tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-499296561090690142024-03-19T01:25:47.774-04:00Duo VenturesMelissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-31998437676065546562019-08-19T14:06:00.000-04:002019-08-27T10:17:00.463-04:00Laila's Unplanned Home Birth Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Introducing Laila Marie Sabra</div>
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June 18th 7:01AM</div>
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We definitely could <i>never </i>have anticipated how the birth of our third baby would go. They say that each subsequent baby you have comes quicker than your last, but if you would have told me it would have only taken 45 minutes for Laila to arrive from the time my water broke - I would have thought you were insane. So here's how it all went down...<br />
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<a name='more'></a>At my 37 week check up I was about 3 cm dilated according to my OB. The following week she said I was still about the same. At my 39 week check up, I hadn't really progressed any more. The next Friday at my 40 week appointment (the day before my due date), I was 3-4cm dilated. The NP said I was <i>almost</i> 4cm dilated and she could probably stretch me to 4cm with a membrane sweep. We agreed to do that, and to my surprise it was relatively painless (unlike the membrane sweep I had with Zain).<br />
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Over the weekend, I didn't notice any significant contractions - just mild cramping here and there. On Monday I still didn't have any signs of labor. Then that night around 9:00, Nader & I were eating a late dinner and I started noticing some very mild contractions that seemed to be somewhat regular. I timed them, and sure enough, they were lasting about 45 seconds & coming every 5 minutes. This went on for about 30 minutes before I called my mom and told her labor might finally be starting. My mom wanted to come over right away, but I told her the contractions were super mild and I didn't want them to come over if it was still going to be a while. Instead, I said I would keep track of the contractions for another 30 minutes to make sure it was the real deal first.<br />
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Wouldn't you know it, after I got off the phone with her & started walking around to finish some last minute packing, the contractions completely stopped. I called my mom back & told her it was a false alarm. That night, I slept fine and I didn't notice any more contractions.<br />
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Then on Tuesday morning around 6:15, I was startled awake by what felt like a punch to my uterus. I immediately wondered if my water had broke because the feeling reminded me of when my water broke with Sami. I laid there for a few minutes before I woke up Nader. He helped me to the bathroom where I felt a slow trickle of amniotic fluid coming out. At 6:25 I called my mom & told her my water broke and that they should come over within the next couple of hours. I think I even said, "no rush though".<br />
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Afterwards, I got in the shower and noticed the contractions intensifying right away. They were pretty strong, but not terrible. By the time I got out of the shower & went into the bedroom to get dressed, I was really struggling through them. They got so strong & came on so fast that I never actually had time to get dressed. I had to lie down on the bed & work through the pain.<br />
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At first I was honestly very confused & panicked because I could not for the life of me understand why the contractions were so painful right from the start (of course I had no idea that I was already <i>very </i>dilated). I remember thinking that they were just like transition phase contractions, but that there was <i>no way</i> I could possibly be that far along since my labor had JUST started.<br />
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However, after a couple minutes of those contractions, I finally just accepted the fact that maybe I was much further along than I thought. At that point I knew I was definitely not going to make it to the hospital and I told Nader to call 911. He kept trying to encourage me to get dressed between contractions, but it was not going to happen. Little did I know that at that point Nader thought I said call 911 so that they could transport us to the hospital since I couldn't get up between contractions - he did not realize that I meant CALL 911 BECAUSE I'M GOING TO HAVE THE BABY IN THIS BED RIGHT HERE & RIGHT NOW.<br />
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While he was giving the 911 operator some general information, I labored on my right side on our bed. Just a few minutes into the call I told Nader I had to push. At this point, he put the call on speaker phone and the 911 operator walked us through what to do. The urge to push came again so I slowly rolled from my side to my back. I was not in the best position since I was totally flat on my back, but I grabbed my legs and pulled them back the best I could before I pushed.<br />
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Once her head was out, I heard the operator tell Nader to go get some clean dry towels. I remember lying there alone, like "WTF is happening. Where is my husband. Why is he taking so long to get towels". The funny part is that, in addition to running into every wall on his way to the linen closet, Nader said that when he opened the linen closet door he saw a bunch of bright white towels and all he could think was, "Where are all the old ratty towels?! F&%! Marie Condo.". In the months leading up to her due date I had gone through the entire house purging everything...including our old ratty towels.<br />
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Once he got back with some towels, he got into position to catch her. Her head was already out, so he just put his hands under her to support her and I pushed a couple more times before she came out. From the time he called 911, it only took about 6 minutes until she was born. According to the 911 call time, she was born at 7:01 AM and the paramedics arrived about 5 minutes later.<br />
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While we waited for the paramedics, the operator told Nader to keep the baby between my legs and level with my bottom, but I think he handed her to me almost right away. She was crying and breathing just fine as far as we could tell. I held her on my chest while Nader tried to find a clean shoelace to tie off the umbilical cord with per the 911 operator's instructions. Then she asked Nader to make sure our front door was unlocked for when the paramedics arrived.<br />
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After he got back upstairs she began instructing him how to tie off the umbilical cord when our house alarm started going off. He had unlocked the front door, but had totally forgot about the alarm so the paramedics set it off when they got there.<br />
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At this point it was about 7:10 and both Zain and Sami were still sleeping. In a way, it's not actually that surprising seeing as they don't usually wake up until 7-7:30 in the morning anyway. A lot of people asked how Sami didn't hear me during labor and wake up, but the truth is that I am not a loud screamer during labor.<br />
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Meanwhile, my mom and dad got to our house and immediately saw 3 ambulances & a firetruck sitting in front of our house. My mom said she was freaking out - of course they had no idea I had just delivered a baby in our bed.<br />
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Before we were taken to the hospital to get checked out, the paramedics cut the umbilical cord and I delivered the placenta shortly after. They essentially just made sure we were both in stable condition before we got in the ambulances. They wouldn't let me walk out to the ambulance so they carried me on a stretcher. We were transported in two separate ambulances - Nader & Laila in one and I was in another.<br />
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Once I was inside the ambulance my blood pressure started dropping so they gave me an IV. Since baby & I were both in stable condition they did not turn on the sirens & lights, so we sat in morning rush hour traffic all the way to the hospital.<br />
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We were brought up to a labor & delivery room, where we were checked out. I still had some blood clots that the doctor had to remove (feels almost as bad as labor!). I also tore during the birth, so I needed to be stitched up as well. Other than that, we were both healthy & had no complications. With all the things that can go wrong during a birth, it's amazing how incredibly lucky we were.<br />
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A couple of weeks after her birth, Nader & I were talking about the whole experience and how we sadly didn't have any videos of her birth like we did with the boys. Then it dawned on me that we could try to request the 911 audio recording. After a quick google search I found out they are public record in Georgia, so I got the contact info to request the recording & they emailed it to me the next day. It was emotional, but also pretty funny to listen to. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I was also able to get the name of the 911 </span>operator<span style="font-family: inherit;"> so I could send her a thank you card & some pictures. It turns out she was inducted into the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">International Academy of Emergency Dispatch Stork Club for this call. One of these days we are planning on taking the kids to the 911 call center to meet her. </span></span>Here is the transcript of the call:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Cobb
911. What’s the location of your
emergency?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: ***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Repeat
that for confirmation.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Yea.
***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok.
Do you need police or medical?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Medical.
My wife is going into labor. Her
water broke already and she’s having really really strong contractions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: OK
gotcha. Is it a house or an apartment?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: It’s a house.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Off
of Old Hwy ***?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Yea, just across the street from *** High School.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok. What’s your name and phone number sir and I’m
going to start help.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Ok. My
name is Nader Sabra. N A D E R S A B R A.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: And
your phone number?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: My phone number is ***.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: How
far along is your wife?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Ah, she was due on Saturday, but she didn’t
have anything happening until like literally this morning when she started
having...I guess her water broke this morning and woke her up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: OK.
Stay on the line with me. I’ve started
help. Just stay with me, okay? We’re going to help her until the paramedics
get there.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: OK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: You
bet. One second. Are you with her now?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Yea yea, she’s right in front of me. She’s going through it right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: How
old is?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: She is 33.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok. Is she awake?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Yea she’s awake. She’s breathing. The pain is…I mean we would have normally
just have gotten in the car and got to the hospital, but she said she can’t
even get herself dressed right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok. Can you see any part of the baby now?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Uh, no.
She’s actually laying on her side.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok. And you said that she is having contractions?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Yea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
we’re going to go over a series of questions so just stay with me, okay?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: No, I got you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Is
this her first delivery?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: No, this is the third.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Third,
ok. And how many minutes apart are the
contractions Sabra?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Uh, we’ve got this counter thing on the phone
and uh, they’re coming in pretty frequently now. Every minute, uh…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: So
you’d say 2 minutes or less?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Yea, less than 2 minutes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok.
Is there any serious bleeding?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: No serious bleeding. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok. Does she have any high risk complications?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: It looks like she said she has to push. No, she doesn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: She feels like she has to push.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: It’s like happening. Oh Shit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Stay
with me. They’re on the way. Ok, I’m going to give you some
instructions. Tell her to not to try and
prevent the birth, ok? Do not try and
prevent the birth. Do not sit on the
toilet. Allow her to assume the most comfortable
position and have her take deep breaths between contractions.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Speaker on.
Ok, say that again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok.
Assume the most comfortable position.
What’s your wife’s name?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Mel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok
Mel, they’re on the way kiddo. They’re coming
to you. I want you to assume the most
comfortable position and take deep breaths between contractions, ok? I want her to get on her back in the center
of the bed or the floor and I’m going to tell you guys how to deliver the baby.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel: AHHH (me in the background dying of pain)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: OK<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Lay
on her back on the center of the bed or floor, ok? Make sure all the clothing below her waist is
removed.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Oh my god.
Oh my god.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Raise
her head with pillows, but don’t let her sit up.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: She’s coming out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: OK,
but listen to me.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: She’s coming out babe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Raise
her head with pillows, but don’t let her sit up or go to the bathroom, ok? I want you to get some dry towels and a
blanket to wrap the baby in, and get a string or a shoelace to tie around the
umbilical cord.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Her head’s coming out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok. Alright, just stay with me. Go get a dry towel and blanket. Go get some dry
towels and a blanket and a string or shoelace to tie around the umbilical cord
after delivery. And get a safety pin
also if you have one.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel: Ahhhhh.
Naaaader! <i>(Nader had left the room to get towels)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Sabra
are you going to do that?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel: AHHH<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Is
she pushing or straining?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: No she’s not, the baby is just coming out <i>(uh, actually - YES I was pushing & straining lol)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
can you see part of the baby?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Her head is OUT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
alright. With each contraction place the
palm of your hand against her vagina and apply firm but gentle pressure to keep
the baby’s head from delivering too fast or tearing her. Do you understand?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Ok.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
as the baby delivers, support the baby’s head and shoulders and hold its hips
and legs firmly. Remember the baby will
be slippery so don’t drop it.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: OK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Were
you able to get clean dry towels?
Something clean to put the baby in?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Yea, yea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
is the baby completely out?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: No, her head is out for sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok.
Have her push hard to get the baby out. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Push push, you got it. Oh, her shoulder’s out. Oh my god.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel: AHHHHHHH<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Oh, she’s out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
alright. Keep the baby between the
mother’s legs and level with her bottom, ok?
Is the baby crying or breathing?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Yea, baby’s crying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: OK,
ya’ll are doing fine. Gently wipe off
the baby’s mouth and nose. Dry the baby
off with a clean dry towel, then wrap the baby in another clean dry towel. You’re doing fine, okay? Cover the baby’s head, but not its face and
without pulling the cord tight, put the baby down between the mother’s legs
level with her bottom. Be sure the cord
is not wrapped around the baby’s neck.
Be sure to keep the baby and the mother warm, ok? You’re doing great, you’re doing great
guys. Ok Sabra listen to me, ok?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Yea<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: We’re
going to watch the baby closely for 3 minutes and then we’re going to tie the
cord with a string, ok? Without pulling the cord, so wait for 3
minutes, ok? So just make sure now that
you have everything. Wipe the baby’s
nose and mouth, ok? And keep the baby warm.
Keep your wife warm, ok? And
we’re just going to hold for 3 minutes and then we’re going to do something
with the cord, ok? Do you have a
shoelace?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: I can get one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
if you can do it safely, but don’t do anything with it until I tell you to,
ok? Is it a boy or a girl?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: I can’t believe this is happening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: You
guys are doing great. Congratulations. Is it a boy or a girl?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: It’s a girl<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: It’s
a girl. Congratulations.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: That’s what they told us, I haven’t even
checked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: OK,
if you can Sabra, make sure that your front door is unlocked, ok? We’re doing fine. We do have time before we
need to do anything with the cord, so just continue to keep everybody warm, and
if you can, step away to unlock the door for the paramedics. If you have any pets- do you guys have any
dogs or cats go ahead and put them away.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Ok, door is unlocked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok
good. If you have any dogs or cats go
ahead and put them away.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: No, no we don’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
you’re doing great. How’s mom?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel: I’m good. I’m doing really good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: She’s good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Yea?
Ya’ll are doing terrific. Congratulations kiddo. How’s the baby? Doing good?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok
Good. Keep everybody dry and warm. Ok,
I’m going to give you some instructions Sabra for the umbilical cord, ok? But
we’re going to wait just about 30 more seconds before we start alright? What we’re going to do is, we’re going to tie
a string tightly around the umbilical cord about 6 inches from the baby. Don’t
cut it, we’re just going to tie it. I’ll
let you know when you need to do that, OK?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Ok, so I need a shoestring?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Yes.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel (to
Nader): There, hanging up in that bag.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
Sabra do you have a shoestring? Do we
have a shoestring?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel: He’s getting one now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: OK. Alright, if the paramedics get there in the
meantime we’ll let them handle it, but we want to go ahead and tie off the cord
if we can.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel (to
Nader): Can you ask her if it’s okay to deliver the placenta?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Should she wait to deliver the placenta
because…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
I’m going to give you instructions on that Sabra. Do you have the shoe string?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: We have the shoestring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: OK,
listen to my instructions, ok?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: I’m listening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Without
pulling on the cord, tie a string tightly around the umbilical cord about 6
inches from the baby but do not cut it.
Just tie it now and tell me when it’s done.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Nader: Ok.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
there are paramedics there now, ok?
Don’t pull on the cord, the afterbirth should deliver soon. Tell me if this happens or if anything
changes.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">**House Alarm***<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: What’s
that noise ya’ll? Sabra?</b> <i>(Nader ran downstairs to turn off alarm)</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel: He forgot the alarm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
alright. Is the afterbirth out yet
Mel? Hey Mel?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel: Yea?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Did
your afterbirth come out?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Mel: I don’t think so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Paramedic: Hold on for me ok? How you doing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Operator: Ok,
I’ll let you guys go. Good luck to you,
ok? Congratulations.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And that's the crazy story of how our little Laila came into the world! We joked later on that we saved a good chunk of money since we didn't </span>deliver<span style="font-family: inherit;"> at the </span>hospital. <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>Unfortunately<span style="font-family: inherit;">, we needed to buy a new mattress seeing as we did not have a waterproof cover on ours. Thank you to my mom for cleaning up that mess while we were in the hospital!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're into reading birth stories, you can check out <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2015/08/our-birth-story-bradley-method.html#.XUDEi-hKg2w" target="_blank">Sami </a>& <a href="https://duoventures.blogspot.com/2018/03/birth-story-baby-2.html#.XUDEeuhKg2x" target="_blank">Zain's </a>births too - they were all so different! Thanks for reading!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mel</span></div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-36873688990327622312019-06-12T15:09:00.001-04:002019-06-12T15:27:26.705-04:00White + Blush + Navy Baby Girl Nursery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We are expecting our third child any day now, so I figured it was a good time to finally share her nursery!<br />
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I turned our 4th bedroom (which served as a catch-all & home office for Nader) into the nursery. Here are some before photos of the room:</div>
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The first thing I did was paint the room a soft white - Bit of Sugar by Behr. Next I installed some peel & stick floral wallpaper:</div>
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I found the pink storage ottoman at Home Goods & the rug is from Walmart. The glider & side table were pieces I already had that we had used in Sami & Zain's nursery:</div>
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I only made one art piece this time around - I took an existing IKEA print canvas that we already had & painted it white. After that dried, I painted her name in Arabic onto the canvas (I did a canvas like this for Sami & Zain also):</div>
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I took the crib skirt from Zain's nursery & sewed some navy tassel trim onto the bottom:</div>
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We purchased another IKEA HEMNES dresser & I switched out the knobs:</div>
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I had a few ideas for a DIY chandelier, but ended up making a 3-tiered fringe chandelier that simply covers the existing light fixture:<br />
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She won't be sleeping in here for another 3-4 months, but I'm glad it's all done & ready for her! Hope you liked it!</div>
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Mel</div>
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:)</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-18592544709127320132018-04-04T14:20:00.001-04:002018-04-04T14:26:32.964-04:00Sami's Big Boy Room: DIY Faux Shiplap Paneled Wall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gjhclkqzzoo/Wr-casV8mBI/AAAAAAAAKdE/hlaKKqBfpScI2e-WnjrkbNoH1EZR4M0iwCLcBGAs/s1600/shiplap%2Bwall%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gjhclkqzzoo/Wr-casV8mBI/AAAAAAAAKdE/hlaKKqBfpScI2e-WnjrkbNoH1EZR4M0iwCLcBGAs/s1600/shiplap%2Bwall%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>Last week I posted about how we built <a href="https://duoventures.blogspot.com/2018/03/samis-big-boy-room-diy-pottery-barn_30.html#.WsUVrIjwY2w" target="_blank">Sami's DIY PBK inspired bed</a> - this week I'm sharing how I installed an accent wall in his new room. I was 5 months pregnant when I worked on this project, so anyone can do this!<br />
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In 2014 we added an accent wall of board & batten in the nursery which I love, but I wanted to do something different for this room. I decided to go with a wall of faux shiplap (or paneling - whatever you want to call it). I know some people are already over this trend, but I'm a sucker for any sort of simple & clean wood trim work that adds character to your walls.<br />
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Here is the wall I was working with:<br />
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While some people panel their walls with tongue & groove boards (left), I chose to do the faux shortcut version using sheets of luan plywood. This is both a less expensive & lighter weight option to panel your walls.</div>
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Some stores will rip the luan plywood down for you in store, but we chose to do it at home on the table saw. The sheets are 4'x8', so I decided to rip each board to about 5 7/8" wide so that I could get a total of eight 8' boards out of each sheet of luan.</div>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ikVo757QCU/WrQRvrw8qNI/AAAAAAAAKX0/RbccComDCE8herQy_kGm_gUTCyX2QrHmACLcBGAs/s1600/20170805_205054.jpg" width="360" /></div>
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After all the boards were cut to size I lightly sanded all the edges down to removed any splinters.<br />
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Many of the tutorials I read online suggested painting the wall the color the shiplap was eventually going to be, or in the least, painting horizontal stripes along the wall where the seams would be. This is supposed to make the painting process easier in the end. I figured I could skip this step and just get in the seams with a brush once the boards were up.<br />
