GOTD - Strawberries

Another sweet sleeper that is now too small to fit!  When this picture was taken, she was swimming in it:

And now it doesn't even fit!  How is my little girl so big already?!

Sleeper is a hand-me-down from her cousin.

The Beauty Department

This is, hands down, my new favorite website.  I never watched Laguna Beach, The Hills, or whatever the New York one was called, but I've always adored looking at pictures of Lauren Conrad in gossip mags, and was so excited to hear she came out with a beauty website that is, well, fantastic.  Her tutorials are spot on, and I can't wait to replicate all of them.


http://thebeautydepartment.com/


Especially this one:



And this one:

GOTD - I make mommy smile

Part of why I like taking these pictures is because it gives me a chance to play with the camera, and learn to use it a little better.  While I have a LONG way to go with editing, I rather like the way these turned out straight out of the camera!

Any suggestions on places to learn how to work a DSLR?  For what its worth, I have a Canon EOS 20D.


Onesie was a gift from my best friend, Kelly and tutu leggings are a hand me down from Gwen's cousin, Adie.

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

I was in the mood to try something new for dinner last night, and so I turned to Christina's blog at C+C Marriage Factory.  Ty and I both really liked this recipe.  

I made a few changes to the recipe based on our tastes.  To see Christina's version, click here.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup fat free milk
1/3 cup hot sauce, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 lb extra-lean ground chicken breast
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 large egg and 1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly mist a multiple mini loaf pan with cooking spray.  If you would prefer to use a large loaf pan, see Christina's version!

Combine oats and milk in a medium size mixing bowl. Mix well. Let stand for 3 minutes or until oats are softened. Stir in hot sauce until well mixed. Add chicken, celery, carrots, onion, eggs, and salt. With fork, mix ingredients well. Add cheddar cheese and gently mix.

Transfer mixture to pan and spread so that top is flat. Top with hot sauce and spread evenly. Bake 30 mins or until chicken is no longer pink. Cut into 8 slices.

GOTD - Froggies

Gwen is slowly outgrowing some of her outfits.  I can't believe she's getting so big already!  I've started taking pictures of some of them before I get ready to move her up to size 0-3.


Sleeper is a hand-me-down from our neighbor's son.  I actually like this one the least of all of them, because I think the bottoms of the feet look like puppy paws, not frog feet.  Tell me what you think :)

Shit you need as a new mom

I read some of What to Expect When You're Expecting.  But I never finished it, and I never actually started any of the parenting books I intended to.  I figured I'd just Google anything I needed to know.  I did spend a lot of time at www.thebump.com though, and between that, and the moms I know in real life, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what I needed for the kid.


We came home from the hospital to a perfectly stocked house, and have only needed to top off supplies of diapers and wipes.  We luckily have had everything we needed. But at this point, with a one month old baby, I thought I'd share the top 10 things that have saved my sanity, and I could not have survived the last five weeks without.


1.  Kindle and Lighted Cover

I knew the baby would need to eat every few hours throughout the night.  I guess I thought it'd be a five minute ordeal.  Its not.  I spend anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes nursing at night, and its boring as fuck.  The lights are off or dim, in order to not overstimulate the baby, so your options are fall asleep yourself, potentially dropping the kid, waking up with a crick in your neck, and missing out on sleeping on your amazing W Hotel mattress, or find a way to occupy yourself in the dark.  Enter the Kindle.  The light is bright enough to read the books, and dim enough to not bother baby.  I feel a little bit more of myself, getting to spend sometime with a story I enjoy, and we all win.  
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2. White Noise App

Part of my nighttime routine for Guinevere involves turning on her Cloud B. Sleep Sheep, which makes a running water noise.  She also immediately calms when you're running the bath or faucet, and the louder the better.  For those times when its not practical to run water, I load this app, and its been a winner every time to quiet her down.  Double win?  That my phone plugs into my car's auxillary output, and I can play this over the car speakers when she's fussy in the car.


3.  One Hand Snacks

Everyone credits breastfeeding with losing the baby weight.  I credit a baby that prefers to be held at all times, resulting in no time to eat.  Most days, I'm lucky if I get one full meal before Tyler is home from work.  The best thing a mom can have on hand are filling snacks and food items that don't need to be prepared or heated up, and can be eaten with  one hand while tending to baby.  Granola bars, carrot sticks, raw almonds, muffins - anything that you can think of that fits this bill, make sure you stock up on it!


