3/5/11 – A Day of Randomness

Today was a pretty low key day. A friend of mine was hosting a children’s book party, so I packed up the girls and brought them with me. Of course I like to show them off, but there were also going to be other kids there for Olivia to play with, so I couldn’t pass that up! There were SO many cool books, I honestly could have spent an entire paycheck flipping through that catalogue! I settled on some English and Spanish flashcards (because Olivia REALLY needs to get working on her ABC’s and 123’s!) and a cool puzzle books (because she’s so into puzzles right now). So, we shopped, played, chatted, and then were on our way. Amelia passed out right away in the car, and continued to nap for while. Olivia fell asleep when we were almost home, then decided that was nap enough for the day. I hate when that happens!

While we were gone, Christian took Chuy to get his nails clipped. Of course the spoiled dog came home with some new treats too! We spent the rest of the night hanging out, watching some movies on the TV and not doing too much. After we put the girls down for the night, Christian went to a friend’s house to hang out for a while, so I got some peace and quiet for a while. YAY.

Amelia enjoyed some puffs for the first time today. YUM, she’s grabbing them pretty well, but they get stuck to her hands and then she can’t get them in her mouth. She doesn’t think so, but it’s pretty funny. Also, Daddy and Olivia read some nursery rhymes tonight…so cute.

3/4/11 – YAY for ROUND 2

Well, thanks to our amazing friends and family, Amelia has made it through to ROUND 2 (of 3) of the cutest baby contest!! We are so excited, and VERY appreciate of everybody’s votes in Round 1! Now, we REALLY need your help. She is one of 100 in the contest now, and we again need to get as many votes as possible. The top 25 will move on to the final round of voting. Vote today, tomorrow and Sunday. Remember, you can vote with every e-mail address you have, each day, so please do!If you haven’t voted yet, you will have to register. It’s annoying, but it keeps the cheating to a minimum. When registering, you don’t have to provide your address, you can use a fake phone number (I do) and you can select no to each marketing option. You will also have to verify your e-mail address(es), which is pretty simple. If you have voted, you shouldn’t have to do any of that again. So, super easy! CLICK HERE for the the direct link to Amelia’s picture. If I didn’t mention the first time, if she were to win the contest, she’d get $1,000 and a free photography session. We’d love to put this money in her account for the future! Thanks so much for all of your help.

In other news…it was a very busy evening for us. I left work a tad early, stopped at Target quick to buy a “welcome baby” gift, stopped home to get the girls dressed and loaded into the car, then was off to meet Christian at the hospital. Our friends Kelly & Nixon welcomed their little boy, Niko, today and we were all so excited to go meet him! Olivia didn’t really care too much…I think she was pretty bummed that Meeka wasn’t there! Amelia seemed quite jealous while I was holding the baby…but I think she was also just annoyed because she wanted to get down and move around. Christian had to leave shortly after we arrived because his work was hosting their “Holiday Dinner” tonight. I spent a little time catching up and cuddling baby Niko, then was on my way home as well. I picked up some dinner for Olivia and myself; we ate, fed Amelia, took our baths and were off to bed. It’s always a little stressful doing the whole routine myself, but we got it done. Once the girls were in bed, I crashed on the couch for a while. Christian ended up home much earlier than I expected…I was still awake and everything! Not for long though, I’m just no party animal these days!

Here is a [semi-creepy] night vision picture of what I get to wake up to every day. I’m beyond lucky!

3/3/11 – Topic #6 – Parenting Styles

Well, Christian and I have been busy bees at work lately, and today was no different. After work we met up over at his parents’ house for dinner because his sister and nieces are in town!! We were so excited to catch up with them and see the girls. I’m a little nervous about the daycare situation though. They are going to be in town for about a month, and staying at his parents’ house a majority of the time. Olivia is going to love having other kids to play with, but of course she’s not used to that, so it’s going to take her time to adjust to sharing her stuff, sharing her grandparents and not being the center of attention anymore. BUT, it should give Amelia a nice break from Olivia, that’s for sure! I’m also nervous about when they leave…I hope Olivia doesn’t get upset or too confused once they aren’t around anymore again. And, I’m not going to lie, having all 5 girls in the house every day, makes me a little nervous. That’s a lot of chaos and requires a lot of attention. Even though his sister is there too, it’s still a lot to keep track of. Hopefully eating and napping and attention continue at an appropriate level!

