Mommy on a DIET…

I always considered myself a “healthy” eater.  I am not picky and truly enjoy most foods, but months back I started to think… I am really that healthy of an eater as I think?…and moreover, do we all really EAT to LIVE or do we LIVE to EAT?  This could be a very hot topic to digest (literally and figuratively).  I am sure we’d all love to say that we ‘eat to live’ that we basically eat to get through our day, it is our fuel and we need it to survive, so we all only eat when we are hungry, right???  WRONG!

Food can be in a word…comfort!  No matter how you cut, slice or dice it, eating yummy food makes you feel good, sometimes too good that we ignore that inner voice that says “STOP” OR “I’M FULL” or “THIS WILL GO RIGHT TO YOUR SPARE TIRE.”  We’ve all been there, eating that extra cookie, having that second helping, snacking on something while we watch our favorite show or movie, surrendering to that late night craving, or even heating up something quick or ordering food for dinner because its easy, but not really ‘the best for you.’

A little after my daughter Juliette turned one, I started to think a whole lot more about food, and how I always make sure my daughter has the proper food, nutrients and vitamins, so why am I not doing that for myself?  Why not???  This led to the “Top Ten Reasons Why We Need to be More Like a Baby” entry I wrote right before Christmas (http://juliettesworldblog.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/top-ten-reasons-why-we-need-to-be-more-like-a-baby/).  That entry was not completely dedicated to food, however it really made me rethink why I eat the way I eat, or really it made me start to think about that dreaded word… “DIET!”

I am NOT a fan of the word DIET.  Now I know some people call it a “lifestyle change,” but I am not really a fan of that phrase either, it’s such a cliché to me.  I prefer the phrases “healthy living” or “eating healthy.”  Whatever you want to call it, you have to be truly ready and committed to go on a diet, and I never really realized that before.  You have to remember that this comes from a girl whom when she was younger couldn’t gain an ounce if I tried!!!  I know, I know, I hate me too when I look back and think about it, because oh how I wish that still were the case!

I understand that every body type is different and growing up I was often made fun of because I was very tall and very thin, almost too thin…in other words, the good ol’ days, haha!  Luckily, after puberty kicked in I got a bit more of a shape to me than just skin and bones, but still could pretty much eat whatever I wanted and not gain an ounce. I should have cherished that time in my life much more when it was around!  I could eat a whole bag of salt and vinegar chips and not feel bad about myself or grossly bloated afterwards.  Granted, I was also very active and very athletic in those days, always participating in a sport.  Even in college when I was forced to give up track due to an injury, I didn’t even gain the dreaded “freshman 15.”  However, you metabolism does change into your 20’s and even more so as you get older.

What kicked started this weight gain?  Well, it wasn’t baby weight.  In the summer of 2009, I had two foot surgeries only two months apart, one on each foot and something bad happened to me…I GAINED WEIGHT!!!  I had to be off my feet for a while after each surgery, so my metabolism slowed way down, plus with no real movement going on for many weeks at a time you can’t really burn anything off…at all!!  To top it off I went on a cruise after one of the surgeries and definitely splurged on the lavish menu options.  So, by the end of 2009, even though I had recovered from my foot surgeries I did start to notice my pants were all a little bit tighter.  At this point though, my husband and I happily decided to work on expanding our family, so I thought, “hey its ok if my waistline expands a little too, I should be pregnant soon,” right?  WRONG!!!  At about the 6-month point after trying to have a baby and having not succeeded yet, I started to get down on myself about my increased weight and my lack to reproduce as of yet.

By the end of the summer in 2010 I decided it was time for a change, I started to exercise much more and eat much better, healthier foods.  Then, just as I was starting to lose weight and not worry about my ovulation cycle, a wonderful thing happened that made me forget all about the scale…I GOT PREGNANT!  At this point, I WAS OVERJOYED!!! (you can read all about my 11 month process of getting pregnant here http://juliettesworldblog.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/11-months-later-and-we-are-pregnant-or-are-we-get-the-digital-testand-get-a-new-obgyn)

I gained a total of 35 pounds while pregnant and actually taking off the baby weight afterward wasn’t the hard part.  Thanks to breastfeeding and the life of a busy first time mom I lost all of the baby weight very easily after only three weeks.  I wasn’t so concerned about the rest of the weight that I hadn’t taken off yet from before I had gotten pregnant, as I now had bigger things to worry about…like a new baby!  Plus, a lot happened only a few months after Juliette was born.  My husband got a new job in NJ and we quickly had to move from one state (CT) to another and started looking for a new house.  I also became a stay-at-home mother, and your life changes in many ways when that happens.  Anyway I am straying from the point.

I started to realize last summer that I needed to lose some weight when some of my clothes got so tight that they didn’t even fit anymore.  I actually had to go to the stores and buy bigger clothes and this was the first time in my life that I DID NOT ENJOY SHOPPING!  When this happened I realized that I needed to start working out much more.  In addition to that, anyone who knows me well enough knows how much I love to take pictures, and once my daughter was born, this got even worse as most pictures were of her.  When I did see myself in some of the photos, I began to not like how I looked as much.  Of course I felt much bigger than I was, and because I am very tall, I carry my weight well and many people didn’t notice…but I DID NOTICE!  And that is the most important thing, that I wasn’t losing for anyone else, I needed to lose the weight for MYSELF!  I started to notice that no matter how much I exercised something had to be done.  To top it off, I recently learned that I had a mild case of scoliosis in my lower back, and the extra weight did not help with that problem.  I did not feel that great about how I looked or felt.   My wonderful husband always reassured that I was beautiful not matter what weight I was, and while that was lovely of him, I didn’t feel that way.  Not that a number on the scale defined me, but not feeling good about the way I was did define me.  As a woman I always wanted to exude confidence and be a great role model for my daughter.

My breaking point came when my younger sister came to visit on Thanksgiving 2012 and I saw how wonderful she looked, she had taken off a quite a bit of weight and I was so proud of her.  She went on the South Beach Diet, which I knew a little bit about from her.  She had been on that diet before and when she lived with me for a short period of time a few years back, we had made some recipes from the book, and I had read a little bit of the book, so I had some knowledge about it.  I thought to myself, if Tara could do it, so can I! (thanks again Tar)  Luckily, she had left the South Beach Diet book with me and one day after I had really had enough, I ended up reading it probably 3 or 4 times in a row and came to a decision…it was time, I finally admitted it to myself that MOMMY NEEDS TO GO ON A DIET!!!

Of course coming to this conclusion with Christmas just a few weeks away I thought it might be too difficult.  I didn’t want to miss out on Christmas cookies, or be that annoying person at the holiday get parties who couldn’t eat certain things because they were “on a diet.”  So I decided to only loosely follow the diet and still splurge for holiday things…then after the New Year, (January 2 to be exact) I would totally and completely surrender and start myself strictly onto the South Beach Diet.

If you want to know more about my journey of dieting Part 2 of this “dieting” entry will be up very shortly.  I will tell you, that this diet is one of the best things I have ever done for myself!  What I realized so much more than anything else is that being on a diet is way more mental than anything else!  You have to truly be willing to surrender yourself and follow a strict regimen and NOT to stray from it.  Exercise was a part of this too, but I had already conquered that many months ago, which is why I began the diet, it was the missing link because I wasn’t seeing all the results I wanted from just exercising.  So…if you are at all curious about how much weight I lost, how I did it, stuck to it and any pratfalls in between, I’ll meet you at Part 2!!

“It’s not how much you eat, it’s what you eat.”

“The UGLY Truth” (and the beautiful things too) about being a Mommy and all those things in between!

Happy New Year!!!  Even though it’s now March, I think it’s a safe bet that we are all still getting used to writing “2013” when we write the date, well I know I am anyway.  I did want to get this entry back in January, but honestly I had a real hard time fitting it in, not just because of the busy life of a mom, wife, human being, etc., but also because I was on a DIET for the first time in my life, which took up A LOT of my time, but more on that later in the entry.

Now, (I feel like there should be a drum roll here, ha-ha) here is that blog I have been working on that some might consider a little controversial.  To all you MOMs, MOM-to-be’s, those who want to be a MOM one day, (even dads, parents, or if you’re just a little curious), here it is…THE UGLY TRUTH!

