Glow Mom, Glow

♥︎ Mum to Bray. Glow & Grow with us ♥︎

[blessedbeyondallbelief]

[glowmomglow]

Teething Hacks for Teething Babies

Like mine. These last couple of weeks, I noticed that Bray was fussier than usual. He wasn’t wet, didn’t poop, was not hungry (although, he loves to snack), nothing. But it was something. It was beyond me that my baby was teething all over again. I THOUGHT IT WAS OVER! Most of you know that Bray started teething as early as 3 months, and here he is - a month shy of the BIG ONE and he’s working on tooth #9! So here are some things that made teething a little more manageable:

SMOOTHIES fruit smoothies are always the best. try to do milkless smoothies, so that you’re not dealing with overly poopy diapers with a teething baby

SOOTHING GEL  soothing gels are great, for a temporary relief. I swear by NUBY, but you can use any brand. please be sure your gels are benzocaine and belladonna free

ICE CHUNKS ice chunks are always a GO for Bray if nothing else works. he’s so fascinated with the crunch, but also looks at me like ‘where did it go?’ the cold will soothe babies gums in a heartbeat. or it’ll just distract them from the pain

PANCAKES (with bananas are always better) pretty self explanatory. soft enough for the gums, and fills your baby up. Bray loves bananas in his pancakes for an extra tasty start to his day

OATMEAL we love oatmeal over here, but cream of wheat is just as great! anything soft like these grains are healthy and will give their gums and other teeth relief from chewing, breaking down solids

FROZEN TEETHING RINGS/WASH CLOTH I haven’t personally tried the frozen wash cloth, but I know some moms that use this all the time! For sanitary reasons, keep it in a sandwich bag so that it is separate from other foods.

SOFT FRUITS (again, bananas lol) watermelon, mango, avocado, boiled pears and apples, the list can go on

[glowmomglow]

Staying Busy at Home

Looking for activities to do while home with baby/toddler? I’ve collected some great ideas based on what Bray and I have done for the past couple days. And let me tell you, it may seem small or not interesting at all, but one thing babies love - REPETITION! 

1. Make noises with random household objects. 

Empty boxes (watch out for cardboard, COVID lives on that material for 24+ hours according to WHO), a wooden spoon, the plastic lid to a storage bin. If you baby is active like Bray, he/she’ll enjoy handling each item and BANG BANG BANGing all around

2. Show your baby something magical. 

Turn on a light, play peek-a-boo, or stick out your tongue. Not only will your baby try to mimic you, the cutest laugh will come from something so small.

3. Look out the window.

Braylen loves looking out the window. Leaving his greasy fingerprints everywhere. Be sure to raise the blinds high enough so they won’t pull or put the string in their mouth. When cars go by, recite the color or the point out the squirrel thats closest to the window. 

4. Have a dance party.

If your baby isn’t old enough to stand on his/her own, pick your baby up and dance. Play some of your favorite tunes! They’ll love it. And maybe they’ll pick up some rhythm too!

5. Read together.

No matter the difficulty of the book, as long as there are colors and illustrations, your baby will appreciate the time spent. Remember, babies love repetition. Read the same page over and over again if you’d like. They won’t notice as much as you do.

6. Sing or chant nursery rhymes!

Braylen loves his ABCs and Twinkle, Twinkle. I’m not sure if its the mom in me, but I just realized (10 months ago) that they have the same tune. Oops! Use your hands to show excitement. Your baby will remember the songs the more hands and inflection you use while singing.

7. Build a fort.

Just how we used to when we were kids. Babies love this! Just make sure you are under the fort with them so they don’t get lost in the sauce. Please be careful when covering your baby with a blanket, that it does not suffocate them.

8. Blow bubbles.

Omg! Braylen loves this. His dad just got him a bubble machine, and yes! We blow them inside. I would suggest getting the bubbles that are baby-proof. No scent, no toxins, free of taste, and does not irritate if it happens to get in babies eyes. 

9. Play with blocks.

Stack them. Count them. Name the colors. Build a home. Repeat.

10. Cook together.

Your baby may be old enough to eat the foods you are eating. If that is the case, cook with your baby. I wouldn’t recommend frying chicken but when mixing seasonings, exposing your baby will heighten his food palette. No picky eaters over here!

I hope some of these help! When all else fails, cuddle your baby. That always works! :) 

[glowmomglow]

I know in the beginning I mentioned I want to be as transparent as possible. So here it is –

MOMENT OF REFLECTION:

I am excited for this chapter. I am thankful that Braylen is such a happy baby and is enjoying homecare. I am blessed to have a job related to my passion, and a family that supports me 100%. I’ve made up my mind that I am going to listen to my favorite playlist every morning, write positive notes in my journal every lunch, and thank God every day for my life. But y’all. I am tired. My body is feeling otherwise. It’s telling me to slow down. It’s telling me to rest. My body wants me to ease into this transition. I’ve been on-go for the last two weeks, and I don’t know how to slow down. Fast has become my ‘normal.’ I haven’t allowed myself time to just be still. Taking on a blog space, creating content and staying consistent is a job within itself, and this mom needs to refill.

We’ll touch in soon, but in the meantime, our DMs are open. Xx

[anasianicole]

Mum Appreciation Post

[iwilltrustinyou]

[anasianicole]

GIVING IT ALL TO GOD

[glowmomglow]

Y’all I am SHOOK-eth. I just did some research on what fruits and veggies are best for our babies when they begin to transition from baby food. And I just - Lord be a fence. 

Moms typically know what is best for their babies. And I really thought I was doing something more beneficial when I would buy some organic vs. non-organic. But in short terms, just know that all fruit is not good fruit. 

