Posts
As you can see, our last photo "shoot" didn't go so well. Apparantly, modeling is not in my child's future.
A Slow Cooker Thanksgiving
4 weeks ago
Friday, February 26, 2010
Free Brainy Baby DVD
Brainy Baby, a company known for it's educational products for babies and toddlers, is giving away your choice of DVD for free - you pay only S&H of $6.95. The DVD's you can pick from include ABC's, Music, Laugh & Learn, and Shapes & Colors.
To order your free DVD, just visit their website here.
Enjoy!
To order your free DVD, just visit their website here.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Just Call Me Fatty McFatterson...
Seriously.
Saturday was my first clothes shopping trip for non-maternity clothes since the pregnancy. Let's just say that it was, by far, the most depressing experience I've had in a very long time. Even though I've lost all but 8 lbs. of my pregnancy weight, I've gone from a size 6-8 (depending on the brand) pre-pregnancy to a size 12. Seriously, WTF? I get that I was approximately 23 lbs. overweight to begin with, but again, WTF?
I've had it. I've given myself a goal of losing a total of 31 lbs. by the end of the year. That should take off the remaining 8 pregnancy pounds as well as the additional weight I needed to lose anyway.
Monday was my first day back at the gym and it honestly felt great! I stopped working out last May after getting my BFP because between being exhausted by the pregnancy, my school schedule, and moving to our new house - and all that it entailed - I just never had the time. I've decided that I'll hit the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and then do my Wii Fit workout on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm really hoping I can stick to it. I suck majorly at dieting, so hopefully this will work for me instead.
Here goes nothing!
Saturday was my first clothes shopping trip for non-maternity clothes since the pregnancy. Let's just say that it was, by far, the most depressing experience I've had in a very long time. Even though I've lost all but 8 lbs. of my pregnancy weight, I've gone from a size 6-8 (depending on the brand) pre-pregnancy to a size 12. Seriously, WTF? I get that I was approximately 23 lbs. overweight to begin with, but again, WTF?
I've had it. I've given myself a goal of losing a total of 31 lbs. by the end of the year. That should take off the remaining 8 pregnancy pounds as well as the additional weight I needed to lose anyway.
Monday was my first day back at the gym and it honestly felt great! I stopped working out last May after getting my BFP because between being exhausted by the pregnancy, my school schedule, and moving to our new house - and all that it entailed - I just never had the time. I've decided that I'll hit the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and then do my Wii Fit workout on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'm really hoping I can stick to it. I suck majorly at dieting, so hopefully this will work for me instead.
Here goes nothing!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Etsy Rave
The baby book I ordered for Abbey arrived today and I am in love! It turned out even better than I had imagined and I simply can't wait to start working on it. I ordered it from seller RubyLoveDesigns and feel she did a fantastic job. At a price of $60 for the basic book, I was initially having difficulty justifying the purchase, however, I finally caved and even purchased a few additional pages (namely, the holiday and baptismal ones) to complete "our" book. I even received it in less than a week.
This seller gets a huge thumbs up from me!
This seller gets a huge thumbs up from me!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Success At Last!
For the past 2.5 weeks, I've been attempting (and failing miserably) to get Abbey to sleep in her crib at night. She'd sleep in her carseat, her bouncer, on my chest, etc. but the moment I'd attempt to put her in her crib at night, she'd start screaming and I'd have to get her calmed down all over again. After giving in night after night and letting her sleep in her carseat to maintain whatever sanity I have left, I've finally been successful!
...to accomplish the job, but they've worked wonders. The sleep positioner keeps my little wiggle-worm from contorting herself into the many uncomfortable positions she always seemed to end up in when in her crib and its incline helps with her reflux. The seahorse somehow manages to knock her out cold in only 5-10 minutes.
Best.Investments.Ever.
I had to purchase this Summer Infant Inclined to Sleep Positioner:
And this Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Soothe and Glow Seahorse:
...to accomplish the job, but they've worked wonders. The sleep positioner keeps my little wiggle-worm from contorting herself into the many uncomfortable positions she always seemed to end up in when in her crib and its incline helps with her reflux. The seahorse somehow manages to knock her out cold in only 5-10 minutes.
Best.Investments.Ever.