Before I dive into that, I would like to explore a bit why it is called the ugly truth?  I never really liked that terminology, because what makes the truth so ugly?  I consider myself to be a very honest and truthful person, and you know what?  NOT EVERY ONE IS, and that’s ok, some people are not quite as blunt as I can be because they believe perhaps that the TRUTH hurts.  I have gotten in trouble here and there for being so honest, so you do have to watch it.  However, I also believe that the other saying is true too “the truth shall set you free.”  While the truth does hurt, sometimes it is just what the doctor ordered!  I do not expect everyone to be the same as myself, nor am I saying it is the best way to go, but I do believe that I wished someone had told me about not only the millions of WONDERFUL things about being a Mom, but also the truly UGLY things about being a Mom.  So here goes, I hope this truth is not too ugly for my readers out there…

Here is what i believe to be The hardest (ugliest) things about being a MOM:

You will be saying goodbye to:

• Your free/alone time
• Sleep and showers, as they become a luxury
• Having time to eat/cook/bake
• Staying up late
• Exercising
• Having time to clean like you used to
• Having time to put on makeup/groom yourself
• Making the time for you and your husband/significant other
• Saying goodbye (pun intended), as its very hard to leave your child, even when you do they are now always first in your thoughts

Not that the above things are impossible to do, you find a way to work them into your schedule, that is unless you haven’t passed out from sheer exhaustion.  But, you do become creative and find a way to (as Tim Gunn would say) “make it work.”

Plus, in my experience, these things become much easier after the first two months…you then have a window of time between from about 2 months until they start moving where you start having some new ugly truths.  Once they start crawling and walking, which for my daughter she was crawling at 7 months and walking at 10 months, you have a whole slew of new things to worry about.  You have now moved onto the next stage, the mobile stage (or the nervous wreck stage if you were like me).

You will be worrying about:

• Them falling constantly
• If you baby-proofed everything well-enough (and trust me NO ONE ever does)
• Where did they get that bruise?
• You mean I can’t use the play-pen/yard as much as I did before because they want to explore?
• When will they stop being so wobbly?
• Where did they get that piece of food they just put in your mouth (you will be cleaning your floors A LOT more)
• Some days you want to just drop from being so tired of chasing them around, or saying “no” or “not for babies” for the hundredth time

Now, these worries also get much easier as they become more stable on their feet and learn their boundaries.  It’s funny how we all as parents are sooo eagerly waiting for our children to become mobile, (I was one of them too) but once they do, IT’S ALL OVER.  Free time again becomes even more diminished, but just like everything else in life…you learn, you grow, you adapt right along with them.  Seeing them in any type of pain is a very difficult thing to deal with as well.  Not to mention just how awful it is when they are sick and/or you don’t know what’s wrong with them too.  But, once these things subside (they don’t ever fully go away, but they do get better) you really begin to enjoy everything much more again.  They start talking even more and doing all sorts of things that just make you happy, and sometimes yes they do make you crazy as well.

Another ugly truth?  Well, as a proud parent we sometimes like to brag about our child.  So, here is my little bit of boasting, I am very proud to admit that Juliette can walk, run, skip, dance and gallop at 19 months old.  I feel like she says a new word almost daily lately, she has even started to say phrases, I am waiting for her first real sentence soon.  She knows all of her letters, how old she is, most of her body parts, and now we are working on numbers, shapes, and colors.  She even knows some songs and animals sounds…remember you are talking to a former teacher here who is her Mommy.  But, I will also admit that we are currently trying to get her off the pacifier, which is proving to be a VERY difficult task.

This now brings me to the much happier side, the most beautiful things about being a Mom/parent.  I will tell anyone who has asked me about motherhood, “it is the best thing I have ever done in my life, but also the HARDEST thing I have ever done in my life.”  The rewards and the benefits definitely outweigh the tough times.  So, just try to keep in mind if you are having a rough moment about your child or children no matter what the age, “this too shall pass.”

Here’s my favorite list…

THE TOP TEN MOST WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT BEING A MOM:

1)   HOW you feel when you child looks into your eyes and smiles because they are happy to see you

2)   How you feel from watching your husband play with your daughter as he falls more and more into being a father everyday

3)   How you feel when your child accomplishes something/anything for the first time, whether it be getting their first tooth or saying “thank you” (sounds more like “tank tuuu” from Juliette as she said it this week for the first time)

4)   How you feel from just thinking about your child

5)   How you feel having some peace and quiet when they are quietly and blissfully asleep J

6)   How you feel when you hire a babysitter (outside your family) and feel comfortable leaving them with someone you trust, that’s was a BIG step for me

7)   How you feel when you make them/hear them laugh

8)   Hearing them say “Mama” for the first time

9)   Realizing that you didn’t know anything about being a parent until it actually happened to you

10)  Realizing how you life is now forever changed for the better because of them

And the truth is here that I could go on and on and on about the joyous things, the hard things, the scary things, and so much more, and I know this list will only increase as my daughter and my family grows.

One thing I know for certain is you will love the child more than life itself as soon as you feel them kick inside of you for the first time.  I’d like to say it all gets easier with certainty, but it probably won’t.  What I do know (as I previously wrote) is that the benefits outweigh any of the hard things that happen, and you will adjust.  Like this blog is so aptly titled, it’s now purely “Juliette’s World” and I just live in it.

One last little confession here, earlier in this entry I wrote about how I was on a diet, the first diet I’ve ever been on and I’m going to save all the information about that until my next entry.  Until then, I will leave you with my take on the answers to these questions I asked many of the readers, my friends, and family in order to come up with this entry.  Thanks girls

What is the hardest thing about being a Mom? Wondering if you are doing the right thing for your child

What is the best/your favorite thing about being a Mom? Everything

What do you wish you could have more of now that you are a Mom? Free time

What were you most surprised about now that you are a Mom? That I would constantly be infected with the syndrome I now call “Mommy-brain”

Do you want more kids? Yes

MOM-to-be’s (here I thought of myself when I was a Mom-to-be): What are you most excited about? Seeing and holding my child for the first time

Is this your first pregnancy? Yes, Juliette was my first pregnancy

What are you most afraid of (if anything)? I couldn’t think of anything here

Those who want to be a MOM (hopefully) someday: Why do you want to be a Mom? (For these questions I just had to think about when I knew I wanted to be a mom, which was pretty much always, truly it was)  I believe I was born to be a mother; it’s as simple as that

How many children do you think you want? We know we want at least two kids, maybe three, but we will see how we feel after two

What are you most excited about or afraid of as/once that day comes near? I was most excited about being able to have my own child, as many people cannot.  I was afraid of giving birth a little, but just looked forward to end result, giving birth to my beautiful daughter. 

Until next time, hope you guys enjoyed THE UGLY TRUTH!!!

~J

“When a child is born, so is a mom.”  -Carter’s commercial

TOP TEN REASONS WHY WE NEED TO BE MORE LIKE A BABY…

I know it’s been a while since my last entry.  I blame it on the life of a busy mom, Hurricane Sandy madness, power outages, Juliette getting over a stomach virus and a cold, hosting our first Thanksgiving, starting the Christmas rush, etc…I am sure all you Moms out there can relate, sometimes life just gets in the way.

I was planning on making my next blog all about “The UGLY TRUTH behind Motherhood,” which I did much research on and even had the help of some questions answered from many of you moms out there.  However, in the spirit of the holidays approaching, I’ve come up with a funny little list, which I truly believe to be the truth, and have wanted to write about for some time now, as I think about it OFTEN.  Basically it breaks down to the fact that the life of a baby is just awesome for them, and we should try to live our lives the same way!  Never fear though…The UGLY TRUTH will be coming shortly after the New Year.

Until then, I have been thinking lately about how the more and more as we get older, being an adult sometimes, well sucks.  There is so much responsibility to being an adult; at times it can be intoxicating.  Isn’t there an age old saying of something like how we all wish we could see the world “through the eyes of a child…” quite ironic isn’t it?  Because all we want when we are younger is to be older, right?

 Well, here is my Top 10 list of why we should all should aspire to be more like our little ones:

 1) THEY GET 10-12 HOURS OF SLEEP EVERY NIGHT! If you are lucky enough to have a baby sleep through the night, (Juliette has done so since about 2 months old thankfully), with the few exceptions of an illness or new teeth waking her up.  In addition to sleeping soundly, they don’t have to get up to relieve themselves in the middle of the night, thanks to their diaper.  They can roll around wherever they want and not fall off the bed.  They have a nice lullaby to fall asleep to, and a pretty twilight turtle that lights up the room.  If they don’t happen to sleep through the night, they get rocked to sleep, sung to sleep, put in a vibrating chair, put into a swing, or practically anything their parents can possibly find until they are finally sleeping!  What’s an easy solution for us adults?  Go to bed earlier!!  Juliette barely makes it to 8:00 p.m. most nights.  As adults, we don’t get nearly enough of sleep as we should per night due to many things, some out of our control, some in our control…but whether it be our jobs, stress, television, trying to get our little one to actually sleep, etc.  Oh how I wish I could get 10-12 hours of sleep like they do!

