Mommie Minute

Hello all!


Cassie is another first time mommie who was willing to share her take on motherhood. She's been a mom for almost five months now and has some great takes on what it's been like being a mommie. She's a sweetheart and we both have similar stories in our pregnancy journeys that we've bonded over. So without further ado, let me introduce Cassie & Baby Will.

Name: Cassie Van Langen

Baby's name: William Cooper Van Langen

Baby's age: 4 1/2 months.

What are some pieces of advice that you got from friends and family when they found out you were pregnant?

Almost everyone told me "Sleep when the baby sleeps" and "enjoy every moment"  because the newborn stage goes so fast!

What was your favorite piece of advice? Least favorite?

My favorite piece of advice is enjoying every moment. Who cares about the house work, lol.


Least favorite: I don't really think I had advice that was my least favorite. It is nice to hear from others who have been through it, but the thing to remember is that every baby is different so not everything/ every tip works for every baby! You will learn from your baby what is best and what they need!


What is something you wished you knew before giving birth to your child?
I honestly thought I was pretty prepared....thanks to the birthing class!! That was very informative. I would say the one thing I was not prepared for was the vomiting during labor?! I had no idea that could happen so it took me by surprise. My delivery nurse said that it is completely normal but doesn't happen to everyone!


What are your top 5 favorite baby items that are your MUST haves?
1. Halo sleep sacks for swaddling.
2. Buzz B Electric Nail trimmer(is the absolute best!)
3.Weighted bath wash cloth to place on baby for warmth while washing their hair.
4. Onesies. ARE A MUST(so simple and go with anything and everything)
5. Car seat/stroller combo(works fantastic!)


What are your least favorite items that weren't quite the hype?
Just remember that babies outgrow the newborn stage quickly so don't get caught up in purchasing a lot of 'newborn' clothing! All of the stuff we received from showers and/or purchased were all great and useful!


Did you have any pregnancy cravings while you were pregnant?
I honestly only "craved" a big mac once and by the time I got to McDonalds I had changed my mind and ordered a double cheeseburger, LOL.


What's the best part about being a mother?
There are so many "Best Parts" about being a mother. Your little baby is your everything and the love you feel is incredible and unconditional. I love the fact that I will get to hear my little boy call me Mommy.


Any other comments or advice to give to new moms?
There are some restless nights for sure. The 'sleep when baby sleeps' is incredibly hard when you are trying to continue to run the household, feed yourself, pump breastmilk, etc. DO ASK FOR HELP! Don't try to do it all by yourself because it will wear you out. Don't sweat the small stuff. Really do enjoy as much snuggling as you can! Don't get set on a schedule because by the time you get used to it, your little baby changes it on you, lol!


Also: Start making lists if you don't already! Mom brain is a true thing!!! I was a list taker before, but even more so now!


Favorite part of being pregnant? Least?
I loved every moment of my pregnancy. Feeling the kicks were the absolute best! I looked forward to his active times every day! It was such an amazing feeling!


Special things you've done or made as keepsakes?
We took weekly pregnancy photos. I made a Shutterfly pregnancy journal book. It started with the day we found out we were pregnant and goes until he was born. It turned out to be a pretty big book!! And of course I have started the next one! The other keepsake I am doing is making a college photo with Will's coming home outfit, newborn diaper, hospital pictures and Will's ID bracelets from the hospital!


Anything you would have done different?
I would have liked to have a few more pics of my husband and myself pregnancy photos, but my husband IS the photographer, lol so that was a little more difficult!

Mommie Minute

Hey all!

So this time for Mommie Minute I thought it would be great to pick the brain of a 2nd time mom and compare her pregnancies to one another. Steph is an amazing young woman who I actually met through working at our company and she also has a photography business on the side. She's an amazing mommie to her little girls and I know you are goin to adore her just as much as I do.


Name: Stephanie

Baby's name: Lucy Rae(First Child)  Sawyer Renee(Second Child)

Baby's age: 3 1/2 ; 8 months

 

What are some pieces of advice that you got from friends and family when they found out you were pregnant? Did you get any advice this time around since you’re a 2^nd time mom?

Sleep when the baby sleeps. Get a white noise machine. Breast feeding is hard work. Ask for help. Don’t google symptoms. They grow so fast, embrace every minute of it.  

What was your favorite piece of advice? Least favorite?

They grow so fast, embrace every minute of it. It’s so true! You blink and they are already so big!

Least favorite, honestly everything I was told during pregnancy was all great advice.

How was this time different compared to the first time you were pregnant?

