Sunday, March 10, 2019

Shaping Me Into The Mom I am Today

Its been a year plus with Zuriel and I can't believe how the days and months has flown by.  I want to open up and share with you some things I’ve learned that have shaped me into the mom I am today. 

It was only 15 months ago that my entire life completely changed. It was Nov 7, 2017 when I became a mom to a beautiful little girl straight from Heaven. It was something I had wanted since I was a little girl.  I knew from an early age it was such an amazing gift and job to be a mom. I knew it was my calling in life was to be a mom- and it was something I wanted more than anything.

Throughout my early 20’s, there was so many great and exciting things that happened! So many things I accomplished but there were some not so great times I went through as well. Most of what got me through those trials and hard times was God and knowing that it would all work out in the end. God has a plan for you and if you stay on the right path, he will lead you to where you need to be! The not so great times and trials in my life have taught me so much. Looking back, I needed to go through all those things to be where I am today, be a wife and become the mother I am now. I am so proud of the woman and mom I am today. Those are all things that I will use to help teach Zuriel and all our future children! I want to share with you a few things I have learned and that have really stuck with me, in hopes that it will help you too!

I would say the number one things I learned is PATIENCE. Patience will help you in so many areas of your life and in all of your relationships. It is also something much needed for being a parent. Having patience during dark times, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Having patience will get you through anything.

I love this quote, “A moment of patience, will save you from a lifetime of regret.”

A major things I struggle with is being patient with myself and those closest to me. I sometimes always want things to happen right away, or on my time. But taking a deep breath and taking a step back to be patient is so important. Being a mom, there are days I look at the clock and can’t believe how fast the day went by because we were having so much fun!.Then there are always those days in the week where I lost my patience that day. I then regret it when I am laying down for bed on my pillow reflecting on the day. I have learned to step back and realize these years go by so fast, and these frustrating and difficult baby/ toddler phase won’t last forever.

Another thing I learned is how much we are in charge and responsible for shaping these sweet, innocent humans into the people they will be. It hit me when Zuriel turned one year old, just how much this little girl will look up to me and watch everything I do. From how I treat strangers, to how I react to situations, to how I am as a person in general. Knowing this has made me want to be BETTER. I fall short every single day, but I try everyday. I wake up thinking that every time before I get Zuriel out of her crib in the morning. I want to help shape her by showing positive things to her: by showing her daddy love and respect, by being kind to strangers, by not making fun of people or talking behind their back, by being kind and respectful to the elderly and those who are disabled, by treating animals gently, by saying please and thank you, and the list goes on. It is a big responsibility and something I don’t take lightly. It may seem like little things, but they are huge things to me.

One thing Tunde and I try to do all the time is make her laugh! We both can’t get enough of her laugh!! You know, that baby laugh that is so genuine and loud, and makes your heart burst!! We always try to fill our home and lives with laughter and love and affections! It is something we both knew we wanted to have in our home forever. Tunde and I try our hardest everyday to show LOVE. We have to consciously make the effort to show it as much as we can to each other and Zuriel!!. Having a home full of love, laughter, and parents who are madly in love is something we always want for our kids. I would say as a family unit that is our number one priority and goal in everything we do!

Being a parent is not easy but its the most rewarding and the best job ever!

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Tips for traveling with a baby

Tips for traveling with a baby

Monday, August 6, 2018

I have been part of the many mom clubs concerned about flying with their baby, and no wonder – air travel can be stressful without kids! Add a baby and most of us would rather just stay home. But flying with your little one doesn’t have to be a dreaded experience if you follow these travel tips. We flew with Zuriel two weeks ago to Accra, Ghana. Looking back I am so glad that we waited for 8 months before traveling with her, I couldn't imagine traveling with her much younger then 6 months.

Let me start by saying that every baby is different. You of course have to take into account age, etc. (Zuriel was 8 months for our trip) and here is what worked for us. I was so nervous that I reached out to some of my fellow mamas for tips but I had to followed my own instinct in the end.

Our flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, she slept 6 of the 8 hours of the flight, boy was I happy :), and from Amsterdam to Accra she slept 3 of the 6 hours flight (this was the hardest part. I would personally recommend scheduling your flight around the baby nap or sleep time so that way its easier for you all. Zuriel bedtime is 7:00-7:30pm and our flight was 8:05pm.