Birth Announcements
I'm finally getting around to sending out Abigail's birth annoucements. I ordered them from Shutterfly and am working on getting all of the envelopes addressed as we speak. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to mail them all out by the beginning of next week.
I was really pretty happy with the final result and the quality was also pretty decent. I just wish I would have had a larger budget to spend on the announcements so that I could have taken advantage of Shutterfly's new feature where they address and mail them out for you (when the heck did they start this by the way?). Alas, at $0.90-some per card, Mike would have killed me. We already had to order over 75 of these thanks to our large families. For anyone who is willing to spend the extra dough, however, I think that's a pretty awesome service!
Here's the final design:
I was really pretty happy with the final result and the quality was also pretty decent. I just wish I would have had a larger budget to spend on the announcements so that I could have taken advantage of Shutterfly's new feature where they address and mail them out for you (when the heck did they start this by the way?). Alas, at $0.90-some per card, Mike would have killed me. We already had to order over 75 of these thanks to our large families. For anyone who is willing to spend the extra dough, however, I think that's a pretty awesome service!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!
Will you be Abbey's Valentine?
Happy 1st Valentine's Day, baby girl!
On a side note, today was the first time Mike and I went out for a "date night" since Abigail was born. We both had SUCH a great time even though we didn't really do anything special. While my mom babysat for us, we went out to a nice lunch (Mike had to work at 5 pm, so we made it an afternoon date) and then went shopping for a recliner that Mike has been wanting for some time. We felt like a couple of kids again out on their first date.
Who would have ever thought that a Valentine's Day lacking in all things romantic could be one of the most romantic yet?
Friday, February 12, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I've Officially Lost It
I think I've officially lost my mind. I think I want to TTC baby #2 sometime this year rather than waiting until mid-2011 as we originally planned.
I suppose it's not entirely my fault for thinking such crazy thoughts - I'm blaming Mike for this one. He's been the one bringing it up over and over again this past week which, if you think about it, is pretty funny considering he was the one that took awhile to warm up to the idea of TTC the first time around. I was simply joking around and mentioned how weird it's going to feel to use birth control again after so long (I just got the go-ahead for sexy time again from my OB yesturday) and his response went something like this, "We already have one baby. What's the point in birth control now? Why not have all of our kids as close in age as possible and just be done sooner rather than later?". He was dead serious.
My initial reaction was "Oh, heck no!" and I really wanted to wait until next year as we had discussed earlier. However, the more I think about it and the more time I spend with Abbey, the more I'm starting to think that I wouldn't mind having our kids so close in age. I'm now beginning to think that I'd like to TTA until June (since 9 months from then I'd be eligible for FMLA again) and then just stop preventing to let things happen on their own.
I can totally see rooms with white padded walls in my future...
I suppose it's not entirely my fault for thinking such crazy thoughts - I'm blaming Mike for this one. He's been the one bringing it up over and over again this past week which, if you think about it, is pretty funny considering he was the one that took awhile to warm up to the idea of TTC the first time around. I was simply joking around and mentioned how weird it's going to feel to use birth control again after so long (I just got the go-ahead for sexy time again from my OB yesturday) and his response went something like this, "We already have one baby. What's the point in birth control now? Why not have all of our kids as close in age as possible and just be done sooner rather than later?". He was dead serious.
My initial reaction was "Oh, heck no!" and I really wanted to wait until next year as we had discussed earlier. However, the more I think about it and the more time I spend with Abbey, the more I'm starting to think that I wouldn't mind having our kids so close in age. I'm now beginning to think that I'd like to TTA until June (since 9 months from then I'd be eligible for FMLA again) and then just stop preventing to let things happen on their own.
I can totally see rooms with white padded walls in my future...
It's Playtime!
Now that Abbey is starting to focus more on objects, I decided it was time to pull out her play mat for the first time. We had a great time playing together!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Moby = Lifesaver
Over the past week or so, Abbey has decided that she wants to be permanently attached to me during the day and will scream at the top of her lungs if I try to put her down for even a few minutes. In an attempt to make me feel less chained to the couch and still allow me to snuggle with my baby, Mike and I finally decided to pull our Moby wrap out of the dresser and figure out how to use it.
Let's just say that was easier said than done. After a good half hour of trial-and-error, we finally figured the damn thing out.
