If you have ever practiced yoga, you may be familiar with the pose Happy Baby. It wasn't until I actually had a baby that I realized the reason that pose makes a baby happy is because it makes them fart and maybe even poop.
Our little duder gets happier every day. He still cries and fusses as any baby does, and grunts in the early morning due to gas and refux, but we feel like we get a few more smiles every day and more time that he is awake and not crying. I am still working on our napping. He typically naps anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours (two hours being more rare.) The Internet can be my frenemy, as I have read so many places that he should be napping 4-5 hours during the day. Sometimes I get obsessed with tracking numbers and worry that his sleep isn't adding up. But then I check on him in his bed and he's smiling at the ceiling fan, so he must not be in too bad of shape.
Tomorrow WZD gets his first round of immunizations. I am also excited about his weigh in, as two weeks ago he was 12 lbs. He is already an arm workout for me, especially in his car seat, which I carry up and down the stairs quite often. In a few years I should be able to arm wrestle with the best of them.
Every day we are thankful for our wonderful husband/ baby daddy. He works hard all day and when he is home he makes sure the animals are all well fed and watered. He also changes William at 2 or 3am before I feed him, allowing me a few extra minutes of sleep. I don't know what we would do without him! (Probably die of thirst and eat a lot of take out.)
One shortcut I try to make sure is ready every day is overnight oats. This way Jim can throw them in the microwave for a minute (or some people even eat them cold) and not have to mess around. It's nice for me as William is usually ready for breakfast by 6:30 or so. I put a half cup of rolled oats (not instant or steel cut) in a glass bowl and sprinkle in flax meal, cinnamon, nuts (we found peanuts get weird and soggy, so I go with almond slices or pecans), frozen fruit, and a half cup of milk (we prefer almond milk.) I have read that oats, flax, and almonds all boost milk production, which is a nice bonus. You could also use vanilla, coconut, bananas, or anything else your heart desires. I make them up sometime during the day and let them set overnight. You might want to add extra milk in the morning.
We are still dairy free (I think it's been about 3 weeks??) except for one fun night of Culver's. It has been a good experiment and maybe it's helping William, or maybe not. (I am also still drinking turmeric tea every day, which also may be helping?) It is helping us make healthier eating choices all week, which is never a bad thing. We just use more coconut and almond products. Here's a pro tip: don't buy soy creamer for your coffee. It ruined one of my favorite parts of the morning. Just go black!
Friday, April 17, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Child Rearing
Guess what? Babies aren't easy! Who knew? Luckily they are squishy and cute.
Prince William continues to grow so fast. Depending on the brand of clothes, he is now in mostly 3-6 month outfits, some of which are even too tight since he is so long! (This mama was pretty sad to pack away the teeny tiny clothes he fit in when he was brand new.) William smiles quite a bit and recognizes his mommy and daddy's faces. He sleeps a 4-5 hour stretch in the night and then another 1-3 hour one. Our new goal is napping. Recently, he had been taking long naps in his swing. I am now trying to get him to nap in the pack and play in our room that he sleeps in at night. Successful sleep requires a series of steps that may soon end in rubbing sage on his body while we sacrifice a goat. Or that's what it feels like. We turn on a box fan, close the blinds, turn on the white noise app, swaddle him, nurse him to sleep, then hold him upright for 20 minutes to help his gas and make sure he is sound asleep. For today's nap I also turned on the bathroom fan. And all of that often may not work, so we sometimes have to start that whole process over again. Today it took me three and a half hours to get him to nap starting from the time he showed any signs of drowsiness. But he did it and in his pack and play, so I figure that's a win for a 9 week old! Now I just hope he stays sleeping. And I want a margarita.
Prince William continues to grow so fast. Depending on the brand of clothes, he is now in mostly 3-6 month outfits, some of which are even too tight since he is so long! (This mama was pretty sad to pack away the teeny tiny clothes he fit in when he was brand new.) William smiles quite a bit and recognizes his mommy and daddy's faces. He sleeps a 4-5 hour stretch in the night and then another 1-3 hour one. Our new goal is napping. Recently, he had been taking long naps in his swing. I am now trying to get him to nap in the pack and play in our room that he sleeps in at night. Successful sleep requires a series of steps that may soon end in rubbing sage on his body while we sacrifice a goat. Or that's what it feels like. We turn on a box fan, close the blinds, turn on the white noise app, swaddle him, nurse him to sleep, then hold him upright for 20 minutes to help his gas and make sure he is sound asleep. For today's nap I also turned on the bathroom fan. And all of that often may not work, so we sometimes have to start that whole process over again. Today it took me three and a half hours to get him to nap starting from the time he showed any signs of drowsiness. But he did it and in his pack and play, so I figure that's a win for a 9 week old! Now I just hope he stays sleeping. And I want a margarita.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Life With Bebe
Things that I realized today:
When I looked in my jacket pockets, I had one baby sock in one pocket and two pacifiers in the other.