Even though we’ve only been on one trip, I definitely learned a lot and am happy to share my tips and things that worked for us!

Consider Your Schedule 

Pre-baby you might have shopped for airfare on price, searching for the cheapest fares. With a little one, look for flights that fit your baby’s schedule as best as possible.  All the moms I spoked with find traveling during nap time to be the most relaxing for everyone; ideally your baby will be awake while going through security and waiting at the gate, then fall asleep on the plane. If you can’t engineer it quite so perfectly, at least try not to travel around dinner time, when most babies are tired, extra fussy, and prone to crying fits.

Get Pre-Check 

These days airports tend to be huge and just getting to your gate might involve getting on an intra-terminal train or shuttle bus, so have a plan for how you’ll transport your baby all that way. Load her into a carrier or bring your car seat-stroller combo for the trek. Most airlines allow you to gate-check your travel system for free, so you can take your stroller all the way to the door of the aircraft. is MAJOR key. I am a Delta medallion member so it work perfectly, plus Atlanta airport have a separate international terminal that is not busy like domestic.

Give Yourself Enough Time

Airlines recommend getting to the airport an hour before take-off; with a baby in tow you’ll want to give yourself an extra 15-30 minutes for peace of mind and emergency diaper changes. Getting through security is the real wild card: it could take a little longer with a baby and assorted gear, or you might get lucky and be whisked off to a no-wait family lane, you never know. We got to the airport 2.5 hours to our flight and had enough time for snacks and chill. Boy, do I love this new sound "those traveling with kids, can board first" (I always get to board first because of my Delta status but it just sounded so lovely).  I always thought getting pre-check was a huge deal, but it’s actually super easy and was totally worth it.

Consolidate 

Really think about what you NEED to bring and only include that. There are a ton of things on the “need list”, so eliminating anything extra helped to lighten the load and bit. Trust, you’ll need all the help lightening the load you can get! For real though, how do such tiny humans need so much stuff?!

 Decide who will carry what 

This is only applicable if you are traveling with your spouse or someone who can help, but assigning who is in charge of what really helped us. For example, Tunde was in charge of our carry-on suitcase, the diaper bag and I was in charge of pushing Zuriel in her stroller (we got the best travel stroller: Doona its both a carseat and stroller in one. It may traveling so easy that we even took it on the plane.

Change Baby Before Boarding

Change your baby’s diaper just prior to getting on-board. Diaper disasters are particularly annoying when they occur on a plane, so do yourself a favor and take preemptive steps by least starting off fresh.

                     

Smart-pack Your Diaper Bag 

What you have—and don’t have—in your diaper bag can make or break your flight. Write out a checklist of the essentials—including a few diapers, wipes, changing pad, diaper cream, nursing cover, light blanket, extra bottle, formula, pacifiers, spare outfit, a baby toy or two (preferably a new-to-baby one to keep her freshly amused), snacks for you, and water—and pack your bag carefully, putting everything in its place for easy access during the flight. You want to pack a few pacifiers backups and a clip that will attach to your littles outfit and help minimize the amount of times it falls to the ground never to be seen again (because ew). We also packed this chew necklace and she loved it. It’s super easy cause I an wear it and know it won’t fall! 

Snacks and more snacks 

On the entire flight both the 8 and 6 hours flights back and forth snacks were my saving grace. We used the little teething cracks and baby puffs etc. anything easy to pop in. Mostly it was nice because she could practice her dexterity and it gave her an activity! She is on a routine at home, but anything 

goes for flights lol.

Bottles on take off and landing 

my fellow mamas gave me this tip and it was truly genius! We gave her a bottle on take off and landing and it helped her ears immensely – I’m talking zero screaming from popping. Something about the swallowing really seemed to help keep them from getting clogged. When she wanted the boobs, I also gave her. We also had the sound earphone while taking off and landing. 

Toys and books

Honestly, she ended up being much more amused by snacks (my kinda girl), but the toys and books were nice too. Pack a few that your little hasn’t played with so that it’s brand new and exciting. Is my kid the only one who get amused by empty water bottles and other things and not the toys lol.

Pick your seat wisely 

My goodness. On the way there, we were by the window and aisle seats so it work perfectly for us.  On our return flight, we had a whole row to ourself (thank you, God), and it was a game changer. I know you don’t always have the choice, but if you can, more space is always better!

