tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17499101489075505942024-03-12T19:15:07.411-07:00Musings of a New MommyNew Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-45472192566533580122010-04-21T22:12:00.001-07:002010-04-21T22:20:34.837-07:00"BRA-zarre" Behavior<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZnXt6e117ZBlF11iP1mA0FAM-6ZETae8QWXZcS0fMAVQx6szP-z9D6-JcHp72OxFlZ_vAguSxoMxVoIpTrSAXX9IFHOnZongIbUnc9tKN1OkzcNqcGtsIiiLZr63BgH65Oqa42biccE/s1600/0326101019a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyZnXt6e117ZBlF11iP1mA0FAM-6ZETae8QWXZcS0fMAVQx6szP-z9D6-JcHp72OxFlZ_vAguSxoMxVoIpTrSAXX9IFHOnZongIbUnc9tKN1OkzcNqcGtsIiiLZr63BgH65Oqa42biccE/s320/0326101019a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462827012156966018" border="0" /></a>I've been MIA for a few months, but as you can see from the picture, it's because my little man is keeping me very busy! The latest is that he has some weird fixation with my bras. He'll find them (no matter where I put them), and try to wear them on his head like a hat, or around his neck like a cape. The worst incident was when he decided to bring out my hot pink padded bra into the front room when we had company, and hand it over to my brother-in-law like he was giving him the best gift ever! How embarrassing! Is this obsession just because the bra is a weird contraption? Is it because deep in his subconscious he remembers that the bra once contained a necessity for his life? Or, does the male obsession for breasts just start earlier and earlier these days? Where's Freud when you need him? Hmmmm.... :)New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-78790140805916310252010-02-20T12:47:00.000-08:002010-02-20T13:27:05.997-08:00First Year Stats!Well, I'm a month late, but since my little guy is officially now a one-year-old (uh, even typing it is crazy!), I decided that I'd list this year's stats.<br /><br />1 yr check up stats: 9% - Weight<br /> 25% - Height<br /> 65% - Head (Seriously, you'd think he would look like a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mal</span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">nourished</span> kid<br /> with a tooth-pick body and an orange for a head, but he looks really<br /> proportional!)<br />Size that Buhba wears: <span style="font-style: italic;">9-12 months!</span><br /># of Doctor's Visits: <span style="font-style: italic;">20+</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(6 visits to the specialists)</span><br /># of ER visits: <span style="font-style: italic;">2</span><br /># of Diapers Used: <span style="font-style: italic;">2,256</span><br /># of Wipes Used: <span style="font-style: italic;">7,034</span><br /># of Times I've been peed on: <span style="font-style: italic;">3</span><br /># of Times I've been pooped on: <span style="font-style: italic;">5</span><br /># of Times I've been PUKED on: <span style="font-style: italic;">17</span><br /># of Times #2 happened in the tub: <span style="font-style: italic;">1 (I just jinxed myself, huh?)</span><br /># of Times Noses were wiped: <span style="font-style: italic;">762</span><br />Age Bubha Cut his first tooth: <span style="font-style: italic;">7 1/2 months</span><br />Number of Teeth: (total for the year) <span style="font-style: italic;">6</span><br />Age Buhba learned to crawl: <span style="font-style: italic;">7 months</span><br />Age Buhba learned to walk: <span style="font-style: italic;">11 3/4 months</span><br /># of Swimming Lessons: <span style="font-style: italic;">9</span><br /># of Times I was told that my kid was "huge" and I rolled my eyes (you saw his stats!): <span style="font-style: italic;">14</span><br /># of Times the movie, "Open Season" was viewed: <span style="font-style: italic;">58</span><br /># of Times the movie, "Cars" was viewed: <span style="font-style: italic;">32</span><br /># of words <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Buhba</span> can say:<span style="font-style: italic;"> 6</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(Daddy, Momma, Jesus, Who's that?, Dog, Baby)</span><br /># of Times the dog food has been eaten: <span style="font-style: italic;">14</span><br /># of Times Mommy has said, "NO!": <span style="font-style: italic;">(Too many to calculate!!!!</span>)<br /># of Times Mommy thought that she'd end up getting checked into an insane asylum: <span style="font-style: italic;">10.5</span><br /># of Times <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Buhba</span> melted Mommy's Heart: <span style="font-style: italic;">50,000</span>+<br /># of Cuddles from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Buhba</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">101</span><br /># of times Buhba has gone to work meetings or conferences with Mommy: <span style="font-style: italic;">30+</span><br /># of clothes items lost in battle with "blowouts": <span style="font-style: italic;">9</span><br /># of Times toys have been fished out of the toilet: <span style="font-style: italic;">2</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">(I'm sure there will be many more!)</span><br /># of Times <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Buhba</span> has dialed someone (sorry Amanda!) on my phone: <span style="font-style: italic;">10-12 </span><br />lbs. of Sweet Potatoes consumed: <span style="font-style: italic;">20.25</span><br /># of Times I was BIT while nursing:<span style="font-style: italic;"> 6!!! (OUCH!)</span><br /># of Months I lasted breast-feeding: <span style="font-style: italic;">13 (don't worry, I'm officially done!)</span><br /># of Times my computer has been pulled down onto the floor: <span style="font-style: italic;">2</span><br /># of Times the dog water was dumped out onto the floor, and then Buhba decided to play in it: <span style="font-style: italic;">8</span><br /># of Signs Buhba can Sign:<span style="font-style: italic;">5 (More, All Done, Thank You, Hat, Please)</span><br /># of Toys Received:<span style="font-style: italic;">50 + (19 books for Christmas ALONE!)</span><br /># of Wet, Slobbery Kisses from Buhba: <span style="font-style: italic;">Countless!</span><br /># of Times Bubha maked the "Touchdown" sign when he watched a basketball game (ha ha): <span style="font-style: italic;">4</span><br /># of Times I found poop on the floor and I didn't know if it was from Buhba or the dog: <span style="font-style: italic;">2</span><br /># of Kisses Blown to me: <span style="font-style: italic;">100+</span><br /># of Times the Dog snapped at Buhba: <span style="font-style: italic;">4</span><br /># of Stories Read to Buhba: 54.5<br /># of Wonderful Memories: <span style="font-style: italic;">Millions! It's been quite the year, but I wouldn't change it for the world!<br /></span>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-85803687341500882232010-02-06T09:44:00.001-08:002010-02-06T09:52:22.777-08:00Bubha's Oatmeal CustardI've been trying very hard to make sure that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Buhba</span> is eating good, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">nutritious</span> food (and not just what is easiest/fastest to give him). I have been experimenting with some recipes that I've found, and then adding my own mommy touch to. Here's the latest (it's sooooo yummy, it's hard for me to not eat it all!) This is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or just a mid-day snack.<br /><br />Buhba's Oatmeal Custard<br />-Make one Cup of oatmeal from scratch. Use whole milk instead of water and add a little bit of cinnamon to taste. (This by itself is really good too!)<br />-Mix package of vanilla pudding with whole milk (see instructions on the box)<br />-Mix Cup of cooked oatmeal and mixed pudding together, then add to one cup of vanilla baby yogurt (I like YoBaby).<br />-Warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds (just so it's warm) and add half a bannana (cut up) on top.<br /><br />Mommy Modification: substitute fat-free milk for all of the whole milk portions, and use a low-fat or fat-free yogurt.New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-14600197613597768242010-01-29T12:17:00.000-08:002010-01-29T12:30:25.812-08:00You Know You're a Mommy When...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1fpFNqfh7XTqvDhm2j8v87BZEE6fNEAwYFtNkwHcvH0EfNHp2RKvcDSQqS4hUQ-Fa4AEMWTUK7CPE1YBGfPqvB7zgpKTr_JIS7AIBZ0yTuFu-3MZazw3xifT7L6FWMCoYdvR02y_tRw/s1600-h/IMG_1609.