My Photo-a-Day Slideshow {Hogan}

A Picture Every Day of My First Year | Hogan

Before Hogan was born, I decided to do a 'Photo a Day' album for him.  Take a picture every day during his first year and put them in an album.  Sounds simple.  Well, in the beginning, It wasn't hard at all.  Just like his monthly pictures I did, they steadily got harder with each day that passed.  I survived though and was able to snap at least one picture of him every day.  Some days, as you will see, may just be a picture of him sleeping because that was the only time he'd be still long enough for me to get a picture.  Some days the picture was taken at 11:45 that night because I'd not been able to take one all day!  Nonetheless, I love the outcome and have finally gotten them put into a slideshow.

My Slideshow | Hogan Keith Smith

{On your mobile device, tap the video and it should play.  You may have to tap twice.}

Creating the Slideshow:

I reviewed several options for creating this slideshow.  I found that Windows Live Movie Maker was the best option for me.  I was able to add 366 pictures, add my own music, and edit the music the way I wanted.  No other FREE slideshow maker gave me those options.  It was super easy to do.  If you're creating a shorter slideshow, I definitely recommend Smilebox.  They have several different layouts and themes to choose from.  I couldn't use Smilebox for mine because I had so many pictures that my slideshow would have ended up being 45 minutes long.

Music:

I spent a lot of time searching for the perfect songs for his slideshow.  I really didn't come across anything I loved, except for "Let Them Be Little" by Billy Dean.  That one is just a classic when it comes to babies, so that was a no-brainer.  I decided to just find my own music.  I'm not super thrilled with the way I had to set my music up, but to make it for free, this is as good as it gets.

"Welcome to This World" by Renee & Jeremy

I love this song.  When I came across it, I knew I wanted it to be the opening song of his slideshow.  The words are so simple, but mean so much.  Welcome to this world, perfect for a newborn baby.

"Never Grow Up" by Taylor Swift

I love Taylor Swift even though I am 26.  This song makes me cry every time.  It definitely tugs at the heart strings.

"I Wish I Could" by Collin Raye

When I think of Collin Raye, I immediately think of the song "That's My Story" for whatever reason.  Little did I know, he also sings this song that is perfect for a first year slideshow.  Every mom and dad wishes they could bottle up the memories from that first year.

"This Little Light of Mine" by Addison Rose

This song was one of my favorites during Sunday school as a kid.  I love her version of this song.

"Let Them Be Little" by Billy Dean

If this song does not make you cry, nothing will.

"Ain't That Love" by Ray Charles

My husband is a big fan of Ray Charles, so I knew I wanted to close the slideshow with one of his songs.  This one was so fitting and it has been stuck in my head ever since I downloaded it.  Every time I hear it, I think of Wes & Hogan.

Word to the Wise:

If you're planning on doing a 'Photo a Day' challenge, I recommend working on it periodically.  I know that's hard, especially if you're trying to do this with a newborn, but it will make your life a lot easier when you decide to finish it up!  I did not work on it at all until after Hogan's first birthday.  It has taken me a solid two weeks to get it done.  There were a lot of long hours put into making this slideshow and his photo album.  I think I could have done it in a third of the time if I had worked on it throughout the year.

Farewell:

I am not usually sentimental when it comes to Hogan growing up.  I didn't cry each time he reached a milestone, I didn't cry when he turned a year old, and I don't cry thinking about the things he'll do in the future.  But for whatever reason, I cried the whole time I made this slideshow.  It's like it just hit me that he'll never be that small again.  He will never fit in my arms like a football, he'll never need me to hold a bottle for him, and before long he won't need me for much of anything.  He's slowly becoming more and more independent with each day that passes.  While this warms my heart that he is getting smarter and less dependent, it also makes me sad.  It saddens me because one day I will have to let him out into this world alone and let him figure everything out on his own.  I know Wes and I will prepare him as best as we can and there's no doubt that Hogan will be ready to explore the world on his own, but will WE be ready?  I'm not ready to think about our home when ours kids are grown and on their own.  I'm just going to enjoy them being little for the short time that I have them all to myself.  By the way, I'm chalking up my emotional breakdown I had while creating this slideshow to my current pregnancy!  

