Dr. Sears' Alternative Vaccination Schedule

I am a firm proponent of vaccinating my child, but after doing tons of research I have decided to follow the alternate schedule developed by Dr. Sears. One of the main reasons I'm doing this is due to the large amounts of aluminum found in vaccines. The FDA states that a healthy child should be exposed to no more than 30 micrograms of aluminum in a day, but if I were to vaccinate Jackson according to the CDC recommendations he would receive approximately 1225 micrograms in one fell swoop each time he's vaccinated! Excessive aluminum intake has been linked with neurological harm and incredibly there have been no studies done to test the effects of this much aluminum on children who are being vaccinated.

Another reason for reducing the number of shots Jackson receives at one time is to isolate any reactions he might have to a vaccination. It was a relief that his pediatrician agreed to the alternate schedule (I've heard horror stories of doctors asking you to leave their practice if you don't follow the regular schedule). So yesterday he got one combo shot for Hib, Hep B, and Polio (the Pediarix) and received his Rotavirus vaccine orally. He barely cried and was over it within minutes, with none of the side effects sometimes seen along with vaccinations (swelling, redness, fever). He'll go in again at 3 months for a shot-only visit and we'll basically be in to the doctor every month for a year in order to stagger his shots while still fully vaccinating him. You can learn more about alternate shot schedules by visiting http://www.thevaccinebook.com/ and if you want to be really educated about all of the different vaccines your child will receive I highly recommend reading The Vaccine Book written by Dr. Sears!

Baby Food Obsession!

So Jackson won't be starting solids until he's at least 6 months old (exclusively breastfeeding until this point reduces the chances of him developing allergies and diabetes, both of which run on Ryan's side), which is stil 3 1/2 months away. But that doesn't stop me from obsessing over all of the cool gadgets you can use to make your own baby food. I got the cookbook "Top 100 Baby Purees" and "Cooking for Baby."

One of my friends also got me the coolest cubes that you freeze food in, so now all I need is an amazing baby food maker like the Beaba Babycook. Technically you can just steam all the foods in your microwave and then puree them in a food processor. But the Beaba is so cute and it's all-in-one! Here are its features:

The Beaba Babycook™ (BPA-Free) Babyfood Maker is a one-of-a-kind, compact appliance that steams, purees, defrosts and re-heats the freshest, healthiest food for your baby. It enables parents to provide the best ingredients for their baby's food at a fraction of the cost of jarred foods! Not only does preparing baby's food save families money, it also drastically cuts down on packaging and waste.
Vegetables, fruits and meats steam in less than 15 minutes and retain their vitamins and flavors. After blending them to the desired consistency, parents can freeze extra portions and later use their Babycook to quickly defrost and reheat previously prepared food.


Amazing! I also love that it's BPA free (hard to find in plastic steamers) and easy to clean. For some reason I'm just enchanted with this machine, but not it's $150 price tag (absurd!). I'm on a mission to find one on eBay and I currently have my eye on one that is only at $0.99 right now! I'm also planting zucchini so that I can use them for Jackson's baby food! Some of the other foods I can't wait to make his first tastes are oatmeal (using steel cut oats), rice cereal (using brown rice instead of white), applesauce puree, and sweet pear puree. So fun!

Wordless Wednesday

Sadness

Jackson at Birth

Jackson at 10 Weeks Old

I can't believe my maternity leave is already coming to an end. When I first began my 3-month leave it seemed like forever. Never in my adult life have I had a three-month break from work. I had so many ideas of how I would spend my days taking leisurely walks, playing with Jackson, and working on my master's degree- all the while keeping a spotless house and having a hot dinner on the table at 5:30pm each day. Ha! Fast forward 3 months and the only thing I manage to accomplish each day is getting the mail and tending to Jackson. The first days (well, weeks actually) were a complete blur of raging hormones, sleep deprivation, and trying to figure out my newborn. The days have steadily gotten easier as Jackson and I have figured each other out. His little personality is really starting to shine through. And now I have to back to work. I have exactly 11 days left to spend with my child. Then I'll have to trade him for the 22 kids in my classroom who literally suck the life out of me with their constant demands. I'm so afraid I'll have nothing left to give Jackson by the time I get home. I'm afraid he's going to forget who his mommy is. Although we're extremely blessed to have my mom and Ryan's sister watching him while I'm at work, I'm afraid that they won't love him as much as I do. Will they hold him while he cries and snuggle him while he naps? Will they sing his favorite songs and read him books? Will they know when he's trying to tell them that he's hungry/tired/bored? I'm in full-blown panic mode just thinking about how hard this change is going to be on him. I feel like such a horrible mother dumping him off on other people while I'm at work all day. What's the point in having kids when you're just going to have someone else raise them for you? Trust me, if we could even come remotely close to swinging it I would stay home. Unfortunately my student loans have to be paid. I have prayed so hard for a solution, but right now this where it's at. Where did the months go? It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing Jackson home from the hospital. Those weeks were so hard, but so exciting. It's amazing to see the rapid-fire changes occurring as I watch him grow both cognitively and physically. He has become such a joy and now I have to leave him. I tell Ryan that I don't know if I'm capable of doing it. He says I have to. The dread in my heart is so overwhelming that sometimes all I can do is cry.

