To update you on my food adventures, I have since made chili, pumpkin muffins and ...well, taco salad...but that one I cheated on.
The chili was good. I did alter it some to better fit my family's tastes, but after it cooked in the crock pot all day, I declare it a success. It wasn't anything too unique, it was your basic chili recipe, but I had never made my own before.
I would, and most likely will, make it again. Especially on the cold, dreary days of winter, I think a big bowl of chili sounds perfect. It makes plenty of left-over for this small group, so I had to use it again somehow.
Enter the taco salad. I did see a recipe online for this, read it, and decided it was basically chili. And wouldn't you know, I had a whole tub of it stored in the refrigerator already. Add in some lettuce and crumble some chips, and tada! Taco Salad.
Now, the pumpkin muffins. I'm not going to lie, I had high hopes, and I was a bit disappointed. I wanted something with pumpkin and brown sugar...I love brown sugar. But, I didn't want anything too rich, too sugary, or too caloric. I found this recipe on pinterest and tried it out.
It had way too many ingredients, it stuck to the paper wrappers horribly, and it didn't really taste much like anything. I probably won't be making them again.
I still would like to find a breakfast food recipe like a muffin, or a "cookie", something I can make in a batch and hand out to the girls all week long. Lorelai loves muffins, waffles, etc. She does not like cereal or oatmeal...she can't wonder around the room with it, nibbling it slowly. If you have any ideas, please send them my way.
I still have a recipe for pumpkin cream cheese bread I need to try, and I have several more meals this week to try. I'll post my progress on those later.
Also, if you would like any of the recipes I mentioned, I can post them as well...I just haven't found any that I think would be worth it yet. But hey, at least I am making fresh food, nothing frozen and packed with preservatives. It's a win in my book. :)
M.LEWIS
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Food Hunter
I have been really trying to better our meals lately. We eat out over the weekend, so I try to balance it out by buying fresh, and making foods from scratch...well, for the most part. If read this blog or know my family, you know I live with the pickiest eaters, so finding recipes that please everyone is difficult.
Lorelai is pretty much a lost cause for the time being, seeing as not all my meals will involve grilled cheese or dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. So, while Lorelai eats her food (and makes up for nutritional gaps with pedia-sure), I make food for Chris and myself.
This week I have made 4 foods. 3 new recipes. 0 so far are worth making again. :\
I made breakfast cookies from a recipe my friend posted. I don't know, maybe I messed it up somehow, but they are only mildly acceptable. With all fresh fruit and whole grains, they are healthy, but bland.
I made black bean burgers, and that was a mess and required too much time. You can ask the crying infant about that one. They tasted good, but not good enough for me give it a second go. I think I need to find a different version of the recipe before I attempt them again.
I made cauliflower "mac n' cheese" which is basically steamed cauliflower with cheese sauce. It was alright, but nothing too great. I would make it again if I needed "something different" to make.
The last thing I made was good ol' chocolate chip cookies. They weren't healthy, they just sounded good. Even that I messed up. Unsalted butter makes them funky, and my new cookie sheets do not bake evenly. I'll need to adjust to the thick, dark sheets.
So I feel like I am 0-4 so far. Tomorrow I make white bean chili and cornbread. I hope it goes well. I am using the crockpot for it, so I am excited.
I still have one other recipe I bookmarked but have yet to buy for, but it's pumpkin bread. Yummy, but not a meal.
Time to start researching for next week! If you have any favorites, please pass them my way. I'll see if they fit the requirements. ;)
P.S.> I hope you like my new layout. Modern fall chic was the vibe I was going for.
M.LEWIS
Lorelai is pretty much a lost cause for the time being, seeing as not all my meals will involve grilled cheese or dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. So, while Lorelai eats her food (and makes up for nutritional gaps with pedia-sure), I make food for Chris and myself.
This week I have made 4 foods. 3 new recipes. 0 so far are worth making again. :\
I made breakfast cookies from a recipe my friend posted. I don't know, maybe I messed it up somehow, but they are only mildly acceptable. With all fresh fruit and whole grains, they are healthy, but bland.
I made black bean burgers, and that was a mess and required too much time. You can ask the crying infant about that one. They tasted good, but not good enough for me give it a second go. I think I need to find a different version of the recipe before I attempt them again.