2) THEY EAT A VERY WELL-BALANCED DIET- From mother’s milk to the most expensive milk that money can buy, formula.  Any parent who has gotten even one of the so-called ‘cheaper’ formulas know how expensive it is.  From there they move onto cereal and lots of pureed fruits and veggies.  My now 16 month-old daughter still has three cups of whole milk a day and quite a bit of water too, (she hasn’t had any fruit juice yet, as it has really no nutritional value in it).  I always make sure she has 3-4 servings of fruit/veggies each day and I don’t let her have too much sugar in her diet.  She always has fruit with her breakfast and no matter what we are having for dinner I always make sure Juliette has a vegetable with it, which intern had led my whole little family to always have a vegetable with every dinner now too…no skimping on that one anymore.  Anyone heard of the baby diet??  I think I might try it!

3) THEY APPRECIATE THINGS WE NEVER WOULD- We’ve all seen our little tots play with the box rather than the toy.  My daughter is very happy just to “be” and always wakes up in a great mood.  She gets such pleasure from things like our dog barking, waving at others, bananas, applauding at herself when she learns anything new, a song she likes, saying a new word, reading a book, and how can we forget ELMO? As adults, we get too caught up in the nonsense around us to appreciate things like this, but WE ALL should do more of that.

4) THEY NAP!  Does this one really need an explanation?  I miss my siesta days from camp, my almost daily naps as a college student, ahhhh naps are just wonderful…if you ever have time in your adult life to fit one in, do it!!!  You will be very thankful you did, and you will also feel amazing afterward too!  Babies have the right idea, at first they nap constantly, then move onto 3-4 times a day, then onto twice a day, and now Juliette just recently got to one nap a day.  Even though this one long nap is now smack dab in the middle of the day, she needs it and I must admit, I need it too.  This one nap is usually (on average) about 2 hours (sometimes more, sometimes less) and I get soooo much done during those two hours it’s a wonderful thing!  Do I nap during those two hours???  Heck no!  I used to nap when she napped back when she was just a few weeks old but now, no way!  I clean, cook, do laundry, catch up on correspondence…but if I am completely exhausted or just need to kick back I might lie down and read or watch some TV, or on a an extremely rare occasion I might even fall asleep for a small amount of time.  I miss napping!

5) THEY DRINK LOTS OF MILK- I sort of covered this one in #2, but we all see the “Got Milk” ads just about everywhere.  Plus, there is the wonderful benefits that the vitamins and nutrients in milk give you, like calcium especially.  Additionally, until the age of 2, babies drink whole milk…and from someone who drinks skim milk on a regular basis let me tell you they have the RIGHT idea…have you tasted whole milk lately?  It tastes like cream…yum yummm!!

6) THEY DON’T HAVE TO CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES IN ANY WHICH WAY- From the time they are born until they are way into those grade schools years, let’s face it- these kids have it good!  They don’t wipe themselves, don’t feed themselves (for a while anyway), don’t bathe themselves, or dress themselves (that comes after a little while too).  NOT A PARENT YET?  You will soon learn a huge part of your everyday it just keeping them and your house looking presentable.  I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve almost tripped over a toy or book on the floor.  Once (if you are ever) done cleaning them up, be sure to keep yourself presentable, I know it’s hard especially at the very beginning to even fit in a shower, but you will learn the best times to do so.

NOTE: My husband gave me the idea for this one…how did I not think of it first on my own?  Leave it to the stay-at-home Mommy who does just about everything for her daughter to get BABY BRAIN (to learn more about this BABY BRAIN craziness see http://juliettesworldblog.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/losing-my-mind-my-balance-and-even-my-shoes-have-i-become-a-mom-or-a-just-klutz/) while trying to come up with a list about her!  Thank you Steve

7) THEY CAN BURP AND FART IN PUBLIC AND NO ONE CARES!  No ones cares IS RIGHT, its actually cute instead!  How many time have you been out and let one loose and didn’t know what to do?  You could never fart or (god forbid) much less poop your pants and not feel embarrassed.  Burping?  That’s a whole other story; it’s not crazy embarrassing in public as you can always excuse yourself, unless it was too big that is.  But when you are a baby and you burp, Mommy and Daddy are very, very pleased.  Juliette was a very tough burper until about 10 months old, so when she did get those burps out, we had our little mini-celebrations….unfortunately it was usually followed by some lovely looking (and smelling) spit-up, but in her defense, she did have a bad case of acid reflux.

8) THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT THEIR WEIGHT!   They don’t care if they’ve gained weight at all, in fact it is so important that they do during those first few weeks of life, you feel like a failure as a parent if they don’t! The fatter they are, the better and cuter they are.  Juliette was an average sized baby at first, 7 pounds 9 ounces, very long and skinny though.  I always thought I was going to have a hugely chubby baby at first, but little did I know she would get there after a few months.  Now that she is stretching out a bit and losing her cute little chunky baby thighs, I have to admit I am going to miss them!  She is still in the 90^th percentile for weight, and does that bother her or me?  Not one bit at all!!  I realize she might fall behind the 90^th percentile, but whatever weight she is, I hope she doesn’t worry about it for a very, very, very long time!  I wish we could all take a cue there.  Back when I was an adolescent, I couldn’t gain an ounce if I tried, I was very tall and very thin, (and wish I appreciated that more), but that changed when I hit my late twenties, had two foot surgeries and then got pregnant too.  Having to watch what I eat, and exercise for more than just ‘fun’ wasn’t a great feeling, but hey just another sucky part of being an adult I guess.

9) THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH WALKING AROUND IN THEIR UNDERWEAR!  Onesie anyone?  The cutest thing!  Just a diaper?  Why not?  Even naked is just adorable too!  Some people may love walking around in their skivvies in the privacy of their own home, or perhaps wearing an itty-bitty bathing suit on the beach.  However, I think we can all admit that no matter what size, weight, etc. a baby in with just the tiniest amount of clothing is truly precious.

10) THEY HAVE NO PREJUDICE- Ignorance is truly bliss sometimes, and that is definitely the case with our little ones.  They have no prejudice and are (for a little while anyway) oblivious to the world around them and all the hate there really is too much of out there.  I think we would all be a little better off sometimes if we were the same way, unfortunately, life happens.  Tragedies, sadness, death, and many other experiences could and most likely will affect them, but its important for us, as parents to do the best we can to help them through those difficult times and let them know they are truly loved.  We need to reassure them that no matter what, no natter the color of their skin, or any religious or political view or something they have been through, I believe LOVE does and will truly conquer all.

So, there it is my list of why being a baby is freakin’ awesome!  (I’m sure if I were a guy writing this I would also include something about breastfeeding, but I am sure we can all use our imagination there…)

Yes, I do realize that most of these things, as they are only babies/toddlers, they don’t care about because they are too young to even fathom any of this, but hey it’s the holidays and thought we could all use a little extra holiday cheer!  Especially in light of the fact that of the absolutely terrible school shooting happened last week in my home state, Connecticut.  I always knew Newtown to be a very safe, quaint, and nice place to live, and my hearts truly go out to those who lost anyone in that shooting.  This is an awful thing for anyone to go through, and not only does it hit home with me because I was a teacher, but also because innocent children and staff were a part of this shooting.  Losing a loved one is always a horrific ordeal, but when that loved one has barely lived yet, and is the apple of your eye (like I know my daughter is), I can’t even imagine going through something like that.  Additionally, I am extremely proud of my fellow educators who stood in front of these children and risked/lost their lives.  I am proud to say I was a teacher too, and will be again one day.

Now, go have some even happier holidays and enjoy that extra glass wine, or spiked egg-nog or pour a little extra peppermint schnapps into your hot chocolate, because if you are a parent, you deserve it!  Hey, even if you aren’t a parent, we all work our butts off on pretty much a daily basis, so enjoy!

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!     ~J

Someone’s been good this year
Juliette’s 2nd Christmas

Losing my mind, my balance, and even my shoes!? Have I become a MOM or a just KLUTZ????

So imagine this…you think you are a super-cool and super-organized Mom (perhaps using “super” now makes me so very uncool, hmmm…oh well).  You think you have everything with you as you get in the car before you leave your house: a fully stocked diaper bag, your purse, sippy cup, snacks, water bottle, coupons, shopping lists, and (you would think, most importantly) your DAUGHTER…but there is another very important item that I am missing here!!!  I go to start the ignition and I am missing my…KEYS!!!  Yes, I forgot my keys and had locked myself out of the house with my baby!!