9 Weeks Old

I should have posted this earlier! Jackson turned 9 weeks old on March 18th and is more fun than ever! He is smiling up a storm and laughing at everything. He loves checking out new things, especially animals, and loves being cuddled and spoken to. His new thing his "talking" to us through coos and gurgles. So cute!

1000 Amazing Things

One of my favorite websites http://www.1000awesomethings.com/. It's based on The Book of Awesome and lists all of the amzing, but mundane tidbits of life that we tend to overlook or ignore. Sometimes when things get really hard it's nice to be reminded that it's important to enjoy the small things in life. So I decided to make my own "Top Ten Awesome Things" list.

1. Gummy baby grins.
2. The foamy lather of a new bar of Loccitane soap.
3. Sleeping on clean sheets just out of the dryer and smelling like Downy.
4. Getting a new magazine in the mail.
5. Flannel pajamas that have been washed a million times that they've become threadbare.
6. Staying in bed with my baby all day, napping and nursing and cuddling.
7. Leaving the bedroom window open so that the breeze comes in and I can hear the hummingbirds arguing outside.
8. Giving birth.
9. Scoring an amazing deal at Last Chance.
10. Watching Jackson learn and grow more and more each day.

Whale Watching

Definitely one of my favorite things we did while we were in Hawaii was going on a sunset whale watching cruise. Seeing Humpback whales in the wild is truly an amazing experience! We went out around 5pm to an area where a large group of males had been spotted. When we arrived they were milling around basically headbutting each other and they are HUGE! Imagine 5 school buses jumping on one another and that's basically what you get in whale form. While we were watching another whale swam up inches from our boat, which was so startling that even the captain yelled! So cool! On the way back we were lucky enough to pass by a momma and her new baby calf! Such an awesome experience!

Luau!

On March 16th we went to the Old Lahaina Luau with Jackson. It was definitely the most amazing luaua we've been too! They had an open bar (which unfortunately I couldn't go crazy at since I'm nursing) and the most amazing buffet with all of the traditional Hawaiian foods like poi, roasted pig, and taro. The main event was definitely the dancers who told the story of Hawaii's past through song and dance. It's amazing to see how graceful both the men and women are! Jackson didn't really care much about the dancing, but did enjoy a nice nap while we ate!

Pool Day!

We took Jackson for his first dip in the pool while we were in Maui and judging by the pictures it wasn't a huge hit! He loves baths, but the cooler water of the pool was definitely not a thrill for him. :) He still enjoyed laying out (in the shade!) with mommy and daddy, sleeping in his bouncer and looking at the birds. My mom bought him the cutest little swim outfit at Gymboree with skulls and crossbones on it and I have to say he was the most adorable baby at the pool that day!

Jackson's First Vacation

We took Jackson to Maui for his first vacation and my mom came along to be our "nanny" (lucky for us!). He was awesome on the 7-hour plane ride, sleeping most of the time and not crying at all! We stayed at the Maui Ocean Club which is located right on Kaanapali beach and has the best shopping and restaurants. The weather was absolutely perfect! Our first day there we headed out to historic Lahaina where we visited the old Banyan tree (where my little sister got engaged) and shopped in all the cute touristy shops aong with the requisite stop for Hawaiian ice (Melloluna and Dreamsicle for me- yum!).

Wordless Wednesday

Maui!

Right now Ryan and I are sitting in our beautiful hotel room on Kaannapali beach. Listening to Jackson poop. Man this kid loves to to poop loud and often, also accompanied by comical red-faced grunting. Breastfed babies really have nothing to push for (it's all liquid anyways), but Jackson must enjoy it because push he does! Unfortunately I forgot the camera cord otherwise I would post some of the gorgeous pictures from our trip. Oh and you have to see Jackson in his first swimsuit! Adorable! I'll be sure to post them all when we get home next week!