I have to admit though, it is pretty darn awesome. She's been sleeping all afternoon!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Weekend Pictures
Abigail had a pretty busy weekend - she went out on the town for the very first time (even though she slept through it all)! We had to run to Target for some diapers and Babies 'R Us to pick up an extra carseat base for her Snugride, so we decided to take Abbey along with us since I desperately needed to get out of the house for a bit. We also took Abbey to church with us for the first time on Sunday and she did great. Other than that, we had a pretty low-key weekend.
The Ramblings of a New Mom
1.) Breastfeeding is some serious business. When they say that young babies will eat 8-12 times a day from the beginning, they aren't kidding. Couple that with extremely sore nipples, tender, engorged breasts, and a milk supply that takes several days to come in thanks to my c-section, you've got one stressed out mommy. To top things off, Abbey is an extremely fussy baby and even though she took to breastfeeding right away, it's been an extremely difficult process. Unfortunately, my milk supply just couldn't keep up with her demand. Despite our best intentions, this only led her to become frustrated and exacerbated her fussiness. After only two full weeks of exclusive breastfeeding, Mike and I made the very difficult decision to switch to formula. While it certainly wasn't the best choice, it turned out to be the best choice for us. Much like labor and delivery, this is one area of mommyhood that should be approached with an open mind.
2.) Don't underestimate the power of a good nap. While I had heard it several times throughout (and perhaps even before) my pregnancy to "sleep while the baby sleeps", I never really gave it much thought. Then along came Abbey and sleep completely dropped off my radar. While she'll take one or two longer naps a day (3-4 hours at a time), she wakes up like clockwork every 2 hours throughout the night for a feeding. After a few days of this schedule, Mike and I were both beginning to feel very run down. Take advantage of a good nap when you can get it! The housework can wait.
3.) Accept all the help you can get. For the first week and half after bringing Abbey home, Mike's family generously arranged a schedule of who was to cook for us and when. We didn't need to buy groceries or cook while adjusting to life with our new daughter and I will be forever thankful for this. Also, since I was still recovering from my c-section and Mike had to go back to work (on second shift) right away, my mom came over in the evenings for the first two weeks to help out with Abbey. She was a godsend.
4.) It's okay to tell would be visitors to stay home. If your baby is fussy or sleeping or even if you're exhausted yourself and need a break, it's perfectly acceptable to tell friends and family members that it's not a good time for a visit with your new arrival. If they love you, they'll understand. Heck, most of them have been in your shoes at one point in time and know exactly what you're going through. Regardless, they have the next 18 years to get to know your baby. What's one more day?
5.) If you need to cry, cry. Trust me - there will be times where a good cry will make you feel refreshed. Being a new mom is tough, especially with your first child. Just remember that things will get easier and that the newborn stage won't last forever. Cherish it while it lasts and take good care of yourself in the meantime.
2.) Don't underestimate the power of a good nap. While I had heard it several times throughout (and perhaps even before) my pregnancy to "sleep while the baby sleeps", I never really gave it much thought. Then along came Abbey and sleep completely dropped off my radar. While she'll take one or two longer naps a day (3-4 hours at a time), she wakes up like clockwork every 2 hours throughout the night for a feeding. After a few days of this schedule, Mike and I were both beginning to feel very run down. Take advantage of a good nap when you can get it! The housework can wait.
3.) Accept all the help you can get. For the first week and half after bringing Abbey home, Mike's family generously arranged a schedule of who was to cook for us and when. We didn't need to buy groceries or cook while adjusting to life with our new daughter and I will be forever thankful for this. Also, since I was still recovering from my c-section and Mike had to go back to work (on second shift) right away, my mom came over in the evenings for the first two weeks to help out with Abbey. She was a godsend.
4.) It's okay to tell would be visitors to stay home. If your baby is fussy or sleeping or even if you're exhausted yourself and need a break, it's perfectly acceptable to tell friends and family members that it's not a good time for a visit with your new arrival. If they love you, they'll understand. Heck, most of them have been in your shoes at one point in time and know exactly what you're going through. Regardless, they have the next 18 years to get to know your baby. What's one more day?
5.) If you need to cry, cry. Trust me - there will be times where a good cry will make you feel refreshed. Being a new mom is tough, especially with your first child. Just remember that things will get easier and that the newborn stage won't last forever. Cherish it while it lasts and take good care of yourself in the meantime.
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