Post Gearing up for Post Baby Weight Update This Weekend: 53 lbs of baby weight down and one muffin top to go!

Some how, some way in my pregnancy I gained about 60 pounds. I started out at about 118 pounds and made my way past 168 pounds. Ok, so you are probably thinking I was indulging myself in craving after craving. Quite the contrary for the most part. I mean there is the occasional cookie and frozen yogurt cup that had be had but very occasional. I think it all started to go really wrong with my emergency appendectomy which I think led to pre-term labor and was put on bed rest at 29 weeks. This is when the weight went nuts. Anyhow, the 60+ pounds i gained during pregnancy was a really hard pill to swallow once my little guy arrived. I held on to the hope that breastfeeding would literally suck the pounds off. I had friends say that no matter how much they ate they could not keep weight on and they were skinnier than they had ever been. HA! So not the case for me. Night sweats took care of the first 20 pounds, so that was pretty good. But the next forty were tough. Between yoga, baby boot camp and circuit workouts at a local park after about 6 months, another 20 pounds came off. Holy moly! 20 pounds still to go and my little guy was a year old. What?!?! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine having this sort of weight problem. Extra weight was one issue but my confidence level was another. I have dreaded having any pictures taken. As I peruse my pictures online, I hardly having any pictures of my with little guy. Very sad! And then there is the “getting dressed” ordeal every day. I can never seem to find anything to wear that I feel good in. Inevitably, the muffin top seems to spill over the top of my pants and every shirt seems to accentuate my love handles. It doesn’t matter how many times my hubby tells me I look beautiful…I still want to cry every time I get dressed. So in the last month. my girlfriend drug me out for a zumba class. I was skeptical about it, but willing to try anything that helped burn extra calories. As it turned out…It was awesome! I have taken 10 classes in the last month and lost over 7 pounds. AMAZING! I feel my confidence levels rising and feeling more like the me I used to know pre-pregnancy. Do I still sport a muffin top? Yes ma’am, but its much smaller and getting easier to hide. For the first time in 16 months, I have hope to lose my muffin top once and for all; however, while I write this post I am left wondering why I feel/felt so much pressure to lose the baby weight as quickly as possible. Why is that I don’t feel comfortable in my own skin with the extra weight? Any other mamas deal with post pregnancy weight? Low confidence issues post birth?

Helicopter Parenting or Due Diligence (Contributor for SavvySassyMoms.com)

The other day I ventured over to our local park to let the little guy enjoy some fun in the sun with some of his buddies. It seemed like everything was going well and then it happened….a little kid came running from one side of the park over to my little dude and smacked him right on his little noggin. My jaw dropped to the ground and I was temporarily speechless. Thoughts were racing. Did what I think I just saw really happen? Would a kid really do that? And then I snapped out of my haze and reverted my attention to my little guy whose bottom lip was quivering and a silent tear out of his eye. Where was this kid’s mother? And just as this thought was running through my head, I was in mid “swoop” to pick my kiddo up….SMACK! It happened again, except this time I grabbed the kid’s hand before he was able to run away and calmly yet firmly said “we don’t hit people.” It was right in this instant that the mother appeared and glared at me as she took her child away. No apology, no embarrassment, nothing. With my heart racing out of my chest, there were a million and one things I wanted to say to this woman but inhibitions set in. I know toddlers and young kids test boundaries and don’t always know right from wrong but we as adults should. If that was my kid, I would put my little one in a timeout after he apologized, ask if the other kid was ok, and say I was so sorry to the mother. For the longest time, I thought that this was the “right” way to ensure a more positive social outing until I came across an article about “helicopter moms.” What the heck was a helicopter mom?!?! Wikipedia states it best by describing it as “ parents who try to resolve their child’s problems and try to stop them from coming to harm by keeping them out of dangerous situations.” Was this me? In my defense, my little guy is just a little over a year and a half. He cant defend himself. He was just playing nicely on the jungle gym. I know a lot of parents will say “kids will be kids,” and I totally agree but I certainly do not want to be a parent of a kid that turns out to be a bully later in life because I subscribed to that theory when my little dude was a wee toddler. Veteran mommas out there… What are your thoughts on this situation? Was I being a helicopter mom or a diligent parent? How would you have handled this scenario?

What a Difference 7 Days Makes...