I made cauliflower "mac n' cheese" which is basically steamed cauliflower with cheese sauce. It was alright, but nothing too great. I would make it again if I needed "something different" to make.
The last thing I made was good ol' chocolate chip cookies. They weren't healthy, they just sounded good. Even that I messed up. Unsalted butter makes them funky, and my new cookie sheets do not bake evenly. I'll need to adjust to the thick, dark sheets.
So I feel like I am 0-4 so far. Tomorrow I make white bean chili and cornbread. I hope it goes well. I am using the crockpot for it, so I am excited.
I still have one other recipe I bookmarked but have yet to buy for, but it's pumpkin bread. Yummy, but not a meal.
Time to start researching for next week! If you have any favorites, please pass them my way. I'll see if they fit the requirements. ;)
P.S.> I hope you like my new layout. Modern fall chic was the vibe I was going for.
M.LEWIS
Monday, October 14, 2013
7 Months Old and Counting
This little cutie is a joy. She loves attention, mainly from mommy; which is ok, but I think others might get a little jealous. But hey, it's fleeting. Look at Lorelai now, she is a daddy's girl, big time!
Adalaide is a terrible eater. God bless her skinny little body. This 10th percentile girl makes mommy a little worried about her lack of food/bottle consumption. Therefore, mommy is always shoving food in her face. She does seem to like table food better than her baby pureed glop, so hopefully we can find a happy medium soon.
Though, to eat more table food, she needs some teeth. That's right, following in her bog sister's footsteps, this babe has zero teeth more than half way through her first year. LEL was 9.5 months before one of those bad boys sprouted, so we may have a couple more months to go.
What she lacks in the oral department, she makes up for in gross and fine motor skills. She has been picking up food since she was 5.5 months old, and now feeds herself small snack foods with ease. She also started crawling 3 days before her 7-month birthday. She is already pulling herself up on things, wobbly, but she is determined.
Last night she did sleep through the night. This is the 3rd (maybe 4th) time she has ever done this. I do hope this is a new trend. LEL started sleeping through the night during her 7th month, so if Addy wants to repeat that, I would have no objections.
She is still wearing some 3M clothes, but we are mainly in 6M outifts. Those onesie pj's are awful for her. Her skinny little legs slide up to her tummy and get stuck there. I am constantly untangling her. She has been sleeping without being swaddled (mainly naps) so I want those tiny legs covered so she doesn't get chilly. (Not that it's that cold here yet...just the AC).
She used to love baths, but now she is not so into them. She is more of an in-and-out girl, and Lorelai will be happy to play in there for half an hour if you let her...though both hate getting their hair washed.
Adalaide will also start off her 7th month a baptized babe. This past Saturday, all in-town family were over for a brief, beautiful ceremony by our good friend, Jeremy. Addy seemed very intrigued by the whole process, even reaching over to read the bible Jeremy was preaching from.
Addy does like to explore and discover new things (as long as mommy is carrying her), and crawling opens a whole new world, what will 8 months bring? Cross your fingers for more eating, drinking, and sleeping. Other than that, life is oh-so-good for Ms. Adalaide Olivia. ♥
M.LEWIS
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Pre-Homeschool
I have begun "preschool" for Lorelai this week.
I plan to build up to a more structured schedule, so we are taking small steps right now. It's an adjustment, poor thing. She has some ADD tendencies.
For the first week I plan to have a letter and number of the day. We then collect items in a small bag that begin with that letter, and hopefully I can tie in the number somehow. We then show dad the bag in the evening and explain what the letter is and what the objects are. This reinforces the information, and gives her something to work towards when wondering around the house searching for items. We also talk about the day of the week, and the weather. Though she does not tell me what the weather is, rather what she wants the weather to be. Her answer is consistently "snow." We'll work on that.
The second week I plan to work in a book of the day, and if I'm feeling really bold, a corresponding art project. Her speech skills are a tad behind, but she's making great progress, so I think a word of the day could help her along. One that I know she has trouble pronouncing and using correctly in a sentence. The approach of "_____ of the day" will work best for her age and for her adjustment into schooling in general. We will ease into larger, more general concepts over time.
The third week I'd like to work in "bigger picture" things like months, seasons, states, and word identification. Like her name, her sister's name, etc. Introducing food groups will also work itself in, mainly because we are working on expanding her toddler palate.
