For those of you who tried (or are going to try) the Mexican Roast recipe, this is a great way to "repurpose" the roast once you get sick of it. If you're feeding a small family, this might happen. Roast goes a long way. This is an easy way to change it up a bit after a couple of nights.
Combine the leftover roast (chopped or shredded w/fat discarded of course), peppers/rotel/onions and broth/juices from the roast with a can of Mexicorn and some heavy cream. Heat thoroughly and serve. You may need to add some broth (any kind will do) or water to thin out to your desired consistency. This recipe is soooo not a recipe because it's completely dependent upon how much meat you have left and what your personal tastes are. Just play with it until it tastes right.
Shout out to my college roomie, Courtney, for creating this masterpiece!
"Love came when Love was Ready." Those lovely words were spoken just before Jonathan and I officially became man and wife in 2006. You really have to know our history to know how much those simple words mean to us. Follow us for our story; we're writing it every day!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Family Favorite: Mexican Roast
My mother taught me this recipe. I'm not sure if it's her own or some version she came up with when inspired by a recipe. We love it and I hope you will too!
Mexican Roast
3 bell peppers (any assortment of colors, I like to use at least 2 different varieties)
1 large onion
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 2 lb (approx) beef roast
Chop bell peppers and onion into large chunks. Place in crock pot. Seer the roast over high heat, ensuring that you get all sides (even the funky little edge pieces). Place on top of the onion and peppers. Pour the cans of Rotel (undrained) over the roast. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
We serve ours in tortillas with lettuce, tomato, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, beans... THE WORKS!
If you try this recipe, let me know how it goes!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
This Mother's Choice
Ok, folks. This might ruffle some feathers.
Dane was born via elective Cesarean Section. I know, I know; how very uncool of me.
Jonathan and I decided before we were ever pregnant that if we were blessed with a child, he or she (or they!) would be delivered by c-section. I wanted, for once, to feel like we had some control over what happened in my uterus. And after 3+ years of waiting for our child, we felt uncomfortable leaving anything up to chance. I understand that there are increased risks for the mother and infant that are associated with a c-section delivery, but I kept thinking of all the horror stories about cords wrapped around necks, fetal distress, etc. Not to mention all the women I know who went through horrible, intense labors only to end up with a c-section anyway. Not only did those women end up with all the issues that vaginal birth creates (I am not even going to go there) but also a big ol' scar and all the issues that go along with c-sections (again, not gonna go there).
Some of the arguments against c-sections:
Women have been doing this naturally for thousands of years. This little nugget is usually spoken by someone who had an epidural. and delivered in a hospital. with her ipod playing in the background. (Nothing wrong with any of those things, by the way.) Seriously, this is the stupidest piece of "knowledge" I have ever heard. Women have also been dying during childbirth for millions of years. "Nature" had failed me for three years already, and if it wasn't for medical intervention, Dane would never have been born.
Your body was born to do this. Oh yeah? My body was also born to get pregnant. Oops. I think "nature" missed that one too.
The recovery time is longer. Um, nope. Not for everyone. I had less pain, took less narcotics, and had many less long-term issues than any of my friends who delivered around the same time as me. In fact, when my mom called me the day after Dane was born to see if I needed her to bring anything to the hospital, I asked for a disposable razor. I shaved my legs 36 hours after Dane was born (and did a damn good job of it too). Also, I was going places with him by myself when he was three weeks old.
Due dates aren't always right. This is completely true. I know that estimated due dates are just that: estimated. But not in our case. Because Dane is an IVF baby, we knew the exact moment he was conceived (Halloween 2009!). There was no mistaking it for us.
Even though a c-section was planned from the beginning, I had placenta previa. It resolved itself at about 32 weeks, but a low-lying placenta does not usually allow for a vaginal birth because the mothers don't typically progress. Also, Dane was measuring 5 1/2 weeks ahead from the start. One of the doctors in the practice even told me "nothing good comes from delivering a child this large vaginally." Well, except the child of course :) They were worried about how large he was and would have continued to monitor me and request that I consider early induction if his growth continued along that path. But because I was already scheduled for a section, they felt comfortable without the extra ultrasounds.
My doctor's office only scheduled c-sections after 39 weeks (very responsibly), so Dane's birthday was to be the Monday after I turned 39 weeks.
Dane had other plans. My water broke the Thursday before my scheduled c-section at 11:05pm. Labor hit me like a truck. I was fully unprepared to deal with contractions. Dane was born Friday at 4:46am. In the almost six hours I had been laboring, I did not dilate. Dane would have been born via c-section anyway. And at 8 pounds, 13 ounces, 22.5 inches long, boy am I glad he was!
The truth is, if you want to deliver your baby in a river wearing only beads while a doula tells you how perfect and beautiful you are as a child rips out of your body, do it! That's your choice. If you want to allow your doctor to induce you because you will lose your mind if you spend another second pregnant and are approaching or past your due date, that's your choice. And because it's your choice, it's also the perfect choice for your baby in the same way that my choice was the perfect choice for Dane. As mothers, some of the first decisions we are responsible for making are about the birth of our children. And we have to make those decisions based on what doctors tell us and what we feel in our hearts. I'm not advocating for elective cesarean sections, I'm advocating for people to respect a mother's choice about how her child comes into this crazy world.
