Wordless Wednesday – Old Navy Style

Tommee Tippee Is Tops With This Sassy Momma

I am a reviewer for the Mom Bloggers Club and so I was thrilled to receive two products free from Tommee Tippee to review.

Tommee Tippee is the #1 brand of infant and toddler feeding products in Great Britain and they are making a splash in the United States.  Beginning in January, Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature and Explora infant and toddler feeding products will be available in the United States exclusively at Babiesrus.com and in Babies“R”Us stores nationwide. The Tommee Tippee line will then be introduced in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide in March.

The first product that I reviewed was their Closer to Nature bottle.  I have a 1 month old baby and I am breastfeeding her as well as using formula so finding the right bottle system was important.  I wanted to use a system that would provide her with an experience as close to breastfeeding as possible.   I had already tried two other bottle systems that claimed to be ‘just like breastfeeding’ but they failed to produce the result I had hoped for.  When I used the other bottles she seemed to struggle while taking the bottle, the formula would come pouring out of the sides of her mouth, her arms would move about and she just seemed uncomfortable.

When I got the Closer to Nature bottle in the mail from Tommee Tippee I sanitized the nipple, cleaned the bottle and used it right away.  I couldn’t believe it, she was relaxed during the feeding and hardly any formula came pouring out the sides of her mouth.  As I continued to use the bottle for the next few days I noticed that her gas had reduced as well.  I was shocked that the bottle actually worked!

The other features of the bottle that I really like is the contour shapes on the sides of the bottle and on the cap.  The shape of the bottle is comfortable and comes in handy if you don’t have a table to put the bottle and  have to balance the bottle between your knees when burping your baby.  The bottle also fits into my First Years bottle warmer, woot!

The Closer to Nature bottle design offers a uniquely soft, super-wide nipple that naturally flexes and stretches like the breast, an intuitive bottle shape for a more comfortable hold and breastfeeding-like closeness, and an ultra-sensitive anti-colic valve that lets babies feed at their own pace with less air, vacuum build-up, and nipple collapse. This innovative design can help reduce gas, colic and fussiness. All Closer to Nature bottles and nipples are Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalate free.

I was so impressed with the Closer to Nature bottle that I headed out to Babies R Us to buy more of them and to check out more Tommee Tippee products.  One of the products I was impressed with and purchased is called the Formula Dispenser system, it comes with 6 small containers and lids.

To use the system just  fill one of the containers with formula and put the lid on.  Then fill the bottle with water and place the small container in the bottle, it sits on the rim of the bottle.  Then put the nipple and cap onto the bottle.  This unique system keeps the formula and water separate until you are ready to use it.   Just drop the bottle in your diaper bag and you are ready to go or use for your night feedings like I do.

For more information about this system you can visit the Tommee Tippee Formula Dispenser site and even view a video demo of the system.

The other product that I was given to review is a drinking cup for my 4 year old called Tommee Tippee Explora Drinking Cup.

We received two cups, one green and one pink.  The pink cup came with a green lid, which she did not like and she suggested that it come with a pink or purple lid.  She immediately switched the lids on the cups.

The advance-flo™ valve used in Explora cups was designed by a physicist and requires almost no force to drink from, yet still remains spill- and leak-proof. Each Explora cup is progressively staged with a specific grip to fit little fingers and unique spouts, from soft touch to dura spouts, to meet the needs of every age, and to support natural oral development.

Many companies claim to have spill proof or leak proof cups but then after a few weeks of using the cup you find yourself with a leaking cup of milk or juice and that is not fun.  Since using the cup for a while we have not had one leak yet!  The valve system is very unique as well and easy to clean.  The cup also keeps the beverage cold, which will be great during the upcoming hot summer weather here in California.  We will be heading out to Babies R Us to pick up the purple cup as well, gotta have a pink AND a purple one!

For more information on Tommee Tippee and its products, please visit www.tommeetippee.com, or find them on
Twitter @TommeeTippeeUS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tommeetippeeus

Super Bowl Family

We celebrated Super Bowl Sunday by putting on our Raider gear and making some yummy snack foods.  We really like Franks Red Hot sauce so Louis made his “Hot Nuggets”.  It is simple to make, just dice up some chicken and bread it then fry it up in a pan.  In another pan melt butter and add Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and mix well.  When the chicken is done place it in a serving bowl and pour the sauce over the chicken and turn to coat.  Serve with blue cheese dressing or buttermilk dressing.

Abigail in her Raider gear

Our first family portrait

Breastflow Bottles

I found a super awesome bottle from The First Years called Breastflow. For a few days we were just doing ‘the boob’ but then realized that Abigail just wasn’t getting enough food so we busted open the free formula from Similac and made a few bottles using the Playtex Dropins system but the Slow Flow bottle nipple wasn’t working for Abigail and she had formula running out of her mouth and she was gagging.