Parenting Styles
There was a post on one of the parenting groups I follow on Facebook today asking: Do you think “what was good enough for one is good enough for the rest” or do you constantly try to improve on parenting missteps you may have made the first time around? This got me to thinking of just how different our parenting of the girls has been, even in just the 7 months since Amelia was born.

It’s interesting to see the choices parents make. Formula vs. Breastmilk; Forward Facing vs. Rear Facing; Crib vs. Bassinet vs. Co-Sleeping; When to Introduce Solids, the Sippy, Finger Foods. And, it’s interesting to see just how defiant people become about their decisions. And, of course they do, as they should. You make decisions because YOU think they are the right decisions. But, does that mean is always “right”…does that mean that’s the way it “has” to be…does that mean you will make those same decisions with every child you have? I don’t think so.

While I attempted breastfeeding with Olivia, I quickly gave into all of the breastfeeding pitfalls, and gave up. I succumbed to the ease of formula (and ignored the expense of it). Amelia has been 100% breastfed, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I absolutely love it…the bond, the nutritional value, the fact that it’s free. I love all of it. I knew from the moment I became pregnant with her that I would do it, and I would not give up. Being successful with her just makes my mistakes with Olivia even more obvious, and it makes me even more upset with myself. In the end, other than a few ear infections her first year and a cold here and there, Olivia is happy, healthy, smart and full of life. So, I can’t regret my choices too much.

Olivia slept in her bassinet, in our room, for 3 months. We never once “allowed” her to sleep in our bed. At 3 months, she was consistently sleeping through the night and we decided we wanted our room back, so she was moved into her room, into her crib, and I was a wreck. She did great though. It never bothered her, she slept just fine, and we all slept more soundly once we adjusted. Now, you notice I “allowed” is quoted above…well, after having Amelia, I came to the realization that Olivia was a very independent sleeper. She had no NEED to sleep with us, she never needed that comfort, and she was perfectly content in her own beds. Amelia has been a different story. She is 7 months now, is nowhere near “putting herself to sleep”, she does not sleep through the night, she hates her bassinet and because they will need to share a room (and are not ready for that yet), she is still in our room. Well, she is in our bed. I swore I would NEVER let my children sleep in our bed, but, it’s what works for us. We’ve tried…and tried…and tried. She does not like the bassinet, and we don’t know what to do. So, rather than be upset and work ourselves up about it, we’re doing what works for our family at this time. So, when will Amelia be back in her bassinet? When will she move into her room? Who knows. Furthermore, Olivia is well over 2 now, and still happily in her crib. A lot of people think its crazy that she’s still in a crib…I say, why wouldn’t she be? Yes, she is fully capable of climbing out of it, but she doesn’t. So, she safe, secure and confined in her crib, and we feel that’s the best option. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! She will remain in her crib, until she is consistently climbing out, risking her safety.

We started Olivia on rice cereal at 5 months, and on Gerber jar foods at 6 months. I followed our doctor’s recommendations to the T…no berries (especially strawberries), no honey, so seafood, no nuts, no dairy, no egg whites until 1 year. Well…we started her on whole milk organic yogurt at 9 months, but no other dairy. We started her on veggies (to avoid a sweet, fruit preference), then started on fruits. Then meats, then “people” food. It worked great. She was never the BEST eater, but she ate well and we didn’t have a ton of problems. Well, I now know how useless and nutritionally void rice cereal is, so we did/do not give that to Amelia at all. She was exclusively breastfed until 6 months, as recommended. I make her food myself as I now know how much healthier and cost effective it is to do so. We again started her on veggies, then fruits, and are following the month by month food introduction recommendations closely. She has not had any meats yet, but we’ll be starting them shortly. We’ll again go against recommendations and start the whole milk organic yogurt at 9 months, but again will follow the rest of the rules. So, we made a few big adjustments when it comes to food, but we’re also following a lot of the same rules.

Both girls use disposable diapers. BUT, I would like more knowledge about cloth diapering, and am now very interested in it. If I had the support of our mothers and Christian, I would definitely be going for it. I think it’s so much better for the environment, it’s easier on baby’s bottom’s and in the long run, if you do it right, it’s much cheaper than disposables. If we have another child in the future, I think this is an option I will definitely explore during my pregnancy. It’s something I hope to “improve” in our parenting if we get the chance…even yet with Amelia if I can wrap my head around the whole process and get everybody else on board!

