Clean out the ducts!

Today has been a very interesting day for me.  I woke up and things were pretty normal...everything was going along just fine and feeding Nataleigh was going well.  I don't know if I sleep in a wrong position last night but I have some clogged milk ducts that just won't let down!  I have tried taking a hot shower..so hot I broke out in hives!!!  I tried massaging it...didn't work...I tried nursing with Nataleigh in different holds but that hasn't helped.  Warm compresses...tried it....didn't work!  I've pumped and that doesn't have nearly the suction power as my little hoover Nataleigh!  I'm not sure what else I can do.  I am praying that it unclogs before we go away for the weekend!  I am going to be nursing through the night to try and get it unclogged....so long sleep...(it's overrated anyway RIGHT?!)  If it's not cleared up by tomorrow I am going to have to call my doctor and get some kind of relief...it is VERY painful.  I am keeping an eye on it because I definitely don't want it to turn into mastitis!  Please pray that it would unclog!  Thank you!

Baby Safe Feeders

Yesterday as I was eating breakfast with Nataleigh she was getting mad because I wasn't feeding her any of my oatmeal.  I decided I was going to use my Baby Safe Feeders.  You put in a piece of food into the mesh liner and close it up and then give it your baby and then watch them go to town on it!  I gave Nataleigh a piece of banana and she just loved it! 

This is one version of the baby safe feeders.  This version looks a little easier to open than mine.  I have to push two little teeth together to open the latch to put the food in.  This one you unscrew to open it which is way easier!  Baby Safe Feeders from Babies R' Us sell for $10.99.  Images courtesy of Babies R' Us.  

You can get this  Sassy version from Walmart for $10.50.  Image courtesy of Walmart.

 This was when she first got it...she is getting so big and is able to hold onto it all by herself!

I just love this picture of her!  She really loves her banana!

Just thought I would show you these awesome feeders...I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone!
Well that is all for now...till next time!

My sweet husband!

Yesterday when I went shopping to get all of the supplies for Nataleigh's bow holder he called me and asked what we were doing for supper, I told him I hadn't thought about it yet but I would figure something out when I got home.  He called me back 15 minutes later and asked where a pot to boil water was kept.  He told me that he was going to make some dinner for us!  I was so excited...I didn't have to cook and he was making ME dinner!!!  When I got home he told me he was making macaroni and cheese with smoked sausage and mandarin oranges!  YUMMY!!!  The Mac N' Cheese was perfect...the meat on the other hand wasn't!  Let me explain a little...Nate bit into it and then took another bite and then looked at it and said, "Emma, what is this green thing in my sausage?"  I walked over and looked and I had no clue what it was...so we didn't eat the sausage...He was disappointed and sickened at the same time...he really wanted to eat the sausage but wasn't going to chance getting sick from doing so!  It was still sweet of him to cook for me! 

Today, Nate & I cleaned out the bookcase that holds all of Nate's books and papers for college.  He threw out so much stuff that he can now fit ALL of his books in the bookcase!  We are both looking forward to moving into a bigger apartment...we are kind of outgrowing our 1 bedroom!  It has been a great apartment though.

I just wanted to Praise my husband for doing some really sweet things for me!  I love him so much!

Till next time!

P.S. Don't buy Meijer brand smoked sausage (keilbasa) 

Nataleigh's bow holder!!!

I am so excited I finally finished Nataleigh's bow holder! It only took me two days! I could have got it done in one but I was preoccupied with cleaning and of course Nataleigh!

This is how I made it:

Supplies:
2 circular wood cut-outs
2 laser etched dragonflys
brown paint
green paint
paint brushes
hot glue gun & glue
white ribbon
scissors
sanding paper

1. I painted the dragonflys green and let them dry before applying another coat of paint.

2. While I was waiting for the first layer of paint to dry, I sanded the circular wood cut-outs because the edges were a little rough and I wanted them to be smooth. Once I got them to where they were smooth I wiped them off with a towel to grab the dust (I didn't want my paint to get all messed up once I started to paint!)

