Moments of Musing

Help For When Your Little One is Congested

Filed Under: baby, motherhood, parenthood, Uncategorized //

This blog post is written and sponsored by Naväge Baby. 

Did you know that babies can only breathe through their noses for the first twelve months of life? Mild congestion is common, but when little noses are blocked, breathing is noisy, and babies have trouble feeding and sleeping. Warm baths may help. Or you can run a hot shower and sit with your little one in a steamy bathroom for a few minutes a few times a day. But now, there are new, faster, drug-free pediatrician-recommended solutions from Naväge, a trusted leader in nasal care for over a decade, to clear the mucus and keep your baby comfortable.

Why little noses get blocked sometimes

Congestion occurs when extra fluids (mucus) accumulate in the nose and airways. This is the body’s way of fighting foreign invaders like viruses including colds or air pollutants. This could be a response to dry air or poor air quality. Babies sometimes need extra help to clear congestion because their lungs are immature, and airways are very small.

What does baby congestion look like?

Runny nose, sniffles and congestion look the same in babies as it does in adults. Symptoms include:
• Thick nasal mucus
• Snoring
• Coughing
• Trouble eating and sucking

How to clear stuffy little noses

For fast relief you can trust, there are new pediatrician recommended solutions from Naväge that provide drug-free congestion relief and are designed to last longer than other brands. Designed with a board-certified Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist and recommended by pediatricians, the Naväge Nasal Baby Aspirator and Naväge Micro-Mist Inhaler help parents and caregivers easily remove mucus from little noses.

Naväge Baby Nasal Aspirator uses gentle-powered suction to help remove snot and mucus. It offers peace of mind, with unique overflow protection and sealed buttons to keep mucus from getting in the motor and a large collection cup that is 40% larger than other brands. Parents and caregivers will also welcome features including dishwasher-safe BPA-free silicon tips, a soft non slip grip and single-handed operation, as well as soothing lights and music to keep baby calm and distracted.

Naväge Baby Micro-Mist Inhaler soothes and moisturizes the airways to help relieve congestion and other symptoms in the upper respiratory tract. It provides a gentle, continuous stream of non-drug, sterile saline micro-mist that lasts 50% longer than other top selling products. Suzanne Soliman, pharmacist, professor, author, member of the New Jersey Board of Health, and founder of Pharmacist Moms, recommends Naväge Baby drug-free solutions because they, “give moms, dads and caregivers a safe, effective, at-the-ready option to alleviate congestion and keep nasal passages moist so children can breathe and feed comfortably and everyone can rest.”

Parenting is hard, breathing should be easier this cold and flu season. The Naväge Baby Nasal Aspirator is now available online at www.Walmart.com and www.Navage.com, and will be available at selected Walmart stores in February. The Micro-Mist Inhaler is only available on www.Navage.com.

Maternity Leave Guest Series: 6 Month Baby Schedule

Filed Under: baby, guest post, maternity leave guest series, motherhood //

As most of you know, I will be away from blogland a bit while I’m on maternity leave. Lucky for me – AND you!- I’ve partnered with some lovely bloggers to consistently bring you great content. 

This week, I am sharing a post by Rachael from Rach Somp. She offers great insight into what a 6 month baby schedule can look like. 



Enjoy!






Max’s Onsie: Old Navy  /  Max’s Jeans: Old Navy  /  Max’s Cap: Amazon  /  Max’s Shoes: Converse



How?  How in the world has it been 6 months since our baby boy entered this world.  For some reason I still can’t seem to wrap my head around it all.  It is true what they say that the days are long but the months are short.  As hard and as challenging as these past 6 months have been it goes without saying that they have been the very best months of our lives.  I have worked hard the past few weeks to get Max on an actual baby schedule so I figured I would share what we are doing and along with some of our current favorite things.

As a reference here is Max’s Nursery details as well as my favorite Newborn Baby Must Haves in case you have any questions on newborn items or things you see from his nursery in the above pictures.