Car seat safety is one thing I’ve ALWAYS been big on (as you could see from my car seat post previously). I was upset that Olivia was on the taller side and outgrew her car seat so early. But, she did rear face for just about 2 years, and I’m happy about that. Unless Amelia has some HUGE growth spurt along the way, she seems to run on the short side of the scale, so I’m hoping she’ll be able to rear face beyond 2 years. It’s something I get funny comments on, funny looks on and something people just don’t understand, but rear facing is such an easy thing to do, and increases their safety in the car so much, that I don’t care what anybody else thinks. So, this is one area I am content in.

Both of our girls are fully vaccinated, on time, on schedule and will continue to be so. This is also one area I will never change or fluctuate in.

In the end, there is one quote that comes to mind and rings so true here: “When you know better you do better” – Maya Angelou. You cannot live your life, especially when it comes to parenting, thinking “Well, my mom did it this way, so I will too”. Things change, research changes, information becomes available, statistics become available, the environment changes. Everything is constantly evolving and changing, so we need to as well. Just because something worked “back then”, does not mean it was or is the best choice. And, just because something works for one child, does not mean it will work for the next. Part of parenting is adjusting and realizing what each child needs individually. It’s OK to admit something was “wrong”, or a “mistake”. It’s OK to adjust your ideas and your way of living as you grow, learn, gain knowledge and become more confident in your own choices.

Here are some pics of the “little mommy” of the house, putting her baby to sleep. Checking her diaper, gently walking her down the hallway, rocking her in the chair for a bit and sashaying over to the crib (before tossing her in). Such a sweet girl.

3/2/11 – Adventures in Baby Food - Bananacado

The horribleness has continued. Amelia continues to not sleep, unless in bed with us. And, when in bed with us, she just wants to be…..attached….to me all night long. It is very negatively affecting my pumping output during the day, and is keeping me from sleeping. I am so exhausted. I need sleep. And, I’m really worried about keeping up my supply at this rate. She just will not stay in her bassinet. I don’t know what to do!

Today was pretty busy at work after being out at the conference all day yesterday. Playing catch up again, all day long! But, makes the long, sleepy days fly by, so that works out well. After work, we really didn’t do too much. Just the usual dinner, play, baths and bed. Amelia hasn’t been a HUGE fan of Avocado’s. She’ll eat them, but doesn’t seem to enjoy it too much. So, tonight I mixed together a banana and an avocado, and…she LOVED it. I’m hoping the nice fatty, filling avocado will help her sleep better. So, fingers crossed, because this mama needs sleep like nobody’s business! I don’t even like avocados, but it’s pretty tasty. Obviously, I added some lemon juice to the mix so the leftovers wouldn’t get TOO brown.

So, that was pretty much the excitement of our day! Now, we go to bed, and just pray for some sleep!!! Here are some before and after pics of the bananacado. I also have a video to post, but it's not working right now, so I'll have to come back to that...

3/1/11 – La Ti Da

Another bad night. What’s new at this point. I honestly can’t believe how little sleep a person can truly function on! Seriously.

Today we had our big annual conference at work. So, Christian had to drop the girls off so I could get on the road (double the commute to get to the conference) on time. I was lucky enough to need gas today...and it cost me $50.00 to full my car!!! What?! Christian also got gas for the truck…the pump stopped him at $75.00…seeing that his tank holds nearly twice what mine does (yet empties in half the time), it would have cost him nearly $100.00 to fill up. OMG…

The conference went well. I man the registration table all day with a couple co-workers, and I really enjoy doing it. Luckily the conference site had a location where I could pump! How awesome was that?! I ended up getting off work a little earlier than normal, headed home, cleaned up a tad and packed up some toys (you know, from our personal toy store) to bring over to my in-laws house. Olivia needs more distraction over there! Christian was working OT tonight, so I dropped off the toys and picked up the girls. We hung out and played for a while, had some leftovers for dinner, watched some TV and that was about it. It again took me forever to get Amelia to sleep, and I’m not holding my breath for sleep tonight. Oh sleep, where art thou?

Here is a picture of Olivia, concentrating very hard on her puzzles.

2/28/11 – Pictures!

It’s Monday, and after string of sleepless nights, it’s the worst Monday ever!

Work was very crazy. 3-day week last week, I’m gone at a conference tomorrow, this means PILE UP at my inbox. After work, we met up at home, had some tacos for dinner and enjoyed some family time. The girls have been doing really well together. Olivia actually SHARES things with Amelia once in a while now. Usually when she “shares”, it’s only so she can immediately take it away from Amelia, like some cruel game, but lately she is legitimately sharing things!

