Camp Raymont

What do Staci's test results mean?

2011-12-18T13:57:00.000-05:00

From the articles I have found on the internet, the IgG antibodies test is simply a screening test. It does not mean that Staci definitely has these allergies. The main point of contention I have, is that while it's true these tests are not fool-proof, they have a pretty high correlation with allergic symptoms. This article states that IgG antibodies to wheat gliadin have a 91% correlation with a positive diagnosis of Celiac's Disease (CD). I found this to be particularly alarming. Then, I read another article that basically says there's a high amount of false positives with this test, but it doesn't state what it considers to be a 'high rate' of false positives.

After receiving Staci's results, I wasn't able to get in to speak with our doctor for almost a week. Let me say this here---> that was a completely crappy thing to do to a mom. You cannot tell someone their 2.5 year old is allergic to everything they are eating and then leave them high and dry for a week. I doubt any doctors read this, but in the event that you do, please take a few minutes out of your day to call your patients when they receive news like this! By the time I saw my doctor the next week, I had convinced myself that Staci, her dad, her grandfather, and a few other people in our lives all had CD.

Based on this one test, we have the option of removing gluten, dairy and eggs from our diets (peanuts have already been removed) for a few months and then doing the blood tests again. This will allow her gut to heal and see if she is following the diet effectively. If the test results came back normal, we would be advised to slowly reintroduce these potential allergens and see how she does. My issue with this is that if Staci does, in fact, have CD, wheat and gluten could never be re-introduced. The tests for CD will not be accurate if you have removed gluten from your diet, so I feel an extreme urgency to find out if CD could be the culprit behind all of Staci's allergies.

IF Staci does have CD, it could be what is causing her other allergies (dairy and eggs). In other words, once her body heals, we may be able to have yogurt, butter, oooh and ice cream again! It is less likely she will outgrow her peanut allergy, but that is less concerning to me.

So, since gluten intolerance and CD run in families, Max and I both had our blood drawn this week as well. We should have those results hopefully before the end of the year. I also had some more blood work done on Staci (which was awful) and we should have those results next week. At this point I don't know what I'm hoping for, but it will be nice to have some answers.

I could go through the 15 other if/then situations running through my head, but for now with Staci we are doing our best to be gluten/egg/dairy/peanut free and will cross the next bridge when we come to it. I will update the blog with her (and our!) results as I receive them.

My kid is allergic to everything

2011-12-18T10:31:00.003-05:00

Ok, maybe not EVERYTHING. But honestly? Pretty darn close. Let's start at the beginning.

As a little baby, Staci was a huge spitter. By which I mean, she spit up ALL the time. There was never a feeding after which she did not spit up, so much so I would change my shirt and her outfit no less than 4 times a day. Her spitup finally started to decrease around 7 months old, but even then was pretty severe. I read many places that some babies were just spitters and that she probably wasn't spitting up as much (volume-wise) as it appeared. Looking back, she probably spit up anywhere from 1/2oz-1oz after each feeding. That is probably why I had such an oversupply with her. She never had a problem gaining or growing, and never expressed any discomfort from the spitting so I just figured she loved to nurse and was eating too much, coupled with my super fast let-down reflex causing her to swallow more air than the average breastfed baby. I could never notice any sort of pattern to foods I ate that didn't agree with her because the spitting was so frequent. She didn't seem to have any problems with gas and her stooling patterns were normal to that of a breastfed baby.

There was one food, however, in particular that I could not consume. Chocolate notciably increased her spit up. In fact, if I ate chocolate she did not spit up. She projectile vomited her entire feeding. So, as much as it stunk, I gave up chocolate for the first 10 or 11 months of our nursing relationship. At that point, she had started to eat some solids and I tried it little by little, and she seemed to do ok with it.

Starting solids with her was an adventure. I chose to follow baby led weaning and added in some purees here and there. I quickly learned purees were not good for her, because she would always puke when I put her down for her nap. I just thought it was her normal spitting up, but now I think her stomach just wasn't mature enough to handle the solid foods. She didn't get teeth until she was 13 months old, and that is one of the most reliable signs a baby is ready for solid foods. Basically, I think she just wasn't really ready for solids until then.

Around 8 months old, I let her have a small piece of cheese. She proceeded to rub it all over her face in an effort to get it into her mouth. In a matter of minutes, her face broke out in hives and her eye nearly swelled shut. I watched her carefully for any signs of breathing trouble but no signs appeared. We had an appointment with the chiropractor that afternoon. I remember driving the entire 25 minute trip with my hand touching her, to make sure she was breathing ok and not showing signs of distress. Our wonderful chiropractors gave her some homeopathic remedy for the type of allergic reaction she was having and I do think it helped. From that point on, every time I tried any kind of dairy with her (yogurt, cheese, cow's milk, even goat's milk) she would either puke immediately, or in the event she refused to eat it, would get all snotty and crazy and upset. I thought she was just being stubborn about the yogurt b/c 'people who can't have dairy can still have yogurt'. That may be true for many who are lactose intolerant, but as you will see below, her allergies are to milk protiens.

Finally, around 16 months old, I was eating yogurt and granola (one of the only things that sounded good when I was in the early stages of pregnancy) and she wanted to try it. I hadn't given her any dairy in a while so I let her try it. She did fine! I was so psyched! As things progressed, yogurt became one of her favorite foods. I also found that I could add milk and cheese in small amounts to recipes like meatloaf or meatballs with no immediate or noticable reactions.

Around the same time, she tried peanut butter for the first time. I let her have a small bite of a peanut butter cracker I was eating and she immediately started crying and drooling like crazy. I just figured she wasn't ready for peanuts yet. I let her try it a few more times and every time, no matter how small the bite of peanut butter, she would always cry and/or spit up. As she got older, this turned more violent. I only tried peanuts about 4 times before I realized she absolutely could not have them. I thought I'd wait until she was 2 or so. The Easter before she turned 2 she ate some peanut butter in a piece of candy at a family event before I even knew what had happened. Her reaction was so immediate and so violent I haven't given her any since. She puked 4 times from one small piece of candy. I just kept thinking she would outgrow this reaction as she had seemed to with dairy, which is why I kept reintroducing it. I learned my lesson that Easter.

While all of this is going on, Staci had a rash come and go frequently. At first I thought it was yeast. We cloth diaper so I thought it kept coming back because the yeast was living in the diapers. It was so bad it bled on more than a few occasions. I took her for a second opinion and was told it was bacterial. Each time, the rash cleared up with treatment, so I just figured it was something we would have to battle with her. It didn't seem to matter if we were using disposables or cloth, so we kept using our cloth. And typically, it would be bad for a few days and then fine for weeks at a time. Now, I think it *could* be dermatitis herpetiformis, which is a rash that is associated with celiac's disease. It might not be. Maybe it really is recurrant yeast and eczema. Skin rashes are very difficult to diagnose. The next time we see it we are getting it biopsied to find out for sure.

The most recent time her rash flared, it was extremely dry, almost felt scabby. It covered her entire bottom. She also has keratosis pilaris-like bumps all over the backs of her arms, her legs, and the back of her hips. I took her to the Dr, and asked if we could get some allergy testing done. Our family Dr did a IgG food panel, and we found she has strong reactions to all dairy, eggs, gluten and peanuts.

All gluten, wheat and peanut reactions were in the IV-V range. What do these results mean? I'm going to go more in depth in the next post on what these results mean and what the next step for us is.

I also had some muscle testing done at the chiropractor and she determined Staci had a vitamin E deficiency. She said it seemed more like a deficiency than a toxicity, and gave us some homeopathic supplements (inflammatone) as well as a fish oil supplement. Staci's skin does seem to be doing better with these supplements, but that is not surprising to me as fish oil is really wonderful for your skin. Also, when something or somethings were so obviously affecting my child and her well being, I knew I needed some more concrete, science based testing done.

My head is still spinning a week and a half after we received these test results. More on what they mean and what our next step is in the next post!

Conversation with Staci

2011-12-16T23:59:00.001-05:00

Conversation between Max and Staci:

Max: what Tv show did you watch today?

Staci: Curious George!

Max: what other TV show did you watch today?

Staci: the man in the yellow hat!

Max: What's the man in the yellow hat's name?

Staci: Yellow. (proceeds to make her elephant noises)

Happy 9 months Olivia!

2011-12-16T23:30:00.002-05:00

I took a little hiatus from blogging but Olivia's milestone has brought me out of hibernation. This month, miss Olivia turned nine months old!! She is crawling all over the place and is impossible to keep still. She wouldn't even sit for her nine month picture! At her nine month well visit, she was 20lbs and 1.5oz, and 29 inches long. 75% for weight and 90% for height.

Dear Olivia,
At nine months old you are so much fun to have around. You now have 4 teeth, and must be getting more soon because everything you can get your hands on goes immediately into your mouth. You are pulling up and cruising and have already learned how to turn on the TV. You are doing amazingly well with solid foods and will transition to the food your big sister and parents are eating very soon. For now, some of your favorite snacks are apple slices, grapes (peeled and sliced small), veggies from soup like squash and carrots, cheerios, chex, bananas, and avocado smashed on a rice cake. Oh and Baby Mum-mums. You like to eat--and I don't blame you one bit!
I love your little laugh. I can't help but laugh along with you when you really get going. Your big sister is probably the person you find the most hilarious, with Mommy and Daddy coming in at a close second. Sneezes and peekaboo are usually safe bets for laughter, but you also like the occasional tickle or belly kisses. Doing 'belly bumps' with Staci are so hilarious you cannot contain yourself, so Mommy makes sure we do those at least once a day!

--You take 2 naps a day, usually around 1.5-2 hours each.
--You are far from sleeping through the night.
--You are still nursing frequently, probably 9-10 times in a 24 hour period, but rarely for more than 5 minutes at time.
--Your favorite toy is anything your sister is playing with. Funny enough, HER favorite toy is anything you are playing with. Funny how that works, even at 9 months old!
--You moved to 9-12mo and 12mo clothing at 8 months old

--With your new pulling up skills, you are now especially interested in the toilet. Yay.

We love you, Olivia! Keep growing big and strong. You light up our lives with so much laughter and love.

Happy 6 months Olivia!

2011-09-12T15:11:00.000-04:00

How is it possible six months have passed since you were born? I just finished watching the video your aunt Mandy made, revelling in the memories of your sweet newborn self. At six months old, you are
- Getting up on all fours, rocking back and forth, and scooting yourself along. You are not crawling or army crawling yet, but you will be soon!
--In size medium diapers
--You moved to 6-9mo and 9 mo clothing at 5 months. some of your sleepers are already too short.
--You learned to shake your head, "no". you don't use it to actually say 'no', but you will imitate me sometimes and it's pretty cute.
--You are a great napper! You take 2 1.5-2.5 hour naps per day. You still wake frequently at night, but Mommy hasn't done much to discourage that so maybe we'll start working on that soon.
--You've already been on your first vacation
--You've had your first taste of solid food. I have tried giving you butternut squash a few times. The faces you make when I manage to get any in your mouth are hilarious! I don't think you're a big fan, but avocado and sweet potato fries are next!
Here is a video of you at 6 months and 1 week old, taken on 9/11/11 Look at you go!!

Thanks for choosing me to be your mom. You are so beautiful and I love watching you grow!

Staci's first haircut!

2011-07-31T12:47:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a landmark day at our house! Staci got her first hair cut. I took her to Cookie Cutters because I was afraid she wouldn't sit in a regular barber's chair.

Instead, she sat on a duck and got to watch Dora the Explorer. The hair-cutting lasted 5-7 minutes. She got a little nervous and tearful about half way through, but recovered quickly.

The stylist put her hair up in a cute little bun.

When all was said and done, she did great and got to go down the slide before we left!

Before:

After:

And now I have a small baggie with a few locks of hair from her first cut. Something to go in her memory box for sure!

Reading skills!

2011-07-27T20:17:00.000-04:00

Staci is 2 and has started showing some pre-reading readiness, such as memorizing her books, identifying all the letters of the alphabet, and can even write a few of the letters (sort of). If you are familiar with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I think you will be impressed with her skills here

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T08:48:00.001-04:00

cute li'l mama

hooray for babywearing!

hug

GIGGLES!!

2011-06-30T22:26:00.001-04:00

What is it they say? Every time a baby laughs a fairy gets her wings? Well I can certainly see why.

PBS Kids in the Park

2011-06-30T22:22:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, we packed up the girls and headed downtown to take a stroll down

We stopped to bounce a bit

And go down the slide...

Met up with a good friend to see Arthur

and stopped to give Clifford the Big Red Dog a hi-five!

Of course no party is complete without a bounce house...

...and Staci even managed to get on her feet once or twice!

Staci-isms Part III

2011-06-03T22:54:00.001-04:00

'I self'--I want to do it myself

'Tyno'--tylenol. You are finally getting some more teeth and have asked for 'tyno' the last 3 nights in a row at bedtime. Once your daddy and I realized you weren't just asking for it because it tastes like candy, I gave you some.

Monkah--Monster. Today, you turned around and saw your shadow and exclaimed, "Monkah!!" you ran over to me and said, "Scarey!" :( so I guess you're afraid of your shadow but it is really cute!

Knowing your colors--We have a book that's all about colors, and at the end of the book there's a page with multiple swatches of different colors for you to identify. You will point at the swatches of color and exclaim, "Green, Blue, Purple, Green!! haHA!"(you clap for yourself) None of them are correct.

Today, we counted Olivia's fingers and toes together, and when your daddy came home I asked you how many toes Olivia had. Apparently, she only has two. (in fact, you answered, "Two, two, two," while pretending to count your own toes).

Your favorite thing to watch on TV is Avatar. This is you pretending to water-bend. I <3 you.

You also have some serious moves. This is you dancing:

I love this age. You are so stinkin' cute!

Sisters

2011-06-03T22:30:00.000-04:00

Staci and Olivia--
I hope you know how special it is that you have each other. I hope you become good friends as you grow. I know there will be times, many times, where you won't get along. But please, keep in mind that you share an amazing bond, one that no one can ever take away from you. This is just the beginning:

I love how it appears Olivia is almost as big as Staci here...

Happy 3 months Olivia!

2011-06-03T22:20:00.002-04:00

Dear Olivia,
You will be 3 months old tomorrow! It is simply amazing how fast you are growing. You've been in 3-6 and 6mo clothing for 3 weeks now, and you are even in 6-9mo sleepers in a couple of brands. You've grown out of the 'newborn' size diapers I made (my pattern had 'tiny newborn' and 'newborn' sizes) and are officially into the 'smalls'. At your two month appointment, you were 13lbs5.5oz and 24.5 inches long. If you keep up with your 97th percentile heighth, you may end up nearly 6 feet tall.
--you are cooing and smiling at us non-stop.
--I got a giggle out of you for the first time last week, all because I 'booped' your nose. so cute!
--you still love to be carried in the moby wrap or ring sling and fall asleep almost instantly
--you still wake to nurse a few times during the night most nights
--In order to fall asleep, you need to be walked around or nursed and rocked simultaneously.
--Your sister can always make you smile
--You are not a fan of your carseat. Car trips, even short ones, are excruciating for all of us.
--You love your playmat! It's so much fun to watch you bat toys around and kick the sides of the arc and get the music and lights display going.
--If I hold you up in front of me and talk to you, you immediately start talking back to me. It's almost as if you're saying, "I've been waiting ALL DAY for you to ask me about this, Mommy!" Bestill my heart.
--You are still sleeping in Mommy and Daddy's room, and will be for quite some time I have a feeling. Mommy loves having you so close.

This is what your cooing is like right now:

I love you so much, Olivia. I can't wait to see your little personality emerge!

The baby gear you need (you just don't know it yet) part II

2011-06-03T17:29:00.001-04:00

Since I last wrote about baby carriers, I thought the next area of focus for baby necessities should be where you can put the baby down. I am a huge fan of babywearing, but you do have to put the baby down eventually, so you can, ya know, pee. or shower. or have some time where no one is touching you. 'No Touch Time' is something I was not familiar with before becoming a Stay-At-Home-Mom--but it is something I crave regularly.

For newborns:

Some kind of playmat, preferably one with motion activated music and lights display. There are a zillion different ones, choose one you like. (or better yet, find one on Craig's list for cheap--or borrow from a friend for free!) If the actual mat has colorful and interesting pictures that is also a great place to do tummy time.

A portable swing or bouncy seat. Most people I know had/have both a swing and a bouncy, but I don't think you need both to start with. Find one you can easily transport around the house. When you have a newborn, it's great to bring a swing or bouncy into the bathroom with you so you can take a shower. If you get one of the expensive (and BIG) swings with all the bells and whistles, you can't take it with you. Most babies prefer either a swing or bouncy, so start with one and if your baby doesn't like it, try the other.

Infant:

A doorway jumper--significantly cheaper than a jumparoo, takes up less space, and you can move it around the house to wherever you are. I can't wait to get this out for Olivia! She'll be ready for it in about another month.

An exersaucer-like activity center. This is another one of those things where there are a million to choose from, but they are all basically the same. It's great for working on reaching for toys and grasping. It's also a great place to put your newly mobile baby if you need to leave the room for a minute, so you're sure they don't end up slurping drano while you put the laundry in the dryer. (First time moms probably think I'm kidding. I'm so not.)

As baby grows, more and more baby things accumulate in your house until you have totally lost your 'cool' status and your living room floor looks like a Babies'R'Us showroom. These are the few things I did find absolutely essential for the newborn and infant stages. What did you find useful? What did I miss?

