Almost 4 Months?!

Man, I'm so bad at blogging nowadays!! I had sat down to write 2 and 3 month updates but I inevitably got pulled away by my sweet boy and just never got around to finishing them. So if this post ends up being short or disorganized, you'll know why ;]

I cannot believe that Camden is going to be 4 months old on Tuesday!! The time has seriously flownnnn by! It's crazy. He's gone from a tiny little 6lbs 12oz squishy, sleepy, totally immobile newborn to a 14ish pound smiley, super active, rolly-poley, happy little guy! I love watching him grow and change. I was looking through some of his newborn pictures last week and it made me a little sad that he's grown and changed so much so quickly. But at the same time I LOVE being a part of his daily development. I love spending my days with him, getting to know him better and watch him learn so much about the world around him. He's such a curious baby. It's fun to expose him to new things and watch his adorable expressions and reactions. I love everything about being this sweet boy's momma! It's the most tremendous blessing I've ever received.

Over these past couple months Camden has had a lot of firsts! I've forgotten to write down dates for some of them (shame on meeee) but they're all photographed in my mind. I'll just share some of his recent developments...

• He smiles all.the.time now! It's awesome. He'll crack these big, gummy smiles constantly!
• He knows who I am, as well as Jake, my parents and my brothers. He'll smile at us when we talk to him. 
• He knows his name and he'll look at me when I call it out. Most times he smiles when he hears his name, too. 
• He's great at bearing weight on his feet. He loves to be held in a standing position a lot. He'll stomp his little feet around and wobble back and forth. So. Cute. 
• He also laughs now! That's an amazing sound! He started with little giggles here and there and now he'll have some real belly laughs from time to time. 
• He loves to bounce! He has a bouncy chair that he plays in everyday and it's his favorite. He loves to put on a show with it, such a little ham. 
• He can blow raspberries. I blow them on his tummy when I change his diaper and he's started to learn to do them too. It's so cute! Usually they result in baby spit everywhere, haha. 
• His motor skills are improving like crazy! He can grab, pull, push, turn, flip pages, and so many other things! He loves to put everything he can reach in his mouth. He also enjoys grabbing his binkie out of his mouth and throwing it, haha. He's a champion hair puller now as well. 
• He rolls from his belly to his back (did it for the first time May 22nd) and his back to his belly (first time June 13th) now, too! He doesn't hate tummy time anymore, which is nice for everyone. He usually rolls right to his back as soon as I put him on his tummy. Lately, though, he's been trying really hard to crawl! He can schooch around in circles and move forward a little. I have a feeling he'll be crawling before we even know it!
• He's much more aware of his environment. He loves looking at everything around him. Now that he can see so much better he's become very curious. Obviously any movement captures his attention but he especially likes seeing plants/leaves blow in the wind, and he likes watching Phineas and Ferb (yes, seriously! Though we don't watch much TV at all with him around).
• He's leery of strangers. I've read this is normal for his age but he's really developed an aversion to people he doesn't know. He's not unfriendly by any stretch of the imagination! He just gets quiet and gives funny looks like he's grilling them, haha. He has his favorites now. 

I'm sure there are some things I'm forgetting- like I said, he's growing and changing so fast! It's incredible. My perfect little almost 1/3 of a year old baby boy! Nutso. Strangers love to talk to him. They always ask how old he is and say that he's a cutie. I've noticed that the second most popular question I get about him (more than his name!) is "how does he sleep?" And honestly, it really irks me. Why do people make it seem like sleep is the most important thing? No, my baby doesn't sleep through the night. I'm not ashamed to say it. He isn't a naturally good sleeper. But you know what? He's extremely happy, healthy, and very well bonded to me! Anyone who sees us together can tell that we share an incredible bond. To me, that's the most important thing. I would rather my baby fully trust me and know he can rely on me to meet his needs even in the middle of the night then have him sleeping through the night. That will come eventually. And even though it might not seem like it when you're overtired, sleep really isn't the most important thing. Camden is a very active baby. He has a hard time settling. He's also been a champ at nursing since he was born and his appetite wakes him up. No big deal. We're learning how to care for his extra needs at night. So please, stop asking me if he sleeps through the night yet and giving me a sad reply when I tell you no. It's okay! My baby is happy and healthy! He'll sleep through the night eventually. In the meantime, I'm soaking up all the nighttime snuggles I can get because he'll outgrow them sooner than I'd like! Okay, rant over. 