Don’t worry 

This is much easier said than done, but don’t worry. If your baby cries, that’s ok. Babies cry! I chatted with a few neighbors (babies are always good convo starters) and this seemed to ease my nerves. Feeling like you kind of know someone sitting near makes it a little less stressful if your baby gets fussy. But she did pretty good and slept most of the flight and whenever she tried to get fussy, we walked around with her on my back using the carrier or my African cloth. 

Extra Wipes 

I knew I was going to want to wipe everything down the second I got on the plane, so I used baby wipes to clean everything (my seat, arm rests, tray table, etc)! Airplanes tend to be on the filthy side—the five-second rule definitely doesn’t apply here. Instead, bring extra pacifiers and nipples in case they fall on the floor, or pack some sanitizing wipes to keep everything that goes in baby’s mouth as clean as possible. You can take hand sanitizer through security as long as you adhere to the TSA’s “3-1-1” rule on liquids. PS: have extra clothes, diapers and everything that is important just incase your luggage don't make it, but thank goodness all our luggage did. Now traveling with a child have help me to be well prepare for any for seen.

A mom’s greatest air travel fear—that her baby will cry inconsolably and bother other travelers enjoy your little one and make memories with them and don't stress!!! So if your baby freaks out, keep calm and worry about soothing her for your sakes, no one else’s. 

                               And relax, you’ll be landing soon!

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ZURIEL AT 6 MONTHS

ZURIEL AT 6 MONTHS 

Monday, May 7, 2018

Wow!!! I have a 6 months old, I just can’t believe this. Where did the time go honestly. Am I the only mom who wishes their baby were still newborn and so little 😉😆. I now find myself looking at her new born videos when she asleep and I can’t help it but miss her 😩😩😩.



She is feeling less like a baby and more like a mini person these days! She is already FULL of personality. Always smiling, laughing, trying to chat, and constantly on the move. Her newest move? Attempting to crawl, I am like wait didn’t you just sit down the other day, you need to slow down lady, you are going to fast with all these developments. But in all honesty I am extremely grateful to the most High for a healthy, strong, happy, very smart full of life baby girl. She is typically an amazing napper (I seriously can’t complain here, but it did took a lot of work to get here LOL. 

She has been teething for two months straight and the teeth wouldn’t pop just yet, I feel so bad for her. But thank goodness we haven’t had any teething episode, she manages it so well. The girl is more concerned about crawling then teething.  





 She’s growing like a weed, and I’m totally convinced that she will outgrow me by middle school. She is just so smart and respond to her name in an instant. Boy! She already loves books but get frustrated when it can’t open but put it in her mouth. 

She has been on breast milk straightly. At her 5 months visit ( we go in every month for visits because we are spacing out her vaccine plan and using the Dr. Sears method) her pediatrician recommended cereal mixed with breast milk so she’s been having fun with that. This is what she has been eating and loves it  INFANT Organic Quinoa Cereals quinoa + banana).

We are definitely starting her with solids fully this week, you don’t know how happy I am that my boobs get to rest a bit from latching and pumping. She will still continue with the breast milk but not as much. 



Breastfeeding moms, do you get asked so often how long you plan on breastfeeding? My answer to anyone that asked me: AS long As I CAN. I try not to stress myself and take it one day at the time. Sometimes, I feel like quitting when I am low on supplies then it would bounce back. I know how breastfeeding is so important with so many benefits for baby. I have a big eater but luckily I pumped 4-5 ounces on each boobs per session, sometimes 3 ounces. 

We started her new schedule at 6 months, so we have been on it for about few days so far and it’s been going GREAT. Personally, I love the new schedule because she’s awake longer and napping longer, so I get to spend time with her and then actually feel like I can get things done during her naps.




OUR 6 MONTH SCHEDULE

We now feed her every 4 hours, instead of every 3.



7:00-7:30: We start our day! Sometimes I go in to wake her up, sometimes she’s already awake. I feed her breast milk and then we head downstairs to play.



8:00: She eats solids. We usually switch this up, sometimes a fruit (all pureed), sometimes some kind of oatmeal etc. One of her current favorite breakfast combos is a mix of pear/cinnamon/oatmeal. Because she doesn’t have teeth yet, I can’t start weaning her right away. But my plan is to start weaning 3 weeks at 6months whether the teeth comes or not. 