Has this happened to you?  Well, before I became a mother this NEVER happened to me, I actually was that super-organized, not to mention a much less forgetful, person.  I was that person who always had everything anyone needed, and more.  Hey, I was a Girl Scout after all, and our motto was,  “Be Prepared,” and up until I became a Mom, actually scratch that…up until I became pregnant, I was a very together person.  This has all changed now!

I always prided myself in my organization, my to-do lists, and my great balance.  I was an athlete growing up, very flexible, and I was barely ever hurt.  I would forget things every now and then (like anyone else did), but I was not a klutz…nor was I completely absent minded.  I had my “blonde” moments and could be a little ditzy from time to time, but well, if you have been pregnant before I am sure we can all say an “AMEN” together when you hear the term “BABY BRAIN.”  Sometimes it is also referred to as either, “pregnant brain,” or “Mommy brain.”

As I have mentioned before, when I was pregnant I was a teacher.  As I got further and further along in my pregnancy, I suddenly noticed myself making quite a few mistakes inside the classroom.  So, instead of making an excuse to my students I began to blame my mistakes and forgetfulness on my newly found (or lost) “pregnant brain.”  It actually became a running joke in my classroom, any time I had some weird “brain fart” or error, especially at the white-board, I would look at the students shake my head and they would say, “pregnant brain!” and I would nod my head, smile, and throw my hands up in the air.

At home, my husband started to see a whole new side of me too, besides wanting to go to bed at 6:30 p.m. and hibernate (like that of a bear), I began running into things constantly, slipping, getting strange bumps and bruises all over my body.  I can’t even tell you how many times he would ask me, “Jess, are you ok?”  or “what did you do now?” and I would say, “oh yeah hunny…I just it’s just my pregnant brain.”

Think this might stop after you’ve had your baby???  THINK AGAIN!!  It does not stop, actually it gets worse, because now your pregnant brain has magically turned into “Mommy Brain” or “Baby Brain.”  Besides the lack of sleep and free time from the start of being a Mom, or a parent for that matter, you slowly start to lose your mind.

So, here is a TOP 10 list of what BABY BRAIN has done to me (as it has slowly taken over my body over almost the past two years…from pregnancy to the present, as Juliette is now 14 months). 

1)   Losing my keys for the first time- When Juliette was only about a month old, I couldn’t find my keys.  Instead of making a big fuss over it, I used my extra set and didn’t fret about it.  About 30 minutes later we had arrived at our destination.  As I went to get Juliette out of the car, I discovered something very odd…MY KEYS on THE ROOF?!  They were stuck on the roof rack on top of the car right above the car door near her car-seat side…how did they stay on top of the car that whole time???  I haven’t a clue, but either way it saved me a lot of time and money.  Note to self: Next time you get your child out of their car-seat, do not temporarily place your keys on top of the car!

2)   Getting Lost- While driving home from work one day, very tired and pregnant, I got so dazed out I missed the same exit that I took home everyday for almost four years!  The funny thing is that I didn’t realize this until 6 more exits passed!

3)   Slipping on the Ice– On one cold wintery day while exiting the car ( I think I had just entered into my second trimester) it happened to be very slippery out and, even though I was wearing boots, I slipped and nearly did a split, and skinned my hand and wrist.  Not a hard enough fall where I was worried about my belly, but hard enough where I got a little shook up and switched to better gripped boots for the rest of the winter.

4)   Colliding with a student- Monitoring the hallways during the change of classes ifs always a part of any middle-school teacher’s job.  So, once the bell would ring I would waddle over and stand in the small crevice between the hallway and my classroom door so I didn’t get plowed into as I watched the students pass by.  One day, while I was doing this, I heard something behind me, stepped forward and turned my head to make sure everything was ok.  Just then- BOOM…I was hit by the student carrying all of their books!  As their books fell and the student quickly saw my face, she abruptly apologized.  I was getting pretty big at this point, I think about 6 or 7 months along and even though I played it off like I was fine, I did feel a tiny little pain in my belly.  I called the doctor on my way home and they told me I was probably fine, but if I was worried I could stop by.  OF COURSE, I STOPPED BY.  After being hooked up to a monitor to check the baby’s heartbeat, crisis was averted and all was fine.

5)   Ankle hit #1– (right ankle) One day over my due date and VERY restless and uncomfortable, I decided to go on a walk with the dogs, my Mom, and my husband.  I hadn’t even gotten out of my parents driveway when my ankle turned out and I fell right down onto my butt.  No bumps or bruises this time, just very shaken up, and a very twisted ankle.  That’s all I needed, I just wanted my baby to be delivered, and now I had a huge swollen ankle, which makes it even harder to walk around.  I had to wear an ace bandage and ice it very often up until Juliette came, which was just three days later.

6)   Ankle hit #2 & #3- Juliette was about six months old when I walking down the stairs with her on one arm and my purse and diaper bag on the other, when I slipped!  Of course all I worried about was my baby, so I protected her as I stumbled down 4 stairs and landed on my bottom, but definitely sprained left my ankle.  Juliette was fine as can be, but after a trip to the doctor and I learned I did sprain my left ankle and had to wear a brace for almost a month, at least I didn’t have to use crutches.  I was still able to walk, just with a limp for a while.  Ankle hit #3- You think I would’ve learned my lesson at this point!  After my left ankle was just about healed, I was walking down the stairs, thankfully alone this time, but of course carrying two bags, and fell down the same stairs again!  This time it was VERY bad, I could barely move my right ankle and I had never seen it so swollen.  Another doctor’s visit later, I had a new brace, lot of icing to do…and oh yeah crutches this time too!!!  How do you take care of a baby with crutches?  You become just like them, you are stumbling, kneeling, and even crawling a lot, plus you get lots of help from family, thankfully.  The very LONG week of crutches was NOT fun or easy in any which way!  Believe it or not my right ankle is still swollen to this day!  I STILL have to ice it sometimes, as the doctor said I jammed this one up very badly and it could take up to 8-12 months to fully heal.  However, I have a feeling that this right ankle won’t ever be the same.

7)   A Pain in the neck…and back– I strained my neck so badly on Mother’s Day…(yup on my first Mother’s Day) when I had turned around very quickly to see what Juliette was doing behind me.  This was a mistake, my neck was strained so bad that I could barely keep it straight all day, let alone move it to the right side, and it took about two weeks to recover from that.  Then, just a few weeks ago, I once again strained it while rocking Juliette to sleep.  Just to top it off, again last week (NO BABY INVOLVED THIS TIME) I was just lying down in bed when I moved, not even quickly this time, to grab my glass of water and again strained it!  The back issues have not been fun either.  They have been there for the past four years or so, having to bend for most things, (because as most tall people know, the world is not created for tall people…or short people for that matter…it’s made for average sized people).  The lower back pain got so bad while I was at the end of my pregnancy I had to wear a back brace.  Just recently, I really strained it again bending over to pull the sheet off of Juliette’s crib.  While heating pads and ice did help slightly, a very necessary chiropractor appointment was made…but more on that issue in another entry.

8)   Forgetting to put on deodorant– Once on my way to work when I was pregnant, I realized I forgot to put on deodorant.  Luckily, I had an extra one in my desk, which I quickly put on before the students arrived.  Much later on, after rushing out of the house when Juliette was only about four months old, we were on our way to a party when I realized that I once again forgot to put on deodorant!  So, we had to make a pit stop for me to get some deodorant at CVS.  Which I now proudly keep in my glove compartment, thanks to the advice from my husband.

9)   Losing my sandal at Walmart- it was almost the end of September, and I always hold onto my  sandals as long as I possibly can before getting into closed toe shoes.  I was running some errands with the little one and when my flip-flop broke!  This was not just any old flip-flop either, it was one of my favorite (not to mention expensive) pairs, my Fit-Flops!  So, there I was dragging my foot along the aisles of Walmart, looking for the shoe section.  I ended up having to buy some imitation Converse sneakers and wear them out of the store.  I have to admit, I am not one who embarrasses easily, but for some reason this one really did embarrass me.