Camden is the most amazing baby ever. He's sweet and lovey. He's fun to watch and interact with. Being his momma is awesome. Simply awesome. I love that boy more than I could ever express! <3 

Lifesavers

I wanted to share a little list of a few items that hubby and I have found to be rather indispensable over these past months. There are many, many items that we use on a daily basis. I mean c'mon, babies require a lot of stuff! But these items are particularly useful. At least for us!

1. Dreft Laundry Stain Remover. One of my very best friends (and Camden's Godmother!) gave me a bottle of this as part of my baby shower gifts. She told me that it's the best stain remover ever. And she was absolutely right! I discovered this for myself when I found a white onsie covered in bright yellow baby poo. I sprayed it down, let it sit a few minutes, then washed it and voila! It looked just like new. I'm not even kidding! I'll never buy a different stain remover again!

2. Palmer's Tummy Butter. This one comes from my pregnancy days but it's definitely worth a mention. I slathered this thick, somewhat waxy, tummy butter on my growing baby bump ever night. Every. Single. Night. And guess what? Not a single stretch mark! I know everyone says that stretch marks are genetic (if your momma had 'em, so will you) but I figured I would do everything I could to prevent them instead of leaving it to fate. Yet I wasn't about to spend an arm and a leg on the more expensive stretch mark creams. This one was affordable and worked like a charm!

3. Little Tummys Gas Drops. Since he was born, Camden has had a difficult time with gas. He'd get bubbles in his belly (even with lots of burping, changing my diet, and keeping him upright after feedings) and he would just scream and scream over them. It was reallllly rough. His pediatrician told us that it was because he was such a big eater. He'd get so much milk in his system that his little body would have a hard time processing it all. He recommended gas drops around the clock and it made a huuuuge difference! Camden has gotten much better with his gas and doesn't need the drops around the clock anymore but when we hear his gas bubbles cry we're quick to give him a dose of these to ease his pain. I think every momma should have these on hand just in case!

4. Brice Day & Night Light Musical Mirror. I'm the type who freaks out if I can't see my baby so a mirror for the backseat of the car was a "must have" for us. I particularly love this mirror because it has a little light and it plays a couple jingles. We found the light to be especially useful when we were on a little road trip when Camden was 6 weeks old. It was nice to be able to push a button, have the light come on, and make sure that Camden was okay. Admittedly, the mirror can be very distracting- who doesn't want to peek at their little cutie nonstop?! Haha. But I wouldn't want to do without it! Plus, the musical feature has come in handy when Camden gets fussy and the country radio station just isn't doing it for him ;]

5. Moby Wrap. If you have a baby who loves to be held and you ever plan on doing things around the house again, get a sling/wrap/carrier. I love the Moby because it's nice and snuggly and, once you get the hang of it, really easy to use. No buckling things behind your back or fumbling with rings. Camden seems to love being cozied up close to me while I get some chores done. And I love keeping him close to me instead of leaving him alone in his pack 'n play. 

6. JJ Cole Pacifier Pod. You know what stinks? Losing pacifiers. You know what's perfect for preventing that from happening? This little gadget. We have one snapped onto Camden's carseat with one binkie with a clip and one binkie without a clip inside. This way we are NEVER without a binkie when we're out of the house. And we always know where to find one! No searching through my diaper bag or wondering where to find one. They're always right there, not getting lost. It's such a simple thing but we really love it.

