My Review of The First Years BPA Free 3Pk Breastflow Bottle - 5 oz.

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

The First Years BPA Free 3Pk Breastflow Bottle inclues the Breastflows patented nipple. They require both suction and compression, helping to extent breastfeeding. The Breastflow system is ideal for nursing moms who would like to introduce a bottle, are returning to work, or need to supplement.

The First Years BPA Free 3Pk Breastflow Bottle - 5 oz.

Best Bottle for Breastfed Babies

By krisnomiller from NOLA on 4/29/2010

 

5out of 5

Pros: Easy to use, Washes Easily, BPA Free, Seals Well, Durable, Convenient

Best Uses: Travel, Milk Storage, Feeding, At Home

Describe Yourself: First Time Parent

This is by far the best bottle for mothers who tend to alternate between bottle and breast. It is shaped more like the breast and encourages the baby to latch like they do while nursing. It does collapse a little, but little babies drink slowly anyway. All you have to do is pull it out for a second to allow it to return to normal shape. Yes, it has several more parts than the average bottle, but it has less than the Dr. Brown's bottles (and cheaper too). As he got older and started drinking faster, I switched to Playtex drop ins, which are also more shaped like the breast and encourages the baby to latch. The only negative thing about this bottle is that I could not find it in the store. I had to order online. I heard someone found them at Burlington Baby Depot and Target as well.

(legalese)

My Review of Thinkbaby BPA Free Sippy Cup

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

thinkbabys 9oz sippy cup is free of BPA, phthalates, PVC, Lead, and Nitrosamines. The sippy cups feature a soft silicone spout, which helps in the transition from baby bottle to sippy cup. The spout features a cross cut hole design which reduces the chances of liquid coming out if knocked upside ...

Thinkbaby BPA Free Sippy Cup

It's a bottle, not a sippy cup

By krisnomiller from NOLA on 4/29/2010

 

3out of 5

Pros: Easy to Use, Lightweight, Washes Easily, Sturdy Construction, Portable

Cons: More like a bottle

Best Uses: Snacks, Anytime, Meals

Describe Yourself: First Time Parent

I like it because it doesn't leak, however, it's just a bottle with flat nipple. I already had my son on the Nuby Sippy cups at 6 months, but they leak and I was looking for something that doesn't leak. Well, this doesn't however, I feel it's more of a regression to him, it's more like a bottle than a sippy cup. I do like that he can hold it himself, but it takes him much longer to finish 6 ounces than it did in his Nuby cup with the handles. If you're looking for the initial transition from bottle or breast to cup, this would be it (especially good for breastfed babies). I think it's just an over priced bottle. I will continue to use it until I can find a sippy cup with a silicon spout that won't leak.

(legalese)

I complain a lot . . .

but most of the time, I'm really joking. It's my therapeutic way with dealing with stress. So please forgive me if you've read my many facebook statuses that make me seem ungrateful. I have A LOT to be thankful for. A friend of mine recently posted as her facebook status that she was sitting on her back porch writing in her gratitude journal, and I thought, what a WONDERFUL idea. So I decided to share with all of you what I'm thankful for and in the mean time let you know what I have been up to. I am thankful for . . .

My Little Family

I feel so blessed to be a part of something so special. Ryan works hard so that I don't have to, (j/k). He is such a good dad to Mason and I love to watch the 2 of them interact.

Mason is such a joy to watch! He has been sick a lot the past month with stubborn ear infections and even stomach flu, but I am so thankful that he is generally a healthy baby. Or should I say Toddler. . . he's going to be ONE in a MONTH. Time flies when you're having fun, or driving back and forth to the doctor's office.

He's walking now. But he feels more confident when he's holding something. He is all over the place. He loves being outside and he loves to climb (he has the bruises to prove it). He's a chatterbox, he loves to talk. The other day he picked up my cell phone and started blabbing away. He's learning so much and I forget he's not a 4 month old anymore.

Since birth Mason has had a tear duct that doesn't drain well. The doctor's all said it was common and that in 4 months that it should clear up. Well, it's still here, and we took him to the ophthalmologist at Children's Hospital a few weeks ago to find out what to do about it. On May 10 he will be having eye surgery to remove whatever is blocking his duct. :( This makes me very sad, but I remind myself that I am thankful that we have access to great healthcare and doctors who are able to help him.

My Big Family

Well not big, but my original family. I hate that I have a mean brother in law who kidnapped my sister and my first born niece and settled Nebraska and that my cute little nephews live so far away in Georgia, BUT, I am thankful for the family that I do have close by. I belong to a meetup group that consists of a lot of military wives who don't have family in the area. I don't know how they do it all by themselves.

I feel blessed to have my sister Jeanette watch Mason when I need to go the dentist or the doctor. Even though she's learning how to be a mother of two, she always agrees to help me out if I need it. And I'm glad that Mason has such a cool cousin in Patrick. He's such a ball of energy with so much personality and he plays well with him.

When I needed to bring Mason to the eye specialist a few weeks ago, my mom took time off from work to come with me. I appreciate the fact she lives so close that she could help me out and support me by physically being there when I really needed it.

A Roof Over My Head

While at times it is frustrating that we don't have a place of our own, I am thankful that Ryan's parents are able to help us out by letting us live with them. I have to admit that I was skeptical about living there with a baby, but having 2 extra sets of hands has been quite a life saver. They have been watching him in the evenings because Ryan has been working late, and I got a part time job, well . . . 2 part time jobs which leads me to my next topic . . .

