The Ultimate Oxymoron :: Summer Cold

The very last thing a momma wants on the first day of summer is for her kiddo to come down with a cold. And that's exactly what Lily did yesterday. My poor girl is snotty and coughing, which has put a huge dent into our plan to go to the zoo's Twilight Thursday tonight with Lily's little friend, as well as our weekend plans - and if this cold lasts as long as the previous one, our plans for the next 2-3 weeks are shot.

There should be a cosmic law against summer colds. It's just not right to be stuck feeling like crap with the weather is so beautiful.

But the bright side is that instead of being cooped up indoors with gloomy weather while she feels sicky, she can play outside and enjoy the sunshine, and even go swimming since our pool is at least 80 degrees and feels like a giant bath. That should make feeling sick a little less sucky. I guess. That's what I'm telling myself anyway.

Now, off to find the snot sucker... wish me luck!

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The Breastfeeding Controversy {WTF?!}

Breastfeeding has been all over the news lately, and I've been annoyed, to say the least, at most of the general public's views toward breastfeeding - that it should be done covertly, that it's shameful, that it's weird to do in public.  That's all wrong, and just makes me so frustrated!

And then I read the article today about military moms nursing in uniform and the outcry against them, and my patience snapped like a dead twig.  I've absolutely had it with all of this anti-breastfeeding in public nonsense. I applaud these awesome military mommas for being so radiant and proud of nursing their children (not to mention for serving our country while managing to raise said children) especially for making time during their on duty hours for their children!  And I applaud them for standing up for their photo shoot as well!

And F*CK all of the breastfeeding haters!  Pardon my French, but seriously!  Breasts are first and foremost about nourishing our children, not about sexuality. GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD: breasts do not equal sex.  Our society has oversexualized breasts to the point that the most basic of human functions (nursing a child, which ALL mammals do) has become something shameful.  This infuriates me (and I'm a pretty chill kind of gal).  I nurse in public all the time because Lily refuses to be covered up, so I've long since given up on trying to be "modest" (which is a complete oxymoron for me in the first place).  I even nursed her at the zoo once while we watched the giraffes, and the giraffes didn't mind one bit.  I'm sure they were actually pleased to see that someone else breastfed in public like they do.

Now go out and bare those milk-laden breasts with pride, ladies, and don't let the public outcries get you down!


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Daddy Day

Jim decided that he wanted a day just for him and Lily.  So he sent me off to work, gave Nana the day off, and proclaimed it Daddy Day.  He was successful in getting her down for one of her two regular naps, and took her on an adventure to the park, where they enjoyed the geese and ducks.  This is the photo that he texted to me:

Mommy is jealous of Daddy Day.  *smile*

I think that Daddy Day is going to become a more regular occurrence.  Lucky baby!

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Baby Smiles

It truly is amazing how much a baby's smile can fix anything.

Have a crap day at the office?  BABY SMILE TO THE RESCUE!  Is traffic on the way home have you teetering on the verge of road rage?  BABY SMILE TO THE RESCUE!  Is the long line in the supermarket making you want to throw grapes at the checker to make him hurry up?  BABY SMILE TO THE RESCUE!

Seriously, it is amazing how much Lily's smile helps my tension melt away.  And Jim's too.  He becomes putty when she smiles at him.  There are times that he gets home from a business trip totally worn out from uncomfortable hotel beds and long plane flights, and the minute he sees her smile, his energy is restored.  I wish we could bottle and sell her smile.  We'd be billionaires in a week.

She smiles when you say her name (she loves her name!).  She loves her dog and smiles like crazy when he is playing fetch with daddy.  But my all time favorite smile is first thing in the morning, when she opens her pretty blue eyes, sees me and hears me say, "good morning, Lily!"  She just lights up like a Christmas tree.  It sets every day in a positive direction.  Who needs caffeine?  (ok, ok, I still need my caffeine!)

I'm so grateful for my family.  They truly make the world go round!

Here are some Lily-Smiles to improve YOUR day!

Cheers!

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Recipe of the Day {Rainbow Cake in a Jar}

I came across this thanks to my cousin Corri and her addiction to StumbleUpon. *smile!*

Link to the original recipe: CLICK HERE.  This site has some other amazing looking cakes in a jar - I love them because they are not only single serving, but they are so decorative!