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1fpFNqfh7XTqvDhm2j8v87BZEE6fNEAwYFtNkwHcvH0EfNHp2RKvcDSQqS4hUQ-Fa4AEMWTUK7CPE1YBGfPqvB7zgpKTr_JIS7AIBZ0yTuFu-3MZazw3xifT7L6FWMCoYdvR02y_tRw/s200/IMG_1609.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432258742085130738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">You Know You're a Mommy When...</span><br />You are willing to put your need for sanitation, and your issues with claustrophobia aside to take your one-year-old down the McDonald's slide! (Oh the things you see in the McDonald's slides!)New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-20566804336567168502010-01-29T12:14:00.000-08:002010-01-29T12:17:21.368-08:00Mommy Lesson of the DayMommy Lesson of the Day:<br />Don't let your baby wear white socks when he's in his crawling stage (or else have EXTREMELY clean floors and carpet). I just had to throw out a ton of white socks because they are now beige!New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-78608012029672680572010-01-25T22:58:00.000-08:002010-01-25T23:33:56.083-08:00Festivities for Buhba's 1st Birthday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RhbzCK5fHtUGd9_mS5-56EudQxDWXC6i9Puh5SHB179wqFDZ96Ud4_cmza1_oYHptiyNDcetYxb-4e3AdSP8QhfJDtaxwJa7-S-suqdOFMPdAdxZEZdq_uobNFGXCWG3FbyIfj62Hx4/s1600-h/0116101951a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RhbzCK5fHtUGd9_mS5-56EudQxDWXC6i9Puh5SHB179wqFDZ96Ud4_cmza1_oYHptiyNDcetYxb-4e3AdSP8QhfJDtaxwJa7-S-suqdOFMPdAdxZEZdq_uobNFGXCWG3FbyIfj62Hx4/s200/0116101951a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430947600469780002" border="0" /></a>Buhba had his first birthday last week and I have to say that the festivities were a success! I'm so glad that it all worked out, and everyone had fun. However in hindsight, the realistic side of me asks, "really, other than pictures (and video), will Buhba actually remember this day at all?" Well, the answer is obviously "no." However, when Buhba is naughty I will remind him that his mommy stressed herself out over his first birthday party, but would do it all again for her little guy because she would do anything for him. This includes spending way too much time on making a cake, decorations, and food for a party of nine people who came to celebrate with us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Decor!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXLsxPzOtHC7DA_ZcOARCxky70LLdnSus-hHzFagmXkhae1xxsxDs9miC0GDACq1Owsnor15I0RUn8bOFEzJfGXpHr3ZhiievsODLthqotZLC6lfH1Ee54iRG1SQ0SM7LxrdWabPieuM/s1600-h/0116101544a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXLsxPzOtHC7DA_ZcOARCxky70LLdnSus-hHzFagmXkhae1xxsxDs9miC0GDACq1Owsnor15I0RUn8bOFEzJfGXpHr3ZhiievsODLthqotZLC6lfH1Ee54iRG1SQ0SM7LxrdWabPieuM/s200/0116101544a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430948225577290898" border="0" /></a>We (and by we I mean, my husband with me bossing him around) decorated the house with a sports theme (if you know my husband, you'd know that this was the only option), complete with signs that said "concessions" in the kitchen, "rest rooms", and "Heath Stadium" on our front door. I also used a picture of Buhba when he was a week old as the center-piece on the table, with Nerf footballs, baseballs, soccer, and basketballs surrounding it. I was pretty happy with how it looked.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Food!</span><br />To top off our sports-themed night, we served appetizers that you'd have at a sports bar: chicken nuggets, wings, mozzerella sticks, fries, pigs-in-a-blanket, and raspberry lemonade. I got a yummy chicken nuggets recipe off of Betty Crocker's website (it's also where I got the idea for my cupcakes!)<br /><a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/favorite-chicken-nuggets/ddaea4d6-b3f2-414d-8daa-1d6f410ebe31">http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/favorite-chicken-nuggets/ddaea4d6-b3f2-414d-8daa-1d6f410ebe31</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Cake!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE0WzlA4rG1mnartkpFfpcsfqFbFYT3Mgsrfy2R3ikGG7mO0cE2FQScpLQ9CMx3c9M0kR7irHzMC7ObeSabDStETRgMXXOYuN72hZOF5dB_w0bMKPsKGJwdRwNPHM_LGKyElDtRk14TY/s1600-h/0116102118a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkE0WzlA4rG1mnartkpFfpcsfqFbFYT3Mgsrfy2R3ikGG7mO0cE2FQScpLQ9CMx3c9M0kR7irHzMC7ObeSabDStETRgMXXOYuN72hZOF5dB_w0bMKPsKGJwdRwNPHM_LGKyElDtRk14TY/s200/0116102118a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430947594427150946" border="0" /></a>As for the cake, I used a football-shaped tin (that I got in February last year, just for this event!), and baked a devil's food cake in it. After that, I sliced the cake horizontally down the middle and filled it with a mixture of caramel, marshmallow fluff, butter, and crushed oreos. Then, I frosted it to make it look like a football. I also made white cupcakes and mixed in chocolate chips into the batter (which was a huge hit!), and frosted the cupcakes to look like soccer, basketball, and baseballs (well, that's what they were supposed to look like anyway!) I covered a piece of cardboard (off of a Huggies' box) with tin foil, then spread white frosting across it. I then put coconut (which was dyed green with food coloring) down over the white frosting to look like grass. I put the cake and cupcakes on top.<br /><br />Please note, that I am really not normally domestic at all!!! I guess that it's true that mommies will do anything for their kids! The whole time I was doing this, my husband kept saying, "Who are you???! This isn't normal!"<br /><br />Yes, Buhba's birthday was a success, and now I know why birthday's only come once a year!New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-48591638169370820922010-01-25T13:18:00.000-08:002010-01-25T13:23:43.083-08:00Balancing Working from Home and Being a MomI write articles about job searching, etc. for Hound.com, and today I wrote this article about moms working from home.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">How to Balance Working from Home and Being a Mom </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Brooke Heath</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">When I first realized that I would have the opportunity to do the majority of my work from home while raising my one-year old, I thought, “perfect!” Little did I know that while working from home can save in baby-sitter fees, it’s not always the picture-perfect scenario that I envisioned. Trying to chase around a toddler while doing work (thank goodness for laptops!) can be difficult to say the least, but at the same time, very rewarding and worthwhile. Through trial and error, I have learned the following tips on how to find a balance between my career at home, and raising my child.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Set New Priorities </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Before my son came into my life, I had no problem keeping my house very clean, and completing my work. However, once he came, I realized that my time (and sanity) didn’t allow for everything to be my version of “perfect” anymore – something had to give. Sadly, there are days when my husband comes home from work and the dishes are piled up, and the baby’s toys are scattered through out the house. However, I find satisfaction knowing that I attended to my two main priorities for that day: keeping my child happy and healthy, and completing my work duties. I had to set new priorities, and unfortunately, while other things are still important, keeping my house clean, have dinner on the table, and laundry always caught up, they are no longer at the top of my priority list.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Get Organized</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">In the last year, my new best friend has become the notepad on my nightstand. Each night, I make a list of the things that I need to accomplish the following day, and make a schedule of when I will do them. Of course, as any mom will tell you, with kids you have to expect the unexpected, and no schedule is foolproof. So, allow for some wiggle room in your schedule. However, even if something comes up, I have an overview of what I need to do for the day, from start to finish, which helps in my productivity for the day. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Keep Multi-tasking to a Minimum</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">I know this sounds crazy to any mom, because we depend on multi-tasking. But when you’re trying to work from home, multi-tasking can actually cut into your work time, and/or even distract and hinder you from getting your work done. It can actually be more productive to set aside dedicated work time, rather than attempt to do work all day, all the while chasing after kids, doing laundry, and all of the other tasks that moms do. For example, I like to dedicate several hours just to work. I put on my blinders to cleaning, and everything else that can wait. Also, during this time, I set my child up with toys, and let him have some time dedicated to self-play (of course checking on him regularly!). I find that so much more gets accomplished this way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Take Advantage of Naptime!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Naptime is a magical term to any mom, but this part of the day can be especially helpful to moms working from home. Work to have naptime be a set time each day, and use this time to accomplish work tasks that can’t be done with the kids awake. For example, follow up on phone calls (which is soooo difficult with kids screaming in the background), have a web conference, etc. It can be so tempting to join the kids for a nap of your own, but utilize this precious time to accomplish important tasks!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Enlist Help of Others</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">There are some days when my workload is so huge that I need to enlist the help of others. Sometimes, I’ll take my baby to my husband’s office and drop him off, call my neighbor, or ask my mother-in-law to come over, so that I can get work done without chasing around my little guy, and repeating the words, “please don’t touch that,” or “we don’t eat dog food!” every minute. If you don’t have friends or family close by to help on especially overwhelming workdays, consider hiring a sitter or nanny to be on-call just to help in those dire times.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Don’t Procrastinate!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">A huge problem with working from home can be a lack of self-motivation, and procrastination. Not because it’s intentionally done, but because there are so many other things that can get in the way and distract us! Referring back to your schedule, focus on what absolutely needs to get done that day, and don’t let other less important things distract you. (The laundry will still be there when you’re done.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Allow for “Mom Time”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">When you’re a mom, there’s almost no time for yourself. Add to that having work responsibilities that are pressing you for time, and you can say good-bye to any “mom time.” However, it’s important for your sanity, for your career, and your family, that you do take a few minutes out of the day for yourself. For me, this time is my “Diet-Coke-run time.” I grab my baby, load up the car, and drive down the road to grab a drink. It doesn’t (and shouldn’t) take too much time out of your busy day, but allowing yourself your own “mom time” will help to rejuvenate you, and allow you to go back to whatever you’re doing with a new sense of motivation, and focus (especially when you’re having “one of those” days).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Those Days…</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">There are “those days” when I’m feeding a baby with one hand, and typing with the other (like now) and I think, “those moms who work outside of the house, and can be productive for hours at a time and get work done are so lucky.” But then I watch my little guy (who just started walking) toddle across the room to give me a hug, and I realize how blessed I am; I get to share in the milestones of my son’s life, while at the same time work at a job that I really enjoy </span><br /></span>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-7246520244181858992010-01-21T17:54:00.000-08:002010-01-21T18:18:56.931-08:00A Wean-away, A Wean-away!There's been a lot of weaning going on at our house lately! :) On January 12, I had a work conference that I had to attend that was three hours away, and eight hours long (and not kid-friendly, of course!). So, with this deadline in mind, the second week of December, I started cutting out <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Buhba's</span> second nursing of the day (around noon-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ish</span>). This went pretty smoothly. My milk supply seemed to adapt pretty easily, and because <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Buhba's</span> eating pretty much "normal" food now, he was fine with it too. I did this for a week. Then, the next week, I took out his third nursing of the day (around 5pm). Again, nothing too difficult about it. I did this for about two weeks, because honestly, I was a little sad that it wasn't more of a challenge, and that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bubha</span> could do without me so well! So, up until the new year, I only did morning and night feedings. But, feeling the pressure of the deadline, after the new year, I cut out the morning feedings too. Again, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bubha</span> was fine with this change, but my "feeders" on the other hand had a difficult time adjusting. For a week, I avoided hugging people, or sleeping on my chest. (Now you know why I gave you an awkward high five, if you were one of those people attempting to hug me... ha ha) It was just too painful! But, I made it in time for my deadline, and even though mentally it was hard for me to be away from my little man for so long, we both did fine.<br /><br />While we're on the topic of weaning, I decided that we may as well get rid of the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">bink</span>" at this point too. We never let <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Buhba</span> have a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">bink</span> very often anyway, except for when he'd take naps, go to bed at night, on the occasional car ride, and when we were in public and needed him to be quite (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">ie</span>, church, etc.). With this said, I didn't think taking it away would be difficult. But then it hit: Christmas visits gave us more than just toys, it also gave us huge colds. How dumb was I to try to wean my poor kid from his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">bink</span> while he was miserable? But, because I was so determined to wean him from his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">bink</span> and the boobs, I still tried. But, after a few days of a sad, miserable baby, I gave in and gave the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">bink</span> back. He would NOT let it out of his sight for about two weeks! This may be because of the lack of nursing, or because he was so sick, or both. Or maybe he knew what was up a head, and he wanted to get his <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">bink</span> good-byes in. Anyway, once he was better, I took it away, and neither of us ever looked back! Good bye, old friend!<br /><br />Back to the nursing: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Bubha</span> had his first birthday last week (I'll post more on that later). And I know that the "norm" says to stop nursing at this point, I can't quite bring myself to wean either of us from the late-night nursing session. I never thought that I'd like nursing, but I like the time that it gives us to bond, and I like that he is still dependent on me for something - with all of the new milestones he's hit lately, I feel like he doesn't need me anymore (not true, but that's how I feel!). And the other reason, though very vain, is that I really like that nursing helps me lose weight (I'm not nine pounds under my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">pre</span>-pregnancy weight!). So, for these various, and possibly ridiculous reasons, I want to keep nursing for a little longer. Is is so bad if I keep going until he's like five? I wonder if his kindergarten teachers would mind me interrupting class because it will time for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Bubha's</span> nursing... <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">hmmm</span>. (I'm totally joking...)