I am finally starting to come out of my haze of "toddlerhood." By no means are we out of being a toddler, I just am starting to catch my breath from moving, remodeling and chasing this little dude around all day. MANY more blog posts to come soon. Earlier this week, I was downloading the last couple months of pictures and I realized what a difference 7 days can make…check it out:

The little senor in rare form…sleeping in his way cool Orbit Stroller on the Miss California stage. I parked him while we were waiting to take a former Miss Californias picture with our newest "has-been" member, Noelle Freeman (Miss CA 2011) and the freshly crowned Miss California 2012 Leah Cecil :) Seven days later…

The dude snoozing after a long hike while we were camping in Lake Almanor. Very rare form for anyone who knows my sweet, little terror snoozing in two pictures. Fun blog posts to come…STAY TUNED!

Cashews….Love 'em or Leave 'em???

OK, so I had my first official mama scare this week. I have been really lucky up until now not having to deal with anything really scary. No SIDS, illnesses, falls..nothing until two days ago. There we were at home, hanging out in our PJS at noon and reading books on the couch. In my defense, I am not normally a couch potato but the little senor and I were getting over our cold and chillaxing at home all day. It was all going well until I got the urge to eat some trail mix. There were almonds, raisins and cashews. Munchin, munchin, munchin and then the little dude had some boogers coming out of his nose. So, I did what any mom would do and squeezed his nose, got the boogies out and then went to wash my hands and grab a paper towel for the next booger encounter. Well, somewhere in there I must have gotten a cashew crumb in the little guy's mouth or just had the cashew oil on my hands but his face started turning bright red. Then his cheeks started swelling and the redness was traveling dow his neck. The little guy started scratching his neck and cheeks and little white bumps were starting to form. I was panicking and called the hubs who suggested I call the advice nurse at Kaiser. Panicking more and feverishly checking my little one's breathing and checking to see if his lips were turning blue…the nurse finally came on the line. She asked nonchalantly if he was blue…NO! She then asked if he was still breathing..YES! She then went on to explain in the slowest manner possible that should these two items change I should most definitely call 911. Really lady?!?!?!? What am I supposed to do right now??? She said she would recommend Benedryl. OK…that would be a very fast, easy solution except that I didn't have any Children's Benedryl at home. As I was explaining this very quickly to the nurse, she went on to put me on hold because she wasn't comfortable with me driving to the drug store. WHAT?!?!?! What am I supposed to do here? If I stay at home, i can watch the little guy and check his symptoms but it does not get us any closer to stopping the allergic reaction which was getting worse by the minute. The redness was creeping up to his eyes and more white bumps were appearing on his chin and neck. I was panicking more by the second. Call the hubs on the home line and he beelined to the drug store to pick up the meds for me. Somewhere in there the nurse said to call her back should things continue to worsen or call 911. Ay yay yay1 Husband was home within minutes, little guy got his liquid Benedryl and within minutes the allergic reaction was reversing. THANK GOODNESS! So this experience has taught me several things:

1) How much I love my little guy and that I freak out at the thought of anything going wrong with him
2) Always have liquid benedryl on hand
3) Do not put off food allergy testing any longer

So the question remains about cashews after this disaster…Love 'em or leave 'em…LEAVE Em!

N is for Nocturnal????

OK, so the other day I went to a parent group to let the little guy and me socialize. Yes, I know you are supposed to learn something from the facilitator but it was a Friday, it was cold outside and I was dying for a chai latte…so a parent group looked like it was going to hit the spot on all fronts…until I got there. Maybe I still haven't fully embraced my sing-along-song-with-cheesy-hand-motions self but this class was more than I could keep a straight face for. The teacher, while she meant well, was educating us moms on "good" reading choices. For me, that includes Dr. Suess, Eric Carle and other fun kiddo books which means anything short, lots of good pictures and humorous. Apparently, that does not "make" good reading material these days. In my defense, the little guy has knows where his feet, hands, eyes, teeth and nose are. Unfortunately when the dude is asked where his nose is or sees the "Nose Book" he puts his finger up his nose. While this totally cracks me up, I know in another 6 months this might not be so cute…LOL! Anyhow, back to class. This woman strongly recommended that we, moms of kiddos less than a year old, read our kids some sort of ABC book. I was thinking to myself…BINGO!…I have been reading the little senor Dr. Suess' ABC book. So far so good. The teacher said it was important that there were pictures and repetitive letters…Cha Ching! Still good on that front and thats where it took a tune for the worst. My books sound more like this: Big Z, Little Z what begins with Z? A Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz as you can plainly see (insert picture or pink and white checked monster-thing with funny yellow eyeballs and teeth). The teacher recommended some sort of ABC book with "N is for Nocturnal." My first thought was HUH? Did I just hear that right? Just as I was running through these thoughts in my head…the educator was chattering away about how we have to challenge our babies with more interesting reading material. I am sure thats true and all but when has the letter "N" ever been associated with "nocturnal." She also went on to talk about how if we don't read to our kiddos now, this will lead to illiteracy which leads to poor performance in school and so on a so forth. Holy moly thats a lot of pressure! While I get the jest of what this woman was saying, it was really stressing me out. Was I reading to the little guy enough? Was it educational enough? Any then I sat back and thought about it all…I should be reading books that the little guy enjoys and breeds a love for reading. In the years to come, the idea of "better" reading materials will be more important. For now, I will look forward to making green eggs and ham while reading Dr. Suess' "Green Eggs and Ham" with my little dude.