We currently have Amelia entered in a cutest baby contest right now. They ended up including EVERY entry they received, so there are A LOT of babies in this contest (over 1,700!). We need all the votes we can get, so if any readers are willing to vote, PLEASE DO! You may vote once a day, from each e-mail address you have. When you vote for the first time, you have to register and verify your e-mail address…tedious, but great for keeping away the cheating. So, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE throw a vote (or two or three) our way. And, pass the link on to your own friends and family if you would!

Here is the direct link to Amelia’s picture: http://tinyurl.com/65dxe86

I also received the CD from our photo session a few weeks ago! Here are a few of my favorites!

2/27/11 – Family Sunday!

Well, today was a pretty good end to the weekend. Amelia actually slept halfway decent last night, and both girls let us sleep in a little bit. Awesome! Once we were all up, we hung out for a while, ate, and were on our way to Target for a little family shopping trip. I love the IDEA of family shopping trips, but it’s overwhelming at the same time. On one hand, I like to just go on my own, do what I need to do, and be done with it. But, when we go together, I like the extra time I get with Christian, and who doesn’t love showing off their little bundles of joy?! Olivia did great throughout the store, like usual. Amelia actually lasted half the trip in her car seat! Then, spent the other half in the sling, which was fine with me…extra cuddles!

Amelia passed out on the way home, and proceeded to nap for a few hours! Olivia also passed out on other way home, but woke up during transport from car to crib…then decided the 3 minute nap in the car was good enough. We were not having it, so she proceeded to yell and scream in her crib for about an hour before finally giving in and napping. Such a brat.

I randomly did loads of laundry throughout the day, Christian got his hair cut and made a special trip to the Mexican Market during nap time. He grilled (yes, grilled, in the cold) some carne asada and we had yummy tacos for dinner!

After dinner, I did some cleaning up…scrubbed the kitchen, washed some dishes…the usual. After the bath and bed routine, it was time for us to pass out as well. Of course Amelia woke up as soon as we were about to go down…Christian did step in and attempt putting her back down, but she wasn’t having any of it. She’s been nursing for comfort lately, in an extreme manner, and I’m at a loss of what to do. I’m glad she’s off the pacifier, but some days it would make life SO much easier. Oh well, we’ll just keep trying!

Tell me this picture doesn’t make you smile!

2/26/11 – Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom’s birthday! YAY. Christian and I were really dragging this morning…just overly exhausted and not prepared to get up and going at all. But, we finally managed to get in some showers, get ourselves dressed, get the girls ready, and were off to meet my mom for lunch. Of course, a new round of snow and ice started up bright and early this morning…made for an interesting commute. Olivia is VERY dramatic about the cold…brrrrrr, cold she exclaims over and over again when we go outside. Yet, she’s perfectly content out in the cold and couldn’t care less. It cracks me up.

After a nice lunch and hanging out for a while, we headed home for nap time. Olivia went right down, and took a REALLY long nap again. Amelia would not go down, and I just felt dead to the world. It must have been terribly obvious, because Christian actually took Amelia and told me to go ahead and take a nap and relax for a while. I just about passed out from shock! Sorry honey, but it’s true! I did not hesitate on taking up this offer, and headed right to bed. This did mean Amelia got a bottle (and I despise dipping into the freezer stash), but it was worth it. Once I woke up, Christian fed Olivia, and then was off to meet a friend for dinner.

Amelia was VERY upset all night. A different kind of upset…she seemed like she was in pain. Nothing made her happy, and it was very stressful. I decided to skip baths, and luckily, even after a long nap, Olivia went down pretty well, and not too late. I gave Amelia some Tylenol and got her down to sleep. Hopefully she can sleep off whatever is going on with her!

Christian arrived home while I was cuddled up watching some Saturday Night Live. We watched a little TV and spent a little time together before I finally went to bed. Can’t stay up TOO late knowing that Amelia would be up sooner or later (probably sooner).

Here are some pictures from our lunch celebration!

2/25/11 – Weight Check Day, and Nearly 7 Months!

