or is around your child at night knows their schedule/routine. This way there are no miscommunications that could potentially throw off any progress you make.

So let's get started.

7-7:30 p.m. Dinner Time for Mom & Baby

     Now that Easton has switched to table food he usually eats pretty close to the same things I do at the same time I do. (I'll be posting a "what my 8 month old eats" soon so keep an eye out for that.) 

7:30-8 p.m. Calm Down Play

     I like to keep Easton in his high chair until bath time because he always makes such a mess with dinner so I use this time for some creative sensory play. Stacking blocks, finger painting (with edible paint) and shape sorting toys (like this one) are some of our favorites.

8-8:30 p.m. Bath Time for Baby

     Playing in the bathtub is one of Easton's favorite things to do. He loves to splash and play with his rubber ducky collection. 

8:30-9 p.m. Book, Bottle, and Bed for Baby

     At this point E is really starting to wined down. Usually me, E, and daddy will all cuddle up on our big bed and I will feed E while daddy reads him books. Bed time for E is 9 p.m.

9-10 p.m. Clean-up Time

     Now that E is in his crib I come into the kitchen and clean up any mess made from dinner. I also pick up any toys that have been scattered through the house and make sure the house is picked up for the next day.

10-11 p.m. Blogging/ Planning Time

     I am a compulsive planner (literally I have blogs planned till September) so I like to use this last little bit of free time for planning and of course blogging. 

11 p.m. Bed for Mom

     By 11 p.m. I turn off my computer set my alarm and head off to bed.

I hope this helps anyone trying to establish a nigh time routine. It's a lot of work and takes awhile to adjust to but it truly has made so much of a difference for me and E and I hope it will for you too. Leave a comment and tell me about your night time routine and check back later this week for my morning routine.

Top 10 baby items 0-3 months

Top 10 Baby Items
(0-3 months)

1. Rock n' Play Sleeper

     Easton would only sleep in his Rock n' Play for the first 4 months of his life. It rocks and is inclined so it's perfect for babies with tummy problems.

2.Muslin Blankets

     We loved our muslin blankets. They're not to thick and not to thin which makes them perfect for swaddling a new baby no matter the temperature. 

3.Swaddles

     Swaddles are a great way to make a baby feel cozy and snuggled tightly without all the work of actually swaddling them. 

4.Sleep Gowns

     Easton only used sleep gowns for the first couple months until he was able to get his legs out of them but they're perfect for night time. The open bottom makes diapers changes so much quicker so you can get back to sleep faster. 

5.Swing

     The swing was one of my most used baby items. Easton loved moving around at all times so the swing made it easier for me to get other things done without holding him all the time. I love the portable ones because then you can easily fold them for storage or to move from room to room with you. 

6.Boppy

     The boppy was a life save for feedings. Check out my hospital bag post to learn more about this amazing pillow. 

7.Travel System

     Our travel system was perfect for walking off that baby weight. I could just unfold the jogging stroller click on the carseat and be good to go. 

8.Play Mat

     We didn't use the play mat until about a month and a half but I wish i would have sooner. Baby can play laying on their back or have tummy time play. 

9.Avent Bottles

     Bottles are a necessity if you decide not to breast feed and I love Avent. They have so many styles and options at such a good price. 

10.Soothie

     I loved our pacifiers. They helped soothe Easton to sleep almost every night for the first 6 months. The Avent soothies were our favorite because they were easier for Easton to hold in his mouth which meant more sleep for mommy. 

I hope you enjoyed my top 10 products. If you have a favorite be sure to let us know in the comments.

What was in my hospital bag (planned C-Section edition)

What Was In My Hospital Bag

(Planned C-Section Edition)

Packing my hospital bag was one of the most exciting parts of pregnancy for me. It meant it was almost over. It was almost time to meet my baby boy. I researched tons and tons of blog posts trying to figure out exactly what I needed to pack and still ended up wishing I had packed more. So here it is this is the check list of what I would suggest packing for you and for your new addition. 

For Mom

• 2 pairs of black leggings
• 2 flowy tops that will match the leggings
• 2 tshirt dresses
• 2 button down pajamas 
• 1 Pack of high waisted underwear (size up the fluids will make you swell up after surgery)
• Tight fitting sports bra (target has the best)
• Travel toiletry kit
• Overnight pads
• Hair ties
• Bobby pins
• Chap stick 
• Light makeup (powder, blush, mascara)
• Nursing pads 

During my hospital stay I basically lived in my button down pjs or my t shirt dresses. They were comfy gave the doctors easy access to my incision and were easy to change into. (Check out the T shirt dress and Button down pajamas that I fell in love with during my stay.) I also saved so much time and money getting a Toiletry Kit instead of packing each individual item i had everything already packaged together in perfectly sized bottles for the three days i spent in the hospital. 

