Amir Shannel -
Amir Shannel -
  • Home
  • BLOG
  • Lifestyle
  • Parenting
  • ABOUT ME
Editor's choice, Favorite Products, Uncategorized

Sleep Essentials

June 27, 2018 by aalexander 6 Comments
This post is sponsored by HALO. I received this product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. In addition, this post contains affiliate links.
We have been working on developing a sleep schedule for Lennox. While she is sleeping through the night, her bedtime has not been consistent. I have taken a few different approaches on winding her down for bedtime. After about a week of trial and error I think that I may have finally created a nighttime routine that we can stick to. I have discovered that right after her evening feeding its best to burp her and then immediately put her in the bathtub. Lennox loves to splash around and play and this wears her out. We follow up her fun filled bath time with a nice lotion rub down which relaxes her. After her warm bath and lotion rub down we slip on her HALO SleepSack wearable blanket and that seals the deal.
The HALO SleepSack wearable blanket is soft and cozy. The open armholes are not restrictive and they prevent Lennox from getting too hot during the night. Since using the wearable blanket I no longer worry about her accidentally putting the cover over her face. I really like this lightweight and breathable alternative to a regular blanket. It’s spacious enough for her to kick around as she pleases but it’s snug enough to make her feel secure. I love the fact that the zipper is inverted. That makes middle of the night diaper changes a breeze.
I like that HALO makes products that can grow with your baby. From the age 0-4 months we were huge fans of the HALO Sleepsack Swaddle. It was a lifesaver for us at night. HALO products are effective, affordable, and safe. Wearable blankets are becoming more popular and are highly recommended for baby’s safety. After trying the HALO SleepSack wearable blanket I am convinced that they are a nighttime essential. The HALO SleepSack comes in a variety of designs and textures. We currently have the 100% Muslin wearable blanket but I am definitely going to get a fleece one for the winter.
For more information about HALO  and their products please visit their website www.halosleep.com

 

Share:
Reading time: 1 min
Favorite Products, MomLife, MommyHood

Advancing To Solid Foods

June 8, 2018 by aalexander 8 Comments

This post is sponsored by NUBY USA. I received this product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. In addition, this post contains affiliate links.

I noticed recently that Lennox did not seem to be satisfied with the amount of milk that she was receiving. I increased her serving size and it still did not seem to suffice. I decided that it was time to take the slow leap into incorporating solid foods into her diet. Her pediatrician gave us the green light to feed her rice cereal at her 4-month appointment. He recommended that we feed her with a baby spoon opposed to putting the cereal in the bottle. He informed us that eating off a spoon is a developmental accomplishment for a baby. It helps them learn to control their oral motor muscles. I tried to feed her rice cereal several times however; it was an epic fail and Lennox was not a fan at all. I decided to take a different approach and introduce her to fruit first and she loved it!!!

Feeding Lennox with a spoon for the first time was very fun, easy, and down right adorable with the Nuby Weaning Spoon. These spoons are a must-have item for feeding your little one. The long handle prevents food from making a mess and the bright, fun colors help with stimulating your baby’s senses. I’m cautious about introducing Lennox to different plastics but I didn’t have to worry about that since these are BPA free. The Nuby Weaning Spoons come in a set of 6 fun colors that I am sure your baby will enjoy as much as Lennox did.

I am always looking for fun and functional items to assist me with my everyday task for Lennox and these spoons were a hit for us. I would definitely recommend you give them a try. I can’t believe that our baby is already transitioning to solid foods. Before you know it she’s going to be able to feed herself. Can the time please slow down?!

For more information on NUBY products please visit their social media accounts.

NUBY Facebook

NUBY Twitter

NUBY Instagram

NUBY Pinterest

Share:
Reading time: 1 min
MomLife, MommyHood, Parenting

The Perfectly Imperfect Mother

June 1, 2018 by aalexander 7 Comments

Yesterday I had a little moment… I thought about all of the things that I planned for the day that did not get completed and I felt so unproductive. Some days I am on top of it, and I get so much done. Other days things don’t go as planned, and my to-do list is a complete flop.

I have to admit at times I am guilty of getting a little overly ambitious with my to-do list goals for the day. I end up putting myself in “in a perfect world scenarios”. There is only one problem with these “in a perfect world” scenarios… #Momlife is NOT perfect in any way, shape, or form (insert sigh). There are going to be days where I can’t get stuff done because I’m needed for comfort and love and I am okay with that.