3. I painted the circular wood cut-out brown to match Nataleigh's crib bedding.

4. While the brown paint was drying, I applied another coat of paint to the dragonflys and switched between the two until they both had 3-4 coats of paint on them and the wood was not showing through the paint.

5. I cut a piece of ribbon and used my hot glue gun to apply it to the back of the circular wood cut-out (once it was dry) I placed one strip of glue and pressed my ribbon to the wood quickly so I didn't burn my finger. I measured about 3 inches away from the first ribbon and did the same thing to the other side of the ribbon.

6. I cut two more longer pieces of ribbon about 12" long for the bows to cling onto. I glued one end to the bottom of the same circular cut-out that had the first piece of ribbon on it. I measured so that the ribbon was align with the ribbon up top and glued my ribbon in place. I took the second piece of ribbon and aligned it with the other side of ribbon up top and glued it into place.

7. I glued both pieces of ribbon to the back side of the other circular wood cut-out and aligned it up with the other end so that the ribbon was even.

Here is the what it looks like! I am pretty happy with how it turned out...I might even make a couple to hang by her crib!

7 Things Sunday

Hello everyone! I'm continuing my posts on 7 Things Sunday....just random thoughts of mine/dreams/goals in life...so here they are!

1. Sorry to repeat from last week but boy am I glad MSU won and now are in the Final 4! Back-to-back years! Yeah Baby!!!

2. Nate & I love The Amazing Race on CBS at 8pm, our favorite group right now is the Cowboy Brothers...they are just sooo funny! Well they came so close to being out...thank goodness that it was a non-elimination round! YAY for them and for us to watch them get back into the game!

3. Nataleigh is now able to go from sitting to her belly...sometimes she gets frustrated trying to do it but when she does do it...all is well! <3 my little girl!

4. Nate's last day of work was on Friday...woo hoo! So thankful we can spend some more quality time together! He graduates in about a month from now....getting so excited!

5. We have decided that we are going to Nate's parents for Easter...should be a fun time!

6. I love getting ***FREE*** underwear from Victoria's Secret! I haven't had to buy a pair of underwear in almost 3 years! Sorry if that is TMI!!! I just love that shop though!

7. I am going to make a craft tomorrow to hold all of Nataleigh's bows....looking forward to what I create...I will post pictures when I am done creating! YAY for Crafts!!!!

Well that's all for now...talk to you all later!

Nataleigh's newest accessory!

This afternoon, Nataleigh & I went for a walk around the apartment complex. I was cleaning the other day in our bedroom and found a pair of sunglasses my mom got for Nataleigh for this summer. So before I took her outside, I tried them on her and they fit! She looked so cute! It was a nice afternoon to go for a walk...probably around 55-60 degrees...bright and sunny....we both loved it! Nataleigh was just talking away as we strolled along. I even jogged for a few minutes (man am I out of shape!) I wanted to jog the whole thing but I decided or at least my lungs decided it was better for me to walk briskly! I had a great time being in God's creation and soaking up the sun instead of being inside all day! I am happy that spring is here...more walks as a family outside! I am hoping to take Nataleigh to a playground sometime soon so that she can go for a swing...I am curious to see how she will like it...if my guess is right she will love it like everything else in her life! She is such a content baby and just happy with whatever she is doing/playing with. One of her favorite toys now is the mirror...I haven't let her play in front of it very much so I decided today I would try it out...boy does she just start a jabbering away!! I got such a kick out of and then she would look away and then look back into the mirror and get excited all over again! I love this little girl so much! God has blessed our family! Here a few pictures! Till next time!

Meeting with my MOPS group

Yesterday, Nataleigh & I met up with my MOPS group at the South Bend Chocolate Cafe in downtown South Bend. They have really good sandwiches, wraps, soups and deserts! We try and meet up once a month somewhere outside our using meeting place at church to just have fun, let our kiddos play and to have adult conversations. Most of us are stay-at-home moms so we all agree it's nice to get out of the house and wear other clothes besides sweatpants and t-shirts! 4 of us met up with our kids and we had a really good time! Nataleigh played with Evolette (Halee's daughter) and Cosette (Natalie's daughter). The three of them were having so much fun. Nataleigh just loves being around other babies, she is so fascinated by them. Hopefully they will inspire/teach her to crawl...she is getting close!

