The Vocal Stylings of Moi

My singing voice is...ahem...fabulous, well to the tone deaf and among the 0-6 demographic. Music is a HUGE part of my classroom. I have an IPOD for my classroom that is completely full, literally. I love children's music, as well as, a wide variety of regular music. My IPOD that is in my car has everything from Counting Crows to all hair metal to Bob Marley to Wu Tang Clan to Taylor Swift...I like a wide variety of music.

Anyone who knows my husband, knows his affinity for music. He has two blogs that are strictly devoted to music. http://pantheonsongs.grigr.com/ and http://overlookedsongs.grigr.com/ I am less of a critic and more of a if it sounds good I'll sing along kind of girl....and believe me I sing it out!

Cooper and I have the BEST bedtime ritual. I swaddle him up, dim the lights, and cuddle up with him in our big, fabulous chair. We read a couple of books and then I treat Coopaloop to my lovely renditions of favorite children's songs and timeless classics like Wilson Philips' Hold On and Whitney's Wanna Dance with Somebody.

I'm putting together a document of all my fav songs, so little man doesn't get sick of hearing me sing Baby Beluga every night. I'm listing out my favorites, as well as, the lyrics. I've got a really good memory for tunes and lyrics, but sometimes...I just think I know the lyrics, wink wink. I would like to say that I just sing to my little love and throw caution to the wind with the words that I just can't remember, but I don't. Wickeds' Popular is owed some respect. The least I can do is learn all the lyrics.

Here is the current Fallible Mommy Playlist (these are the songs in heavy rotation because of sleep deprivation)...
Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink
Baby Beluga
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out
Tiny Dancer
The More We Get Together
Blackbird
Mrs. Potters Lullaby
Goodbye Friends
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
You Are My Sunshine
Oh, Mr. Sun
Jesus Loves Me
If I Only Had a Brain
Popular
The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Quite a list isn't it?

Fallible Mommy Momment: Sometimes I'm in such a daze when I'm singing that I totally blank out and just stop singing...until someone reminds me that I am not to stop until his eyes begin to roll and the sleep smile appears.

Here is my song/lyric list so far...
Songs

On the shelf

I don't remember being read to as a child. I don't mean as a baby, I mean ever. As a teacher, I have waaaaay too many books for my classroom. The ones that I don't let their little hands touch add up to over 1000 books. The books within my classroom that are mine probably add up to over 400. Books are extremely important to me.

When I finally began shopping for my little nugget, I eagerly began purchasing books. Little Coop's shelves are already full of books. Yes, I could just use the books that are stored in my basement that I use at school, but I want Cooper to grow up surrounding with books that are HIS. He won't ever have to worry about his favorite books being at Mommy's school.

One of my absolute favorite times in our day is at bedtime. I find two books from his shelf, swaddle him up tight, dim his lights, we sit in the MOST fabulous chair...(it is comfy, it reclines, swivels, and rocks)...

and then I read. He just stares at me with his big blues and then dozes off. I usually read one short story and one longer one. He's got a wide variety of books. I focused on board books, but I did buy some paperbacks from Scholastic.

The books that I am reading now are books that I truly love. So, I thought I would share and see if anyone would like to add to the list.


OMG...I would read this EVERY night if I could. I remember buying it and crying in the store. It has taken 6 weeks of reading this book aloud but I can finally get through it without crying. I love my little guy so much and believe the words to be true.
           
     

I LOVE Sandra Boynton books for little ones! I can't wait to read all of Mo Willems, Dr. Seuss, and Eric Carle books to Cooper. This post proves you just can't take the teacher out of me!

I am saving these for when he is a bit older...
 

Fallible Mommy Moment: The first couple (that's right more than once) of times I had Coop all snug as bug in a rug, all milk drunk, and ready to go. We go into the room and I want to read the perfect books, but I don't have them picked out. The room is all dim, so I can't see any of the titles. Also, they are low to the ground so I feel like I'm gonna drop him. Safer to put him down and turn the lights a bit brighter. I put him in the crib, turn on the lights, and suddenly he's wide awake! Tip...choose the books prior to bringing baby in there and have them right next to the chair!

Happy Reading!