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo- Andee

Must Haves {Hospital Bags}

Must Haves {Hospital Bags}

There are so many things to 'get ready' when you're preparing for a baby.  The list is never-ending and it can get overwhelming.  I remember when Hogan's due date was slowly approaching and I still felt extremely unprepared.  I was thankful to have my two best friends, my twin sister and Jordan, to help me prepare.  They have both been through childbirth and knew what to expect.  My sister helped me prepare for what I was not expecting (everything that happened in the labor and delivery room, but I'll leave that story for another blog post).  Jordan helped me prepare for after I had the baby.  She made me a detailed list of everything I would need after birth.  If it weren't for both of their advice, I don't think I'd have survived.  

I was completely clueless about what to pack for the hospital stay.  I was a first-time mom and needed all of the help I could get.  I am going to give you my list of must haves to pack for you, your spouse, and your new baby so that your hospital stay will be as smooth as possible.  I'm sure there are things on my list that you will omit and there are things you will add, but hopefully this will help get you pointed in the right direction.

Mom's List

Essentials

Shampoo, Conditioner, & Soap - I recommend the travel size just because they are a lot more convenient when you are packing.

Toothbrush & Toothpaste - I remember one of the first things I wanted to do after giving birth was brush my teeth.  I had been in labor all night and I just wanted to get that awful taste out of my mouth!

Razors - You might think this is ridiculous because you're not going to care about shaving your legs after having a baby, but I am strange about this.  I can't stand the feeling of prickly legs so I shave my legs everyday, even after giving birth.  I shaved during my very first shower when I could barely stand up and still had a catheter attached to me.  So this is one that is definitely on my list, but may very well be left off of your list.

Lotion - I use lotion everyday, but if you don't typically use lotion this may not be on your list.

Deodorant - Don't forget your deo!

Hairbrush - I bought a small, cheap hairbrush to stick in my bag so it didn't matter if it got left behind or not.

Hairdryer - I didn't take a hairdryer because I usually let my hair air dry, but I know several girls that took their dryers so they didn't have to wait hours for their hair to dry.  

Ponytail Holders - Whatever you usually pull your hair back with, take it.

Chapstick - Even if you don't use Chapstick or never need it, pack some just in case you do need it.  For some reason, lips seem to automatically become chapped during labor.  I guess it's because you can't really have anything to eat or drink for hours.  I always put this in gift baskets when I'm visiting friends that have just had their baby and they always thank me later.  Do yourself a favor and pack it.

Makeup - My sister is the one that told me to take makeup.  We all know that Dee loves her makeup!  She said, "You're going to be in so many pictures while you're there and you don't want to look awful."  She was right.  I don't think I put any makeup on the first day because I'd been up all night giving birth, but the next two days I had it on and it does make you feel a lot better, even if you just put on a little like I did.

Clothes

Pajamas - I sleep in a t-shirt every night.  I don't wear cute pjs.  So when I was packing my clothes for the hospital, I packed over-sized t-shirts and pajama pants.  I discovered later that I needed button-up pjs.  This is really only if you're nursing.  It just makes it so much easier to nurse if you can just undo a couple of buttons rather than taking off your shirt.  I sent Wes to the store to get me button-up pjs while we were in the hospital.  Just make sure you pack enough for 3 or 4 days in case you stay longer than usual.

Socks - Take several pair of socks.  The hospital is always cold and you'll need them.

House shoes - You'll definitely want to take a pair of house shoes because you won't want to walk around barefoot while you're there and you also won't want to have to put on regular shoes.  Take a comfy pair of house shoes.

Bras & Nursing Bras - Whether you are going to nurse or not, take a few bras.  They recommend keeping one on while you're there because it helps when your milk starts to come in.  The nursing bras are super convenient for when you're nursing, so don't forget to pack them for the hospital.

Panties - You'll need several pair of panties.  Don't take good panties, take ones that you won't mind ruining because they will get ruined more than likely.  I went to Wal-Mart and bought a pack of those cheap, cotton panties that had about 8 pair in the pack.  I got a size up from what I usually wear just so they wouldn't be too tight on me after giving birth.  I packed all of them for the hospital.  They will have panties for you to wear, but they aren't comfortable and as soon as they tell you it's ok to put your regular panties on, you will want to do so.  

Cheap Flip-Flops - This is in case you don't want to shower barefoot.  Buy a cheap pair of flip-flops to take with you for showering.

