2'fer Tuesday

2'fer Tuesday Survey


1. Ages? 
Kelly: 19 Months, 1 week
Sadie: 4 Weeks!!!

2. What's went on this last week?
  Well we had a double doctors appointment for the girls- and everyone managed to live through it. Sadie is above birth weight now, she's been gaining 3 times what a normal newborn does daily!! The doctor looked suspicious of the reflux thing, but when I told her how many ounces I have to make per feeding, combined with how much of it Sadie spits up, she started to believe me. Then she had the opportunity to see Sadie eat, and after noting how long it takes her to eat, how much she spits up and how she spits it up, she prescribed my sweet girl Zantac. It's been less than a week, but we're already seeing a remarkable difference.
   Kelly on the other hand... well her part of the visit was even less delightful. We were (finally) following up on her anemia issue that was diagnosed at her 1 year check up. Turns out she's still anemic so she had to have blood drawn. If you think shots are bad, try holding down your screaming toddler for fifteen minutes as someone sticks a needle in their arm. It was horrible, even worse than when they did it at her year check up. But the tech gave her lots of stickers and despite all the torture she still very sweetly, with a tear streaked face, thanked him. Breaks my heart I swear.
  Kelly also had an intake with a developmental specialist. It's really more for my own welfare. Kelly is a little advanced for her age, and I'm struggling to keep her challenged. So Wednesdays for us are now Kelly-focused.
  Finally Sadie had her newborn portraits, during which Kelly and I hopped in for some family portraits as well. I didn't realize how much of a mess my hair was, but I guess it's not the end of the world. It wasn't about me anyways. Some of the pictures were posted yesterday, and more will be through out the week so do enjoy!

3. What are the challenges we dealt with (or continue to deal with)?
  Mama has to go to physical therapy 3 times a week now for her back. Which means the girls go to the sitters three times a week! Good lord!

4. Any milestones reached this last week?
K: New words: No, Cookie, Maybe. She's also now stringing together sentences! Scaring the crap outta me I'm tellin' ya!
S: A lot more alert, making some non-screaming noises now.

5. How are you feeling about having 2 at this point?
  Good, tired but good.

6. Any Mommy Epiphanies?
  Nah I got nothin this week!

A Formal Introduction

Now that S is here, and we've gotten into some what of a swing of things, I'd like to finally and officially introduce you all to our complete little family. All anonymity aside.

Meet Sam aka Mama
  I'm Sam, but mostly I go by Mama. I'm legally disabled. I'm young. I'm a single stay-at-home-mom. I'm a gemini. I used to have a substance problem, but I've worked past that. I love food. I hate to cook. I went to an art school, but my passions lay elsewhere. I have a short attention span. I love to read. I love to explore. I love heat. I love family, comfort and safety. I love expending energy. I love new and dangerous. Mostly I love.

Meet Kelly aka K1 (or K)
  Kelly's my oldest daughter. She's... beyond words, but I'll try. She's loving, so loving. She loves like the love she's been shown, which is a lot. We have some beautiful people in our lives, and they've shown Kelly how to be pretty amazing too. Kelly loves to dance, and to talk, she'll chatter away for hours. She loves books too, at least twice a day we have to put all her books back on the shelf- in both her room and the play area. Kelly is helpful, she takes pride in it, and I do too. And she is so smart, probably because she's so curious. She hasn't discovered the word why yet, but that isn't stopping her from asking questions. She points and her little voice will lift at the end of "mama?" she'll turn her big blue eyes on me waiting for information. She's also coy, secretive and a little bit of a rebel- she hears the word no often, and there's hardly a day where I'm chasing after her yelling her name in a panic, she wants to go and she wants to know.

Meet Kassidy aka K2 (or S) 

  Kassidy, who we mostly call Sadie, is my youngest child. We haven't gotten to know each other very well yet honestly, but I have to say she has the sweetest smile. She reminds me a lot of her sister, and when Kelly isn't around I sometimes forget that Sadie isn't her! I'm sure the sleep deprivation helps with that confusion.
   She seems like she has a great capacity to be as sweet and curious (and devilish) as her sister, time will tell. Until then I'm reveling in her quickly fading newness.


And there you have our little family :) I've been pretty cautious for a while about our names, but really it's taxing to go back and edit every single blog post, not to mention confusing as hell. The anonymity was a preventative measure for something I now realize isn't even a possibility. So now we have a bit of breathing room and a bit of room to be honest in. Gotta say, I'm enjoying it. Nice to meet you! And nice to be met!!

A Day in the Life of Mama

I thought I'd give some insight as to what a typical day at the K household looks like, now that we've fallen into some sort of routine.

7am- Wake to crying. Feed S 2 oz, burp, repeat as necessary until she's sedated.
8 or 8:30am- Put S in bouncer, pound a protein shake, shower and get dressed.
9am- We all go into K's room for diaper changes, S has some tummy time while K and I clean her room up.
9:20am- K goes in the high chair with some raisins while I make the rest of her breakfast and S's next bottle. K eats her breakfast while S eats her bottle.
9:40am- Let K out of high chair, wipe hands and face, and clean up breakfast mess. K begins free play until S goes to sleep. I finish feeding S and put her in the swing.
10 or 10:30am- K and I read some books, have a tickle fight, throw around the balls from the ball pit. I clean as we go, K destroys as we go.
11:30am- Lunch Time. K goes in the high chair with some wheat crackers while I get lunch for everyone ready. K eats while I feed S and eat too.
Noon- Nap time! K gets her hands and face wiped off, and tucked in for a nap. S goes down for a bit too in the swing or her crib. I'll typically check my mail, facebook and blogs. I restrain from cleaning up the toy war zone that is my living room, because I'll only have to do it again later. Might try to nap, but every time I've tried one of them has woken up.
2pm- K wakes up, S usually has or is about to as well. K gets in the high chair for a snack while S gets fed.
2:30pm- We usually spend this time running errands or at appointments or play dates. Typically we're back home by...
4 or 4:30pm- At which point K has some quiet independent play in her room, and I start on dinner and do dishes.
5pm- Dinner time, K goes in the high chair while I feed S, and myself.
5:30pm- Time for a walk, possibly go over to a friends house for some coffee and chit chat, or just come home and play some more.
7pm- Start the bedtime routines. Brush our teeth, Bath time for K, tuck her in with a bed time story and a kiss. Then make S a bottle to have ready for after her bath. Once S is calmed I usually let her lay on her play mat while I change out of my (by now) soaked clothing and do my own bedtime routine.
9pm- Last feeding for S before lights out! Good night!

