Mamahood Update- Levi 4 months!

Milestones

Levi is such a strong little man!

He LOVES standing up (which he's done for 2 months now)

He prefers standing to anything else.

He's also holding his own bottle most of the time (sniff sniff)

He can roll tummy to back easily and can *almost* roll back to tummy.

He's "talking" up a storm and does a GREAT job at trying to copy us.

He's doing a good job at reaching for things and grabbing them.

He also loves laughing!

At his 4 month appointment he weighed 13 lb. 2 oz. and was 24 1/4" long.

He is in the 17th percentile for weight and 27th percentile for height.

He's a little peanut!

(Despite those chubby cheeks!)

Levi also had his first road trip to St. Louis to see his cousins and did GREAT!

Prayer Request

At his 4 month appointment, the pediatrician noticed his eyes still crossing on occasion.

He has an appointment at Children's Mercy July 10 with the opthamologist to see what to do.

Strabismus (crossed eyes) runs in my family and Mr. Free's too.

We are praying glasses and/or a patch will fix it and that we can avoid surgery.

It's been a bit of a hard pill to swallow imagining my sweet boy with glasses and a pirate patch so young, but if this is our greatest concern right now, I know we are truly blessed.

Cloth Diapering

Still loving it!!

While out of town for a week we did disposables and we sure missed our cloth!

They are way more absorbent, CHEAPER and cuter!

We are sold!

Feeding

Last time I updated we were exclusively pumping and supplementing when needed.

Well...now he is nursing!

Can you believe it?!

At 3 months he was suddenly interested and now it's what we do!

I still have to supplement a bottle or two a day of formula because I can't quite keep up, but I am thrilled he is getting so much breast milk!

And I am also thrilled to not have to carry around that blasted pump around and pump every 3 hours despite where we are!

So, we've officially tried every form of feeding! 

Praying the nursing continues!

Products We Love!

Now that Levi is 4 months old, here are some of his (and my!) favorite items!

Playmat

For tummy time, he loves being on his playmat and seeing all the colors!

Sophie

Levi is chewing up a storm and Sophie is his favorite gal! He chews her non-stop!

Wubbanub

Silly name, but this pacifier/stuffed animal is genius! Levi loves it!

And it's so easy to spot and he can grab it himself.

He has the froggie!

Toys

Any and all. Levi LOVES toys!

Aden + Anais Blankets

These are nice and light and work great for covering up while nursing. They are breathable so help keep Levi cool while nursing in public.

Home Management Binder: Medical Records

 We've been building our Home Management Binder and let's review what we've had so far.

We made our Cover and Spine

{click here to download!}

We made our Monthly Calendar

{click here!}

We made our Weekly Plan

{click here!}

And we made our Family Budget

{click here!}

 Now time to record the family's medical info!

 Under the Medical tab in your binder, you will have space to put all the important medical info for each family member. 

It will include:

Person's name

Primary Doctor

Specialists

Dentist

Medications

Pharmacy

Allergies

 This would also be a great spot to put the labels from any medications or supplements you take with the refill number.

This is a great resource for a baby-sitter or family member if an emergency arises and they need these numbers or medications!

Download the Medical Info page here!

I hope you're still building your binder with me!

It has turned into an incredibly valuable tool for us to keep our lives organized!

Mama Clutch

As a new mama, I had a dilemma.

 I knew I didn't want to carry around both a purse and diaper bag.

So I registered for a cute diaper bag that kinda looked like a purse and thought I'd just throw my stuff in there with baby's.

It worked for awhile, but then I had a problem.

We would drop baby off with someone and run a quick errand and I needed to leave the diaper bag. I had no way of carrying my glucometer, phone and keys.

So I decided to make a Mama Clutch.

 This clutch is versatile.

I use it to hold my things. It holds:

My Nook Tablet

My glucose meter (which doubles as my wallet)

My keys

My iPhone

Juice box (for low blood sugars)

I slip the clutch in the diaper bag and if I need to leave the diaper bag with someone while I run an errand, I just grab the clutch and go!

Plus all my stuff is contained in the diaper bag and I'm not searching for it!

It can also work as a diaper clutch.

It holds 3 disposable diapers and a travel case of wipes.

So if you don't want to bring the whole diaper bag for a quick errand, just grab the clutch with diapers and wipes! 

And I think it's pretty fashionable too!

If you're interested...I have one available in my shop!

{Click here}

So Mamas...what clever solutions have you come up with!

