Coming from a first-time Mom I had no fricken clue what all I needed for my pooping/peeing/sleeping bundle of joy. So I looked to the Internets! I wrote list after list so I could be "prepared" HA, what's that?! And I had hoped to not make any extra trips up to the baby store being 30+ weeks pregnant after my shower.
It's funny how every website/blog is different on the things you need, makes for a hellava hard time to make a list of any sort. Here's my breakdown..I call it the Cheater Mom's List
1. Onesies-LOTS of em, they are the all-good-and-mighty. Drew was born in the summer so that's all he wore it was great, put that sucker on and we are out the door. Then in the Winter you can layer those under sweaters, or under long-sleeved shirts w/ pants and call it a day. But you need LOTS since they have diarrhea for like the first 4 months.
2. Bibs...like a million of them, esp. if you little one spits up like Drew does and you will need them when teething begins otherwise you will go through MORE soaked onesies.
3. PJ's...that ZIPPER and have feet...1 piece, none of that 3 piece jazz..although Super cute; highly impractical especially for late night diapering.
4. Burp clothes or swaddle blankets..(I wouldn't buy the swaddlers...your baby might not like them and then you have a bunch you have no use for, buy the blankets that way you can use them for burp rags) again for the spitting up, you can NEVER have too many...like for real...go buy another package right now.
5. Infant carseat/stroller...best purchase I made was a stroller where the carseat just clicks in...it's super lightweight and easy to manage, cuz when they're young they don't do anything so that thing is perfect. Also it's small enough if you go to a restaurant you can just wheel him right in.
6. Diaper bag...buy the fricken biggest one you can find...although it seems crazy you will NEVER have enough room, mine isn't big enough so I have like 3 bags I carry...annoying!
7. Paci's..this is hard...although you need these right out of the gate you never know which one your baby will really enjoy...buy 1 package of like 2 different brands...find his/her fave and then go and buy a few packages of that size, and the next size up...does a few sound crazy? Here's the breakdown..one for the carseat...one for grandma/grandpa's..one for the living room, their bedroom, one for your purse in an emergency. Then when they get old enough to grab it and fling it places you will need like 2 extra packages, right now I have 3 lined up on Drew's crib..cuz he takes em out and flings em under his crib in the middle of the night..?
8. Changing table, or PackNplay with changing table..we actually had one with wheels and we wheeled it into the living room when he was very young (boring) and then wheeled it in our room to sleep for the first 7 weeks before his crib.
9. Crib..DUH Alot are converters which is nice cuz then you will have his bed when he gets older..make sure to buy the conversion kit..which I still haven't done.
10. Boppy...make feeding, laying and sitting fun and easy. We just now are done using it and he's 8mo old so I think that was a good purchase.
11. Glider...although I was skeptical we also put that in our room when he was first born for nighttime feedings and every night I rock him in there while giving him his bottle before bed.
12. Diapers/wipes...A TON, in the first few months that little one will need to be changed 8-10 times per day..you do the math..however you might want to ask around or buy some small packs to find out the ones you prefer. My fave are Huggies Pure & Natural, they feel like cloth, not like a plastic diaper.
Ok those are the big Must-haves. Those you can gladly put on your registry for OTHER people to buy for you. Now, here's some extra shizzle you might/might not want to put on there, but also are good to have.
Bottles, even if breastfeeding there will be times when you will want to run to the store and it's so much easier that way. Breast pump, but read my post before buying one HERE
Bottle cleaner, drying rack, dishwasher basket. Laundry soap, dryer sheets, scratch mittens, hangers, gas drops, Tylenol, nipple cream, padded bras or some sort of protection against flailing arms when your nipples are raw, flowy clothes for yourself, think Moo-Moo's and robes. Hair ties, prenatals, some sort of bathtub and accessories for baths. Formula-again just in case if you are breastfeeding. Toys, teethers, some sort of baby bjorn for walks, socks for the little one, shoes if it's going to winter, food...for you...have like a casserole party and have all your friends over to make freezer meals for you. Or you can live on Trailmix like I did. Hamper, Storage bins since they grow out of their clothes in a blink of an eye...or if you aren't keeping them large garbage bags so you can send em off to Goodwill or whatever. A few seasons of your favorite show just for the first few months...I don't nap so I would go about my zombie-like state and watch episodes while he slept.
