Fit Fridays! - Week 1

Hi all,

2017 is going to be my get fit year. Claire is already 2.5 so it's become embarrassing for me to say I'm still trying to lose my baby weight. :) I've come to point where I am the heaviest I've ever been and not as comfortable in my own skin. I see my "skinny" clothes in my closet which is a depressing reminder of where I'd like to be. I want to be able to wear them again! I am going to be a better version of myself and want to take you along the way with me.

I will post every Friday with what I did for the past week to stay fit. Since this is the first Friday I will use X as my starting weight and move down from X as I go.

Here is my plan:

Healthy Eating:
I am following The Whole 30 plan which eliminated carbs, dairy, sugar, legumes, etc and goes back to healthy eating of real food. It's a strict plan but has results. I did it last year and lost about 13lbs in 45 days with no exercise.

Exercise:
Working out a minimum of 4 days a week. I signed up for Beachbody's video streaming and enjoy doing the T25 workouts. They are fast paced and intense, but only last 25 mins. This is a busy mom's dream come true. Plus the cool down is less than 5 mins so you can do a complete workout in under 30 mins!

I am also happy to say that I signed up for my first half marathon: ShapeHalf in the spring . No, I am not a runner but will be by then. :) I'm following Shape's beginner training plan and will keep you posted on my progress. My goal is to run as much as possible and finish the 13.1 miles.

Sleep:
I am a night owl and never get 8 hours of sleep so I'm going to make it a priority to get the recommended daily amount. So goodbye nightly tv.

Water:
Another area I struggle with as I don't drink nearly enough water, sometimes 2 cups a day. I am setting a reminder for myself to drink at least 6 cups a day.

Vitamins:
I will take my vitamin at least 5 times a week.

I feel good about these changes and know that it will make a difference in my appearance and overall well-being. Wish me luck and I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Happy reading!

Rachel

 

The Best Playmat! - Dwingler

Yes this is the best playmat. If you are expecting, have an infant, a toddler, or any kids that like to play on the floor, this is the playmat for you! I missed the boat on this the first time around when I had James. My dear friend had this playmat at her home, it was so comfy and durable. It had a cute design and was reversible. The best part was that there was no smell and that it was a one piece as opposed to the traditional foam ABC ones out there. I already had the foam mat and since we lived in a small condo I didn't want to get one due to space restrictions. However now that we have a house there is room for this mat.

The mat is made by a company called Dwingler. They have numerous designs and 3 different sizes to meet your space requirements. I ordered mine from Home Depot because I was looking for a particular one. Lots of online retailers carry the playmat including Amazon, bed bath and beyond, etc. It's a little pricey, but it's an investment, especially if you are having multiple kids. 

Cleanliness is really important to me and this mat meets my needs as it is easily cleaned. I wash it down with soap and water. It's thick making it comfortable to sit on and the thickness makes it an added layer of protection between your kids head and the floor. The patterns they have a really cute. I opted for one side with animals and the other had a city grid layout with schools, homes, a fire station, etc. James loves pushing his cars on this side. Claire in no longer an infant but she still likes to play there.

Here is the link to the one I got. Check it out, I'm sure you'll love it too!

Happy reading!

Rachel

 

 

Just One of Those Days...

I've been a bit down lately. The stress of work, balancing home life, and taking care of the kids is taking a toll on me. I don't really know how to handle it, so as usual my own needs are being put aside. Adit was traveling for work recently leaving me to manage the kids at night. Claire slept the first night, but didn't the two other nights. She fell asleep early around 7, but woke up at 9 the first night and 8:30 the second. This was so early and left no "me" time. I bet you're thinking I had almost 2 hours of me time, but you would be wrong because during most of that time I was preparing James for bed. I need that time to do baby dishes, tidy up, watch mindless tv, do some work, etc and if I don't have it I feel out of whack.

At first I didn't think that Claire waking up at 8:30 or 9:00 was an issue because I could nurse and put her back to sleep. Boy was I wrong. Both nights I tried that. After nursing she was still awake. So then I changed her diaper and tried rocking her to sleep. That didn't work either. Then I began walking around the room with her. It took 3 hours each night and she still wouldn't sleep. She kept crying, I tried burping, patting her, comforting her by gently rocking and singing. Nothing seemed to work. Eventually I took her to bed with me and we both slept while she nursed. Claire has been sleeping in bed with us every night since I started working. I just can't manage waking up at night so this option works. It's not a comfy way to sleep, but it keeps me sane. 

The reason I've been feeling down is because I'm feeling the pressure of balancing all of this when Adit is away. Luckily he is home now but there was a time when he was gone every week for 3-4 days at a time. It wears on you. It was ok when I was on maternity leave but now it's not ideal. I understand that he needs to travel at times, but it makes my job twice as hard. 

Part of me feels guilty for even writing this because I'm "complaining" about my children. I'm just stretched a little thin right now, but that's ok because it's temporary. I had a terrible week, but the good news is that it's over. I'm looking forward to the coming weeks as well as celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

I needed to vent and I shared my feelings with Adit and now to you all. I think it's important to recognize that we can't do it all and that there are going to be moments of vulnerability. What's important is to keep it in perspective and remember that the baby is growing everyday and things will get better. 

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do things aren't going your way? That's how I've been feeling, but things are getting better. (I write this as Claire woke up every 2 hours last night, lol) 

Happy reading!

Rachel 

PS: Thanks to those of you who gave me encouragement on my last post where I wrote about nursing. My goal is to solely nurse Claire until she's drinking cows' milk, so at least a year. It didn't feel like it would be possible the other day, but now things are looking up again. It's strange how we feel mommy guilt and think that we are failing our children by offering them formula. I think that we need to do what's best for the child, but also ourselves. Formula is sometimes seen as the new F-word in society, but it shouldn't be. As long as the child and you are happy, that's all that matters. 