Going Home Outfit - You'll still be bloated when you leave the hospital and you won't want to wear anything tight around your stomach, but pack whatever you think you want to wear when you leave the hospital.  I went home in pjs because I didn't feel like changing into regular clothes, but you may not want all of your 'going home' pictures to be of you wearing pjs.

Nursing & Baby

Boppy or Mombo - If you have either one of these, take it to the hospital.  It is a lifesaver while you're nursing and you'll want to have it with you.  Even if you're bottle feeding, this is still great to have.

Nursing Cover - After you've been through labor and delivery and you feel like everyone in the world has seen everything you never wanted anyone to see, you really won't care who sees you nurse.  You will have to deal with people coming in your room to visit while you're nursing.  There's just no way around it.  Take your nursing cover and it will make things a lot more comfortable for you and your baby.

Burp Cloths & Receiving Blankets - You can always use the blankets at the hospital for burping your baby, but if you want to bring your cute ones, go for it.  I never used burp cloths, I found it a lot easier for me to use receiving blankets when I was feeding Hogan.

Breast Pump - The hospital will give you a hand-held breast pump, but if you have one that you want to use, take it with you.  I used the hand-held one and it was fine, but you may want to use the one you bought or received as a gift.

Nursing Pads, Nipple Shields, Cream - I am pretty sure that all hospitals provide you with these things while you're there, but my mind has chosen not to remember this part.  I know they provide the Lansinoh cream and the shields, but I can't remember about the pads.  You might want to check about this if you're planning on nursing.

Miscellaneous

Camera & Video Camera - Don't forget these, you'll take so many pictures and videos on those first few days so make sure you have plenty of available memory on those memory cards.

Phone - This is a no-brainer, but I'll put it on the list.  You'll want to be able to call and text everyone you know after you've had your baby.  You'll also want to take pictures with your phone and post them on your social media sites.  Just don't forget your phone.

Chargers - Don't forget to pack your chargers for whatever digital devices you take with you!

Snacks - Candy, chips, gum, cookies, etc., whatever you like to snack on, pack it!  You'll be there for a few days and you'll want to snack.  Your appetite doesn't just magically disappear, at least mine didn't!

Pillow - If you have a certain pillow you have to sleep with, pack it.  I still sleep with my baby blanky and you better believe it was with me the whole time!

ID - Don't forget to take your wallet with your information.  You'll need your ID, insurance card, etc., so be sure you have it packed!

Towel or Old Blanket - I recommend packing this in your car because you will be bleeding heavily after delivery and you may want to sit on a towel on the ride home so nothing gets on your seats.

The Spouse

I really should let Wes be writing this or at least giving me his input, but he's napping so I will try to remember everything he took with him.

Pajamas - Wes wore athletic clothes the whole time we were in the hospital, t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, sweatpants.  Nothing special, just comfortable clothes.

House Shoes - I recommend taking house shoes for the spouse too because they are usually the ones going to get whatever it is you need.

Socks & Underwear - Take enough for a few days.

Bathroom Necessities - Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, shaving stuff, etc.  Whatever it is that guys need, be sure to take it.

iPad - Wes wouldn't have survived without his iPad.  There are lots of times when the baby will be asleep or in the nursery and the mom is just trying to get some rest, so the iPad is a diversion from everything and will give him something to do so he's not bored out of his mind.

Going Home Outfit - Yes, the spouse will need an outfit to go home in.  Just don't forget to pack it!

The Baby

Essentials

Baby Wipes - I'm only adding this to my list because I know the hospital I delivered at gives you dry wipes to use.  It's a lot more convenient to use regular wipes, so I would take some just in case.

Vaseline - I read this on a blog when I was preparing for birth.  The poopy diapers for the first, few days will be awful.  They are basically like tar and it's almost impossible to get off of the skin.  I read that Vaseline will help you to get it off if it's a really bad diaper and it worked for us.  Although, Wes changed all of the diapers in the hospital so you'll have to ask him!  They make a Vaseline in a baby scent, it smells great!

Lotion - I took lotion, but I can't remember if we used it or not.  You might want to pack a small tube of it just in case you need it.  They may provide you with some, but I can't remember.