That should get you going for now! In the beginning plan on 2-3 outfits per day...I know it's Crazzzaayy! Did I leave anything out? Happy Registry-ing :)
~Candace
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Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
15 Totally Normal Feelings for New Moms
I just want to give a shoutout to all my new moms and up-and-coming moms, it's tough I'm not gonna lie, but the rewards are what make it worth it, you just have to wait for them :) Here's my list of 15 items that will TOTALLY happen to you if they haven't already and are TOTALLY normal so give yourself a break eh?
1. You will leave the Hospital and have no idea what to do...that's what google is for
2. You will go to the Pediatricians office w/ no questions, and be totally unprepared for her questions
3. You will wonder how you will ever have time to cook again
4. You will envy your friends without kids
5. You will think "maybe we shouldn't have had kids"
6. You will attempt homemade babyfood
7. You will try to take everyone's advice and somewhere along the lines you decide to disregard it all
8. You will think you look good (hey I JUST had a baby!) and then you see a picture and think...NOPE! Wow how that X-amount of lbs really does make a difference!
9. You will hate your husband...well hate is such a strong world, let me rephrase that, everything he does will BUG the shit out of you..."No you didn't read my mind that I wanted tacos tonight, I hate you"
10. You will google all of the following: feedings for baby, feeding amounts for baby, sleep times for baby, breastfeeding, pumping, weaning, fever, rash, cold remedies, how to play with a baby...I'm serious on the last one, even my Mom did it!
11. You will feel all of the following, probably on the same day and probably very often: overwhelmed, useless, helpless, judged, under-appreciated, stupid, out of the loop, alone, confused, sad.
12. You will need a peptalk every now and then-Thanks Jamie!
13. You will pee yourself the first time you workout
14. You will cry, laugh, curse, and be hungry very often
15. You will realize tomorrow is a new day and anything that happened today is out the window....thank god!
I just have to say Thank god for girlfriends! It's very easy to feel alone w/ your baby alot of the time...never really knowing if people are going through the same things you are, if they or you are normal...what's normal? Good to know that others are having issues in their relationships as first time parents, everything is an adjustment...and it will take AWHILE to get shit straightened out. We all know I am not a patient person so it really helps me to have girls nights every once in awhile to get it out, to hear others on their issues.. make me feel like everything WILL someday work itself out and we WILL be one big happy family again instead of doing handoffs of Drew while the other is home so we can get something accomplished that day. I think winter has really gotten the best of me this year, I really can't wait to take Drew to the zoo, walks, parks...I know he is still young but just to get out and see other people and kids...he loves watching kids! Hopefully someone will read this entry and have a sigh of relief...it's hard, it's the hardest thing you will have to ever go through and it takes a super strong person to just flat-out say: "hold on to your titties it's going to be a wild ride" instead of it's all the rainbows and lollipops..."Being a parent is just great isn't it??!" Hmm it has its' moments.
As far as Andrew, as he gets a little older his personality is starting to shine through and NOW I am getting some rewards! When he lays his head down on me...even for a second...it's pure bliss...seeing as how the kid never stops moving. When he falls alseep in my arms when I give him his bedtime bottle...it's pure bliss...When I walk in the door and he crawls toward me to greet me..it's pure bliss. And when I ask for a kiss and he looks at me (mouth opened?) and holds still for just a second so I can give him a peck...it's pure bliss. These are the moments when all the doubts and insecurities are whisked away and I think "maybe we are doing ok?" and these are the moments I wake up for everyday.
So hang in there!!! I know it's tough and I know you feel helpless and like you don't know how to be a good parent...it's totally normal! Enjoy your time with your children is all I can say :)
~Candace
1. You will leave the Hospital and have no idea what to do...that's what google is for
2. You will go to the Pediatricians office w/ no questions, and be totally unprepared for her questions
3. You will wonder how you will ever have time to cook again
4. You will envy your friends without kids
5. You will think "maybe we shouldn't have had kids"
6. You will attempt homemade babyfood
7. You will try to take everyone's advice and somewhere along the lines you decide to disregard it all
8. You will think you look good (hey I JUST had a baby!) and then you see a picture and think...NOPE! Wow how that X-amount of lbs really does make a difference!