Like I said, this is just our rough schedule and every day S spends more and more time awake and less time asleep so it's probably going to be evolving soon. "Evolving" isn't that a fun term for it? Such a creative way of saying my shits gonna be all f*cked up again.

Any other 2under2 mamas? How are you ladies handling the days?

19 Month!

Monthly Survey

Age 
19 Months!

Stats

• Weight: 23 pounds -as of 7/12
• Height: 31 inches -as of 7/12
• Clothes Size: 2T 
• Diaper Size: 5
• Hair Color: Dirty Blond 

Milestones

• Teeth: 6 on top, 5 on bottom, still cutting two canines, I can see the tips!!
• Vocab: My little parrot repeats, or attempts to repeat everything everyone says. New words include: Aunt Nett, Meow, Belly Button, Purple, Mouth, Boots. Favorite words include Baby and Sissy (pronounced Issy). She's also stringing them together now. Today she said "Oh 'aybe get baby?" and yesterday was "Issy's Juice, Mama!" when she brought me an empty bottle.
• Body Language: Glaring, which leads to giggling or tantrums. And more new dance moves! The girl loves to shake it :) She's pointing to body parts now too! She knows Hair, Ears, Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Hands, Feet, Fingers and Toes- and can say the words for them too. She can point out (usually) cheeks, chin, legs, knees and arms, but hasn't quite picked up the words for them.

Loves
Toys: She's formed an attachment to a specific baby doll, but when that one's unavailable any will do. She's also started insisting several stuffed animals be in bed with her every night too.
Books: Counting books this month!
Songs: ABCs again :)
Other: Inspecting Sissy, playing with the doggies, being picked up (she now does the arms up thing), splashing in the tub, brushing her teeth.

Hates 
Being away from sissy to long, not being able to play with sissy as she pleases, nap time, when we're done brushing her teeth.

Sleep
12 hours a night, we're down to one nap, and she doesn't want it lasting more than an hour, but to be fair we're still adjusting to S being around and so her sleep schedule has not been consistent.

Things We're Looking Forward to
 Getting back on a schedule!! Well maybe that's just me....

How I Like Motherhood
Likes: Watching her inspect S, the amount of joy she puts into eating, dancing and life in general, and the way she still acts shy with people.
Dislikes: Working out this napping business. The temper tantrums. That's from last month, but still applies.

2'fer Tuesday

2'fer Tuesday Survey


1. Ages? 
K: 19 Months
S: 3 Weeks

2. What's went on this last week?
  S is jaundiced no more! She had her first go of tummy time, and her first bath as well!! K made a new friend, who happens to be half her age and apparently worthy of kisses (little cougar!). And Mama got weighed- twice. Explain to me how I gained 2 lbs in 4 days?!
  S was also diagnosed with Reflux issues. Mama spent a fortune on some fancy bottles, and they seem to be helping, because S is almost back to birth weight and is eating and sleeping almost fuss free now!


3. What are the challenges we dealt with (or continue to deal with)?
  Well, I got some bad news this week. Maybe not bad, but... uncomfortable? Unhappy? Whatever, that's another blog post. Point is it's kicked my PPD into over drive, but thankfully I was put back on anti-depressants as of today. My back issue was also addressed today- now I'm supposed to attend physical therapy twice a week. How I'm supposed to do that with two under two, I really have no freaking idea, but I'll figure it out somehow I guess! If it isn't helping within the month I'll be going to a spine specialist and pain management doctor.
  On just the mommy-hood front, I'm happy to report further success, I'm making meals again, cleaning the house again, K even gets bed time stories pretty consistently. Granted not all of those things ever happen in the same day, but typically 2 out of 3, which is still progress!

4. Any milestones reached this last week?
K: New words are Mouth and Boots, she's also now pointing out a lot more body parts, I'll be sure to include that on her 19 month update tomorrow!!
S: First Bath! First 4 oz bottle too, big girl!

5. How are you feeling about having 2 at this point?
  Excited, I feel like I'm running a marathon and I've just set a good pace. Make sense?

6. Any Mommy Epiphanies?
   Breathe!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Just seconds before they were in an incredibly cute pose.
Soon as the shutter started to snap they started struggling.

.linking up.

the paper mama
project alicia
live and love out loud
dagmars momsense

 

2'fer Tuesday

2'fer Tuesday Survey


1. Ages? 
K: 18 Months, 4 Weeks
S: 2 Weeks

2. What's went on this last week?
  For starters we had several appointments including one that required me to be away from both the girls for the first time since... well, since I became pregnant! Scariest two hours of my life. I had a chiropractor appointment, then was able to wander on my own for an hour.  I thought about enjoying myself, then felt so guilty I ended up spending money I really couldn't afford to spend on buying the girls gifts. Don't worry, I already put them aside for Christmas.
  We also had our first double play date, which was actually an excuse to round up all the kids and dump them on my friend's teenage cousin and sister while my girlfriend colored and cut my hair.
  Then there was 4th of July, we went to a friend's bbq/birthday party and I was going to just be done there- but I didn't want to deprive K of an experience just because of S being so little. So we went and saw the fireworks anyways. I kept S in the sling, well insulated with my hands over her ears for the whole 30 minute show. She was startled at first, but didn't mind much after the first minute or two. K was enthralled for about the same amount of time, then wanted to run out on the field with her light up wand that her uncle had bought her. We managed to keep her seated and entertained through the rest of the show though- then booked it home!
  Finally this week was the first week that farmers market transitioned into "Olde Town Market," where regular vendors and bands all join in the fun to sell their goods as well. I took the girls for a quick stroll through, K had her first corn dog, S had a good nap, and I swallowed a hot dog whole while maneuvering a sit'n'stand one handed through a pack crowd. All in all a very successful trip!