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Before I started attaching the boards to the wall, I had to determine how the boards would lay out on the wall. Some tutorials suggested cutting the boards so the ends would fall on one half of a stud. However, because I planned on using adhesive & nails, I wasn't too worried about making sure they lined up that way.<br />
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I put some liquid nails on the back of each board & stuck them on the wall. Then I quickly took the nail gun and added some 3" nails along the ends & edges of the boards. The liquid nails sets pretty quickly so you need to move quickly.<br />
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I started at the top left of the wall and just worked my way across & down. I chose to start at the top of the wall since I knew we would have to rip the bottom row of boards down to a thinner width & I preferred that they were at the bottom of the wall where they would be less visible.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tpdrUP2OOKk/WrQVIGkYfMI/AAAAAAAAKYg/D3HI3xsBLUUfYAOicRXNz4lScNgP-_2IQCLcBGAs/s1600/shiplap%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1110" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tpdrUP2OOKk/WrQVIGkYfMI/AAAAAAAAKYg/D3HI3xsBLUUfYAOicRXNz4lScNgP-_2IQCLcBGAs/s1600/shiplap%2B1.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
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You can see I was left with a seam in the middle & along the right end of the wall.<br />
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<i>SIDE NOTE: Since the boards were about 3" too short to finish covering the right side of the wall, I had to cut a bunch of small pieces to complete it as you can see. That was not fun to putty and sand, let me tell you. Later on, when I was showing my dad the wall, he suggested I should have split the difference of the 3" gap and left a 1.5" gap on each end of the wall which I could have then covered up with a trim piece.....wish I would have thought of that. Just thought I should mention that in case you have a similar situation.</i><br />
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Anyway, since I was going for a more modern streamlined look I did not want the vertical seams showing, so I sanded, puttied, & sanded again until they were as smooth as possible. I also filled in all the nail holes at this point.<br />
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Next, I added a trim piece at the ceiling. Our ceilings are super uneven so even though the trim piece was relatively flexible, I had to do a fair amount of caulking to fill in some gaps.<br />
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Once I was done filling holes & caulking it was on to paint. I narrowed it down to two color options & painted them on some paper to get an idea of what they would look like in the space. I ended up choosing Flannel Grey by Behr.<br />
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I started out by painting all the seams with a brush. To be honest, it was more difficult than I thought it would be to get the paint in the cracks and cover the edges of the boards. I sort of lucked out because the original wall color was already a bluish color and the seams didn't stand out. However, I would recommend painting the wall beforehand (or maybe even the edges of the boards) if the wall color and future shiplap color are different colors</div>
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I rolled on two coats paint.<br />
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I really love that it's an inexpensive project, but it makes a big impact!<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
MelMelissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-1039316121665729492018-03-30T09:58:00.001-04:002018-04-04T14:21:20.363-04:00Sami's Big Boy Room: DIY Pottery Barn Kids Inspired Bed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last year I shared my <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2017/08/samis-big-boy-room-plans.html#.Wr1EdojwY2w" target="_blank">game plan for Sami's big boy room</a> & the first project on my list was building a queen size bed to fit the box spring & mattress that we already had from our guest room. I happened to see the <a href="https://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/emery-bed/?catalogId=95&sku=5515705&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Furniture%20%3E%20Beds%20%26%20Mattresses&kwid=productads-adid^176267644279-device^c-plaid^78288253300-sku^5515705-adType^PLA&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn6DMBRC0ARIsAHZtCeOUnP7oGfvDdbOHLVs0X_yd-JNACfSrrvBzaCMZFqDk_a2o3UoecTAaArfTEALw_wcB&cm_ite=[[BP]%20[PLA]%20[Shopping]%20-%20Brand%20Desktop]" target="_blank">Pottery Barn Kids Emery Bed</a> somewhere on social media & thought it was a really cute & simple design:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jqReVtsoWcg/Wr1KPpazpNI/AAAAAAAAKbU/48giIWrXvUsWNMDoqZz_sGMLmr6LcvD4QCLcBGAs/s1600/pbk%2Bemery%2Bbed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="710" height="564" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jqReVtsoWcg/Wr1KPpazpNI/AAAAAAAAKbU/48giIWrXvUsWNMDoqZz_sGMLmr6LcvD4QCLcBGAs/s1600/pbk%2Bemery%2Bbed.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Since there there was <i>no</i> way we were paying $900 for a toddler bed, we decided to build a bed instead. All in, our total materials were about $150. My dad, myself, & Nader built the headboard, foot board, & frame in one afternoon. Then the puttying, sanding, & painting took me another two days - but I was only able to work about 3 hours a days during nap time or in the evening. So I guess my point is that this could be a weekend project if you keep at it consistently. A few days of work & $150 is not bad for a queen size bed. Of course, it's not a perfect manufactured bed - there are places we made mistakes or areas I didn't finish very well, but overall it's a very nice bed for the cost.<br />
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<b>OUR MATERIAL LIST</b></div>
(3) 10 ft 2x4<br />
(2) 8 ft 2x4<br />
(2) 8 ft 1x8<br />
(2) 8 ft 1x3 OR (1) 2x2<br />
(5) 8 ft 1x4<br />
(5) 10 ft 1x6 Tongue & Groove<br />
(1) small box of 1 1/4" screws<br />
(1) small box of 3" or 4" screws<br />
(1) tube of Wood Glue<br />
(1) small container of wood filler<br />
(1) 4-piece set of bed rail hardware (we ordered ours from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003F0DZZ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>)<br />
(1) gallon of Paint & Primer in One<br />
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<b>TOOLS WE USED</b><br />
table saw<br />
chop saw<br />
sander<br />
drill<br />
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First, I went online and found <a href="https://www.diypete.com/diy-bed-frame-and-bed-frame-plans/" target="_blank">a tutorial</a> for a queen size bed frame and then we loosely based our design measurements off of his bed plans (we didn't follow his tutorial or material list exactly since I was trying to mimic the PBK bed, but it's a nice basic outline to follow).<br />
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Once we had all our lumber, we cut the 2x4's for the footboard & headboard frames to size. Then we notched out a back corner of the 2x4's with the table saw so that the tongue & groove boards could eventually sit inside. This is a scrap piece we used to test out the cuts first:<br />
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Here all all the frame pieces cut to size & notched out:</div>
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Next we attached all of the the 2x4's together to create the frames for the headboard & footboard:<br />
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Many people use a krig jig to create pocket holes when building, but we don't happen to own one, so we made our own pocket holes using a paddle bit & then sunk the screws in the larger holes. Since I planned on painting the bed, I didn't mind the holes because I could easily fill, sand, & paint them with no problem<br />
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Once the frame was assembled we cut the tongue & groove boards to length. We did a dry fit, then we attached all the tongue & groove boards together using wood glue before screwing them into the frames:<br />
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To attached the tongue & groove boards to the frames, we used 1 1/4" screws all the way around & wood glue underneath. I forgot to take a photo of this part, but here are the finished pieces:<br />
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Next we assembled the rails & slats. We cut the 1x8's and 2x2's to length and then screwed them together & used wood glue for extra reinforcement. Lastly, we screwed in the five 1x4 slats (we ended up unscrewing the slats and reattaching them once we moved the bed into the room):<br />
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After we finished, I went ahead and filled any holes with wood filler & sanded once dry. I repeated this step for certain areas:<br />
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Like the PBK inspiration bed, I wanted to paint the bed a simple white. Choosing white paint colors is harder than it would seem - there are warm tones, cool tones, and neutral tones. Most of the recommendations from bloggers, designers, or even my friends on IG were for Benjamin Moore & Sherwin Williams paints. I've used BM before, but I typically just go to HD or Lowe's for convenience & cost savings.<br />
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I wanted to find an affordable perfect white paint that I could easily pick up at my local home improvement store. After looking at some swatches, I had some whites in mind by Behr, but I just couldn't decide. Thankfully, my IG friend <a href="http://nsinteriordesign.com/" target="_blank">Nagwa Seif</a> (who is also an amazing designer in Cali - please check her out if you haven't!) helped me finally decide on a color - 'Bit of Sugar' by Behr.<br />
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I decided to try the Behr Marquee line which is supposed to be their best & most durable one coat coverage paint. In terms of sheen, I was torn between eggshell & satin. I wanted something durable & wipeable, but not too shiny. In the end, I decided on Behr Marquee 'Bit of Sugar' in a satin enamel finish.<br />
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I started with an angled brush & got in all the edges, creases, and tongue & groove joints. Coverage was great, but I still felt it needed a second coat (maybe since it was raw wood?). After all the cutting in was done, I painted the rest of the bed using a small 4" foam roller.<br />
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Once I finished all the painting we carried everything up to Sami's new room and assembled the bed using brackets I ordered on Amazon. The bed is very sturdy overall, but to be honest it moves more than I would like if you push on the footboard. I think it's in part due to the type of brackets we used and also because we used thinner 1x8's for the side boards (instead of 2x8's). It's fine for Sami to sleep in now, but it might be something we try to improve down the road:<br />
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Once we put the box spring & mattress on the bed I thought it was just a tad too high off the ground for Sami to get in and out safely. To remedy the situation, we built a very basic boxspring out of 2x4's and plywood:<br />
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It helped to lower everything down about 4" - not a lot, but it definitely made a huge difference for Sami. Here is the finished product!</div>
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I love how it turned out! Sami actually started sleeping in his new bed just last week (even though I was supposed to have him moved in here last year before Zain was born...opps). Next up, I'm working on a post about the <a href="https://duoventures.blogspot.com/2018/04/samis-big-boy-room-diy-faux-shiplap.html#.WsUXhYjwY2w" target="_blank">DIY shiplap accent wall</a>!</div>
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Thanks for reading!</div>
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Mel</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-86753829034776333762018-03-23T17:01:00.001-04:002019-08-27T12:30:35.089-04:00Zain's Posterior Birth StoryOn December 29th, 2017 we added another little boy to our family! Zain is almost 3 months old now and doing great. He is such a sweet happy baby.<br />
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In 2015 I shared <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2015/08/our-birth-story-bradley-method.html#.Wo2aEKjwY2w" target="_blank">Sami's Birth Story</a> & I wanted to do the same for Zain's birth. My experiences are a perfect example of how different labors can be - even for the same woman. Given my first labor was relatively quick, I figured there a was pretty good chance that my second labor might be even faster & dare I say - easier. Well, I should have known better than to have any expectations.<br />
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Our birth plan was the same as it was with Sami - we wanted an unmedicated labor with the least amount of interventions as possible (we had read The Bradley Method book prior to Sami's birth).<br />
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My pregnancy was pretty normal all the way until my 37 week check up, when the doctor said the baby was measuring 3 weeks ahead according to my fundal height (stomach measurement). The strange thing was I was measuring ahead on one side of my stomach & normal on the other. She initially thought it might have been due to my uterus shape. Apparently I have a "bicornuate uterus", which is essentially a heart shaped uterus. I had never even heard that term until this pregnancy, when the doctor mentioned they noticed it in one of my early ultrasound photos. I don't know the severity of mine, but they didn't consider me high risk since I had a normal pregnancy the first time without complications.<br />
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So anyway, the doctor assumed I was measuring ahead because the baby was all on one side, but decided to do an ultrasound to make sure I didn't have any extra amniotic fluid. The tech informed me that the baby was indeed measuring ahead by 3 weeks. My doctor told me that if he continued to grow at this rate I might need to be induced early. Of course, that was the last thing I wanted, but there was nothing I could do about it.<br />
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On Tuesday December 26th, at my 39 week checkup, the doctor told me I was almost 4cm dilated and that the baby was at a <a href="https://hubpages.com/health/Baby-stations-during-labor" target="_blank">-3 station</a> & still measuring ahead (but growth seemed to slow down a little). She said we had a few options:<br />
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<b>One - </b>we could wait a week until my due date to see if the baby would come on his own, but if I didn't go into labor by my due date, I would probably need to be induced depending on how the baby & I were doing (she said there was a small chance they would let me go ONE more week after my due date, but couldn't guarantee it).<br />
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<b>Two </b>- she offered to <a href="https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/703499" target="_blank">strip my membranes</a> in the hopes of naturally inducing me more quickly. After weighing our options, we decided we would rather strip my membranes as opposed to potentially having to be induced the following week. It was pretty uncomfotable & painful, but not unbearable (nothing is worse than labor anyway, right?).<br />
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On Wednesday & Thursday I had mild cramping and mucusy bloody discharge, but no contractions or major signs of labor. Then on Friday morning around 6AM I started to have very mild period-like contractions that lasted around 30-45 seconds and were about 2-4 minutes apart. This went on all morning & into the afternoon, and while the contractions became mildly more intense, I didn't feel like I was progressing very much. In fact, whenever I sat down, the contractions actually slowed down immensely or even seemed to stop.<br />
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By 4PM I started doubting if it was the real deal and was convinced I was in "false labor". My family was convinced I was in real labor & that we should go to the hospital. I did hate not knowing where I was in terms of dilation, so I finally agreed to go.<br />
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My mom, Nader, & I arrived at the hospital around 4:30PM & triage was so busy we waited for 1.5 hours. Instead of sitting down in the waiting area, we decided to walk around the halls which definitely helped to speed along my contractions. At that point it was pretty clear to me that I was in real labor. I would need to stop, sway, & breath every time a contraction came. In the middle of my contractions Nader would laugh & say I looked like a dormant walker from The Walking Dead. I told him to go F himself ;) Later on, he showed me the video he took of me & it was actually pretty funny - I did look like zombie. Anyway, I digress...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting to be checked in Triage</td></tr>
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When it was finally my turn to get checked by triage, a nurse came out to ask if I could wait some <i>more </i>because there was a girl who just got there who was having contractions & she was still early in her pregnancy. Of course I said it was okay, so we had to wait even longer. Finally, at 6PM a nurse came and got us & took us to an actual L&D room since all the rooms in triage were still full. As we were walking to the room we saw one of our favorite doctors was on call that day.<br />
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Once we got settled into our room, she came in to check me & said I was about 6cm dilated, but that the baby was still very high up at a -3 station. She advised us that she could break my water to speed things along. Initially, I was against it and wanted to let my body do what it would do naturally, but I was so ready to have that baby that we agreed to have her break my water. At around 6:30PM she broke my water & by 6:40PM the contractions were already increasing in intensity. For the next hour I labored on the bed since I forgot my exercise ball at home.<br />
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Periodically, I wanted to be checked for dilation but the nurses said they couldn't check me until I felt the urge to push since checking me would increase the risk of infection. It drove me insane not knowing how I was progressing. Over the next hour I would feel random urges to push while I was contracting, but not that super intense I HAVE TO PUSH feeling.<br />
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At 7:45 I started feeling another mild urge to push & asked for the nurse to check me. She said I was about 9.5 cm, but that the baby was still high up. At this point I was so ready to be done, I begged her if we could try pushing. After several minutes of pushing we had to stop since it wasn't really doing anything as the baby was still too high. She said I would need to labor more on my own before we tried pushing again.<br />
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I was getting so frustrated & felt like it was taking SO long to get to 10 cm. I kept looking at the clock & thinking back to Sami's birth and feeling like it was going so sloooow this time around. The transition phase of labor is by far the most painful, and I was in that full stage of "self doubt" where I just didn't think I could do it anymore. I tried my best to breath and relax through contractions, but all I could think about was how much I wanted it all to be over. I had that intense back labor again that was centered around my tailbone. I kept telling my mom and Nader that I was NEVER doing this again & that I was definitely getting an epidural next time (note: I said the same thing while laboring with Sami...oh how time really does helps you to forget how painful it is, ha!).<br />
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After another hour or so of contractions I started <i>really </i>feeling the urge to push around 9PM. The nurse came in to check me & I was finally 10cm. She called for my doctor and then I started pushing - HELLO RING OF FIRE! After about 10-15 minutes of pushing, Zain was born!<br />
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Not only was he in a <a href="https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&rlz=1C1OPRA_enUS579US592&biw=1280&bih=615&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=VTmUWqe7KeqJggfxgoxI&q=posterior+baby&oq=posterior&gs_l=psy-ab.3.0.0i67k1j0l9.897153.898083.0.898901.9.6.0.3.3.0.100.419.5j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..0.9.428....0.QTOLFtGdWGs#imgrc=CA1_-JDA8tMU5M:" target="_blank">posterior position</a> (AKA sunny side up), but he had a double nuchal - which meant he was born facing upwards towards the ceiling with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice. As soon as he came out, my doctor said, "Well no wonder he took so long! If he had been facing down you probably would of had this baby days ago!". Who really knows if that is true, but I'm apt to believe it considering how much longer and more difficult this labor seemed than my first.<br />
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As they started cleaning him off, Nader and I were shocked at his light colored hair. I had envisioned a baby with dark eyes and dark hair, so you can imagine my surprise when this light colored baby popped out. I remember saying to the doctor, "He's white?!". My doctor was like, "Well, what did you expect- you're white!". Everyone in the room had a good laugh over that, but I was seriously in shock. I guess I figured it was highly unlikely that with Nader's dark middle eastern genes we would have another light eyed baby, let alone a light <i>haired </i>baby, ya know?<br />
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While we did our hour of skin to skin, I still had to go through the "third" stage of labor - delivery of the placenta. I talked about this in my first labor story. This time around, I was prepared for it...but it still sucks. They are pushing on the top of your uterus from the outside and digging around in there to expel your placenta and make sure you don't have any blood clots. I've heard some women say it doesn't hurt at all, but it has been quite painful for me both times.<br />
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Afterwards, I had to be stitched up because I had a second degree tear again. They also had to give me an IV of oxytocin to manage my postpartum bleeding. I'm not sure if that is standard practice or if I was having excessive bleeding.<br />
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I tried latching Zain pretty soon after they handed him to me. I was incredibly anxious about breastfeeding, since I had such a hard time with Sami (read more on that <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-nursing-chronicles-part-1-first-2.html#.WrFCP-jwY2w" target="_blank">HERE</a>). To my surprise, he seemed to latch really well and I felt such a sense of relief. Little did I know, we were going to have major issues again, but that's another story...<br />
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Looking back now, it completely makes sense why this labor took longer and seemed more challenging to me. From what I've read about posterior births, they generally seem to take longer & can be more difficult due the baby's less than ideal positioning. Apparently, many babies are posterior at the time labor begins, but only a small percentage are actually <i>born </i>in a posterior position. The majority of babies will flip to an anterior position during the labor process. A few days after Zain's birth, I read an article about the <a href="http://www.douladana.com/the-trouble-with-a-posterior-baby/" target="_blank">challenges of posterior births</a>, and I can say that I actually experienced most of the symptoms that were mentioned. For example, I had the typical "start & stop" labor pattern, back labor, early urge to push, and while my labor was not "long" compared to some, it was drawn out for me.<br />
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For perspective - with Sami, my entire labor was about 5 hours from the time my water broke until the time I delivered him and it took about 2.5 hours to go from 3 cm to 10 cm. With Zain, the entire labor was about 15 hours and it took me about 3 hours just to go from 6 cm to 10 cm. Giving birth is by far one of the most difficult things you will every do (besides raising little humans), but so worth it!<br />
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Welcome to our family Zain :)<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
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MelMelissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-69871479137927507642018-03-12T18:27:00.000-04:002018-03-12T18:27:21.937-04:00DIY Play Kitchen Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V4pzhJDnJts/WqGqQom-ziI/AAAAAAAAKSg/d_KdvY6JPbo12XTr06Kf-HQ6JMeJw708wCLcBGAs/s1600/PLAY%2BKITCHEN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1600" height="430" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V4pzhJDnJts/WqGqQom-ziI/AAAAAAAAKSg/d_KdvY6JPbo12XTr06Kf-HQ6JMeJw708wCLcBGAs/s1600/PLAY%2BKITCHEN.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>I knew I always wanted to get a play kitchen for my kids, and nowadays there are so many options out there. While I love the look of the Pottery Barn Kids version, the price tag was way too much for a toy in my opinion. This is their Chelsea set that retails for around $900:<br />
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It's adorable, but there was no way we were going to spend almost $1k for a play kitchen. I looked for new and used kitchens, but never really found anything that I liked. Then last summer I saw the cutest play kitchen on LetGo that reminded me a lot of the more pricey PBK sets - and it was listed for only $100 instead of $900. I offered $60 to the seller and we agreed to meet in the middle at $80:<br />
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First, I removed all the hardware and spray painted everything black. An easy way to paint parts like this is by sticking them into cardboard boxes:</div>
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Then I removed the counter tops & back splashes and added some marble contact paper:<br />
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Afterwards, I gave everything two coats of white that I already had in the garage from an old project (I also ended up painting the inside of the oven with some leftover gray paint):<br />
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I also decided to cut the sink door in half & add new latch hardware to mimic the look of the PBK set:<br />
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I love that the fridge serves as extra toy storage too:<br />
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Not bad for under $90!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CXmExixGimU/Wqb8unx0VVI/AAAAAAAAKVI/uloSrvNLAUQUsaGYCU1UWVTqh3VPE3EbACLcBGAs/s1600/kitchen%2B7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1242" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CXmExixGimU/Wqb8unx0VVI/AAAAAAAAKVI/uloSrvNLAUQUsaGYCU1UWVTqh3VPE3EbACLcBGAs/s1600/kitchen%2B7.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
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It wasn't a difficult makeover, but the painting was very time consuming - totally worth it though! Sami loves to play with his kitchen and all his cousins love it too!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9j655ZAtPK8/Wqb8wB-8gXI/AAAAAAAAKVY/zLxiZIko5GARWlz5ELkUvalRjXG90bGiQCLcBGAs/s1600/sami.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1107" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9j655ZAtPK8/Wqb8wB-8gXI/AAAAAAAAKVY/zLxiZIko5GARWlz5ELkUvalRjXG90bGiQCLcBGAs/s1600/sami.jpg" width="442" /></a></div>
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Thanks for reading!</div>
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Mel</div>
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:)</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-23405284368356895132017-12-01T11:14:00.001-05:002018-03-12T18:28:35.601-04:00Neutral Holiday Home DecorI never got around to sharing our holiday decor for 2016 - no surprise there, right? I'm still debating if I want to go all out with decorating this year, given I have a 2.5 year old & baby #2 set to arrive anytime around January 1st. Since I haven't done much decorating as of yet, I thought I'd share our home from last year instead!<br />
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This is our office (formerly the formal dining room):<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5j8HfnydY98/WG1-O2fu88I/AAAAAAAAJqo/JgshSt5SeDMNrWNU5dTgZtLl3fXn4f7aQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0373%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5j8HfnydY98/WG1-O2fu88I/AAAAAAAAJqo/JgshSt5SeDMNrWNU5dTgZtLl3fXn4f7aQCLcB/s1600/IMG_0373%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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For the mirror in our foyer, I picked up a table swag & just bent it to the arch of the mirror:</div>