9. You will hate your husband...well hate is such a strong world, let me rephrase that, everything he does will BUG the shit out of you..."No you didn't read my mind that I wanted tacos tonight, I hate you"
10. You will google all of the following: feedings for baby, feeding amounts for baby, sleep times for baby, breastfeeding, pumping, weaning, fever, rash, cold remedies, how to play with a baby...I'm serious on the last one, even my Mom did it!
11. You will feel all of the following, probably on the same day and probably very often: overwhelmed, useless, helpless, judged, under-appreciated, stupid, out of the loop, alone, confused, sad.
12. You will need a peptalk every now and then-Thanks Jamie!
13. You will pee yourself the first time you workout
14. You will cry, laugh, curse, and be hungry very often
15. You will realize tomorrow is a new day and anything that happened today is out the window....thank god!
I just have to say Thank god for girlfriends! It's very easy to feel alone w/ your baby alot of the time...never really knowing if people are going through the same things you are, if they or you are normal...what's normal? Good to know that others are having issues in their relationships as first time parents, everything is an adjustment...and it will take AWHILE to get shit straightened out. We all know I am not a patient person so it really helps me to have girls nights every once in awhile to get it out, to hear others on their issues.. make me feel like everything WILL someday work itself out and we WILL be one big happy family again instead of doing handoffs of Drew while the other is home so we can get something accomplished that day. I think winter has really gotten the best of me this year, I really can't wait to take Drew to the zoo, walks, parks...I know he is still young but just to get out and see other people and kids...he loves watching kids! Hopefully someone will read this entry and have a sigh of relief...it's hard, it's the hardest thing you will have to ever go through and it takes a super strong person to just flat-out say: "hold on to your titties it's going to be a wild ride" instead of it's all the rainbows and lollipops..."Being a parent is just great isn't it??!" Hmm it has its' moments.
As far as Andrew, as he gets a little older his personality is starting to shine through and NOW I am getting some rewards! When he lays his head down on me...even for a second...it's pure bliss...seeing as how the kid never stops moving. When he falls alseep in my arms when I give him his bedtime bottle...it's pure bliss...When I walk in the door and he crawls toward me to greet me..it's pure bliss. And when I ask for a kiss and he looks at me (mouth opened?) and holds still for just a second so I can give him a peck...it's pure bliss. These are the moments when all the doubts and insecurities are whisked away and I think "maybe we are doing ok?" and these are the moments I wake up for everyday.
So hang in there!!! I know it's tough and I know you feel helpless and like you don't know how to be a good parent...it's totally normal! Enjoy your time with your children is all I can say :)
~Candace
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Spring Ahead...yea right..
While the 1/2 of the world is getting super excited that Spring is around the corner the rest of the world (mostly moms) are dreading turning our clocks ahead an hour. Because in case you didn't know: Babies can't tell you turned the damn clocks forward or back or sideways...the are on their schedule and that is that. So being a first-time mom that brings me to my next question. How the HELL do you get your baby on the new schedule? Or do you just hate your life for like 2 weeks while they get used to it? Oh man I'm not looking forward to all this. Right now the little man goes down at about 8...I really try to keep him up later but he's a nightmare so I give in and put him to bed. He usually gets up around 6am..then I really try to have him snuggle me until at least 6:30 since his bottle isn't until 7:30....so on Sunday he will be getting up at like 7:30 (new time) and going to bed at 9 (new time)? And somewhere in the middle of all this we lose an hour HUH?!
How am I going to keep this straight?
I ALREADY need a glass of wine and it's only Wednesday night! So for shits and giggles I decided to google "how to get my baby ready for time change" and you would be SUPRISED to see how many things popped up! And the consensus was to start a week ahead of time keeping them up later by 15 minutes every night to get them on a different schedule..well since I'm already fucked cuz it's just about Thursday I will have that glass now please :) I have to say I feel alot better about myself when I read shit like this:
"We live in Russia but have traveled back and forth to the States twice now with my 10-month old DS. I've heard that it takes a day for every hour you change, and when we changed 11 hours it definitely took at least 11 days for him to get over jet lag. He would sleep more and more on the local time each day, but I had to just go with the flow until he totally adapted."