7. Disposable Multi Use Pads. As I've mentioned before, I'm somewhat of a germaphobe. I'm not about to put Camden on a public changing table without one of these. I don't care if the plastic is "anti-microbial", they gross me out. I keep some of these in my diaper bag and use them whenever I change him in a public space. I've heard other moms say that these are useful to put on your lap when holding baby to avoid being soaked in case of leakage. But who really does that? Haha. I use them strictly for diaper changes. I even put them on his changing pad at home sometimes (mostly to avoid having to wash his changing pad cover multiple times a day, haha). If you're overly concerned about hygiene like me, do yourself a favor and get a box or two or three of these.

Unexpected things

I've been meaning to write this post for awhile. Oh, the unexpected things. Jacob and I were planning and trying to get pregnant so Camden wasn't unexpected. At all. If you've been following my blog since the beginning you know that I was almost entirely convinced that baby was a boy before we found out for sure so that wasn't unexpected either. But there were a few things along the way that I did not expect. I want to blog them here for any of my momma-to-be friends who might find this info useful. Remember, every pregnancy and labor is different, so your experience might be nothing like mine. But here's a heads up incase you encounter these things!

I can't really think of anything during pregnancy that threw me for a loop. I had a textbook pregnancy- no complications and no real surprises. The one thing I can think of that I didn't expect was the shooting hip pains I experienced at the end. They were spontaneous and startling. The only thing I found to alleviate them was squatting down with my knees wide (which ended up being useful to get used to doing since I did this a bit during labor to help ease my back pain too). Other than that, I felt very well prepared for all that I encountered during my pregnancy.

Most of my surprises came during labor and postpartum. Some of it no one could have predicted- like the fact that l&d would be super busy and I'd be stuck in a triage room for awhile, haha. Or that I would have grueling back labor. But other things I think I could've been prepared for...

• I did not expect that I would reach a point in labor when I literally wouldn't be able to talk. This happened sometime around transition for me. When I was on my second dose of penicillin, my IV/entire arm was burning and stinging. At this point, I was laboring on all fours hoping to relieve my back labor and flip Camden if he was OP as we suspected. I remember staring at my arm and thinking about how much it burned and wanting to say something. But my mouth just couldn't form the words! By the time I was able to say something and have the drip turned down I was almost done the bag. A little later I was sipping on some water with Emergen-C in it (for a little boost) but the flavor started making me nauseous. I didn't want anything flavored at that point but I wanted to keep drinking water. Again, I couldn't seem to get the words out so I continued drinking that until I could finally request plain water. Even now I don't remember what I said in either of these situations but I can imagine it was short and caveman-esque ("no flavor! Plain!" Hahaha). Then, when I was ready to push, I lost all ability to form words. I couldn't muster up a single word. Jake sat beside me nomming a protein bar while the nurse set everything up for me to start pushing. The smell was making me feel soooo sick but I couldn't say anything. I tried. No words would come out. Luckily when I was ready to start pushing I was able to just look at Jake and he knew that I felt another contraction coming on and needed to push. It was awesome that he was so tuned into me at that point that I didn't even need words. Good thing because I couldn't have talked if I wanted to! I suppose my inability to talk came from my intense concentration on each contraction. My mind was so preoccupied with my labor that it literally wasn't able to do anything else! I guess I should've suspected that this would happen since I went completely drug free. But, for whatever reason, I didn't and it surprised me.
• I did not expect my butt to hurt so much. Sorry if this is TMI. I know everyone says that you'll feel pressure in your bottom when you're ready to push. But what they don't tell you is that the pressure will be so intense that it might actually distract you from your contractions (for a few seconds, haha)! Granted, that isn't a bad thing. I just didn't know that I'd feel so much of my labor in my bottom. It's hard to explain this feeling unless you've experienced it. I understand the anatomical explanation and I did expect the pressure, just not the intensity. And on the same note, I didn't expect that my butt would be so sore for the two days after delivery! Now I didn't tear so the pain wasn't from that. My whole butt was just sore to the touch. And it felt all loosey goosey. Seriously, I was a sore wiggle bottom, haha. Strange stuff.
• I did not expect to shake uncontrollably after delivering Camden. I'm not talking the I'm-overwhelmed-with-emotions-and-trembling kind of shaking. I'm talking intense, uncontrollable shaking throughout my legs. It was so bad that it really looked like I was doing it on purpose! The shaking didn't hurt, it was just a little startling and annoying. I don't know if it was because of hormones or due to all my blood loss but I didn't expect this to happen. It was kind of weird and freaked me out at first but it went away after a couple hours. I remember asking the nurse what was wrong with me and she said the shaking was normal. I didn't know that! 
• I did not expect to spike a fever my first night home. I don't know if this is normal or it was one of those things no one could've predicted. But my first night home I ran a fever of 100.4 (if it got higher than that I was supposed to call my doctor). I know everyone says the first night home is a doozy. And it was with Camden cluster-feeding every 45 minutes to an hour and barely sleeping in-between. But aside from that I was feeling like total crapppp. It was basically miserable. Again, this might not be normal, but then again there has to be a reason the going home paperwork says to call if you get a fever over 100.4. Maybe this low-grade fever is common a few days after labor. Either way, I didn't expect it. On the bright side, every night after this I could tell myself, "it won't be worse than the first night home!" and so far that has held true, haha.
• I did not expect to feel sharp pains in my lower stomach every time I peed for the first month. Obviously you expect to have pain *ahem* down there. Duh. A baby just passed through. Torn or not, that sucker is gonna hurt for awhile. Duh. However, I had no idea that I would have shooting pains in my lower stomach from peeing! They started happening maybe a week after birth and lasted until I was about a month postpartum. They weren't unbearable but they did make me cringe and not look forward to peeing (which was a lot thanks to extra fluid and my copious water drinking!). I'm still not sure if this is normal but I assumed so since they went away and I haven't had any complications. I guess it's safe to expect all sorts of weird aches and pains for the first few weeks/months postpartum. It comes with the territory. 
• I did not expect to retain my keen sense of smell from pregnancy. I know it's common for your sense of smell to heighten drastically during pregnancy. And that definitely happened to me. What I didn't know is that my sharpened sniffer would stick around way postpartum. I still have the nose of a bloodhound. Maybe it'll go away eventually. Hopefully before the stench of real food diapers arrives! But for now, I smell everythingggg.