Terrible Twos or Just Terrible

Ok….so this is something I just now starting to deal with…I wish I didn't have to though…here goes:

So the other day the little guy and I went over to Barnes and Noble to look at books and play at at the Thomas the Train table. La La La..everything was going great. The little dude was playing with a slightly older dude and they were both running the trains every which way and then….cue Jaws music…

A kid who was about 2 years old comes over to the train table. Initially, he looked innocent. Then, he beelined for my little guy and smacked him over the head. Thwack! My eyes went wide in disbelief and I sat there dumbfounded. Did that really just happen???? I think so because my little guy looked at me so sad and with his mouth all scrunched up they way he does before he cries, which is a very rare occurrence. Once I got my bearings back, I looked at the mom and she says that my son must have riled up her son. WTF?!?!?! Seriously lady?!?!? My kid is one and was playing right in front of me with another kid when your son marched over and popped my kid on the head. Trying to keep my composure, I took a deep breath and encouraged my little senor to resume playing with the trains. And then it happened again…the terrible two year old marched right back over to my kiddo and went to whack him on the head again. This time, I grabbed his hand midair and told him that it is not ok to hit other kids. The mother just stood there and never once offered an apology. This time I gathered my things and we left the kiddie area of the bookstore. Is this normal? I was so riled up after this event I didn't know what to do with myself. What do you do? Can you teach a grown woman a lesson? It was after this episode, I realized how strong my maternal instinct is to protect my kid. It makes perfect sense to me when people say they would go to the ends of the earth for their kids :)

Moms PLEASE weigh in!!!

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From Tiaras to Teething Rings: Six in One, Half a Dozen in the Other

From Tiaras to Teething Rings: Six in One, Half a Dozen in the Other: Ok, so you all know I struggled with the identity crisis of not going back to work for so many months. It took me forever and a day to say I...

Six in One, Half a Dozen in the Other

Ok, so you all know I struggled with the identity crisis of not going back to work for so many months. It took me forever and a day to say I was a stay at home mom with a smile. I would internally cringe for the longest time when people would say "oh, how nice for you…you get to stay at home with your baby." I mean, yes it was and is nice but I always wanted to say…"I'm staying at home because my kid doesn't take a bottle." Would it change anything if I did say something? Nope! Who knows why I was never comfortable being a mommy of leisure during the day, but just as I have started to become comfortable with the idea…the potential for change is on the horizon.


So here I am with a kiddo who is just about a year and a potential job opportunity has come my way. The interview process has been nice. Why you might ask? Well getting dressed in professional clothes…ok, maybe its just some chinos and a striped shirt..but professional in comparison to my workout clothes and shorts and tanks I have been sporting for almost the last year. LOL! Each interview has felt like a mini-therapy session. Why you might ask? Well, I spend so much of my day talking with other moms about how solid food eating is going, new lotions for eczema that have come out and teething that talking about marketing strategies, branding and other like subjects for a couple hours made me feel like a new person. I came out of each and every interview with a cheesier grin. The hubs thought that maybe this company offered me the position on the spot thus causing the cheshire cat grin. So he asked…how was it? All giddy like a school girl, I said it was awesome. He asked…did they hire you? Not that I am aware of I said. Then he asked…why the silly grin? And with I chuckle I explained that for the first time in almost a year, I feel like there was another part of me people were interested in talking to other than the mommy me. This is where it gets interesting. So as I have progressed through the job interviewing process, the dread of going back to work continued to grow. What would happen to my little guy during the day? Would he be happy without me? Would he survive? Would I survive?