<br /><br />Hubby and I are going on a cruise in March (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Buhba</span>-free), so for all of you who think I'm totally wacko, I will be completely done nursing by then. So, I'll keep you all posted on how I deal with that... :)New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-83986824644940050302009-12-07T22:40:00.001-08:002009-12-07T23:37:43.553-08:00Pre-Pregnancy Musings...I know that I sound silly repeating myself over and over again, but seriously, WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE? I almost have a one-year-old! And while I won't lie and say that it's been the easiest year of my life, I will say that it's been one that I've been very blessed! I know that I've mentioned that it was difficult getting Bubha here during my pregnancy, but it also took us about 17 months to get pregnant. I look at my little guy, and I truly consider him an answer to prayers, and I think that I had to endure the struggles to get pregnant, and then to stay pregnant, so that I would have a FULL appreciation for this special little spirit that has blessed our home. <div><br /></div><div>I just wanted to post about some of my frustrations with getting pregnant, mostly because while I fortunately didn't have to get to drastic in our measures, I have had quite a few people ask me how I finally got pregnant after well over a year of trying. In January of 2007, I took my last birth control pill, and decided that I would get an IUD. I knew that this was not something that doctors usually gave women who had never had kids, but I had a few friends that got them anyway, and swore by them. So, I went to the doctor to ask for it, and scheduled an appointment, but I never felt good about it. To make a long story short(er), my husband and I decided that we would end birth control, and just put it all in the Lord's hands. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was totally naive to the fact that it could take several months to get prego. I just thought that I'd go off the pill and by the next month I'd be prego! :) By April, I was getting antsy, and so I went to the doctor to see what she could do to increase my chances. She put me on Metformin, which is a pill for diabetics, but has a side-effect of increased ovulation. I tried that for a few months, but nothing happened. </div><div><br /></div><div>My husband will confirm that my antsy-ness with conceiving kicked into HIGH gear at that point. I was constantly "google-ing" tips on how to conceive, and by the end of June, it was starting to consume me. In July, I got a call from my mom, who informed me that my family just found out that several members had a genetic disorder called, Fragile X Syndrome. http://www.fragilex.org/html/home.shtml (Go to this link to learn more). The short version is that my sister has the "full mutation" of this disorder, and it has caused developmental delays for her, almost considered autistic. We also found out that my mom, my cousin, and my uncle were all confirmed carriers of this. If you are a carrier, there is a possibility of infertility. When my mom called me I thought for sure that this is why I couldn't get pregnant. (I also had several of the other symptoms of a carrier, such as fibromyalgia.) I cried and mourned for days. I didn't know what I'd do if I couldn't get pregnant. I went and got tested and after a month found out that I was NOT a carrier. I was glad to rule this out. (I'll write more later on FXS.)</div><div><br /></div><div>For the next several months, I had regular blood tests to test my hormone levels and everything else under the sun. I even had an ultra sound to make sure that I didn't have any cysts or anything that would cause problems. In September, I asked the doctor what the next step was, and she prescribed me Clomid. I had mixed feelings about it because I had heard negative things about it. But, I was getting so consumed by trying to get pregnant, that I started taking it. (Let me just say here that while this works for some people, it didn't help me get pregnant, or help my husband want to make a baby with me. In fact, when your husband sleeps on the couch each night because his wife had turned into a crazy, constantly crying, lunatic, it actually makes it harder to conceive - when you're not in the same room. :) </div><div><br /></div><div>But, to my husband's horror, I stuck out the Clomid for several more months. By the year mark since we had started trying, I was going crazy. I had so many emotional break downs. The smallest things would set me off. (And can I also just say: People, don't go around asking child-less couples if they don't have kids because they just don't like them...SERIOuSLY!) </div><div><br /></div><div>Every month I think that I bought enough tests to keep the pregnancy test companies a float all on my own! I would take several tests, and close my eyes, almost like that would make an extra line appear, because I wanted it so badly. I would also like to add here that the process of making a baby was becoming more like a chore. And while I know that my husband and I have a very good relationship, between the Clomid craziness, and instructing him on when we would be trying, we started to struggle a little. </div><div><br /></div><div>In February, I had the dye test procedure done, and my tubes were just fine. I was almost hoping for a reason, but was glad that nothing major was wrong. I went for a second opinion and that doctor said that I was doing everything possible right now. (Again, I wanted to hear something else.)</div><div><br /></div><div>We live in a small town, and to take the next steps of insemination, or IVF, would take a commitment of driving 1 to 2 hours each way for appointments, not to mention the costs involved. I begged my husband for us to go to specialists, but he talked me into waiting, mostly because of money. Wanting a baby so badly, I pitch the idea of adoption to him, but he said we should hold off a little longer.</div><div><br /></div><div>My main job is for a school district, so I have summers off. To appease my husband, and to give myself a time frame, we made a deal that I wouldn't be so consumed with trying. That I'd get off the Clomid, that I wouldn't "schedule" times to try anymore, that I'd throw all of my conceiving tips out, that I'd get rid of my ovulation calendar, and that we'd just have a normal relationship, and see how things went. If by the summer when school was out, I wasn't pregnant, then we could look into going up North to a specialist (when I'd have more time). While this was VERY difficult for me, I up held my end of the bargain. So, at the end of February, I took myself off of the Clomid. I stopped worrying about when we tried, and just worked on having a healthy marriage with my husband. </div><div><br /></div><div>I did need something new to fill my once-baby-obsessed mind though, so I decided to start training for a triathlon. While I was training, I re-injured my hip that I had hurt in high school track, so I decided to go to the chiropractor. I told him that I was training for the tri, and he asked if I had kids. I told him no, but I would like to. He told me about a women that came in because she couldn't get pregnant, and after a few treatments, she was pregnant. I tried not to get my hopes up, but kept this in the back of my mind as I went to three more sessions with him. </div><div><br /></div><div>School was getting out, and for Memorial Day we went to visit my parents. During that time, the emotions of wanting to get pregnant took over, and it's all I could think about. I was so emotional, tired, and I felt my fibro myalgia starting to kick in while we were visiting my parents. They live in the South, and the humidity was horrible! My fingers, toes, and boobs swelled up, but I just blamed it on the humidity! :) Finally, the morning after we got home, I woke up a little nauseated, so broke my promise, and used the last pregnancy test that I had. I figured I may as well use them up, and just throw the box away. All of a sudden, I noticed that there were two lines... and to make an already very long story