4.  Baby Carrier

We registered for and received both a Baby Bjorn and a Moby Wrap.  Luckily, Guinevere loves both.  I anticipated using them for trips out and about as a family, but they actually have been most helpful around the house.  Like I said, Guinevere prefers to be held, so this is the only way I get anything done.  Laundry, dishes, getting the mail, putting on make up, curling my hair...I've done it all with her happily snuggled in both the Moby and the Bjorn.  Its also been a great way to soothe her during the witching hour in the evenings - Tyler can pop her in the Bjorn and hold her while he plays video games, and she seems to really enjoy it.


5.  Face Wipes

The one thing that doesn't work with the baby in the Moby or Bjorn is washing my face.  And I really need to clean up in the mornings to feel more human.  I've switched to disposable face cleansing wipes, and I feel so much better.  Also?  I love these for when the baby spits up all over me.  A several times a day occurrence lately.


6.  Dog pee pads

You may get something similar in the hospital for when you first come home, to help protect against post partum bleeding leaks.  If you have a heavy flow when you first get home, I'd definitely recommend these in your bed or on couches.  But for me, they serve a dual purpose.


It is easiest for me to nurse Guinevere on top of a pillow in my lap, to prop her up a big higher.  Lately, she occasionally gets sick while breast feeding, and after nearly ruining our couch pillows and bedroom pillows, I turned to these pads - I put one over the pillow, and they protect it from yucky breast milk spit up.  


7.  Wine

Does this really need a caption?  Motherhood is the greatest gift I've ever been given - but after I put Guinevere down for the night, I absolutely adore a glass of wine.  I get bumped back into the adult world, and love a little "me time".


8.  Tubby Towel.  

I found this tummy towel at Target, and it has completely transformed bath time.  Before, she thought getting clean was a form of torture.  Now, having this little towel over her body as she get washed is heaven.  She adores bath time, and could stay in there all day!


9.  Nursing camis.

I thought nursing bras were going to be the way to go, but camis have been WAY easier.  For starters, they keep my stomach covered, so I'm not showing skin when people are over and I need to nurse.  They are comfortable enough to wear solo, but practical enough that I much prefer wearing them under regular tops when I go out, mostly because they are more modest than a regular nursing bra would be.  I now own about 6 of these, and will probably stock up on more to get me through the next year.


10.  iBaby App

There is a ton of extra junk in this app that I don't use, but it was REALLY helpful in the first month to keep track of feeding and sleeping, to be able to identify a pattern, better make plans on when I assumed she might be asleep, and even double check to see which  breast I fed from last.  It also helps me give a more informed answer to the doctor when they ask how often she eats, poops and pees.

5 weeks

Guinevere,

What a week!  You have been making little smiles for awhile, but not on purpose.  Finally, on the 13th, you smiled at Daddy while he was holding you.  And the two of you were so delighted, you both kept smiling over and over again.  Since then, Daddy can always make you smile.  It took you four days to smile for me...stinker!  At your pediatrician appointment, you got your first shot.  You cried, but I think I cried more.  It  broke my heart seeing your face immediately contort into pain.  I sat in the room for about 20 minutes afterwards nursing you to make you feel better.

You also had a playdate with your cousins this week.  They all loved holding you, and kept asking for their turn.  I love that they are interested in you, and I hope that the four of you grow up to be close - especially you and Ava.

The past month flew by, and I just love you so much.

Love,

Mama

The stats!

Sleep:  Still sleeping on her back, still around 5 hours at the first stretch, then a quick nurse, then back for a few more hours.

Daily Routine:  Its still more of a "rough outline" than a routine, and I won't have much change week to week.  Last week I talked about our morning routine.  By noon, I'm usually dying to get out of the house.  If the weather isn't too terrible, we talk a walk with the dogs, but lately its been super hot, so we just go shopping.  Groceries, Target...doesn't matter.

Feed:  She still loves breastfeeding.  She does well in the three breast feeding positions I use - cradle, football, and side-laying.

Weight:  8lbs 10oz

Length:  20.75"

Diaper Size:  As of today, she is officially in Size 1s.  They are too big, but better than the too small Newborns.

Clothes Size:  Newborns fit perfectly.  

Hair Color:  Light brown with blonde highlights.


Eye Color:  Dark blue.