Go figure, that the grass is always greener on the other side. When you you stay at home, you have work envy. When you go back to work, you have stay at home mommy envy. For now, for this cow…the grass is greener right here with my little man.

From Tiaras to Teething Rings: Competitive Mommying Part 1

From Tiaras to Teething Rings: Competitive Mommying Part 1: So after meeting a girlfriend for coffee today…I realized that competitive mommying, as I like to call it, starts in the womb. Its a little ...

Competitive Mommying Part 1

So after meeting a girlfriend for coffee today…I realized that competitive mommying, as I like to call it, starts in the womb. Its a little hard to tell which side, pre or post womb, is more competitive…but here is my take. For the in the womb mommy battles, there appears to be 3 main components:

1)Mommy weight gain in pounds: Nobody wants to gain the most. Everybody wants to be "all belly." Ok ok, so I am super duper guilty of this desire except the fact of the matter is I was the size of a small beluga whale. Yes, I somehow managed to gain 60lbs eating fruits and veggies with a cookie tossed in here and there. I try to blame the majority of the weight gain on bed rest this but we will never really know why I desired to look like a beached whale. I always thought that I would be this hip and chic pregnant girl glowing from head to toe, but who doesn't want to look like that?!?!

2)Size of supposed baby in belly: Ok, so while preggers I too wanted this humongo baby. I now ask myself what the heck was I thinking?!?! Who wants to birth a huge butterball turkey?!?!? Not me! So, if we are going to be honest here…I think I was secretly hoping for this HUGE baby so that there would be less weight to lose after the dude was born. Not my luck…our little senor was just a mere 6 lbs and 7 whole ounces! The doctor told us at least 8 lbs but they never really know for sure until the babe arrives. What was the point in gaining 60lbs for a 6 pound and some change baby???? I sure as heck don't know. As I was so deflated when they yelled out my little man's weight, I even asked if they were sure that there wasn't another one in there. Holy smokes…53.5lbs to lose after a c-section???? Oy Vay!

3)Infant trivia: Ok, so that may sound a little weird but for all you mommies and mommies-to-be …you know its true. It seems like everyone has done the most or best research on baby goods for their registry. But, lets face it…we all have different tastes and needs, thus we all seem to pick different items, but we all think what we have is the best and most definitely will tell you why. So it actually can be pretty funny watching new moms and moms-to-be critique baby registries. So while infant trivia is quite entertaining already, it does not seem to end there. It gets really funny when all these mommies…ok, ok, I know I am included here…get going on crib bumpers, co-sleeping, bottles, baby carriers, colic and it seriously could go on for decades. I think the funniest part about infant trivia is the back chatter after moms get together. The "i cant believe she thinks la la la.."Too funny!

Stay tuned for Part 2...

Kids do the darndest things :)

The other day I had a 2.5 inch slit open to the yard where the dogs so I could refill water bowls and such. I usually set my little guy at the end of the hallway to give myself a running start to this activity. The kid isn't walking yet but he is a serious kind of crawler who follows me everywhere :) It seemed that in less than a blink of an eye I turned around and my little guy had followed me into the guest room and was standing in the sliding doorway I had slightly opened. hmmmmm…what was he planning on doing. I know he loves the dogs but they aren't quite as much a fan of him as he is of them. First, came the wave and then the "da da da da," which in little senor's language is "Doggies!" A few licks of the face and a few little fits of giggling and then the cutest things happened. He reached into the dog biscuit box. I thought to myself…whats the worst thing that could happen here. Maybe he will grab a biscuit and try it out. He is not a great solid food eater so I wasn't too concerned about him eating a biscuit and liking it…lol. Plus, who wants to eat lamb and rice dog biscuits. Yuck! So here is what happened...he reached into the box, grabbed a biscuit and handed one to our oldest dog Madison. On first thought, she wasn't sure she should take one but then decided on a very quick second thought… you could see her thinking it's a biscuit…give it to me! With the success of the first biscuit, my lil man was ear to ear smiles. In the box he went for biscuit #2. Success again with Memphis! Back in the box for the third time and I lifted him up to give it to Digger who also was unsure of whether to take the biscuit. With an OK from mom…biscuit was taken and happily eaten and I was ear to ear smiles. It was in that moment, I felt so lucky to be able to be home for such an event. Its crazy how fast kids learn and mimic. I guess it is time for me to be on my best behavior :)

Stroller Wars

Alright…so I officially feel like a mom with this blog entry. Really??? Stroller wars??? Self…get a hold yourself…lol. So true though. Just as of late I have traded (bought and sold on Craigslist..yes I am an avid Craigslister)the bain of my existence although pretty stroller for a utility-based stroller that brings daily joy into my life :) *Disclaimer: Bob stroller not up for discussion…awesome…a little bulky but awesome!

