CSN Store Giveaway!

*Congrats to The Crave to Save, you were chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be contacted by CSN store with your prize! Thanks everyone for entering!*

Have you ever shopped on CSNstores.com? If you haven't you should check it out, they have everything from a platform bed to baby items! Everyone knows how excited I am right now buy baby items! CSN Stores has everything you need all in one spot! Thinking about getting an early Christmas present for someone, I'm sure you can find it on CSN Stores. So where am I going with this post, I invite you to go CSNStores.com and find one item you really want for your self, or a family member and you could win a $35.00 gift certificate from them towards a purchase.

So what do you have to do? Something really easy, just leave me a comment stating what you would like and your email address so I can contact you if you win. I will choose a winner using random.org, so it's all fair!

Make sure you have your entry in by Monday, October 4, because that's when I will choose a winner!

Buzz

Recently I was invited by BuzzAgent to try out Friendship cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is a pretty universal food, believe it or not. You can use it in salads, baking, on fruit and it's a great and low fat/calorie substitute for ricotta cheese. Have you ever tried Friendships Cottage Cheese? If not, I suggest you do. It's very good! In fact it's so good that I am giving away 3 lucky readers two coupons for $1.00 off for the cottage cheese, all you have to do is leave a comment on how you like to eat cottage cheese! BuzzAgent provided the coupons! Simple!

Things I wish I'd known

Before having a baby:

• No need to bring makeup with you to the hospital, who cares what you look like before and after giving birth and I didn't really care!!! I will admit though I had my mom bring my hair dryer so I could dry my hair!
• I never thought a little squirt bottle would be so refreshing when you can't shower.
  
• I was really worried about having a C-section, but they really aren't that bad and the recovery(at least for me) wasn't bad at all. I was terrified when they told me I was going to have c-section.
  
• It's ok to cry, let it out if you need too!
• You aren't going to get any rest in the hospital, the doctor and nurses come in at all hours of the day and night!
  
• Take everything home that is extra from this hospital, don't be afraid, they won't think you are stealing!
• Don't be embarrassed to breastfeed, it's perfectly normal and it's easy to cover up while you have visitors!

I'm sure I'll update this as I think of more!!!

Small Bits

• I've been cleared to work out again, so stay tuned for a weight loss/work out program I'm coming up with and hope some bloggers join me. =)
  
• I ran the other day for the first time in 9 months and it felt awesome!
• Kiley started to smile, stay tuned for pictures!
• My sister in law Lyndsay is getting married this weekend, we are all so excited!
• Kiley is sleeping so much better, we are getting about 3-4 hour stretches, up for an hour and then back down for another 3-4.
• I'm still breastfeeding, but supplementing with formula. Kiley was getting enough from me for each feeding, she's now eating 4 ounces at a time, every 2 hours, so she now gets 3 ounces of breast milk and and 1 ounce of formula. At night time she is completely feed from the breast.
  
• Kiley is finally starting to fit into newborn size clothing, so glad she is able to wear more of her outfits now!
  

Kiley's 1 month stats

I said I would update when we got back from the doctor but we've been super busy! Anyways, at Kiley's one month check up, she was 8 pounds 5 ounces and 21 inches long! Her weight was probably a bit higher because she just ate before we went to the doctors!

Kiley is 1 month!

So hard to believe Kiley is one month already!!I can't believe you have been outside my belly already for a month! Everyone said it flies by and it totally did little munchkin! We don't go for Kiley's 1 month appointment till next Monday, so I will update you with her stats then! Anyways, this first month has been a total learning process for Daddy, Mommy, Puggie and you! We are starting to get to know one another, I'm starting to learning your cries and what they mean. I love that you love to cuddle all the time, it's so hard to put you down to get something done, but you can't be held all the time! I love the little squeaking noises you make when you are sleeping. I love the way you stretch after you wake up, it's quite the production, if anyone has seen it, they know what I mean! You are starting to learn how to do some things, you love to grasp things, you are becoming so much more alert, following things with your eyes. You love the baby rattle application on my i-phone. You love to look at your grass and flowers when you are getting your diapered changed. You love looking up at your bird moblie in your crib. We are still working on your sleeping at night time, but you will eventually let Mommy and Daddy enjoy their night time sleeping hours! Puggie is starting to become ok with you being in our house, haha! She likes to smell your little toes! You did awesome on your first road trip to the cottage! We think we have seen your first smile, but we aren't sure yet! I can't wait to see how much you grow in this next month!

Small Bits

• We are going to the cottage for our first family mini vacation for labor day!
  
• Kiley is finally fitting into her clothing, slowly we are fitting into the newborn size, we will eventually get to our 3 month clothing! I had to go out and buy some small warmer sizes of clothing for her!
• Kiley and I went and visited my school and former students this week. They were all so excited to see her and my self. I got asked a million questions, of course like "How did you get that baby out?" "Why is she so small?". It was cute. It made me really miss teaching and for a second wanting to go back to work, but nothing is more rewarding then staying home with your baby and watching her grow and change everyday, and of course staying home with Puggie!
  

4 weeks PP(Post Partum)

It's so hard to believe Kiley will be a month old this week already!

I don't go back to my doctor for another two weeks, so for exercising now, I'm just going to continue to walk 2 miles every other day with Kiley and do some of my yoga/pilates DVD's. I really feel I'm ready to do more, but I don't want to over do it before I get the ok from the doctor.

This week I noticed things are starting to get easier. I feel more comfortable with Kiley. I'm getting to know what cry is what. We are still having some fussy time at night, but that's expected. We aren't sure if she is colic or not, but when she is screaming we can console her. I saw mixed reviews that you can't calm a colic baby and other say you can. We have been giving her Mycolin drops after eating's to help her with gas. We tried gripe water and it didn't nothing for her, expect only make her wake up every hour of the night!

Breastfeeding is going well. Kiley still latches on like a champ, the only thing we wish she would do is eat for longer times! She falls asleep still so easily while feeding and we do whatever we can do to keep her away during feedings. I'm also pumping after each feeding except at night time to help with milk production and of course to have a stock pile, so daddy can do some night feedings!

We've been going out a lot! Kiley is a great shopper, because she just sleeps the whole time we are out! We also went out to lunch with some friends and she was awake and was a good girl the whole time!