For Baby 

• Carseat (you have to have one to leave)
• Boppy
• Baby mittens
• 10 sleepers
• 2 coming home outfits
• Pacifier (if you plan on using them)
• Bottle (if bottle feeding)
• Blanket (to put over the carseat)

Easton's bag is where we made the most mistakes. We had to have my mom bring us extra sleepers mittens and a bottle. He had a lot of issues with his formula which caused him to throw up on everything we had packed (including his coming home outfit).

The most useful thing we did bring is by far the Boppy it made it so much easier for me to hold and feed Easton. I could place the boppy over my incision and put Easton on top of the boppy to help ease the pressure he put on the incision.

I hope this helps some of you pack your hospital bag. Enjoy it before you know it the preparing will be done and you'll have your sweet baby in your arms. 

Easton's Birth Story

Easton's Birth Story 

Easton Ryder

October 09, 2017

7:53am

My birth story actually started at my first doctors appointment. My doctor did a pelvic exam and determined my pelvic bone wasn't shaped correctly. He told me then that I may have to have a C-Section depending on the size of the baby. 

Fast forward to my 37 week checkup. Easton was measuring over 7 lbs already so my doctor gave me the choice to try to have a vaginal birth or to schedule a Cecarian. I CHOSE A CECARIAN. Yes you read that right I made the choice to have a C-Section. There were a lot of factors that played into my decision, some for safety, some for convenience. I was afraid of the baby getting stuck and it causing harm to him. I was also afraid we wouldn't make it to the hospital because we lived 45 minutes away, so the c-section just seemed best for us, and it was. I am so happy with my c-section I'm glad I had that decision for myself and my baby.

So we schedule the cecarian for October the 9th at 7:30 a.m. Scout and I had to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. When we got there we had to go straight up to labor and delivery and check in. We signed some paperwork then the nurse took us to our room. The hospital I delivered at keeps you in the same room for your whole stay which made everything so much easier. After we got to our room the nurses started an IV in my arm while Scout brought in all of our bags. From then until 7:15 the nurses gave me a lot of fluids. Then the anesthesiologist came in and explained my spinal work morphine a little more and we were off to the OR.

In the O.R. the first thing that needed to be done was the spinal. This part sucked. Ot took three tries to get the needle in the right spot. I remember after the secomt try I leaned against the nurse in front of me and my doctor held my hand and i just prayed lord help me get through this. Give me the strength to do this and get my baby here safely. The third try worked. I laid back and was immediately numb from the chest down. The morphine in the spinal did make me nauseous so they added phenergan which made me so so sleepy. 

Scout came into the room and minutes later my doctor said we have a baby. His first cry is by far the best noise I've ever heard. 

Scout went with Easton while I was being stitched up (stapled actually). Then I was moved back to my original bed and wheeled out past the nursery where I seen him for the first time. The new love of my life. Nothing can ever prepare you for the amount of love you will feel for your child.

When I got to my room all of my family got to come in one at a time  I was honestly in and out of sleep at this point but the one person that really stood out was my dad. He came in crying and told me I did a great job which for him is a very rare and unusual sight. Then they brought in the baby  I got to hold him for the first time and gravity shifted. My whole being was being held by the tiny life in my arms (and still is for that matter). Scout, Easton, and spent the day seeing visitors and bonding until about 6 p.m.

Then it was time to walk. The pain of walking after a major surgery is more than my words will ever explain. I felt like I was being torn apart. Between the pain in my uterus and the pain from my spinal injection it felt like I might die. But the good part is you will live. It will suck but it does end. Each time I stood up was easier. By the next morning I was able to get up and walk all the way down the hall and back then i got to take a shower. 

I've never felt the love i had for my husband in those few weeks following Eastons birth. He not only had to care for our son but he helped me with everything from showering to changing clothes. He was (and is) purely amazing. 

The next day we were released to go home. We had so much help and support from my family and Scout. About two weeks passed before I felt back to my semi-normal self. By four weeks I was feeling completely back to normal. My Cecerian was everything I could have wanted Easton's birth to be. The hospital, the doctors, and my support system made recovery better and I am proud to say I'm a C-Section Mama.

Story Book Baby Shower

One of the most exciting parts of being pregnant for me was my baby shower. It's such a fun time to get together with friends and family and celebrate the new addition. Here is a look at the baby shower I was thrown by my mom. It was a story book theme and I think she did amazing. 

All of the food had books to go with it.

And the decorations were perfectly coordinated with books as well. 

While they dropped in guests got a candle to light when our precious boy was born. They also colored page to make him his own ABCs book and signed our where the wild things are book.

The day was perfect.