short, I was indeed prego!!! </div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know what factor finally helped us to conceive. But, I think that the biggest part was that I stopped stressing about it, and just let it happen. I had thought that I knew exactly when I was ovulating, but since high school, my cycle has always been off, so maybe we were completely missing our fertility window. Maybe the chiropractor helped too. Or maybe Heavenly Father just had a plan of his own. Anyway, that's my pre-pregnancy story - complete with a happy ending! :)</div>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-7024344618766928962009-12-07T22:27:00.000-08:002009-12-07T22:36:12.537-08:00You Know You're a Mommy When...You know you're a mommy when people ask you what kind of candle you have burning in your house, and you tell them that it's the new scent, "Puking Kid". (This scent also comes in perfume, so that you're body and clothing can match your house.) <div><br /></div><div>You also know you're a mommy when the term "all night-er" no longer refers to fun, crazy, all-night escapades with your friends, but is now used to describe a night filled with scrubbing carpet, stripping bedding, doing laundry, and attempting to rock a sick baby back to sleep. (Can you tell that it's been a long, flu-filled week at our house?) </div>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-411036887138376652009-11-29T21:30:00.000-08:002009-11-29T22:08:23.029-08:00Musings of a CHEAP Mommy!Lately, I've been really trying to get creative on saving my pennies (who isn't, right?), because I'm learning that these little blessings called kids cost some money! I decided that I would list a few of my new-found "mommy money-saving tips". I have to add that if you're new to my blog, or don't know me personally, I am NOT the domestic, homemade mommy type! I HATE, HATE, HATE cooking, and I'm not crafty by nature, so for me to do these things says that I'm really making an effort, and if I can do them, ANYONE can! :) My new motto is: one person's cheap is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">another's</span> "creativity!" (Disclaimer: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Suze</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Orman</span>, I am NOT! These may not be for everyone, but they sure helped me.)<div><br /></div><div>#1- Homemade Baby Food!</div><div>I've mentioned this before in my blogs, but I can't say it enough - this saved me quite a bit of money. I recommend buying some store-bought baby food for trips, and to test out which flavors your baby likes before you load your fridge and freezer with it - but otherwise, I'm a HUGE homemade advocate. My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Buhba</span> really enjoyed sweet potatoes. So, I bought several large ones, and cooked them in the oven. Then peeled them and pureed them with "mommy milk" and/or water. (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Buhba</span> liked the milk ones better...) I then poured them into ice cube trays and froze them. At dinner time, I would pull out a few cubes and defrost them (not cook them) in the microwave. I did this with MANY different types of fruits and veggies. You can modify the thickness for your baby's age. This worked great as Bubha started getting older, and bored with runny purees.</div><div><br /></div><div>#2 - Homemade Diaper Wipes</div><div>Before you roll your eyes and think that I've gone totally crazy, let me tell you, these work GREAT for babies up to about 6-7 months. I got this recipe from one of my friends, and it worked really well. Get a good brand of paper towel (don't scrimp on this!). Cut the roll in half, leaving in the cardboard center. Put the half in a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">tuperware</span> container. Then mix a solution of 1 cup hot water, 1 TBSP baby oil, and 1 TBSP baby soap. Mix it together, then pour over the paper towels in the container. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then pull the cardboard center out, and pull the wipes out from the center. Cover when not using. I loved the smell of these (before use of course), and loved how long they lasted!</div><div><br /></div><div>#3- Return, Return, Return</div><div>I'll admit it: I don't get attached to items very easily at all. I hate keeping things things that I don't use, and I'm not a person who will hold on to something "just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">in case</span> I need it with baby #2" several years down the line. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Bubha</span> got <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">soooo</span> many cute things from people, but he just grew too quickly to use them all, so I'm not ashamed to say that I did return some of the items we got that I didn't use, or had too many of. Some places require receipts (which some givers include), but places like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Wal Mart</span> allow you to return items (from their stores of course) without a receipt. (There are limits to the amounts you can get back, and the amount of times that you can return so, ask your local WM before returning.) Anyway, it's not that I didn't appreciate all of the things we got, but you can ALWAYS use cash... </div><div><br /></div><div>#4 - Sell What you Don't Need</div><div>Some of the items that we used, but grew out of, I have taken to sell back to stores that buy gently used kids clothes. I liked Kid-to-Kid. Understand that by NO MEANS will you get rich off of this, but it will put some extra cash in your pocket, and give you some extra room in your kids' closet! (Before everyone thinks that I'm a heart-less mom that has no sensitivity, I did keep a bunch of outfits that had sentimental value to me!) :)</div><div><br /></div><div>#5- Buy Kid's Clothes Post-Season</div><div>I am <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">sooo</span> turning into one of those good bargain-shopping mommies who have to brag about their great bargain! I've learned that there are AMAZING sales on clothes for kids at the end of the season (yeah, I'm a late bloomer). Last month, I went to the Children's Place online, and found great deals on clothes for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Buhba</span> for next spring and summer. For the same shorts that I paid $10 for last summer, I got two pair online for 99 cents each! SERIOUSLY! I got 11 items for less than $40 (with tax and shipping and handling). I also got the clothes part of his Christmas all done! It can be difficult to guess his future size, but I can't feel that bad if something that I paid 99 cents for ends up not fitting. (I'll just revert back to tip # 3 or #4 at that point! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">LOL</span>!)</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Savings! </div>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-74880867316017025442009-10-25T20:09:00.000-07:002009-10-25T20:27:44.757-07:00The MAGIC Book!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6hSLQYS9WQUHIeeI4PWhdLGpJlx7GlxuJITwXZnNKcWp0-XWIKhrV7E01q7SAzFIpiYe5ck7anrdV5JkEduKLEozoBXGz4DYktKlg1cJsQfC4_91BjJeWBu1SNCwKtYNLjQ5GVhxzkc/s1600-h/1025092100a.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6hSLQYS9WQUHIeeI4PWhdLGpJlx7GlxuJITwXZnNKcWp0-XWIKhrV7E01q7SAzFIpiYe5ck7anrdV5JkEduKLEozoBXGz4DYktKlg1cJsQfC4_91BjJeWBu1SNCwKtYNLjQ5GVhxzkc/s200/1025092100a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396744533555787218" /></a>I have found it! More valuable than gold: my baby's book has real, honest-to-goodness magical powers! :) Well, okay, that may be a stretch, but for the time that this book keeps my Buhba busy, you would think that it really did have magical powers. Seriously, how many toys (or books, none-the-less) can you say will keep a (hauling aka) quick-crawling, nine-month-old still for 5-10 minute increments??!??!?! This cute little Sesame Street Halloween book (with flaps) was given to us by my mom on our last trip to visit her in September, and since then, we've read it several times a day! Buhba loves it so much that he will seek it out when he's playing on his own, and sit and turn the pages and flaps by himself - seriously for up to 5-10 minutes! (It's amazing how much you can get done in that time when you're not constantly saying, "NO! Don't touch that!" or "No, don't eat the dog food!") Not to mention the fact that it has survived so much "love" from a nine-month-old - MAGIC, I'm telling you! :) New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-55002831259648618812009-10-18T21:16:00.000-07:002009-10-18T21:18:26.862-07:00You know You're a Mommy When...You know you're a mommy when you look in the mirror and realize that birds aren't the only things going south for the winter, but some "key" parts of your body are also following the migration patterns...if only it was just for the winter, and things would perk up in the spring!!! :)New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-87096797221021949652009-10-14T22:21:00.000-07:002009-11-29T21:30:41.273-08:00That Bites! LITERALLY!