The Fifth Month

Wednesday, July 22, 2015




How in the world do I have a five month old? That's almost half a year! I can't believe how fast time has gone. Well... Sometimes it feels fast. Other times it feels really really slow. Or maybe I should say some nights. Anyhow, our little Oaklyn baby is growing so fast and getting cuter by the day :)

I have no clue how much she weighs or how tall she is. Whenever I try to measure without the doctor, I'm way off. 
We started baby food at four months. She definitely showed interest in it but it seemed to really hurt her belly. So we stopped and she started sleeping better. 
I'm super interested in baby led weaning so any tips and tricks would be much appreciated! 
She has definitely started the early stages of teething. Poor thing :( 
She wants to crawl SO BAD! But can't seem to figure it out. She has almost pushed up to her knees a few times!
But, she has zero interest in sitting up on her own. 
She rolls all over. 
She's a tummy sleeper and completely unswaddled. Thank goodness! I watch her sleep often ;) it's just too cute
She is SO grabby. Is that a word? She grabs everything and takes it straight to her mouth. She's such a curious little girl. 
Bath time is her favorite. She's even gotten over her fear of having her hair washed! 
Speaking of hair... It grows longer by the day! And hasn't lost any of it! It's starting to curl too! So cute :)
I think I've decided she has dark blue eyes. 
She still struggles falling, and staying asleep but it's gotten much better than last month. 
She loves when I let her suck on ice cubes. 
We've spent this month on San Diego and she's loving being surrounded by family. 
She pretty much hates the car still. I think she just gets really bored. 
She has the strongest little legs with the cutest rolls. She loves standing. 
She giggles over the silliest things. One of her favorites is when I wave a diaper over her face. I mean I guess that's funny? 
She still doesn't love to be snuggled but really loves being held facing out. 
She gets prettier by the day I swear. I can put her precious locks in ponytails and it's so cute! 
She LOVES her paci these days. 
She has such a strong grip! She loves grabbing and holding onto fingers. 

We love her more than words. She's such a joy to have around. 
Even though Hunter and I hardly slept last night because she has another cold, I wouldn't trade being her mama for all the sleep in the world. She's perfect in every way and we are so blessed to have her in our lives. 
Oaklyn Joy, you are the best thing that's ever happened to us 

All my love, 
Aleigh Joy 






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All Things Baby. How I Survived Having a Newborn.

Monday, July 13, 2015
I love my baby. 
She's really cute, and she's really fun. 
The more independent she gets, the more I love her. 
Which is the last thing most moms will say (or at least admit to)
I will openly tell everyone that I didn't love the newborn stage. 
I think a lot of that stems from the extra hormones I had creating some serious blues... But also, I don't love doing a whole lot of nothing. 
I found myself wishing away the newborn stage quite often which yes, does make me feel sad to admit, but the sleep deprivation is real. 
My little girl has known exactly what she wanted right from the beginning. However, it took me much more time to figure out what she wanted. 
It took time, trial and error, lots of rocking, lots of long nights, and lots of googling on my end. 
I was always incredibly envious when I saw little ones napping away in their mothers arms, in the car seat, on the couch, in the stroller, or anywhere really because Oaklyn just wasn't that kind of baby. 
Naps were short and frequent and only lasted if I was viciously rocking her. 
There was lots of crying (on both ends) and lots of questioning what to do with her. 
So... This is what I used to survive those first few weeks.

I get it, they're pricey and you're thinking really? They're just blankets. How great could they be? They will save your life! They saved mine.

This is not for every baby. But, if you're finding your baby flailing and waking themselves up every two seconds. Just get it. My girl took a few of the other baby's startle reflexes along with her own and would not sleep without being swaddled. And TIGHT. This saved me.

It took her a while to figure it out but I'm pro pacifiers all the way. Plus, these ones are orthodontic approved

Use whichever one you please but they are amazing! Most of the time, it was the only way I could pump or get her to nap or just have a few minutes to eat.

I didn't want to create a sleep prop for Oaklyn but I LOVE sound machines! Not only is she getting used to the house so that she understands that the white noise means sleep... But it blocks out all the little noises that would otherwise wake her up. And don't be afraid to crank that baby up to full volume!

Or any wrap if your choice. I loved wrapping her close to me to get household chores done or during walks so that Hunter and I could have a conversation as she slept. I have nothing but good things to say about this.

We got a jogging stroller. I like it and I'm glad I chose a jogging stroller so we can go on family jogs but it weighs a million and a half pounds and I really don't want to lug it around everywhere. So, we got lucky to get this product for my shower. I was hesitant at first but it makes shopping with little miss SO easy! It weighs nothing opens easily has a good sized basket, cup holders, and a spot to put my phone. It's home is always in our trunk because it doesn't take up too much space and I use it EVERYWHERE we go.

I guess any diaper bag works, but these ones are gold. Built in changing pad, SO much room, cute, spot for a bottle, and your own water bottle, and the boxy backpack lets you use the shoulder strap or the backpack feature! It's so perfect! Pricey, but perfect.

Remember how my baby is a flailer? Well, she just couldn't quite figure out that it hurts to scratch her face. The baby mittens never stayed on long enough but the mitten cuffs on the onesies were perfect! I just got the plain white ones and used them to death. 

Burp Rags 
If your baby doesn't spit up... consider yourself incredibly lucky... but if they do, these are my FAVORITE. They absorb all of it, take up almost all your shoulder so you don't get splashed,  and they're cute!
Those are just a few of my favorites after being a first time mom.
Every baby is different and likes different things... But these were my life savers!
I bought SO much more than I needed but these were my musts.
A post on what isn't necessary soon to come

All my love, 
Aleigh Joy 


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