The baby gear you need (you just don't know it yet)

2011-05-29T11:17:00.005-04:00

I recently found out quite a few of my friends are expecting--and it got me thinking--What baby gear items have I found truly essential to survival, and which ones could I live without? I orignally began this post thinking it would be a relatively short list of the things I've loved and used the most, but instead it's become a post about babywearing. So, instead, I'm going to do a series of shorter posts each with their own theme. Today's theme is babywearing, something I've discussed before. My babywearing essentials:

1) A Moby Wrap. By far the most universal, cost effective, and comfortable baby carrier on the market. You can use this carrier from birth on up to 35 lbs, which means I could still carry Staci in it if I wanted to (ahem, if she'd let me). A wrap style carrier like the Moby, Sleepy, or Maya wrap is the best type of carrier for a newborn--HANDS DOWN. Put a fussy, tired baby in a moby wrap, walk them around for a few minutes and VOILA!! Happy, sleeping baby on your chest. You can use one of the straps to anchor their head to you and it becomes completely hands free. *con*--it is hot and takes *forever* to put on. OK, only about 30-45 seconds, but when you have a screaming baby, 30-45 seconds is a REALLY long time!

photo credit: www.wallababy.com

2) A *well made* ring sling, like a wallababy ring sling. Nowhere near as hot as the moby!! I recently used a ring sling that, in my opinion, was NOT made well. Carrying a 14 pound newborn in it was nothing short of excruciating. When buying baby carriers, as with so many other things, *you get what you pay for*. A baby carrier is NOT the place to skimp or cut corners, peeps. Why do you need a ring sling AND a Moby wrap you ask? The answer is simple--they each have their place. The Moby wrap is GREAT for long carries, but it does have some cons. I love the ring sling b/c I can throw it in the diaper bag, toss it over my shoulder and have the baby in it in about 3.2 seconds. It's great for walking in and out of the gym with, b/c carrying an infant seat and keeping a toddler from running into the street is next to impossible. Also, I'm not messing with a 6-foot-long piece of fabric. If I had to choose between a moby and a ring sling, I'd choose the moby, but honestly, YOU. NEED. BOTH. Other than quick trips and that it folds up small enough for the diaper bag, a ring sling is awesome for a hip carry--and especially the safety carry. I used to use it while cooking dinner with Staci on (well, behind really) my hip and it is fabulous for that!! ring sling cons--They have a pretty steep learning curve. You need to give it 10-15 good tries before you are really comfortable with it, but allow yourself to be a beginner and just keep adjusting it until you find what's comfortable. Trust yourself, and your baby. Another con is that they are not as comfortable as a moby wrap or soft structured carrier. A ring sling only goes over one shoulder, so the weight is not as evenly distributed as it is with other carriers. This gets me thinking--a ring sling tutorial (and perhaps my first Vlog) is coming to explain more about this!

3) An Ergo baby carrier. One of my favorite things about this carrier is the learning curve--there is practically no learning curve at all. You just can't get it wrong with this thing, and it's SO comfortable. In this picture, Staci is about 4 months old, and you can see she is JUST big enough to not need the infant insert. This carrier can be used as a front carrier, back carrier, or side/hip carrier. Honestly, I hate the side/hip carry on the Ergo. It is useless because one of your arms is left behind the baby and virtually unusable, and the straps dig into the muscles on the side of your neck/shoulder. it isn't comfortable AT ALL. Want a hip carry? Use your ring sling! However, the front and back carries are awesome. Why do you need this carrier as well? You can't use a Moby Wrap for back carries (well, you CAN, but IMO you just shouldn't) and a ring sling doesn't lend itself to back carries, either. There are a few other soft structured carriers similar to the Ergo that also get great reviews, but I haven't tried them. Check out the babywearer for more info, reviews, and other baby carrier craziness.

**a note on babywearing--there are rules for baby-wearing safety. Make sure you know them**

I'm sure if I had more baby carriers, I'd have reasons for why I like those specific carriers for different tasks. These are the 3 I have, and I use them all almost daily. I know it sounds extreme, but now that I have two babies, carrying one hands free is a necessity. I'd never get a single thing done without my baby carriers!

Staci-isms, take 2

2011-05-02T21:23:00.001-04:00

Dear Anastasia,
Because I see this blog as a sort of digi-scrapbook for me to keep all the things I want to remember so I can tell you about them when you're older, here are a few funny things you are doing and saying right now.

You now sit still long enough for me to paint your toenails. You actually held out your foot for me to do these. You didn't sit still long enough for it to dry, but I had to document the occasion none-the-less.

Fwiggy-- I don't know why you call a big hug a fwiggy, perhaps it's how you say squeeze. But Fwiggy is the damned cutest name for a hug ever thought up by a toddler

We-we-a--Olivia--and I crack up every time because it sounds like you're calling your little sister a wee-wee

Ham-- Green Eggs and Ham. you often will call books by their last name in the title-- 'who' (horten hears a) 'needs' (what baby), etc.

I see you--you will hide behind something and say, "I see you!" and then pop out the other side and say, "see me!". so. cute.

Dad-eye--what you call Daddy.

Mommy--I have finally gone from Mama to Mommy. and I love it.

Job-ah--you frequently add an extra syllable to the end of a word. If we praise you and say, "Good Job!" you clap and say, "Job-ah!"

Ninah--What you call Shania

You have also started potty learning--and I have to say you are doing much better than I expected, much earlier than I expected. I'm so proud of you!!

Photo Book

2011-04-24T17:40:00.003-04:00

I finally am doing something with all the beautiful photos Mandy has taken. Many here are done by her. Here is a book of the first 6 months of Staci's life. More to come, I am determined to get caught ALL the way up to Olivia!

Click here to view this photo book larger

My top ten tips for two under two

2011-04-18T15:43:00.001-04:00

I know I am far from the first person to have two babies under two years of age. For those of you who are parents of an only child or not parents yet, this might not make sense to you at all. It might seem easy to take care of two young children all day (and all night). It might look like I have it pulled together. I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I don't. However, I have learned a lot over the past six weeks and I thought I might share some of my knowledge--so here goes. My top ten tips for two under two:
10) Accept help when it's offered. DO NOT TRY TO BE SUPERWOMAN. It will only make you crazy.
9) Wear your (newest) baby. You will need the extra hands.
8) Don't be afraid to use the television as a babysitter in the short term. We love PBS 'round these parts.
7) Eat your Wheaties. Seriously, don't forget to feed YOURSELF. It's really easy to do when you've fed 3 mouths before your own sees so much as a crumb. Usually it takes us 2 hours to get the morning routine completed. Thank you PBS for your help.
6) Sleep when you can. You will learn to survive on far less than you ever thought you could. It's different than it was in college--you're not as young as you were. You're also a lot less hungover. So it evens out.
5) Take a deep breath and count to 10, and when that doesn't work, shut yourself in the hall closet and don't come out until you're certain you're not going to smack your toddler from here to South Africa. Kidding aside, use your anger management skills.
4) Have a glass of wine. Before noon if you have to.
3) Try not to take your frustrations out on your spouse. I mean, I certainly would NEVER do this, but asking, "What's WRONG with you? WHY can't you FOLLOW SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS???" and storming off never goes over well.
2) Keep your expectations low--of yourself, of your toddler, and of your sweet new little baby. This is a huge adjustment, and you need to give yourselves time to adapt. 'Simple' tasks like grocery shopping will take you all morning from start to finish. And you will be pooped. And you will have probably cleaned up 4 poops. Having 2 under 2 really is pooptastic. (so sorry, I could not resist)
And finally, my number one tip for surviving having 2 kids under 2 is=
1) Don't forget to ENJOY this wonderful, happy, amazing, chaotic, crazy time in your life. It's a blur of diaper changes, poop explosions, huge toddler emotions, never ending laundry, your highest highs and your lowest lows. Being a parent isn't easy. But it is pretty fantastic.

On Staci's 2nd birthday...

2011-04-15T22:45:00.003-04:00

oh man. I tried so many times to get her to show off for the camera. This was literally the best one I got. Gotta love 2 year olds!!

Olivia is 6 weeks old!

2011-04-15T22:35:00.000-04:00

one month, 4 days

Dear Olivia,

You are six weeks old today! Time has been flying by; amazingly, it is flying even faster than it did with your big sister. You are growing so big every day and starting to become less of a newborn and more an infant every time I look at you.

Right now as I type, you are sleeping soundly on my chest. I absolutely love this age. I love your snuggles and the way you will sleep in my arms. I love to put you in the Moby Wrap and play with your big sister AND get to snuggle you at the satme time. I love the noises you, like all newborns, make. Little snorts and squeaks make my heart go pitter patter.

You are distinguishing yourself from your sister already. She loved her pacifier; I can't get you to take one. She never had a problem taking a bottle; you have refused three times now. One thing is for certain--as of right now, you are a mama's girl and I couldn't be happier about that! Your big sis is a Daddy's girl--and I want you to know, Mommy needs a partner in crime, too.

6 weeks old

--At birth, you were 7lbs, 9oz and 2 days later you were down to 7lbs3oz. By 1 week, you were already 8lbs. (That's a successful nursing relationship right there)
--You outgrew the tiny newborn diapers I made for you at 4 weeks old
--At 5 weeks old, you outgrew every last piece of 'newborn' sized clothing. Mommy is not putting it away yet because she can't handle the thought of potentially never getting it out again.
--You nurse about every 2 hours during the day, but are giving us 4 and 5 hour stretches at night which is wonderful and perfect for your age.
--You hate riding in the car. And, as I mentioned above, you won't take a pacifier. Insert expletives here.
--You don't like to be put down. Ever.

--Every time I go to get your sister up in the morning or from her naps, the first thing out of her mouth is, "Baby!!" She loves you so. much. I can't wait to see you two play together.

I love you so much and I absolutely can't wait for all the fun we will have together as a family as you grow up. Just don't grow too fast!

Happy Birthday Anastasia

2011-04-04T18:10:00.000-04:00

Dear Anastasia,
I absolutely love the little girl you are becoming, and the personality you are developing. We had your birthday party yesterday, and you were surrounded by family and friends. I was so impressed by your willingness to share your toys, even your brand new ones. You are so beautiful, both inside and out and you make my heart absolutely melt! Your wore the most beautiful dress and allowed us to keep a flower in your hair for much of the party.
--you are moving into size 2T clothes
--your hair is getting *so* long and both your grandmothers (as well as many of Mommy's friends) have commented on it with a 'when are you going to cut that mop?' tone. I can't bring myself to cut it yet, soon though. probably.
--You are unbelievably sweet and gentle with your baby sister. I can't wait for her to be a little bigger so you two can play together. She loves you so much already, and it's obvious you love her, too.
--Your favorite TV show is The Cat in the Hat, with Avatar coming in a close second.
--Your favorite food is the turkey sloppy joes I make--I hide sweet potato, butternut squash and carrots in them. shhhh! don't tell your daddy!
--You still only have 10 teeth. top four, bottom two, and your first four molars. I'm honestly starting to wonder if you have any more teeth.
--You and Bella are best friends. Whenever you get together you run around in circles and jump up and down for the first 10 minutes--you can't contain your excitement!
--You are your daddy's girl. He is your favorite person (and I think the feeling is mutual). It's so fun to watch you two together--whether you are just reading stories or rough-housing, it's obvious you are both having a blast.
--The first thing you say when I get you up in the morning and from your naps is, "baby!" Melts my heart every time.
--You know almost all of your letters, and we're working on the sounds they make.

It has been so much fun to watch you grow from a tiny baby into a little girl. I can't wait to see what delights you as you enter your third year here with us.

Memories of your babyhood with be with me forever. The days of rocking you to sleep and nursing you are gone, but I will always cherish the time I had with you as a baby, and I look forward to our new relationship as it evolves. I love you.

newborn photos!

2011-03-14T20:31:00.000-04:00

As you all know, my very good friend Mandy is a fabulous photographer serving the north side Indianapolis and surrounding areas. She has been so generous with her work and taken beautiful maternity, birth, and now newborn photos of Olivia (not to mention Staci's milestones and some family shots along the way!). I might be a bit biased since we are such good friends, but I also think her work speaks for itself. This is a shot of Olivia at 7 days old. I will cherish these photos forever! You can see the rest of the 'sneak peek' here.

I have the best husband, seriously.

2011-03-14T14:19:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to take a moment and thank my husband publicly for his amazing dad status. He has spent the last 10 days caring for Staci and taking no breaks, while also helping me with Olivia--and taking care of me! All the while he has been using nap time and sleep time to finish up his modules (kind of like take home tests) so that he can get his ASA (Associate of the Society of Actuaries). And now that he only has one question left, he is looking into getting our house refinanced (because selling isn't going so well) so that we can save even more money. He handles all of Staci's diaper changes and most middle of the night changes for Olivia so all I have to do is get set up to nurse. Oh, and this morning? He brought me doughnuts. My knight in shining armor ;)

The story of Olivia's birth

2011-03-10T12:57:00.002-05:00

On 3/3/2011, I woke up around 6AM with contractions. They weren’t very strong or close together, but I was having them and they were more intense than the Braxton hicks I had been having before. Anastasia and I went about our day, but I took it easy just in case I did start to go into labor. We just snuggled and watched a lot of TV and read books. I sat on the exercise ball and rocked my hips back and forth in an effort to try to get labor going.

When Max got home from work, we ran a few quick errands and I noticed I was having stronger contractions and they were coming less than 10 minutes apart, and by 10pm they were coming closer to 7 minutes apart. I was having to concentrate through them so I knew at that point labor had finally begun.

It was bedtime, so that is what we did. I sat up and counted contractions and dealt with them on my own. I knew what little sleep Max would get that night would be crucial. I think I was able to snooze in between for a little while, and about 1 I got up and started using different positions like the exercise ball. Around 3am I woke Max up because I really needed the help dealing with them. He started filling the birth tub and helped me through contractions.

A little after 4, Anastasia woke up and we realized we needed help. It was time to call in the reinforcements. He called my mom and she grabbed her things and was here within the hour. All throughout the night I had been texting with my midwife back and forth, and she decided to come around 4:30 and actually beat my mom here. She got her things set up while Max and I labored, and then left us to labor in the dark and quiet. This was one of my favorite things about the labor, there was very little distraction compared to the hospital and I felt completely comfortable in my own home.
By 6, contractions were coming 2-3 minutes apart but they just weren’t getting any longer or increasing in intensity. I called Mandy because I figured the baby would be here by around 10. I was wrong. The majority of my contractions were between 40-60 seconds. It was a slow, easy labor up until this point, but I was still very tired nonetheless and ready for things to progress further so I could hold my baby and be done with this whole labor business. I was having severe back labor and my midwife was convinced Olivia was posterior (she was right). She made some suggestions to help intensify the contractions so we could get the baby out. At this point I still had not seen any bloody show or mucus plug, and my bag of water was still intact.

By now, our entire birthing party had arrived—my mom, midwife, doula, and photographer. Staci thought it was a big party! I continued to labor but things just didn’t seem to be progressing like they had with Staci. I used some of the techniques the midwife suggested and really started to feel a change in the contractions. I walked around, swayed, hung on Max for contractions, walked up and down stairs, sat on the couch and got a foot rub with jasmine oil (nice!! But those contractions sucked LOL) and after a little while went upstairs to our bedroom.

I was really surprised by how hungry and thirsty I was the whole time. I would have been completely miserable at the hospital. I ate and drank through the whole thing and there’s no way I could have labored for so long without that fuel.

Finally, by 10:30, I was starting to get really frustrated. I was exhausted and I felt like things were not progressing the way they should. I finally had my midwife check me to see where we were. I was convinced I was hardly dilated, but thank goodness I was wrong. Midwife said I was 8cms and felt to see what Olivia’s head was doing. She was coming down posterior and in a full military presentation—which means that instead of tucking her chin to her chest she was holding her head straight up, and the widest part of her head was presenting instead of the smallest (crown). The midwife pressed against her head to try to get her to reposition, and also allowed more fluid to fill in the bag so it would put a little more pressure on my cervix in order to get to 10. This whole experience was really terrible pain wise but I’m glad she did it. As soon as I got up I started feeling pressure in my bottom with the very next contraction.

At this point I was teary and upset that I didn’t have a baby yet, and felt so bad for everyone in the birth party that it was taking sooooo long. Per my midwife’s orders, I found the positions that hurt the most and used them for every contraction. Not something I wanted to do at ALL but I was motivated to get Olivia out so I could be done, and I definitely think this helped tremendously. I hung on Max and put one leg up on the bedframe to try and change the opening of the pelvis and help Olivia come down. I walked up and down the stairs sideways as well—but this was really awful pain-wise and even though I wanted the baby out, I could only tolerate that one time.

Shortly after doing the stairs, I began to grunt and push very slightly with contractions. I got back in the birth tub, but found that the contractions I had there I didn’t want to push with. So, I got back out and leaned over the outside of it while I squatted. The urge to push came immediately with the next contraction. The midwife suggested I get into more of a full squat instead of leaning forward—so I was upright and the pushing was even more intense. After just a few of those contractions, I felt Olivia coming down. FINALLY, my water broke and she started to crown. It is lucky she was crowning so soon after my water broke, there was a little meconium so I was in a hurry to get her out so she wouldn’t breathe in any of that. Just a couple of pushes later her head was out, and her shoulders and body were out with the very next push. Olivia was born at 12:35pm on March 4th, 2011.
I was SO happy to finally be done!! Max caught her as she quite literally flew out, and I heard her cry for the first time. He handed her to me and after snapping a couple of pics, Mandy ran out to tell everyone, “She’s here!”. It was so amazing to get to hold her immediately after her birth. She was completely covered in vernix—so sticky and waxy and weird but I really did not care! Because my water didn’t break until she was coming out, I was losing both amniotic fluid and blood at the same time, but my midwife thought it was ALL blood. She immediately administered a shot of pitocin and something else to stop bleeding (can’t remember what she called it) and also had her ammonia thing for me to smell in case I passed out. I knew instinctually it wasn’t as bad as I could tell she thought it was—I did not feel woozy or shaky or weird like I would if I really were losing too much blood.
The placenta was delivered very shortly after the birth, and we noticed how short and thin the umbilical cord was. This is when we figured out why the labor was the way it was. Olivia spent the whole time stretching out the cord so she could come out without ripping the placenta off the wall of my uterus. We do think that is what happened in the end, but I think my body had already started to clamp down on those blood vessels. Also, this is why it hurt so much when she came out as opposed to having Staci, which didn’t hurt hardly at all. I was pushing out a baby who was bringing her placenta with her.