Diapers - The hospital will provide you with diapers while you're there, but if you're using cloth diapers, be sure to take those if you're going to start using them right away.

Hairbrush - If you're planning on having a baby with a lot of hair, pack a hairbrush just in case!

Bottles - If you're bottle feeding, they will provide you with bottles and formula while you are there.  I don't think there's any need to take any with you, but you might want to check just to be safe.

Clothes & Stuff

You will want to take plenty of clothes for your baby because you never know what kind of accidents may happen.  You will be there anywhere from two to four days depending on what type of delivery you have.  Pack enough stuff for that many days and maybe even a few extra just in case.

Hats - They will usually make you keep a hat on the baby until he or she can regulate his own body temperature.  If you don't want your baby to wear the hospital hat in all of the pictures he or she is in, take some hats.

Socks - You'll need to keep socks on their feet to keep them warm!

Sleepers - I recommend taking sleepers with the footed pjs.  They're just an easy. all-in-one outfit.  

Gowns - I loved putting gowns on Hogan.  They were so cute and so easy!

Going Home Outfit - Whatever you decide to take your baby home in, don't forget to pack it!  Don't forget the bows, baby bracelet, shoes, etc.

Blankets - Take a couple of your own blankets.  You may or may not use them in the hospital, but you'll use them on the way home for sure.

Sleep Sack or Swaddler - You will learn how to swaddle while you're there, but you may have a sleep sack or swaddler that you want to take.  We took Hogan's swaddler and he loved it from day one.

Mittens - I forgot to pack my mittens and Hogan had to wear ugly socks on his hands to keep himself from scratching his face!  Their fingernails are really thin and brittle and you can't really cut them at first, so take mittens in case they start scratching themselves.

Miscellaneous

Baby Book - Take your baby book.  They will do a footprint in the book for you while you're there.  You will also want to make a list of everyone that visits you and brings gifts while you're in the hospital.

Favors - We had golf tees with Hogan's name printed on them and gave those to our visitors.  Don't forget to pack whatever it is you want to give to visitors if you're planning on doing that!

Door Hanger / Decoration - Don't forget to pack whatever you plan on hanging on the door of your hospital room!

Carseat - Don't forget the carseat!  You'll want to have this installed already.

Closing

I think this is everything on my list, but I am pregnant and definitely have the pregnancy fog so my memory is not very sharp right now.  I will add things as I think of them.   I think the best thing to remember is don't over pack.  I know this list seems long, but most of it is small stuff.  Just take what you think you will need and if you need something while you're there, you will have plenty of people willing to go get what you need!  I hope this helps you prepare and good luck with your new baby!

Thanks for stopping by!

Andee

Happy Halloween {Army Boy}

Army Boy

We aren't big into Halloween and Hogan is still so young that he can't really enjoy the excitement of Halloween.  We knew we were going to do some sort of simple costume.  I am not crafty at all and can't make anything, so our kids' Halloween costumes will be store bought forever unless someone makes one for us!  We went to K-Mart about 4 days before Halloween to pick up his costume.  We just went in with the mindset that we weren't leaving empty-handed, so we couldn't be picky.  There were still lots of costumes to choose from, I thought the pickings would be slim.  We came across an Army outfit for a little boy and decided to get it.  Wes is very good about making decisions.  He can go in any store and be out in minutes.  I can go in any store and stay hours and leave with nothing.  I'm glad he was there with me.

The Costume

We decided on the Army Boy costume.  It was $19.99 and since we waited until the last minute to get his costume, they were all 50% off, so we paid $10 for it!  It doesn't get better than that.  We're thrifty people.

Extras

The outfit came with a flimsy hat that matched, but it was way too big for Hogan.  The costume was a 2T/4T, but it fit perfectly.  The hat did not.  I happened to be in the Dollar Tree a couple of days ago and they had so many neat, little Army gadgets.  I picked him up an Army bowl hat and binoculars.  The hat worked great because it had the elastic band that held it on his head, otherwise he would have never kept it on.  The binoculars were a great asset because it kept him occupied with his costume.  He played with them all night.

Dog Tags

When I was about to get him dressed in his costume yesterday, I happened to remember that I had some dog tags that I had made in elementary school.  I found them in my jewelry box and they worked GREAT!  They were the perfect touch to his costume.  I blurred out the personal info on them, but I think it's so sweet that he was able to wear those dog tags from my childhood.

