Erin Dobson

Happy Summer!!

July 21, 2018

Y’all, River is 9 going on 10 months . . . more like 2 years. He has grown up so much lately. Every month comes and goes and I feel like there’s been so many new discoveries and advancements but this month by far brought about the most milestones.

We have a REAL crawler! For so long I just assumed River would army-crawl until he learned to walk but he took us all by surprise and crawled up on his hands and knees. This was such an awesome moment because I never thought we’d see it! In fact, the doctor was sure that River would walk before he crawled because he’s so strong on his legs already.

Which brings us to the next milestone – River pulls himself up on everything and anything. The TV stand, coffee table, window sills, couch, bed, you name it! By far the best is when he pulls himself up on the window sill to look out at the traffic in the street because he has to stand on his little tippy-toes. It is seriously the cutest.

This past month we’ve also had to get rid of a lot of baby toys. Toys that River once loved to play with that are no longer interesting anymore to him. He grew out of his swings and got too mobile for his mamaRoo (which doesn’t have shoulder straps???) but I still swear by it and 100% recommend getting it if you’re going to have a baby. They sell different patterns and absolutely do not go with the grey!! That was our biggest mistake because it got so dirty so quickly (which is totally understandable with an infant but at least black could have gone a few more days without needing a very obvious washing). We have boxes and boxes of baby toys that I am way too sad to ever get rid of – maybe someday we’ll need them again. 😉

Last night was the first night that Cam and I put River to bed in his own crib. Until then, he’d been used to falling asleep in his mamaRoo or his swing but like I said, he’s getting much too big for that (about 22 pounds to be exact!). Transferring him from the swing to his crib was becoming almost impossible and we were having to start the bedtime routine all over again because he’d wake up during the process. We were so sure that putting River in bed would be a nightmare full of crying and screaming but much to our surprise, River played for 10 minutes and fell asleep. Granted, it was only one night so tonight could be much different but we’ll see. I think my biggest concern with this method is just how long to leave River in his crib if he is crying. There’s a lot of controversy behind the cry-it-out method. A lot of sources say it isn’t healthy for the baby and other’s say the baby needs to learn to self-sooth and fall asleep on his/her own. So just how long is too long to leave baby crying??? I have no idea. Personally, my heart breaks after River’s been crying for any longer than like 3 minutes so this method could prove to be real difficult.

Another thing I want to point out that goes along with past blog posts is the teething. We were using the amber teething necklace for a month or so and unfortunately, did NOT realize any changes so we’re back to square one with the teething remedies. I really wanted this product to work but sadly, it wasn’t for us. Though the necklace looks adorable on River, it clearly wasn’t doing what it was supposed to because there were many sleepless, tear-filled nights. The gels and pain relief meds are nearly impossible to get into River’s mouth because he now knows and associates it with the dropper. Any advice, feel free to comment!!

River has his 9 month doctor appointment on Monday and I can’t wait to see how much he’s grown since the last one. Time is truly flying by and I can’t believe that we’re starting to plan his ONE YEAR OLD birthday party. We are so excited to pick a fun theme and celebrate the past year with our biggest blessing. It has been a year of challenges and growing up but also a year of fun, new adventures and a whole lot of LOVE. We have a lot of party ideas already but I’d love to see what others have come up with so comment below with party themes you’ve done for your littles! ⬇️

And here’s some of the summer fun we’ve been having!

Delivery Day

May 29, 2018

After 7 months so much changes and one of the things I’ve had time to reflect on was River’s delivery. More like delivery night/day/afternoon/night – you mama’s know what I’m talking about!!

For the first few months of River’s life I was really disheartened by how the delivery went because going into it, every mom has their ideal method and dream delivery. I wasn’t picky on whether it was natural versus C-section or whether meds were used or not but the one thing I was absolutely looking forward to was Cam being there by my side to watch our son come into the world so you can imagine the heartbreak that came along with the doctor telling him that he couldn’t even be in the room at all.