10)  LOCKED OUT OF THE HOUSE- This brings me to the start of my entry, when I had locked my baby and myself out of the house.  Jumping through the back window, which was very high might I add, even for a girl who is 6 feet tall, was no easy task.  It was the middle of August, and as I wrote at the beginning, I thought I had everything with me!  But, I got into the car and what was I missing, MY KEYS!  I called my husband in a panic, who (if he had to, he could have drove home) but it wouldn’t be for at least 2 hours (one hour to get out of work, and another hour to drive home)…did I really want to waste the money and call a locksmith??  No, instead I remembered that I may have a left one of the back windows unlocked…of course it wasn’t the one connected to the deck, that would’ve been too easy!  It was the highest one on the side of the house in the back.  So, after stacking up three chairs and a small table on top of each other I got that window open and slipped in (and when I mean slipped I mean bumped, bruised and jumped…err, skidded through the window).  Juliette is watching this all go down in the backyard perfectly content in her stroller playing with her teether keys and babbling to herself…probably saying, “Mommy did you have a brain before I was born?”  This was the worst set of purple and red bruises I’ve had since I was 9 and had fell over a fence.  These bruises took weeks to heal, and were quite painful, it’s now October and one of them is still going away!

So, there you have it!  A list of all my LITERAL ups, downs, accidents, bumps, bruises, etc. over the past two years due to the joy of motherhood (well that’s what I am blaming anyway).  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it…because everyone falls down, even those who are not Moms!

 “When real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep on walking.” –Carrie of Sex and The City, from the one of my favorite (and I think one of the most beloved) episodes, “The Real Me,” (Season 4) where Carrie becomes ‘fashion road-kill.’

Anti Monkey what??? ANTI MONKEY BUTT!!!

Diapers, wipes, and pins…how soon the fun begins!  You never realize looking back how easy it was to change your darling baby’s diaper when they were a mere few  weeks, or even a few months old.  Then you are struck with a new reality once you flash forward to the present time, where it is almost impossible to change your now 13-month-old.  On top of that, she now has a terrible recurring diaper rash, due to her teething, on and off, for the past few weeks.  A diaper rash due to ‘teething,’ you might ask?  Yes, due to her four new molars coming in, which is what my doctor declared last week.

Thankfully, in our modern day society, we have dodged one bullet…we no longer have to use cloths and pins for diapers, thanks to our various diaper brands.  In fact, I just asked my Mom just last week, “Did you really have to use cloth diapers for Valerie?” (my oldest sister, born 1978), and she responded, “yes.”   Wow, what a pain in the butt, literally and figuratively.  Now, I know that some mothers still chose to use the ol’ cloth diapers, as it is more economical and much less pricey, but I am not one of those women.  I do, however, applaud any who do that.  I have a hard enough time wiping her poop diapers with wet paper towels or cloths (not wipes, more on that further down this entry)…so I knew if I used cloth diapers I would probably have an even harder time.  I am very glad to be living in a time where I can just run to the store and buy some diapers, even though it WILL cost me!

But let’s back up a bit.  Looking back at my shower, I remember getting some very cute diaper gifts.  Before I became a mother, I used to think, “Giving diapers as a gift?  No thanks, I must buy a cute outfit or a toy or something better,” boy was I wrong…I soon learned that every mom would love to get diaper gifts!  I even remember this awesome Winnie the Pooh theme tiered diaper cake (thank you Aunt Angela), equipped with, of course diapers, and many other cute Pooh baby items (Juliette’s room theme was Pooh and Friends).  These modern day diapers we have come in many any different sizes, brands, and shapes, not to mention all of the creams, wipes, powders, etc. that you will receive as well.  It’s all very exciting it all setting up…from your diaper pail to your diaper stacker, the diaper baskets, the changing table, etc., but soon enough though, your baby is right there and you are now stuck changing many diapers…after diaper, after diaper.  You do get used to it, but it did feel like a bit a chore at first.  The pee-pee diapers are not so bad to clean and are pretty quick to do too, and even the poop diapers aren’t so bad either at first, but as they get older that gets a just a little bit harder.

I was a big baby when I was born, 9 pounds 9 ounces, and my sisters were pretty big too.  My husband was also a big baby, and most of my older sister’s babies were big when they were born.  And since I was carrying Juliette so low when I was pregnant, and had such a big pop-out tummy, not to mention terrible lower back pain, I was convinced I was going to have this huge baby!  But, and I am NOT complaining here, when Juliette came out she was 7 pounds, 9 ounces, which is a small baby in our families…but that was plenty big enough for me, as that is an above average size.  Thus, I did not think we would need many newborn sized diapers, so I didn’t have much at home, I had more size 1’s all ready to go.  Luckily while you are in the hospital, they provide you with diapers, but once you get home, you are on your own.  Although I must admit my husband and I grabbed all the remaining diapers in our hospital room to take back home with us…hey it’s just like when people steal the hotel shampoos, right?

Juliette was in newborn sized diapers for almost two months, so my husband ran out and stocked us up on Newborn sizes after just a few days at home.  No biggie, since we had started with Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive (newborn size) at the hospital, and had one small pack at home too, that’s the brand what we stuck with.  The first few days I didn’t use any powder or creams, as the doctor had advised…but, then on the fourth day, she got very red down there, so I started to used Johnson’s regular baby powder and Desitin (I had about 5 of each of those powders and creams from shower gifts).  I did have a few small free samples of Bordeaux’s Butt Paste too, so I stuck those in my diaper bag for small and easy carrying.  A little while after that, I started to see how the Butt Paste (at least for Juliette) worked much better, so I switched to Johnson’s cornstarch baby powder (which also worked better) and the butt paste for diaper changes.  The powder was on after every diaper change, while the paste was only used a few times a day, just as needed.  This great combination seemed to work for a while on her little tushie.

Then, around the four-month mark, Juliette got a terrible diaper rash, and though it didn’t seem to bother her, it bothered me, A LOT.  As a new mother, as I am sure many new moms can relate, we wonder, “What was I doing wrong?”  The doctors said it could be many things.  I was convinced it was because of the generic form of diapers, (which we had also gotten as a gift), that we started using.  They said it probably wasn’t that, but it could be the baby wipes I used, the fact that she had started teething, etc.  So, they said discontinue use of all wipes, and instead use a soft paper towel with warm water, or a wash cloth with warm water (and a mild soap when needed) to wipe her.  They told me to stop using powders and creams for now, and instead use Vaseline as a barrier on the diaper, then to apply Lotrimin (yeah that funny smelling foot fungus cream) on her rash area.

A little over a week later, this started to work.  I have to tell you though, it was a pain to use wet cloths or soft paper towels, especially when we were outside the house.  Once the rash was cleared though, anytime I tried to use another brand of diapers (other than Pampers) or any type of sensitive wipes, she got a rash…actually, Huggies agreed with her, but she always leaked through those.  So, since Juliette has been about 4 months old, she wears Pampers Sensitive or Cruisers, and I have used purely a wet washcloth or wet soft paper towels to wipe her (Kleenex Viva paper towels seems to work best, they are very soft and cloth-like, and actually cheaper than buying wipes).  I really did miss the convenience of wipes, but oh well…in the words of my favorite fashion mentor, Tim Gunn, it was time to “make it work.”  Figuring out how to wipe her when we were out (if not sink was around) wasn’t too hard, I just had to keep a water bottle and the trusty Viva paper towels in my diaper bag.  I know sensitive skin runs in my family, and I definitely have it, as does my Dad, and I know Juliette carried on that trait too…so, no more wipes for her.

Now, as for the powders and diaper rash cream choices we made.  It is hard to figure out what works for your baby and it changes as they change, and we tried many different brands of each, like Desitin, A&D, Bordeaux’s Butt Paste, Aveeno, Caldesene, Burt’s Bees, Johnson & Johnson’s, Gold Bond, etc.  Through trying all of these we learned that Juliette’s new magic combination was Gold Bond Medicated Baby Powder (not always easy to find, of course, so I always bought a few bottles whenever I did actually see them at the store) and applied Bordeaux’s Butt Paste too as needed.

Up until a few weeks ago her magic diaper combination always worked, without fail, until that is, I saw the worst diaper rash appear that I had ever seen on her!  In addition to that, she had also become impossible to change.  She neverwants to lie down for me for more than 20 seconds without turning over, moaning, or standing back up.  Even with every distraction possible she still wouldn’t be still, and now it was even worse, because when I would wipe her, the poor thing cried in pain.  I called the doctor and told them how bad this rash was and they advised letting her air out (bare butt) as much as possible, soaking her bottom in warm water with a dash of baking soda a few times a day, and applying an antibiotic cream, like a Neosporin or a bacitracin.  If the rash did not go away, they said she might actually have a yeast infection, and I would have to bring her in, but I was very much hoping it would go away!  I acted fast and did all of the things they told me to do…but it was NOT easy.  Letting her roam free we had quite a few accidents, pee on the floor and in the playpen, and on top of that my dog, Layla, even tried to lick some of that pee up, that was really fun to try to get her away from.  Luckily though, we had no poop accidents…whew!

