Adventures in Mommyhood: 18 Months

I can't believe Lilly is already 18 months old. Time has flown by, just yesterday we celebrated her 1st birthday. Things have been going very smoothly since she turned 1 and she is on a very precise schedule. She is now going to preschool 3 times a week because I have gone back to work very part time and she is loving every minute of it. Her teachers are great and she's really benefited from the interaction with her teachers and the other kids, which is something she really needed. She does great with the other kids and she has been learning a lot everyday. She has transitioned to one long nap a day right after she gets home from preschool and goes to sleep on her own every night around 7:30 and sleeps all through the night! We did move her into a bigger room and her and I both love it. I get a bulk of my house work done when she is napping and after she goes to sleep at night. Other then those times it's close to impossible to keep the house tidy when she is awake and playing. 

 

She loves being outside

Pumpkin Patch Adventure

As I mentioned on Friday, we went to a local pumpkin patch last weekend to pick out some pumpkins, eat lunch, and take Lilly to look at all the farm animals. She loved every minute of it and we had a great family day together and finally got some family pictures. Check out some of our pics from the day! 

Adventures in Mommyhood: New Beginning in Toddler World

Have you ever found yourself shopping for your little one and realize that nothing is in their size in the section you normally shop in...you look around some more and find your baby's size and discover the big sign above that says TODDLER?!?! Well that happened to me not too long ago when I was at Old Navy and I felt like I ran into a brick wall thinking to myself over and over again, "I have a TODDLER now!" Lilly is not considered an "infant" anymore, she is totally a toddler and I can't help but think, wow where has the time gone?! The first year is filled with so many ups and downs and new discoveries, with lots of learning going on for everyone and you have to take the time to cherish those little moments. I really made a conscious effort to soak in every small moment with her during that time. Now she is walking and sort of talking and and in to absolutely everything and I think back to those sweet, precious, calm days. I'm looking forward to these new discoveries and new adventures in toddler world and just hope I can keep up :)

Lilly's new favorite thing is to go through the spice cabinet

 and shake every single one of them!

25 Ways You Know You're Such a MOM

So I came across this link a variety of mom's motherhood moments of how you know you're such a mom. Some of these are really good and really relatable to all moms out there. So I wanted to share the one's I along with most other moms out there totally get and add a few of my own...

1. When your kid throws up, you hold  out your hand to catch it. Nasty, but it's so true.

2. You pick  someone else's boogers and not only is it no big deal, but I see it as a major accomplishment, like surgery or something, very satisfying to clear out their little boogers.

3. When going grocery shopping alone is considered me time and you try to milk it for all its worth.

4. When you know 1 million things you can clean with baby wipes.

5. "What kind of poop was it" is considered stimulating conversation.

6. You are amazed at how much you can get done with ONE hand.

7. Also amazed at how much you can pick up with your feet and toes.

8. You clench your nether regions when you sneeze so you don't pee.

9. Your pets that you love so much all of a sudden drive you absolutely crazy.

10. You literally cry over spilled breast milk.

11. If you happen to cry over said milk, you dry your tears with the nearest dirty burp cloth.

12. Getting ready for the day feels like the biggest accomplishment.

13. By the time you are finally ready for the day, your already ready for a nap.

14. When you make up the most ridiculous songs for everything.

15. You sniff the diaper to see if it is dirty or not.

16. Your car has been taken over with toys, blankets, spare clothes, diapers, and so on...

17. The last thing you do on vacation is relax.

18. When bouncing and swaying the baby is considered exercise.

19. Laundry and dishes are never ending.

20. When the paci falls on the floor but isn't too dirty, you just put it in your mouth and "clean it off"

21. When baby is napping so good and you arm falls asleep because you don't want to move it and risk waking the baby.

22. When jewelry is no longer part of your outfit.

23. When you can fall asleep almost anywhere.

24. When grocery shopping with the hubs without baby is considered date night

25. Your collection of takeout menus has expanded because the last thing you want to do is cook.

What are some of your "mom moments"???