The Results

We could not have been more pleased with the way his simple costume turned out.  He looked just like a little Army Boy and he had a lot of fun.  You can't beat a $12 costume!

Army Boy

Happy Boy!

He loved his binoculars.

Festivities

We celebrated Halloween a day early because the weather was great and it is supposed to be rainy and stormy today.  We went to both of the great grandparents' houses and both grandparents' houses.  That's it!  We can't handle taking him anywhere else.  Four places is more than plenty! 

Hogan & Dad at Nana's house.

Watson decided to go as a skeleton for Halloween!

Grace, Hogan, & Anna -  sweet cousins!

He got a little bit of candy, but since he doesn't eat much candy,
he got lots of cookies and crackers!

He does NOT like Frankenstein!

Happy Halloween!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo - Andee

Photo-a-Day Book {Hogan}

Photo-a-Day Book | Hogan

Before Hogan was born, I had decided that I was going to do the Photo-a-Day challenge for him.  The PAD challenge is where you take a picture everyday for a whole year, 365 days.  It sounded simple enough to me.  I thought it would be so neat for him to have a book with a picture of himself from every day throughout his first year.  Here's the story:

Prep

Taking a picture of him everyday of that first year was a challenge itself.  Some days I was lucky to get a picture of the side of his face and other days, I was sneaking in his room at 11:30 that night to snap a picture of him.  Nevertheless, we made it and have 365 pictures of him for his book.

Had I started working on his book throughout the year, the task would not have been so daunting.  Instead of doing that, I waited until I snapped that last picture of him on his first birthday before I ever even began the project.  Lucky for me, I'm blessed to be a stay-at-home mom and I used every bit of his nap time for two weeks to get his book done.  So if you attempt to do this for your child, do yourself a favor and work on it weekly or monthly or even just quarterly, just don't wait and do it all at once like I did.

With the exception of a few professional pictures he had taken, I took every picture with my iPhone.  It was just more convenient for me to do it that way.  Throughout the year, I would save the pictures from my phone to our desktop computer and then delete them off of my phone to make room for more pictures.  At the end of the year, I think I had around 20,000 pictures on my computer.  That's why this was such a challenge for me.  I had to sift through all of the thousands of pictures I had taken and find my favorite one from each day.  Once I found it, I had to make sure the eyes weren't red or white and if they were, I had to deal with that issue.

To make it easy on myself when I actually started making the book, I created folders for each month of his first year.  As I found the pic I wanted to use for that day, I would drag it to the appropriate folder and then name it by using the day it was taken.  For example, I took all of his monthly pictures on the 11th of each month, so I would drag the monthly picture to the correct folder and then rename it 11.  I knew I was finished with each month when I had a picture named 1, 2, 3, etc.

Once all of the pictures were saved into their correct folder and renamed with the day it was taken, it was time to begin making the book.

MyPublisher

I knew I wanted his book to be professionally made.  I just thought it would hold up better that way.  After researching several different websites, like Blurb, Shutterfly, etc., I decided to go with MyPublisher for this project.  Not only did they send me a promotion for a really great deal, they also have the simplest operating system to use.  It was quick and easy to do and the results were even more amazing than I had hoped for!

MyPublisher offers several different options for your book.  You can design your own layout, determine how many pictures go on each page, add text, and all sorts of other options.

Hogan's Book

I chose to use one of Hogan's newborn pictures for the cover of his book.  This book is hardcover and you can choose to either have the image printed directly on the book or a jacket for the book.  I chose to have it printed onto the book because I worked in a library at one time and those jackets were just a pain!  When I received his book in the mail and opened the box, I could not believe how beautiful it was.  It is exactly like looking at a yearbook from your high school days.  The pages are thick and the color is exactly like it appears when you're making the book on the computer.  The overall quality is just incredible.

I didn't take a picture of every page, but I did take a few just to show you how the layout looks once it's actually printed.  I used the Oh Baby Boy layout.

This page is optional.  I added it because I thought with it being his first year book that it was appropriate.

On these two pages, I used a 5-picture layout on the left and a 4-picture layout on the right.

Another 5-picture layout page.

6-picture and 5-picture layout.