I love how I come across other awesome things as I browse...  Lily is most definitely going to have a Unicorns and Rainbows birthday party when she turns 1 in November.

Photo by Events by Elisa... Photo credits (clockwise, from top left): Broke-Ass Bride, Babble, ArtNectar, Inspired Parties, Juicy Bits, Love to Know, The Wedding Queen, SmugMug, Hostess With the Mostess, The Cake Blog, Creative Genius Printables.

Rainbow Cake in a Jar

• 1 box white cake mix made according to package instructions
• Neon food coloring in pink, yellow, green, turquoise, and purple
• 3 one-pint canning jars
• 1 can vanilla frosting
• Rainbow sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly wash and dry the inside of each canning jar. Spray the inside of each jar thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Scoop about 1/2 cups of cake batter into five small bowls. It doesn’t have to be perfect, don’t panic if you get a little more of less of one color than another.  Tint each bowl of cake batter with the food coloring until very vibrant.
Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the purple batter into the bottom of each jar.  Spoon equal amounts of turquoise batter, then green, yellow, and pink.  Place the jars in a shallow baking dish, add about 1/4″ in water in the baking dish. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.
Remove jars and allow to cool completely before scooping a small portion from the top of your cake and adding a hefty dollop of vanilla buttercream to the top. Sprinkle & serve, or cover with a lid and store in the fridge or pop into the mail & surprise someone you love!


When I make this in November, I'll let you all know how it turns out!  I can't wait to plan Lily's 1st Birthday Party!




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Beer Hiatus... Sadface!

It looks like Lily has a yeast sensitivity.  So no more beer tasting for me until she's done breastfeeding.  Super sadface!  I will work on guest blogger Pako hooking me up with some tasting notes for the time being, and I'll get the hubby to submit some tasting notes as well.  I'll work on posting a lot more recipes and parenting thoughts.  Maybe I'll start talking about gardening... or maybe I'll finally get to work on some of my craft projects so I can share those with you.  But sadly, for now, my beer posts will be limited to what I can glean from the menfolk.  Oh, the things we do for our children... :)

Cheers, have one for me while I'm on hiatus!



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Pears are Yummy!

Yesterday Lily tried pears for the first time.  This was her second try with solid food; we tried mashed avocado mixed with breast milk the first time, and she wasn't into it.  But pears, oh pears, she loves them so.  She smiles when the spoon heads her way, she growls (yes, growls!) when I take too long to get the next bite ready.  She's a pro already.  Not that I'm surprised - this is the kid who can't get enough time at the breast, so naturally she is a fast study when it comes to eating!  I can't believe she's already almost 5 months old.  Time flies!

Oh, you might be wondering why her first food is not rice cereal.  Watch this video interview of Dr. Alan Greene.  I've struggled with my weight all my life; if there is anything I can do to start Lily on the right track, I'll do it!  I agree with Dr. Greene's reasoning - think about what babies ate as their first solid foods before rice cereal started to be produced... fruits and vegetables!  So why not get back to that?  I'm sold.

Have a great week!


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The Thrifty Momma ~ Gearing Up for Baby Without Breaking the Bank

I am a lover of thrift stores, garage sales, hand-me-downs, repurposing, recycling and paying it forward.  Through thrifty shopping and the generosity of family and friends, becoming a mom has not been nearly as expensive as it could have been!

Clothes
Lily's wardrobe is extensive, but it didn't cost a fortune!  I have purchased very few new items (and really, the only new items I have purchased were out of adoration of their cuteness, not out of necessity) and received some new clothing as gifts.  But the bulk of Lily's wardrobe is recycled.  While I was pregnant, I scoured thrift stores and garage sales for baby items in good condition.  Most things cost about a buck or less, and looked like they had never been worn (which most mommas will know is a real possibility!).  I received hand-me-downs from my friend Tanya, my cousin Melissa, my friend Majica, and my friend Jenny.  Bags and bags of clothes, hats and blankets.  I kept what I wanted, all organized by size in labeled cloth bins from Ikea (I have clothes up to 24 months!), and the rest is being handed down to other girlfriends.  What they don't want will be garage saled or donated to thrift.  So the cycle continues...