ARE YOU SERIOUS! I can't imagine traveling to and from freakin' Russia w/ a 10mo old! Just slit my wrists and call it a day! Oh that reminds me, little man turned 8mo today! And I already forgot to take his little picture w/ his little 8mo sticker on it...I'm already turning into a horrible mom. Hopefully someday he will forgive me..."Mom, you were a day late posting my 8mo old picture WTF, now I'm in counseling and I like to cut myself"...I would just die. I will get on the stick tomorrow I promise....after my coffee....and a shower...possibly a nap...you get the drift.
Happy Thursday Ya'll!
~Candace
How am I going to keep this straight?
I ALREADY need a glass of wine and it's only Wednesday night! So for shits and giggles I decided to google "how to get my baby ready for time change" and you would be SUPRISED to see how many things popped up! And the consensus was to start a week ahead of time keeping them up later by 15 minutes every night to get them on a different schedule..well since I'm already fucked cuz it's just about Thursday I will have that glass now please :) I have to say I feel alot better about myself when I read shit like this:
"We live in Russia but have traveled back and forth to the States twice now with my 10-month old DS. I've heard that it takes a day for every hour you change, and when we changed 11 hours it definitely took at least 11 days for him to get over jet lag. He would sleep more and more on the local time each day, but I had to just go with the flow until he totally adapted."
ARE YOU SERIOUS! I can't imagine traveling to and from freakin' Russia w/ a 10mo old! Just slit my wrists and call it a day! Oh that reminds me, little man turned 8mo today! And I already forgot to take his little picture w/ his little 8mo sticker on it...I'm already turning into a horrible mom. Hopefully someday he will forgive me..."Mom, you were a day late posting my 8mo old picture WTF, now I'm in counseling and I like to cut myself"...I would just die. I will get on the stick tomorrow I promise....after my coffee....and a shower...possibly a nap...you get the drift.
Happy Thursday Ya'll!
~Candace
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Slow Down!
This little man is really taking advantage of his mama being home. The kid is almost 8mo old, crawling, now pulling himself up onto things..He's growing TOO fast for me to keep up! So I'm sorry I have been MIA for awhile..it's like now that I'm home I don't know how I did it when I wasn't home! But I do have a few excuses, I had a wine event this past weekend so the weekend entailed of getting everyones order in, clarifying some shizzle that was out and putting the cards through. Then I have another event this weekend with some wines I haven't tried yet, so I have to do my research on them bad boys along w/ following up with the Hostess and all that jazz...Making copies at Kinko's you know how I roll.
Drew has been sick going on week 2..it's so great when babies are sick and there's nothing you can do for them except give them extra snuggles! So needless to say my house looks like a disaster zone and I can't seem to get enough sleep these days. I mean I went to bed at 8:45pm last night, woke up 6am to the stirs of a child and could have slept for a bit longer...Isn't that craaaaazy? Shouldn't I be like in bed at 10pm and up at 5am or something? I will say there is so much I can get done when he goes to sleep it's amazing...I just think about if I were to stay up til 10..The whole house would be cleaned, the meals prepared for the next day, laundry done and put away...MAN that would be NICE! But what do I decide to do? Sleep...oh well.
I did do some cooking over the weekend so I have a new recipe for ya's...and it's delightful especially for the ending of this horrific winter that is plaguing us.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup w/ Bacon, Cheddar, and Chives
From Real simple magazine
Ingredients
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2" pieces
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups of whole milk
4oz of grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Cook the bacon in a large pot or dutch oven..HA! over med-high heat til crispy...Transfer to a plate and leave 2tbsp of bacon greasy goodness in the pot. Add onions and garlic, cook until softened 8 min. Add potatoes, broth, milk, salt and pepper...go a little heavy on the salt cuz dem alot of taters! Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer, cook about 30-40min stirring occasionally until potatoes start to fall apart...I even smashed a few to get it extra creamy :). Put into a bowl, top w/ some bacon, cheddar and chives...mmmmm
Enjoy!
~Candace
Drew has been sick going on week 2..it's so great when babies are sick and there's nothing you can do for them except give them extra snuggles! So needless to say my house looks like a disaster zone and I can't seem to get enough sleep these days. I mean I went to bed at 8:45pm last night, woke up 6am to the stirs of a child and could have slept for a bit longer...Isn't that craaaaazy? Shouldn't I be like in bed at 10pm and up at 5am or something? I will say there is so much I can get done when he goes to sleep it's amazing...I just think about if I were to stay up til 10..The whole house would be cleaned, the meals prepared for the next day, laundry done and put away...MAN that would be NICE! But what do I decide to do? Sleep...oh well.