I am learning not to only measure my day by tasks completed because there is no measurement for motherly duties, they are a labor of love. I saw a picture of Lennox smiling yesterday and it put everything into perspective. I don’t want to miss these small moments because I am too caught up in scratching items off of my to-do list. At the end of the day I will not remember the dishes that didn’t get done or that load of laundry that I didn’t fold. I will however remember her first smile, her first belly laugh, and how she looks at her fingers and toes now that she’s discovered them. I will remember the way I look at her while she is sleeping, and the way she looks at me while she is awake. These are the things that are most important right now and something as small as a picture reminded me of that. So now when I think about it I have actually been overly productive with enjoying my perfectly imperfect life.

Share:
Reading time: 1 min
MomLife, MommyHood, Parenting, Uncategorized

Teething Favorites From NUBY

May 23, 2018 by aalexander 9 Comments

This post is sponsored by NUBY USA. These products were given in exchange for my honest review.

All opinions are my own. In addition, this post contains affiliate links.

This past weekend was a world wind in the wonderful world of Lennox. It started on Friday, when her pediatrician confirmed what my husband and I suspected; our baby is teething! Her behavior over the past week makes so much sense now that we have confirmed that she is in fact teething. A few signs we noticed were her drooling more than normal, chewing on her fingers, and rubbing her eyes. Her mood has been a little shifty as well so I knew she wasn’t feeling like herself. Over the weekend I commenced teething duty. My good friends over at NUBY graciously sent us some teething products and they have been lifesavers!

I have always heard that a cold teething ring could be very soothing to the gums of a teething baby so I decided to whip out my NUBY Ice Gel Baby Teether Keys. I really like the easy grip design, which is ideal for little hands and helps with coordination. It took only a few minutes for Lennox to get the hang of holding her own teether and chewing on it at her leisure. The cool (pun intended) thing about this teether is the size and the shape. I like that it is small enough to fit in Lennox’s hand so there wasn’t much of a struggle for her to hold it. She actually prefers to wear it on her wrist like a bracelet lol.  It’s also nice that the entire teether is not the freeze pack material, so she has something to hold onto that wont be too cold on her hands.

We also tried out the NUBY Reversible Teething Bib with Dribble Catcher and Teething Corner. This bib is by far my favorite because it is a two-for-one deal for babies that are both drooling and teething. This soft absorbent cotton bib kept Lennox’s onsie dry. I especially loved how the triangle shape of the bib allowed her arms to move about freely. The secure and easy Velcro tabs were also super soft and didn’t snag her hair (she hates when that happens).  This bib features a teething corner, with multiple textured surfaces, to chew on as new teeth break through. This worked well for us, as Lennox liked to bring the teething corner to her mouth to lick and chew. These bibs are completely BPA Free and did I mention it reversible!!!.


Lennox has recently learned how to hold items in her hands for a short period of time. This allows her to play with some of her favorite little soft toys like the NUBY Blankie Pal. This extra soft plush teething toy mixes fun and function. The Blankie Pal comes in several different characters and features a variety of textures that kept Lennox entertained. She loved squeezing the blankie pal and hearing the crunch sound that the crinkle fabric made. This toy will definitely go in her diaper bag as her entertainment on the go!


I am so happy that we had our NUBY teething products to assist us. We will continue to use them during this teething journey. NUBY has a variety of great products for all of your baby’s needs.

For more information please visit their social media accounts.

NUBY Facebook

NUBY Twitter

NUBY Instagram

NUBY Pinterest

You can purchase NUBY items from the following retailers

Walmart

Target

Big Lots

Kmart

Amazon

Share:
Reading time: 3 min
MomLife, MommyHood, Parenting, Uncategorized

The Unexpected Gift Of Motherhood

May 15, 2018 by aalexander 5 Comments

This year Mother’s Day was even more special to me because it was my first time really celebrating as a Mother myself. It’s funny how much can change in a year. This time last year I broke the news to my mom that she was going to be a “Glam-Ma”; now this year I have a daughter of my own to celebrate with.

Being a Mommy is one of the greatest joys of my life and it has opened me up to receive the smaller, lesser-known joys of parenting. These joyful moments appear seemingly out of nowhere and they bring a huge smile to my face while warming my soul. In honor of celebrating my first Mother’s Day, here are four gifts that I receive daily from Lennox that are worth more than gold.

1– When Lennox yawns she ends it with a sigh  that is the sweetest sound that I have ever heard.

 

2– I love how she smiles at me when she sees me for the first time in the morning.

 

3– Lennox has discovered her fingers and toes. I get a kick out of watching her stare at her hands and feet throughout the day.

 

4– My heart skips a beat every time she laughs, it’s so contagious

Being a Mommy has taught me so much about myself but it has mainly taught me to appreciate all the little moments like this.

What are some precious unexpected gifts that you receive from your little ones?