Nursing - My Love/Hate Relationship!

I remembered my doctor saying that the body remembers so you'll "show" faster, heal faster, make milk faster, but how come I was still cracked and bleeding after Claire's first nursing session? Shouldn't my body have remembered that James nursed for over two years, so why was the pain worse than I had remembered the first time? I'd sit there gripping the chair, back straight, toes curled, eyes shut, and holding my breath. All I kept thinking was when is this going to be over, when will my body adjust. Thankfully it did, but it took some time. During that time I pumped a lot to give myself some time to recover. 

After getting back into the grove, nursing became a pleasure. I loved not having to carry formula around, wash bottles, heat up milk, or having to wait to feed my baby to name a few. I love the way that she looks up at me and smiles while nursing. That content and happy look made me so happy too. I tend to forget that she's woken me up only 30 minutes after putting her down and didn't I mention it's 3am! 

Although us nursing moms have the convenience of having milk ready 24/7, we have no way of measuring how much milk our little one is getting. With a bottle you can say she had 6oz and slept. All that we can say is that she nursed on both sides, or one side. If you can do it, I suggest pumping and having your little one drink from a bottle before bed to ensure that she's full. Claire is a terrible sleeper and it could be because she's not full, or it could be a plethora of other things like she is teething, she has a cold, she has gas, she is lonely, who knows. I would love to give her a bottle at night but I already pump 2-3 times a day and need a break. Plus there is usually no time to pump as I'm busy looking after the kids too. 

A perk I love about nursing is that if you are doing it full time you can delay the start of your menstrual cycle. That is something no one is looking forward to getting again. 

It's also nice knowing that you can instantly comfort your baby when they need it. This comes in handy when you are at the doctor getting vaccinations for your infant. I would nurse immediately after the shots and Claire would instantly feel better. I remember that I used to nurse while James was getting the shots! There was just a big mouth open cry and he'd go back to nursing as usual. 

Since I'm back at work I need consistent sleep and having Claire sleep in bed with me, nursing her all night is the only way I get that. I lay there like a robot, my arm under her head, sleeping on my side with my body shifted so she can reach me to nurse. It's not a comfortable sleep, but it beats getting up, nursing, rocking her and going back to bed. I tried that a few times but couldn't function well the next day. Yes my arm would go numb most days, but I've gotten used to it. 

What I'm describing is a sacrifice and this is a huge one. I'm debating introducing some formula to supplement her milk, but all I keep thinking is "breast is best". What about the toll it's taking in me? I've been ignoring it, but I'm getting tired of pumping. If I was home for a year like I was with James I think it would have been easier to solely nurse, but now that I'm working I'm not so confident that I can keep this up for at least another 7months. I feel like my supply is down and I'm trying my best to give her my milk, but why do I feel so guilty when thinking about supplementing? If breast truly is best, then why is it so difficult to do/maintain? 

Has anyone else felt like this? Can you offer any advice? I am eager to listen! 

Happy reading! 

Rachel

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone was ready for this big day! I used to love Halloween as a child and fondly remember trick-or-treating with my friends and brother each year. My favorite costume was when I dressed as a flapper girl from the 1920's. Too bad I don't have any pics. Anyway I am happy to continue the tradition with my two kids.

This year Adit and I didn't dress up because we normally don't. James was a little fussy about wearing his costume and when he asked me where my costume was I didn't have a good answer. I always assumed that kids liked getting dressed up and that as parents it didn't matter if we did or not. However the more I thought about it, I realized that it is important to partake too. I know it'll make James happy so that's a good enough reason for me. We have traditions for most holidays and special events, so why not make dressing up a family a tradition too! 

Now here are the kids all dressed up! Don't judge me that Claire has 3 costumes, I couldn't resist.:) Which one do you like the best?

How did you celebrate Halloween? What did you or your little ones dress up as for Halloween? Please share with us by posting a pic!

Happy reading! 

Rachel

PS: Don't forget to enter to win the nursing pillow! Click here for details.

Yay! A Giveaway! - Winner Announced!

Hi everyone,

I am very excited to share this giveaway with you all. The giveaway is one of the products I wrote about on my last blog post titled "3 Products I Can't Live Without". Can you guess what it is? Well I won't keep you in suspense because it is the My Breast Friend Nursing Pillow! They read my post and were so pleased that I was so happy with their product that they decided to give one away to a lucky reader. How generous is that! :)

Please note that My Brest Friend can only ship to an address in the contiguous US, so sorry my Canadian friends.

Here's what you need to do to enter:

1) "Like" SillyBaba, SillyMama on Facebook. 

2) "Like" My Brest Friend on Facebook.

Then just drop a line to let me know that you've entered.

Bonus Entries:
1) Earn 1 additional entry by Sharing this giveaway on Facebook.
2) Earn 2 additional entries by becoming a "Follower" on my blog.

So you could have 4 chances of winning!

Best of luck to all who enter, I will be selecting the winner using a random number generator.
Drawing will be done after 6pm on Friday, Nov 7th.

I will post who he luck winner is!

Happy ready and entering!

Rachel

Winner Update:

Thanks to everyone who entered and to My Brest Friend for the pillow. To make it fair I wrote down all the entrants and used a random number generator to pick the winner. The winner is Shanna! I will contact you on how to get your prize. :) 

3 Products I Can't Live Without!

Balancing work and being a mommy is a difficult task. Thankfully the job is a little easier with these fabulous products.