I did do some cooking over the weekend so I have a new recipe for ya's...and it's delightful especially for the ending of this horrific winter that is plaguing us.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup w/ Bacon, Cheddar, and Chives
From Real simple magazine
Ingredients
4 slices of bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2" pieces
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups of whole milk
4oz of grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Cook the bacon in a large pot or dutch oven..HA! over med-high heat til crispy...Transfer to a plate and leave 2tbsp of bacon greasy goodness in the pot. Add onions and garlic, cook until softened 8 min. Add potatoes, broth, milk, salt and pepper...go a little heavy on the salt cuz dem alot of taters! Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer, cook about 30-40min stirring occasionally until potatoes start to fall apart...I even smashed a few to get it extra creamy :). Put into a bowl, top w/ some bacon, cheddar and chives...mmmmm
Enjoy!
~Candace
Friday, February 28, 2014
Babyfood...The Good, The Bad, The Evil
That feeling of panic when your Pediatrician announces you can start giving your baby some babyfood...WHAT?! I don't even know where to begin..what about that rice stuff, or the oatmeal stuff, or the..the...OK CALM DOWN! I'll do a quick run-down for ya, and the best part is EVERY baby is different...so even if I say this shizzle worked for me, odds are you will have to do some modifying of your own..GRRReat. I know that is your life now, roll with the punches!
My doc suggested at 4 mo to start giving my little man some oatmeal/rice 2x's a day to get him used to taking and swallowing food. WELL...sounds easy right? Haha, you so funny! So he basically gagged every time I tried to give him the oatmeal...I stopped giving him rice in his bedtime bottle because my Aunt sent me an article about arsenic being a natural occurrence in rice. I tried, and tried and tried. Finally I said Eff this and gave him some straight up fruit puree. O he gobbled that shit down! So first thing that didn't go according to plan: Eating Oatmeal plain.
So then everyday we would sit down for 2 "meals" to see what he liked/didn't like and to watch out for allergies...Lawdy help me! For some odd reason he never wanted to eat bananas...and it took me AWHILE to figure out they give him diarrhea...his poop is forever changing after starting ANY kind of solid foods so that's my excuse. So no bananas...no oatmeal..check and check!
So I got some Gerber, Ellas, Happy Baby, Earthsbest, and Sprout...Here's the rundown.
1st Place goes to Ella's. Not only are the ingredients all things you can say outloud without have a doctorate in nutrition(is that possible?) but the consistency is perfect for "spooning" ha pun! I also enjoy the flavor combinations- not everything has fricken bananas in it- and packaging is Uber cute. However this is the most expensive so go figure.
2nd Place goes to Sprout and this is due solely to the availability in your area, it's hard to find this shit by me, I have to order it online which sucks, because who can predict how much babyfood they will need, or if your little one will enjoy the flavor combos. But I ordered some off Zulily and was pleasantly suprised...flavor combo's are great, packaging is simple but yet enticing and cost is up there with Ella's. This is also Tyler Florence's babyfood of choice. You be the judge
3rd Place is Happy Baby, or Happy Tot...I am loving the flavor combos, very spoon-able and price is a little lower than Ella's but higher than Gerber. Kind of hard to find also :(
Mentionables-Gerber...hate it, hate it, hate it. Sooo watery, ingredients are all scientific names, no exciting flavor combos. Seems like this company has been the same company they were 20 years ago. Earthbest-OK, has a new "world" line that offers interesting flavor combos..Ratatouille anyone? Price point is good...Kind of hard to find or instock at least...and I HATE going to Babies R Us for food but they usually have a ton of it.
Now I can finally add in some oatmeal into one of the fruit/veggie purees and he will eat it..took some work tho I'm not gonna lie. The good news is...especially if you are breastfeeding...once they start eating solids they get solid poop! Go Figure! Now pooping will consist of much louder grunts and maybe even a few red faces. Let me know which food your baby likes!
~Candace
My doc suggested at 4 mo to start giving my little man some oatmeal/rice 2x's a day to get him used to taking and swallowing food. WELL...sounds easy right? Haha, you so funny! So he basically gagged every time I tried to give him the oatmeal...I stopped giving him rice in his bedtime bottle because my Aunt sent me an article about arsenic being a natural occurrence in rice. I tried, and tried and tried. Finally I said Eff this and gave him some straight up fruit puree. O he gobbled that shit down! So first thing that didn't go according to plan: Eating Oatmeal plain.