Ok, so I think I started out on the wrong foot with the stroller.

Problem 1: Did not consult other mommies about what stroller to purchase while preggers
Problem 2: Watched You Tube videos to see how to use stroller
Problem 3: Purchased stroller based on You Tube videos and looks

So you might ask…what the heck can of stroller did I buy pre-babe? A Bugaboo Cameleon. First I was drawn to the options this stroller comes with. It has a bassinet, car seat adapter and toddler seat. Now what pregnant mom did not envision herself strolling down a tree lined street pushing a bassinet "Father of the Bride 2" style??? Not only did this vision sell me, the you tube videos are awesome. I highly suggest if any one is bored to start checking out the baby product you tube how-to videos. I swear you will end up buying a product because it looks like so much fun to try all the options these items suggest and they all make it look so easy. I had this same sort of strange desire to buy the magic bullet because I loved the informercials so much. Ok, so I realize I am getting off topic. So the Bugaboo…love the way it looks and it folds up pretty compact; however, it is difficult turn the baby around in the middle of a walk and assembly and breakdown require to baby-free hands. Now when I was pregnant and someone told me that babies like to turn directions…I would have thought you all were nuts. Seriously!!! Don't all babies just face outward and check out the world??? Ok, so here is a perfect example: I was on a walk and the little guy was facing outward and then in the snap of a finger decided he needed to be in on a conversation I was having with my girlfriend and he started to fuss and cry. Seems that at the beginning of any fuss…I go into a tailspin wanting to make it stop. With my bugaboo, its really hard to unsnap the seat, pick up the seat and turn it around with baby in it and re-snap it in. Is it impossible? No. Would it make my life easier if the seat rotated…yes! So this among other issues with my Bugaboo, like the single drink holder that leaves a lot to be desired, the terrible customer service, the fact that the stroller was too wide to fit in a lot of store aisles and the requirement of two hands for assembly and breakdown made me give this stroller the boot. So back on Craigslist it went and on the hunt for a new stroller I went. So what did I find? The Orbit :) Designed by two engineers, this whole stroller is about ease and utility. You can pop the car seat right onto the stroller, pop that off and attach a bassinet or toddler seat. All items can turn 360 degrees at the drop of a hat. You can steer the stroller with one arm while holding baby in your other arm…YES! Two drinks in the drink holder. Why is this a must have? One for water and one for coffee :) The toddler stroller seat also works as a high chair at restaurants. In two seconds, the baby is able to slide under the table and face the dining table as well as being the perfect height.So now when the little senor fusses mid walk...I simply lift two levers and spin him around. Sweet! Fuss averted! Yes! One last fantastic feature, ok well maybe two..no really probably a dozen more but we will stick to two, is that I can fold up the whole thing with one hand and its made with all okeo-tex green materials that are wonderful on little senor's sensitive skin. One more thing, all the seating attachments have fabulous full covering sunshades that also have a full-length cover attached to them so if the baby is sleeping you can pull it right over them. No more blankets over the stroller to keep the sun out. Oh, Oh the car seat base allows you to turn the car seat towards you to fasten or take out the kid and turn back to rear facing…So stinking easy! Love it! I could go on and on and on. Orbit…you rock my world so much that I just put a sticker on the back of my car. I know I surprised even myself with that one. Yes, I feel like starting the Orbit Stroller fan club…it could be ilke the Eichler home club for strollers….hmmmm…I think I am on to something…lol…

So what I have learned about myself: Utility, ease and organic seem to trump everything :) But seriously…did I just write a blog post about strollers and wanting to start a stroller fan club…OY VAY!

From Tiaras to Teething Rings: UNCLE!!!!

From Tiaras to Teething Rings: UNCLE!!!!: "Yes, thats me yelling UNCLE and holding up the white truce flag. Why you might ask? Well, for awhile here its been fairly easy hanging with..."

UNCLE!!!!