8:30-10:30: She goes down for her nap. Most days she will sleep the full two hours, but sometimes she’ll wake up a little early and, if so, that’s ok. I play with her until it’s time eat again.

11:00: Breast milk.

Sometimes between 11am-12:00 ( we go out for a short walk)



12:00: Solids again! I usually go for some kind of veggies for “lunch,” but I also change it up daily.



12:30-2:30: Her second nap of the day. Again, most days she naps the full time but if she wakes up a little early, that’s ok too.



3:00: Breast milk and then we play!



4:00-5:00: This is classified as her “catnap.” It usually takes her a little longer to fall asleep for this one, (But sometimes she would want to sleep till 5:30 and I am like girl oh no your bed time is approaching.



5:00: She wakes up and eats solids for the last time of the day! After she eats, I usually take her outside on a walk. I love getting my cardio in here. It’s also a great time to get out and get some fresh air and the sun is not as hot. Especially on days when I’m working at my computer all day. Working from home with a baby is not easy but it has gotten so much better. 

6:30: Bath time, feed + books. This is still the same as it was at 4 months, and still one of our favorite times of the day. We start with a bath (fun fact: my husband as never bath Zuriel, he is to scare to hurt her. So sometimes when I am not home for her bed time he just put her clothes on her and put her to bed 😩😩😩). Zuriel LOVES her baths, so it’s always fun watching her smile and relax. After her bath, I feed her for the night. I breastfeed and then top her off with about 3-4ounces that I pumped during the day and I mixed it with  a little cereal  to help her sleep longer through the night. After I feed and burp her, we finish off our day with books! She has tons of favorites that I’ll include below.



7:30: Bed time for the night.



1-3am: She still usually wakes up 1 time during the night, between 1:30am and 3:00am. I feed her but don’t change her (her diaper Is pampers pure so it very organic and last for 12 hours) and put her back down for the rest of the night. I try to make sure I don’t really talk to her much and don’t even have an eye connection with her, and keep her in a sleepy/relaxed state (I feed her in her room for this one). She has gone a few nights where she doesn’t wake up, so I’m thinking soon she will sleep through the night. As of now, I can tell that she’s actually hungry when she wakes up, so I don’t mind getting up to feed her!  I also use this opportunity to pumped and save the milk in the fridge after I put her down, I have to keep the supply going. Plus, I’m not gonna lie…I always miss her when she’s sleeping! Guess what! Her 6 months treat to me, she slept from 7:30pm to 4:00am and breastfed for a bit and smooth herself right back to bed. This mama can conquer the world today!



7:00-7:30: Wake up and do it all over again!

Zuriel Loves

1. These books!  (Fairy ) We have 4 of them and they are some of our favorites. The stories are adorable (always a good message) and the illustrations are so cute. They have a ton of different ones, we have 4 so far, and will definitely keep adding to our collection. Our two all-time favorites are “Lola the Lollipop Fairy” and “Izzy the Ice-cream Fairy”. Also got her these books because it fit perfectly in her hands Baby Love and she can open it all by herself. Another favorites are Thank you God for loving me and The Moon sees you and me
2. Favorite Teething Toys ( – I ordered this off BuyBuy baby, and she is totally obsessed. It’s easy for her to hold and must feel great on her teeth. I ordered it in a bundle with this octopus teether that she also really loves and this one Zoli works very well for her also. 
3. Her baby walker Bright Stars – This thing is so stinking cute! She loves all the toys on the front and it’s a great option to have when she doesn’t want to be on her mat.
4. We are a Pampers’ family now! We have been using Honest diapers when she was new born up to 4months old but I have realized that it doesn’t go well with over night, it soak a lot and I sure don’t want my baby getting any rashes, but we recently got hook with the new Pampers Pure Diapers. We have been using Water Wipes since she was newborn and it’s the best thing ever and I have been loving them. They will definitely be what we order going forward. (We purchase her diapers and wipes from Target.) Its our mother-daughter Target Run that turn to getting more stuff we didn’t plan on getting. Who doesn’t love Target!
5. Play mat Skip Hop– Now that she’s scooting in circles, back and forth, and kind of all over the place, I love having a big play mat down. So I plan on getting a bigger mat soon. Plan on getting this mat that I saw on Shark Tank Little Nomad and want to get it in the color “dusk”
6. Beaba Spoon This is kind of a random thing to be obsessed with, but we LOVE these spoons! They are really thick, easy for her to eat out of and I feel like when I use them to get the extra food off from around her mouth, they are soft on her skin.