Both bedrooms in our home smell like spoiled milk, even when the windows are open and all of the laundry is clean.
I had dried baby poop on one fingernail.
I had a full conversation with William while grocery shopping.
I drove around Sycamore and DeKalb aimlessly for about twenty minutes to make sure William was sound asleep.
hashtaglifeasanewmom
William is a super sweet little butterball. I went in for a lactation consult today at our hospital and after eating he weighed over 12 pounds! For the last few weeks we have been dealing with a little extra gas. (William, not me.) After much research and speaking with the nurses, it sounds like a pretty normal thing for babies under three months, especially first borns. His little GI tract is still developing and he is figuring out how to poop. In an effort to help him, I have given up dairy for awhile. (Between that, less sugar, and starting to exercise again, I feel pretty good considering I am taking care of a newborn around the clock.) We have tried gripe water and mylocin drops, but I don't think either of those things helped the little guy. The only thing that seems to comfort him when he's gassy or fussy is mom's milk, hence the 12 lb weigh in today! The nurses suggested turmeric and a new baby carrier along with some different feeding holds. Otherwise, we just continue to love our little man more every day!
When I looked in my jacket pockets, I had one baby sock in one pocket and two pacifiers in the other.
Both bedrooms in our home smell like spoiled milk, even when the windows are open and all of the laundry is clean.
I had dried baby poop on one fingernail.
I had a full conversation with William while grocery shopping.
I drove around Sycamore and DeKalb aimlessly for about twenty minutes to make sure William was sound asleep.
hashtaglifeasanewmom
William is a super sweet little butterball. I went in for a lactation consult today at our hospital and after eating he weighed over 12 pounds! For the last few weeks we have been dealing with a little extra gas. (William, not me.) After much research and speaking with the nurses, it sounds like a pretty normal thing for babies under three months, especially first borns. His little GI tract is still developing and he is figuring out how to poop. In an effort to help him, I have given up dairy for awhile. (Between that, less sugar, and starting to exercise again, I feel pretty good considering I am taking care of a newborn around the clock.) We have tried gripe water and mylocin drops, but I don't think either of those things helped the little guy. The only thing that seems to comfort him when he's gassy or fussy is mom's milk, hence the 12 lb weigh in today! The nurses suggested turmeric and a new baby carrier along with some different feeding holds. Otherwise, we just continue to love our little man more every day!
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
First Week on Our Own
Our sweet baby boy and I have survived a few days on our own. Our favorite dad was very sad to return to work (and very sick on top of it) but it was inevitable. So I am home with a baby and a doggie and so far we're okay. W spends his days eating (about every hour so so!), sleeping and going potty. The excitement around our house is when we do tummy time or take a sponge bath. I am trying to remember to enjoy this time while he is so tiny, as I know he'll grow so fast. I'm sure I'll be able to nap one day. Maybe when he leaves for college. Luckily he is so cute he makes it worth it!
Friday, February 20, 2015
WZD
Our sweet little man arrived! And is ten days old! This picture was taken after he was just a few minutes old and had been cleaned in the hospital. Look how ready he was to enter our world!
As most of you know, I was induced on Sunday the 8th around 9pm. This little man finally came out almost 30 hours later, in the wee hours of Tuesday the 10th. Even with the epidural, it was pretty painful. He just didn't want to come out and my body did not know how to get him out. I received hormones, had my water broken by the doctor, and did all I could. Around midnight on Tuesday, I started pushing and could not get him out on my own, so the last hour of pushing he was vacuumed out. Did I mention he was a back labor? It was pretty stressful for Jim and me, as after 50 minutes or so with the vacuum, if it does not work, the next step is a C section. I was a mess, but we got him out and the only harm was a circular wound on his head, that has almost healed. Most people say that you forget about how hard labor is when you meet your baby. I haven't forgotten. But he was obviously worth every minute.