Used Baby Gear
I am unbelievably thankful for the generous hand-me-downs from my friend Anne, my friend Jenny and my niece Raina.  I received a carrier/car seat base(s)/stroller combo less than a year old, 2 full size swings, one travel swing, a vibrating bouncer, a jumper, 2 ring slings, a backpacking carrier from REI, 2 Bumbos, and several toys.  That easily saved me over $1000.  My mom scored garage sale finds of a jogging stroller (granted, it's ugly, but functional!) for $20 and a pack and play for her house.  I repurposed an old rolling kitchen cart that we had stored in the garage into an organizer for diapers, wipes, baby hygiene supplies, etc.  Oh, and my mom and I bought numerous books at garage sales and thrift stores.  Lily has a huge library already!

As long as these items aren't worn out when Lily is done with them (one of the swings and the stroller are really on their last legs), they'll get a new life with another baby.

Things I Got New (luckily, they were gifted!)
My mom and my Aunt Rose spoiled Lily with new furniture.  A crib, armoire and dresser with hutch.  The crib converts into a toddler bed, then into a double bed.  These items will be her furniture until she moves out, and she can take them with her even then.  So the value of these items was worth it in the grand scheme of Lily's life.  Jim's mom purchased a mattress for the crib.  My dad purchased a full sized pack and play and a mini pack and play bassinet, and my Uncle Tommy purchased a high chair. 

I also received lots of other baby paraphernalia at my baby showers, thanks to my lovely, lovely ladyfriends.  But a lot of these things (boppy, blankets, books, toys, etc.) I would have been just as happy to receive as hand-me downs!

I know that I am a very lucky person to have such generous friend and family support.  However, all of these items could have been purchased used.  If it hadn't been for family, I would have continued to scour thrift stores and garage sales for used items within my budget.

Things You MUST Purchase New
I had to return to work when Lily was 3 months old, so my dad generously purchased a breast pump for me - this is an item I would not have purchased used, as it is not recommended by doctors.  I could consider a used pump from a friend who I knew had taken good care of the pump, and I'd purchase replacement attachments, but I couldn't take a used pump from someone I didn't know. 

Pacifiers and nipples must be purchased new.  Period.  The materials used in these items degrades over time and can tear (especially if boiled several times to be sanitized), posing a choking hazard.