That's all I can think of right now. There are probably a few other things. Oh well this is one right here- I didn't expect my memory to suddenly become awful after I had Camden! Haha. But for real, I can hardly remember much of anything these days. I guess pregnancy brain just evolves into mom brain. Even with all of these things that caught me off guard, every single one is worth it to have my little man. He's the most incredible blessing I have every received! I'd gladly endure (and I'm sure I will) many more unexpected things for Camden! :]

Fitness update

I am 22 days into my Pretty Fierce Lean Out program! Yesterday my schedule had me retake my measurements and fit test. Even though I was only 1/3 of the way through the program it was the moment of truth. I won't be taking my measurements and fit test again until I am finished the program. I think it was a good time to check on progress and get a little extra motivation to continue working hard! I know I haven't blogged since my first "operation lose the baby weight" post (and I promise I'll get better with the blogging! Eventually ;) but I want to record these now so I don't forget to later. Here we goooo! 

Measurements Day 21 (Day 0)

Shoulders: 39" (37")

Dominant arm: 10.5" (10.25")

Chest: 36.5" (37.75")

1" above navel: 28" (29.5")

1" below navel: 32" (34.75")

Hips: 33.5" (35")

Dominant thigh: 22.5" (22.5" ugh!!)

1" above dominant knee: 15.25" (15")

Weight: 126-127lbs (128-129lbs)

Fit Test Day 21 (Day 0)

Push-ups: 48 (30)

Squat jacks: 68 (40)

V-ups: 42 (24)

Switch kicks: 60 R&L (45 R&L)