Dane was born via elective Cesarean Section. I know, I know; how very uncool of me.
Jonathan and I decided before we were ever pregnant that if we were blessed with a child, he or she (or they!) would be delivered by c-section. I wanted, for once, to feel like we had some control over what happened in my uterus. And after 3+ years of waiting for our child, we felt uncomfortable leaving anything up to chance. I understand that there are increased risks for the mother and infant that are associated with a c-section delivery, but I kept thinking of all the horror stories about cords wrapped around necks, fetal distress, etc. Not to mention all the women I know who went through horrible, intense labors only to end up with a c-section anyway. Not only did those women end up with all the issues that vaginal birth creates (I am not even going to go there) but also a big ol' scar and all the issues that go along with c-sections (again, not gonna go there).
Some of the arguments against c-sections:
Women have been doing this naturally for thousands of years. This little nugget is usually spoken by someone who had an epidural. and delivered in a hospital. with her ipod playing in the background. (Nothing wrong with any of those things, by the way.) Seriously, this is the stupidest piece of "knowledge" I have ever heard. Women have also been dying during childbirth for millions of years. "Nature" had failed me for three years already, and if it wasn't for medical intervention, Dane would never have been born.
Your body was born to do this. Oh yeah? My body was also born to get pregnant. Oops. I think "nature" missed that one too.
The recovery time is longer. Um, nope. Not for everyone. I had less pain, took less narcotics, and had many less long-term issues than any of my friends who delivered around the same time as me. In fact, when my mom called me the day after Dane was born to see if I needed her to bring anything to the hospital, I asked for a disposable razor. I shaved my legs 36 hours after Dane was born (and did a damn good job of it too). Also, I was going places with him by myself when he was three weeks old.
Due dates aren't always right. This is completely true. I know that estimated due dates are just that: estimated. But not in our case. Because Dane is an IVF baby, we knew the exact moment he was conceived (Halloween 2009!). There was no mistaking it for us.
Even though a c-section was planned from the beginning, I had placenta previa. It resolved itself at about 32 weeks, but a low-lying placenta does not usually allow for a vaginal birth because the mothers don't typically progress. Also, Dane was measuring 5 1/2 weeks ahead from the start. One of the doctors in the practice even told me "nothing good comes from delivering a child this large vaginally." Well, except the child of course :) They were worried about how large he was and would have continued to monitor me and request that I consider early induction if his growth continued along that path. But because I was already scheduled for a section, they felt comfortable without the extra ultrasounds.
My doctor's office only scheduled c-sections after 39 weeks (very responsibly), so Dane's birthday was to be the Monday after I turned 39 weeks.
Dane had other plans. My water broke the Thursday before my scheduled c-section at 11:05pm. Labor hit me like a truck. I was fully unprepared to deal with contractions. Dane was born Friday at 4:46am. In the almost six hours I had been laboring, I did not dilate. Dane would have been born via c-section anyway. And at 8 pounds, 13 ounces, 22.5 inches long, boy am I glad he was!
The truth is, if you want to deliver your baby in a river wearing only beads while a doula tells you how perfect and beautiful you are as a child rips out of your body, do it! That's your choice. If you want to allow your doctor to induce you because you will lose your mind if you spend another second pregnant and are approaching or past your due date, that's your choice. And because it's your choice, it's also the perfect choice for your baby in the same way that my choice was the perfect choice for Dane. As mothers, some of the first decisions we are responsible for making are about the birth of our children. And we have to make those decisions based on what doctors tell us and what we feel in our hearts. I'm not advocating for elective cesarean sections, I'm advocating for people to respect a mother's choice about how her child comes into this crazy world.
Friday, March 23, 2012
He's the Only One for Me
We worked hard for Dane, no question about it. From the day we found out we were officially classified as infertile, it was exactly 3 years, 6 months, and 8 days until we got to meet the cute little guy. Then there was the three surgeries (between Jonathan and I), hundreds of medications, insane stress, and... oh yeah... $55,000. One day when Dane asks why we won't buy him a car, I'll bring this up.
So naturally, people are shocked when they learn that we are doing everything in our power to prevent another pregnancy. I mean, what are the odds? Well, even with IVF, it was only 50/50 -- which works out about right, since we got pregnant on our second IVF attempt.
People ask me all the time if finding out I was pregnant was one of the happiest days of my life, wouldn't I love to be pregnant again? The answer to that is yes, I would love to be pregnant again - with someone else's child. I would be a gestational surrogate in a heartbeat, even for a stranger. But I don't want to be anyone else's mother. Dane is enough. He's been enough since the moment we found out we were pregnant. You see, Jonathan and I had always dreamed that if we ever did get lucky enough to get pregnant, wouldn't it be amazing if we had twins? However, the very day we learned we were pregnant, and remembered those two embryos that had been transferred just 9 days earlier, the reality of all of that hit us. I am positive that if we had twins, we would have been overjoyed and as absolutely in love with our life as we are now. But I would be lying if I said we didn't breathe a small sigh of relief when we saw one precious heartbeat. I have plenty of friends who have twins from fertility treatments and I can honestly say that they handle everything so very well. I think it was certainly meant to be that those couples had twins and we got one perfect Dane.
