Coconut Flour Banana Pancakes Recipe

My little man loves pancakes! Does not matter what time of day it is he wants pancakes! I make him all different types but his favorite is Coconut Flour Banana Pancakes. Super easy, super healthy and best of all super yummy!

I really love cooking with coconut flour because of all the health benefits. Its gluten free, high in fiber and high in protein. This recipe seriously takes just 10 minutes from start to finish. Coconut flour can be kind of dense to cook with so go slow when adding it to recipes. This pancake recipe is a great introduction to cooking with it.

Coconut Flour Banana Pancakes:
Servings: 2

2 eggs
1  small banana
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs coconut flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of cinnamon

1. Puree all ingredients in a blender

2. In a non stick pan with just a touch of coconut oil pour small "silver dollar" size pancakes a couple inches a part. Cook over medium to low heat. These pancakes take a little longer than normal ones. Cook at least 4 minutes each side to ensure it cooks all the way through.

I hope you and your family enjoy these yummy bite size pancakes as much as my little man does!

Noah's Favorite Veggie Pasta Sauce

I love cooking and baking so I was very excited when Mr Noah graduated from purees to solids. He loves just about everything I make him but his absolute favorite is pasta! It does not matter what I put it in it, if its pasta he will eat it. I recently discovered quinoa pasta. I was a little skeptical at first but it taste just like regular pasta! Mr Noah didn't seem to notice it wasn't the real deal. I have a few staple sauces that I made up for him, here is one of his favorites. Warning.... this sauce may cause your baby to have garlic breath hehe

Veggie Marinara Sauce:
Makes about 2-3 servings depending on how much your little one eats

Ingredients:
4 tomatoes
1 small carrots
1/2 zucchini
1/2 yellow squash
1 garlic clove
Dash of Italian season
1/2 cup quinoa elbow pasta


Directions:
Cut up all the veggies (don't worry about it being bite size)
Add a little bit of olive oil to a pan and add the garlic
After 30 seconds add the rest of the veggies to prevent the garlic from browning and the seasoning
Saute the veggies for about 10 minutes. Add water if it looks like its starting to stick to the pan

In a separate pot boil the water for the pasta.
Cook for about 9 minutes and drain

Once the veggies are done place in a food processor or blender and puree

Cut up the pasta into bite size pieces then add the sauce and serve.



I usually put some of his pasta in front of him so he can self feed while I spoon feed him. Mr Noah is very big on feeding himself but is still figuring out the concept of food actually making it into his mouth haha. This sauce is great with some ground turkey or ground beef.

The Joys of Sleep Training Part Two: Nap Time and Schedules

I can't express enough how important naps have been for Mr Noah from day one. If he doesn't get a good nap through out the day he won't sleep well that night. My approach to nap time is pretty similar to bed time minus the bath. The little man takes two naps a day. The first is always within an hour or two of waking up in the morning. Then the second is somewhere between 12:30pm-1:30pm. The afternoon nap changes depending on if we are home or out. I'm a big believer in schedules and routines (for just about everything in life) but I also believe that its important to change up the times on their schedule so that they learn to be flexible. I would hate if we couldn't make certain plans because of his bedtime or nap time.

Getting ready for a nap in his stroller 

If we are home for his naps I lay him down in his crib, turn on the music and give him his lovey blankie. Usually for the morning nap he goes right to sleep. The first nap is around an hour. If he wakes up before the hour I usually go in there and help soothe him back to sleep. Anything less than 30 minutes does the opposite for him. He becomes Mr. Cranky Pants and is no fun. His afternoon nap is usually two hours. But he fights this one. I usually put a little Ylang Ylang DoTerra oil mixed with his lotion on him for relaxation. I also put on the diffuser with Lavender. Its his own personal spa! Then after a few cuddles on the rocking chair I put him in his crib still drowsy. If we are out during his afternoon nap I usually just walk around with him in his stroller and he puts himself to sleep.

If Mr. Noah doesn't take his naps he becomes extremely exhausted and over tired. Then bed time turns into a battle. I try at all cost to avoid this.