So then everyday we would sit down for 2 "meals" to see what he liked/didn't like and to watch out for allergies...Lawdy help me! For some odd reason he never wanted to eat bananas...and it took me AWHILE to figure out they give him diarrhea...his poop is forever changing after starting ANY kind of solid foods so that's my excuse. So no bananas...no oatmeal..check and check!
So I got some Gerber, Ellas, Happy Baby, Earthsbest, and Sprout...Here's the rundown.
1st Place goes to Ella's. Not only are the ingredients all things you can say outloud without have a doctorate in nutrition(is that possible?) but the consistency is perfect for "spooning" ha pun! I also enjoy the flavor combinations- not everything has fricken bananas in it- and packaging is Uber cute. However this is the most expensive so go figure.
3rd Place is Happy Baby, or Happy Tot...I am loving the flavor combos, very spoon-able and price is a little lower than Ella's but higher than Gerber. Kind of hard to find also :(
Mentionables-Gerber...hate it, hate it, hate it. Sooo watery, ingredients are all scientific names, no exciting flavor combos. Seems like this company has been the same company they were 20 years ago. Earthbest-OK, has a new "world" line that offers interesting flavor combos..Ratatouille anyone? Price point is good...Kind of hard to find or instock at least...and I HATE going to Babies R Us for food but they usually have a ton of it.
Now I can finally add in some oatmeal into one of the fruit/veggie purees and he will eat it..took some work tho I'm not gonna lie. The good news is...especially if you are breastfeeding...once they start eating solids they get solid poop! Go Figure! Now pooping will consist of much louder grunts and maybe even a few red faces. Let me know which food your baby likes!
~Candace
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
PUMP you very much!
Did you register for your baby shower yet? Did you put an enormously expensive Breast Pump on there? Well if you did take it off. Back in 2010 if you didn't know, the Affordable Health Care Act offered assistance with purchasing or renting a breast pump. Back in the day when I was preggars my Aunt sent me a link stating that breast pumps COULD be covered underneath our health insurance so I wouldn't need to purchase one. I just had to do some HELLA amount of research. First off you have to see IF your Health Insurance covers Breast Pumps or any other Durable Medical Equipment...I had to call several times because they didn't know what the hell I was talking about..UH DUH we pump our boobies with them to feed the babies!
After finally getting someone who knew their head from their ass...YES it COULD be covered, first off I would need my Doctor to Prescribe it to me..then I need to find a store around my house that sells Durable Medical Equipment AND is an in-network provider..out of the huge long list of them I found 1/10 that sold/rented breast pumps. The rest were like sleep apnea machines, wheelchairs, etc. I would then need to bring my prescription into the store and they would order and submit the claim to my insurance and then I could pick it up and probably owe a small deductible of $40. SWEET! So if you have like at least 5 extra hours out of a day to be on hold and callback to get the answer you are looking for then by all means have at it! Hell they go for around $300 so I think that is totally worth it!
O and another thing, don't expect to rent from the Hospital when you are their having your child, to get you by until you get the one from the store...MOST hospitals do not rent on the weekends and neither do any other fricken place for that matter...so either get that shit done ahead of time or have your kid during the week when you can rent a pump...What a fricken ridiculous little side bar eh? I was on fire when they told me I was out of luck, especially since I was there on a Friday and then Saturday came around and I had to ask to rent one...O breast is best bullshit now imparts on your freedoms and choices...now you have to tell and ask everything. That's another thing on the weekend births, there usually isn't a lactation specialist there on the weekends either...I mean what's up with that! I understand everyone needs a day off but sheesh I was shit out of luck while I was there for the weekend. I had every nurse tell me different ways to feed him to get him to latch. Boy was that fun!
So if you REALLY want to be prepared get your pump ahead of time AND talk to a lactation specialist before giving birth. And that's IF you are really concerned about breastfeeding. I didn't care how he was getting the milk so I planned on just pumping and giving it to him that way, that would also help so that other people would be able to feed him not just me. So good thing I wasn't hell-bent on getting him to latch cuz that shit is stressful! Here's a brand-new fragile thing and you have to twist it's head this way and that...how fun!
