Two Months Old

Guess who is two months old already?! This little girl! I can't believe it!

Avonlea went for her two month check up today. Her stats are:

Weight: 10lbs 4oz
Height: 21.6 inches

Here is what Avonlea is up to these days:
--wearing mostly 0-3 month clothes but starting to fit into 3-6 month
--wearing mostly one size diapers and smalls. Fits in size 1 disposable diapers
--lifts head for short periods of time and looks around
--socially smiles
--coo's and grunts/groans
--makes eye contact and turns toward your voice
--sleeping in a crib in her own room
--sleeps anywhere from 3-7 hour stretches at night
--loves music, especially Lady Antebellum and Jason Aldean (good choices!)
--likes to look at her brothers and watch what they are doing

Our sweet girl is growing and changing so much! I want her to slow down a bit. She is such a good baby, even during her fussy time in the evenings, she is such a joy to have in our family!

Mocha

I am surely addicted to iced coffee with mocha from Starbucks. I roll through Starbucks probably 5 times per week, sometimes more. And at $3.16 a pop for a venti, it starts to add up! Starbucks has come out with the iced Via coffee packets which aren't too bad, but just not the same without the mocha syrup. Starbucks does sell their syrup, but of course, Mocha is one of just a few that they are not allowed to sell. WTH! I was thoroughly disappointed when the lady told me this. Seriously, I about cried. (ask my sister, ha!)

My sister came to stay with me for a week while my hubby was gone and so we went on a manhunt for mocha syrup.  We couldn't find it anywhere in stores, so I went to the internet to see if I could find a recipe or something.  I came across this recipe for Mocha Syrup.  I cut the recipe in half and cooked it up on my stove, leaving out the vanilla syrup and just using regular vanilla extract. I let it cool on the stove because it was quite thin and I thought it might thicken up if I let it cool down.  After cooling, it was still pretty thin. I put it in a tupperware container and put it in the frig.  The next morning it was nice and thick like a syrup should be.

This is what it looks like while still hot, right after cooking it all together. It is still thin like water.

Now, this doesn't taste exactly like Starbucks Mocha syrup, but it is darn close and it is a great substitute. It would be really good over ice cream or used as chocolate syrup for chocolate milk. A great alternative to the store bought version.  It's super easy to make and I think most pantries have all of the ingredients needed to make this.  I just add as much as I want to my homemade iced coffee and off I go. A lot cheaper than getting Starbucks everyday.

*You can half the recipe and change up the kind of cocoa powder that you use.  I've used regular cocoa only, and also used mostly dark with just a bit of regular.  You can totally customize it, which I like. Enjoy!

Babywearing

I adore babywearing! If you've never tried it, you are surely missing out on some sweet snuggle time with your little one. It has so many benefits (bonding, great for fussy babies, and tummy issues to name a few) and it really easy and convenient. 

I started babywearing when Peytonn was a baby. He was a baby that definitely liked things a particular way and he was never one to nap in his crib for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. That left me one tired and frustrated mama! I remember wondering what was I doing wrong?! Then I learned of babywearing (from my mom, who wore all of us!) and I started to dig deeper into the types of carriers and carries.  I started out with a homemade version of the Moby wrap. I still have that wrap and I have wore all 3 of my babies in it:

Using this wrap and bouncing around the living room was the only way to get Peytonn to fall asleep. This was also how I got pretty much anything done around the house.  I then found out about ring slings and decided to try that out. I had already tried a pouch sling and although I liked it, I really preferred how I could adjust the ring sling.  I mostly wore Bennett in the ring sling. This allowed me to have my hands free to wrangle my then 20 month old.

Then my husband got deployed and somehow I had to figure out how to mow the lawn with 2 small children, one 2 years old and the other 5 months old. Then I discovered the Beco carrier. Pure bliss! I strapped Bennett to my back and away I went with the lawn mower. It was such a blessing.  Now, 3 kids later, I still adore each of my carriers and I like each one for different reasons and situations.  They are easy to nurse in and calm my fussy babies.  They also allow me to cook dinner, put make up on, do my hair, wash clothes and dishes, etc. I don't know what I would do without my carriers.