Yes, thats me yelling UNCLE and holding up the white truce flag. Why you might ask? Well, for awhile here its been fairly easy hanging with the little guy, running errands, going places as long as it was between the baby business hours of 8am-4pm. As of late, thats all changed and I think I have lost every shred of dignity that was lingering around me. How so? Everything was manageable prior to the dude learning how to crawl.That was only a mere month ago at the ripe age of 6.5 months. I know some people are really impressed with this, but while its nice to check off a new skill learned…its a game changer. Now, that he is able to use his legs, his new hobby has been crawling up mom at all times. No, he cannot be still like most babies. In his mind, why not crawl up moms love handles while pulling down her shirt, stick a finger up her nose and pull out her hair and maybe having a foot slip down her shirt. Fun right??? You betcha!!! Especially while trying to have a meaningful conversation with someone. Everyone always says…awww how cute…boys will be boys….Ahhhhhh!!!! I always thought I would be one of those put together mamas looking cute all the time with my sweet boy attached to my side. Ha! I do have a sweet boy that I love to death but about me being put together…not even close! As of late, Im lucky if I come home resembling the person that left the house the house earlier that morning. Lets just say mirrors are not my friends.

One would also think that by learning how to crawl that this would be enough for the dude for a LONG while…nope!!!! As soon as he mastered getting his crawl on, then came the crawl to sit, the sit to knee pull-up, the full on pull-up and now attempting to walk last night…WHY???? I am not going to lie here…its really neat to watch how excited he gets about how mobile he is getting, but I would be totally, totally, totally fine with him waiting to walk for another 6 months at the minimum. I mean for goodness sakes, there is no need to rush here. Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. Why am I yelling UNCLE at the top of my lungs??? Well, after thinking that his crazy busy behavior was a small passing phase, I have learned that it is not. I kept thinking that if I just continued on with my life the way it has been, going out to our favorite restaurants, shops and so on…he would just adjust, hang out and chill. No! He always wants to be on the move and yabbering at the top of his lungs. This is where a small problem comes in…while I am not any where close to be a germophobe…all floors are not suitable for crawling even by my standards. So what do you do in this sort of situation. I give in advance. For example, I have been looking forward to going to Miss California for months now to see friends, meet up with my other Miss CA has beens and most importantly see my little sis give up her title, but I feel like if I cry UNCLE in advance I just may be saving myself from disaster. Can you imagine getting all dressed up, hair done and then taking the little guy with me to the pre-pageant reception and then having him pull my hair out, fingers up nose, foot down dress and throwing the nursing cover off??? I can…and thats where my last remaining shreds of dignity will be lost. Like everything, this too shall pass but I think I rather have it pass in the comfort of my own home..lol!

Developmental Milestones…Love 'em or Hate 'em

So recently at one our 6-12 month parent classes, the facilitator passed out recommended developmental milestones for babies birth to 12 months. She asked all of us to check off where our babes were from birth to 7 months. Could they sit on their own, were they rolling over, were they babbling, blowing bubbles, putting things in their mouths, etc. As I was looking at the check off sheets…I started to think. What if the little guy was one of the babies that wasn't hitting these supposed milestones? How would I feel? Should I have read him more Baby Einstein books and less Dr. Suess? Was I doing something wrong as a mom? And then I stepped back and really thought about all of this. Did it really matter that much? The answer is generally, no. What would it mean if the little senor couldn't do these things…I don't know.

Would he thrive in life if he couldn't roll over? So after class, I called my mom. I asked her if I hit all the "supposed" milestones on time. She replied, I don't know that was over 29 years ago. Why are you asking me? Are you having difficulty rolling over, sitting, sticking things in your mouth??? No, I replied and started to laugh. This is when I realized that it is nice to double check to see if your baby is growing on target but these are general milestones. Some you will hit early and others late but at the end of the day as long as you have a happy , thriving baby thats all that really matters :)

Apples, Pears and Cinnamon…Oh My!