There were complications with both myself and the baby that led doctors to that determination. The umbilical cord was wrapping around River’s neck and I wasn’t responding to any medications so they had to intubate and operate ASAP. I remember very little from the few minutes leading up to surgery but I can remember not being able to feel my body, vomiting uncontrollably, hearing doctors call out a code white and being so anxious that I couldn’t breath. Having any family members in the room would have caused more harm than anything because they had about 10 doctors running around me making sure we were both stable.

Looking back, I’m still sad that Cam couldn’t be there in the room but at the end of the day, Cam was actually the very first person to meet River – even before me and that’s something special. He sent me pictures right away so I could see what our little guy looked like and in that moment, I was so sad that I had to see what he looked like on a phone screen but it was all done in the best interest of us. Seven months later, what really matters is that everyone’s healthy. Things could have gone a lot different that day and I’m so grateful that I had the best doctors to make these decisions for me.

Seeing these pictuers still makes me upset that I wasn’t “there” for his first breath or his first cry but seeing these pictures also makes me realize how incredibly happy and lucky I am that we have a healthy, amazingly handsome, loving little guy. ❤️

Hi again!!!

May 29, 2018

I’ve been on a hiatus from my blog trying to enjoy every moment with my (not so little) baby! I’ve received a lot of questions about when I was going to start writing again so here we are!

River is 7 months old now and has developed in more ways than we could imagine and is healthier than ever. We could not have been blessed with a better baby.

Since I last wrote, there have been many firsts and many memorable experiences which is why I haven’t been on here much. River had his first zoo visit, ran through sprinklers with mommy and daddy, went to the park, played in the grass, got baptized, hiked in the Douglas State Forest and so much more! He’s started eating solids and is completely obsessed with his Puffs.

River’s sprouting tooth 5 and 6 and has been an absolute CHAMP throughout the whole teething process. We’ve had a few sleepless nights but that’s expected. We recently began using an amber teething necklace and I can’t tell a huge difference just yet but since we’ve had it we haven’t had to give him any Tylenol. Could be a coincidence but I’d like to think the necklace is working. Its claim to fame is that it’s an anti-inflamatory agent that helps with teething pain as well as drooling. I’ve had a lot of concerned family and curious friends when they see River wearing a necklace but he hardly notices that it’s on and no it does not choke him.

What really led me to buy the necklace was the fact that River was impossible to give medicine to and wouldn’t open his mouth to put teething gel on his gums. I felt horrible for him and decided I’d try anything at that point. River also began getting teeth by 5 months old and he still was unsure about what to do with teething toys so although we gave him a bunch of options he had no clue to chew on them and would have rather banged them off every surface. The only toys that really worked for us was the Nuby banana and the Nuby Teethe-eez. And when I tell you we tried everything else, we have tried E V E R Y T H I N G so if you have any questions, ask!

River has been sleeping incredibly well when he’s not sprouting new teeth, sleeping for at least 10 hours a night. He generally falls asleep by 7/8pm and is still a very early riser and up by 5:30am. I wish he would sleep later but all in all, we’re happy with the schedule he’s gotten into. He usually has his bubba when he wakes up and we put the TV on so sometimes we gain another hour of sleep while he’s entertained by that. He currently loves the Bee Movie, Sing and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – specifically the Hot Dog Song. Another thing we still swear by in terms of sleep is the Baby Einstein crib aquarium. Most nights that’ll sooth River to sleep if he wakes up during the middle of the night.

River has become insanely active as well and is crawling across the floor getting into everything now (another reason I have no time to blog anymore!). We’ve recently taken out some of his big boy toys and he’s loving them so I’m going to link some of our favorites up to this point. By far, without doubt, his new favorite toy is his xylophone. It keeps him entertained for what seems like forever. Some more favorites are the Fisher-Price learning table and the Fisher-Price basketball hoop. He also loves to chase balls around and still loves to jump in his exersaucer. When we’re not busy playing inside, River LOVES to be outdoors. He’s so observant of the trees and has taken a huge liking to flowers.

