Citrus Lane Box :: June

Last month, we signed up for Citrus Lane, a box subscription for the kidderoos. We loved her first box. The mommy hook and beautiful wooden rattle have gotten a lot of use.

We just got our June box and Emma was really excited. Her exact words were, “Gurggleooooahhhh”.

What’s in the box:

BODYSUIT from TEA COLLECTION Every romper is inspired by the designers’ travels from around the globe and is made with 100 percent cotton.

WEE SEAHORSE from WEE GALLERY This adorable stuffed toy has high contrast black and white fabrics to help brain development. It’s so stinkin cute.

GREEN APPLE AGE DEFY HAND CREAM from JUICE BEAUTY This hand cream smells heavenly! This cream is formulated to minimize fine lines, help age spots, and keep hands soft.

BABY BEE CREAM TO POWDER from BURT’S BEES This brand new product from Burt’s Bees goes on as a cream and dries to a soft, powdery finish to absorb wetness while leaving baby’s skin soft.

BRA OFFER from THIRD LOVE Has a beautiful selection of styles which you can shop at from your own home.

What I love about Citrus Lane is the amazing things they offer baby, but parents as well. They’ve figured out that Mama needs a little pampering too. Bravo! I’m going to go bathe in that hand cream now.

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The truth about breastfeeding

Now that I’m six weeks into this whole breastfeeding adventure, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on this weird, yet wonderful experience (but mostly weird).

(Disclaimer alert) Can we stop shaming people on how they choose to feed their babies? Pleaseandthankyou. Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on, MMMKAY?

Paul and I decided that we wanted to breastfeed Emma as soon as we found out that I was pregnant. I knew about the general benefits of breastfeeding for baby so we were going to give it our best shot. I also knew that I would be heading back to school eventually, so I wanted to be comfortable pumping as well. Cut to me sobbing in the hospital on day two, while trying to figure out how to feed my brand new tiny human.

Breastfeeding is hard. And very weird. And completely beautiful.

ONE // You start at the hospital and you have no idea what you are doing (no matter how much research you’ve done beforehand). Various lactation consultants and labor and delivery nurses try to show you how to hold the baby, what to look for, how to sit, which pillow to use, and how to get the perfect latch. But basically they break it down for you.

TWO // In those early days, you cannot always figure out what your baby wants. You assume she’s hungry, but in the beginning you never really know what the heck is going on. You try to comfort your baby the best way you can. Then eventually you want to rip your hair out and you constantly think about giving up.

THREE // Breastfeeding hurts. Your nipples become cracked and bleeding until you figure out that you need to slather them with nipple cream. Thank the Lord for that stuff. You are also hungry and thirsty ALL THE TIME. I mean it, if it is not nailed down, you are probably going to eat it. And if it is already on someone else’s plate, you will also probably eat it. 

FOUR // You will need to respond to your baby at the drop of a hat. She will be happy, cooing, and smiling, then in a second, she will realize she’s hungry and look at you with distain that you did not whip it out fast enough. Then she’ll start screaming. And when she’s had her fill, you better get out of her way or she’ll start screaming again.

FIVE // But at the end of the day, you love your tiny human more than life itself. You know you are doing the best you can for your baby even if it doesn’t always feel like it. You celebrate each day as it gets a little easier, even if there are set backs. Breastfeeding is one of the hardest things to figure out at first, but once you both get the hang of it, it’s pretty dang awesome (even though you still don’t completely know what you’re doing). Victory dance!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

We are determined to stick with it until for least a year, but like everything baby-related, we will just need to go with the flow. Ya dig?

What were your early breastfeeding experiences like?

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Newborn essentials

Babies need a lot of crap. There, I said it. Our baby registry was very long, yet somehow we still find ourselves needing even more stuff. Our apartment overfloweth. How does one tiny human need so much? Even with all the stuff we have been using, here are a few things which we have found absolutely essential for these early weeks. 

BABY CONNECT This app has been crucial. It’s hard enough to remember your own name let alone the last time you fed or changed your little one. This app allows you to keep track of basically everything baby-related. 

ADEN + ANAIS SWADDLE WRAPS Every registry needs these blankets. I cannot even tell you how much I love them. They are large, soft, and slightly stretchy. One baby burrito, coming up! 

WIPE WARMER Okay, at first I thought, “pssh, who needs warm wipes, high maintenance much?” but seriously, a squirming, crying baby plus cold wipes is a recipe for disaster. Something as simple as a warm wipe for the 10+ diaper changes per day really helps my sanity (and really helps remove the stubborn, caked-on poop, ew gross, please don’t leave me). 

BABY BATH SUPPORT I have a small, one-bedroom apartment so the in-sink bathtubs just do not fit in my small sinks. Having something that easily goes into our own tub and will grow with her works best for us. Our little one loves this tub and it’s easier to clean up when she pees/poops in the tub. Jeez, I’m gross today.

BURT’S BEES BABY BEE PRODUCTS Speaking of baths, we absolutely love the Baby Bee products. They smell fantastic and I appreciate the natural ingredients and the fact that they are hypoallergenic. They cover up poop-stink nicely. I don’t think Emma appreciates me smelling her head all the time, but she can’t do anything about it, ha!

BOTTLE DRYING RACK This Boon drying rack is adorable and functional. I like having a separate space for baby bottles and pumping supplies. I don’t want to confuse the baby bottle for my wine glass accidentally. That wouldn’t be fun for anyone (or would it). Plus, the grass and stem is pretty stinkin’ whimsical. 

I’m sure 14 billion more things could go on this list, but I won’t do that to you.

What is on your essentials list for babies and new parents?

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Baby Emma | One Month

Emma turned one month old today! Shut the front door – time is just flying by. She is one big and beautiful baby {hello scrumptious baby fat}. I am still amazed that this little girl is ours! She had her one month check-up today and she was given a clean bill of health. She’s in the 90th percentile for weight – our chunky monkey! She was also very brave for her Hep B vaccine, although daddy was a little nervous. She has already changed so much since she was born and if you follow me on Instagram, you can see her grow right before your eyes, STAHP it!

Here is her one month update.

Yes, I know you want to eat those little toesies.

Now she’s just showing off.

I cannot wait to see what this next month has in store. She is our perfect little pumpkin.

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Citrus Lane Box :: May

So I stumbled across this awesome box subscription for children from Citrus Lane. They provide various toys, goodies, and essentials in a surprise box each month. I wanted to check it out so I could be exposed to new brands and products that I would never have heard of before. Each box is suited for your child’s age with hand-picked products. You can also add products to your box or shop that month’s favorites based on users’ reviews.

Last week, we received our May box and it was filled with some great stuff!

What’s in the box:

:: Ocean Pals Puppet from Skip Hop encourages sensory play with its different sounds and textures.

:: Klick Klack from Haba is a beautiful, wooden rattle from Germany which is easy to hold and makes a gentle clicking sound.

:: Mommy Hook from TOMY accommodates bags of any and all sorts and hooks on to strollers or shopping carts {my favorite}.

:: Fresh Feet Wipes from Jasmine Seven are refreshing, antibacterial wipes.

:: Snack from Back to Nature contains no artificial preservatives, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, flavors, or colors.

:: 25% off from VineMarket.com which is where you can find natural and organic groceries.

Emma enjoys her new puppet!

I cannot wait to see what is in next month’s box! If you would like to receive 50% off your first box, click here! 

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