mama + mini

March 20, 2016

Check Ups: 12 Months!

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Every month seems to go by faster than the month before. Time just keeps flying by and Niko seems to be growing at <i>lightening</i> speed. Each day that passes, I am more amazed by the little [and <b>big</b>] things that he is starting to learn and pick up on. </div>
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This past month has been especially emotional and bittersweet, as Niko has turned <b>ONE</b>. For awhile, I have been trying to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for his huge milestone, but as his first birthday approached, I could hardly contain myself. As I looked back on this past year, I was overwhelmed by a flood of emotions. We have come such a <i>long</i> way since our first days together. Our first day together was rocky, as were many of our first days and nights. We were still getting to know each other and I was still finding out who this little person was. But, as time went on, we became rockstars and started to get the hang of things. We were [and still are] inseparable; he has become my <i>best friend</i>. </div>
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The twelfth month has been quite a whirlwind. Check Up with what Niko has been up to! </div>
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<b>Loves</b>: Niko loves to wave, clap, sit in the corner of the couch all snuggled up next to me or Justin, watch trucks drive by in the car, play independently, giggle with us over silly things [or nothing!], listen to music, walk, climb on and off the couch, swing on his swing, go for walks in his wagon or stroller, be outside, play with water and splash around, play in Brooks' food and water bowls [my least favorite thing that he likes to do], roam from room to room exploring, dance, and get into everything that he is <i>not</i> supposed to.</div>
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<b>Hates</b>: A few things on Niko's 'hate' list are not being allowed to play with scissors, eat my makeup or climb on unsafe furniture [I know, <i>worst mama ever</i>!]. Niko still hates getting into his carseat, but I just think that is a battle that I will <i>never</i> win. Naps are still pretty high up on the 'hate' list as well, but we are getting there. </div>
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<b>Favorite Song</b>: The Ants Go Marching In</div>
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<b>Doing</b>: Every day we see Niko learning something new. He is very inquisitive and persistent; he never gives up until he figures something out. Since his 11 Month Check Up, Niko has been walking and 'running' around the house and started pulling himself up without holding onto anything. He gives hugs, holds up his finger when you say 1, 'brushes' his teeth, and tries to eat with a fork on his own. However, one of the biggest, most amazing, things that I noticed was that when Niko hears cheering or clapping, he starts clapping. Watching Niko making the connection of the sound and what the motion is to mimic that sound is so amazing. He is also starting to make all sorts of connections. For instance, he puts his shoes to his feet, Q-Tips to his ears, wipes to his nose, he hands me my towel, and is starting to understand what certain phrases and words mean. </div>
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<b>Eating</b>: We have been trying to feed Niko as many different foods and textures as possible, as I am a picky eater by nature and have a thing for textures. We want him to be exposed to everything! We have even gone back to feeding him foods that he did not particularly care for in the beginning. Niko still loves his fruits [pears, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, and oranges], yogurt [I started making frozen yogurt bites for snacks and he has been gobbling those little guys up!], and Cheerios. He also really loves PB&J, mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie [as we found out this past weekend at Gigi's], hot dogs, cheeseburgers, animal crackers, cheese, baked potatoes, and pretty much everything and anything we put in front of him. I am still working on eggs though, but he just does not seem to want anything to do with them! </div>
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<b>Saying</b>: Niko still hasn't quite started talking yet, but there have been a few times where I could have sworn we are having a full-on conversation. Last week, I told him not to climb on his mamaroo to get on top of the desk and I swear he said "I got this." When I said no again, he said yes in a very reassuring manner. It was a very crazy encounter. Other words he says [or we think he says] are that, what, tickle tickle tickle, and hi. </div>
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<b>Sleeping</b>: Up until now, sleeping has been one of our biggest obstacles to overcome. At five months, Niko stopped sleeping through the night and was up at least 1-3 times a night to nurse. We thought it was because of a number of things like vacations, teething, growth spurts, you name it. At around 10 months, it started to get slightly better, but putting him to bed at night was a whole new obstacle. It was not until Niko was fully weaned that he began going down without a fight and sleeping from 7 pm to 7 am. Oh, what a difference that has made in our lives! Naps are still a whole other beast, but at least we got the nighttime sleeping schedule down pat!<br />
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<a href="http://ilycouture.com/collections/boys/products/birthday-dude-blue?variant=1228152283" style="text-align: center;">T-shirt</a><span style="text-align: center;"> // ILY Couture</span></div>
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checkups, featured

Check Ups: 12 Months!