The second time was really different in a lot of ways. We suffered two miscarriages prior, so we were more nervous and alert this time around. I was a lot more tired and sore throughout my second pregnancy.

What are your top 5 favorite baby items that are your MUST HAVES?

1. Rock n play.

2. Boppy.

3. Baby monitor with video.

4. Mamaroo

5. Double stroller

What is your least favorite items that weren’t quite worth the hype?

Wipe warmer or a diaper genie.

Did you have any pregnancy cravings while you were pregnant?

With Lucy I craved dino shaped chicken nuggets and special shaped kraft mac and cheese. (If my husband tried buying ones that weren’t shaped, it made me cry.) With Sawyer I craved Pho. (So much my husband won’t eat it anymore!)

What’s the best part about being a mother?

The unconditional love from my children.

Any other comments or advice to give to new moms?

It’s okay to not know what you are doing in the beginning. I am still learning new things every day. Even the “best” parents make mistakes. Just go with the flow!

Favorite part about being pregnant? Least?

My favorite part was being able to feeling my baby move or hear their heartbeat. My least favorite was the morning sickness.

Special things you’ve done or made as keepsakes?

For every birthday, I get a birthday board made, with a book that matches the theme of the party and have everyone sign the book.

Anything you would have done differently? Did you do anything differently compared to your first go around?

I would have bought less clothes. Lol I bought SOOO many clothes that they didn’t get to wear a lot of them before growing into another size. The only thing we did differently then the first time around was not get maternity photos done. (Deep down now I am sad we didn’t.)

How is your oldest settling into being a big sibling?

Lucy is such a great big sister! She took on the role so fast and has been so helping.

Mommie Minute

Follow my blog with Bloglovin As a new mom we often find ourselves drawn to other mom's for multiple reasons. Perhaps it's simply the familiarity or something instinctual as we start down this new path in our life. So I thought it would be fun to do a feature on some new and current mommies to learn about their journey through their pregnancy.

So without further ado, let me introduce Bailey Calvin. I first met Bailey Calvin through a mutual friend at a garage sale that my friend was holding(Bailey and I both had things in the garage sale and were helping out). We instantly bonded and our friendship grew once we both became pregnant. She's a sweetheart and I adore her to bits and couldn't be more happy for both her and her husband Taylor with their little blessing Riley.

Name: Bailey Calvin
Baby's name: Riley Jo Calvin
Baby's age: 7 weeks old, DOB 8/11/18

What are some pieces of advice you got from friends & family when they found out you were pregnant?
When people found out I was pregnant the biggest thing a lot of people would say is in regards to eating and trying to give me diet advice. I know everyone always meant well, but people would tell me I cannot drink pop any longer, or I shouldn't eat this or that because of the baby. Also, the opposite, some people would say, now that you're pregnant you can eat as much as you want because you are eating for two. Both always made me chuckle.

What was your favorite piece of advice? Least favorite?
My favorite piece of advice is that it's okay to let your baby cry. You have to take care of yourself to be able to take care of baby. For example, letting your baby cry while you finish your shower, or while trying to scarf down your please. My least favorite piece of advice is to sleep when baby sleeps. Telling that to someone who does not nap well during the day does nothing! It is easier said than done. I have now successfully taken one nap since Riley was been born.

What is something you wished you knew before giving birth to your child? 
I wish I would have known how hard breastfeeding is. So many people say how natural it comes, but for some it really is hard. We struggled from the get go and I felt so defeated in those early days that I couldn't provide for my baby and I am a failure. I remember lying in bed crying the first day we got home from the hospital because I just couldn't get her to latch. We finally decided to pump and give her bottles because she wasn't gaining weight and I was so stressed out that she was not getting enough milk. It is okay to not exclusively breasted, and it is also okay to give your baby formula if that is what is best for your family!

What are your top 5 favorite baby items that are your MUST HAVES?
1.Footie zip up pajamas!!
2. Baby Swing of some sort(you will want to set the baby down I promise).
3.Swaddles, those have been a godsend for night time!
4. Rocking chair, not just to rock baby, because she does love it, but also I spend a ton of time in the rocking care pumping late at night!
5. Moby wrap(or any baby carrier). I love to be able to wear Riley while I am running errands and not have to lug the carseat in and out of all the stores.

What are your least favorite items that weren't quite worth the hype?
We were honestly pretty minimal when it comes to all the hyped-up items. My husband is OCD when it comes to clutter so we did not ask for a ton of big items, except the essentials. I don't believe there is anything that was really our least favorite.