There's also the absolute raging postpartum depression I experienced. I kept thinking that I wasn't supposed to be feeling this way. I had literally begged God for this child and poured every part of my self into him. What I didn't realize then is that women who undergo fertility treatments are actually more likely to develop PPD than other mothers. We have years to fantasize about motherhood and babies and pregnancy and how perfect it will all be. This doesn't mean we're stupid or irrational about parenthood. I fully expected to be up all night, peed on, pooped on, all of the stuff that comes with newborns. What I did not expect was an infant that could not be soothed. By anyone. He was like the perfect storm of babies. He liked being swaddled, but hated being hot. He was born in July, so this was not easy. One time, I put him swaddled, in a swing, on top of an ice pack. He also liked to breastfeed and was a great latcher, but I had nada to give him. I would rock and sing to him for hours. He was miserable. So I made myself miserable. I felt like I needed punishment for not being able to be a good enough mother to make him feel better. After 6 weeks at home with him on maternity leave, I couldn't wait to go back to work. I was terrified of him and how inadequate I felt. Once I did go back to work, he got kicked out of home daycare after a week because he cried too much. We had to find a new daycare in just a few days. Months later, after I got better and forgave myself, a daycare worker from the room he was in from 7 weeks old - 11 months old told me, "you know, I've worked here for several years and taken care of hundreds of babies. Your's is the first I have ever seen that truly has colic. I had no idea how to deal with him. I just thought other babies were difficult." This sounds awful, but I felt validated. All those months of feeling clueless, and a woman who takes care of babies for a living couldn't calm my child. On a side note, I highly recommend the book The Ghost in the House by Tracy Thompson. I cannot begin to tell you how much it impacted my recovery. It was like looking in a mirror. (Note to readers: I have debated "publicly" sharing the fact that I had PPD for many months. I finally decided to for the same reason I decided to share our infertility struggles: so that someone else would know they are not alone. Please respect this.)
The final reason we're 99.99% sure we're done with one? Pretty simple, really. We like our family dynamic. Mom and Dad will be there for each and every performance, graduation, and baseball game - no splitting up and "you take Jill to soccer practice and I'll take Jim to the band concert." We like the "tag team" style of parenting. It works for us.
I jokingly told two of my sweetest friends a couple weekends ago that "if I could birth a 15-month old, I'd consider having another child." But since I don't see medical advancements catching up to that point before I'm well past my child-bearing years, I think we'll just stick with Dane.
To all you non-believers who tell me "you'll change your mind" - well maybe. But I'm pretty confident that when you and I run into one another at Target in ten years and you ask me how many kids I have, the answer will still be "one!"
So naturally, people are shocked when they learn that we are doing everything in our power to prevent another pregnancy. I mean, what are the odds? Well, even with IVF, it was only 50/50 -- which works out about right, since we got pregnant on our second IVF attempt.
People ask me all the time if finding out I was pregnant was one of the happiest days of my life, wouldn't I love to be pregnant again? The answer to that is yes, I would love to be pregnant again - with someone else's child. I would be a gestational surrogate in a heartbeat, even for a stranger. But I don't want to be anyone else's mother. Dane is enough. He's been enough since the moment we found out we were pregnant. You see, Jonathan and I had always dreamed that if we ever did get lucky enough to get pregnant, wouldn't it be amazing if we had twins? However, the very day we learned we were pregnant, and remembered those two embryos that had been transferred just 9 days earlier, the reality of all of that hit us. I am positive that if we had twins, we would have been overjoyed and as absolutely in love with our life as we are now. But I would be lying if I said we didn't breathe a small sigh of relief when we saw one precious heartbeat. I have plenty of friends who have twins from fertility treatments and I can honestly say that they handle everything so very well. I think it was certainly meant to be that those couples had twins and we got one perfect Dane.
There's also the absolute raging postpartum depression I experienced. I kept thinking that I wasn't supposed to be feeling this way. I had literally begged God for this child and poured every part of my self into him. What I didn't realize then is that women who undergo fertility treatments are actually more likely to develop PPD than other mothers. We have years to fantasize about motherhood and babies and pregnancy and how perfect it will all be. This doesn't mean we're stupid or irrational about parenthood. I fully expected to be up all night, peed on, pooped on, all of the stuff that comes with newborns. What I did not expect was an infant that could not be soothed. By anyone. He was like the perfect storm of babies. He liked being swaddled, but hated being hot. He was born in July, so this was not easy. One time, I put him swaddled, in a swing, on top of an ice pack. He also liked to breastfeed and was a great latcher, but I had nada to give him. I would rock and sing to him for hours. He was miserable. So I made myself miserable. I felt like I needed punishment for not being able to be a good enough mother to make him feel better. After 6 weeks at home with him on maternity leave, I couldn't wait to go back to work. I was terrified of him and how inadequate I felt. Once I did go back to work, he got kicked out of home daycare after a week because he cried too much. We had to find a new daycare in just a few days. Months later, after I got better and forgave myself, a daycare worker from the room he was in from 7 weeks old - 11 months old told me, "you know, I've worked here for several years and taken care of hundreds of babies. Your's is the first I have ever seen that truly has colic. I had no idea how to deal with him. I just thought other babies were difficult." This sounds awful, but I felt validated. All those months of feeling clueless, and a woman who takes care of babies for a living couldn't calm my child. On a side note, I highly recommend the book The Ghost in the House by Tracy Thompson. I cannot begin to tell you how much it impacted my recovery. It was like looking in a mirror. (Note to readers: I have debated "publicly" sharing the fact that I had PPD for many months. I finally decided to for the same reason I decided to share our infertility struggles: so that someone else would know they are not alone. Please respect this.)