Every month seems to go by faster than the month before. Time just keeps flying by and Niko seems to be ...

February 14, 2016

The Mama Behind the Mini: Our Pregnancy Journey

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Other than close friends and family, not many know much about our journey to conceive Niko. Getting pregnant was not as easy as many would think or had thought. There were more downs than ups and every month brought on even more heartache than the month before. There were days that I could not bring myself to get out of bed, as dramatic as that may sound. Getting pregnant was proving to be more difficult than I ever thought it would be. But every heart-wrenching, tear-filled bit of our journey was <i>so</i> <i>worth</i> <i>it</i>. </div>
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Ever since I was a little girl, I always knew that I was destined to be a mom. There was nothing else in the world that I wanted to be, than to be a mom. Others dreamed of being doctors or famous, you name it, but I always dreamed of having a large family of my own sitting at our long farmhouse table as we finger painted, played games and sat down for Sunday dinners. I was too naive to ever think that getting there could possibly be a difficult process. </div>
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For as long as I can remember, I have had issues with imbalanced hormones. My siblings always made fun of me about how "crazy" I was around that "time of the month," but I never thought that my mood swings were actually a sign that something was not right and could pose issues for getting pregnant later in life. It wasn't until months after Justin and I got married that I finally said something to my family doctor. We had been married for almost a year and each month I found myself without a cycle and a staring down at yet another negative pregnancy test. </div>
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I will never forget that hot July day when I received a phone call from my doctor telling me that I could possibly have PCOS and that they wanted to start me on medication right away. The doctor had mentioned that her sister had used the Metformin in the past and was pregnant in a month! I was so excited to get started. I felt so relieved! </div>
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Fast forward to September. Still no positive pregnancy test. Instead, I was even crazier than before, so sick from the medication, and feeling defeated. We finally decided that it was time to seek help from a specialist. We made an appointment for a few weeks out, as we could not get in any sooner, and I was anxious to finally get some answers on what was going on with my body. It's funny how you really have no idea how intricate and amazing the process is and what your body goes through in order to get pregnant, until you can't. </div>
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That first visit was challenging and scary and super emotional. I remember sitting there anxiously while I waited for the doctor to call us back. The visit was broken into three parts: the meet and greet, the examination, and the results. I have never been so anxious in my entire life. The whole visit felt like time was going in slow motion. During the examination, my ultrasound lit up like a Christmas tree. My ovaries were covered in little cysts. That's when the doctor officially diagnosed me with PCOS and more tests were done and more blood was drawn. However, the visit wasn't all bad news. My doctor was very positive that his plan to get me pregnant was going to work and that he had a high success rate in helping woman conceive. A part of me was relieved, but the other part was still trying to wrap everything that he was saying around my head. I knew it wasn't going to be easy and that we were not out of the woods yet, by any means. We still had a long road ahead of us. </div>
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By January 1st, I still had not gotten a cycle in almost a year and half. We started our treatment by taking Provera first to induce a cycle, then Letrozole. Being that it was the first cycle and we were still trying to figure out how my body would react to the Letrozole, the prescription was off and I spotted. We didn't end up getting pregnant. This was the first of several cycles that ended in heartache and disappointment, each one getting more difficult than the last. So many doctors visits, so many ultrasounds, and so many tears, I just didn't know how much longer I could do this. My poor husband was a saint throughout the entire process. He would just let me crawl in ball in his lap and cry day in and day out. I can't even imagine what he was going through, as I am sure it was just as hard on him as it was on me, if not harder. He was living with the constant heartache of not conceiving a child, but then also seeing his wife broken. </div>
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It was our last cycle. We were told going into this process that we were only going to get four cycles and if we were unsuccessful, we would have to run more tests and change our course of action. Well, our fourth cycle came and went and I was still not pregnant. When I informed the doctor of this, I asked for one last cycle. I just needed one last try. This time was a little different. We used an ovulation predictor kit, just as we did the cycle before, but this time there was something weird with it. For whatever reason, it wasn't working the correctly and we were confused with the results, so we just guessed and ran with it. I also had been running to NY and back, and then to West Chester and back multiple days that week for work. I thought for sure we were going to be faced with the same old results. But, I tried my best to relax and just let it be. A friend of my mother's told me her daughter always used Robitussin DM when trying to conceive and she swore by it. We literally pulled out every trick in the book that week. You name it, I tried it. </div>
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A week and a half later it was Father's Day and I went to go visit my parents. Halfway through dinner I said to my family, I am so sorry, but I need to take a nap. I literally could not keep my eyes open. The next morning, I called my mom on my way into work, as I do every day, and she asked me how I was feeling. I told her honestly, I feel really nauseous, come to think of it. I actually didn't think much of it, since I always have an upset stomach, which is probably due to my hormone imbalance. But, that weekend, while Justin was away, I took a pregnancy test, and it came back negative. I just could not believe it.  A part of me really thought this time was going to be our time. </div>
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June 24th, I was an emotional wreck. For as confident as I started out at the beginning of this cycle, I started to lose all confidence and the doubt took over. I cried for hours. I crawled onto Justin's lap and said, I know I am going to wake up tomorrow and I am not going to be pregnant, and I just can't keep doing this. I didn't know how I was going to move onto the next step.</div>
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The next morning I woke up sick with a fever and some sort of bug. I called out of work and stayed in bed. Around 9 am, there was still no sign of anything, so I decided to test again, not thinking anything of it. I placed the test on the bathroom sink and threw in a load of laundry to take my mind off the time, as it slowly passed. Finally, I got enough courage to peek around the corner of the bathroom to check the test. And, that's the moment my life changed forever! </div>
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featured, mamabehindthemini