This 9-picture layout was probably the one I used the most.  I was trying to fit 365 pictures into one book and I didn't want it to be as thick as a phone book, so this worked best for me.

Pricing

My book ended up being a total of 57 pages.  I chose the 8x12 inch book.  I received an offer via email from MyPublisher for 58% off of my book purchase.  The total before my discount was $72.62 and what I actually paid was $30.00.  After tax {$2.55} and shipping {$10.99 via FedEx}, I paid $43.54 total!  I know that probably still seems like a lot, but versus every other website I checked, I would have paid at least $100 for the book and I doubt the quality would have been anything like what this one is.

Closing that Chapter

After I finished the book and actually got it in the mail, I realized that that chapter of my life is officially over, the chapter of Hogan's first year.  It is definitely bittersweet, but thankfully I will be starting another Photo-a-Day book in January.  And this time, I will NOT wait until he's a year old to start it!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo - Andee

Baby Must Haves | Bedtime

Andee's List of Bedtime Must Haves

Last time I did bath time must haves, this time I'm going to give you my must haves for bedtime.  This is probably my most important list because bedtime has always caused me the most anxiety, especially when Hogan was a newborn.  I have always had a fear of SIDS and it caused me to lose sleep thinking about Hogan breathing while he slept.  When I finally got bedtime the way I wanted, I no longer worried about SIDS and I slept better than I had ever slept just knowing that my baby was safe in his own bed.  My number one rule when we decided to have kids, was that they were going to sleep in their own beds.  Hogan is 13 months old and has never slept in our bed.  There have been a couple of times where he was teething and I might pick him up at 5:30 am and lay him in bed with me for an hour or so, but never all night.  I just felt like all of us would sleep better in our own beds.

Sound Machine

I did a lot of reading while I was pregnant with Hogan.  One of the things I read was that sound machines help prevent SIDS.  This immediately caught my attention.  White noise supposedly keeps your baby from falling into too deep of a sleep that he or she won't wake up.  I bought one right away.  Hogan has slept with his sound machine every night and also every nap time since the day he was born.  He is 13 months old now and still sleeps with it.  The one we have, the MyBaby by Homedics SoundSpa - Lullaby Relaxation Machine, has lots of different settings.  It will play lullabies, rain, ocean, etc., and it also has a projector that plays little pictures on the wall or ceiling for your baby to watch.  He sleeps with the rain, it's just what we decided on when he was little.  Also, because whatever he listens to, we also listen to over the monitor.  We've used ours every day for a year and it's still going strong.  I definitely recommend this one.  It's $24.99 at Target.

Rock N' Play Sleeper

I was introduced to these by a friend at work.  She told me they were the best things for newborns to sleep in.  They are slightly elevated, so it keeps them from lying flat on their back all night and they also rock, which every baby loves.  Hogan slept in his Rock N' Play beside our bed until he was three months old, then I transitioned him to his crib and he's been there ever since.  These are so easy to travel with and we did a lot of travelling when he was a baby, so it worked perfectly for us.  This is very high up there on my must haves list.  They are usually around $75 at Target, Rock N' Play Sleeper, but they are worth every penny, I promise!

Angelcare Monitor

THIS IS THE BIGGEST, MOST ABSOLUTE MUST HAVE ON MY LIST!!!  Like I said earlier, I have the biggest fear of SIDS.  When Hogan was about two weeks old, I could NOT sleep.  I'd stay awake all night watching him sleep to make sure he was breathing.  I'd set my alarm for the top of every hour so I could wake up and make sure he was breathing.  It was awful and I was miserable.  A friend of mine, Kayla, had her son two weeks before me.  We texted a lot while we were pregnant and right after we had our babies.  I was telling her about it one night and she told me to try the Angel Care Monitor because it alerts you if your baby stops breathing.  It was too good to be true, I thought.  I ordered one that night.  When you read the reviews on the monitor, you will see a lot of people say that it gives you false alarms or that the alarm goes off when the baby is breathing.  Here's my experience with this:  The alarm never goes off if the baby is breathing.  I think lots of times, the baby may be in a position that the sensor pad can't feel the movement, so it sets the alarm off.  The older Hogan gets, the easier it is for him to get in the corner of his crib and that's when the alarm goes off.  When he's in the corner and the sensor pad is in the middle of his crib, it can't feel him breathe, so the alarm will go off.  I sometimes have to get up in the middle of the night and move him back to the middle of his crib, but it's not a big deal for me.  Let me say, I would much rather have the false alarms than to have nothing at all protecting my baby.  There are several different sensor levels you can choose from.  I think we have ours set on the medium level and it works great.  When he was small, I had it on the highest level because I wanted to be sure it alerted me.  We bought our Angelcare Monitor at Target for around $90.  We paid about $75 for our regular monitor we had before we bought this one.  For a few extra bucks, why not go with this one?  As long as you install your monitor correctly, you shouldn't have to worry about many false alarms.