The Truth

It's time to tell the truth. The last couple of weeks have been EXTREMELY difficult. I know things are going to get better, but I haven't really been honest with the people around me who ask how I am doing. The truth is things have been hard.

First, breastfeeding did not go as I had planned it and it truly disappointed me. Coop and I had a rough start. We couldn't get a good latch. Then I started to use nipple shields and things started to look up. Then Cooper's jaundice numbers continued to go up. Breastfeeding with nipple shields is hard enough, then you add a bili blanket to the mix and it was HORRIBLE. Then he continued to lose weight. The pediatrician recommended supplementing and pumping to ensure he had adequate feeds. She gave him a bottle right then. For the next week, he refused the breast. I continued pumping, but it was really hard. During a full day, I would only produce about 8oz. I took Fenugreek and got a prescription, but I still only produced about 16oz during a 24hr period. I felt like I was in a constant rotation of feeding, diapering, and pumping. Then he had an array of tummy issues. He has been horribly gassy and has had days that 20 mucousy poops was normal. The pediatrician had us try various formulas. For the last three weeks he has been on a hypoallergenic one....Similac Alimentum.The pediatrician wanted him on the formula without breast milk to see if it would help and it has but certainly not altogether. Plus, I gave up with the pumping. It was too hard to keep up with once my husband went back to work and with Cooper needing every ounce of attention I could afford him. It truly makes me feel that I failed him. Breast milk is best, and I couldn't do it.

Cooper has been increasingly colicky. If he isn't sleeping or eating, he is crying. Anyone who knows me, knows that I always want everyone to be happy. I can't make him happy. I hold him. I put him in the activity chair...the napper...the bassinet...the swing. I rock him. I do the 5 S's (swaddle, shush, suck (paci), swinging, side position. I give him Gripe Water and gas drops. I work his little legs. I burp him endlessly. I put him over my shoulder. Nothing works. He barely sleeps for more than a couple of hours throughout the entire day. By the end of the day, I have been frazzled and on the verge of tears in tears. I have felt like a failure.

Over the weekend, I read that the Ready to Feed Similac Alimentum might work better for him. We began to use it on Sunday and HOLY COW...I have a new baby. He isn't nearly as gassy or fussy. He has quiet moments throughout the day. He still isn't much of a napper...but at least the crying and screaming has decreased. I don't know if we will be able to afford to give him the Ready to Feed all the time. Right now it will cost us a little over $54 a week....I know this will increase. I am looking into the insurance maybe paying for it.

I hope I haven't jinxed myself by saying things have been somewhat better for the last 2 days. I truly pray that we can keep it going.

Bring in the funk...

You know that fabulous little book...

Well, my little fuss button may not be The Happiest Baby on the Block, he is; however, The Stinkiest Baby on the Block. He wears his funk as a badge of honor. Honestly, you would think that we feed him a combination of Taco Bell and White Castle formula.

He is on Similac Alimentum for a cow's milk protein sensitivity/allergy and fussiness. Even after this sensitive formula, my sweet little guy could throw down with gas with any grown man. We rely on...

to provide some relief for any gas pains he has and believe me...they work! He doesn't seem to be in too much discomfort, but God help you if you are within nose shot of his little bottom during or right after a feeding. His gas and his poops have a definite WoW factor!

Fallible Mommy Moment: Coop had some horrible watery bowel movements, sometimes 20 in a day before we switched to a hypoallergenic formula. On more than one occasion I waited for the little guy to finish his business and then in the middle of changing him....a foul watery, mucousy mess EVERYWHERE! Changing tip from me to you...wait a bit and be fast!

Say My Name, Say My Name

Just a fun little post about how we came up with our little fella's name...contain your excitement. As a Kindergarten teacher, I am very cautious about certain names. Certain names bring up memories, perhaps not the best, of students past. I also didn't want a name that was too popular. My husband was also very picky about names. I loved almost all names that ended with 'an, 'en, 'in...IE- Aidan, Braden, Logan, etc.. He hated all of those names... Who knows? So, when we started talking boy names, we quickly had it narrowed down to the following; Eli, Cooper, and Xander. Well, I eliminated Xander because of the Buffy reference. Then one day we were discussing Eli and Cooper and this scene from one of my favorite movies popped into my head...