Here's a recipe...FINALLY I know, I have been slacking, anywho these wraps are the bomb diggity...do people say that anymore? I used a regular flour wrap since the multi-grain ones make me dry heave...what do they put in those things?! If you have found one that doesn't resemble the taste of dog food let me know!
Black Bean and Feta Stuffed Burritos
From Real Simple Magazine
1/2 c. cooked brown rice
1 c. greek yogurt plain
cilantro
2 limes
salt
2 avocados
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 c. shredded red cabbage
1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed
1 cucumber sliced thin
4 warmed burrito size tortillas
Rotisserie Chicken and hot sauce (optional)
Mix yogurt, 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, 2 tbsp. lime juice and feta, add some salt depending on saltiness of Feta. Put a tortilla down, layer- 1/4 of all ingredients- Rice, Sauce, cabbage, cucumber, avocado, beans, chix, hot sauce. Roll up and devour!
Happy Pumping!
~Candace
After finally getting someone who knew their head from their ass...YES it COULD be covered, first off I would need my Doctor to Prescribe it to me..then I need to find a store around my house that sells Durable Medical Equipment AND is an in-network provider..out of the huge long list of them I found 1/10 that sold/rented breast pumps. The rest were like sleep apnea machines, wheelchairs, etc. I would then need to bring my prescription into the store and they would order and submit the claim to my insurance and then I could pick it up and probably owe a small deductible of $40. SWEET! So if you have like at least 5 extra hours out of a day to be on hold and callback to get the answer you are looking for then by all means have at it! Hell they go for around $300 so I think that is totally worth it!
O and another thing, don't expect to rent from the Hospital when you are their having your child, to get you by until you get the one from the store...MOST hospitals do not rent on the weekends and neither do any other fricken place for that matter...so either get that shit done ahead of time or have your kid during the week when you can rent a pump...What a fricken ridiculous little side bar eh? I was on fire when they told me I was out of luck, especially since I was there on a Friday and then Saturday came around and I had to ask to rent one...O breast is best bullshit now imparts on your freedoms and choices...now you have to tell and ask everything. That's another thing on the weekend births, there usually isn't a lactation specialist there on the weekends either...I mean what's up with that! I understand everyone needs a day off but sheesh I was shit out of luck while I was there for the weekend. I had every nurse tell me different ways to feed him to get him to latch. Boy was that fun!
So if you REALLY want to be prepared get your pump ahead of time AND talk to a lactation specialist before giving birth. And that's IF you are really concerned about breastfeeding. I didn't care how he was getting the milk so I planned on just pumping and giving it to him that way, that would also help so that other people would be able to feed him not just me. So good thing I wasn't hell-bent on getting him to latch cuz that shit is stressful! Here's a brand-new fragile thing and you have to twist it's head this way and that...how fun!
Here's a recipe...FINALLY I know, I have been slacking, anywho these wraps are the bomb diggity...do people say that anymore? I used a regular flour wrap since the multi-grain ones make me dry heave...what do they put in those things?! If you have found one that doesn't resemble the taste of dog food let me know!
Black Bean and Feta Stuffed Burritos
From Real Simple Magazine
1/2 c. cooked brown rice
1 c. greek yogurt plain
cilantro
2 limes
salt
2 avocados
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
1 c. shredded red cabbage
1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed
1 cucumber sliced thin
4 warmed burrito size tortillas
Rotisserie Chicken and hot sauce (optional)
Mix yogurt, 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, 2 tbsp. lime juice and feta, add some salt depending on saltiness of Feta. Put a tortilla down, layer- 1/4 of all ingredients- Rice, Sauce, cabbage, cucumber, avocado, beans, chix, hot sauce. Roll up and devour!
Happy Pumping!
~Candace
Monday, February 24, 2014
To Be or Not to Be....
We keep going back and forth about having another child...it's a HUGE deal. I am cool with one, I have always said I just wanted one from the very beginning. My husband on the other hand really wants our son to have a sibling..he had siblings but they were like half-sies so he never had that bond or connection that builds between the two so I totally get why he wants our son to have that. My brother is 8 years younger than me so we have a connection..but it's more like a Mother/Son connection that a Bro/Sis. I am constantly giving him advice whether he likes it or not...but sometimes we do surprise each other with that Bro/Sis connection. I introduced him to Fireball and he has introduced to me what life used to be like in your 20s. So it's probably the best of both worlds, while we never got in trouble together we have both lived through each others troubles. If that makes any sense?