Here are a few pictures of our meeting!

Clean, clean, clean!

Today has been a very successful day of yup you guessed it! CLEANING!!!! I am trying to get things in order for when that days comes when we move....and it's not that far away. I thought I should be proactive about it and start small. So this afternoon I tackled the desk...check! Then I moved onto some boxes that I have kept some random stuff in since we moved here (books on child birthing, expired coupons, cards, etc) and I got rid of the expired stuff and stuff I don't need or don't want anymore..check! I am feeling lighter already! The fun part about it was having Nataleigh with me in the living room as I was trying to sort stuff into piles...hmmm....not a bright idea with a baby that is VERY curious and likes to get into anything she can get her little hands on! So lets just say I said the word "NO" about 100 times and did it work...um....NO! So I had to move my piles higher! I did get through 1 box which was amazing and I feel more organized...Another good thing is I found my ARRT card (American Registry for Radiologic Technologists) which I need for work...I got an email last week stating my boss needs a copy of my updated card. Quite a relief to know I found it in my mess!

Nataleigh has been doing so good with her schedule...she is much happier and I just love being her momma! She is so vocal and loves to say consonants especially dada, pa, mama, na, ga and fa! She is so cute! She is scooting backwards and turning in all directions on her belly....I think she is getting close to going forward and crawling! Like I said earlier she loves to get into anything. Her newest thing is she loves boxes! I will have to take a picture and add it later!

Nate has 39 days left till he graduates from Bethel! Woo hoo!!! Just an update on special dates to keep in mind & in your prayers: April 16th Nate has his second interview with Allegiance Health in Jackson, MI @ 11am; April 22 is Nate's final @ 10am; April 28 Nate is receiving an award for his academic achievements; May 1 Nate's graduation! These next 5 1/2 weeks are going to go by so fast! Thank you for your prayers...I know we both appreciate them!

Hope everyone had a wonderful day! Till next time!

7 Things Sunday

So I was reading different blogs and there was a girl who does this thing on her blog weekly and I thought that it was pretty cool! Unfortunately this isn't my idea but what I share are my thoughts/ideas/dreams/goals/ramblings and etc.

1. I am so happy MSU beat Maryland at the buzzer today(85-83)! Woo Hoo!!!!

2. I am looking forward to seeing where God is going to take us when Nate graduates from Bethel College in only 41 more days! He has a second interview sometime in April with Allegiance Health in Jackson, MI (my hometown!) He has not scheduled it yet but he will sometime this week!

3. I have a hard time drinking my daily recommended amount of water evenly though I know I should...it's hard!

4. I use cloth diapers and make my own baby food for my daughter Nataleigh!

5. I don't like wearing nail polish because when it chips it bugs me. So when it chips all of it has to come off. It only takes but a few hours for that to happen if it even takes that long.

6. My favorite Italian food is Chicken Parm! YUMMY!!!!

7. I am praying that when we move, I can clean out some of the clutter, re-organize and feel 10 lbs lighter from doing it!

Hope you enjoyed my thoughts!

And so it has become a trend!

Nataleigh fell asleep while we went for our walk...so precious..I just love this picture of her!






Nataleigh sitting in the back of the van while I clean it out..she was having a blast just looking all around!



I am so happy to share that Nataleigh has been sleeping through the night again. Her first night of sleep was 3 nights ago and has continued since then! THANK GOD!!! I would prefer her to sleep into 7am but I can manage 600 and 630 just fine...I shouldn't be picky (seeing how some babies don't sleep through the night) I would just like to start her routine at that time :D

We had MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) this morning and Nataleigh did well like usual in her class. She was suppose to take a nap but only did for about 20 minutes and then wanted to hang out with the rest of the babies in her class. The workers told me that she likes to flirt with the boys....at 8 months old already?!?! I think she just likes to be around other babies....plus there were no other little girls in her class so I can see how they might think that! For only having a 20 minute nap she was as happy as can be! She is such a joy and is using her voice a lot more...especially in the morning...she is saying Dada dada and maaa maaa it's so cute!