Did you have any pregnancy cravings while you were pregnant?
My pregnancy cravings were Kraft Mac N Cheese, which I hadn't eaten that in years and I ate so much of it during my pregnancy, and there were a couple weeks where I wanted pickles DAILY!

What's the best part about being a mother?
I think the best part of being a mother so far is just seeing my baby and watching her learn and change so much so fast. Knowing that I carried her in my womb for 9 months and being able to see her and learn her personality is so fun.

Any other comments or advice to give to new moms?
It is hard! No joke, no one really warns you about how hard the first few weeks are. Between not sleeping and having the baby cry and not really know why they are crying is very draining, but it does get better.

Remember to 'tap out' when you are getting too emotional or touched out. Hand the baby to dad, or if you see he needs a break jump in and take the baby. Or if no one is around and you are by yourself, it's okay to set baby in bassinet or crib and walk away to catch your breath.

It's okay to ask for help or accept help for people who are offering.

Take the first few days and don't have any visitor. That was my favorite part, not having a ton of people dropping by. I was so emotional I don't think I could have handled anyone else coming to our house.

Favorite part about being pregnant? Least?
I loved being pregnant, I didn't have morning sickness or many symptoms of pregnancy. My absolute favorite part would be when I could feel the baby move. Once I could see it, it was even better. I would just lay in bed and watch her dance across my belly. I remember one night lying in bed watching and then I just started crying because it was nearing the end of the pregnancy and I knew it was going to be coming to an end. I loved that feeling so much.

My least favorite part of being pregnant is the unwanted advice or comments from people. I was a smaller pregnant person, and I was about 25 weeks when someone came up to me saying are you sure you're not having twins? That made me so mad because I knew I had only gained five pounds and was small!

Special things you'e done or made as keepsakes?
Honestly, I'm really bad at this sort of thing! We have not made any special keepsakes, other than all the pictures I've taken with my phone I have put into an album on my phone and it makes it into a video!

Anything you would have done differently?
I would have done more about preventing high blood pressure early on. Like changing my diet, and adding more veggies.

How did your animals react to bringing baby home?
My dog was amazing! Normally she is a jumper and gets so excited when we get home, especially since we had been gone a couple days. When we walked in the door and Taylor had the car seat she did not jump at all. It's like she knew not to jump if we were holding the baby. She wanted to be where we were though so she stayed close.

My cat didn't meet the baby for a couple weeks because my parents were here with their dogs, and my cat was terrified of their dogs so she was in the basement, which I didn't want to do any steps for two weeks. But once she got to meet Riley, she was curious, would try to come up and smell her, but if Riley made a noise or moved Cleo would run away! They have both settled with having a new baby sister at home and both love her!

----

Thank you again Bailey for allowing me to ask you questions and publish your thoughts on being a new Mommie. I wish you the best with your little Riley Jo.

xoxo
Midwest Mommie

Catch Up: 24 weeks Pregnant & The Glucose Challenge Test

Hi all!


So it's been a hot minute and I apologies, it feels like the weeks are honestly just escaping me between my hectic work schedule and just life in general. We've been working on the nursery and are about 99% done. We just have a couple more things that we need to do to finish it off and then you bet I'll write a post about my son's nursery.


Sunday I hit the 24 week mark, which is a HUGE mile stone. It's known as the threshold of viability. Essentially this means that if I were to give birth to him this early, as long as if there were no more complications, he could survive outside of the womb. With each passing rate the success rate of viability goes up, but of course everything is going perfectly fine. In fact on my doctor's appointment on 9/18 the doctor said I was measuring exactly at 24 weeks 2 days(which was what I was at the time) and Baby DeMoss's heart rate was a steady 153.


Unfortunately also on that  day I had the dreaded Glucose Challenge test. I didn't have to fast for this one and when I went in I opted for the orange flavor of the 'drink'. Since I live in the city I had the choice between Lemon Lime, Orange and Fruit Punch(there might've been another one, but I can't quite remember.) I opted for the orange drink and to me it tasted like a flat, off brand orange soda. After that I went to my doctor's appointment with my provider where he measured my belly and told me everything is looking great and I'm right on track.


Fast forward to 9/20 in the morning when I got my test results. So sadly I failed my 1 hour test, passable levels are from 70-140 mg/dL and my levels were at 159 mg/dL. So not crazy over, but still over enough for me to have to come back on 10/1 at 8:15 a.m. for my 3 hour test which is the Glucose Tolerance Test(GTT). So fingers crossed that I pass this one, otherwise I will be diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.