After examining the placenta, my midwife realized what she thought had been all blood was really also a lot of fluid, and my blood loss was within normal limits. Also, it had a subculate lobe, which may mean there was another baby there in the very beginning. I think it’s really cool that you can tell that just from looking at the placenta.

One of the best things about having the homebirth was getting into the herb bath shortly after the birth. The herbs were very soothing and helped fight swelling. It also smelled wonderful! I brought Olivia in with me and the midwife showed me how to hold her in it. I cradled her head in my hands, careful to keep her ears out of the water. The rest of her body floated and she adjusted herself—like a little mini instinctual chiropractic adjustment. It was SO cool to watch! My hour old baby was a pro at maneuvering herself in water—fancy that.

While I finished soaking, they weighed Olivia and did all her measurements. Her head was 14”, 20.75” long, 7lbs9oz.

Big sister Staci is adjusting beautifully and loving her little sister. We are on cloud nine!

Olivia is here!!

2011-03-10T12:42:00.007-05:00

On March 4th, 2011 at 12:35pm, Olivia Charlotte was born. She weighed in at 7lbs 9oz and was 20 and 3/4 inches long. She came to us after a long labor and I had to work to get her to come out--but it was worth it!! Mandy took some beautiful photographs of the labor and birth, and put together this amazing slideshow for us. Stay tuned for the birth story!

A 'sprinkle' for Olivia

2011-02-21T22:11:00.000-05:00

I am not sure I've mentioned it on here, but I seriously have the best friends! There is a group of girlfriends I get together with about every month or so if we can, and enjoy just having girl time with. We have done freezer meal exchanges, dinner parties, cocktail parties--you name it. I love each and every one of these girls and if you are reading this going, "hey we are friends why aren't I in on this?" just message me--and you will be! These girls are funny, smart, easy going, and did I mention gorgeous? well you are about to see in the pics. They threw me a sprinkle--kind of like a shower but a smaller scale since this is my second baby. There really isn't a whole lot we need but I did want to spend some girl time just celebrating the end of my pregnancy and the fact that Olivia is going to be here soon!

Mandy hosted (and took some awesome pics!!) and I just can't thank everyone enough. I feel so special, blessed, and loved.

Cake pops by Nicole--you can check out her blog here

opening gifts, got some of the cutest cards, clothes, bows, and other baby stuff ever!

a picture of a picture--one of my gifts from Mandy (not to mention maternity, birth and newborn pictures... this girl is too generous I kid you not!) This is a mounted print and I can't decide where to hang it--I love it!

Angela has a diaper cake business, but she knows I cloth diaper. She came up with a 'baby cake' just for me!! Check out Smiling Girl Designs for any diaper cake needs--she now ships anywhere in the country :) Isn't this adorable? This 'cake' had a hooded towel, a bunch of onesies, a couple sleep'n'plays, 2 receiving blankets, washcloths, and a swaddle blanket. All of it is ADORABLE! I didn't want to take it apart but I'm so glad I did! now everything is washed and folded and put away. Can you tell I'm nesting? just a smidge? :)

Me and Mandy. Bff's since high school. 12 years now. That makes me feel old (cuz the mom of two thing wasn't doing that already!)

Me and my Momma--isn't she pretty? and you can really see here how gigantic I am getting. big. as. a. house. I previously thought Olivia would be in the seven pound range. Now I'm thinking more like sevenTEEN ;)

The girl's night crew! So many beautiful girls!

teehee! it looks like she's kissing Olivia but she's just talking to her and telling her to come out!! This totally cracks me up, though :)

newborn diaper stash

2011-02-21T21:19:00.002-05:00

so, I hadn't updated the blog in 6 weeks because I have been busy!! Here are some pics of the diaper stash, mostly made by me:

These are burp cloths, 2 layers of cute flannel print with a hidden layer of hemp fleece for absorbancy. I love how they have the cutout to fit nicely over your shoulder. I got this pattern from a friend of mine--so nice of her to share! There are 7 here, and if this kiddo spits anywhere near as much as Staci did this will not be enough, but we have plenty of other prefolds that will work just fine as burp cloths so I'm not too stressed about making more of these.

ahhh the preemie sized prefolds. SO tiny! I had to put a quarter there to show off just how tiny they really are. They should fit as pf's from about 5-9lbs, but we can also use them as burp cloths, doublers, cleaning cloths. so many great uses! I did not make these, they are unbleached Indian pf's.

To the left of the pf's are my homemade wipes. Just one layer of hemp fleece 'serged' around the edges to keep them from fraying. I am using the term 'serged' loosely since I don't have a serger, I just chose an encased zigzag stitch and kept the needle off the fabric on the outside. I really didn't know what I was doing, but they held up well in the wash so that's a plus! They are just wipes. I wasn't too concerned about them being perfect. So far I have 23, and will finish the 24th as soon as I get more thread. I have completely run out!

Teeny tiny newborn sized diapers. The pink ones at the top are all in ones (used just like a disposable, only washed instead of thrown away). Some of them are a microfleece inner (a stay-dry fabric) and some are just cotton flannel. The pink and purple giraffe print has a pink cotton velour inner and these are fitteds. That means they are not waterproof and require a cover. The two on the right are covers (make the pf's and fitteds waterproof). All of these were made by me except the blue diaper--that is one I ordered from diaperswappers. So, all in all, 9 AIO's, 4 fitteds, 24 teeny tiny pf's and 2 covers. SO tiny and CUTE! the fitteds, AIO's and covers should all fit up until about 13 lbs.

This is the next size up, I have 24 infant sized pf's (also unbleached Indian) that will fit from about 8-15lbs, and newborn sized covers that should fit about the same size range. Basically, these should fit Olivia from birth but I was nervous she'd be teeny tiny like her sister so I made some teeny tiny diapers to accomodate that. Anastasia was 5lbs12oz when we brought her home from the hospital--that is a teeny tiny 40weeker!

Close-up of the NB size covers--I am so proud of them! These are the most recent things I've made--my sewing has improved so much. It really is exciting to me! So far there are 2 pink covers and 4 purple covers. Two more pink covers will hopefully be finished by this weekend!

Maternity Pics

2011-02-21T20:23:00.002-05:00

Mandy from MLP took some amazing maternity pictures a couple of weeks ago. check them out! here is one of my faves.

It always amazes me when I see the finished product of the photographs Mandy takes. She truly is gifted--I'm so lucky to have her as a friend--for much more than just the pictures of course! They are, however, a wonderful bonus :)

38 weeks

2011-02-21T20:08:00.000-05:00

We are getting very excited to welcome baby Olivia into our lives on the outside! In just 2 weeks, give or take, our lives are going to be forever changed by a tiny little person. She is going to grow and grow, but she will start out tiny (at least Mommy hopes).

I have set up a bassinette next to my side of the bed, I've been making diapers like crazy, I have my birth bins all set to go--dare I say we are ready? Only a few things left to do--I want to finish up a couple of diaper covers and we need to get the infant seat installed in the car.

As far as birth preparations go, I still need to figure out how to attach the hose to the sink to fill the birth tub, but other than that I think we are good to go. I have an 'emergency birth kit' prepared just in case things happen too quickly and no one can get here in time--and since I'm all prepared for that I'm sure labor will putter in and out just as it did for Staci--giving me plenty of time to cook and clean and prepare.

I think Staci is starting to come around to the idea of there being another baby in the house. She pulled out my shirt and looked down at my chest, pointed and said, "milk" the other day. I was so shocked, but yes Staci that is where milk comes from and that's what the new baby is going to eat! She just looked at me and nodded. She astounds me with her level of perception.

Dear Olivia,
We absolutely cannot wait to meet you! I'm so excited for your birth, to sniff your tiny head and cover it with kisses. I want to introduce you to your daddy and your big sister, I know you will love them just as much as I do.

I've dreamt about you, felt you in my arms and it was SO real. but I am not the only one who has been dreaming about you and your birth. Myself, your daddy, 3 of my friends AND our midwife have all dreamt about your birth. There are a lot of people anticipating your arrival. You are already so loved here, and that love is only going to grow once you arrive.

I keep forming tiny baby faces in my mind, and it's hard to imagine having a baby that doesn't look like your sister. It's going to be so amazing to see what you look like--and to see how your personality is different. We love you dear Olivia and we can't wait to meet you--so please come out soon!

Fun with Staci

2011-01-03T19:09:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to share b/c I think my kid is so cute :)

Looking back and planning ahead

2011-01-03T14:13:00.003-05:00

Today marks 31 weeks pregnant, and my biggest area of focus right now is preparing for labor and delivery. This is my second time around, and my goal is that it goes at least as well (and hopefully much better) than my first labor and delivery. It is an amazing, almost out of body experience--at least it was for me. Those of you that know me well (and probably even if you don't know me that well!) know that I am a huge supporter of natural labor. In a normal, healthy pregnancy, it is my belief that it's best to allow things to progress as nature intended. Luckily, I was successful in a natural labor and delivery with my first baby. Almost every mom I talked to, excluding my own, basically told me I wouldn't be able to do it. But I did. It wasn't easy, but it was something that was very important to me, and I was lucky that things progressed the way they did in order to allow it to happen.

As I look back on Staci's birth, there are things I know I want to be different. I don't want to have to sign 874 pieces of paper during hard labor. In fact, it's actually illegal to ask a woman in labor to sign anything within a certain distance from a hospital. And yet hospitals still do it. I'm pretty sure I would have signed away my baby for all the reading I was able to do in that state. I don't want a HEP-lock inserted into my wrist during a contraction while another nurse holds me down. I don't want a nurse so unsupportive of natural labor she refuses to acknowledge simple requests, like keeping the lights off and being quiet during contractions. I don't want to be 'checked' when I say no. There is no reason to check until I am ready to push, and shoving your hand where the sun don't shine is still not ok even if I'm in labor. I definitely don't want 15 people to waltz into the room as the baby is crowning to watch the freak show. I literally was thinking to myself, 'perhaps I should apologize for not keeping my nether regions a bit more, well, kept?' I really shouldn't have to worry about that as I prepare to push a baby out, should I? And finally, I don't want a support staff so unfamiliar with the natural progression of labor that my doctor is literally MIA and barely makes it in time to catch the baby.

As the hospital bills started to roll in, I felt angry. We chose to have our birth in the hospital 'just in case' anything went wrong. And I fully understand the reasoning behind that--but I can honestly say in MY situation--a healthy baby and a healthy mommy--the chances of anything going wrong are very, very slim. Nonetheless, it was my first go and I don't regret my choice one bit. But, it was angering to pay so much money when I felt I did not get the kind of care I SHOULD have received for that kind of price. Seriously, if I am paying someone $800 (and that doesn't include what our insurance paid out) to waltz in and catch the baby at the last second, what have I really paid them for? Literally, anyone could have caught her. I could have reached down and grabbed her myself. and saved $800! and that was only for the OB. I think by the time all was said and done, we spent well over 2k, even with the help of our insurance. I felt cheated. I felt mistreated. I was angry.

After much research, and considering my and Olivia's healthy disposition, we have chosen to strive for a homebirth this time around. (GASP, I know) Before you go lecturing me on how unsafe it is, I encourage you to do your own research. I have found surprising information confirming that for healthy babies and healthy pregnancies, it is equally as safe as a hospital birth. If we do need to transfer to a hospital, I live just 10 minutes away. The chances of something going wrong where we couldn't get to the hospital in time are very, very slim. Especially since this is our second baby, and second babies generally come a bit easier than first babies. Also, to put your mind at ease, if anything feels hinky I will not wait to transfer.

A good overview of statistics found by a recent study in the US can be found here.
Another overview of studies done on homebirth around the globe can be found here.

All of that said, as long as I and Olivia stay healthy, a homebirth is ideal for us. But in no way do I think everyone should have or want a homebirth, nor is it appropriate in many situations. Please send healthy, happy, and easy birthing vibes our way! 64 days and counting...give or take ;)

8 thoughts on Christmas cards and a tip

2010-12-14T20:12:00.001-05:00

Just some giggles as I address, stamp and stuff...

1) My thumb has been asleep now for 2 days
2) I don't know why it makes me giggle to send something to the Raymonts from the Raymonts, but it does
3) It occurs to me I never get as many as I send, but that's ok. I love sending them (even though I can't feel my thumb--it's all about the sacrifice. er whatever)
4) I wish I had the time and the money to send a better card, one with a personalized message or at least an update on what's new with us. This year it's just a quote from Dr. Seuss. That's all ya get peeps.
5) It feels really funny to type when you can't feel your thumb
6) I'm thrilled I made it through without addressing any upside-down. at least I don't think.
7) I love our picture for the card more than words can express. Thank you MLP!
8) Addressing, stamping and stuffing is way more fun with wine. I really missed it this year.

Quick tip: instead of licking all those envelopes, use a damp sponge. keep a small bowl of water nearby to re-moisten as needed. so much faster! (and less icky)

PSA: Watch Your Mouth

2010-12-12T15:44:00.002-05:00

What a lovely weekend it has been! Got to go out with my husband last night to a fun Christmas party while my mom watched Staci. This morning we had homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and then I got to go to Costco with my mom toddler-free! I forgot how fun and easy shopping is when you're not wrangling a VERY busy toddler. *sigh*

The trip to Costco was enjoyable, we walked up and down almost every aisle just browsing and checked out all the toys and books for kids. And then one of the demo ladies (who was not very slim herself to say the least) handing out pita chips and hummus should really have just kept her mouth shut. Our conversation went something like this:

Her: OH, when are you due?
Me: March 7th
Her: OOOH, you still have a WHILE then (looking quite surprised, then looks down at my stomach again) it's a boy then?
Me: no, it's a girl
Her: Oh, you're carrying SO low! Is the baby measuring big? You are SO big already!
Me: No, baby is measuring right on track.
Her: Oh, your uterus must just be all out front like a basketball then (eyes wide in disbelief)
Me: yeah, my midwife did say my uterus is right out front... (walking away, wondering wtf just happened)

Which brings me to my PSA for you all. In case you haven't noticed, pregnant women do not need to hear how big we're getting. We already know. Intimately. I also do not want to have conversations with people I've never met about the placement of my uterus on my body. The only things that are appropriate to say to ANY pregnant woman, no matter HOW big she is, is something along the lines of, "Wow, you are glowing. You look absolutely beautiful and your belly is so cute!" Anything that strays even slightly from this statement is really not ok. Also, if I have never met you, it isn't cool to ask me where or how I plan to deliver, whether or not I plan to breastfeed, or to say things like, "oh it's your second? and your first is HOW old? WOW, (widening eyes) YOU are going to be BUSY". So please, watch your mouth.

26 week belly comparison and a name

2010-12-02T09:29:00.002-05:00

26 weeks pregnant with Staci

26 weeks pregnant with Olivia

It's kind of hard to tell, but I am pretty sure my belly is rounder this time around, and sticking out a bit further. I wonder if this baby is going to be much bigger than Staci was. I expect her to be bigger, but the question is how MUCH? :) Anyone want to take a guess on her weight at birth? I'm guessing 7lbs8oz. Staci was 6lbs2oz if that gives you any idea. What do you think?

Also, we have chosen a name. Max says we can still change our minds, but I'm pretty set on it ;) Olivia Charlotte. <3

Healthy and Picky Eater Friendly Spaghetti and Meatballs

2010-11-15T22:22:00.002-05:00

I did some experimenting in the kitchen and had some success tonight. I thought you may want to have success in the kitchen, too. So, I'm going to share! I combined two different recipes for a 'best of both worlds' effect and it turned out great--both my picky husband and 19 month old gobbled it up! I took the Pioneer Woman's recipe for spaghetti and meatballs and combined it with a recipe from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious and came up with a healthier alternative to your average spaghetti and meatballs. I will say, the meatballs come out a bit different in texture than your average meatball, but as long as you work in ALL the breadcrumbs I recommend it comes pretty close. This recipe made enough for dinner for all three of us tonight, lunch for me and Staci tomorrow, and 2 other dinners to freeze. In other words, it makes a LOT of meatballs!

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
Nonstick cooking spray
Olive Oil (1-2 Tbs depending on your pan)
20oz package Jennie-O lean ground turkey
2 cups breadcrumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 cup butternut squash puree
fresh ground pepper

Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped. white or yellow. I used yellow. you choose. you're the boss.
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes, pureed in blender or food processor
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup carrot puree
1/2-3/4 cup red wine
1 tsp garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1/2 Tbs sugar,
salt and pepper to taste

whatever pasta you choose!

