Nanny to Mommy

I took SweetPea to the doctor yesterday. She has been coughing and her eyes have been getting crusty with redness. Then Wednesday, she broke out in hives and eye started swelling. I called the after hours service and talked to a nurse who prescribed Benadryl. But her eye was ridiculously swollen yesterday morning! So I took her in. I had B today, which made the day interesting for sure.



My husband and I both suffer from allergies due to pollen. Usually it isn't a huge deal, as we just stay inside when the pollen count gets high. But Wednesday I had the White Cloud Diapers event, so we were outside all day. Georgia has a very high pollen count this time each year, but it has been in the extremely high category since Sunday, according to AtlantaAllergy.com.

The doctor said she has what is called Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis. According to WedMD, Allergic conjunctivitis is most commonly (although it happens everywhere) seen in areas with high seasonal allergens, like Georgia.

The doctor said Children's Claritin daily, he also suggested something called Claritin Eyes for "preventive care" if we have to be outside, and prescribed her some eye drops for the time being. He said the best thing to do is avoid outside, period, on days with high to extremely high pollen count.

I feel so bad for my baby.

By the way, I love my pediatrician. He said that people who don't suffer from something, usually think others make it up. And that as the mommy, I know best. I love that he makes me feel like I am doing a good job. He was always so supportive of my breastfeeding and is so good with SweetPea. She is always so scared of the doctor's office, but he always makes her laugh and smile.

I got offered to sign up to be a Children's Claritin Mom Crew Member through Mom Select. I didn't initially sign-up because SweetPea's allergies weren't bad, so I didn't think that it would be a fit for us. I hope the program isn't closed, because after all of this, you better believe I am applying. I hate that my baby has to go through this mess.

So that's what's going on with us. How is the weather where you live?

It's my second week co-hosting the Aloha Friday Blog Hop! Come link up! :D












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Aloha Hoapili translates as Hello Close Friend. So, without further ado let me introduce you to this week's featured friend

Shaunna at Tempting Thyme

Shaunna blogs all about DIY projects, yummy recipes and blogging tips.

Want a little taste of the blog? Check out these posts to find out what you've been missing:

How to create a transparent watermark

Cinnamon Roll Aebleskiver

Turn an old mirror into a chalkboard

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I am so thrilled to have this opportunity to work with Wal-Mart and receive White Cloud Diapers for SweetPea to try out!

For those of you that follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you know that I attended a White Cloud Diaper event. SweetPea and I had so much fun! It was great to socialize with other bloggers, even from different niches. And SweetPea loved playing with all the other children!




Wal-Mart was nice enough to send a pack of White Cloud Diapers for SweetPea to try out. And I have to say, I am pleasantly pleased with these diapers! They are soft but sturdy. SweetPea is almost out of diapers; she wears them only during the day when we are out and about, and at night. White Cloud Diapers held up to the task! They didn't leak because of their quality leakage protection, they kept the moisture off her, the affordable luxury of White Cloud Diapers made it where they didn't irritate her skin like so many other store brands, and the tabs work very well! It seemed when I was taking them out of the pack, that each diaper had one tab that was already undone, but they still held up to their job because they are velcro-like tabs with stretchy sides enhanced with cotton for a secure and cozy fit. Which means no drooping!



SweetPea is no longer a little newborn, but when she was, the two features I looked for in a diaper were softness and a wetness indicator. White Cloud Diapers have incorporated both of these must features. Newborn, size 1, and size 2 feature an extra soft quilted inner liner that help keep messes under control. The wetness indicator (or “The Pee Strip” as it was known in our house) is on the same sizes and is an amazing feature that let's you know when your little bundle is wet. When they are that small, sometimes it can be hard to tell, so a wetness indicator is a must!

The best part of White Cloud Diapers, you don't have to spend a fortune to have quality diapers for your little one. They are at Wal-Mart's everyday low prices that help busy parents stay on budget and keep the cost of raising a child affordable.

Diapering can be one of the biggest expenses in a family’s weekly budget and a great performing diaper is a must-have for parents. In order to make this affordable, Wal-Mart has reintroduced their premium line of White Cloud diapers to address the needs of today’s busy parents.

White Cloud Diapers provide your baby the highest quality diaper with superior leakage protection, exceptional softness and great fit. White Cloud Diapers are available exclusively at Walmart, where you can find low prices everyday on all your family’s needs. Check them out today!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Wal-Mart #WhiteCloudDiapers.

My husband has always has an obsession with "The Simpsons". Although he doesn't watch any of the newer episodes (the show just isn't what it use to be), he went and saw the movie at midnight the day it came out in theaters and he has dressed as Homer for the past four years (this past year he decided to switch it up by going as Zombie Homer) at Dragon*Con.