I'm very proud of my progress so far!! I've lost 7 inches total around my body! (Although I'm not really sure I should count the 1.25" from my chest since that fluctuates a lot due to milk). I am most excited that I've lost 2.75" from my lower stomach!! Obviously, that's the most troublesome area postpartum. I'm so glad to see my momma pooch shrinking, haha! I'm most disappointed to see that I haven't lost even a fraction of an inch from my thighs :[. That's definitely the spot I lose fat from last. Unfortunately. But I am certainly working hard to lose it!! And luckily my legs are pretty strong so that is mostly muscle. But still. I want to trim down my thighs a bit. Like I mentioned in my previous post, I don't have much actual weight to lose to get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight of 124. But I did lose 2ish pounds in these past three weeks! I say "2ish" because it really depends on when I weigh myself, since weight fluctuates so much depending on time of the day, hydration, etc. I would like to get down to my goal weight of 117 but right now I'm just aiming at getting back to my pre-preggo weight. I'm pretty confident that will happen in the last six weeks of this program. Even though I haven't lost much weight so far my fit test results definitely show that I have improved my strength and endurance! I'm happy with my increases in every exercise of the fit test. I've really been busting my butt with this endurance section! The first week was rough- I had to do a total body endurance routine three times and I hated it. The routine made it blatantly obvious that I was not in the best shape ;] haha. I liked weeks two and three much better. Those weeks had me doing "endurance splits"- upper body endurance (twice a week), lower body endurance (twice a week), core endurance (three times a week), aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity and yoga. I was on a 6 days on 1 day off rotation. I liked these workouts because they challenged me in a new way. I'm not used to doing the endurance thing with weight training- lifting maximum weight, doing all the reps, and going as fast as possible without compromising form. It was a little frustrating at times but I stuck with it! Anaerobic capacity was definitely the most difficult for me. It's 36 minutes of HIIT, which doesn't sound bad but man, is it killer! Granted, I go into beast mode and seriously push as hard as I can during the intervals. But, in my book, there's no other way to do it. I actually got my heart rate up to 204 on my anaerobic capacity workout on week 2! I felt like I was going to die. Technically my max hr should be 196, buuut I proved that I can go beyond that and still finish my workout. That might be dangerous, though, haha. 

Overall, I'm enjoying this program so far and I'm happy with the results I'm starting to see! I feel more fit and energized. I sleep better (that is when Camden allows me to, aha). I'm motivated to eat healthy all the time. It's just an all-around win. I'm excited to take this next week to rest and recover before hitting it hard again with strength portion! Can't wait to see what these next six weeks will bring! :D

Operation lose the baby weight!

I finally started my postpartum workout program!! Woo-woo! I'm so excited about it! Operation lose the baby weight is in full swing :D. I was told by my doctor that I could begin working out again whenever I felt ready so I resumed my workouts when I was 3w 6d postpartum. I didn't exactly ease back into it, choosing to do some P90X workouts first thing. Haha. I know what you're thinking- "What?! She's cray cray!", and yes, I might be. But I felt ready so I went for it. I didn't want to do some lame-o super easy workouts. I took it easy on the workouts at the end of my pregnancy and I was ready to hit it hard. Now it didn't take me long to realize that my body is not what it used to be! Well obviously. I did just have a baby, after all ;]. But I am definitely my own biggest critic so it was hard for me to get back into my workouts and realize that they were a lot more difficult than they used to be. I did a mix of P90X and some postnatal boot camp DVDs that I got with a prenatal program I bought during my pregnancy. Everything seemed to be a tad more challenging for me so I stuck to these workouts for the first month. Then the fun started. And by fun I mean grueling postpartum program that's kicking my butt, haha. I'm doing Pretty Fierce Lean Out by Moms Into Fitness. If you've never heard of MIF, it's run by this amazing momma, Lindsay Brin. She's totally my new fitspiration! I mean seriously, look at her! It's hard to believe that she's had 3 kids! Ahhmazing. Anyways, the program recommends that you're at least 10 months postpartum. Ummm, yeah, I wasn't even 10 weeks when I started it but I am (was?) really fit to begin with so I figured I'd be okay to dive on in. I figured if I was doing some P90X routines before I was even a month postpartum I'd be okay to start this intensive program. And I think I was right. So far ;].