The Mama Behind the Mini: Our Pregnancy Journey

Other than close friends and family, not many know much about our journey to conceive Niko. Getting pregnant was not as easy as many would ...

February 4, 2016

Check Ups: 11 Months!

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Here we are. 11 months already. I am just not ready to come to terms that in four short weeks we will have a one year old running around. How did we even get here? Everyone says that it goes by in a blink of an eye, but honestly, you cannot prepare yourself for how quickly time actually flies. There are so many wonderful things about time going by so quickly, though. Time can actually be on our sides. All of those rough, long days with little-to-no sleep eventually disappear, teething finally comes to an end, and changing 30 diapers an hour ultimately fades away.</div>
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Time with Niko is, and has been, <i>so</i> <i>bittersweet</i>; there is never enough of it. Watching Niko grow over the past 11 months has been an emotional rollercoaster, to say the very least. There is nothing more beautiful or rewarding than being a mama, but, at the very same time, there is nothing emotionally harder. In one aspect, I love watching Niko grow and seeing how quickly he picks up on new cues, I love the little person that he is becoming, and I love the bond that we have; the list never ends. On the other hand, it makes me so sad that he is no longer an itty bitty one-day-old baby, it makes me sad that our snuggling days are numbered, as he is more interested in exploring the world, and it makes me sad that I am already not needed in some aspects. However, with all of that being said, I am so glad and so grateful that he is growing healthily, that he is learning new things and developing at the right speed, and that we are just happily living life one day at time and soaking up all life's goodness that it has to offer!</div>
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So, with that said, here is Niko's 11 Month Check Up!</div>
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<b>Loves:</b> Loves to play with Brooks, dance, crawl around with something in one of his hands, take baths, get his teeth brushed, explore the house and cabinets, eat, and play with everything that he is not supposed to, such as cords, outlets, the dishwasher, etc. He loves being tickled, tossed around in the air, and when we are all being silly. He also loves play peek-a-boo and kiss the baby in the mirror. He just loves staring at and talking to himself!</div>
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<b>Hates: </b>Sleeping, naps, and basically everything that has to do with sleeping, but oddly hates waking up. Niko still hates getting in and being in his carseat, getting dressed, and having his diaper changed. In all honestly, not much has changed since he was a newborn. He still hates the same things now as he did then.</div>
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<b>Favorite Song: </b>Gonna Wanna Tonight - Chase Rice</div>
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<b>Doing: </b>Plays peek-a-boo and doka. Niko is kind of walking[ish], he is taking a few steps at a time, now. He likes to give hugs and kisses and wave bye-bye, and he is starting to understand what certain words mean, such as no, come here, and give me kisses. He also can point to your nose and eye when you ask where it is.</div>
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<b>Eating: </b>Niko loves to eat everything and anything. He is actually happiest when he is eating. His favorite things to eat are blueberries, pears, yogurt, toast with strawberry jelly, feta cheese, tomatoes, peas, carrots and everything that we are eating. We are currently working on eating snacks from a bowl, which is not going too well; he tends to just dump everything all over the floor.</div>
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<b>Sleeping</b>: We are finally back on a good sleeping schedule. The last couple of months have been really tough. Niko was sleeping through the night, then he stopped, then he was sleeping through the night again, and then the holidays came. The cycle never seems to end, but I am thankful that he is back to sleeping through the night. We try to put Niko down around 6:45-7 and he will sleep until 6:30-7 the next morning. Naps are still vary day-to-day, since each day is different. But, we get at least one mini nap in and one good nap. We are constantly working on his sleeping.<br />
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<b>Saying: </b>Niko is saying Mama, Dada, Doka, and lots of gahs, ahs, bahs, etc. We have not heard any actual words yet, but sometimes we swear he actually says things, though. This morning, it sounded like Niko said hello in reply to my hello. But, I don't think that counts. </div>