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients for the meatballs (excluding the cooking spray and olive oil) together in a large mixing bowl. You can start with a spoon, but you're going to need to use your hands for this one. Just keep mixing, eventually the breadcrumbs will get absorbed by the moisture in the turkey and butternut squash and it will become less grainy. I usually just keep folding the mixture in on itself kind of like kneading bread. You will think when you begin you don't need that many breadcrumbs. But you do. Trust me. I know these things. I have tried it with less and ended up with soggy mushballs. And you don't want that, do you? Once your mixture is well combined, put a large skillet over medium to medium high heat (I put mine on '6' but every stove is different) and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Let it heat up while you form 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet or wax paper. To do this, I used a cookie scoop and then went back and formed the scoops into rounder balls. This method seems to be the quickest I have found and also helps keep the meatballs uniform in size.

Add about a tsp of olive oil to your now-hot-pot, and swirl it around so the skillet is coated nicely. Add meatballs in managable batches (probably 3-4) to the skillet, browning on all sides. Set each batch on a paper towel lined plate before adding the next batch to the skillet. You will probably need to add about a tsp of olive oil before each new batch to keep them from sticking to the skillet.

Once all meatballs have been browned (but not cooked all the way through), add about 2 tsps olive oil to the skillet. Add the onions and garlic and stir until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Then add the wine. Cook and stir and scrape all the brown on the bottom of the pan leftover from browning the meatballs. When the wine has cooked a few minutes and turned a lovely burgundy color, add the canned tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf, garlic powder, and carrot puree. Add a little salt and pepper here, but you can wait until the end to add the finishing touch of this as well.

Carefully drop in the meatballs and bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn down the stove to keep it just at a simmer, and let it sit.

Now, put a pot of water on to boil and add your favorite pasta, cooking for the recommended 'al dente' time. By the time your pasta is done, so is your sauce! If you're feeling extra ambitious, grab some garlic toast from the freezer and pop it in the oven when you put your pasta in the water. It will be done when your pasta is. Perfect!

I used 'Barilla Plus' pasta for the extra protien.

OK, if you try it, let me know what you think!

family photos

2010-11-08T21:26:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my awesome photographer friend Mandy we have some absolutely beautiful fall family photos this year!! I didn't think we'd get that many because Staci refused to stay in one place for more than a millisecond, but somehow Mandy still managed to get many amazing shots! if you want to see the gallery, it is up on her website. The access code is our last name. LOVE them! One (or a few!) will be our holiday card shot!

We're Thinking Pink!

2010-10-09T14:56:00.001-04:00

I am so excited to share with you all that baby #2 is a GIRL! At least we think. We aren't 100% certain, but I won't be buying any boy clothes unless we find out any new information when we get to meet our sweet new addition for real. I got to have an ultrasound yesterday to check on the baby and make sure she was growing well and that everything looked normal. So far, we are measuring about a week ahead and all measurements were consistant. I did find out that I have a low lying placenta--and luckily, it has already begun to move up as my uterus has grown to accomodate the growing baby. The ultrasound tech was able to show me that the placenta was not in fact covering the cervix, but did mention the midwife might want me to have another ultrasound later in the pregnancy to confirm. Obviously, if the placenta is in the way, I will not be able to have the natural and normal vaginal birth we are all hoping for. Please keep your finger's crossed for us that the midwife agrees all looks normal and that we can proceed with our natural labor and birth as planned. Had to take a belly pic so we could have an outside/inside view!

18weeks4days

baby facing down, profile, spine

It's a GIRL! Probably!

18 weeks, 22 more to go!

2010-10-03T20:46:00.002-04:00

17 weeks 3 days

Finally, a month into the second trimester, I am over the nausea. I have a small hint of it every now and again, but by and large I am feeling better. This baby is strong--I started feeling him or her at 13 weeks and I swear I felt quivers even before that. Max was even able to feel the baby at 17 weeks, 3 days. I am starting to notice braxton hicks contractions, but they are very mild and I know they are nothing to worry about. They started around this time when I was pregnant with Staci, too. So far, I've gained 10lbs which isn't too bad.

Hello baby number TWO! I am in awe of your existance, to be quite honest. I was shocked, to say the least, when I found out you had set up shop in my belly and planned on staying for quite some time. I am thrilled to have you on board. I often catch myself wondering what you're going to be like; if you'll be a good sleeper much unlike your big sister, if you'll have the same dimples she got, or the infectious giggle. I wonder who you'll look more like, your father or me. Will you love to dance like your mom and sister?

Your mommy wants you to know how much she already loves you, and how much she's looking forward to introducing you to your totally awesome super cool Daddy and rambunctious big sister. I know they are going to have the same kind of awe and love for you I already have. Stay well in there little one, I'll meet you in 22 weeks!

18 months old

2010-10-03T15:00:00.001-04:00

Dear Staci,

Staci and her friend Dylan. photo credit: Elaine Lentz

You are 18 months old, growing like a weed and sharing new vocabulary with us every day. You will frequently say words that end in 'k', but replace the 'k' at the end with a 'p'. So, for example, the word 'book' is now lovingly called 'boop' in our house. You love to go on 'waps' with us and our dog, Shania. That is, until yesterday, when you said 'wal-KEH' and grinned. Daddy and I asked you to repeat it a few times just so we could marvel in your awesome pronunciation.

Your mommy is told quite frequently that you are one of the most adorable little girls anyone has ever seen. I have to agree with them! Your olive skin, deep brown eyes, gorgeous lashes and dimples have got me hooked.

You have a best friend, her name is Bella. You call her 'Dede' and get so excited when she comes over you can hardly contain yourself. The last time she walked in our door, you squealed, danced, spun in circles and then fell down. I am pretty sure it's a mutual feeling, as I'm told Bella frequently asks to come and see Staci.

I'm often surprised by your perceptiveness and intelligence. You make new leaps and bounds every day, while to me I think you will always be my baby girl. I'm trying my best to keep up! The other day you brought me a hat and I said, "this is a hat," and put it on my head. I gave it to you, and you repeated, "hat" and put it on your head. I was shocked at how quickly you learned what a hat was and that hats go on heads.

One of your favorite games to play is 'hide and seek and chase'. You and your daddy made this one up. Daddy runs and hides, you come and find him, then turn around and try to run to 'base' (Shania's dog bed) before he can catch you--giggling as Daddy exclaims "I'm gonna get you!" This game could go on forever as far as you are concerned! Mommy loves watching and participating as well.

You still love to jump, and one of your favorite things to do is jump up and sweep your feet forward so that when you land, you land in a sitting position. Lots of 'WOOAAH's" and giggles follow.

--You are still wearing your 18 month clothing. It depends on the brand, as some fit you just right and others are beginning to get too short. It will be time to get out 18-24 month clothes in a month or so I'm betting.

--I keep trying to tell you there is a baby in my belly. I ask you where the baby is and you say, "Dadi!" but I don't think you understand you're going to be a big sister yet. That's ok, we have plenty of time to discuss it over the next 5 months

--You are still nursing. Some days, like yesterday, you will only nurse one time. Others, you nurse more frequently. Today you have already nursed 3 times. I am glad you are still nursing, because I know it is so good for you. and I swear some days the only solid food I can get you to eat is cheerios ("Cheecho's!!") and yogurt ("ya-ya!!")

--You know most body parts and attempt to say many of them

--You love shoes, and especially love to try to wear Mommy and Daddy's shoes. I see a little girl who loves to play dress up in my future.

--Your mommy is very excited for Halloween this year. I think we will take you trick or treating but probably not let you eat much of the candy. Your little body just doesn't need all that sugar QUITE yet. Maybe next year. Maybe.

kick, kick, kick

2010-09-16T22:20:00.001-04:00

Today I am 15 weeks and 3 days pregnant. The whole first trimester flew by, even with the crazy hard core nausea and fatigue. I am feeling much better these days--especially now that I'm feeling some kicks! I even felt a couple from the outside for the first time tonight. I called Max downstairs and of course the baby got shy. It is still early, but it sure would be fun to 'share' the kicks with Max!

I haven't gotten around to taking any belly shots yet, but that needs to happen soon as the bump is beginning to grow beyond leftover Staci and into New Baby territory. I've been in maternity clothes for a month already. CrazyTown.

kick, kick, kick... kick kick kick... ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-01T09:50:00.001-04:00

I haven't shared this pic yet, so here is the perfect opportunity as I'm still having a bit of trouble believing it myself. These are the 3 positive tests I got the day I found out I was pregnant. I sorta thought the first one was a fluke! Now that the nausea is mostly gone (Thank GOD!), I'm starting to feel less tired, and at 13 weeks I'm not feeling much movement... it is still hard for me to believe! I mean, I know I'm pregnant, but I think it is still sinking in!

Staci-isms

2010-08-31T20:34:00.001-04:00

--A few weeks ago, Max taught Staci how to say the word 'outfit'. It doesn't sound like outfit to the untrained ear, but she certainly knows what an 'outfit' is, and when she says it she will grab her shirt and smile. Today, she was being super adorable (when is she not?) and I told her, "You are SO cute!". She grabbed her shirt just like she does when she says 'outfit' and said 'cute!' Why yes you are :)

--She won't SAY hooray, but she will throw her arms up in the air with you when you say it! (if you're happy and you know it shout hooray!)

--She has a funny bone in her butt. Literally. When I apply lotion before bed, that is a dry spot for her and I make sure to get it good. Giggling ensues.

--She has learned the word ouchie, and also that she gets them on her knees. Even though her most recent ouchie has healed, she will still point to her knee and say, "ahchie!"

--We have a book entitled 'The Library Lion' that is really a bit too old for her. There are too many words on each page to hold her attention for the whole story. She has learned on exactly what pages the lion roars and will raaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwrrrrrrrrrrrrrr when she opens the book to that page. Also, if I call her a liar (like when she says poopoo and points to her butt and there is no poopoo to be found), she roars at me.

--She has all her favorite books memorized by page. Although she can't recite them with us yet, she does any and all motions we have made up to go with them at the right time (before I do them). For example, in the book 'Kip the Kitten', there is a page where we count the cats that come in through the cat door. She starts tapping the page and pointing to cats before I even get there.

I. Love. That. Child. :)

Fall Consignment Shopping

2010-08-30T20:57:00.001-04:00

As many of you know, I LOVE congsignment sales! There are a few baby and kid's sales that happen in my area twice a year. You can find excellent deals on items that are in like new condition and help the environment by saving these items from going into landfills. You may be able to find cheaper items at garage sales, but what I like most about these sales is the items are-most of the time--already inspected. It isn't very often that you'll find a stained or ripped item at a consignment sale. Oh, and the toys work! It is possible to find items like this at garage sales, but in my experience there is a lot more time, effort, and DIGGING involved! My favorite is the Indy Kids Consignment sale. It is going on in just a couple of weeks--September 16th-18th. One of the blogs I follow, INGoodCents is hosting a giveaway for presale tickets to this event. I am very excited about the possibility of getting to shop the presale! If you are in the area and interested, go to her site and sign up!

The other two sales I like to check out are the Whale of a Sale and Just Between Friends. The Whale of a Sale has probably what I would consider the most high-end items--and also the highest prices! I still love it though. The JBF sale tends to have items that are not inspected as closely, so just be sure to inspect them yourself and I'm sure you'll find a great deal!

diaper sewing diva

2010-08-29T15:59:00.002-04:00

I finally did it! I finally made the diaper I have been thinking about and talking about making for months. It turned out pretty cute! It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be, either. Except for sewing the elastic into the seem allowance. that part was hard! Hopefully, after I wash it and dry it it will still look somewhat like this LOL!

I think one of the things I am most excited about are the snaps and my new snap pliers. I had read that snap pliers were not appropriate for plastic snaps, and that you really needed a snap press. This is not entirely true. KAM snaps makes an excellent product that is a fraction of the cost of a snap press (around $100, the pliers are $27!!) and they worked great. I read the instructions, tried a snap out on a a scrap piece of fabric and voila! It was SO easy. I am very impressed. If I can do it, trust me, anyone can!

I can't wait to try Staci's new diaper! I will have to report back and let you all know how it works!

moving? perhaps!

2010-08-29T15:49:00.001-04:00

We, my husband and I, have been discussing it for a while. It always seemed like a 'one day' type of discussion. But after coming home from a day out with my mom who is buying a new house, he finally expressed the desire to move closer to his office--and the sooner the better. Personally, I like the area we live in. Our neighborhood is safe, our home is affordable (and still practically brand new), and we have enough space for family gatherings. However, I don't like that he leaves the house before 7am every morning to beat the nasty traffic a la the I-465 parking lot. Because he leaves so early, he is able to be home by 5. I love that he is home by 5, but he has still spent an hour and a half in the car that day. It really isn't a terrible commute. But it could be better. A lot better!

So, we're thinking of putting the house on the market. My mom is moving to the east side of Indianapolis in a cute little area close to where my brother and sister-in-law and their two boys live. This area is 10-15 minutes from my husband's office. AND, I've already found a house I LOVE! Well, I love the outside. I need to see the inside of course! It would be so nice to be walking distance from family. I would love for Staci to spend more time with her cousins, and I would like to spend more time with family myself--especially with baby number two on the way!

There is a problem, unfortunately. The builders are still in the neighborhood, and I personally can't see why anyone would buy a 'used' house when they could go down the street and build one and choose all the options themselves. I know that houses here are selling, I see for sale signs and a few months later they are gone, and a moving truck comes. So I know there is selling going on, but I don't know how much the sellers have had to come down on their price in order to get the job done.

It is all kind of up in the air right now I guess! We are waiting to hear back from our realtor about a market analysis. If things look like it's possible to sell the house for at least what we owe, I think we might try to do just that. Wish us luck!

Nesting

2010-08-26T18:11:00.001-04:00

After months of batting a big fat zero in the home cleanliness department, I am finally getting into the swing of cleaning again! Once Staci started pulling herslef along, it became almost impossible for me to keep up with this house. I just wasn't sure how to manage her and clean--especially because I do try to limit her television watching. I don't think TV is bad necessarily, but I do think she will learn more and be more active if the TV is off. This week, however, she has watched way more than I approve of. That is because Mama has been BUSY! Monday, I spent nearly the entire day decluttering, trimmed the bushes, shined the kitchen sink, hung the second curtain rod up in Staci's room (so we could have blackout curtans and her pretty curtains up at the same time) and cleaned up the toys in both play areas. That doesn't sound like much, but it took me most of the day.

Yesterday I didn't get much done around the house because Staci and I spent the entire day out and about with Grandma E checking out her soon-to-be new home and area of town!

Today, I vacuumed the entire house, steam-cleaned the living room carpet, had friends over and went for a nice long walk, did 2 loads of laundry, cleaned all 3 toilets, and steam-mopped the kitchen floor. Wow, when I write it all out it sure doesn't sound like that much, but I only sat down during nap time!

I think the big motivator for me in finally starting to get our house in shape is that Max and I are considering getting our house on the market and looking for a new home closer to his work. More on that in the next post!

Four Years!

2010-08-23T22:37:00.001-04:00

This month, my wonderful husband and I celebrated our fourth anniversary. It's hard to believe it's already been four years!! We celebrated with our favorite meal and a very special cake that evening, and had a wonderful evening out the following Friday evening. Our dinner at home was more difficult to enjoy because we spent the entire time chasing our daughter (who refuses to stay in her high chair longer than 3.2 seconds) but the food was still picture perfect!

For our evening out, the hubs took me to The Melting Pot. We had our own private booth and enjoyed our 4 course meal--it was fantastic! Cheese fondu, salads, traditional fondu and then of course chocolate fondu for dessert. YUM. Wish I had a picture of that...

update on Staci

2010-08-23T22:29:00.001-04:00

And before I know it, another month has gone by without me updating the blog! Our little girl is exploding in the vocabulary department. She has a TON of words, though some of them she will only say the first half of the word--for waffles, she says, "waffffffffffffff" LOL. She has also added 'play' and 'cereal' to her sign language skills. She will pucker up for kisses with the cutest little fish face, she gets excited to see her bff Bella when Mommy and Aunt Mandy work out, and she will bring me her lovey to hug, ya know, just in case I needed one. And she will also spin in circles on command. probably my favorite trick so far!

She is finally starting to expand her eating a bit--I am THRILLED to announce she is now eating yogurt with NO side effects. In the past, when I have given her any dairy product, it has been quickly followed by stuffiness and fussiness, and occasionally hives and swelling. She has been eating yogurt almsot every day for a week. I'm even more elated in the fact that she LIKES it! YAY! my baby likes YOGURT! something her father will not touch with a ten foot pole. Thank goodness. At least I won't be begging HER to eat something besides hot pockets and pop tarts!

And you know what? She ate some cottage cheese yesterday. with no problems. I never thought I'd get her to eat anything like that. I'm thrilled! Still too nervous to try mac'n'cheese or grilled cheese sandwhiches--or cow's milk for that matter, BUT, it's a start! In the past, both cow and goat milk have ended in me cleaning up puke, so I think I'll stay away from those a little while longer.

Yogurty McYogurt Face

that is so just the tip of the iceburg...

OH yeah, it got messy. but it was awfully cute!

Anastasia 15 mo stats and pics

2010-07-22T21:22:00.001-04:00

This post is a little late, but better late than never! At Staci's 15 mo appt, she got 2 vaccinations and impressed Dr E with all her sign language skills. She is still right at/around the fiftieth percentile for both height and weight--and twentieth for head size. She got Mommy's head size which isn't altogether a bad thing! We still have plenty of brains, that is for sure. ;)

Height: 30.5 inches
Weight: 21lbs 13oz

Thanks to my awesome photographer friend Mandy at Mandy Leonards Photography, we have some adorable photos to share!

This last one is my absolute favorite! I love that squishy, devious smile <3

Big News

2010-07-16T19:33:00.001-04:00

Everyone who frequents this blog already knows, and Max and I are looking for a fun way to tell long distance family. so, here it is!