Weigh-In Wednesday Week 4

So, I'm a day late on this. Sorry about that! But things went great this week!

Weight Loss This Week: -1.7 pounds
Total Weight Loss: -5.5 pounds

I was kind of surprised that I lost almost 2 lbs this week. Things have been so chaotic that I haven't really tracked my eating at all. But then again, chaos usually means less time for eating. More like quickly shoving whatever you can grab into your mouth and going.

I am also wearing jeans today that are a size smaller than my pre-pregnancy jeans! That is a great feeling!!!

Weigh-In Wednesday Week 3

Here we are at week 3 of this weight loss thing. I did much better this week and although I didn't track all of my food for the week, I was still able to manage things.

Week 3:

Weight Loss This Week: -1.6 pounds
Total Weight Loss: -3.8 pounds

With the weather cooling off, I hope to get out more with the kids and go for walks, etc. I've also made a change in recipes. For example, instead of using 100% mayo in a recipe, I cut it in half and use 0% fat Greek yogurt in place of the other half.  It cuts the fat in half and adds lots of good protein. And you can't taste the difference. It still gives that creaminess that mayo adds.

Hoping to keep up the good work this week and loss even more next week! :)

Baby stuff

I was searching Amazon the other day and I stumbled across a nice play bar that I thought would be great for Avonlea.  Most of the toys that you can hang from a play mat, etc have made their way out of our house mostly.  Either through the garbage can or given to friends after the boys were finished with them.  Most of the infant toys we have now are ones that you can hold and pick up.

 

So, I got this from Amazon. From the reviews and pictures, it looks like you can attach it to just about anything....carseat, swing, high chair, stroller, etc. Looks fun and might entertain her for a while.

  I also ordered one of these pacifiers:

It's a Natursutten BPA-free natural rubber pacifier.  A lot of the reviews stated that their children liked these because it touches their nose which reminds them of breastfeeding.  Avonlea likes the nipple of the Nuk pacifiers, so I got her this one instead of the rounded nipple. She has been so finicky about the pacifier lately and I hope this works. I really wouldn't push a pacifier, however, I seem to be the human pacifier and mama needs a break once in a while!

Sleep

I've given in. I'm tired of not sleeping and being a zombie and crabby during the day. So, I gave in and now Avonlea is sleeping with me. It seems to be the only way that any of us are getting any sleep.  She seems to be on this routine of nursing almost non-stop from about 6:30-7:30pm and then is usually passed out by 8pm.  And you know what? That works for me! It means I can usually swaddle her and she will sleep in her bed until about midnight. 

Is it ideal, no, well not forever. But, all of my kids have co-slept and the older two sleep in their own beds. I know its not forever. The other night she woke at midnight, 3:30am, and 6am which is a vast improvement from what it was trying to get her to sleep on her own.

I always wonder how bottle fed babies act. Are they like my nursing babies where they just love a boob? I mean, really, my kids eat and then they use it as a pillow.  Or they use me as a pacifier. It's a comfort thing, I know.

She has actually slept in her hammock and she seems to enjoy it. Just not enough to sleep in it all night yet. She takes naps in it during the day though and I'm sure it will come in time. Bennett started sleeping in his crib around 6 months.

I'm pretty sure she is eating more than enough. Especially in the last week, she has really started to fit good into her 0-3 month clothes. They no longer swim on her.  She is chubby and I love it! Sometimes I think her cheeks are going to suffocate her. I'm sure she'll even out eventually. It makes me sad that some of her newborn clothes she will not longer be able to wear. *tear* She has even outgrown her newborn diapers and we have moved on to onesize or size small. She's getting too big, too fast!! Just slow down a little bit, please! For mommy's sake!