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Toddlers are a rare breed. All of a sudden, your sweet little baby realizes they have the power to make choices. And once they realize that, they start testing that power. Over and over and over, all day long…
Opinions, emotions, and tantrums, oh my!
This post was sponsored by Eli Supplemental Newborn Screening, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Becoming a mom was one of the biggest, most life-changing events of my life so far. All of a sudden, I was 100% responsible for another person. There were so many things to think about and plan, and all the decisions and choices regarding this new tiny life were up to me. It was, and still is, incredibly overwhelming! After all, all moms want to make the right choices for their babies. You do all the research you can – you read the books, talk to other moms, and listen to your pediatrician. But ultimately, each decision is up to you.
When I had my first baby, I relied heavily on the advice of those around me, but honestly didn’t do much outside research of my own. When I was pregnant with my second child, I knew better and decided to really look into my options on lots of topics like birth, breastfeeding, and sleep training. But one thing I didn’t even think to look at was the type of screening available for newborns for treatable diseases.
Thankfully, both of my children were healthy. But thinking back, I really wish I had done my research. I didn’t realize that pediatricians don’t test for all of the possible conditions that may affect newborns. Conditions that are treatable if they’re caught early on. Most states screen for the conditions on the federal government’s “Recommended Uniform Screening Panel.” But there are up to 32 other possible conditions that can be treated if they’re caught early enough. Even if you had extensive prenatal screening.
Eli is a newborn screening service that screens for an additional 32 treatable conditions and risks. Eli is at the forefront of newborn screening technology to provide accurate and reliable screening results for additional treatable conditions. The process is simple – just order your kit before your due date, bring the kit to your newborn’s first pediatric visit (where your doctor or nurse will collect the required samples), ship the samples back, and receive the results in a week. You’ll have all the information you need to make informed decisions about the health of your newborn. You can worry less, and focus more on the joy that comes with having a sweet new little baby. Eli also offers genetic counselors to answer questions and help guide care so your baby will have the happiest, healthiest start!
This post was sponsored by Smile Brilliant but all opinions are my own!
For the last 6 years, my life has been centered around my kids. And as much as I love those little boogers, I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to focus more on myself this year. I really started to realize I needed to put some time into fulfilling my own wishes and desires when I decided to start this blog. I noticed that as my kids got older and more independent, I had more time that I needed to fill. That’s why I started blogging! It’s been so much fun creating content and really developing my brand. But this year I’m going to do even more to make sure that I feel like a person, and not just “Mama.”
A few weekends ago I took off for a girls weekend with a few of my mom-friends. There’s nothing like a weekend away from your family where you can spend all your time…complaining about your family, right? Ha! Seriously though, when we weren’t talking about our kids or our husbands, we were sipping on wine and cocktails, playing board games and card games, snacking on junk food, and laughing the hours away! It was the best. A much-needed break for all of us tired, worn out mamas.
One of our favorite spring activities is strawberry picking at Washington Farms, a local strawberry farm. The kids love running up and down the rows, filling up their buckets and sneaking a few of the fresh-off-the-vine-strawberries. After a few minutes, their clothes and fingers are stained with strawberry juice. And of course, I love cooking and baking with the berries. Strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberry salad, strawberries with cream, strawberry jam bars – the yummy possibilities are endless!
Sunshine and Holly is a participant in the DCV Rentals Associates Program and receives a small earning with each booking through the DVC rental links on this site.