 I was also informed that my iron levels were low, so now I have to take an iron supplement in addition to the baby aspirin(doctor prescribed), Prenatal vitamins and stool softners(as needed) to my nightly regiment.

At the end of the day it is what it is and I will do whatever I need to do to keep my baby healthy. It's crazy, but the moment I found out that I was pregnant and saw him at his first ultrasound I knew that I would do anything for him. So wish me luck that I do better at my 3 hour test! Otherwise the rest of this pregnancy will probably feel like a long one.


xoxo
Midwest Mommie

FREE BABY STUFF PART 2

Hey guys!

So after I discovered the BABYLIST and the AMAZON free baby boxes it made me wonder if there were other free baby boxes and if so would they match up to the two I had received a few days prior. So I went on the hunt and eventually something popped up on my Facebook ads(the only time they're good for something!) named The Noobie box. I decided to investigate and was actually pretty impressed with the website. I should probably put in here that I am in no way sponsored by Noobie or any of the other places mentioned previously, although I would love to be ;)

So essentially you can sign up to get these monthly subscription boxes for mom or baby. Each box cost $22.95 and have a certain category, such as: Noobie Nest( 0+ Months), Noobie Eat(4+ Month), etc. etc. Or you can purchase the package deal called A year of Wonders for $99.95. Bonus you get free shipping if you spend $29 and they also offer gift cards. I honestly think this would be a unique shower gift for someone that you are unsure of what they want or even for those baby sprinkle parties for already mom's that are wanting to test out new products with there second additions to the family.

The really cool thing about Noobie is that you can get a FREE, NO STRINGS attached pregnancy box filled with samples and goodies. All you have to do is register for their site(it's free) and pay the $6.95 shipping. That's it! Nothing else! No registries, nothing! They do only ship to the Continential United States and shipping roughly takes 7-14 days.

So question is...how does it hold up to the other boxes? 

First impressions: The box is kind of big for what they give you. The informational pamphlet is nice and has some coupons for the featured items that are in the box. Also the wrapping around the items to keep them clean is a very nice touch with their cute logo sticker.







Included in the box is a MAM anti-colic 4.5 oz baby bottle, Water Wipes sample back of baby wipes, Parasol size 1 patterned diapers(2 ct), Purell Surface disinfectant 2 FL oz sample, Lansinoh sample pack(2 disposable nursing pad, 2 breast milk storage bags),Morning Pep Prenatal pills(10 ct), DKIDS Himasal Saline Solution(5 single doses).


Final thoughts? I think this is a good box; however, compared to the others I'm a little disappointed in the amount in the box since I paid $6.95 shipping compared to the BABYLIST box that is only $4.95 shipping.  Probably my favorite item from this box would have to be the MAM bottle, even though I plan on breast feeding I will need to have some extra bottles around for when the Hubs feeds our son or when I have to start taking him to day care.

Would I recommend the box? Yeah, most definitely and I am kind of curious to see what are in the other boxes that are available to purchase.

Have you gotten one of those boxes before? What were some of the items that were in your box or was it a waste of money? Please leave a comment down below I'd love to hear from you!

xoxo,

Midwest Mommie

FREE BABY STUFF!? SAY WHAT!?

Hey guys!

So there's no doubt about it...I'm CHEAP when it comes to things and I'm always looking for a great deal where I can get things either low cost or free! So when I heard about the free baby boxes filled with loot worth on the upscale of $50.00 then you know my interest was peaked. At first I was wondering what the catch was and after reading through the rules on how to get the 'free' baby welcome boxes I definitely do recommend this!

First up is from babylist. All you have to do is join the babylist site(for free), create a registry using their babylist site, live within the United States as well as pay the $4.95 shipping cost. No purchases required to get this box other than the shipping, which I was more than happy to shell out for some free NAME BRAND baby items!

When the package arrived it was neatly wrapped(I might've gotten too excited to see what I had gotten before I wrote this blog post) with this cute tissue paper and sticker. As you can see the box is packed with some great full size as well as trial sized samples that are great to test products you are unsure about without committing to a full size of that product.

What was included in the BABYLIST box was: A MAM anti-colic bottle 4.5 oz, agent ultra soft pacifier, a pampers cloth bag with samples of Dreft, sample size Pampers sensitive wipes, a diaper(size unknown), Noodle & Boo hair and body wash sample, registration cards to give to people to let them know you are registered at Babylist, a sample of Boob-ease nipple cream, and a Burts Bee's wash cloth with coupon to save $10 off $25 or more at burtsbeesbaby.com.

