firstcomesfamily

How I Weaned my Toddler from Breastfeeding

September 25, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission should you choose to make a purchase using my link. It’s okay – I love all of these companies anyways, and you will too!

After 16 long months of breastfeeding, my toddler is officially weaned! It was a process that took about 4 months to do. I was dead set on weaning her the day after her first birthday but it didn’t quite go as planned. We were dead in the middle of quarantine and a global pandemic. Therefore, I kept breastfeeding because breastmilk contains antibodies that help fight infections in your baby. When my girl was 13 months old, our house came down with COVID-19 (thankfully Vivian never shows symptoms) so our journey wasn’t close to being done. But once we were clear of COVID-19, I decided it was time to wean!

Adding a Lovey

Vivian never became attached to anything. I tried everything: pacifier, blankets, stuffed animals, NOTHING… So I gave up trying until I realize that she used my boob as comfort. When she was upset, she wouldn’t come down until I fed her and even then she just used me as a paci. Lots of moms raved about Slumberkins so I took the plunge and ordered one with hopes she’d use this as her comfort. I started with putting it between us during a few feeds so she would get used to it. Then I’d put it into her crib when she went to bed (although AAP suggests an empty crib, we do what is best for our family and deem safe). Now she grabs her Unicorn Slumberkin when it’s time for nap or bed.

Minimize Feeds

This was the hardest! Vivian fed 6-10 times a day up until she was 15 months old. Every morning and night feeding was a given. Our routine was always to wake up and go to the couch and she’d feed for 20+ minutes. What I did was start to wean the daytime feeds first. I noticed she fed more when we were just sitting at home. When she’d come for a feed, I’d steer her direction to a toy or give her a snack instead. This actually worked pretty well! Eventually we were down to 2-3 feeds a day which was huge.

Replacing with Cow Milk

I tried transitioning Vivian to cow’s milk directly at 1 year but she didn’t care for it so I gave up until 16 months. Milk is naturally thicker and creamer than breastmilk which is a bit more watery. So I started with Horizon Organic Whole Milk with DHA Omega-3 mixed with water and warmed up (she won’t drink it cold). She liked this way more than just straight milk! As the days have gone on, I put less water in to eventually make it complete milk. I offer 10 ounces of milk as soon as she wakes up and at bedtime. She will only use the Munchkin Weight Straw Cup for her milk which also are great because they don’t leak!

Cutting Bedtime Feeds

Since we barely ever used bottles and I was able to stay home with her, I was always the one her put Vivian to bed. TakingCaraBabies helped me set a healthy sleep routine before we even decided to wean. I hadn’t breastfed her to sleep since she was like 6 months old. So she only ever fed for about 5 minutes during bedtime routine. This part was pretty easy because the first night that I offered her milk at bedtime, she didn’t even go for the boob so I just ran with that. If she tried then I would just encourage her milk in the cup and read more books.

Middle of the Night Feeds

Our bad habit was middle of the night feeds. These were always the hardest because she was inconsolable she if woke up in the night so I’d just feed her for a few minutes so we could go back to bed. I was concerned for this part. A few days into our wean, she woke up in the night and went straight to breastfeed. I refused her request and just held her and rocked her in the chair to show that I can still be used for comfort but breastfeeding isn’t what we do anymore. She’s been fine since!

Breastfeeding Anxiety

I knew I was ready to wean from breastfeeding when I would get extreme anxiety every time she wanted to feed. She basically did gymnastics while feeding and would insist on playing with my nipple.. I HATED it. I was so uncomfortable and had the worst anxiety. So I was ready to call it quits on my end.

Drying Up

Thankfully, I didn’t have an issue with this. I truthfully never experienced latch issues, clogged ducts or mastitis. I was always a “just-enougher” so I was never an over producer and didn’t had a huge freezer stash of breastmilk. But, I’ve heard that putting cabbage leaves in your bra help dry up your milk! My sister in law swears by it as well as her friends.

I am beyond thankful for out 16 month long breastfeeding journey. My goal initially was one year and I can’t believe I surpassed it! Every breastfeeding journey is so different so don’t be discouraged if yours isn’t what you read here or what you see on social media. Also, every baby will wean when they’re ready BUT if you feel your mental health is taking more of a toll then do what is best for you and baby! Being the best mom doesn’t always mean breastfeeding while you feel uncomfortable.