checkups, featured

Check Ups: 11 Months!

Here we are. 11 months already. I am just not ready to come to terms that in four short weeks we will have a one year old...

February 3, 2016

Niko's First Round Picks: Love It or Leave It

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUOkxtHRaNWE40rEE-Cwkli66HbKGHMXUlWicXlue0Y852l00hg8waMDjeZTz0Ka9yKjXEa_o1MLR-EUI5e8Q7rpPGqUWVd8X4vD_ID6woUrelmn6MG4tlrQr3O5dH1U_vVJ9x-RGUOY/s1600/Love+it+or+Leave+it2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUOkxtHRaNWE40rEE-Cwkli66HbKGHMXUlWicXlue0Y852l00hg8waMDjeZTz0Ka9yKjXEa_o1MLR-EUI5e8Q7rpPGqUWVd8X4vD_ID6woUrelmn6MG4tlrQr3O5dH1U_vVJ9x-RGUOY/s1600/Love+it+or+Leave+it2.jpg" /></a></div>
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I have such a love-hate relationship with almost everything we buy. I always leave with such high expectations; as if this new purchase is going to entertain Niko, give him a bath, run the vacuum, and fold all of the laundry, all while doing the dishes. And, although, many products do not live up to my unrealistic expectations by running around and doing my housework for me [I mean how amazing would that be?], I can usually find something about them that I like or could like. More often than not, I keep products around the house just because I love the idea of them and what they could be or should be doing and not because I actually need them or love them. </div>
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If you are about to register or browsing through the aisles of Babies R Us trying to decide whether or not you should spend the money on a particular item, stop by and check to see if the product has made the <i>love it</i> or <b>leave it</b> list. Maybe I can help sway your decision, one way or the other! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CGjnqROUzNnr9ec3AzaMhmMZs9KWL8L07y3ccV6qGHchtQUL9kVx_Y0iQEXiksyPa19zTiW4jnQMdUc8TaZewTwdbuXPNVggZjjbMtdTnPWbSe4SXlSyvwgNj-MMtP2ZmCoJoIkW3qI/s1600/Sleep+Sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CGjnqROUzNnr9ec3AzaMhmMZs9KWL8L07y3ccV6qGHchtQUL9kVx_Y0iQEXiksyPa19zTiW4jnQMdUc8TaZewTwdbuXPNVggZjjbMtdTnPWbSe4SXlSyvwgNj-MMtP2ZmCoJoIkW3qI/s1600/Sleep+Sheep.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=35598136">Cloud B Sleep Sheep</a> - I have to preface by saying that I am slightly obsessed with our Sleep Sheep and it has been a lifesaver for Niko. The Sleep Sheep drowns out the background noise of the house while Niko sleeps and helps keep him asleep. The only reason why I love-hate this product is because of the short timer. The timer can be set to either 23 minutes or 45 minutes, which really is not long enough for us. Sometimes, especially during nap time, once the timer goes off, Niko will wake up. I would love this product 10x more if there wasn't a timer. But, when it comes down to it our verdict still is: </div>
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<i>love it. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBukD8kgD9w_4ytytvkX0FEIVAqydMYHNRDBnogahjCrTqbO4ewlTHCEY7oFm5RLDVgllzeAO9dYb2SXd4W9QackOiwJzjKs1bOJ8SfpbT0vWiQmaTUIvpVSU0zZo7xjkDu58CoA7RU0/s1600/Arm+Cushion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBukD8kgD9w_4ytytvkX0FEIVAqydMYHNRDBnogahjCrTqbO4ewlTHCEY7oFm5RLDVgllzeAO9dYb2SXd4W9QackOiwJzjKs1bOJ8SfpbT0vWiQmaTUIvpVSU0zZo7xjkDu58CoA7RU0/s1600/Arm+Cushion.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12749576&cp=&parentPage=search">JJ Cole Infant Car Seat Arm Cushion</a> - In theory, I love this product. I love the idea of having a nice pillow to comfort my arm as I carry Niko around in his infant car seat. However, it does not actually do that. The arm cushion actually makes carrying the car seat more difficult, as it becomes awkward in the bend of your elbow, and it does not provide any relief for your arms. Not only does carrying your child become more difficult, but it becomes difficult to pull back and forth the shade, especially driving. In the end, the verdict is:</div>