Here is a look into Noah's typical day if we are just hanging at home:

Happy baby after his two hour nap :) 

6:00am-7am: wakes up
7:45am: breakfast
8:30am: morning nap
10:00am: snack
10:30am: first walk
11:30am: play time on the floor
12:00pm: lunch
1:00pm: afternoon nap
3:00pm: snack then second walk
4:00pm: either play time at home or at the park
5:30pm dinner
6:00pm: bath
7:30pm: bedtime :)




I know it looks very planned out (and very much OCD haha) but he sorta created this schedule himself. I just watch for his cues to tell me what he needs. But I love it because I am all about knowing whats next. Of course as he gets older it changes. This has been his schedule for the past few weeks. I'm sure within a month it will be different. Since I have the little man on a schedule it makes it easy for my mom to watch him when I am at work and it also gives me a heads up if he is starting to get sick. He will usually sleep a lot more than usual or not sleep at all.


Some important things I learned from reading my sleep training book and from trial and error is:

1. Watch for cues of sleepiness. Mr Noah usually starts to rub his eyes or will all of sudden lose interest in whatever he is doing. Sometimes he will show signs of being tired an hour before his usually bedtime. Trying to keep him up just makes things worse so if he wants to fall asleep at 6pm I let him.

2. Pick a blanket or lovey that will only be used for nap and bedtime. He rubs his all over his face and under his nose to help him fall asleep. He even looks for it at night now if he wakes up to help him fall back asleep.

3. Remove all toys from the crib so that they know its bedtime not play time. I do put his favorite Dr Seuss toy in his crib with him though because he likes to cuddle.

4. Always put them in their crib drowsy. This was crucial from Mr Noah and sleep training but once he learned to put himself to sleep it was a miracle. Prior to it I would spend almost an hour rocking him into a deep sleep. If he wasn't in a deep sleep before putting him down he would wake up immediately and start crying. Bedtime would last for hours then. 

My Bible 

I hope this helps with any mamas who are on the fence about sleep training. I know its scary and I know its hard but its so worth it in the end. I feel like it helps set them up for healthy sleep habits as they get older and most importantly it helps you keep your sanity :) 

The Joys of Sleep Training Part One: Night Training

I knew from day one of Mr Noah entering the world that I would have many many MANY sleepless nights. But to my surprise around 8 weeks he started sleeping through the night! I remember the first time it happened... I woke up in a panic thinking something was wrong! I quickly checked the bassinet and there he was sound asleep. I contribute two things to him sleeping through the night....One, I created a nightly routine that included a bath and nursing cuddles in the rocking chair to help him unwind. Two, I followed the nap routines from the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. This book is AMAZING!

Can someone make room for me? 

After a few weeks of sleeping through the night I decided it was time to transition him to his crib. Mr Noah was sleeping so well in his room....all night long... till the day my husband asked "can the baby sleep with us tonight?" Since my husband works crazy hours he doesn't get a lot of time with the little man. I said yes not knowing I was opening up the biggest can of worms! That one night turned into every night....

Fast forward 4 months and Mr Noah is STILL IN OUR BED! Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against co-sleeping. It is very sweet and comforting to have the little man in bed with us but no one was getting a good nights sleep. And not only was Noah in the bed, our lovely over weight cat was too! I re-read my book and kept telling myself "tonight is the night we are going to sleep train!" Then the day would end and I was too tired to start. This went on for about a week until one afternoon while watching a rerun of  Super Nanny I realized that if I didn't get his sleeping under control now, I was going to be in big trouble when he becomes a toddler.

Part of our nightly routine, watching the tub fill up

So that night we started....we did our nightly routine but instead of going into our bed he went straight to the crib. It was heart breaking! Mr Noah cried for 30 minutes straight but it felt like 5 hours! He kept giving me looks like 'why mama! why!!" But I didn't crack. I sat in the rocking chair in silence waiting for him to fall asleep. My husband would peak in every few minutes. He hated hearing him upset but I told him we were doing the right thing. Not only will we get a better nights rest but so will the little man.

The next night he only cried for 5 minutes then fell asleep and by the third night I laid him down with his little lovey blankie and he put himself to sleep with no tears!! I felt like throwing a party to celebrate.

We weren't out of the woods just yet. We still needed to get through the whole night without waking to comfort feed. He had gotten so use to having access to his milk at anytime while co-sleeping so he expected it to continue even though he was sleeping in his crib.  At first I would just go in the room and rock him back to sleep then after a few days I started just putting his paci back in his mouth but not pick him up. It was working but I was still having to get up in the middle of the night and help soothe him. The book talked about letting them cry it out. I was so scared to try this at 3am. I didn't have the willpower to not give in. I finally took my girlfriends advice and the books advice and I didn't go in the room when he woke up. I watched on the monitor as he looked around while fussing a bit, waiting for me to come in. After 5 minutes he gave up and went back to sleep! It was another miracle!!! And last night he slept 12 1/2 hours!!!