So its been awhile since I have been able to sit down and blog. Its been busy around here to say the least…other blog posts to come will detail our lives lately. So one of the fun things we have been doing now that the little senor is 6 months old is starting solids. Now you may be wondering how a person can get excited about eating solid foods but in our household it means that the little guy is one step closer to becoming a self sufficient little dude..ok, so that might be a slight exaggeration but true :)

As soon as my mom found out we were pregnant last year, she was dying to buy us a baby cooker. More specifically, the Beaba. I have to say, I thought it was quite the marketing piece…an expensive babycooker. What was wrong with the good ol' stove and food processor??? Anyhow, since my mom was so dead set on getting us the Beaba…we said sure and for Christmas this year we got one. Being my mom, not only did we get the babycooker we also got the BPA free food storage containers and the Top 100 Baby Purees book to name a few. Since then, this set of baby food making supplies has been looking at me for the past 4 months. During this time thoughts of panic were swirling around. Was I really going to make my own baby food? Would it taste good? Was I finally becoming domesticated? Would Amazon take this back? Wouldn't it be easier just to buy food? Ahhh! What to do, what to do…with each passing day, I was one step closer to having to answer these questions...

Nonetheless, the inevitable happened. The dude celebrated his half birthday and was ready to begin the world of food. To continue the postponing of the making of food, we started him on bananas. Super easy. All you have to do is scrap some banana onto a spoon and you have instant baby food. We did this with steamed sweet potatoes, avocados and pears. Life was good! Baby was on solids and I had yet to take the Beaba out of the box. After a couple weeks of this, I knew it was time. The little guy needed a puree…

With a lot of encouragement from the hubs…we whipped out the Beaba and the baby food making began. Truth be told, on this same day my love affair with this machine began as well. I cracked open the Top 100 Baby Purees. First up, pear compote. Peel the pear, cut it into a few pieces without the seeds and put it into the basket to steam. 15 minutes later dump steamed pears into the food processor part and add in some water and VOILA! Pear compote complete! Yes! First puree under my belt.

Now it was time for the test…what would the dude think. So we set him into his high chair, bib on and in the spoon went. Would he spit it out? Would he cry? Success, the little guy loved it! Granted 50% of the food ends up all over him but he was smiling and trying to shove the spoon into his mouth. Since then we have added sweet potatoes and apples with cinnamon into our baby food repertoire. Today I am blending in broccoli with the sweet potatoes and pears with the cinnamon apples.

So contrary to popular belief…I am having a blast making baby food. Its fun and it tastes great. I kinda wish I had a Beaba before we had the baby. It makes the perfect serving of fresh applesauce or sweet potato casserole for dinner so easy. So at the end of the day I say...Apples, Pears and Cinnamon…Oh YES!

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From Tiaras to Teething Rings: Taboo Topic #1: Who's down with PPD…I guess maybe ...

From Tiaras to Teething Rings: Taboo Topic #1: Who's down with PPD…I guess maybe ...: "So I have gone back and forth as to write about this. I know a blog is 'supposed' to be an online diary but some subjects still seem a littl..."

Taboo Topic #1: Who's down with PPD…I guess maybe me?

So I have gone back and forth as to write about this. I know a blog is "supposed" to be an online diary but some subjects still seem a little taboo, like this one…the dreaded post partum depression (ppd). ok, so it sorta makes me feel like a crazy person for even saying that I have been dealing with ppd. No, I am not a stage 5 Bay Bridge clinger but certainly past the "baby blues" stage. If I had to place myself in a stage, I would go with Stage 2 Cave Dweller. This stage stage includes wanting to crawl into a cave with my hubs and little guy stuffing my face full of chinese food and cupcakes. Its so funny that I have said this to a few people that I have had this and their reaction is "oh you are just adjusting to motherhood." No, I am not…well yes, I am…but my hormones are WAY more out of whack than just being a new mommy. I cant speak for everyone here but I have never really had hormonal issues until now. Somewhere in the six weeks after giving birth to the little senor, I had a few afternoons of crying while watching the Real Housewives of Somewhere…Really?!? I cried during a Bravo reality show. Oy! I should have known right there that something was wrong. I mean I love me some Bravo shows but usually they make me laugh and smile….not cry! But my strange mood appeared to be a-ok based on what I read online about post birth hormone fluctuation. It wasn't until a few weeks later when I was reading my little guy a book, "That's Not My Monster," and started crying that I knew something wasn't right. I mean it is really sad to go through the entire 8 pages of the book of why it wasnt my monster. Was it because the monster's paws were too rough or its nose was too blobby. I desperately needed to know was which one was my monster. My monster has the fluffy ears! So I am getting little off topic here, my roundabout point is that when you start bawling your eyes out reading a super cute book to your baby who is laughing, something isn't right. I called my hubs right away. Through my tears and muffled speech, I think he gathered that I was having some sort of ppd but was still safe to myself and the kiddo. So this is where I find this subject to be taboo. You shouldn't have to make it point to let someone know that you are not in post partum psychosis just some stage of depression. It seems that everyone assumes that if you are having any sort of ppd you are the Stage 5 Bay Bridge clinger which I am not. I was just somewhere else on the spectrum past Stage 1 Baby Blues and Stage 3 Couch Potato. Ok, so back to some sort of point. Being the sweet and solution oriented person my hubs is, he emailed over some ppd support groups in the area as well as suggesting that I go do something for me like acupressure to help relax. Wanting to get out of this funk asap, I emailed the support group and checked out two books from Day One. The Brook Sheild's "Down Came the Rain" book and Post Partum Depression for Dummies. Honestly?!?!? Post Partum for Dummies???? Great title…I think this was the humor relief I was needing and it looked like a fab resource. But seriously, they couldn't come up with a different title ?!?! I made an appointment for reflexology that day and started taking some Omega supplements to help stabilize my mood. Somewhere between taking the supplements, reflexology and talking to a few other new mommies dealing with ppd…there was a light at the end of the tunnel with a rainbow nearby. Yes, I still have days of crying over reading "The Hungry Caterpillar" and feeling irritated out of nowhere for no reason… but overall things are looking rosy colored. Woohoo!