DIY Cake Smash Photos

September 24, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

Since before I was pregnant, I knew that I wanted cute photos of our baby girl smashing a cake with a boho background. But, then a pandemic happened. Spoiler alert: There is no cake because I forgot it inside. LOL I was determined to capture special photos of our baby girl on her first birthday. With the help of Pinterest and my Hubby’s help, my dreams came true!

The Setting

The lighting in our house isn’t the best AT ALL. So I figured doing them outside is best because our back patio is perfectly shaded after 4 pm. If you are doing them inside, I recommend doing them in the area of your home that is the best lighted (near a big window or door). Morning light (soft yet bright) and evening light (before sunset) is the best lighting so adjust accordingly.

I also tried to use white banner paper because I read a tutorial that used it and well it sucked lol. SO I’d recommend a flat bed sheet of whatever color you’d like. We chose white!

To add the perfect minimal pop of decor, I made a eucalyptus garland and followed this tutorial. It came out so cute and is actually hanging in our guest room now! I ordered my eucalyptus here and trimmed it accordingly.

The Outfit

We were gifted

A Busy Mom’s Review of Little Spoon Plates

September 9, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

Are you over making your toddler 388374 meals a day? Because I am! Thankfully, Little Spoons Plates has solved that problem. Little Spoons Plates is a prepared meal delivery service for kids ages 1-7. Each meal is packed with hidden veggies to help get your little ones the nutrients they need (especially ours because she despises veggies). All meals contain no hormones, no preservatives or additives, and nothing artificial which is important to me to know what Vivian is eating. We had the chance the give the Plates a try and I just wouldn’t wait to share them with y’all!

GREAT FOR AGES 1-7

Sometimes, coming up with meals for your kiddos can be overwhelming. Little Spoon Plates takes the stress out of meal time. They offer Toddler meals that are perfect as finger foods as well as Big Kid meals for the most advanced utensil users.

VAST MEAL SELECTION

The menu has a wide variety of choices for even the pickiest of kiddos. There is over 20 options to choose from that rotates weekly. Some of Vivian’s favorites were the Mac and Cheese with Invisible Butternut Squash and Carrots as well as the Cheese Black Bean Pupusas! They even offer dairy free, gluten free, and vegetarian meals to fit into family’s lifestyle.

CLEAN INGREDIENTS

What’s most important to me when choosing new foods for Vivian is that it contains ingredients I can find in my very own pantry. Each Plate contains real ingredients and none of bad chemicals and preservatives you find in most prepared meals. Little Spoon believes that quality and nutrition should go hand in hand and I can truly attest to that!

SO CONVENIENT

Each meal comes on a microwave safe, dishwasher safe and recyclable plate covered with their innovative Freshlock seal on each plate, allowing the meals to stay fresh for longer. They come in the mail packed with ice packs and an eco-friendly isolated liner which ensures your meals are cold until they go into your fridge! A really cool add is that the meals are best enjoyed up to 14 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer! This makes them SO easy to pop into the microwave for a meal on the fly.

AFFORDABLE

Grocery shopping for kids can be expensive and there’s a big chance they won’t even eat what you prepare, unfortunately we’ve all been there. Plates pricing starts out at under $5 per meal and the conveniences itself is worth a ton! You simply order on Little Spoon’s website for weekly delivery and can even choose what meals you get. The best part is that you can skip delivery if you happen to be out of town or have Grandma in town to cook instead. LOL

As a family, we’ve done the adult meal delivery services and think they’re great. Since Little Spoon has launched Plates, it’s been a GAME CHANGER for us and makes me feel great that my girl is getting quality and nutritive food!

You can try Little Spoon Plates delivery HERE!

How I made my first $200 while blogging

September 7, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

Welcome to my very first Income Report! I have been reading other bloggers income reports for years now and I can finally post one of my own. *cue excitement* Blogging takes A LOT of work and dedication in order to see a return on investment. It’s not a get rich quick scheme, you truly need to be passionate because who wants to read a blog post poorly written about something the writer could care less about!? So let’s get the show on the road.

I’ll start by giving you some background about First Comes Family. It is entirely ran by myself, Shieann. That’s it! I have created my website by myself, manage my social media by myself, and write each blog post all by myself. I currently would say I only do it part-time (about 10 hours a week) while I stay home with my toddler and manage my macrame Etsy shop. Back in January, I started to treat the blog like a business and began putting myself out there more (joining affiliate networks, pitching to brands for collars) and it is truly paying off.

