Motherhood
Find us - @alittlebundle
Around 1.5 months, Indie Rey found her hands! She started realizing she had these two weird little limbs always moving around and finally moved them to her mouth.
Now she can't stop sucking on her fist!
She also started grabbing at my hair, my clothes and her toys! This is where the amazing Finn and Emma play gym comes handy. We now have a routine of nursing, playing for 30 minutes, and then going down for a nap.
The Finn and Emma Play Gym comes with a variety of toys that you can switch out. If your baby is like mine, she gets bored easily looking at the same toy! This is especially useful in keeping her engaged and entertained.
Supersoft organic cotton - 100% G.O.T.S. certified and stuffed with 100% Sheeps wool
eco-friendly and non-toxic dyes
Lacquer and stain used on frame free of lead, phthalate, mercury, formaldehyde, nickel and ultra low VOC's
indian hardwood finished with vegetable seed wax
knit dolls are fair-trade and hand-knit by artisans in Peru
I love this because I can leave her playing while I get some chores done around the house or even do some work!
Max, the bodyguard (just 3 months older)
My sister and I grew up with our cousins just as if we were siblings. No kidding. We slept, ate, and bathe together every day. And I wouldn't trade those memories for the world.
It teaches a person a lot on how to share, how to be with so many different personalities and how to love and care with such a large family. We're lucky we were in a family so close, so loving and so on - top - of each other (even today).
I'm lucky my sister lives in the same city and already has 2 kids before I had Indie Rey. I can call her whenever I'm unsure, but I'm also lucky that so many of my friends surrounding me are already Mamas, too. Everyone's experiences are different, but the most important aspect about having Mama friends is the support and encouragement. Motherhood is not easy.
Motherhood can break you down. Motherhood can make you vulnerable and share your weaknesses but motherhood also shapes you into a completely new person. You're literally rediscovering yourself along with your partner. That's why date nights are so important. You're completely different now. You both are living in different priorities because frankly every stage of a baby's life requires different parenting needs.
I'm just so happy Indie Rey can grow up with her cousins and extended cousins (that live in Houston) - because at the end of the day, when you need someone the most, you look to your family. They can be blood related or not, but it's how you surround your circle with the people you trust. I'm so happy to surround Indie Rey with all her loving Aunties and Uncles that love her dearly.
Sisters
The first few weeks goes by very quickly. You're up all night, you're barely awake, and you're nursing all day and night. When your baby is uncomfortable, you start to wonder if she/he is colic or has acid reflux - both very common.
While every baby is different, I've come to realize just looking back at the experience that I wish someone would have just told me what to avoid to prevent the possibility of colic or acid reflux...or simply that their baby little digestive system simply can't keep up and they ARE uncomfortable. And sorry, mom and dad, you'll just have to deal with it.
I honestly don't know how our parents were able to adjust to parenthood without the Internet. Whenever something new comes up, Kyle and I are always googling and reading up on things. I'm also involved with different mom groups and I have so many Mama family and friends that my resources are endless. I guess that's how our parents got by - family and friends.
I wish someone would have told me simply to do the following before breastfeeding:
Just stop eating dairy. anything dairy. just don't do it!
Buy the gripe water and try it - it doesn't hurt to try. If you're super natural, make it yourself!
Parenthood really tests your patience, but the first few months of an infant really makes you PROVE you have patience. Start meditating people.
Some days are harder than others, but it'll pass no matter what. It's temporary.
Drink so much water, more water than you've ever drank before - and buy a HUGE ass container to lug around with you. I do!
Whether your baby is colic or not, just love them. love love love them. they will feel it.
And lastly, goodluck :)
Look how different she looks here! Hat: Goumi Kids | Swaddle: Margarux and May
Yup, I love the belly bandit. When I was in my third trimester, I had to wear the Upsie band to help me with the pressure of my belly onto my bladder. After delivery. I wore the belly bandit bamboo under and over my clothes.