We came home last Wednesday and have been lucky enough to have Jim home with us. He is so helpful. He makes all of my meals, gets me water, and keeps the house straightened up while I feed the little dude. This little sweet potato likes to eat every 1-3 hours. Most nights we sleep 1-2 hours at a time and then eat and eat. (His birth weight was 8 lbs 1 oz, went down to 7 lbs 9 oz, and as of yesterday was back up to 8 lbs 6 oz!) He is exclusively breast fed, so I am a milking machine right now. Hopefully in a few weeks I can pump into bottles so that I can actually leave the house without him for longer than 10 minutes.
We love this little dude so much!
Friday, February 6, 2015
Staycation
I have enjoyed having a week to myself before our lives totally change in a few days. I am lucky enough to be able to be home for a little while, and although I like working and would have been happy to work right up until the little one arrives, it is helpful to rest and relax. Our other concern was me being stuck at work when labor started and having to get back to our hospital, especially if we had any bad weather. Instead I have been able to be home with my best puppy friend and watch reruns of Gilmore Girl on Netflix.
I have also been enjoying some time in the kitchen. When we both worked late all week, a few days a week were either foods I made ahead of time, like soup, or frozen Trader Joe's meals. (Which are always good, but it is nice to make homemade foods with less sodium and ingredients. But believe me, we will probably be eating some of those frozen foods again our first few weeks home from the hospital!)
The other night I made Heidi Swanson's Green Lentil Soup. This is a really good winter soup and is dairy free if you replace the butter. Yesterday I also prepped her baked oatmeal for breakfast this morning. You could also make this dairy free. I omitted the sugar and/or maple syrup, but did drizzle some honey over the top after it cooled for a few minutes. I just threw it in the fridge and microwaved a piece for a minute this morning. It was really yummy! I also made a batch of 100 Days of Real Food (love the cookbook I was given for Christmas!) Pumpkin Muffins for the freezer for snacks when we get home next week. And all of these recipes have been Jim approved!
Unless I go into labor on my own before, I check into the hospital Sunday evening for induction (or unless they are sold out, then we reschedule!) Sunday night will be spent dilating and induction will start Monday, so we should have a little one here by Monday or Tuesday, and be home by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. I am going to ask for no Facebook statuses during the process until the baby is out and healthy and happy. And no pictures until Mom and Dad approve, especially none of me in a hospital gown. Jim will let all of you know when the whole horrifying process is over. I mean, miracle?
I have also been enjoying some time in the kitchen. When we both worked late all week, a few days a week were either foods I made ahead of time, like soup, or frozen Trader Joe's meals. (Which are always good, but it is nice to make homemade foods with less sodium and ingredients. But believe me, we will probably be eating some of those frozen foods again our first few weeks home from the hospital!)
The other night I made Heidi Swanson's Green Lentil Soup. This is a really good winter soup and is dairy free if you replace the butter. Yesterday I also prepped her baked oatmeal for breakfast this morning. You could also make this dairy free. I omitted the sugar and/or maple syrup, but did drizzle some honey over the top after it cooled for a few minutes. I just threw it in the fridge and microwaved a piece for a minute this morning. It was really yummy! I also made a batch of 100 Days of Real Food (love the cookbook I was given for Christmas!) Pumpkin Muffins for the freezer for snacks when we get home next week. And all of these recipes have been Jim approved!
Unless I go into labor on my own before, I check into the hospital Sunday evening for induction (or unless they are sold out, then we reschedule!) Sunday night will be spent dilating and induction will start Monday, so we should have a little one here by Monday or Tuesday, and be home by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. I am going to ask for no Facebook statuses during the process until the baby is out and healthy and happy. And no pictures until Mom and Dad approve, especially none of me in a hospital gown. Jim will let all of you know when the whole horrifying process is over. I mean, miracle?
Monday, February 2, 2015
Maternity Time
Well, maternity time has started but no baby to speak of. Due to my neuroses, it is hard for me to sit still, so I am looking forward to keeping myself busy during my time off. One of my goals is to look for new, inexpensive recipes that will help reduce our grocery costs. I recently bought a lovely veggie cookbooks, Super Natural Every Day, and tonight I am trying this mushroom casserole for dinner. It looks like it will be a yummy dinner on a cold day. Any other suggestions of cheap but healthy recipes are always appreciated!