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Growing up, I would receive a couple of ornaments every year from my family & extended family members. After high school, my mom gave me all of my ornaments and I never really decorated with them until last year. Since our main tree is pretty neutral, I decided to get a mini white tree & designated that as the "kids" tree. It works out great because all the colorful ornaments stand out & Sami has his own little tree to decorate:<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vSW1H5Vvcmg/WGwu8i6mFPI/AAAAAAAAJqA/4NiwHDOpOT4atDufpJlZYmDfgZBi8XRwwCLcB/s1600/holiday%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vSW1H5Vvcmg/WGwu8i6mFPI/AAAAAAAAJqA/4NiwHDOpOT4atDufpJlZYmDfgZBi8XRwwCLcB/s1600/holiday%2B5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In the bathroom I took two garland stems that I joined together in the middle to create a swag & used some bulbs to hide the joint:<br />
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The stair railing we do have is obviously very short and doesn't allow for a super dramatic garland display, but I thought it would be nice to add a little something there. I figure that once we move someday & have a larger railing I can keep adding to my collection of mismatched stockings:<br />
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Last year our existing tree's lights burned out, and while we could have just replaced the lights, we took the opportunity to get a slightly larger & more realistic tree.<br />
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Here's the old tree versus our new tree:<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GYwBYWUSOso/WiF9aIhH4RI/AAAAAAAAKLg/mAic2eL1TnIgYZzwYLycCgei7plYPqaOQCLcBGAs/s1600/old%2Bnew%2Btree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="1600" height="472" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GYwBYWUSOso/WiF9aIhH4RI/AAAAAAAAKLg/mAic2eL1TnIgYZzwYLycCgei7plYPqaOQCLcBGAs/s1600/old%2Bnew%2Btree.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Our new tree is called the <a href="https://www.lowes.com/pd/Holiday-Living-7-5-ft-Pre-lit-Hayden-Pine-Artificial-Christmas-Tree-with-900-Constant-Clear-White-Incandescent-Lights/999916555" target="_blank">Holiday Living 7.5 Pre-Lit Hayden Pine tree</a> from Lowe's. I really love our new tree overall - especially the different types of branch tips it has. It looks so much more realistic than our last tree:<br />
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This hot cocoa inspired chalkboard art was a DIY I did last year. I painted a canvas with chalkboard paint and then used a design by Valerie McKeehan for inspiration. It took me awhile to finish, but it turned out so cute. I added some garland on the top & threw in some bulbs & a little wooden sled too:<br />
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Since we don't have a fireplace, we use our TV cabinet as a makeshift mantel:<br />
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So that's it for our holiday decor last year...hope you liked it & Happy Holidays!</div>
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Mel :)</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-35783148004536676892017-10-10T17:26:00.001-04:002018-03-12T18:28:48.827-04:00Easy DIY "Robin" Toddler Halloween Costume<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ieBM6qYBjuA/WbgEeFZP2mI/AAAAAAAAKDU/2-K6sObgSN8vd4uNlLRtHyMyz2M09mE6gCLcBGAs/s1600/DIY%2BRobin%2BCostume.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="1600" height="440" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ieBM6qYBjuA/WbgEeFZP2mI/AAAAAAAAKDU/2-K6sObgSN8vd4uNlLRtHyMyz2M09mE6gCLcBGAs/s1600/DIY%2BRobin%2BCostume.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sami was only 18 months old last Halloween, so he had no clue what was going on of course. Honestly, I wasn't even going to dress him up in a costume until my dad mentioned he already had a Batman costume for himself....that got me thinking that Sami could be his sidekick - Robin!<br />
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I did not want to spend a lot of money on a costume, but I was also excited to get creative & DIY his costume like we usually did as kids. My parents always helped us make our costumes when we were little & I have great memories of that process (again, not that Sami has a clue it's Halloween, but it made for some cute photos!).</div>
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First, I had to decide which "Robin" costume I was going to try & recreate. Even though my dad's Batman costume was a modern version of Batman, I ended up making the original Robin costume that Burt Ward portrayed in the 60's:<br />
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After looking at some old photos, I realized that it actually wouldn't be too difficult to recreate. This is a really cute & fairly easy costume to make for your toddler! Here's how I did it....</div>
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<b>MATERIALS</b>:<br />
-yellow men's button down shirt<br />
-green onsie<br />
-red t-shirt or long sleeve shirt<br />
-white tights<br />
-black, yellow, & green felt<br />
-yellow ribbon (optional)<br />
-fabric glue or hot glue<br />
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I bought the yellow men's shirt, red shirt, & green onsie from Goodwill. Unfortunately, the green Goodwill onsie turned out to be too small. Luckily, I remembered that I actually already had a green onsie that I had <i>just </i>packed away in Sami's "too small" clothes bin...so it was <i>just </i>big enough to fit him:</div>
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Obviously the green onsie is already good to go - you don't need to do anything to it except use it as reference to cut the red vest to size. Just cut the arms & bottom off the red shirt, then round the bottom of the shirt like so:</div>
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I used felt & some yellow ribbon for the belt & other details on the vest. First, I cut out a circle & a long rectangular piece of black felt for the belt and glued them right onto the red shirt. Then I used the yellow felt to make the "R" and the belt details. To make the "vest" look more authentic, I cut small holes down the middle & weaved some yellow 1/8" ribbon through (gluing the ends down on the inside of the vest). You could obviously skip this step & just cut out thin strips of yellow felt:</div>
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To make the cape, I took the men's shirt & buttoned the top button. Then I just started cutting away excess fabric. I didn't have a pattern to follow obviously, so I just continued cutting little by little until I got the shape I wanted. Before I cut the bottom of the shirt, I tried it on Sami first to find the best length for him:</div>
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The shoe covers were a total trial & error experiment. I started by cutting out two triangle-ish pieces of paper & just kept repositioning them around Sami's shoes until they fit okay. Once I got the general shape, I went back & trimmed down the "wings" on each side until it looked most the like the original photos. Once I was happy with the paper templates, I used them to trace out my cuts onto the green felt. I used glue to attach each side of the shoe covers. Then I just slipped the covers onto his shoes (I did add a little tape underneath to keep it in place, but nothing permanent):</div>
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Lastly, I made a little black eye mask out of more felt. Again, no template to follow - I just sort of played around with it. I thought about painting an eye mask on, but Sami has such sensitive skin I worried about a reaction or the possibility of him rubbing it in his eyes. Depending on your child's personality & age they may not wear the eye mask at all either - this is the <i>one </i>element of the costume that Sami would not keep on. I got a couple photos of him with the mask, but that was it:</div>
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Batman Grandpa & Robin Sami:<img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="1600" height="440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6_trVZrHo18/WbgFr1O_eII/AAAAAAAAKEA/mb1Rue7h6R82_ywph8lBnXgAXKOhbkR0ACLcBGAs/s1600/black%2Band%2Bwhite.jpg" style="text-align: center;" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I ran out of time to make my own costume last year, so I just threw on some black clothes & made a little cat ears headband by gluing black felt ears to a headband - possibly the easiest & laziest version of Catwoman ever?</span><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZgC0J-WsYo/WbgEe5MNujI/AAAAAAAAKDs/r6ofXO_Jdn42Fp_ELTkY4OzViFCDWiIEwCLcBGAs/s1600/sami%2Band%2Bmom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="1600" height="434" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZgC0J-WsYo/WbgEe5MNujI/AAAAAAAAKDs/r6ofXO_Jdn42Fp_ELTkY4OzViFCDWiIEwCLcBGAs/s1600/sami%2Band%2Bmom.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So the total costume cost me about $10.00 to make. You can actually buy a pre-made toddler Robin costume for less than $20, but where's the fun in that?! Personally, I think my DIY version turned out even cuter & I love that we're keeping the tradition going of DIYing our Halloween costumes.<br />
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If you decide to make this original Robin costume for your little one, please send me a photo of the finished product - I would love to see! Thanks for reading & Happy (early) Halloween!<br />
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Mel<br />
:)</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-245418003795173562017-08-22T16:51:00.002-04:002017-10-11T18:46:37.589-04:00Baby #2 Gender Reveal!Looks like we will be adding another little BOY to the mix!<br />
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The day we asked my mom to take these photos, Sami decided to have a <i>nice </i>little tantrum that morning. It started out because he wouldn't wear the button down shirt I had picked out for him. After that, he wouldn't even put on a regular shirt without crying. Eventually we made it out of the house & he finally calmed down. Even though we had a very rough start, I'm so glad we have these photos to remember this time & to announce that Sami is going to have a little brother!<br />
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Mel<br />
:)Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-48292663132016160122017-08-17T16:31:00.004-04:002020-05-18T11:39:39.545-04:00DIY Outdoor Wood Sofas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After we finished our <a href="https://duoventures.blogspot.com/2017/08/diy-floating-ground-level-deck.html" target="_blank">DIY deck</a> back in March, it became even more apparent that we needed more outdoor seating. The only seating we had at the time was a round patio table with 4 chairs.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yT1EyJ8TAR4/WZWYbGOVWmI/AAAAAAAAJ80/t1QdCcvbAc859mwxEGYHiLrY5lj0ZnRjACLcBGAs/s1600/BEFORE%2BAFTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yT1EyJ8TAR4/WZWYbGOVWmI/AAAAAAAAJ80/t1QdCcvbAc859mwxEGYHiLrY5lj0ZnRjACLcBGAs/s1600/BEFORE%2BAFTER.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Initially, we looked around for sectionals, but everything we liked was at least $2,500. Then we came across some plans to build your own outdoor sofa from Ana White...for around $50 in lumber! The cushions are the most expensive part of this project, but even so, we were able to build 3 sofas for under $800 total.<br />
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Here is the original Ana White sofa design that we modeled our sofas after:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5zIef3uO75A/WYzUrIVJjUI/AAAAAAAAJ6g/0TFldtuYH7k3GOe3SURBlHxIZsbj80unACLcBGAs/s1600/sofa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="1600" height="442" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5zIef3uO75A/WYzUrIVJjUI/AAAAAAAAJ6g/0TFldtuYH7k3GOe3SURBlHxIZsbj80unACLcBGAs/s1600/sofa.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/2x4-outdoor-sofa" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Ana White Outdoor Sofa Plans</span></b></a></td></tr>
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It's a great basic design, but I wanted to modify it slightly by adding a couple more 2x4's for extra back support, as well as some 2x2's under the arm rests for more detail.</div>
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We also built our sofas to the size of our cushions, so we used one less 2x4 on the seat bottom. Our sofa seats ended up being about 23.5" deep. Here's a comparison of the original vs. our sofa:</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ELMhy3eGcgk/WZWjERC8eJI/AAAAAAAAJ9Q/bzhWuXjB9sYyZ0ieEqR1ZIyIKMtXpmehQCLcBGAs/s1600/collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="1600" height="354" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ELMhy3eGcgk/WZWjERC8eJI/AAAAAAAAJ9Q/bzhWuXjB9sYyZ0ieEqR1ZIyIKMtXpmehQCLcBGAs/s1600/collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I assumed the most difficult part of this project would actually be finding cushions that we liked in our budget, so we decided to pick out our cushions first & <i>then </i>build the sofas to those specific dimensions. Ideally, I wanted something in the grey family, but the few grey cushions I came across were either too brown, too thin, or too expensive. We ended up going with the <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90292339/" target="_blank">IKEA KUNSO</a> cushions in black instead:</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4m5tZsB76b0/WYzbZn5VC5I/AAAAAAAAJ64/ItOLvP68TeEv1l3j8iiLW4IvqkwVa8RogCLcBGAs/s1600/cushions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1257" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4m5tZsB76b0/WYzbZn5VC5I/AAAAAAAAJ64/ItOLvP68TeEv1l3j8iiLW4IvqkwVa8RogCLcBGAs/s1600/cushions.jpg" width="502" /></a></div>
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Here are the dimensions of our cushions:<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Back cushion dimensions:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Width: 24 3/8 "</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Depth: 17 3/8 "</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Thickness: 7 1/8 "</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Bottom cushion dimensions:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Width: 24 "</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Depth: 24 "</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Thickness: 4 "</span></span><br />
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The entire sofa was built out of pine 2x4's, with the exception of the "X" detail under the arms - which were pine 2x2's. We did not use treated lumber for this project since I planned on staining & sealing the sofas - so we saved a little money by going with regular pine AND the lumber was also not as heavy since it wasn't treated. If you can afford to build with cedar, that is the way to go for outdoor furniture (since we were on a budget we went with pine). My dad helped us build the first sofa, but then we were on our own for the remaining two.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uUeTFicCtzA/WYzdRDw0YyI/AAAAAAAAJ7E/0IYOCQjoCYAOQUWQrQT9ykDlk6uQigTegCLcBGAs/s1600/20170413_193817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uUeTFicCtzA/WYzdRDw0YyI/AAAAAAAAJ7E/0IYOCQjoCYAOQUWQrQT9ykDlk6uQigTegCLcBGAs/s1600/20170413_193817.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Before we added the "X" detail:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWlig2QrX6c/WYzdSDMYNjI/AAAAAAAAJ7Q/0I1JhF10ryA6A77YRkaf_42Cmr-uGUbBgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170414_194319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWlig2QrX6c/WYzdSDMYNjI/AAAAAAAAJ7Q/0I1JhF10ryA6A77YRkaf_42Cmr-uGUbBgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170414_194319.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Another change we made was to the top 2x4 on the back rest - we decided to attach the 2x4 vertically to give the back a little more height and notched out the ends to fit on top of the arm rests:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NI1ed63MmUc/WYzdSmey-HI/AAAAAAAAJ7U/DRJd8BjCewU1_Y58PwttoCp43Va5mE5lwCLcBGAs/s1600/20170414_194327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NI1ed63MmUc/WYzdSmey-HI/AAAAAAAAJ7U/DRJd8BjCewU1_Y58PwttoCp43Va5mE5lwCLcBGAs/s1600/20170414_194327.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here are the sofas after we added the 2x2 X detail under the arms:<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0h0jzjtFiCo/WYzYPVoXAAI/AAAAAAAAJ6s/vwgfXldk6nQM-L9jSp6SeGECul6UAZ1gACLcBGAs/s1600/3%2Bsofas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0h0jzjtFiCo/WYzYPVoXAAI/AAAAAAAAJ6s/vwgfXldk6nQM-L9jSp6SeGECul6UAZ1gACLcBGAs/s1600/3%2Bsofas.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For extra support, we also screwed in two vertical 20" 2x4 supports on the back of each sofa:</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BOa89cUKWY/WY3h6UinJoI/AAAAAAAAJ70/SbZ04lmxKkA6DI0Q53ySJi1EW5ho41MIgCLcBGAs/s1600/STAINED%2BSOFA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1153" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3BOa89cUKWY/WY3h6UinJoI/AAAAAAAAJ70/SbZ04lmxKkA6DI0Q53ySJi1EW5ho41MIgCLcBGAs/s1600/STAINED%2BSOFA.jpg" width="460" /></a></div>
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*UPDATE* Here are some more detailed photos of the back of the sofas from April 2020:</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-uHJNKdbDM/XqrfpArJ8GI/AAAAAAAALmI/aL_PgoF7mFMKHpBQbW0UQ3sf74l7TZkyACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200426_081402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C-uHJNKdbDM/XqrfpArJ8GI/AAAAAAAALmI/aL_PgoF7mFMKHpBQbW0UQ3sf74l7TZkyACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200426_081402.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_z-mLhgdtsU/XqrfpFk7qLI/AAAAAAAALmE/sFtwLJH9NmUU3XegJWLjqRoIZ00RnVKHwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200426_081407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_z-mLhgdtsU/XqrfpFk7qLI/AAAAAAAALmE/sFtwLJH9NmUU3XegJWLjqRoIZ00RnVKHwCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200426_081407.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Once all three sofas were assembled, I filled the holes with exterior wood filler & gave them a light sanding all over. I focused on the edges - particularly around the arm rests.<br />
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Next, I gave them all one coat of semi-transparent stain & sealer in the color Pewter by Rustoleum:<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6JEjSq7B0JE/WY3h6TbN5qI/AAAAAAAAJ7w/fr3WIFg89Jo-QmbkugNwfxPxxKt60LJDwCLcBGAs/s1600/stain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="1600" height="376" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6JEjSq7B0JE/WY3h6TbN5qI/AAAAAAAAJ7w/fr3WIFg89Jo-QmbkugNwfxPxxKt60LJDwCLcBGAs/s1600/stain.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The stain is subtle in person (and even more difficult to tell the difference in photos), but the stain sort of reminds me of that gray driftwood Restoration Hardware look. I could have done a second coat of stain, but I was honestly exhausted & just wanted to be done. You can see the stain the best in this photo:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0HFzn5n_IM/WY3iPrZI2XI/AAAAAAAAJ74/_kiPOVS-qdY0QPn6YXBgKBxojmxfT9pUACLcBGAs/s1600/stain%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1097" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0HFzn5n_IM/WY3iPrZI2XI/AAAAAAAAJ74/_kiPOVS-qdY0QPn6YXBgKBxojmxfT9pUACLcBGAs/s1600/stain%2B2.jpg" width="438" /></a></div>
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Ana's original lumber list only calls for (11) 2x4x10' boards, but because of our modifications we ended up needing to buy the following for each sofa:<br />
(12) 2x4x10'<br />
(1) 2x4x8'<br />
(2) 2x2x8'<br />
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Here is the final approximate cost breakdown:<br />
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ONE SOFA:<br />
$65 lumber + $180 cushions = $245<br />
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THREE SOFAS:<br />
$195 lumber + $540 cushions = $735<br />
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We also spent $37 in stain, so our total cost was about $772 ($735 + $37). Please keep in mind there can be other costs involved depending on what materials, tools, or stains you already have on hand. We already had the screws we needed (mostly 2 1/2" & some 4" galvanized screws), sandpaper, wood glue, and tools - so all we needed to purchase was the lumber & stain.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RAaYSyQR6Qw/WZW4kmF8-yI/AAAAAAAAJ9g/Gx0ZvMQXzEw8nXZQMc1n2gxyIdCzhyCmwCLcBGAs/s1600/DIY%2Boutdoor%2Bsofa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RAaYSyQR6Qw/WZW4kmF8-yI/AAAAAAAAJ9g/Gx0ZvMQXzEw8nXZQMc1n2gxyIdCzhyCmwCLcBGAs/s1600/DIY%2Boutdoor%2Bsofa.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Overall, we love the sofas - they are comfortable & very sturdy! Since I didn't give step by step instructions, please let me know if you have any questions on our building process.<br />
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We also ended up building an X-base dining table for our new deck as well. I will write a post on how we built that in the near future...<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
MelMelissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-66231489391180881572017-08-07T15:48:00.000-04:002017-08-17T16:32:19.458-04:00DIY Floating Ground-Level Deck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RklhULoWPxM/WYPZPr8O45I/AAAAAAAAJ5I/RUbJS9vkJQM_BiI_Uy3uLX6JCCHwBDgvwCLcBGAs/s1600/diy%2Bdeck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RklhULoWPxM/WYPZPr8O45I/AAAAAAAAJ5I/RUbJS9vkJQM_BiI_Uy3uLX6JCCHwBDgvwCLcBGAs/s1600/diy%2Bdeck.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Over the last year or so we have started making some major improvements in our backyard space. For years, we had always thought about adding a fence, but with no pets or kids to wrangle we would ultimately decide to bypass the added expense. However, when Sami was about 1 1/2 years old, it became very clear that we <i>absolutely </i>needed a fence to keep him contained.<br />
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The fence was definitely worth the splurge, but we quickly realized that we <i>also </i>needed to address our patio situation. The small 10x10 concrete patio didn't offer a lot of livable usable space, so we made the decision to build a floating deck (not attached to the house).<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sSC1WKUgr8I/WYPFb7tO4lI/AAAAAAAAJ4M/v2UaNmDYD1UfHJdECuwoSjfW6pSakzgAQCLcBGAs/s1600/20170225_104612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sSC1WKUgr8I/WYPFb7tO4lI/AAAAAAAAJ4M/v2UaNmDYD1UfHJdECuwoSjfW6pSakzgAQCLcBGAs/s1600/20170225_104612.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We had some factors to consider when planning the size of the deck. Namely, we had a long low spot that ran across our backyard which would become water logged & muddy anytime it rained. That was our deciding factor in determining the depth of the deck, as we wanted to make sure to cover this low area. It's hard to see it from this photo, but here is where the problem area was:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mO6W0Ml-xmg/WYPNUsRNKPI/AAAAAAAAJ40/TIFmdrl7ZogEJ7fsBKmUGWooiL6455eDgCLcBGAs/s1600/low%2Bspot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mO6W0Ml-xmg/WYPNUsRNKPI/AAAAAAAAJ40/TIFmdrl7ZogEJ7fsBKmUGWooiL6455eDgCLcBGAs/s1600/low%2Bspot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
A large deck would not only give us more seating space, but also allow us to cover the low spot and solve our backyard flooding & drainage issue (well technically, we still have a soggy strip of grass when it rains, but at least we don't notice it anymore since we are on the deck & not in the muddy grass!).<br />
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<b>THE DECK BUILDING PROCESS</b></div>
Seeing as building codes most likely differ from state to state (and even city to city), this won't be a detailed tutorial. Instead, I'll just give you an idea of the general process if you are interested in building your own deck.<br />
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To start, we had to submit our building plans & permit to our local city inspector. After a day or two, we got our permit and met with the inspector who explained any changes or additions we would need to make. Throughout the process, the inspector stopped by to check on our progress & make sure everything was to code.<br />
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We started with the framing - going right across our existing concrete patio:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lqndnkAsL_Q/WYPFxLbuAZI/AAAAAAAAJ4U/GLMQRvzrJJ8Z0JxgwwO7HK1jwZ4c_qHawCLcBGAs/s1600/20170226_134350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lqndnkAsL_Q/WYPFxLbuAZI/AAAAAAAAJ4U/GLMQRvzrJJ8Z0JxgwwO7HK1jwZ4c_qHawCLcBGAs/s1600/20170226_134350.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEe3KwjLFns/WYPFxArFHPI/AAAAAAAAJ4Q/lkrwrdoq8vkugEeVv51vGLQq1f6NSv0bACLcBGAs/s1600/20170226_134358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEe3KwjLFns/WYPFxArFHPI/AAAAAAAAJ4Q/lkrwrdoq8vkugEeVv51vGLQq1f6NSv0bACLcBGAs/s1600/20170226_134358.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For support, we had to dig holes and pour concrete to create footings:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pvgwlB_3-Rw/WYPFxdr5SII/AAAAAAAAJ4Y/iMrwsKX0p9Msqys_v-GT2j4Qhi4liX3NACLcBGAs/s1600/20170303_122028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pvgwlB_3-Rw/WYPFxdr5SII/AAAAAAAAJ4Y/iMrwsKX0p9Msqys_v-GT2j4Qhi4liX3NACLcBGAs/s1600/20170303_122028.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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You can see we also used concrete pads to add more stability:<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PKd2YvTl6jc/WYPFy5b19II/AAAAAAAAJ4c/jm9mxZtEJUsRswsT_7uDNckfKSiI9eFLgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170304_150924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PKd2YvTl6jc/WYPFy5b19II/AAAAAAAAJ4c/jm9mxZtEJUsRswsT_7uDNckfKSiI9eFLgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170304_150924.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once we passed inspection in regards to the framing & footings, we began laying the deck boards using treated 2x6's. We were initially going to use "deck boards" (also called 5/4 boards), but we found that the 2x6's were cheaper at the time AND actually stronger than the deck boards. Our inspector also recommended going with 2x6s instead:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QCTqvaF8O60/WYPFy_qtrNI/AAAAAAAAJ4g/HQ1Bnd_YXDUYgP4aSOmNCixQzLmKG2EsgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170305_095705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QCTqvaF8O60/WYPFy_qtrNI/AAAAAAAAJ4g/HQ1Bnd_YXDUYgP4aSOmNCixQzLmKG2EsgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170305_095705.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When laying the 2x6's, we made sure to stagger the deck boards as we laid them, so we wouldn't have long seams across the deck:<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o_g1ZGwb9g0/WYPU7ICMnjI/AAAAAAAAJ5E/YYUUL4UhlXQq317-LgxHrQbuJYyUbC5zACLcBGAs/s1600/20170305_142534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o_g1ZGwb9g0/WYPU7ICMnjI/AAAAAAAAJ5E/YYUUL4UhlXQq317-LgxHrQbuJYyUbC5zACLcBGAs/s1600/20170305_142534.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Look at this guy - what a cute helper!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jAsYAHDdo0/WYPFzPN6TkI/AAAAAAAAJ4k/AVMhMu13C3YS6vQTS0dFO2LZEi7328qnQCLcBGAs/s1600/20170305_102722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5jAsYAHDdo0/WYPFzPN6TkI/AAAAAAAAJ4k/AVMhMu13C3YS6vQTS0dFO2LZEi7328qnQCLcBGAs/s1600/20170305_102722.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Once the deck was complete, we added 2x8's along the sides to give it a more polished & finished look:</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vhr4-gImov0/WYPa60FYVCI/AAAAAAAAJ5M/Kec8HbAAYsswmXahY6Y5NgFbmShbEPvmwCLcBGAs/s1600/finishing%2Bboards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1416" height="398" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vhr4-gImov0/WYPa60FYVCI/AAAAAAAAJ5M/Kec8HbAAYsswmXahY6Y5NgFbmShbEPvmwCLcBGAs/s1600/finishing%2Bboards.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is the final product!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B--JhTuaY2s/WYPF0GGDb9I/AAAAAAAAJ4o/68vksSVSKlkuN9sB8f30ShYIp6WQSANrACLcBGAs/s1600/20170309_100013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B--JhTuaY2s/WYPF0GGDb9I/AAAAAAAAJ4o/68vksSVSKlkuN9sB8f30ShYIp6WQSANrACLcBGAs/s1600/20170309_100013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our deck ended up being roughly 650 square feet (34' wide x 19' deep) & costing about $2,000. This cost includes the permit fee and all materials (lumber, decking screws, brackets, quickcrete, & concrete pads).<br />
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Of course, we probably saved <i>at least </i>$2k-3k in labor costs by doing it ourselves. It took myself, Nader, & my dad about a week to finish - but we did have to take a few days off due to weather. My younger brother also helped out a few days & of course, my mom helped watch Sami since EVERYTHING is more difficult & takes twice as long with a toddler!<br />