No yeast infection after all, and after a few days it cleared up.  About a week later, we also had her yearly pediatrician.  I had noticed that she had been a bit more cranky than usual too, even though the rash had cleared up, she was waking up in the middle of the night a few times a week, which really wasn’t like her.  She was biting as much as she could, and drooling even more than usual too, so I knew she was probably getting more teeth, on top of the eight ones she already had.  After speaking with the doctor I found out that four of her molars were starting to come in…heck if I would know how many, as she never lets me put my finger in her mouth or even keeps it open for a few seconds for me to look inside it.  She told me that all of this extra saliva from teething that Juliette could be ingesting can actually give her a bad diaper rash…apparently the secretions from the saliva can throw off their PH balance, well that explains the terrible rash!

Her little bottom was clear for another week or so after the appointment, then the rash came back just at the end of last week, ARGH!!!…here we go again.  So, again we started her roaming diaper free here and there throughout the day, soaking her in warm water and baking soda.  The next problem I faced was that I wasn’t sure what to apply on her this time around, as it was not as serious (or had any peeling skin this time) as the last rash.  Then, God smiled upon me and I discovered something wonderful that all mother MUST now about…Baby Anti MONKEY BUTT diaper rash cream!!!  Pretty funny/cute name, right??  I thought it was, and ironically enough, it wasn’t another mom who told me about it, it was a cashier in the Target checkout line when I was searching for my butt paste coupon.  She said her nephew had this terrible rash and that was the one and only thing that helped, but that they didn’t sell it there.  So, I dropped the butt paste and quickly drove down the street to Babies ‘R’ Us, and luckily  they had ONE LEFT!!  I started using it as soon as we got home, and by that evening the rash actually started to look better already!!  AMAZING!!  I would like to thank the people who made Anti-Monkey Butt Diaper Rash cream, because they have helped my daughter’s poor little bottom SOOOO VERY MUCH!  Apparently, it has some magic stuff in it along with calamine lotion, and well, whatever they put in there, it could be mud for all I care, the truth is that IT WORKS!!!  Her rash is pretty gone now, but you better believe I am still applying this cream to keep it away a few times a day.  In addition to that, I will be putting it in my diaper bag, at her changing stations, in my purse, etc.  I will always keep it handy now!  I have also heard that the same brand’s powder is awesome, so I will definitely be trying that too!!!  If you are a mom, or even a person for that matter, and find something that makes your life even a little bit easier, it makes you so extremely happy…and for my daughter it has made a world of a difference!

   

While every baby is very different, and each has their own set of diaper rash and skin issues, be sure to try ALL that is out there!  Although, I have to write, whenever I mention Anti-Monkey Butt to most moms now, they have nothing but great things to say about it, who knew???  Above all, we want to do the best we can for our child…even if that means we have to let them pee on the floor to air out, and then slapping on a good ol’ heaping amount of Anti-Monkey Butt onto their, impossible to change while staying still, little buttocks.    ~J

          

Nausea, No Meat and Animal Crackers…OH MY!!! Exploring the eating and feeding patterns from Preggers to my Lucky Lil’ 13 =)

when I was only a mere 15 weeks along

Just a few days ago Juliette became 13 months old, and I find myself still in disbelief that my little baby could be actually over 1 year now.  Should we still be counting the months at this point?  It seems like most people do when it comes to pregnancy and babies.  Actually with pregnancy you count weeks, and unless you’ve been pregnant before, when most people ask, “how far along are you?” you tell them by the weeks, not months.  However, I soon found out that you had to convert those weeks into the amount of months for the everyday person.

Looking back on the long road it took to get pregnant, and then how it finally happened, it seemed like such a dream to me.  I was full of a fantastic bliss during those first few weeks that I found out I was pregnant.  I was living on cloud nine for quite some time, just beaming with smiles.  I was teaching at the time, and I found that the pregnancy even gave me a newfound patience with my trying and troublesome homeroom class at the time.  I was about 6 weeks along when I found out, and I only told close friends and family members, before we decided to announce it to the world at that safe 12-week mark.  It was December and all the lovely Christmas songs, décor, and shopping was in the air.  Just in time for the holidays, I did, however, start to get some of those dreaded first trimester symptoms that pregnancy brings on.

First off, I had to switch from my comforting and awakening morning tea in my handy little to-go cup (for my hour long drive to work) to a can of coke…the only thing that seemed to help my unsettled stomach.  Parts of my body, (and ladies you know which parts these are), were already bigger and swollen, which lead to no more button fly pants and more elastic ones until all maternity clothing started.  Then there was the appetite and change in food.  Since I was young I can remember, whether pregnant or not, most people relied on those every handy saltine crackers to be the cure for that nauseas stomach, especially that one you get during your first trimester (and not just in the morning, though that did seem to be the worst time of day for it).  Of course, in my case, (because it never seems  to be that easy for me), saltines were not the cure, they actually made me feel more nauseated.

I tried to eat whatever I could hold down for breakfast, usually some type of dry cereal and then I would head to work not feeling too hot, and still hiding my growing tummy from everyone at work (except my closest teacher friend my principal).  Let me tell you…it was not easy hiding it from my other fellow coworkers or my 140 students or so, who began to ask why I always had coke now in the morning, and why started to chew gum from time to time.  I had heard somewhere that gum could help with that sour stomach and for me, it did.  Cinnamon flavored Trident was now my new best friend.  But, when you teach at a catholic middle school (that doesn’t allow gum for its students) and one of the teachers suddenly starts to chew it, the students will notice, as they usually notice everything!  My explanations?  Well as for the coke, it gave me that extra caffeine I needed to get me through my early mornings.  Explaining the gum was pretty funny, I told the students that it was a special prescription from my doctor for a dental gum condition I had, which also explained my late arrivals and/or early leaving some days for those many OBGYN appointments and blood work you need during that first trimester.  They actually bought this idea, and even asked me how my mouth was and if I was going to need surgery, ha-ha…silly kids.

I was still having lots of trouble subsiding my churning stomach though, as I wasn’t a puker at all, but wished I were for once, just to have some relief…I just always felt like I was going to puke.  Then on an absurd day, right around Christmastime, on one of our last days before our vacation we had our annual Christmas party with our sister elementary school.  On this day, we had snack time with the student visitors.  For this, we always passed out juice and animal crackers, which I hadn’t had much of since I was a kid myself, but now all of the sudden they looked better to me than any other food I could possibly think of!  So, as we began passing out the snack, I grabbed myself a few of these sweet crackers, and even had some apple juice to boot….and wow!!!  Who knew that a second graders snack would be my new cure for my rumbly tummy.  I felt like a new person!  That same weekend, my husband dashed off to BJ’s and bought me any economy-sized tub of animal crackers.  I kept a stash of those crackers on my nightstand, in my purse, in the car, in my desk at work…it got so bad that I began to pop those lovely little crackers as much as my favorite TV doctor, Gregory House, popped his vicodin pills.

What’s even stranger, is that throughout my pregnancy I seemed to revert to the many simple foods I loved as a child.  Grilled cheeses, anything with eggs (egg salad, eggs over easy…which I used to call “dippy eggs,”) an English muffin with peanut butter, mac’ and cheese, French fries, white grape juice, Jell-O, and many others…it was quite funny.  I craved many carbs, veggies, and fruit in the beginning too…so dinner was quite challenging as I could not eat any meat or fish throughout my first four months of pregnancy.  I also loved all things bitter…especially those with vinegar.  Bigger meals were very hard, as just a salad of fruit or greens, or some pasta didn’t seem to fill me up very much.  One night I even fell apart crying on the kitchen floor as I was so hungry, and couldn’t figure out what to eat, (besides an animal cracker or bread), that didn’t make me sick.  I think my husband was getting tired of it too, because even though he would try to make his own dinner, but it was so bad that I couldn’t take the smell of any meat either, so I would either brave the cold outside to get away from the smell, but he wouldn’t have that as I was carrying his unborn child, so he stopped cooking the meat as well.  Speaking or smells…oh good God the smells when I pregnant!  I will have to save that for another entry, because it was very, very bad…so bad, I think I am still going through it.