Goals for September:

-Land another Sponsored Post

-Work on Pinterest growth to help with site views

Sooooo…. here it is!

August 2020 Revenue:

Review of 3 Different Sleep Courses

August 28, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’re on your third cup of coffee and slept a total like less than 4 hours last night. How do I know that? Because I was in those exact shoes, girl. I remember hearing “Oh the newborn phase is the best, all they do is sleep” LOL Literally all I could do was laugh when I was told that because it certainly did not feel that way. The first month of our girl’s life was a blur, filled with sleeping for 30 minute increments…but it got better.

Sleep training was something I had no clue about until I found myself Googling “How to get your newborn to sleep”. That’s when I stumbled upon several sleep consultants who claim they can get your baby to sleep through the night. SOLD. Well, three different sleep consultants later…here I am sharing what I loved and didn’t love about each one.

first one up is…

The Baby Sleep Trainer

This was a recommendation from another mama who had success with it. I actually purchased The Baby Sleep Trainer book (you can grab it HERE) and read through it in a few days. We started our sleep training journey with this method at 4 months old when we placed her in her own crib. We had a lot of success getting Vivian adjusted to a sleep schedule and used to her own room.

My Sweet Sleeper

I actually won the “Guide to a better night’s sleep for babies 4-12 months” which I’d say is an intro to their 4-12 month sleep course. This was great for someone who didn’t know anything about sleep training! Unfortunately, I am an expert researcher and it was filled with things I already found during my midnight google searches. I can’t speak how their courses are but I do see they have group training which could be a more affordable option for a mama.

our winner…

Taking Cara Babies

I came across Taking Cara Babies on Instagram while while I was pregnant and loved following them. They share SUPER good tips on their posts about everything from feeding to traveling with kids. I took two course: Navigating 3-4 Months and ABC’s of Sleep (5-24 months). *Going to tell you right now that Navigating 3-4 Months wasn’t worth the money*…just fight through that 4 month sleep regression. BUT the ABC’s of Sleep was SOO worth it! I mean it was magic, Vivian only “trained” for one night… ONE NIGHT. She’s remained a good sleeper since we took the class at 10 months old. It is a bit of an investment but sleep is priceless in my opinion.

So the clear winner was Taking Cara Babies for us. I’m not sure if it’s because we implemented the techniques when she was a little older or because it’s truly magic. Either way, I’d much rather purchase a Taking Cara Babies course with our next babe.

So if you haven’t already, take a look at each sleep consultant and see which is the best fit for you. I know you’re desperate for sleep at this point but also don’t forget that they’re little babies and aren’t fully developed to understand sleep cycles like us. Give your little babe some grace, sleep will come mama.

Have you done any sleep courses?! Which one?

To the Mama who doesn’t recognize herself

August 21, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

To the Mama who doesn’t recognize herself,

You’re not alone. It finally happened to me the other day. 3 p.m., still in my husbands t-shirt and yoga pants, hair in a very messy bun, bags under my eyes darker than my coffee. I caught a glimpse in the mirror and had no idea who was looking back. My baby has been earth side for 11 months. I thought I’d look like Kim Kardashian by now. But instead, I literally show the lack of sleep and care that I receive.

You see all over to make sure you put yourself first. I’m not the last to say, how do I make that happen? My husband works the night shift, my child wakes 4-5 times a night, I’m lucky to shower once a day, meals are whatever is quick and easy. I might be making excuses, but what I’m really saying is that I’m struggling with balancing being a mother, wife, and a woman.

Recently, I glanced through photos pre-pregnancy where I was in very good shape, glowing, and my hair was healthy. I looked so full of life. Hours were spent taking care of myself. Now, those hours are spent taking care of a home and family 24/7. As a mother, you put everyone before yourself. It’s ironic because what happens when we do that? Empty cup. You know the phrase “You can’t pour from an empty cup”. It’s true.

Self-care is such a movement these days. Learning to value the smaller moments has helped me get by. A hot cup of coffee before the baby wakes. A face mask and a glass of wine. A hot bath with candles lit. Heck, even going to the grocery store alone.

Here’s to the mamas figuring this all out. Figuring out how to squeeze a 30 minute workout in. How to feel sexy again. How to manage multiple kids and a home. How to literally do life as a mother. I’m with you.