The final reason we're 99.99% sure we're done with one? Pretty simple, really. We like our family dynamic. Mom and Dad will be there for each and every performance, graduation, and baseball game - no splitting up and "you take Jill to soccer practice and I'll take Jim to the band concert." We like the "tag team" style of parenting. It works for us.
I jokingly told two of my sweetest friends a couple weekends ago that "if I could birth a 15-month old, I'd consider having another child." But since I don't see medical advancements catching up to that point before I'm well past my child-bearing years, I think we'll just stick with Dane.
To all you non-believers who tell me "you'll change your mind" - well maybe. But I'm pretty confident that when you and I run into one another at Target in ten years and you ask me how many kids I have, the answer will still be "one!"
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Waste List (for baby registries)
This is a follow-up to yesterday's must haves. I'm going to let you all in on the things that were not worth the moo-la for our family as far as baby needs go.
My friend Lorin, who has a 2 month old, had a special request for this and I am always happy to oblige a new mom. When Dane was still little enough that late-night feedings were a part of our lives, I remember thinking that I wished people would update their facebook statuses more frequently or that there was more news I was interested in to keep me entertained during those long hours. So, here's to you, Lorin & Sammy!
1. Diaper Pail/Diaper Disposal Systems - This was never a good idea for us. Even though the products claim not to let any stench loose, I could and can always smell if someone has one of these in the nursery. And since I was not fortunate enough to breastfeed and my milk-protein-allergic kid had to be on the $30/can formula, I am super happy that we never bought one. (FYI - for those that don't know, the stinky stuff in the purple can makes your kid's poo smell like old dirty fishtank.) We take the poo diapers outside immediately. This has never been an issue for us. The pee diapers used to go out immediately too, but now they make the shorter trip to the trashcan in the pantry.
2. Changing Table - My husband would probably disagree somewhat on this one. He's a tall guy and I'm sure that the height of our "changing table" probably bothers his back sometimes. Honestly, I think they're great if you have the room and the money to spend, but we wanted to save space and money. We had my mom recover an old hope chest to coordinate with the nursery colors, bought a curved changing pad, and voila - changing table! There was a short couple of weeks when I rethought this decision and considered buying a clearance changing table, but I'm so glad we didn't.
3. High Chair - Again, this is one of those things that you might find very useful but we chose to save money and space by doing without. For less than $30, we got this wonderful booster seat that is easy to clean and portable. It straps on to one of our kitchen chairs, so we don't have a bulky highchair to lug around. The tray comes off, so once Dane was old enough to eat from a plate, we began just pushing him up to the table. The tray now lives in a closet. We like that it feels so much more like a family dinner with your kid actually at the table with you. Jamie has a seat similar to this one. It has the advantage of a recline feature, which is nice for when your child learns to bottle feed his/herself. It does have the disadvantage of having a cloth cover, but since it's machine washable I don't think that's a deal breaker. It straps to the chair the same way our booster seat does. I think either purchase would be a winner.
4. Activity Mat - Dane hated this. We had the most adorable version that played the sweetest music and even had little relaxing light shows, but all Baby Einstein's efforts were lost on Dane.
5. 4 oz. Bottles - Seriously, what was I thinking?? In no time, your child will be eating more than these bottles can hold, and really, what's so hard about putting 3 ounces of formula in an 8 ounce bottle? It's not like it saves any significant amount of fridge or diaper bag realty. I still can't believe I fell for that one. Well played, Playtex.
Again, I hope this helps anyone prepping for a sweet delivery in the near future.
My friend Lorin, who has a 2 month old, had a special request for this and I am always happy to oblige a new mom. When Dane was still little enough that late-night feedings were a part of our lives, I remember thinking that I wished people would update their facebook statuses more frequently or that there was more news I was interested in to keep me entertained during those long hours. So, here's to you, Lorin & Sammy!
1. Diaper Pail/Diaper Disposal Systems - This was never a good idea for us. Even though the products claim not to let any stench loose, I could and can always smell if someone has one of these in the nursery. And since I was not fortunate enough to breastfeed and my milk-protein-allergic kid had to be on the $30/can formula, I am super happy that we never bought one. (FYI - for those that don't know, the stinky stuff in the purple can makes your kid's poo smell like old dirty fishtank.) We take the poo diapers outside immediately. This has never been an issue for us. The pee diapers used to go out immediately too, but now they make the shorter trip to the trashcan in the pantry.
2. Changing Table - My husband would probably disagree somewhat on this one. He's a tall guy and I'm sure that the height of our "changing table" probably bothers his back sometimes. Honestly, I think they're great if you have the room and the money to spend, but we wanted to save space and money. We had my mom recover an old hope chest to coordinate with the nursery colors, bought a curved changing pad, and voila - changing table! There was a short couple of weeks when I rethought this decision and considered buying a clearance changing table, but I'm so glad we didn't.