Happy baby after a full night of rest 

I am so happy that I finally bit the bullet and followed through with the sleep training. A well rested baby makes a well rested (more friendly to be around) mama.

Stay tuned for Part Two: Nap Time :)

Final Update on Baby Weight loss

This blog is looooooong over due. I officially hit my pre-pregnancy weight around the holidays. Which I thought would never happen because I bake like every other day and treat myself to a chai latte every  afternoon. But I am still breastfeeding which burns calories and I walk everywhere with Mr Noah.

Even though I lost all the weight that I gained during my pregnancy, my mid section is still really soft and I have just a teeny tiny bit of extra skin. I know that a few sit ups and planks will take care of that but I really really REALLY dislike stomach exercises. In reality, I have never had a super toned stomach because of that. The only exercise I currently do is walking which is great because Noah loves being outside (I think we walk a minimum of 5 miles a day). We walk so much that I purchased a Joovy jogging stroller on Cyber Monday back in November. (I was beating up his bug a boo stroller too much)

So here are my final results:

I gained about 40 during my pregnancy (maybe more, I didn't weigh myself at the end haha)

Hours before going into labor

                                                                                                                                                                                

3 weeks post pregnancy 

I lost around 25 pounds the first month 

10 weeks post pregnancy

I lost another 5 pounds by September 

9 months post pregnancy 

And the final results.....

I lost my last 12 pounds by the holidays!!!! This picture is from today.

You can still see the faint Linea Nigra line on my belly. It took me about 6 months to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Even though while I was going through the weight loss it felt like forever but in reality it didn't. You don't want to force your body to loss all the weight right away. It just isn't healthy. Let your body tell you how fast and how much you should lose. 

We have a biter...

I feel like Mr Noah has been teething for months!! Well thats because he has! The poor little man is having such a tough time cutting his teeth.  Around the holidays the doctor could see the start of them coming through but he didn't cut his first two till March!!!! Then just when I thought we were in the clear from teething for a few months, all four of his upper teeth decided to cut at the same time. Giving him just a week vacation from the pain. Not only is the little man miserable but I'm miserable watching him go through it. He has resorted to biting everything in site (including my shoulders, chin, cheeks, and neck) Its like living with a vampire. I have a few teething toys for him and his favorite is Sophie the giraffe. I love Sophie because she is easy to clean when Mr Noah decides to throw her on the ground. But besides teething toys I found a few other products that work wonders on him...
                                                                                                                                                              
1. Say Aahhh Teething Pods:
I love love LOVE these! Its diluted clove oil that quickly numbs the gums. It comes individually packaged with q-tips to make it easy to apply and pack in your diaper bag. The only place that I know of that sells it is Buy Buy Baby




2. Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets
I have also found these to be really handy when I need a quick way to help relax him when he starts pulling at his gums.



3. A good ol' fashion cold damp washcloth
When I started to notice little tiny blister like bumps on his bottom gums, I wet a washcloth with cold water. He went to town with it! The little man kept biting and pulling on it and the next day.... two pearly whites appeared!!!! The doctor said that the roughness of the cloth helps the gums open up for the teeth to come through.

You can kind of see his little bottom teeth here paired with tons of drool

And the final trick I use to help relax Mr Noah is lavender oil in his bath at night plus I put a drop in his lotion.

Not the best picture but you get the point haha

Happy Teething Everyone!!!! 

Noah's Private Chef

My little man and I enjoying a park day

So much has happened since I last blogged....my husband changed jobs, we have had a few colds/flus run its course in my house, then the holidays hit. I felt like I never got a moment to myself. Now that we are more than half way through January I feel like I'm finally getting back into my normal everyday schedule.

I can't believe that my little man is going to be 7 months next week!  I am still breast feeding but had added in rice cereal and  a few purees around 4 1/2 month. The little man loved it! We started with bananas and avocado then tried a new food every 4-5 days. Two weeks ago he had his 6 month check, Mr Noah is 20 pounds (yikes!) and 28 inches long (wow)! He is huge! The doctor gave us the green light to have him eat 3 meals a day. I make all of Mr Noah's food myself. Its a lot of work but well worth it. Here is a peek into the little man's day....

Any where between 6am-7am Mr Noah wakes up and then I nurse him.

Around 7:30am is breakfast time. Today he had bananas and kiwi with rice cereal and a 4 oz bottle of breast milk

The little man usually naps within a half hour of eating. I shoot for two hours but doesn't happen everyday. It just depends on what we are doing that day.