I rushed out to Target in hopes of finding some type of Extra Slow Flow bottle nipple.  I couldn’t find such an item and started to panic, how was I going to feed her formula now?  Then I spotted the unique looking bottle nipple of the Breastflow and was releavied to see that this was made for breastfeeding babies.  It is really cool because the baby controls the flow of the milk / formula so no need to worry about her getting too much at once.

Breastflow is the only feeding system that requires both suction and compression, just like breastfeeding. The nipple is designed to mimic the breast so baby can latch on and to encourage the same mouth and tongue position as breast feeding. The double nipple system requires both suction and compression, just like breast feeding and baby controls the flow of milk. It’s the bottle most like breastfeeding.

I purchased it and raced home, sterilized the bottle nipples and soon gave Abigail some formula.  It took her a few minutes to get used to it, and yes some formula still dripped from her mouth but it was an improvement from the Playtex Dropins.

UPDATE*****************

Since writing this post I have acutaly found something even better.  Check out my post about Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles.

Sisters Art

Before Abigail was born Lily drew many pictures with baby Abigail in them, as well as drawings with our whole family.  She even wrote “Abby” many times on her drawings, it was almost like she was obsessed with her.  Once I got home from the hospital with Abigail I noticed something different about Lily, she had changed.  The change wasn’t necessarily bad, it was just that she was acting different.  She was almost over acting her enthusiasm for Abigail and acting somewhat ’spazy’.  Her normal actions were louder and bigger and just plain ol’ goofy.  She also didn’t create any artwork with Abigail in it.

I think she was almost uncomfortable having Abigail around.  We had to help Lily understand how to interact with a baby by teaching her things such as using your ‘indoor voice’ and using a gentle touch when playing with her.  Perhaps all these new instructions made her feel a bit out of place in her own home and I can see why many children become jealous of the new baby in the house.  Louis has taken some time off of work so that he can spend time with Lily and Abigail and we have made it a point to do special things with Lily as well.  We also make sure that she is involved and helps us with the baby by getting a diaper, picking out her clothes or helping to feed her.  Lily’s new behavior has tapered off and she is settling back into her own skin.  I know that she is feeling better about having Abigail around because when she came home from Preschool on Wednesday she gave me a new piece of artwork.

Lily & Abigail holding hands – 01/27/10

From Cheerio to Soda Can with No Epidural, But Not By Choice

During my pregnancy with Abigail I have always been concerned with the care for Lily (my 4 year old) during labor and I really hoped that my labor would be quick.  Now I know to be careful what you wish for.

We had lined up various family members to take care of her depending upon the time of day I went into labor, the one time I didn’t want to go into labor was in the middle of the night.  However, my body had other ideas.  I woke up at 3:15 am on Monday morning January 18th with a really bad Braxton Hicks, turns out this was the real thing and I had lost my mucus plug.  I woke up Louis and said, make some coffee and get ready because we are going to the hospital!  I timed my contractions and they were not consistent, some were 4 minutes apart and others were 10 minutes apart.  Most of them I could walk around through them but there were a few where I could not walk or talk during them.  We called Labor and Delivery and they said to come in when they are 3-5 minutes apart.

My mom was the one who was going to watch Lilly should I go into labor in the middle of the night, so I gave her a call and woke her up at 4:45 and asked her to come over by 6:30.  But the contractions kept coming harder and faster so I called her back a few minutes later and asked her to come over ASAP!  We woke up Lily and took off for the hospital.  My mom ended up taking care of Lily for the day, she took her to Preschool and picked her up too.  They even went to McDonald’s for lunch and then came to the hospital later in the afternoon.

It was a holiday (Martin Luther King, Jr day) so freeway traffic was pretty light, however Louis felt the need to get in the #3 lane and drive the speed limit as I am screaming through each contraction.  I yelled at him, get in the Fast Lane and gun it or we are having this kid in the car.  I could feel that something was not right, these contractions were coming too faster and hurt more with each one.  When we finally arrived at UC Davis Medical Center we had to walk while I was having contractions through the entire hospital and into the next wing, yes I said walk to Labor and Delivery and it was the longest walk ever!

I got into the triage section where they evaluate your situation and decide if they are going to admit you to a room, it didn’t take them too long to decide to admit me and start me on antibiotics as I have Group B Strep and need to have 4 hours of antibiotics prior to delivery.  They checked my cervix and I was at 3 centimeters, I had gone from zero to three centimeters on my own in 3 hours.  They also ordered the epidural as I walked (yet again) to my labor room.