A week in pictures

We spent the week out in St. Louis to spend time with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law and help with the kiddos as they adjust from a family of 4 to a family of 5.

It is so adorable to see all the cousins together!

We had a blast!

We went to Grant's Farm and the zoo.

Plus spent time in the pool and just playing!

And aren't my twin nieces and nephew just adorable?!

Mr. Free and I were even brave and took the twin girls and Levi to the zoo by ourselves.

That's 3 kids under the age of 2.

And it was so fun!

The girls LOVED it.

The boy mainly slept : )

Levi and Caitlin are quickly becoming blue-eyed best friends. When he sees her he gets the biggest smile! 

And she ALWAYS wants Baby Levi to sit by her.

It's adorable!

We are back home and it is SO much quieter with just one kid now!

I miss all the action!

We had a great father's day too. 

Aside from driving I-70 across the state.

Levi got daddy a few things since he loves him so much!

He got some movies, a shirt, candy and a gadget for his computer.

I'm so thankful my baby boy has such an amazing daddy!

Now that I'm back, the blog should be back in the swing of things!

Happy 5 Years!!!!

It's mine and Mr. Free's anniversary today! 5 years!!! 

In the Fall we will have been together 10 years!

Life is going WAY too fast!

Happy 5 years babe!

I love you more each and every day!

God has blessed us so much and I can't wait to see the rest of the journey He has in store for us!

LOVE YOU!!!!

Giveaway winner!!!

AbRaymondJune 7, 2012 2:34 PM

I like Jenny Free Style on Facebook

Congrats Bree!!!!

Send me an email of whether you'd like a burp cloth or tea towel and your address!

Thank you all who entered!!!

And remember {Free Style Textiles} if you need any baby or home items!

Home Management Binder: Family Budget

So far in our Home Management Binder, we've made our:

 cover and spine

monthly calendar << Click for new June Calendar!

weekly calendar

...and now the family budget!

This is huge for each family to have on paper!

Sit down and discuss as a couple or family and decide what you need, and what amount should be spent on each area.

At the top, you will put your total income. This is what you take home and the money you have to work with.

Then your budget is divided 7 categories: Expenses, Utilities Children, Giving, Debt, Fun and Savings. I tried to include every expense I could think of, so tweak the sheet to fit your needs! Add or delete as needed!

(Click here to get your free budget printable!)

Make sure to regularly meet and discuss the family budget.

As seasons in life change, so does the amount of money you have to work with. A written budget helps everyone be working toward the same goals and to be using money wisely.

I hope this can be a blessing to your family!

What are your family budget tips?

Giveaway!!!

To promote the new shop, I'm giving away either one tea towel or one burp cloth!

Here's how to enter:

*Like* Jenny Free Style on Facebook (1 entry)

*Like* {Free Style Textiles} on Facebook (1 entry)

Follow the blog by clicking on the right (1 entry)

Mention {Free Style Textiles} in a Facebook status (1 entry)

Buy an item from the shop (5 entries!)

You could have up to 9 entries!!!

The winner will be chosen at random Friday.

For each item that you do, leave a comment below telling me which you did. Make sure to do a separate comment for each item!

Good luck!!!

Frugal Family Fun in KC

 Crown Center!

Grandma, Aunt Carrie, Levi and I ventured downtown for some free fun!

We first went to the Hallmark Visitors Center (which is free)

and toured the center.

They have a bow machine, which gives each guest a free bow!

(Levi is modeling his for you!)

Then at the end, they gave you a free recordable book! 

(A $30 value!)

This is an adorable book, and if you don't have any little ones in your life, would make a great gift!

Then they had a free dino exhibit, which was kind of lame, but had some cute photo ops.

I love boys and dinosaurs!

So if you need something free to do...this is a great one!

{Free Style Textiles}

The shop is open!
{click here}

I will be adding more items to the store soon, such as baby blankets, place mats and dish cloths!

A link to the shop is up at the top under the tab 'Etsy'.

Also on toward the bottom right of the blog are some pics of items in the store!

I opened shop last night and already have had a sale and a few custom orders! So exciting!

I love sewing and it is so neat to help contribute to my family financially this way as well as share some soft lovable items with others!

As a Grand Opening special, this weekend your order will be 10% with the coupon code GRANDOPENING. It's this weekend only so stock up on items for an upcoming baby shower or wedding!

If you are wanting a custom order, notify me through the shop and I will see what I can do!

Thank you all for your support!