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<b>leave it.</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHjfsLuY34p8Jwlchc3auG8XFV8EtKNp_487OrfBkyGZeniBoLhYBnObnjZZhEppvfablEVUydCduXQ9RQJ6_4S1WKTsZyolAFIKd0T7IIu3CEJaVyqAq8XesZ8b6293Ijv0LlVGeohA/s1600/Drain+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHjfsLuY34p8Jwlchc3auG8XFV8EtKNp_487OrfBkyGZeniBoLhYBnObnjZZhEppvfablEVUydCduXQ9RQJ6_4S1WKTsZyolAFIKd0T7IIu3CEJaVyqAq8XesZ8b6293Ijv0LlVGeohA/s1600/Drain+Cover.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=42945866&cp=2254191.13129922.13067710.16492156&parentPage=family">Skip Hop Moby Bath Drain Cover</a> - Again, I love the idea of this product. I love that this product covers the drain to prevent any bumps or bruises, in the event of an accident. However, water somehow always gets under it and lifts the drain cover. The only thing that keeps it down is the one suction cup. Even though it sounds like I am not a huge fan of this product, it has prevented some bumps and bruises along the way, so our verdict has to be: </div>
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<i>love it. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsaCUHtjAMoXisAYXUn-Nh-_5rbTUCm4oiooUPV4ShAp96BNeTQF9ToeuS0Z5RlG5s1Sr7OBtxRfhQzokK30mRRuA3XqwuVtw-Fz0q17K1rybyrIngnb2YUBGOGTpYREsa0vvXCroQR0/s1600/TUB+THERMOMETER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsaCUHtjAMoXisAYXUn-Nh-_5rbTUCm4oiooUPV4ShAp96BNeTQF9ToeuS0Z5RlG5s1Sr7OBtxRfhQzokK30mRRuA3XqwuVtw-Fz0q17K1rybyrIngnb2YUBGOGTpYREsa0vvXCroQR0/s1600/TUB+THERMOMETER.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=42945856&cp=2255957.2273447.46475106.46474726&parentPage=family">Skip Hop Moby Floating Bath Tub Thermometer</a> - When we first got this product, I loved it. Niko loved having Moby float around the tub with him, and I loved knowing that Niko was comfortable and that the water was never too hot or too cold. But, about a week later, the battery had already died and I could no longer see the temperature display because water must have gotten in there and made the display window fuzzy. I loved it at first, but now, I have to say that the verdict is: </div>
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<b>leave it. </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAF0GekKPQVbps3U65CCX5eLkaaCq4gjpdSgD6rcNYVEmh9MY9X6E_MOPhJ07sd5-_YyU-xOPPK2vs38uBjn8R4yDD4e7wL33Ib8EkWJF47bPcBgQZghyMhyphenhyphenZxMnt9MbDIPXS8XCmM78/s1600/4MOMSTUB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAF0GekKPQVbps3U65CCX5eLkaaCq4gjpdSgD6rcNYVEmh9MY9X6E_MOPhJ07sd5-_YyU-xOPPK2vs38uBjn8R4yDD4e7wL33Ib8EkWJF47bPcBgQZghyMhyphenhyphenZxMnt9MbDIPXS8XCmM78/s1600/4MOMSTUB.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://shop.4moms.com/shop-infant-tub?_ga=1.218105945.1300198197.1453925698">4moms Infant Tub</a> - Have you ever heard that having too much of a good thing can be a bad thing? That is how I feel about this tub. There are so many awesome attritbutes to this tub. One, it gauges the temperature for you. Two, it is constantly filtering out the dirty water, while fresh water flows through. Three, it is portable and fits in the tub perfectly. This tub may sound like it is one of those products that will do your housekeeping for you, but it does not live up to those expectations. I found it extremely difficult to bathe Niko in this tub because the shape was awkward and cramped. My overall verdict for the 4moms Infant tub is: </div>
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<b>leave it. </b></div>
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Hopefully you found this post helpful as you prepare for baby and get your registry together! Let me know how what some of your <i>love it </i>or <b>leave it</b> products are in the comments blow!</div>