Bedding

There are so many people that will tell you "don't do this" or "don't do that."  When I give advice, I try not to do that.  I like to just give my experience with certain things.  You can decide for yourself whether you're going to do it or not.  Advice is just that, advice.  Take it or leave it, you are the mom and you are ultimately the one that has to decide what is best for your baby.

Bumper Pad

When I was expecting Hogan, I was asked several times if I was going to use a bumper pad.  I hadn't put much thought into it at that point, so I would just say that I hadn't decided.  I researched it a little bit and everything I came across said that bumper pads were no longer considered safe due to the risk of SIDS.  Having my fear of SIDS, I immediately ruled out a bumper pad.  Well, at three months, when I put Hogan in his crib full-time, it worked out great.  He wasn't rolling over or moving much in his sleep at that time.  At four months, when he started rolling over, it was a different story.  He would scream and I'd go check on him and either his arm or his leg had gotten caught in between the slats of his crib.  After this happened three times in a matter of days, I was afraid he was going to end up breaking a limb trying to free himself.  I went to the store that day and bought a bumper pad.  Since I wanted one that day, I couldn't be picky, so I ended up with this stars themed one in the picture.  I didn't care what it looked like, as long as it protected my baby.  Once I got the bumper pad, he never got stuck in his crib again.  If you're unsure about using one or not, I'd just say that you can try it without one like I did and if you decide you need one, buy it.

Waterproof Crib Pad

This is the mattress pad we have.  It's the Circo Absorbent Crib Pad from Target.  It is $9.99.  Hogan is a year old and we have washed and dried ours countless times and it's still like brand new.  We have a baby that has slept 12-13 hours every night since he was 2 months old, so there's nothing you can do about leaking diapers when they sleep that long, it's inevitable.  So, these are a must.  I would recommend buying two.  We only have one and there are lots of times I'm waiting on his to get out of the dryer so I can make his bed for nap time.  I'm sure there are several different versions of these, this is just the one we got and it has worked great for us.  You'll definitely want to protect his mattress from pee so it doesn't smell like that!

Crib Sheets

We did not buy baby bedding because I did not want a bumper pad or a crib blanket, so we just bought a bed skirt and crib sheets from Target and Buy Buy Baby.  We have three crib sheets and we rotate them out.  The Chevron Crib Sheet is $9.99 at Target and has held up great with all of the wash cycles it has been through.  Like the mattress pad, I recommend having more than one crib sheet.  It's just convenient.

Blankets

Again, due to my fear of SIDS, I did not put a blanket in the crib with Hogan until he was almost six months old.  I would just make sure to dress him in warm pajamas and socks.  My sister always said I was a cruel mama because of that, but I just couldn't help it.  At six months, I finally started letting him sleep with a blanket.  He always wanted the blanket right in his face, like in the picture above.  For the first couple of months, I would only let him sleep with crocheted blankets that had holes in them.  I felt like if he had the blanket in his face, at least he could breathe through the holes.  That was just my logic to make myself feel better.  I would suggest swaddlers or swaddling with a receiving blanket if you are like I am about blankets in the crib.

Swaddlers

Being a first time mom, I had never swaddled a baby before.  I came across these swaddlers at TJ Maxx a few days before I had Hogan.  I bought this one, the brand is Blankets & Beyond.  It's minky dot and so soft.  It was only $12.99!  It has velcro on the insides that keeps it attached and together, it's super easy.  Hogan LOVED his and would sleep in it all night.  Sometimes, when he would get fussy, we would put him in it and it would immediately calm him down.  These are a must for me and they are also safer than a regular blanket thrown on top of your baby.  I got this one over a year ago, but my sister just had a baby and I bought her a purple one very similar to this one at TJ Maxx, so I know they still have them.  There are several different versions of these.  I know Target has lots of different types of swaddlers.  This is the only one I've tried, but I'm sure some of the other ones are just as great.  They just may not be as nice to your pocket book as this one is!