The fourth week I see us starting some concrete themes. This will definitely take more work on my behalf. Planning a week in advance, and making sure we have enough time to dedicate to the entire daily lesson, even if we need to divide it up through the day. So what starts off in week 1 as "letter A and number 1 on a sunny Monday" will evolve into "letter L and number 12 on a cloudy Friday, October the 12. Book: It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown; with pumpkin stamp art. What season do we see pumpkins? The word of the day: "orange"; and pumpkin muffins for snack." by week 4. (Yes, I know my timeline doesn't match up with my example, but you get the idea...I hope.)
All of this is easy to plan out, it's the execution (with an infant) that will need practice. I also think a teacher planner is in order soon.
Some things she already excels in:
M.LEWIS
I plan to build up to a more structured schedule, so we are taking small steps right now. It's an adjustment, poor thing. She has some ADD tendencies.
For the first week I plan to have a letter and number of the day. We then collect items in a small bag that begin with that letter, and hopefully I can tie in the number somehow. We then show dad the bag in the evening and explain what the letter is and what the objects are. This reinforces the information, and gives her something to work towards when wondering around the house searching for items. We also talk about the day of the week, and the weather. Though she does not tell me what the weather is, rather what she wants the weather to be. Her answer is consistently "snow." We'll work on that.
The second week I plan to work in a book of the day, and if I'm feeling really bold, a corresponding art project. Her speech skills are a tad behind, but she's making great progress, so I think a word of the day could help her along. One that I know she has trouble pronouncing and using correctly in a sentence. The approach of "_____ of the day" will work best for her age and for her adjustment into schooling in general. We will ease into larger, more general concepts over time.
The third week I'd like to work in "bigger picture" things like months, seasons, states, and word identification. Like her name, her sister's name, etc. Introducing food groups will also work itself in, mainly because we are working on expanding her toddler palate.
The fourth week I see us starting some concrete themes. This will definitely take more work on my behalf. Planning a week in advance, and making sure we have enough time to dedicate to the entire daily lesson, even if we need to divide it up through the day. So what starts off in week 1 as "letter A and number 1 on a sunny Monday" will evolve into "letter L and number 12 on a cloudy Friday, October the 12. Book: It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown; with pumpkin stamp art. What season do we see pumpkins? The word of the day: "orange"; and pumpkin muffins for snack." by week 4. (Yes, I know my timeline doesn't match up with my example, but you get the idea...I hope.)
All of this is easy to plan out, it's the execution (with an infant) that will need practice. I also think a teacher planner is in order soon.
Some things she already excels in:
- fine motor skills
- color identification
- shape identification
- animal identification
M.LEWIS
Monday, September 30, 2013
Baby Weight Adventures
I'd like to take the time to write an unusual post. Well, unusual for me at least. I talk a lot about my kids and even my pregnancies, but I only touch on the physical aspects of having kids. Specifically, weight. I do like the term "baby weight." It's not entirely inaccurate, the weight gain is due to the baby, but it also allows to disown the weight a bit. Like, this is not my weight gain, it belongs to someone else, I hold little responsibility. But the truth is, as the months go on, you can't blame the kid anymore. Darn.
As all of you know, I had my sweet Adalaide 6.5 months ago. This is my body's second go around for postpartum recovery, my second go around at getting "back to normal." I use quotation marks because I never felt normal, not at the time. Looking back at it, I was pretty fit and slender, but try to tell me that back then and I would have sincerely laughed at you and insisted it was all a carefully crafted illusion. Ah, those were the days.
Truth be told, I am uncomfortable talking about weight. Not just my weight, everyone's weight. I know my aversion is my problem, and everyone should share what they want, I just get squirmy with the details. I don't need to know your clothing sizes or the numbers on the scale. Heck, I don't even like it when people say to me "Hey, you've lost weight." To me, I hear "Hey, you're not as fat as you once were." But that's probably because I would have to admit to myself I had/have extra weight.
My weight gain is due to having kids. I am not passing blame, it is the truth. The weight loss (or lack there of) is due to me and my choices in lifestyle.
