Our Bedtime Routine: How we got H to sleep through the night.

H loves her sleep. The first week she was at home, I was frantically worrying that she was sleeping too much. 

In the beginning, we were making sure to wake up her every 2-3 hours to eat. She hated it and always wanted her sleep. Her schedule started to become a little more flexible as she was getting older. Around 4-5 weeks is when we started to get on a regular sleep schedule. 

We started with her bed time being around 11pm and she would sleep until around 5am-6am. We slowly started working her bedtime back, little by little. If we noticed she wasn't sleeping as well, we would take a break and go a little later. It was really a trial and error to figure out what would work best for her. We focused on making sure she was getting enough to eat and enough sleep. (which sometimes meant we didn't get enough sleep or enough to eat lol #parenthood) 

Eventually around 7-8 weeks old, She was going to bed around 9pm and waking up around 6am. She is now 4 and a half months and goes to bed between 8pm-9pm and typically will wake up between 6:30am-7:30am.

We try to keep to a very strict bedtime routine to help her sleep better. We started this routine around 7 weeks and it has really been working for our girl.

Around 8pm we will give H a warm bath. Sometimes its just a warm bubble bath & other days we actually wash her hair & everything. We are a believer of the Johnson Lavender bubble bath & soaps. ** We have had no issues with her skin drying out or any other issues with her having a short warm bath each night.

After her bath, we get her dressed in her pj's and we always spend about 10-15 minutes just playing and talking to her, some nights we will read books also. (This helps to make sure she is tired and not going to be wide awake)

After a little play and interaction time, we rock her & give her a bottle. The bottle is the formula with added rice or we add the rice to her normal formula. (She is now at the point where we are adding rice to all of her bottles, before her 4 month appointment, the only bottle with rice was her night time bottle.)

++I know..I know..We are "spoiling" her by rocking her to sleep every night...but someday she will be too big or she won't want to be rocked to sleep by her Momma..so until those days come, I'm going to enjoy all the moments.

 After her bottle she is typically asleep. We don't force her to drink the entire bottle, but normally she has no issues with that. (she's a little chunk!) We can usually put her in her crib and she is down for the night. We also use a sound machine & black out curtains. For about 2 weeks now, she does sleep with her Unicorn blankie. Some nights it's hard to even get her to sleep without it.

    

We have the most success with her sleeping through the night, when we make sure and stick to our routine and schedule as much as we can. Obviously there are some nights that are impossible or that she just isn't having bed time...but for the most part we have good nights.


Be sure to check out my Instagram for a small Giveaway! @mommacspice

Until The Next Dash, 

Momma Spice

Momma's Day

As a first time mom, May 12, 2019 is extra special to me. My First Mother's Day with my first baby.

 Last year on Mother's Day, we had just told our families that we were expecting, but we hadn't announced publicly yet....so we did a mild version of celebrating. Austin got me a small gift and we spent the day with our own Momma's. So this year, I am very excited to spend the day with H.

 I have *officially* been a Mom for 127 Days; 18 weeks & 1 day; 3048 hours; 182,880 minutes; or 10,972,800 seconds. (seems kind of crazy right) My life was forever changed on January 4th 2019 and I am glad it was. I never knew I could have so much love for a brand new person, that, lets be honest, I barely knew. I fall more & more in love everyday with my sweet girl. She is for sure a Momma's Girl and I love it. 

I can't imagine my life not being a mom, it is truly the best role I've ever done. So as I sit here and thank about how much I love being a Momma, I can't help but think of the wonderful Momma's I've had the pleasure of going through life with...both for the long haul and more recently. 

Happy Momma's Day. I hope you feel loved & Appreciated, as much as you truly are. So here's to you.

First, of course, My own Momma. My mom is my best friend, she is the one who keeps our family together. The one who everyone can count on in hard times, both to help & to make you laugh. She has taught me everything I know and has formed me into the women I am today. We have our moments, that's for sure, but what best friends don't fight every now and then right? I know I can whole-heartily rely on my mom. I can go to her and tell her anything and she will not judge or shame, but she also doesn't sugar coat..anything. She loves fierce, fearlessly, tough, and with everything she has. She goes above and beyond every day for her kids (+grandkids) and always has. Thank you for everything. For teaching me to fight for myself, to love, & of course, to love Harry Potter. I am so blessed with the best Momma I could of ever asked for. Thank you for being a great mother (+ Memaw) & I love you so!