1) My Brest Friend Nursing Pillow: If you are in the market for a nursing pillow, look no further! This one makes nursing a breeze. It's unique because there is a clip that attaches the pillow around your waist. Therefore you know that it is secure and you can adjust it to you changing body. It has a flat, firm surface with two tiny bumps, one on each side, to elevate your babies head and there is a little pouch at the front for storage. It's large enough to hold your phone and a snack. The cover is machine washable and it lasts the test of time. I still use the same one that I used for James over 3 years ago! Word of advice for any nursing pillow: buy an extra cover, you will need it for a quick change when the current one is soiled. The cushion itself is $44.00 but if you like them on Facebook you get $30% off. That sounds like a deal to me!

  

2) Baby Brezza Sterilizer: I never used a sterilizer before because I was home with James for a year and predominately breastfed. If I needed to sterilize, I used the old fashioned method of boiling and air drying on a rack. Today I'm back at work and pumping 3 times a day, so that requires using so many parts, bottles, etc. This is convenient because it has a large capacity to accommodate my nursing parts and bottles, nipples, etc. My absolute favorite feature is that there is a dryer. It has a few settings: dry only, sterilize only, and both. I use the both option for 60 minutes. With It's clear, plastic cover you can see that it's working, as the steam rises out of the top. This way I have peace of mind knowing that the bottles are clean and the drier dries everything so all I have to do is open it up and take the parts I need for work. This is amazing because I no longer need a bottle drying rack to take up space on my counter. The parts go straight from the sterilizer to my cabinet or bag! It's pricey for $99.99 at Buy Buy Baby but you can always use their 20% off coupons or better yet register for it! Trust me, you won't be disappointed! My last tip is to use filtered or distilled water and if any water remains on the base to dry it off to improve the longevity of the machine.

3) PumpEase Pumping Bra: Before I got this bra, I used to manually hold the pump in place which is both awkward and uncomfortable. My sister-in-law recommended it so I ordered it. Once I got it, the construction was good and it fit well. I could see how the bottles wouldn't fall out but I wondered if the cups would detach due to the weight of the milk filling the bottles. I'm happy to say that didn't happen and it works like it's supposed to. Now I can easily pump at my desk when I'm working from home. I just assemble the parts, slip it through the bra, turn the machine on and continue with my work. I can barely feel it working and I'm done pumping in no time. This is such a great invention that makes the tedious task of pumping so much easier. I bought the organic one off of Amazon, it was about $40 and well worth it.

So what are a few products that you absolutely can't live without? Please share with us! 

Happy reading!

Rachel 

Welcome Baby Claire!

I'm a little late in introducing her since Claire is already four months old, but I'm doing to anyway.:) Claire was born at the end of May and I can't remember life without her being in it. All I can remember was how much I wanted a girl when I was pregnant and lucky for me my wish came true. :) I am in love with her just as much as James. 

Life was hectic during my pregnancy with the pregnancy associated illnesses, juggling work, and balancing home life with a pre-schooler that I didn't have enough time to revel in the pregnancy. For lack of a better word, I was kind of in denial about it. It's not like I wasn't eating well, resting, etc to take care of the baby. I was in denial because I didn't know how to add a new baby to our already busy life. Plus how could I adjust to sleepless nights again and what would I do when I had to return to work after 18 weeks? I thought it was best not to worry about these things and just manage when she arrives. 

Thankfully when Claire came we had a lot of support from family which was amazing. Adjusting to the sleepless nights were the worst. It really threw me for a loop this time, I only adapted to it after 3 weeks. Everything else was about the same as I was used to caring for a baby, knew how to nurse, etc. In that respect it wasn't too difficult looking after Claire because I knew what to do and was confident in trusting my instincts. 

Big brother James was so excited that she was finally here. He kept waiting for her as my belly grew bigger and bigger. Now he could see why it wasn't a good idea to jump on my belly. :)  When we told him Claire was here, he asked if the doctor scooped her out if my belly so we said yes. He said that he used a big spoon. Lol! James was instantly in love with his sister and became a very good helper. Now that Claire can hold her head steady and play a little he enjoys interacting with her. 

Since I live in the US there is no maternity leave, I am allowed baby bonding time for an additional 12 weeks after my 6 weeks of delivery time, so a combined 18 weeks. This time really flew by and I have been back to work for almost two weeks. Being back at work is good, I love my baby but I am definitely a working mom and can't see myself staying home with the kids. I do miss the year off that Canada gives, but I am managing. Everything is going well with Claire excepts her sleeping at night. Once she's sleep trained I'll have my life back. Lol. However as much as I am in a rush to get to that point I find myself saddened to think that she's growing up so quickly and that I won't have this little baby for long. Instead I'm trying to enjoy every minute with my kids because soon they won't be little anymore. 

Here are a couple pictures from her newborn photo shoot and now. She is the sweetest baby! 

Happy reading!

Rachel 

Our Baby Moon!

Since we are expecting we decided to take our family vacation a little earlier this year and went to our favorite place, Maui for about 10 days in Feb. It's a great destination and worth the 14 hour journey from the east coast.

Our trip consisted of relaxing on the beach, eating some good local food, playing with James, whale watching, and sleeping. It was the trip I've dreamed about. Adit was great and played with James most of the time allowing me to nap almost daily. Plus he arranged a prenatal massage for me that was amazing. 

My favorite part of the trip was playing with James on the beach. Everyday we'd head to the beach and Adit would make James a big hole to play in. He even made a retaining wall to keep the water out, but when the big waves came it quickly filled and became a pool he enjoyed splashing in. When the water went away he'd keep asking where it went. Lol.