Pretty Fierce Lean Out is a 9 week program designed to help mommas lose the last 5-10lbs and tone up. I only have like 3-5lbs to lose but I think this regimen is perfect for me. You start by taking your measurements, doing a fit test, and running 1.5 miles to calculate your V02 max. Then weeks 1-4 focus on endurance; weeks 5-9 are all strength-based. I'm almost done week 2 right now and I'll tell you what, these workouts are no joke!! They've definitely been pushing my aerobic threshold! But I'm really not a cardio person to begin with. I'd rather lift all day. So these workouts have really been challenging me to keep up my good form when lifting but do my reps really fast to get my heart rate up. I like that there's a good mix of workouts- upper body, lower body, abs, yoga, aerobic and anaerobic. Plus, I love that the workouts aren't super long. It's nice to be done with my workout in under an hour and still be getting in an intense session! It's definitely a tough program but I'm glad that I'm doing it! I'm hoping for some good results. I'm looking forward to finishing the endurance phase and moving into the strength phase. But now, for the moment of truth. Solely for accountability and motivation purposes, I am going to document my measurements, fit test score, and V02 max. Eeeek. Don't judge!

Measurements Day 0
Shoulders: 37" (around)
Dominant arm: 10.25"
Chest: 37.75" (thank you nursing! Haha)
1" above navel: 29.5"
1" below navel: 34.75" (ouch! This is my worst trouble zone right now, for obvious reasons)
Hips: 35"
Dominant thigh: 22.5"
1" above dominant knee: 15"
Weight: 128-129lbs (depending on day/time)

Fit Test Day 0
Push-ups: 30
Squat jacks: 40
V-Ups: 24 (modified)
Switch kicks: 45 (R), 45 (L)

V02 Run Day 0
1.5 mile run time: 16:11
V02 calculated: 33.3762

I am soooo not a runner so that 1.5 mile run was a beast. My knees were killing me. Thank goodness my doctor gave me the green light to start taking glucosamine again! I am very, very far from where I want to be fitness-wise right now. But everyday I'm working on getting closer to my goal. My goal weight has been set at 117lbs. That is 7lbs less than I weighed pre-pregnancy (eek). I'm really hoping that I can get down to that but I'm honestly not too hung up on the number on the scale. I want to tone up and be more confident. If the number on the scale doesn't get as low as I want but I see the positive changes in my body I'll be happy.

On a side note here, as hard as I'm trying to tone up and lose those last few pounds I have to say that I am incredibly proud of my body! It carried a beautiful, perfect baby boy. It delivered my baby without as much as a dose of Tylenol. I'm very proud of myself for having a completely natural birth with Camden. It made me feel so incredibly strong and empowered!! It is truly amazing what the female body can do! Honestly, it's kind of hard for me to believe that I had Camden sans drugs. It wasn't easy. It was the hardest thing I ever did. But I DID IT. My body did it. If I can do that then I can definitely get into shape like I want to! I just need to set my mind to it and work hard. Just like I did during labor. But I'm not about to beat myself up and hate every inch of my now very different body. Not at all. I love my body for what it did. And if it's never quite the same again, that will be okay. Because everyday I get to look at and hold my beautiful son and rejoice in the fact that he's mine. He's worth all the sacrifices and changes. He's even worth the times I have to pause a workout to soothe him or just plant kiss on his smiling cheek. So if I never quite reclaim my pre-pregnancy body I'm okay with that. But I'm most certainly going to try to get in the best shape possible!

Right now I think the hardest thing for me is balancing calorie intake between losing weight and not losing my milk supply. I can't eat too little but at the same time I don't want to eat too much... I want to lose weight but continue nursing. It's a tough balancing act and I'm still trying to get it all figured out. I'm basically just adding one healthy snack per day to account for my breastfeeding caloric needs. But some days I feel super hungry and need to eat a little extra...I'm just hoping I can shed some fat even if the scale doesn't go down all that much. We'll see.

