Hey there everyone! I thought I'd better change the blog since Christmas is over already! And I thought we could all use a little color in our lives since we are in the middle of winter and we can tend to get the winter blues...plus I couldn't find a background that I liked with a winter theme :) And I tend to gravitate towards the bright and cheery colors. Anyway...boring right..okay...I'll stop babbling. Well we don't have any big news for you. Our birthmom had her doctors appointment on Monday...I guess everything looked good...baby seems healthy and baby also seems like he or she is getting really big...our birthmom is at about 36 weeks...so we might have a chunky baby on our hands...that's okay with me...I love a chubby baby! No date yet...I was really hoping to have a date to look forward to for the induction but that's okay...I guess she has an appointment on Monday again and we've been told her doctor will then set a tentative date...all could change because like I said before they will do an amnio before to make sure the baby's lungs are developed. So...that's all the news that I have on that. Jon and I are busy getting ready for this little ones arrival...we got our car seat and stroller this weekend...I love them! I probably spent way too much on my stroller but I got what I wanted and I've been waiting a long time for this so I just spent the money :) Sometimes in life you just have to do that I think :) We also picked up a few bottles...I decided to go with Playtex drop-ins...I also got a few glass Gerber bottles as well. Any body have any advice on bottles for me? Also formula? I know it depends on each and every baby but just wondering if you had better luck with one over the other and that sort of thing. Also...Jon and I were talking last night about vaccines...I know that this is a hot button topic and I don't want to get too much into it but if any of you have any good links for website whether they are for, against, alternative schedule...whatever...please pass them along as we now realize we should probably figure this out. I am not against vaccines altogether...I definitely feel there are some that we just don't need...also I've been hearing a lot about alternative schedules and spacing the vacs out a bit so the baby isn't getting so many at one time. Anyway...just something we've been thinking about and it's such a broad topic I don't know where to start! Any other advice would be greatly appreciated...I've been asking my clients what the one thing they had for their babies/kids that they didn't think they needed but were so glad they had...something that surprised them...and I've had a lot of people say...skip the wipes warmer :) So...what's your one thing you're so glad that you have? Okay...I'll stop with the questions...and I don't have any more news so I'll let you go about your day :) Thanks for checking in!
Oh...don't forget to vote in the poll! It's been fun seeing what you all think...I guess girl is winning over boy...we'll see who's right!!!
20 comments:
Hi Ali! This is Britt's friend, Bethany. I just wanted to offer my advice. I have not had much experience with bottles but I've heard that Dr. Brown's are the best at preventing colic and such. Pretty much all bottles are BPA free now, so that's not really a concern anymore.
For vaccine information, I strongly recommend The Vaccine Book by Dr. Bob Sears. I just finished it and can attest that it is excellent! Full of good information, alternative schedules, etc. I'm so excited for you and Jon!
I am so excited for you guys!! You could be holding that precious little baby in your arms very soon. My prayers for an easy delivery and recovery for the birth mother and a healthy baby for you all.
My advice would be to skip the big high chair and just go with one that sits on a chair. It saves a lot of room and is MUCH cheaper.
I have several formula coupons and would LOVE to send them your way. Can you email me your address? ourlittlemonkeys.net@gmail.com
I don't have any advice, but I would love to see the car seat and stroller you bought!They have so many colors and options and I'm always curious to see what people choose for that kinda stuff! What about the nursery? Can we see pics? (Or will that give away the gender of the baby?) Hmmmm... I say BOY!
The one thing that we learned is that you don't really need a changing table. We've always just changed the diapers on a mat on the floor. The one item that we have really enjoyed, that we never would've bought for ourselves is this 3 bowl set from Sassy. The bowls are different sizes, have suction cups on the bottoms, and come with lids.