I am also working on new ways to clean without harsh chemicals and cleaning products. When I can, I purchase Green Works or Seventh Generation, but these can be expensive. The only chemical ridden cleaner I can't seem to get rid of is dishwasher detergent. I have tried the all natural ones and they just don't clean our dishes. Someone in our house also still likes to use bleach on his whites, but I have been able to convert him to Green Works Chlorine free bleach. Otherwise, for our bathrooms and kitchen counters, we use a mix of half apple cider vinegar, half water. I also read that some people use white vinegar and water and either let lemons soak in the mix for a few hours or add drops of citrus oil. My bathroom does generally smell like a giant salad after I clean, but it's better than breathing in weird chemicals.
I am also working on new ways to clean without harsh chemicals and cleaning products. When I can, I purchase Green Works or Seventh Generation, but these can be expensive. The only chemical ridden cleaner I can't seem to get rid of is dishwasher detergent. I have tried the all natural ones and they just don't clean our dishes. Someone in our house also still likes to use bleach on his whites, but I have been able to convert him to Green Works Chlorine free bleach. Otherwise, for our bathrooms and kitchen counters, we use a mix of half apple cider vinegar, half water. I also read that some people use white vinegar and water and either let lemons soak in the mix for a few hours or add drops of citrus oil. My bathroom does generally smell like a giant salad after I clean, but it's better than breathing in weird chemicals.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Have You Heard of Podcasts?
Around Thanksgiving, we upgraded our phones from the iPhone 3G to the iPhone 6. It was to the point where my old phone wouldn't update or open apps and was pretty much just a non-smart phone, so it was very exciting to be able to use apps and other things. One of the most fun things has been rediscovering podcasts, especially when I was commuting every day. I would come home really excited to tell Jim about a podcast I was listening to, only to find that he had been listening to the podcast for months or years. "Did you know that America's Test Kitchen has a podcast?!" Was met with, "Duh."
I blew through Serial in a few days (did Adnan do it?) and am enjoying WTF but usually like to fast-forward through the intro and get to the interview. I'm also into Invisiblia and Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin. And of course there are the classics such as Fresh Air and This American Life. If anyone out there has some fun podcasts to suggest, I'd love to hear about them!
We are enjoying a fun snow day at home. We haven't had much snow this winter and it makes all the difference if it snows on a Sunday that you can be home and not have to drive if you don't want to. We made Trooper go on a walk this morning and he's spent the rest of the day dramatically pouting on the couch after that. Otherwise we're doing things like sharpening our knives (Jim), watching the blizzard blow by (Trooper), putting lullabies on my phone (also Jim), cleaning and lounging. Later Jim is making us carnitas. As most of you know, I dislike football, but I like football foods.
No baby news yet! Whatever happens, this baby may be evicted by the middle of next week.
I blew through Serial in a few days (did Adnan do it?) and am enjoying WTF but usually like to fast-forward through the intro and get to the interview. I'm also into Invisiblia and Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin. And of course there are the classics such as Fresh Air and This American Life. If anyone out there has some fun podcasts to suggest, I'd love to hear about them!
We are enjoying a fun snow day at home. We haven't had much snow this winter and it makes all the difference if it snows on a Sunday that you can be home and not have to drive if you don't want to. We made Trooper go on a walk this morning and he's spent the rest of the day dramatically pouting on the couch after that. Otherwise we're doing things like sharpening our knives (Jim), watching the blizzard blow by (Trooper), putting lullabies on my phone (also Jim), cleaning and lounging. Later Jim is making us carnitas. As most of you know, I dislike football, but I like football foods.
No baby news yet! Whatever happens, this baby may be evicted by the middle of next week.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
No News
This little guy or gal is getting big! So are my cheeks, but oh well.
It's getting to the point where people (including strangers) are surprised that I am working, exercising, cooking, breathing, etc. The check out person at the grocery store asked when I was due and when I told her she looked terrified, as if I might need her to deliver my baby for me. While I was on the elliptical today, a woman at the gym stopped and asked me the same question. Don't worry, if I go into labor, I will head to the hospital ASAP.
In other exciting news, next week will be my last official week of work! Although I am sad to leave my current job, I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life. After a few months, and after we decide where we'll be settling, I'll be looking for a new job. (Would you like to hire me? Or babysit for us?)
