4 months....the false sense of security where you start to sleep in, the baby has cute smiles, she might even giggle, and you feel like you got this covered. And then BOOM...everything changes: The 4 Month Sleep Regression
How to Survive:1. Nap When You CanThis is easier said then done as I am a working mommy. After work when she slept I tried to sleep. I also traded off with my husband as he held in the evenings so I could nap and he could sleep through the night. Find time and sneak it in when you can l, even if it's just a cat nap. You will feel more refreshed and ready to trudge on. 2. If Breastfeeding DO NOT Drink CaffeineA double edge sword caffeine is when breastfeeding. Whatever you eat ends up with your little one after a couple hours. If you drink caffeine and it keeps you up, in a couple hours when you feed the baby that caffeine will hit their system and keep them up. A vicious cycle of keeping you and your baby up with little sleep, and leaving you both cranky and unhappy. 3. Shower Steam is Helpful For Stuffy NosesSit in the bathroom with your little one with a hot shower running. The hot steam will help loosen up some of the mucus. My daughters snot would harden in her nose and the steam would soften it just enough to be able to suck it out. This really helped before bed and helped her breathe easier for a couple of hours. 4. BathtimeA nice warm bath is very soothing, especially combined with baby sleepy time soap. My little slept better and calmed down more after a bath. We were even able to get a few smiles out of her, something we hadn't seen all week. 5. Cuddles
7. Hang in ThereNothing ever lasts forever, a cold nor the 4 month sleep regression. When you get a moment take some time for yourself and take care of yourself. Dry shampoo only gets you so far. Take a bath, paint your toes, eat a bag of chocolate, put on lipstick foe no reason, read a book, put on a face mask, something to make you feel better. Hang in there and know you are not alone. Other Mama's are out there with you. Plus those baby smiles are pretty worth it!
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A day most working mom's dread....returning to work. My husband and I are both teachers, and in that sense are extremely lucky that we got to spend the whole summer with Mia. I have truly had the most wonderful time over the past three months and I have loved every moment. But alas August is now here and with it my first day returning to work, along with my first day being away from my daughter. Mommy Tip: Try to schedule some time away from your baby to start to condition yourself for returning to work. Start with an hour and work your way up.
go with your husband, he would also truly appreciate the chance to have some couple time together. Mommy Tip: Plan a date night and go with your husband or significant other, they would also truly appreciate the chance to have some couple time together.I put off thinking about returning to work as long as I could. The closer you get, the more real it becomes, the more the feelings start to hit. Nothing prepared me for the range of emotions I felt in the day leading up to work and the day of. It is almost like going through the 2nd trimester of pregnancy or the 3 weeks after birth with the wild roller coaster ride of emotions. Let me just say that the crying will start the few days before and hit the hardest the night before.
Mommy Tip: See tip number two. After dealing with your irrational thoughts and the waterfall of tears, your significant other deserves a reward. They are going to be putting up with a lot of crazy from you.The day of returning to work finally arrived. The morning of I was so busy double checking that I had everything for work and that Mia had everything for the babysitters I could not focus on what was happening enough to cry. We walked out the door and drove to the babysitters, still focused on if I packed enough of everything. Finally we arrived, my husband unloaded her bags, play gym, and rocker, while I brought in the baby.
He came back once I was done and sat me down. He told me "Sam, there is no prize for not crying. No one is going to congratulate you for you not crying over missing her. That baby loves you. Remember when she was born and she kept quaking (her little cries sound like a duck, so cute), when did she stop? She stopped when she touched your cheek and heard your voice. That baby is not going to forget that or you. You are her mother and nothing is going to change that." He was right. My wonderful babysitter sent me several pictures throughout the day and updates. We even go to share a laugh over her massive poop which resulted in an outfit change (Never trust my daughter's farts, they are never just farts. Lol). I returned after work to find her happy and doing well. She smiled when she heard my voice and we snuggled all that night.
But the night before and that morning, all I wanted was my baby and for her to feel loved and not abandoned by her mother. (Again irrational thoughts, I warned you they were coming.) Nothing can describe the amount of guilt and pain you feel. I was there I went through it. But I just want to let you know that IT IS OKAY TO CRYYou will not win a prize for not crying. There are others going through the exact same experience, reach out to them. It does not make the guilt and pain feel less, but it does give you solace that you are not alone and that you will be able to make it through this for your baby. Find other working moms, find blogs, follow someone on Instagram, or a Facebook page. There are people out there who share in your feelings and would be more than happy to talk with you, myself included. You are not crazy and it is okay to have those feelings, but it is important to find your strength and carry on for your baby. Remember that you are doing this to give your child a better life and one day you and they will appreciate it, maybe not right now but one day.
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Prime Day is nearly upon us and for those of us that have Amazon Prime it is almost like the second Black Friday of the year. This is an event filled with savings and lightening deals where people can get their large expensive items with a huge discount. Who doesn't love discounts?!?!?!
This event is fantastic for anyone with a baby or about to have a baby, with some items going from 5% to 70% off. Strollers, baby carriers, outfits, monitors, car-seats, you name it. Parents can get huge savings on items that would normally cost a ton of money, making life a whole lot easier for parents who need that extra savings (being a teacher I am one of them). So here in this post I am going to share steps on how to save and score on Amazon Prime Day. |
PRIME DAY IS
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Car Seats
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Other Baby Gear
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The last few weeks of pregnancy and the first few weeks of motherhood I spent all my time in the hospital or at my house. After the C-Section I was also confined to only the first floor of my house, which made matters worse. Now don't get me wrong I absolutely adore and love Mia, but even the strongest minds can cave under confinement. I was stuck in one level of my home, I was in pain, I was lonely (my husband had to go back to work after the first week), and I was tired. My only companions were my two dogs, Netflix, and this new baby that I was still trying to figure out how to take care of. Needless to say Cabin Fever snuck in pretty quickly. |
Get out the house and find some quick thing for you to do, even if its only 10 minutes. A change of scenery and faces will help you way more than you realize. If you are nervous to venture out into the world by yourself while also being responsible for this tiny fragile human being, find a relative or a friend to help. I highly recommend finding someone who is a mother or who has been a mother. They will keep you calm when the baby starts crying and find ways to help you find this new type of normal. |
'We had a ton of diapers from the different baby showers (And this adorable diaper cake courtesy of my husbands students. There are quite the talented and creative bunch). Many were a different brand and they ranged in many sizes. Once Mia was born we quickly found out that we would not be using all the diapers given to us. She was allergic to one of the brands. She broke out and we quickly started using Boudreaux's Butt Paste and changed brands. Definitely a NMM, Nervous Mommy Moment. Not only was she allergic to a brand she also grew so quickly. My heart is definitely not ready for her to grow this fast. I really just want to keep my little snuggle bug this small forever. Sigh... Anyway, we definitely had way too many Newborn diapers that she grew out of. She was also born 9 lbs 1 oz. so that meant she was definitely not going to stay in them long (or the cute newborn outfits). Good news is the stores will take back the diapers and exchange them for the brand or |
Mommy and Music Educator all wrapped into one. Navigating the joyous world of motherhood, music, and education.
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