Ali, I'm so excited!! I bet you guys cannot wait for this sweet baby to get here! :) There are so many great things to get...lets see...blanket sleepers are wonderful, especially for little ones when it's so cold out. Both my kids got tons of use out of our swing. I've heard it doesn't work for all kids, but mine loved it! As far as formula, be sure to sign up on Similac's website if you haven't already. I received two large cans of formula (probably about $30 worth!) free in the mail from them! That's all the advice I can think of for now! :)
~Amanda
I agree no wipe warmer for us either. The last thing we need around here is pampered behinds, LOL. We did not have a changing table with Sydney and with Griffin we have two, one in the living room downstairs and 1 in his room upstairs. I love to keep some of the essentials downstairs underneath the changing table and it is easier on your body not to have to get on the floor all the time. IKEA has some bargains. You definitely need all the health care essentials- nasal saline, bulb suction, rectal thermometer, infant tylenol, vasoline (if a boy and you are having him circumcised). Hmmm what else? I loved the swaddling blanket (the one I have is called miracle blanket) for when they are really little. I could go on forever. I am so excited.
Yay, Yay! Can't WAIT! As you may have guessed, I don't know too much about vaccinations or baby gear (although when the time comes I will be asking YOU for all the advice!) but I did hear something on K-talk a few months ago that you might be interested in - regarding the baby DNA bank in MN.
Apparently MN takes baby DNA at birth for genetic testing unless the parents direct that they don't... and they don't necessarily destroy it after 2 years like they are supposed to. Here's a link if you are interested. :) Good to know since they don't ask permission - you have to opt out. Grrrrr.
http://www.cchconline.org/issues/NewbornGeneticTestingMN.php
http://www.naturalnews.com/
This is a website that I love, you can probably type in vaccine in the search box and it will probably give you a lot of info.
Also, I'm not sure if he has many articles that don't have some link to try and sell you something anymore. But I've always trusted his information:
http://www.mercola.com/
I personally am pretty much anti-vaccine because of what I learned at my chiropractic office and the kind of chemicals they actually put in them. Nasty stuff if you ask me. But that is just my opinion.
I have no other advice on baby stuff. I'll have to copy Britt and say when the time comes I'll know who to go to! :)
Lots o' love to you and Jon! Very happy for you!
So excited for you and Jon! Praying all goes well!
Hi, I heard about you from a friend. I would love to have you share your story on my woman's talk radio radio show, Her Freedom. If you're interested please email share@herfreedom.org. You can learn more about the show @ www.herfreedom.org or www.castlerockradio.com
Thank you! Looking forward to hearing from you!
- Janna
Its been a long time since I've given baby advice! Something friends and my sister had was a vibrating baby chair. It was one like you would normally see that sits on a table for infants but it had batteries and vibrated/moved if you wanted it to. It was for the same kinds of soothing as a swing but was smaller and prtable and for smaller babies. I personally think vaccines are important. Also, if you do the pacifier thing-and both my kids had one, DON"T take it away too soon. There are a lot of kids I see Kindergarten and older that have a lot of issues with putting things in their mouth that I think come from missing that oral soother. Don't let peer pressure make your decision. Good Luck to all of you! Lynne
Congratulations on the upcoming birth of your baby! What an exciting time for you both!
We just had our baby girl, Kensington, in December and we have found the Itzbeen to be extremely helpful. It just keeps track of the time between feedings, diaper changes, naps, etc... That way we can figure out what she needs when she's crying a little easier. We bought ours on Amazon.
Also, the Bundle Me makes car seat traveling in the Winter much cozier for baby.
Congrats again!
Hi Ali,
What an exciting time for you guys! Getting ready for a new baby and shopping for all the cool baby gear is sooo fun. Andy and I have found a few things to be particularly helpful. A good baby sling is a must have so that you can get things done while your baby is still stug against its mama.(Be sure to get one that you can get on and off without the assistance of someone else; I made this mistake. :p)I also agree that you should just skip the big high chair and get one that buckles right to a table chair; its a lot more versatile and easier to take other places. I agree with Erica on the BundlMe. I love it and it would be especially great for the new baby this time of year, because who wants to try to get such a tiny baby into bulky winter gear?
I never used formula, but I would suggest that whatever you use to be organic. You would be surprised what is in our foods these days, even baby food.
As far as vaccines go, I am anti-vaccine. The best thing to do is to educate yourself on the contents of them and what harm they can do. I have also heard some good things about Dr. Sears's vaccine scheduling if you do choose to vaccinate. I am sure you and Jon will make good decisions and learn as you go just like all of us. Here is a link to a magazine and website that I subscribe to. They have some really great articles covering many topics.www.mothering.com (they do have a little new age stuff here and there you will need to ignore.) God bless you in the preparation of bringing your little one home and I too would love to see pictures of the cute baby gear you guys get, along with many, many of the baby of course. Excited for you guys!