I gain 50 lbs with Lorelai. Yep. 50. Ouch. Just seeing that number makes me cringe. I fight the urge to scroll back and fudge the number and force myself to type on. I had some decent morning sickness from weeks 6-12. The only thing that sat well in my stomach was bread. Bagels, toast, crackers, tortillas, etc. That's a lot of carbs; a lot of calories. I got over the queasiness, but then sunk into "I'm pregnant, I'm going to enjoy eating anything I desire." I also quit my job around this point. So, I had a lot food going into my mouth and a lot of sitting going on in my livingroom. Don't misunderstand me, I didn't binge, I didn't just shovel in chips and ice cream; but I certainly didn't buy a lot of apples and celery. I also was exactly motivated to exercise with a huge watermelon tummy either. This went on for the remainder of the pregnancy.
I had my beautiful baby girl late fall and spent the next couple months adjusting to motherhood. I spent my days trying to catch up on sleep, snacking on food, snuggling my baby, and working hard on nursing. That was the winter I spent 3 days iced in at our apartment, even over my birthday. I got into a rut. I did kind of lean on the theory of "9 months to gain, 9 months to lose." Guess what, sitting around half-awake with your baby everyday doesn't equal weight loss.
I watched the 9 month mark come and go, and my baby weight still stuck around. I had to actively do something about it. Then, of course, I hid behind excuses. Well, I had to do something with Lorelai's Halloween candy, she's too young to eat it herself. Then there was Thanksgiving, LEL's first birthday, Christmas, my family's birthdays, and then my own, etc; and Lorelai "needed" my attention, I had no time for physical activity beyond gathering laundry and unloading the dishwasher.
I did get sick of myself and my attitude. I got my rear in gear in the spring. I decided I wanted to wear my old, cool, pretty clothes again. I wanted not to hide anymore. I was motivated. I was doing well for a couple months. I was...pregnant again.
Adalaide's pregnancy was not a repeat of Lorelai's. I felt similarly, if not a little worse, but I did not want to head down that road again. After all, when I got pregnant again, I still was carrying LEL baby weight. I was starting off worse the second time than the first. I did ok with Addy. I gained only about 35lbs. But I did not wait for the "9 months on, 9 months off" timeline.
When Addy turned 4 months old, I told myself I had had enough recovery time, and I needed to get going again. Finding time and energy to do any sort of exercise routine was (and is still) hard to come by, so I focused more on food.
I started buying so many fresh fruits and vegetables, I impressed myself. Sure, I missed a lot of my old foods, but I was adjusting, and liking my new foods just fine. I did this for about a month and a half, and I lost 0 lbs. That's right, it made no difference. Some motivation, huh?
I knew what I was doing was healthier for me regardless of the scale, so I kept with it...and still have. After Adalaide weaned herself (I have the worst nursers) at 5.5 months, it became a lot easier to move around and exercise. I started doing routines and even bought a dvd recommended by my skinny mom friend.
Well, that didn't work out too well. It was a 30 day plan. I made it the first 4-5 days feeling empowered. Sure, the first 2 days killed my muscles, but they got stronger pretty fast, and I was determined to finish. By day 9 my joints were not doing well, specifically, my right knee. It was truly painful to do the more advanced routines. I wrapped it in a brace, applied ice and heat, and started taking daily painkillers to get through my exercises. I reached the 14 day mark, approx. half way through the plan. I weighed myself to see my progress. I think I lost 1 lb, even then I'm not sure, my clothes were pretty light. So, at this rate, it would take me a year and a half, knee surgery, and buckets of Tylenol to lose the baby weight. Not Cool. So, I reluctantly suspended my 30 day plan and did more of my own thing.
I pick my favorite low-impact exercises that focused on my problem areas, stomach and upper arms/shoulders. I bought even healthier foods and cut out even more "junk" from my diet. I did this for a couple weeks and made another appointment with my stingy scale. Sure enough, no change.
All my effort, all my planning, organizing, prepping, sweating, stressing, and deprivation made no difference. As I stared longing into the closet from my scale I could see all my cute fall clothes...mocking me. "HA! You thought you could wear me this year?" taunted my jeans. "You aren't even close to fitting into me." laughed my fitted, button-downs.