3. What are the challenges we dealt with (or continue to deal with)?
  S began to refuse the boob Tuesday afternoon. We're officially a formula family, and I'm honestly somewhat relieved. Emotionally I couldn't afford the struggle of latching, or rather being rejected, and time-wise our little family just can't afford for me to pump, plus my supply started to drop despite the fenugreek. I'm a little disappointed, but I keep reminding myself formula is not child abuse, she will be just fine, and I did what was best for the whole family.
  Good news about the formula is it's helping S pack on weight and shake the jaundice a bit quicker. She had blood work done last that was a bit concerning, but when we went in Thursday her color was fantastic and she had gained a bit (although not a good amount, it was still in the comfortable range). As long as this keeps up she may be able to avoid admission to the hospital for free tanning :)
  Overall I'm doing a lot better too. I'm getting a little more sleep, and getting a little more done through out the day. I feel like even though the plane may still be spiraling out of control,  I'm able to keep everyone calm. I have made a couple of important appointments though, one concerning postpartum depression- something I've suffered through in the past, and one for addressing my back pain which has actually gotten worse since delivery. Hopefully both can quickly and easily be addressed. The PPD is a temporary thing in my experience, and only lasts about 4 months for me, but if it isn't addressed it can get pretty serious, something I'm not willing to risk. The back issue however, is concerning. At times it's hard for me to even lift S, and the chiropractor so far has served as only an extremely temporary relief.

4. Any milestones reached this last week?
K: New word is purple. And I've noticed she wears a lot of it! "Held" sissy for the first time this week too. Didn't get any good pictures of that though :(
S: Super alert at times, waking up more often, almost jaundice free. We also had our first scream free diaper change! And we're starting to fit comfortably (as opposed to swimming) in 0-3 month sizes.

5. How are you feeling about having 2 at this point?
  Blessed. I'm supposed to feel blessed right? Kidding, I really am grateful, my life feels almost complete. I feel like this was the next right thing, and I'm positively soaring with joy at how fantastic (although intimidating and overwhelming) life is. S is getting into a rough schedule, which means I'm getting more quality time with K as well.

6. Any Mommy Epiphanies?
   Caffeine good.

Fit Friday

Like I said on Monday, I'm going to start making a weekly commitment to talk about getting healthy. Honestly, I can't quite tell you what this is going to look like. Some weeks it could be a recipe, some weeks it could be an inspiring image. Some weeks it could just be a disappointing report about how I ate big macs for dinner every night that week. I don't know! I'm full of surprises!

Today, I'm just going to go over some history. Warning: Some of the following are flat out excuses I have, and even continue to use to avoid accountability in my health and lifestyle choices.

Lets start around the fact that I struggle with food to begin with. I'm not going to say "eating disorder" because first off I think that's become a catch all phrase for anyone with unhealthy eating habits, and secondly because I'm not currently struggling with it. However I do think that anyone with either an eating disorder or a long history of unhealthy eating habits knows how easy it is to slump back into it with out even realizing.

Anyways suffice it to say I used to control my weight by controlling my eating. Or rather, not eating. When I did eat it was crap, because I was so picky, and on top of all that nonsense I have some food allergies that make gaining weight rather difficult. So "healhty" has never really been a Mama type thing.

Early in my pregnancy with S I made two very important decisions regarding not only my health, but the health of my family. I quit smoking, and I started eating differently. Since quitting smoking I obviously feel better, can do more, and save a lot of money. The pros are undeniable even before you quit. Changing what I ate though, that was scary.

I started small, I started shopping pretty much solely at a local grocery story that offers plenty of preservative-free groceries. The store brand products are all actually preservative, artificial flavoring and artificial food coloring free. Instantly I felt a difference- partly because I happen to have an allergy to a common preservative, so water weight dropped off, migraines almost disappeared, and my energy was significantly boosted. Plus there was all the added perks of just knowing I was eating better, the pride of knowing I was doing something better for myself and my family.

One good decision paves the road for more. I became more conscious of what I had been doing to my body through what I was ingesting, so I started to change. I started looking into alternative solutions for issues I'd usually medicate through, like anxiety (chamomile) and allergies (raw honey) and anemia (iron rich foods). I started going to our local farmers market, where I bought more seasonal and local fruits and veggies. I cut out a lot of processed foods, and packaged meals. I started experimenting with making our own food from start to finish.

Now I'm not saying this is how everyone should live, and if you don't you're destined to be miserable or live a less worth while, whole life. Today I still participate in a lot of less than stellar eating habits. But I'm moving in the right direction, even though I drink a soda a day still, I drink a lot more water. And even though it comes in a can, I'm supplementing my diet with more protein.

The very best thing about these choices is I get to share them with my children. There are few things I love more than strolling the farmers market with K as all the vendors give her samples. It's not just the local, clean food either. It's the fact that I am able to walk with her without getting exhausted or taking a smoke break, or feeling winded or drained by the time we get home again. I have the energy to back my enthusiasm for life again!

So there's the background information. Now here's the rough plan. I'm breast feeding right now, and leading a pretty active lifestyle with the girls, so I've set my Myfitnesspal plan to 1900 calories a day. In about 5 more weeks I have my post partum check up where I should be cleared for more strenuous exercising than our average walks. Basic plan is to eat well until that check up, and walk 3 times a week, no big deal. As the clearance date gets closer our home will hopefully be closer to a regular schedule again, and I'll be able to plan (and have time to complete) better toning workouts as well, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it :)

Linking up with Erica @ Mi Todo where she does a weekly installments of her own Fit Fridays, which kept me enthused my whole pregnancy about getting back into shape.