Today is my Friday home with the girls. It was another busy day home because Amelia’s monthly weight check appointment was today! So, we were all up, rushing to shower, get dressed, eat some breakfast, pack up and get out the door. We arrived to her appointment on time, only to learn the doctor was 30 minutes behind (typical)…but, he ended up being an HOUR behind! AHHHH. Thankfully the girls handled the wait pretty well. Olivia was getting pretty antsy, but we made it. Amelia was supposed to get her flu booster and another vaccine today, but it hasn’t been a full 30 days since her first flu shot, so we’ll have to reschedule her shots. GOOD NEWS is she weighed in at 14lbs..up a WHOLE pound since her 6 month check up. YAY for fattening up the baby. He was happy with that. She’s still only in the 5% for weight, but as long as she stays in the 3-5%, and doesn’t drop off, he’s happy. We’ll be back (other than her shots) for a weight check in 6 weeks. I was so relieved to learn she had gained. I know I shouldn’t worry about it so much, as I’ve told countless other women with smaller babies, but of course, when it’s your own, it’s a whole different story!

The girls slept on the way home. Amelia ended up going right down for her nap and sleeping for a couple of hours! A good nap is a rarity these days from her! Olivia ate some lunch, went down and ALSO took an awesome nap! Good day!

Amelia will be 7 months old tomorrow. I can’t hardly believe it! I remember thinking that Olivia grew so quickly, but not THIS quick. I wonder if it’s like that with each child…it just goes faster and faster. In some ways, like I’ve always said, I’m happy about it. I’m really excited to see the girls actually interact and play together, and HOPEFULLY build a strong bond with one another. On the other hand, it of course is very sad to see these newborn and infant months go by so quickly. I think knowing how wonderful and fun the toddler years are gets me through the sadness.

Amelia is full on army crawling now. She can go from sitting to the crawling position no problem. She is actually now able to sit herself up from laying! Of course, the rolling machine is still all over the place…she is actually following us around now by rolling after us! She tries with all her might to pull herself up to standing, but just can’t do it yet (c’mon, you can’t pull up that scrawny behind?!). She has mumbled “mama” here and there, but I know she has no idea what she’s saying. She is a babbler though. She is still in 3-6 month clothing, but the pants are getting a bit short on her. Size 2 diapers, and kind of swims in them. She still has THE best smile I’ve ever seen on a baby and is still VERY attached to me. As far as “milk”, she is still exclusively breastfed…not a drop of formula to date (patting myself on the back). She gets 3 “meals” a day now…fruit for breakfast, veggie for lunch and either or for dinner. Other than refusing to sleep, she is very happy and cute as a button!

Here is my 1-day –shy-of-7-months little girl! Love her! Had to include a cute one of her, patiently waiting for the doctor as well.

2/24/11 – Adventures in Baby Food – Pears

Well, last night was much better. We had one of those rare only-up-once nights, thank goodness. That, I can deal with! Today was just an ordinary kind of day. Nothing too exciting going on. So, I won’t bore anybody with the daily details today!

Tonight I made a batch of pears! Pears are high in fiber, potassium and Vitamin C. High in fiber, Pears like other fruits, are great aids in reducing the risks of cancer and heart attack and sustaining healthy cholesterol levels. They are also a great fruit to offer as a remedy to help alleviate baby's constipation. Pears are gentle on the tummy and thus are wonderful for babies who may be suffering from reflux. Pears contain no sodium, saturated fats or cholesterol. They contain two types of sugars, glucose and fructose. A pear is very nutrient dense meaning that there are more nutrients per calorie than calories per nutrient. There is no need to peel a pear unless feeding one to a small infant. A pear's skin is easily digestible. Pears make a good choice for one of Baby's first fruits.

Pears do not need to be cooked as when they are ripe as they are very soft and easily made into a smooth puree. Steaming fruits is typically recommended for babies under 8 months old to help breakdown sugars and fibers in fruits. However, as pears are gentle on the digestive system and very watery to begin with, use your own discretion based on your baby's digestive system. If you will be offering pears as a baby food to an infant who starts solid foods prior to the age of 6 months old, give them a gentle steaming.

Take your desired number of pears (I did 3 for my first batch). Peel and de-seed the pears, and proceed with mashing or pureeing, as needed for your baby's preference.

Cost Savings:
- 3 Pears = $1.89 – Makes Roughly 11 Jars
- 11 Jars of Gerber Stage 2 Pears = $6.55
- Cost Savings of $4.66

AND, with that, I have officially paid for my Baby Bullet with the money I have saved by doing my own food (and, I have completed the foods she should have at this point). More to come closer to 8 months. I have currently spent $25.02 on fresh and frozen fruits and veggies for baby food (and have a good stock in the freezer still), whereas I would have spent $87.61 to buy the same amount of food from sir Gerber. WOW! That is a savings of $62.59. Pretty nice, right?!

Here are some before and after pics of the pears. And, one of our little lady cat, Chloe. She’s cute.