What getting reflexology looks like these days. Insert baby on chest :)

Already has a mind of his own...

So I am sitting here laughing at myself as I think about this post. No, I wasn't "that" neurotic pregnant woman researching every last detail about what the best baby products were and "knowing" exactly what my baby was going to need…ok, so maybe I was a little neurotic. Nonetheless, I did my research and then ebay-ed and craiglisted away when I found the baby products I knew my baby was going to love. Ha! So today, I have been busy putting a list together of all the stuff I need to sell. Why you might ask? Well, my baby has a mind of his own. He simply didn't agree with the choices I had made for him. So lets start with a few prime examples:

1. Cloth diapering: Lets face it, diapers take years and years and years to decompose in the landfill. Since my hubs owns a green demolition and hauling business and is heavy into recycling and re-use, I felt that I needed to do my part of raising this little guy as green as possible and diapers were on the top of that list. After endless hours or reading and you-tubing the different options of cloth diapering, I decided on Grovia hybrid cloth diapering system. Figuring that I simply needed to commit to this, I bought an entire package that was to last the little man till he was potty trained complete with hemp liners and a diaper sprayer. Go figure two days after I start cloth diapering the kid breaks out into the most horrible diaper rash. After talking to the pediatrician, she said that his skin cannot handle the moisture and that this will be an ongoing issue. In essence, she was saying that I am doing my kid a disservice if I continue cloth diapering because he already has sensitive skin and eczema. Seriously?!?!? But it was in my eco-baby plan to cloth diaper….arghhh!!!!

2. Bottles: So who actually thinks that their baby will not take a bottle??? I certainly was not thinking it would be me. That sort of thing happens on such a rare occasion and I figured it was some sort of scare tactic on internet baby forums. Right??? I had such grand visions of my hubs being able to feed the little man. I was so committed to this idea I bought a bottle sterilizer, breast pump, bottle warmer for the car, a slew of glass Born Free bottles with silicone sleeves, etc. So do you want the good news or bad news first? I will go with the good news…I have a great package to sell someone that has a baby who is friends with bottles. The bad news…well I guess there really is no "bad" news. One lesson I learned about my dude is that he is more of a straight from the tap kinda guy so we have become more like the dynamic duo the past 5 months :)

3.Bedside co-sleeper: Yes, another one of my fabulous visions. I saw the dude sleeping in an extension of our bed in the acclaimed Arms Reach Mini Co-Sleeper. He would sleep right next to the hubs and I when we were snoozing at night. I could totally picture the little guy rustling around in the sleeper and my maternal ears would hear him and then I would simply roll over to the side where his sleeper was and roll him into bed with to feed him and then roll him back to his abode. Nice plan, right??? I thought so. Small problem…he didn't. So the very cute little co-sleeper has stayed attached to our bed and served as a fabulous basket for my water, tea, magazines, cell phone, lap top, etc. for the last few months. You know if it doesn't work for the babe, it makes a wonderful bed side table for new moms.

So I guess I have learned a very valuable lesson here: I should go back to my old ways of never planning. If I don't plan for anything, I can never be disappointed in the outcome. No good can ever come from planning…LOL!