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Here's a little Before & After:<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--bBaAlDdh6g/WYPSqgSzA8I/AAAAAAAAJ5A/I4jsQXOuEPYnOjWEA7WXWXpLv5wVJyGwgCLcBGAs/s1600/BEFORE%2BAFTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1564" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--bBaAlDdh6g/WYPSqgSzA8I/AAAAAAAAJ5A/I4jsQXOuEPYnOjWEA7WXWXpLv5wVJyGwgCLcBGAs/s1600/BEFORE%2BAFTER.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once the deck was finished, it became very apparent that we needed more patio furniture. Since we were on a budget, we decided to<a href="https://duoventures.blogspot.com/2017/08/diy-outdoor-wood-sofas.html#.WZX9OFGGM2w" target="_blank"> build 3 outdoor sofas</a> & a dining table. More on that in a future post!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fVjI_AZMyQ/WYPSJNkr92I/AAAAAAAAJ48/hscLvo09Vg4WgwVIwrZe3DUmfP69GPYqgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170428_165855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9fVjI_AZMyQ/WYPSJNkr92I/AAAAAAAAJ48/hscLvo09Vg4WgwVIwrZe3DUmfP69GPYqgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170428_165855.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Thanks for reading & please let me know if you have any questions!</div>
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Mel</div>
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:)</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-2722761972652787602017-08-03T15:25:00.000-04:002017-08-04T10:27:03.101-04:00Sami's 'Big Boy' Room Plans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d9MReS55aus/WX9dOQIv1lI/AAAAAAAAJ3c/VX3gK7XWMnw_F2m-BZTUgXSmhr_qcq8tQCLcBGAs/s1600/big%2Bboy%2Broom%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d9MReS55aus/WX9dOQIv1lI/AAAAAAAAJ3c/VX3gK7XWMnw_F2m-BZTUgXSmhr_qcq8tQCLcBGAs/s1600/big%2Bboy%2Broom%2B2.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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Now that <a href="https://duoventures.blogspot.com/2017/07/baby-2-plans.html#.WX9TJ4jys2w" target="_blank">we are expecting baby #2</a>, it's time to get started on transitioning Sami from the nursery into his 'big boy' room. We considered leaving Sami in <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-nursery-final-reveal.html#.WX9emYjys2w" target="_blank">his nursery</a> & just converting his crib into a toddler bed, but in the end it made more sense to move Sami to what was originally our guest bedroom.<br />
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Over the last couple of years it has morphed into more of a playroom & storage room for toys & old baby stuff, but it still has our old guest mattress & box spring. This is what the room currently looks like:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AEg9I71OFhE/WX9llSNYGMI/AAAAAAAAJ3w/4Ve-C8zLy9EuOHy42Ji2KfrECRbiNRhYwCLcBGAs/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1077" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AEg9I71OFhE/WX9llSNYGMI/AAAAAAAAJ3w/4Ve-C8zLy9EuOHy42Ji2KfrECRbiNRhYwCLcBGAs/s1600/before.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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Since Sami already plays in this room when we are upstairs, it makes the most sense to simply convert it into his bedroom/playroom. Not to mention, it is the <i>only</i> room his teepee will fit in and there is already a bed he can use.<br />
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While most people transition their toddlers to a toddler, twin, or full size bed, we happen to have a queen bed. So rather than trying to sell it & find something smaller, we are just going to make it Sami's new bed & add some side rails for safety (cuz this kid is a mover when he sleeps!!!).<br />
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<b>ROOM PLANS & INSPIRATION</b></div>
I'm not sure exactly how this room will come together, but I have a pretty good idea of the look I'm going for. I was really inspired by the vibe of these two rooms:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.homebunch.com/farmhouse-interior-design-ideas-2/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos.hgtv.com/photo/beach_inspired-kids'-room-boasts-built_in-bunk-beds?soc=sharepin" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<br />We are not doing bunk beds obviously, but I love the color palettes of these rooms. I would also like to install a white faux shiplap/paneled wall using lauan playwood. As far as a bed goes, I really love the simplicity of this Pottery Barn Kids bed:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7YIdovoEI8g/WXJlF8_7UXI/AAAAAAAAJ2E/h6EolCfy0UwE1gXokwju_SV1_LrWBZAsgCLcBGAs/s1600/emery%2Bbed%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="596" height="564" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7YIdovoEI8g/WXJlF8_7UXI/AAAAAAAAJ2E/h6EolCfy0UwE1gXokwju_SV1_LrWBZAsgCLcBGAs/s1600/emery%2Bbed%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, we can't afford to spend $900 on his bed alone (not to mention, they only make it in a twin & full anyways). Instead of spending a small fortune, we are going to build the bed frame ourselves. I'm going to use the Pottery Barn Kids bed as inspiration & we'll just tweak it as needed. We're estimating it will cost us around $200 to build the bed.</div>
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We will also need to get Sami a dresser. More than likely, we will get another IKEA HEMNES dresser - but probably in the gray stained color instead of white this time around. They are just so affordable & we actually really love the functionality of the dresser itself. I might <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-nursery-custom-ikea-hemnes-dresser.html#.WX9f-ojys2x" target="_blank">change out the knobs like I did with Sami's nursery dresser</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msD7ANEaeSA/WXK1C0BYXdI/AAAAAAAAJ2s/-AdOdt5RCCgfeyg7qPg0ogXp0QAODRQYgCLcBGAs/s1600/dresser.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="453" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-msD7ANEaeSA/WXK1C0BYXdI/AAAAAAAAJ2s/-AdOdt5RCCgfeyg7qPg0ogXp0QAODRQYgCLcBGAs/s1600/dresser.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The only other pieces of furniture we'll need are some nightstands & toy storage - which will most likely be some sort of cube storage organizer with bins & baskets. Not super original, but they are inexpensive & practical.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MZnsIRpCIt8/WXK1C8yPBSI/AAAAAAAAJ2k/hnz0cxMJ2LgmMKgUhl2kunytiRSkloG4QCLcBGAs/s1600/cube%2Borganizer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="868" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MZnsIRpCIt8/WXK1C8yPBSI/AAAAAAAAJ2k/hnz0cxMJ2LgmMKgUhl2kunytiRSkloG4QCLcBGAs/s1600/cube%2Borganizer.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>
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Luckily, the closet is already updated with a closet organizer which we installed a few years ago (see more on that <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2014/12/guest-bedroom-closet-organizer-install.html#.WX9biYjys2w" target="_blank">here</a>). All I'll need to do is reorganize everything to accommodate Sami's clothes & toys.</div>
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Lastly, we will paint the room, change out the ceiling fan, & sew some black out window panels. Of course I'll also need to get him some bedding and maybe a play road rug since he is obsessed with playing with matchbox cars!</div>
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So those are the plans for Sami's new room. I will probably post another update once we get the bed finished. In the meantime, if you have any tips on transitioning a toddler to a regular bed, please let me know! Thanks for reading!</div>
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Mel</div>
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:)</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-30536605424376856112017-07-31T11:53:00.002-04:002017-08-03T15:26:23.040-04:00Baby #2 & Plans!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some of you noticed that I had been MIA from the blog & IG over the last couple of months. So first off - thank you for reaching out & checking on me! You guys are the sweetest! The reason I was not posting a lot was due to some intense morning sickness. Well actually, I would call it ALL day sickness. BUT the months of constant nausea & exhaustion were all worth it, because we are finally adding baby #2 to our family! Coming this New Year 2018!!!<br />
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We are feeling super excited & nervous of course, but ready to add another little one to the mix. We planned on getting pregnant much sooner than we actually did, but as you guys know, there's only <i>so </i>much you can do when it comes to conceiving. After months of negative pregnancy tests, we were so happy & grateful when we finally got that positive result!<br />
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Now that I'm feeling much better, I'm also getting motivated to get to work on some projects around the house. We've decided that regardless if the new baby is a boy or girl, we are going to keep the nursery the nursery, and move Sami into the guest room/playroom/storage room. My first goal is to get Sami's <a href="https://duoventures.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=pdFFq10BAAA.78FTxrdH_k6ZQ1lhgOAEHu-WoncAbwwHJqVJvVGiV_XFNoRzxSRuaum6PFbflToCNp-2DRcD-rAutf6ecawpKw.jlXZQ3xVhau65McIGWafBw&postId=272276197265278760&type=POST#.WYN4aojyvb0" target="_blank">"big boy" room</a> ready & get him moved in (and also get him used to sleeping in a regular bed!). Then if we need to, I'll make some minor tweaks to the nursery.<br />
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I've also decided that I'd like to give our master bedroom a little face lift. Again, nothing too crazy - but there are some changes I'd like to make before the baby arrives since I know it will be <i>that </i>much more difficult to get anything done once there are two of them. My main concern is getting a new bed. More specifically - a tufted upholstered headboard. I'm just not crazy about our bedroom furniture in general, but I'd really prefer something more comfortable to lean back against (especially while nursing in bed). I've been trying to sell our set or even the bed separately, so hopefully we get a buyer soon. Other than replacing the furniture, I'd like to repaint the room & replace our ugly non-working ceiling fan with one that is a little nicer to look at & actually functions.<br />
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Thanks again for your sweet words in regards to our newest addition! Looking forward to getting back to blogging a bit!<br />
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Mel<br />
:)Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-89588516403663503612017-01-24T12:09:00.000-05:002017-01-26T09:45:58.629-05:00Organizing: The Pantry 2.0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jr7gt-lj-gc/WIdu9gSJxbI/AAAAAAAAJzo/WetSckwIzr0Za6NXDm9qEIUzHwb5YDXNwCLcB/s1600/pantry%2B9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jr7gt-lj-gc/WIdu9gSJxbI/AAAAAAAAJzo/WetSckwIzr0Za6NXDm9qEIUzHwb5YDXNwCLcB/s1600/pantry%2B9.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
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I started out this year by getting our <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2017/01/organizing-paperwork-filing-systems.html#.WIPEjPkrI2w" target="_blank">paperwork</a> & our <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2017/01/organizing-important-dates-login-info.html#.WIPEffkrI2w" target="_blank">important info</a> organized. There are so many areas of our house that need to be revisited, but the next area I decided to focus on was our pantry since we use that space on a daily basis.<br />
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I don't know about you guys, but after the holidays our pantry always seems to be full of leftover junk that I initially bought to make or eat while we had company over (think chips, crackers, sweets, and ingredients for unhealthy appetizers & snacks).<br />
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Originally, I first <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2012/12/organizing-pantry.html#.WIPHgfkrI2w" target="_blank">organized our pantry in 2012</a>, and I have to say that the basket system has worked great for the most part. However, the available space in our pantry continued to shrink since adding another mouth to feed & also since we began shopping at Costco. Giant containers of animal crackers & granola bars will do that I suppose.<br />
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Since I already had the storage components in place (baskets & door shelves), I just needed to purge & resort everything. While I consider myself someone who is fairly good at keeping clutter & excess to a minimum, I realized that maybe I'm not <i>quite </i>as meticulous as I thought when it comes to evaluating & purging items.<br />
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For example, I had an <i>excessive </i>amount of sweeteners (Splenda, Equal, Sweet'N Low, Truvia, Pure Via, Sugar In The Raw, and tons of sugar packets from restaurants & hotels - you name it), but the reality is that we don't even use them! They are really just on hand in the event that we have a guest who has a sweetener preference for their tea or coffee. <span style="text-align: center;">In the end, I decided to get rid of most of it & keep just enough to fill this little sugar packet holder I already had on hand.</span><br />
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Another example of something I've irrationally kept over the years was a jar of instant coffee. I originally got it for a dessert recipe <i>years </i>ago & only used a few tablespoons. Why I still held onto it, I have no idea. Well actually, I believe my rational probably went something like, "This is a very particular baking ingredient that I only need for certain desserts...I can't throw it away, because I might need it again & I don't want to have to buy another jar of instant coffee". First of all, it was obvious I never "needed it again" seeing as the jar was still full. Secondly, it was waaay past its expiration date anyway.<br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fb5NCrB-Kgg/WIdbI-4A3eI/AAAAAAAAJyQ/w6K9X-X7pCU1osZ_NYnbfJon23P8c_qQQCLcB/s1600/purging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fb5NCrB-Kgg/WIdbI-4A3eI/AAAAAAAAJyQ/w6K9X-X7pCU1osZ_NYnbfJon23P8c_qQQCLcB/s1600/purging.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
My point of this is to show that even when you have the best of intentions to purge as much as possible, you can still hold on to unnecessary & expendable items without really realizing it. If it's expired or you haven't used it in over a year, you should probably just get rid of it...don't be like me ;)<br />
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I ended up consolidating our 'tea' & 'coffee' baskets into one 'drinks' basket and then added a second 'snacks' basket since I still had a bunch of extra unopened crackers & such from the holidays.<br />
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I also decided to change the way I stored all of our baking ingredients. For years I had been using glass jars for flour, sugar, brown sugar, & powdered sugar - but they were not the best when it came to space efficiency or keeping ingredients fresh (during the holidays I kept the jars out on the countertop since we baked frequently - but I normally stored the jars in the pantry).</div>
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I splurged & went with some stackable airtight Oxo Pop Containers. Although I personally consider them to be a bit pricey, I think they are worth it. I looked around for the best price and was initially going to get them all from Bed, Bath, & Beyond (using a $5.00 off coupon on each), BUT I actually found the sizes I needed at Marshall's for even less!</div>
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I still feel like our 'baking' zone takes up quite a lot of space for someone who doesn't bake <i>that </i>often, but for now I'm going with it.<br />
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One thing I did need to make room for, was a section of shelf that we could use to store any extra bulk items that wouldn't fit in the baskets or on the door shelves - in this case: animal crackers, pretzels, pasta, granola bars, coconut oil, & vinegar.<br />
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On the top shelf, I have a couple of baskets filled with our 'to-go snacks' - this includes things like granola bars, fruit snacks, apple sauce cups, & fruit pouches. I love the handles - they make it much easier for me to pull them down.</div>
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If you're not already using a storage shelving rack on the inside of your pantry door, I urge you to get one! It is <i>such </i>a great use of an otherwise unusable space & allows you to store SO much more. My only suggestion would be to get an adjustable rack if possible. We have a fixed unit, which can make it difficult to fit certain items where I'd like them to go.</div>
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We use clothespins to close any open bags & I keep the extra ones clipped on the door shelves.</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Another under-utilized area in the pantry is the floor space under the very bottom shelf. You could use it to store bulk items OR you could add some wire under shelf baskets to store potatoes, squash, onions, & garlic like I did. To attach them, I used a zip tie to connect the back of the basket to the shelf above (you can see exactly how I did it </span><a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2012/12/organizing-pantry.html#.WIdr_vkrI2w" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="text-align: start;">). Even after adding the baskets I still have some floor space available (which I don't need currently, but is always good to have).</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XPBkUdunxK0/WIdpFKywM1I/AAAAAAAAJzE/RRfvQLFEv9kGINuUwNPHW91wL9WJvtVagCLcB/s1600/pantry%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XPBkUdunxK0/WIdpFKywM1I/AAAAAAAAJzE/RRfvQLFEv9kGINuUwNPHW91wL9WJvtVagCLcB/s1600/pantry%2B3.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">To make the labels I used some paper, chalkboard labels, & adhesive velcro (I got the chalkboard labels at Staples, but I don't think they make these specific ones anymore).</span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7dgREFH6JTM/WIdpDokeqxI/AAAAAAAAJy8/J0GBNq1Eje8m9v41RjQyouI3z_Wo_9kWACLcB/s1600/labels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7dgREFH6JTM/WIdpDokeqxI/AAAAAAAAJy8/J0GBNq1Eje8m9v41RjQyouI3z_Wo_9kWACLcB/s1600/labels.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">The before & after isn't all that dramatic, but I can tell you that in person...it is SO much better.</span><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D1dSnIgKa8A/WIdw3iPLDtI/AAAAAAAAJz0/BGdW8Lm0ohglliyLFOTe4pnIemwwWm6wgCLcB/s1600/before%2Bafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D1dSnIgKa8A/WIdw3iPLDtI/AAAAAAAAJz0/BGdW8Lm0ohglliyLFOTe4pnIemwwWm6wgCLcB/s1600/before%2Bafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a side by side of the before & after from 2012 (when I first organized the pantry) and what it currently looks like. We definitely have a lot more food now, ha!<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jX3oLC80awQ/WIdx3UHwHII/AAAAAAAAJ0A/N4NWsNXLUYQ2JZf3Pm5fOeCbCHk-rryiQCLcB/s1600/before%2Bafter%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jX3oLC80awQ/WIdx3UHwHII/AAAAAAAAJ0A/N4NWsNXLUYQ2JZf3Pm5fOeCbCHk-rryiQCLcB/s1600/before%2Bafter%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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So that's it for pantry organization 2.0!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FRRfYW6l9ZY/WIdpD8AOdpI/AAAAAAAAJzU/VquQyAk6iFgA_ARJblrH6-mVtodCPPb5QCEw/s1600/pantry%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FRRfYW6l9ZY/WIdpD8AOdpI/AAAAAAAAJzU/VquQyAk6iFgA_ARJblrH6-mVtodCPPb5QCEw/s1600/pantry%2B1.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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I read somewhere that buying extra bins or baskets to store and organize all of our "stuff" is counterproductive since we are simply bringing even more items into our homes, and is almost just as bad as having all those things in the first place. I can completely see the logic there, however, I <i>do </i>feel that some storage components <i>can </i>be<i> </i>very helpful in certain instances. While all of these ideas may not work for every home, family, or budget, I hope that you found something helpful in this post!</div>
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The next area I'd like to tackle is my closet - it's going to be a massive job. I'm simultaneously excited & dreading it. Wish me luck ;)</div>
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Thanks again for reading!</div>
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xoxo,</div>
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Mel<br />
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<b>SOURCES</b>:<br />
ClosetMaid 4-Tier Storage Rack - <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/p/ClosetMaid-19-in-wide-4-Tier-Storage-Rack-8033/100160362" target="_blank">Home Depot</a><br />
baskets - At Home Stores<br />
clear plastic baskets with handles - Big Lots<br />
Oxo Pop Canisters - Marshalls</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-31910746419919545502017-01-18T14:40:00.003-05:002017-01-24T12:11:42.924-05:00Organizing: Important Dates, Login Info, & Contact Info<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-imXv9nW6eTY/WH6KtJjgZ1I/AAAAAAAAJv4/eNhUtLqYqqI_rrHUDd8MfH2Sy78Q3S-3ACLcB/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-imXv9nW6eTY/WH6KtJjgZ1I/AAAAAAAAJv4/eNhUtLqYqqI_rrHUDd8MfH2Sy78Q3S-3ACLcB/s1600/2.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
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Last week I posted all about how I got our <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2017/01/organizing-paperwork-filing-systems.html#.WH-9_PkrI2w" target="_blank">paperwork & filing systems in order</a>. This week, I decided to stay within the theme of 'office organization' and get some important information updated & in order.<br />
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I am notoriously terrible at remembering all those special dates, passwords, & addresses. It's gotten a little easier over the years with the introduction of the smart phone, which allows you to store just about anything & everything right in your phone.<br />
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That being said, I'm still old-fashioned in the sense that I also like to have a physical paper copy of this type of information on hand. Not to mention, if you were to lose your phone, there's always the possibility that you might lose all of your information as well.<br />
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The hardest part of getting this type of information organized is simply obtaining all the updated info. Once you have all the correct info together, it's just a matter of compiling all of it into an organized list. To make it more simple, I've created some free printables to help you organize all that important information (just click the links to access the files).<br />
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<b>IMPORTANT DATES</b></div>
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For me, all I really need are birthdays & anniversaries, but feel free to add any other special dates that you'd like. Simply write the date in the smaller box on the left hand side & the occasion in the right box for each month.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">>>><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3-bzKzynP12ZWdEWmtYaHZWams" target="_blank">IMPORTANT DATES PRINTABLE</a><<<</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KeFktkdvLsQ/WH6I1asaM_I/AAAAAAAAJvo/__1vjqixI8glsl66xDxztA82ASbTrDw8wCLcB/s1600/Important%2BDates%2BPrintable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KeFktkdvLsQ/WH6I1asaM_I/AAAAAAAAJvo/__1vjqixI8glsl66xDxztA82ASbTrDw8wCLcB/s1600/Important%2BDates%2BPrintable.jpg" width="366" /></a></div>
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<b>LOG-IN INFORMATION</b><br />
I like to keep all of our login info on one cheat sheet.<br />
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<b style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">>>><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3-bzKzynP12TERKb2R0VnN2VDg" target="_blank">LOGIN INFORMATION PRINTABLE</a><<<</span></b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-98plvUhloAQ/WH6I1YS_VDI/AAAAAAAAJvk/uaNv2p1b2J8CcDEPTBOfzenzpIfS2H4BgCLcB/s1600/Login%2BInformation%2BPrintable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-98plvUhloAQ/WH6I1YS_VDI/AAAAAAAAJvk/uaNv2p1b2J8CcDEPTBOfzenzpIfS2H4BgCLcB/s1600/Login%2BInformation%2BPrintable.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>CONTACT INFORMATION</b></div>
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Every year I try to update the contact info for all of our family & friends who might have moved or changed their email or phone number.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"></span><b style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">>>><a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3-bzKzynP12WlBraWhxOXVuRjg" target="_blank">CONTACT INFORMATION PRINTABLE</a><<<</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aKKVgasMDy8/WH6IcGYf9AI/AAAAAAAAJvg/bWJFz1pfJJUikwO6poA8K_sQBccD76ZFwCLcB/s1600/Contact%2BInformation%2BPrintable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aKKVgasMDy8/WH6IcGYf9AI/AAAAAAAAJvg/bWJFz1pfJJUikwO6poA8K_sQBccD76ZFwCLcB/s1600/Contact%2BInformation%2BPrintable.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I like to pop the sheets in page protectors & store them in a narrow 1/2" binder:<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c_b_3pJvfh4/WH-Qxom-ARI/AAAAAAAAJwU/uc0I98ekU0sr3QxkyT9jM5Czbl75SY2YQCLcB/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c_b_3pJvfh4/WH-Qxom-ARI/AAAAAAAAJwU/uc0I98ekU0sr3QxkyT9jM5Czbl75SY2YQCLcB/s1600/3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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If you like to use calendars and/or planners, now is also a good time to fill in those birthdays & special dates.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-61uPArhqMfY/WH_CilbURLI/AAAAAAAAJxI/FXXqnPyL-2An3Ov2vIBp_5c2ybaRW4WMQCLcB/s1600/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-61uPArhqMfY/WH_CilbURLI/AAAAAAAAJxI/FXXqnPyL-2An3Ov2vIBp_5c2ybaRW4WMQCLcB/s1600/4.png" width="470" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-08jZeUxVS8Y/WH-RCNoRGkI/AAAAAAAAJwY/hhHCZQdyVaU_awVFfHz8J0PP6GcmKP4LwCLcB/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-08jZeUxVS8Y/WH-RCNoRGkI/AAAAAAAAJwY/hhHCZQdyVaU_awVFfHz8J0PP6GcmKP4LwCLcB/s1600/1.jpg" width="482" /></a></div>
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So that's it for this organizing post - I hope that the printables help you get all of your important info organized!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
Mel</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-55442182983745208062017-01-10T14:35:00.000-05:002017-01-24T12:11:53.059-05:00Organizing: Paperwork & Filing Systems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YE1G_1JFR2Y/WHPta6DmgMI/AAAAAAAAJtw/WbeTPIaIC1oIX7UYT-oSSwWhwoM1liHTgCLcB/s1600/paperwork%2B%2526%2Bfiling%2Bsystems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YE1G_1JFR2Y/WHPta6DmgMI/AAAAAAAAJtw/WbeTPIaIC1oIX7UYT-oSSwWhwoM1liHTgCLcB/s1600/paperwork%2B%2526%2Bfiling%2Bsystems.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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One of my goals for 2017 is to document more of my organizational projects on the blog. Over the last couple of years (basically since I had Sami), I have been posting some of the 'after' shots on my Instagram, but I just never got around to taking photos & blogging about the process. So, the first area of our home I decided to tackle for 2017 was our office.<br />
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More specifically - our paperwork & filing drawers. Since this is my absolute <i>least </i>favorite area to deal with, I figured it would be best if I got it done & out of the way first.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5j8HfnydY98/WG1-O2fu88I/AAAAAAAAJqs/aKka2Ii8wIMrOfRkocGhh8sgP44QzfO_wCEw/s1600/IMG_0373%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5j8HfnydY98/WG1-O2fu88I/AAAAAAAAJqs/aKka2Ii8wIMrOfRkocGhh8sgP44QzfO_wCEw/s1600/IMG_0373%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Understandably, everyone has different amounts of available storage space within their home. Not everyone will have the exact footprint as our office, but hopefully you can implement some of these organizational ideas into your own space.</div>