Pinterested?

By now I hope you've heard of Pinterest. If not, please call your local internet provider and set up some wifi for that rock you've been living under.

Personally I have a love hate relationship with Pinterest. Some days it's better than cheese crackers and peanut butter, other days I wouldn't want to find it on the bottom of my shoe. That's because I tend to be more of a dreamer than a doer. I really wish I had the time to cook all those things and crochet all that stuff and organize the crap out of every organizable thing in my house (and yours too), but somewhere between the pinning and doing a child starts to demand my attention, a floor cries out to be swept or something shiny catches my eye (it was a nickle, score!).

But sometimes I manage to trick, or manipulate the time out of my day to complete a little thing or two. They're usually not huge fantastic closet overhauls, or bench building tangents, but they're pretty awesome to me. As such, and this being my corner to share what Mama thinks is awesome, I thought I'd occasionally share some with ya! And I even plan on doing it in a fun little question and answer session, so you can join in too if you'd like. I may do this weekly, but probably more like monthly, like I said I'm a dreamer less than a doer! Lets get started:


Currently Pinning: Party ideas and inspiration for K's birthday. I know this is completely neurotic, because her birthday is in 6 months, but better be safe than sorry... same reason I've started pinning for Christmas too!

Recent Success: Baked "Hard Boiled" Eggs. If you haven't seen or tried this yet, I suggest you check it out at The Burlap Bag. Personally I hate boiling eggs, but it's my favorite way to eat them. I just don't have the time, attention span, or clones to take care of it. The timing is ridiculous, I can never keep track of what I'm supposed to add when (root of unicorn horn powder at 0.963 seconds after a rapid boil is reached? what?) and at least one breaks when it gets in to the water, every single time. Matter of fact I think my secret ingredient for making exactly 11 hard boiled eggs on the stove top is excessive profanity 0.286 seconds after submerging eggs.

This little gem though changed the Mama & Ks household forever. They're so easy to make, when the timer went off I was changing a diaper and I didn't immediately have to sprint off to start trying to get them out of the water before they turned into rubber balls. I finished the job, took them out and they were still perfect. The yolks are creamier, and if you can look past a few aesthetic blemishes, then this is beyond worth it. 

 Next Project: Sweet Potato Fries. I've been intending on trying my hand at them for a while now, and even have a few sweet potatoes laying on my kitchen table waiting ever so patiently. Just as I forgot about their existence, a good friend pinned what looks to be a perfectly awesome recipe "Guaranteed Crispy Sweet Potato Fries" from the ever hilarious The Art of Doing Stuff. I too, consider myself to be a french fry professional.

I'm loving this recipe because it has room to maneuver (adding spices and such) and more importantly everything it calls for I have on hand. Thank goodness, because a certain Mama may have lost her debit card and had to call for a replacement the same week we were due to go grocery shopping again. Like I said. May have.

Dream Pin: Carmel Apple Cheesecake Bar. Oh Cheesecake. Lovely delicious cheesecake. The very first thing I plan on doing when that card comes in the mail is going to get some cheese cake. Tomorrow I start posting about healthy eating though so I'll have to either make it myself or hope our preferred grocery store has some on hand. Guaranteed they won't have the Carmel Apple topping though, so I might just have to make that myself, but I honestly probably won't. I don't have the time, dedication, patience or appetite to make an entire one of these things. That's just the cold hard truth of it. And it's depressing. But I will put this on file for our local family game night on the 21st. Maybe that'll be a good enough excuse to stick around in the kitchen! If you're more motivated than me check out The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Now Following: Kid  Blogger Network Activities & Crafts board. I'm always looking for better parenting ideas, whether it be for feeding the girls, playing with the girls, or teaching the girls. This board has tons of bloggers checking in with their newest posts, its like... well its like an information super highway!! Yeah I'll look for an article on being more original tomorrow.... Anyways if you're a controlling dedicated parent like me, I suggest you look it up!


Well that's all for now folks! I know there's a lot of food going on up there. Honestly I think it's because my body thinks it's still pregnant. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

2'fer Tuesday

2'fer Tuesday Survey


1. Ages? 
K: 18 Months, 3 Weeks
S: 1 Week

2. What's went on this last week?
  Well we had a baby, brought her home, and began adjusting our little lives to make room for this new little person!


3. What are the challenges we dealt with (or continue to deal with)?
  K loves her "issy" and adores having her around. No struggle there. S is to tiny to know what a struggle is... her biggest issue is being jaundiced, and not waking up early enough to still maintain the patience to latch when she's hungry. So despite finally having a child who can latch, I am still spending time at the pump. I'm hoping in the next week her jaundice will clear up and she'll be able to go back to the source, because I can't physically or mentally afford to continue pumping. If at this time next week she isn't a boob girl again, we're goin' to formula with no shame about it.
  So mostly Mama seems to be the only one struggling. I was not prepared to jump in to raising two under two so quickly. Some how I had envisioned a bit more of an easing in process. But thus far everyone has managed to stay mostly clean, and mostly fed, and mostly well rested. I'm even starting to be able to get some chores done again. Though I'm sure once I get my feet under me some thing will change or someone will go through a growth spurt and things will change, requiring us (well me) to adjust again!


4. Any milestones reached this last week?
K: New words are Belly Button and Meow, and a few names too. She's also now saying words in a more conversational way, rather than as a question or echo.
S: Latched! And starting to spend more time alert.

5. How are you feeling about having 2 at this point?
  I haven't really had time to assess my feelings.
  I love S, but I already miss all the quality time K and I used to have. Tonight we managed to have bath time and actually read a bed time story while S was snoozing, so I know thing are just going to get better as we all adapt, and I'll be able to get more of that quality time back.