3. High Chair - Again, this is one of those things that you might find very useful but we chose to save money and space by doing without. For less than $30, we got this wonderful booster seat that is easy to clean and portable. It straps on to one of our kitchen chairs, so we don't have a bulky highchair to lug around. The tray comes off, so once Dane was old enough to eat from a plate, we began just pushing him up to the table. The tray now lives in a closet. We like that it feels so much more like a family dinner with your kid actually at the table with you. Jamie has a seat similar to this one. It has the advantage of a recline feature, which is nice for when your child learns to bottle feed his/herself. It does have the disadvantage of having a cloth cover, but since it's machine washable I don't think that's a deal breaker. It straps to the chair the same way our booster seat does. I think either purchase would be a winner.
4. Activity Mat - Dane hated this. We had the most adorable version that played the sweetest music and even had little relaxing light shows, but all Baby Einstein's efforts were lost on Dane.
5. 4 oz. Bottles - Seriously, what was I thinking?? In no time, your child will be eating more than these bottles can hold, and really, what's so hard about putting 3 ounces of formula in an 8 ounce bottle? It's not like it saves any significant amount of fridge or diaper bag realty. I still can't believe I fell for that one. Well played, Playtex.
Again, I hope this helps anyone prepping for a sweet delivery in the near future.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Top Mommy Tools
I've been trying to convince Jamie (well, Jamie's been on board, so I guess it's really her husband Jake that I've been trying to convince) that they need a video monitor. This got me thinking about all the stuff we registered for when I was pregnant with Dane and what we found truly useful. So here it is, my "top mommy tools" list for mothers of newborns/young infants. I've tried to put things in order of usefulness.
1. Sound Machine - Dane still sleeps with his on full blast each night. It drowns out everything from annoying dog noises to annoying neighbor noises. We each even have a white noise app on our cell phones for car trips and travel. For home use, do yourself a favor and buy one that doesn't time out and that can plug in and run on batteries. That way you can run it all night long. It's always the gift Jonathan and I buy for baby showers if one hasn't already been purchased for the expectant couple.
2. Video Monitor - Dane slept in a travel crib/play yard in our bedroom for the first 8 months of his life. Part of this was because he had infant reflux from hell and I was terrified he'd choke in his sleep and I wouldn't hear/be able to get to him in time. The other part was pure laziness. I liked being able to stumble the few steps to his "crib" in the middle of the night, stick his pacifier back in his mouth, and fall back into bed. When we did finally move him to a real crib in his own room, the video monitor gave us peace of mind. Now, it more or less lets us know if we really need to go in his room or not. Is he just crying out in his sleep or does he need help finding Elmo? And of course, it's nice to be able to use the zoom feature to watch him breathe for those moments when the crazy worrier in me rears its ugly head.
3. Movement Monitor - We used this until Dane was 18 months old and the cords became more of a hazard than it was worth. Whether this device would have really protected us in the awful event that Dane did stop breathing in the middle of the night I really don't know. What I do know is that white baby boys born in the middle of winter have the highest incidence of SIDS than any other group. While my child was not born in winter, he is white and he is a boy. Even if my child had been a little Ethiopian girl born in August, I would have made this purchase just for the peaceful rest it allowed me and my husband.
4. Breathable Bumpers - The usefulness of this invention is rather short lived. But at around $25-30 a pop, it's a great investment. It does what bumpers were intended to do (keep limbs out of crib rails and pacifiers/lovies inside the confines of the crib) without the bulkiness and thus the SIDS risk. Once Dane was about 15 months old, we switched back to the pretty bumpers that came with his bedding set.
5. Cool Mist Humidifier - Dane has asthma. This took quite a while to figure out but we knew from 3 months old that something wasn't quite right with his breathing. We still run our cheapy cool mist humidifier every single night at the advice of Dane's ENT and pulmonologist. Even if your kid doesn't have asthma, little tots get snotty and this helps. No doubt about it.
6. Microwave Sterlizer - This is so much easier than dealing with a plug-in version or boiling bottle parts. Plus, we stored ours in the microwave so it was out of site.
7. Velcro Swaddlers - It really doesn't matter what brand. They're all great in my opinion. And if you have a kid that likes to be swaddled, you don't want to be fumbling around trying to remember what they taught you at the hospital the day your kid was born. Because chances are you were pretty dang tired and overwhelmed that day. My son insisted on being swaddled to sleep for seven long months. The swaddlers were definitely worth the investment for us.
8. Petroleum Jelly - Only a parent could know how versatile this stuff is: best diaper cream on earth, good for boo-boos, dry cheeks, and thermometer lube. Plus, it's ridiculously cheap. Do yourself a favor though and splurge on the squeeze tubes. Who wants to deal with trying to put a lid back on a tub with a slippery hand and squalling infant? Not this girl.
I hope this helps all the expectant mothers out there! Let me know if you'd like my list of things that were definitely a waste for us.
1. Sound Machine - Dane still sleeps with his on full blast each night. It drowns out everything from annoying dog noises to annoying neighbor noises. We each even have a white noise app on our cell phones for car trips and travel. For home use, do yourself a favor and buy one that doesn't time out and that can plug in and run on batteries. That way you can run it all night long. It's always the gift Jonathan and I buy for baby showers if one hasn't already been purchased for the expectant couple.
