One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ S One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ So blessed to call this family mine!
Just beachy 🌴 Just beachy 🌴
Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and I have been pretty go-with-the-flow with Cleo, we've found that she's been getting overly tired at night and almost inconsolable. So the last few nights we've been intentionally putting her to bed around the same time as Davey and Evy and she's actually been loving it? Go figure (also, not complaining! 😆).

Also.. today I walked out of the house to grab something from the car and this 10~ year old girl was walking by with her mom and she goes, "Mom she looks like Barbie!!"

Well that's the best compliment I've had in a while and I'm gonna hold onto it 💖
I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" ty I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" type person, and for the most part that's true. But what I've realized recently is that I'm good at going with the flow when I can see a good outcome down the road. But if I smell trouble, "go with the flow" Chelsea is gone with the wind 🌬️

This week we were working on memorizing some Bible verses with the kids. Evy randomly chose Psalm 119:105, "Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way, it is like a light that guides me."

It made me think about how all through scripture, God is just BEGGING us to trust that he has it all figured out. And time and time again, he comes through and does exactly what he says he's going to do. 

But for whatever reason, whenever anything unexpected happens, we immediately think that we need to jump in and control the situation. Some of us are really good at it, too. So it can be really difficult to leave the unknown in God's hands and trust that, yet again, he will provide. 

In this season of unknown for us, I'm praying daily for God to do His will with our family, that he would use us for good, and that we would trust the outcome. It's a scary thing to pray. But ultimately, that's exactly how we hope our short lives will be used—following the path he leads us.
Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no be Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no better feeling than getting to know the wonderful person she is growing into. We're so proud of this girl!! 6 is going to be a great year 💕
I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every hour last night 🙃🙃 

Outfit @honest 🦋
Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
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Baby, Family, Motherhood, Sponsored · June 30, 2017

How To Prepare Your Dog For a New Baby

Bringing home a new baby can be an exciting AND scary time! Every member of your family, including the furry ones, are going to face a lot of changes and at times, if can be hard for dogs to cope- even the most family-friendly ones! But don’t lose hope, there are several ways you can prepare your dog for the arrival of a newborn before and during the transition.

Bringing home a new baby can be an exciting AND scary time! Every member of your family, including the furry ones, are going to face a lot of changes and at times, if can be hard for dogs to cope- even the most family-friendly ones! But don’t lose hope, there are several ways you can prepare your dog for the arrival of a newborn before and during the transition.

1 | Socialize them

Want to reduce the shock that might happen when you bring home a new baby? Try getting them used to little loud things before you introduce your newborn to puppy. Chances are, your dog is used to the way things are at home. If you get them used to a little more ruckus and introduce new boundaries before bringing home a new baby, the transition won’t be as difficult. One way to do this is to bring them to a dog park fairly often (especially good if this is done early when they’re still young) to get them used to the boundaries of other pets. If your dog plays too rough with the furry friends at the park, chances are they’ll let your puppy know. Another way to get your doggie socialized is to have friends bring over their kids and have a little playtime with your pup. Of course, you’ll have to be mindful if your dog already has a temperament that will make them good with children. You’ll also want to be careful not to overwhelm your puppy. Invite children over who will be happy but calm around your puppy and limit the playing time so that your doggie doesn’t get overwhelmed. Spending time with small children ahead of time can be a great way to ease the shock of bringing home a newborn!

2 | Teach them to get out of the way

If your doggie loves to lay around the house any old place and you find yourself stepping over him or her a lot, it might be a good idea to teach your pup how to dodge you. This way, when baby starts to crawl and eventually walk (and inevitably fall over) your dog will hopefully already be out of the way and not startled when baby falls. It might take a little tough love, but overall it will be best for everyone involved. When walking through the house, don’t avoid your dog if he’s in your way. Instead, give him a little nudge until he moves out of the way. This is a physical (non-verbal), gentle way to get them to move. Pretty soon they’ll begin to anticipate you and move before you can nudge them and- better yet- get out of the way for baby!

3 | Train your baby

From the time our son was little, we’ve always taught him to be extremely gentle with our dog. Our dog has a great temperament anyway, but who wants their faces slapped or ears tugged on by an overly excited toddler, anyway? We very intentionally showed our son where to pet and how to pet our dog in a way that wouldn’t hurt, overly excite him, or get him nervous. Now that our son is almost 3 he and the dog chase each other around the house daily! But they both have a great sense of boundaries and respect for each other.

4 | Familiarize them with baby’s scent

After baby is born, you’ll have a couple days in the hospital before returning home. Have an outfit that the baby has worn (or hat, blanket, etc.) and give it to your house sitter to introduce to your puppy. A good idea is to also leave the item by their kennel or bed just to get them extra used to baby’s smell. Better yet, give your pup a treat when they sniff the outfit or blanket in order to help them associate baby’s smell with something positive!