"The Simpsons" - Lisa's First Word

I don't know if you are familiar with this program, but the oldest child, Bart, always calls the dad, Homer, by his first name. In the episode, "Lisa's First Word", Homer tries to get Bart to call him Daddy but he seems to call him Homer out of defiance.

And I think that something has kind of hit Hubby a little too close to home(r) and although at first he thought it was cute because it reminded him of The Simpsons, I think it has started to bother him, because I know it bothers me.

SweetPea calls him by his first name. Just as Bart did with Homer. She has to be reminded to call him Daddy. We have always called each other mommy and daddy around her, so we can't figure out where it's coming from. The only thing I can think of is, my friend's little girl has learned to call him by his first name and I think SweetPea is picking up on this as well.

I think the reason he feels bad is because he works such long hours. When SweetPea was a baby, it seemed every time he would hold her, she would cry. I feel guilty because she only calls me Diana when B is around. But "The Homer Phase" has leaked into an every day, most of the time occurrence.

Did your little one ever go through a phase like this? Do you have any tips on how we could possibly handle it? We kindly correct her, now, but she continues to do it. Any suggestions?

BTW Sweet Pea is 28 months old today. :)

Anyways here are some of my favorite pictures of them. Yes there are a lot. But they are just so cute together:

This post's sponsor:

I received an email today from a mother who thanked me because she came across my blog and had to google lip tie, but realized this may have been the reason she had issues during her breastfeeding journey. Then I realized that although I may have mentioned lip tie, I never discussed what it is.

I was looking at your blog and read about your daughter having a lip tie. I wanted to say thank you, because I never heard of that condition so I googled it. That's when I realised my daughter has the same issue. I managed to bf her until she was 18months but it was sooooo hard and I was still feeling guilty about it. So thank you! If I have another baby in the future at least I will know! :)

SweetPea self-weaned at 14 months. I had trouble with her latch in the beginning and constant issues with supply. My daughter was always on the lower side of the dreaded percentiles. And I blamed myself constantly. The horrible mommy guilts had sunk in.

When SweetPea was around 18 months old, I came across a blog (and for the life of me I can not remember it now) that talked about lip tie and included pictures. I now know what my daughter had that made our breastfeeding relationship more difficult, that I believe contributed to my PPD, but now I know for my next baby and ways to boost my supply, so I won't get as frustrated with myself.

SweetPea went undiagnosed but I could have saved myself a ton of heartache and stress. If you are having issues with your baby's latch or your supply, I would talk to a doctor about upper labial tie (which is the scientific name of lip tie). Now there isn't much they know about the issue. But I think just knowing your child has a lip tie, can help with the stress levels, which can ultimately help with the breastfeeding bond in general.


What is an upper labial tie?

Inside your mouth, there is a small fold of tissue which runs between your upper lip and gum (you can feel it with your tongue). This is called the maxillary labial frenulum (or frenum). Most people have no significant frenulum attachment, but sometimes this frenulum attaches further down the gum, or runs between the front teeth and attaches behind them, causing restricted movement of the upper lip. It's similar to tongue tie, but involving the upper lip and gum instead. An upper labial tie can occur on its own or in conjunction with a tongue tie. It's also possible to have a lower labial tie (involving the bottom lip and gum).

This picture is the best I could get of my daughter, but there are better ones online.


Depending on the severity of the lip tie, they may want to clip the frenulum. Like with any child surgery, make sure you have done your research on all the risks involved, also research doctors, as well as the procedure that will be done. We worked through our lip tie. With the help of breastfeeding cookies, fenugreek, and frequent feedings. There are lip ties that are severe than hers. Just consult your lactation consultant or pediatrician.


When should you consult a physician?

You are the mama and ultimately know what is best. So if you feel you need to talk to a doctor about it and even seek a second opinion, then you do what you feel is best. Trust those mommy instincts. Other times to talk to your doctor or lactation consultant are if your latch is painful. In the beginning, the initial latch on might be painful. As the baby nurses though, it should not continue to be painful. Try repositioning your baby. After years of working in child care, my main issue was how I was holding SweetPea to nurse. Baby and mommy should be tummy to tummy.
You should also talk to your doctor if you feel your child isn't urinating enough. Breastfed babies can sometimes go 5 to 7 days with out pooping, some poop every hour, but they should, according to KellyMom, have one wet diaper for each day of life (1 on day one, 2 on day two…). But once mom’s milk comes in, expect 5-6+ wet diapers every 24 hours. To feel what a sufficiently wet diaper is like, pour 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of water into a clean diaper. A piece of tissue in a disposable diaper will help you determine if the diaper is wet.

I hope you find this helpful. My favorite resource for breastfeeding advice is KellyMom. Feel free to share your breastfeeding experience or questions in the comments below! :)