Two Jobs

Well, three if you count being a mommy, (that one's the toughest). A few months ago I got a part time job at the Vitamin Shoppe and the shifts that they were looking to fill fit perfectly with the times that I could work. I only work about 15-20 hours a week but I love the job. I love learning about a more natural lifestyle and it has inspired me to be healthier myself (more about that later).

And my second part time job is working for my old boss at Harper Public Relations. My old boss started up a new company and needed my help part time. And this works really great with my mommy hours. I can work from home, and when we need to meet, I can bring the little one along. Those seem like pretty impressive perks, but the best part is that I get to hang out with a guy named Jeremy Shockey. Have you heard of him? ;) Yep, she signed Jeremy Shockey as one of her clients and has been busy busy busy, which in turn makes her busy busy busy. So that means she needs someone to help her out, ME! But on a more serious note, I feel truly blessed and LUCKY that I can work both of these jobs and still be a full time mom to my little angel.

My Health

I have decided to take advantage of my somewhat young age, and get in shape before my metabolism gets too rusty. I told myself no more excuses. I want to be fit and healthy so I can take Mason fun places and not be afraid of getting worn out, lol. So I did something crazy. . . I signed up to run a half marathon for the American Cancer Society. WOW! It's not til February, but I already feel tired just thinking about it. I wanted to combine my fitness goals with a good cause, and I think raising money for ACS and running over 13 miles would do just the trick. Right?

At first I started out jogging on a treadmill while Mason was sleeping, but when I got the job with Harper PR, I needed that time to work. So I bought a jogging stroller. Lucky for me, Mason LOVES his stroller. He just sits back and takes in the scenery. We took him on a 3 mile walk along the Mandeville Lakefront a few days ago and he was quiet and well behaved the whole time. I think he likes to watch people like his mommy.

Well there you have it folks. I hope this proves to you all that I'm not a whiner who isn't thankful for anything. I have so much to be thankful for and I wanted to let you all know. Sorry there are no pictures, maybe I'll post some in 6 months or so ;)

P.S. I'm thankful the Saints won the Super Bowl. Amen!

Slowly but Surely

Okay, so I'm not keeping up with the blog as much as I would like. But hey, I'm doing better than Aunt Tanya right?

So Mason's 3 month checkup went really well, he was 12 pounds and 24 inches. Still on the small side, but the doctor doesn't seem concerned. I think she said he's in the 10th percentile for weight, but 50th for length. He's long and skinny. But hey, like she said, it's not a race, it's just a scale to show how he's growing. Someone has to be the smallest. Lol.











Also, Mason attended his first Saints game, Sunday against the Detroit Lions. He did really really well. We bought some Remington shooting earmuffs and placed Saints Fleur de Lis stickers over the logo, and he slept soundly for 2 hours!!! He doesn't do that at home. I guess it was because he was a snuggled up womb-like in his snugli. When he was awake he would flash a few smiles at the ladies. He's such a flirt. He even made the news. I uploaded a few pictures fromt he game on a local news sight, and that day it was broadcast on the local news. My baby's a star. lol.


Next adventure for Mason, his first plane ride. We're flying to Nebraska next week to visit my sister Kerrie and Mason's little cousins. I don't fly often, so I get really nervous the weeks leading up to it. But once I'm on the plane, I'm usually fine. Hopefully my "system" works out though. I plan on carrying him on the front in his snugli while wearing a backpack diaper bag. Won't that look silly?

Well, I'm sure you guys have been waiting for a post from me since I announced that we were having a baby boy. Well, I'm sure most of you know, we had our beautiful baby boy. A shortened version of the birth story is available at Mason Ryan's photo share site http://www.masonryan.shutterfly.com.

So far, Mason is doing great. He started off on the small side, 6 pounds and 20 inches, but he's gaining weight well. He's averaged about 2 pounds a month, he is now over 10 1/2 pounds. He's below average on the weight, but average in length (23 inches) and head circumference. My pediatrician informed me that some babies are just on the skinny side and that most women formula feed so their babies tend to be bigger.

He started smiling around 5 weeks, but didn't do it often. Now, he smiles every morning when wake he wakes us up and he smiles just about any time he sees me. By the way, he started sleeping 7 hours a night at 5 weeks, and now he sleeps about 8 hours a night. I would like to say that I trained him and whipped him into shape, but he really did it all on his own. The only thing that I really control, is I don't go longer than 3 hours without feeding him, and I make sure he gets a full feeding when he seems hungry. I don't encourage short feedings by feeding him every time he gets fussy. But, he makes it pretty easy on me. He takes the pacifer, switches from breast to bottle with the greatest of ease, and doesn't cry that often. He even slept through his circumcision in the hospital and falls asleep after his vaccination shots.

It's so weird because, it feels like he's been around forever, and yet at the same time, it feels like he's growing up so fast. I love our life with little Mason, and even though it wasn't that long ago, I can't imagine life without him. Before he was born I was worried about all the life changes that I would have to go through to take care of him, but I don't feel burdened by him at all. I love nursing him, changing his diaper, and easing his fussiness. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I had a little stomach bug and I didn't want to get him sick, so I pumped milk for him and let my mother-in-law take care of him. Even though he wasn't far away, I missed him. I couldn't wait until I felt better so I could nurse him and rock him to sleep again.

So, I promise to keep you guys posted on Mason's progress by updating my blog. I enjoy reading everyone else's so it would be wrong to rob you guys of reading mine, right?