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erin. 23. boy mom. fiancé to the love of my life.♡

[still--getting--there]

[se17enteen]

[visvya]

[happilyy3verafter]

Naturally, we’re going on our fourth snow day this year with a newborn. As if being stuck in the house isn’t bad enough!! I would definitely say we have the snow day thing mastered though and it’s actually somewhat relaxing now.

Flash back to the first snow day and we were miserable being stuck inside but now that River’s playing more we literally turn our room into a giant playpen. We lay out all the blankets so River can have a ball all day rolling around on the floor. We throw toys everywhere. Like, I swear, it probably looks like a daycare for at least 10 babies. We leave River’s jumper out and his play mat. This gives River something to do all day (with our supervision, of course!!) and gives Mommy and Daddy some sanity and time to watch our own shows and play games and what not.

River still goes to bed pretty early too so we got all kinds of apps and drinks so that we can have a fun night regardless of the snow (when it’s supposed to be spring time – UGH!). As much as I hate snow, I do love the IDEA of snow days. They are so relaxing and it’s so nice to be able to spend so much time with my two loves without having to go anywhere or spend money.

That being said, our fingers are crossed that this is the last time we have to do this. Hopefully we’ll be able to spend family time outdoors soon!!

❄️❤️

Snow Day #4?!?! Naturally, we're going on our fourth snow day this year with a newborn. As if being stuck in the house isn't bad enough!!

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So many people only tell you about their terrible experiences with parenting – specifically teething. You hear about the crying, screaming, fevers, no sleep, etc. I thought every child went through this phase and that you just had to deal with it and find ways to cope.

River’s first two teeth just appeared out of no where at five months. He had no symptoms or anything. One day we just noticed them there in shock because we had no idea!! He did start chewing on his hands a ton more and drooling like crazy though but we never thought anything of it. We saw no change in his mood, he actually began sleeping completely through the night and he was never sick or feverish. Granted, these are only the first two so we’re well aware that it could still be chaos in the future but for what we thought would be a living nightmare, it wasn’t bad at all! Finger’s crossed that the rest of his teeth come in this easily and for other mama’s, teething may not always be a nightmare!

I’ll be sure to keep updating as more teeth come in!

  And so the Journey Begins . . . Teething! So many people only tell you about their terrible experiences with parenting - specifically teething. You hear about the crying, screaming, fevers, no sleep, etc.

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Month 4 was filled with TONS of exciting milestones for us! River had his first solid foods (and loved them!), he had his first sleepover at Gigi and Pepe’s, he began to sleep through the night more consistently (even though his morning is almost always 4am), and he began to roll over from back to belly! This month has been so exciting and so rewarding for us.

At the beginning we thought solid foods were going to be tough with River but he caught on almost immediately. He’s now eating anywhere from 3-4oz at breakfast, lunch and dinner and sometimes he has a little snack in between! He definitely has some favorites that I’ve noticed – pears, green beans and sweet potatoes! He will literally eat anything though.

River’s been sleeping anywhere from 8-9 hours at night which happened really suddenly. It seems like we went from feeding him every 2-3 hours to him sleeping through the night. I’m not complaining though! Although it would be nice if he would sleep later in the morning! It’s really tough to fight a sleepy, cranky 4 month old though . . . when he wants to sleep, he wants to sleep. We occasionally try to get him to go to sleep later with hopes that he’ll sleep later in the morning but that’s much easier said than done. For now, we just accept the fact that he’s an early riser.

River being able to roll over gave me a whole new perspective on what it’ll be like when he can crawl. I can’t leave him alone in the house anywhere now. I used to be able to let him play in the living room or his bedroom while I showered but now he rolls all over the place. I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like when he’s crawling!