No one was more shocked than me to see that line pop up on the pregnancy test! I tested because I was planning on drinking wine that evening, and since my cycles hadn't become regular yet (in fact, I only had one) I figured it was a good precautionery measure. I was so surprised I walked out to tell Max, and couldn't utter a word. I ended up just handing him the pregnancy test. He jumped up and hugged me, and I just started giggling. With everything we went through to get pregnant with Staci, I did not think there was any chance we would ever have a surprise pregnancy. Obviously, I was wrong!

I did have a little bit of spotting a few days after the positive test and went into the doctor for some bloodwork to see what my levels were doing. the first level came back at 156, and the second was 397. It more than doubled in 48 hours which is fantastic, and faster than the doubling time from when I was pregnant with Staci.

We went for an ultrasound on Wednesday, 7/14 and I was measuring 6 weeks and 2 days pregnant, so exactly where I thought I was. we got to see the heartbeat and even got to hear it for a little bit. The heart was beating at 120 beats per minute, which is just about perfect for how far along I am. I think the heart rate will go up over the next couple of weeks. If it stays low, I will be thinking boy!

In the ultrasound above, the baby is on the right and the yolk sac is on the left.

So far, I have been feeling pretty nauseous for about a week. I ordered some psi bands and got them today, they seem to be helping a little. Basically, they put pressure on an accupressure point that is supposed to disrupt your nervous system's recognition of nausea. I'm glad to be feeling some relief! When I was pregnant with Staci I used the b-natal therapops and those worked well, despite the icky too sweet flavor of the cherry I had. This time I got the green apple flavor but they are still too sweet and not all that effective with this pregnancy--which is unfortunate.

Other than nausea, I have been outrageously hungry and it seems if I am not shoving food in my mouth I'm nauseated. So, I might be gaining a lot more weight with this baby--I'm hoping I don't! I am also exhausted. Pregnant and breastfeeding my 15 month old is really wearing me out. yawn.

Although there are some unpleasant symptoms, I am so thrilled to be expecting again!! My babies will be about 23 months apart, which is how far apart my brother and I are. I think it will be perfect. I can't wait to find out of this is a boy or a girl!

I won't be sharing this on facebook for a while, so please no comments there quite yet. But most people that read this blog already know, and the ones that don't are family so we decided to go for it! ;)

How do you DO it?!

2010-07-11T21:13:00.000-04:00

Since having a baby, our house has become increasingly neglected. Increasingly more disorganized. Increasingly more, well, just plain dirty. *hangs head in shame* Seriously though, I can not find the motivation to keep our house 'company ready'. And I have a sixth sense things are only going to get worse! I have talked about starting FLYLady on here before, and I did start it. I never made it past the first week.

I've been like that with a few things in my life. The diving team, my college major... but mostly when I decide to do something I jump in with both feet. I guess that's why I'm struggling with this so much. I just can't seem to commit myself to a daily routine.

Which brings me to the title of this post--how do you do it? How do you keep the house clean while wrangling a toddler who instantly unfolds what you just folded, pulls out what you just put away, dumps things all over the floor, and then wants to read a story? I am at a loss!

15 Months Old

2010-07-10T21:45:00.000-04:00

Dear Staci,

You are 15 months old! Not a day goes by that you don't make your Dad and I laugh and leave us in a state of amazement. You are so much fun at this age! You are walking everywhere but still falling quite a bit. You love to dance, and when we ask you to, you sway back and forth complete with your own song. It goes kind of like this "eh eh eh eh mm mm mm". You love to give hugs and say, "ahhhh" as you dole them out. You give these hugs to Lovey, Shania, Rascal, your friends Bella and Veronica, and of course Mommy and Daddy.

We went to the Zoo yesterday and had so much fun! You absolutely loved the dolphin show and practically jumped up and down the entire time. You clapped and laughed and squealed as they performed for you. You were your normal fearless self and made friends with everyone around us, making sure to tell everyone 'hi'. It was very hot, but you didn't complain at all. It was hard to get you to stay in the stroller and we had a few battles when Mommy got too tired to carry you any farther, but we made it through. Eventually, you fell asleep and Mommy loved watching you sleep for a little while.

--You are still nursing 3-4 times a day and once or twice at night
--You are finally falling asleep on your own. On occasion you fuss a bit, and tonight you started crying :( I got up to check on you, but you quieted down before I got to your door. So, you must have been OK.

--You are wearing 12-18mo and 18mo sized clothing

--Your communications skills are excellent for your age. You are speaking single words and combining signs left and right like 'milk, please' and saying 'up' but then signing 'please'.

--Your signs include milk, please, thank you, mama, eat, and bath. You have made up your own signs for 'fancy' and 'closed'. I love that my 15 month old says 'fancy'!!

--You know where your belly button, mouth, nose, eyes, and hair are.

--You have six teeth.

--It is difficult for Mommy to keep the house clean because you pull things out of cabinets, open them, and dump the contents out on the floor. Or just take random things and leave them in random places! I can't wait for you to talk so you can tell me where you put my mascara.

--You figured out how to undo the childproof cap ages ago.

Mommy and Daddy love you, Anastasia. Thank you for being a constant source of joy in our home.

...and we're back

2010-06-30T21:09:00.000-04:00

Gosh it's been a long time since I've updated on here. First of all, sleeping is going SO much better, and consistantly so. This is the first time, ever, that sleep has been consistantly better. I feel like she was finally ready, and because she was ready there was very little crying when we finally got to the point of laying her down awake and off to sleep. Thank goodness! The past 2 weeks she has only woken up once or twice (mostly twice) but I will take it!

Secondly, we have a little walker on our hands! She has just taken off in the walking department, going from just a few steps at a time to full on walking through the house--all in just a few weeks. It's amazing how fast she learns! She also can sign the words 'milk', 'please', 'eat', 'drink', 'all done', and 'more'. She says 'up', 'mama', 'dada', 'hi', 'ki' (kitty), 'gee' (doggie) and has said lots of other words one time but those are her go-to words that I hear constantly. She knows where her nose, eyes, hair, and belly button are and I'm hopeful to teach her some more body parts soon.

Staci is going to be 15 months old tomorrow. She is officially a toddler. I'm the mommy of a toddler. WOAH. MAMA. but my gosh, I am loving every minute. Being a mommy is so cool! ;)

oh so frustrated

2010-06-14T21:05:00.001-04:00

To say my daughter is a bad sleeper is like saying 9/11/01 was a bad day. I mean really, it is awful. Last night was the first night in almost a week where she DIDN'T wake up for 2+ hours in the middle of the night. I'd consider it a victory if it hadn't taken 2 hours to get her to go to sleep, resulting in her finally going down at 10pm. It's currently 8:59pm and we have been trying to get her to go to sleep for over an hour. In that hour I nursed her 2 times, she got crazy upset in her crib while Max stood outside just trying to get her to calm down. After just a few minutes she vomited everywhere, so I went in to help clean her and the room up at which point she asks for milk again. so, that's 3 times nursing now in a little over an hour. Did I mention she is 14 months old? She can be completely calm and near sleep and the second I even get near her crib she erupts into a fit of screams. Like, she's not just a little upset. It's all out WAR to her, and she's not losing. Strong willed doesn't even BEGIN to describe it.

GAH. I just had to get that out!

First Steps

2010-05-18T20:32:00.000-04:00

Anastasia took her very first steps today!!! I was making dinner while Daddy played with her, and I missed them. Max SCREAMED, "MEEEGAAANN!!!" and I dropped everything and took the stairs 2 and 3 at a time. My heart was in my throat--I thought for sure she fell and hurt herself BAD or was choking or something terrible with the way he yelled my name. I got up there and he calmly stated, "Staci just took her first steps." At which point I screamed, hugged her, and cried.

I cried for a few reasons. 1) I missed them. I immediately felt like a horrible mother. HOW on EARTH could I miss my daugher's VERY FIRST steps?! 2) Tears of joy. I don't think I ever truly understood happy tears until giving birth. What an amazing feeling. MY BABY IS WALKING! and 3) a small part of my brain said, "HOLY SHIT! I REALLY HAVE TO BABYPROOF NOW!!" and if you have ever tried to babyproof anything, you totally get that one.

Never fear, Staci did a repeat performance after dinner. She can take 2-3 steps before she needs someone to catch her, but gosh--you gotta start somewhere, right? I am so happy I got to see it. My baby girl is walking! What a momentous occasion!

Dearest Staci,
Congratulations sweetheart. May those first steps be the start of some very happy feet for you. Wherever they lead--be it to dance, to run, to jump, to spin in circles until you fall down, to far off places, may you always find yourself surrounded by love and laughter. My heart is so full right now.

Love,

Mommy

Officially a grown-up

2010-05-14T23:59:00.000-04:00

On Mother's Day, 2010, I officially became a grown-up. That is, according to my mother. The fact that I actually planted flowers and mulched all by myself were the actions that officially crossed me over from child to adult in her mind.

I love my mother. She is awesome. And she knows it. So awesome in fact, that she knows the only way to get something done well is to do it yourself. So, as you may have guessed, there were many school projects growing up that got turned in that were much more her work than mine. The same goes for household chores and things like yard work. I never had much of an interest, perhaps because I never had the opportunity to do anything other than pull weeds out of the rocks lining either side of our driveway. I mean really, who wouldn't get excited about that?

In addition to planting flowers, I am also growing a few herbs in my window sill and have managed to keep two aloe plants alive. I have never been able to keep plants alive! I just always forgot they were there. What has changed? Perhaps my mom is right. Perhaps I truly am, finally at 27, the married mother of one--perhaps I truly have become a grown-up. *shivers*

Kitchen Adventures

2010-05-03T22:08:00.001-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to try Dream Dinners at a fraction of the price thanks to Groupon. I had such a fun time going in and assembling our meals--I made 6 meals in just over an hour. Usually, it takes me about an hour to make dinner once you include all the vegetable chopping, so to make SIX dinners in that time frame was awesome. All of the chopping was done for me. All I had to do was measure out ingredients and assemble them in freezer bags. It was SO easy--and fun! They set out soft drinks, coffee and leftover goodies like chocolate chip cookies nad cupcakes. so, I was in heaven.

Over the next couple of weeks, we enjoyed our meals. A typical meal needs to be defrosted in the refrigerator first. Then, you cook the meat, add the pre-assembled sauce/glaze/vegetable medley and serve. It took so much stress out of my evening. I love to cook, but it's difficult with a toddler crawl-running everywhere and a husband who just came home from work and is tired. I was falling into the spaghetti/chili/frozen pizza (eek!) rut and really needed some new ideas to spice things up.

Going there and seeing how the whole make-ahead-meal world operates was eye opening and inspired me to do a little freezer cooking on my own. Over the past few days, I doubled the recipe of a few of our favorites and froze the leftovers. I have recently been cooking out of Deceptively Deliscious, and from there made and froze taco filling, bolognese sauce, and sloppy joe filling. I also pre-assembled a new to us recipe I found through allrecipes.com for Chicken Teriyaki in orange ginger garlic sauce. I can't wait to try it!

So, in case you are wondering what I mean by 'pre-assemble', I will break it down for you. I did all of the prepwork for this recipe and froze it in a ready-to-cook state. I bought some chicken breast tenderloins and threw a little over a pound in a freezer bag. Then I took another gallon size bag and stuffed it down in a bread crumb container, folding the edges over the top. This way, the bag doesn't fall over spilling my ingredients everywhere. I dumped all of the ingredients for the orange ginger garlic sauce in and then sealed the bag. I even included a small freezer bag of brown rice (uncooked) just so that everything is together when I need it. I can't wait to try it--it sounds so good, doesn't it?

Freezer cooking on my own definitely takes more time that going to Dream Dinners, but is also less expensive. That said, Dream Dinners is still a great option for the busy family--most of their meals come in at under $4 a serving. I just prefer to eat for much less!

She's a Big Stander

2010-04-26T22:58:00.000-04:00

Staci is officially standing! Yesterday she did it for the first time on her own--let go of the couch to play with the card she was holding. I don't think she even knew what she was doing, and when Max and I began clapping and cheering she had this look of bewilderment--and then a giant grin! She stood there for a good 30 seconds at least.

Ever since last night, she has been working on her new skill. She has already improved so much--and can stand and clap at the same time! Such a show-off :)

She has also started giving hugs on command. It is by far my favorite new trick of hers! She has been so wiggley for months now and would never just cuddle. I swear, one hug from her can make your heart and soul sing.

She is getting so big! She has outgrown her 12mo sleepers and is moving into the 18mo stuff now. Which means a lot of laundry and organizing is in my future.

Staci also has some words! Her first official word was 'Hi' and she is still saying it! Now every time we go through a door she will say hi to whoever is on the other side--even if it's no one. She loves saying hi to the dog and kitty especially. These are also words for her--'Duh' and 'kiyey'. Last but not least is 'UH OH!'. she will throw things on the floor just to say, 'UH OH!'. So. adorable.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T22:49:00.002-04:00

new pictures

2010-04-11T16:05:00.000-04:00

Mandy took some amazing pictures of Staci for her one year pics, as well as a few headshots for me and my new website. Go and see the sneak peak! Head shots Staci's one year pics

New Adventures

2010-04-11T15:46:00.000-04:00

For a few months now I have been wanting to do a little something to bring some 'fun money' in, but have been reluctant to look for a job outside the home because Staci is still nursing. Also, it's important to me to get to be there for her and watch her grow up. I wish there was a job I could bring her with me to, but those just don't really exist outside of child care--and I'm just not very interested in watching other people's kids!

Thankfully, I have this really great friend of mine who is an up-and-coming photographer. You all know who I'm talking about--Mandy Leonards Photography. She had the idea to have a boudoir marathon, and invited me to do the makeup for it. It all sort of snowballed from there, and I have started my own business as a professional freelance makeup artist.

I did a bunch of research (thank you, dear Google) and found what I believe are some of the best and most high-quality professional makeup products on the market and ordered some things to start my kit. I'm very excited to get it all and play and practice with it!

please check out my website and let me know what you think!

Makeup By Megan Alexis

Oh What Fun, YOU ARE ONE!

2010-04-01T23:11:00.001-04:00

Dear Anastasia,
I can't believe this day has already come and gone. You are O-N-E! You are the light of my life, you make everything more fun. My friends think I'm crazy for not doing much without you--I need more 'me' time they say. But who would want 'me' time when I could have 'us' time? You are hilarious, you are cute, you are smart, and I love you.
Today was a gorgeous day. This morning I dressed you in a pretty pink dress with tulle around the skirt at the bottom and a little slice of cake with a candle on it. It was a present from Aunt Windi! It's your birthday after all. Your FIRST birthday, and I just had to dress you up! I sang happy birthday to you a few times and we danced. You LOVE to dance. After breakfast, Aunt Mandy and Bella came over and we went for a long walk. You honked the 'horn' on the stroller and played music for us with the buttons. You showed Mandy how well you walk behind your push toy; you giggled at Bella. We ate lunch, you took your nap, and then we headed out to run a few errands. I made you turkey meatloaf (potentially your favorite food) for dinner and then it was time for bed.
Tomorrow is Good Friday and Daddy has the day off so we are going to the zoo to celebrate your birthday as a family. I can't wait, I know you will love it!

--You are in 12mo sized clothing
--You just learned to clap last week
--You giggle after I laugh--which makes me laugh, and then you laugh more--it goes on for a while like this
--You are still not sleeping so well but getting better and better.
--You still love to nurse, especially at night
--You are pulling up and cruising and just today stood for a couple of seconds all on your own
--You have now learned how to open the cabinets. So Mommy needs to babyproof those ASAP!
--You are finally crawling on all fours more and more. That belly scoot is way too much work!

Mommy loves you. You are moving into an '8' year which is a money year. Hmmm perhaps you will start your uber-successful modeling career so Mommy and Daddy don't have to worry about your college fund. I wouldn't be surprised, you're pretty darn cute.

Another Guest Post

2010-04-01T13:18:00.000-04:00

My photographer friend Mandy asked me to write a guest post for her blog on makeup for photography. Go check it out for tips and tricks you need to know!

Staci is Airborn

2010-03-30T14:02:00.000-04:00

no, really. When she jumps her feet leave the crib! and then she claps for us. she rocks!

my first DIY--cupcake stand!

2010-03-30T13:48:00.000-04:00

For Staci's first birthday, we are doing a cupcake theme. What better way to display homemade cupcakes than to put them on a pretty stand? I knew I wouldn't find one like this to buy, so I set out to make my own.

I found the instructions for this DIY from CakeJournal. It was so easy! I did change a few things and I have some more insight as to what worked for me and where to find what you will need, so read on! Here is what you will need:

--Satin ribbon (I used 5/8" and it worked well)

--scissors

--small silver pins from a craft store

--scrapbook paper or nice, heavy wrapping paper (or cardstock)

--round cake boards in 8, 10, and 12in sizes

--2 cake dummies (more if you want to add more tiers) I used one 4x4 and one 4x6 round styrafoam.

--Glue stick

Note: I had a hard time finding what I needed. I ended up ordering the cake dummies from Taylor Foam but I'm sure you could find them at any baking supply store. The closest ones to me were about a 40 minute drive one way, and with an 11 mo old I'd rather pay $10 for shipping than make that trip. So I did. I ordered the cake boards from Ultimate Baker. The shipping was outrageous for such inexpensive items, but so worth it for the end result!

Step 1) Wrap the satin ribbon around the cake dummies and secure with silver pin.

Step 2) Trace the outline of the cake boards onto the back of the decorative paper.