They gave me some wussy pain medication while I waited for the epidural but it didn’t really help, these contractions were getting worse and coming every 2 minutes.  It was the worst pain I have ever felt in mt life, this must be what torture was like.  For the next 2 hours I screamed, prayed and begged for my epidural and wondered why this was happening to me, why was I waiting so long for the epidural? Remember, it was a holiday and there was ONE epidural fairy wondering labor and delivery and I was 3rd in line for an epidural.  WHAT??  By 9am my labor nurse told me that I might have to give birth without an epidural, and that put me even more over the edge, I flipped out.  At one point I even passed out from the intense pain and Louis and the nurses had to wake me up and even keep from from passing out another three times.

When the anesthesiologist finally arrived a bit after 9 AM I had to fill out paperwork (are you kidding me!) and she had to review the risks of having an epidural, PLEASE just give it to me already.  I was having contractions every two minutes and during the epidural process I had to remain perfectly still, that was the worst part of labor.  I vividly recall staring at a piece of lint on Louis’ shirt and gritting my teeth while I held his hands and cried from the pain.  The attending Anesthesiologist and my labor nurse Kimmi each held me up and I started to pass out again from the pain and they held me up while the resident anesthesiologist administered the epidural.

Finally, I could feel relief with the epidural and now I could make it through the contractions while just doing my breathing exercises, which up to this point were pretty useless.  The nurse checked my cervix and I was dilated to 8 centimeters, this had done all with out the epidural.  The bad news is I have to wait another 2 hours to give birth because the antibiotics have to be in my system for 4 hours prior to giving birth and they were only in my system for 2 hours now.  During the next to hours I could not push and try to remain calm as to not go into labor.  If I were to go into labor the effects of the Group B Strep could be life threatening to Abigail.  We realized that the camera was still in the car so Louis ran to get it, all the way back through the hospital and out to the car.

11:00 AM finally came and my nurse checked my cervix, I was now at 9 centimeters and since I had the antibiotics in my system for 4 hours they could now break my water.  As soon as they broke my water I could feel Abigail slip down into the birth canal and I knew that I was ready to push my little Abigail out.  The nurse called in the delivery team and I went to work pushing through the contractions.  In my previous pregnancy with Lily I pushed for over 2 hours so I assumed this time would be the same, wrong.  I pushed for maybe 30 minutes and about 10 times when she was born.  The cord was wrapped around her neck and she was purple, but she was doing fine once they got her untangled and checked her out.  I sneezed and then my placenta poped out and it took them longer to repair my 2nd degree tear than to give birth.

All in all it was a quick delivery and could have been quicker if it wasn’t for the Group B Strep.  I was in labor for a total of  7 hours and pushed for 30 minutes.

I can’t really blame anyone for the lack of getting my epidural sooner, if I hadn’t progressed so quickly I would have been ok waiting for the epidural, of course maybe having more than one anesthesiologist on staff would have been nice, but oh well.

I feel that I can now do anything, after getting though this labor process I feel like a stronger woman and my recovery has also been awesome too! I am a bit sleep deprived but what would life with a newborn be like if you got sleep?

For more information about the stages of labor you can check out this link -  http://www.prohealthcare.org/services/BirthingProHealthyBaby/birthing-binder/chapter-three/labor-guide.aspx

Life With Abigial

It has been a week since Abigail joined our happy little family and life has been good.  She is a great eater, sleeper and Lily loves to help out by getting a diaper or picking out her clothes.  We actually went out to dinner at Jacks Urban Eats for a celebratory Steak Salad and some Urban Fries and she did great.  We look forward to having many fun adventures with her and will share them on our Blog.

This is a photo of Lily and Abigail, the first time Lily got to hold her.

Baby Abigail Has Arrived

Abigail Grace Cullo
7lbs, 5oz
19 inches
Born January 18, 2010
11:46 am

Over or Under

Everyone has an opinion on the right way to roll – over or under – and both points-of-view have been argued in households for ages. This January, Cottonelle brand sets out to settle this Great Debate once and for all. Are you Team Over or Team Under?

Cottonelle is getting to the bottom of a great debate raging across America. Cottonelle wants to know: how do you roll? Over or under? Vote for your preferred way to roll at CottonelleRollPoll.com.

I am entering a contest for a month’s worth of Cottonelle toilet paper as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.

In my household we are Team Over, how about you?  Just leave a comment on my post about if you are and you will be entered to win 1 of 10 Cottonelle gift baskets randomly chosen on January 29, 2010 from all entries.

Baby Abigial’s New Due Date

We had our 40 week appointment today and looks like we will have to wait until next week for her to be born.  My doctor said that my body is ‘closed up tight’ and I am not a candidate for induction and the due date could just be wrong.  He said that he will not let me go beyond 41 1/2 weeks which is next weekend, which gives us a new due date of around January 23rd.

So we wait….and have sex because he said that could help soft the cervix and start labor sooner.  Also, I was hoping that he would at least strip my membranes today however, I learned that because I am Group B positive it could become a problem and cause an infection.  I am having Braxton Hicks contractions so hopefully these will turn into more productive contractions this week.

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