Share:
Reading time: 1 min
MomLife, Parenting

Pumping Blues

May 2, 2018 by aalexander 16 Comments

During my pregnancy I decided that my baby was going to be exclusively breastfed for one full year. I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to be washing bottles and buying formula. I read about all the health benefits of breast milk and I was pumped (no pun intended) and ready to start this journey, or so I thought.

Let’s just say that things haven’t gone as planned…

The journey began in the hospital with my daughter not latching on. I also struggled with my colostrum not really coming out. We tried several tactics to get her to latch on to get out the colostrum but it was a painful struggle. I called in a Lactation Consultant and she showed me how to hand express the colostrum and gave me a nipple shield which was a lifesaver for that moment. The nipple shield assisted with the latching issue and it also made me feel somewhat better because I could look in the shield to see if anything was coming out.

I continued using the nipple shield for roughly three weeks until I began to notice that my baby was beginning to use the shield as a pacifier and not its intended purpose. I tried again to have her latch on without the shield and that was a disaster. I decided that now was the time to put my spanking new breast pump and fancy bottles to use. My first couple of pumping sessions were uncomfortable but I got through it. Once I got used to it I was able to pump enough to satisfy her need. With her now receiving the milk through the bottle she seemed way more content because the milk was coming out faster.

I celebrated the small victory of finally being able to track how much milk she was receiving as well as how much I milk I was producing. As her milk requirement increased my milk supply stayed the same and that’s when the stress set in. I started taking fenugreek pills and increasing my water intake to help boost my milk supply. I began to pump on an every 3-4 hour schedule. I was pumping around the clock and beginning to feel like a cow. Some days I could pump enough milk to freeze and other days I could barely pump enough milk to get through her daily feedings. It was a vicious cycle of inconsistencies. At her two month appointment I was encouraged by her doctor to supplement with formula because her weight was in the lower percentile for her age. I was devastated because I really wanted her to only have breast milk but I couldn’t depend on my supply alone to give her what she needed. I beat myself up about it in my head and then I got over it. The day that I started supplementing with formula was the day that I felt like a burden was lifted off of my shoulders. I no longer had the stress of worrying about whether or not she was getting enough milk and it didn’t matter to me how much I pumped in each session because I knew that she would have enough regardless. I still continue to pump and to this day my supply is still inconsistent. I have my good pumping days and my bad pumping days but I don’t have my stressful pumping days. I stopped taking the Fenugreek as I believe it decreased my supply. I now eat a couple of lactation cookies per day and that has been helpful however I think that getting out of my own head was the key.

I have talked to so many moms about breastfeeding and all of them have had different experiences. Although I would rather not be so dependent on my pump I am thankful that I am able to pump at all and still give my baby mostly breast milk. I’m still fighting the good fight but I am determined.

I wanted to share this experience because every woman’s breastfeeding journey is not the same and I want to let anyone else out there that may be struggling with breastfeeding know that they are not alone. You would think that something so natural would come easy but I’m here to tell you think things aren’t always what they seem. There are plenty of women who have very successful breastfeeding experiences from the start. Unfortunately I was not one of them lol. I have gottten used to pumping now and it seems to be working for me. So ladies if you’re having a hard time with breastfeeding and/or pumping just know that it’s okay to do what works best for you and your baby. Don’t feel like less of a woman if your baby won’t latch on and feed directly from you. I was so devastated when my breast feeding plan didn’t work out like I envisioned and I had to supplement. However, my Husband, family, and friends are so amazing and supportive and reminded me constantly that it’s not the end of the world to give your baby formula and now it’s all good!

Share:
Reading time: 4 min
Page 1 of 212»

About Me

Hello, my name is Amir. I am a Wife, New Mother and blogger. Follow me on my journey as a new wife and mother.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Popular Posts

Surviving The First 6 Weeks Of Motherhood

Surviving The First 6 Weeks Of Motherhood

April 16, 2018
Pumping Blues

Pumping Blues

May 2, 2018
Dressing My Postpartum Body

Dressing My Postpartum Body

April 25, 2018

Categories

  • Editor's choice
  • Events
  • Fashion
  • Favorite Products
  • Lifestyle
  • MomLife
  • MommyHood
  • Parenting
  • Thrift Shopping
  • Uncategorized

Like Us On Facebook

Tag Cloud

advice baby food bed time blogging breastpump comfort DIY empoweringwomen events food gallery goodwill halo health and wellness lifestyle momlife mommyhood motherhood mothersday networking newmom NUBY parenting safety shoes sleepsack Smile Brilliant spoon tea party teething Teeth Whitening Kit thrift shopping thrifty fashion
Load More...
Follow on Instagram
© 2016 copyright PREMIUMCODING // All rights reserved
Everly was made with love by Premiumcoding