We stayed at Black Rock which is an excellent place to snorkel with countless fish and several turtles living there. The turtles were so close that they'd be just 2 feet from shore. James was so excited that he could see them from the beach. Adit did some snorkeling this time and I didn't bother because I didn't want to get anymore leg cramps, especially when vulnerable in the ocean. Oh the joys of pregnancy!

Another fun part of our trip was the whale watching tour. The fun started just getting on the catamaran. The waves were about 8-10 ft high so we couldn't easily board from the shore. Instead the boat parked closeby and we had to run to the ladder between breaks. Adit was carrying James and our stuff, I went solo and when we were told to run we did. Adit made it on without getting too wet, I on the other hand got hit with a huge wave and got soaked, I held onto the assisting staff and hand rails then safely made it up the stairs. That was a little scary and I was not looking forward to getting off the boat later. After settling on the boat I went to the top deck to search for some whales, we were so eager to see a full breach and the humpbacks did not disappoint. I even managed to get a shot of some of the breach and lots of whale tails.  

Maui is a quiet destination without much of a night life so we spent most of our evenings walking on Front St. where we'd have dinner and stroll around the local shops. While walking we saw a street vendor who would let you take pics of his birds, I am normally not one for taking these pics, but I couldn't help it after James saw a white cockatoo and called him Nigel. For those of you who don't know, that's the sinister bird from the movie Rio. After chatting with the owner he said that he'd be back the next day with a Blue macaw too so we had to take a pic with Blu and Nigel. James was happy even though he didn't look like that in the pics. Lol.

It was so nice having a vacation with no agenda. Since we've been to Maui many times we didn't feel obligated to see any sites or do anything touristy. Our only agenda was on where to have meals as we wanted to eat as much fresh fish as possible. If you are visiting Maui, I suggest you try the local food at Aloha Mixed Plate, visit Fred's Mexican Cafe for Taco Tuesday specials, and Sansei for sushi. I also recommend that you take some professional family pics, we did it and I love the way the pics came out!

The trip was a success since we came home really relaxed and recharged. I love this destination and am looking forward to returning with 2 kids next time. :)

Did you go on a baby moon? if yes where did you go and would you recommend it? Please share with us as I'm always looking for kid friendly destinations! 

Happy reading!

Rachel 

Homeless for a Night!

Hi everyone,

This post has been a long time coming and since we are coming up on the one year anniversary of my Sleep Out I thought it's now it never that I post it. Covenant House is doing another Sleep Out, but I won't be participating this time around. 

On Friday, March 22, 2013 I was homeless in support of an amazing charity called Covenant House (CH)! Many of you supported me and I thank you again because together we raised $2,275! My goal was $1,500 and you guys blew me away with your generosity! I also wanted to thank those of you who read my page because now you are aware of the charity which is also great. Here's a link to my donation page if you want to know more about my motivation for participating.

When I signed up I researched  the organization whose purpose seemed pretty simple: their goal is to keep kids off the streets. So I thought my raising money would go toward providing basic necessities like food and shelter. However I learned that was the tip of the iceberg because besides providing the necessities, they offer support, time, love, and dedication to help the kids succeed.

I arrived a little after 7:30, I took the bus in from NJ and made a pit stop at my mom's place for a good meal before heading over. They had plenty of sandwiches and food there, but nothing beats mom's home cooked meals so it was worth the extra trek. When I arrived I was greeted by my two other friends who were participating along with the CEO of our company. He was the one who got us involved as he works closely with CH and participated in the Executive Edition Sleep Out last Nov.

At around 8:30 we sat down and listed to the chairman and other staff talk about the charity, then we watched a short video staring some kids who lived at CH and learned about their struggles and successes. This video was so heartfelt and surprising that it moved most of us to tears. There were two kids stories that had a major impact on me. One was a pregnant girl that was thrown out of her parents home and after couch surfing at friend's and neighbor's homes wound up on the street. She was over 9 months pregnant and due any minute so she slept on the sidewalk outside of the hospital so she could get help when it was time. Another was a boy that used to sleep in abandoned buildings. In the video he showed us one of the buildings he slept it. He walked us through where he broke in through the basement and crawled into a crawl space where he struggled to stay warm on cold nights. I couldn't believe that this was happening in the United States. At the end of the video they highlighted each kid with a description of what they were doing now. The young girl had her baby and they both still lived at CH, as for the young boy he chose not to stay at CH, meaning he went back to the streets. Then we were told that he died shortly after this video was filmed. That was so shocking and heartbreaking to all of us, why wouldn't he have just stayed at CH, what happened? There were so many unanswered questions. 

The chairman went on to explain that for every happy ending there are more sad endings. Unfortunately they attend many funerals every month. I couldn't understand why the kids wouldn't go to CH and seek refuge. However I started gaining perspective after participating in the group session where we heard from kids who lived at CH. I was in a group of about 12 people, the 3 kids shared their stories with us and explained what life was like there from day 1. I learned that CH is more of a stepping stone than a permanent shelter. If there is a bed available, they will give it on a first come, first serve basis to any youth under 21. They work with you to help you get back in school or find a job. This isn't as simple as it sounds. Many of these kids don't have IDs, a birth cert, social security card, etc so the staff at CH help them get these crucial documents. They also have staff that help train them to work in certain jobs that have an affiliation with the organization, like fast food and seasonal operations. Otherwise a kid could choose to go back to school where they could study a trade through CH's programs, then seek permanent work. All the while living at CH the kids need to do chores, obey the house rules, be drug free, and respect the house. This is the structure that I overlooked, but it is crucial for the kids since they need to learn responsibility in order to integrate into society. Once they have a stable job and can support themselves, CH helps them find affordable housing. It's amazing how much the staff and volunteers do.

