Bubba's First Time To The Chiropractor

The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. Often I find myself losing track of time, I just know it is passing by and you are growing bigger and bigger each day.

This past week you discovered your voice and I'm not sure it's such a good thing. You like to scream. You scream so loud that you can hear it outside. We have yet to determine what your screams mean though. Sometimes you scream because your happy and other times you scream because your mad.

A good friend that is an R.N. suggested that we take you in to see a chiropractor that is specialized to work with babies. We called and they were able to get you in rather quickly. You were so calm the entire time we were there, you even smiled while you were being adjusted.

The doctor said that when the vacuum is used on a baby it often causes misalignment of the spine and this can cause all kinds of problems like acid reflux, vomiting, ect. So far what the doctor said has proven true. The Niagara Falls vomiting has stopped, it's a miracle!

We will see what adventures next week holds.

2017 Bucket List

I used to create a bucket list every season, we would typically get out and do something on said list each weekend and Andy and I both loved that. Having a baby in the winter has made getting out a little more difficult. Instead of making a bucket list for each season, I've opted to make a bucket list for the year.

1. Ride in a biplane
2. Go kayaking
3. Climb Mt. Adams
4. Run The Dirty Dash
5. Go parasailing
6. Ride my bike around Crater Lake
7. Visit all the lighthouses in Oregon
8. Go backpacking overnight
9. Climb one of the sisters
10. Run Color Me Rad
11. Run a half marathon
12. Go to the rock slides
13. Visit the High Desert Museum
14. Climb Mt. Jefferson
15. Climb Mary's Peak
16. Visit Seaside
17. Go crabbing
18. Go trapeezing
19. Go to a Mariner's game
20. Climb Mailbox Peak
21. Crawl through the lava cave
22. Go 4 wheeling at the dunes
23. Camp at the ocean
24. Swim at Belnap Hot Springs
25. Go on a vacation
26. Go snow shoeing
27. Go standup paddle boarding
28. Do a 50 mile bike ride
29. Hike Multnomah Falls
30. Hike Silver Falls
31. Visit national cave in Southern Oregon
32. Hike Blue Pool
33. Go whitewater rafting

Thursday Thought

It's been awhile since I have shared a Thursday Thought. Bubba is sleeping, Andy is working on the car and I have a few minutes to myself to just write.

One thing I love is a good quote. I can't recall when I came across this one, but I sure love it!

"You have the potential to become anything to which you set your mind. You have a mind and a body and a spirit. With these three working together, you can walk the high road that leads to achievement and happiness. But this will require great effort and sacrifice and faith."

                           

 - President Gordon B. Hinckley

Your mind is very a powerful tool, maybe it should be referred to as a weapon. Anyways, your mind is strong. It is powerful! It can help you to keep going during difficult times or it can cause you to give up. What's the difference between perseverance and giving up? You decide. It seems like a trick question but the real answer is that you decide. You can do anything you set your mind to, even the impossible. The impossible doesn't come without a price though, it requires work. Sometimes that mean doing something outside your comfort zone. 

Where do you want to be? Who do you want to become? What's holding you back? What are you going to do about it?

Bubba At 3 Months

You're three months old today Bubba! I can't believe how fast the time has passed. You've gotten so big. I recently boxed up your newborn clothes and started to cry, I can't believe how big your getting. You've grown nearly three inches and put on almost 5 pounds. You have figured out how to use your hands, you love to grab things (mommy's hair, other people's fingers, your elephant that we named Ellie, blankets, etc). You love to lay on the changing pad and look up at the ceiling fan while kicking your feet. When you're not puking, you love to smile and make baby noises. You have such a sweet disposition. You're such a cute little guy! We just love you!

Bubba & Andy

The 3 P's: Poop, Puke and Pee

This past week as probably the hardest week I have had being a mom. One morning while changing a dirty diaper Bubba decided he wasn't done using the bathroom. Poop went all over his changing pad, and my bed, on his bed, down a wooden chest and all over our carpet. I yelled for Andy to come and help me (he was in the shower) and he panicked thinking Bubba was having another seizure. As he entered the room Bubba decided to pee. He peed all over his changing pad, his clothes and the other side of my bed. And then the puking started. It was quite the morning.

Trying on mustaches to see which style we liked the best.

The rest of the week went about like the story above. Lots and lots of puke, gas and tears. Bubba cried all day Friday, he was inconsolable. He had gas and once the gas passed the puking started. The puking wasn't normal baby spit up it was more like Niagara Falls- pretty much everything he had eaten.

Friday night I had a meltdown. I had been battling a migraine all week and trying to take care of an unhappy baby and I just couldn't take it anymore. I quickly started to spiral into what felt like a black hole of depression. I felt like such a bad mom, my house was and is still a wreck (I am a neat freak and far too embarrassed to ask anyone else to help me clean), the car broke and is still broken so I was stuck at home (Andy took my car to get to work), I felt alone and my mind swirled around all of the things that I can't control or fix. I curled up into a ball on the floor and I bawled and I bawled for what felt like hours.

I woke up Saturday morning anticipating running a 1k race with Bubba, it was something I had been looking forward to for many weeks. Just as I was getting ready to put him in his car seat Niagara Falls returned. I was soaked in vomit and so was Bubba, I instantly knew we would not be making it to the race.

I looked like this all the way down to my socks.

Bubba looking confused as to what happened to him.

I called the doctors office and spoke with a nurse- she was very rude and insisted that I bring Bubba in. We saw a pediatrician and he wasn't very helpful. He felt that whatever Bubba had going on was gastrointestinal and said there was nothing that could be done for it. I lost it and bawled in front of the doctor. I felt so bad for my little boy. Wasn't there something anyone could do to relieve his discomfort?