To be honest, I feel slightly defeated. I feel like I made all these smart, healthy choices, and have been dedicated and steadfast in my journey. I feel like all that effort was wasted. At the beginning of my adventure I lived a rather unhealthy life. Lots of frozen dinners, snacks, sodas, and sweet treats. I did no exercising outside of what I had to do to keep track of my kids and dog. Since then, I have done almost an 180° in terms of food and I have been doing what I can physically handle in the exercise department. I have almost no soda, very little sugar, little bread, lots of vegetables and fruits, lean meats, nuts, etc. I do 100 sit ups a day and spend about 15 minutes of weight training a day. My progress? I have lost 2 additional lbs...on a good day.
I'm not giving up, this routine of exercise and fresh food is good for everyone no matter the scale feedback, but I can't help but look back at old pictures of myself and wonder, will I ever look like that again? Maybe I was wrong to expect bigger results so soon. But we're going on 3 months here. 3lbs in 3 months. I fear that figure of a year and a half is looking more and more like reality. What's a real bummer with that is...I may be pregnant again by the time I reach my goal. Maybe not...though 3 kids suits me.
I don't really know what I wanted out if this post. Not pity, but maybe empathy? Have any of you all had such a difficult time with losing baby weight? I am starting to wonder if I may have a medical complication I'm not aware of...though, I was tested at the beginning of Addy and everything was normal. So, I think I just need to suck it up, put my head down, and continue to plow forward. Carrots, and spinach, and water...yay.
M.LEWIS
As all of you know, I had my sweet Adalaide 6.5 months ago. This is my body's second go around for postpartum recovery, my second go around at getting "back to normal." I use quotation marks because I never felt normal, not at the time. Looking back at it, I was pretty fit and slender, but try to tell me that back then and I would have sincerely laughed at you and insisted it was all a carefully crafted illusion. Ah, those were the days.
Truth be told, I am uncomfortable talking about weight. Not just my weight, everyone's weight. I know my aversion is my problem, and everyone should share what they want, I just get squirmy with the details. I don't need to know your clothing sizes or the numbers on the scale. Heck, I don't even like it when people say to me "Hey, you've lost weight." To me, I hear "Hey, you're not as fat as you once were." But that's probably because I would have to admit to myself I had/have extra weight.
My weight gain is due to having kids. I am not passing blame, it is the truth. The weight loss (or lack there of) is due to me and my choices in lifestyle.
I gain 50 lbs with Lorelai. Yep. 50. Ouch. Just seeing that number makes me cringe. I fight the urge to scroll back and fudge the number and force myself to type on. I had some decent morning sickness from weeks 6-12. The only thing that sat well in my stomach was bread. Bagels, toast, crackers, tortillas, etc. That's a lot of carbs; a lot of calories. I got over the queasiness, but then sunk into "I'm pregnant, I'm going to enjoy eating anything I desire." I also quit my job around this point. So, I had a lot food going into my mouth and a lot of sitting going on in my livingroom. Don't misunderstand me, I didn't binge, I didn't just shovel in chips and ice cream; but I certainly didn't buy a lot of apples and celery. I also was exactly motivated to exercise with a huge watermelon tummy either. This went on for the remainder of the pregnancy.
I had my beautiful baby girl late fall and spent the next couple months adjusting to motherhood. I spent my days trying to catch up on sleep, snacking on food, snuggling my baby, and working hard on nursing. That was the winter I spent 3 days iced in at our apartment, even over my birthday. I got into a rut. I did kind of lean on the theory of "9 months to gain, 9 months to lose." Guess what, sitting around half-awake with your baby everyday doesn't equal weight loss.
I watched the 9 month mark come and go, and my baby weight still stuck around. I had to actively do something about it. Then, of course, I hid behind excuses. Well, I had to do something with Lorelai's Halloween candy, she's too young to eat it herself. Then there was Thanksgiving, LEL's first birthday, Christmas, my family's birthdays, and then my own, etc; and Lorelai "needed" my attention, I had no time for physical activity beyond gathering laundry and unloading the dishwasher.
I did get sick of myself and my attitude. I got my rear in gear in the spring. I decided I wanted to wear my old, cool, pretty clothes again. I wanted not to hide anymore. I was motivated. I was doing well for a couple months. I was...pregnant again.
Adalaide's pregnancy was not a repeat of Lorelai's. I felt similarly, if not a little worse, but I did not want to head down that road again. After all, when I got pregnant again, I still was carrying LEL baby weight. I was starting off worse the second time than the first. I did ok with Addy. I gained only about 35lbs. But I did not wait for the "9 months on, 9 months off" timeline.