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFuCQ_J3hpItYP1GS6xBf40Gx_5oKDyUvFHt-rdjYX39y7KTmFB-V0zXQArL5f3u7HKWDuzbGMKiQwm0akeudVfg27_oqBwLU5RUdPzPGTcYWbSgJmGKLLHwC3ocZHfvxMVH7Oi4paQQ/s1600-h/1004091806a.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFuCQ_J3hpItYP1GS6xBf40Gx_5oKDyUvFHt-rdjYX39y7KTmFB-V0zXQArL5f3u7HKWDuzbGMKiQwm0akeudVfg27_oqBwLU5RUdPzPGTcYWbSgJmGKLLHwC3ocZHfvxMVH7Oi4paQQ/s200/1004091806a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393760099199606466" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;"><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; ">I have been MIA for a while, but with good reason: I now have a baby who All OVER THE PLACE! :) In August, Buhba started the "roll-where-you-want-to-go" stage, test-driving crawling occasionally; and at the beginning of September, he just started doing it; currently, he's no longer crawling, but hauling (which is my new term for very speedy crawling!) and now there's NO stopping him! I love watching him explore his environment, but of course, NOTHING is safe now. Our poor dog is having anxiety because Buhba always seems to get to the dog's dish and mix the food with the water. We may have a chef in the future! :) Anyway, as all of you veterans know, chasing a mobile baby is a full-time job in itself, so please excuse my lack of blogging!</div><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; ">Along with the new mode of transportation, Buhba also got two, new shiny teeth at the end of September. And boy, I've had a few incidents where I have been VERY, and I mean VERY aware of his new pearly whites! On one occasion he was irritated when I was nursing him, so he bit down...HARD! EWWW! My first instinct was to flick him, which I did, and later felt bad about (don't call the authorities, I don't abuse my child!!!). This didn't help anyway, but only made a game of it, because then he looked at me, laughed, and did it again! I pulled him off and after a few minutes latched him back on. Big Mistake! At my poor nipple's expense, he continued this bitting and laughing game, so we were DONE for the afternoon! For some reason, it hasn't happened since (knock on wood!), but we'll see how it goes from here on out. My goal is to make it to his birthday (just his first birthday, none after that!), but if he keeps taking chunks off my feeders, there may not be anything left to feed him with! :)<br /></div></span>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-28443874014345387752009-09-12T10:04:00.000-07:002009-09-12T10:25:39.609-07:00Ode to "Third-Day Hair"Oh Third-Day Hair...how I appreciate you. While some may turn up their noses at you, and think that you carry the stigma of laziness and uncleanliness, I however, realize that you are the official hairdo of busy, hard-working mommies. I turn to you when time does not permit me to wash my hair, blow dry my hair, and style my hair (after three days), because I'm late for a meeting, trying to rush out the door, and it's more important that my little boy looks cute. You may be third string on the hair line up, Third-Day Hair, but teamed up with baby powder to make my look less oily, it is you that I count on to pull my "I'm a mom, so I don't have the time to do my hair" look together. While we met for a period of time back in my college days, it has been in the last eight months that I have really come to know your qualities, and how you help to make my life as a mommy just a little easier. (Please tell your kin, "fourth-day hair" and "fifth-day hair," and even "sixth day hair," that it's not that I don't appreciate them, because I do, but it's just not as socially acceptable, and while I won't say that I haven't met them, I try to draw the line (even if it means going to bed at 2am) so that I can avoid them.) And that's why I appreciate Third-Day Hair...New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-3785043271274167192009-09-06T19:23:00.000-07:002009-09-06T19:37:17.883-07:00Mango Smoothies for BuhbaThose of you who know me, know that I am NOT a little domestic mommy. I hate, repeat HATE to cook, and I'm not so good at being crafty, and such. However, since I'm doing my best to be frugal, I decided to take a stab at making my own baby food. So far, over the last few months, I've done really well with pears, yams, bananas, and carrots (if I do say so myself!). Tonight I tried a new recipe, and made several weeks worth of "mango smoothie" for my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Buhba (inspite of my last post about orange foods!)</span>. I actually copied Gerber, which I like to do a lot. I will buy one or two of their jars, and test them to see if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Buhba</span> likes them before I go to all of the trouble of making them. (Fortunately, he's not really disliked any food yet!) Anyway, the ingredients in this mango smoothie had of course <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mangos</span>, but also apple juice. So, I got a bag of frozen <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">mangos</span>, and unsweetened apple juice and pureed it in my blender to a smoothie consistency. After that, I poured it into ice cube trays and froze it. After it's solid, I put the cubes into zipper bags, and when it's time for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Bubha</span> to eat, I take two-three cube out and defrost them (NOT heat them) in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Ta-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Da</span>! For the same amount of money as two servings of store-brand baby food, I made several weeks worth! Look at me, I'm growing up! Ha Ha!New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-59032003705265125532009-09-06T12:25:00.000-07:002009-09-06T12:43:06.922-07:00My Son: Future Oompa-Lumpa?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-C4X9dp9RRAxusmW-S1d7YkjA8sTJYl9JaDGWBs1boWym79ZYPY72vEJ9qU3lN39YbUJ4g58TJ0DqOZCxsDFpFCK-d4PAbvWmdlNrMP_QEy3J3yn1LFQ-ShtYvQpfUwD8EAr8Lvp3MQ/s1600-h/ww-oompa-loompah.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-C4X9dp9RRAxusmW-S1d7YkjA8sTJYl9JaDGWBs1boWym79ZYPY72vEJ9qU3lN39YbUJ4g58TJ0DqOZCxsDFpFCK-d4PAbvWmdlNrMP_QEy3J3yn1LFQ-ShtYvQpfUwD8EAr8Lvp3MQ/s200/ww-oompa-loompah.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378441741942231762" /></a><div>I read recently about a condition called, "carotenemia," which is a condition in which a child's skin starts to take on a yellow/orange tone. This is due to feeding your child too many yellow and orange foods. (I'm not making this up!) Since then, I've been in a panic, because I've been VERY aware that the majority of foods which Buhba eats are yellow or orange (mostly the latter). Blame it on my choice of colors, or the lack of baby foods that appear in colors other than yellow or orange; but most of the time, Buhba's diet consists of yams/sweet potatoes, peaches, carrots, squash, mangos, pears, apple sauce, and other items in this pigment family. I've been trying very hard to expand our options, but seriously, other than green beans and peas, what options do I have? I'm open for suggestions - and soon, because I'm concerned that one morning, I'm going to wake up to an Ooompa-Lumpa, singing witty little songs about chocolate factories, instead of my sweet little boy! :)</div>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-71221602410693511472009-08-31T21:12:00.000-07:002009-08-31T21:29:53.664-07:00Treasure EVERY Moment!I think that sometimes as mommies, we get into shark mode: we just keep going through the motions in order to survive the stressful days. I know that there