The breakout session ended around 11:00 and it was time to go outside to sleep. This is the part none of us were looking forward to. I say this because it was an unusually cold March with temperatures well below freezing, plus there was wind chill! I asked the kids some advice on where to sleep and they said as close to a wall as possible. So I eyed a spot and went straight for it. I secured a spot near a wall for myself and 2 other friends. We were supplied with a sleeping bag and cardboard box each. The sleeping bag we knew what to do with it, but the cardboard box, hmm. It was too small to sleep inside of so we opted to use it as "support" under the sleeping bag. I put the word support in quotes because what support can a box do when set on top of concrete! Although it was cold I was warm. This is what I wore: a tank top, long sleeve shirt, wool sweater, fleece vest, knee high socks, gym pants, ski pants, an ankle length long down coat, and warm knee high boots. Plus I had a hat, the hood from my coat, and gloves. It was a lot to wear, however it was necessary as I think the temperature was in the 20's that evening. All that was peeking out of my sleeping bag was my mouth so I could breathe and I remember feel the chill in the wee hours of the night from the wind penetrating my sleeping bag. Now you must be thinking about my safety sleeping outside, however that didn't cross my mind once. There were police officers present and it was an organized event of 166 people so I didn't anticipate any danger. Besides, we didn't sleep in the street, but on the CH property which was a driveway and courtyard albeit still very much outside.

At around midnight we decided to tuck ourselves in and sleep. I remember closing my eyes and all I could think about was the video I just watched and I couldn't sleep. My heart was feeling sad for the kids that were sleeping outside like I was, but without a sleeping bag or multiple layers. I knew that I would go home in the morning and go back to my life, but what was it like knowing this was your day to day life? With these thoughts racing I slept on and off maybe 10-20 minutes at a time. Plus it was extremely uncomfortable, slept on my back at first and could feel every bone on my body laying on the concrete. My feet hurt because I was sleeping with boots on and the gravity on the boots was pulling my feet into the concrete. So I alternated from side to side and lying on my back until about 6 am. That was when we got up and went inside to return our gear and head home. I spoke with the girls about their sleep and they slept the same way too, meaning that they didn't sleep either.

It was an emotional experience and way different than any other charity event I've ever done. I would encourage everyone who is able to try it. I'd do it again and Adit even wants to try it. So if you are interested check out their website and sign up early! For my Canadian friends, they do the sleep out in Toronto too, so get involved and support Covenant House!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Knitting Again :)

Before James was born I made a baby blanket for him and since I'm expecting again I decided to make one for my girl. I'm by no means a knitter, James' blanket was my first and only project and that was over 3 years ago so I've had the pleasure of reteaching myself. 

The first time around my friend Elena helped me learn the basic stitches and was a great resource. She knits for her little girl as well as herself and others. She did teach me an important rule that I haven't seen online which is to start the row and end the row with the same stitch so that the edging will be uniform. 

She had a lot of patience with me because I was confused for a long time, but with her instruction and practice I was able to learn the basics. Another important resource that I used was YouTube. I watched beginner videos and practiced new stitches. Between Elena and YouTube I was able to create this beautiful blanket that James still uses to this day. 

For the new blanket I didn't want to use the same pattern I used for James so I canvassed numerous knitting websites for a pattern but didn't find anything that spoke to me. So I decided to make my own pattern. I pulled out a pencil and paper and decided to draw it out. In hindsight excel would have been a better medium to make the pattern, but it can be done either way. I thought of a box within a box within a box and so on pattern. I wanted the blanket to be larger than James so I ambitiously cast on 230 stitches. I'm sorta regretting that decision now as I realize that I'm less than 3 months away and might not be able to finish it. Anyway here is what it looks like so far and I'll post the finished product when it's complete. I'm using a combination if the seed stitch and the knit and purl stitch. It looks beautiful and I can't wait to see it wrapped around my little girl. 

So now I turn to you, did any of you moms or dads make something special for your little one before they were born? If so pease share some ideas with us, we'd love to hear them! 

Also if you want to know more about the videos I used for learning to knit just let me know and I'll look them up for you. 

Happy reading! 

Rachel 

Results are in - Boy or Girl?

The moment has finally arrived. I am 20 weeks and had my corresponding ultrasound appointment. Days before the appointment I was getting really anxious. I know it's silly but the first time I didn't feel any pressure since I knew I would have a couple kids, but now that we have James I really hoped for a little girl. 

Most people said that it's a girl since this pregnancy has been so different from my experience carrying James. I think that hyped up my expectation, however at the appointment I had no gut feeling and neither did Adit. 

Once I got on the table we knew the moment had come. The technican did a few routine checks then I told her that I was dying to find out. She showed us a clear shot and said she can tell with 99% certainty what it is. I thought ok another boy and said that. Adit disagreed and said it was a girl and the technician confirmed it was a girl. Adit had done some internet research beforehand so he knew what to look for. 

I was so excited and happy! I wanted a little girl and now we will have one. I can't wait to dress her up in frilly dresses and bows! It's going to be so much fun. We told James when we were home that night and he said that he will take care of the baby. He said he'll dress the baby in pajamas and put her to sleep in his firetruck bed and he will sleep in my bed! Lol! Well at least someone's got it figured out! 

I am already stressed about the short maternity time we get here. I get about 4.5 months off, mind you mostly unpaid, then I have to find suitable childcare. If prefer a nanny with such a small baby, but finding one where I live might be a challenge. Keep your fingers crossed for me. 