As the summer approaches there are lots more adventures in store for our little guy. We’ll be going on vacation for a week in the Cape and taking him tent camping for a weekend! Hopefully he’ll get to see what a pool is like soon and the ocean! I’m so excited for this summer to begin and to watch River experience all these new things. It has been the best thing – even on days like today where I’m running off 4 hours of sleep and a large coffee!! We sure do love our little guy. ❤️

Snow Day #4?!?!

March 21, 2018

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!!

❄️❤️

And so the Journey Begins . . . Teething!

March 19, 2018

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!

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End of Month 4 . . .

February 28, 2018

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 ❤️

Co-Sleeping

February 25, 2018

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 bassinet on the other side of our room just for convenience but that only lasted a few weeks because neither of us were getting a good night sleep. I hear everything at night and I couldn’t sleep whatsoever with all the noises River was making and he was waking up every 2-3hrs so that was tough and made for a night of little to no sleep for mama and daddy. Transitioning to the crib was easy for us (thank God).

I don’t think co-sleeping is a bad thing I just don’t know how I would be able to do it. I wouldn’t get any sleep but I can totally understand why mama’s do it. Sometimes it’s the only way to get their children to sleep. Me and Cam are always saying, “whatever works.” What works for one family might not work for another family.

River probably falls asleep in our bed 5 out of 7 nights but this is always hours before we’re in bed so we aren’t there comforting him or anything. We generally put a movie on the TV and let him lay there ’til he falls asleep. This is something else that we say, “whatever works,” for. TV time is another heated topic but I’ll save that for another day. Simply put, if having the TV on helps our baby fall asleep within 10 mins then we will continue to do so. We know what we’re getting ourselves into by doing this but it works for us.

About 90% of the week when River wakes up we bring him into our bed for snuggles and this is something we are 100% okay with. I think it’s good to set the boundaries early. He is welcome to come cuddle before and after sleeping but he needs to sleep in his own bed during the night. For 3 months now, we have had no issues with River sleeping in his own crib every night.

I do feel bad sometimes when River’s awake in his crib making noises and I always want to grab him but as his parents we have to stand our ground and keep him in his own room because once the habit sets in, it’s hard to get rid of (something I don’t know firsthand but I’ve heard from many people).

Adjusting Sleep Schedules

February 25, 2018

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 than 5:30 otherwise we have an extremely exhausted and frustrated baby.

We need some helpful advice!! River still takes about 3-4 naps a day (since he’s awake so darn early) but we are hoping to be getting him to sleep a little bit later, at least around 6 or 7pm. It’s great having the extra time at night but mama and daddy need the extra hour or two in the mornings so that we can stay sane throughout the day.

Let me just set the stage . . . it’s 3:30pm as I’m writing this and River is practically ready for bed. He’s exhausted and fussy and I feel like it’s impossible to get him to stay up any later. I’m about to bathe him and start the bedtime routine early (a routine I would like to be starting MUCH later than 3:30pm) to avoid a sleep deprived baby.

Aside from napping periodically, River is also eating between 2-4oz of solids for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as about 4 or 5 – 5oz bottles in between. We’ve got a growing boy on our hands!! Do any mama’s have a schedule they stick by throughout the day when feeding?? I’m wondering if sticking to a rigid feeding schedule would help River when it comes to falling asleep. I pretty much feed River whenever he starts to get fussy rather than sticking to a schedule like 7am breakfast, noon lunch, 5pm dinner kind of thing, for example. Would a schedule help???

There are about a million different things that could possibly help so I’m asking for your advice and want to know what works for you and your families! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

River’s First Sleepover

February 24, 2018

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 Daddy. . . ❤️

February 22, 2018

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. ❤️

Livin' with River

est. Oct 11, 2017

Author: Erin Dobson