are days where I think, "okay, if I can just make it to 1pm" and try to find something to distract Buhba while I get work done. Then it's "okay, if I can just make it to 3pm..." and I don't take advantage of the time that I have to be a mom to such a wonderful little spirit. Last night, I read the blog of a young family who's eight-month-old son is losing the fight to cancer, and the time that they have left with him is quickly running out. I don't remember the last time that I cried so hard while reading the tender, heart-breaking words that these young parents wrote to inform people on their son's deteriorating condition. As the mother of a seven-month old, (heck as a mother, period), my heart just breaks for this family! I can't even think about losing Buhba! I vowed last night that I would stop just going through the motions, and appreciate EVERY SINGLE minute that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with my son; and start to welcome and embrace the responsibilities and challenges that come with this calling. Today, when Buhba started screaming in Walmart, I let out a sigh of frustration, but quickly thought to myself, I'll bet that this poor mother who is losing her child would welcome a fussy baby in Walmart! So, I quickly picked up Buhba and held him close to me for the rest of the trip. I guess my point is that we just never know what life will bring, so my goal is to not take this time with my son and husband for granted ever again - no more shark mode - I'm going to treasure every moment! New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-61027465949994083692009-08-28T02:44:00.000-07:002009-08-28T03:18:16.303-07:00What a Difference a Year Makes!My husband is an assistant football coach at a local junior college, and with football season in full swing, I'm having some serious flashbacks of last year's season. Has it really been a year ago this month that my husband started coaching, and that I was put on bedrest at 14 1/2 weeks along in my pregnancy? It hardly seems real as I look at the healthy, little seven-month-old who loves to give out slobbery kisses to his mommy and daddy, asleep beside me (okay, I admit, sometimes I give in and like to lay him down and snuggle with him in my bed when he naps :) . <div><br /></div><div>NOTE: If you were watching a TV show of my life, now would be the point of the wavy screen and the flashback sounds... :)<br /><div><br /></div><div>I'll never forget the day that I started having very hard cramps and my stomach went rock-hard. I looked up at my husband in horror, "Honey, I'm not sure but I think that I just had a contraction!" From that point on, it was strict bedrest, and lots, and lots of trips to the doctor's office and later on lots of trips to the hospital. <div><div><br /></div><div>I remember listening to my hubby's football games on my laptop as I lay in bed, and feeling the baby kick as the announcer got excited because our team made a touchdown! I would always would look forward to the weekends because of the football games, but most importantly, it meant that I had kept Bubha in one more week, and every week meant a better chance of survival for our little guy! </div><div><br /></div><div>Some times I have flashbacks to a year ago feeling like I am still on bedrest and teetering on the verge of insanity from laying in bed all day :) I would literally countdown the hours until hubby got home from work each day, so that I'd have something to look forward to! </div><div><br /></div><div>This year has flown by! That time in my life seems so short now, now that I have something (actually someone) so wonderful to show for it! 24 weeks of bedrest doesn't seem like a very big deal in the grand scheme of things. I know that I've been so blessed because I know that some women unfortunately go on bedrest with less fortunate outcomes. </div></div></div></div>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-17048655856928959202009-08-26T13:28:00.001-07:002009-08-26T14:02:20.296-07:00The Story of Buhba's Bath and the UnWelcomed Visitors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://katiejeffreys.com/ducky/ducky5.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 210px; height: 260px;" src="http://katiejeffreys.com/ducky/ducky5.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a>This is a story about a little seven-month-old named, "Buhba" who loved to take baths. One night after a VERY long day of traveling, Buhba's mommy put him into the tub for what she thought would be a short bath. Buhba's mommy had just started washing his head when Buhba looked up at her with a funny look on his face. It was at that second that Buhba's mommy realized what this look meant, but she was too late. She looked down to find a VERY un-welcomed "visitor" in the tub floating along the side of Buhba's rubber ducky and other bath toys. <div><br /></div><div>Buhba's mommy panicked and grabbed a naked Bubha out of the tub so that he wouldn't "play" with the "visitor", and set him on the carpet in the hall, just outside of the bathroom (so that he wouldn't fall over and crack his head on the bathroom tile), while she started the process of "fishing" the visitor out of the tub. After she caught the visitor, drained the tub, got all of Bubha's toys out of the tub, cleaned the tub, and ran fresh water, Buhba's mommy picked him up off of the carpet to finish up his bath. But to her horror, smashed in the carpet and all over Buhba's backside were more, VERY large "visitors"! Buhba's mommy tried to hang him over the toilet to "brush off" the "visitors", but that just made a bigger mess and she just had to take the still-naked-boy into his room to get some wipeys. Finally, when he was cleaned up, Buhba finished his bath, and his mommy got some stain remover that she had purchased for doggie accidents to get the leftover "visitors" out of the carpet! </div><div><br /></div><div>That night Bubha had sweet dreams, but his mommy spent half the night scrubbing the carpet (which finally came clean thanks to a great new product!). THE END!</div>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-36491139995403658332009-08-20T21:58:00.000-07:002009-08-20T22:06:46.592-07:00To Alternate or Not to Alternate...That is the Question...So, I just read somewhere that I should be feeding Buhba several different types of food at each sitting. I don't do this. I just get one container (or two helpings of my homemade babyfood) out and feed it to him. I do change up what he eats at each sitting/meal - but I don't really see the point in getting out a ton of food for each meal. My thoughts are that it may confuse him and his little taste buds. However, if the magazine says this, then perhaps it's the hard and fast rule for feeding - and I'm the only one not doing this??? I'm new at this stuff! I just don't want to make a mistake like this, and have Buhba grow up and be messed up as a result of my lack of alternating :) I'm finding that there's a lot of pressure with these decisions, you never know what ones will scar a child! ha ha...I can just picture it now. He's sitting on a therapist's couch saying, "Doc, I think that the reason I have relationship problems now is because my mom didn't alternate the number of foods I ate at each sitting when I was seven months old." You just never know... :)New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-11354012883013790582009-08-18T05:44:00.000-07:002009-08-18T14:04:09.691-07:00Five Things I Learned While Traveling with My Baby<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCkK3FIUVJnXv74otu9zWHn3K4CNJXh5LzwuvYbTYJJ1PrQhw1XdiRGBxPgbVMkJSUFbDBdQF6g_SozQ7O_aREStSGkWPkXfZhKman3NXn4sTi-_s5h5Zj-DySAH2E7Bq7VCA4u4wSYg/s1600-h/u13122740.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCkK3FIUVJnXv74otu9zWHn3K4CNJXh5LzwuvYbTYJJ1PrQhw1XdiRGBxPgbVMkJSUFbDBdQF6g_SozQ7O_aREStSGkWPkXfZhKman3NXn4sTi-_s5h5Zj-DySAH2E7Bq7VCA4u4wSYg/s200/u13122740.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371412024334016802" /></a><div>My husband, "Buhba," and I went on a business trip to Omaha, Nebraska, and below are five things I learned while traveling with my baby.