nikosfirstroundpicks

Niko's First Round Picks: Love It or Leave It

I have such a love-hate relationship with almost everything we buy. I always leave with such high expectations; as if this new purcha...

January 30, 2016

Fives: Snowpocalypse and More

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For one of my blog series [<a href="http://mamaandminiblog.blogspot.com/search/label/fives">Fives</a>], I will be posting five things from that week, whether they are things that happened, things that we tried, things that Niko has learned to do, etc. This week has been a little crazy and out of the ordinary, and seemed to drag a little bit. For whatever reason, every day felt like Friday, but Saturday never came. I woke up every morning so disheartened by the fact that it was yet again, not Saturday. But, then it happened, Saturday is finally here! After we get the house in order, we are just going to snuggle all weekend because it is still freezing outside and I am not going anywhere! But, here are our top Fives from this week. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI3qU18PmtrObhwVMv6P1THfA60g8Mmn5SLRRrrcNModEl7hHAgtLivq_pZ_N9WE9UI3hD2_r2_CEP2RujVRcZCWvoUBj-4HrL6ReUB__IES-CpwYV_5UFM0WB8M7ZQwbP_ocezwMTsw/s1600/IMG_5390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBI3qU18PmtrObhwVMv6P1THfA60g8Mmn5SLRRrrcNModEl7hHAgtLivq_pZ_N9WE9UI3hD2_r2_CEP2RujVRcZCWvoUBj-4HrL6ReUB__IES-CpwYV_5UFM0WB8M7ZQwbP_ocezwMTsw/s1600/IMG_5390.jpg" /></a></div>
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1. #Snowpocalypse2016 - As many of you were affected by the blizzard of 2016, so were we! It was the first snowfall of the season, but more specifically, it was Niko's first time seeing snow! I will never forget the look on his face when he looked up as snowflakes were landing on his lashes and his tiny button nose. He was in complete awe and amazement. However, that lasted about ten minutes. By the time Saturday rolled around and Niko and I had wrestled for 20 minutes getting him suited up, he was beyond over it. I am pretty sure he hated me, the snow, and not being able to move. We could not get inside fast enough to strip him out of his 18 layers so that he could crawl freely in his normal- more-comfortable clothes. But, once we were inside the nose-to-nose snuggle sessions made the snow day all better again. After many weekends of running around, it was so nice being snowed in all snuggled up. We did not have a care in the world this past weekend, and we did not feel guilty about it either! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirE0MrjADFSDarTBa3mpuDScI7YBqJJCD67N023eseZBOu5Vz0vRMuGMS0_iuVrgIigtVmMvEvbUCALPqLgHiAls1HtFUh47EE71RRtIy3l2sIMDZExGAsehEy7WFXfZvuPEeSaPPAVXM/s1600/IMG_5506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirE0MrjADFSDarTBa3mpuDScI7YBqJJCD67N023eseZBOu5Vz0vRMuGMS0_iuVrgIigtVmMvEvbUCALPqLgHiAls1HtFUh47EE71RRtIy3l2sIMDZExGAsehEy7WFXfZvuPEeSaPPAVXM/s1600/IMG_5506.jpg" /></a><br />
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2. We are still working with Niko on eating Cheerios from a bowl without dumping them all over floor and himself. We were only about 60% successful this time, but at least we are getting somewhere! I just keep telling myself that one day he will be able to eat out of a bowl or off of a plate without picking it up and turning it over, which will only make me more sad that he is getting big enough to eat properly. I mean, I just cannot win! HA</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemX4RVAXHlo2zoDvmC7L776nxlzqgL1J-20951vldaan2Aq_DOrS0HvS1JS7dgvGBsW1X5w-ZYlW5P0TXIciD21o8LV-xdmMWp2l6n6G5ZcQNB3zSAUduztork94eB8mM57IJu0_pfyg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-29+at+10.28.07+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemX4RVAXHlo2zoDvmC7L776nxlzqgL1J-20951vldaan2Aq_DOrS0HvS1JS7dgvGBsW1X5w-ZYlW5P0TXIciD21o8LV-xdmMWp2l6n6G5ZcQNB3zSAUduztork94eB8mM57IJu0_pfyg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-29+at+10.28.07+PM.jpg" /></a></div>