Adventures in Mommyhood: 3 months

Lilly turned 3 months on Friday and boy has it been a fast 3 months. 

Here's what she has been up to:

Cooing and making funny sounds like she's trying to talk

Drooling like crazy

Trying to sit up on her own, I'm thinking she'll accomplish this by Christmas if she keeps at it

Playing and being more interactive with her toys on her tummy time mat, somewhat reaching for toys

She went on her first trip to the mountains and did great

Sitting in her bumbo seat without assistance holding her head up

Absolutely loves the tv, especially football with her Poppy, if she gets fussy we just stand or sit with her in front of the tv and she is fine almost instantly

Here's how mommy is doing:

I have lost a total of 35 lbs with no dieting or extreme exercise yet (gained a total of 50 lbs during pregnancy)

Cut almost all dairy out of my diet (figured out that is what was making Lilly extremely fussy for a couple of weeks) 

I have been on a few shopping trips for clothes and have found some really cute things from Walmart, Target, and Old Navy to wear until I lose the rest of the weight or fit back into my old clothes, not rushing it 

Daddy and Mommy have been on 3 dates total where my parents have watched the little one: my birthday dinner, Grace Potter Concert, and shopping and dinner one afternoon

In desperate need of a hair makeover...thinking of going short, like short, short..stay tuned

Post Pregnancy Bucket List: 10 Things I Can Do Now that I'm Not Pregnant Anymore

I ran across this article on one woman's "bucket list" of things she can do now that she is not pregnant or nursing and was intrigued to do the same for myself. It has been a little over 2 months since I gave birth and I am still breastfeeding, but I still have my own list of things I have looked the most forward to now that I am not pregnant anymore. Some of my things are the same as hers, but I think the repetitve ones are the ones every woman who has given birth looks forward to the most after pregnancy.

Here it goes:

1- Sleeping on my Stomach!

Sleeping was so uncomfortable while pregnant, even with using a pregnancy pillow (which only helped for a few weeks out of the whole pregnancy). This has truly been amazing since it is my preferred way of sleeping. 

2- Painting my own toes!

Ok let's be honest here, bending down while pregnant is a full on chore! It takes a lot of effort and you barely reach what you are trying to get if you pick it up at all. Being able to sit on the floor and paint my own toes a few weeks after giving birth was such an accomplishment.

3- Having a Drink!

Yes I am still breastfeeding, but when I do drink I do the "pump and dump" to ensure my little one isn't getting any of the alcohol.

4- Putting my own shoes on!

Being able to put your own shoes on or fix your pant legs without having assistance is another major accomplishment after pregnancy. I was pregnant a majority of the summer and trying to put sandals on was absolutely impossible. My husband became a shoe buckling expert.

5- Being able to wear real shoes again!

During the last half of my pregnancy my feet were so swollen. Heels and wedges were totally forgot about, flats really hurt, and after a while the only thing I could put on was a flip flop or something to slide into. I love being able to actually fit in my flats, heels, and wedges without feeling pain or my feet bulging out of them.

6- COFFEE!! 

Ok I will be honest, I did drink one cup of coffee everyday while I was pregnant, most days just a half cup. Before I was pregnant I would drink one, two, even up to three cups on any given day. I am so in love with coffee, I just could not give it up entirely. I discussed it with my doctor and she said it was perfectly fine for me to actually have 2 cups of caffeine (coffee or a soda) each day, but I didn't want to overdo it. Since I am still nursing, I have not increased my caffeine intake from 1/2-1 cup of coffee each day. If I have a soda, I drink caffeine free.

7- Hiking!

I absolutely love  hiking. My husband and I love the mountains and the outdoors and before I was pregnant we used to go on spure of the moment hiking and climbing trips. The husband and I have not done this yet since she is still so young. We are headed to the mountains for our anniversary and we'll see if we can actually do a little bit of hiking with her and our baby carrier. Stay tuned!