Consistency

Consistency pays off.  In the beginning, it may seem like it's not working, but it will eventually take hold.  We always had a night-time routine when Hogan was a baby.  We would feed him, then bathe him, change his diaper, and then we'd all go in our room and play on our bed for about ten minutes.  After playtime, we'd lay him in his bed and he would go to sleep on his own.  We always put him in bed awake so that he would learn to fall asleep on his own.  He's never had trouble putting himself to sleep and he sleeps in the dark with no TV, just his sound machine.  Now that he's older and has a mouthful of teeth, our routine has changed a bit, but it's still consistent.  He has a cup of milk, playtime, diaper change, we all go in the bathroom and brush his teeth together, then we all lay him down in his bed together and he puts himself to sleep.  {I say we ALL, because Bogey does the night-time routine with us.}  We were blessed with a baby that sleeps well and I am hoping that Watson will take after his big brother.

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Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo - Andee

My First Haircut {Hogan}

My First Haircut

Our first haircut experience.  Let's just start out by saying that it was nothing like I expected.  I don't know why, but in my mind I had this plan of how everything would go.  Hogan would sit in the chair and get his haircut, smiling the whole time, all while I snapped a hundred pictures.  Um, no.  Not how it happened at all.  It never even occurred to me that he may be scared, scream, cry, or anything of this nature.  He's such a mild mannered child and I rarely have to deal with him crying in public.  There have been a handful of times that I can remember that happening in his first year.  While we were getting ready to leave for his haircut, Wes said, "He may not even let him cut his hair."  That's the first time it occurred to me that he might not like it.

Before Pictures

Hogan could have definitely waited on getting his first haircut, but the back was getting too long for our liking and his bangs were touching his eyebrows.  He had some cute, little curls that flipped out over his ears, but they sometimes made people confuse him for a girl.

Going In!

They were actually both getting haircuts.  I can't tell which one was more nervous!

The Chair

Like I said, I just wasn't prepared for what was to come.  Hogan hated the chair.  Tony tried sitting him in the children's chair, but he screamed as loud as he could.  We tried him sitting in Wes' lap next, not happening.

Look at that face!

Our last option was Mama's lap.  Here's how that went...

We were finally able to get him calmed down a bit.

The First Snip

Word to the wise, make sure you remember to get the first snip of his hair.  With all of the chaos, I forgot all about it and when the haircut was over, I was trying to collect hair off of the floor.  I was able to get a little, but it was a challenge.

The look on his face in these pictures says it all.  Scared. To.  Death.

Through it all, we were able to get one picture of him actually smiling.

After Pictures

He got to enjoy his sucker while Dad got his haircut.

Two, handsome babes!

Afterwards, we had to go home and change clothes because we were all covered in hair.

Before & After

The First Morning With My New Haircut

Brushing my new hair-do!

Advice

This is just a little advice from a first-time mom and her first haircut experience with her child.

1.  We took every one of his favorite toys, nothing helped.

2.  The only thing that seemed to calm him down was when we pulled up a Mickey Mouse episode on my phone.

3.  They WILL cry.

4.  You MIGHT cry.  Luckily, I was able to remain calm and laugh, but that's not my nature at all.  I'm usually the one that gets stressed and panicky.

5.  You will both survive.  When you think there's no way the stylist is going to be able to cut his hair, they will.

6.  Take them to someone you know, they'll have more patience.

7.  Don't forget to take before pictures, just for keepsake.

8.  Take extra clothes.  You'll be covered in hair afterwards.

9.  Do not go alone.  Go with your spouse, or a friend, anyone.

10.  Just enjoy it.  Through all of the tears he shed and the screams, I love thinking back on it and laughing.  Through it all, we were able to have fun.

We decided to take Hogan to Tony Brown for his first haircut.  All of the men in Wes' family have gone to him for years, so Hogan had to follow, of course.  He was so good with him.  I can't imagine having to cut the hair of a screaming, squirmy child, but he made it look easy!

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo - Andee