All posts tagged: babies

Expert Advice: Fool-Proof Sleep Tips for Traveling with Kids this Holiday Season

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    I’m happy to share the expert guest post below from Denise Stern, Founder of Let Mommy Sleep , just in time for the holiday season! Just last Thanksgiving, 48.7 million Americans traveled over 50 miles or more and we can expect much more of the same this year. For those traveling with a newborn, infant or toddler, we know how stressful travel can be, especially when it comes to nap schedules. However, for your peace of mind, Denise Stern, founder of Let Mommy Sleep, the country’s leading Baby Nurse and Postpartum Care service, is revealing a few fool-proof tips as you prepare your baby for travel during the holidays. Fool Proof Sleep Tips for Traveling this Holiday Season with a Newborn, Infant or Toddler, which includes: Practice at home! Many times babies are not used to sleeping in a travel bed or pack-n-play.Put baby in travel bed or pack-n-play for naptime at home in weeks leading up to the trip. Keep sleep routine as close to home as possible to help baby feel safe and secure.  If weather …

Halloween Treat: Nutramigen

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Moms of babies with formula allergies will appreciate this. We got a real treat last night when we met a family down the street from us. They have a girl a little younger than Genevieve and a boy a few months younger than Luca. We trick or treated together and found out their son has a milk allergy just like Luca. Luca is on Nutramigen, which costs hundreds of dollars a month and insurance doesn’t cover because it’s sold over the counter. (I can write a whole blog post about what we went through with that issue!) Their baby tried Nutramigen and it didn’t work, so he’s on something else even more expensive but their insurance covers. So they gave us six cans of Nutramigen! There are good people in the world. We’re paying it back and giving them clothes Luca outgrew. Score for us both. And we all get new friends. Happy Halloween, indeed!

My Labor Day: Otherwise Known as the Scariest and Happiest Day of My Life

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This year’s Labor Day just so happens to fall on September 7th, my daughter Genevieve’s first birthday. It seems like only yesterday that I was in the hospital experiencing the most terrifying and heartwarming day of my life. I didn’t have a birth plan. I thought about making one, but then decided it wasn’t worth it because you can’t predict what’s going to happen during labor and delivery. My husband and I took a prenatal education class to learn a little about what was going to happen to my body. Like most mommy’s-to-be, I also read “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” every week to find out what was happening inside my belly. I skimmed the chapters about childbirth because I didn’t want to build up anxiety. I completely skipped past the material on C-sections. Of course, I ended up with a C-section and also needed pitocin during labor. My two delivery fears became my reality. Throughout my pregnancy, I worried about how my body was going to handle childbirth. I have chronic fatigue so …

Parenting DIY Activity: Weekly Photo Shoots for Year One Baby Book

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I’m obsessed with pictures. Since my daughter was born, I’ve been forcing her to pose for weekly mini photo shoots. I’m compiling them all into a Year One book that I’ll be printing on Shutterfly (Blurb is great too but Shutterfly has adorable baby themes). I purchased baby countdown blocks on Etsy for consistency, however I am really annoyed that on double odd number weeks, like 33, the blocks don’t work because the blocks don’t each have every number on them. So beware. But I digress! Every month, I upload my top photos of Geneveive and start laying out the pages so that I’m not overwhelmed once she turns one-year-old. Each week, I try to capture her doing something that shows her growth, like eating solids, clapping her hands, sitting up and standing. It’s so emotional looking back on all of these things and seeing how much she has changed each week. I encourage other creative moms to do something like a weekly photo shoot book. It’s an awesome keepsake and also makes a great gift for grandparents. My …

When Your Dog is Jealous of Your Baby

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My dog hates my baby. OK, hate is a pretty strong word. But our plot hound, Lulu, definitely isn’t trilled with this tiny new person taking up all her mom and dad’s attention. During my pregnancy, I worried about how our dogs would react to a new baby. I expected our female dog, Lulu—who was basically used as a breeding machine before we rescued her—to be nurturing with our new addition. I figured our boy dog, Lucky—the resident hunter of small animals—wouldn’t look twice at her once he realized she wasn’t game. I also worried about hurting their feelings. I didn’t want the dogs to feel neglected or unloved just because we welcomed a new, amazing family member. But it happened.  Playtime: Lucky and Baby G. It turns out that Lucky is obsessed with Genevieve and has basically taken on the role of her guardian. He is always in the same room with her. In fact;  whenever he comes in from outside, the first thing he does is run from room to room until he …