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We happen to have a desk with three dedicated file drawers. Fortunately, this allows for ample file storage, but it also means we can accumulate a lot of paperwork over time. Here's about two years of build up that I needed to purge & sort through:<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DE91aDRRD0w/WHFpy72pcPI/AAAAAAAAJs4/99RRAK4LeW8yZWepSVJ60pDmMuEumoM5wCLcB/s1600/BEFORE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DE91aDRRD0w/WHFpy72pcPI/AAAAAAAAJs4/99RRAK4LeW8yZWepSVJ60pDmMuEumoM5wCLcB/s1600/BEFORE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>THE GAMEPLAN</b></div>
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I had two main objectives with this project: sort all of our existing paperwork and modify/update our current filing system. To start, I like to clear a large space on the floor or countertop that I can use to sort everything. I typically refer to a <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/121667627408570008/" target="_blank"><b>cheat sheet</b></a> when deciding on what & how long we should save certain documents.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o-7PTDOcSTg/WHFcE5fnzWI/AAAAAAAAJrs/reUAs-_tNBcpsZhZEZXkaTQ_iZOGBYr-wCLcB/s1600/IMG_0933%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o-7PTDOcSTg/WHFcE5fnzWI/AAAAAAAAJrs/reUAs-_tNBcpsZhZEZXkaTQ_iZOGBYr-wCLcB/s1600/IMG_0933%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When possible, I always try to sort the paperwork & determine what needs to be recycled, shredded, or archived as I pull each file out one by one. Not surprisingly, this can become extremely time-consuming & overwhelming. Since I had not gone through our file drawers in so long, there was A LOT to go through and I ultimately felt like it was taking me foreeeeever just to finish sorting.<br />
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So fairly early on, I decided to pull out all old paperwork that didn't belong in our file drawers & create a giant pile that I could go through in more detail at a later time. For me, this meant going through the pile over the course of a few evenings while we watched our shows...slowly but surely :)<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nU3x25Z1bE/WHFgFZcPLwI/AAAAAAAAJsE/1FF5i4skteYH3UxGGsrUwpp7tGBuy7wPwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0886%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nU3x25Z1bE/WHFgFZcPLwI/AAAAAAAAJsE/1FF5i4skteYH3UxGGsrUwpp7tGBuy7wPwCLcB/s1600/IMG_0886%2B1.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Once I eventually finished sorting & shredding, I filed away any of the remaining important paperwork in our IKEA KASSETT boxes:</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jHpYZf_UtSs/WHO4vTiw67I/AAAAAAAAJtY/851fW9UONzE4-JiIT46up1TuFOAOTmuoACEw/s1600/IMG_0410%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jHpYZf_UtSs/WHO4vTiw67I/AAAAAAAAJtY/851fW9UONzE4-JiIT46up1TuFOAOTmuoACEw/s1600/IMG_0410%2B1.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
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Some folks prefer to scan their old documents instead of holding onto the physical copies. This is a great idea, but is just too much extra work for me personally. Also, don't forget that you can also go paperless on your statements to help reduce the amount of paperwork that you'll need to deal with at the end of the year as well.</div>
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Meanwhile, I began updating our filing system for 2017. Here's the final product:</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7lABF4ldvPg/WHFmZtbPMQI/AAAAAAAAJs0/cShWaYGh0kUcUnjppmARGlvG5dLdzaeWgCEw/s1600/IMG_0901%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7lABF4ldvPg/WHFmZtbPMQI/AAAAAAAAJs0/cShWaYGh0kUcUnjppmARGlvG5dLdzaeWgCEw/s1600/IMG_0901%2B1.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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Here's how I did it.....<br />
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<b>CREATING FILING CATEGORIES</b></div>
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There is no right or wrong way to file paperwork, it really just comes down to your personal preference and what works for you & your family. There are however, some general categories that work for most people & can be tweaked as needed. I recommend writing down a list of all the different types of documents you need to file & then figure out how to group them to your liking. I ended up with 6 main umbrella categories:<br />
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<li><b>HOUSEHOLD</b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">VITAL DOCUMENTS</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">BANKING & FINANCE</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">MEDICAL & HEALTH</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #e06666;">AUTOMOTIVE</span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="color: #666666;">MISCELLANEOUS</span></b></li>
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I designated an entire bottom drawer as our "Household/Home" drawer, which includes the following:<br />
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<b>HOUSEHOLD</b></div>
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<ol>
<li>Mortgage statements</li>
<li>Home insurance</li>
<li>HOA</li>
<li>Utilities (gas, electric, garbage, water, internet/cable, alarm system, phone (we do not have a landline, so I include our cell phone instead)</li>
<li>Closing documents (and other documents like tax assessor, inspection)</li>
<li>Maintenance (pest control, HVAC)</li>
<li>Home improvements</li>
<li>Manuals & warranties (permanent fixtures, small & large appliances, tools, electronics, baby gear, & furniture)</li>
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Our desk drawers give us the option of hanging legal or letter sized file folders, so because our mortgage closing documents are legal sized, I decided to use legal sized folders for <i>all </i>of our paperwork in this particular drawer (the desk is the <a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/3971871/?catalogId=43&sku=3971871&bnrid=3380801&cm_ven=Google_PLA&cm_cat=Shopping&cm_pla=Feed&cm_ite=Google%20Base-3971871&kwid=productads-adid^154040358214-device^c-plaid^61848387786-sku^3971871-adType^PLA&gclid=Cj0KEQiAnb3DBRCX2ZnSnMyO9dIBEiQAOcXYH1tO1hzyf8Ua5IyVTVdDA4ulNa43vvtiy5VEkQAsIq8aArx88P8HAQ" target="_blank">Bedford Desk from Pottery Barn</a>). <br />
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I also keep our "Home Decor & Design Binder" in this drawer. The purpose of the binder is to keep all of our paint, furniture, & home improvement project info all together in one spot:<br />
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The remaining 5 categories all fit in the top drawer & are divided by color:</div>
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Color coding is not essential of course, but I definitely think it helps make it a bit easier to find paperwork. Of course, the simplest way to color code is by using some basic multi-colored hanging files:</div>
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Or, if you would prefer a more neutral color scheme, you can use plain hanging files folders & white folders:</div>
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I ended up using the grey & while folders, and then chose to create my own multi colored tabs using washi tape. To make the washi tape labels, I stuck some colored washi tape right on the white paper labels & then placed a clear label on top of the tape. To save on label tape, you can type & print all your labels out at once and then them yourself:<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eDaxLcQaY5Y/WHTi80gtaDI/AAAAAAAAJuQ/sK8n-03-_6gKzT4o5I8YpZTgeDP2sJBqQCLcB/s1600/washi%2Blabels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eDaxLcQaY5Y/WHTi80gtaDI/AAAAAAAAJuQ/sK8n-03-_6gKzT4o5I8YpZTgeDP2sJBqQCLcB/s1600/washi%2Blabels.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also created a legend so we know exactly what type of files each colored section is composed of. It's pretty self explanatory, but a little extra organization never hurts:</div>
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<b><span style="color: #f1c232;">VITAL DOCUMENTS (YELLOW)</span></b></div>
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<ol>
<li>Birth Certificate</li>
<li>Social Security Card</li>
<li>Marriage Certificate</li>
<li>Passports</li>
<li>Citizenship</li>
<li>Drivers License</li>
<li>Voter Registration</li>
<li>Academic Transcripts & Diplomas</li>
<li>Military Records</li>
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BANKING & FINANCE (GREEN)</span></b></div>
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<ol>
<li>Checking & Savings Accounts</li>
<li>Credit Card Accounts</li>
<li>Stocks, IRA's, Mutual Funds</li>
<li>Life Insurance</li>
<li>401K, Pension Plan</li>
<li>Loans</li>
<li>Taxes</li>
</ol>
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<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">MEDICAL & HEALTH (BLUE)</span></b></div>
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<ol>
<li>PCP</li>
<li>Dental</li>
<li>Vision</li>
<li>OBGYN</li>
<li>Specialists (Dermatologist, Endocrinologist, etc)</li>
<li>Pediatrician</li>
<li>Health Insurance</li>
</ol>
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<b><span style="color: #e06666;">AUTOMOTIVE (CORAL)</span></b></div>
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<ol>
<li>Auto Loan</li>
<li>Insurance</li>
<li>Registration</li>
<li>Maintenance</li>
<li>Bill of Sale</li>
</ol>
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<b><span style="color: #666666;">MISCELLANEOUS (GREY)</span></b></div>
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<ol>
<li>Employment</li>
<li>Memberships</li>
<li>Retail Rewards</li>
<li>Travel Rewards</li>
<li>Pet/Vet Records</li>
</ol>
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Within certain hanging files (birth certificate, SS#, Passports), I will include a folder for each family member as well:</div>
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You might notice that there are certain files that could could be included within more than one category. For example, an Auto Loan could obviously fit in "Automotive" or "Banking & Finance". Personally, I prefer to keep it in our "Automotive" section, but to each their own - do what makes sense to you.</div>
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I'd also like to point out that not every file needs its own hanging file folder. For example, I broke our "Automotive" files into five different hanging files, but you could alternately have a single automotive hanging file with 5 individual folders. We just happen to have the space within the drawers, so rather than have it feel clustered, I decided to separate everything.</div>
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So that's it! I am super happy to be able to cross this area off of my list of things to organize. The only item I'd still like to get is a fireproof document safe for our most important documents. Hope this post helps you guys get organized for 2017!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
Mel</div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-16544011900988388932016-12-12T09:57:00.000-05:002016-12-12T22:17:57.253-05:00Holiday Product Spotlight & GIVEAWAY with JORD Wood Watches!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="text-align: left;">Thank you to JORD Wood Watches for sponsoring this post!</b><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YOHba4tF3Fg/WE6wxrws1NI/AAAAAAAAJm8/BCQVSE64ZVceggMt4msjQN9IhvciKa-GgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0718%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YOHba4tF3Fg/WE6wxrws1NI/AAAAAAAAJm8/BCQVSE64ZVceggMt4msjQN9IhvciKa-GgCLcB/s1600/IMG_0718%2B2.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>
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I don't know about you guys, but picking out gifts can be challenging & stressfull at times....even when it comes to my own husband. Nearly every year, I struggle to find the perfect gift for Nader. For quite some time now I knew that he had been wanting a new watch, so it was quite literally perfect timing when JORD Wood Watches offered to send me one of their designer timepieces to gift to my wonderful husband for Christmas this year!</div>
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I first heard of <a href="http://www.woodwatches.com/#melissasabra" target="_blank">JORD Wood Watches</a> over this past summer through Instagram, where I saw several of their <a href="https://www.woodwatches.com/shop/women/#melissasabra" target="_blank">women's watch options</a>, but I had not seen their <a href="https://www.woodwatches.com/shop/men/#melissasabra" target="_blank">men's watches</a> until now. All of the JORD Wood Watches are handcrafted from 100% natural wood, and they offer 13 different species of wood & 12 different watch series to choose from. I love how they incorporate both rustic and modern design elements into their watches - there is really something for everyone.<br />
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Nader ended up choosing the <a href="https://www.woodwatches.com/series/fieldcrest/dark-sandalwood/#melissasabra" target="_blank">Fieldcrest Dark Sandalwood</a> which has a deep rich wood finish, coupled with a sleek black watch face. Let me just say...it really is beautiful!<br />
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Each watch comes in it's own wooden storage box, and inside you'll also find a polishing cloth & some natural finishing oil to help care for your watch.<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-An7qoISQcrQ/WE6x7pSoPLI/AAAAAAAAJnU/CZ7zYzmqpaotlHrKOzw3D8_YN6pQR8sdwCLcB/s1600/JORD%2Bpackaging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-An7qoISQcrQ/WE6x7pSoPLI/AAAAAAAAJnU/CZ7zYzmqpaotlHrKOzw3D8_YN6pQR8sdwCLcB/s1600/JORD%2Bpackaging.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I was a little nervous to see Nader's reaction when he opened the package, but he loved it!<br />
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He not only appreciated the uniqueness of the wood watch itself, but he genuinely liked the overall style & fit of the watch as well. Most surprising, was how smooth & lightweight the watch felt.<br />
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You can make this gift <i>even more</i> special if you'd like, because <a href="http://www.woodwatches.com/#melissasabra" target="_blank">JORD</a> now has an option to add a custom personalized engraving on select watches or watch boxes. The coolest part is that you can even have a handwritten note or logo engraved onto your watch box! JORD can also have your watch pre-fitted for you, saving you a trip to the jeweler.<br />
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The BEST news however, is that JORD is allowing me to extend a savings to all of you in the form of a <a href="https://www.woodwatches.com/g/melissasabra" target="_blank">$25.00 e-gift code</a>! That means that you can instantly get $25 off a JORD watch of your choice. Simply visit the link below, provide your name & e-mail, and you will be e-mailed a discount code just in time for the holidays!<br />
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<b>>>> <a href="https://www.woodwatches.com/g/melissasabra" target="_blank">INSTANT GIVEAWAY!</a> <<<</b></div>
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Please note that this giveaway will close on December 25th at 11:59pm. If you are considering a JORD watch for a Christmas gift, make sure you order your watch sooner than later, as to allow time for shipping.<br />
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As a reminder, once you receive your e-gift card, you will have until February 28th, 2017 before the e-gift code will expire. This means you don't <i>have</i> to use your $25.00 credit towards a holiday gift - a <a href="http://www.woodwatches.com/#melissasabra" target="_blank">JORD Wood Watch</a> would also be perfect for a birthday or anniversary present too!</div>
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I hope this one-of-a-kind gift idea was helpful & I encourage you to check out <a href="http://www.woodwatches.com/#melissasabra" target="_blank">JORD Wood Watches</a> if you're looking for a unique & beautifully crafted gift for your loved one too! As always, please let me know if you have any questions and don't forget to <a href="https://www.woodwatches.com/g/melissasabra" target="_blank">grab your e-gift card</a> & save yourself some moolah!<br />
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xoxo<br />
Mel<br />
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<b>GIVEAWAY DETAILS:</b><br />
-<a href="https://www.woodwatches.com/g/melissasabra" target="_blank">$25 e-gift card link</a><br />
-Giveway closes on December 25th at 11:59pm<br />
-$25 e-gift card expires on February 28th, 2017<br />
-gift card valid on all watches in both the <a href="https://www.woodwatches.com/shop/men/#melissasabra" target="_blank">men's shop</a> & <a href="https://www.woodwatches.com/shop/women/#melissasabra" target="_blank">women's shop</a><br />
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Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-86596731922472662642016-11-17T14:45:00.001-05:002016-11-17T14:54:38.552-05:00Spiced Sweet Potato + Apple + Cranberry Mash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the summer, we had the pleasure of teaming up with Oxo Tot to try out their new line of <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/07/oxo-tot-transitions-sippy-cup-review.html#.WC0OQvkrI2x" target="_blank">Transitions Sippy Cups</a>. So when they asked us to create a seasonal fall recipe using their <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/jyvxDJ" target="_blank">Food Masher</a>, <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/5CpwUI" target="_blank">Glass Baby Blocks</a>, & <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/2jPlhg" target="_blank">Feeding Spoon Set</a>, we were happy to collaborate again with the innovative brand on their "Do The Little Monster Mash with Oxo Tot" campaign!<br />
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After brainstorming ideas for a seasonal fall recipe, I eventually settled on a mash of sweet potato, apple, & cranberry. While this autumnal puree is great on it's own, it can also be combined with some basic old fashioned oats, pumpkin pie spice, dried cranberries, & a touch of maple syrup to create a delicious & nutritious spiced breakfast oatmeal as well! It couldn't be more simple - here's how to make it....<br />
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<b>Spiced Sweet Potato + Apple + Cranberry Mash Ingredients:</b><br />
-1 sweet potato<br />
-2 apples (I used Gala)<br />
-1 cup cranberries<br />
-sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon (optional)<br />
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After thoroughly rinsing the sweet potato, apples, & cranberries, peel & chop the sweet potato & apples into small cubes (I cut the sweet potato into extra small prices so it would cook through more quickly).<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EQX4oMcX-5k/WCzmc1DKHYI/AAAAAAAAJd0/Z1zFOiNkoIormDS_UMJQiuOTw1iugrFBQCLcB/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EQX4oMcX-5k/WCzmc1DKHYI/AAAAAAAAJd0/Z1zFOiNkoIormDS_UMJQiuOTw1iugrFBQCLcB/s1600/2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Boil or steam the chopped sweet potato, apples, & cranberries until fork tender (about 10 minutes).<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-owR-HAZPxX0/WCzmdDZXqAI/AAAAAAAAJd8/RADOYs3CTnQbGg_iWZgGwTUujza7TlqvQCLcB/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-owR-HAZPxX0/WCzmdDZXqAI/AAAAAAAAJd8/RADOYs3CTnQbGg_iWZgGwTUujza7TlqvQCLcB/s1600/3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Next, I strained the water & then mashed everything together using the <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/jyvxDJ" target="_blank">Food Masher</a>. The ridges on the masher & inside the bowl allow you to thoroughly & efficiently mash anything from fruits to veggies, to beans & more. I also love that it's smartly designed to be compact & portable. The masher comes apart & conveniently fits inside the bowl so you can take it with you to-go as well. Smart, right?!<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3iqUi1Yjpg8/WC3huFUufFI/AAAAAAAAJe4/UtcJ2M_hzkYAY86hW79CEB0xKPyaoK1awCLcB/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3iqUi1Yjpg8/WC3huFUufFI/AAAAAAAAJe4/UtcJ2M_hzkYAY86hW79CEB0xKPyaoK1awCLcB/s1600/8.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Since this recipe makes about 16 oz total, I mashed it in smaller batches before transferring to a larger mixing bowl.<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sp58TFz9aqs/WCzmdojHF9I/AAAAAAAAJeA/oB28xPV0GZkdAkb1BOYwUHj1HUVlQaN0gCLcB/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sp58TFz9aqs/WCzmdojHF9I/AAAAAAAAJeA/oB28xPV0GZkdAkb1BOYwUHj1HUVlQaN0gCLcB/s1600/4.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Depending on your child, you could serve it as is or you could sprinkle in some pumpkin pie spice (or any combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or ginger). For older kids, you could also add 1-2 tsp. of maple syrup. It couldn't be easier - it's ready to serve & enjoy!<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NDZ4Fg4rfug/WC3gTt8Kv0I/AAAAAAAAJes/puHVsGbd_4Yi-tRR-xttSZv6CyDryzm-QCLcB/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NDZ4Fg4rfug/WC3gTt8Kv0I/AAAAAAAAJes/puHVsGbd_4Yi-tRR-xttSZv6CyDryzm-QCLcB/s1600/7.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Afterwards, you can portion out any remaining mash in your <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/5CpwUI" target="_blank">Glass Baby Blocks</a> & freeze (my mash ended up filling the four 4 oz blocks almost perfectly). The Glass Baby Blocks also come with a stackable tray, making it super easy to utilize the vertical storage space in your freezer.<br />
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Since the blocks are made from thermal shock resistant borosilicate glass, they can go straight from the freezer to the oven or microwave, with no need to thaw first. That means you can portion, store, heat, & serve all in one convenient container! When you're ready to re-heat, simply place a baby block in the oven or microwave to warm. The SNAP lids are also leak-proof, allowing you to take them on the go without worrying about spillage or leaks.<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WvfPeMdAX88/WCzmdwN292I/AAAAAAAAJeE/DneOnkppf40Upwr7gEYfg33pMMuJSyDJwCLcB/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WvfPeMdAX88/WCzmdwN292I/AAAAAAAAJeE/DneOnkppf40Upwr7gEYfg33pMMuJSyDJwCLcB/s1600/6.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Don't forget, you can also use this mash to make a fall-inspired Spiced Oatmeal as well!</div>
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<b>Spiced Sweet Potato + Apple + Cranberry Oatmeal:</b></div>
-2 oz. Sweet Potato + Apple + Cranberry Mash<br />
-1/3 cup old fashioned oats<br />
-1/2 cup milk or water (I used coconut milk since Sami has a dairy allergy)<br />
-spices to taste (I used a dash of pumpkin pie spice)<br />
-a sprinkle of dried cranberries (optional)<br />
-1 to 2 tsp. pure maple syrup (optional)<br />
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Simply combine the Sweet Potato + Apple + Cranberry Mash, oats, milk, spices, & dried cranberries in a small sauce pot & simmer until cooked through (about 5 minutes).<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-noh481VeT3s/WC3gS_iqCNI/AAAAAAAAJec/A07XJqI4wb0pZgDeE31WdBCy6UMrVFpOgCLcB/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-noh481VeT3s/WC3gS_iqCNI/AAAAAAAAJec/A07XJqI4wb0pZgDeE31WdBCy6UMrVFpOgCLcB/s1600/10.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The oatmeal will be very hot, so allow it to cool before serving. While it cools down, I also add a little pure maple syrup to sweeten it a touch. If I was serving this to Sami when he was younger, I wouldn't have needed to add any extra sweetener. However, as a toddler he is much more picky - no surprise there, right?!<br />
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Here is my little test tester giving it a try with his new <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/2jPlhg" target="_blank">spoon</a>. Toddlers can be finicky eaters, but thankfully Sami really liked the Spiced Oatmeal!<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1AHdgNH_0IY/WC3gS-hIDvI/AAAAAAAAJeY/54rqNt_aBigRYUNWXpwccO9vDJWQAs6_gCLcB/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1AHdgNH_0IY/WC3gS-hIDvI/AAAAAAAAJeY/54rqNt_aBigRYUNWXpwccO9vDJWQAs6_gCLcB/s1600/12.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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On a side note, one of our all time favorite Oxo Tot products are their Roll Up Bibs - they are the best (we have three of them)! They catch SO much food, and as you can see below, Sami will even eat right out of his bib if he drops something.<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L7reWtE5h2s/WC3gTY1RbMI/AAAAAAAAJeo/IMqsN_wvclMfcLNwnIxRIjVOOXWddPFiACLcB/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L7reWtE5h2s/WC3gTY1RbMI/AAAAAAAAJeo/IMqsN_wvclMfcLNwnIxRIjVOOXWddPFiACLcB/s1600/13.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This recipe makes a decent amount of oatmeal, so don't be surprised if they can't finish it all. It's good enough for adults to eat too though - parent & toddler approved!</div>
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Hope you have a chance to enjoy this seasonal<span style="font-family: inherit;"> recipe! If you'd like more information on any of the Oxo Tot products, y<span style="background-color: white; color: #171717;">ou can check out their full line of baby & toddler products @ </span><a href="https://www.oxo.com/products/baby-toddler" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #999999; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.oxo.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #171717;">. As always, please let me know if you have any questions!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #171717;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #171717;">Mel</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #171717;">xoxo</span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171717; font-family: "century gothic", arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></i>
<i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171717; font-family: "century gothic", arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Disclosure: </i><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #171717; font-family: "century gothic", arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">While I was not compensated for this post, I did receive products in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.</i></div>
Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-3018377723200373112016-10-20T14:02:00.001-04:002016-10-20T14:03:50.481-04:00DIY Library Card Catalog Coffee Table Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zAL0JdWHo0/V_52CTah1aI/AAAAAAAAJZw/o1wpEvHcyXo8eFDKhrQiIHUBpord1uiRQCLcB/s1600/library%2Bcard%2Bcatalog%2Bmakeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zAL0JdWHo0/V_52CTah1aI/AAAAAAAAJZw/o1wpEvHcyXo8eFDKhrQiIHUBpord1uiRQCLcB/s1600/library%2Bcard%2Bcatalog%2Bmakeover.jpg" width="438" /></a></div>
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Three years ago, my dad found an old library card catalog on the side of the road up in Wisconsin. The next time my parents came down to visit us, they brought the cabinet with them so that I could give it a makeover...<br />
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Fast forward to last month and it was <i>still </i>sitting in our garage. That is, until I finally decided I was going to turn it into a coffee table a few weeks ago. It can can take me <i>forever </i>to finish projects - primarily due to my indecisive nature. I can never seem to commit to a paint color, a purpose, or whether or not I'm going to keep a piece or sell it....and so I just never start.<br />
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Well, I finally decided I was going to give the catalog a makeover & sell it. I didn't feel bad about painting it, since it wasn't one of those nice wooden vintage ones. This catalog was probably from the 80's or 90's, complete with faux wood veneer. BTW, this thing is HEAVY! I contemplated re-purposing it as a console table, but then decided it would probably be better as a coffee table instead. To make it easier to move around, I ended up putting four swivel casters on the bottom.<br />
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So here's how I did it from start to finish.....<br />
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To start, I had to fill in some of the missing veneer strips. To do this, I bought a back of iron on veneer from Lowe's. All I had to do was cut the strips to size, iron on, & cut away any excess.<br />