2. Video Monitor - Dane slept in a travel crib/play yard in our bedroom for the first 8 months of his life. Part of this was because he had infant reflux from hell and I was terrified he'd choke in his sleep and I wouldn't hear/be able to get to him in time. The other part was pure laziness. I liked being able to stumble the few steps to his "crib" in the middle of the night, stick his pacifier back in his mouth, and fall back into bed. When we did finally move him to a real crib in his own room, the video monitor gave us peace of mind. Now, it more or less lets us know if we really need to go in his room or not. Is he just crying out in his sleep or does he need help finding Elmo? And of course, it's nice to be able to use the zoom feature to watch him breathe for those moments when the crazy worrier in me rears its ugly head.
3. Movement Monitor - We used this until Dane was 18 months old and the cords became more of a hazard than it was worth. Whether this device would have really protected us in the awful event that Dane did stop breathing in the middle of the night I really don't know. What I do know is that white baby boys born in the middle of winter have the highest incidence of SIDS than any other group. While my child was not born in winter, he is white and he is a boy. Even if my child had been a little Ethiopian girl born in August, I would have made this purchase just for the peaceful rest it allowed me and my husband.
4. Breathable Bumpers - The usefulness of this invention is rather short lived. But at around $25-30 a pop, it's a great investment. It does what bumpers were intended to do (keep limbs out of crib rails and pacifiers/lovies inside the confines of the crib) without the bulkiness and thus the SIDS risk. Once Dane was about 15 months old, we switched back to the pretty bumpers that came with his bedding set.
5. Cool Mist Humidifier - Dane has asthma. This took quite a while to figure out but we knew from 3 months old that something wasn't quite right with his breathing. We still run our cheapy cool mist humidifier every single night at the advice of Dane's ENT and pulmonologist. Even if your kid doesn't have asthma, little tots get snotty and this helps. No doubt about it.
6. Microwave Sterlizer - This is so much easier than dealing with a plug-in version or boiling bottle parts. Plus, we stored ours in the microwave so it was out of site.
7. Velcro Swaddlers - It really doesn't matter what brand. They're all great in my opinion. And if you have a kid that likes to be swaddled, you don't want to be fumbling around trying to remember what they taught you at the hospital the day your kid was born. Because chances are you were pretty dang tired and overwhelmed that day. My son insisted on being swaddled to sleep for seven long months. The swaddlers were definitely worth the investment for us.
8. Petroleum Jelly - Only a parent could know how versatile this stuff is: best diaper cream on earth, good for boo-boos, dry cheeks, and thermometer lube. Plus, it's ridiculously cheap. Do yourself a favor though and splurge on the squeeze tubes. Who wants to deal with trying to put a lid back on a tub with a slippery hand and squalling infant? Not this girl.
I hope this helps all the expectant mothers out there! Let me know if you'd like my list of things that were definitely a waste for us.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Happy Birthday to Me!
My birthday was Friday. Do you want to know what I got? I got to have surgery! Seriously. I can't complain though, it was my choice to have it that day. I already had the day off, the in-laws were already planning on coming to visit so I knew they'd be able to help entertain Dane, and it would give me Saturday and Sunday to recuperate before having to return to work.
The surgery was very minor. It was for the De Quervain's tendonitis that I developed within weeks after having Dane. It's also referred to as "mother's thumb" or "baby wrist", both dumb-sounding, albeit appropriate names. I have had two cortisone injections that hurt like only a giant needle in the wrist can. When begging for a third after a year and a half of dealing with this issue, my doctor convinced me that surgery was really the best option.
The biggest issue has been dealing with being a temporary "lefty" and adhering to doctor's orders. You know, things like no taking off splint, no getting incision wet, no picking up your child. All of these were broken in less than 48 hours. There was just no way I wasn't going to wash my forearm for over a week. Not.gonna.happen.
My husband nearly lost his mind over this and kept saying things like "when your wrist is permanently jacked-up and you can never pick up our son again, you'll wish you had listened." Very dramatic. I can't blame him though. He's just trying to make sure I stay healthy. In all fairness to me though, I had an allergic reaction to the dressing (crazy, right? Not if you know me!) and tons of tiny blisters were forming under the sterile tape. I finally went to the doctor for an early follow-up today and he confirmed that yes, I was not crazy and I was reacting to the tape. He pulled it off and told me I didn't have to wear the brace except for while sleeping and playing with Dane and I could resume most of my daily activities. I'm free!
I'll spare you all from the photos. You're welcome, Jamie. :)
The surgery was very minor. It was for the De Quervain's tendonitis that I developed within weeks after having Dane. It's also referred to as "mother's thumb" or "baby wrist", both dumb-sounding, albeit appropriate names. I have had two cortisone injections that hurt like only a giant needle in the wrist can. When begging for a third after a year and a half of dealing with this issue, my doctor convinced me that surgery was really the best option.
The biggest issue has been dealing with being a temporary "lefty" and adhering to doctor's orders. You know, things like no taking off splint, no getting incision wet, no picking up your child. All of these were broken in less than 48 hours. There was just no way I wasn't going to wash my forearm for over a week. Not.gonna.happen.
