Wednesday, March 4, 2015

8 months with Parker Mae!

Despite my best efforts of keeping you a newborn forever, here we are at the 8 month mark. Just 4 months shy of your 1st birthday. And yes your crazy mother has already started planning your birthday party (just don't tell your dad!).

I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm not entirely sure what happened to the month of February? But here's the reader's digest version:

  • You got two more teeth! We're up to four now, and I'm kind of dumbfounded. Neither of your sisters got teeth this early so it was definitely a pleasant surprise. 
  • Still army crawling everywhere, with a teensy bit of actual crawling. 
  • You're pulling up on everything, and trying to stand. (I am not ready for this at.all.)
  • We celebrated Valentine's day - your sisters had a slumber party at Aunt Jaime's, so you got Mom and Dad all to yourself!
  • You still love to eat, and I'm a HUGE fan of the baby led weaning method. It has been absolutely amazing for us. Does that mean it will work for everyone? No. BUT it has been very beneficial for our crazy busy family.
  • We spent LOTS of time outside, and you love to swing. (SO thankful for the nice weather!) You also got to start riding in the stroller sans carseat, and I think it's safe to say you're a fan.
  • You got your first cold. BOO. I try really hard not to "cry wolf" at every sniffle and head to the doctor, but you started wheezing really badly so I made the executive decision to head in. I don't mess around when it comes to breathing. The doc professionally sucked your snot out, checked your oxygen levels, gave you a breathing treatment and diagnosed you with a mild case of RSV. So essentially we had to wait it out, suck your snot out appx 500 times a day, and spoil you with extra snuggles.
  • You continue to be a dream sleeper. For reals. You go to bed between 6:30 and 7pm, and you wake up anywhere between 5:30-7am. Daddy prefers it when you sleep in until 7 though ;) Even when you're cutting teeth and even when you had a horrible cold, you still slept through the night! A girl after my own heart, I mean seriously. 






You continue to be a delight my darling girl. Quite possibly the easiest baby out of all 3. You still don't require a pacifier, you eat well, sleep well, and are quite entertained by your sisters. You may be the most serious baby to ever grace this world, but you also love to giggle. Your sweet little giggle is pure magic. My favorite part of the day is when I'm rocking you to sleep at night and you chat with me while you sweetly drift off to dreamland. I am pretty much putty in your hands. It's a good thing you can't talk yet, because the answer to anything would be yes. 100 times yes. 

You're still all business all the time. You let us know what you want and when you want it, and then all's good. You are rarely fussy. When it's time to eat, you eat and then you're done. When you're ready for bed, you lay your sweet head down and it's lights out. I sincerely hope you keep this easy going-ness up until you're at least 18. :) 


We barely got your 8 month photo in on the exact day. (Only 4 left! *tear*) So sorry for the awkward grainy-ness, this was at night and the light was no good. Daddy attempted to take it during the day, but had the chalkboard above your head and no bow. Silly dad.

You continue to amaze us, and we love to watch you learn, play and grow every single day. I can't wait to see what the world has in store for you, or what you have in store for it!




Monday, March 2, 2015

Getting my hippie on

For sometime now I've been dabbling in the "granola" world. More specifically, essential oils. I'm sure you all have heard about them by now, and may or may not have jumped on the eo band wagon. I'm pretty skeptical by nature, so have slowly added a few different blends to our household. I'm very cautious of just about anything when there's a baby in the house and eo's are no different.

So far my favorite is lavender oil. Not only does it smell divine, but it helps with relaxation, and is perfect for sending my three little ladies of to dreamland at night. Lavender can also help with seasonal allergies, eczema (ahem... PARKER), and minor cuts and scrapes (just to name a few). Here's a few of my favorite ways to use lavender oil:


  • as an airfreshner - place a few drops on a cotton ball, and place strategically throughout the house 
  • as a bug repellent - it's almost summer time and those pesky mosquitos will be chomping at the bits, lavender oil can help prevent bug bites (and smells divine!)
  • for anxiety - I'm an anxious person by nature and so is my mini-me Gracen. 
  • beauty - lavender oil can help with acne as well as scarring. I just mix it with my coconut oil and it's the perfect moisturizer
  • Sleep aid - I like to mist a little onto the sheets for my girls and for me as well

I'm not replacing modern medicine anytime soon, but I do love to incorporate natural products when and where I can. What are your favorite oils?