Someone in the family likes to eat fish- he didn't get it from me.

Sunday we stayed home from church with our sick little boy. In the afternoon I told Andy that I needed out of the house, we bundled up and went for a walk on the trail. It was nice to get out of the house, I really needed that.

Our little bear cub.

When we got home, I bawled some more. At some point the tears stopped and a feeling of calmness started to re-enter my life.

I'm so grateful that my husband was willing and able to help me work through all of the different emotions I was feeling.

The week ended on a good note though, Bubba laughed and laughed and laughed. We had heard him give a little giggle before but nothing quite like this. It was very sweet to see him laugh at Andy. And yes we still love him even though he has pooped, peed and puked on what seems like everything this week.

The Magnolia Story

One of the things I look forward to when I go to the gym is watching HGTV. My favorite show on HGTV is Fixer Upper. I just love Chip and Joanna, they are so funny! Now you might be scratching your head wondering why I don't watch HGTV at home, well we don't have cable.

Just before Christmas, I learned that Chip and Joanna had written a book and I had to have it (it was literally one of four items on my Christmas list). I received the book for Christmas and read it in a few days.

Their book is Amazing! I would say it's in my top ten. It really is that good! The Magnolia Story lets you step inside the lives of Chip and Joanna. You learn how they met, how they started doing what they do and how they landed their television show. You also learn about their financial struggles, newlywed problems and their relationship with God. All of this is interlaced with hysterical predicaments the two would find themselves in.

I read portions of the book out loud to Andy and we both found ourselves laughing. We also felt very motivated and inspired to go after our dreams after reading their story. This book is a must read!

Resouces For New Moms In Eugene & Springfield

Having a new baby at times can be hard and challenging. It's even harder though when you don't have family nearby. As a new mom I have discovered a lot of resources that are available for little to no cost to new mamas. I frequently find myself sharing the things I have learned with other new parents, so I thought I would share my findings on the blog.

1. If you create a baby registry with Target, they will give you a free goody bag and 15% off of the remaining items on your registry.
2. Shop second hand (yard sales, Offer Up, eBay, Craigslist) before the baby comes. People will often give a first time pregnant mom good deals. We scored on a crib for $15.00 and it retails for over $170.00 We picked up a Rock 'N Play for $10.00 and it retails for over $70.00.
3. Daisy Chain is amazing! You have to go in and sign up in person before your baby is born and notify them once the baby comes. During the first two weeks after your baby is born they will send a lactation consultant and doula to your home to help you for a total of 10 hours. Everything is completely free and is not based on income. They even have a thrift store and you can take whatever you want for free as long as you are signed up with them.
4. Sign up with the formula companies (Similac, Enfamil and Gerber) they will send you coupons and free formula in the mail.
5. They're are always coupons online for diapers- use them! Diapers are expensive.
6. Parenting Now has all kinds of parenting groups. The classes cost money but scholarships are available. It's nice to be able to talk to other parents going through the same thing you are.
7. All My Children has a sale once a month where everything is $0.25. You have to dig through these big storage containers but they have some really nice stuff for cheap.
8. The Itty Bitty Boutique Sale is a must! The sale happens every six months out at Camp Harlow. First time parents can shop the night before the sale opens but you must register before hand as space is limited. They have everything from strollers to toys to clothing. It is super organized too!
9. The Springfield Library will give your baby two free books. The library also has story time for babies once a week.
10. If you live in Eugene you can sign up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. They will send you kiddo a free age appropriate book each month until the age of 5. That's 60 free books!
11. There is a non profit called Hike It Baby. It is a group of mama's who get together to go hiking with their babies. I haven't tried it out yet due to my baby being so young but look forward to it in a few months. The cost associated with this group is $10.00 for a year.
12. Another program in the area is called Well Mama, they offer free support to mom's struggling with postpartum depression.
13. WIC is also a really cool program. They will send you vouchers for food (beans, milk, cheese, cereal, etc). This program is based on income.
14. The great breast pump ordeal- When I had Bubba I was given a prescription for a breast pump. The problem was nobody in town would accept our insurance and I didn't want to spend over $300.00 for an electric pump so for 6 weeks Bubba was exclusively breast fed without the aid of a pump. At six weeks old he was re-admitted to the hospital for seizure like activity. As I was talking with one of his nurses about breastfeeding she said the hospital had a pump I could use. I told her I had never pumped before and explained why and she seemed surprised. Not only did she teach me how to pump, she told me I could keep the parts to the pump and suggested looking on Craigslist and Facebook to see if someone was selling a pump for cheap. She suggested using my new parts and a used motor. We found a pump that had only been used for 1 week for $35.00. We threw out the parts that the previous owner had used and attached my new parts-- good as new! We will be forever grateful to that nurse. Moral of the story- when you have your baby ask your nurse to teach you how to pump and keep the parts just in case nobody will accept your insurance for a pump.
15. Lansinoh nursing pads are the best in my opinion and are cheapest on Amazon.
16. A wise friend advised me to take everything home from the hospital that I could, you're paying to be there might as well. I took home things like lanolin, soothing gel pads for nipples, thermometer, extra pads, diapers, wipes, etc. 

Products we can't live without:
1. B.O.B stroller (found it on Offer Up for a fraction of the price)
2. Rock 'N Play (found at yard sale for $10)
3. Baltic amber anklet (Etsy- it helps with drool)
4. Medela breast pump (see story above)
5. Ergo 360 (eBay)
6. Pacifier (I didn't plan on giving Bubba one of these, so glad I have though)