So many exciting milestones were reached this month. We hate how much our little guy is growing though, time’s going way too fast! That is one concept you will never understand until you have children. The days aren’t always fast but the months/years are. Wishing time would slow down a little bit but cannot wait for what the next month holds for our lil man ❤️

End of Month 4 . . . Month 4 was filled with TONS of exciting milestones for us! River had his first solid foods (and loved them!), he had his first sleepover at Gigi and Pepe's, he began to sleep through the night more consistently (even though his morning is almost always 4am), and he began to roll over from back to belly!

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Co-Sleeping

I feel like lately co-sleeping has become a hot topic amongst many moms whether they’re having their first child or their third. We do not nor have we ever co-slept with River. Yes, it would have made life a lot easier at times but we have never resorted to this simply because we like our alone time and at night is the only time we ever get any anymore. When River was first born he slept in the…

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Adjusting Sleep Schedules

So River has a sleep schedule that is down pat and for the most part, it’s pretty darn good. For the past month we have been feeding him, bathing him then he has a bubba and goes to bed . . . by 5:30pm every night. Although this is all well and good, River generally wakes up around 4/4:30am. We try everything to get him to fall asleep later in the evening but he physically cannot make it later…

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I can’t be the only mama out there who had major anxiety over their little baby spending their first night away from home . . . right??? I knew River was in good hands I was more so worried about the little things like what if he cries all night or what if he gets constipated??? I was so worried but he did just fine. River’s almost five months old and he’s sleeping throughout most of the night so we figured now we be a good time to have his first sleepover at Gigi’s.

I packed three bags full of stuff. Extra clothes, PJ’s, TONS of diapers, Tylenol for his teething, all sorts of solid foods . . . you name it. Me and Cam went out for drinks and it wasn’t until we got home that I realized I missed River SO much. It was so weird not doing his nightly routine with him or hearing him throughout the night. I am sure that I was awake 10x more than the average night with River home. I could not wait to see him this morning and give him a giant hug.

I think my point to this blog is that sometimes parents get into such a routine with their babies/kids that you forget just how grateful you are for them. Last night made me realize that although River has bad nights sometimes or gives me a hard time during the day, there is absolutely nothing better than being his mama. One night without him made me appreciate him that much more and made me thankful for every night we have with him (even when he’s up all night and we want to pull out our hair)

Uncle Kevin

  River’s First Sleepover I can't be the only mama out there who had major anxiety over their little baby spending their first night away from home .

[happilyy3verafter]

Seriously, there is no better feeling in the world than seeing the guy you love most caring for the other person (baby) you love most in this world.

I can’t speak for everyone but I have fallen in love over and over and over again with my fiancé watching him day after day with River. Cam is seriously so good with River and always makes him smile and laugh. The bond between the two of them is so special.

As a mama, that is the best feeling. I don’t tell Cam enough how much their relationship means to me or how great of a dad he is. He works his butt off at work and comes home and can’t wait to see River and that warms my heart. It fills me with more happiness than I could imagine. Or the day’s that River’s awake before Cam leaves for work and Cam goes into his room to say hi to him – THERE IS SERIOUSLY NO BETTER FEELING (even if it is 4:30 in the morning). That is something I will always get River out of bed for.

Not only do I love my fiancé for working his butt off for us but I love him for his absolute dedication to this family. He might be exhausted when he gets home from work but he’s never too tired for River cuddles, a nice dinner with me or to have a movie night. Whether or not he realizes it, it’s the little things that mean the most to me.

One year ago, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We had gone from going out to bars every other night to suddenly staying in 90% of the time. One year ago, we were six weeks pregnant with not a clue in the world how to raise a baby – we hardly knew how to take care of ourselves. Both of us were still living with our parents and we were so scared/anxious. However, one year ago, we had no clue how absolutely amazing this decision of ours would turn out to be. I cannot imagine what life would be like without River. I am beyond lucky that I had someone like Cam who wanted to take on this challenge with me. Between him and River, my life is filled with so much love and happiness.

We are so fortunate to have a daddy like Cam and no matter where this road takes us, I know he will always be the world’s best daddy to our River. ❤️

River’s Daddy. . . ❤️ Seriously, there is no better feeling in the world than seeing the guy you love most caring for the other person (baby) you love most in this world.