I started saying Coop-a-Loop. That was the precise moment, my son was named. Silly I know. We are all about the nicknames though and this one was gonna stick, I could tell. Selling the name further was our affinity for Mario Brothers. Losers, right? Then it occurred to me that we could have a Coopa Troopa...

Images of our little guy in my uterus throwing shells around, also stuck. Cooper was SUPER active, he constantly kicked and moved around, so it made sense that he had shells in there bouncing around. I also began looking for clothes that would further these images...

Those aren't even all of the turtle apparel that this boy has.

We use Coop-a-Loop a lot! Super Cooper, Coopa Troop, Sir Coops A Lot, Mr. A-Loop, Coop, Coopie...poor kid doesn't stand a chance.

Fallible Mommy Moment: Choosing to name him something that rhymes with Pooper.

YoWzA

Current Weight- 9lbs 2 1/2 oz

Current Height- 23in

Current Favorites- Nuk Silicone Pacifier (hates latex), Bathtime, Being Swaddled Tightly

Current Dislikes- Being Burped, Sleeping, Bibs

Coop-a-Loop turned one month old on Friday! I can't believe that just a few short weeks ago, he was kicking the bejeezus out of me and causing wicked acid reflux. My life has definitely changed dramatically. I spend most of my time now staring into his big blues. He has changed so much already. He is awake A LOT and really focuses on the world around him. He can hold up his cantaloupe head for a looong time too!

Surprisingly, the hardest adjustment has not been lack of sleep. Don't get me wrong...I'm tired. This boy doesn't sleep for long lengths of time, at all! No adjustment needed because I spent the majority of my pregnancy AWAKE. No naps at all. I rarely slept through the night. I'm some sort of freak. Anyway, the biggest adjustment has been being housebound. It's a hard adjustment. I truly enjoy working, I know I'm not suppose to admit that now that I have a baby, but it's true. I also enjoy running to Target, Starbucks, and the mall on a whim. It's winter...cold, wet, and full of germs! I don't want him to get sick when he is still so little, so other than the doctor, I have taken him to Target (a 10min trip) and one walk thru the hood on a day when it was in the low 50's. I'm going stir crazy!!! On the weekend I will run out for a bit, but then I feel sooooooo guilty....what is up with that??? So, I stay at home. I tend to the Coop, I clean, I shop online, and feed my Pinterest addiction. My goal is to go to Kohls or the mall with him this week, but I will be honest, it was my goal last week and I just couldn't do it. We'll see.

In other news, I spent 2 hours filing his iddy biddy nails down. I took the advice of others and tried to nibble on them, but I was still too chicken that I would hurt him. Way to go me!

Fallible Mommy Moment: Coop only likes one of the bazillion pacifiers we have. So, while I was out on a weekend, get the heck outta the house, I decided to buy a handful of Nuk's. I came home and the little nugget just spit them out. Turns out he only likes silicone Nuks. I couldn't even return them because I had opened them, sanitized them, and threw out the packages. I'm taking this from his college fund.

New Mommy Products

I am no expert when it comes to taking care of a baby. Teaching 5-6 year olds...I can definitely hold my own in that arena. So, when we found out we were pregnant I went into research mode. I had P.L.E.N.T.Y. of time to research because the Mister and I were terrified that the bottom would drop out from under us. We found out we were pregnant in early April and did not buy a single thing until mid September....can you say paranoid?!?

Anywho, I research the hell out of everything I purchase. I am a bit OCD in that regard. I swear by reviews and cross referencing. Here are the tools I used to research...

http://www.amazon.com/ OK when you search, go into the baby section and then sort by customer reviews...fabulous! Also, sign up for Amazon Mom...free 2 day shipping for at least a year if you are a frequent Amazon shopper, such as myself.
Tidbit about this book. Yes, it is somewhat biased...that's why you cross reference with Amazon, sigh...I have had too much time on my hands! Also, do NOT, I repeat...do NOT buy this for your Kindle, it is awful (all jumbled up). Trust me on this. It was soooo annoying!
http://www.lucieslist.com/ Loved Lucieslist. Also, love the newsletter.