6. Any Mommy Epiphanies?
   Time changes everything! And if I use it wisely, than I really can be super mom.

Still alive!

Yes, I am still alive! And working on a few blog posts, including Miss K2's birth story. Life is just a little... disorganized right now. Not impossible, not insanely overwhelming, just disorganized. Bare with me....

I'm going to start filling out a weekly survey for the girls, I've adapted it from another survey and as our family grows and changes hopefully this will too in order to better present the current states of our lives that are quickly slipping away. It's called 2'fer Tuesday and it starts tomorrow.

Also I'm going to start talking about getting healthy. I know this is a blog about Mama stuff and little girl things, but I believe this falls under "Mama Stuff." I'm not talking about getting skinny, or buff or whatever. And I certainly don't intend to turn this into a diet and exercise blog, or come off like a guru, or start some movement. I'm just talking about feeling better, and not just when I look in the mirror... I'll save the "Feeling Better" speech for that post though.

Basically I plan to have at least 2 regular weekly posts beyond Wordless Wednesday. And I intend on other frequent (but not regular) posts about parenting subjects as well.And maybe not even just parenting stuff, maybe just long rambling "odes to the burp" kind of stuff that I'll label parenting and expect no one to question. Speaking of which, side note: it is adorable how S can't for the life of her drink an entire bottle- no matter how much is in there she always leaves about half an ounce left.

Anyways, this is just a check in to say, well, I'll be checking in more often!! Now I have to go plan Christmas!

Products I Loved with K

Preparing for S has me wandering down some isles I haven't seen in a few months at the local "Marts" (ehm: Walmart and Target). I've again found myself standing confused over bottles and binkies, bath gear and car seats, bibs and spoons and baby food storage... oh my!

Luckily this time I have some experience under my belt, so debating which breast pads or sterilizing products isn't quite as difficult. Here I've compiled a list of my top 5 favorite things from the first two weeks K was home.  

1) NUK Ultra Thin Breast Pads
   I went through several different trial packs of several different brands and NUK was the ones I preferred. Now granted I leaked through every single brand, because of erratic pumping schedules, hormone fluxes, and just a really great supply, so my stand point isn't on keeping shirts dry- because I simply couldn't.
   My affection for the NUK brand was based on 2 things- sensitivity and price. With the pumping I was so tender, and these were the only pads not to turn into sopping wet messes or feel like sandpaper on my nipples, and the frequency with which I was going through them made me appreciate the price! Right now on Amazon you can get 120 for under 10 bucks, before S&H and they're eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping.

2) Munchkin Steam Guard Sterilizer Bags
   I loved these! I stopped using them when K was around 8 months, mainly because we switched to a sippy cup. But recently we've been having trouble getting her straw cups as clean as I'd like them to be (pregnancy induced OCD), so I faithfully returned to this product.
   My favorite thing about them is the name area. When I first started using them I was living with a friend, and K was not the only infant in the house. And the other infant had a very sensitive stomach and was on special formula. We were able to keep everyone's tummy's and new mom neurotics at peace with these. This time around we're keeping one for each girl at grandpa's house, as well as several at home. They're great for most pumping parts, bottles, sippy and straw cups as well as sanitizing toys too. Best part? 12 of them are less than 7 dollars before S&H on Amazon and eligible for Free Super Saver Shipping. 

3) Nature's Way Fenugreek
   You know for a post about life saving products in K's first week of life, so far I've only listed "behind the scenes" type products- things K never came in direct contact with, and here's yet another: Nature's Way Fenugreek. Now before I go any further let me remind you I am but a simple Stay-At-Home-Mom and while I often play a nurse to K, I am in no way a medical professional. I've been around a few, and actually wore a stethoscope once but that's as far as it goes. If you are having lactation issues I strongly suggest you talk to a Lactation Consultant, or your doctor. Especially before investing and ingesting any supplements.
   That being said, Fenugreek was a life saver for me. As I've touched on in this post, I chose to pump with K, as she couldn't properly latch. Anyone with any knowledge of pumping rather than full on breastfeeding may tell you that your supply suffers dramatically when you pump because the suction isn't quite the same, that's also the reason why breast pumps boast their ability to realistically simulate the suckling of an infant, personally I believe there's a more physical aspect that's required for a good supply which is why I chose to bed share, but that's a different post for a different day. The fact was my supply did suffer, and I tried everything from oatmeal at every meal to hand expressing (hello carpel tunnel!) but nothing had such significant results like Fenugreek did. I was a milking machine! And a fringe benefit? All of my bodily fluids smelled like maple syrup, which was great because as a new mom my showering schedule hadn't quite evened out and maple syrup is more socially acceptable than B.O.
   Right now you can get 180 capsules for less than 6 dollars on Amazon. There's another brand I'm personally not familiar with that has 100 capsules for less than 10 dollars, and is eligible for the Free Super Saver Shipping as well. Personally, I'm fond of the link I gave you above because of the Customer Image that's posted. It makes me giggle in delight at all that liquid gold!

4) Medela Pump & Save Breastmilk Bags
   The first few days after my milk came in are an unclear mash up of hot showers, pumping, and crying (it hurt!). I had been informed that pumping meant more work with less results, and I had also been told that when your milk comes in what you demand from your body those first few days would basically become the average. So when my milk came in I demanded a lot, with every intention of storing as much as possible- and I was very successful I must say, eventually my supply did drop and that's when the Fenugreek really showed it's worth.
   All the breastfeeding accessories I had come in to contact with at the hospital and through several lactation consultants was by the brand Medela, even the hospital grade pump I ended up borrowing from WIC was. Medela was, and still is in my opinion, the "It" pumping brand. I'm still soothed by the whir of their pumps and soft yellow swoops of their branding. Anyways, when it came time to store, I went with what I was told was the best, and properly formatted for my pump: The Medela Pump & Save Breastmilk Bags. I will admit right here and now that I never even bothered with another brand, and so my review is completely biased. But they were what I needed when I needed it which is what any mom- new, or not- really wants. They hooked on easily, never leaked, would stand up or lay flat if I needed them too, and had nifty little measurements and room to write the dates, times, and even a name if so needed, on each bag. I don't know if it's the sense of pride that I correlate to them, or the glossy shine, but seeing a stack of these bad boys still makes my heart smile.
   Right now you can get 50 of them for about 16 bucks on Amazon, and they're eligible for the Free Super Saver Shipping. If you're iffy about the brand, not needing many, or forgot to pick some up before your big D-Day be sure to ask your Lactation Consultant about them! Often they can give you a few for free, just to tide you over!