[happilyy3verafter]

Every family has very different ideas about how they want their child to be brought into the world. Some people are absolutely dead set on a natural birth without medication while others are quick to tell the doctor’s to give them any and all pain meds available. Other people would prefer C-sections while some want a water delivery. No matter what your birth plan is, you definitely need to do your research!

Going into my pregnancy, doctors assumed that a C-section would be best for me because of my health history and having had a stroke in the past. They feared that pushing could cause more blood vessels to burst resulting in another stroke. Of course, I was on board with this decision right away but there was a part of me that wanted to birth my child naturally. The type of stroke I had was caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). I had emergency brain surgery as soon as it happened (5 years ago) and the malformation was removed completely from my head. Doctor’s ruled that this meant I could give birth naturally without putting myself or the baby in danger.

This being said, I completely omitted a C-section from my brain. I figured it was a done deal and that River would be brought into the world naturally. I planned to use pain meds but nonetheless he would be born naturally. Never once did I look into anything else “just in case.”

I was dead set about not seeing any personal opinions and/or videos about delivering naturally because I didn’t want to go into this being scared or anxious. I also did not partake in any birthing classes which I still would not do to this day in fear that it would freak me out more than it would be helpful.

What I would have done, however, is looked into the possibility of needing a C-section (NOT the details just the possibility and percentages like how many people actually end up having an emergency/unexpected C-section). That is major, major abdominal surgery and something you should make yourself somewhat aware of even if it’s just aware of the possibility that you could be one of the 32% (which is pretty high!!) of women that deliver via C-section.

Hours and hours into labor my doctor said I needed an emergency C-section because not only was the umbilical cord wrapping around River’s neck but I was no longer responding to the epidural. The doctors whisked me off to the OR and put me to sleep so they could insert a breathing tube and bring River into the world. Caught off guard, I will admit I was nervous and extremely anxious for this to all be over. Nonetheless, mama and baby were completely healthy and happy afterwards.

So, the moral of this post, besides telling my birth story, is that I would HIGHLY recommend making yourself knowledgable about the possibility of needed to go a different route when the day finally comes. Like I said, if I were to get pregnant again I still wouldn’t opt in for the birthing classes or look into specific details of each procedure but at least I will know that there is absolutely a possibility of needing a C-section no matter who you are or how healthy you are. Next time, I will be prepared and way less anxious if they surprise me and tell me I need to have a C-section.

❤️

Natural Birth vs. C-Section Every family has very different ideas about how they want their child to be brought into the world.

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Please tell me I’m not the only mama that cringes at the thought of having to bring their child for shots. There is absolutely nothing that could properly prepare me for this no matter how many times we’ve been now.

First, let me set the stage.

As soon as I undressed River and laid him on the exam table he was bawling his eyes out. Arms flailing, bright red face, tears streaming. Scared, confused and most likely, uncomfortable. He was completely loosing it. Mind you, we still had AT LEAST 10-15 more mins before the real bad part (the SHOTS). It has got to be the worst feeling in the world knowing there is nothing at all you can do to stop the tears or prevent the inevitable pain that’s about to come. I’m completely sure of that.

SO THEN. When you think it can’t get worse, it does. The nurse comes in with the shots and starts with the oral one which was a piece of cake (River will drink/eat anything that’s put into his mouth). Then, not one, not two BUT THREE SHOTS straight to the thigh. I wish I could take them for him. This is and probably will always be the worst part of being a parent. I felt so horrible for making him go through that.

It was a looooong car ride home but as soon as we walked in the door, River was all smiles again when he saw his daddy (that’s who he’s staring at in the pics). Meanwhile, mama’s just hoping the six month appointment never comes. 😂

4 Month Doctor’s Appointment (AKA Shots) Please tell me I'm not the only mama that cringes at the thought of having to bring their child for shots.