Step 3) Cut the circles out of the paper

Step 4) Paste the paper circles onto the cake boards with the glue stick

Step 5) Wrap and glue ribbon around the edge of the cake boards to get a more unified and finished look

Step 6) Stack your cupcake stand. You can glue it together, pin it together with the silver pins, or even use Royal icing to stick it together. Since I want to be able to reuse the cake dummies for future cake stands, I will use the little silver pins to pin each piece together. This isn't the sturdiest way but thankfully cupcakes don't weigh very much.

Before I put the ribbon around the boards, these are the trial run cupcakes for Staci's first birthday

But I felt it was missing something, so I added the ribbon

I'm going to have to run to Michaels and get more because I ran out, but doesn't it look so much more finished and professional? The cupcakes need their own post. Thank you Pioneer Woman, your Yellow Cupcake recipe is the bomb!

A Trip to the Farm

2010-03-27T21:49:00.001-04:00

Max and I have been discussing joining a CSA to get more healthy produce into our diets. It is a strong belief of mine that eating organically when possible is the best option. I don't like the idea of putting unnecessary chemicals in my body, not to mention eating strawberries from Mexico that were picked weeks ago when I could eat produce picked just days ago from a farm up the road. Supporting local agriculture has many benefits, and to me, it just feels good.

We got up early today, on a Saturday (yawn!). Around 9:15 Becky and Keith us up to head to Victory Acres, a certified naturally grown farm about an hour from here. We piled into their Mazda V and headed north. Staci and Veronica (10 months) sat and happily played Peek-a-boo with me and Becky while the husbands sat up front and chatted.

Upon arrival I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. The first thing we saw were two double-wides and some rather disorganized looking greenhouse structures. I don't know. I guess I had envisioned a cute little farmhouse complete with garden gnomes and window box blooming flowers. (yes, I know it's March. and nothing is really blooming yet...) We were greeted by Terry, the head dude at the farm and Charley, an extremely lovable golden retriever mix. Charley sold me on this farm in about 3 seconds. He was such a sweet pup! I think you can tell a lot about a person by their animals. :)

Terry took us through the farm, methodically explaining which plants were going where in each of the rows of field. I have to say I expected it to be bigger. I am amazed they grow enough food for even the small business they do, but since I am a city girl what the heck do I know? It was hard to envision since nothing is really growing yet. When he took us through the greenhouses it was really neat to see the teeny tiny buds beginning to peek out of the dirt. It's amazing that in just a few weeks those buds will be vegetables ready to eat!

Charley ate some weeds and then chased the cat. <3

Terry pointed out the henhouses, explaining that cage free is not the same as free range chicken--apparently cage free means the chickens could still be packed in very tightly and unable to rome free. With the free range chickens at Victory Acres, they had ample space to rome about, creating a much healthier atmosphere and in turn, healthier eggs.

After seeing the plants, we piled back into the car to visit the animals. Charley raced the car up the road. As soon as we walked into the barn, the animals all came up to greet us. The cows even came in from pasture to wink and flick their ears and swish their tails for our benefit. We met merino goats, sheep, and a brand new 2 week old ram. Staci was none-too-sure about the sheep. She got pretty upset when I tried to get her closer to the sheep and then the baby ram. I am not sure why she is scared of sheep of all things, but she calmed down after a few minutes. Poor kid! For now the farm is not milking the cows or goats for sale, but maybe sometime in the future.

All in all I am glad I did not make any judgements at first, because the farm turned out to be very cool and probably just what we are looking for. Terry sent us home with 2 dozen eggs (one dozen for each family) and a big bag of spinach to split just for coming out to visit--how nice is that? I see a fabulous spinach salad in my near future :) I am open to checking out some other farms in the area, but this one is deifnitely in the running. I felt very comfortable there and Terry was so easy to talk to.

Once we have a plethora of fresh veggies and fruits I will need to make a real effort to eat what we have so I will be hitting up all my friends out in bloggyland for yummy recipes!

oh the things I would change...

2010-03-25T21:57:00.000-04:00

If I could change one thing about myself, I would be less outspoken. I have stuck my foot in my mouth more times than I can count, and in the process have hurt the feelings of true friends. I have alienated acquaintances. And I have created an image of myself that isn't altogether true.

I wish I could be one of those people that are seen as agreeable. I would love to sit back and fade into the sidelines and just be Staci's Mom for a bit. But whenever I try to keep it on the inside, this voice bubbles up and spills over and I end up lashing out in the form of a facebook link overreaction or a heated (and well researched) rant. It's not that I TRY to be over the top. I just am.

For example, some time ago I read an article about a hospital in Colorado that has banned The Bradley Method. I find this to be completely ridiculous for many reasons that I will save for a different post, but when I shared the link to the article I stated, "these doctors should lose their licenses". Do I REALLY think they should lose their licenses? Of course not. But I DO firmly believe that ANY doctor who has done their research would never ban the safest way of having babies for healthy pregnancies, mothers and babies. I do think these doctors have not done their research and are doing women a disservice by disallowing them to trust in themselves and their bodies. This comment got a heated debate going in which a childhood friend (who is a doctor) had much to say.

The problem is that when I bubble over, I then care about what other people think. I want to be opinionated. And I want everyone to agree with me. I don't want there to be any hurt feelings. So, I need a filter, but I'm not happy if I try to filter the things I feel strongly about.

So, acknowledge our differences, and love me anyway?

I've been quiet lately

2010-03-14T22:16:00.000-04:00

I guess I've had a bit of 'writer's block' and haven't had much to say. Hope this is a good consolation prize!

Happy 11 months darling girl!

2010-02-28T21:02:00.001-05:00

Dearest Staci,

How is it even possible you are almost 11 months old?

As I write this, I find it hard to believe that exactly 11 months ago I was checking into the hospital where you were born. The same hospital that had me sign a form stating the only people I wanted in the room during delivery were the nurse, the doctor, and your father, and then went ahead and invited the entire staff as you were crowning. I can't imagine why they made me sign all that paperwork when I was in labor. In HARD labor. I would have agreed that I was an elephant and should live at the Zoo if they told me it meant I'd be done signing forms! It's even more difficult to believe they took 7 tries to insert a simple HEP lock. And then did it during a contraction. Does anyone wonder why I'm strongly considering a home birth for the next kiddo? I digress.

Staci, some of the sweetest memories I have are of you as a newborn. Your little newborn sounds, snorts, and snores. The way you slept on our chest all day long (and refused to sleep anywhere but there even at night). I would relish in every new thing. Your father and I would just watch you in amazement. And then we would watch some TV while you nursed because you would nurse for hours.

Now, you are so different. It's all I can do to get you to nurse just a few minutes at a time during the day. You are so busy! You started pulling up just a couple of weeks ago and are so good at it now. You can pull yourself up on pretty much anything. Your daddy is even helping you do pull-ups using the dining room table. He swears you're doing most of the work. Little Baby Hulk!

--You are now wearing 9-12mo and 12mo clothing, with a few 6-12mo sized items thrown in.
--You are finally in the biggest size of your one size diaper.
--You are pulling up and cruising, and even after only a couple of weeks are able to move from one piece of furniture to the next. You're a little daredevil and will reeeeaaach for things and then fall if they are too far away.
--You are working on learning to climb the stairs. Mommy is not encouraging this behavior.
--You still have no teeth
--Even though you have no teeth, you can eat just about anything.
--Speaking of eating, you have lots of food allergies that mommy is hoping you will outgrow. So far, you have had not-so-nice reactions to dairy, eggs, and peanut butter.
--You are still waking frequently at night to nurse. Mostly, now, because you are too busy to nurse during the day

Thank you for deciding to enter this world and allowing me to be your mommy. I love you so much and I promise to help you along your path, whichever way you choose to go.

Why I Love Wine

2010-02-19T23:07:00.002-05:00

Dear grapes, thank you so much for letting yourself be squished, your juice fermented, so that I may drink it and feel fabulous. You have made bad days bearable and celebrations sparkle. You pair well with all sorts of lovely dishes. You look pretty on my table. You smell nice. I love it when my throat and belly get all warm after a few sips. You feel fancy, even when you’re cheap. One glass and I am the BOMB at Boggle. Two glasses I strat ot spel wrdso wrogn. Oh Wine, you make me happy.

My drinking days started out much like anyone else’s. Under age, fake ID, some Boone’s Farm and bad decisions. The usual. Since then, I like to think I’ve blossomed into a bit of a ~~cheap wine~~ connoisseur. What is your favorite ~~cheap~~ wine?

GO VOTE!

2010-02-18T22:29:00.000-05:00

All the entries are in and the polls are open for Mandy's photo contest!

GO AND VOTE!

Things I Love Thursday: Babywearing

2010-02-18T19:15:00.003-05:00

TILT is a blog carnival originating from The Diaper Diaries

This topic was recently discussed on an online forum I post on on IVillage. I have known many of these wonderful women for years, and last November had the privilege of meeting some of them in Las Vegas. Babywearing is something I don't just love; I'm passionate about it. I just learned that many of them don't agree with my views--and that's okay. Part of the reason I love that board is I get to hear all different points of view and no one shuns anyone for being the best parent they know how to be. It's wonderful. I LOVE my IVillage girls!! But since this is my blog, I feel compelled to share a little bit more here than I did there.

When I was getting ready for Staci to arrive, I read 'The Baby Book' by the Sears' family and just fell in love with the attachment parenting style. One of the best pieces of advice I got from that book was to wear your baby. This is a well researched topic, and a great resource where you can read about the documented benefits of babywearing is here.

The reasons I love babywearing:

1) It just FEELS good. Since the day Staci decided to enter this world, I have felt compelled to hold her, soothe her, and be close with her. Babywearing nurtures her AND me.

2) Staci hardly ever cries. Even as a newborn, hearing her cry was extremely rare. I attribute this to two things--breastfeeding and babywearing.

3) It's easy to get things done around the house! Need to vaccuum? Mop? do the dishes? cook? you can do all of these things with your baby in a sling. Some of my favorite memories wearing Staci are at the Grocery store, walking up and down the aisles with her snoozing away, her head against my chest.

4) It stimulates milk production. Any breastfeeding mother can identify with the fear their baby might not be getting enough milk. After all, you can't measure the amount of breastmilk they are taking from your breast unless you have a super duper sensitive scale. Babywearing helps keep milk production up and has certainly eased some of those fears for me.

5) It's way better than using a stroller nine times out of ten. It's easier to transport (especially if you have a small 4-door sedan like we do). it takes up less space--not just in the car, but if you are in a crowded area as well. You and your baby will always fit in the aisle and between racks of clothes--unlike most strollers. Besides, what do people do when they go to the bathroom? I have never figured this out. Most strollers don't fit...and even if they did I wouldn't feel comfortable closing the bathroom door and leaving my baby in a public place where I can't see them. Wear them and go on about your bathroom business. It's so much less stressful! It does take some maneuvering and getting used to, but it's so worth it.

At ten months old, I still wear Staci frequently. Now I put her in the grocery cart most times, but occasionally I decide to wear her because I want her close, and she wants to be close. Babywearing has become part of my parenting style, and we both love it.

Photo contest!

2010-02-18T11:55:00.001-05:00

Most of you know or have heard me talk about my good friend Mandy. She is a new-to-the-biz photographer and in order to gain some traffic to her site is having a photo contest. If you are in the Indy area, you can enter by sending her your favorite photo of your child. If you are not in the area, I encourage you to go to her site and vote! Become a fan on facebook and you can vote there, too. I did enter Staci so go and check out the pictures and vote for your favorite. It doesn't have to be Staci--I won't throw cyber-rocks! I know she would very much appreciate the traffic! Click here to get to her website, and then click 'enter blog'. you will find her post about the contest there. Voting begins this evening I believe!

pulling up, falling down, and family fun

2010-02-18T11:47:00.002-05:00

This past week has been an explosion of development for Anastasia. I think she heard me say she was a bit behind the curve in the movement category and said to herself, "what the WHAT? I am not behind, Mommy, I'll show you!" Over the course of two days, Staci taught herself how to get into a sitting position on her own and to pull up to standing upright without having to rest her belly on anything. She is now a sitting and standing machine!

Due to her quick development, we didn't get the crib lowered in time to prevent her from falling out of it. She's fine. I'm probably scarred for life, but she continues to try to crawl off of things so I guess she's not too affected. I hope she has no more knievel Impressions planned!

On Saturday, we got together with Max's brother and sister in-law and their 3 boys. It was so much fun to see them (they live out of town) and Staci had a wonderful time with her cousins!

Here is Staci with Trent--he was such a good older cousin and she had such fun playing with him!

Carter was adorable as always and stopped playtime to give her a hug! <3

Carter was VERY excited about his new Nerf gun!

and just cuz I couldn't resist. GLEE on that face I tell ya!

Things I Love Thursday--MD Skincare daily alpha beta peels

2010-02-11T15:39:00.002-05:00

Things I Love Thursday is a blog carnival over at The Diaper Diaries.

Since I love skin care so much, I thought I’d focus on a skin care product that I L-O-V-E! This really got me thinking, because since I have left the workforce I find it excruciating to spend money on myself. After all, I’m not bringing any money in, so what right do I have to spend money on frivolous (to my husband) things like beauty products? Over the past few months I have really begun to get over that. I’m not saying I am going to go out and spend buckets of money on spa treatments, but when I look in the mirror and see breakouts, the beginnings of *GASP* crows feet, and rough patches on my cheeks I feel bad about myself. When I feel bad, how can I be a good role model for my daughter? How can I teach her confidence when I’m not confident myself? I know I do not want to teach her that looks are everything, but I, personally, feel a whole lot better about myself when I FEEL good. And, being the girly girl I am, pampering myself makes me feel good. Confident. Happy. Gorgeous.

One of my favorite products to pamper myself with is a daily (well, sorta) alpha/beta peel by MD Skincare. I don’t use it every day. Once or twice a week is plenty. I don’t always have it on hand, in fact I haven’t had any in my overflowing-under-the-sink cabinet in months. However, I always come back to this product. I find this is the best way to approach a more aggressive hydroxy acid skin care treatment. Skin actually has a way of getting ‘used’ to alpha hydroxies, so if you were to use this product daily for an extended period of time it would eventually start to lose some of its effectiveness. Thankfully, this is not the same for beta hydroxies. I have an on-going love affair with salicylic acid. (please don’t tell my husband)

Alpha hydroxies work by breaking up the stuff that keeps your skin cells together, called intercellular cement. Think of your skin as a brick wall. Intercellular cement is the mortar. When that mortar is dissolved, the old, dead bricks can fall off much more easily. This results in clearer, smoother, and brighter skin.

Beta hydroxies work by helping to peel away the layers of skin. Think of how you peel the dead, dry outer layers of an onion off to get to the shiny and supple inside. That is how salicylic acid works. It’s great for keeping breakouts at bay and helping bring a nasty under the skin breakout to the surface.

I love the MD Skincare daily alpha beta peels, and when I have them, use them once or twice a week. They help to reduce breakouts, even out skin tone, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and help your skin achieve a bit of a glow. My best tip for using this product is to cut the pads in half and only use half a pad for each application. This makes the product last much longer so you can get more bang for your buck!

Staci's first word

2010-02-10T22:38:00.002-05:00

It might still be 'baby babble', but it sure sounds like 'Hi' to me! Complete with a wave--I finally caught it on video.

Wordless Wednesday: worth a thousand words

2010-02-10T22:32:00.001-05:00

There is so much I could say, but I'll just say this. She is the definition of joy.

Guest post on IN Good Cents!

2010-02-04T17:20:00.001-05:00

Go and check it out--Beth's blog ROCKS and I'm so honored to have a post there!

Click here

FLYlady update, week 2

2010-01-28T19:57:00.001-05:00

I am so proud, this is the best I've EVER done starting this! My sink is STILL shining (or, it will be before we go to bed tonight, dinner dishes are still there at the moment), I've picked up the swish and swipe in the bathrooms again and those sinks look awesome, I'm laying out my clothes, putting out hot spots (decluttering), and even trying to focus on putting out those negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones. What a difference a week makes!

My confession is that I can't always get dressed to shoes first thing in the morning because I have a baby! and she is ~~demanding~~ spirited, and I can't very well make her wait 20 minutes while I get out of bed, get dressed, brush teeth/hair and slap a little moisturizer, concealer, mascara, and cheek glow on (and that's if I don't need a shower). Since she is still not STTN I refuse to get out of bed before she does--I'm frankly too exhausted with the 5.5-6 hours of sleep I'm getting (on a GOOD night). BUT I'm doing the best I can and I DO get around to this every day! Even if it's not till after the morning nap (that's not just Staci's naptime!).

I'm a bit behind, but I am on day 8 and today's task is to start the control journal. This is where I keep track of all the new routines I am creating--kind of like a check list so if someone needed to take over for me for a day, they'd be able to and know how to keep the house running.

Gotta keep FLYing--First Love Yourself. workin' on it!

The Chemistry of Skin Care: Why pH Matters

2010-01-27T10:19:00.002-05:00

Ahhhh one of my absolute favorite skin care topics. YAY! Ok, first off, let's talk about what pH is. PH stands for 'potential of hydrogen' and, simply, is a scale to measure the strength of an acid or a base (base=alkaline). The midway point, 7, is considered neutral. Water is a 7. Anything below 7 is an acid, and anything above it is a base, or an alkaline. The further away from 7 you move in either direction, the more potent the acidity or the alkilinity of the substance.

What does ph have to do with your skin? Your skin has a protective barrier, called the acid mantle made up of sweat and sebum. This barrier is good for lots of things, including keeping bacteria out of your pores. It's called the acid mantle because, you guessed it, it has an acidic pH. Your skin has a pH ranging from 4.5-5.5. See? smaller than 7. At least last time I checked.