When Addy turned 4 months old, I told myself I had had enough recovery time, and I needed to get going again. Finding time and energy to do any sort of exercise routine was (and is still) hard to come by, so I focused more on food.
I started buying so many fresh fruits and vegetables, I impressed myself. Sure, I missed a lot of my old foods, but I was adjusting, and liking my new foods just fine. I did this for about a month and a half, and I lost 0 lbs. That's right, it made no difference. Some motivation, huh?
I knew what I was doing was healthier for me regardless of the scale, so I kept with it...and still have. After Adalaide weaned herself (I have the worst nursers) at 5.5 months, it became a lot easier to move around and exercise. I started doing routines and even bought a dvd recommended by my skinny mom friend.
Well, that didn't work out too well. It was a 30 day plan. I made it the first 4-5 days feeling empowered. Sure, the first 2 days killed my muscles, but they got stronger pretty fast, and I was determined to finish. By day 9 my joints were not doing well, specifically, my right knee. It was truly painful to do the more advanced routines. I wrapped it in a brace, applied ice and heat, and started taking daily painkillers to get through my exercises. I reached the 14 day mark, approx. half way through the plan. I weighed myself to see my progress. I think I lost 1 lb, even then I'm not sure, my clothes were pretty light. So, at this rate, it would take me a year and a half, knee surgery, and buckets of Tylenol to lose the baby weight. Not Cool. So, I reluctantly suspended my 30 day plan and did more of my own thing.
I pick my favorite low-impact exercises that focused on my problem areas, stomach and upper arms/shoulders. I bought even healthier foods and cut out even more "junk" from my diet. I did this for a couple weeks and made another appointment with my stingy scale. Sure enough, no change.
All my effort, all my planning, organizing, prepping, sweating, stressing, and deprivation made no difference. As I stared longing into the closet from my scale I could see all my cute fall clothes...mocking me. "HA! You thought you could wear me this year?" taunted my jeans. "You aren't even close to fitting into me." laughed my fitted, button-downs.
To be honest, I feel slightly defeated. I feel like I made all these smart, healthy choices, and have been dedicated and steadfast in my journey. I feel like all that effort was wasted. At the beginning of my adventure I lived a rather unhealthy life. Lots of frozen dinners, snacks, sodas, and sweet treats. I did no exercising outside of what I had to do to keep track of my kids and dog. Since then, I have done almost an 180° in terms of food and I have been doing what I can physically handle in the exercise department. I have almost no soda, very little sugar, little bread, lots of vegetables and fruits, lean meats, nuts, etc. I do 100 sit ups a day and spend about 15 minutes of weight training a day. My progress? I have lost 2 additional lbs...on a good day.
I'm not giving up, this routine of exercise and fresh food is good for everyone no matter the scale feedback, but I can't help but look back at old pictures of myself and wonder, will I ever look like that again? Maybe I was wrong to expect bigger results so soon. But we're going on 3 months here. 3lbs in 3 months. I fear that figure of a year and a half is looking more and more like reality. What's a real bummer with that is...I may be pregnant again by the time I reach my goal. Maybe not...though 3 kids suits me.
I don't really know what I wanted out if this post. Not pity, but maybe empathy? Have any of you all had such a difficult time with losing baby weight? I am starting to wonder if I may have a medical complication I'm not aware of...though, I was tested at the beginning of Addy and everything was normal. So, I think I just need to suck it up, put my head down, and continue to plow forward. Carrots, and spinach, and water...yay.
M.LEWIS
Monday, September 9, 2013
The Girls Update
Things around here have been generally low key lately. I know, I jinxed it.
Adalaide's schedule has been established, as much as one can establish with an almost 6 month old. That's right, this week, Addy will be 6 months old. Crazy.
She is still waking up during the night; there has only been 3 nights (not consecutively) she has slept from bedtime to sunrise. Still no teeth, but she is eating rice cereal and simple fruits and veggies pretty well. Her "omg what is this in my mouth" face is pretty cute. I will have to try and get a picture of it one of these times before she adjusts to the taste. She is close to sitting up by herself, she can hold her own for about 10 seconds before wobbling too much and tipping over. I will know her weight next week but I think she has gained another couple pounds since her last check-up, and is most likely hitting the scales at a whopping 13lbs. She can hold her own bottle for a bit, if she's laying down. She also "puts herself to sleep" in her crib 90% of the time. She loves her big sister and thinks everything she does is laugh-out-loud hilarious. I can get giggles out of her if I try, but Lorelai gets belly laughs without any effort. I love it.