All and all I think this is a very impressive hall for only costing $4.95 shipping and taking some time to create a registry.

Next up Amazon.

For Amazon there were a few more stipulations to get this free baby registry box. For starters you need to be a Amazon Prime member(realistically a lot of us probably already are or know someone we can mooch off of), then you need to create a baby registry following their registry check list and finally you will need to make a purchase of $10.00 or more to receive your baby box. I know what you're thinking, you have to spend money in order to get this 'free' box? Let me tell you it's absolutely worth it!

In this box I received a Amazing baby Muslin Swaddle(with palm trees on it), a Moon and Back organic cotton short-sleeve bodysuit 3-6 months(with cute little elephants on it), a carters bodysuit size 3-6 month, Dr. Browns bottle with pacifier, full size Huggies natural care wipes(56 ct), Seventh generation sample box(diaper, wipes, coupons, detergent sample and coconut care sample lotion), MamaBear sample of size 2 diapers(2 ct), Avent breast pads(2 night time, 2 day time), a sample of Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo and a sample pack of Honest Company  Shampoo + Body wash/ Face + Body lotion.

Again for paying the Prime membership fee(which you can get a FREE 30 day trial of) and paying for one of the CHEAPEST items on your registry I think this box is definitely worth it!

Final thoughts? Honestly I'm very happy with both of the boxes, but if I had to choose which one was my favorite I would probably say the Amazon box because it had more big ticket items in it. I think I'm most excited about the bottles from both boxes because they are both very well known brands that I've heard amazing things on both of them, plus....free bottles right!?

Have you gotten one of these boxes before? Did you even know about them? Leave your comments down below.

Take care,

xoxo
Midwest Mommie

It's a........

Hey guys!

So kind of late to the party, no pun intended, but we had our gender reveal party on July 29,2018. If you know me personally I have ALWAYS wanted to have a tiki themed party, so I figured with us finding out the gender of our baby at the end of July why not use this as an excuse to have my very own tiki party!

I'm really kicking myself because I should have taken more photos, because it really did turn out super cute. We found decorations at the Dollar Tree, which is my go to spot for party supplies on a budget, and even got blue and pink leis for our guests to vote which gender they thought the baby was. 

We went simple with the menu, having Kings Hawaiian ham and provolone sliders, chips/dip, a fruit/vegetable platter, and BBQ little smokies. For drinks we brought some adult beverages for those who could partake in the drinking festivities(I was totally eying the margaritas jealously) and had blue Hawaiian punch. AND of course there was cake, my favorite from Costco that has the BEST cheesecake filling in the middle. 

We did a diaper raffle for the gender reveal with a couple different prizes to win for those who had brought diapers to participate. 1 package/ box of diapers = 1 ticket and 2 packages/ boxes of diapers = 3 tickets. For the prizes we did a $25 visa gift card and a 6 pack of assorted craft beers. It was something different and I made out like a bandit with diapers! I definitely recommend having some sort of diaper raffle or party focusing on diapers so it's one less thing that you have to worry about when baby comes. 

Finally it was time for the big reveal, though to be completely honest....we already knew 2 weeks prior what we were having. I HATE surprises, I'm the worst person to throw a surprise party for ever, let alone be patient for Christmas to see what I'm getting. So of course I wasn't going to be patient to see what I was having. Though we did keep the rouse pretty well and even went to a second gender ultrasound to confirm we were having what we were having. 

We wanted to be unique and keep with the theme so we decided to do a volcano that shot out the color of the gender. We bought a cheap volcano kit from Amazon and had a little fun arts and crafts night together painting and putting together the volcano. We recommend gluing the bottom two pieces together to make the volcano a little more sturdy. Then once the volcano is painted to your liking, grab your 20 oz pop bottle and put in the baking soda and the coloring of your gender. We were going to add in dish soap, but I misplaced the dish soap I had bought so we skipped it. Once the dye and the baking soda are in the bottle, screw the bottle into the top piece and put it on the top of the volcano. Now the only tricky part is transporting it safely and so that no one will peak. Which is what I was worried about. 

So finally it was time for the big reveal and I think the results turned out amazing! Don't you? ;) 

We were clearly happy with what we were having and so was everyone else! I'm pretty sure you can hear my mother in law crying in the background of the video(she was the one who took it). 

SO BABY DEMOSS IS A..........

BOY!!!!

We're super excited and cannot wait to meet him! We actually already have his name picked out and have even started calling him by it <3 

What did you guys do for your gender reveals? Did you have one? I'd love to hear from you!

xoxo

Midwest Mommie