I'm sure there is something baby product related that I didn't cover here, but the end point is that there are so many ways to be thrifty when preparing for a baby.  Whether you get items that are gifted, handed down, repurposed or recycled, you can be a thrifty momma!  Don't be shy to ask for help or hand-me-downs.  You'd be surprised how generous people are when it comes to little bundles of joy!

~~~

P.S. Be sure to check for recalls before purchasing used baby equipment!  http://www.recalls.gov/ is the official US recall website, which also has a mobile app for recall information.  Fancy!



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Cry it Out: FAIL

So I have officially given up on Cry it Out.  Lily is just too stubborn (like her daddy!) and I swear she'd cry for 8 hours straight if I let her.  A friend suggested the book No-Cry Sleep Solution, and I'm going to give that a go.

Being a first time parent is really hard.  It's difficult to find my parenting "style" and I keep changing my mind about what are the best ways to deal with things.  For example, I thought I'd be down to let Lily cry until she fell asleep, then I thought it was a terrible idea, then I thought it was an ok idea, now I don't like it again.  I feel like someone with multiple parenting personalities.

I am sure that lots of parents go through this - second guessing every decision and parenting theory, changing and adapting routines as opinions fluctuate.  I just wish I was one of those people to whom parenting comes naturally.  But since it doesn't, I'll just keep asking my friends, family and my mommy group for advice (I am so thankful for them!) and reading books and changing direction when something doesn't work for Lily.

Wish me luck!



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Cry it Out, Take 2

On Saturday, I decided to give "Cry it Out" another try...

It was naptime, and I desperately needed to get some chores done, so I couldn't just sit on the couch with a sleeping baby on my lap.  So I laid a fully awake, but tired, baby in the crib and left the room.  Ten minutes later, the crying began.  I busied myself doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen, trying to ignore the increasing intensity of her crying.  After 15 minutes, she stopped, but just to catch her breath.  She cried for 40 minutes before I had to give in and get her up to feed her and get ready to leave the house.  FAIL.

Today, my mom put her in her crib for her nap.  She cried for 15 minutes, then stopped for 15 minutes, then cried for another 30 minutes.  My mom finally gave in and rocked her to sleep, then was able to put her down in her swing. 

I can handle letting her cry for longer than an hour.  I have enough chores to distract myself.  But is this really healthy?  Is there a better way to get this child to go to sleep on her own?  I've appealed to my mommy group on Facebook, and I'll share their comments when they chime in.

Ah, parenting... whoever said it was easy was doing it wrong.



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No Babies Allowed

I'm a party person.  I love to throw parties, I love to attend parties - I love being around my loved ones in a festive setting.  My RSVP card almost always says YES!  But all of a sudden, I'm not just RSVPing for me.  I have a little person who depends on me for food (literally, I'm a breastfeeding mommy), so where I go, she goes.  So she has been to baby showers, out of town business trips (daddy had meetings while I was on maternity leave, and we tagged along to get out of the house!), restaurants... she has even been fed at Home Depot in a moment of desperation (tiny little babies have a remarkable ability to double their volume in public when hungry).  I'm super mom, I can feed my kid anywhere!

However, I am faced with having to come up with a creative plan for an upcoming wedding out of town that doesn't allow babies.  I was planning on bringing Lily with us - she likes to dance with mommy and daddy at home, so a wedding would be fun for her!  But I just found out that the venue doesn't allow children under 13.  And the venue is 2 hours from home, making the entire trip (driving and event) between 6 and 8 hours.  I have to either feed Lily or pump every 3-4 hours.  I can't very well bring a breast pump to a wedding!  So instead of driving, attending (feeding her as needed) and then driving home, I'll likely have to get my mom to tag along and get a hotel room for her and Lily to hang in while Jim and I attend the wedding.  I'm sure I'll work something out, but it will be pricier than if I could just bring her to the event.  I can't stand the thought of missing this wedding (very good friend is getting married), but baby (and family budget) comes first.

My time and schedule are no longer my own - they belong to Lily.  I can't run off to parties or events that are not suitable for infants.  Not the end of the world, but it's still a social-life shocker.  But I wouldn't trade her in for all the parties in the world!



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Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

This past Saturday, we took Lily to the Zoo.  Being 4 months old, she wasn't directly interested in the animals, but was very interested in the new surroundings.  There were so many new things to look at: colors, shapes, shadows and light.  It really reinforced my idea that babies should be exposed to learning about their environment as early as possible. 

I want Lily to get to know the world around her and be comfortable with it.  Specifically, I want to instill in her a love of nature, and a respect for plants and animals.  I want to raise a good steward of the Earth. 

There are many people in our generation who are pushing the environmentalist envelope, but there is still so much work to be done.  I hope that Lily's generation will be the one that truly wraps their arms around the planet and makes a positive impact on our natural resources and works to preserve, once and for all, the beauty our planet has to offer.  No more deforestation of the rainforest, establishing eternal protections for our national parks and monuments such as the Grand Canyon, better protections for endangered species, ending our dependence on oil worldwide...  There are so many ways that we can help our planet simply by ceasing to harm it.  Earth will heal itself with time.     


I'm not an environmental expert by any means.  These are just my thoughts and opinions.


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Babbles and Screeches and Giggles, Oh My!

Lily has officially reached the verbal stage.  She has been practicing her sounds for a while now, but over the past week or so, she has also discovered VOLUME and PITCH.  Not only does she make sweet coos and vowel sounds, but she has learned to yell and screech.  The first one was hilarious - she was in her swing while I was doing dishes, and as usual she was babbling to the monkey, frog and toucan hanging on the mobile, and all of a sudden "BLAH!" in a high pitched, high volume little voice.  The look on her face was priceless - she shocked herself!  I wish I had had the camera ready for that one. 

I am truly looking forward to hearing her first words.  I swear that sometimes when she is calling from her crib during quiet time, she is saying Ma! or Da! (starts with Ma! and when Ma doesn't come, it turns into Da!) but I can't be sure just yet.  Jim keeps commenting that he can't wait to hear her little speaking voice - well, daddy, she's working on it for you!


(4/6/11 Lily telling stories to Cousin Corri)

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Discovering Daddy

Lily has been Daddy's Girl since she was in the womb.  She was not very active during the day, but at bedtime, she would kick like crazy when my tummy was against Jim.  And since the day she was born, daddy has been her favorite thing to look at.  The first time she turned her head by herself was to look at daddy.  And now, her first "face exploration" was of daddy.  Yesterday morning she was fascinated with touching Jim's nose, eye and cheek.  It was like she was trying to figure out how sight and touch were connected.

Watching a baby's discovery process is absolutely amazing.  It's almost like you can see the synapses firing when they are working on a discovery.  Brilliant.



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Cry It Out?

To cry or not to cry, that is the question.

Lily does not like sleeping alone.  Scratch that... Lily typically REFUSES to sleep alone.  That means naps are on someone's shoulder or lap and bedtime is with mommy in bed (don't worry, she is safe!).  She will sometimes sleep in her swing, but only if we are successful in transferring her from a shoulder to the swing without waking her. 

Our pediatrician, Dr. Cooper, really wants us to get Lily to sleep alone before she can walk (phew, at least I have some time!).  He suggested putting her in her crib, giving her kisses, and then letting her cry herself to sleep if necessary.  He also suggested gradually working up to this by letting her cry in ten minute increments, soothing and patting her in between.  Unfortunately, Lily gets herself so hysterically worked up in less than 5 minutes that I just can't bring myself to leave her for 10.

This is Lily after "crying it out" for only 10 minutes:

Sorry Dr. Coop, this is just not how I want my baby to be broken down.  Can you imagine letting this poor creature go on for any longer?

I know that she needs to be able to sleep in her own bed alone, so do I just have to bite the bullet and let her cry?  Or do I hope that as she gets older she will want to sleep alone (wishful thinking?!), and that naptime and bedtime will become easier?  Do we just need to get a routine down - dinner, bath, story, bedtime?  I don't know the answer, but I'll keep you all posted!