I wish I could say that all product companies pH test their products before sending them off to store shelves, but the fact of the matter is this doesn't happen like it should. The best way for you to find out if your products are pH appropriate for your skin is to test them yourself with pH strips--like the ones you used in middle school when you learned about pH. I will say you won't (shouldn't at least!) need to worry about this with *professional* grade products. In school, we got to experiment with products from home. We found that even expensive products from beauty counters like Lancome and Clinique are not alwasy pH approprate. Also, drug store brands such as Neutrogena and Purpose are actually alkaline--which causes holes in the acid mantle allowing bacteria into your pores and ultimately causing breakouts and breeding bacteria. Not. Good.

It's important to note that a pH that is too low is also bad--if a product is too acidic it can cause serious irritation in the skin which can also lead to breakouts, redness, and a general uncomfy feeling.

How do you know if your product is professional grade? If you bought it at a spa or know the Esthetician uses the brand or products in her/his line of work, it's a profesisonal product. Some of my favorite professional grade lines include Aveda, Skinceuticals, MD Formulations, Dermalogica, and PCA skincare.

pH is not the only important factor when choosing skin care products, but it does go a long way. It's probably the most important factor, followed closely by ingredients. Cheers to happy, healthy, glowy, dewy, lovely skin!

skin care, simplified.

2010-01-20T21:30:00.001-05:00

I mentioned a few posts back that I'm an esthetician. In short, I LOVE all things skin care. I enjoy discussing products, but with SO many out there to choose from I'm only really familiar with a fraction of them. What I love most is to keep things simple, so over the past year I have really simplified my skin care routine and have been able to achieve the relatively good skin I strive for. Here is what works for me:

I chose a ph appropriate cleanser that I use morning and night (Peter Thomas Roth foaming cleanser). In the AM I only wash from the top of my nose, down around my mouth, and my chin. This is the area I'm most prone to blackheads and cystic acne so I take care to get that area clean. I just splash water on my forehead and cheeks because these areas tend to get dry. I follow with an antioxidant packed day cream with an SPF of 25 and a good eye cream.

In the PM, if I am wearing makeup, I wash my face twice. Yup, twice. No matter what cleanser you are using, if you have product on your face, you are going to need to wash it twice. The first cleanse is just breaking up the makeup and not getting into those pores. If you have a precleanser like the one by Dermalogica, you can use that and then follow with your cleanser but I choose to use my cleanser twice. I follow with a good rich night cream packed with antioxidants and AHA's to keep my skin glowing. If you are concerned about pigmentation, choose a night cream with kojic acid as well to help lighten those spots. And don't forget eye cream!

Did you get that? I just cleanse and moisturize. If I went somewhere for a week, I'd only need 4 products. For the girl who's cabinet under the sink is literally overflowing SO much I had to add shelving on the outside this is a HUGE step.

Well, now you know what I do to keep my skin in shape. I am going to be adding a series of posts as we go along to help you understand why good skin care is so important--and how neglecting it can be hazardous to your health. Your skin is your largest organ, so take care of it!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-20T20:28:00.001-05:00

My New Year's is Finally Starting!

2010-01-19T20:27:00.001-05:00

I have been avoiding this post for only one reason: I am a little bit lazy. And distracted. And over-tired. You get the drift. But as January draws to a close, I am beginning to feel antsy to get started. My new year's resolution is to begin the Fly Lady program (for the five-hundred-and-eighty-sixth time) and actually stick with it!

For those of you that have never heard of it, go and check out http://www.flylady.net/. It's a step-by-baby-step program to get ~~lazies~~ easily distracted people, like me, into a routine of keeping the house clean and orderly. I honestly thought that once I had my own place I would keep it clean. I moved off to college and that didn't happen. Then I thought when I wasn't working or in school full time THEN I could keep up with house work. Nope. The house really benefited from the nesting phase of pregnancy, but since I gave birth this house has taken a beating. I'm so overwhelmed with the clutter it puts me in a bad mood. I don't want that anymore! I don't want to rush around cleaning before people come over so I'm not embarrassed at the state of my house. I'm sick of fur-tumble weeds. I'm tired of not knowing where anything is. It's time to get busy!

Step one of the Fly Lady program is to shine your kitchen sink. I did this today, and at potentially great peril to my cat I'll have you know--he smelled mysteriously like bleach water at one point today. So, you can see I'm dedicated.

In proof I'm posting a picture! Here is my nice, shiny sink!

Tomorrow's step is to get dressed to lace up shoes. There are some days I don't even get out of my pj's, so this is a good step for me! I probably won't take a picture, so you'll just have to trust me. That and keep the sink clean. Wish me luck!

picture share

2010-01-15T10:10:00.001-05:00

Updates and developments!

2010-01-14T21:17:00.001-05:00

It's been a pretty exciting start to the year at our house. Last week, we found out that Max passed his most recent actuarial exam with flying colors. This is excellent news for us, because with each exam he passes he gets a raise at work. It's not monumental or anything, but every little bit counts! Now, he just has some 'VEE' requirements (I have no idea what that stands for, sorry) to fulfill, which mostly entails the grown up version of worksheets and take-home tests, to earn his ASA (Associate of the Society of Actuaries).

Other exciting news is that Staci has learned to open and close her hand along with her 'wave', so it's a REAL wave now, not just a greeting. She throws her arm up into the air, opens and closes her hand with a GIANT smile. She is SO awesome! She has also learned to 'Hi-five'. This is such a funny thing, too, because Shania (the dog) gets jealous and wants to hi-five me for treats whenever Staci and I do it. I indulge her, who wouldn't?

In other news, I received a surprise phone call from a local spa who saved my resume from way back when I was looking for work outside the home--before I found out I was pregnant. I was so flattered they kept my information and wanted me to come in for an interview. I went, of course, who could turn that down? But not without great anxiety at even the thought of leaving my sweet girl. I know she is nine months old, and lots of moms go back to work at 12 weeks or, sadly, some far before that. I decided the most I'm willing to work right now is one day every other week. We don't have any daycares looked at and since we're still nursing 6-7 times per day and a few times at night I can't imagine working more than that. Plus, we really don't have 'Grandma Day Care' as an option since both Grandmas work full time. The spa was beautiful and I just love the idea of getting back into the business, so I do hope they call.

Which brings me to one more thing--have I mentioned on here that I'm an esthetician? I have a few skin care posts planned so stay tuned!

9 month stats

2010-01-05T08:43:00.001-05:00

Height: 27.5in (50%)
Weight: 18lbs even (30%)
Head size: 42cms (15%)

The doc said she has a minor double ear infection but wants to give her a chance to heal on her own before starting antibiotics. I have the script in case things get worse at night. I hope you start feeling better soon, sweet girl!

9 months! really? Where has the time gone?

2010-01-03T00:16:00.002-05:00

Nine months and 2 days ago I had the pleasure of meeting my daughter for the very first time. Funny enough, in just a few days, on the 6th, Staci will turn 40 weeks old. She will have been out as long as she was in! I must say time moves MUCH faster now than it did when I was pregnant--full of so much anticipation and anxiety about becoming a mother. Somehow we made it here, and it's a wonderful place to be!

Dear Anastasia,
At nine months old, you are scooting yourself everywhere and you get into everything! I just went to BRU and picked up some baby gates to keep you from trying to scoot down the stairs. You are fearless! Your most favorite game to play is to chase the animals. I always know when you have Rascal or Shania as your goal because you immediately pick up speed and start giggling like a maniac. It kills me every time! Rascal will indulge you in the game--the second you get an arm's length away, he will get up and walk a few feet further from you. It's as if he's saying, "catch me if you can!" Shania, on the other hand, would really prefer not to have her fur and tail pulled. So when she sees you coming, she gets up and moves clear across the room. You look at me like, "Hey! I was trying to get her!" LOL. Both animals are very good with you and when you do get a fistful of fur, they somehow manage to just sit there and take it, and then leave at the next available opportunity. We are certainly blessed with compassionate animals who I'm certain will be among your very first friends.

--You are still wearing 9 month clothes in most brands. You have outgrown a few things but aren't quite into the 12 month stuff yet
--You are hovering right around 18lbs. Stats from your 9mo checkup on Monday to come!
--Yup, still in the middle snap of your one sized diaper.
--You are finally starting to eat some solid food. You love oatmeal with pears,and you also love avacados. Sweet potato fries are a favorite but everything else you could pretty much take or leave. Nursing is your most preferred from of nourishment--as it should be!
--You really raked it in for Christmas this year and we are both enjoying the new toys. You were getting a bit bored with your old stuff (or wait, was that Mommy?).
--You are really for real waving now! before you would wag your arm occasionally at me and I took it as waving, but now when you are scooting about and I call your name, you turn around, grin, and throw your arm up in the air. You don't wag your hand or open and close it, but it's undeniably a greeting. my heart melts every time
--You are still waking a few times a night, but our nights have been MUCH better recently. You have only needed me about 2 times a night for the past week or so. Keep it up!

I love you, Anastasia. Thanks for choosing us to be your parents!

The sickies came to our house!

2009-12-28T22:34:00.000-05:00

...And I have no idea where they came from! Neither Max nor I have been sick, we haven't been around anyone sick. Baffling I tell you! Poor Staci is all congested and uncomfortable. Low grade fever and everything. After a terrible night last night I took her to the doctor thinking she had an ear infection. Thank goodness she doesn't. The physician's assistant says it's either teething or a virus. I'm keeping my fingers crossed she gets better soon--listening to her caugh in her sleep is doing some serious tugging on my heartstrings!

Mommy loves you, Staci. Get better soon!

Beat the Booby Traps!

2009-12-21T23:03:00.003-05:00

You might have noticed a new button boldly (and quite beautifully) displaying the female form sitting off to the right, and I wanted to take a couple minutes and talk about the 'Best for Babies' campaign. I do not consider myself a great writer, and really, not even a good one, so I'll let them say it for themselves as I believe they say it best. "BEST for BABES is the only non-profit dedicated to giving breastfeeding a makeover and to revealing and removing the “booby traps”- the barriers to breastfeeding that keep tripping women up! New moms don’t need more judgment, pressure, or to be discriminated against for nursing, they deserve to be cheered on, coached and celebrated! BFB is giving moms the boost they need to be successful. We are elevating breastfeeding to a world-class cause and harnessing the power of celebrities, corporations, foundations, fashion, advertising, the medical community and the media to break down the barriers."

As a way to support their campaign, they're asking people to display their adds pro-bono on their blogs and websites and to share their stories of success. I don't really think my journey to successful breastfeeding is all that interesting or courageous, but I did have my own learning curve and hiccups to overcome. So here it is, in all its gritty truth.

It would be an understatement to say I wanted to breastfeed. I NEEDED to breastfeed. Even before my husband and I started trying to have a baby, I would dream of breastfeeding my babies. Maybe that's weird, but in my dreams it was the most wonderful feeling. The amount of love I felt in those dreams could only be surpassed when I gave birth to my little angel and could start nursing her for real.

With this in mind, I was terrified it wouldn't work. I had seen friends try to breastfeed and fail, only to have horrid guilt about it not working for them. (Which by the way, any woman who even TRIES in our society--and many others--should be celebrated. Not shunned or judged if it doesn't work. I make it my personal mission to help any friend breastfeed successfully--and if it's possible, I will!)

I was so dedicated to nursing that I studied the Bradley Method and succeeded in having a natural labor and delivery. This issue is for another post entirely, but to make a long story very short, babies who are born out of a non-medicated delivery have an easier time learning to nurse because they are not drugged. Even so, many babies born in a medicated delivery nurse just fine and some born naturally still have problems so it's no guarantee, but I wasn't taking any chances.

So, after the single most momentous occasion of my life in which I became a mother, I set out to nurse my baby. After many failed attempts to get Staci latched on in the first hours of her life, I had a wonderful nurse come and help. She was able to help Staci latch on and teach Max how to ensure her bottom lip was folded down to minimize my discomfort.

Over the ~36 hours I was at the hospital, 5 of which I was in labor, I had to ask for help to get Staci to latch every single time--maybe 13? I can't be sure exactly. Contrary to popular belief, it is anything but second nature. Learning to nurse is incredibly foreign to a first time mom and quite difficult! As my need to leave the hospital drew near (they don't let you sleep there, in case you were wondering) I grew more and more fearful I would get home and not be able to get my baby to eat. That, to a brand new parent, is a horrifying thought.

Our original labor and delivery nurse, who I absolutely despised, took one look at my breasts and said, "You're going to need a nipple sheild." After all the research I had done, I was determined NOT to use one as I had learned it can be more problematic than the problem it solves. Also, since I already didn't like her, that made me even more set in my decision that I did not want to use one! At one point, before attempting to latch Staci at the breast, I was attempting to draw my nipple out. I had flat nipples to begin with, so it was difficult for Staci as a newborn to find it and latch on. She actually reached down and tugged and twisted my nipple quite visciously. It hurt. Bad! My despise turned to hatred.

Not too long after that, we got a new nurse, who was wonderful, and then a new nurse after that. Our final nurse, whom I did like very much (as I did all the other nurses I had over my stay) suggested a sheild to me again. At this point, since we were set to leave in just a few hours, I listened. I put on the sheild and WAHLA! Instant latch! It was so exciting. While nursing was still quite painful (and it continued to be for quite some time) Staci was latching. I could see the colostrum collecting in the sheild so I knew she was getting nourishment. I was elated.

As luck would have it, by the time we got home, my milk was already starting to come in. We nursed for a week successfully, and at 5 days old Staci had already surpassed her birthweight. I felt like a breastfeeding rockstar! The pain, however, was only getting worse.

I took my newborn and my 'still can't sit down normally' self to the breastfeeding support group offered through the hospital and learned the sheild was probably too small. The wonderful lactation consultants provided me with a new sheild and while the pain was still there, it wasn't quite as mind boggling. Over the next few weeks, the pain lessened to only at latch-on. It still hurt bad enough that I had to ask my husband to not speak to me during latch on. Otherwise he would get screamed at. I'm serious--it hurt THAT BAD. Even so, it was worth it to me, and I knew if I could just press on the pain would subside.

Around 4 weeks post partum, I was ready to be done with the sheild--I needed one less thing to remember to bring and to clean. It took us 4 weeks to get rid of it, and I really just had to wait until Staci was ready. It happened gradually, and then I had to go through the pain all over again--but it was nothing like it had been at first. after just a few weeks, we were nursing pain free and sheild free--and have been ever since.

Breastfeeding has been such a wonderful bonding experience with Staci. I love that I am able to do this for her. It's what's best for me, too, as it has helped sheild me from post partum depression and/or psychosis. I can't believe it's been almost nine months!

Why I Cloth Diaper

2009-12-20T00:08:00.002-05:00

First of all, let me tell you that I never saw myself as a cloth diapering sort of girl. I am ALL about convenience, especially when it comes to kids. Also, I have very little patience, so the idea of having to launder diapers every other day for at least 2 years (probably 3) out of every child's life we are blessed with wasn't real high on my 'things I'd like to spend my time doing' list. Even so, ~~last September~~ two Septembers ago I found myself entering my second trimester wondering what on earth to do about diapers. I really was not interested in contributing quite substantially to the landfills when it could be avoided, but as alluded to above, I'm a tad on the lazy side. And then, as luck would have it, an online friend introduced me to gdiapers. It was as if the clouds opened up, and a giant ray of sunshine was shining down on these diapers in my mind. The main reason I loved them so much? umm, hello, they are CUTE! (see pic to the left!) But then reality set in--those puppies are PRICEY! like, more than premium disposables pricey. The search continued.

The more I searched, the more I realized I actually WAS the cloth diapering sort of girl. I also found myself not just fascinated by becoming more eco-friendly, but actually a crunchy-granola-y attached parent-y nothing artificial for my baby-y mama--and more often than I ever would have imagined. Other than having to borrow one disposable diaper from a friend in a pinch when Staci filled more diapers than I would have guessed when we were not at home, my baby girl has not worn a disposable diaper since we left the hospital. Here is why:

1) Plain and simple: COST! Disposable diapers are expensive, my friend. In fact, in just the first year, Max and I will have saved over $700 in diapering alone. Seven hundred dollars buys a lot of baby toys, clothes, and activities!

2) The cuteness factor. (really, this should take its rightful place at #1) As stated above, it's my dirty little secret as to why I originally walked down the cloth diapering path. The Cuter Cloth is an excellent example:

Of course, this specific diaper is also pricey, but still cheaper than disposables!

3) Let's talk about toxins. Those yucky things disposable diaper manufacturers would rather you NOT find out about. Sodium polyacrylate is used in most disposable diapers because of its excellent ability to hold water--up to 300x's its weight. But have you ever changed a baby's diaper and found an icky gel-like substance coating their most sensitive parts? While no studies have been done (NO STUDIES HAVE BEEN DONE!!!! DOES THIS NOT ALARM ANYONE BUT ME?!?!) on whether or not it's harmful to children when it comes into contact with their skin, I personally can't see it being GOOD for them.

Perhaps the scariest toxin of all that needs to be noted here is dioxin. It's a known carcinogen, and it's a biproduct of the bleaching process used to get those diapers white and 'clean'. I do use chlorine bleach VERY sparingly in household cleaning and occasionally on laundry, but I try to limit it as much as possible. By and large, Staci is not exposed to this little gem.

There are a myriad of other lovelies found in most disposables which studies have linked to asthma--in both babies and the parents that are around them frequently--and to lowered male fertility later in life. The Diaper Hyena has a great overview about them here.

I realize that there are TONS of toxins and other yuckies that Staci will come into contact with throughout her life. I am probably exposing her to some of them even through breastfeeding. This, however, is ONE thing I can control out of all the millions of things I can't. Hey, I do what I can.