My husband nearly lost his mind over this and kept saying things like "when your wrist is permanently jacked-up and you can never pick up our son again, you'll wish you had listened." Very dramatic. I can't blame him though. He's just trying to make sure I stay healthy. In all fairness to me though, I had an allergic reaction to the dressing (crazy, right? Not if you know me!) and tons of tiny blisters were forming under the sterile tape. I finally went to the doctor for an early follow-up today and he confirmed that yes, I was not crazy and I was reacting to the tape. He pulled it off and told me I didn't have to wear the brace except for while sleeping and playing with Dane and I could resume most of my daily activities. I'm free!
I'll spare you all from the photos. You're welcome, Jamie. :)
Monday, March 12, 2012
Good luck, Elmo
On Friday, I wisely purchased an "emergency backup Elmo.". You know, just in case anything were to ever happen to the Elmo that Dane sleeps with every night, all would be well in our home. Nothing has ever happened to Elmo #1, it's just something we thought would be a good idea.
Elmo #2's tags were removed and he was placed in Dane's crib while Elmo #1 went on vacation in Dane's closet. Elmo #2 only made it two nights before he was tragically leaked on. The care instrctions tell me I should "spot clean only with damp cloth." I take a wiff of Elmo. Nope. That's not gonna work. Elmo #2 is going to the waterpark (aka the washing machine) and Elmo #1 is coming out of retirement early. Elmo #2, I wish you the best of luck in the rinse cycle. But if you come out still smelling like amonia, you're going in the trash. Right after I go purchase Elmo #3.
Elmo #2's tags were removed and he was placed in Dane's crib while Elmo #1 went on vacation in Dane's closet. Elmo #2 only made it two nights before he was tragically leaked on. The care instrctions tell me I should "spot clean only with damp cloth." I take a wiff of Elmo. Nope. That's not gonna work. Elmo #2 is going to the waterpark (aka the washing machine) and Elmo #1 is coming out of retirement early. Elmo #2, I wish you the best of luck in the rinse cycle. But if you come out still smelling like amonia, you're going in the trash. Right after I go purchase Elmo #3.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Super Duper Weekend
Sorry it's been a week since I blogged. We've been so wonderfully busy just being a family lately. This weekend was so fantastic that it was almost surreal. The weather has been a-maz-ing, Dane has only had one time-out all weekend, and I got to go out with the girls last night!
We played with bubbles on the back porch, had a parade through the house, sang silly songs, and went to the park. This weekend felt like a snapshot from Parents Magazine. This is how I envisioned parenting. I've been in this game long enough to know that this isn't how it will always be, nor is it even typical, but I'm trying to savor these moments as the come. Dane even handled the time change like a champ! And oh -- the weather!! The weather was icing on the cake!
Seriously, this weather makes me so excited for our upcoming mini-vacation with BFF and her family. We're going to Amelia Island, one of my favorite places in the whole world. I cannot wait to see how much fun the boys are going to have running in the surf and playing in the sand together!
We're prepping to potty train Dane. Right now, all this means is that there is a lot of pee pee/poo poo talk around my house, tiny undies washed and ready to go, and lots of research on the part of mom and dad. Well. Just mom. But I'm ok with that. Those who know me also know that I love research. And the internet makes this oh so simple. (How did our parents ever raise us? I'm only partly kidding.) We hope to start the official "no more diapers" business sometime in May. We think it will help his sensitive and rash-prone booty to not have to go through the entire sweltering Southern summer in diapers.
Dinner with BFF and Erin (one of the fantastic girls I have met through infertility) was so great. There is never enough time to catch up with good friends, and when all three of us had a child within 9 months of one another, it just gets harder.
I'm going to try to write at least two posts per week in the future, but I make no promises.
I hope all my Southern friends enjoyed the weather before it gets too hot!
We played with bubbles on the back porch, had a parade through the house, sang silly songs, and went to the park. This weekend felt like a snapshot from Parents Magazine. This is how I envisioned parenting. I've been in this game long enough to know that this isn't how it will always be, nor is it even typical, but I'm trying to savor these moments as the come. Dane even handled the time change like a champ! And oh -- the weather!! The weather was icing on the cake!
Seriously, this weather makes me so excited for our upcoming mini-vacation with BFF and her family. We're going to Amelia Island, one of my favorite places in the whole world. I cannot wait to see how much fun the boys are going to have running in the surf and playing in the sand together!
We're prepping to potty train Dane. Right now, all this means is that there is a lot of pee pee/poo poo talk around my house, tiny undies washed and ready to go, and lots of research on the part of mom and dad. Well. Just mom. But I'm ok with that. Those who know me also know that I love research. And the internet makes this oh so simple. (How did our parents ever raise us? I'm only partly kidding.) We hope to start the official "no more diapers" business sometime in May. We think it will help his sensitive and rash-prone booty to not have to go through the entire sweltering Southern summer in diapers.
Dinner with BFF and Erin (one of the fantastic girls I have met through infertility) was so great. There is never enough time to catch up with good friends, and when all three of us had a child within 9 months of one another, it just gets harder.
I'm going to try to write at least two posts per week in the future, but I make no promises.
I hope all my Southern friends enjoyed the weather before it gets too hot!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Pinterest Strikes Again, StellaKit, and Weekend Fun
As usual, we've had a fantastic weekend. We really enjoy running around town and playing with Dane all weekend. Dane's getting over a raging yeast/diaper rash that's taken two trips to the pediatrician in the last week, but he finally seems to be on the mend.