Second, my wonderful Bonus-Mom. I've been blessed almost my whole life to have a bonus mom. Extra love & extra support through everything. While it can't always be easy to accept kids that aren't biologically yours, Angie has done this with both love and open arms. There have been tough times, adjusting and understanding. But I know that I am loved and can always rely on Angie. I am so blessed to have a bonus Momma & so thankful for the one God blessed me with. She is supportive, compassionate, and giving. I couldn't imagine my life any other way, I love you Angie!

Next, my Mother-In-Law. As I grew up, as most little girls, I dreamed about someday marrying my prince charming. As you prepare to full-fill this dream, you realize that there is so much more that you gain, as you gain a husband. You gain an entire family. I am lucky with the family I gained, especially my MIL. Kathy is supportive and full of love. She is family focused and always willing to do whatever her family members need. As a mom of all boys, she is obviously tough. I am blessed to be her first "daughter" and grow a strong relationship with her. I am thankful to her for raising the man of my dreams. I love you Kathy!

Finally, to the other special Momma's in my life. Casey, Cassy, Aubry, Karena, & Taylor. You all are beautiful & wonderful Mother's. You are raising wonderful children and I hope everyday you wake up and know that you are strong, beautiful, and amazing! Love you all! 

 

Recall on Rock N' Play and Transitioning to the Crib

I'm sure everyone has heard by now about the recall on Fisher Price Rock N' Plays. I am torn on this recall personally.

With H, we used our Rock N' Play after the first couple days home from the hospital. She LOVED it. It fit perfectly beside our bed and was so easy to travel with. It was easy to move from room to room, wherever we were. I loved it.

I will admit, it saved my sanity. She hated sleeping in the pack n play and her crib, she hated flat, hard surfaces, and she hated being swaddled. She would fall asleep in one of our arms and trying to put her down in a bed, was like a ticking time bomb. Until we finally started using the Rock N Play.

In the beginning we used all the features. The automatic rocker, the vibrations, and the music...she loved it all. Eventually we got to the point where we didn't use all the features, she would just sleep in the rock n' play herself.

Once we started hearing about the issues people were having with the rock n' play, we got a little nervous using ours, but H couldn't roll over from back to belly yet and she was always right beside our bed or in the same room that we were in, so we felt confident in the way we were using it to be able continue using it.

Once they officially recalled the product, we decided we wouldn't continue to use it and transition into her crib. This was not as easy as we had hoped for, but also not as hard as we imagined.

The first few nights in the crib as soon as she would move, she woke herself up. We had a few rough nights the first week, but we got through that week and didn't give up. When she would wake up and cry, we comforted her and gave her the pacifier. Very rarely we would take her out and rock her, we tried to keep her in the crib as much as possible so she would get used it. We also used the crib for nap time as well.

I'm not happy with the recall, because I still believe the Rock N' Play is an awesome product..the recall did force us into the crib transition earlier than we had planned. I have sympathy for anyone who experienced one of the incidents that lead to the recall and I am thankful that nothing happen during our time of using it.

**I still believe it is very important to pay attention to every product you use and follow all the safety directions and precautions.


Until the Next Dash,

Momma Spice

H: 3 Months

I'm not sure how it's possible, but H is officially 3 months old!

 1Month            3 Months

She is weighing 13lbs and 2oz and is 24 inches long! She is growing so quickly! One night she went to be in a 0-3 month sleeper and the next day she was too big for it! She is always super smiley and is starting to laugh a lot. She is a little stubborn, she will be smiling and laughing but as soon as the camera comes out, she is stone cold.


She loves to watch sports on TV with her daddy. She still loves to be rocked to sleep & loves to be soothed by singing. Baby Shark is her favorite song, which is an upgrade from Havana... Bath time is her favorite part of her nighttime routine.

 She loves to eat her hands & is starting to grab and play with more toys.She's enjoying the weather starting to get warmer so she can go outside more. She likes to always be able to see someone when she isn't being held. She loves to make all sorts of noises. She is rolling over from belly to back! We are working on back to belly now. Some day I'm sure she'll get an attitude about all the pictures we take, so we will enjoy it while it lasts. 

She is such a good baby. Very rarely cries or is fussy, she normally always has a reason. She for sure loves her sleep, she sleeps all night and we sometimes even have to wake her up in the mornings during the week.