Now, for the products that I LOVE. I can't say that I couldn't live without them because let's be honest, plenty of women get by with virtually nothing. I; however, am not that woman. I enjoy products and because it took forever and a day to get pregnant (or so it felt) and because he will probably be our only one (back to I'm getting old or at least my ovaries and uterus are), I reserve the right to spoil myself and my little one...God help the woman who marries him!

Baby 411. I read this book before Coop was actually here. I kind of use it as a manual. It's way more accurate than the internet which by the way is not the best way to determine whether or not that poopy diaper is normal. Lesson learned.



Aden & Anais Swaddling Blankets.  I registered for 8 of these bad boys. They are pricy...I think $35 for 4 and when we first brought Cooper home, we really didn't use them and I wasn't all that impressed. Well, that was until my sweet little angel became gassy and a smidge colicky. I wrap him tight in one of these and it's like magic! They are really large and stretchy. I HIGHLY recommend them if your little one is fussy!



Halo Sleepsacks. My little mister is a winter baby and our room is above the garage so even with the heat cranked, our room is c.h.i.l.l.y. These micro fleece sacks are perfect and safe. Bonus! I also recommend the ones that come with the swaddle wrap for those fuss buttons. I just ordered a few more...love!



Dr. Brown's Natural Flow 4oz Wide Neck Bottles. Before you jump down my throat for needing bottles and preach breastfeed, breastfeed, breastfeed...here is my condensed story...flat nipples, nipple shields, jaundice baby, low milk supply, pediatrician required supplement, required to pump to ensure adequate feedings, cow's milk protein sensitivity, the end. I never intended on needing these bottles but having them has been a life saver! He gets little air through these. A bit of a pain to wash, but I'm ok with that.



Itzbeen Baby Care Timer. I rely on this little timer until several things happened, 1-sleep deprived, 2-husband went back to work and I was trying to remember everything while walking around in a sleep deprived fog, and 3- the little mister needed to be changed every 2 hours because he got a bad diaper rash because of the frequent mucousy poops. It remembers everything for you!!! Fabulous.



The First Year's Infant to Toddler Tub with Sling. The sling feature is awesome; however, you will need a thermometer. I love the one we have, it is an Aquatopia Deluxe Safety Bath Thermometer Alarm. It works perfectly. While I'm the topic of bath time, here are two additional items that I LOVE. First, the monogrammed hooded towel from Pottery Barn Kids is lovely. It's oversized and super soft! Also, the Bath Luve is perfect to keep your little one warm when they are not submerged in the water.

Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle 'n Swing. The best features in this swing in my opinion are that it cradles and swings and the sound features. My guy loves sounds that mimic white noise. Now there is no white noise feature but their is a water sound that is close enough.


Mustela No Rinse Cleansing Fluid. Pricey. Smells wonderful. Worked fabulously when we could only sponge bathe The Coop. Now we use it for little clean ups, such as when our little milk monster gets lazy while eating and has a little milk creek running down his chin and for when his crazy legs kicks out of my hand directly into his poop. A definite worthwhile purchase.


Aveeno Baby Diaper Rash Cream and Triple Paste Medicated Ointment for Diaper Rash. My little guy had quite a diaper rash. He was having watery, mucousy bowel movements almost 20 times per day. Now I know people swear by the Burt's Bees...I didn't think it worked that well, plus it smells wicked awful. I could smell it on Coop ALL the time. I swear by the Aveeno mainly because it is soooo much cheaper than the Triple Paste.

My Fallible Purchases

Munchkin Warm Glow Wipe Warmer. Perhaps we will use this when we are changing him more consistently in his nursery. For now, it was a waste of $20. I don't even know how well it works because it hasn't been plugged or used. Loser Mommy.

Gerber Long Sleeve Side Snap Shirt. I bought these because I read that side snaps were the best for umbilical care. These shirts just rode up him and seemed to pull on his stump. I found that I had a few onsie type side snap...way better because they snap in the crotch.

Carter's Scratch Mittens. These are awful. He pulls them right off because they aren't tight enough around his wrists. While the Gerber ones have some pretty hideous prints and can be a little tight, the stay on! I have been a little chicken about trimming his little raptor claws, for now the Gerber ones will do along with the outfits that have them built right in...genious!

I am sure there will be more products that I love, as well as, more money that will be wasted...

Thanks for reading!!!