The Best Swimsuits for Moms

August 18, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

https://www.liketoknow.it/ltk/5kd75FMzILEadcBH7U6gRZ

If you’re reading this then I’m assuming you’ve had a kid or two and dreading swimsuit shopping. I’ve been there, actually I am there. Trying to find the right bikini that makes me feel like I have my 21 year old body back feels impossible. But, it doesn’t have to be that hard. There are so many cute and flattering options for every single body type. String bikinis aren’t the only thing in style… can we say hello high waisted EVERYTHING?!

One Pieces

One pieces are perfect for new mamas as they can hold everything in and still feel modest. I actually love one pieces regardless baby or no baby! Who doesn’t love being able to eat whatever they want and not worry about bloating.. right?! Here are my favorites!

High Waisted

We all have to be honest that this is our favorite trend returning from the 90’s: high-waisted anything! Can I get an amen?! I love high waisted swim suits because it hides the mom pooch and gives your body a nice curvy shape! I own a ridiculous amount of high waisted things because my but is just too dang big!

Cover Ups

I don’t know if I’m the only one who ends up spending so much time reapplying sunscreen to their toddler that they forget to apply it to. themselves. Happens every single time! Wearing a cover-up always help cover a quick sunburn and get back to the toddler marathon LOL

We live in Florida which means endless beach days and swimsuit season all year long! I’d love to see if you snagged one of the suits I recommended, tag me on Instagram @firstcomesfamily.mama .

First Birthday Gift Ideas

July 23, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

Time literally is flying this year. I actually forgot that my girl turned one almost 3 months ago! *cue tears* There seems to be an endless amount of toys for kids these das. Recently, I asked one of the Facebook mom groups I’m apart of what their most haves were and they did not dissappoint! Since our girl’s birthday was in the middle of a quarantine and a pandemic, we wanted toys that were interactive to help get any energy out.

SoftPlay Toddler Climber

Ever since our girl started walking, she has loved to climb things! This is a lifesaver. It’s soft and helps challenge heights for them. It’s not very high so if she does end up falling its not nearly as bas as it would be from the couch. This is 100% worth it and actually my top pick!

B. toys Toy Drum Set

Music has so many benefits for babies such as language development, understanding emotions, sensory enhancement, and brain activation. From the moment we put this out, she hasn’t stopped playing with it! I’s fun watching her understand the different sounds and volumes.

Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll ‘N Trike

This thing is awesome because it grows with your child from 9 months old-5 years old! I love a toy that will go through multiple stages. The shade is important because it helps keep the shade out. We also love the cup holder for a drink during our cruises.

Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube

This sorting cube helps for with cognitive and motor skills. It’ll take some practice getting the right shape in each spot but it’s a winner once they get it. This can also be used as they get older to teach shapes and colors.

Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker Wooden Ring Educational Toy

Stacking toys help hand-eye coordination, cause and effect learning, as well as problem solving skills. We received this when she was 11 months old and by the time she was 12 months, she LOVED taking this apart and stacking them. She also loved that the rings were hard so we could clank them together.

Birthdays remain my favorite although now I feel like so much research goes into what things are appropriate for each age. These toys have been LIFE SAVERS and keep my little girl busy for endless time. Hoping your kiddo’s birthday is extra special with one of these gifts!

How LadyBossBlogger Helped Me Land My First Paid Partnership

May 20, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: Thank you LadyBossBlogger + Elaine Rau for sponsoring this post. There are affiliate links in the post below that I may make a commission from.

Photo Credit: Kimberley Asante Photography

Earlier this month, I shared with you that I started taking Lady Boss Blogger’s How To Start a Money Making Blog course. You can see my initial post here. Now that I have completed it, I wanted to share my results with you! Trust me, you’ll want to stick around until the end to get 40% off of How To Start a Money Making Blog course.

Results

I have been blogging for about 4 years which have all been self-taught via the internet. This means that many things have been overlooked purely out of my ignorance. Since staying at home, I have been searching for ways to make an income from my hobby of blogging. I can now happily say that Lady Boss Blogger’s How To Start a Money Making Blog helped me land my very first paid partnership! The most exciting part is that it is with a large company that we all use daily, Procter & Gamble. Elaine goes in-depth of how much to charge for your work which before I had no clue about.

When my first partnership company had reached out to me, I responded with my media kit. A media kit is key for anyone who treats this as a business. It shows what you are worth and what you have to offer to the prospective partner.