We're getting ready to head outside. It's in the 60's and its beautiful! I'm going to clean the van and then take Nataleigh for a walk around our apartment complex...she just loves to look around at everything going on around her!

Nate gets home around 430 and hopefully we will get to hangout as a family! We are in need of some quality time as a family! Hopefully we can go to a park or something...maybe Nataleigh will get to have her first swing ride this afternoon! I'll post some pictures later!

Till later!
Emileigh

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm really excited for today because I have set-up a surprise stay-at-home date with Nate for this afternoon! I have been planning this for several weeks now...gathering up decorations and making decorations! I have also looked at different websites/blogs to get ideas of what I could do and not spend a ton of money and so this is what I came up with!

For treats we had scones (very Irish there!), popcorn with green icing drizzled over it, mint dark chocolate kisses wrapped in kelly green foil, a variety of green colored Jelly Bellies, Pot O' Gold (rolos in a green tin) and a Clover Leaf cake with mint Oreos around the cake.

For entertainment I looked up on Grooveshark (a free website to listen to music) and found some Irish music from Celtic Women and had that on to set the Irish mood. I also looked up movies to watch online that were free but Nate didn't want to watch a movie.

For clothing I found a shirt at Walmart for Nate that cost $4! Score!!! I also went to Target and found a pair of boxers that had clover leaves all over them...they were too cute to pass up! I also found at Target in their $1 section hats for us to wear! Granted I never thought Nate would wear anything with glitter on it but to my surprise he did (but only to take a picture)

I also bought spinach pasta but left it at our babysitters house when I dropped off Nataleigh. Heidi a friend of ours that lives in the next apartment over watch Nataleigh for us so we could have a little time to spend with each other alone before Nate had to go to clinicals.

Here are a few pictures of what I did. He really enjoyed the effort and decor and especially the thoughtfulness of planning a stay at home date.

If you are interested in great cheap at home dates or themes for at home dates check out the blog Love, Actually on blogspot and you will be amazed at all the ideas that they have!

First night of many to come!

Last night Nataleigh slept from about 830 till 730 this morning! I am sooo happy! After a very hard weekend of getting basically no sleep I think we have her back on schedule! Sunday night after we got home from Dayton, Ohio, Nate & I talked about letting her cry it out that night and that's what we did. She woke up around 230 or 330 and we let her cry for around 1 to 1 1/2 hours but she did fall back asleep and she never really wailed she just wined. She found her thumb from time to time and then after awhile she gave up her fight and went to sleep! She woke up around 645 and then I nursed her and everyone was happy! I did work last night so it was up to my mom to keep her on schedule which she did a fantastic job! She put her in bed and Nataleigh never made a peep! This morning she was happy and we even got her 8 month photo shoot in before 10am! I am hoping she does well tonight again! Say some prayers! Here are a few of my favorite ones from this months photo shoot!

Sleeping & Walking

Today was a good day! Nataleigh did better last night than she has all week! Thank God! She has been waking up 2 times a night (midnight and 3 am) which is very unusual for her since she has been sleeping through the night since she was 9 weeks old! I do believe she is teething (for real this time!)...you can see little buds when her gums are not swelled up...it's kinda cute. Another reason I believe she is teething is she is drooling a ton! The final reason is when she is nursing I can feel a difference in how she nurses...she is biting down harder than before but not completely biting. Last night however, she slept till 330 and kind of fussed till 430 which I am trying to let her cry/calm herself down to fall back asleep...it worked for a little while but then Nate told me to get her up and nurse her due to the fact it had been going on a hour since she first woke up. We got on our normal schedule for the day and have done well...I am praying tonight she does even better...I think she is starting to get back on routine! I am soooo excited!

Another update on a post about getting back on track with my weight goal...well I am down to 160.4 so I am down 2 lbs and I went for a walk with Nataleigh this afternoon. It was so nice out I wanted to walk around our apartment complex and let her look around....she is so fascinated by all the noises and new scenery. She just sits back and moves her head from side to side to try and catch every little thing we pass by...it is really cute! I feel really good about how today went and I am hoping that I continue to do good. Wish me luck and say some prayers!