Around 10:30am he nurses then I either take him on a walk or he plays in his jumper.

At noon is lunch time. His favorite! He loves peaches straight from the fridge or homemade applesauce and a 4 oz. bottle of breast milk

Mr Noah usually takes another nap after lunch for about an hour.

Around 3pm I nurse him and then we either go on another walk or play on the floor.

He sometimes takes one more nap at 4pm then around 5pm is dinner time. Tonight he had butternut squash that I made this morning with applesauce mixed in with rice cereal and a 4oz. bottle of breast milk.

Then its bath time, maybe a little play time on the floor then off to sleepy town he goes by 7pm

I make all of his food in the Baby Brezza. I love it!!! Its so simple to use!  It steams and purees all in one. You don't have to add any cooking water before pureeing which makes it super easy. I have even put some of the peach puree in my oatmeal haha. I am able to fit a whole bag of the organic frozen butternut squash by Sprouts in it. That makes about 4-5 servings for my little man. The Baby Brezza is definitely worth the price!

I am starting to have so much fun mixing and matching the different foods for Mr Noah. Its really exciting to watch him experience new flavors and textures!

Mother's Milk

I knew before I was even pregnant that I wanted to nurse my baby. There were a number of factors that played into my decision but my number one reason was that its very easy on your baby's tummy.

To start preparing for breastfeeding before I had my little man I changed my eating habits. I started eating foods that help promote healthy milk... blueberries, oatmeal, almonds, whole grains....I also started applying essential oils directly on my chest... fennel and ginger.

I had in my head for someone reason that I didn't want to buy a pump until I had at least 3-4 weeks of strictly nursing. I didn't want to have any reason to give up when it got difficult or even painful. If your pregnant and reading this DO NOT DO THAT!!!! Mr Noah had no problem latching on from the minute he was born. What I didn't realize prior to having him that when my milk finally did come in there would be the possibility of becoming severely engorged or even worse become ill from it.

 Like clock work my milk came in on day 4. I will never forget that feeling. I woke up in the morning around 7am and couldn't left up out of my bed. My mother in law was staying with us and when she walked in her face look horrified. It was like I had to huge rocks on my chest. My mom had to help me out of bed and the poor baby was trying to nurse but I was so engorged that he couldn't get anything out. Luckily that morning I had a required lactation appointment at my doctors. I was barely able to get myself dressed and to the appointment. The lactation nurse gave me one look and said " Honey, your severely engorged... like a few hours away from an infection engorged!" She got out the pump and I had to stay there for an hour pumping until she felt I was ready to go home. I broke down and had to get a pump for at home. I have the Medela Pump In Style. Its amazing!

For the next 24 hours I had to pump every 2 hours. It was horrible! I was in so much pain but it all payed off. Within a few days my little man was able to nurse with out any problems. This would have never happen if I hadn't been so stubborn about not pumping the first month of nursing. I also regret not pumping in the first few days because I wasn't able to freeze any of the colostrum. Now that we are approaching flu season I would love to have those immunity boost in the freezer for Mr Noah.

To keep my milk supply rich and healthy I try to eat oatmeal every day with blueberries and almonds. I also drink Mothers Milk tea before bed with a drop of fennel oil. I can tell by the color of my milk when I pump if my diet hasn't been too good that day. Its amazing how the quality of your food does make a difference.

Here is a little trick to see how much milk your breast feed baby is really getting, weigh him or her before feeding then weigh again after. You should see at least 3-4 ounces in the beginning at every feeding. But all babies are different, my little man was eating 5 ounces by 4 weeks at every feeding.

My Happy Healthy Chunky Monkey 3 month old 

Happy Feeding Ladies!!!

Our First Family Vacation

 We recently took the challenge of going on our first family vacation. And of course I picked our first trip to be out of state making it an extra stressful event. We were flying to Seattle to visit my mother in law. She lives in Spokane, Washington but we decided to meet in Seattle to go to a Mariners game (also another fun first for the baby). Before I started packing I made a check list so that I wouldn't forget anything. We were staying in a hotel so I wouldn't have access to a washing machine. I had to make sure I packed triples of everything!

All this for just one little baby! 

The day before the trip I started by laying out all the outfits for my little man. I planned on having 3 outfit changes a day for the just in case messes babies are so very good at creating. I then laid out all the burp rags, blankies, a few wash clothes and bibs. I put each day's outfit in a ziplock bag to make it easy for packing and husband friendly so that while we were getting ready in the mornings we could just grab it and go. I also put all socks and bibs in one ziplock bag and his pjs in another. I made sure to pack my awesome diaper bag organizer by O.R.E Sugarbooger (www.oreoriginals.com). These are the best organizers!!! I use them daily. I know it sounds way OCD but it helped so much! Nothing got lost at the hotel and getting ready in the morning was so easy!


