Workin' On The Weekends

Mommies are on call 24/7! No weekends and no holidays!

I thought I would get a little sleep last nite, but Dreux had other plans! Around 11pm we called it a night and past out on the couch. About 2 hrs later she was up and boy was she hungry! Fed and changed her and she went back to sleep! Finally...sleep! But at 3am she was up again! In between trying to feed, washing my pumping tools, and pumping...I was a reck running around this house in a lethargic daze. After a few moments of letting her just bellow til I got things situated, I found myself pumping and nursing simultaneously (thanks to the nursing bustier Derek bought for hands free lactation). Yay! I did it. Managed to feed her and have a bag to store for later. Finally sleep right? Wrong! Dreux was up for another THREE whole hours smiling, pooting, and giving mommie the most "sloby-est" kisses. By 6am she was out and it didn't take long for me to follow. However by 8:30 she was up...again! So here I am an hour after she woke up and Dreux has managed to poop up her back, go through two diapers, throw a crying fit, has had a bath, ate yet again, and is sleep! It's amazing how much has been accomplished all before 9:30! Now....what am I going to eat........

Baby Shower Registry Item Ideas

Registering for your shower can seem quite overwhelming. Here are a few steps n items I found helpful!

1) Select the stores you want to register at. I chose Target and buybuyBaby. Some other options include Babies R Us and WalMart.

2) Take someone with when registering for your items; preferably someone who has had a child who can give advice on certain items

3) Go crazy!! It doesn't hurt to put everything you need and want on the registry. You never know who will be generous enough to purchase it for you. Here are some items to consider:

• Diapers
• Wipes
• Diaper Genie WITH Refills (request a diaper genie with a foot pedal; you will thank me later)
• Diaper bag
• Bunting (if it's cold when it comes time to take the baby home)
• Onsies (look for ones that have the attached hand guards; similar to mits)
• T-Shirts
• "Sleep n Plays" (Sleepers)
• Mitts
• Hats
• Socks
• Hangers
• Closet organizers
• Hamper
• Safety kit (with thermometer, nail clippers, nose aspirator, comb, brush, etc.)
• Changing pad
• Bottles
• Nipples
• Bottle liners
• Bottle Cleaner Brush
• Bottle Warmer
• Pacifiers (optional but if you decide make sure it's the orthodontic pacifier to avoid braces in the future lol it will say "Ortho". Also some pacifiers are categorized by months, so pay attention to that as well
• Receiving blankets
• Bibs
• Wash clothes
• Dry towels
• Baby soap and shampoo (look for hypoallergenic items)
• Infant tub(make sure it says INFANT; there will be a mesh attachment to the tub which allows new babies to lie comfortably and safely in the tub during bath time)
• Vaseline
• Lotions (hypoallergenic)
• Desitin (diaper rash cream)
• Bedding (FITTED crib/bassinet sheets)
• Blankets
• Car seat and stroller (most come together)
• Crib and/or bassinet (Note: most bassinets safely hold babies up to 5months or until they are able to pull up their own weight)
• Dreft Laundry Detergent- BE SURE TO WASH EVERYTHING BEFORE THE BABY USES/WEARS ANYTHING!!!

~For Mommie~
• Nursing pads (if nursing)
• Breast Pump (if nursing) **
• Sanitary napkins

**I would recommend holding off on purchasing any breastfeeding items until you have successfully established breastfeeding. There are many reason moms are unable to breastfeed and you want to make sure you and baby are well established before investing in breastfeeding items :)

**Also, always check for recalled items. We want our children to have safe and throughly inspected items!
 Recalled Items

First Scare!

Yesterday Dreux decided to scare mommie!

Around 1pm I got a text from the babysitter that Dreux wasn't waking up! Not waking up? What does that mean??? For an hr and a half I waiting at work giving her ideas on what to do to wake her! Grab something from the fridge and place it on her tummy....nothing! Un-swaddle her...nothing! Change her...nothing. Feed her....nothing! Needless to say I was FREAKING OUT! I contemplated for a while on whether or not I was panicking for no reason or had just cause to be concerned. I looked at the time on my computer-2:46pm! That's it, I'm going home to my baby! We had been texting and calling each other since 1:10pm she still wasn't up and had been sleep since 11am! This is not like her I thought to myself. Dreux will wake up when she's getting changed and she will DEFINITELY wake up to eat! No since in trying to figure it out from my office...I'm going home!

I sent my senior a quick email, shut down my lap top, and I was out the door in a manner of minutes! When I got home I couldn't believe it....Dreux was WIDE awake!