Course Features

Completing How To Start a Money Making Blog truly felt like I was being taught by a friend. Elaine breaks it down so that it’s easily retainable. Some key points she touches on are important for any blogger (new or old):

Creating a Target Audience + Ideal Client
Creating a Girl Gang of similar niched bloggers!
Email Marketing Strategies and how to capitalize on affiliate links within them.
Successfully pitching to brands.
Content Planning for your blog and social media.
Important terms that bloggers MUST know
Making your blog legally sound

Promo Code

Lady Boss Blogger courses are reasonably priced and backed with a 30-day guarantee! There is even a 6-month payment plan available to meet all needs and you can get 40% off ANY course with code: SHIEANN.

Giveaway Winner

Head over to my Instagram @firstcomesfamily.mama to see the winner of a free Lady Boss Blogger course!

Additional LadyBossBlogger Resources

7-Day Make Money Blogging

21-Day Build A Better Blog

5-Day Master Affiliate Marketing

3-Day Become An Instagram Influencer

A Mom Blogger’s Honest Review of a LadyBossBlogger Course

May 5, 2020 by firstcomesfamily Leave a Comment

With all of the downtime I’ve had lately, I dove headfirst into LadyBossBlogger’s How to Start a Money Making Blog by Elaine Rau. It is the perfect time to put time and effort into this blog and bring a better experience for my readers. How to Start a Money Making Blog breaks it down so that the newest to the more seasoned bloggers can find rich information in it.

Although I have been blogging for 4 years, the amount of knowledge in this course made me realize how much I didn’t actually know. As embarrassing as it is to say, I actually haven’t made a profit from my blog yet. Surprising right? A lot of people assume that you make money if you have a domain and a blog. Wrong. So needless to say when I started learning exactly How to Start a Money Making Blog, I was ecstatic!

The course is broken down into 13 parts…

Discover Your “Why”
Find Your Niche
Claim Your Blog Domain
Create Your Target Audience
Design Your Brand
Set Up Email Marketing Strategy
Social Media Foundations
WordPress Basics
SEO Best Practices
Curate Strategic Content
How to Make Money Blogging
Legal Aspects
Promoting Your Brand + Blog

Don’t be fooled at how many topics there are, they are extremely dense with information. In fact, I’ve already gone through it and am planning to go back through it this week! It was like Elaine knew exactly where I was lacking and put it all in this course. Reading along was so easy and felt as if it came straight from a friend.

What I’ve Learned…

An email list is what will grow my blog and secure an audience.
Consistency is key!
Organizing Pinterest to help drive blog traffic.
Privacy Policy and disclosures are a must.
Focus on SEO and it will help in the long run.
What brands look for in a collaboration.
How to make my blog legal.

As a mom, having loads of content ready to post seems to be a weakness of mine just because I’m so busy. Elaine breaks down several different content planning softwares and hacks that I have been implementing. It’s already helped me feel prepared and ready to increase my engagement.

I can admit the legal side of blogging was a bit overwhelming at the beginning and something that I had NO CLUE about until completing How to Start a Money Making Blog. Tracking my income and expenses, registering my business (yup, I said this blog is my business), and abiding by FTC and Copyright laws are among the things that are now apart of my blogging workdays.

Promo Code

I have teamed up with LadyBossBlogger and Elaine to offer you a 40% off of ANY LadyBossBlogger Courses using my code: SHIEANN. She offers courses for any level of blogger or Instagrammer.

Giveaway

Now for the fun part, head over to my Instagram here to enter a giveaway for one lucky follower to access How to Start a Money Making Blog.

Giveaway rules are:

Follow me @firstcomesfamily.mama
Follow @ladybossblogger
Follow @elainerau
Like this photo and tag a friend in the comments!
Earn extra entries by tagging more friends

The contest will run from May 6, 2020 until May 20, 2020. The prize will be a @LadyBossBlogger course of your choice valued at $600. The giveaway winner must post a photo of themselves on their feed talking about winning the course in order to claim the prize – PROFILES MUST BE PUBLIC NOT PRIVATE. Please email ladybossblogger@gmaill.com your published link and state which course you’d like to win (can’t be a bundled course and limit one course per person). Must be 18+ years old to enter. Giveaway is available to contestants worldwide. Disclaimer: This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Instagram.

Additional Resources