Both my husband and I were very nervous about flying with a baby. I packed his diaper bag with everything I thought we might need and I also made him a Lavender aromatherapy roll on to put on his little feet before boarding. When we got to the airport to our surprise all the employees were sooooo helpful. We got the first class treatment! I had my little man in the Ergo carrier (which is AMAZING) and I was able to go through security with him in it. When we boarded the plane we pulled out a few burp rags, an extra pacifier, a toy that plays music and his blankie. We were ready for anything! And to our surprise.... Mr Noah slept through the whole flight!

Checking out Seattle 

When we arrived in Seattle, he was a little cranky due to the fact that he was out of his routine. I made sure to pack all of his bath oils to help relax him at night before bed. I am happy I did because the second I started wiping him down at night he knew it was time for bed. I am too freaked out about germs to let him sleep with us in a hotel bed so we packed our Bug a Boo stroller with the bassinet attachment. He slept 10 hours each night :) ! I love love LOVE the Bug a Boo!

Our Little Family 

In the end we all survived our first family vacation and created many happy memories to look back on.

Mani/Pedi Time

I will admit, the thought of filing down my little man's nails freaked me out. When Mr Noah was born he had really strong long nails. I was way too afraid to file them at first. I waited until he was about 3 weeks old to finally try. He hated it just as much as I did! He was so squirmy and kept his little hands in very tight fist. It was pretty traumatizing. Every couple of days I would try to file down his wolverine claws but I felt like I wasn't getting great results (I think I was actually making them sharper). The little man kept scratching his face and my chest whenever I nursed him. Even though the nail file wasn't doing much I  was way too afraid to try the nail clippers.

Then last week I came across a miracle product as I was flipping through a baby magazine...the Buzz B by Zo Li. Its an electric nail file for babies! Genius! Here is why I love it....

- Its super safe for babies even as young as newborns
- It comes with four different file pads that vary in texture depending on the   strength of the nails
- It has two different speed settings


I tried it out on Mr Noah after his bath and he didn't seem to mind it at all. I really love it because its fast and gentle on his wiggly hands. I definitely recommend this product to all moms who hate giving their little monkeys manicures! Its more expensive than a nail file but so worth the investment ($30). Its not sold at Babies R Us or Target which is a bummer but luckily I was able to find it at a small children's boutique near my place. Check out the website to find the nearest retailer http://www.zolibaby.com

Baby Weight Loss Update

Its been a little over a month since I seriously started thinking about losing the last of my baby weight. My original goal was to lose 10 pounds. That wouldn't put me at my pre-prego weight but I figured I would never see that size 0 again after having my little man haha. Well I'm proud to say I lost 4 1/2 pounds in 4 weeks!!!!!  I'm very happy about this because I honestly didn't have a chance to work out more than  twice week. Its really hard to sneak out of the house with Mr Noah these days. He is going through a major separation anxiety when ever I leave the room just to shower! In order to reach my pre-prego weight I would need to lose another 10 pounds. I don't want to put that kind of pressure on myself so I am going to stick to my original goal which means I have another 6 to go!

Even though I lost 4 1/2 pounds I still feel really chubby around my mid section. I call it my accordion belly because when I sit the rolls crunch together haha. This month I am going to focus on working out at least 3 times a week. I think now that Mr Noah is turning 3 months I am going to look into the local Stroller Strides. That way I can take him with me to work out and I get to meet other moms in my area. I am also going to focus on kicking my Starbucks habit. During the last trimester of my pregnancy I would walk to Starbucks to get a Chai Frap. I have continued that habit which isn't healthy for me.  Even though its a mile walk round trip I know those little calories can add up.

When I compare my pictures I don't see much of a difference but it motivates me to work harder this month.

August 15th 

September 15th 

My goal this month is to lose 1-2 inches around my belly and another 2 pounds. Wish me luck!!! 

The Tummy Tub

Mr. Noah absolutely loves his bath at night. A few times he has started to cry when I take him out to get ready for bed. I don't mind him hanging in his bath for a while but it starts to get cold pretty quickly. So I  keep a wash cloth on his tummy and on his head to keep him warm. The only problem is that the wash cloths start to get cold so I have to keep re-wetting them. I figured this was all I can do until he is old enough to sit in a bathtub... oh so I thought....

