Thursday, January 29, 2009

Ya, Baby Stuff...

Yup... I imagine in the next 8.5 weeks that I have left to carry lil Josephine, you will be seeing lots of baby things...


First... my sweet friend, Amy Tan had a custom onsie made for lil Josie!


Fromamytan 


I rock out Amy Tangerine attire whenever I can so of course lil Josie will have to too!


And the belly shot from this week...


31weekstext 


I honestly really love my baby belly. Still feeling pretty great. Just noticing my energy is decreasing, but other than that, I feel great! 8.5 more weeks! It's so wild how fast this has flown by!


And a few photos from our Maternity Session w/our friends at Landon Jacob that were taken the last week of December.


IMG_0474-4x6 


IMG_0490-4x6 


And Here is her nursery paint color...


Antique Fresco


Paint 


Pretty, soothing, natural.


So Im probably going to open up a can of worms here... but I have heard so many things about the Baby Wise Book.


About 1/2 great and 1/2 horrible...


So Id love your opinion from experience about this book and method.


 


We have a great weekend planned... Painting Josie's room, organizing, and a Cupid's Arrow Photo Session Sunday! Mommy and lil girl... a present for Daddy who is deployed at the moment.  Im really excited about it!


I have been on a HUGE homemade Rice Crispy Treat kick the past 2 weeks... It's bad... real bad.


Oh well... Life's simple pleasures right?


xo

19 comments:

  1. Love that onesie. Josie is going to look adorable in it.LOve your photo with her booties. Love Krispy Treats too. =) Happy painting!

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  2. Have never read the book. ALL I KNOW is it goes by way too fast. Cherish every second of it. Savor it. enjoy it. You will want to pull your hair out at times but each moment will pass so fast. you will look back and go wow.
    seems like yesterday. I love that photo with you holding the baby booties that is soo sweet! I wish I had more photos like that from when I was prego!

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  3. Babywise has been incredible for our family. Both my sisters did it with their kids and I have three friends in the last year that have done it with their children. I LOVE it and would do it again in a heartbeat. My little girl is about to turn one and is still sleeping fabulously (she started sleeping through the night at 5 weeks). She sleeps 12 hours at night and takes two-two hour naps everyday. This is a similar result that each of my family members and friends have had with their babywise experience. Babies who have adequate sleep are generally happy the majority of the time and then so become the mommies too. My little one gets compliments quite frequently about her happy demeanor.
    I feel there are so many common misconceptions with babywise. I have found that many have come from people who have never read the book or who have only read an online forum and it has been hear say or from those who have read the book once and then taken things out of context. When my little girl was little I would read chapters over and over again to make sure I was doing things right. It does seem much is common sense, but at the same time I feel there is such a science behind it.
    I hope many comment on this post. I would love to hear the thoughts of everyone out there. As someone that has had success with babywise I would also be happy to answer any questions that anyone may have.
    This is a blog mom who focuses on Babywise but then adds in an eclectic blend of tips:
    http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/

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  4. Gorgeous pics sweetie!
    Babywise - pretty much if you look at it as some information rather than "law" you might find it really really useful!
    We followed some advice from it, other friends lived by it, and another girlfriend hated it!!
    Like others have said, with many things to do with babies, consistancy is key, so try and get basic routines going (as opposed to really drawn out intricate routines which trust me can drive you mad in the end!!).
    Basic stuff like consistent bedtimes, FREQUENT sleeps especially for newborns, the "feed-play-sleep" routine during the day, and "feed-sleep" routine at night (ie minimal talking interaction during night feeds, so bubs eventually gets the hint that nighttime is for sleeping). The feed play sleep routine we did from when our kids came home - even though play for newborns mainly involves you gooing over them as they lie on their squishy floor rug!!! But consistency and feed-play-sleep routine were the two things that saved us in the end!!
    Kids CAN learn to go to sleep on their own, but when you learn their crys and patterns (ie when the "I'm tired" fidgets etc start) it makes it easier to work out what to do - ie when to put them to sleep, when to give a cuddle, when they can have a go at getting to sleep on their own even if they are crying.
    Some friends here in Australia also looked into this program http://www.dunstanbaby.com.au/ and said it was amazing and really helpful - it came after our youngest was born so I can't say from experience myself!
    Good luck, and remember, ENJOY your new bubba - like others said it goes sooo quick, cherish all the little moments!
    Cheers,
    Lee :)

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  5. I never read the book, so I can't really say anything. I just established a good routine and stuck to it as close as possible. BUT, whatever you do, do what feels right for you.
    Cute belly shot!

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  6. Whitney Gainous2:31 PM

    Amber even though we have not had babies yet I can assure you this will be the first book we invest in!! The lady I work swears by this book...HAHA and I can say being around her daughter I can see how this book really workes/d. But the only thing she said was hard is not wanting to go pick her up the second she cried. She is older now and she knows when her bedtime is and actually wantes to go to bed...yeah pretty surprising! Thought I wouls share my input hope to see you soon....I have a gift I am wanting to give you ;)
    Whitney

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  7. I agree with brittany up above. Babywise WORKS!!! I have seen firsthand what happens to parents/babies/families when they disregard what Babywise has to offer. It builds a babies independence, which makes them more confident in the long run too. Everybody needs their space and it's amazing to see that yes, kids/babies do too! When babies learn to fall asleep on their own...basically self-soothe... everyone is happier, even baby! Yes, it might mean that baby needs to cry for 5 minutes... but just remember that even from day 1 they are testing their boundaries!!!
    The best advice ANYONE ever gave me is "don't do now what you don't want to be doing in a year."
    with babies: this means teaching them to depend on you for sleep thru being fed, or rocked. You don't want the kid wanting to sleep with you or need to be rocked to sleep when they are 50 pounds!!!
    Anyway... It worked for me and for everybody I know that has used it. And the kids are happy as can be!!!
    Good Luck.
    I can't wait to see what everyone else says. I too think that those that are so against it probably never even read the book!