We made a trip to Target, went grocery shopping, and saw the African Children's Choir. Dane loved watching the children perform, but was not a huge fan of the "bait and switch" the church hosting the choir pulled. We had to leave a little early to prevent a complete meltdown. The fact that a 19 month old sat and quietly participated for almost an hour was good enough to make us proud. We went and had pizza with Jake, Jamie, and Owen afterward and watched Dane practically inhale an appetizer plate of hummus. Owen's on the mend from a virus so I think the boys just talked about healthcare reform the whole time.
I cleaned out and reorganized our tiny pantry. If I wasn't aware of how necessary this was beforehand, the three opened containers of canola oil and seven (yes, seven) open varieties of bread crumbs assured me that my time was not wasted.
This weekend, I've tried three different Pinterest ideas. Here they are:
1. Rag Roll: The model's finished product had me so excited. The curls were just perfect and so sweet looking. But I've learned my lesson; I always try these new 'dos on the weekend. So Friday night, I cut up an old t-shirt of Jonathan's and happily rag-rolled my head. My result? Straight hair for the the first 6 to 8 inches of hair, followed by giant white girl fro for the bottom 6 to 8 inches. I had to put it up in a pony tail just to make a Target trip. Dane was mesmerized by the poofy mess and kept saying "hair," touching mine, and then touching his and Jonathan's. My hair just holds curl far too well for some of these styles. Maybe I'll try rolling it dry next time. On a weekend, of course.
2. Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes: I haven't actually tried one yet, but I've licked the bowl clean and the lemon-cream cheese icing is ridiculous! And I don't even normally love cream cheese icing. I garnished with more fresh blueberries like in the photo and they sure are pretty. Which leads me to number 3....
3. Thrifty Cupcake Carrier: The re-purposed Christmas gift boxes (which have already been around the block a few times thanks to my being so cheap) was cut with an x-acto knife to hold the yummies. It was a little difficult to make sure the holes were just the right size, but thanks to Jonathan's help, my cupcakes should be able to safely travel to dinner tonight. Due to the fact that there is icing all over the "carrier" and it can't be washed I'll have to toss it tonight. Jonathan said he'll buy me a real one the next time one shows up on Brad's Deals or Woot. It feels like a frivolous item to have, and it is, but as much as I've been baking lately, it would be used frequently.
One more thing.... Do you love free stuff? I know I do! My friend Kati's Etsy store, StellaKit Designs, is giving away a free wipes case (also good for makeup/accessories) on Jamie's blog, Laughter Ever After. Click here to find out how to enter! Kati is so talented and you really don't want to miss out.
We made a trip to Target, went grocery shopping, and saw the African Children's Choir. Dane loved watching the children perform, but was not a huge fan of the "bait and switch" the church hosting the choir pulled. We had to leave a little early to prevent a complete meltdown. The fact that a 19 month old sat and quietly participated for almost an hour was good enough to make us proud. We went and had pizza with Jake, Jamie, and Owen afterward and watched Dane practically inhale an appetizer plate of hummus. Owen's on the mend from a virus so I think the boys just talked about healthcare reform the whole time.
I cleaned out and reorganized our tiny pantry. If I wasn't aware of how necessary this was beforehand, the three opened containers of canola oil and seven (yes, seven) open varieties of bread crumbs assured me that my time was not wasted.
This weekend, I've tried three different Pinterest ideas. Here they are:
1. Rag Roll: The model's finished product had me so excited. The curls were just perfect and so sweet looking. But I've learned my lesson; I always try these new 'dos on the weekend. So Friday night, I cut up an old t-shirt of Jonathan's and happily rag-rolled my head. My result? Straight hair for the the first 6 to 8 inches of hair, followed by giant white girl fro for the bottom 6 to 8 inches. I had to put it up in a pony tail just to make a Target trip. Dane was mesmerized by the poofy mess and kept saying "hair," touching mine, and then touching his and Jonathan's. My hair just holds curl far too well for some of these styles. Maybe I'll try rolling it dry next time. On a weekend, of course.
2. Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes: I haven't actually tried one yet, but I've licked the bowl clean and the lemon-cream cheese icing is ridiculous! And I don't even normally love cream cheese icing. I garnished with more fresh blueberries like in the photo and they sure are pretty. Which leads me to number 3....
3. Thrifty Cupcake Carrier: The re-purposed Christmas gift boxes (which have already been around the block a few times thanks to my being so cheap) was cut with an x-acto knife to hold the yummies. It was a little difficult to make sure the holes were just the right size, but thanks to Jonathan's help, my cupcakes should be able to safely travel to dinner tonight. Due to the fact that there is icing all over the "carrier" and it can't be washed I'll have to toss it tonight. Jonathan said he'll buy me a real one the next time one shows up on Brad's Deals or Woot. It feels like a frivolous item to have, and it is, but as much as I've been baking lately, it would be used frequently.
One more thing.... Do you love free stuff? I know I do! My friend Kati's Etsy store, StellaKit Designs, is giving away a free wipes case (also good for makeup/accessories) on Jamie's blog, Laughter Ever After. Click here to find out how to enter! Kati is so talented and you really don't want to miss out.
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