Lorelai enjoys her baby sister, but she is still hesitant on sharing. Though, to be fair, sharing right now consists of Addy sticking the toy in her mouth and giving it back to Lorelai all slobbery. I can see why Lorelai isn't crazy about doing that all the time.
Most of the time they hang out together on the floor and Lorelai doesn't get distracted by her at all, like she's always been there. I think that's great, she just has this attitude of "Oh, her? Yeah, she's my baby sister. She's around all the time."
Lorelai does look out for Adalaide, which as a parent, makes me feel awesome. Addy fell asleep in her carseat one day and did that whole infant shlump-over thing. Lorelai spotted this and said "Oh no! Mom, baby sister!" Another sweet time, she saw Addy without a paci in a store and made us stop. "Go back! Baby shister, paci!"
My compassionate little 2 year old. Though, in a few months she will be 3! Again, crazy.
The next month should be pretty quiet, then things kick into gear. Fall is coming, my favorite time of year. The time where the heat lifts, the cool breezes filter in, and the leaves start to melt into shades of red, yellow, and orange, which matches the pumpkins clusters you see in festive yards. In October, we have Adalaide's christening and Halloween, Addy's first. Then November slides in with Thanksgiving (another 1st) and Lorelai's birthday. Then December, Christmas. By far the best holiday, filled with tradition, love, and magic. Lorelai is already asking for Christmas music in the car. I think she inherited my deep love for Christmas. This excites me. She is at the age where she will understand it a bit more, and love it a bit more. This, combined with Adalaide's first Christmas will make this year extra special.
Sorry for the tangent, I was just daydreaming for a bit. ;)
Anyway, this sums up our household for awhile, at least for the kiddos!
M.LEWIS
Adalaide's schedule has been established, as much as one can establish with an almost 6 month old. That's right, this week, Addy will be 6 months old. Crazy.
She is still waking up during the night; there has only been 3 nights (not consecutively) she has slept from bedtime to sunrise. Still no teeth, but she is eating rice cereal and simple fruits and veggies pretty well. Her "omg what is this in my mouth" face is pretty cute. I will have to try and get a picture of it one of these times before she adjusts to the taste. She is close to sitting up by herself, she can hold her own for about 10 seconds before wobbling too much and tipping over. I will know her weight next week but I think she has gained another couple pounds since her last check-up, and is most likely hitting the scales at a whopping 13lbs. She can hold her own bottle for a bit, if she's laying down. She also "puts herself to sleep" in her crib 90% of the time. She loves her big sister and thinks everything she does is laugh-out-loud hilarious. I can get giggles out of her if I try, but Lorelai gets belly laughs without any effort. I love it.
Lorelai enjoys her baby sister, but she is still hesitant on sharing. Though, to be fair, sharing right now consists of Addy sticking the toy in her mouth and giving it back to Lorelai all slobbery. I can see why Lorelai isn't crazy about doing that all the time.
Most of the time they hang out together on the floor and Lorelai doesn't get distracted by her at all, like she's always been there. I think that's great, she just has this attitude of "Oh, her? Yeah, she's my baby sister. She's around all the time."
Lorelai does look out for Adalaide, which as a parent, makes me feel awesome. Addy fell asleep in her carseat one day and did that whole infant shlump-over thing. Lorelai spotted this and said "Oh no! Mom, baby sister!" Another sweet time, she saw Addy without a paci in a store and made us stop. "Go back! Baby shister, paci!"
My compassionate little 2 year old. Though, in a few months she will be 3! Again, crazy.
The next month should be pretty quiet, then things kick into gear. Fall is coming, my favorite time of year. The time where the heat lifts, the cool breezes filter in, and the leaves start to melt into shades of red, yellow, and orange, which matches the pumpkins clusters you see in festive yards. In October, we have Adalaide's christening and Halloween, Addy's first. Then November slides in with Thanksgiving (another 1st) and Lorelai's birthday. Then December, Christmas. By far the best holiday, filled with tradition, love, and magic. Lorelai is already asking for Christmas music in the car. I think she inherited my deep love for Christmas. This excites me. She is at the age where she will understand it a bit more, and love it a bit more. This, combined with Adalaide's first Christmas will make this year extra special.
