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.

First Walk as a Family of Four

Filed Under: family of 4, parenthood //

This post is sponsored by Baby Jogger but all opinions are mine.

Last week, the temperatures reached mid-80’s. It felt like summer at times. Now, here we are back in spring temps of 60’s-70’s.

I’m not complaining because the weather is still lovely but the drastic and constant change in temperatures has made my toddler sick again, which is a concern since we have a newborn at home.

Plus, my husband is also a bit sick again. So, he limits how much he interacts with and carries R, and we try to keep S away from him too but it’s impossible to keep them 100% apart when there’s only one of me — my husband returned to work this week. Wahhhhhh!

Back to last week, though… Tim added the car seat adapter to transform our  Baby Jogger City Select a double stroller and oh, how convenient it is! We love how many different configurations (over 16!) you can do with the stroller as a double.

Admittedly, it’s a bit more difficult  to navigate turns as a double but (and this is a BIG but) fortunately, it is not much heavier with the addition… something this recovering C-section mama really appreciates.

I just love having both my babies in one stroller and that it’s narrow enough to pass others while out and about. We have already received compliments on it, too!

Date Night Out as Parents

Filed Under: date night out, parenthood //



Step 1. Decide you want to spend time alone together.
My husband and I are guilty of not going on many dates after our little one arrived. But he recently reminded me that “we should never get too busy for each other.” (Yep, he’s a keeper.) So, we decided to go on a date last weekend.

Step 2. Find a sitter.
Luckily, my family is close by and more than happy to watch our boy.

Step 3. Get yourselves and your child(ren) ready while trying to get out of the house in a timely manner. 
This is not the easiest thing to do in the world … and one parent might not be able to find his shoes so running sneakers will have to do! Thankfully, for me, Pink Blush never disappoints and this pink turtleneck was the perfectly warm and laid back top (wearable as regular, as seen on me in Small, or maternity) for our night out at the movies. Plus, you can’t go wrong with a pretty blush color 🙂

top c/o

Step 4. Sneak out after dropping your child(ren) off so there are no tantrums.
Who enjoys leaving their kid(s) while they’re hysterically crying? 🙁

Step 5. Arrive at your date night location and wonder how your baby is.
You made it the whole drive without asking how it’s going but now that you’ve arrived it’s got you thinking…

Step 6. Check up on how baby sitting is going.
Is he crying? Hungry? Happy or sad? Boy, oh boy do we miss him!

Step 7. Enjoy your time together.
You’re on a date, after all, because you and your partner needed/wanted this time together…. remember?

Step 8. Repeat Step 6 approximately 3-5 times.
If you receive good news and a smiley photo, be content with your decision to finally go on a date. If not, there’s a good chance you’ll leave early to pick him up.

Ah parent life.

And now I remember why a movie night in actually sounds so great. 😉

Back from our First Ever Parents-Only Getaway

Filed Under: Marriage, parenthood //

If you follow me on Instagram, then you already know that my husband and I got back on Tuesday from a weekend getaway in California (L.A. area to be exact) to attend to the beautiful wedding of one of my sorority sisters.  The weekend was amazing and turned out to be one I didn’t know I needed.  


You see, before we got pregnant, my blog and social media used to be chock full of cheesy pics and posts about my husband. Since parenthood, our priorities have shifted a bit/lot but one priority remains: us. Though leaving our little one home was difficult (I might or might not have cried when we left him + on the plane…), this trip has been just what we needed to fall in love some more. After all, I don’t ever want to forget to prioritize one another and our marriage. If we thrive, so too will our little family we’ve created.


We spoke about our son –to one another and to others — often. But we also had our fair share of laughs and experiences, though I still cried in the airport on the day we were coming back home because I just missed our son so darn much… 

All in all, the weekend was full of fun times with my husband, sorority sisters and their husbands and fiancé … but we still rushed home to our babe from the airport last night because #parentlife. 🙂 

Raising Respectful Race-Conscious Children

Filed Under: motherhood, parenthood, race //

Source: Babble

Growing up, I was often categorized as white-presenting and “not really” Hispanic. It always irked me, because (1) it’s racist and (2) I am proud of my heritage. Now that I have a son who is half white, I want him to still acknowledge his Latino side. I want him to be aware and proud of his background, as well as respectful of everyone else no matter what theirs is.

Recent events have caused me to pause and think about how to raise our son, and any future child(ren) we might have, to be accepting and respectful of others no matter their color, creed, or religion.

Although many people proclaim to not be racist because “they don’t see color” when looking at others, that is a dangerous way to approach race-consciousness. The reality is, unless medically color blind, we all see each other’s race. It is important to acknowledge that, be aware of it, and to consciously choose to treat others with respect and dignity in spite of it and all differences.
I did some research about how to approach this topic with kids (this Buzzfeed article is great, in my opinion) and I wanted to share some of the key tips from it. Because it’s important. This is important. 

1. Talk and learn about race, racism, and racial inequity. 

2. Use the concept of fairness.

3. Connect the past with the present and future.

4. Model behaviors for children.

5. Encourage complex, critical thinking.

As a parent, I now feel as compelled and responsible as ever to show love, teach love and choose love. 
I hope you’ll do the same.