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3. mama + mini: the blog is finally up and running! This week, I finally figured out how to get my blog up and running and even got some posts written and posted. It has been a whirlwind of a week and I am not sure how I managed to do all of this work, but I did it and I am so proud of myself for figuring out all this techy stuff! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDi1gOfEotV9iVWQi3xmgBl3vOnUf2CnGJXKX2Erz129lvbvXgAr8NCePk_Tv2VsMD_-_SFAhAZZhjnngnzsX-HNr5_wOjjrhC_S0r0X8VuesoaaCErMLlllZ80p3JP5HUMc5pyTy8as/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-29+at+10.48.02+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDi1gOfEotV9iVWQi3xmgBl3vOnUf2CnGJXKX2Erz129lvbvXgAr8NCePk_Tv2VsMD_-_SFAhAZZhjnngnzsX-HNr5_wOjjrhC_S0r0X8VuesoaaCErMLlllZ80p3JP5HUMc5pyTy8as/s1600/Screen+Shot+2016-01-29+at+10.48.02+PM.jpg" /></a></div>
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4. Last year, Big Bang Theory aired an episode where Penny and Sheldon conducted an experiment designed to make people fall in love by asking a series of questions and then looking into each other's eyes for a designated amount of time. So, because Penny and Sheldon did the experiment, we obviously had to too! But, in all seriousness, I have always thought that it would be something fun to do with Justin, even though we are already married and know each other inside out. So, this week, I pulled up the questions and we began playing. The results were pretty interesting! I will get into that in a later post, though! You can find the questions <a href="http://36questionsinlove.com/">here</a>. Try it out with your friend, boyfriend, husband, blind date, whoever and let me know how it goes! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1IPiB9NYhWb8R0YoQ0ksiF3qR6l2jx61wKC9w7SabRRlbHVhJ2TsFOI3AF45XKHrw7Dc9aesqNL0htswpvVBqyWXdDj78OUkdOvOi7ZR1x-drlv8jkqRkZyIlXd_6egdAdUIQ8zcQ4A/s1600/IMG_5181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1IPiB9NYhWb8R0YoQ0ksiF3qR6l2jx61wKC9w7SabRRlbHVhJ2TsFOI3AF45XKHrw7Dc9aesqNL0htswpvVBqyWXdDj78OUkdOvOi7ZR1x-drlv8jkqRkZyIlXd_6egdAdUIQ8zcQ4A/s1600/IMG_5181.jpg" /></a></div>
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5. We changed Niko's sleep schedule and dropped one more nursing session, as we have started weaning him. It has been an emotional and long week, to say the least, but we are getting there! Each day and night gets a little bit easier than the night before. So, hang in there mamas who are going through the same thing right now! It does get easier, but it gets worse before it gets better.</div>
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What are you top Fives from this week? Leave them in the comments below!<br />
<br />
XX<br />
Francesca

featured, fives

Fives: Snowpocalypse and More

For one of my blog series [ Fives ], I will be posting five things from that week, whether they are things that happened, things that we tr...

March 20, 2016

Check Ups: 12 Months!

February 14, 2016

The Mama Behind the Mini: Our Pregnancy Journey

February 4, 2016

Check Ups: 11 Months!

February 3, 2016

Niko's First Round Picks: Love It or Leave It

January 30, 2016

Fives: Snowpocalypse and More

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