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Before I could prime & paint, I had to remove all the hardware from the drawers. At this point, I also cleaned off the drawers & hardware with soapy water. Next, I taped off all the drawers in preparation for paint.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWgmSYQImsw/V-afZpGouCI/AAAAAAAAJYY/AOhJrHsRCJUpRa7ammM6RSLqMIS1TShaQCLcB/s1600/clean%2Bhardware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWgmSYQImsw/V-afZpGouCI/AAAAAAAAJYY/AOhJrHsRCJUpRa7ammM6RSLqMIS1TShaQCLcB/s1600/clean%2Bhardware.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I wanted to spend the least amount of money as possible, so I used paint & primer that I already had on hand. I started out with two coats of oil-based primer (fully drying between coats). Then I lightly sanded the entire piece with a 220 grit sandpaper (wear a mask!).<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lGDkXJJB0vU/V-afZxHm5uI/AAAAAAAAJYc/BjyLphX_VpwJL7ymGHWEgnG9lwVNiLN0QCLcB/s1600/primer%2Band%2Bsand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lGDkXJJB0vU/V-afZxHm5uI/AAAAAAAAJYc/BjyLphX_VpwJL7ymGHWEgnG9lwVNiLN0QCLcB/s1600/primer%2Band%2Bsand.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Next, I painted the drawers with 3 coats of black chalkboard paint by Valspar.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fYAXRAiu5aw/V-afY89Vs8I/AAAAAAAAJYU/xusD9r1giyosPIPISAAWyJWFYL8wauO9ACLcB/s1600/chalkboard%2Bpaint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fYAXRAiu5aw/V-afY89Vs8I/AAAAAAAAJYU/xusD9r1giyosPIPISAAWyJWFYL8wauO9ACLcB/s1600/chalkboard%2Bpaint.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the cabinet, I went with 3 coats of Cool Metalwork Grey in a Satin finish by Glidden (leftover from <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-nursery-paint-colors.html#.V-MnqvArLb1" target="_blank">Sami's board & batten wall</a>).<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZR71Tq5ntMc/V-afY9F7API/AAAAAAAAJYQ/VF8e0CqMJk4hxoqByOZ_20KHQcjpUh5QACLcB/s1600/paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZR71Tq5ntMc/V-afY9F7API/AAAAAAAAJYQ/VF8e0CqMJk4hxoqByOZ_20KHQcjpUh5QACLcB/s1600/paint.jpg" width="438" /></a></div>
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I let it sit for a day before reattaching all the hardware:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ENh0hHg3rPc/V_kocRkuQwI/AAAAAAAAJZI/ylt3SoczIxYh4Lj9N60iwWAvW8rSHauAgCLcB/s1600/reattach%2Bhardware.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ENh0hHg3rPc/V_kocRkuQwI/AAAAAAAAJZI/ylt3SoczIxYh4Lj9N60iwWAvW8rSHauAgCLcB/s1600/reattach%2Bhardware.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
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Lastly, I picked up some swivel caster wheels from Home Depot. I got two different sizes to try out:<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gDjh5WoefCs/V_kpVobiihI/AAAAAAAAJZM/A8UHIiiE6OYiyquq-tP1JVnIZ5X4Ui-0ACLcB/s1600/WHEELS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gDjh5WoefCs/V_kpVobiihI/AAAAAAAAJZM/A8UHIiiE6OYiyquq-tP1JVnIZ5X4Ui-0ACLcB/s1600/WHEELS.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I liked both wheels for different reasons, but in the end I went with Option #2. The larger wheels looked a little more industrial & also helped to give the coffee table more height. The finished coffee table is 18" wide x 33.5" long x 18" tall.<br />
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To attach the wheels I used some bolts, washers, & screws. You can see from the photo that the two bolts on the outside were screwed into the cabinet from the bottom up, while the two inside bolts were screwed in from the top down:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--neahkpJOKQ/V_59kI_3KrI/AAAAAAAAJao/xxNaQAXUmc89ff26Sqc9s-sGbrv2ZUdJgCLcB/s1600/casters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--neahkpJOKQ/V_59kI_3KrI/AAAAAAAAJao/xxNaQAXUmc89ff26Sqc9s-sGbrv2ZUdJgCLcB/s1600/casters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here it is all finished!<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e7J5Q4OcdcE/V_56kv0HGKI/AAAAAAAAJac/fZvowLLfm4YaKNGNfkDTWe-h8VDUS_5bACLcB/s1600/lcc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e7J5Q4OcdcE/V_56kv0HGKI/AAAAAAAAJac/fZvowLLfm4YaKNGNfkDTWe-h8VDUS_5bACLcB/s1600/lcc.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v4N4-Q6NzN4/V_56kPMe4rI/AAAAAAAAJaQ/E-1Uc-A_Nu4pQfN72TcntCJ0IRIxhiSnACLcB/s1600/IMG_9680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v4N4-Q6NzN4/V_56kPMe4rI/AAAAAAAAJaQ/E-1Uc-A_Nu4pQfN72TcntCJ0IRIxhiSnACLcB/s1600/IMG_9680.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OuBYi8lQlYs/V_56koBM35I/AAAAAAAAJaY/aj-xgsUfQSMbW964b1Gq7WmfLP7cEJuCgCLcB/s1600/IMG_9682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OuBYi8lQlYs/V_56koBM35I/AAAAAAAAJaY/aj-xgsUfQSMbW964b1Gq7WmfLP7cEJuCgCLcB/s1600/IMG_9682.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The cool thing about this piece is that you could add paper labels OR you could use a chalk marker to write your own labels (I have the worst handwriting ever, but it would look cool with some modern calligraphy).<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnBPXNId3u4/V_54b9VgAsI/AAAAAAAAJaI/ed4Kb_8794gPIVaoOthoAZNiNep_VBbYwCLcB/s1600/IMG_9694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnBPXNId3u4/V_54b9VgAsI/AAAAAAAAJaI/ed4Kb_8794gPIVaoOthoAZNiNep_VBbYwCLcB/s1600/IMG_9694.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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What I love the most about this coffee table is that it doubles as storage - you could really keep anything in here (the drawers are about 15" deep x 5" wide x 3" high).</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gRw0etkcV74/V_54btK9qYI/AAAAAAAAJaE/0W5MVAzve_oP6CFaUSXBXBanByzpzRWcwCLcB/s1600/IMG_9691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gRw0etkcV74/V_54btK9qYI/AAAAAAAAJaE/0W5MVAzve_oP6CFaUSXBXBanByzpzRWcwCLcB/s1600/IMG_9691.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">This piece would be a nice catchall for all those random things that never have a proper home, like batteries, TV remotes, matches, candles, etc... Basically, it's like the ultimate junk drawer cabinet!<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_pve0q-54Ds/V_53MdpMmdI/AAAAAAAAJZ8/N0TG7mSgiUYZE6qyQt9x_7bQqfM2qk68gCLcB/s1600/before%2Bafter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_pve0q-54Ds/V_53MdpMmdI/AAAAAAAAJZ8/N0TG7mSgiUYZE6qyQt9x_7bQqfM2qk68gCLcB/s1600/before%2Bafter.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Hope you liked this makeover & let me know if you have any questions!</span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">xo,</span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Mel</span>Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-9420634034504801462016-09-10T12:28:00.002-04:002016-09-10T13:06:11.978-04:00Craftsman & Dutch Door Inspired DIY Baby Gate<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9AM6M57P2y4/V9M8pI3hsgI/AAAAAAAAJXE/b3YsPt-K3xMBCscYuf94BOVsFCYjsVYwQCLcB/s1600/DIY%2BBABY%2BGATE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9AM6M57P2y4/V9M8pI3hsgI/AAAAAAAAJXE/b3YsPt-K3xMBCscYuf94BOVsFCYjsVYwQCLcB/s1600/DIY%2BBABY%2BGATE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When Sami was around 9 months old he started crawling & would immediately make a beeline for the stairs...and so the baby gate scheming began. Of course, we could have gone to the store & picked up a pre-made baby gate, but I wanted to take the opportunity to design & build a custom gate.</span><br />
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<a name='more'></a>Here's what we ended up with:<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2pUt68aIM8/V9MKJoQ0bKI/AAAAAAAAJVg/glxYjOG5D3wW3H0qmeOE4m5R7b1rQlyUQCLcB/s1600/from%2Bstairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d2pUt68aIM8/V9MKJoQ0bKI/AAAAAAAAJVg/glxYjOG5D3wW3H0qmeOE4m5R7b1rQlyUQCLcB/s1600/from%2Bstairs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">We've had the gate up for about 7 months now & it's been working out perfectly. While there are a couple of things I might have done differently, the gate turned out almost exactly how I had envisioned it (I'll go over the things I would have changed at the end of the post). Better yet, it does the job & keeps Sami from climbing the stairs unless we are there to accompany him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For now, this post will not be a full fledged "how-to" post with exact dimensions, but more of a general outline on how my dad & I built the baby gate. I didn't take detailed photos of </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">every </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">step, but I think you'll get the idea if you are looking to create your own gate too. Don't forget, it doesn't have to be a baby gate - you could use it for a pet gate too!</span></div>
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<b>DESIGN PLAN</b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I began looking online & on Instagram for some inspiration, where I saw several rustic barn door inspired baby gates. While they were really cute, the rustic look didn't really jive with the vibe of our house & decor. I</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">nstead, I decided to take inspiration from our own front door & sketched a baby gate that incorporated some craftsman & dutch door elements. This is my original sketch I made using PicMonkey:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">PLANNING & MEASURING</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is the space we were working with:</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAU4MBC1z5g/V8dUFMoAO9I/AAAAAAAAJTE/Ff9kDhjLH7IO5B9fBeifYZMVNz4Bss6aQCLcB/s1600/before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAU4MBC1z5g/V8dUFMoAO9I/AAAAAAAAJTE/Ff9kDhjLH7IO5B9fBeifYZMVNz4Bss6aQCLcB/s1600/before.jpg" width="446" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We didn't feel the need to block off the landing, since we felt that single step would actually be a good practice step for Sami. Instead, we wanted to create a barrier directly at the bottom of the stairs. </span>Once we had our gate measurements, we calculated how much wood we needed & headed to Lowe's to pick up the supplies. FYI: the gate ended up being about 36 3/4" wide & 33" tall. </div>
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<b>MATERIALS</b></div>
We went with poplar boards for most of the frame & the top of the gate, and 1/4" oak lauan plywood for the insert panels (most of the poplar boards were 1x4's, but we did get a 1x6 also). For the gate hardware, we picked up some heavy duty black gate hinges & a black self-latching latch. We also had to buy a pack of shorter screws, because the screws that came with the hardware were too long & would have gone straight through the gate. There was no need to buy any stain or paint, as I had some on hand already.</div>
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<b>MAKING THE CUTS</b></div>
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First we cut the frame pieces & the inserts to size. Then we used a table saw with a dado blade to route out the boards about 1/2" deep where the plywood inserts would go (a dado blade is slightly wider than a regular saw blade, but you could always use a regular blade & just run it through until the track is wide enough). I don't have photos of the cutting stage, but you can see what it looked like afterward we made our cuts & assembled the gate for a dry fit:</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mcpBhTsL6Fo/V8WVWHaXYOI/AAAAAAAAJQg/TnO9hxgKENUBIKKh0p0QAwvByGiuFyfLwCLcB/s1600/dry%2Bfit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mcpBhTsL6Fo/V8WVWHaXYOI/AAAAAAAAJQg/TnO9hxgKENUBIKKh0p0QAwvByGiuFyfLwCLcB/s1600/dry%2Bfit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>ATTACHING THE BOARDS</b></div>
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In order to affix the poplar boards together, we had to pre-drill holes through any board that ran perpendicular to another board. The photo below shows the pilot hole/screw placement & the size boards we used:<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kqhedebVBz0/V9NEnYa89CI/AAAAAAAAJXU/pfB8wQBxAFkTMbmsCbtQaGx8rqSBxCf9QCLcB/s1600/gate%2Bmeasurements.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kqhedebVBz0/V9NEnYa89CI/AAAAAAAAJXU/pfB8wQBxAFkTMbmsCbtQaGx8rqSBxCf9QCLcB/s1600/gate%2Bmeasurements.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To do this, we first used a larger drill bit to make the initial holes about halfway into the boards. The holes had to be wide enough so that the screw heads would fit through (once the boards were all screwed together, I planned on filling the holes). Using some electrical tape, we taped off part of the large drill bit, so we knew exactly how far to drill down to. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, we used a smaller drill bit to drill holes for the actual screws to go into - this pilot hole went through the entire board & an inch or so into the board that the screws would be going into:</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pDbSaHSSbc4/V9Mh5GXVn9I/AAAAAAAAJWU/fY6JyqUWwbETLUOlZSV-2W7csTqm6vofwCLcB/s1600/pilot%2Bholes%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pDbSaHSSbc4/V9Mh5GXVn9I/AAAAAAAAJWU/fY6JyqUWwbETLUOlZSV-2W7csTqm6vofwCLcB/s1600/pilot%2Bholes%2B5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn't take a photo of us drilling the pilot holes, but we basically held the boards together so the smaller drill bit could go through each board. Hopefully you can get the idea from the photo below (just remember the 2 boards would actually be pushed together while drilling the 2nd pilot hole):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope that all makes sense. Moving on...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE BARN DOOR SHELF TOP</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, we created the top of the gate using another 1x4 poplar board. We rounded the corners of the top board, using a top of a round tupperware container as a guide. Afterwards, we sanded the corners & attached the top to the gate with 4 screws (remember to drill pilot holes into the boards below & countersink the screws also). Here's the gate all screwed together (no glue yet):</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IrJ-0XN0JkY/V8Yro8g8baI/AAAAAAAAJRg/MKM8oEfChWk8GL6S9RTKROOEgY0ikmTkACLcB/s1600/attach%2Btop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IrJ-0XN0JkY/V8Yro8g8baI/AAAAAAAAJRg/MKM8oEfChWk8GL6S9RTKROOEgY0ikmTkACLcB/s1600/attach%2Btop.jpg" width="454" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>THE DENTIL SHELF DETAILS</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To create the small square 'dentil' pieces, we took a scrap piece of poplar 1x4 boards & cut out 14 squares (7 for each side of the gate). On the side of the gate that would be facing the stairwell, we </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">attached them to the top board by countersinking a screw down into the top board & into each dentil:</span><br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_5hBzEaxqJk/V8Yro8A9RkI/AAAAAAAAJRk/OayLQQ2JOCIrU9ZdWo3GQ3IKHKTv9b1DQCLcB/s1600/dentil%2Bshelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_5hBzEaxqJk/V8Yro8A9RkI/AAAAAAAAJRk/OayLQQ2JOCIrU9ZdWo3GQ3IKHKTv9b1DQCLcB/s1600/dentil%2Bshelf.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We did not attach the other 7 dentil pieces that would go on the wall side of the gate until after the gate was stained, painted, & assembled (more on that later). W<span style="font-family: inherit;">e also did a dry fit with the gate on the stairway before taking it apart</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to stain & paint it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>PAINT & STAIN</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Using an old rag, I stained all the poplar boards Driftwood Gray by Rustoleum. I painted all of the plywood inserts, the top, & the dentil pieces with a high gloss black paint. Here's a photo I posted on Instagram showing the color combo & the latches I decided on:</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6hZn9nDlKi4/V8Y5CjvrhDI/AAAAAAAAJSE/myY4RdnQ6lcls8-cL3DI3N_aUFIT6uc8QCLcB/s1600/paint%2Band%2Bstain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6hZn9nDlKi4/V8Y5CjvrhDI/AAAAAAAAJSE/myY4RdnQ6lcls8-cL3DI3N_aUFIT6uc8QCLcB/s1600/paint%2Band%2Bstain.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">ASSEMBLY</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the boards were dry we could officially assemble the gate. We applied a little wood glue in the tracks we routed out before screwing everything together one last time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At that point, we also finished attaching the 7 smaller dentil pieces onto the wall side of the gate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can see from this photo of the finished gate, the top board on the left side of the gate doesn't stick out as far as the right side, so we had to make those 7 dentils a bit smaller so they would be more shallow than the top:</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wnG9ZLWPN1E/V9Mu_JiQR-I/AAAAAAAAJWk/Th1iethBZsYX71u5ptEFRl0tJEQSRxf3gCLcB/s1600/side%2Bview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wnG9ZLWPN1E/V9Mu_JiQR-I/AAAAAAAAJWk/Th1iethBZsYX71u5ptEFRl0tJEQSRxf3gCLcB/s1600/side%2Bview.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SGs1UEyjgsQ/V8mGu8O_IsI/AAAAAAAAJUY/ScPb2GO4YJ4bD5aK85kmLizc7BTx1mSyQCLcB/s1600/shelf%2Bmeasurements.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SGs1UEyjgsQ/V8mGu8O_IsI/AAAAAAAAJUY/ScPb2GO4YJ4bD5aK85kmLizc7BTx1mSyQCLcB/s1600/shelf%2Bmeasurements.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We ended up attaching the 7 smaller dentils on the left side with a little glue & a single nail through the middle. There are many ways we could have attached the dentil pieces, but that's just the way it worked out best at the time. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We let the gate sit over night before attaching the hardware & securing the gate to the wall.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>HANGING THE GATE</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since there was not a stud at the location that we needed to attach the gate, we decided to affix a board that was wide enough to hit the stud </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">and </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">the spot where we needed to attach the hinges.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Additionally, because my design included a dutch style top that would stick out an extra 1" or so, we also had to build the wall out more to give the gate enough clearance to be able to swing open fully without hitting the wall. We did this by attaching a second board on top of the first board (using scrap pieces of wood):</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's a close up of the boards after I had filled the holes & painted:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XV841iYcwuc/V9MvqhYzMGI/AAAAAAAAJWw/G2Iks_ifY6MAYkGzgPKLCY9FqZwiEn3HQCEw/s1600/attach%2Bgate%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XV841iYcwuc/V9MvqhYzMGI/AAAAAAAAJWw/G2Iks_ifY6MAYkGzgPKLCY9FqZwiEn3HQCEw/s1600/attach%2Bgate%2B3.jpg" width="440" /></a></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifJH_0mR9wg/V9MA4FFnyHI/AAAAAAAAJVI/-0gWIB3GyI4bxr083c-AO-wmNuugzWjBwCLcB/s1600/gate%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ifJH_0mR9wg/V9MA4FFnyHI/AAAAAAAAJVI/-0gWIB3GyI4bxr083c-AO-wmNuugzWjBwCLcB/s1600/gate%2B5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Using the extra shorter screws we bought, we attached the hinges to the gate. Then we used the longer screws that came with the hinges to attach them to the boards on the wall:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5EBsm0x_wmc/V9G3qhEjZ5I/AAAAAAAAJU0/TRISURtoBYAdEPoyFIO1SVMNpIPkcm4xwCLcB/s1600/hang%2Bgate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5EBsm0x_wmc/V9G3qhEjZ5I/AAAAAAAAJU0/TRISURtoBYAdEPoyFIO1SVMNpIPkcm4xwCLcB/s1600/hang%2Bgate.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, we had to affix the latch to the newel post on the right side. Since our newel post is round we decided to screw a board right into the newel post & then attach the latch to the board. I painted it the same high gloss black as the newel post:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9PNwg0IuCn4/V9Mz6iWyRQI/AAAAAAAAJW0/fGJCxYx8hp0SmugIyDKUF9WjI8Sa5L9YACLcB/s1600/newel%2Bpost%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9PNwg0IuCn4/V9Mz6iWyRQI/AAAAAAAAJW0/fGJCxYx8hp0SmugIyDKUF9WjI8Sa5L9YACLcB/s1600/newel%2Bpost%2B4.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">TOUCH UPS</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once the gate was hung, I began filling all the holes. After the filler was dry, I lightly sanded & then touched up with black paint. I</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> also used a black Sharpie to cover the silver screws on all the hardware as well:</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iavqqY8l2eA/V9MNIYAeUrI/AAAAAAAAJVo/ovOEN_3sPGQwNlAsQF_RuAC2Ut5ZU8iMACLcB/s1600/touchups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iavqqY8l2eA/V9MNIYAeUrI/AAAAAAAAJVo/ovOEN_3sPGQwNlAsQF_RuAC2Ut5ZU8iMACLcB/s1600/touchups.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY</b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Looking back, there are a few things I would have done differently. For example, I would have cut the boards that we used to attach the gate to the wall down to <i>be level or below</i> the top of the gate & continued them all the way to the floor instead of stopping at the baseboard. This way, I could have attached the bottom hinges more towards the bottom of the gate - I really don't like the placement of the bottom hinge. You can see the changes I'm referring to here:</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qzE-CHGef3s/V8YxJlubeWI/AAAAAAAAJR0/-cUuxBcLOykz0TTfQ4Wh8gSKCSB8QR67ACLcB/s1600/changes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qzE-CHGef3s/V8YxJlubeWI/AAAAAAAAJR0/-cUuxBcLOykz0TTfQ4Wh8gSKCSB8QR67ACLcB/s1600/changes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also would have attached the hinge onto the newel post differently as well. Instead of just screwing a board into the newel, I would have liked to build </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">over </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">the existing newel post to create a more simple & square post - like </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/551902129313087124/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">THIS</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. This would have created a flat surface to affix the latch to AND it would have just looked better overall. It's always something we could do in the future though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, I originally intended to fill the screw holes on the sides of the gates, but I honestly just never got around to it. They don't bother me, but I could always fill them with a wood plug down the road.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwv68ur5J-gJWrmeGWqFTTNTowcdUyQdqY-vtdMip3jbI1qEpNmeGjJEw8ofrm3iu5eqpfpkltCtcacFUsc' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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So that's how we built our own baby gate! I'm also working on figuring out exactly how much the gate cost us in the end. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!<br />
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xoxo,<br />
Mel</div>
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Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-38118233984423255652016-08-31T14:17:00.001-04:002016-09-10T09:02:51.861-04:00The Nursing Chronicles Part 4: Beating Thrush & Gentian Violet Tips<div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o1TZTVT5kNw/V8cIZVGISXI/AAAAAAAAJSY/CSzJ8NvlCIAn8IMWvHQFiGXVG0XMrx3SwCLcB/s1600/part%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o1TZTVT5kNw/V8cIZVGISXI/AAAAAAAAJSY/CSzJ8NvlCIAn8IMWvHQFiGXVG0XMrx3SwCLcB/s1600/part%2B4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
With August being National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, I decided to write a series of posts with respect to my breastfeeding experience as a first time mom. In my first three posts, I detailed our struggle from latching to thrush to Sami's frenulectomy procedure. If you'd like to catch up, you can check out <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-nursing-chronicles-part-1-first-2.html#.V8cBjpgrI2y" target="_blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/nursing-chronicles-part-2-thrush-tongue.html#.V8cBgpgrI2x" target="_blank">Part 2</a>, & <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-nursing-chronicles-3-tongue-lip-tie.html#.V8cBaZgrI2w" target="_blank">Part 3</a>.</div>
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I left off in <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-nursing-chronicles-3-tongue-lip-tie.html#.V8cBaZgrI2w" target="_blank">Part 3</a>, where we had just taken Sami to have both his tongue & lip tie revised through a frenulectomy when he was just over two months old. While the nursing pain did not go away completely for me, there was a definite improvement with his latch. Since the majority of our problems stemmed from our latch issues, I was very hopeful we would see improvements over the next month or so.</div>
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Thankfully, my pain <i>did </i>lessen & most of the previous side effects that I discussed in Part 3 dissipated over the course of a couple of months. Unfortunately, I continued to experience a mild burning sensation as I nursed, accompanied by spots of thrush in Sami's mouth. Although the frenulectomy had improved breastfeeding overall, it appeared as though we were still suffering from thrush. By this point, it had been almost two months since his tongue & lip tie revision & Sami was almost 4 months old. I felt like we had to give it another shot & get rid of the thrush once & for all.<br />
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Since Nystatin had done nothing for us in the past, I finally decided it was time to try Gentian Violet at the recommendation of a lactation consultant. I had avoided trying GV for so long, simply because it sounded like it would be a <i>huge </i>mess to use. My LC had<span style="font-family: inherit;"> said it had been around for years & was the main treatment for thrush before Nystatin came about. Of course, it goes without saying that I'm sharing MY experience with you & you should always ask your own doctor before trying any sort of treatment. As I've stated in previous posts, I am not a medical professional - this post is in regards to our personal experiences only.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My LC recommended a 1% topical solution, which I found at my local Target pharmacy. I did not need a prescription, but it was also not a product they stocked on the shelves - I had to ask the pharmacist for a bottle. Lucky for us, they had one bottle on hand.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y4zMEvhczxA/V8cHp9sjDSI/AAAAAAAAJSU/8y4O5jJmKdkYkIqw2Y-_Zo7e4ZofBZKvwCLcB/s1600/gv%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y4zMEvhczxA/V8cHp9sjDSI/AAAAAAAAJSU/8y4O5jJmKdkYkIqw2Y-_Zo7e4ZofBZKvwCLcB/s1600/gv%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">TIPS FOR APPLYING GV</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It <i>can be </i>extremely messy - I say 'can be' because I feel if you take the right steps to apply it, you can minimize any potential staining. It also depends on the age of your child & how active they are. Sami was about 4 months old, so he was not really mobile & I think it was easier to control & contain any possible mess.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's what I did when applying Gentian Violet:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">---> I dressed Sami in clothes I wouldn't mind getting stained </span>(FYI: we had minimal staining, but I <i>was </i>able to remove most them by applying some Oxi Clean to the stains & washing right away)<br />
---> I always put a bib on him before applying the GV (their drool will be purple)</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">---> I timed the GV application right before nap time, also giving him a paci to minimize the chance of him putting things in his mouth (hands, toys, blankets, etc)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">---> I applied coconut oil/olive oil around his mouth area so the gentian violet wouldn't stain his skin as much</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">---> I always opened the bottle of GV over a surface I wouldn't mind staining - like a paper plate (in case it ever tipped over & spilled)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">---> to apply GV you can either dip a Q-Tip into the bottle & rub it all around their mouth (cheeks, tongue, inside of lips) OR you can apply the GV directly onto your nipples before breastfeeding & the GV will transfer while nursing. Personally, I always applied it directly into his mouth because I was able to control the application directly on the areas of thrush. Then in the evening, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I would apply it onto my nipples directly, using disposable nursing pads so the purple didn't get on my bra.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">---> just in case, I used a crib sheet I wouldn't mind staining & I laid down an old blanket on top of the sheet (I know they don't recommend loose blankets in the crib, but we tucked the blanket under the mattress & felt totally comfortable with the set-up...use your own discretion)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">---> remember that thrush can easily transfer back & forth between baby & mom, so my LC recommended that it's always a good idea to treat the both of you at the same time - even if one of you is not showing symptoms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, you don't need to take any of these precautions, but they are good steps to take if you're worried about possible messes & stains.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's Sami with his purple mouth - you can see, we were pretty successful in containing the purple staining to the inside of his mouth only (he looks like a deer in headlights....ha!):</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We found that the purple mouth usually went away within a day or two. My LC advised we apply it for a few days at a time & then take a break from using it for a couple of weeks. To be honest, I only applied it one time on two or three separate occasions from what I remember. Luckily, that's all it took and we were FINALLY free of the thrush!</span></div>