Smiles!

Look how much Jackson is smiling (and laughing) now! I can't get enough of him!!

8 Week Update

Jackson is 2 months old! The time has completely flown by and he is changing so fast! He is now 11 pounds 10 ounces (up from 7 pounds 13 ounces) and 24 inches long! Here are some of his other milestones:

• sleeping 6 hours at night
• holding his head up like a champ
• rolling over from front to back
• smiling in response to other smiles
• laughing all the time
• standing and sitting with support

Every day more and more of his personality shines through and we are having so much fun!

Perfection

Isn't it amazing how you realize you never really knew what love was until you had a baby? It's such a different love than anything else you've ever experienced before. Of course you love your husband, your friends, and your family but nothing compares to the love you feel for this tiny little being you've created. Suddenly there's an extension of yourself that's living and breathing in your arms. No matter what your child does or says they will always be perfection in your eyes.

Wordless Wednesday

7 Week Update

I cannot believe how much Jackson has changed in seven short weeks! Here is an update on what he's been up to:

• Smiling all the time now!
• Laughed for the first time (March 3rd)
• Rolling over every time I put him on his tummy (he's been doing this since 3 1/2 weeks, but took a short break in order to work on other skills)
• Cooing and talking to us
• Bearing weight on his legs (he never wants to sit!)
• Lifting his head to 90 degress when on his tummy

• Putting himself to bed at night and sleeping for 6 hours at a time (!)

I'm so happy (and relieved!) that he's meeting his milestones on time and he has become such a joy! He is one of the happiest babies I know and so easy!

My New Pacifier

Jackson's new pacifier arrived in the mail yesterday and I have to say that it is beyond adorable seeing that little monkey hanging from his mouth! It's called a Wubbanub and basically it's a Soothie pacifier sewn on to a little stuffed animal. The best part about it is that he can actually scoot it back into his mouth when it falls out. I bought Jackson's off of Ebay, but I noticed yesterday that Dillards is now selling them too!

Big Boy Clothes

Oh how I love shopping for my little man! Yesterday we headed out to the mall to get some new stuff because he's already outgrowing his 3 month clothes (!). For those of you who know me well, you know I can not STAND typical zoo animal-bunny-airplane-panda bear baby crap. It's pretty difficult to find anything but that when you have a newborn, but now that Jackson is getting older it's becoming easier. One of my favorite places to find new things is Ebay and I have scored some amazing deals including brand new Gap and Old Navy outfits. Yesterday I bought him some new Hurley shorts and two Hurley shirts from Dillards and I have to say that my little boy is looking so grownup in his new duds!

We Need More Followers!

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Things I Miss/Don't Miss

Things I Don't Miss:
1. Working
2. Shopping for Myself
3. Worrying About Trivial Things
4. Having My Boobs to Myself (breastfeeding makes me proud!)

5. Going Out

Things I Miss:
1. Sleep
2. Feeling a Baby Moving and Growing in My Belly
3. Having a Clean and Organized House
4. Eating Together as a Family
5. Having a Stomach that Was Flat and Stretch-Mark-Free (I never appreciated this!)

Sleepy

I love watching my perfect little babe put himself to sleep at night. Full of sleepy grins and (something new!) giggles. As the world draws to a close for the night I just watch that innocent happiness and wish it lasts forever. Chubby cheeks and big eyes are so hard to resist kissing all night long. He loves having his cheeks tickled and erupts into huge grins. I love how he inches his little body closer and closer to me in the bed until he is smooshed up against my side. He sleeps so peacefully until it's time to eat and then erupts into a series of grunts to get my attention. After his meal he slowly drops back into sleep and relaxes into my arms, back into dreamland.

Missing My Pregnancy

Belly Bump Three Days Before Delivery

I know it's weird, but I really miss being pregnant. There's just something so special and amazing about carrying a life inside of you. Growing Jackson into a healthy baby was such an all-consuming passion throughout my pregnancy. He was with me all day, every day and feeling his constant movements and every hiccup was truly miraculous. I still find it hard to believe that my body was capable of creating such an amazing, tiny person. Once he comes out things become much more scary. Suddenly you have so much to worry about that it quickly becomes overwhelming. I loved being pregnant and carrying around my baby bump. Chronicling my pregnancy was so exciting and when I look back it's crazy to see the changes my belly went through. There's such a build-up in anticipation for this little life with everyone involved in your life. The joy and expectation that surrounded his arrival was awesome- like the most amazing Christmas I ever had. I just hope I get to experience it again someday!