**A few mentionables:  This is 100% what works for us.  There is not one baby that is like another so what works for us might not work for you.  I am currently home with Max all day so my schedule might not be realistic for moms who work outside of the home.  Again, this is all okay!   I am simply hoping to share some insight into our day in the hopes that this might help some of you out there.   I rely heavily on Moms on Call so feel free to download their books via Amazon.



Our 6 Month Baby Schedule

7:00am  Max wakes for the day
  •  If he wakes and is a little fussy I try to hold him off to as close to 7am as I can and I wake him at 7am even if he is still sleeping 



7:05am  Feeding

  • Feedings would be either breastmilk or formula, whichever you are currently doing


7:15am  Play time
  • We still love our skip hop play mat
  • We hang more things from it like the O Ball
  • Any book that is crinkly he loves to put in his mouth
  • Scout via Leapfrog is his current favorite 



8:00am  Feeding- Solid Foods  2-3oz

  • I have been making a majority of our food in bulk via the baby brezza
  • Then I freeze everything in these OXO food trays
  • I also use these bibs because no one warned me just how messy it will get and how you really can’t get those stains out of their clothes.  I ruined so many sleepers and onsies from food
  • we currently use this Chicco 360 Hook Chair instead of a traditional high chair.  I do love the ease of the swivel chair but I do have my eye on this high chair
  • Here are the spoons we got and I still have yet to purchase any baby bowls or plates
  • We are starting to sippy cup train after eating solids (i just hand him the sappy cup and he puts it to his mouth, eventually I will put milk in it) 


8:15am Play Time

9:00am  Nap
  • Generally he sleeps about 1.5 hours in his crib.  I don’t let him sleep more than 2 hours
  • We use the Merlin’s Magic Sleepsuit during his daytime naps
  • We use white noise, a humidifier and I do make it as dark as I can for him.  He used to hate napping in his crib during the day but the sleep suit helped us!

11:00am  Feeding 
  • I try to hold him off as best as I can so he feeds at this time, regardless of when he wakes from his nap

11:15am Playtime
  • This Zany Cube came highly recommended from other moms so we ordered it.  It arrives today!
  • We are also getting ready to order this Vtech Sit to Stand Walker.  Another highly recommended item
  • He is starting to really love his jumper
  • His grandparents spoiled him over Christmas with his very own BWM that I push him around on



12:00pm Short/Light Feeding 


12:05pm Back to Play Time

1:00pm Afternoon Nap
  • I tend to use this time to run errands if I need to.  He doesn’t always get a deep sleep if we are out and about and tends to dose in and out 
  • This nap is No longer than 2 hours. If we are home this nap is in his crib and sleep suit 
  • If he sleeps long in the morning this nap tends to be only an hour
  • If I am home I will play with and distract him until his next feeding

3:00 pm  Feeding

3:15pm Playtime
  • I try to get 30 minutes each play session of one on one time interacting with him 
  • Then I give him his space and independent time (aka I try to also get stuff done!)

4:30pm  Feeding- Solids 2-3 oz

4:45pm-6:45pm Varies
  • Drew is typically home so during these hours we will walk the dogs while Max is in the stroller.  
  • sometimes Max will fall asleep during the walk, if not then he typically falls asleep around 6:00pm.  These naps are never more than 30 minutes

6:45pm Story Time
  • He starts to get really fussy around this time because he is getting hungry and tired.  We try to read to him and distract him as much as possible

7:00pm  Bathtime

7:20pm Final Feeding 

7:45pm  He is typically asleep by this time
  • I burp him and no longer let him fall asleep while feeding.  I want him good and full!
  • I put him in his dock a tot, in the crib while he is awake.  He used to fuss but doesn’t anymore
  • The white noise is on, humidifier is on, thermostat set to 71 degrees (don’t forget we live in FL so only the A/C runs) 
  • He sleeps in cotton sleepers and a Halo Sleepsack
  • He officially sleeps through the night and wakes again between 6:00-7:00am


Obviously no day is the exact same and somedays are harder then others.  For example I wrote this post and the next morning Max woke at 5am crying off and on until 6:30am unit I finally caved and got him up for the day.  Sometimes I have more things to do and we are out and about but the above schedule is what I would call a typical day.  