Okay, as usual this post ended up all too long so I'm going to end it here. I'll update my journey along the way and share my new measurements and fit test score after day 21 and my overall results at the end of the program. Wish me luck! :]

A few of our favorite things for momma

Since I shared a blog about some favorite things for baby it is only fitting that I make one for momma as well! These items are just a few of the things that have made a big difference for me in my first couple of months postpartum. Like I said with the baby favorites, this list could go on and on. But these are 8 items that I have found to be particularly useful in my first 7 weeks as a momma. 

1. Starbucks tumbler or any other cute tumbler. I recommended this during pregnancy as well to encourage plenty of water consumption. If you plan on breastfeeding you'll want to be especially mindful to consume enough water everyday! Having a tumbler that you like will make drinking water a little more fun. 

2. Button-front pajamas. Trust me, these will making nursing at night a thousand times easier! Especially in those first few weeks when you don't want to worry about troublesome little clips or attempting to hold your shirt up when you're half asleep. I have three sets right now- long sleeve and pants, short sleeve and capris, and nightgown style. I love them. In fact, I'm always on the lookout for more. Also, I'd recommend going with something lightweight cotton. All the hormones after birth make you a lot more likely to sweat. 

3. Avent Thermopads. At first I didn't really want to spend the money on these... but I am SO glad that I did! They can be used warm (by soaking them in hot water) or cold (by storing them in the fridge). I've had issues with clogged ducts and these suckers feel incredible when they're nice and warm. Plus, they can encourage letdown (when warm) and help with soreness as well (warm or cold). You're probably thinking what I was- "why buy these when a plain old washcloth can do the same thing?" Well, these hold their temperature longer than a washcloth would and they're contoured for your breasts. They're definitely great to have!

4. Vita Coco coconut water. I drank this stuff everyday for my entire first month postpartum. The potassium and electrolytes are great for hydration and health. Personally, I like the kind with pineapple because it tastes like a pina colada but wayyy better for you, haha. I'm not recommending these as a meal replacement but I would drink them everyday to boost my hydration level. And they're a nice change of pace from regular water. 

5. Alba Botanica 3-in-1 Pineapple Towelettes. I heart these. A lot. I'm a stickler for washing my face twice a day but with a newborn I found that getting to sleep as soon as baby was asleep became top priority. These towelettes are a makeup remover, cleanser, and toner all in one. Hello timesaver! Plus, they smell amazing and are gentle enough on finicky postpartum skin that you don't have to follow them up with a moisturizer (I know, I know, moisturizing is important but believe me, it doesn't seem that crucial when you're sleep deprived). I kept these by my bedside for speedy face cleaning before I crawled into bed.

6. Coconut oil. I had a lactation consultant recommend using coconut oil on sore nipples instead of lanolin. Reason being that coconut oil is natural and less likely to cause any allergic reactions or adverse effects on momma and baby. I'm all about doing things as naturally as possible when it comes to mine and Camden's health so I was all over this advice. And it worked like a charm! Coconut oil is much cheaper than lanolin, too. Plus it has like a million uses so any leftovers will not go to waste!

7. Half caff K cups. I made the switch to decaf when I found out I was pregnant but once Camden arrived I needed a little jolt to help me get going in the morning. Enter the joys of half caff. I get the boost I need without consuming much caffeine. It's a win-win. These things have become my new morning BFF. 

8. Boppy pillow. I love my Boppy pillow! Breastfeeding is a lot of work. Forget killing your arms/back/shoulders holding baby with no support! Just stick a Boppy pillow around your waist, rest your arms on it, and breath a sigh of relief while baby nurses comfortably in your arms without making your entire upper body sore. And if you happen to fall asleep in your glider while baby nurses (*cough*not like I've ever done that*cough*) baby is nestled safely. Or at least how I used the Boppy Camden was safe from falling incase I did fall asleep. Plus, you can use the Boppy for tummy time and to position baby on his or her back in a slightly upright position if they're having some spit up issues or if you just want to chat with them during alert time. It's multifunctional. I covered mine with a waterproof cover for protection and a dinosaur/stripes slipcover for the cute factor.