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  8. SUCH a cute onesie and GREAT photos. You are both so photogenic! And I CANNOT wait to see the cupid photos..that is going to be the sweetest thing EVER..gives me chills thinking about great surprises like that!

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  9. sarah1:44 AM

    i'm a children's minister who's come in contact with tons of parents who urged us to try babywise when we were pregnant. i did my research and immediately knew it was not for me.
    i have several beefs with babywise, but one of my biggest is its link to failure to thrive. in no way does ezzo have pediatric training, and most pediatricians will strongly advise against feeding on a schedule rather than feeding on demand, *especially* for a breastfed baby. my take on it is that babies are not machines or robots, they are uniquely designed human beings who are all different, and we should not treat them like robots.
    if a babywise baby is forced to cry it out before 4-6 months, that can be really damaging. i think the best evidence against babywise can be found if you research how pediatricians warn against it. especially its connection to failure to thrive! that is scary scary stuff! babies know when they are hungry, and when they cry, they're telling us they need our attention. of course older babies (6 months +) are "testing boundaries," but newborns are simply letting us know they need us!
    good luck! as many parents that might tell you it's worked for them, i can't imagine doing something that is so controversial simply because it might allow me a schedule and some extra sleep. please please look it up and at least hear out some of the scary stuff associated with it. :)

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  10. the onsie is SO CUTE! I love seeing all the baby things you are picking up for Josie.
    i don't know much about the baby wise book- but from what i remember, it's not a natural parenting book, so it wouldn't have been something i would have read. i want to say it had something to do with the idea of sleep training, crying it out, etc... we co-slept for the first 6 months or so and that is what worked for us, especially while nursing a newborn.
    so, would i recommend it?...no, definitely not. and i am saying that because i truly want the best for your family.
    i do recommend anything by dr. william sears. you can find the books on amazon, i'm sure. i loved sears because he informs more about doing what works for both baby AND you.

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  11. That onesie is adorable! I love the color you are doing in the nursery. It reminds me of vanilla ice cream :)

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  12. i think babywise is great...but it didn't mesh with my personality...but i know tons of people who love it! so try it...and see. the ezzos growing kids God's way is awesome!

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  13. amanda2:09 AM

    Hey girl!! I have the books if you want to borrow them. Cute stuff ya got there!

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  14. Hey Amber, I took a blogging break last week, so I am just now reading this post. I just wanted to comment on the BabyWise thing...
    I have only been a mama for three and a half years, but the best advice I can give you is to just trust your heart and what God is telling you. There are so many books and people and websites, etc. out there offering advice- it can be so overwhelming at times! But when it all comes down to it, I firmly believe that God gives you instinct as a mama to know what is best for your child. Trust that. For Josie it may be BabyWise, it may not be. And for your next little one, it might be something completely different! For me, there have been so many times when I have been overwhelmed by the voices of everyone else telling me how to parent, but when it came down to it, I already knew in my heart what God wanted me to do. Hopefully all this rambling makes sense!
    xo

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  15. Here is a great article...
    http://www.mothering.com/articles/new_baby/bonding/connection.html
    If no one gets you "Mothering Magazine" get it now... :) it is a wonderful starting point, with so much great info-if you tend towards natural ideas. :)

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  16. my mom gave me the baby book by dr. sears before lia was born and I loved it. I read some of the babywise book but I just knew it wasn't for me. It doesn't hurt to read a bunch of books, and then see what works for you when you have a baby. We bought a cosleeper and used it a bit with lia, but she usually ended up right in bed with me. Eden has been in our bed since the day we came home from the hospital and I have been so well rested, even when she was just a tiny newborn. I agree with the people that said just trust your instincts. Don't worry about what other people are telling you or will think...you will learn what's best for your baby!

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  17. Hey Amber....I have not read the book...I just have to say:
    Take it all in. Suck up the info like a sponge. Then be ready to forget lots of it.
    When Josie comes, you'll have a definite plan of action...and soon you'll see that JOSIE has a plan of her own. And once you let go of your plans, and decide to go with it, you'll really see your own maternal instincts kick in. KICK IN. Trust me on this one. Sam was not one iota the baby we thought we would have, and once I put my books down and tuned into him, we got along just fine. ;)
    You are a smart savvy lady...trust your instincts. No book is going to be able to tell you what you already know...or what Josie will be able to teach you herself.
    You're going to be a great mom, babywise, not babywise, it won't matter in the end! You'll see!!

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  18. Hi Amber!! Haven't 'seen' you for awhile. You're so cute!!
    I couldn't pass up the opportunity to post my opinion about babywise. My dh and I taught the Ezzo's class in California after our first child.
    I know that there are mixed opinions. Honestly, I have seen people who use the method and people who don't. It is so hands down the best thing for baby and the whole family. Obviously you have to use your God given maternal instincts and wisdom. He will direct you in making those choices throughout the day. I think that's the part that a lot of people leave out and then they just think it's this 'strict schedule' that can't be changed. Wisdom over rides all of that.
    We have raised the children and seen with this methond and have watched many other families do the same. I love it. I would never get on here and say all this unless I thought it would really help you. I say, give yourself a few months with it and then decide. Just my opinion. Either way, you and Josh are going to love this baby like crazy and it will be such a special time.
    So excited for you!

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  19. your pics are gorgeous!
    glad you like the onesie :)

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