8- Going to the Beach!

I was the most pregnant during the summer here in Charleston and was so hot inside my 70 degrees house (hot flashes were more like heat waves that never went away) the last thing I wanted to do was even step outside let alone get in a bathing suit and go to the beach, I mean just getting ready and getting in the car was a 15-20  minute ordeal. I still don't want to get in a bathing suit right now but am looking forward to putting her in her carrier and walking on the beach and hopefully next summer actually make it out for some fun and sun!

9- Wearing real clothes and shopping at non-maternity stores!

Eventhough I had some really adorable and super comfortable maternity clothes, it has been nice to not have to wear them. What I have looked forward to the most is actually shopping at non-maternity stores. As weird as it may sound, Charleston really does not have a lot of options for maternity clothes (Motherhood, A Pea in a Pod, Target's super super tiny maternity section, and one maternity and baby boutique in Mt Pleasant is all we really have), so shopping at the same stores and looking at the same things every time got really old really quick.

10- Going out without getting winded!
Being able to go out and walk around the park, downtown, the store...any sort of long walking and exercise feels so good :)  

What are some of your post pregnancy bucket list items???



Adventures in Mommyhood: Taking Baby to Work

So last week I started back at work and I am so fortunate that I work in an office setting and am able to bring her to work with me. I am only doing half days right now because pretty much by the time I get her and myself ready, in the car, and to work and settled then have to actually do a few hours of work, I'm quite exhausted. By lunch time it's time for a nap for both Lilly and mommy. 

Here are some tips for any moms out there thinking about taking baby to work with them:

First of all taking your baby to work will not be the best situation for every job and work environment. If you think it will be a good fit with the kind of job you have, you will need to talk with your boss about what options you have. If you work in an office in a  cubicle or a space that doesn't have door or closed off area, is there an option for you to move to an office with a door. Discuss whether you can work on a part time basis to get you and baby acclimated and on a schedule and/or if there is a way you can do some work from home.  Once you and your boss have discussed your options and determined your schedule, a few days before (or you can even try a whole week, depending on your baby) you plan on going back to work, figure out what your schedule will be. Think about what time are YOU going to have to wake up, how long is it going to take you to get ready (shower, dressed, coffee, breakfast, etc.), what time is BABY going to wake up, how long is it going to take to get baby ready, and what time do you and baby need to leave the house to be at work on time and start planning accordingly. Think about preparing as much as you can the night before, have diaper bag packed, lunch packed for you, and anything else you'll need to take for your little one. 

Here is how it works with me and Lilly:

5am-6am
Lilly and I both wake up, Lilly eats 6oz bottle then lays in swing, I pump

6am-7am
 I eat breakfast then wash up and get dressed

7am-7:30am
I get Lilly cleaned up, changed, and in the car

7:30-8am
Commute to work

When we get to work Lilly will eat again sometime between 8am-10am, depending on how long she naps and then I pump again. She stays awake a little bit, but is easily entertained by her bouncy seat or on her tummy time mat. I get as much work done as I possibly can with constant interruptions for her pacifier or to sit in my lap and look at the computer screen while I work. She'll usually take another short nap and wake up by 12-1, then we go home to eat lunch and we both take an afternoon nap and then I get dinner ready.

My Essentials for Taking Baby to Work

These items have helped me tremendously in having Lilly at the office with me

1. Thirty One Utility Tote to carry all my stuff in to the office

2. Thirty One lunch tote for my lunch

3. Thirty One Thermal Pouch for breast milk storage

4. Baby Floor Mirror

5. Ju Ju Be Changing Pad

6. Fisher Price Tummy Time Mat

7. Fisher Price Bouncy Seat 

A bouncy seat is the perfect alternative to her swing

8. Aden+Anais Swaddle Blankets

9. Baby Einstein Lullaby Classics 

Music is crucial in having Lilly in the office, it is the perfect background noise for her. 

You can also try Baby Einstein radio on Pandora.