Tonight I am making us Curried Chicken Soup and Sweet Potato Biscuits. This is a wonderful winter meal and I would imagine that you could replace the cream in the soup with coconut milk for a lovely dairy free curry flavor. I'll be following that with a bubble bath and new episode of Downton Abbey for a lovely little Sunday.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Update to Last Post
I guess I had a little more to update from my last post and doctor's appointment. Baby measured 6 lbs in the ultrasound, a bit smaller than average, which shows a new due date of February 8th. Unless, of course, my body decides otherwise. Looks like we may have a few extra days to wait!
Thursday, January 15, 2015
37 Weeks
Jimanda is still brewing in there. I just went for my weekly appointment today and had an ultrasound, nonstress test and check up. I get the extra care due to my blood pressure. At least it gives me an extra glimpse of the little guy or girl!
I am feeling well. I am still working all week and would like to try to work as long as I can. (Most of you may know that if I had to stay home for too long I'd either go insane or become an alcoholic or both. Probably not great when you are pregnant. And it should make for an interesting maternity leave that does not have an end date.) Sleeping is not easy, but I guess that's probably how it's going to be for the next 18 years (or more), so I better just get used to it. And I am still working out almost every day, which I think is good for me. I am glad to have baby percolate for a few more weeks but will be glad to be able to sleep on my back again and looking forward to people no longer touching my belly.
I was lucky to get quite a few fun new cookbooks for Christmas and my birthday. One that I've been diving into a lot is "How to Cook Everything Fast." This fun book has a ton of recipes and quite a big veggie section. Last night I made Pho, which tasted great (even if Jim told me it made the apartment smell like a "fish's butthole.")
Stay warm, my friends!
I am feeling well. I am still working all week and would like to try to work as long as I can. (Most of you may know that if I had to stay home for too long I'd either go insane or become an alcoholic or both. Probably not great when you are pregnant. And it should make for an interesting maternity leave that does not have an end date.) Sleeping is not easy, but I guess that's probably how it's going to be for the next 18 years (or more), so I better just get used to it. And I am still working out almost every day, which I think is good for me. I am glad to have baby percolate for a few more weeks but will be glad to be able to sleep on my back again and looking forward to people no longer touching my belly.
I was lucky to get quite a few fun new cookbooks for Christmas and my birthday. One that I've been diving into a lot is "How to Cook Everything Fast." This fun book has a ton of recipes and quite a big veggie section. Last night I made Pho, which tasted great (even if Jim told me it made the apartment smell like a "fish's butthole.")
Stay warm, my friends!
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
36 Weeks
We have made it 36 weeks! It is hard to believe that in a month or so a little person will be moving in with us. We are both excited but I would say I'm more freaked out and nervous and scared. I am guessing those are normal things.
I haven't been blogging much because my wrists and hands have been achey from pregnancy induced carpal tunnel. It's most annoying at night when the weight of the little guy or gal on my nerves causes my hands (and sometimes now feet) to "fall asleep" and I wake up to that fun pins and needles feeling. I guess the restless nights are preparing me for when the little one wakes me up. Some nights I haven't been able to go more than a half hour without waking up. I feel so thankful to sleep 4-6 hours straight, so I'm assuming that is what new motherhood is like. Right now that's the only "weird" thing going on, so not bad!
Otherwise I am very lucky to have a super helpful husband who has built all of the furniture in our adorable nursery and a sweet pup who will be a good doggie big brother. We are staying warm in our cozy condo on these frigid days (tomorrow a low of -15!) and just waiting for Jimanda to arrrive!
I haven't been blogging much because my wrists and hands have been achey from pregnancy induced carpal tunnel. It's most annoying at night when the weight of the little guy or gal on my nerves causes my hands (and sometimes now feet) to "fall asleep" and I wake up to that fun pins and needles feeling. I guess the restless nights are preparing me for when the little one wakes me up. Some nights I haven't been able to go more than a half hour without waking up. I feel so thankful to sleep 4-6 hours straight, so I'm assuming that is what new motherhood is like. Right now that's the only "weird" thing going on, so not bad!
Otherwise I am very lucky to have a super helpful husband who has built all of the furniture in our adorable nursery and a sweet pup who will be a good doggie big brother. We are staying warm in our cozy condo on these frigid days (tomorrow a low of -15!) and just waiting for Jimanda to arrrive!
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