5 | Use a balanced behavior supplement

It’s ok if you’re nervous about introducing a new baby to your dog for the first time. Although dogs are a huge part of any family, you wouldn’t want to risk anything happening to your irreplaceable child. It might only take your pup a couple of days or weeks to realize that this new human is not a threat and until then, there are ways to help keep them calm in the meantime.  If you have someone house/dog sitting for you while in the hospital, have them start giving your pet Zylkene a couple days before you come home with baby.

Bringing home a new baby can be an exciting AND scary time! Every member of your family, including the furry ones, are going to face a lot of changes and at times, if can be hard for dogs to cope- even the most family-friendly ones! But don’t lose hope, there are several ways you can prepare your dog for the arrival of a newborn before and during the transition.

Zylkene uses a molecule derived from casein which is found in milk, and is clinically proved to relax and calm your cat or dog without causing sedation or drowsiness. Zylkene can be a HUGE asset when helping pet cope with new or unusual situations like bringing home a newborn! We Have a 60 lb. German Shorthaired Pointer who is extremely family friendly, but he is also extremely excitable! We also live just down the road from a baseball stadium that likes to put off fireworks every weekend (not a great combination). Zylkene has been great with helping our pup cope with the loud noises and excitability of bringing home our newest addition. Give it a try and ask for Zylkene by name from your vet! #ZylkeneDifference

Zylkene is available at your veterinary clinic or online. Visit the Zylkene website for details or ask your veterinary clinic for it by name. For more information about Zylkene, visit their website here, LIKE them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram.

Bringing home a new baby can be an exciting AND scary time! Every member of your family, including the furry ones, are going to face a lot of changes and at times, if can be hard for dogs to cope- even the most family-friendly ones! But don’t lose hope, there are several ways you can prepare your dog for the arrival of a newborn before and during the transition.

What challenging situation do your pets have to cope with?

Bringing home a new baby can be an exciting AND scary time! Every member of your family, including the furry ones, are going to face a lot of changes and at times, if can be hard for dogs to cope- even the most family-friendly ones! But don’t lose hope, there are several ways you can prepare your dog for the arrival of a newborn before and during the transition.

Zylkene is ideal for pets to help cope with various challenging situations, such as loud noises (fireworks, thunderstorms), traveling with pets, etc.  Ask for Zylkene by name at your veterinary clinic, or purchase it online.

Click here to learn more about Zylkene non-drowsy calming supplements for your dog or cat.

This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation that contains affiliate links. I received Zylkene products for my own personal review. All opinions, text and experiences are my own.

If your pet’s behavior changes suddenly in any way, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. He or she can rule out any underlying medical issues as well as make additional recommendations. Consult your veterinarian before giving your pet Zylkene. Follow the recommended administration on the package, unless otherwise instructed by your veterinarian.




 

In: Baby, Family, Motherhood, Sponsored · Tagged: baby, child, dog, doggie, family, help, home, hospital, infant, newborn, noads, pregnant, puppy, scent, socialize, sponsored, supplement, teach, train, zylkene

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Comments

  1. Angela Tolsma says

    June 30, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    I love your second trip, moving the dog nicely makes a huge difference. Your puppy is adorable!

  2. Cassie says

    June 30, 2017 at 10:17 pm

    It can be an adjustment period for sure and sometimes people don’t really realise and it can definitely have bad consequences! Love your ideas here!

  3. Karen Morse says

    July 1, 2017 at 12:30 am

    It’s not impossible especially since dogs are known to be gentle and caring around babies. I think it’s important to involve them and give them some attention. These are great tips!

  4. Toughcookiemommy says

    July 1, 2017 at 8:04 pm

    When our older son was born, we had to prepare our dog for bringing the baby home. If not, the dog can get jealous and resentful.

  5. Cindy Ingalls says

    July 2, 2017 at 8:07 pm

    I’ve never had t ogive my dog a supplement, but it’s nice to know this is an option. Bringing home a new baby is an adjustment for everyone, especially for dogs so it does take some time and patience.

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Hi! I'm Chelsea and we're the Damon's. We spent the last two years in WA state paying off student loans and just bought our first house in SC! I love a smooth black coffee, Josh's first love is the Seattle Sounders. Our kids are huge dorks and constantly make us laugh and we all love spending as much time outside as possible.

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One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ S One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ So blessed to call this family mine!
Just beachy 🌴 Just beachy 🌴
Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and I have been pretty go-with-the-flow with Cleo, we've found that she's been getting overly tired at night and almost inconsolable. So the last few nights we've been intentionally putting her to bed around the same time as Davey and Evy and she's actually been loving it? Go figure (also, not complaining! 😆).