The other night my mom and I were watching youtube videos on nursing using your Ergo carrier (I will be writing my review on that soon) when we saw videos for the Tummy Tub. Huh? The tummy what? After admiring all the cute babies in it we became very fascinated by this bathtub. So what exactly is the Tummy Tub...Its designed to mimic the shape and confinement of a mother's womb. Its tall enough to keep your baby warm at all times during the bath. Your baby is able to move freely just like when he or she was in the womb. This also helps to encourage motor skills and most importantly calm a fussy baby. It is safe to use starting at birth all the way to 35 pounds.

Hot Tubbing :) 

We found a few stores in our area that sold it so the next day we ventured out in search for the Tummy Tub. It looks like a giant clear bucket, or as my girlfriend Alaina said "giant Tubberware". I wasn't sure what my husband was going to say when I brought it home that night but then again he has stopped asking questioning since my first trimester when I was practically bathing myself in ginger oil on a flight to help my morning sickness haha. To my surprise my husband seemed to not think twice about it and actually was calling it a baby hot tub.

My chunky monkey

The time came to try it out. Mr. Noah seemed to enjoy it but also seemed a bit confused haha. We are going to try it again tonight but this time fill it up just a bit more so that the water is right up to his chest, really allowing him to experience the feeling of buoyancy.

Caution: Explosives Ahead...

As a new mommy I knew that I would be experiencing my fair share of "explosive" diapers, I just didn't think it would happen on my lap or on my bed or in the car seat or pretty much anywhere but just in his diaper. Baby poop is harder to get out of clothes than people think. Basically the item is stained for life if not treated properly. Mr Noah had a few leaks here and there when he started growing out of his newborn diapers. The first time it happened I didn't think about treating the area before washing it. It came out of the dryer with a light yellow stain.

My Secret Weapon

But a few weeks ago a bomb went off in the morning. I was nursing Noah in bed when boom!!!!!! It was all over our comforter. My husband looked at me in shock and said "You know you have to throw it out now". I was so upset.  I love our comforter. I didn't want to get rid of it. Then it dawned on me to try the DoTerra On Guard Cleanser. We had recently switched all of our household cleaning products to the DoTerra Oils and I sometimes will run the On Guard Cleanser in the washing machine to clean it and kill the germs. So I bravely carried the hazardous waste downstairs and laid the comforter out on the kitchen floor. I first spot treated the area with the On Guard Cleanser, then I washed it with Dreft detergent and voila!!!!! It looked brand new again!

Before 

 The DoTerra On Guard Cleanser not only removes the stains but it also sanitizes which is super important when dealing with these hazardous disasters.

After

Before

After

Since that morning I haven't experienced any more messes on my bed however we did have quite the episode a week ago in the bathroom while nursing him in Macy's. Luckily I was prepared with extra clothes, lots of wipes and the Arm and Hammer diaper bags to put the dirty clothes in. I didn't take any before or after  pictures of his shirt and shorts but again they came out looking brand spanking new.

Woombie vs SwaddleMe

Before Mr Noah was born, I practiced swaddling with blankets on a doll. I felt like I had it down perfectly, basically its like making a baby burrito. Unfortunately I wasn't prepared to have a baby with super strength reflexes and Houdini like tricks! At about two weeks old the blankets weren't controlling his strong reflexes resulting in a very startled and fussy baby. Luckily I had received a few swaddle sacks at my baby shower, a SWADDLEME and a WOOMBIE. I put the WOOMBIE away because the weight was for 14 pounds plus but the SWADDLEME was for newborns.

The SWADDLEME

The SWADDLEME seemed to work great....for about a week. Somehow my Mr Noah became Houdini and was able to wiggle his little arms out of the velcro! Next thing I knew a hand would be up in the air and the whole bassinet is shaking. My husband and I would joke around saying he is doing the back stroke. As cute as it may look to see the little man moving his arms around, it really wasn't good for him. Mr Noah kept waking himself up which in return means lack of sleep for mommy and daddy. So for the first month and a half I would have to re-velcro his arms every couple of hours in order for him to get some sleep. Then the friend of mine that gave us the WOOMBIE asked if I had tried it yet. I told her no because he didn't meet the weight requirement. But then it dawned on me, Mr Noah was big enough for it!!!!! That night we tried it out and WOW! It worked!!! The little man was able to sleep 8 hours straight!!! And every night since then (keeping fingers crossed that it continues).