Anyway I'll keep you updated with my progress and anything else that peaks my interest. As always I'm still taking suggestions so if you have a topic you'd like to hear about feel free to email me! 

Happy reading! 

Rachel

Here I am at 20 weeks, wearing pink since I'm having a girl! 

It's Been Awhile...

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I've written my last post. I do have some in draft that I haven't finished, but decided to start fresh. 

So much has happened, we've been in NJ for over a year, bought a new house, and have a baby on the way. This move was clearly the right decision for us as we are now closer to our family. I used to miss birthday parties, weddings, etc but now we can be a part of them. Plus my kids will have the childhood I had of growing up with their cousins! 

I'm just over 19 weeks pregnant and am feeling better. When I was pregnant with James I hardly had any issues with morning sickness, however this time around I had most of the symptoms. So everyone seems to think that it's a girl. I hope they are right as I'd like more pink around the house and would prefer not to be outnumbered. Lol. I have such a great relationship with my mom that I'd love to have that someday with my daughter. However the gender is not my decision so I leave it in God's hands to give me a healthy baby, boy or girl. 

James is doing really well. He's completely adjusted to his new daycare and has friends that he looks forward to seeing. He had a great Christmas, getting spoiled with lots of toys. Thank you all for the gifts. He talks a mile a minute, loves cars and trucks, and is still a picky eater! When will he just start eating everything? James is excited for the baby, he says it's girl and her name is 'Cars'! Lol! He tries to see the baby through my belly button because he thinks it's like a telescope. Lol. 

Well I'm off to bed but I'll try to update this more often with Registry tips and other baby info! Hope you guys tag along with me!

Happy reading,

Rachel 

Bye bye Nursing!

I am happy to announce that I am no longer nursing. There was a time when I thought this day would never come and I feared the separation anxiety James would have over weaning. However we had the best experience you could hope for when weaning.

First off, James is over 2 and when I referred to nursing it was just 1 time a day in the morning. James is an early riser and Adit and I are not, so when James woke up we'd bring him into bed with us, he'd nurse and we'd all sleep. This was a great system until he wasn't getting much milk which lead to continuous switching and pulling, etc. At this point I would get no sleep and he would get little milk. The benefits of this practice weren't working for either of us.

I spoke with Adit about it and suggested that he take care of James in the morning instead of bringing him to bed with us. While he was doing that I'd take a shower so James wouldn't have access to nursing with me. This didn't work so well at first. James cried for me and didn't want to drink milk from his straw cup. I felt awful, but knew it was in his best interest. On about the third day James cried, but accepted milk from the straw cup. From then on we never looked back.

It is such a relief not having to nurse him anymore. I say this because he's big and it used to hurt my back to support him. Also I used to nurse in the car which is a serious back killer, not to mention dangerous. I would nurse when we'd drive home from being out on the weekends, it was occasional, but still difficult. My cousin who's a mom of 2 explained how she nursed her kids in the car, just by sitting on one leg to get enough height to lean over. This was an easy method when James was rear-facing, but so much more complicated when he is forward facing. Wow, the crazy things we do as mothers for our kids. I would have thought I was nuts 5 years ago!

Anyway, I just wanted to share that with you all because I struggled with weaning James, more in the sense of I didn't know how. However this was the most natural way where he basically just forgot about it. I do miss nursing him though, there is no other feeling like knowing that you can instantly comfort your child no matter what the circumstance.

Otherwise things have been going well for us. James is talking non-stop and is a very active toddler. He loves daycare and playing with his friends. He likes being chased by Adit and I and kicking soccer balls around. It's so fun watching how James changes day to day. We are simply enjoying the summer with friends and family and hope you all are enjoying your summer too.

Happy reading!

Rachel

Playing Catch Up!

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the long hiatus, I have so much to share and so little time to do it. So much has happened since March. For one I did the Covenant House Sleep Out, James turned 2, celebrated my birthday in April, and went to Hawaii in May. June is also turning out to be a busy month with multiple family and friend events on the weekends. I'll do some flashback posts to fill you in the past events.

We are all doing great and I have no complaints, well maybe one for this crummy weather. James is fully settled in his daycare. He started this new one in Feb and loves it. He often talks about it friends and teachers. He liked some teachers so much he was talking about them in Hawaii! James is changing everyday and developing his personality, some good and some bad. He loves trucks and cars and now sleeps with them. I end up tip-toeing into him room at night to remove them from his grip. Lol! He talks non-stop now, most of which we can understand. James is a happy kid that enjoys playing and jumping, he never sits still. The only way he calms down is when watching his favorite movie Cars and Cars II. However like may others I assume he gets frustrated sometimes and we get to see some meltdowns. Usually these are pretty quick as distraction is the best cure for it.

As for his diet he is still giving us a difficult time when it comes to eating veggies and fruits. All he wants is meat, fish, rice, corn, etc for dinner. He used to love broccoli, but refuses it now. I'm attempting to bribe him with TV and dessert to eat food and sometimes it works. Many other parents just say that he'll come around and just start eating everything, I'm still waiting for that day. I started baking for James. With the help of my mom we made him a banana bread that had mango and blueberries inside. He loved it! I'm looking for a new recipe to try a carrot cake next. With regard to his dairy allergy, it's pretty much all gone. I'm not sure how he does with yogurt because he doesn't want to try it, but that's the only one that's iffy for him. Believe it or not I'm still nursing him a little, only in the mornings. We bring him to our bed and he nurses and sleeps a little longer with us. The only other time he nurses is when we are putting him to bed when he's not at home. Otherwise he doesn't fall asleep, we are still working on an alternative to this as it's difficult for me. Today we didn't bring him into bed and instead gave him milk which he drank. I think that if we continue doing this he will wean naturally without any trauma for him. Hopefully he'll just forget about it.