Also.. today I walked out of the house to grab something from the car and this 10~ year old girl was walking by with her mom and she goes, "Mom she looks like Barbie!!"

Well that's the best compliment I've had in a while and I'm gonna hold onto it 💖
I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" ty I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" type person, and for the most part that's true. But what I've realized recently is that I'm good at going with the flow when I can see a good outcome down the road. But if I smell trouble, "go with the flow" Chelsea is gone with the wind 🌬️

This week we were working on memorizing some Bible verses with the kids. Evy randomly chose Psalm 119:105, "Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way, it is like a light that guides me."

It made me think about how all through scripture, God is just BEGGING us to trust that he has it all figured out. And time and time again, he comes through and does exactly what he says he's going to do. 

But for whatever reason, whenever anything unexpected happens, we immediately think that we need to jump in and control the situation. Some of us are really good at it, too. So it can be really difficult to leave the unknown in God's hands and trust that, yet again, he will provide. 

In this season of unknown for us, I'm praying daily for God to do His will with our family, that he would use us for good, and that we would trust the outcome. It's a scary thing to pray. But ultimately, that's exactly how we hope our short lives will be used—following the path he leads us.

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One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ S One of the best Mother's Days! Thanks fam ❤️ So blessed to call this family mine!
Just beachy 🌴 Just beachy 🌴
Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and Some photos of life recently. As much as Josh and I have been pretty go-with-the-flow with Cleo, we've found that she's been getting overly tired at night and almost inconsolable. So the last few nights we've been intentionally putting her to bed around the same time as Davey and Evy and she's actually been loving it? Go figure (also, not complaining! 😆).

Also.. today I walked out of the house to grab something from the car and this 10~ year old girl was walking by with her mom and she goes, "Mom she looks like Barbie!!"

Well that's the best compliment I've had in a while and I'm gonna hold onto it 💖
I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" ty I've always seen myself as a "go with the flow" type person, and for the most part that's true. But what I've realized recently is that I'm good at going with the flow when I can see a good outcome down the road. But if I smell trouble, "go with the flow" Chelsea is gone with the wind 🌬️

This week we were working on memorizing some Bible verses with the kids. Evy randomly chose Psalm 119:105, "Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way, it is like a light that guides me."

It made me think about how all through scripture, God is just BEGGING us to trust that he has it all figured out. And time and time again, he comes through and does exactly what he says he's going to do. 

But for whatever reason, whenever anything unexpected happens, we immediately think that we need to jump in and control the situation. Some of us are really good at it, too. So it can be really difficult to leave the unknown in God's hands and trust that, yet again, he will provide. 

In this season of unknown for us, I'm praying daily for God to do His will with our family, that he would use us for good, and that we would trust the outcome. It's a scary thing to pray. But ultimately, that's exactly how we hope our short lives will be used—following the path he leads us.
Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no be Happy 6th birthday to the OG sister! There's no better feeling than getting to know the wonderful person she is growing into. We're so proud of this girl!! 6 is going to be a great year 💕
I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every I'd want to sleep all day, too, if I were up every hour last night 🙃🙃 

Outfit @honest 🦋
Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, Anyone see our other kids lately?? 😜 You know, it's so funny how some parts of the newborn phase have been like muscle memory and others have been like we've had our first born all over again. 

We were worried about how David and Evy would feel with this new family member but they have been so sweet that it brings tears to my eyes to put it into words. I was especially worried about Ev being supplanted as the youngest but, honestly, being the big sister suits her SO well and I think she's been loving it, too. 

I've also loved getting to experience this again with Josh. The way you band together during the newborn phase especially is very bonding. You rely on each other deeply and it's not always cute or pretty. 

Super grateful 💗
To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going To the best big brother and sister. Cleo is going to think she has the coolest, smartest, bravest big siblings in the world, and she's not wrong 😉
She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early She's here 🌷 Cleo Renée was born 2 weeks early on Saturday March 11 at 1:52 in the morning. 

Josh and I just had a feeling about that day (Friday), so we kept the kids out of school, went out to breakfast, and just spent our last day together as a family of four. 

My contractions started right after my 38 week appointment that morning and progressed throughout the day until around 4pm when I thought, "Mmk, I'm starting to really need to breathe through these. Better go in."

I was so convinced they were going to turn us away that it really didn't hit me that we were actually going to meet our girl that night until we'd been there for a few hours already. 

Baby girl ended up being 7lbs 15oz and 20in long!

We are all so in love. David and Evy are OBSESSED. A few times their friends have come to the door to ask them to play and they've said they'd rather stay home with the baby 😄

We are so blessed and thankful for this little girl ❤️
How to use a French hair pin. I love these things How to use a French hair pin. I love these things because they can hold up even my thick and chunky hair and I don't have a large clip sticking off the back of my head (don't get me wrong, I love a good hair clip, too)! Have you tried one yet??

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