Flashback Friday| Life In NICU

Being the mommy of a child in the NICU brings on a lot of anxiety that in my opinion, cannot be avoided. Things that helped to set my mind at ease and made me feel like I was helping:

Checking in| Reminding myself that if I EVER wanted to know how she was doing... even in the wee horse of the night/morning, I could call her nurse and get information.

Keep Pumping| in the earlier weeks we weren't able to nurse so keeping my pumping schedule was a must to ensure her supply was plenty at the hospital. 

Kangaroo Care| Once the green light was given, I held her every chance I got. Skin to skin not only benefited her but made me feel more like a mom.

Being hands on| it took me a while but eventually assisted in every way possibly when visiting with Button: diaper changes, hand hugs to keep her calm for her assessments, feedings, etc. I was always asking to help once I got past the "I don't want to hurt her" phase.

Journaling| I not only had a journal, but a calendar that helped me document Button's progress and count the days; from assessments to small messages to her, I wrote whenever I felt moved to do so.

CLICK HERE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR STORY

Pick 6| Winter

Hello loves! Springs has sprung in a sense so I wanted to share my favorites from Winter:

Hair| Whipped Shea Butter
This item is nothing new to the blog as I have shared the recipe on how to make this lovely whipped shea butter and talked about it in previous Pick 6 Posts. I use it on my hair and body a lot during the colder months for conditioning. Want to know how to create it? CLICK HERE

Fashion| Joggers
I am pretty frumpy when I don't have to leave the house but when we have company over... I try to look semi decent. Joggers help me achieve this. I have found them at Target and Rose's (a store similar to Ross and Marshalls). I have an Aztec print, dark and light grey pair that stay in heavy rotation.







Beauty| Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes.The best mascara I have used so far. It really defines my lashes. Also, I am "multiple application" gal and it makes my lashes look great.

Skin| Facial Brush
Such a simple product makes such a difference. I purchased this from Dollar Tree in a recent haul (Click Here to view my recent haul) and have been using it very often. I rub it on my black soap bar and scrub my face at the end of the day for some deep cleaning.






Accessories|Nude polishes
I like more natural nail colors during the colder months, so I lean towards nude polishes. I have a few from various brands (Sally Hanson, essie, and charming charlies) but my favorite is "Over The Taupe" by opi. I've have been using this up when I have my pampering days.





Random| Baby's First Years Bottle Warmer
This item is a God send. When it was given to us I had no clue that I would end up using it as often but this really comes in handy for those middle of the night feedings. I load up a cooler with Button's milk and take it upstairs for the night and this warmer sits right on the nightstand. I can changer her diaper and the bottle is warm by the time I have finished.


So, what items were you loving on this Winter?

Mommy of a Super Hero| Strength of a Preemie

Around this time last year there were so many thoughts running through my mind about #NewMomLife: hoping that I'd do a good job recognizing different cries and being able to take care of my little one was just some of what went through my head as I felt Button kick around in the early morning hours.

Needles to say when Button made her debut at 24 weeks and 6 days, I was floored and had no clue of what was in store:

• Respitory assistance

• Constant observation

• PICC lines

• Blood transfusions

• Therapy

• Eye surgery

...Just to name a few.

Not to mention the fact that my little one could not come home.

The 1st few weeks of Button being in the NICU were by far the toughest days of my life. I honestly felt like I had let her down and there was nothing I could do to help during such a crucial time.

However, this little lady of ours was a tough cookie and even though there were ups and downs for those 91 days, she's fought like a champ and her fighting made me want to be stronger for her because she was not worrying, so why was I?

Want to know more about infant prematurity and how you can help?

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION 

Flashback Friday| "I'm going to be a mom!"

Happy April to all! As usual lately, I'm up early feeding Button... Oh, who is Button? She is my pint-size super hero.

Around this time last year hubby and I discovered that we were going to be parents. What a discovering right?! So excited and intrigued with the unknown:

• Girl or Boy?
• Hubby's smile?
• My personality?
• Will we be good parents?

Minds were racing wondering what was in store for our to-be party of 3. We kept Button a secret from many for as long as she would allow us (24 weeks and 4 days to be exact)...

With our due not being until November 30th, we were thrown for a loop when Button made her entrance on August 13th. 

Want to know more about our story? 

●●●CLICK HER●●●

No Fast Food February| Update

UPDATE



Hello, back and give an update on the February challenge of not eating takeout food whatsoever...

I DIDN'T MAKE IT
*hangs head in shame...not really*

Of the 29 days I made it 19 without any sort of fast food or takeout. The temptation was real and at times it slipped my mind that I was suppose to go without:

• Invitation to go out for sushi
• Kind gesture of someone bringing buying fries
• ...or pizza...
• ...or ice cream...

Yeah, it was a bust however, I will say that I'm better off than I was 2yrs ago because I'm not compelled to buy a "quick meal" to combat hungry.

Avoid the easy way out (ie: fast food) has helped me realize that I'm an OK cook and I don't always need a recipe to follow to create a meal.

Aaaanywho... two meals that I really enjoyed to during the challenge and actually made multiple times in February were:

Vegetable stir-fry 

Spinach panini with creamy chicken soup

Even though the challenge is over and I failed miserably, I am still working on it because it helps save money by forcing me to cook what is already home and not allowing groceries to spoil. 

Did you participate in #NoFastFoodFebruary or any other monthly challenge?

Motivational Monday| Estelle - Something Good

Hey hey!

Coming to spread some positive energy and/or motivation: 

Mondays get such a bad wrap but have been flipping that in my life and using Mondays as a day to reboot and set the tone for the the entire week. I mean, it's the start of the week so why not?

Music always take me to an emotional place and one song that quickly search for when I'm looking to feel good or just want to keep the upbeat tempo of the day going is Estelle's Something Good/Devotion.

CLICK HERE TO VIBE

What songs help you start or get through the day?

*Content shared is for entertainment purposes ONLY*

Dollar Tree Mini Haul

I have become a fan of Dollar Tree over the past few years as they have some items that I [personally] never found there prior. Other than cleaning supplies, I have found e.l.f. products, glue guns, essie nail decals and other items that have wowed me.

A new DT recently opened by my house and of course I went in to take a look at their inventory and ran across some really nice items and wanted to share what I found: 

Books | Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe

I own and have read some of Mary Monroe's books before and was very surprised when I saw this book in Dollar Tree. Retailed for $24.00.

Books| Special Occasions Craft book

Pretty cool book on paper crafts; banners, cards, place cards and more. This book is full of cute ideas and even has templates in the back to cut out and use as a guide. 

Beauty| Face Mask with Charcoal

I have a regimen that I try my best to stick to when it comes to skin care, One thing I enjoy doing at least once a month is a face mask (on that rare occasion when I have a full day of pampering). I figured why not take a shot at this mask at DT because I enjoy using mask with charcoal and well....it was ONE DOLLAR.

Beauty| Cooling Face Mask 

To contribute to my full pampering day, I will incorporate this cooling face mask to my day to help with puffy eyes (which may or may not have gained with our new addition finally coming home for us to love on). You simply place the mask in the refrigerator for a few minutes and then put it on for a few minutes to combat the puffiness. 

Beauty| Facial Brush

I actually use this facial brush every night before going to bed to assist in exfoliating and clearing my pores; I dampen the brush and rub it across my Shea Moisture Black Soap then clean my face. I have noticed that it helps my face out a lot to clear up dead skin and avoid using a wash cloth which can house germs. It also comes with a brush cover. I since gone back and purchased 2 more.. 

What interesting items have you found in your local Dollar Tree?