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">#1- Carrying a baby through an airport or having a baby at a business conference is just like carrying around a large neon sign with the words "Please stare at me" on it. </span></div><div>Not that this is necessarily negative attention. I know that it's just because my kid is so cute, (no, I'm not modest NOR biased!) but it still makes me self-conscious. It's all I could do not to stop at every mirror or window and check for food in my teeth, or see if my hair is doing something weird. Some people act like they've never seen a baby before!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">#2- There are no boundaries when it comes to babies and strangers.</span></div><div>The lack of boundaries I'm referring to is on the strangers' ends. I can't even count the number of people who just walked right up to Buhba and started pinching his cheeks, holding his hands, or putting their face right up in his. Again, I tried not to mind too much, because I know that there's just something about babies that makes just about everyone all gooey :) But, because I'm a little bit of a germ-a-phob, I was half-tempted to hold out a bottle of Purell, and make them use it before proceeding to touch the baby. The straw that broke the camel's back was when my husband was checking in to the hotel and a guy with a beer came up and started grabbing my baby's foot, and playing with his toy, and rubbing his head. A little too friendly for my taste. Hey, Mr. How would you like it if I just came up and grabbed your beer bottle without asking?</div><div> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">#3- If your baby is well-behaved in public, it reflects well on you.</span></div><div>I guess I never processed this before I was a mommy, but I got to see it first hand this weekend. Buhba was awesome on the plane, and nearly perfect at the conference that we went to. He usually is pretty mild, and used to spending a few hours with me at the office, so I didn't think too much of it. But, it took me by surprise when several people came up to us afterwards and told us how calm and mild-mannered Buhba was, and how they didn't even hear him during the conference. They continued on to say that it must be because we're "awesome parents." I wasn't about to argue with strangers and to tell them the real reason: that Buhba is just a really good baby :) I saw the flip side of this scenario when a poor couple with twins sat in front of us on the plane, and their babies were having a hard time, and screaming and crying most of the trip. I could see several people roll their eyes, and turn away from them. I felt like pinching Buhba just to have a distraction for the poor family!</div><div> </div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">#4- A tired, overstimulated baby = 2am and 5am scream fests</span>.</div><div>Just to assure people that my kid isn't perfect, I added this one. While we were in Omaha, we did a little bit of walking around the city, when we weren't at the conference. Add to that a flight, sitting for long periods of time, a lot of new sights/people and long days, and we had one overstimulated boy! Buhba was so exhausted at nights that he fell right asleep. I knew that this could go one of two ways. Either he'd be so tired he'd sleep right through the night, or because his sleep schedule was so outta wack, he'd scream all night long. Unfortunately, I was right on the latter. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">#5 - Athletes/Celebrities are no intimidation when it comes to a mommy on a mission!</span></div><div>When we got on the plane to fly to Omaha, I looked up to see Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz boarding. I'm not a huge Jazz fan, but all I could think about was how cool it would be for my baby to have some kind of autograph or something for when he was older. So, when we got to baggage claim, I took Buhba, and walked up to Deron who was innocently waiting, and listening to his iPod. He had no idea what he was in for. I tapped him on the shoulder, and he pulled out his earphones, looking a little irritated. "Hi," I said. "Can I take a picture of you?" "Huh?" he said, looking a little more irritated. (I think that at this point, the average person would have walked away, but not me!) "Could I take a picture of you holding my baby?" Silence. He just starred at me. I think he thought that if he didn't say anything I'd go away. Nope. I just stood there with Buhba and smiled. He looked at me and finally said, "I don't like babies." To which I responded, "Even really cute ones like mine?!" Finally, he cracked a smile and agreed to the picture. So I handed him my most prized possession, and grabbed my phone and started snapping away. I got two good ones. He ended up being really nice, I'm sure that he just wanted to get away from crazy people like me, but I was on a mission! Mission accomplished! </div>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-69802727348092729102009-08-12T21:59:00.000-07:002009-08-12T22:10:23.979-07:00You Know You're a Mommy When...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You know you're a mommy when you no longer have direct conversations with your husband, but rather you use your baby/child as a communication avenue for indirect conversations. For example, "Buhba, tell daddy that he really should load his own dishes in the dishwasher." or "Daddy do you want to take a turn changing my dirty diaper for a change?" (this is said in a high-pitched baby voice of course, because it's the baby talking, mind you). </span>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-48264939930215182412009-08-07T20:25:00.000-07:002009-08-07T20:46:10.762-07:00Bebe Gloton : Healthy or Creepy?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2HGWSb2AUAdZ-asmxaW0Jljedgwf1ZVXGd4i4ZEXuGqvHULVWhxuM_OF8OhIaotb_VeQm2AT02dKUwvlsXA84In5pp_DcOvYuQ-RrruVJCvyMZMDj0yUZoHvAY95zu235l4phV_J134/s1600-h/bebegloton(1)(2).jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2HGWSb2AUAdZ-asmxaW0Jljedgwf1ZVXGd4i4ZEXuGqvHULVWhxuM_OF8OhIaotb_VeQm2AT02dKUwvlsXA84In5pp_DcOvYuQ-RrruVJCvyMZMDj0yUZoHvAY95zu235l4phV_J134/s320/bebegloton(1)(2).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367432680310032098" /></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>As I demonstrated in a previous post, I'm pro breastfeeding (but certainly not to the point of judging others who choose not to). With that said, I think that the new "Bebe Gloton" goes a little too far. <div><br /></div><div>Check out this new doll:</div><div><a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32314995/ns/today-parenting_and_family/">http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32314995/ns/today-parenting_and_family/</a></div><div><br /></div><div>While I do have to admit that after watching my mom nurse my younger siblings, I secretly (as a 5 year old) took my beloved Cabbage Patch, Aubrie Ann, into my bedroom and lifted up my shirt to mimic what I saw my role model doing. And, surprisingly enough for my five year old mind, nothing happened! </div><div><br /></div><div>I think that it is perfectly normal for little girls to want to do what their moms do. Even as young girls, the nurturing side of us come out, it's how we're wired. I think that its healthy for moms (if they choose) to let their kids know that this is how some babies get their food, and to help them understand that it is natural. However, I have to say that I think that this doll is creepy! (I don't know any other politically correct way to say that!) Also, if little girls grow up thinking that their breasts will develop into flowers (like the vest that comes with the doll) no amount of therapy will help when, as an adult, they are actually nursing their new baby, and the pretty flower is replaced by chapped, bleeding nipples, and saggy, milk-filled breasts! :)</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd love to hear other takes on this. Moms of young girls, would you buy this for your daughters?</div></div>New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749910148907550594.post-35473126356293096612009-08-06T10:57:00.000-07:002009-08-06T11:01:18.811-07:00You Know You're a Mommy When...You know you're a mommy when you look in the mirror and think "I won't wash my hair today" to make getting ready for work faster. But then you panic because you realize that you don't remember the last time you washed your hair, but you're guessing that it's in the neighborhood of four days or so...and then you decided not to wash it anyway!New Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899431550122957840noreply@blogger.com0