Zombies and Pine Trees: Tula at the Tree Farm!

The holidays are fast approaching and here at our house, decorating for Santa came earlier than usual as we had to get our tree up and decorated before my husband went in for surgery.

So this past Sunday was spent taking in the sweet smell of pines at a nearby tree farm while seeking out our prized centerpiece for our holiday decor!

What better way to enjoy our leisurely stroll through rows of beautiful pines than baby wearing with our Tula?

Our Tula was my one baby gear splurge that I bought just for me. We are, as y'all may know, huge zombie lovers so when Mom's Milk Boutique announced their exclusive "Undying Love" print carrier, I knew I had to get my hands on one! (I even enlisted the help of a "stocking buddy" and she is actually the one who ended up scoring it for me!)

Yay for matching suck pads!

Little Fox is still not quite ready to be carried without the infant insert but we actually are quite find of it. When he is fussy, he starts to calm just at the sight of the gray infant insert. He knows what's coming!! Tula Time!

We had a great time wandering through the rows of fragrant greens and choosing "the one" that, like my zombie Tula, we knew we had to have!

At one point, I had a lady ask me excitedly, "Is that a Tula?!" When I told her it was, she asked if she could touch it and told me she loved the prints but didn't know if it was worth the cost. 

I told her I felt it was well worth it to me as it was very comfortable to wear in my opinion, was easy for me to get on and off, and that he loved to be carried in it. It made me feel good to share our experience with our Tula with someone else because we really do love it!

We spent a great deal of time looking at all of the beautiful trees but we kept coming back to one. After extensively searching, we decided to bring home "the one" that seemed to call to us. 

Best Bottle for Nectar Thick Feeds

Wow! It has been a while since I have updated the blog, hasn't it? It has been a whirlwind of crazy since the last few months of my pregnancy and since Little Fox was born! I'm hoping to get back on track and be more present!

I thought I would start back with a post that can hopefully help other mamas and littles who are facing situations similar to ours which create a desperate search for a bottle/nipple combination for thickened feeds.

We had feeding issues right from the start with our rainbow baby, but that is a complicated story I'll save for another time.

The important thing to know is that those feeding issues led to the need for our new little addition to be placed on thickened feeds, nectar consistency.

This change in feeding plan came not only with emotional stress, but also with the added stress of trying to find out "how" to feed our new baby when his fluids were not able to flow through any of the nipples we had tried. In fact, under physician orders we were "trained" in how to properly make cuts into a perfectly good nipple in order for our son to be able to drink.

*Cutting, widening, or altering nipples in any way should never be done unless medically necessary. Doing so increases risk of choking and aspiration and also speeds up the wear on the nipple itself.*

Internet and baby forum searches for alternatives to nipple modification left me empty handed so I started looking into any and all bottle styles I could find.

That's when I came across the Comotomo bottle and saw the brand has the option of buying "y-cut" replacement nipples. Although on the pricier side, I crossed my fingers and placed an order for one 8 ounce bottle and a package of 2 y-cut replacement nipples.

My second purchase, a twin pack.

These things are amazing!!!

• The bottle and nipple are both made of silicone. 
• The bottle has a wide neck so washing or adding powders and thickening agents is easy.
• It is top rack dishwasher safe
• The volume information is molded and not inked, so it won't wear off over time. 
• I have had no leaks!!!!
• It's squishy....so comfortable to hold. 

The absolute best thing about this bottle/y-nipple combo? Little Fox's nectar thick feeds flow at the perfect rate for him! I'm so happy to have found a system that works for us and allows him to feed safely and comfortably.

Please keep in mind that he is on formula that is thickened under a pediatrician's orders for diagnosed and documented medical reasons. It is not advised to alter nipples or deviate from formula mixing directions unless medically necessary.

*Little Fox was diagnosed with laryngomalacia and swallow delay.