Really, that pretty much did it for me, but let's talk about the eco-friendly issue as well.

4) Cloth diapers ARE better for the environment--I truly believe that. Over the past 2 decades, there have been a couple of studies bought and paid for by disposable diaper companies 'proving' that there is really no difference between cloth and disposable diaper's impact on the environment when you take into account the water used to launder cloth diapers. I take issue with this because 1) I find it hard to believe that the creation of disposable diapers with all their toxins described above has the same impact as the creation of cloth diapers--which many are created by work at home moms the old fashioned way-- and 2)--errr hello--water is recyclable! we may not have figured it all out yet, but I cannot believe we are very far away from figuring out how to clean and re-use the water used to wash diapers with. Certainly closer than shipping our trash out to space, as we're quickly running out of room here on this rock we call Earth. Also, as Natural Papa discusses, water conservation is a lifestyle.

My journey to cloth diapering came on fast and furious, sparking other natural parenting choices and decisions, including my decision to have a natural birth, to breastfeed for at least the first 12 months, and to practice attachment parenting. I see cloth diapering as part of my identity as a mom, and take pride in my decision. Plus, it really is the cuter option!!

'Anatomy of a Supermom'

2009-12-15T15:07:00.000-05:00

My very good friend over at Time Flies When You're Having Fun is collecting some data and this post is for her! you can read her explanation of the 'study' she is doing here. Below are her questions, and I will instert my answers in pink.

1. How many Children do you have? ( list their ages)

1, 8 months

2. How old are you ?

27

3. Are you a working Mom or a SAHM?

SAHM

4. Approximately how many hours of sleep do you get a night?

errr good question! maybe 5? 7-8 on a good night when DH is home and lets me sleep in (saturday mornings)

5. Do you go to bed right after the kids?

Heck no! need to decompress and have some 'me' time.

6. Do you cook 4+ times a week?

Yes--we usually have diGiorno 1-2x's per week so those are the nights I don't cook. we very rarely go out to eat or have takeout, so those just don't factor into the equation. I love to cook though, so it's nice when dh gets home he takes the baby and I run into the kitchen for some mommy-cooking-alone-time.

7. When do you do your Grocery Shopping? once a week? with/without kids? monthly? as needed?

once a week, with Staci normally--I have just enough time to get my act together and get to the store and back before it's time for nap #2. I find it used to be easier to carry her in the Ergo, (or sling when she was little) but now she's such a big girl she rides in the cart. (or else I can't reach in nd get things from the bottom when it's time to check out) this may change as she begins to make grabs for things on the shelves, though!

8. Do you exercise regularly? - if yes, give basic details

used to, it was easy when Staci would sleep in her stroller or was happy to sit in her bouncy but now that she is very demanding of my time I have fallen off the bandwagon. now that her naps are becoming more consistant I need to get back to it. Not sure when that will happen...

9. Do you have regular "me time"? If yes, when/ how often and what do you do?

I guess I don't really count the cooking--so I'd say I usually have about an hour of 'me time' computer time in the evenings that I spend on frivolous things and stay updated on my online friends :) I usually take some naptime as 'me' time as well, as I'm doing now.

10. What is one ( or more) Mom thing you feel you do really well- your Mom Forté if you will... don't be shy.

being attentive to Staci's needs. I feel like I can tell what she wants most of the time--whether it's a change of scenery, a nap, to nurse, a diaper change etc etc

11. What is one( or more) Mom thing you feel you would like to improve on?

1) cooking more healthy meals and meal-planning in advance. As Staci begins to be able to eat even more of the food we eat I need to make sure it's not pizza 2x's a week and many more fruits and veggies. gonna be hard though.

2) taking a chill pill and not getting so easily frustrated when things (especially naps) go awry. I am chalking 87% of it up to sleep deprivation though, so as that gets better....

3) keeping the house clean--especially the upstairs. We are pretty good with the downstairs but I often neglect the upstairs because guests don't generally go up there. I am considering starting 'flylady' again as a new year's resolution but need some motivation!

12. Do you have a group of other Moms in your area that you talk to/ get advice from/ have playdates with?

Yes! I'm lucky that many of my good friends from highschool and college live nearby, so I have the benefit of enjoying a girl's night once a month and mommy groups as well. I'm sure playdates will come, but right now we're pretty focused on getting Staci to nap, so leaving the house isn't really on my priority list.

13. Do you have "date night"? Paid Babysitter/Relative/Friend? How often?

hardly ever. Since Staci was born, 3 times. A wedding, our anniversary, and recently a Christmas party. so, that's about every 2.5 months. would like to do it more! so far it's only been family--one of both of the Grandma's being generous with their time. :)

14. What is your WORST

a) Poop

b) Snot

c) Bedtimes

d) 5pm witching hour - making dinner meltdowns

e) Teeth Brushing

f) Other... please elaborate!

f) other--middle of the nights--Staci is still, many nights except for a couple recently, waking every 2-3 hours at night. the phrase 'I'm exhausted' doesn't even begin to cover it. I get so frustrated I've been known to slam doors, stomp my feet, scream at my husband, all out of shear frustration and exhaustion. I just become a 2 year old and have a melt down of my own. It's just so hard to not let the stress of not sleeping get to you!

15. Tips and Tricks or anything extra you'd like to share:

I feel like I"m still pretty new at this mom thing, but my best tips would be: nursing cuz it's so easy/convenient once you get the hang of it (and free), babywearing cuz it's--again--convenient and WAY easier than strollering--who needs a stroller when you have a sling?--

Not Me/my child Monday!

2009-12-07T08:53:00.001-05:00

Not me, nope. I would never....

Who heard her daughter wake up at 6:30AM and listened to her talk and fuss for 30 minutes and then fall back to sleep, only to wake her up at 7:30 so they wouldn't get 'off schedule'? NOT ME!

Who, even though she's committed to baby led weaning and agrees whole heartedly with Gill Rapley's thoughts on the subject, has been spoon feeding their child even though it never goes well just to try to get better sleep? (to no avail...) NOT ME!

"All babies should be sleeping through the night by 5 months old"--(BS!!) Who at eight months old is still waking every 1-3 hours at night to nurse? NOT MY CHILD......

hmmm anyone notice a theme here?

Happy 8 months old sweet girl!

2009-12-02T19:50:00.001-05:00

Dear Anastasia,

Today you are 8 months and 1 day old. I am so excited to watch you grow! It's amazing to see how smart you are. Today you, your Grandma Ellen and I went to Costco to pick up a few things. They always have snacks and I picked up some pretzels with peanut butter in them. You aren't old enough for peanut butter yet, but you don't know that! The way you watched me eat them was intense, and then, when I wasn't looking, you made a grab for them. It was so cute and I wished I could have given you some. Don't fret, I'm sure peanut butter will be one of your favorite things to eat after you turn one and can have it!

You are getting bigger and bigger each day! I think you will be in the 9-12 month sleepers before we know it because your little legs are so long! (you get that from me!)

-You are wearing 6-9mo and 9mo clothing
-You are still in the middle snap of your one size cloth diaper, but at nighttime we super stuff it and have to unsnap it all the way
-You are still waking up at night quite frequently to nurse, I hope to cut down on this soon so I can get a bit more rest, though, I know I will miss it when you no longer wake in the night and need me and only me.
-You have started dragging yourself about in an army crawl and it is SO adorable. I put your toys far away from you just so I can watch you slide across the carpet!
-Your absolute favorite toy is paper. Plain paper, ad paper, envelopes, newspaper--it doesn't matter. you love to crinkle it and rip pieces off and of course, stick it in your mouth.
-You are not too keen on being spoonfed, though mommy tries every day at least once. You prefer to feed yourself so you can control what goes in and when. You love carrots, avacado, bananas, and applesauce. Cheerios are a favorite and you're finally figuring out how to get them in your mouth--where as before you'd get 3-4 in your little fist and then just suck on your fist. Silly girl!
-You still love your jumper. I think it will be a sad day for you when you learn to walk and can no longer jump in it!
-You absolutely love to dance with Mommy and Daddy. Lately we've been listening and singing along to Christmas music--and of course dancing, too. You can't stop smiling and have become quite the giggle box whenever we spin. Be still my heart!

Always remember that I love you with every fiber of my being and I will always, always, always be here for you. You and your Daddy are my whole world, and I'm so blessed to have you both.

The Day Staci Started (army) Crawling!

2009-11-28T20:40:00.002-05:00

Today started out like any other normal Saturday--it's my day to sleep in (YAY!) so Max gets up with Staci when she wakes up, usually around 7. He put her down for her morning nap about the time I got out of bed and took himself to Fry's to buy his Christmas present--a new computer (since I don't work outside the home and it was the first time he'd EVER said there was something he wanted for Christmas, and he wanted it before the old computer crashed again, I gave him teh go ahead to just go get it!). He got home just a few minutes before Staci woke up, and we hung out with him while he put together his new game playing console (AKA brand new computer). Staci must have been REALLY interested in the computer accessories, because this is when she started pulling herself forward.

So, Staci is moving! A couple of weeks ago she started getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth, and just today she began dragging herself forward, or army crawling.

So, Where Have I Been?

2009-11-27T23:49:00.002-05:00

So, where have I been, you might be wondering? Well, I've spent most of my online time this month doing 'The Great Cloth Diaper Hunt' through Diaper Decisions--a website dedicated to helping home based cloth diaper and natural parenting websites. You can read more about it here. I have officially found all 170 diaper icons and will be entered into all of the drawings, so I'm hopeful to win at least a little something, but if not I still had a blast doing all of the hunts! It's basically a giant virtual scavenger hunt for grown ups, and I got to learn so much along the way.

One of the most interesting things I learned in my 170 natural parenting website scavenger hunt was the idea of Elimination Communication, or EC. I had never heard of this before, and to be frank, was a little caught off-guard at the idea of it. However, the more I think about it, the more interesting it becomes. I haven't done enough research yet to decide if this is something I want to try, but I figure we could start extremely slowly and go for maybe one less diaper a day, or even one less diaper a week. I just think it would help bring my bond with Staci to another level--learning to communicate with her even more than I already do.

Also, I was inspired by many of the websites I saw. I even started thinking of learning to sew and trying my hand at making my own cloth diapers. When we are ready for baby #2, we will at least be needing some newborn sized cloth diapers so I figured I could start with those. This is just a pipe dream at this point, but *IF* I decided I liked sewing them I could maybe even open my own online store--and Etsy or Hyenacart site. I could potentially even design some of my own skin care/baby care products and use my esthetics background.

It all seems very exciting to me at this point, but first I have to learn how to sew. And after I've tried a few times at making diapers, then I can decide if it's something I want to pursue.

I'm back!

2009-11-27T23:36:00.000-05:00

Whew! I can't believe it's been almost an entire month since I have updated this! Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We had a wonderful holiday. My mom came over to help me cook and clean in preparation for our family's celebration which I hosted here on Wednesday evening. It was great fun, and a lot less pressure than the traditional hosting because we opted for a potluck style meal. Most things turned out wonderful even though we hadn't tried the recipes before, and Mom and I were very proud of ourselves for cooking a turkey for the first time! Usually, my dad is the one to take over in the kitchen but he was on the way to Baltimore to visit with a friend's family so we were on our own.

I did get a bit flustered and overwhelmed when it was time to sit down and eat. Staci was fussing (had refused her afternoon nap, so this was inevitable), and I had no clue how to carve a turkey. Thankfully, my mom took over and all was right again in the world, LOL.

After the meal, we all sat around visiting, and Quinn--my 17 month old nephew-- was the life of the party. He was so funny! He loved my mom's phone, and she called her messages and let him listen to them, and he walked around pretending to talk on the phone for a good 30-45 minutes. He was hilarious, babbling, gesturing, pacing, and at one point went to go have some privacy in his 'office' (the stairs). Whenever someone would call the phone and it would play a song, he would dance. It was so cute!

On Thursday we went to Max's aunt's home and enjoyed a wonderful meal with them. Staci was a good baby and didn't cry a single time! She even went down for a nap while we were there without being rocked--now that is a real miracle.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-28T19:52:00.001-04:00

I wanted to share some pics my good friend Mandy was kind enough to take for us. one of them will be our Christmas card shot, I just can't decide which one! Check out Mandy's blog here, she does amazing work!

Thanks Mandy!

Waving and other cool tricks

2009-10-25T20:54:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's right, Staci is WAVING! It's few and far between, and if you aren't me you might not *quite* believe it, but I SWEAR she is waving. In the past few days, if she has been doing something else and I get her attention, she will wag her little arm at me and GRIN. It just warms my heart!

Eating is getting better and better. The second I put her in her high chair she starts banging on her tray as if to say, "WHERE is my food? How long do you expect me to wait?" Some of her recent favorites have included rice (not sure how she managed to get that in her mouth, wonders never cease), cucumber dipped in plain yogurt, and avacado spread on a rice cake.

On the sleep front I'd love to say that things are fixed, but they aren't. They ARE getting better and moving in the right direction I *think*. Last night was awful and she was up almost every hour. But, besides last night, we get at least one 4 hour stretch most nights and at least one nap every other day is longer than an hour. It's a lot of back and forth right now, so I'm hopeful if we just stick with the program and keep doing what we're doing things will continue to get even better.

In other news, Staci discovered the add section of the paper this morning and it was so cute we had to film it. I'm fairly certain it's one of the videos you only find cute when you're the parent, but if you have about a minute to spare, check it out! (see the sidebar at the right)

Just had to share

2009-10-15T22:38:00.000-04:00

I did not come up with this cartoon, but I wanted to share! Before breasfeeding my daughter, I always thought I would be discreet while breastfeeding in public. The more I have to hastle with the stupid cover, the more I feel the urge to ditch it and just not care. It's just a boob people, seriously! If more women breastfeed without covers in public, it will become commonplace and not so taboo. So, please, I urge you, if you are a breastfeeding mom, throw caution to the wind and feed your baby without a cover! Breastfeeding truly is a beautiful thing. It's not something to be shunned, breastfeeding should be celebrated.

So, what is it that you DO?

2009-10-15T22:33:00.001-04:00

This is quite possibly one of the most difficult questions for me to answer. I find myself saying things like, "oh, I'm JUST a mom" or "I stay at home with my kid". The problem with statements like these is that unless you have been a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM)--and wife, you truly do not understand how difficult it can be. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE what I do. I feel like all the schooling I've had and the life experiences I've been blessed with have prepared me for this moment.

Without my undergraduate degree, I would not have a developmental psych, class under my belt, nor would I be able to help Staci learn musical instruments such as the piano and classical guitar--which I wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn had it not been for college. Also, I'm quite versed in the theory of ballet--even if my technique is amateur at best, and can explain what terms (French terms) mean in English. So, if she does decide she likes dance and sticks with it, I can explain that 'pique' means 'to prick' and 'port de bras' means 'carriage of the arms'.

My graduate degree in social work has helped me in many areas of my life. It has enhanced my interpersonal skills by making me more understanding and more open minded. Most importantly, it taught me how to research. I wrote lots of research papers in undergrad, but I truly learned the art of research in grad school. As a mom, it has helped me research when the best time (and way) to introduce solids, find anwers to my breastfeeding questions, find answers to help us overcome our sleep deprivation, and has taught me that reaching out to others in a time of need is crucial.

As Staci's mom, I'm her nurse. I'm her main source of food, fun, comfort, and care. It's my job to ensure that, when the time comes, she's ready for kindergarten. It's my job to make sure she feels loved. It's my job to teach her how to eat food so that when she is three she's not still on puree's. I'm her personal chef, her maid, and apparently responsible for helping her fall asleep (this I did not choose, but I will do it with pride).

I write this because I often find myself frustrated that I spent (wasted) so much time, energy, and money on schooling. Our society puts so much emphasis on going to college, yet most of the jobs you can get from a liberal arts degree don't pay a penny more than a job obtained with a high school diploma. This is not true across the board obviously, but as a high school student I was led to believe that college would solve all my problems and not to worry about student loan debt because it would easily be paid off. 56k later I'm a SAHM who, many times, would gladly trade in my diplomas to have that debt erased. This is when I must remind myself that without these experiences, I would not be who I am today. And, to be honest, I like me! So, in celebration of SAHM's everywhere, I wanted to leave you all with an email I received. I did not write this but I think it is very accurate!

A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office,

Was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation.

She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
'What I mean is, ' explained the recorder,
'do you have a job or are you just a ...?'

'Of course I have a job,' snapped the woman.
'I'm a Mom.'

'We don't list 'Mom' as an occupation,
'housewife' covers it,'
Said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself
In the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall.
The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised,
Efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like,
'Official Interrogator' or 'Town Registrar.'
'What is your occupation?' she probed.

What made me say it? I do not know.
The words simply popped out.
'I'm a Research Associate in the field of
Child Development and Human Relations.'

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and
Looked up as though she had not heard right.

I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words..
Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written,
In bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

'Might I ask,' said the clerk with new interest,
'just what you do in your field?'

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice,
I heard myself reply,
'I have a continuing program of research,
(what mother doesn't)
In the laboratory and in the field,
(normally I would have said indoors and out).
I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family)
And already have four credits (all daughters).
Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities,
(any mother care to disagree?)
And I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).
But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers
And the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.'

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she
Completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career,
I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model,
(a 6 month old baby) in the child development program,
Testing out a new vocal pattern.

I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy!
And I had gone on the official records as someone more
Distinguished and indispensable to mankind than 'just another Mom.'
Motherhood!
What a glorious career!

Especially when there's a title on the door.

--auther unknown