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<b>OTHER METHODS WE TRIED TO GET RID OF THRUSH</b></div>
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Over the course of the 3-4 months we had thrush, I tried <i>tons </i>of different things to get rid of it. The only thing we didn't try was Grapefruit Seed Extract, so I can't share any opinions on that particular remedy. Some of these methods were things I consistently did or used, while others were one time attempts:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-vinegar solution to clean my nipples after nursing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-oral Nystatin for Sami</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-topical Nystatin for me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-diflucan</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-probiotics for both of us</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-frequent breast pad changes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-going shirt & bra-less around the house as much as possible to keep me dry (since yeast thrives in moist dark places)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-washing bras & bath towels in hot water everyday</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-sitting out side in the sun sans shirt & bra (yes, I really did this - I was desperate!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-daily sterilization of any pacifiers, nipple shields, toys (pretty much anything that came into contact with my nipples or Sami's mouth)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">-Medela Breast shells (primarily to alleviate my pain & keep me dry, as </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">anything</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> touching or rubbing against me was excruciating)</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">CURRENT STATUS</b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sami is currently 16 months old and I am still nursing him about 3 times a day. I <i>never </i>would have thought that I would still be breastfeeding him at this point, but it's </span>surprisingly<span style="font-family: inherit;"> become part of our routine & I don't mind it all...</span><i style="font-family: inherit;">especially </i><span style="font-family: inherit;">since it </span>doesn't<span style="font-family: inherit;"> hurt anymore!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bottom line - if it doesn't feel right while breastfeeding, there is probably something going on. Trust your gut. I</span>t's incredibly difficult to nurse your child when you constantly dread it. It was so bad for me, that at one point I actually began to resent Sami & breastfeeding in general because it was just so painful & uncomfortable for me.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> If you feel this way, it's probably time to get some outside help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope that by sharing our story I can help some other moms out there who might be going through a </span>similar<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>experience<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please let know if you have any questions!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
Mel<br />
xoxo</div>
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Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-28221162577700163962016-08-24T15:28:00.004-04:002016-09-14T21:41:10.352-04:00The Nursing Chronicles Part 3: Tongue & Lip Tie + Frenulectomy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the last two weeks, I've been detailing my breastfeeding experience as part of my Nursing Chronicles series. I left off last week in <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/nursing-chronicles-part-2-thrush-tongue.html#.V7uFDJgrLb0" target="_blank">Part 2</a> where it was confirmed by our second lactation consultant that Sami had both a tongue <i>and </i>a lip tie. Thanks to that at-home lactation visit, we were finally encouraged to book an appointment with an ENT to have his ties revised. If you'd like to start at the beginning of our journey, you can check out <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-nursing-chronicles-part-1-first-2.html#.V7uFQpgrLb1" target="_blank">Part 1</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Prior to having Sami, I had never even heard of a tongue tie & had absolutely no idea how it might impact breastfeeding. <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tongue-tie/basics/definition/con-20035410" target="_blank">The Mayo Clinic</a> defines a tongue tie (ankyloglossia) as:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"A</span><span style="color: #111111; line-height: 16px;"> condition present at birth that restricts the tongue's range of motion. </span><span style="color: #111111; line-height: 16px;">With tongue-tie, an unusually short, thick or tight band of tissue (lingual frenulum) tethers the bottom of the tongue's tip to the floor of the mouth. A person who has tongue-tie might have difficulty sticking out his or her tongue. Tongue-tie can also affect the way a child eats, speaks and swallows, as well as interfere with breast-feeding. </span><span style="color: #111111; line-height: 16px;">Sometimes tongue-tie may not cause problems. Some cases may require a simple surgical procedure for correction."</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I get into the specifics of the frenulectomy (also known as a frenectomy or frenotomy), I'd like to touch on the symptoms that <i>we</i> experienced as a result of Sami's tongue & lip ties. Of course, looking back it all makes perfect sense. Unfortunately, we didn't put it all together until Sami was over 2 months old. I'd also like to point out that the presence or absence of these particular side effects do not necessarily mean your baby may or may not have a tie. I am not a medical professional - these are simply the specific combination of symptoms that we experienced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>SIDE EFFECTS OF SAMI'S TONGUE & LIP TIE</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>falling asleep while nursing:</b> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is something that happened frequently from</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> the very beginning. Sami was <i>constantly</i> falling asleep while breastfeeding. While some babies can sleep & nurse simultaneously, Sami would always stop nursing as he nodded off to sleep. It completely makes sense now, seeing as the extra effort he had to exert in order to stay latched probably exhausted him to the point of falling asleep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>shallow latch + popping off + clicking noises: </b> </span></span></span>If you've read my last two posts, you'll know that we struggled with a poor latch <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-nursing-chronicles-part-1-first-2.html#.V73ueJgrI2x" target="_blank">from the start</a>. Knowing what we know now, it's clear that he was never really able to get a very good latch or extend his tongue out far enough, and the clicking noises were a result of that poor suctio<span style="font-family: inherit;">n. Kelly Bonyata (BS, IBCLCA) <a href="http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/clicking-when-nursing/" target="_blank">explains it </a></span><a href="http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/clicking-when-nursing/" target="_blank">further on KellyMom.com</a>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"A bab</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">y with tongue tie may be unable to keep the tongue extended for the relatively prolonged job of nursing, and thus the tongue will “snap back” when baby can no longer keep it in place. When he pulls the tongue back, suction is broken and you hear a click."</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>pinc<span style="font-family: inherit;">hed or flattened nipples: </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Again, this is something I never really noticed until it was brought to my attention. Since S<span style="font-family: inherit;">ami </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">couldn't achieve a deep latch, he would essentially gum my nipples, creating a flattened or pinched nipple after he was done breastfe<span style="font-family: inherit;">eding.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">painful nursing + damaged nipple<span style="font-family: inherit;">s + persistent thrush</span>: </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> M</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">any wome</span>n will experience some form of pain and/or nipple damage at the onset of breastfeeding, including cracks, fissures, or bleeding. In my case, however, the damage never seemed to heal fully & the pain never got more manageable.</span><b style="font-family: inherit;"> </b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I believe that Sami first developed oral thrush as a result of the antibiotics I had to take for the mastitis infection - however, I think that our inability to get rid of the thrush was probably in part due to my chronic nipple damage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>blocked ducts + mastitis</b>: Due to his ties, Sami may not have been draining my breast as </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">effectively</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> as he could have, which ultimately led to a clogged duct. Within a day, the clogged duct turned into full on mastitis.</span></span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>tongue mobility + forked/heart shaped tongue: </b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">A common misconception is that babies with tongue ties will </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">not</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> be able to stick out their tongue. While there are certainly instances where this occurs, it doesn't mean your baby </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">doesn't</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> have a tongue tie if they </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">can</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> stick their tongue out. In the photo below, you can see that while Sami can stick his tongue out, a </span>"heart" or "forked" shape is created due to the tie restricting the tip of his tongue:</span></span><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JESIn6tuRYo/V69DeT2zuKI/AAAAAAAAJNM/30-50KwAYFwmgLCkLalizSUtbKt5RdLBACLcB/s1600/tongue%2Btie%2Bbw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JESIn6tuRYo/V69DeT2zuKI/AAAAAAAAJNM/30-50KwAYFwmgLCkLalizSUtbKt5RdLBACLcB/s1600/tongue%2Btie%2Bbw.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>upper lip blisters: </b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another symptom Sami experienced were persistent upper lip blisters. Again, just because your baby develops a blister does not necessarily mean they have a lip tie, as many newborns will develop them during the first few weeks as they adjust to breastfeeding. However, if your baby </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">consistently</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> develops them it can be a good indication of an upper lip tie. Since the lip tie prevents the baby from making a proper flange with their upper lip, they may suck more vigorously in an effort to make up for their inability to get a proper deep latch.</span></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IF_kjfign8Y/V68xygu_ISI/AAAAAAAAJM8/wFiyWwkLpy8PaoqybTfTTR81spd0kf13ACLcB/s1600/lip%2Bblister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IF_kjfign8Y/V68xygu_ISI/AAAAAAAAJM8/wFiyWwkLpy8PaoqybTfTTR81spd0kf13ACLcB/s1600/lip%2Bblister.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hindsight is 20/20 as they say, but it still seems crazy to me that I didn't put it all together sooner. All of our symptoms were ultimately caused by a shallow poor latch, which was simply a result of his ties.</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">FRENULECTOMY</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Per the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">recommendation</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> of the LC, we made an appointment with an ENT when Sami was just over 2 months old. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Here he is on our way to to have the procedure done:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first thing the doctor did was have Nader hold Sami face up across his legs so he could examine his mouth. The doctor explained how there are several different types of tongue ties & Sami happened to have a type II tie. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The doctor also confirmed that he had an upper lip tie as well. Apparently, if you have a tongue tie the chances are very high that y</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ou will also have a lip tie. He suggested that we revise both of them at the same time. There are 2 different types of revisions - laser & the traditional scissor cutting. The ENT we went to ended up revising Sami's ties with the scissors.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before the doctor could cut the ties, they needed to numb Sami first. They had Nader hold him while they gave him<span style="font-family: inherit;"> 2 shots. Sami screamed & cried so hard that I started crying myself. After they finished with the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> shots, I held him for a few minutes to calm him down. Thankfully, he stopped crying within a minute or two. I honestly think it's always worse for the parents than the kids.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, they had us swaddle him before they took him to the operating room for the procedure. Once we had him calm & swaddled Nader took Sami into the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">room by himself. I was doing everything I could just to keep myself together & couldn't bring myself to watch, so I stayed in the exam room.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "century gothic";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nader said that they had him hold Sami's head while they used a metal clamp to isolate the tongue tie & then cut it with the scissors. Next, they cut his lip tie. Of course, I could hear Sami crying from the exam room. I just tried to remember that he wasn't crying from pain since he was numb, but rather from the shock of it all. There aren't many blood vessels located in the frenulum, so there was very minimal bleeding.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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They immediately brought him back into the exam room & had me breastfeed him. Prior to the procedure, I had read stories about how women felt an <i>immediate </i>improvement with zero pain after the procedure. I have to be honest and say it wasn't completely pain free for me righ</span>t away. There was, however, a <i>definite </i>improvement with his latch - it did not feel as shallow as it normally did. I still had pain, but that very well could have been due to the thrush & not the latch any longer - it's hard to say exactly. It's also important to note that some babies need to essentially re-learn how to latch & suck after a tongue or lip tie revision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sami was perfectly fine on the way home. The only thing we needed to do post-procedure was periodically stretch his upper lip in an effort to make sure that it did not reattach. Like I mentioned earlier, there was a clear improvement in my pain level. Looking back, I think any residual pain I was still experiencing was most likely due to the thrush.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On that note, I'm going to wrap up Part 3 & continue with <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-nursing-chronicles-part-4-beating.html#.V8cfJpgrI2w" target="_blank">Part 4</a> where I'll explain how we finally got rid of the thrush & experienced pain free nursing for the first time ever!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for reading!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mel</span></div>
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Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-83900229512673089672016-08-16T13:34:00.001-04:002016-08-24T15:29:36.351-04:00The Nursing Chronicles Part 2: Thrush & Tongue Tie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week I posted <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-nursing-chronicles-part-1-first-2.html#.V7M4SpgrI2w" target="_blank">Part 1</a> of my Nursing Chronicles, where I detailed the first 2 weeks of our breastfeeding experience. To sum up my last post, Sami had chronic latch problems due to a number of factors. In addition to our latch issues, I developed mastitis within one week. After being prescribed a round of antibiotics to treat the infection, I began noticing little white patches in Sami's mouth which I suspected were oral thrush...<br />
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<b>SAMI'S 1 MONTH CHECK-UP + ORAL THRUSH</b></div>
A week after I started noticing the white spots in Sami's mouth, we went to his 1 month checkup where the pediatrician confirmed that he did indeed have oral thrush. She prescribed him an oral suspension of the anti-fungal Nystatin to be given 4 times a day using an oral syringe. I absolutely despised the idea of having to give him any sort of medication, but she said it should take care of the yeast overgrowth before it got out of hand. His pediatrician also said that I could put the Nystatin on my nipples after nursing him as a precautionary measure. In addition, she advised that we should boil or sterilize all pacifiers, toys, & nipple shields on a daily basis - essentially anything that came into contact with his mouth.<br />
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As I mentioned in Part 1, I also developed a vaginal yeast infection as a result of the antibiotics. Luckily, it was easily treatable with an over the counter kit, but Sami's oral thrush turned out to be <i>much </i>trickier to get rid of. Moral of the story: do anything you can to feed the good bacteria in your body while taking an antibiotic. Try to eat lots of yogurt, take a probiotic, limit sugar, etc. - whatever you can do to avoid thrush and/or a yeast infection.<br />
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Before administering Sami his first dose of the Nystatin, I decided to try it for myself. I couldn't believe how sweet it tasted. I was under the impression that yeast feeds off of sugar, so it seemed a bit counterproductive to me to treat thrush with a sugary medicine...but hey, I'm no doctor -what do I know.<br />
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We gave Sami the Nystatin religiously, but did not see any improvement. In fact, I began noticing that my nipples were becoming even <i>more </i>sore & sensitive than they were before. Within a few days, I couldn't stand ANYTHING touching them. I couldn't stand the water from the shower head, I couldn't dry off with a towel, couldn't stand wearing a bra or a shirt. You name it - I couldn't stand it. Nursing was excruciating. It burned & it felt like I was being stabbed with shards of glass the entire time.<br />
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<b>6 WEEK OB CHECK-UP</b></div>
Thankfully, I had my 6 week follow up with my OB, where I was able to ask her about the additional pain I was experiencing. She said that it appeared as though the thrush in Sami's mouth had transferred to my nipples. She prescribed me a topical Nystatin that I was to apply in between feedings. It's not safe for infants to ingest however, so I had to wipe it off with a warm washcloth before every feeding (which was super painful). Then after every feeding, I had to wipe them down with a vinegar solution, let them dry, & then apply the Nystatin cream (vinegar solution = 1 Tbls white vinegar + 1 cup water). She reiterated how yeast loves to thrive in dark & moist areas, so I would need to keep my boobs as dry as possible. I also had to wash bras & bath towels on a daily basis in hot water & dry them in the sun if possible (since sunlight kills yeast).<br />
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My OB also reluctantly gave me a prescription for Fluconazole (Difulcan). She told me to try the Nystatin first, and if I didn't feel better after two weeks I could then try the Fluconazole pills. I also finally decided it was a good idea to start taking a probiotic, eat more yogurt, & limit my sugar intake - which I should have done from the beginning.<br />
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Unfortunately, after about a week I saw no improvements in either my or Sami's condition. It was beyond frustrating. At that point, I dreaded nursing him so much that often times, I would cry <i>just in anticipation</i> of it. This is coming from someone who has a fairly high pain tolerance - I was able to endure natural childbirth, but nursing with thrush & a horrible latch was truly almost as bad. Another week went by with no marked improvement, so I decided to try the Fluconozale. After several rounds, I still felt no relief. Despite my best efforts, we could not seem to get rid of the pain & the thrush.<br />
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Some of you might be wondering why the hell I didn't just pump & bottle feed, or throw in the nursing towel all together. Like I mentioned in my last post, I was really nervous in regards to nipple confusion & didn't want to risk losing our breastfeeding relationship. Most of all though, I was extremely determined to make it work & I didn't want to give up on it just yet. That being said, I 100% understand why so many moms choose to stop breastfeeding earlier than they had hoped for - there are SO many challenges that you can come up against.<br />
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In addition to the thrush, we continued to have latch issues despite using the nipple shield intermittently. It seemed as though Sami perpetually had a shallow latch & would even make very faint clicking noises when he nursed. He also popped off frequently as well. I felt like as though we were still struggling <i>way</i> more than we should have been after 2 months. I originally wanted to breastfeed for a year, but at that point, I was skeptical that I would even be able to make it to 6 months. It was definitely time to seek outside help & schedule an at home lactation consultation.<br />
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<b>AT HOME LACTATION CONSULTATION</b></div>
The at-home visit was not covered by our insurance, but I was more than willing to pay the $250 to get some help & answers. The LC was super nice & asked me what my main concerns were. I gave her a brief synopsis of our history & explained that I was still having problems with basic nursing positions, latching, thrush, pain while nursing, and pain & sensitivity when not nursing as well. By that time, I was also convinced that he <i>did </i>in fact have a tongue tie that was severe enough to prevent a proper latch.<br />
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She took a look in Sami's mouth & confirmed that he not only had a tongue tie, but a lip tie as well! Once she explained how the tongue & lip ties were affecting his latch, it all made perfect sense! The tongue & lip ties explained why he always had such a shallow latch, had trouble making a good flange with his upper lip, & made clicking sounds when he nursed (you can read more on ties <a href="https://breastfeedingusa.org/content/article/tell-me-about-tongue-ties" target="_blank">here</a>). She recommended that Sami have both the lip & tongue tie revised through a frenulectomy as soon as possible.<br />
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The LC even seemed a little surprised no one had suggested it sooner. I explained to her how we <i>had </i>discussed it with both our first LC & pediatrician, but neither made us feel as if <i>we</i> <i>needed </i>the procedure to correct it. I also think a key reason no one felt an urgent need to revise his tongue tie was because he was actually gaining weight at a normal rate. Typically, babies with tongue/lip ties or latch issues also have trouble gaining weight, which signals an alarm that something must be wrong. The lesson here is that even if your baby <i>is</i> gaining weight normally, that doesn't mean there aren't underlying problems. If something doesn't feel right, you should trust your gut & get another opinion.<br />
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The next topic the LC went over with me was nursing positions & holds. First, she wanted to observe us & see how we did things normally. So I began to build my little pillow fort & started nursing. Right away, she noticed how uncomfortable I looked sitting so upright & I explained to her how I felt as though I <i>needed</i> to sit up so straight because it gave me more control of his head & neck while getting him latched. She said I should try "Laid Back Nursing" & recommended I watch some Nancy Mohrbacher videos. I tried to give it a shot, but holy hell, did it feel awkward! I could just feel myself tensing up as I tried to get him latched - it did not feel comfortable <i>at all</i>. I think it's important to note that the majority of my tension & apprehensiveness with latching was a result of my anticipation of the pain. I would venture to say if you are not having nipple pain you <i>might</i> have an easier time relaxing into a laid back nursing position.<br />
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I also explained that we were still suffering from thrush. When I told her the Nystatin wasn't working, she suggested that we try Gentian Violet instead. At the end of our consult, she gave me a couple of names of some pediatric ENT's in the area & told me to book an appointment asap. It felt so good to finally have a game plan, and potentially, some solutions to our breastfeeding problems.<br />
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I'm going to end Part 2 here & pick up in <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-nursing-chronicles-3-tongue-lip-tie.html#.V731jZgrI2w" target="_blank">Part 3</a> where I'll go into the next phase of our nursing journey which includes our experience with a frenulectomy. On a side note, if you <i>are </i>having troubles breastfeeding, I would definitely recommend an at-home lactation consultation, because they can assess you in <i>your </i>environment. I truly believe it was money well spent.<br />
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As always, let me know if you have any questions & thanks for reading!<br />
MelMelissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-37284368959625053672016-08-08T11:04:00.000-04:002016-08-16T13:35:53.717-04:00The Nursing Chronicles Part 1: The First 2 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For over a year now, I've had some miscellaneous thoughts regarding my breastfeeding experience scattered in a single blog post that has sat as an unfinished draft. However, with it being National Breastfeeding Awareness Month & World Breastfeeding Week, I felt like it was the perfect time to share my story & all the challenges we went through to get to where we are today.<br />
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Currently, Sami is almost 16 months old & we are still nursing about 3-4 times a day. I always said I wanted to make it to a year, but somehow that year came & went and here we are still going strong. I'm so thankful that it's like second nature for us now, but it was not an easy road in the beginning.<br />
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Being a new mom can be extremely lonely & isolating, and it's nice to know that you're not the only one going through those tough times. I hope that by sharing my story I can give encouragement to other mamas out there who may be going through a rough patch. It <i>will </i>get better! I'm also hopeful that my story might inform & educate new moms on topics they should be aware of for their own sake - there were SO many things I didn't even know to look out for until it was too late.<br />
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So where to begin? As I sat down & tried to recall all the different topics & stories I wanted to touch on, it became clear that I actually had a lot to say about the ups & downs of breastfeeding. I decided to break up my post into a mini blog series instead. Part 1 of this series will cover the first couple of weeks after Sami was born. Who knew so much could happen in just 2 short weeks? Here we go....<br />
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<b>1 DAY OLD: COLOSTRUM & LATCHING</b></div>