Soon though, that 12-week mark came and I was able to announce it to my students and the whole school at the Monday morning assembly that I was preggers!  It was very cute, they all clapped and cheered for me.  As that week went on, many of 8^th graders were like “I knew it,” and some of the girls tried to call me “Mama,” which I politely told them “please do not do that, I am not your Mama,” (seriously? NO!).  A few teachers even said they had a hunch I was ‘with child,” as I came in many mornings looking quite green.

Then soon, after many food mishaps, my nausea eventually started wearing away by the 4^th month, and I was able to slowly start eating more food again, like meat, especially hot dogs, I seemed to love hot dogs…so hot dog day every Wednesday at school was something to look forward to!  Throughout my whole pregnancy though, I could not eat any beef or eggplant…and so I began to wonder, would I ever be able to eat those things again?  All things considered though, I didn’t have it too bad with the food part of it, I have heard about woman who had it much worse…and the nausea did subside.  After all, I did only actually vomit once, but always had the feeling like I was going to in that first trimester.

Luckily, after I gave birth I was able to eat beef again, and any and everything I used to eat after a few weeks  I could even drink alcohol again (after all those breastfeeding mishaps and having to give that up, I needed a good stiff drink).  I really thought too, that I would miss alcohol much during my pregnancy.  I remember toward the end, I would occasionally miss a glass of wine, or a nice cold margarita in the summer.  And oh gosh, how I could’ve used a nice strong mixed drink toward the end of the last trimester due to all those horrible aches and pains at the end…but more on that at another time too.

Now, I can proudly say that Juliette is officially over a year, or 13 months to be exact…and we are both very healthy eaters.  She even started to spoon-feed herself yesterday, which is still very much a learning process, and very messy one at that.  Plus, while Juliette has that cute little baby potbelly and oh-so squeezable thighs, while I am still trying getting rid of the last little bits that are left of mine.  She is a very good eater, not at all picky and loves cheese (just like her Mama) and bananas too.  The challenges of eating don’t change though, as once you are post-preggers, you will have to restrict yourself to not overindulge.  You will once again feel bad about those McDonald Frappe runs and Baby Ruth bars that felt like a wonderful sweet indulgence and were “OK” while pregnant, but not so much post pregnancy.  At least now though you can have that nice glass of wine or a margarita again (or whatever drink you so desire).  And trust me, you will need that drink once those minutes of the day have worn you down and your baby is soundly asleep (if, hopefully, they do sleep well)…at that point you can put your feet up and have that nice relaxing drink, if you can still stay up by the end of the day.

In conclusion, whether you count months, years, days, minutes, etc…just know that while its hard to figure out what you can eat while that little one is growing inside you, it all goes back to normal.  Your baby and you will be able to eat as much or as little as you need…even when you are still craving something unusual like a peanut butter cheesecake (thanks Lisa) on your daughter’s  Lucky 13^th month birthday.

and so the spoon-feeding begins

Any funny cravings (pregnant or not) or weird pregnancy food choices you had?  What about your baby?  Please share on the comments below if you’d like…

very proud of herself =)
(so is her Mommy)

Got Milk???

Got milk???

Ahhh the joy of spending $30 a pop on a tub of formula…did we really have a choice in the matter though?  Actually we didn’t after a rough first 8 weeks with Juliette.  It’s a great debate…formula vs. breastmilk, and I have to admit I believed that breast was best.  My daughter did get breastfed at least for a little while, not as long as I had hoped, but there was reason for that.

Let’s back up a bit here, I believe in a woman’s right to choose in many ways.  Now, I am not going to go out on a limb (like Mr. Bloomberg did) and decide to take away formula from any place, but I will say that choices are there and they are made for a REASON, not just for convenience.  Unto the whole nursing issue, I was so very excited preparing for all of the things motherhood brought upon me, and one of the most important things was my ability to breastfeed (and my bigger cup size too might I add).

When I first started to breastfeed Juliette it was not easy as I had hoped, but I told myself that it was going to be ‘ok,’ I wasn’t expecting it to be.  A nipple-shield helped a lot at first, especially with that precious “liquid-gold” colostrum that comes in those first few days.  Then, as the milk came in, the shields were used less as Juliette latched on much better.  Unfortunately though, this is not where the story ends.  I so wish I was like one of those women who easily popped their baby on their boob and delightfully fed them on each side.  I envied those women!!  This was not the case for me…the first problem was, Juliette never seemed full, and was also quite colic after almost a week at home with us, especially at feeding time.  After one very worried trip to the ER, many pediatrician appointments, a meeting with a lactation consultant, and joining La Leche League, I began to also pump my milk.  They all agreed that, most likely, our somewhat discontented newborn wasn’t getting enough milk or and when she was, she wasn’t getting it fast enough.  Every new mom will learn that all babies lose weight once they come home from the hospital, but she wasn’t gaining any and loosing too much.

I admit that it was frustrating, (not to mention those very, very sore and leaky nipples to boot), and I was quite worried and felt somewhat inadequate.  But, I would not be defeated!!!  So, after her feedings, I would pump, then hydrate, try my best to replenish my insatiable hunger, and by the time this process was done I was left with maybe 15 minutes or perhaps 25 minutes, (if I was lucky), before her next feeding.  So, there I was exhausted, feeding her directly from the breasts, then offered her some from the bottle with pumped milk (if she was still hungry), then burped her (she was a very tough burper), followed by pumping, eating/drinking for myself, and then having barely any time left to do anything for myself, like brush my hair or go to the bathroom.  Still, I was not giving up, I was determined to do this.  By her next doctor’s appointment she seemed to be getting enough now, however she had begun to spit up a lot more and was having an even harder time burping.  On top of that, she still hadn’t gained much, but (AH-HA!) something was working because she hadn’t  lost any weight!  Unfortunately though, due to the gassy, non-burping and constantly spitting up baby Juliette had become after just a few weeks, they suggested changing my diet.  So, I gave up dairy first, which wasn’t too bad.  My husband stocked us up with many new types of food for my diet, after a week though, still no change, so then they suggested to try to soy free diet.  Well, I really feel very badly for anyone who can’t eat soy, because it’s in almost EVERYTHING!!  This diet was hard, but I pressed on and kept at it, sent Steve to the store almost daily to find something to eat that way soy free and filled me up…but still no change, and a lot more crying and spitting up.  Next up, I tried a soy and dairy free diet, this was the hardest one, but I was doing this for the better of my child, so I still didn’t give up!  Much to my chagrin though, no change with Juliette.  She was not so happy at feeding time especially, and the poor thing couldn’t keep anything down.  I went back to my regular diet and just exclusively on the breast and she would cry and cry and cry and not even want to eat.  What was happening?  Was she self-weaning already?  What did she want?  It was so hard to tell!!  Would there ever be a resolution to this?  Will I ever enjoy my new daughter?  Why can’t I just feed her my milk?  Bottle or breast is best?  Why does she cry every time she is nursing?????  So many questions and I NEEDED ANSWERS!!!

Finally, after six long and stressful weeks of this…she was diagnosed with ACID REFLUX, and with the right formula and meds, she was like a new baby!  I couldn’t believe it!!!  Why didn’t we know this before?  Apparently it is VERY common, and my younger sister and mother-in-law even had it when they were babies…who knew?  Finding the right formula and meds wasn’t easy either, and I even kept trying to sneak in my pumped breast-milk too, but every single time I did, she puked and had a sour stomach.  Plus, because as this point I was just pumping, my supply was going down.  So, I finally and unfortunately stopped breastfeeding after 8 weeks of putting my all into it!  It was very sad day for me, and I shed many tears over it, but no one could say I didn’t try, because I did everything I possibly could.  My loving husband was very supportive of the fact that I had to stop, and he was my biggest supporter through all of this.  In conclusion, I did not have a choice but to give up nursing my baby, unless I wanted to make her sick everyday…I think NOT!

I started to enjoy Juliette so much more, and from that moment on there was stress here and there, but nothing so bad that we couldn’t handle it.  Burp cloths, bibs, and wipes became my new best friends, and burping every 2 ounces was much better for my hard to burp baby.  As she became an adorably happy and, might I add, very full baby, who by her third month was in the 95th percentile for weight, and has stayed around that same mark since, we knew we did the right thing for her.

So, trust me, they made formula for a reason, not just for women who chose not to breastfeed (which if you chose that too, I have no judgment there either because breastfeeding, even if it agrees with them, is serious business), but it was also made for those babies who couldn’t be exclusively breastfed.  It was a long road, and once she started solids her acid reflux kept getting better, her spit-ups diminished, and she now loves practically all food.  Skip to the present time…today was her last day of her beloved soy formula, which took us so long to find the right one after those six weeks.  Today it’s all whole milk.  This was a 3-week milk  project, adding more whole milk and less formula every week…and I was quite nervous about it, because of all her problems feeding in the beginning, but I am happy to report that so far, so good!

