it’s that time of year again

…and by that i don’t mean the holidays. in this case, i’m talking about the dreaded cold season.

before i became a mom, getting sick wasn’t such a big deal. seeing my poor baby girl coughing, with a running nose, and a fever makes a cold seem like the plague. it’s just awful when your little one is feeling miserable. the next couple of days consists of a very irritated baby, sleepless nights and an irritated mommy come morning. then finally, one day she’s all better! it’s fantastic and the whole family does a happy dance. ohhhh yeah…everything seems nice and dandy, until daddy starts feeling under the weather. he gets sick, then he gets mommy gets sick, and baby gets sick (again!). it’s a vicious cycle. a horrible, exhausting vicious cycle that could last entire month. so when i compared the common cold to the plague, i’m wasn’t exaggerating too much (okay maybe a tad). if you’re a parent, you know exactly what i mean.

and you also relate in bundling up your kids so they look like the michelin man or more accurately, ralphie’s brother in “a christmas story”. we take this really seriously, don’t we? three layers underneath a heavy coat, hat, gloves and a scarf covering half of the face. hmmm…i might be missing something. we literally grab our little ones and run in the opposite direction if we even suspect somone is sick? we avoid it like the…you guessed it–the plague! yet despite our best efforts, they still manage to catch a cold. once we start hearing those sniffles, we just know it’s all downhill from there. we get upset (and almost cry) as we lift our head up, extend our arms out and say “why? why? why?”. after the grieving stage, we accept the reality– it’s going to be a rough week.

that my friends, is how i started my sunday morning. i was literally pleading with God to have some mercy on me. i’ve had so much on my plate lately (well, actually for a very long time) and i just didn’t know how i could deal with a sick baby. thankful, my prayers were answered. his mercy came in the form of help. much needed help. i’m so grateful my mom offered to lend a hand and watch izzie. poor baby girl is still fighting through a cold (like a champ), but she’s doing much better today.

given our current situation, i thought it would only be appropriate to write about baby cold remedies. i practice attachment parenting, and i would also consider myself a sorta-crunhcy mom as well. with that said, i really prefer natural, eco-friendly, homeopathic products over the commercialized ones. those tend to have traces of harmful ingredients, toxic chemicals and pesticides.

here are my personal suggestions to treat the symptoms of your baby’s cold

baby cold remedy suggestions by mrsraquelm featuring eucalyptus bath drops

1.NatraBio Children’s Cold & Flu Relief   drugstore.com

2. Hyland’s Baby Tiny Cold Tablets, 125 Count   amazon.com

3.  Maty’s All Natural Baby Chest Rub   cvs.com

4. Crane Crane Drop Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier, Pink, 0.9 Gallon   amazon.com

*5.  NoseFrida the Snot Sucker! | FridaBaby   fridababy.com

6. Lifefactory Giveaway   weelicious.com

7. Safe Lift Universal Crib Wedge Dex Baby Products   toysrus.com

*8. BabyGanics Lets Boogie Nasal Saline Drops/Spray, 0.75 Fluid Ounce…   amazon.com

9. Eucalyptus bath drops   amazon.com

10.Earth’s Best Organic Cold Soothing Baby Wash   vitacost.com

maybe your little one will be lucky enough to be spared this winter. if not, i certainly hope these recommendations will come in handy.

stay healthy,

mornings in bed

Waking up next to these two, is a beautiful way to start the day.

Fifteen months ago, It was just the hubs and I. We thought cuddling with each other was the best thing since sliced bread. Now a days, receiving sweet embraces from Izabella is the highlight of our morning.

Getting her beauty sleep. That’s how she gets those pink pouty lips, of course!

Waking up looking so happy is actually hard work. Lots of yawning and smiles involved.

Izzie wastes no time in waking dada. She takes this task very seriously.

She gets him every time with this move. It never fails to make his heart go pitter patter

Shortly after this picture, I joined the love and cuddled with my darlings. A ritual we practice every morning in our family bed.

We believe that co-sleeping and bed sharing is a personal family decision. We have safely done so, from day one and relish these moments. It is instinctual to have my baby within arms reach. It was so natural and practical for nursing or getting (even) five more minutes of shuteye. Not to mention, how efficient in responding to her cries and needs. As a newborn, she always slept on her back. I also removed loose blankets and pillows to avoid any chance of suffocation. Once she was able to roll over (from back to front), we incorporated our complete bedding set. Now as a young toddler, she enjoys it to the fullest, as you can see. Sometimes we use the crib, otherwise it makes a great space for folded laundry.

Wishing you a good morning. From our bed to yours!

R

*Footnote: There are many benefits to co-sleeping/ bedsharing aside from the ones I mentioned. However, do consider the risks if mommy or daddy are heavy sleepers, overweight, under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In that case, please be responsible and place baby in a safe crib.

My best accessory to wear is my baby

In honor of international babywearing week, I wanted to share my personal experience with this wonderful age-old tradition. Let me just start off by stating my husband and I practice attachment parenting. It was never something I was forced into, rather a style which came so naturally and instinctual to me. Even before meeting my hubby or trying to conceive, I’d always envisioned the kind of mother I wanted to be. Way before attachment parenting became so controversial  or even the “new trend”, I was actually striving towards those basic priciples on my own.One of them being skin-to-skin contact and holding baby often. That evolved into discovering babywearing and learning about the many benefits it offered.

Wearing my baby or rather toddler, (Can’t believe I used the ‘T’ word to describe my little peanut) is truly an amazing way to bond. Having her close enough to hear my heartbeat, and being able to give her butterfly kisses is a wonderful way to soothe her. She’s high needs (sensitive and spirited) and responds excellently to this nurturing style. Now that she’s older, I can use the back carry position and she’s happy as a clam. Wearing your baby is also great when strollers are too cumbersome or inappropriate for a specific situation. Loading the dishwasher or meal preparations are great examples. How about a quick trip to the grocery store? There’s just so much advantages to having your hands free.When Izzie was an infant, I did use the baby bjorn and after a couple uses I found it to be straining on my back on shoulders. In addition, it seemed she wasn’t as comfortable as she could of been. After some research, my intuition was right. I highly recommend the ergo carrier to any mommy. By the way, a baby wearing daddy is hot, won’t you agree ladies?

The ergo is super versatile, because it can be worn in a front, hip or back position (perfect for hiking trips). In addition, it’s a great investment because your child can use it well into their preschool age (45 lbs). The ergo carrier is available in wide range of colors and fun patterns too!

Happy babywearing!

R