Danyelle
Hey there Jon and Ali, my comment is on the vaccinations. If you want your child in public school, they have to have them but... I have talked with many people about this topic and they are all about the holistic way of life. They really recommend waiting to vaccinate the child until they are 2 b/c then their system is stronger and can handle it. Also, they recommend only doing 1 shot at a time and spacing the shots out 1-2 months. They are very deadly diseases that are being put into your babies body and if you only do 1 at a time you allow the baby's body to keep up with it. BUT, and the medical field will totally discredit this but there happens to be a lot of autism coming from, I think the 18 month shots, which I believe are about 3 shots that visit. I'll tell you a story next time I see you.
Just a quick comment on the BundleMes recommended. We had and used one too, but there is some controversy about them because you are putting something between the baby and the seat. There is a risk that in an accident, the extra material could compress, leaving too much slack in the straps and allowing for ejection.
Hi Ali and Jon,
I decided to wait and read some other comments and then decide if I should open my mouth.
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS!
I don't have any advice about the baby stuff but I do have an opinion on the vaccines. I am very concerned about the anti vaccine movement. What people forget to realize is that your choice to not vaccinate is not just about you. You are potentially exposing others every time your child goes out in public if you choose not to vaccinate. Diseases that were pretty much eliminated in this country are coming back. I'll have to check out the Sears book about alternate scheduling which seems like a reasonable alternative without having read anything. I wish people would stop and think about how illogical the autism link is. Why would autism be going up when the use of the preservative has way down since the autism scare came about? I don't have the answers but I do think that God gave us brains and vaccines are the results of those brains and if the intent was for the better good then they are needed. I don't know of anything that is 100% sure in this life on earth except our belief in our heavenly home. Just my thoughts. Love you two.
Judy Gelderman
Well said, Judy!!
Baby advice...how fun!
My biggest piece of advice is do what feels right for you and Jon. You are already parents - and I think you will be surprized at how naturally loving and caring for your new little one comes!! That said - I had my moments when I finally had Josie in my arms :) But, seriously - don't get bogged down in what others do, just do what feels good and right for your family!
I do have a couple things that we couldn't live without:
A vibrating chair! Josie actually slept in hers for the first couple of weeks because I was so afraid of her rolling over in her bed! Make sure to get one that doesn't automatically turn off after 15 minutes. Our "pretty" one did - and it got used a lot less than the more functional, but less stylish one!
We bought a package of Nuk brand pacifiers when Josie was less than a week old - and these were lifesavers! I have heard that some babies won't take a nuk/pac-i - but Josie needed it and it really soothed her. Plus, like the nurses told us - you can take away a pacifier, but you can't take away a thumb!
The sleep-sak. A safe way to keep your baby cozy!!! Josie still uses one, and I don't think she'll sleep with a blanket until I can't find one of these saks that fits her!! (She is 19 months old!)
And just remember - you CANNOT spoil a baby with love!! I was always concerned that I held Josie to much in the beginning - but my wise uncle assured me that you really can't spoil a baby with love!!! You guys have LOTS of love to give - and this new little baby will be showered with it - which is a good thing.
CONGRATS - and you guys will make awesome parents to this new little baby!
Deanna
Hi Ali!!!
First off, CONGRATULATIONS!!! So so so happy for you and Jon and Natalee is just gorgeous.
Quick comments - my pediatrician said that all formulas are so closely regulated by the FDA that any formula is good formula, but the best formula is FREE formula! :) Coupons are great and use any freebies you get. We bought the Target brand formula (approx. $12 per can-must cheaper than the rest), and also used Similac.
The swaddleme blanket was super. Soothie pacis are great.
About vaccines - I agree with Judy. JT works in Autism Research, and the evidence continues to highlight that Autism is unrelated to vaccines. He'd be glad to tell you more if you'd like. Bekah had all her vaccines on schedule.
I know I'm late on this thread, but just catching up a bit. :) Love you - so happy for you all. As others said, you'll just know what's best for you and your family. Trust your gut! :)
Hope you're getting rest. HUGS,
Kelli Diener
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