5) Clif Bar Energy Bars
   Last but not least, although certainly farthest from having anything to do with K, is Clif Bars. I think I lived off these for the first month of Kelly's life, eating a real meal every 2 or 3 days. All I really did that first month was pump, wash pump parts, stockpile milk, change diapers, feed K, wash bottles, occasionally sleep, and spend an irrational amount of time staring into her cute little face... and then I worked in taking pictures as well. Eventually though I realized I was missing out on eating. And since I obviously had no time or energy or desire to wash more dishes, or take the time to tip toe away from my vulnerable newborn I started a very unhealthy crash diet of cereal bars- those things are not substantial!
   Eventually I ended up trying Clif Bars, and to this day I still have one packed in my diaper bag, a whole box at the diaper bag packing station and about half a box in my hospital bag. To put it simply, they are delicious, compact, and energizing. What more could a mommy want? Chocolate? Oh yeah, there's chocolate too.
  Right now on Amazon you can get a large variety pack (all flavors are already Mama approved, in case your wondering) for just under 30 well worth it bucks, and of course this product is also eligible for the Free Super Saver Shipping.


If you can't tell I'm a big fan of not only Amazon, but their Free Super Saver Shipping option. More than anything, I hate finding a good price only to have the savings sacrificed by the shipping and handling.

Obviously there's a few things like bottles and binkies I have a preference to as well, but of course those are the things where the only preference that matters is the baby's right? We'll see how often Miss S and I are in agreement in the next couple months, I have a feeling it'll be rarely, if at all.


Please note: I have not been compensated in any way for this post by any of the companies listed above, nor by Amazon.com. These are my true feelings about some great products!

Our Last Summertime

Pre-K Summertime was careless. Sunburns were welcome, camping trips were spur of the moment and clothing was extremely optional.

K being a December baby, and a difficult one at that, I spent most of my last "Child Free" summer pregnant and laid up on bed rest. No camping, beach, festivals or fairs, which is a real bummer because I missed the memo on not being able to adequately enjoy those things "Post-Baby." It's hard to enjoy the I'm-gonna-die terror of the Zipper at the fair when you know you've yet to write out your will, ya feel me? And loosing your top after a thorough round of tubing isn't quite as acceptable now that you're a mother. Not that I mind that last change... loosing and replacing that many bikini tops was starting to become a full time gig.

Last summer K and I enjoyed a good amount of huge firsts that I failed horribly in documenting. Like her first camping trip (she did fabulous co-sleeping in the tent with me), campfire, boat ride, beach trip, and parade.  We also enjoyed a variety of things that while seaming small were huge in our world... her first BBQ food, first ice cream, her first time on a swing, her first sunburn (oops), and her first weekend away from mommy.

Set for a Summertime Stroll

This summer, our adventuring is more limited due to the fact that I am ridiculously pregnant. We have yet to go to the beach (and probably won't), camping is just not happening, and while we made it to a fair, we did little more then stroll about taking in the sights, swing a little and eating lunchables in the shade. And even that was so wearing that we didn't manage to make it out for the parade the next morning, even though the route was literally 2 blocks from the house.

It's hard to be melancholy at all the experiences we're "missing" though when I step back and look at the bigger picture. This is really not a weather-dictated series of exciting events to enjoy, but the end of one big event that we may not have been able to truly cherish until now- this summer marks the end. The end of our "duo" era. Soon the K girls will come in a pair, and with Mama we'll make 3, and so begin a whole new era, full of seasons of various adventures.

So now instead of scolding myself for missing the 5-float local parade, or being annoyed I'm not cleaning sand out of my gratuitous buns, I'm simply relishing what is possible: our last summer, and our upcoming future. Put on your shades love, it looks bright.

I'm linking up here....

Bumpdate: 38 Weeks

• Size of baby: Well above 7lbs, if I had to guess, I'd say 36. Yes. 36 lbs.
• Symptoms: Pain. Some contractions, pain.
• Fetal Movement: She's a monster. I don't know how she has enough room in there for all these acrobatics. I'm literally getting bruises on my belly from her kung-fu alone!*
• Sleep: I sleep like the dead until 3 am every day. Then I wake up to pee, and its a crap shoot on whether or not I'm able to get back to sleep, because I've been randomly going in and out of labor!
• Cravings: Uhm food? Mac and cheese. Chips. Pepsi
• Best Moment this Week: Walking, I've done a lot of walking and despite the harsh pain- I'm really excited that I'm still able to cross such distances in my current ginormous conditions.
• What I Look Forward To: Birth.

*I wrote this the night before I hit 38 weeks (cheating I know!), and Thursday morning things were actually a bit different.

I woke up at 1 AM that morning having horrible contractions- I call them "f***balls" contractions, because that's the only words I'm capable of saying during them. Because of previous fluid issues I now have to go to the office twice a week for Non-Stress Tests, the first of which was scheduled that morning. And because of previous rounds of false labor, I decided that until I had sprung a leak, or couldn't talk, it probably wasn't worth a trip to L&D where they'd do the same thing (NST, cervix check) with a lot less grace. So I held out.