The SWADDLEME is great but not for babies that have strong reflexes. I am all for the WOOMBIE. The difference is that the WOOMBIE zips up keeping their little arms and legs close to their body but still allows them to stretch without  pulling a Houdini. Unlike the SWADDLEME which only zips up their legs and you wrap their arms in securing them with the velcro.

The WOOMBIE

Noah's First Trip to Disneyland

My Little Family 

My husband and I finally took the Big D challenge...Disneyland in the summer!!!!! Luckily my cousin who was visiting from Reno came with us with her husband and three kids. My original plan was to meet my family there later when the sun started setting. I was to nervous to have Mr Noah and my milky white husband to be in the sun for too long. Of course when we all got up in the morning my lovely hubby couldn't wait until the later afternoon, he was way to excited for Cars Land haha. 

I wanted to share with ya'll how I packed Mr Noah's bag for our long adventure to the Happiest Place on Earth. I have two diapers bags for my little man, a beautiful Coach diaper bag that my cousin gave me and Petunia Pickle Bottom boxy backpack. I decided to go with the PPB diaper bag because I can fit tons of stuff in it. I packed that bag like we were going on a weeks vacation! 

- 10 diapers and tons of wipes

- homemade sanitizing wipes to wipe down the changing station because you just never know

- those big blue pee pads you see at the doctor's office to put down on the changer. I like using those instead of the changing pad because you can throw them out when your done and they cover the whole changer.  

- 3 outfit changes just in case Mr Noah decides to have an explosive diaper

- 3 pacifiers plus wipes to clean them 

My Diaper Bag

- 5 burp rags

- 3 bibs

- a big sun hat

- homemade hand wipes plus gel sanitizer 

After double checking to make sure I had everything I realized two things 1. I am way more OCD than I thought I was and 2. Baby's require a lot of stuff! 

When we arrived to Disneyland the sun had just come out and it felt like it was a million degrees outside even though it was only 80. I have a BUGABOO Cameleon stroller with the car seat adapter. I decided to use the car seat adapter rather than the bassinet because I could shade him from the sun easier and its more compact. I also used the Parasol by BUGABOO. Besides it looking so darn cute, it reflects the sun from the baby plus it pivots and bends so that no matter where the sun is you can shade your baby.  We also packed his Chicco carrier. 

My cute hubby demonstrating the Parasol

Waiting in line for Monsters Inc. 

Our first trip to Disneyland was a huge success. My cousin and I found the Starbucks inside Cars Land and sat there with Mr. Noah and Miss Mina while the boys took the two older kids on a few rides. Mr Noah basically slept the day away and woke up just in time for his first ride, Monsters Inc. I was super nervous that the loud noises would scare him but he seemed to be just fine. We also rode Little Mermaid but by the time the ride was over he was sound asleep again. We look forward to going again soon... but next time at night so I don't have to worry about the sun on my little man's baby soft skin. 

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Those last 10 Pounds...

We all know it takes nine months to gain all the weight but for some reason we expect it to be gone in one day. I will confess, I thought by the time I left the hospital I was going to be back to my pre-pregnancy size. I will never forget the first time I was able to get out of the hospital bed after having Noah... I hobbled my way into the bathroom and stood there in shock and horror. I STILL LOOKED PREGNANT! I could have sworn I had already given birth (had 22 hours of labor to prove it) . And not only did I still look pregnant I was more swollen than I was during pregnancy and my stomach was like this hanging kangaroo pouch. It was totally depressing. I decided to share my baby weight loss story because I feel its important for us moms to know that it is not normal to shed all the pounds within a month like we see all these celebrities do. I am going to track my weekly weight loss and share some of my exercise tips for us busy mamas and my "diet".

Luckily I had already started eating healthier towards the end of my pregnancy. I was eating oatmeal in the morning instead of french toast and yogurt instead of ice cream.

Hours before going into labor

I gained about 40 pounds during my pregnancy. My goal was 30 but the holidays got the best of me haha. I gained 10 pounds in December, dang all those cookies!
I lost about 15 pounds the first week after giving birth. Then another 5 pounds the following week.

1 week post baby

Around week 3 I started getting my energy back. I began my power walk routine with the baby. I was doing 2-3 miles a day with him. I lost another 5 pounds by week 6.

3 weeks post baby

I was getting ready to start my exercise dvds when I came down with a horrible case of tonsillitis. So it had to go on pause. I am now 8 weeks post baby and I finally got rid of my nasty tonsillitis. I am ready to get back on my power walking routine and to start my dvds. My goal is to lose these last 10 pounds by Thanksgiving. Will keep you posted on my progress....