But having another child is such a huge fricken deal and I'm having trouble getting past it. When Drew was like 6 mo old I thought "Let's do it!" Let's get this show on the road and I'll pop another out and we will be DONE! Then like 2 weeks later I thought completely differently and realized how much I enjoy Drew now...he's getting so "fun", a little more independant and SOMETIMES; a little more predictable. I really do enjoy him right now...the first 8 weeks not so much. I can make him laugh, he gives me weird little expressions and he smiles at anything/anybody. So it's great to take him places where he can be super friendly and I can show off the fact that we make cute babies.
Then I think; is it fair to split my time with another baby...do I HAVE time for another baby? I hear my friends talk about their kids which are very close in age and there are definitely two sides, One is that the older one becomes a little more independent since you are focusing more on the younger one..Two is after the jealous, "I hate mommy" stage there comes a sweet stage where the older sibling starts to show affection for the younger. As much as I would love the second, the first scares the hell out of me. Call me crazy but I want Drew to need me..I know he always will but I don't want him to start becoming super independent at a young age which my parents tell me that was my M.O. if I can help it all. I think the deciding factor will be when Drew comes home from school one day and asks for a sibling..How can you say no to that?
But the thought of getting pregnant, being pregnant for what feels like an eternity..then going into labor with all that jazz makes me extremely drowsy..and to think there will be no more mid-day naps since I will have a toddler on my hands suddenly makes me want to take all my Birth Control pills at once. So I think it will take quite a bit of convincing to have me cave in...even though part of me is like "you quit your job, get it done now while you can!". And what if we have a girl?! Oh my I might just go over the edge, girls scare the hell out of me, I remember how I was growing up!
Also I wonder if there is a service where when you have your baby you can send them off for like the first 8 weeks to be cared for...then you get them back when they are not having screaming bouts of gas, eating every 2 hours and no smiles or anything for you to base anything off of. I tell you those were the roughest days EVER...but now it's all worth it and I'm sure someday when he's taken the car out and has missed his curfew I might rethink that statement.
~Candace
But having another child is such a huge fricken deal and I'm having trouble getting past it. When Drew was like 6 mo old I thought "Let's do it!" Let's get this show on the road and I'll pop another out and we will be DONE! Then like 2 weeks later I thought completely differently and realized how much I enjoy Drew now...he's getting so "fun", a little more independant and SOMETIMES; a little more predictable. I really do enjoy him right now...the first 8 weeks not so much. I can make him laugh, he gives me weird little expressions and he smiles at anything/anybody. So it's great to take him places where he can be super friendly and I can show off the fact that we make cute babies.
Then I think; is it fair to split my time with another baby...do I HAVE time for another baby? I hear my friends talk about their kids which are very close in age and there are definitely two sides, One is that the older one becomes a little more independent since you are focusing more on the younger one..Two is after the jealous, "I hate mommy" stage there comes a sweet stage where the older sibling starts to show affection for the younger. As much as I would love the second, the first scares the hell out of me. Call me crazy but I want Drew to need me..I know he always will but I don't want him to start becoming super independent at a young age which my parents tell me that was my M.O. if I can help it all. I think the deciding factor will be when Drew comes home from school one day and asks for a sibling..How can you say no to that?
But the thought of getting pregnant, being pregnant for what feels like an eternity..then going into labor with all that jazz makes me extremely drowsy..and to think there will be no more mid-day naps since I will have a toddler on my hands suddenly makes me want to take all my Birth Control pills at once. So I think it will take quite a bit of convincing to have me cave in...even though part of me is like "you quit your job, get it done now while you can!". And what if we have a girl?! Oh my I might just go over the edge, girls scare the hell out of me, I remember how I was growing up!
Also I wonder if there is a service where when you have your baby you can send them off for like the first 8 weeks to be cared for...then you get them back when they are not having screaming bouts of gas, eating every 2 hours and no smiles or anything for you to base anything off of. I tell you those were the roughest days EVER...but now it's all worth it and I'm sure someday when he's taken the car out and has missed his curfew I might rethink that statement.
~Candace
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