My appointment was at 11 and in those 10 hours I didn't feel S move once, but as soon as I mentioned it she of course woke up. She was lazy by her own standards, but active enough for the staff, the contractions were concerning so they did another cervix check (you all are getting to know me intimately), and I was still dilated at a 1, but now about 75% effaced. I was congratulated on being in early labor and sent on my way. La-de-dah.

Long story short the contractions continued all freaking day. They actually went on until about 5 AM the next morning. But as they didn't get any worse, and my water hadn't broken, I never bothered with a trip to L&D. Then they just stopped. No more. The end. Nothing I had done had any impact on progressing the labor or restarting it. Another false alarm.

My next appointment will be Monday, with another NST, and probably an ultrasound, and maybe even another cervical check. Hooray for free-fingerings and all but seriously- this false labor routine is getting old, and is really wearing me out physically and emotionally where I feel like my ability to care for K is suffering. Wish us luck on vacating my uterus in a timely, comfortable and above all safe fashion!

18 Months!

Monthly Survey

Age 
18 Months!

Stats

• Weight: 21 pounds as of 5/8*
• Height: 29 inches as of 5/8*
• Clothes Size: 2T 
• Diaper Size: 5
• Hair Color: Brownish Blond 

Milestones

• Teeth: 6 on top (2 of which are molars), 5 on bottom (1 of which is a molar), still cutting two canines and 1 more bottom molar as well!
• Vocab: I can't even begin to list all of her new words. But the biggest change is her insistence not only on communicating, but that she is communicating. She talks all the time and a lot of it sounds like real conversation! And she responds appropriately as if she is having a real conversation, in fact, she probably is, I'm just a little late to the party as far as understanding exactly what she's trying to say goes. Oh and now she sings! Be still my heart!
• Body Language: Wags finger now, gasps and covers mouth in shock or dismay, lots of new dance moves and running in place is a big deal too! She's also hitting again, but we're working on that. 

Loves
Toys: Books, puzzles, her new ball pit.
Books: She's pretty fond of a new foam dinosaur book, and loves to say "Rawrrr!" Also a big fan of Thomas the Train. Tomboy much?
Songs: The Dora Song, "Mommy made Yummy" song she made up, a few other random tunes she likes to sing, and any kind of classic rock. 
Other: Running on her tip toes. Standing on the furniture. Poking/patting sissy. Petting dogs.

Hates 
Being told no, or asked to say please. Thank you is the new please, didn't you know?

Sleep
12 hours a night, 2-4 hours during the day. She's now pretty sure one nap a day is the way to go.

Things We're Looking Forward to
Becoming a big sissy!

How I Like Motherhood
Likes: Listening to her sing songs, dance, give my belly kisses, "Rawr" or "Baa" about the house, clean up on her own, and give kisses. Oh and when she reaches up to hold my hand, or runs back for me when she notices I'm not keeping up.
Dislikes: Working out this napping business. The temper tantrums.

*We haven't seen the doc this month, but will probably be heading in later this week, as it appears K is sick, again.

Travel Toy Bags

Excuse my "I have children, why do I need a new carpet?" carpet.

Any mother knows the value of having something interesting in her purse. And I'm pretty sure I've spoken to how important I feel it will be to keep K busy when S is here.

In the past I've just used my phone as the go to emergency distraction, but it's lead to countless hours of searching through and under random furniture, more replacements than I could count on one hand, and several hundred "I'm sorry. New phone, again. Who is this?" text messages.

At least it was a clean toilet....

Sunglasses are a similar story. Keys are just to valuable to risk, and often hard to retrieve as you can see to the right (this is also just one example of why I carry Lysol Wipes in my diaper bag). So obviously the best choice would be something child friendly, and still somehow entertaining, like oh, say, TOYS! Go figure, right?

The thing is, especially with little ones, they really don't stay interested in things for long. So you either need to have something really wicked cool like a phone for them to play with, or you need to have a good rotating inventory.

Luckily, I lie to K. She doesn't know that toys come in kids meals, and the majority of her friends either believe the same, or easily accept that every time we go out to eat the restaurant is unfortunately out "girl toys" or "baby toys," which ever applies. So now I have a stock pile of fast food toys, and I've used them in her Christmas stocking, her Easter basket, and even as emergency birthday gifts. No actually, I don't have any shame.

Baggies, toys and books- Oh My!

Point being I have quite a few random little toys. And recently a dear friend gave us over 20 small board books, among other toys that her children have outgrown. K loves books. I've personally witnessed one single cardboard page keep her entertained for up to 20 minutes. The things are full of black magic, obviously. Which of course is why we have so many.


Between the kids meal toys and recent literary donation, I was able to sit down with a box of diaper bag worthy toys the other night, as well as four Ziploc bags. I sorted the books and the toys into groups. Books were shapes, colors, and two piles of random books. Toys were plastic figurines, large entertainment, little entertainments. I also sorted out all the "baby toys" into a separate box. Then I separated the "big girl" stuff into piles of four and started stuffing bags. I ended up with four bags, with four books and three toys in each.

Yes, there is a dead phone in there too. I have a collection of those as well.

The reason I made four bags is for rotation purposes, three will sit on my Diaper Bag Packing Station (which I will be showing you very soon) and one will be in the diaper bag, Every week or so when I find myself having to reload the bag on more than just diapers, I'll switch out the toy bag. The toy bags are also in the same basket as all a few baby toys, so I can grab one or two of those to switch out at the same time for S.

This is the first week I've started implementing this plan, and hopefully it'll work out well. I plan on updating in a month on what is working about the bags and what isn't. Hopefully this will make it easier to stay organized, easier to get up and go, and easier to keep K's travel toys clean as well as obviously keep K as entertained and delighted as she deserves to be!

All finished, ready for the diaper bag packing station!

Quick and Current...