So, all you new moms hear me out- DO NOT be too hard on yourself, if for whatever the reason, you can not breastfeed, because you do have choices.  I tried my very best, and still do hope to be able to breastfeed (for a longer period of time) with the next child, when that time comes.  But when that day does comes, if it doesn’t work out I am not going to be too hard on myself, because I have a very happy and healthy baby now.  And if you are successful in breastfeeding easily, congratulations to you, I am very jealous!

Got milk?  Yes, we all do, but it comes in many different shapes, forms, sizes, and brands, and yes you do have the right to choose!  Please remember that ladies, your baby’s health and happiness comes first, and don’t be too hard on yourself like I was…it’s unnecessary in the end! J

PS: Any questions about acid reflux, feel free to ask me anytime!  I had a hard time finding enough information out there about it, and while I’m no expert, I can try my best advice to help.

11 months later and we are pregnant! Or are we?? GET THE DIGITAL TEST…and get a new OBGYN!!!

It’s such a fantastic and quite gleeful statement to spread around, “We are trying to have a baby!!!”  Little do you know, that statement will come back to bite you!  Trust me, it will, unless you are one of those women, and I know them too, who have an unplanned pregnancy or go off the pill and are pregnant a mere week later.  That was not I, not this time around anyway.  I’m that girl who always dreamt of having a baby and being a Mom, I believe this is one of the roles I was born to fulfill.  I’ve known this ever since I was five years old and would willingly help my Mom take care of my little sister with any of the many baby tasks.  So, Tara you are really to blame for my baby fever!  My husband always knew this about me too, as I would constantly remind him, “I need to have a baby before I am 30!”  So the moment my well-to-do and responsible husband decided we were financially secure enough to give it a go, you better believe we jumped on it, pun intended.  And although it was not as easy as I had originally thought it would be, we just made the cutoff…I was 36 weeks ‘preggers’ and just about ready to pop when I had just turned 30.

A brief back-story is needed here: I had to switch gynecologists since we had moved to a new town, and had taken a referral for a new nearby doctor, without first looking into it myself…MISTAKE!  I’ll save the whole story for another day, but I was misdiagnosed and that misdiagnosis caused much unnecessary stress to both my husband and myself for many months.

So there we were, trying for many months. I had this weird misdiagnosis, was very stressed, and after a few tearful talks with my husband, we finally stopped ‘trying’ and just went back to ‘having sex’ and ‘tried’ to stop worrying about it.  It was actually quite a relief, as I stopped charting my ovulation schedule and we just went back to our regular lives, so to speak.  The last tearful breakdown I had was somewhere around Halloween 2010, when I had thrown myself into my work and didn’t even think much about getting pregnant anymore.  Funnily enough, by Thanksgiving I noticed my sense of smell increasing : the turkey scent I always so enjoyed kind of made me nauseous.  I also had a few times on my way to work when I had to pull over and spit out some of my daily tea, plus my boobs hurt so bad I couldn’t even sleep on my stomach anymore, and on top of that my period was 10 days late.  I finally came clean about these symptoms on that 10^th day to my husband,  (I didn’t tell him sooner because I didn’t want to jinx it!), and he ran to the store to get a pregnancy test!

While I was waiting, I called one of my friends who was just about to have a baby, and another friend who already had a little one.  They both were excited and said all signs pointed to yes, but they also told me, (which I already knew, but like my husband, I was just so excited!), that it was best to take those tests in the morning…something having to do with urine being easier to read in the morning.  Anyway, Steve got home and I ran to the bathroom to take the test, and I had one solidly clear pink line, and the other (as you need two lines to be pregnant) was there but it was a much lighter pink, not invisible, but not as dark as the other.  Now, I had taken these before but had never seen two, just one, so this was a good sign, right?  How were we supposed to know??  I was skeptical and gave my friends both a call back to which they both told me again all sign point to yes and to take it in the morning, however this time to take the DIGITAL test!!!  It was more expensive, but it would be worth it.  Well, Steve ran back out and we waited until morning, don’t ask me how we slept, because we didn’t get much as both of us were ridiculously smiley that whole night.

I woke up 10 minutes before my 5:00 a.m. alarm just glaring at the clock, for once gladly awaiting that sound most of us hate to wake up to.  My little mini dachshund dog, Layla, always gets up with me, she goes outside first and then I go to the bathroom.  Alarm went off and I happily threw on my coat and boots and took Layla out, I practically skipped back in and she must have known something because she was very quick outside for once.  I’ve never been so excited to pee in my whole life!!  I peed onto the strip and waited for the longest moment of my life…which led to the happiest moment of my life! (At that point, at least).  My shaking hand finally got still when that digital test read “Pregnant.”  AHHHHHHHH!!!  We, (both Layla and I), jumped into the bedroom and onto the bed to wake Steve up with the good news: it had finally happened, we were going to have a baby!!!

We were both blissful all morning and it was so hard to keep it to myself at work.  I looked for a new OBGYN online during the little bit of free time I had at work and found one I seemed to like, and called to schedule an appointment, luckily they fit me in the next day!  I called my parents that morning, as did Steve.  They were all so happy for us, and I told my sisters (who both adorably cried) and my two closest friends on my way home from work.  It was a wonderful day, as was the next when it was confirmed that next morning at my new doctor that I was in fact, scientifically and all, PREGNANT!

So, take my 4 pieces of advice if you are planning to have a baby:

1) Don’t go on and on to people about the fact that you are “trying” 

2) Find your own doctor that you can trust and feel very comfortable with

3) Be patient, I know it is hard, but some women get pregnant after a week, and for some it may take years, for me it took 11 months

4) Save yourself a lot of time and energy and take only the digital pregnancy test, as it is the most accurate…and while you are at it try to hold off and take it in the morning, because it’s the best alarm in the morning that you will ever hear!

Introduction

As I watch my newly 1 year-old daughter adorably walk, or should I say stumble and stomp around the house and hand me her little Rosita toy with a huge smile on her face, I cannot help but think, has it really been over a year since I gave birth to her?  There are many, many, many huge things that happen throughout the course of someone’s life, but just like the corny Faith Hill Christmas song states, “A Baby Changes Everything,” don’t roll your eyes just yet, because it’s very, very, very true in so many ways.  We have all heard people say that, but until it happens to you, (and as much as your mother tells you), you cannot understand that statement.

We have had many ups and downs during Juliette’s first year of life.  Not only during her first year of her life do things change though, because as every mother can tell you, everything truly changes for a woman is once she actually becomes pregnant.  That’s not to say it doesn’t change for the man as well, but no offense guys, until you’ve gone through waiting for that period not to come, peeing on that stick, feeling overwhelmingly nauseated, having rock hard breasts, getting so grossed out about even the thought of raw chicken, the purely blissful feeling of that baby growing inside you kicking for the first time, or the unbearable back pain and heartburn (just to name a few)…not to mention giving birth, guys you have it easy!

Now that I’m a proud stay-at-home Mom, I have decided to start writing about the many highs and lows from pregnancy to birth and all the way through Juliette’s first year, and hopefully beyond that as well.  Since there are already so many blogs and books out there, (no offense to “What to Expect When You Are Expecting” and “What to Expect the First Year (and Second Year, etc.),” but I find it to be the most comforting when I read things written from a first hand experience perspective, in the most realistic terminology.  And what more life altering experiences are there than pregnancy and raising a child/children?  Don’t get me wrong, I have read all my “What to Expect…” books religiously so far, but what I love most is when I read something that makes me feel like I am not alone, other moms go through these same things too.  I hope that this blog will ring true and spark the same feeling in other moms or mom-to-be’s out there, because what I have found from all of my readings is that there is not enough no-nonsense narratives about the unusual situations you are bound to encounter for a first time mom.

And I have to make sure I give credit where credit is due to the people responsible for this blog.  This is dedicated to my beautiful, unique and extremely active daughter Juliette Maria Giunta, because without her this now stay-at-home Mom and former middle school English teacher wouldn’t be writing this.  And finally, a huge shout-out to my devoted and wonderful husband, Steve, whom without his love, support (and sperm might I add) none of this new life would even exist.  I hope you will enjoy reading what I would like to call “Juliette’s World.”  (cue Juliette’s beloved “Elmo’s World” theme song, if you don’t know it yet, don’t worry every new mom soon will).