Otherwise we have been living in NJ for about 7 months now, I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by. However we are still not settled as we are living in a rental community. We are house hunting and hope to find something in the near future. Work is going really well. I enjoy being here and like my co-workers. It's a fun place to work and great learning environment too. No other big trips planned for the summer. We are just planning to take James to see Thomas the Train and visit Sesame Place at some point. Hope we get good weather for both.

Well I'll try to fill you in as I go and hope you all are doing well too.

Happy reading!

Rachel

 

How Do You Feed a Toddler?

Hi everyone,

I desperately need your advice! For those of you who know James, he's not a fruit eater. He can do veggies, like broccoli, carrots, etc but lately he's not eating veggies either. He basically wants to eat a meat, ie chicken, fish, etc with rice and have a banana or cookies for dessert. This leaves my poor guy constipated and screaming in agony. We give him probiotic drops and mango juice to help keep him regular, but there has got to be a better way. Yesterday I convinced him to eat corn by counting the kernels and got him to eat a mini quiche by calling it cake. Anyone else have any advice on introducing new foods to a visual eater? He just looks at the plate and says no. What should I try?

Please share your feeding tips with me, I am eager to try it and we'll let you know how it goes!

Thanks in advance!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Is Anything Safe? - Must Read for Every Parent!

Hi everyone,

I came across this article after my mom posted it on her Facebook wall. It was called "Child Identity Theft a Growing Trend". This peaked my interest and boy am I glad that I read this. It was actually perfect timing since I recently received James' social security card so I'm going to guard that card for him!

Here are some key points from the article, although I highly recommend you read it!

•Don’t share your child’s Social Security number. When asked for it on school or medical forms, ask whether optional information can be substituted, or whether you can use just the last four SSN digits.
• Tell your children not to place his/her birth date or address on social networking sites.
• Register all family phone numbers on the Do Not Call List.
• Shred sensitive information. Don’t discard pages from bills, credit cards or bank statements with readable information.
• Educate your children on the risks of giving away personal information.

Here's the link: Child Identity Theft a Growing Trend, take a read and share some more pointers if you can think of them.

Happy reading!

Rachel

Phew! My Single Mom Stint is Finally Over!

Adit was away for 2.5 weeks so it was just James and I during the week. I have never been away from him for so long, which is tough on it's own, but even more difficult when you solely have to take care of a toddler. I made arrangements with my boss and she agreed to let me break up my vacation days so that I could leave an hour early everyday to run errands, get groceries, make dinner etc. I was preparing for his departure, but nothing could compare to actually being faced with the situation. I was really scared and nervous wondering if I could do it on my own. I knew that my mom was coming to help me on the weekends, but how would I manage during the week? I was a wreck the night before Adit left and even cried. I had such a rush of emotions that I couldn't control myself. Adit reassured me that I would be fine so I managed to pull myself together and get some sleep.

Adit was there to help me the next morning before he left for Montreal. The morning went by like normal, but I was dreading the evening. I had most of my food prepared because my mom stocked the freezer so initially I wasn't too concerned about meals, but just being able to take care of James. Every night was basically the same, I'd leave work a little early, do my chores, pick James up from daycare, feed him, play with him, bathe and brush his teeth, massage him, dress him, read a million books then put him to sleep. James was pretty good except for eating and brushing his teeth. He had a phase when I thought he didn't want to take a bath, but then I realized that he was just bored and needed more toys, then I couldn't get him out of the tub.

The mornings were a different story, how was I to get myself ready for work and a toddler ready for daycare? I knew that I couldn't shower and allow him to roam around so I showered the night before. Once James woke up I got his milk ready and attempted to start the day unless he wanted to get back into bed and snuggle a little. Then we'd both brush our teeth, or he would eat toothpaste until I was finished and could pin him down and brush his teeth. After that I changed his diaper and dressed him. I would take him downstairs, give him breakfast and put the TV on so he could watch Imagination Movers. James is obsessed with this show so I knew I had about 20 mins to get dressed. I would quickly run upstairs and had my ears open listening for crying, or any sounds of mischief. He was pretty good so I was able to have do intervals of 5 mins of dressing with a 30 second quick check on James. We got into such a routine that I was leaving for work earlier than I was when Adit was here!

The weekends were great, I spent the first one home with my mom. We didn't do much because we were snowed in, but James had a great time with "Gra-ma". The next weekend was President's Day weekend or Family Day weekend for you Ontarians so we went to Manhattan and stayed with my mom. We drove on Sat afternoon during James nap so he slept most of the way, then that evening my brother and cousins came to visit and we had dinner. It was fun, but a late night for James especially since we had big plans to visit the Natural History Museum the next morning. Initially my mom was supposed to come too, but instead she stayed home and started preparing lunch for us when we returned. It was just my brother and I. He is notorious for sleeping in so when I told him we'll leave at 9am, I had my reservations that he might not be ready. Boy did he prove me wrong and he was early so that he could help with James. That was a pleasant surprise. After getting to the museum, James had a field day looking at the exhibits. His favorite by far were the African animals. He kept running and pointing and shouting all the different animal names. Elephant! Lions! Zebra! It was such a pleasure seeing the excitement in his eyes. I just wished Adit could have been there too.

