Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Warm Apple Cider Vinegar

I start EVERY.SINGLE.MORNING with a Spark + Rehydrate combo, and I also adopted the habit of drinking warm lemon water in the mornings a couple of months ago. (I add tumeric root & cinnamon.)
Jonathan hasn’t totally gotten on board with the lemon water yet, but he does drink apple cider vinegar every day. Apple cider vinegar has a TON of benefits for your entire body. (Seriously, look it up...it's powerful.) We prefer Bragg’s Organic (with the mother). I am avoiding it for the most part right now because it’s unpasteurized and I’m still nursing, but I think it’s okay in small amounts occasionally.

I have a friend that told me about this “cider” (I mean, obviously it’s apple ‘cider’ vinegar, but it’s tough to get down) that tastes good & helped nip her sore throat in the bud. I made it recently and both me and Jonathan liked it. Apple cider vinegar is alkalizing (like lemon water), & the rest of the ingredients have health benefits too.

Ingredients:
  • warm/hot water to preference (I use our tea kettle)
  • apple cider vinegar (about 2-4 tablespoons)
  • honey (about a tablespoon or so to taste)
  • cinnamon (to taste, but I use a good bit to make it taste good)
  • fresh squeezed lemon (optional)
Mix well & drink through a straw.

It’s a yummy drink for cooler weather and has lots of health benefits, so drink up!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Kade’s 23rd & 24th Weeks

About to go to the monthly posts, but Kade was 24 weeks on Sunday, 11/29/15.

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Weight/Height: Kade is 15.2 lbs. He’s definitely long and lean, but I’ve been a little concerned about his weight because he hasn’t gained much in a few weeks. He fell a little behind on his growth curve at his last well visit too, so I really want to focus on getting his weight gain back to where it was. I haven’t had a dip in supply, so I really think the issues are 1) he’s not getting a full feeding because he gets distracted before the hind milk letdown (with all the good calories!), and 2) he moves ALL THE TIME (& burns a lot of those calories anyway). Kade is SO active! He is rolling over front to back, back to front, over & over, then pushing up (like literally, doing push-ups), & scooting all over the floor. Even when he’s sitting he’s kicking his little legs & moving his arms (usually to chew on his hands.) So, I’m really going to work on getting that back to where it was over the next few weeks. I won’t supplement because I know I can make it work (even if it means pumping more and feeding him that too), but I do feel like our pediatrician’s office is quick to start pushing for it so I want to avoid that conversation all together.

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Health: Sweet boy is healthy! Praise the Lord. I don’t see or feel any teeth yet, but he is drooling like a mad man (he literally soaks his clothes if I don’t have a bib on him) & chewing on his hands and fists constantly. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw some bad boys pop through pretty soon. {It looks like he has teeth in this picture, but I think it’s just spit.}

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He also still has a little bit of cradle cap. I don’t scrub it very hard at all when I’m bathing him and I rarely put lotion on his head, but I’ sure that would do the trick. It doesn’t really bother me though and it’s not bad.

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Sleep: We had a few good naps, but whew! This Wonder “Week” (AKA month) leap has been INTENSE. I’m sure part of it was not getting full feedings, but I really think this WW has been the culprit. We had a few rouggggh nights with multiple wakings. Thankfully they didn’t last long & he wasn’t crying all night or anything, but it is exhausting getting broken sleep. When we get home from our trip, it’s game on for completely sleeping through the night. (Sometimes he’ll go 7 hour stretches, but he goes down at 8:30 and I don’t go to bed till….well, WAY too late! So I end up not getting much sleep. My own fault really. NEED.TO.GO.TO.BED.EARLIER!

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Also, I have noticed that Kade likes it completely pitch black dark when he sleeps. I have a sound machine and box fan for white noise, & out curtains are blackout on the backside, but there is still a little bit of light that gets in around the edge of his windows. And believe it or not, it keeps him up. Jon just went to Home Depot and got some temporary blackout paper to put in the windows. I know this sounds crazy, but if I put a lightweight silky piece of material over his eyes, he pretty much goes right out. The only kicker is I have to leave it there long enough for him to get good and asleep and then go take it off in case he rolls over. We still have him in a Woombie swaddle. He does roll over (all over the bed actually), but he has enough flexibility in it that he can lift his head really well and maneuver as needed. We also have the Angel Care monitor in his crib & the Snuza that he wears.

I’m also going to give up caffeine (tear!) for a couple of days to see if it makes a difference. It never affected Jase, but as my mom reminded me the other day “Every kid is different.”

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Nursing: Kade definitely has a favorite side. And like I mentioned earlier, I’m not so sure he has been getting full feedings. I noticed when I’m pumping that my second letdown (the hind milk) comes between 22-23 minutes and lasts for a couple of minutes. I don’t think he’s nursing that long, so chances are he’s probably not getting that. Now that I know I can correct it though & be more intentional about avoiding the distractions. (Although sometimes the “distraction” is our 2.5 year old awesome big bro! And we don’t want to avoid him.) So thankful to be able to nurse though!

What Kade is up to: Rolling over, pushing up, “talking” & cooing, awesome with independent playtime (in pack n play and exersaucer), and getting way more fuzzy hair all over his head. I think he’ll loo good with a shorter haircut when he’s older.

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We are getting ready to start Baby Led Weaning again soon & I’m excited about that! I let him suck on some chicken the other day and he LOVED it!

Post-Partum: Other than being sleep deprived the last two weeks, I’m doing pretty well. Getting ready for the upcoming holidays and an upcoming trip with the hubby (so sad about leaving my babies!!). We’ve had lots of quality family time lately and that always does my heart some good.

Big Brother Jase: Love watching these two interact! Jase thinks it’s hilarious when he sees Kade awake on the monitor, and if he’s ever crying to get up Jase runs to me as fast as he can and says “Oh no, Mama, brother’s awake…gotta  go get him! Let’s go! He’s crying!” I’ve been talking to him more about protecting him & taking care of him since he’s the big brother.

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I have noticed Jase wanting to get in Kade’s things more…his pack n play, crib, exersaucer, etc. I don’t think much about it, but wanted to note it.

And then there’s this… #Jasewashere

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Thoughts: I really need to remember to give him his vitamins. You would think of all people that I would remember!

I have really loved seeing Kade bond even more with Jonathan and Jase lately. He LIGHTS UP when they talk to him…especially Jon. He starts smiling ear to ear with those sweet dimples beaming as soon as Jonathan walks in the room and it completely melts my heart!!

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We celebrated your first Thanksgiving!! It was also our first without your Grandma and that was very sad for us. But, we are so incredibly THANKFUL for God’s goodness and blessings!!  Kade, you are one of those treasured blessings and you fill our hearts with joy.Just today your Daddy randomly said, “He’s the perfect baby for us, ya know it?” And I agree. You are one of out “good and perfect gifts from above.” (James 1:17) Love you, sweet boy. Proud to be your mom and soaking up these sweet moments of you growing up.

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You and your brother light up my life!!

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