She is Austin & I's pride and joy and we couldn't imagine our lives without her. We love her so much & can't believe she is 3 months already! Seems like yesterday we were just coming home from the hospital. 

  














Until the next dash,

Momma Spice*

It is Not a Lie, It Takes a Village

I have always heard things about how it "takes a village" to raise your kids. I had always been one of the people who thought..How? and Why? I always thought to myself, I could do it on my own..I wouldn't need help. I always associated asking for help or needed help as a weakness. I didn't want to ask anyone for help because I didn't want people to look down on me or think I couldn't handle it. 

...but now I just sit back and laugh at myself and wonder why I ever though asking for help was a bad thing? Why did I associate it with weakness?

Becoming a mom has shown me even when I ask for help..or a break..or if I have an emotional breakdown. I am okay and I am for sure not weak.

H is going on 3 months. I won't lie, in the beginning I was reluctant to ask for help, to admit that I was tired or that I needed something. I would get mad when people gave me advice or offered to help me. I worried what people would think if I had a babysitter so I could go do something, I worried what people would think when I went back to work full time, I was worried constantly how people would view me.

It took me a little bit and I wouldn't say I am completely there but I know now asking for help is not a weakness. The line "It takes a Village" is not a joke. We don't have to do all this alone. We have the most amazing village behind us. We can always depend on all our people.

I have learned that it's okay to ask for help and to admit that I need it sometimes. It's okay to be overwhelmed, but I have to know my limits and know when I need to ask for help. It doesn't make me any less of a great mother to my child or a wife to my husband by asking for help or needing a break. I have learned that while some people may have other intentions with their advice giving, my village does not. They do not mean any thing in a malicious way. I have to learn to accept the advice, I do not have to follow the advice if I don't agree with it, because I am still the parent, but I have to be willing to accept the advice and the help. (I'm still working on this one)

I fully understand why it takes a village and that it is not a weakness to need help or want the help.  Some kids aren't blessed with their grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins being so involved in their lives. I am thankful that my daughter has the opportunity to get to know her family and them get to know her. More people to love her.

From watching her while Austin and I are at work, picking her up from the sitter's when we have to work late or just coming to our house to watch her for a few hours while we get some work done. Helping with laundry and house work and cooking meals for us, it all makes a huge difference and we wouldn't want to do this journey without any of our family members or friends. 

I am thankful for our village.

So to all the other Momma's out there. It is okay to ask for help. It is okay to admit you're tired. It is okay to need your village. You are not weak. You are a great mother. Give yourself a break every now and then. Take a deep break, relax. YOU GOT THIS!

Until the next dash, 

Momma Spice*

My Home Security: The Ring Doorbell

The Ring Doorbell

I hate being home alone..especially at night. I have irrational fears of that craziest things happening when I am home alone. We have a German Shepherd puppy and it for sure eases a little bit of the fear having her around...but every time I was home alone I still found myself constantly worrying. It got much worse once we had H. I was always planning in my head for all different situations and scenarios about what I was going to do to protect me & H. 

That was until I finally did some research about home security systems. I didn't want to drop thousands of dollars for some big fancy system. I just wanted something that would help me sleep better at night. I looked at many different systems until I finally found one that I thought I would like. 

If you couldn't guess already, its called The Ring Doorbell.

 

This product is truly a life-saver. It is super easy to set up and easy to use. It comes with a base that screws into your house by your door. The actual camera is removable to charge it when needed. That's all the installation, just a base with 2 screws and its ready.

The set up for the actual product is pretty simple and easy to follow as well. The ring doorbell app is available in your app store on your phone. Once you download the app, you set up an account with your email. Each camera comes with a code that you scan with the app and it links it to the camera. You then name the camera and answer a few questions about where it is going to be located to help the camera detect motion. That's all. Your camera is ready! **I do charge the camera to a full 100% before hang it up the first time.

I have this camera at both my back door and my front door. Anytime there is motion detected by either door, I get a notification on my phone. Once clicking on the notification, it opens up to the camera & I can see everything. Another feature that is awesome, by clicking a green phone button while you have the camera open, you can talk to whoever is outside your door. There is also a button on the Ring which is the actual "Doorbell" part. When someone presses it, you get a notification from the app that someone is at your back door. You can open it and talk to them as well. 