You never really know what panicking is until you think something could be wrong with your child and you are away from them! Luckily Dreux was fine and was just extremely tired...possibly going thought a growth spurt, but mommy was a mess!

Lesson learned: BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY. You can NEVER be too concerned with the well being of your child. If you are at work and suspect something could be wrong LEAVE. Nothing is more important at that time than your child. If your managers can't understand that, then sorry for them!

All Diaper Bag Must Haves

v  Diapers! (and plenty of them)

v  Wipes

v  Changing Pad

v  Change of clothes

v  Receiving blanket

v  Extra Pacifier

v  Bottles

v  Nipples

v  Breastfeeding Cloak/Cover up (for breastfeeding mommies)

v  Hand Sanitizer

v  Disposable diaper bags (for soiled diapers)

v  Safety Kit

v  Pediatricians Information

v  All medications, crèmes, and/or vitamin supplements

Party's Over...Time To Go Back To Work :-(

When Maternity Leave is over, its time to face reality…. We must go back to work! Today was my first day back at the office and my daughters 7^th week of life. To many working moms this seems too early to go back. I didn’t qualify for FMLA because I hadn’t been with the firm for a year, however by law, I was entitled to 6 weeks off after the birth of my child. My daughter was born March 5^th and today, on April 23^rd, I’m in the office.

Leaving her this morning was HARD; and yes I will admit I shed a few tears, perfectly normal! But as I go through the day I’ve thought of some helpful tips to consider when returning back to work, regardless of how much time you decide, or are allowed, to take off.

1.       Search for a sitter EARLY! Between the unfavorable daycare visit and other prospect sitters falling through, I ended up calling a friend who agreed to watch Dreux my first week back at work. As of now Dreux still doesn’t have a permanent sitter or daycare. We are taking it one week at a time. Find something early, so it’s one less thing on your mind at work.

2.       Determine when you will return to work and have a plan! Going back to work after being off for weeks, or even months, can be very scary. Know:

a.       The date you plan to return to work. Make sure your day back from your leave of absence (LOA), falls within the allotted time you are entitled for maternity leave. Always check with HR about benefits, PTO, and other logistical items as it relates to LOA.

b.      Where the little one is going and what time you need to be out of the house to make it to work on time. Leaving at 7:45 to make the 7:50 bus won’t cut it anymore. Plan to be late so leave even earlier. Also plan to cry and not want to leave…I was a half an hour late my first day back, all because I just could leave out the door knowing it would be 8hrs before I saw that adorable face again.

c.       Who, if anyone, will be there that morning to assist with getting things in order. My mother spent the night with me the night before I went back to work. You can’t imagine how overwhelming going back to work and leaving the little one with someone can be. Just imagine how quickly you get dressed those mornings you’re running late and opt to put your makeup on in the car. Multiply that anxiety by 100. You have added about 10+ additional tasks to your morning routine. Aside from showering, getting dressed and other personal hygienic tasks of your own, now you have an extra person to dress, change, feed, and get to the sitter (or daycare) before your 7:30am train arrives. If someone can be there your first day back, it’s a blessing!

d.      How you plan to transition back into work. My job has what they call an alternate work agreement where new moms have the choice of selected a work schedule that will be conducive to their new lives as mothers. All companies aren’t the same but check with HR to see if your company has similar programs.

3.       If you are breastfeeding:

a.        Invest in a good Breast Pump! It makes things A LOT easier and it’s really convenient. You can find manual pumps, semi-manual, and electric. I have an electric pump by Medela. THE BEST CREATION. It was a little pricey, $300. Lucky for me mine was a gift, so add it to the registry and pray someone is generous enough to get it for you. It’s worth every cent, especially for working mommies. It comes in a discrete backpack so no one will ever no its really your breast pump! J

b.      Pump weeks in advance. About two weeks prior to returning to work, I began pumping and freezing. Medela also has storage bags that you can pump directly into which makes pumping, storing, and organizing much easier.

c.       Inquire about any nursing or private rooms your job or office may have. My office has a private room that I had to request access too which allows nursing moms a comfortable and private space to pump. If your office or job does not have a room of this sort, speak with someone at your job who could give alternative suggestions. Such as an old office or a small conference room. This is probably one of the biggest concerns with working moms- where and how often to pump at work. If worse comes to worse take your lunch out to your car, bring a blanket and pump in the car! Mommies have to do what they have to do for the health of their little ones! J