Currently I'm cleaning out my diaper bag. A friend gave K's a ton of board books that her children had outgrown, and a lot of them are tiny. It inspired me to work on the toy bags I had been planning, which I'll try to post about tomorrow. Anyways, that meant I had to gather all of K's "on the go" toys up, perfect time to clean out my diaper bag. And by that I of course mean the only way I could find them all was by cleaning out my diaper bag.

In My Diaper Bag (before cleaning):

• 4 lip balms (3 Burts Bees, 1 that doesn't work)
• 4 random key tags
• 4 binkies
• 4 AA batteries
• 2 balls (yellow one that rattles, blue one that doesn't)
• 2 packets of important paperwork
• 2 pens
• 2 containers of hand sanitizer
• 2 handfuls of trash
• 1 random rattle 
• 1 car 
• 1 Dora Figurine
• 1 Cat Figurine
• 1 toy screwdriver
• 1 pair of K's sunglasses
• My old sunglasses
• My new sunglasses case, sans sunglasses
• 1 Brita water bottle
• 1 wipe case full of Lysol wipes
• 1 empty wipe case 
• 1 diaper
• Wallet
• Spare change, bobby pins and a spare key. 
• My camera
• Mini first aid kit (with alcohol wipes, band-aids, thermometer, pen and paper, back up Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, and antibiotic gel stuffs)
• Make up bag (with main bottle of Tylenol, and other medication)
• Coupon book
• Phone list
• Disposable changing pad
• Tissue pack
• Stroller straps and Shoulder strap for purse. 
• Altoids
• 1/2 a Twix

In My Diaper Bag (after cleaning):

• 3 lip balms
• 4 binkies
• 4 AA batteries
• 1 packet of important paperwork
• 2 pens
• 2 containers of hand sanitizer
• 1 pair of K's sunglasses
• My new sunglasses case, sans sunglasses
• 1 Brita water bottle
• 1 wipe case full of Lysol wipes
• 1 wipe case of regular wipes
• 1 diaper
• Wallet
• Spare change, bobby pins and a spare key. 
• My camera
• Mini first aid kit (with alcohol wipes, band-aids, thermometer, pen and paper, back up Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, and antibiotic gel stuffs)
• Make up bag (with main bottle of Tylenol, and other medication)
• Coupon book
• Phone list
• Disposable changing pad
• Tissue pack
• Stroller straps and Shoulder strap for purse. 
• Toy bag (Ziploc containing 4 books, 3 random toys)
• 2 mini cliff bars

Significant downsizing right? I know what you're thinking, "That's downsized?" Yes, if you have a vagina there is a good chance you'll understand why I still need to carry 3 separate lip balms (color, texture, and back up). 4 binkies are a little excessive I agree, but I rather be safe than sorry. And finally 2 containers of hand sanitizer is simple: I keep the good stuff for myself, and make the randoms use the stinky rubbing alcohol kind.

Of course this isn't including the snacks or drinks for K I usually carry. Or the 3 extra diapers I always stuff in before we run out the door.

And very soon there will be a little bag of back up clothes, another 6 or so diapers, possibly a bottle and formula container, and a infant toy or two. So yeah, this is downsized!

Bumpdate: 37 Weeks

Please ignore my messy house and horrible stretchmarks!

• Size of baby: 8 lbs according to the ultrasound, give or take a 1/2 lb.
• Symptoms: Contractions, more stretch marks, full blown non-dilating labor :/
• Fetal Movement: She's typically pretty still, being as smooshed a she is.
• Sleep: If I stop nesting long enough to sleep, then I'm out like a light.
• Cravings: Carbs!
• Best Moment this Week: Ultrasound. Finally getting all the baby clothes washed, sorted and stored appropriately!
• What I Look Forward To: Not being in on-again-off-again labor anymore. Please, I'm so tired!!

This week I had to have another ultrasound because I was measuring small again. S is fine, as both the doc and I expected, actually she's a little big! Also I have excess fluid again, actually really excess this time. But the concern last time was it causing preterm labor, and now that I'm term, that's not a realistic issue! However now it means there's an increased risk of cord prolapse, or S turning breech at the last minute. Everyone seems to agree though that based on S's behavior thus far, it isn't a big concern, she seems pretty content in her head down, super low position. Final concern this week was my blood pressure. With K I was induced because of my blood pressure. Doc says it isn't as much of a concern yet. But we'll be keeping an eye on it.

That being said I've had some boogers recently from down under, and a small show. So really, any day now. I thought today was the day actually, but despite every other factor of labor being in play, my cervix refuses to dilate. I guess it still has 3 weeks to cooperate and clean up it's act though!

Bumpdate: 36 Weeks

• Size of baby: Almost 6 lbs! Sheesh!
• Symptoms: Sciatica! Horrible Sciatica, but the contractions are pretty much gone. Only other issue is my entire belly is so tender. Oh and new stretchmarks... obviously not happy about that.
• Fetal Movement: Her movement has slowed down and become more deliberate again. I think one of us is going through a growing phase resulting in her not having enough room for theatrics.
• Sleep: I either sleep fantastically, or the sciatic pain keeps me up all night.
• Cravings: Fast food. Spicy things. Oriental.  
• Best Moment this Week: Baby Shower of course :) Receiving the car seat, setting up the crib finally. Sorting and hanging, and sorting and rehanging, and folding and storing, and washing... and washing... and washing all those baby clothes. Not in that order of course. Of course lots of stockpiling type shopping- I shouldn't need to leave my house for a few weeks after S is here for anything more than appointments. And finally getting to this point! Now that I am 36 weeks there is no reason for my local hospital to send me south again, and they won't try to stop labor at this point either.
• What I Look Forward To: Getting this kid OUT. I know that's really insensitive, but what I mean is I look forward to the combined excitement of having a newborn, expanding my family and meeting another person I get to spend the rest of my life with. And the relief of being able to touch my toes. Or even see them. I think I have a hang nail. Really, there's several things below the belt that need to be addressed. 

Wordless Wednesday