I love this doorbell. It gives you a little peace of mind and is super simple to use! The battery life is great, we got our first on the first weekend of December 2018 and to the end of March 2019, have only had to remove it to charge it twice! The price isn't bad either, only $99.99 for the exact camera we have. There are other cameras by Ring, that have different features as well. There is storage plans you can purchase as well. With the storage plan, for $30 a year all of your videos/motion detections are stored and saved to the cloud. This makes it so you can go back and review and re-watch/ listen to all the videos whenever needed. Without the plan, you can only respond to the motion right when it happens, it does not save them. 

I highly recommend this product for your home security! I will link below where to buy your Ring on Amazon! 

Get your Ring Doorbell here!

Until the next dash, 

Momma Spice*

**This is NOT a sponsored post.

A letter to My Baby Girl

 You changed my life, from the day you were born. The moment the doctor put your tiny self on my chest, I felt the most immense love I've ever felt. I knew you and I loved you for 9 months before, but there I laid holding you, hearing you, and seeing you for the first time....

And you were everything I imagined and more. 

Since that day, I can't imagine my life without you. You are and will always be my best friend (whether you like it or not). I am constantly in the battle of wanting you to stay little forever and being so excited to see who you become and what you accomplish, because I know it will be great things. 

For now, I will hold you while you cry, cuddle you each day, pray for your future, and write to you.

My letter to my Baby Girl..

"If I could give you 3 things in life, it would be the confidence to always know your self worth, the strength to chase your dreams, and the ability to know how deeply loved you are."

Remember these 5 things..

1. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think and loved more than you'll ever know. -Never forget that you can take on anything. God made you strong enough and brave enough to take on whatever life brings. Use your brains, you are smart and will only get smarter day by day. Never question if you are loved. You are loved so deeply by so many people.

2. Life is filled with hard and good times. -Accept the hard times, you will get through them. You will learn to appreciate and enjoy the good times more. The hard times are all temporary. Happy endings are true, if you aren't happy than its not the end. Take a deep breath, say a prayer, let go of what you can't control, and take a step forward without looking back. You're not going that way. 

3. Learn from everything you can. -Life will give you daily lessons, daily challenges, and daily questions. Take the lessons, overcome the challenges and ask your questions. Life is too short not to learn something new each day from each new and old experience. Never be afraid to ask and learn something new

4.Chase your dreams as far as they will take you. -Oh the places you will go. You can go so far and accomplish so many great things. Find your passion and go with it. Always enjoy what you do and try new things. Whatever your dreams are, do it.

5. I am always here and I hope you believe in yourself as much as I do. -No matter what you do or what you say. No matter where you go or who you're with, I will always be here for you. I will be by your side celebrating the good and supporting you through the bad. Holding your hand and helping you stand tall and walk away from what isn't right and embracing what is. You will never be alone and I hope you never feel alone.


Never let anyone tell you to change yourself. Be sensitive, be strong, be quiet, be loud, be ambitious, be curious, be strong, be assertive, be independent, whatever it is...BE YOU. 

You is Kind. You is Smart. You is Important.

Love you for ever & for always,

Momma*

Birth Photographers....yes or no??

I love pictures because the best thing about them is that, they never change...even when the people in them do

I am 100% obsessed with pictures. I take millions of pictures all the time and I never get rid of any! (Shout out to Microsoft OneDrive for always backing up all my memories....136GB of them!) I take pictures of everything, from major events or milestones to daily activities. I will never regret taking all the pictures, I will only regret the ones I didn't take.

This was the same mindset I had going into my pregnancy, with maternity pictures and birth photography. I knew I wanted to document all of it, I wanted to be able to go back and look and remember everything.

Everyone gave me a weird look when I said we were going to have a birth photographer. I got questions like "You want pictures of THAT?" "You want everyone to see THAT?" "You really want an extra person in the room and seeing everything during THAT?"  My answer to every question was, yes, yes, & yes, because "THAT" was the birth of my daughter and I want to remember it perfectly for the rest of my life.

Now, I will say it helped a lot that I knew the photographer very well. I was more than comfortable with her being in the room and being apart of it. The photographer was the same photographer that took my high school senior pictures, our engagement pictures, wedding pictures, and maternity pictures. She is clearly A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. (Which is why we keep going back to her) **Check out her website below.

Nicole Morehead Photography Website

It wasn't weird having a photographer in the delivery room and I honestly LOVED all the pictures, so I vote ABSOLUTELY YES on birth photographers.