Shortly after Sami was born, I was wheeled out of the L&D room and into my own room. Once we were settled in, I made my first attempt at getting Sami to latch...EPIC FAIL. I was immediately dissapointed. How could I have just endured hours of labor, yet not even be able to breastfeed my baby? Part of the reason I opted for an <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2015/08/our-birth-story-bradley-method.html#.V6T1K7grI2w" target="_blank">unmediated birth</a> was because many studies have shown that an epidural-free birth can help facilitate latching & breastfeeding. So when it didn't come naturally & happen right away for us, I was confused to say the least.<br />
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I can't even tell you how awkward & uncomfortable it was. There wasn't one singular reason it wasn't working out, but rather a combination of several factors. Between my massive engorged boobs, mildy "flat" nipples (more on that later), Sami's tiny mouth, mountains of pillows, pregnancy induced carpal tunnel, & an un-diagnosed tongue & lip tie - we struggled BIG time.<br />
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After 45 minutes of excruciating nursing attempts, I finally relented and the nurse advised that I express the colostrum with my hand & feed it to Sami using my finger instead. I couldn't believe that a few drops of this liquid gold would really be enough for him....but it was. This is how I fed Sami for the first 6 hours of his life. He was born around three in the morning, but I wasn't able to get him "latched" until about 9:30 AM. Wouldn't you know it, by the time I finally <i>did </i>get him latched he fell asleep almost instantly. We tried everything to keep him awake, but nothing seemed to work...so back to expressing & feeding with my finger.<br />
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Over the next day, I would try to get him latched & nurse him every couple of hours. Some attempts would work, but he would inevitably fall asleep & stop sucking. The other half of the time I could just not get him on & so we would have to revert back to hand expressing drops of colostrum.<br />
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<b>1 DAY OLD: HOSPITAL LACTATION VISIT</b></div>
The day after Sami was born I asked to meet with the hospital lactation consultant. I explained to her that we were having a really difficult time latching. After taking a quick look at my boobs, she started nodding her head & proceeded to inform me that I had mildly flat nipples. Say what?! What the hell are flat nipples? They looked pretty normal to me.<br />
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That's when I learned about all the different types of nipple shapes & how they can impact breastfeeding. With a "normal" nipple, the infant's sucking reflex is initiated as it touches the roof of their mouth. However, there are many women who have short, flat, or even inverted nipples that may not be long or erect enough to help initiate that reflex which can ultimately contribute to latch issues. Apparently mine weren't completely flat, but they where on the shorter side which explained <i>part </i>of the reason why we were having so much trouble. Her only suggestion was that I could try pumping which may help to elongate them more.<br />
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She also gave me some advice on different nursing positions. We tried the football hold, cross cradle, & the regular cradle hold - but nothing felt natural or comfortable. We tried manipulating my boobs into every awkward position you could think of. The problem was that they were so full and firm - not pliable at all...and trying to fit them in a miniature mouth was almost impossible. My pregnancy induced carpal tunnel also made it very difficult to breastfeed because I had little to no strength in my wrists to support Sami's head & neck. As a result, my wrists constantly felt fatigued & sore. It was not a good combination.<br />
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By the end of our little consult, I still didn't feel very confident or comfortable about going home to nurse on my own, but I wanted out of that hospital so badly. In the back of my mind, I knew Sami's first doctor visit/lactation consultation was only a day away, so I figured we could survive the next 24 hours on our own.<br />
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<b>GOING HOME</b></div>
My milk started coming in about 36 hours after Sami was born. Luckily, I didn't have too much pain, just a lot of pressure. My main concern when we got home was if Sami was getting enough milk. As a first time mom, you just have absolutely no idea what you are doing. At least I didn't. I had no "mother's intuition" or special gut feelings that told me we were doing alright. I just worried the whole time.<br />
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We did the best we could, nursing every couple of hours through excruciating pain. Everyone kept telling me that it was going to hurt for the next few weeks. Before I knew it, I had cracked nipples & even started to bleed on one side. I freaked out & called our pediatrician's office to make sure it was still safe for Sami to nurse. They assured my that he would be fine & a little blood wouldn't hurt him.<br />
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At first, our nursing sessions would last anywhere from 10-20 minutes and gradually grew to last about 30-40 minutes. We nursed about 10-12 times in a 24 hour period. I chose to only nurse on one side per feeding & would pump the other side to build my freezer stockpile. The other reason I chose to only nurse on one side per session was so Sami would be able to get a good balance of both foremilk & hindmilk (more on foremilk & hindmilk <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQeZ70vNb0s" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
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<b>3 DAYS OLD: SAMI'S 1ST CHECKUP & LACTATION CONSULTATION</b></div>
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Sami was born on a Sunday, and on that Wednesday we had our first checkup with Sami's pediatrician. We also met with a lactation consultant the same day. I explained to the LC that I was still having a very difficult time getting a latch, and when I <i>did</i> - the pain was severe. She replied by saying that breastfeeding can hurt or be very uncomfortable for the first several weeks, but that I should never feel any "sharp" pain after 10 seconds into nursing. Many people had told me something similar, but it hurt the <i>entire</i> time for me.<br />
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Before our appointment, I had been reading some online forums pertaining to breastfeeding pain & I had come across the topic of tongue ties. When I brought this up to Nader, he told me that he actually had the same condition when <i>he </i>was a baby. After he told me that, I definitely thought it was worth mentioning to the LC. After peaking in Sami's mouth, she concluded that his frenulum was definitely tight, but that it might loosen up over time.<br />
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She also wanted to take a look at my nipple shape, as this can sometimes be a contributor to latch issues. Just like the nurse from the hospital, the LC reaffirmed that I did have fairly flat nipples. That's when she suggested that I might benefit from a nipple shield (you can read more info about nipple shields <a href="http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/tips-and-solutions/112/nipple-shields" target="_blank">here</a>). Of course, I had never heard of such a thing, but she assured me that they can be very helpful for persistent latch problems. The shield seemed humongous & almost comical at first. Nader & I both laughed when we saw it (you know, because we are mature like that).<br />
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She showed me how to put the shield on & then decided to do a test weigh to ensure he was eating enough with the shield. To do this, we simply got his pre-nursing & post-nursing weight to determine how much actual milk he was getting. After about 25 minutes of nursing, Sami had transferred about 3 ounces, which she said was a good feeding for a 3 day old.<br />
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It still hurt to nurse with the shield on, but I would say it felt a <i>little</i> bit better than it normally did. I felt a huge surge of relief knowing that he was getting enough milk & that I had a solution that could help us with our latch problem....that is until she started talking about how crucial it was that we NOT become dependent upon it. She suggested using the shield for the first 2 minutes of nursing, but advised that I should try to remove it & get him to latch naturally for the rest of the feeding.<br />
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The LC also gave me some other suggestions that might help heal the cracks in my nipples. First, she said to always let them dry out after nursing. She recommended applying my own breast milk, ointments such as lanolin or Honest Co Balm, & even olive or coconut oil. She also suggested hydrogel pads or regular breast pads (as long as I changed them frequently).<br />
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Once I got home, I still felt relief knowing we could utilize the nipple shield, but I also felt this enormous pressure not to use it <i>too</i> much. While I did try to remove the shield mid feed, more often than not I just left it on for fear of trying to remove it & having to re-latch Sami. I dreaded that process SO much.<br />
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It was honestly like a major production just to feed this little creature. I had mountains of pillows & nursing pillows surrounding me, always trying to find the perfect comfortable set-up. Let's face it, if I was going to sit in the same position, unable to move for 30+ minutes - I wanted to be comfortable. Once I was finally in a semi-cozy position, I had to get the nipple shield on (which was a hassle in and of itself most of the time). Then I had to have someone hand Sami to me & try to get him latched without knocking off the nipple shield. It. Was. A. Process.<br />
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This is how we rolled for the next week - it did not feel natural or easy, but we made it work. He always had plenty of wet & poo diapers, which is always a good indicator of milk consumption. The pain never got better, but I assumed that it would be awhile before it felt "normal".<br />
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Some people may wonder why I didn't just pump & feed him bottles. The truth is that I was scared of "nipple confusion" & was so worried that he wouldn't be able to breastfeed normally after bottle feeding. I figured that he was already having so many latch problems as it was & I didn't want to confuse him even more. Had he not been getting enough milk from breastfeeding, then I would have switched over to pumping, but he happened to be getting plenty.</div>
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<b>2 WEEKS OLD: SAMI'S 2 WEEK CHECKUP & MASTITIS</b></div>
The following week, we went to see the pediatrician for Sami's 2 week checkup. His doctor asked me how breastfeeding was going & I informed her about our situation. Although I had already inquired about the tongue tie with the LC, I decided to ask our pediatrician about it too. After taking a look in Sami's mouth, I remember her saying something about a "frenulectomy", but she never once suggested that this was a procedure that <i>we</i> should consider. I was told again that nursing will be painful at first, especially since I had deep cracks. <br />
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One of the last things she said to me before we left was, "Just be careful that you're nursing or pumping enough throughout the day, you don't want to get a clogged duct...or even worse - mastitis. Mastitis is just <i>nasty</i>!". I remember thinking to myself, "Oh ok...I have no idea what that is, but I'm pretty sure I don't need to worry about that."<br />
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Oh the irony. Less than 2 hours later, I started noticing a hard, red, warm, & painful spot on my left breast. Within an hour, I also started feeling an achy soreness creeping into my lower back. By that evening, I felt like I was dying. After a Google search, I realized that I most likely had this horrible condition our pediatrician had mentioned earlier in the day. Seriously, like what are the chances?!<br />
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I've heard other women describe mastitis as a flu on steroids & I would say that's pretty accurate. For me, EVERY part of my body ached, it hurt to move, and it even hurt to touch my skin. I was already exhausted from being a new mom, but the mastitis just took me over the edge. It took everything in my being to get up out of bed to go to the bathroom or nurse Sami. Unfortunately, I had not managed to successfully nurse while lying down, so that was not an option for me either. I tried everything to help remedy the clogged duct - hot showers, warm compresses, massaging, nursing/pumping...but nothing seemed to help it at that point.<br />
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That evening, I had the worst night ever - fever, chills, & aches like you wouldn't believe. By the next morning I knew that I had to call my OB & get treated. The redness on my breast was also starting to spread & streak outward. I called their office & told the nurse that I was 99.9% sure I had developed mastitis from a clogged duct. After I described my symptoms, she agreed that it sounded like mastitis, but that they wouldn't be able to prescribe me any antibiotics without seeing my OB first. I begged her to just call in the Rx at my pharmacy, but she said I <i>had </i>to see the doctor. At the time, I thought they were so evil for not accommodating my wishes...as the thought of having to physically get myself and Sami ready, get him loaded in the car, & drive to the hospital felt like an enormous task. Thank god I had my mom there to help me.<br />
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Once we were at the doctor's office, my OB took one look at me & confirmed my suspicions that I had mastitis. She posited that I had either developed an infection from the clogged duct or possibly even contracted an infection as a result of my cracked nipples. She gave me an Rx for antibiotics and told me to to limit my sugar intake, eat lots of yogurt, & take a probiotic.<br />
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You guys probably already know that, while antibiotics kill off any bad bacteria in your body, they also knock out all the good bacteria as well. Without an abundance of good bacteria, fungus like yeast can start to multiply more rapidly. Eating yogurt & taking a probiotic can help reduce the risk of a yeast infection. Unfortunately, I didn't really follow doctors orders in regards to the yogurt or the probiotic. Even so, I felt MUCH better within a day or so.<br />
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<b>ANTIBIOTICS & THRUSH?</b></div>
A few days later, I started noticing little white spots on the inside of Sami's mouth - mostly on the inside of his cheeks & under his lips. Back to Google I went, and found that they were either milk stains or yeast overgrowth. As it turned out, they didn't go away when I tried to rub them off, which meant Sami most likely had oral thrush. In addition to that awesomeness, I started noticing the tell tale signs of a vaginal yeast infection. UGH. We just couldn't catch a break...<br />
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I'm going wrap up Part 1 on that note - you're welcome ;)<br />
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I'll be picking up the story at Sami's 1 month check-up & fill you in on what happened with the thrush situation in <a href="http://duoventures.blogspot.com/2016/08/nursing-chronicles-part-2-thrush-tongue.html#.V7NO4JgrI2w" target="_blank">Part 2</a>...<br />
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Thanks for reading & if you have ANY questions, please let me know!<br />
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MelMelissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49929656109069014.post-75497964677614153042016-07-07T13:05:00.000-04:002016-07-07T13:31:09.968-04:00Oxo Tot Transitions Sippy Cup Review<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="text-align: center;">It's no secret that we're big fans of the Oxo Tot brand around here, having already purchased their </span><a href="https://www.oxo.com/products/baby-toddler/seating/oxo-tot-sprouttm-chair#gray-white" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Sprout High Chair</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="https://www.oxo.com/products/baby-toddler/feeding/oxo-tot-baby-food-freezer-tray-2-pack" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Baby Food Freezer Trays</a><span style="text-align: center;">, </span><a href="http://us.oxotot.com/cL9v0S" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Roll Up Bibs</a><span style="text-align: center;">, & their </span><a href="https://www.oxo.com/products/baby-toddler/feeding/oxo-tot-divided-plate-with-removable-ring#aqua" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Divided Plate</a><span style="text-align: center;"> for toddlers. What I love most about this brand is their ability to combine both form & function within their products. Not only are they more aesthetically pleasing than your average "baby" product, but they are actually thoughtfully designed with both parents & kids in mind. This company is amazing at creating items that can grow with your child & I love that we really get a lot of bang for our buck with this brand.</span></div>
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The innovative folks over at <a href="https://www.oxo.com/products/baby-toddler" target="_blank">Oxo Tot</a> have recently launched a new line of sippy cups for babies & toddlers & when they asked if we'd be interested in trying them out, I was on board! They were kind enough to send us a <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/FJR3RZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Transitions Soft Spout Sippy Cup Set</a> & a <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/RaMzjr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">9 oz. Transitions Sippy Cup</a> to try out for ourselves. They also sent along a couple more goodies, including a <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/Wp9jka" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cleaning Set for Straw & Sippy Cups</a> & a <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/cL9v0S" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roll-Up Bib</a>!</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YN74BXqO3u0/V33GTVmw7NI/AAAAAAAAJEo/vcgG-hHLi8gnPOYcmdy1tph8bUhm7BQHgCLcB/s1600/oxo%2Btot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YN74BXqO3u0/V33GTVmw7NI/AAAAAAAAJEo/vcgG-hHLi8gnPOYcmdy1tph8bUhm7BQHgCLcB/s1600/oxo%2Btot.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Ironically, Sami has been showing a lot of interest in drinking out of our cups as of late, so it was actually the perfect opportunity to try out the <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/FJR3RZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Transitions Training Cup Set</a>. Just like the name suggests, this cup will grow with your baby, helping your little one transition from bottle or breast and will eventually convert into a regular cup once they're ready!</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AnXC-ZnlUmI/V3108X6Y4CI/AAAAAAAAJCk/6v8_MF2by7IqrVCEwiVZ7iVrGlmgP5C-wCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2BSet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AnXC-ZnlUmI/V3108X6Y4CI/AAAAAAAAJCk/6v8_MF2by7IqrVCEwiVZ7iVrGlmgP5C-wCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2BSet.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="text-align: justify;">The cup comes with a soft silicone spout, but it </span><i style="text-align: justify;">also</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> includes a cap to keep it clean & prevent leaks. None of our existing sippy cups had caps, and they would occasionally leak in our diaper bag even though they were supposed to be "leak proof". The option of this cap ensures you won't have any spills, which is always a good thing since we have enough to clean up as it is. #amiright?!</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qClKQ4oUpnU/V31vGsZ7-hI/AAAAAAAAJCU/zMDC5bgzLA4ljh4MYsikituJFzorL3PwwCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2BCap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qClKQ4oUpnU/V31vGsZ7-hI/AAAAAAAAJCU/zMDC5bgzLA4ljh4MYsikituJFzorL3PwwCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2BCap.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5i37w0VCBdw/V325MqQtphI/AAAAAAAAJDg/fLYs_vfrWAc_0ZcHgcMbcUWAwsfXeq0ugCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5i37w0VCBdw/V325MqQtphI/AAAAAAAAJDg/fLYs_vfrWAc_0ZcHgcMbcUWAwsfXeq0ugCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YIz10z86f9k/V326g99e-8I/AAAAAAAAJDs/h1WkzG5XA5Mf1gSCQFC2fzu_Y1mET-REgCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YIz10z86f9k/V326g99e-8I/AAAAAAAAJDs/h1WkzG5XA5Mf1gSCQFC2fzu_Y1mET-REgCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Another cool feature on this cup are the removable handles. They are nice to have when your child needs help holding the cup, but conveniently come off when needed. Sippy cups with handles never seem to fit in our stroller cup holders anyway, so I love having the ability to take the handles off when we go for a walk.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2n668oZXCnA/V3570iGjVgI/AAAAAAAAJFk/TBhaOV6Cx5wV9fY00_I8Bk1IC7VvLLO-ACLcB/s1600/oxo%2Bhandles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2n668oZXCnA/V3570iGjVgI/AAAAAAAAJFk/TBhaOV6Cx5wV9fY00_I8Bk1IC7VvLLO-ACLcB/s1600/oxo%2Bhandles.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">In my opinion, the most unique & innovative feature in this set is the "training lid" - a clear</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">perforated disc that not only helps to control the flow of liquid, but also allows the child to see inside & learn how far to tip the cup while drinking.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-csBoUnAcbWw/V327YfFI1gI/AAAAAAAAJD0/kvaffl7PAFYsX4s36UgKURXiX_5NQOtkgCLcB/s1600/oxo%2Bdisc%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-csBoUnAcbWw/V327YfFI1gI/AAAAAAAAJD0/kvaffl7PAFYsX4s36UgKURXiX_5NQOtkgCLcB/s1600/oxo%2Bdisc%2B3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Once they get the hang of it, you can remove the disc & the cup can then be used as a regular "big-kid" cup. Pretty cool, right?!</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45hUSdRjsC0/V350h1RSolI/AAAAAAAAJFE/nSJF0n90dLQNbtXiFwG2NmsySVJ1mN_uQCLcB/s1600/oxo%2Bopen%2Bcup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45hUSdRjsC0/V350h1RSolI/AAAAAAAAJFE/nSJF0n90dLQNbtXiFwG2NmsySVJ1mN_uQCLcB/s1600/oxo%2Bopen%2Bcup.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="text-align: start;">Sami was seriously SO excited to have a grown up cup of his own! In fact, he was a little <i>too </i>eager to try it at first. However, because he was able to see the water inside the cup, he quickly learned how far he needed to tip it back. He's still a work in progress, but we've been practicing with the <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/FJR3RZ" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Training Cup</a> at lunchtime. In the meantime, the <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/cL9v0S" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Roll-Up Bib</a> helps to catch any spillage!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RtN3jRxBv6k/V328t-OyhGI/AAAAAAAAJEA/z5sHO7Ey64MGN8bcj2M_nzQZrefcr9IUQCLcB/s1600/oxo%2B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RtN3jRxBv6k/V328t-OyhGI/AAAAAAAAJEA/z5sHO7Ey64MGN8bcj2M_nzQZrefcr9IUQCLcB/s1600/oxo%2B3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">The first time I ever saw a toddler wearing this bib, I remember thinking to myself, "Is that pocket thing <i>really </i>necessary?". Well, I can tell you from my own personal experience - YES. I can't even tell you how much food & how many spills actually </span><i style="text-align: start;">do</i><span style="text-align: start;"> get caught in that silicone pocket. I always joke with my husband that we usually get at least 2 or 3 more bites just from the food that falls into the bib. Sami will even pick up the food bits himself when he accidentally drops something!</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PJc3owTAghE/V3295DYbuqI/AAAAAAAAJEM/q5adEnVYPngdKeAcITgfhY2SW_a1e8x1gCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PJc3owTAghE/V3295DYbuqI/AAAAAAAAJEM/q5adEnVYPngdKeAcITgfhY2SW_a1e8x1gCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2B4.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3_aBsTUskUw/V32_ZoJYlFI/AAAAAAAAJEY/HhfpVnappsIKJpLupOGEPABf8VNs04j0wCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3_aBsTUskUw/V32_ZoJYlFI/AAAAAAAAJEY/HhfpVnappsIKJpLupOGEPABf8VNs04j0wCLcB/s1600/Oxo%2B5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">There is also the larger </span><a href="http://us.oxotot.com/RaMzjr" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">9 oz. Transitions Sippy Cup</a><span style="text-align: left;"> version which is nice if you need to hold more liquid. This sippy cup is leakproof, with a twist-in valve that was designed to make it easy for kids to drink, but also stay sealed tight when tipped over. #winwin</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YwIe-4RkMlQ/V32z118xLxI/AAAAAAAAJDM/PonlFji8fbETpJrQrBXeLi29UhZ66kymwCKgB/s1600/Oxo%2B9%2Boz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YwIe-4RkMlQ/V32z118xLxI/AAAAAAAAJDM/PonlFji8fbETpJrQrBXeLi29UhZ66kymwCKgB/s1600/Oxo%2B9%2Boz.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A9eWAV5M7fE/V32z10HJrCI/AAAAAAAAJDQ/HU7F-fNM-Xgjm1yO3wvEfVtrBime24KVQCKgB/s1600/Oxo%2B9%2Boz%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A9eWAV5M7fE/V32z10HJrCI/AAAAAAAAJDQ/HU7F-fNM-Xgjm1yO3wvEfVtrBime24KVQCKgB/s1600/Oxo%2B9%2Boz%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The best part is that all the Oxo Tot components are interchangeable & you can create any sippy cup combo you'd like!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ps5kq2yp5UA/V32xmb-cdYI/AAAAAAAAJDE/SZbSl8NxeWIJ5H_7TKey32GyL2HbYAJtQCKgB/s1600/Oxo%2Binterchange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ps5kq2yp5UA/V32xmb-cdYI/AAAAAAAAJDE/SZbSl8NxeWIJ5H_7TKey32GyL2HbYAJtQCKgB/s1600/Oxo%2Binterchange.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thankfully, the sippy cups were designed to be easy to clean, but it doesn't hurt to have the <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/Wp9jka" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cleaning Set for Straw & Sippy Cups</a>. The set includes a straw brush, lid brush, & a spout cleaner. They are so useful in fact, that I've also been using them to clean other items, like our reusable baby food pouches. I love that they come on a little hook, making them easy to dry & store. I like to keep the set on a Command Hook that's placed on the inside of the cabinet door.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Br9CE-Xs5o/V35zuk4XvbI/AAAAAAAAJE4/-avch711grc-1OvV1m1pNdqQLPwLgTZNACLcB/s1600/oxo%2Bcleaning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5Br9CE-Xs5o/V35zuk4XvbI/AAAAAAAAJE4/-avch711grc-1OvV1m1pNdqQLPwLgTZNACLcB/s1600/oxo%2Bcleaning.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After using the cups for a couple of weeks, I can say that we've found another Oxo Tot product to add to our lineup. My only critique would be that they add a glass option to their line. Although the cups are BPA, PVC, & phthlate free, I know there are still some families out there that prefer glass over any other material. I also hope they add the Gray bib color to some more of their other products as well (currently they offer three main color options - Aqua, Green Apple, & Pink).<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i9Khif0i5nM/V3qlF7LIxtI/AAAAAAAAJBo/RBr_0K8RTIk1QxUsTBvtjDWEllX_3gRcACLcB/s1600/IMG_9189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i9Khif0i5nM/V3qlF7LIxtI/AAAAAAAAJBo/RBr_0K8RTIk1QxUsTBvtjDWEllX_3gRcACLcB/s1600/IMG_9189.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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All in all, I would definitely recommend both the <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/FJR3RZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Transitions Soft Spout Sippy Cup Set</a> & the <a href="http://us.oxotot.com/RaMzjr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">9 oz. Transitions Sippy Cup</a> to any parents looking for a quality sippy cup that can grow with your child! You can check out their full line of baby & toddler products @ <a href="https://www.oxo.com/products/baby-toddler" target="_blank">www.oxo.com</a>.<br />
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Please let me know if you have any questions!</div>
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Mel</div>
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<i>Disclosure: </i><i>While I was not compensated for this post, I did receive products in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.</i></div>
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Melissa Sabrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12536085498165169277noreply@blogger.com2