~~~

Lucky me, she just went down for a nap in her swing, and only cried for two minutes before passing out!  Progress already!!!  Yay!



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I Can’t Find My Keys… or My Brain

One of the most obvious signs that motherhood has changed me is that I’ve lost my mind.

This is apparent when I consider how many times I have “lost” my car keys (which were actually sitting in plain sight within 15 feet of where I was pulling my hair out) and how many times I have left my bra in a room other than my bedroom and have spent 15 frantic minutes looking for it when getting ready for work in the morning.  Or when I take a trip to Target to buy diapers, and return home to realize that I bought everything BUT diapers.  Oops!  Hey, I remembered that cute rattle that Lily loves so much!  *smile*

Most of my mommy friends say that this phenomenon gets better.  I know it has to because most of the moms I know are awesome and are very “together” – or at least they put up a believable front *wink*!

I’ll settle for key and bra searches.  I wouldn’t trade motherhood for anything.




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The Working Mom

I can't help it.  I am jealous of stay-at-home moms. 

I would love nothing more than to be able to stay home all day with my little sweetie pie.  I want to watch every moment of her growth and discovery – finding her feet, noticing the stuffed kitty in her crib, practicing sounds in her tiny little voice.  I get bummed when I think that I might miss her “firsts” – first belly laugh, first time rolling over, first clear word, first steps… and I get jealous that Nana (who cares for Lily while I am at work) will get to see them before me.  But then I remind myself that the “seconds” and “thirds” and even “hundredths” can be just as exciting as “firsts.”

While I’m at work, I daydream about being home with Lily: reading to her in the backyard, showing her all of the ladybugs in the garden, taking her for a walk around the neighborhood, singing songs to her while we play with her stuffed toys in her crib, doing creative projects to stimulate her growing mind… and then I rush home and try to cram all of those activities into the few precious moments between making and eating dinner, doing laundry, cleaning the house and getting ready for bed. 

In the end, I have to go to work.  And my hubby has to go to work.  We have to bring home our paychecks to keep a roof over our heads and food on our table.  It’s just the way it is for us.  Sure, we could sell our house and find a smaller place with cheap rent, but that’s not the lifestyle we want for Lily.  We have a big yard for Lily to run around in with our dog one day and a garden for Lily to nurture and enjoy.  We don’t want to go back to a tiny place where a dog and garden wouldn’t fit. 

So we sacrifice time with Lily in exchange for things we want to provide for her and the things we want her to experience, and we are very lucky to have Lily’s Nana in our lives to care for her while we work.  It’s not a perfect system, but we are a team, and we will make it work.




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