**Below are the links to all our events that Nicole photographed. 

Our Baby Girl's Birth Story

Our Engagment

Pregnancy Video

Our Wedding

Until the Next Dash,

Momma Spice*

10 Must-Must Have Products for Newborns

Anyone who is having their first baby, if they are anything like me, look up what the best products are, what everyone suggests to use, and they go out and buy each and every thing. 

I read so many articles and lists, I asked everyone who had babies what products I should buy. I got a lot of information, a little overwhelming, some of the information was contradicting to what another person would tell me.

 It was confusing and I felt like I needed to learn what was gonna work best for me, but I wanted to compile a list of the Top 10 Items that I found have been so great in at least the first 2 months of our baby girls life. 

So below I will list 10 of my favorite items and a detailed description of why. I will also include a link to purchase the item + so you can do your own research about the products too.

1. NosaFrida: GAME. CHANGER. I swore up and down that I would not use this product...because EWWW! The first time our little girl had a stuffy/snotty nose, I used the saline spray and the bulb syringe like it was my job...but nothing ever helped. I would get nothing out with the bulb and she was still so stuffy, she would also always cry during this process. My sister insisted that I use a NosaFrida, then my Dr told me they recommend them as well. The first time we tried it, we couldn't believe how much we got to come out of her little nose and with almost no fuss at all! We didn't have to do this as often either because so much would come out at one time. I HIGHLY recommend this product!













NosaFrida: HERE!

2. Fisher Price Rock N Play: I love this sleeper. This is what my girl has slept in since day 1. She is 10 weeks now. This specific Rock N Play has a power chord. It has buttons to rock, vibrate, and a built in sound machine. You can also control it with an app on your phone. This keeps them sleeping on their back and also in a cradled position. We have her sleep right next to our bed and it works great! It doesn't take up much space and is fold-able for easy transportation.

Rock N Play: HERE!

3. Baby Brezza: This is for all the formula feedings moms. This product will spoil you! It's the Kuerig for babies! You put your formula powder in the top, water in the water reservoir, select your OZ size and press start! In 30 seconds your bottle is ready to go, perfectly mixed and at the perfect temperature. It is an expensive gadget, but totally worth it! Especially those middle of the night feedings that some babies just don't want to wait for.

Baby Brezza: HERE!

4. Boon Bottle Drying Rack: This little lawn is a life saver. Holds so many bottles and all the little parts, keeps the counters cleaned and organized. The bottles don't get knocked over or fall on the floor and they dry perfectly without being flat and having a smell to them.

Boon Lawn Drying Rack: HERE!

5. Backpack Diaper Bag: The backpack diaper bag is awesome. My husband will carry it, you can pack it full and it still doesn't feel heavy at all. its convenient to just wear even when walking or pushing a stroller.

Diaper Bag: HERE!

6. Spit Rags, Spit Rags, Spit Rags: I never thought I would need so many spit rags! Our girl doesn't even spit up that much, but I still feel like I am always looking for a spit rag and washing a ton of them! Don't skimp on this, get a ton!

Favorite Spit Rags: HERE!

7. White Noise Sound Machine: This is a life saver! Our girl loves the ocean noise, and it helps drowned out all the other noises, so she sleeps through just about everything! It helps relax her and calm her down when she is fussy and it also has multiple sounds and projections which are nice in a dark room, because it subtle light.

White Noise Sound Machine: HERE!

8. Oil Diffuser and Lavender Oil: We use the Young Living Essential oils. We have the Desert Mist diffuser and use lavender oil every night. She sleeps totally through the night, since she was about 5 weeks old.


--If Interested in purchasing, contact me!

9. Braun Ear Thermometer: This is the exact thermometer that our Dr uses. It is so accurate and I feel confident knowing I can trust the readings.

Braun Ear Thermometer

10. Itzy Ritzy Car Seat Cover:This car seat cover is not only adorable but easy to use. It just covers the entire carseat and keeps wind, rain, and anything else out of our girls face.

Mom Boss Cover: HERE!

Bonus: Dr Brown Options bottles: These are our favorite bottle! We haven't had any colic issues, she spits up, but shes a baby and its a normal amount. She loves these bottles & they are easy to store!
Dr Brown Bottles: HERE!


Everything on this list, except #10, can be purchased at Target! I hope these products work as great for you as they do me!


Until the next dash,

Momma Spice*