8 weeks post baby

                                                                                            

Recipe for Creating a Sleepy Baby

Ohhhhh bath time... It can go one of two ways, they love it or absolutely hate it. Lucky for me Mr Noah LOVES it! Its already a huge part of his nightly routine before bed. I know all the books say to not bathe your infant everyday because it will dry out their skin, which is true and that infants don't really get dirty due to the fact they can't crawl around yet but I am not a fan of "stinky cheese neck". Poor Noah can't help having "stinky cheese neck" because he has about 5 chins, so a nightly bath is a must in our house. In order to keep my little man's baby soft skin well...baby soft, I don't use soap to bathe him. Instead I use the DoTerra Essential Oils in his bath water. Mr Noah not only smells yummy but he falls right to sleep from the soothing oils.

Supplies

All you need to create this relaxing "spa" bath is the Fractionated Coconut Oil, Serenity Oil (or just lavender oil), Wild Orange Oil, and Milk.

Step 1: Fill the tub with warm water. I use a tub that has a sling for babies who are too young to support their head.

Step 2: Add two drops of the Fractionated Coconut Oil, one drop of Wild Orange, one or two drops of Serenity Oil and a splash of milk. Mix around in the tub.


Once the oils hit the water the whole room smells like a 4 star spa. Only wash your baby's body with the bath water, not their face. I use a separate wash cloth with plain water for Mr Noah's face and I wash his hair (more like peach fuzz) with a gentle baby shampoo twice a week.

Even though Noah is only 7 weeks old I have already established a nightly routine to help bring him down from the day....I nurse him, bath him, swaddle him (I only swaddle him at night) then poof...he is asleep for a good 5-7 hours. The perfect recipe for a good nights sleep.

Mr Noah relaxing at the spa

For more information on the DoTerra Essential Oils I have attached the website under pages.

DIY Baby Wipes

As we all know baby bottoms are very sensitive, so I made sure to purchase only sensitive wipes for Mr Noah. Not only did I purchase the wipes....I stocked up like the wipes were being discontinued (my OCD got the best of me). When we were in the hospital after Noah was born the nurses used really soft paper towels and just wet them but as soon as I brought Noah home we started him on the baby wipes. The day before his first month birthday he started acting unusually fussy whenever I changed his diaper and by the evening was crying uncontrollably. Of course I went into first time mom panic mode " Oh no he is sick! Or maybe he has colic!! Check his temperature! Maybe he is too cold or too hot or..." And after my 30 minute melt down  I realized he had developed his first diaper rash.

Luckily right before getting pregnant I discovered these amazing Essential Oils by DoTerra. I was using them in my spa room for work and used them in the first trimester to help with my morning sickness. So as soon as we got Mr Noah settled down for the night, my mom came to the rescue with a recipe to make our own baby wipes that are not only gentle on the skin but TREAT DIAPER RASH!!!
Within 24 hours his rash was completely clear and we had our happy Mr Noah back.

As for my year supply of baby wipes....well lets just say they are very comfy sitting in storage for now.

Step by Step on DoTerra Baby Wipes:

Supplies 

Supplies:

- one roll of soft but tough when wet paper towels
- DoTerra Lavender oil
- DoTerra Fractionated Coconut Oil
- distilled water
- a 1 quart pot to warm the water in
- a container to keep the wipes in

Step 1:
Cut the paper towels in half and remove cardboard (set aside one half of the paper towels)

Step 2:
Pour two cups of distilled water into the pot and just warm (not boil) on the stove

Step 3

Step 3:

Once water is warm, pour into a glass container and put 3 drops of the lavender and 2 tablespoons of the fractionated coconut oil, mix well.




Step 4:
Place the wipes into container you will be storing them in. Pour the lavender mixture onto the wipes and let it soak for 10 minutes. Then turn upside down and soak another 10 minutes.

Step 4

Step 5:
After the 20 minutes remove wipes and squeeze out excess liquid leaving the wipes damp. Put wipes back into the container and bam! Ultra sensitive wipes for your ultra sensitive baby bottoms!

I use the other half of the paper towels to pat dry Noah every time I change his diaper to make sure no moisture gets trapped in his many chubby upper thigh folds and cute bottom.

Helpful Tip:
If your little one is experiencing a diaper rash, add a splash of milk to the wipes. But make sure to not let the wipes with milk sit for more than a day in the container and toss out any unused ones within 24 hours.