So there it is! That completes my favorite things for baby and momma for our first two months. I'll probably make new lists of favorites as Camden continues to grow and develop. I might even go back and make a list of my favorite things during pregnancy and/or for the hospital. We'll see how ambitious I am with these favorites posts. I hope you've enjoyed the first two! And I hope some of my momma-to-be friends find this useful! :] 

A few of our favorite things for baby

Camden is coming up on TWO months old so I thought now would be a great time to share a few of our favorite things! Although this list could go on and on (and on and on and on if cute little baby clothes were included!), I picked a few items we use most often. Every baby is different but these things are favorites for our little CamJammers :] 

1. Aden + Anais muslin swaddling blankets. These things are AWESOME. They're a little pricy for blankets but I promise you they are worth every cent. If you're like me and you worry about baby overheating at night (hello, increased risk of SIDS!), these are perfect for swaddling because they're still breathable. Plus, they're huuuuge which also makes them great for throwing over the carseat while grocery shopping in order to deter nosy people from poking at Camden. Seriously though strangers, keep your germy hands out of my baby's face, thank you very much. 

2. Wipe warmer. Everyone says "wipe warmers are a waste of money" but we love ours. When Camden was just a new little baby in the hospital he would scuuuhreeeam every time we changed his diaper. Specifically, he would scream when a cold wipe touched his buncakes. Jake and I went to Target when he was just a few days old and purchased this warmer. Now, little man no longer screams during diaper changes and that makes for two happy parents. 

3. Vaseline. Per the recommendation of a pediatrician, we put Vaseline (or generic petroleum jelly) on Camden's bottom every time we change his diaper. Yeah, it sounds like an annoyance but guess what? He has yet to get diaper rash! Not even a tiny bit. Now that's something to celebrate! And this stuff is so cheap it's more cost effective than having to use Destin or Bourdeaux's Butt Paste all the time (both of which we do have in our diaper bags and do use when we're out of the house). 

4. Gumdrop pacifier wipes. I have alllllways been grossed out when I see a parent pick a binkie up off the floor, stick it in their mouth and then give it back to their baby. Ack!! If I don't want those disgusting germs in my baby's mouth why would I want them in my own?! I know it's preferable for me to absorb the germs instead of Camden but ideally it would be nice for neither of us to eat those germs. Right? So I use these pacifier wipes religiously. And yes, even when Camden is screaming I still take the time to clean his binkie if it gets dropped. But he doesn't suck on his binkie often enough for this to be a problem. 

5. Lambs & Ivy mobile. Camden rooms with us and therefore doesn't have his own crib yet but I mounted this on the wall above his changing pad. Best. Decision. Ever. Camden absolutely loves it!! On nights when he is super fussy we lay him on his changing pad and he looks up at this and basically calms down instantly. It's a lifesaver. I don't know what it is about the thing but he sure does love it! I'm excited to see how it looks in his own room with the matching crib set (someday)! 

6. Snugabunny swing. This has been one of Camden's most favorite items since his second day home! I love that it is multi-directional so we can control which way it swings. He loves the music features because it helps lull him to sleep. We keep it upstairs in the living room and put him in it while we make meals, workout, and whatever else we need to do in that same general area. And it's super cute.

7. Red Sox binkies. In true Boston sports fan fashion, this was the only binkie Camden would take for the longest time. That is until we found the exact same binkies with a Bruins logo on them. He loves these.

8. Graco Pack 'n Play. Like I said, Camden shares a room with us and doesn't have a crib in here. So he sleeps in the newborn sleeper attachment of his pack 'n play. We like that it fits conveniently at the foot of our bed and the bottom of it provides a little extra room for storage (which we're very short on) for blankets, stuffed animals, and other little baby items. Obviously this thing is also perfect for travel, which we put to good use on our vacation last week. I would have to rank this as a must-have item for new parents. Even if your baby will have his/her own room, you'll probably want something like this for baby to co-room in the beginning. It's great. 

Well that's it! Like I said, every baby is different so every parent's list of favorite things varies accordingly. I just figured I'd throw this out there for any moms-to-be who might be looking for some registry inspiration. Coming up next- A few of our favorite things for momma! Stay tuned! :]