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Why I Chose the Dr. Sears Vaccine Method

Why I Chose the Dr. Sears Vaccine Method 

During my birthing class, I learned so much about vaccines ( the benefits, advantages, disadvantages, ingredients etc). This is a very sensitive topic for parents and the argument never stop.
I started to research and choose the best and right way for our family. At first I was going the route of not vaccinating our daughter but then with the benefits over weights the non benefits I figured to spread out the vaccine and that’s when Dr. Sears came in Dr. Sears Vaccine Book. Babies are so young and putting so much in them is not the right way to go. At some vaccine appointment a child is injected with 3 or more vaccines on the spot.

And unfortunately, when you look at vaccine books on the market, you’ll see they’re for the most part very anti-vaccine. They only tell all the dangers and risks of vaccines, only that side of the story.
You get to take all the vaccine with the Dr.Sears plan it’s just an alternative vaccine schedule versus the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] schedule.
I for one with a lot of parents questioning the CDC vaccine schedule. Its too overloaded. He created his alternative vaccine schedule that allows parents to go ahead and vaccinate, simply in a more gradual manner.

Let’s take a look at the two different schedules. One of the main differences that the CDC schedule dictates is they suggest the hepatitis B vaccine be given the day a baby’s born, one month later, and then six months later. Now, if you look at hepatitis B, it’s a sexually transmitted disease. The only way a baby can catch it is through blood or body-fluid exposure, and that’s extremely unlikely to happen for any baby or young child in the United States.
He suggest that parents do a hepatitis B vaccine when a child’s more of a preschool age, where he or she is going to be entering school and be running around with a lot of other kids, and there could be some blood or body-fluid exposures in those kinds of situation. The next point on the vaccine schedule where he differ [from] the CDC schedule is what to do at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. The CDC groups six vaccines all together at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months, and they recommend that pediatricians give all these vaccines in this three-dose series to babies. I think that’s what a lot of parents like myself are worried about.

What he do instead is to give two vaccines at a time, at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months. He also give two of the vaccines that I’m skipping on alternative months: 3 months, 5 months and 7 months and is avoiding a big overload.  I feel that babies will experience fewer vaccine reactions; I think babies’ bodies can handle them better. Their immune system can handle them better that way, and I think a lot of parents simply feel more safe about that kind of approach.
What he does on his schedule is take the most serious diseases and he make sure vaccinating for those right away for babies. He don’t want to delay any vaccine that could protect a baby from a very potentially life-threatening or very common serious illness. And what those illnesses are that I focus on are whooping cough, or pertussis, and rotavirus. Those are two very serious illnesses that I vaccinate babies at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months.
My personally advice is that parents do their research and purchase a Dr. Sears vaccine book, discuss with other parents and so forth. Please don’t take my word for it, please!! I am only doing what’s best for my family. Also my advice is that you find the right pediatrician. Dr. Sears Pediatrician Near you who follow the Dr. Sears method in your area(not all pediatricians would work with you), remember most of them work for corporations. I was blessed enough to find the right pediatrician ( Vaccine Friendly Pediatricians. The downside to this method is that parents would do a lot of visits to their pediatrician office ( every month 2,3,4,5,6,..............)since the method is spread out (for me I don’t mind going often or driving).

Lastly, some experts might question changing the vaccine schedule, or doing an approach that’s outside of the CDC’s schedule, where in fact these vaccines are studied in different time intervals and given apart from each other instead of grouped together. They’re studied that way initially, in the initial safety research. The studies that are down to show that vaccines are effective are often done isolated from the regular schedule. So we do know these vaccines work just as well when they’re given staggered or separated from other vaccines as they do when they’re grouped all together.
What isn’t studied separately is the safety profile. We don’t know whether or not it’s safer or more dangerous to group vaccines together versus spreading them apart.

For Dr. Sears, it’s a logical approach. It makes common sense that giving fewer vaccines at a time should create fewer reactions, but they haven’t researched that to prove whether or not that’s true. I think it’s an approach that parents feel safer about, and he would like to see the CDC do some safety research that compares a staggered, spread-out vaccine schedule and compares the rates of reactions and severe side effects to the current CDC schedule.

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