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Time flies and you don’t really notice it until you have a baby and see just how quickly the baby has grown and changed in a matter of months. Just yesterday it feels like we were bringing River home for the first time from the hospital and here we are, four months later so accustomed to bringing River to and from the house. Four months ago, we had no idea who our baby was and this was a totally new experience for us but now we feel like we’ve known River for what seems like years! We know his different cries and we know what makes him laugh and giggle. We know when he likes to eat and what times he wants to nap.

River is such a good baby. He rarely cries and sleeps great through the night (most nights). Last night was NOT one of those nights but they are few and far between now. Lil man can’t help it that he gets hungry sometimes!

Speaking of hungry, River started eating solid foods last week and he’s doing great with it! A baby’s immediate response to anything being put in their mouth is to thrush it back out which has been happening a lot but within just 3 or 4 days he sort of got the hang of it and realizes that this new food is something that he’s allowed to swallow. We made the decision on our own to give River solid foods. He’s approximately 15 lbs and is a “supported sitter.” This link from Gerber includes a quiz to tell whether or not your little one is ready for solids and explains what a supported sitter is. We have been using Gerber foods for supported sitters for River. We bought a little starter set with 1 oz containers that is specifically for babies that are new to solid foods, you can read about it here. So far River’s had apples, bananas, and peas. We tried cereal mixed with his formula but he’s not having it. That being said, it’s important to stick with it, keeping in mind that this is such a new sensation for them. It could take a week or longer for your baby to get used to this new feeling in his/her mouth. There is no need to rush this process but we figured if River met the guidelines and had no known allergies yet then there was no better time than now to start!

Some other milestones River hit this month were rolling from his belly to his back and his first real, hearty laugh! The rolling was so big because he was really struggling with tummy-time but we saw some real improvements this month. He lifts his head nice and high and even moves his arms and legs in a crawling motion. We’re going to have a crawler on our hands in no time!! He also has great trunk control. When he’s laying down on his back he tries to pull himself up resulting in what looks like crunches.

When River finally laughed I seriously couldn’t get enough of it. I almost started crying because it was one of the best things I’ve ever heard. He was so happy and literally would not stop. There’s few things better than hearing those first real laughs from your baby.

That there pretty much sums up the past month in the Newark-Dobson household. I’ll be taking his official 4-month photos tomorrow so stay tuned for that!!! Here’s some pics from the past month though that I seriously can’t get enough of ❤️

  We Blinked and Suddenly River’s 4 Months Old Time flies and you don't really notice it until you have a baby and see just how quickly the baby has grown and changed in a matter of months.

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Yes. Chances are, if you have a C Section, you can plan on staying at least 4 days if not 5 depending on how you’re healing. I was there from late, late Tuesday night until Sunday morning of that week. The time passes so slow because you literally have nothing to do and, quite honestly, there’s not much you feel like doing if you felt anything like what I felt after the C Section. I did a lot of sleeping and got lots of visits from family and friends during the week.

All I wanted to do though? Cuddle with my new baby! I wanted River in the room 24/7 which leads me to the point of this blog. These are essentially your last few days that you can get a full night’s rest . . . TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. I can remember being almost mad at Cam for suggesting that River spend every night in the nursery but that’s what it’s there for. Take advantage of the nursery and all it has to offer.

The nursery is filled with wonderful nurses that will care for your new bundle of joy overnight or even during the day if you want to take a nap or simply need a break. These same nurses will come to your room and help you with literally anything. We had no idea how to change a diaper, how to swaddle or how to even feed a baby properly and when to burp him. It’s okay to admit these things while you’re in the hospital because when you go home, you’re on your own and you’ll want to know what you’re doing, trust me. The nurses and doctors don’t think anything differently of you if you’re a young mom either. We had an overall great experience with everyone at UMASS Memorial.