My main focus was to get Max sleeping through the night when he was first born so most of my energy went towards that.  I felt by the time he hit 5 months we were both ready to get our days in order.  Up until that point our days were a free for all.  (which is 100% okay!)  I actually start back to work part time from home today for an advertising company in addition to wanting to revamp and form my own brand.  This was the driving factor in me wanting to a set baby schedule during the day.  I now feel it is easier for me to plan and get most of the things done in a day that I need to get done.  

I hope this helps some of you new moms out there.  Don’t forget it’s all trial and error and no one knows what is best for your baby but you!  

Transition from Co-Sleeping to a Toddler Bed

Filed Under: baby, Baby L, co-sleeping, toddler bed //

This post contains affiliate links, purchases from which I may benefit.

Soon after finding out about this pregnancy, my husband and I decided we would transition S from co-sleeping with us to a toddler bed sometime before Baby #2’s birth. The thought both excited and saddened me. I have never really spoken about our co-sleeping experience, particularly because there is much debate around it, but it was one I really cherished.

In an effort to make the transition go as smoothly as possible, my husband and I bought S this Mickey Mouse toddler bed since he is a big fan of Mickey.

Delta Children Interactive Wood Toddler Bed, Disney Mickey Mouse

We surprised him with the bed on Christmas morning, after nearly 1.5 years of co-sleeping. Admittedly, we almost returned the bed when we realized it sits on the floor. However, this has proven to actually be of huge convenience for S to safely climb in and out of bed on his own.

Not surprising at all, S loved it. He jumped in it and played with the clock at the foot of the bed immediately. Then, Christmas night, we told S we were going to put him to bed and told him to get to his bed in his room. Much to our surprise, he directed us to his bedroom and got into his bed! We read to him, played classical lullaby music and eventually he fell asleep… and slept in his bed through the night!

He has slept in his bed every night since. I know the arrival of Baby #2 might throw his sleep routine through a loop and seeing the baby in my and my husband’s bedroom might make S want to sleep in our room again… We will cross that bridge when we get there, though.

For now, we’re relishing in having our bed and bedroom to ourselves again and we are just SO proud of S for rocking his transition from co-sleeping to his very own bed.

Self-Feeding + Nutritious Snacks

Filed Under: baby, Baby L //

Did you know:
  • Little ones 8-24 months get about 25-30% of their daily calories from snacks.
  • 1/3 of 8-24 month olds are not eating whole grains on a given day.
  • 90% of 2 and 3 year olds fall short on MyPlate recommendations for whole grains.

My 20-month-old is a pretty picky eater, though I hear most toddlers are at this stage. I am hoping it is just a stage but our saving grace is his love of snacking. Thankfully, snacking smart with Gerber encourages healthy eating patterns from a young age while the taste and variety keep him happy. He’s been eating these snacks since he was just 8-months-old.

Gerber offers nutritious snacks with good ingredients like whole grains, real fruit and yogurt, and no added bad stuff (no artificial flavors/no synthetic colors). S’ favorite Gerber snacks are Puffs and Yogurt Melts. He also enjoys the Lil’ Crunchies. The shapes and sizes make snacking on them convenient and fun.

 


Gerber snacks provide more than just a snacking moment–they provide real nutrition to make every little bite count. You too should make every little bite count for your child(ren) because every single thing your child eats this early in life should play a meaningful role in their overall nutrition and learning to self feed. 

With Easter coming up, Gerber snacks make a nutritious alternative to chocolate and candy for their  Easter baskets! For coupons for Gerber snacks and more click here.