Sorry for the tangent, I was just daydreaming for a bit. ;)
Anyway, this sums up our household for awhile, at least for the kiddos!
M.LEWIS
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Weaning.
Well Adalaide is on her last stretch of nursing. I do have mixed feelings about it, but at this point I am too tired to fight it.
She has done a lot better than Lorelai did, so that in itself feels like progress. I wish I was one of those women who breastfed without issue, but I am not. Just like with Lorelai, I hit a point where I am tired of thinking out nursing every waking moment. Drinking gallons of water, forcing Addy to feed often, pumping, waking up so uncomfortable I can no longer sleep, or waking up...wet. We'll just leave it at that.
I know some women love it; love feeling close to their baby, having a special connection through simple mother nature. Honestly, I don't get that whole "it's so beautiful" feeling most of the time. I mainly feel frustrated. I feel pretty close to my baby as is...I think it's that whole, you-grew-inside-me thing. I do regret the loss of the health benefits though. Nothing is exactly like breast milk, but she has been supplementing for months and is now eating cereal and baby food every day, I do firmly believe her health and well being will not suffer.
Some times I feel selfish when I get excited about being done with nursing. I feel like my wants should not be on the forefront, Addy's should be. But, then I remind myself how she screams and fights me on breastfeeding throughout the day. My "easy nurser" turned rogue awhile ago. My constant efforts to maintain and increase my supply are in vein when she refuses to eat unless it's in a bottle. I could pump and feed her that in a bottle, but really? My whole day, whole schedule would revolve around that.
You see? It's a see-saw of pros and cons, happiness and frustrations. So, I finally adopted my current outlook. Try to breast feed straight from the breast. It's for Adalaide, if she refuses, then that's that. I don't want to be attached to a machine half the day. If my own baby doesn't want to eat the "natural" way, then we are done. No fighting, no frustrations...and that's why we are down to one 5 minute feeding every 12hrs. That's all I can get her to take. When it's time, it's time, ya know?
Sorry if this was a muddled blog full of TMI or whiny complaints. I just have to go through this litany with myself before I can let it go. Mommy guilt at its finest. ;)
M.LEWIS
She has done a lot better than Lorelai did, so that in itself feels like progress. I wish I was one of those women who breastfed without issue, but I am not. Just like with Lorelai, I hit a point where I am tired of thinking out nursing every waking moment. Drinking gallons of water, forcing Addy to feed often, pumping, waking up so uncomfortable I can no longer sleep, or waking up...wet. We'll just leave it at that.
I know some women love it; love feeling close to their baby, having a special connection through simple mother nature. Honestly, I don't get that whole "it's so beautiful" feeling most of the time. I mainly feel frustrated. I feel pretty close to my baby as is...I think it's that whole, you-grew-inside-me thing. I do regret the loss of the health benefits though. Nothing is exactly like breast milk, but she has been supplementing for months and is now eating cereal and baby food every day, I do firmly believe her health and well being will not suffer.
Some times I feel selfish when I get excited about being done with nursing. I feel like my wants should not be on the forefront, Addy's should be. But, then I remind myself how she screams and fights me on breastfeeding throughout the day. My "easy nurser" turned rogue awhile ago. My constant efforts to maintain and increase my supply are in vein when she refuses to eat unless it's in a bottle. I could pump and feed her that in a bottle, but really? My whole day, whole schedule would revolve around that.
You see? It's a see-saw of pros and cons, happiness and frustrations. So, I finally adopted my current outlook. Try to breast feed straight from the breast. It's for Adalaide, if she refuses, then that's that. I don't want to be attached to a machine half the day. If my own baby doesn't want to eat the "natural" way, then we are done. No fighting, no frustrations...and that's why we are down to one 5 minute feeding every 12hrs. That's all I can get her to take. When it's time, it's time, ya know?
Sorry if this was a muddled blog full of TMI or whiny complaints. I just have to go through this litany with myself before I can let it go. Mommy guilt at its finest. ;)
M.LEWIS
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