Cradle Cap. "Ew" (in my best Jimmy Fallon voice)

For a few weeks now, Rainbow Evan has had really dry skin on her forehead. I am talking her entire forehead, down to her eyebrows. I didn't think much of it, because it didn't go up into her hairline. Then the other day, I had her in the Moby wrap while I went for a walk with my mom and I smelled her head- after all it is right there, and what smells better than a baby's head? Well I'll tell you- ANYTHING! Oh my god, my baby's head smelled like a foot! Immediately I assumed I'm the scent had just been transferred to her head from Jesse the night before- he sits on the floor and props her head on his feet with her looking up at him. So I figured his feet left the scent. No big deal, it was bath night. Fast forward a few hours to me sitting in the Kroger parking lot nursing Evan in the front seat of my car before I finish my grocery shopping, and I noticed yellow crusty skin on her forehead and the top of her head, into her hairline. So I smelled it again. Good god, that's where the smell was coming from.  I started googling what I could do to get rid of it and prevent it. I figured there was some type of shampoo I could pick up, and I was getting ready to go into the store. The internet said to loosen the scales (perfect because I loooooove picking and popping anything on the skin), and then to put some olive oil on the site.

When I was in the store, I went to the baby aisle, expecting to find a bottle of "cradle cap treatment," but obviously that didn't happen. I did find some natural brand of baby oil, but that was $10 for a small bottle, and since you don't know me, I'll just tell you- I'm cheap. However, I am also pretty good at figuring things out on my own, and creating my own "potions," as Princess Charlie says. So I looked at the list of ingredients, and figured I could create my own skin nourishing oil at home to get rid of this damn cradle cap.

After I got home, I raided my bathroom closet and brought out two armfuls of stuff to create a baby oil to fight this gross smelly crust. I also grabbed my Essential Oil book and did a little research to find some complementary essential oils to use. I will need to write down the amounts of what I use, I am horrible about that- I just start creating and assume I will remember ratios the next time. Here is the list of what I used:

• Calendula Oil (I am beyond obsessed with this- I add it into any homemade product I make)
• Vitamin E Oil
• Rose hip Seed Oil
• Vegetable glycerine
• Jojoba Oil
• Olive oil
• Lavender essential oil
• Roman chamomile essential oil
• Frankencense essential oil
• Myrrh essential oil

During Evans bath, I used a soft brush to scrub the area lightly with her regular shampoo. Afterward I applied a small amount of my cradle cap potion to the area. For one thing- it smelled a whole hell of a lot better! I assumed, from what I had read, that it would take a few days and applications to get rid of the cradle cap.

 

The next morning the difference I noticed was incredible. Of course there were still a few spots I noticed the scales, but it didn't stink and it was nothing like it had been. Last night I cleansed just the cradle cap area (I generally do her bath 1-2 times a week, to prevent dry skin/eczema) and applied the Oil again. This morning it is almost all gone. I am going to continue this for a few more days to make sure I get rid of it, but I think I created an amazing potion! And the great thing is it can be used as a general body oil and it smells incredible too.

A Date With the Princess

Ever since she was born, our Princess Charlie has been a "mama's girl." If I am in the same building, I better be with her! I am the one who would put her to bed every night I wasn't working- I work 3 12hr shifts, and on those days Jesse does put her to bed and she is fine with it. However, if I am home, she will not let him put her to bed.

This made bringing Rainbow Evan home pretty stressful for me. I knew from when Charlie was a baby that babies are generally more fussy at night and tend to cluster feed at night. How would I do that plus put Charlie to bed?

*Side note- I tend to take the "Gentle Parenting" approach to motherhood, and cannot stand my babies crying when I know exactly what they want, and it is something as simple as me holding them.

For the first week, I fed Evan, then tried to hurry through bedtime, while hearing Evan crying for me dispite Jesse holding her. We finally talked Charlie into letting daddy do bedtime, and after a few nights she started requesting that daddy go "read bookies" with her (we read books every night at bedtime). She has adjusted great.

Another thing that has become a normal thing since having Evan is that Charlie will do things with only Jesse, leaving Evan and I home by ourselves. He will take her to run to the store, or take the car to the car wash. It hit me a few days ago that Charlie and I had not had alone time since Evan was born. I felt so guilty. She has been fine with it, and has adjusted to having a baby in the house so well. So I decided last night needs to be a "Mommy and Charlie" date.

I knew I wanted to take her to dinner once Jesse got home from work, but I couldn't decide exactly what to do. I finally decided on Bob Evans- she loves the "Piggy Pancakes" and the last time we were there we let her get chocolate milk, and you would have thought we let her go crazy in a toy store!

She was so excited to go somewhere with me- just us two. We sat in a booth next to each other, and she kept leaning on me and hugging me, saying "Just me and you, Mommy!" She had the biggest smile on her face as she said it to. It seriously about made me cry.

When I told her she could drink all of her chocolate milk, she would smile and say, "Thank you, Mommy," in her sweet little voice. Ugh. I wish I could have recorded the whole thing.

It is something so small, but so special. I am also an older sister, like Charlie. I don't ever remember feeling neglected or that my parents had favorites. But I feel so guilty all the time, and think that the girls will feel that we don't love them as much as the other one. This little event between just the two of us is something I can do with each of them periodically. Get time to catch up and relax, just two of us. I can't believe how special she felt. I am so glad I did this, and I know she is too:)