James stated to get sleepy after dancing under the blue whale so we made a B line to the exit. It was about 28 degrees outside so we booted it back to the apartment. James was nice and warm in his stroller and quickly feel asleep. Since we've been in NJ he's only been in the stroller once, so I can see why people don't use it as much in the suburbs. Since James walks everywhere I thought he might not want to be in the stroller, but he ask to go in that day. In any case we headed back to NJ that evening and enjoyed the extra day off before work. My mom was so nice and came back to NJ with me then commuted from here to her job in Manhattan. Her normal commute was about 20 mins, but from NJ it was about an hour and 30 mins. She wanted to make sure James and I were ok and with her help we were. I owe my mom a tremendous thank you for all that she has done. Especially since we have moved to NJ, she comes to see us almost every weekend and is constantly cooking or helping while she is here. So thanks mom, we appreciate all that you do for us!

Before I knew it, I made it through the week and was waiting for Adit to come home on that Friday evening! I was so excited and anxious. The weather was bad on parts of his drive, but luckily he passed those towns earlier on the trip and the weather got better the further south he came so he didn't have to stay overnight on the road. I kept tracking him on Google Latitude to see where he was. It was a blessing and a curse, because I would refresh within minutes at times. In case you don't know about Latitude, with one's permission you can see the satellite location of that person's phone, I think that it's great for families. When James gets his own phone, he will have this. In any case, the last 30 minutes were the worst. James was already fast asleep, so I was just perched at the window waiting. When I saw the car pull up I ran to the door and gave him a big kiss and hug! Finally Adit was home!

I learned a lot about myself and am proud of the way that I managed mostly by myself while Adit was away. I knew that I had a responsibility to James and to myself and that I had no other option rather than doing. I have to hand it to single moms because raising a child is a lot of work, now I know why they say "It takes a village"! Valentine's day occurred while Adit was away and he sent me some beautiful flowers. He also sent a sweet card that I kept in my purse. That note helped me through the rough days and was a sweet reminder that he'd be back soon.

Now our family is back to normal and we are looking forward to the weekend. Hope you all have a great weekend and enjoy the time with your loved ones!

Happy reading!

Rachel

Daycare Change!

James has been at daycare since he was just over 11 months and now he's 22.5 months so he knows the routine. He started his previous daycare in mid November and he left on Jan 31st. Initially we really liked it except for the high price tag and the fact that it didn't have a kitchen. The kitchen was one requirement that I wasn't planning on giving into however I made a sacrifice and allowed him to eat the catered food. The catered food was good as I got to pick his meals daily and they made things like chicken nuggets made with cauliflower to hide the veggies. When I did the tour I was sold on the center itself. It was so spacious and clean, plus there were multiple playrooms for James, along with a huge playground. I call it a playground because there was a slide, sandbox, bike track, and open grassy area. This daycare was well planned out and was NAEYC certified.

After some time there, I realized that it wasn't as great as I thought it was. The teachers were good at teaching the kids, but I didn't find that they were as focused on feeding the children. I say this because they didn't give James any milk or water to drink one day. We inquired about it and there was no acceptable answer. It seemed like everyone was pointing the finger at someone else. This was extremely disappointing and heart breaking because James wasn't able to express himself even though he was thirsty. After much talk with the staff we decided to give them another chance since James was already adjusted there and enjoyed it, but in the back of my mind I was looking for another center. Believe it or not, the same situation happened again! I was horrified, it occurred on the night that I was at a company event so I couldn't yell at everyone there. Adit called me on his drive home and told me about it. I left an urgent message with the site director, however to this day I haven't received a call back.

So the next day I heard nothing from management. I did speak with James' primary teacher because she heard what had happened. I showed her his daily sheet from the prior day that stated that he was given milk and drank it, yet we knew he had none. The reason I know he didn't have any was because we supply the milk and when we picked them up they were full. She kept the daily sheet and brought it to the staff meeting. Upon pickup that day someone from management spoke with me and apologized for what happened to James. She suggested that James will be permanently assigned to one teacher so she can take care of him. I asked what would happen when she's sick, on vacation, etc. They said that they will work on that, we all know what that means. I preferred that James was exposed to everyone and didn't think that I was asking for anything special. After this ordeal I knew we had to leave. I had a another daycare in mind but they didn't have their licencing yet or else James would have been there from day 1. They had an open house after the holidays so we attended and Adit and I really liked it.

The new daycare was a 2 minute drive from home, had a kitchen with homemade food, and webcam access. This was just what we needed so I gave notice at the old center and enrolled James for Feb 1. It's been a couple weeks and James is adjusting well. As they are new, enrollment is low and James is the only permanent child in his class. I thought he'd be lonely sometimes, but he does a lot of interacting with his teacher. Just the other day I heard him counting in spanish to himself and he showed me a heart today. I think we made the right decision, but only time will tell.

Hope your childcare needs are working out for you and that you never have the experience we had.

Happy reading!

Rachel

Best Straw Cup!

I've tried so many different cups that I've lost count and one way or another I have been disappointed by them. I decided to be an educated consumer and canvassed the internet to find a cup that meets my needs.

Here are my needs:
- Cup must not leak ever, and I mean while sealed, while straw is out, while lying on its side.
- The cup must be durable and BPA free.
- The cup should be relatively easy to assemble.
- The cup should have a durable soft straw that kids can easily retrieve liquids from.

I am sure most of you see this as basic needs, but with the caliber of cups out there it's more of a wish list ... or so I thought.

After extensive research the only cup that met my needs was the Tommie Tippee Explora Li'l Sippee Flip Top Cup!  I am so happy with this cup, it has met all of my needs above and hasn't leaked yet! It is a little difficult to disassemble for washing, but still worth it! I bought 4 from Toy's R' Us and I will probably get more in the future! James loves it and it allows for big gulps so that he drinks more water and milk!

If you are looking for a new cup, look no more and try this one out. Hope you like it as much as we do!

Happy reading!

Rachel