Enough rapping. I’m dropping the list of fruits and vegetables you should look out for below ↓

12 Solids You Don’t Need to Worry About

Asparagus

Avocado

Bananas

Broccoli

Cabbage

Eggplant

Frozen Sweet Peas

Kiwi

Mango

Onions

Pineapples

Watermelon (seeded)

12 Solids to Buy Organic

Apples

Bell Peppers

Celery

Cherries

Seeded Grapes (that means raisins and juice too)

Lettuce

Nectarines

Peaches

Pears

Potatoes

Spinach

Strawberries

++ eggs, meat, poultry, dairy, rice. Now I haven’t found a difference in ingredients within baby food that is organic and not, so that one is on you but.. take notes! 

[glowmomglow]

The moment I haven’t really been waiting for, but I knew I’d have to prepare myself one day. Most of you know that I’ve been blessed to stay home with Bray for all of his 8, almost 9 months of life. And now, I start real salary work in less than weeks. Transitioning from home life to work life is going to be a mental shock more than anything, but luckily we have someone we can trust to watch Bray while me and his dad are at work. This is just the beginning, but I will be giving updates as I spend my LAST FULL week at home with Bray. I won’t be on socials as much because I want to love on my baby as much as I can, but when I return, get ready - for this life change with me. 

Don’t get me wrong, Im thankful for this new chapter in my life. Especially being offered a job only two months after graduation. PRAISE GOD! But I feel like need my baby more than he needs me now, although he still looks to me for food ;) He’s just growing up so fast and I don’t to miss any milestones. Like him crawling more, instead of scooting. And walking. OMGOMG I’m not crying, you are. Anyways, stay tuned. And send this mama all the comforting prayers, I need them. 

[glowmomglow]

Here I am.

Here I am. The end of January, and a month deep into my mom blog. I enjoy it. I take a lot of pictures and videos, I have soooo many things to share with all my mom friends and family. We’ve been getting questions left and right. I’ve been creating content. But boy, what was I thinking? I put deadlines on my posts, and set the bar high for myself - but in reality, I haven’t been able to balance posting on Instagram, Tumblr AND balancing the life of a mom. Knowing our generation isn’t BIG on reading, I started to feel defeated. It’s so easy to click, like, move on.

Trying to talk myself out of it more ways than one, I had to just be still. I took a step back from all media, thinking of how I can revamp but continue to share my mommy journey the way I saw fit. I had to remind myself that I’m not on anyone else’s time but my own (and Bray’s, since he wants to spurt every other day). 

I tend to force productivity on days when I should just refocus. In this time of learning to be intentional, I know I am capable of many things. I’m working on narrowing my mind when it comes to blogging and my purpose, because as a mom - WE have a tendency to push ourselves to the point of a mental breakdown. And this mom will NOT be that mom. 

I’m so excited to share what it’s been like to stay at home with my now 8 mo old, my breastfeeding journey, how I managed sleep deprivation yet, I’m still alive. If you’ve read this far, I appreciate you for taking the time to indulge in my thoughts with me. This could go on forever, but I’ll share it for another post. In the meantime, check back here and my sister IG @glowmomglow for some flooding.

[glowmomglow]

[glowmomglow]

Happy New Year everyone! To all my new & newest followers, I am the Glow Mom behind this gem 💎 My name is Anasia, and I learn something new about myself and my baby every day. . . To keep this brief, my life changed. For the better after giving birth. I started my own business doing what I love. I graduated college when so many said I wouldn't. I started this page to uplift moms, encourage others and share journeys along the way. My presence is felt. It took some time, but with a strong village behind me, I kept faith. . . Remember, your steps are ordered. Be the best YOU you can be. Do all things in love. God will see you through. Everyone's path is different, and is catered specifically for you. We're all Glow Moms 💗 #glowmomglow #modernmom #boymom https://www.instagram.com/p/B66Q8VuBXWf/?igshid=1eb5cp26kxg1a

[glowmomglow]

God knew I needed you. I can't wait to share our love story with our son ♥️

[glowmomglow]

[glowmomglow]

[glowmomglow]

I’ve decided to be more intimate, more real, more intentional in this space. As I’ve realized the most told story is about my labor + delivery experience, I want to remind all the mamas out there :: your story is different, and catered just for you. God knows what you can handle and he really will push you to new limits. You relearn yourself through the pain & uncertainties
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These pictures depict the motions I went through. Literally all three were taken in the same minute. 1st, I was chilling. 2nd at 2:26, “His head is out,” I felt the pressure of his legs being stretched on my rib cage. 2:26 x2, eternal bliss. My baby was born, his dad was taking endless pictures. We were in love. When asked to rate my pain, I can’t. Vaginal, cesarean, surrogacy. No matter the route you take, pain is different for everyone. The love still remains the same 💗
What scares you the most? 𝒞𝑜𝓂𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝑜𝓌⇊

[glowmomglow]

I don’t want to sound cliché, but when I tell you this is THE one. Believe me ✨
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Those contractions were coming :: what felt like 20 seconds :: but in reality, were 2-3 minutes apart, and I felt every single one of them. Ask me how many times I had to get an epidural? 😉
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I anticipated the pain and my baby’s heart rate would drop every contraction. The nurses kept moving me left, right, back up, knees down. They didn’t know what was really happening, but I remember them telling me to go to my favorite place, a beach, a place of peace. Focus on my favorite verse, or try to recite a line that would keep me distracted. I had already Let go, and Let God. So Philippians 4:13 was next in line. Moms, do you have a favorite verse that reminds you to fix your crown? 🌸
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#glowmomglow #modernmom #boymom #godstrengthenme