Funniest Moment this week:  When Daddy swoops in for kisses, she immediately opens up her mouth to suck on his nose.  It makes her look like a sweet baby bird, which is funny since thats our nickname for her :)


Milestone:  In addition to smiles this week, she also decided she prefers standing.  She loves to be held up so her legs can push down and support her weight.

Favorite Toy:  The ceiling fan, the swing, and the vibrating bouncer.


Firsts:

1st smile - July 13th

1 month pediatrician appointment - July 14th

Weekly Pictures:

Good, bad and ugly

The Good:
Guinevere took a fabulous nap today, so I took the time to curl my hair and get ready, and then we headed out to run errands.


The Bad:
Traffic was a little heavy on the way to Bed Bath and Beyond, Guinevere was a little squawk-y in the backseat, and the sky was getting dark and ominous.


The Ugly:
Right as we pull into the shopping center, the sky opens up and its absolutely pouring.


The Good:
I had an umbrella in my car!  I never have an umbrella.


The Bad:
Struggling to get into the store with a giant diaper bag, a baby carrier, an umbrella, and my keys out so I could lock the doors behind us.


The Ugly:
The umbrella only covered Guinevere's carrier, so I made the obvious decision to only cover her, and I got soaked.


This was one of the many wake up calls that I've been subject to, realizing how my life is different.  Pre-baby, I would have grabbed my cell and credit card, and sprinted into the store.  I can't do that now.  I was actually soaked before I even took a foot away from my car, as I took time to unlatch her carrier, cover her with a blanket, open the umbrella and figure out how to prop it on her stroller to block the rain from touching her, gather her diaper bag, and then walk slowly into the store since I was carrying so much stuff.


I can be pretty vain about my looks.  I enjoy doing my hair and make up and dressing up.  Now, the only places I have to go are the grocery store and Target, so that is the highlight of my week - getting ready to run errands.  So it was a bit of shock walking in the door and realizing that my curls were gone, my make up was gone, and the hour and a half I'd spent getting ready were completely wasted.

But its okay, because my baby didn't get so much as a drop of rain on her.  And nowadays...thats all that matters, really.

4 weeks

A month this week!

Sleep:  We are now letting her sleep on her back at night.  She sleeps so well, and is SO much happier during the day.  I put her down for the night between 10 and 11pm, and she consistently sleeps 5 hours for her first leg of the night.  When she wakes first, I change and nurse her, and can usually get 2-3 more hours before the sun is too bright in her room, and I move her into mine.

Daily Routine:  Its still more of a "rough outline" than a routine, and I won't have much change week to week.  Last week I talked about putting her down to sleep.  As for the morning, once the sun is up, I move her to our room, and I nurse her while laying down, and am able to doze a bit off and on until 9 or 10am.  Then I either put her in the bouncer or the Moby Wrap while I get ready for the day, and we go downstairs to feed the dogs breakfast and then I'll pump while we watch old reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 on SoapNet.

Feed:  She still loves breastfeeding.  She does well in the three breast feeding positions I use - cradle, football, and side-laying.

Weight:  8lbs 10oz!  I can't believe what a big girl she is now!  She has started outgrowing several outfits, so I've been taking pictures of her in them every day to remember them.

Length:  20.75"

Diaper Size:  Newborn size are awfully tight, and size 1s are HUGE - I wish there was an in between size!  I'm trying different brands now to see if something will work instead of the Pampers we have.

Clothes Size:  Newborns fit perfectly.  I haven't actually tried any 0-3 on her yet.

Hair Color:  Light brown with blonde highlights.  Yay!

Eye Color:  Dark blue.

Funniest Moment this week:  Watching her with the dogs.  She doesn't really seem to see them, but somehow is always kicking and grabbing at them.

Milestone:  Hitting one month old!

Favorite Toy:  The ceiling fan, the swing, and the vibrating bouncer.

Firsts:

First night alone with Dad while Mom went to happy hour - July 8thFirst dinner at Red Robin with Mom and Dad - July 9th

First afternoon alone with Dad while Mom got a mani/pedi - July 9thFirst girls lunch with the FIFs - July 10th
First real bath - July 10th

Weekly Pictures:

Maternity Pictures

My baby turns one month this week, and I just realized I never posted the rest of my maternity pictures!


The amazing Christina at C+C Marriage Factory took them, and I was so excited to get them.  The weather was miserable, but she did an incredible job editing them.