Shoot. I went out with it - I didn't care! Getting back in shape is really hard, but it's even harder when you work all day and mother all day, like me. I hardly have time to take my dogs out, let along run to a Yoga class. Therefore, I do a few exercises at home when I can, but honestly the first 6 weeks you're not allowed to exercise without the approval of your doctor.
So, enjoy the first 6 weeks with your baby, let your body image go (I know it's hard). Enjoy every bit of the skin to skin, body hugging, breast feeding sweat. :) You'll have time to get back into shape!
One of the nights that Kyle came home to see Maddie and Macaron while we were still in the hospital, he took home the swaddle Indie Rey was delivered in and one of her shirts. This allows your puppy(ies) to be able to smell her scent and realize that something/someone is coming home, soon.
When we brought home Indie Rey, our littlest baby, Macaron, was still unsure of what/who she was. He still wanted all the attention. Maddie is much more maternal and was cautious to stay away from her. The hardest part was adjusting the way Maddie and Macaron would sleep with us. Before Indie Rey, they would sleep with us in bed - and they still do. But Maddie would sleep on my head - above my head on a pillow. And now that I'm up every 2-3 hours, she can't sleep there anymore.
Overall, they've been really amazing with her and now have grown to protect her. Mini Australian Shepherds are really smart creatures, but it also depends on the owner. You have to take the time to teach them - like your kids :)
Update: 2.5 months and still in love.
Sleeper: Dockatot | Swaddle: Margarux and May | Headband: Laco Handmade
The first 2 weeks home was the hardest 2 weeks ever. I felt like I was back in college, but I wasn't up all night partying and eating cold pizza - I was mothering a child.
The good part is that when your baby gets home from the hospital, they're sleeping about 95% of the time, and 5% waking up to eat. I was also really lucky that I didn't have any problems with breastfeeding and she was such a good eater (and she latched on great!).
So, the transition with welcoming Indie Rey for me was really easy. I would work when she was sleeping and nurse her when she needed to be fed every 2 hours.
The hardest part was nursing her during the night every 2 hours, but after 2 weeks, your body adapts and you don't even need sleep anymore (what is sleep?). So, it's true when other Mama friends say this, "Hang in there, it gets better." It really does, but really. Hang in there. :)
After giving birth, depending if you had a vaginal delivery or c - section, you're obligated to stay at the hospital for x amount of days - for us it was 2 nights, 3 days. It was hard for us to stay since we had Maddie and Macaron at home.
We had arranged for our dog sitter to look after Maddie and Macaron, but labor came so unexpectedly and in the middle of the night. My contractions came quickly that we didn't have time to drop them off. My mom, luckily, was able to go see them, and the following nights Kyle would go home and check on them and grab us dinner while I stayed at the hospital with Indie Rey.
The moment I got home from the hospital, I was working and mothering non stop. When you're an entrepreneur - there is NO maternity leave. There's not a stopping point - unless you ask for one. A lot of my friends and family asked me "how are you doing it?" and honestly, I don't know. I literally just take it as it comes and I just keep going. I'm thankful, though, that motherhood has welcomed me so easily and transitioned into my life fluidly that I felt like I've always been made to be a mom and work just doesn't stop.
I did read a comment somewhere that if you can not worry about money in the early years, than enjoy your baby. And I absolutely agree and wish that was the case for me. Not that we worry about money or living, but we're not well off where I can take months on end to be at home focusing on Indie Rey. Likewise, just with my personality, I'd go stir crazy not working or doing anything on the side. You can never win or have it all - but I am grateful that what I do is what I love and also being able to be at home with my baby is a luxury. I couldn't imagine giving her to day care at 3 or 4 months. I would cry. (And to all the mamas that has to do that, you're a strong mama!).
xo - Annie
James Fox Co - Birthing gown
I swear, hospital hats and swaddles are THE BEST. Take some home if you can. We stole some :)
Daddy and Baby Girl :)