There was one night, however, that Cam spent at home and River went to the nursery and I remember crying all night because the particular nurse caring for River kept coming to my room every single time he was crying and this nurse had the audacity to tell me he was “having a really rough night.” This literally made me feel horrible and it was the only night that I felt like he wasn’t getting the care that he needed. I just wanted to see him and hold him but I was afraid to bring him to the room since I was there alone. This particular night I did not sleep at all and remember being awake throughout the night worrying and texting Cam. I’m sure this nurse was just having a bad day but it was really disheartening to me (a BRAND new mom) to hear that my baby wasn’t being good at only 4 days old. With all that being said, regardless of this situation, every other nurse and doctor was beyond excellent. If the opportunity came again, I would send the baby to the nursery at night, no questions about it. Take the sleep while you can!!!

Wait, we Could be in the Hospital for 5 WHOLE Days? Yes. Chances are, if you have a C Section, you can plan on staying at least 4 days if not 5 depending on how you're healing.

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Finding out You're 21 and Pregnant

Finding out You’re 21 and Pregnant

If you’re someone who wasn’t planning the pregnancy, it can be downright terrifying. You immediately think of the massive amount of people who you are about to disappoint by telling them the news. News that you aren’t sure if you should be excited about or nervous for. Your mind won’t have any room to think about anything other than telling people, mostly your loved ones. Your parents, his…

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Yesterday morning we were up early because we had a long day ahead of us so I had River playing in the living room getting some energy out while I was getting ready. When I was done I decided to do some tummy time with him since we’d be out most of the day AND HE ROLLED OVER!!!! I was so proud of my little guy and he did it again right afterwards and then again today!! He’s getting more and more confident in himself when it comes to tummy time. #proudmama

You can see the video here.

  River Milestone!!! Yesterday morning we were up early because we had a long day ahead of us so I had River playing in the living room getting some energy out while I was getting ready.

[happilyy3verafter]

Motherhood is exhausting. I won’t be the only one to tell you that. It’s going to be really important to get time to yourself and to still find time to do the things you love.

The first most important thing is to get help! Don’t try to take on being a new mom by yourself. For us, Cam had to go back to work immediately after the birth of River which left me feeling helpless. I was home alone with a new baby that I knew nothing about. I didn’t know how to help him and that upset me. I was so tired and upset and River could definitely tell because, in turn, he would be miserable and fussy too.

You can avoid this feeling! Ask for help! Don’t be afraid or ashamed that you need to have your family and close friends come watch the baby now and again. This is how you will keep your cool, trust me.

My mom spent countless days at my house with River the first couple weeks he was home so that I could run to the grocery store in peace or go to the mall. I also had a ton of supportive friends that would come over and keep us company. Staying sane is hard that first month because baby is so unpredictable and still getting into a schedule but this is NOT the end of your world, you WILL get back to doing the things you love soon.

For us, things improved greatly during the second and third month. We now have our parents watch River at least one night a week so that Cam and I can go out and have fun. We’re still young and us young mamas need to remember that. It’s still okay to go out and have fun, your life is NOT over now that you have a baby.

Once your baby is in a routine, it’s much easier to keep your cool without help (though the help is still nice). Instead of getting chores done while baby is napping during the day, pamper yourself! You don’t always need a clean house. Those things can wait. Paint your nails, take a relaxing shower! I, for one, blog in my free time because it relieves a ton of stress. I’m also a big fan of adult coloring books, I’ll admit it! It’s mindless and allows you to be creative at the same time. I love to draw but I’m a perfectionist so when my drawings aren’t good, it stresses me out. Point being, find time to do what you love!!! The dishes will wait and the laundry will still be there tomorrow (unfortunately).

I’ve mentioned before that we also go on adventures on some days when we’re sick of being in the house. Which brings me to another important thing:  getting outside and getting some fresh air. It’s not only good for you but it’s good for your baby.

What are some of the things you do at home to keep your cool??? I’d love to hear your ideas 😊

How to Keep Your Cool the First Few Months of Motherhood Motherhood is exhausting. I won't be the only one to tell you that. It's going to be really important to get time to yourself and to still find time to do the things you love.